the
Herald By and for the students of Hobart and William Smith Colleges
FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2010
VOLUME CXXXI ISSUE 24
GENEVA, NY
Students Come First as Departments Face Budget Cuts By Tim Hollinger ’11 Opinions Editor Members of the Colleges’ administration agree that there is a budget crisis. Across campus departments have been asked to cut 10% from their operating budgets this year. Some programs have disappeared, positions have been left open, and building projects will be completed at a slower rate. Despite the squeeze, the Colleges have worked to minimize the impact on student programming and agree the crisis has been well managed. “If you look at the way other institutions dealt with similar situations, and the way we are going about it, I say we’re doing really well,” says Robert Flowers, President of Student Affairs. The recession has lead colleges across the country to cut departments, reduce student aid, and axe programming. “We didn’t overreact. Other schools took drastic action,” adds Flowers. The Herald was unable to obtain exact budget numbers from Vice President for Finance Peter Polinak before press time; however, Director of Communications Cathy Williams has told the Herald the budget deficit is $4.5 million dollars. In an interview a few weeks ago the
Colleges’ President Mark Gearan put it between $3 and $6 million; Flowers says the exact number fluctuates depending on the stock market. Regardless of the exact numbers, the Colleges are taking the deficit seriously. “We’ve found ways to cut some of the administrative fat between the two colleges,” reports Hobart Dean Eugen Baer. Several programming redundancies between the Colleges have been eliminated. A program for sophomores that was once run by both Colleges, is now run jointly; additionally weekly deans dinners for select seniors have been eliminated. Many programs for students at risk, like Dean Mapstone’s program for students struggling with academics, have been maintained. “I haven’t noticed the cuts,” says Sophomore Nico Azel, who, like many students, has seen minimal impact from the changes. “The goal is to have as little negative repercussions on the students as possible,” says Gearan. Tuition will be increasing, but the increase will be minimal and will be matched with
Photo courtesy of: info.kauaicc.hawaii.edu
Despite the long hours that understaffed departments have to put in, students are being kept a priority as the Colleges make budget cuts to get rid of a $3-$6 millon deficit. a boost in financial aid. The number of students struggling with debt is at the highest levels ever seen; as a result, Gearan hopes to give current and incoming students as much aid
as possible. Although most students have been shielded from the cuts, faculty BUDGET continued on Page 2
Fraternities Team Up with Relay for Life By Nicholas Batson ’11 Herald Contributor
Photo courtesy of: www.cato.org
Michael Tanner of the CATO institute is the next speaker in the President’s Forum series.
Michael Tanner to Speak at the President’s Forum By Rebecca Dennee ’10 Campus Happenings Editor Michael Tanner of the CATO Institute will be speaking in the Geneva Room on Thursday, April 22 as part of the President’s Forum Series. Tanner will speak on the health care debate with a talk entitled “What Now For Health
Care” and will provide students with the conservative view of the issues. Tanner’s main focus of research as part of the Washington, TANNER continued on Page 2
Four fraternities- Chi Phi, Delta Chi, Kappa Sigma, and Phi Sigma Kappa- all participated in Relay for Life on April 10, donating nearly $3500 for the cause. This past weekend, the Colleges hosted their annual Relay for Life event to help fight cancer. Many students banded together for the event, forming dozens of teams and raising donations to contribute to the event. Among the teams that participated in the Relay were four fraternities- Chi Phi, Delta Chi, Kappa Sigma, and Phi Sigma Kappa. Each fraternity raised their own funds to give to the cause, as well as helped out with the various stages of the event.
Two fraternities helped out with Relay before the main event last Saturday. Chi Phi got things started with the Relay for Life KickOff event earlier in the semester. The fraternity hosted the beginning of Relay for Life at its own house, helping to get people registered and interested in participating. The house served coffee and tea from the Coffeehouse as speakers and informational talks went on, RELAY continued on Page 7
Campus Happenings
A&E
Opinions
Sports
Disability and the Arts: Opening
Apr il Upri si n g R e v i e w
Letter to the HWS Community
HWS Students Relay for Life
Boiling P oi nt : A pa t hy
Relay for Life Controversy
HWS Celebrates STUDENT Athlete Day
Interview with Kevin Roose
Book of t h e We e k
Luck of the Draw?
