men’s resource center • rwandan genocide survivor • sports updates • and more
volume xciii, no. 20 • april 17, 2014 | clarkscarlet.com |
Extra helpings of comedy CUPS presents The Man Who Came To Dinner
the.clark.scarlet
Sodexo redefines full-time employee Issues playing out on Clark’s campus By Sarah Cramer editor-in-chief
photo by celine manneville
By Matt Emmer living arts editor
The intimate Little Center Experimental Theater was packed to capacity this weekend for four overstuffed performances of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s The Man Who Came To Dinner. Set in the late 1930’s in the small midwestern town of Mesalia Ohio, The Man Who Came To Dinner. follows national radio personality and New York intellectual Sheridan Whiteside
(Jacob Gordon, ‘14) as he forcibly takes up residence with the Stanley family after slipping on ice on their front step and thus being confined to a wheelchair. Mike Macomber (‘16), who produced the show and plays Whiteside’s hapless doctor, noted that he was “very glad that we picked this play because it showcases a lot of talent, and it’s very ensemble continued on page 12
As of January 2014, Sodexo, Clark’s food service provider, changed their definition of a full-time employee in order to comply with the Affordable Care Act. By their new definition, a full-time employee must work an average of 30 or more hours per week over a 52-week period, while previously a full-time employee had to work the same amount of hours, but only for 6 or more weeks per 12-week quarter. This redefinition reclassified 56 Sodexo hourly employees at Clark from full-time to part-time, making them ineligible for Sodexo health and welfare benefits, as well as any future vacation or sick time accrual. Of the 56 reclassified employees, 13 were participating in Sodexo’s health care program at the time of the redefinition. To compensate for the lack of vacation or sick time accrual, Sodexo gave affected employees an average pay increase of 11 percent.
photo by celine manneville
Both the employees and the University were first notified of the redefinition this past summer. While the redefinition of a fulltime employee applies to all hourly Sodexo employees nationwide, the lack of employment opportunities at Clark in the summer uniquely affects the Sodexo employees here. Many Sodexo employees at Clark collect unemployment in the summer
because of the reduced summertime operations. With the redefinition stipulating a 52-week period of employment, employees are now penalized for not working during the summer. Employees whose hours vary seasonally or even weekly are clascontinued on page 6
2 | news
The Scarlet
The Scarlet
april 17, 2014
UPCOMING EVENTS
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF CLARK UNIVERSITY CONTACT scarlet@clarku.edu | clarkscarlet.com
EDITORS 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
[ Thursday, April 17 ] Amnesty International screens “Dirty Wars” -Sackler 120 at 7:30 p.m. JStreet U presents “Discovering Peace: How Yousef Bashir Found Forgiveness During the Second Intifada” - Fuller Music Room (Room 422) in the Goddard Library at 7:30 p.m. Sex Toy Bingo - Higgins Cafeteria at 8:45 p.m.
[ Friday, April 18 ] Hip Hop Collabo - Atwood at 7 p.m. The Clark Bars Great Gatsby Concert - Jeff 320 at 7:30 p.m.
SCARLET STAFF Hannah Rosenblum Jonah Naghi Maria Rotelli Ronald Gerber Scott Levine Senegal Carty Savanna Cohen Celine Manneville Tyler Terriault
LAYOUT STAFF
[ Saturday, April 19 ] SPOC presents “Clark Con” - Jonas Clark from 12 p.m. - 1 a.m. Fest Africa - the Grind from 6 - 11 p.m. Hip Hop Collabo - Atwood at 7 p.m.
[ Sunday, April 20 ]
Cami Ferreol Hannah Jaffe
CASA’s Ubuntu Festival Dinner - Tilton at 7 p.m. PHOTO STAFF Jonathan Edelman Celine Manneville
[ Monday, April 21 ]
LGBT Rights Worldwide - Grace Conference Room from 6:30 - 8 p.m.
The Scarlet
april 17, 2014
news | 3
The Scarlet/News Studio Art minor proposed
Consolee tells her tale
Program director discusses possibilities
Rwandan Genocide survivor continues to feel love
By Celine Manneville scarlet staff
The Studio Art Program has submitted a request for a minor to the Undergraduate Academic Board (UAB). While the request is still pending, and may be shelved until the fall semester, Studio Art Professor and Program Director Elli Crocker revealed the tentative plans for the minor, and the motivation behind it. “In recent years there has been increasing interest in the possibility of a Studio Art minor,” she said. According to Crocker, current students are not the only ones looking for an art minor; prospective students and their families frequently ask about the minor as well. Right now, the Studio Art Program offers a major and a somewhat reduced course load for double majors. Currently, there is an average 44 students who major in art, with about half of them double majoring, which Crocker noted is an unusually high percentage. The art program has observed that some of the students who are double majors “would be better served being minors rather than majors.” This would allow them to still create art, but without having to “do a capstone, compete for the thesis project, and so on,” remarked Crocker. This would also allow the students who are art majors to be completely committed to art and perhaps “be better prepared to do the senior
courtesy of clarku.edu
sequence of courses.” When it comes to the requirements for the minor, Crocker said, “right now, we’re just saying six courses, and the question is will that also include an Art History course.” Studio Art majors are required to take either two or three Art History courses, depending on if you are a double major or a major. Because of this, it seems that an Art History course should be a requirement for the minor. “The Studio Art minor proposal was submitted without a lot of specifics, but right now we’re looking at some of the other minors across campus and it seems like six courses is the average requirement.” Aside from the possible Art History course, there are not many specific requirements for the minor. This provides a lot of leeway for students, allowing them to concentrate on a certain medium, whether that be photography, digital film, painting, graphic design, or so on. It is possible that the UAB will maintain that there needs to be specific course requirements in order for the minor to be approved. The
problem with having such requirements, however, is the potential to overload certain courses. “If everyone’s required to take an [introductory] drawing course, it could be that there are not enough spaces for all the students required to take it, in addition to students who would like to take it as an elective.” While the Studio Art Program is entering into this with some uncertainty, “[the minor] seems to be a need,” Crocker affirmed. She pointed out that Studio Art is the only department or program without a minor, except the Psychology and Combined Languages Departments, which require other additional specific coursework. She went on to say, “We’re outliers, both within the University and within the Department of Visual & Performing Arts,” which is composed of five programs that all offer a minor except Studio Art. Because of all these factors, as well as the high level of student interest, Crocker contended, “It seemed like the time was right and it made sense” to create such a minor.
courtesy of facebook.com
By Jonah Naghi scarlet staff
The Rwandan Genocide was a hundred-day period in 1994 when an extremist Hutu militia ordered the killing of the Tutsi population. Between five hundred thousand and one million Tutsi, 20 percent of the country’s population at the time, were killed. This past Wednesday, STAND, Clark University’s anti-genocide group, held events commemorating the twentieth anniversary of Rwandan Genocide. For their final event of the year, they hosted a survivor of the massacre, Consolee Nishimwe, who spoke about her experience during the genocide. Consolee grew up in Kibuye, a small town in Rwanda. She was the oldest of her siblings and was fourteen years old when the genocide began. She said that before the war, Tutsis and Hutus were segregated, but it wasn’t until she went to school
that she learned about the history and the rivalry of their people. Living near a Muslim community, Consolee told how she, her family, and many other Tutsi families sought shelter with the Muslim families during the violence. The relatively small local Muslim community at that time was sympathetic to the Tutsis and protected Consolee and her family, even when it meant risking their own lives. Consolee said she will never forget all the times her family tried to hide, seek shelter, and run away. She said she remembered seeing crowds of Tutsis fleeing, and seeing tears on their faces as they were forced to leave their homes. She thought it was literally the end of the world when, from her hiding place, she heard the “killers” chanting to exterminate the Tutsis. Not all Hutus were killers, continued on page 6
The Scarlet
4 | news
april 17, 2014
Navigating interracial adoption Two professors discuss their experience with white privilege
CUSC in brief By Hannah Rosenblum
By Claire Tierney news edtior
scarlet staff
Fern Johnson, Professor of English and Communications at Clark, and her partner Marlene Fine, Professor of Communications at Simmons College, read excerpts from their book The Interracial Adoption Option: Creating a Family Across Race and answered questions Thursday, April 3 in Dana Commons. Johnson and Fine began researching interracial adoption before they adopted two African-American children, and were shocked by the lack of information regarding this topic. They wrote their book to meet the need for this highly specific information. Johnson said “this book is for white people interested in adopting a child of color,” adding, “it is the kind of book we wish we had then.” Johnson and Fine alternated reading five passages, the first of which touched on the issue of white privilege. Fine said that before adopting, she and her partner “understood white privilege as a theory,” but being in an interracial family has taught them how little they actually know about these issues. This manifests in various ways, perhaps most frequently in problematic assumptions that range from ignorant but well-intentioned, to downright offensive. Fine described the powerful realization that “everything that happens [to a person of color] could be because of [their] race,” from discrimination and exclusion, to altered expectations. Johnson discussed what she called the “‘good person, lucky child’ narrative,” in which strangers stop a family in public to praise the white parents for saving their child of color and giving them a better life. Johnson
This week’s CUSC meeting was dominated by budget appeals and grants. This year, $291,974 was allocated to 90 clubs. The majority of club budgets were approved at the beginning of the meeting. Worcester Collegiate Christian Network, Hip Hop Collabo, and the Equestrian Team appealed the budgets Council initially awarded them. The Worcester Collegiate Christian Network was originally given no money because they submitted their request late, and appealed for $1,000. The Equestrian Team originally requested $15,000 and was awarded $7,000; they appealed for an additional $2,000. Hip Hop Collabo had originally requested $2,500, was awarded $1,800, and appealed for an additional $300. After much deliberation, as well as a reminder by Tim St. John that Council members should vote not by their personal opinions but rather in the best interest of their constituents, the Worcester Collegiate Christian Network was given $600, the Equestrian Team was given $700 and Hip Hop Collabo was given $300. Council then moved on to grants. $40 was allocated to the Freethought Society for a pizza party. $49.98 was allocated to CU Quidditch to purchase two new storage bags for their brooms. The Global Scholars Program was allocated $730 for the “Celebrating You” dinner which will celebrate the diverse cultures of Worcester. $700 was allocated to Counterpoints for their end-of-year charity dinner, which will benefit the Lutheran Social Services. Council enthusiastically allocated $3,040 to the Student Activities Board for a trip bringing 100 students to Six Flags New England. $510 was allocated to Seble Alemu, Melat Seyoum, and Beliansh Assefa to attend a workshop that will teach them how to conduct difficult dialogues around conflict. An additional $75 was allocated to Melat Seyoum for her final project for the Sacred Spaces course, in which she will lead a dialogue with local high school students who are refugees or recent immigrants. Finally, Elections Committee shared news of new committee appointees. Alexis Church and Assaf Shahar were appointed to the Environment Committee, Karishma Veljee was appointed to the Social Responsibility Committee, Gabby Paolini was appointed to the Student Affairs Committee, Eliana Hadjiandreo was appointed to Academic Affairs Committee, and Sarah Parker was appointed to the Alumni Committee.
