24 Oct 2018

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THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS Volume: 62 Issue: 8

OCTOBER 24, 2018

unodriftwood.com

J.P. MESSINA ON THE RIGHT

TO OBSCENE WORK

BY HOPE BRUSSTAR Editor-in-chief

For 20 years — from 1897 to 1917 — there was a special district in New Orleans where prostitution was legal. In January of this year, local and state policemen raided eight strip clubs and found proof of prostitution in seven of them. Soon after, crowds of sex workers gathered on Bourbon Street to protest. According to doctor of philosophy James P. Messina, not only should prostitution be legal, but prostitutes and the like have a moral right to obscene work. “When you have a moral right to engage in some behavior, what that means is that people have to let you do it,” he said. On Oct. 9, Messina visited the UNO’s Honors Program to discuss his views and research on people’s freedoms when it comes to vulgar behavior. He used consensual adult pornography as an example, arguing that it may count as a form of free speech. However, not even all forms of speech are legal — for example, shouting “Fire!” In a crowded theater. “One of the things the courts try to determine is whether the speech has any value to the public,” said Messina. In regards to the social value of pornography, he stated that people usually think about how pornography degrades women, but fail to consider the female sex workers who are trying to make money. Messina’s primary argument hinges around the idea that in a free society, if a person’s choice of occupation does not violate the rights and liberties of others, then he has the freedom to pursue that occupation. Messina states that obscene work does not violate others’ rights, and concludes that “a free society respects a person’s freedom to choose obscene work.” One counter-argument to Messina’s view references an objection for the sake of social propriety. Some believe that the stipulation of not violating other’s rights is not enough, and that it ignores the social importance of decency. “[There’s an] idea that one of the functions of law is to uphold the people’s virtues,” Messina told the

Photo courtesy of UC San Diego. A postdoctoral research fellow at Wellesley College visited UNO to discuss why he thought making money for sex work could be permissible. audience of 21 students and faculty. “[Moral acceptance of obscene work] could make us all a bunch of sinners,” he said. Messina then gave this counter: “This overstates the value of decency in a society of strangers. ...there is an unfortunate dependence on rapidly changing standards. Basic displays of affection between homosexual couples were once obscene.” Messina also stated that he didn’t think obscene work would threaten to tear what he called “the social fabric,” and argued that it would justify intervening any time a person is offended, be it about sex work or something unrelated. This, in turn, could only breed dysfunction, according to Messina. The Wellesley College research fellow acknowledged another objection to his stance: that sex work is not freely and autonomously

chosen, and those who choose it are effectively forced into it through desperation. Therefore, no such occupation would be consensual. “Most persons’ choice of occupation is not made autonomously, but rather under conditions [of] economic pressure, choosing one occupation among several unattractive alternatives,” Messina stated in reply. For example, a student may not love accountancy but may feel that it is the most lucrative option in her grasp, and that it is a better choice than working at McDonald’s. “To protect people from exploitation doesn’t require A third objection based on a feminist perspective argues that “Obscene work does violate others’ rights and basic liberties, in particular by assigning to women a subordinate role,” in Messi-

na’s words. This argument is that because pornography reduces or eradicates the woman’s dignity, it is unacceptable. Messina quotes philosopher Gerald Gaus in saying “If correct, then a truly open society is only possible if we restrict the range of acceptable ideas, giving a less than equal freedom to undesirables — those who demean their fellow citizens.” In other words, Messina argues that if pornography should be illegal because it demeans people, then a lot of other things should be illegal for the same reason. Messina calls this “a long list” of things, including racists, many fundamentalist Christians, animal rights activists, anti-abortionists, and “the unemployed who blame their problems on ‘unwashed immigrants who work for nothing.’” He then identified this reply as

Just 7 days until HALLOWEEN!!

”strawmanning,” which is “responding to and defeating an argument that your opponent does not actually believe in,” said Messina. The name comes from the idea of creating an effigy of your opponent using straw and then burning that effigy instead of the opponent in an attempt to achieve victory over the opponent. Messina continued, “Not only does pornography demean women, but we see the effects of demeaning attitudes... .” He then gave some examples, such as the recent controversy over Dr. Blasey-Ford’s testimony against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh fueled in party by disbelief in Blasey-Ford’s statements. “Why didn’t [she] come forward for 35 years?” asked Messina. “Why indeed? She thought her life was in danger,” he stated. He pointed out that there is “a general lack of credibility when claiming rights violations” and a “persistent misinterpretation of women’s speech.” “When they say no to sexual advance, they’re not being taken seriously,” said Messina. Finally, Messina discussed an issue about people arguing against things like prostitution but lacking data to prove their points. “People who make complains about obscene work don’t provide that much evidence,” he said. He recognized that workers in the sex industry are subject to violence, noting that sex work is more dangerous even than working in the logging industry. “Recognizing a legal right to obscene work would protect practitioners from serious harm,” he said. Presumably, when prostitution is legal, it is regulated, and that should make it safer for those who are involved. “One of the reasons that prostitution is deadly ... is that it’s forced underground,” he stated. This philosophy lecture was one of several public lectures in a series, “The Virtues of a Free Society,” hosted by the Honors Program over the course of the semester. The next lecture will be held on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 12:30 p.m., when Micah Crump of Medgar Evers College will visit for his talk “Black Entrepreneurship in the U.S.: Challenges and Opportunities.”