Herons Trample RIT Tigers
Upcoming Events
Mo v i e R e v i e w
Burton Does It Better
Upcoming Games
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FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2010
The Herald
Established 1879 By and for the Students of Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Belinda Littlefield, Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Dennee, Campus Happenings Editor Tim Hollinger, Opinions Editor Liz Witbeck, A&E Editor Carrie Stevens, Sports Editor Amy Nimon, Photography Editor Contributors Jennifer Hollander Melissa Warner Hannah Semaya Carrie Stevens Rebecca Dennee Tim Hollinger Will Abbott
Nicholas Batson Yang Hu Megan Rechin Kazia Berkley-Cramer Amy Nimon Gabrielle Perez
Copy Editing Belinda Littlefield Rebecca Dennee Distribution Belinda Littlefield Jennifer Hollander Annica Crouse
Layout Belinda Littlefield Rebecca Dennee Carrie Stevens
Submission Guidelines The Herald is currently accepting submissions for our upcoming issue. The deadline for this issue is Monday at 5 pm. Must include the: 1. Name and Class Year 2. Individual phone number or e-mail 3. Articles must be between 250-700 words 4. Articles must pertain to recent events E-mail submissions must be made via file attachment. Please send it as a .doc file. Please send pictures as separate attachments.
BUDGET continued from Page 1 and staff are feeling the pinch. “Personally I haven’t felt it,” says English Professor Grant Holly, “but I’m sure my department head has different feelings.” Professors have complained about not being able to fund guest lectures, events, as well as salary freezes. President Gearan points out that senior staff’s salaries have been frozen, but incoming or newer faculty members have not had their pay frozen. “Some faculty and staff aren’t happy but they do understand why we’ve had to make adjustments,” says Gearan. Flower’s says as part of the effort to cut $800,000 from his budget, he has had to leave the equivalent of 6.5 full time positions open. “It’s difficult to leave positions vacant…some staff members are working seven day weeks and are taking a lot of overtime,” say Flowers. He indentified residential education and campus safety as
two departments that have been stretched particularly thin. Temporary faculty is also feeling the strain. They are less likely to be hired for long term teaching positions, and have been asked to take on additional teaching responsibilities. The trustees have taken an active role in guiding the Colleges through the turmoil, and cuts are being evenly spread across departments. The Colleges have several long term projections that depend on the strength of the economy as an indicator of how to move forward with the budget challenges. Some of the current cuts are not sustainable long term solutions, but they have been able to move the Colleges towards closing the current deficit. “There’s no doubt this will go down as one of the most serious challenges to the Colleges in the last two decades,” says Flowers.
TANNER continued from Page 1 DC based think tank is on domestic policies with emphasis on health care reform, social welfare policy, and Social Security. Author of several books, Tanner’s most recent published in 2007 entitled “Leviathan on the Right: How Big-Government Conservatism Brought Down the Republican Reovlution” looks at the demise of the Republican Party as it has shifted to big government and undermined the conservative values. He has published three other books, “Healthy Competition: What’s Holding Back Health Care and How to Free It” (Second Edition, 2007), “The Poverty of Welfare: Helping Others in Civil Society” (2003), and “A New Deal for Social Security” (1998), and has been seen in many newspapers nationwide. The President’s Forum series
on the health care debate will bring the hot topic issue of Washington to Geneva and provide students with a chance to share their own views. Tanner argues that health care reform similar to the “Massachusetts Model” is a failure. As he wrote in a June edition of the National Review, “The program has failed in its main goal of achieving universal coverage. It has failed to restrain the growth in health-care costs. And it has greatly exceeded its initial budget, placing new burdens on the state’s taxpayers.” His perspective from the Libertarian side of the spectrum will be an informative and welcome addition to the other speakers that visit campus this semester. Tanner will be the last President’s Forum speaker of the semester.
If criteria are not met, the Herald may be unable to print submission.
The Class of 2010 has
30 Days Until Graduation
HWS is Goin’ to the Dogs By Jennifer Hollander ’10 Herald Contributor
Stella Brophy
Stella tell us a bit about yourself I’m an adorable golden. I am a ray of sunshine Do you have any favorite activties? Playing “catch the leash” Do you play with any of teh other dogs on campus? Oh yes. Sometime I run on the quad with Bella Spates and Porter Heopp. They are nice What does your dad do for the Colleges? He is a professor of philosophy Can you tell us anything about philosophy? I bark, therefore, I am.