courtesy of amazon.com
and Fine respond to these comments with “We are the lucky ones.” This problematic dynamic reinforces institutional racism that can leave adopted children feeling like “damaged goods.” Johnson and Fine repeatedly impressed the importance of honesty in explaining these issues of race and class, because “no family is immune to these problems.” Johnson read a passage about education and race, which explicated the long history of lowering expectations for Latino and Black children. She noted that the state of Virginia recently formalized this phenomena by officially lowering state testing expectations for Latino and Black students. When adopted children of color exceed these lowered expectations, instructors assume it is because they have been “lifted from bad circumstances.” Johnson and Fine noted the lack of data that exists on this subject, but they said that other adoptive parents have similar experiences, which was corroborated by an audience member
who is part of an interracial family. The last passage they read discussed the importance of incorporating African American culture into their children’s lives and into their family dynamic, which has enriched the whole family. An audience member asked about the effect of having two family members of color. Johnson said their two adopted sons were inseparable when they were younger, and she believes “it was important to have that bond, particularly in adolescence.” Fine recalled her son coming home at three years old, exasperatedly telling his mother, “Mom, white people won’t stop touching my hair!” Throughout the talk, Johnson and Fine stressed the life changes that come with creating an interracial family. It is important to recognize the issues of race and class that accompany such a decision, and it is even more important to face them both directly and honestly, as a family unit.
The Scarlet
april 17, 2014
news | 5
EARTH WEEK 2014 CALENDAR Thursday, April 17 ––
Green Grad Scavenger Hunt Continues!
––
Eco-Hunt and Geo Cache – RLH Earth Week, 9:30am-10:00am, all over campus
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Field Trip: Compost Facility Tour in Marlboro with We Care Environmental and Net Impact. Meet Maywood Parking lot, 9am-11am.
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Earth Week Thrift Store Open Sale, The Green, 11am-12pm
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Tabling Event: Zero-Waste Challenge with the Eco-Reps. UC, 11am-2pm.
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SSF Thinkathon Continues! Red Square, 11am-2pm.
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Green Business Partner Tabling: NuRide. 11am-2pm, UC.
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Hug a Tree Photos with the Eco-Reps! Red Square, 12pm-2pm.
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MicroGrid Demonstration with the SSF and Professor Agosta. Green, 12pm-4pm.
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Teach-Ins with Clark Faculty and Staff, 3pm-5pm Johnson Auditorium in Sackler: Thurs. April 17 Sackler #120, Johnson Auditorium 3:00 – 3:30 Heather Vaillette
How I Went Green and the Cafe Did Too
3:30 – 4:00 Mike Cole
100% Solar Powered Home
4:00 – 4:30 Chuck Wyatt
Is My Veggie Car Doomed?
4:30 – 5:00 Lea Ann O’Neill
Alden Quad Renovation
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Earth Week Speaker: Public Transit, National Grid Sustainability Hub, 3pm-4pm
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E-Waste Collection Drive, 3pm-4pm, Barrel under the stairs in the UC
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Movie: Switch. Jefferson 222, 9pm-11pm.
Friday, April 18th ––
Green Grad Scavenger Hunt ends!
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Eco-Hunt and Geo Cache – RLH Earth Week, 9:30am-10:00am, all over campus
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Tabling: Sustainable Clark. Red Square, 11am-2pm.
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Tabling: IDCE/ES&P Graduates. UC, 11am-2pm.
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Green on the Green: Herban Gardeners: Plant your own plant! 4pm-5pm, the Green
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Green Business Partner Tabling: GreenerU, Waste Management. UC, 11am-2pm.
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Hug a Tree Photos with the Eco-Reps! Red Square, 12pm-2pm.
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Earth Week Speaker: Solar in the Grid. 2pm-3pm, National Grid Sustainability Hub
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E-Waste Collection Drive, 3pm-4pm, Barrel under the stairs in the UC
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FINAL Geo Cacheing & Scavenger Hunt w/ green clues & locations. 4pm-6pm.
Saturday, April 19th ––
Worcester Farmer’s Market, 10am-2pm, Canal District, 138 Green Street, Worcester
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Earth Week Arboretum Walk, 12pm-2pm, Meet in Red Square, Walk to Hadwen Arboretum.
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E-Waste Collection drive, 3pm-4pm, Barrel under the stairs in the UC
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Bike Ride in Worcester, 5pm-6pm, Meet in Red Square
The Scarlet
6 | news
Sodexo cont. continued from page 1
sified as variable-hour employees. According to The Wall Street Journal, these employees constitute a large portion of Sodexo’s 125,000 employees at college campuses, hospitals, military bases, and other facilities in the U.S. It is estimated that 10,000 Sodexo variable-hour employees across the nation have been redefined as part-time. Though Sodexo’s announcement of their new policy prompted the Vermont State Colleges to publicly declare that they would not accept the changes at any of their colleges until further discussion with Sodexo ensued, Clark has remained silent and has no official stance on the matter. Clark Business Manager Paul Wykes explained that while Clark did question Sodexo initially about the rationale behind the policy and its affect on employees, Clark felt that publicly addressing it, and jeopardizing Clark’s “very good working relationship with Sodexo,” was unnecessary. Wykes further explained, “It would have to be a real extreme circumstance for us to then feel that we were not getting any results from [Sodexo] and then have to make several public statements that we were opposed to what they were doing, because we tend to work out these things amongst ourselves.” Wykes reasoned that he felt comfortable with Clark’s silence because Clark Dining Services General Manager Heather Vaillette, a Sodexo employee herself, was “handling it appropriately…so we didn’t feel the need to make a big policy issue out of it.” Vaillette, in fact, is doing everything she can—much more than Sodexo requires of her—to help her employees through the policy change. Besides going through the standard trainings and reading the Q&A sheets Sodexo provided about the new policy, Vaillette has taken it upon herself to comprehensively understand how her employees will be affected and what options are
available to them. For Vaillette, passing off the policy to her employees without actively being a part of the process was never an option. “I didn’t hand the staff a piece of paper and say, ‘Have a great time!’ This is life, not just a piece of paper...like any policy, we’re going to work through it together,” she declared. For reclassified employees who wish to gain back their full-time status, Vaillette is working to find ways for them to log more hours. Some of her current plans involve reaching out to colleagues to find summer employment at other colleges, as well as training her employees to be temps so that she can use them instead of a temp agency. In addition, Vaillette has held individual meetings with the reclassified employees to walk them through the policy change and what it means specifically for them. She has encouraged all reclassified employees to use the sick/vacation pay compensation to either supplement their new health care benefits, or open a savings account to store the funds for future sick or vacation days. She even created an account for herself on the Healthcare Marketplace to understand how to navigate the site, and to familiarize herself with her employees’ new health care options. “While the reclassification change has been challenging to a group of our team members, this change seems to be better than the alternatives that I have seen other companies go to,” remarked Vaillette. One of the more troubling “alternatives” is companies cutting employees’ hours, which she feels relieved did not happen. Both Vaillette and Wykes are members of the Food Systems Working Group at Clark, a group comprised of students, faculty, and staff who aim to create a food policy at Clark. The policy not only deals with food sustainability, but also incorporates all aspects of food production, including labor. While labor has yet to be addressed in the group, student group members hope to discuss it soon, especially in light of Sodexo’s new policy.