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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

NEWS

Graham Ganssle on machine learning solutions

Photo by Hope Brusstar. “That’s the first time I’ve gotten on a desk for this talk,” said Graham Ganssle after leaping onto the lab counter to swing a meter stick like a pendulum.

BY HOPE BRUSSTAR Editor-in-Chief On Wednesday, Oct. 10, Graham Ganssle visited the physics department to give a talk on deep machine learning, a revolutionary new field that is still developing rapidly. “I used to do physics and I now do computery things,” he said to introduce himself to the classroom of about 34 students and science faculty. “Dr. Juliette Ioup: advisor, mentor, signal processing bad ass,” wrote Ganssle on his LinkedIn profile, where he lists his UNO Bachelor’s, Master’s and doctoral degrees as part of his education. He’s the head of data science at Expero, a big data tech company with offices in Austin and Houston. Among other things, data sci-

entists are responsible for analyzing large batches of information in the form of numbers and identifying trends. Part of this is making a digital model of the data’s behavior, a visual tool to enhance understanding. Ganssle, however, wants to look at the use of these models in a new way. “Can we learn from our models, rather than our models learning from us?” asked Ganssle. By this, Ganssle means turning the approach on its head. Usually, raw data is used to create a function or set of functions that in turn create a visual aid, such as a graph, that represents what is going on. The new idea: to use machine learning to model the graph without the human middleman — rather than feeding it functions that may not be perfectly accurate, allow the pro-

gram to create its own. According to Ganssle, the resulting models will be more accurate than anything humans can create directly. Applying machine learning to image processing is an example of this. “You could tell Google, ‘Show me all the cat photos that you have,’” said Ganssle. Google’s software needs a way to distinguish cats from every other item, including dogs. Both cats and dogs are furry, with four legs and a tail. One might manually enter all of the attributes of cats into the program — “dogs have long snouts; cats don’t” — and still dogs would show up in the search results — pugs have short snouts just like cats. One solution: allow the program to determine the rules itself. “Rather than defining these boundaries explicitly, we

give it a whole bunch of examples and tell the computer, ‘update your own boundary,” said Ganssle. “And it turns out, that works really well. Like, really, really well.” That is an elementary example of machine learning, and the method can be applied in countless other contexts. “All major tech companies — Facebook, Google — use machine learning now,” said Ganssle. He also pointed out that artificial intelligence and machine learning are not the same thing, although artificial intelligence may hypothetically employ machine learning in order to develop itself. He suggested the book “Superintelligence” by Nick Bostrom, saying it was “Awesome, and probably the scariest [book] I’ve read in my life.” Ganssle brought up the example of the physics equation used to model the motion of a pendulum. He graphed it, and compared that to the graph of an actual pendulum’s motion based on observed data. The graphs varied so much as to bring the equation into question. “As physicists, we’re pretty worried ... about our model,” said Ganssle. He then displayed the graph produced by a machine learning algorithm after observation of a pendulum in motion. Its new formula matched up almost perfectly with the observed data. “If we say, ‘Autonomous car, drive me down the street, are we gonna use the formula that drives me into a signpost, or are we gonna use the machine learning algorithm that doesn’t kill any pedestrians?” asked Ganssle of the audience. The rest of his talk discussed neural networks and their applications in “deep learning,” which is a

branch of machine learning that is focused on the analysis of data, as opposed to the execution of more general tasks. Neural networks are a new and popular tool in this subfield, and they are modeled after the networks of cells inside the brain which are responsible for human thinking. Said Ganssle, “Netflix recommends movies to you based on what you’ve seen before. But how do they know ‘Core’ is like ‘Armagheddon’?” The answer: they use a neural network. “It’s a huge field of research right now,” said Ganssle. He emphasized that it is also still relatively new. “Once you’ve learned even just a little bit of machine learning, you’ll soon come up with a question that no one has the answer to.” He recommended a handful of resources to those who want to get started with learning about the field: ArXiv-sanity.com, Coursera, Khan Academy, and scikit-learn.org. His company’s website, experoinc.com, also offers courses that begin at the novice level. As for Ganssle, he is active in the field. “I just built a system to tell [truckers] where to drive their 18-wheelers around the country,” he said. This talk is one of a semester-long series at 3 p.m. in the science building. On Wednesday, Oct. 24, Dr. Ashwith Chilvery from Xavier University will give a talk titled “Ambient Energy Harvesting Devices.” Then, on Nov. 14, Dr. Angelle Tanner from Mississippi State University will give a talk about life on other planets. Coffee and cookies are served before the beginning of every lecture, and all lectures are open to the public.