The Blotter Thursday, April 1 • 5 ABC violations in Jackson at 2:10 p.m.: Possession of alcohol <21- referred to Dean’s Office Friday, April 2 • Criminal mischief in Hale and Bartlett Shower curtains vandalized • Petit larceny on Quad at 8:50 p.m.: Keys and ID stolen Under investigation Saturday, April 3 • 3 cases of Criminal mischief at Houghton, 704 & 775 S. Main Outside of housed “egged”- under investigation • Criminal mischief in Sherrill at 9:25 p.m.: Wall vandalized- under investigation Sunday, April 4 • 16 cases of ABC violation at Odells at 12:38 a.m.: Possession of alcohol <21- referred to Dean’s Office • Criminal mischief at 704 S. Main St. at 11:05 a.m. Outside of housed “egged”- under investigation Monday, April 5 and Tuesday, April 6 • 2 cases of criminal possession of a controlled substance in Geneva Hall at 9:30 p.m.: Marijuana found referred to Dean’s Office • Criminal possession of a controlled substance in Durfee at 9:50 a.m.: Plethora of drugs found referred to Dean’s Office
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FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2010
Campus Happenings Kevin Roose Reflects on a Semester at Liberty University By Rebecca Dennee ’10 Campus Happenings Editor
Kevin Roose, author of The Unlikely Disciple and Presidents Forum Series speaker joined the HWS community on April 7. Roose sat down with Herald reporter Rebecca Dennee to answer a few questions. (Continued from last week) RD: Other people have had similar experiences posing as a Christian and attending Thomas Road Church and came away with the opinion that they liked the people but not the message, was that what you found? KR: That is a very funny story actually, I just found out about Gina Welch’s book a few months ago (In the Land of Believers) we were actually there at the same time undercover and had no idea. So I tried to think of whether I had blessed her in a prayer circle by accident. She wrote this great book that was about the church and the adult culture there. I came away not believing some of the stuff there, especially given my bias and acculturation in secular America but I agree you have to be heartless not to walk away charmed by these people. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met. They text me, email me, call me, pray for me over the phone; I would have no qualms calling them my friends and having them over to my house. This sounds condescending coming from Christian culture, but I had no idea that these people were human basically and that’s my own fault for not reaching out and trying to understand it. So I am glad of where I am now. RD: You mention that the first time you went to church it was a frightening experience and many people see Evangelicals as the Jesus Camp followers’ speaking in tongues and talking to snakes, is that just hype or is that the norm? KR: I think that is the segment of the Evangelical population because it lends itself most readily to media exposure—its people doing things loudly, brightly, colorfully. But that’s not the norm. Even people in Jesus camp go home at the end of the day and take their shoes off one at a time and watch TV with their kids. That was something I did not expect, it’s pretty indistinguishable from what’s happening at Brown or HWS or any other college. These guys are gossiping about girls
and talking about their evil professors, I would say 85% of their day had nothing to do with Christianity. RD: Howard Dean came to speak a few weeks ago, he found that Evangelical pastors do not preach about social issues but global issues instead; was that what you found? KR:
Yang Hu/Photographer
Totally. It’s a generational thing. The Evangelicals who came of age in the Moral Majority years in the 70’s and 80’s, that was their social mission to enshrine these social principles into law, now though the Evangelicals my age and even slightly older have the pressing concern of poverty, world hunger, low access to drinking water, and strife. What you will see in the future is Evangelicals who will be less concerned with those boiler plate Moral Majority issues and more concerned with the social Gospel.
RD: To end the interview, what was your best Liberty story?
KR: One of my favorite moments was when I was down in Florida and we were doing street Evangelism, going up to people and saying, “Are you saved, can we pray for you? Have you accepted Jesus in your heart?” This is already sort of a joke and I’m feeling really sorry for myself cause I’m getting spit on and turned away and people are making fun of me. So I’m already feeling battered and belittled, just as things cannot get any worse I’ve been turned down a hundred times and I’m outside of a night club, everyone is drunk and I just want to be inside the nightclub, not outside. A Girl’s Gone Wild film crew pulls up right next to us and starts filming. So the girls get their Mardi Gras beads and pull up their shirts and put them back on and then I butt in and say “Hey have you heard about Jesus?” So it was a bit of a sin and repentance; that was almost more than I could take, I was laughing and no one else in my group thought it was funny but that was my favorite moment.