Clark Geography Graduate School professor and fellow Food Systems Working Group member Jody Emel opined, “I’m sure that [Vaillette] is doing everything she can, but I still think that [Sodexo’s new policy] should be a question we raise in the community, and I think it’s a part of a bigger question that we should be raising about staff compensation.” Emel revealed that while there exists a Faculty Compensation Committee at Clark, in which health insurance and other compensation matters are discussed, the staff have no representative body. While at other colleges food service employees may be classified as staff, Sodexo employees are not actually Clark employees, and therefore not Clark staff members. This further complicates their representation issues on Clark’s campus. Despite Wykes’ endorsement of Clark’s silence as a smart business decision, and Vaillette’s honorable endeavors to help her employees, Emel stressed, “We need to say something.”
april 17, 2014
Myths with
Manneville By Celine Manneville scarlet staff
Welcome to the seventh edition of Myths with Manneville, where the validity of the countless legends surrounding Clark University is finally discovered. The Claim: Clark President David Angel’s Wikipedia page states, “While at Clark, [President Angel] met [vocalist, bassist, guitarist, and percussionist] Chad Urmston and became a devoted fan of the band Dispatch.” How true is this statement? Does President Angel really like Dispatch? Reality: For this myth, I went right to the source and interviewed President Angel. In order to address this myth, I first asked Angel if he knew about the existence of his Wikipedia page. The answer was no, so I had him
read his page. He remarked, “some of it I’ve never heard of.” I got right to the point and asked him if he knew about the band Dispatch. He said, “No, I don’t.” I followed up by asking if he had ever met Chad Urmston, to which he responded by asking me who Urmston was. I explained that Urmston is a vocalist, bassist, guitarist, and percussionist for Dispatch, as well as Hermit Thrush and State Radio. President Angel still did not recall meeting him. While State Radio did play at Clark in September 2009—less than a year before President Angel took office as Clark University’s ninth president—President Angel never met Chad Urmston. In fact, President Angel’s favorite band is not Dispatch. So then, what is his favorite band? “I’m fairly predictable for a Brit on that front,” he told me. “Rolling Stones.”
Rwandan Genocide cont. continued from page 3
though. She recalled occasions when Hutus refused to betray Tutsis. Consolee and her family used to have a Hutu lady come over to their house to help, and even when the massacre began she refused to turn them in because she told them, “I know you guys are good people; I won’t betray you.” One time, she experienced what she called “a miracle” when a Hutu spared her life. Her family was hiding in a house when a Hutu was ordered to go in and kill any Tutsi inside. The Hutu came in and told them to quickly escape. Another kind stranger even allowed Consolee and her family into her house to eat when they were short on food and in hiding. Unfortunately, she also has many sad memories. She remembers seeing a few Hutus celebrating and drinking
because they had succeeded killing someone who was born a Tutsi; she soon realized that they were talking about her father. Her father’s death was hardest for her because he wasn’t just her dad, he was her best friend, she said with a shaky voice and trembling lips. Consolee and her family was also captured by Hutus at one point. The kidnappers wanted Consolee and her mother to take drugs, but her mother refused, saying she would rather be shot. They were then both forced to take the drug anyway, and were then beaten and raped. Now that Consolee is in America, she wants to continue to tell her tale in honor of her loved ones who were lost, so that no one ever forgets the tragedy. Consolee has also met survivors of other genocides, such as Holocaust survivors, and says they feel empathy and can relate to each
other because they both went through hateful experiences. Consolee concluded her speech powerfully by emphasizing that although she felt emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually broken, she had to be strong and move on. And by moving on, she meant to continue to love others, and to continue to love herself. Many audience members were truly inspired by this statement. She continues to love others, even Hutus, despite her experience. Sophomore Emma Mitchell, who is Consolee’s literary agent, says, “Every time she gets better and better and she touches the hearts of everyone that she ever comes in contact with.” Her parting quote truly touched everyone’s hearts in the audience: “No matter what circumstances you may face in your life, you must never lose hope, for losing hope is the beginning of your self defeat.”
The Scarlet
april 17, 2014
news | 7
CLARKIE of the WEEK is the largest student-run organization in the
Sam: They got nominated; you could
puppies. I also like slam poetry, but I don’t
country. It’s this nationally-run organiza-
nominate a friend or you could self-nomi-
write [it].
tion that promotes campus spirit and unity
nate. Then they filled out the application –
within residence halls, as well as leadership
it was really simple, just saying what their
Scarlet: Do you have any fun facts about
development. At other schools with huge res-
leadership style was, what they wanted to do
yourself?
idence halls it’s a big deal. Here, we used to
with this chapter, and a lot of people were
Sam: I won a poetry contest in my senior
be really, really good back in the early 2000s
like, “I just want to be around people who
year of high school.
– we won a whole bunch of awards and went
have the same kind of beliefs I do of service
to different conferences. Everybody knew
and recognition of leaders.” That kind of
Scarlet: What contest was it?
Clark. Then we died down, and now we’re
academic drive.
Sam: Poetry Out Loud. I won at my school
trying to get back into being known. We
photo by jonathan edelman
Sam Wallace
Sam Wallace (‘16) is a International Development and Social Change major who hails from Nottingham, New Hampshire. She is very involved in the residence hall community and is helping to improve Clark’s recognition of campus leaders.
Scarlet: What are you involved in on campus?
by Anna Spack
and then regionally.
went to a [NEACURH] conference. It’s a lot
Scarlet: That’s great. And you’re helping
of spirit, everybody’s cheering, and there’s a
to start it?
Scarlet: What was your poem about?
spirit stick that gets passed around. It’s like
Sam: Yeah, I’m part of the Induction Board.
Sam: I had to do three. One of them was
Bring It On but crazier, because it’s really
really funny. It was about Walt Whitman in a
nerdy. The mascot [of NEACURH] is a moose
Scarlet: Is that with people from RHA?
so there’s a lot of moose stuff. It’s huge.
Sam: Yup. It was spearheaded by Brenna
People get really into it. There’s a position
Merrill (’14). She’s been involved in RHA for
Scarlet: That’s really cool. Did you get a
on the E-Board of RHA called the National
a while, and noticed that this was something
prize?
Communicator Coordinator (NCC). They are
[important]. We’re lacking a way to recog-
Sam: I got a gift certificate to a bookstore,
the students who represent Clark RHA on
nize leaders on campus anyway, because
which I then misplaced. I have really bad
the regional and national level. They sit in a
I feel like Clarkies don’t think that they’re
short-term memory loss, that’s another fun
board room during the [national] conference
leaders or don’t think that what they do is
fact.
and talk about different policies and review
leadership. They’re like, “Oh I’m in this club
programs that might win best program of
and I do all these things,” and then if you
Scarlet: For what types of things?
the nation and stuff. It’s this whole other
ask them, “Are you a leader?” they’re like,
Sam: Anything. Like I’ll be driving and some-
world that a lot of people don’t know about.
“No, I’m not.” I feel like our leaders are [seen
one will be giving me directions and tell me
as] PAs and RAs, and that’s it. One thing
to take a left turn, and I’ll take a right turn.
Sam: I’m a Residence Advisor, I’m in Residence Hall Association (RHA), [and] I’m a founding
grocery store.
member of National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH). It’s a lot of residence things. But I’m
Scarlet: What is NRHH?
about NRHH is you can’t be an RA to be
And they’ll be like, “Sam, what are you do-
looking to do more Clark Musical Theatre (CMT) stuff next year.
Sam: NRHH is also under the same big
inducted, so it’s [about] other leaders.
ing?” and I’ll be like, “Oh my god.” Numbers
bracket. It’s National Residence Hall Honor-
and names too. People introduce themselves
Scarlet: Have you done CMT stuff in the past?
ary. We’re starting it [at Clark] this year.
Scarlet: I know you took a gap year and did
and I’m like, “Too bad, I’m never going to
Sam: Yup. I did tech for Urinetown.
It’s a new way to recognize people who are
City Year. Where were you and what did
know your name.” My dad has it too.
already leaders and have them impact the
you do?
Scarlet: Did you have tech experience before that?
community. We actually just met [on Sun-
Sam: I was in Manchester, New Hamp-
Scarlet: What is your favorite spot on
Sam: I was an assistant stage manager my senior year in high school, and co-president of our
day] and inducted 17 people.
shire. It was crazy awesome. City Year was
campus?
definitely one of the best experiences of my
Sam: The AC near finals time. Specifically
Scarlet: So it’s about leadership?
whole life thus far. Basically, I worked in a
because everybody is freaking out and you
Scarlet: So you wanted to try out tech?