Emily Ford on New Orleans cemetery history and preservation

BY HOPE BRUSSTAR

Editor-in-Chief On Thursday, Oct. 11, Emily Ford visited the UNO Alumni Center to share a brief history of cemetery architecture and maintenance. The talk was a part of the Learning Before Lunch series of guest lectures. “She’s got her fingers in the pies of cemeteries around the country,” said the non-profit’s treasurer, Mike Russell. “You’re in for a treat tonight.” Ford, the owner of Oak & Laurel Cemetery Preservation, had three main topics to discuss for the evening: “What made your tomb your

tomb, how the cemeteries are treated today, [and]... some quick tips about how to care for your [family] tomb,” she said. Ford displayed an illustration of the Holy Innocents’ Cemetery in Paris. “This cemetery was used for approximately 700 years,” she said - from about 1100 through 1780 A.D. “It was really meant to be a reminder for everybody else that they were going to die.” The way people viewed death and the purpose of cemeteries has changed since then. According to Ford, people now view cemeteries as a place where the dead go for their eternal rest. “We no longer see the bodies of

the dead [this way],” she stated. The Parisian cemetery has since been landscaped, a fountain placed in the middle. “The cemetery did not jive with our new understanding of death.” Then, the audience learned about the rise of above-ground burial plots, sharing an image of la Cimitière du Père Lachaise. “These lovely tombs in Père Lachaise are not above-ground burials,” she informed the audience of dozens of alumni, contradicting the appearance of the stone enclosures built over the plots. “We don’t get our above-ground burial from the French; we get them from the Spanish. ... It’s a Spanish colonial artifact.” At one point in its early years, Louisiana was under Spanish governance. Ford discussed some of the architects and building materials that were crucial to Louisiana cemeteries at the time, citing the influence of Jacques Nicolad dePouilly and “river reds,” bricks made from Mississippi river clay. Traditional tombs were made from brick or limestone, then coated with plaster. Most of the cemeteries in the New Orleans area had more trees and vegetation, but as the years passed, the landscape changed. For

example, above-ground burials that appear as grey, oblong blocks squatting on the cemetery pavement were originally hidden under their own grassy hillocks. Those smooth mounds were phased out because “nobody wanted to mow them,” said Ford. The graves themselves will also change as they are neglected, taken care of incorrectly, or renovated with a new design in mind. Ford presented several pictures to demonstrate such changes. “Our cemeteries are very dynamic ... Really, whatever you’re seeing is not the thing that was there historically. We tend to tinker,” she said, displaying an old image of a

historical New Orleans cemetery. “We also tend to build super-highways,” she said, switching the picture to a modern version of the same view, in which an interstate overpass loomed above the tombs. 19th century industrialization also revolutionized the way cemeteries were built. Pneumatic tools and other innovations allowed stonecutters to “build tombs very quickly and identically,” said Ford. Mass-production of tombs was common during the city’s yellow fever epidemic of 1878. Soon after, “A little racetrack went bankrupt ... and decided to become a cemetery,” said Ford. Metairie Cemetery was established


NEWS in 1873. “Metairie was certainly above-and-beyond when it came to water features,” she added. In public relation messages, the proprietors promised to plant 1000 trees on it grounds. “It was meant to be a leisure place,” said Ford. It became highly fashionable. “A lot of prominent families dismantled their tombs and moved them to Metairie [Cemetery].” Even the oldest tomb in New Orleans, created in Algiers in 1808, was moved so that it could be in Metairie Cemetery. Even during the yellow fever epidemic, when people preferred to stay cloistered inside to avoid contracting the disease, All Saint’s Day drew everyone outside to place candles on their family tombs. On Nov. 2, 1897, The Daily Picayune wrote, “Throngs poured into the cemeteries in every direction.” Ford encouraged the audience to maintain their family’s burial plots, giving them some advice on how to care for their tombs. “There are things you can do for your family tomb ... when it comes to cleaning marble, don’t use bleach. Use lots of water and a nice, soft brush.” She suggested to combine this with a gentle cleaning agent. “Even the Archdiocese — they’re still using their bleach and they’re using Quikrete and I can’t tell them any different,” she said. As far as vegetation goes, Ford encouraged pulling weeds. “Be