HWS Students Relay for Life By Jennifer Hollander ’10 Herald Contributor This past weekend in Bristol Gym, many students could be seen walking, running, or even dancing around the track. There was live music, Henna, food, and fun. What was going on? HWS was hosting its annual Relay for Life, an event that raises money for cancer awareness and cures. Raising over $20,000, the event lasted twelve hours and was sponsored by HWS’s Colleges Against Cancer branch. Many people, both students and staff, showed up to support the cause in various ways. With bands such as El-Kabong and games such as a whipped cream eating contest,
Relay for Life was very successful. Relay for Life began in 1985 in Tacoma, Washington; a surgeon who practiced there walked around a track for twenty four hours to raise money for cancer support. Since then Relay for Life has gathered crowds of several million all across the country. The event has gathered support in other countries as well. Cancer affects people of all ages in this country. In 2009 close to 600,000 people died of cancer according to the American Cancer Society. This accounted for about 23.1% of all deaths, second to heart disease at 26.0%. For both men and
Jaimie Rubin/Photographer
HWS students participate in a whip-cream eating contest. women lung cancer is the worst killer. After lung cancer, the second killers are prostate cancer for men and breast cancer for women. Although the numbers are unpleasant, there is some positive news. The overall deaths related to cancers have decreased slowly over the past ten years. Relay for Life will continue to work to help
raise awareness and to find cures for the various cancers that there are. The branch here at HWS has helped them with the event that was held last weekend. Colleges Against Cancer will be hosting another event for cancer awareness at the end of the month. All are encouraged to participate.
Join the resent: IC and ASU P
d Bubble Tea an t Karaoke Nigh
7:00 pm
ultural Affairs Office of Interc Fri. April 16
Want to Write For
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Upcoming Events Friday, April 16th ner @ Vandervort Room • 6:15pm- Benjamin Hale Award Din Bartlett Theatre Spring • 7:00pm- “Devotion to the Cross”: Production @ Bartlett Theatre t • 7:00pm- Bubble Tea and karaoke Nigh @ Office of Intercultural Affairs ce Free House • 7:00pm- Mocktail Party @ Substan Saturday, April 17th Bartlett Theatre Spring • 7:00pm- “Devotion to the Cross”: Production @ Bartlett Theatre ngo/Tango • 9:00am- Libertango: 1920s era Mila @ Hirshon Ballroom Admitted Students • 9:30am- Admissions Open House for @ Office of Admissions Olympics @ the Quad • 10:00am- HWS 2nd Annual Quad John’s Chapel • 10:45am- Charter Day 2010 @ St. Picnic @ Stern Lawn • 11:00am- Big Brothers Big Sisters
ad d Qu n 2 HWS mpics Oly
Monday, April 19th es: Apathy • 7:00pm- “Boiling Point” Dialogue Seri ng) @ Wasey Lounge (2nd floor of Scandli
uad Q e h T
Tuesday, April 20th Campus Center • 3:00pm- Build-A-Bear @ Scandling pendence Day Inde • 6:30pm- Yom Ha’Atzma’ut: Isreali @ Hirshon Ballroom
17th l i r p Sat. A a.m. 10
HERALD Review a Concert Interview Big Names Learn New Things About Campus Get To Know Your Classmates Learn InDesign Take A Position of Leadership Bring Issues on Campus to Light Make the Paper Your Own
Meetings: Tuesdays 7pm @ Creedon Room
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FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2010
Campus Happenings Disability and the Arts Festival Continues By Amy Nimon ’11 Photography Editor Last Friday night saw the opening for “No Destinations Beforehand: Three Artists with Autism” in the Davis Gallery at Houghton House. The art show featured work by artists Larry Bissonnette, Jonathan Lerman, and Jessica Parks. “My Classic Life as an Artist,” a documentary about Larry Boissonnette and his work, was shown and discussed beforehand by Douglas Biklen, Dean of the School of Education at Syracuse University. Boissonnette’s art has won him several awards, including the 2005 TASH Positive Image Award, which is awarded to print, film, or other media artists with disabilities. Jonathan Lerman, whose work is also on display at Houghton House, is most known for his charcoal drawings. He began creating art at the age of ten and showcased his artwork for the first
time when he was 12 years old at the KS Art Gallery in New York City. He was also on MTV’s True Life: I Have Autism, and is the subject of Lyle Rexer’s book The Drawings of a Boy with Autism. Jessica Park’s artwork consists mainly of lively, colorful prints and paintings. Her work has been featured in the Boston Globe, The New Yorker Magazine and on CBS’s Early Show. The Jessica Park project titled The Art and Life of Jessica Park has been showcased at several galleries around the nation and has been featured in the book Exploring Nirvana: The Art of Jessica Park by Tony Gengarelly, Ph.D., and Adria A. Weatherbee. “No Destinations Beforehand: Three Artists with Autism” will be on display until April 23, and is just one of the many ongoing events in celebration of Hobart
Yeasmine Khalique/Communications Photographer
Students and faculty discuss the artwork of Larry Bissonnette, Jonathan Lerman, and Jessica Park at last Friday’s Houghton House opening. and William Smith’s Disability and the Arts Festival and Disability Awareness Month. On April 8 a Writer’s Symposium titled “Autism, Blindness, Neurodiversity and the Lyric Body” was held in the Sanford Room. On April 14 the Axis Dance Company performed at Winn Seeley, along with Lennard Davis giving a talk titled “Acting Disabled: The Problem of Representing Disability in Film and Television,” yesterday in the Sanford Room.