Sam: Yeah. We reach out to different
fourth grade classroom. I did classroom
can just walk up to someone and be like,
Sam: Mhm. It was super fun.
departments on campus like Athletics and
support all day, and then we ran an
“Did you sleep?” and they’ll be like, “No.” And
different academic departments, and tell
afterschool care program until 5 or 6:30 at
you’ll be like, “Me neither.” There’s a good
Scarlet: Was it stressful?
them that we need people who have a GPA
night. We did different volunteering in the
bond that goes on with people flipping out.
Sam: Yeah. We were up until 2 a.m. a couple days a week for two weeks in a row.
of 2.5 or higher who are living on campus
community on some Saturdays, and then
drama club.
next year [and] who are already leaders on
during February break and April break we
Scarlet: Is there anything else you would like
Scarlet: What does RHA do?
campus. And then we connect them in one
ran a camp for kindergarten through first
to add?
Sam: We promote spirit across campus and in the residence halls. We’re the ones that do Nom
group and as a group they have to recognize
grade. Students would come and hang out
Sam: There’s an event called Eco-Quest on
Nom Grilled Cheese [during finals].
different leaders on campus through “Of The
for the day so their parents wouldn’t have to
Friday, April 18 at 4 p.m. in Red Square.
Month” awards, like Best Program of the
worry about having places for them to go. It
Teams from two people to six people go on
Scarlet: What is your specific role in RHA?
Month, Resident of the Month, Great Leader
was awesome.
a scavenger hunt around campus and take
Sam: I’m Director of Operations. I do all the email lists and all the logistical stuff.
of the Month. And they also do a long-term
pictures of green initiatives. It’s the last area-
service project in Main South. So since it’s
Scarlet: Do you have any other hobbies or
wide RA event, and you can win cool prizes
Scarlet: Are you automatically in RHA if you’re an RA?
the founding year they get to decide what
interests?
like gift cards to Yoway and cool free t-shirts.
Sam: No. They’re two different things. RHA is a club. At other schools, it’s really big. RHA is
[service project] they want to do.
Sam: I really like canoeing and hiking. I
Scarlet: How do people get chosen?
puppies today. It was literally just me petting
under North East Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (NEACURH), which is under National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH). NACURH
like puppies. A lot. I had a dream about
Thanks for the interview, Sam!
The Scarlet
8 | news
Jar of air sold for $860 in China Used to protest pollution in Chinese cities (ABC) - A preserves jar that artist Liang Keijang of Beijing closed in a mountain village in Provence, France was put up for auction March 29 as a way of speaking out against the low air quality in many Chinese cities. The jar of mountain air was bought for $860 by artist and entrepreneur Li Yongzheng.
By Sénégal N. Carty
april 17, 2014
Nine-month-old arrested for attempted murder now free of charges Official responsible has been suspended (CNN) - A nine-month-old Pakistani boy who was arrested and appeared in court on charges of attempted murder has been cleared. The boy was arrested after members of his family injured police officials who came to collect an unpaid bill by throwing bricks at them. Police have stated that one of the officials behind the arrest has been suspended.
scarlet staff
Family teaches horses to do yoga
Elementary school band takes on 79-year-old
Practice is meant to “make the horse… suited to any discipline”
Learning to play flute
(Huffington Post) - At the Doma India School in Argentina, horses are calmed and tamed by teaching them to do yoga. The Scarpati family, who runs the school, sees horses as sacred animals and believe that moving them into yoga poses is a way to tame them “according to their nature, avoiding fear and pain.”
(ABC) - Seventy-nine-year-old Tony Boland of Iowa has joined a band of fifth-graders at Dubuque Elementary School. Boland, who had been volunteering at the school, asked to join the band as a way of learning to play the flute quickly.
Missing painting worth millions may have ended up in landfill Was last seen being removed by cleaners (Reuters) - A painting entitled “Snowy Mountain,” by Cui Ruizho of China, went missing during an auction at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Hong Kong. Security footage shows it being removed by cleaning staff, which has lead to speculation that the staff may have discarded the $3.7 million painting.
The Scarlet
april 17, 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.
Who matters at Clark? A case against the Men’s Resource Center
By Anna Spack photo editor
By Kelly Herbst contributing writer
Men are one of the most privileged groups in American society, both today and historically. This is not to say that men do not have problems to contend with because of their gender. Professor Michael Addis’s research, for example, has examined the serious consequences on mental health and well-being because of toxic masculinities. I certainly have a lot of respect for Professor Addis and the work he is doing. However, that does not prevent me from being critical of his approach to a “Men’s Resource Center.” I am both ideologically opposed to and personally upset by the idea of having a “Men’s Resource Center. My concerns all stem from one significant source: privilege. I have been in contact with many relevant faculty and administration members including Professors Betsy Huang, the Chief Officer of Diversity and Inclusion; Nina Kushner, the Chair of the Campus Climate Committee; and Jen Plante, a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ students. These faculty members were not informed about the “Men’s
Resource Center” by either Professor Addis or members of the administration. I did, however, attend the student forum on Monday. Clark University currently has no resource centers addressing issues surrounding gender and sexuality. When limited resources are going to benefit a dominant group (i.e. men), I believe that this demonstrates a lack of care and concern for marginalized groups. A core motivation for pursuing a “Men’s Resource Center” are the high attrition rates, low use of services, and higher rates of academic and judicial issues surrounding male students. Dean Denise Darrigrand cited the creation of Academic Advancement as a solution to similar issues facing ALANA students several years ago. But this is not a comparable analogy. The difference between Academic Advancement and a “Men’s Resource Center” is that men are a privileged group and support is not in place for marginalized groups. Dean Darrigrand characterized the targeted male demographic as white men who attended private high schools, had low GPAs and high SATs. When Clark University focuses on the struggles of financially stable
courtesy of clarku.edu
white men, there are some issues of priority here. As a person who holds multiple intersecting marginalized identities, it feels like Clark University does not care about me, my experiences, or my communities. There is privilege in having your identity included in attrition data, which is being used to decide who gets institutionalized support systems. Another argument brought up continued on page 11
“How can you bear to meet for so long and so late?!” That’s a common reaction I get when I tell people that The Scarlet meets from 7:45 p.m. until about 3 a.m. every Wednesday night. But honestly, it’s the highlight of my week. I love Wednesday nights. When I’m at The Scarlet, I forget about all the things I’m stressed about. Without The Scarlet I probably wouldn’t have laughed about half the amount of times I have in the past two years. Let’s face it, those seven-hour meetings are about 97% jokes, hilarious stories (shout-out to Claire), ridiculous comments, and hysterical laughter (interspersed with intense copy editing and news pitches, of course). I have had some of the most interesting and thought-provoking conversations at Scarlet meetings. We’re such an eclectic group, each with really different personalities and interests, but that’s what makes each week so fun and interesting. We’re like pieces of a puzzle, each bringing a unique temperament and character. Without all the pieces, the puzzle wouldn’t be complete. Okay, sure, Scarlet meetings are tons of fun and the people are awesome. But that’s not the only reason I’ve loved being a part of it. When I first joined, I had literally zero news writing or newspaper-publishing knowledge or experience. That’s definitely not the case anymore. Being on The Scarlet has taught me a ton about journalism and media. I’ve strengthened my writing skills, gained experience working with eight others on an Editorial Board, and developed social media outreach knowledge that will help me a lot in the future. The Scarlet has allowed me to resurrect the love and passion for writing that I lost somewhere in continued on page 10
The Scarlet
10 | news
april 17, 2014
Satire and racism in the media Analyzing #CancelColbert By Savannah Cooley scarlet staff
Recently, a tweet by the Colbert Report put the show in hot water. Well, kind of. An out-of-context joke on Twitter became a social justice blogger’s opportunity to get her name out there. Suey Park, after seeing the tweet, coined #CancelColbert, and the hashtag went viral. So viral, in fact, that quite a few news outlets turned courtesy of www.beijingcream.com
The 2014 Thomas Wisniewski Prize for Creaavity and Research $1,000 cash award to pursue original ideas and scholarship Open to all student with cumulaave GPAs of 3.30 or beeer, who will graduate either in December 2014 or May 2015.