careful not to pull out the masonry,” she said. “Use plaster of Paris to fill the cracks.” She shared a picture of a large brick-and-plaster tomb that was sprouting a sapling, and on its right was a picture of the same tomb three years later. A full tree had developed in the very center of the above-ground tomb. “I wouldn’t even know what to tell this family,” said Ford. Ford said that limewash was the best substance to paint a tomb with. “It’s really easy to make,” she said, citing ncptt.nps.gov and noladeadspace.com as resources for limewash recipes, which can be created with materials that cost just $6 from Home Depot. Ford emphasized the hazards of using latex paint. “Latex paint can trap moisture and peel away,” she said. Finally, she urged the audience to visit their tombs often, even if they can’t handle all of the maintenance. “You’ll notice things before they become big problems,” she said. She also encouraged tomb owners to make sure their children knew about the tombs. “I know a lot of people who don’t want to tell their children they own a family tomb because they think it will be a problem,” she said. She said that the children are actually usually very interested in being involved with their family tombs. A question-and-answer session followed, in which one audience

member asked about cemeteries that have been built over. Ford revealed that in such cases, the remains were not always properly removed before the beginning of a construction project. “There are about 20,000 people beneath Canal Boulevard,” she said. “...When they broke ground for [Champion’s Square], they had to move over 200 burials.” This was the inaugural evening

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018 lecture of the Learning Before Lunch series, a nonprofit organization that hosts regular talks, many of which “explore the people, history, and culture that makes New Orleans famous,” their organization flyer states. These guest lectures usually take part in room 407 of the Earl K. Long Library at 10 a.m. On Nov. 8, an FBI special agent will visit to discuss “The FBI and Cybersecurity.” Afterwards, on

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Dec. 12, The Advocate’s editorial cartoonist, Walt Handelsman, will visit UNO. On Jan. 10, UNO will get a visit from Sybil Morial, the wife of the first man of color to be a mayor of New Orleans.

Photos by Hope Brusstar Emily Ford restores tombs and monuments, and she studies their history and the way that cultures have influenced their design.


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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

NEWS

Predation in state and nation: race, crime, and public policy

BY JACK WAGUESPACK News Editor Brandon Davis, a political scientist from Brown University, visited the Earl K. Long Library on Thursday, Oct. 18 to speak about the correlation and history of race and crime. Being from the political theory project, Davis’ research focuses on American politics, public policy and political behavior. His presentation focused on the terms by which American politics were formed and who benefits from them, with a concentration on the layers of criminal justice. Within the past few years, systematic racism and police brutality have been some of the most recurring topics in the news. According

to Davis, “The modern American state was formed on unjust terms where the people who made the laws are still the only ones benefiting from them and the system.” The founding fathers who wrote the Constitution and Declaration of Independence wrote these laws while slavery was still legal and African Americans had little to no rights. How can rules written during times where not everyone was even remotely equal still apply to today’s times? Davis answers the question with this statement: “Blackness has become a condensated symbol expressing a variety of public anxieties about seemingly intractable problems.” According to Davis’ research, the police killed 1,147 people in 2017, and 25 percent of them were black,

although black people make up 14 percent of the population. Davis gave multiple reasons why the percentages may be so high with black deaths in correlation to police killings. One of the major ones may be related to geography. He pointed out that confrontations between police and people of color are geographically concentrated. Cities that have a higher African-American population are prone to more stop-and-frisks, raids and police shootings, according to Davis. This research is based off of the “colonial theory,” which examines the relationship between structural oppression and behavior. With an area of a higher police concentration, there are bound to be more run-ins with police and arrests. Davis hits on the criminalization of

blackness, the framing of blackness itself as deserving of punishment and social control. According to Davis, this perspective may come into play during everyday social interactions. Davis recounted an instance in Indianapolis when a manager asked a black man to leave his own residential pool area when a white woman felt he didn’t belong there. Ultimately, the man did indeed live in the apartment complex and had free range of the pool area but was still subjected to public harassment and embarrassment because of the woman. Davis believes the representation of black and brown people in the media may be to blame.

“Whose mug shots do you consistently see spread on televisions and newspapers? Who are the only people shown as murderers and thieves? Memory is a political act in itself; if you see the same kind of people portrayed as the bad guy, that image and perception will stay with you,” said Davis. Towards the end of the presentation, Davis talked about what others can do to help and combat the systematic racism and oppression that he referred to. “When collective trauma is remembered by everyone, there is this collective guilt they feel,” he said. “We need to make sure the oppressed are not the only ones that hold that guilt.”

Photos by Jack Waguespack Davis explained how the correlation of race and crime came to be and how its still relevant today.


NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

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Alternative night out encourages students to make safe choices

Photos by Adriana Bennett Left: Delta Zeta presenting Kappa Sigma with their awards for winning the mocktail contest. Right: Delta Zeta members Claire Brabham, Treasurer and Panhellenic Delegate (left) and Emily Sammartino, Vice President of Programs (right).

BY CLAIRE SARGENT Reporter The Delta Zeta sorority hosted their annual Alternative Night Out on Thursday, Oct. 18 during their national “i Have a Choice” week. The timely event takes place during National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week (NCAAW). Event activities include games such as Jenga and Connect Four, a bake sale, and a mocktail contest in which fraternities competed in making non-alcoholic drinks with attendees voting on their favor-

ite drink. Kappa Sigma won the mocktail contest this year. Emily Sammartino, Delta Zeta’s Vice President of Programs, said the goal of the event was to promote safe drinking choices as well as teach students that there is always a safe choice that can be made. “I think both as a leader in my sorority and as someone who wants the best for people, spreading the word about safe drinking is extremely important. You always hear about programs in high school about safe drinking, but that information doesn’t necessar-

ily carry over into college. Delta Zeta wants all college students to know that they have the options to make safe choices about drinking and that we want to have programs like this to let them see the options they have,” said Sammartino. “Alternative Night Out is a fun event that gives students a time to hang out with other Greek Life members as well as talking to them about making safe choices.” Sammartino believes that events such as Alternative Night Out help students make smarter choices when it comes to

drinking and going out. “A lot of times, students know they have safe choices, but they don’t know what they are or how to go about making them. Delta Zeta wants to make sure these options are known and to make sure students have access to them. At Alternative Night Out, we talk to the students and make sure they know what their options are and how they can make the best choices!” said Sammartino. According to Delta Zeta’s Nationals, “Delta Zeta chapters participate in i Have a Choice during annual National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week (NCAAW) each fall and has become a leader in the education of college-age students about alcohol

consumption. Inspiring students to examine their lifestyle choices and make informed decisions regarding alcohol, Delta Zeta women from across the country and Canada will enrich the minds of students by talking about the effects of alcohol on one’s body, the warning signs of alcohol abuse, social respect and consent around alcohol consumption, preventative social event planning processes and other topics!” Delta Zeta’s Nationals also said that they equip all of their chapters with an electronic toolkit every year to consistently inform others across the country about safe drinking choices. Full disclosure: I am a member of the Delta Zeta Sorority.


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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

KREWE OF BOO PARADE

Photos by Brennan Probst On Saturday, Oct. 20, New Orleanians dressed up and gathered for a spooky Halloween parade. The Krewe of Boo, full of floats and ffrights, began by the WWII Musem and ended in the Marigny.


WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE HALLOWEEN OR HORROR FILM? QUESTION OF THE WEEK WITH CLAIRE SARGENT

Austin Stallings, Freshman, Psychology

Sierra Fields Freshman, Biology

Makenzee Brown Graduate student, History

“I would have to say that ‘The Shining’ is my favorite.”

“The Halloweentown series was my favorite to watch during Halloween when I was growing up.”

“My favorite Halloween movie is ‘The Skeleton Key.’”

What is YOUR favorite Halloween or horror film? Nick Dorner Sophomore, Biology

“Man, that’s a tough question! I’d have to say ‘Casper the Friendly Ghost’ is my OG Halloween movie.”

We want to know. Visit our facebook page @UNODriftwood

Gabrielle Barrois Freshman, Biology-Chemistry

“That’s a hard question! The most recent one I’ve watched was called ‘Gerald’s Game.’ It’s like a psycho-horror movie. It’s also on Netflix!”

13th Gate: a scary and thrilling BY CASSANDRA JASKIEWICZ Managing Editor

Not many people try to find places that can guarantee monsters, screams and terrors, but 13th Gate, located in Baton Rouge, brings it all. It is most known as a haunted house during October, but it also does escape rooms and parties in its off season. Each room is unique and references a different iconic horror movie moment, from old classics like “Evil Dead,” “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and Stephen King’s “It,” to more family-friendly scares in “A Wizard of Oz.” Each room has a specially planned jump scare for the participants to endure. “I’ve never been through the whole thing,” said UNO student Sara Davis. “I got too scared when I was younger, and now I needed to prove a point to myself!” 13th Gate is considered to