Your project may begin as early as this summer, but may also connnue through the academic year. Applicaaons should include a brief statement of how your academic background and qualificaaons have prepared you for this project.
their attention and began their criticism of Colbert’s show. I’ll get back to that, but first I’d like to address Park. She did an interview with Salon.com that should probably be mentioned. If it wasn’t obvious, I’m not a fan of Ms. Park; after reading her interview, I feel very stable in my initial diagnosis of her character. To begin, Park admits that she has not seen the episode in question. In fact, she claims that it is “irrelevant” because “you’re still trying to understand my context, rather than my reaction and the conversation I was trying to create.” I disagree. Context, in any medium, is an important part of making a decision on something. Although, to be fair to Park, she claims that the hash tag itself wasn’t literal. In the interview, she continues to talk about what she was intending. Honestly, though, I can’t say it made a lot of sense to me. Nonetheless, the story itself brings up an interesting point. Is it alright to use racism to make fun of racism? It’s a very common form of comedy, at least. Stephen Colbert is certainly not the first person to do it, and this was not his first time doing this. I can’t say it’s the correct thing to
do. Satire, when used well, is meant to ridicule and criticize other people’s stupidity towards a topical issue, like politics. And in the case of Colbert, what he did does technically falls into this category. But frankly there are other, better ways to do it. The “Ching-Chong, Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever” was incredibly harsh and went too far. I get where he was going there, but even I flinched when I heard that. This was a poke at the Washington Redskins Original American Foundation, which was already pretty bad, but it still feels like the entire part of this episode could’ve been handled far better than it was. And from what I saw, from the all the backlash, that hashtag completely overshadowed the point of the segment. It became more about Colbert than what he was criticizing. (In fact, he wasn’t even the one who wrote the tweet.) Park, meanwhile, got the social commentary she wanted, I guess (along with plenty of hate mail). If anything good can come from this, maybe a few people will be more aware of what they see, and maybe the racist satire will fall out of popularity.
The winner of the Wisniewski Prize will present the outcome of the project either at Fall Fest or Academic Spree Day.
TO APPLY, PLEASE SUBMIT: A three-to-five page statement outlining your descrippon of a research or creaave project you wich to propose for implementaaon in your senior year. A brief statement of how your academic background and qualificaaons have prepared you for this project. An unofficial copy of your transcipt.
The Scarlet Letter cont. continued from page 9
high school. It has also made me even more grammar-obsessed, if that’s possible. Joining The Scarlet is the single best decision I have made in my two years at Clark, and is one of the things I will miss most while I am abroad in Spain for all of next year. I guess I’m pretty glad that my shy first year self decided to go to that first general interest meeting on September 12.
april 17, 2014
The Scarlet
news | 11
Resource Center cont. continued from page 9
Dear Sigmund, I’m a freshman and have made a pretty good group of friends this year. However, lately I’ve been noticing that when I’m in the mood to go out or do something fun, no one wants to do anything. It seems like they are content just sitting around and hanging out on weekends, which was fun at first but is now really boring. I’m not sure what to do because I want to have a social life, but this is my group of friends! Everyone else has their groups already set and it seems pointless to try and make new friends this late in the year. What can I do to enjoy the last few weeks of school? Thanks, In a Funk Freshman
Dear In a Funk, It definitely sounds as though you are in a tough spot right now. I can understand your desire to be more active, and I also understand that when your friends don’t want to be as active as you it can make things difficult. Have you ever tried asking your friends why they prefer to hang out rather than take part in an activity? Maybe they are at the point in the semester where they have run out of steam and don’t have the energy to do anything taxing. Or perhaps they are just busy studying for their finals. Either way, talk to them about it. Once you know the answer, you may be able to adapt your approach in order to have them reciprocate your feelings. Try starting off with a small activity, such as going out for dinner. This is known
as the foot-in-the-door approach, and means that you start with a small request and then work your way to larger requests once individuals feel more comfortable. If, for instance, you’re asking your friends to take a day trip to Boston, it may be too large of a request for them. It is better to lead with something small and work your way to the bigger things. If this is not an effective approach for you, you should remember that you don’t have to do everything with the same group of people all the time. Feel free to look for other friends that can complement the friends you already have. A great place to meet other active people is in the groups and clubs on campus that promote active lifestyles, such as an intramural sport or the outdoors club. By being active with others, it may allow you to enjoy your down time just hanging out with your group of friends. If you still are not able to manage getting your friends out to do something, try at least to change up what you’re all doing together when just hanging out. If it is just sitting around talking to one another, bring a movie to watch instead. If it’s always playing video games, try ordering take-out one night. Switching up the normal routine can sometimes be enough to change the boring into a little more exciting. Just remember, these are your friends for a reason. Remember those reasons and try to enjoy your time with them during the end of the semester. And if all else fails, the summer will be here soon and you can be as active as you want then! 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.
in support of the “Men’s Resource Center” is that men don’t seek resources and are not advocating for themselves. This argument is entrenched with privilege. Men are not advocating for themselves because they do not need in order to benefit from society. There is a sense of entitlement that men deserve ‘a nice place with nice things,’ and if they don’t have it, it is a justification for not seeking help. I have been advocating for myself and my communities for as long as I can remember. The people who are asking for support are not seeing it happen, yet men have the attention of the University Administration. Professor Addis is privileged to be a man who is doing research on men. Privilege is being able to conduct research on men and not be accused of having an agenda. It’s about not having your work dismissed because you are a man. Although Professor Addis has indicated that he does not plan to move forward with the implementation of a “Men’s Resource Center,” the processes which led to the work on this issue remain in play. Nobody is taking responsibility for choosing to give space and funding to this project. Those who have been working with students on this issue, namely Professor Addis and Dean Darrigrand, have placed responsibility on some nameless, faceless person in “administration.” Many students have had concerns over support at Clark for many years and have been attempting to work on issues. However, because we do not know who is making decisions or how they are being made, we cannot advocate for ourselves effectively. Marginalized groups require more effective and visible support before a “Men’s Resource Center” should even be part of the conversation. The mishandling of the “Men’s Resource Center” highlighted the lack of support for marginalized groups and some of the functions of male privilege at Clark.
12 | living arts
The Scarlet
april 17, 2014
The Scarlet/Living Arts Before the Deluge Noah Review By Ronald Gerber scarlet staff
Darren Aronofsky’s epic Noah will likely disappoint many of its intended demographics. Hardcore Aronofsky fans will find the Hollywood gloss unbearable. Most preteens and teenagers will probably think it’s too slow. Religious Jews, Christians, and Muslims will have
trouble with the artistic liberties taken with the original Biblical story. Seeing as I am none of these things, however, the film did not repel me. I simply found it flawed. Regardless, Noah is brilliant in many ways. It is reminiscent of the style and thematic complexity of the great historical epics of the 1950s and ‘60s, like Ben-Hur and Lawrence Of Arabia. Our protagonist (Russell Crowe)
receives word from God—simply called “The Creator” in the film — that the world will be destroyed by water due to man’s sins. After consulting with his grandfather, Methuselah (Anthony Hopkins), Noah, along with his wife Naameh (Jennifer Connelly), sons continued on page 13
The Man Who Came To Dinner cont. continued from page 1
based […] there’s a lot of opportunities to showcase new talent, which is good for CUPS because we haven’t done a show this big in a while.” The show abounds with chaotic energy and slapstick wit, harkening back to the time of its original presentation in 1939. The casual name-dropping of the script might be difficult for modern viewers to keep up with, but a few familiar names help place the piece in a warm glow of nostalgia. Nga Pham’s art deco-inspired set and Rachel Fuji’s lighting enveloped the entire performance space in a sense of familial intimacy, bringing the audience into the sarcastic farce
of living room manners. Whiteside dominates much of the performance, as many passages of the play function as occasionallyinterrupted monologues for the character. Gordon expertly performed the role, embodying the larger-thanlife snarky charm that Whiteside demands. Yet, he was able to allow the rest of the cast to shine when appropriate. The talented ensemble played their roles with genial charm and comical ambivalence well-suited for the pre-War period piece. As with many Clark productions, the supporting cast was a highlight of the production. They conquered the challenges of razor-sharp comedic timing and
slapstick sensibilities that have been alien to recent productions. Tyler Rosati (‘14) and Alex McCoy (‘14), who have both starred in past Clark shows, shone in featured roles as Banjo and Beverly Carlton, caricatures of Harpo Marx and Noel Coward, respectively. Tyler Terriault (‘16) and Hallie Hayden (‘14) played their romantic leads with a quirky and endearing chemistry that highlighted the wit and style of the show. Overall, the performances came together to create a production that was fun, diverting, sarcastic, and ultimately outstanding. The show wove together different strands of American comedy, giving the diverse cast time to display its myriad talents.
by Tyler Terriault Enlightenment, reached in the form of painting, late one night, days ago Hey! you guys don’t, uhh.. happen to remember spree day, do you? I… Whoops Remember that time Spring came and visited for a week that one time? Happiness is like being nostalgic about the future, you know? It’s Earth Week, y’all! Go plant a flower and hug your Mother (that’s nature) A SIT-OUT on the green to boycott going to class! Today! All day!