be one of the scariest haunted houses in the country, testing the courage of attendees. The effectiveness of 13th Gate is due in part to its team. They employ a construction crew, scenic artists, carpenters, lighting and sound technicians and special effects artist who have extensive histories with Hollywood. Their expertise is seen in the monster makeup, props and costumes. The haunted house is very immersive for visitors, with actors hiding all over in secret corners. “It definitely brought more to the table than what you see when you get there,” said UNO grad student Megan Miller. Once inside, the line visitors travel through the house becomes more interactive. There are buttons and dials to play with, causing bright flashes and harsh noises. Actors come in and out of the scenes in full monster

makeup, and small horror props are set all around. “There was so much creativity; there was something different in every section,” Miller continued. After participants go through the initial elevator doors, they enter a maze of rooms that terrify the senses. There were blaring sounds, quickly flashing lights, no lights at all, terrible smells and even rooms that closed in around participants. After a series of rooms, participants go outside to find a swamp-themed area, greeted by crazy hillbillies and monster crocodiles. Then they come back inside, only to be rushed at by a train. 13th Gate can take as long or as short a time as participants want or can handle. If they find themselves unable to handle the scares, a 13th Gate worker will give them a chance to leave. Critics of 13th Gate say

that some of the rooms are too jarring with their overly bright lights, flashing far too quickly and causing headaches. Sometimes the smells are too much, and they detract from a room’s scare factor as participants try to pass through the room quickly to get away from the odor.

13th Gate gives the community some scares and thrills during the Halloween month. Online general admission is $30, and VIP, which allows guests to skip all outside lines, is $55. Nov. 3 will be the last day that people can still experience the fear.

Photo via 13thgate.com


ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

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‘Hold the Dark’ movie review: A patiently violent meditation on wolves and children

Jeffrey Wright and Riley Keough in “Hold the Dark.”

BY DYLAN MININGER Entertainment Editor In modern filmmaking, there has been a renaissance of the act of creating films that are brimming with relentlessly violent and stark imagery that can be quite upsetting towards the audience. Director Jeremy Saulnier understands this; he’s at it again with his new Netflix original film. Maintaining his momentum as a filmmaker is important to

him, as this project comes fresh off the heels of his last film “Green Room,” a nightmarish slasher film revolving around a punk band trapped in a Neo-Nazi nightclub. Saulnier is a master of creating moods, and more often than not, these moods will make your stomach churn and your skin crawl. Through a barrage of violent, tense, and downright animalistic scenes, a thread of plot lies within “Hold the Dark.” Although

Photo via Netflix

the plot delves in and out of near-Freudian concepts, it has a thread that holds it together just so subtly. After three children go missing in the barren Alaskan village of Keelut, Medora Stone (Riley Keough) believes that a local pack of wolves is responsible for the children’s disappearance, her son being the last of the three. With her husband, Vernon (Alexander Skarsgård) currently stationed in Iraq, she calls upon expert wolf hunter and re-

tired naturalist Russell Core (Jeffrey Wright) to come and hunt the wolves. The film, adapted from the novel of the same name by William Giraldi, retains the same amount of bleakness as the source material. Through incredibly wide drone shots and claustrophobic and haunting close ups, the film relies on the cinematography to highlight the films’ stark, surreal realism. The film hits a serious peak through an astonishingly brutal and superbly filmed shootout that would have Sam Peckinpah on the edge of his seat. The scene truly lets the cathartic images and emotions of Saulniers’ films provide a drawn-out moment of sensory overload. For Saulnier, the plot feels allegorical; it relies on deep-seated themes, philosophy and naturalism. For a director whose films typically rely on a basic premise with an exceptional follow-through, this one falters slightly, not because of the incredibly deep plot, but rather the director sticking to a basic noir-revenge style that we’ve seen consistent in

his successful films. This is no doubt the largest budget Saulnier has seen, as Netflix is essentially giving away money for their original films and series. Though the film has a few errors within the execution of its material, it is flush with incredible performances, lavish cinematography and a score fit for a John Carpenter film. There are no good or bad aspects of this film; there are absolutely mind-blowing moments, and lukewarm moments, but it never ceases to impress and keep the viewer glued to the television. You may come across a couple of incredibly negative reviews, but do not let that deter you from a film that is exceptional, artful and stunning in a world where producers are being given hundreds of millions of dollars to churn out superhero movies every other couple of months. Jeremy Saulnier, I will patiently await your next gut-wrenching and depressing foray into genre cinema. Hold the Dark is now streaming on Netflix Instant.

Young Poet Society with Dhuha Darweesh BY CASSANDRA JASKIEWICZ Managing Editor The Young Poet Society had multiple events this week, including a bake sale and an open mic night. The club’s president, Dhuha Darweesh, answered some questions with Driftwood on the club’s progress and their most recent events. Dhuha Darweesh: DD Cassandra Jaskiewicz: CJ CJ: Is this an event you normally host? DD: This is the first open mic night we [have hosted], but we are trying to have an event at least once a month. We find it extremely important for UNO students to have things that they can attend in which they can express themselves and relate to one another.

CJ: Did you have the kind of turnout you wanted for this event?

CJ: Are there other events the students of UNO should be on the lookout for?

DD: We had a 30-person turnout, which was really good, because Fridays are usually busy days on campus.

DD: The Young Poets’ Society has two events coming up in November. One will be a joint event with [The Diversity Engagement Center], which will be an open discussion about the importance of representation in literature on Nov. 14 from 12:30- 2:30 in the University Center, room 208. The second event will be another open mic night Nov. 16 from 4:30- 6:30 in the [same room].

CJ: Will you be hosting an event like this sometime in the future? DD: We are already planning another open mic night for Friday, Nov. 16. CJ: How did you market this event? DD: We handed out and posted flyers around campus, [and] we posted about this event on our Twitter @ poets_young and on our Instagram @youngpoetssocietynola.

CJ: What will the money from the bake sale go towards?

CJ: Was it hard organizing a bake sale?

DD: Money from the bake sale goes to things such as catering from UNO and decorations for events.

DD: No, the bake sale was pretty smooth sailing both on SIL’s part with registering to have it, as well as YPS’s part in us bringing baked goods to sell at the event.

CJ: On Oct. 17, your club had a bake sale! Do you feel that it was successful? DD: I felt as though the bake sale was really successful. Students and faculty really showed up to show their support.

Photo courtesy of Young Poet Society. The Young Poet Society members working on their bake sale.


10

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

PUZZLES

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HAUNTED MOVIE ALTERNATIVES POETRY ABROAD INTERNATIONAL

LEARNING HALLOWEEN PREDATION CEMETERIES DARK RACE

CRIME POLICY SOCIETY MACHINE PRESERVATION FILM


OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

11

COLUMN To study abroad or not to study abroad: UNO’s writing workshop in Ireland BY CASSANDRA JASKIEWICZ Managing Editor Studying abroad is considered to be a big landmark when it comes college life, but for many, it can seem out-of-reach or impossible. UNO-Ireland: Writing Workshops & Creative Arts is a great program that allows for students to explore the world in a safe way. I actually went to Ireland to study abroad this summer. Aneta Komendarzcy is the program coordinator in the Division of International Education and she oversees the Writing Workshop Abroad programs in Cork, Ireland and Brunnenburg Castle, Italy, as well as any exchange students that come to study at UNO. She markets UNO’s programs and recruitment efforts and works closely with the academic directors on class proposals and academic programming. “It adds value to a student’s entire educational experience. In our conversations with students, we are also talking about the unique skills they gain while abroad and helping students understand the broader value of their international experience as related to their academic, personal, and professional growth,” Komendarzcy explained. The programs let students take up to three classes all centered on Irish culture and history, while also promising two planned

weekends that take students to Dublin and to west Ireland’s countryside. “Study abroad challenges everyone to truly develop as individuals. Students become independent, more confident and gain international skills that make them more marketable for future employment and skills that are also valued by graduate schools,” she continued. Employment after college is a goal that many students strive for. “College students increasingly look to study abroad programs not only for pleasure and enrichment, but also to better prepare themselves for future employment,” Komendarzcy said. “It is an investment in the future. The cost of a study abroad program is not indicative of its overall value. If one compares what’s included in a program fee, it’s a lot: unique class choices in exciting locales, expert faculty, professional and highly-trained staff and so much more.” Cost holds many students back from making the commitment to study abroad. For many other universities, study abroad programs can cost upwards of $10,000. Michigan State University, Cornell University and Tulane University have study abroad programs that start from $7,000 and go up. In contrast, UNO has many options to help students fund their

trip, and their cheapest program that still lets students leave the country is around $3500. “There’s a misconception that study abroad is costly and can be out-of-reach. Here at UNO, we are working to increase access to these opportunities so more students can join us on an adventure of a lifetime,” Komendarzcy said, “UNO students can choose from a variety of awards and scholarships that can be used toward students’ study abroad experience. Throughout the semester we organize info sessions about funding and invite speakers from outside of UNO to talk about funding options. There’s the Boren Scholarships, Hostelling International, and just last Wednesday we had a visitor from Diversity Abroad who met with students and discussed funding options through their organization.” The UNO study abroad program, besides its affordability, also allows students to accumulate credits sooner. My own experience abroad was abundant with great memories of my friends, the campus, and weekend travels. The Cork writing program is a great program that allows for a chance to study in someplace new and exciting. My trip helped me graduate early and helped boost my GPA. Jenna Pryor, a senior in English Education at Southeastern Louisi-