The Scarlet
april 17, 2014
living arts | 13
Challenge convention, Steal Your Face Celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Dead at Clark By Matt Emmer living arts editor
According to school legend, Jerry Garcia’s favorite place to have a psychedelic experience was Clark’s Goddard Library. Perhaps this revelation came 45 years ago this week, when the Grateful Dead played an outstanding concert at Atwood Hall. On April 20th (yes, 420) the Grateful Dead came to Clark University for the second time. Surprisingly, the concert predates any other recorded celebration of the holiday. Their first show at Clark occurred in late 1967 or early 68, when the band was debuting much of the experimental material that would become 1968’s Anthem Of The Sun. About 40 minutes into the band’s first set, students supposedly noticed the stage grow dim and the red lights on the guitar amplifiers shut off. The electrical circuit of Atwood Hall had been blown out. The audience sat in confusion while the famously improvisational band scrambled to think of a solution. After a brief break the band came back, percussion instruments in hand, and held an impromp-
tu drum circle with the crowd. During the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Clark University was known for drawing major artists, including the Dead, the Doors, and Cream. An archival recording of Jimi Hendrix’s 1968 performance was released in 1999. From the beginning of their career, the Grateful Dead revolutionarily allowed and encouraged audience members to unofficially tape their shows. Fortunately, a high quality recording of the Clark University show exists at archive.org, website that hosts streaming recordings of nearly every concert the band ever played. The show begins with a rare “Morning Dew” opener. The song, a mainstay of the band’s repertoire throughout their 30 years of touring, soars with unparalleled elegance and grace through the apocalyptic landscape. The “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” that follows is a reminder of keyboardist and vocalist Ron “Pigpen” McKernan’s strength as a blues frontman during his all-too brief stint in the band before his death in 1973. The show is littered with rare versions of oft forgotten early-period
gems like “Doin’ that Rag” and “Mountains of the Moon”. The former is a keen example of Jerry Garcia’s growth as a singer since the formation of the band. In fact, Garcia’s vocals and guitar work are the clear highlights of the concert. The heart of the performance is the “Dark Star” sequence that marks many prime early Dead shows. The ecstatic succession of “Dark Star” into “Saint Stephen” into “The Eleven” on April 20th, 1969, abounds with hypnotic energy. The “Dark Star” itself is a wonder of spontaneous creation. Garcia & co. weave dizzying layers of tension and complexity during an expansive jam that extends over 20 minutes. After reaching countless peaks and resolutions, it crashes into the boundless celebration of “Saint Stephen.” This version is typically euphoric, offering a variety of group journeys into bright improvisation. The performance presents the Dead in the last months of their highly experimental phase, as they began to venture into more traditional Americana-oriented music. A stirring version of Reverend Gary Davis’ “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” aches with
haunting blues. Many of the jams also feature more roots-oriented melodic excursions. The band continues with an expansive and frantic version of “Turn On Your Lovelight” that is highly reminiscent of the Dead’s earliest days as a psychedelic bar band. As always, the song features a long and rambling rhythmic “rap” from Pigpen. Perhaps most remarkable of all, the show concludes with a unique acoustic encore. The stripped-down Dead sent the crowd off with folky and intimate takes on “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” and “Mountains of
the Moon”. The latter is uniquely haunting and stark, as it appears to be a rare solo performance by Garcia. Though, it should be noted that he pauses at one point in the song to retune a guitar string. This shows is somewhat of a survey class in early Dead. Its equal parts wild improvisation, jug band psychedelia, and woody Americana, exceeding standards in all areas. Also, it an important part of our musical history as a university, representing what can be called a golden era for Clark concerts.
learned of Noah primarily through church or from stories they were told as children may think of him as a magnanimous and gentle man and may be put off by seeing him as an alcoholic, murderous wreck, but this portrayal is much more in line with his Biblical depiction. The trouble stems from whether or not the film itself sides with Noah. Aronofsky does not shy away from deeper questions presented in the original text, often ignored by some readers. However, his stance is not clear; he does not tell us explicitly
whether or not eating meat is sinful, as Noah is a vegetarian and TubalCain is not. These two are portrayed as foils, equally flawed with equally compelling arguments. Granted, for all the nuance put into this screenplay, there is still some pretty stupid stuff. I have already heard countless people complaining about the ridiculous rock creatures, which are supposed to be the fallen angels helping Noah. I see them as symptomatic of Aronofsky’s strange desire to give the film a sci-fi/fantasy tone, which means sappy dialogue,
poorly executed special effects-ridden battle sequences, and yes, rock creatures. Of course, there is just as much to be lauded. In the end, I think Noah will find a positive place in film history. I don’t imagine anyone is surprised by the world erupting into controversy when a movie adapted from a Biblical story comes out. In fact, if you’re religious, you might just want to save yourself the trouble and potential heartache. But regardless, I guarantee that it will give you something to talk about on the way out.
courtesy of rose gallogly
Noah review cont. continued from page 12
Shem (Douglas Booth), Ham (Logan Lergman), and Japheth (Leo McHugh Carroll), adoptive daughter Ila (Emma Watson), and a team of fallen angels, sets to work building an ark to survive the imminent storm. However, king Tubal-Cain (Ray Winstone), the kind of leader God intends to wipe out. The biblical inaccuracies and creative additions did not bother me much. After all, a story that takes
roughly three pages of a book not known for narrative consistency does not make a movie. Particularly welcome is the addition of the character of Ila, whose pregnancy creates the most interesting conflict of the film: Noah wants to kill Ila’s children and his whole family, because he feels that God’s plan is for humanity to be wiped out and for the world to start over with only animals. Here, Noah is a perfectly imperfect character, played just as wonderfully by Crowe as Lawrence of Arabia was by Peter O’Toole. Those who have
14 | living arts
The Scarlet
ONE NIGHT TWO FANTASTIC O N LY ! PERFORMERS! HigH TecH comedy & music by
april 17, 2014
ISA presents 12th Annual International Gala Cultural spectacle once again amazes the Clark community By Maria Rotelli scarlet staff
Nothing describes this hilariously funny, hip, cool & cuttingedge show! “Blue Man Group meets a modern-day Smothers Brothers!” audiobody.com
MiNd ReadeR
eRic diTTeLmAN He astounded audiences on America’s Got Talent and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He’ll amaze you too! ericdittelman.com
Presented by:
When: Saturday, April 26, 2014 Time: 8 pm Where: Worcester State University Sullivan Academic Building Auditorium 486 Chandler Street, Worcester
FIRSTNIGHT WORCESTER
www.firstnightworcester.org
Tickets: $15 adults ($12 with college ID) $7.50 children 12 and under Purchase online at www.firstnightworcester.org or at door
The line to enter the Kneller snaked around the building almost to the front door of Bullock Hall. A few thousand students, proud parents, alumni, administration, and faculty waited anxiously to enter the building and claim their seats for Clark’s 12th Annual International Gala on Friday, April 4th. This beautiful spectacle of dance and culture that we all hear about when we first tour Clark lived up to expectations once again with 29 performances from countries from all corners of the earth. Japan kicked off the event with a new, bigger, and better version of the Fisherman’s Dance that they performed last year. The 34 dancers were a great, high-energy way to kick-off the show. China, South Korea, and Nepal all involved displays of martial arts. Places such as Greece and Egypt displayed more linear, traditional dances. Clark’s salsa team performed the dances for Cuba and Argentina, two very different, sensual experiences. Nelson Mandela, who passed away earlier this year, was commemorated with a dance by South Africa that represented the struggle for freedom during Apartheid. England decided to go a bit out of the box with a more modern jive dance to represent the Beatlemania of the 1960s; the performance was complete with bowl cuts, inflatable guitars, and screaming fangirls. One of the most exciting routines was West Africa, which displayed a mix of dance styles from Liberia, Ghana, and Nigeria. This routine was co-choreographed by three freshmen from the three dif-
photo by jonathan edelman
ferent countries: Chinedum Nwaogwugwu (Nigeria), Decontee Roberts (Liberia), and Maame Anan-Ankomah (Ghana). One of the best parts of choreographing for Gala, according to Roberts, was “Mak[ing] you proud of where you’re from. It’s fun knowing something I can do for my country and sharing it with my school.” Gala is certainly a visual wonder thanks to the performers, but it would be nothing without the people behind the scenes. International Student Association (ISA) President Akseheya Sridhar, a senior who grew up in the Philippines, stated that Gala has consistently been the best part of her Clark experience. “Every year it’s what I look forward to the most,” she said. “It’s a huge time commitment, but it’s really helped me grow as a leader.” She explained that Gala is brought to life not only by the dancers, but by the people who volunteer as ushers and security, as well as the technical designers who run the lights and sound. Senior Dustin Duong from Vietnam, who danced for Sri Lanka and Nepal, said that, “[Gala] brings
out diversity inside Clark, which is a good thing. Gala is one of those events where you can present yourself and your culture as well as where you’re from.” Jennifer Phan, a freshman from Boston, said her first Gala was a ton of fun and that she plans to do it every year at Clark. “It opened my eyes that Clark is more than a small [ New England] school, and everyone gets to celebrate no matter where they’re from.” Phan said that even though she is not an international student, she was welcomed into the Gala community and was able to learn the dances and cultures from other places in the world. A lot of hard work and energy goes into Gala, whether you’re a dancer, a host, or a volunteer. The wide variety of people involved is no doubt the reason this show is phenomenal every year. Gala brings students together from all over the world into a new community of melding culture where they can share their own experiences and traditions with the entire campus through music and dance.