ana University, also participated in the UNO Ireland study abroad program. “UNO organized such an interesting program, and from the classes they offered to the weekend excursions, it was impossible for me to pass up,” she said. The classes in Cork are very much like the classes students take at UNO during the spring and fall semester. The difference is that they are condensed into a few weeks. “I took two literature classes. One was Irish literature and the other was Irish mythology and poetry,” Pryor said. “My professors truly loved what they taught, so everything we read and wrote was very special because of that. Having a passionate professor makes such a difference, and I walked away from both classes with a deep admiration for the

professors and everything they taught.” As for the investment that Komendarzcy mentions, Pryor believes it is worth it as well. “I can say this without any doubt in my mind: going abroad was the best decision I have made in my undergraduate career. I regret not going earlier, because now that I am a senior, I don’t really have the opportunity anymore. It was such an enriching experience in all aspects: culturally, educationally, socially and mentally,” she continued. Studying Abroad deeply impacts those who give themselves the chance to pursue it. Pryor concluded, “I cannot encourage going abroad, and this trip specifically, enough to people. If you give it a chance, you will find that it changes your life as well!”

DRIFTWOOD Staff

2000 Lakeshore Drive, UC 252 New Orleans, LA 70148 (504)-280-6377 Hope Brusstar, driftwood@uno.edu......................Editor-in-Chief Cassandra Jaskiewicz...........................................Managing Editor

EDITORIAL Trump versus LGBTQ+ community On Monday, Oct. 22, Trump administration documents containing an agenda against the LGBTQ+ community leaked to the public. The Department of Health and Human Services are considering altering Title IX, the federal civil rights law which bans sex discrimination in federally funded schools. Their intention is to block transgender people from changing their legal gender to differ from their gender at birth. This is not the first time the current administration has challenged the rights of LGBTQ+ people. In July, President Trump tried issuing a ban on transgender people in the military. Although the ban was stopped by the courts, the cost of providing hormones to transgender people in the military is now in question. In 2016, during the Obama era, the Department of Education and Justice issued an order for all public schools and colleges that accept federal funding to allow all transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice. Within Trump’s first month in office,

he withdrew this protection act with the professed belief that it should be up to individual states to decide. During Trump’s presidential campaign, he posed with a pride flag and promised to advocate for the rights of LGBTQ+ members, but it’s clear that he did not follow through. This is a huge step backwards, especially when his presidency follows Obama, who publicly advocated for the community. It’s not all big policies and changes that Trump has initiated to take away gay rights, it’s the small things too. During pride month in June, the administration did not recognize it by lighting up the White House with the pride colors, a break from the Obama administration tradition. While this may seem like a minute gesture to others, it was a huge slap in the face to the community. After such a drastic change from the positive laws and regulations made under Obama, LGBTQ+ citizens now must return to worrying about the safety and so called “legitimacy” of the community.

The legalization of same-sex marriage was only the beginning of attaining equal rights for queer couples. The battle for equal rights stems from a long history of politics and policies. What really started the fight for gay rights was the Stonewall Riots in 1969. While the cops started a raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York, African-American drag queen Marsha P. Johnson threw a brick at an officer, allegedly starting the riots. Just like Johnson, there are so many transgender brothers and sisters that show this same kind of bravery every day. Now is a time for allies, friends, and families to support and encourage the community around you. Starting in 1969 and fighting all the way to 2018, transgender people are still not accepted as actual people. They can’t always use the bathroom of their choice, they can’t always be recognized for their chosen gender, and they can’t always be looked at with respect. But what they can do is not let their history and their future be erased.

Jack Waguespack.........................................................News Editor Erinn Langille...............................................................Copy Editor Dylan Mininger..............................................Entertainment Editor Veronica Gilchrist........................................Social Media Manager Kimberly Williams.................................................Visuals Director Nate Nguyen...............................................................Layout Editor Brennan Probst..........................................................Photographer Matt Stennis........................................................Business Manager

Driftwood is produced solely by students of the University of New Orleans. Driftwood publishes every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters, with the exception of holiday breaks and midterms/ finals week. Letters to the Editor and columns are the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinion of the Driftwood editorial board. All letters to the Editor are subject to editing for length, style and grammar. Editorials are the opinions of the Driftwood editorial staff and do not reflect the opinions of the University of New Orleans, its administration or staff. Please limit letters to 500 words. Submissions can be emailed to driftwoodeditor@uno.edu and must be sent no later than 5 p.m. on the Monday before publication.



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