The Scarlet
april 17, 2014
sports | 15
The Scarlet/Sports Trish Cronin named Athletic Director
SPORTS UPDATES
Promoted from Interim Athletic Director By Ethan Giles sports editor
On Tuesday, April 8, David Angel sent an email to the Clark Community to “announce that Trish Cronin has been appointed the new Director of Athletics and Recreation at Clark University.” Cronin had been the interim Athletic Director since Sean Sullivan left in September. President Angel wrote that the school deployed “a highly competitive national search” but “Trish’s insights into the opportunities and strategies for strengthening Clark athletics, her commitment to student achievement, and her success in working effectively with campus and outside groups stood out above the rest.” Cronin feels that her accomplishments as interim Athletic Director made her deserving of the promotion, “I think a lot of people are excited about me getting the job [because] I know what Clark is…gives me insight into the struggles that we have in [and out] of the department.” In the email, President Angel wrote that Cronin’s primary objectives are, “enhancing athletic excellence, integrating the Athletics Department on campus and within LEEP, engaging faculty, cultivating relationships with alumni, and fundraising.” Cronin believes that one of the biggest struggles facing the athletic department is their isolation from the rest of campus. “I think we have siloed
ourselves over the past years,” she admits, also saying that the department may have lost “touch in what the rest of campus is doing.” Cronin feels the athletic department has been more integrated to the main campus over the past eight months, but confesses that “we need to assess how we do our stuff internally, and figure out how we can be a little bit better.” Much of that integration starts with LEEP, and they have already profiled some of the athletes’ LEEP projects during Division III week, and Cronin says they are planning to see “what we can do moving forward with LEEP.” As Athletic Director, Cronin also oversees club sports, which were added to the Athletic Department earlier this semester. Cronin says she would like to “try and get [everybody] on the same page,” and plans to return authority to the handbook on club sports, which she believes has been “loosely followed” over the past few years. Cronin’s biggest goals are “to be more competitive [and] to continue to integrate [the Athletic Department] on campus,” but admits that “it’s going to take a little bit of time…I talk in terms of three to five years.” In order to be more competitive in the future, Cronin believes that the department needs, “to assess where we are, fully assess each program, and then set goals moving forward… I think there are changes that can be made within every program to en-
courtesy of clarkathletics.com
By Scott Levine scarlet staff
COURTESY OF NEWS.CLARKU.EDU
hance their competitiveness.” One of the bigger issues Clark Athletics faces is the scarce attendance at sporting events. Cronin is quick to point out that “if you go to other Division III schools you’ll see that the attendance is very similar, but I do think we can be more inclusive of other groups.” In particular, she theorizes, “if we had hip-hop collabo, who probably has 30-40 people in it, [perform at halftime, they would bring] 30 of their friends watch them…that’s 60 people that might have not been here before, and may actually enjoy what they see.” On the issue of funding, Cronin admits, “we are definitely looking into how the department is resourced and looking at different avenues on how we can increase that.” She has no promises of increased funding from the administration, but “is up for the challenge” of fundraising.
men’s lacrosse Clark Men’s Lacrosse had an up and down week, as they triumphed over bitter rival Wheaton on Friday, April 11 with a final score of 6-5 in dramatic fashion before losing to Babson 7-6 in overtime on Wednesday, April 16. In the Wheaton victory, the Cougars were down 4-5 to the Lyons with eight seconds to go in regulation when first-year Nick Johnson found an opening in the defense and scored to tie the game. In overtime, first-year Jack Goracy found the back of the net to give Clark the 6-5 victory. They will square off against Massachusetts Maritime Academy at home on Saturday, April 19 at 1 p.m.
baseball After shutting out Springfield College 9-0 in the first game of two on Saturday, April 12, Clark Baseball lost the second game 3-2 in extra innings. Clark pitcher Miles Sheehan (‘16) kept the Cougars in the game with a stellar performance from the mound. He gave up only seven hits and three runs in ten innings pitched. On Sunday, April 13, the team lost to Bates 11-1. Clark will play Babson on Thursday, April 17 at 3:30 p.m. and Coast Guard Academy at home on Friday, April 18 at 12 p.m.
The Scarlet
16 | sports
SPORTS UPDATES By Ethan Giles sports editor
april 17, 2014
Clark celebrates Division III Week Week promoted link between academics and athletics By Ethan Giles sports edtior
courtesy of clarkathletics.com
Clark, along with all other Division III schools, celebrated Division III Week from Monday, April 7 through Sunday, April 13. The NCAA website (ncaa. org) describes Division III week as “a positive opportunity for all individuals associated with Division III to observe and celebrate the impact of athletics and of student-athletes on the campus and surrounding community.”
According to Athletic Director Trish Cronin, Clark celebrated by emphasizing the games that occurred throughout the week and having “an open house with the department to invite faculty, staff, students, or anyone that wanted to come talk to our coaches and learn about what they do.” Cronin said the school specifically highlighted “LEEP project pioneers that are athletes” and the athletic service trip to Lomo Linda, Guatemala in January. Clark also invited local little leaguers to the baseball doubleheader on Saturday, April 12 against
Springfield College and local female youth to the softball double-header against Coast Guard Academy the same day. The University also congratulated every academic all conference recipient on Friday, April 11 before the Lacrosse game. The week was part of Division III’s Identity initiative, which according to the NCAA “was introduced in 2010 to sharpen the division’s identity and enable schools and conferences to more effectively explain why they prefer to compete in Division III.”
men’s tennis The men’s tennis team had an up and down week as well, as they beat Springfield 6-3 on Wednesday, April 9 before losing at MIT 6-3 on Saturday, April 12. They finish their season with matches against Coast Guard Academy on Thursday, April 17 at Wheaton on Saturday, April 19 and at Roger Williams on Monday, April 21.
women’s tennis The women’s tennis team completed their Spring Season this week by losing 6-3 against Worcester State and 9-0 against Endicott College.
By Scott Levine scarlet staff
courtesy of clarkathletics.com
By Scott Levine scarlet staff
softball The softball team had an up and down week, as they dropped both games of a double-header on Friday, April 11 at Springfield (9-3 and 3-1) before winning both games of a double-header on Saturday, April 12 vs Coast Guard (4-2 and 6-4). They finish their season this week with a packed schedule of double-headers against Babson on Friday, April 18, Emerson on Saturday, April 19, MIT on Monday, April 21, and Brandeis on Tuesday, April 22.
men’s rowing Clark Men’s Rowing was finally able to get into the water this past weekend, and started their season with a bang. Their varsity four beat out U-Mass Lowell on Sunday, April 13 to win the 2000 meter race with a time of 7:18.2. They look to continue their success against Tufts and WPI on Sunday, April 20 at Lake Quinsigamond.
women’s rowing Clark Women’s Rowing varsity eight came in fifth on Sunday, April 13 in a 2000 meter race that featured Franklin & Marshall, Mount Holyoke, Simmons, U-Mass Lowell, and Union. The team is gearing up for the NEWMAC Championships at Lake Quinsigamond on Saturday, April 19.
The Scarlet
april 17, 2014
sports | 17
Marc Lasry buys Milwaukee Bucks
“Clarklete” program sheds light on social issues within campus
Clark alum hopes to turn team around
Panel gathers in Wright Hall to talk about Clark athletes By Scott Levine scarlet staff
courtesy of washingtonpost.com
By Ethan Giles & Scott Levine sports edtior/scarlet staff
Clark graduate Marc Lasry (‘81) and colleague Wes Edens bought the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, April 16 for $550 million. If the name Lasry sounds familiar, it is because the Bioscience center is named for him. Lasry and Edens announced the purchase from Wisconsin Senator and former owner Herb Kohl. In the press conference on Wednesday, Lasry said he hoped to win a championship in “the next five to ten years” and “try to keep on building and become part of the [Milwaukee] community.” According to Forbes, Lasry was
“a major donor to Barack Obama,” and “turned down a chance to become the U.S. Ambassador to France in 2013.” Lasry also was in the news recently for being featured in a New York Magazine article about his controversial induction into a secret society of Wall Street financiers. The Bucks were the worst team in the NBA this season, posting a record of 15-67. They have the best chance of obtaining the first pick in the NBA Draft this year, which would be a good start to Lasry’s ownership. He looks to improve a hapless squad that features characters such as Giannis “Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo, humorous tweeter John Henson, and noted marijuana advocate Larry Sanders.
Congratulations Cougars! The Scarlet would like to congratulate Derek Dubois (‘13), Nicholas O’Brien (‘16), and Nick Johnson (‘17) for respectively winning the NEWMAC pitcher, baseball player, and lacrosse offensive player of the week. Keep up the good work!
Tim Conley (‘16) began duty as the Resident Adviser of the first floor of Wright Hall during this year’s spring semester. The first floor is filled with first-year athletes and, in Conley’s opinion, has earned an unfair reputation. “When I was told I was on the first floor of Wright, a lot of students came up to me on campus and said that my life was going to be a living nightmare because my floor was predominantly made up of the lacrosse team, the baseball team, [and] the men’s soccer team,” said Conley. “Every review I got of the first floor was that it’s god awful down there and they’re going to eat you alive, and it’s going to be terrible. But when I finally became the RA on the first floor, I felt like these kids were totally and completely misrepresented by the whole school.” This misrepresentation is what inspired Conley to create an RA program for Sunday, April 13 to discuss the issues surrounding student athletes at Clark. Students gathered in the second floor lounge of Wright to listen to the opinions of Conley and five guest panelists: Wright Hall Director Maxie Holman, men’s lacrosse team member Alex Turgeon (‘16), Athletic Director Trish Cronin, political science professor Mark Miller, and Clark Student Ambassador Dan Diez (‘15). The panelists discussed the pervasive social divide between student athletes and non-athletes, and the exclusive and troublesome use of the term “Clarkie” to depict a stereotypical non-athlete who attends Clark. Many participants in the discussion claimed that a lot of bias against student athletes comes from experiences that non-athletes had in high
courtesy by aaron segura
school, not in college. “There [are] a lot of [Clark students] who were bullied by high school athletes,” said Miller. Turgeon agreed with this sentiment, and felt that the stereotypes cast on him and his teammates have not been deserved. “Although the stigma is understandable, one thing Clark has really pushed is that we don’t judge people. We don’t categorize people. And [yet] it’s something that some people do,” he remarked. “I’m not saying it’s not a back and forth street,” he admitted, “but it’s something that is unfairly earned by a lot of people.” Turgeon went on to say that he believes his teammates are much more mature than many other students perceive them to be. “It’s something I’m kind of happy to say that Clark lacrosse grows up pretty quickly.” Conley agreed with Turgeon that student athletes are often unfairly categorized at Clark. “A lot of people say that student athletes are destructive, and all they do is party so hard, and they don’t like us, and they don’t hang out with us,” he said. “Well, is the reason they’re acting that way because of the way Clark treats them?” Conley claimed that non-athletes are often too quick to call student athletes cliquey.
Cronin mentioned that a lot of the behavior perceived as cliquey is often a product of tight-knit team bonds. She said that when athletes join a team, they “immediately get thrown into a social group, and that becomes [their] support system.” Turgeon noted that a team sitting with each other is not much different than non-athletes sitting with their best friends. “Clarkies hang out in groups. They resonate with the things they enjoy doing,” he said. The pervasive friction among student athletes and non-athletes on campus was ultimately brought to light, making the program a success in Conley’s eyes. His goal was “Just to start a conversation. That’s literally it. It’s an issue on campus that needs to be addressed.” Conley said he is not the only person who feels this way. “I talked to the men’s lacrosse coach for thirty minutes, and he said this is one of the most important issues on this campus.” Conley and the panelists said they hope that attendees would change their perception toward the apparent divide between student athletes and non-athletes. “Keep having these conversations outside [of the program]” urged Holman, “Don’t wait for us to trigger them.”
The Scarlet
18 | sports
april 17, 2014
COUGAR of the WEEK
by Scott Levine
Junior Neil Orzechowski has recently been appointed co-captain of the club ultimate Frisbee team this semester. He hails from Newport, New Hampshire and is majoring in computer science. He and the team participated in the sectionals tournament last weekend at Bryant University. Scarlet: How did sectionals go? Orzechowski: [For] the overall tournament, we ended up coming in fourth, which was what we were aiming for. It was me and the other captains’ goal to finish fourth in the conference. Last year, we actually finished ahead of WPI for the first time in a while, but they were really good this year, so they ended up beating us. Scarlet: What’s the process behind becoming a Frisbee team captain? Orzechowski: It was sort of something I grew into. I live with Nate [Buck] who’s been the captain with Casey [Epstein] this year and last year, and when Casey decided he didn’t have enough time, Nate nominated me and Calder Sett to Casey’s role. photo by scott levine
Neil Orzechowki ultimate frisbee
Scarlet: Has your role on the team changed at all now that you’re a captain? Orzechowski: Not really, I’m just a little bit more of a rooter. I have more of a leadership role than before. It really doesn’t mean a lot, it just means leading more cheers and calling the lines, and stuff like that. But other than that, it’s not a whole lot different. Scarlet: When did you start playing ultimate Frisbee? Orzechowski: I started my freshman year. This is my third year playing. I tossed around and stuff before that. Scarlet: What inspired you to start playing? Orzechowski: I knew some people, like my brother’s friends, who played for Colby, which is a really good team. Another one played for Tufts, which is one of the best teams in the country. I talked to them about ultimate, and I really knew I wanted to play no matter where I went to college. When I came to Clark, I just sought out the ultimate team, and went from there. A lot of people have played since high school, and
I wish I had because it would have given me that extra couple years to practice. Scarlet: When did you decide to focus more on ultimate Frisbee? Orzechowski: I came from high school doing a couple different sports, and Clark doesn’t have any of [those sports]. I ski cross country and alpine and Clark doesn’t really have that team, and it doesn’t have a track team either. I was looking for a sport to dedicate a lot of my time and effort to, so really it was then when my focus turned toward ultimate and I just continued working at it after that. Scarlet: And what motivated you to keep working at it? Orzechowski: How fun it is, I guess. It’s a really addicting sport, I’m not sure why. It’s hard to explain. A lot of people have the saying “love at first flight.” There’s something about the physics of watching a disc fly. It may sound silly, but it’s really addicting to play, to watch, to be around, and also team culture is a huge part of it too. Scarlet: What’s your favorite aspect of the team culture? Orzechowski: Ultimate is a self-refereed game, so there’s no referees at any of our tournaments to make calls or to maintain the equilibrium, so all players have to do it on the respective teams. So my favorite part about our team, in particular, is how we have really good spirit. We’re one of those teams who I think are very highly respected because we’re very calm on the field, we make good calls, and we’re very easy to get along with for other teams. And we’re also easy to get along with inside of our own team dynamic. Scarlet: It seems like the Frisbee team is a club both on and off the field. How has it been to have that kind of support network? Orzechowski: Really good. As a college student, there’s a lot of stress and pressure in my life to do all my schoolwork and work towards my degree, and it’s really provided a way for me to have fun outside of the academic part of college, and all the other parts of college, so it’s been really great.
The Scarlet
april 17, 2014
puzzles | 19
The Scarlet/Puzzles CROSSWORD
SUDOKU
copyright © 2013 crosswordsite.com ltd.
ACROSS 1. Join together 4. Pretended 8. Paid announcement 13. Enclose 14. Burden 15. Ten Commandments mountain 16. Greatly loved 18. Resting place 19. Animal 21. Moral precept of conduct 23. Full of unresolved questions 27. Donations to the poor 31. City in W central Israel
33. Shines 34. Brood 35. Inwardly 36. List of questions 37. Human mind 38. German military camp DOWN 2. ------ English, artificial language 3. Explosive 5. Bulge 6. Scottish seaport 7. Bad behavior 9. Grape plant
10. Periods of history 11. Emotional state 12. Overhanging lower edge of a roof 17. Not wet 20. Strike 22. Storage cupboard 24. Thighbones 25. Floating ice 26. Barks shrilly 28. Female name 29. Republic in W Africa 30. Atlanta suburb 32. Leguminous plant
THIS WEEK’S SOLUTIONS IN NEXT ISSUE
The Scarlet
20 | puzzles
april 17, 2014
SOLUTIONS TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLES
Police Logs compiled by Maria Rotelli
CROSSWORD SOLUTION
Tuesday, April 8 20:28 - Finger printing Wednesday, April 9 12:44 - Broken bottle 17:02 - Group on Clifton Street has been advised. 23:27 - Three kids on the stairs of the Little Center. Thursday, April 10 20:17 - Reporting person states kid is setting up skateboard ramps near all the work stuff outside the Kneller. Friday, April 11 17:04 - Complaint of skateboarders in garage. 17:57 - Man harassing woman on Woodland Street.
SUDOKU SOLUTION
Saturday, April 12 13:35 - Report of shoplifting at bookstore. Sunday, April 13 11:20 - Person helping Splash out and they need more yoga mats. This week there were three vehicle stops, one motor vehicle accident, one report of larceny, two reports of vandalism, two open containers, two checks of student welfare, two reports of suspicious persons, one report of disorderly persons, three fire alarms went off, there were ten calls to police escort, thirteen calls to EMS, and four various complaints were overseen by University Police.
what happens in The Scarlet office at 4:00 a.m. stays in the The Scarlet office... sort of *Sarah tries to do a cartwheel and falls* “Are you okay?” -Claire “Yeah...I got caught in the couch” -Sarah
“Jenna is basically a woman in menopause.” - Sarah
“Do you want a BJ too?” -Claire
“If I search ‘breast milk mango’ will it come up?” -Claire
“What do you call a solo a cappella performance?” -Giles
“I’ve seen this before. She looks familiar, and so do the pictures of her nipples.” - Claire
“My family JUST found the afikoman...it’s been two days!” -Jenna “Scramer was talking about my ceps.” - Claire “What are ‘ceps?’” - Anna “Isn’t that what you call biceps? I guess I meant my guns.” - Claire
“Once this girl’s mom brought in pancakes made with her breast milk.” -Jenna
“They say it’s because of allergies, but it’s really because of breast milk pancakes.” - Jenna