Next Thursday, April 22, there will be an airing in the Vandervort room of films created by artists with autism. Films with air from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and 7p.m. to 9 p.m. David Weiss is the main organizer of the Disability and the Arts Festival, and Alexandra Connell, ’10 has also been involved in the planning.
Opinions Can’t Complain: Burton Does It Better By Megan Rechin ’11 Herald Contributor Burton does it better. No, I’m not saying I thought that his version of the newly released Alice in Wonderland (March 2009) was a scene by scene version of the book, but as a movie, it worked. Don’t get me wrong I would love it if an on screen Alice could spit out what the Atlanta Journal film critic, Dana Stevens, calls “the language of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass,” both hallucinogenic fantasy novels written in 1865 by Lewis Carroll, but I don’t think it’s possible, even if I believe, like Alice, six impossible things before breakfast. The “intricate logic puzzles and plays on literal and figurative meaning of words,” that Stevens characterizes Carroll’s writing style as are not feasible for a multi-track medium such as film. From the time that novels began making their way into filmmaker’s hands, audiences have had fidelity problems with the product. They sit in their velveted reclining seats thinking that their $10.50 gave them an –unfaithfuladaptation to one of their favorite bedtime stories (anyone remember the 2009 release Where the Wild Things Are?), mystery novels (Nancy Drew, 2008) or mythological fantasies (Lord of the Rings or The Harry Potter series). The book was better, refund please. But there can be no real equivalence between a source novel and an adaptation of the same work to film. Or so says New York
University film professor Robert Stam. In his book, Literature and Film: a Guide to the Theory and Practice of Film Adaptation, he argues, with my full support, that a film adaptation can never be compared to the novel from which the story came. He says, “we read a novel though our interjected desires, hopes and utopias, fashioning as we read, our own imaginary miseen-scene of the novel on the private sound stage of our mind.” This is where our sense of betrayal comes from when a director such as Tim Burton, the man behind the March 5, 2010 release of the new Alice in Wonderland adaptation, fails to capture what we feel is the fundamental narrative and thematic and aesthetic features. What we most appreciated in the novel was removed from the director’s interpretation on film, and we feel cheated. However, can we compare the two? It would be the same as someone claiming that a song written about Picassos painting of Guernica is better than the painted Guernica itself. Cinema and literature are two completely different art forms that come into the world on two separate paths. True, they both involve writing, time, talent and paper and pen, but to make a movie, one needs countless other tools such as sounds and images, a budget and some actors, who not only resemble character descriptions, but are reasonably good on screen.
Photo courtesy of: blogs.laweekly.com
Above are pictured three two different film interpretations of Carroll’s illustrations (far left): the 1951 Disney classic “Alice in Wonderland” as well as Tim Burton’s 2010 Adaptation. If people get caught up in the comparison between films and novels, then they will never truly appreciate the film for its cinematic qualities. One such example is Katya Boyd of San Diego in her response to the New York Times review of Burtons Alice in Wonderland where she asks – How did it happen?- and then says -Tim Burton made a dull cliché out of one of the most delightful fantasies ever written. I doubt that Tim Burton even read the original. Instead they will feel as though they were cheated out of the personal experience they had with the characters in the original novel. Alain Resnais, a film critic for the Onion, says, “simply adapting a novel without changing it is like reheating a meal.” Its true; who wants to eat the same lemon chicken for three days when you can turn it into a pot of chicken barley soup or some steaming soul warming chicken pot pie? Burton has made stew out of what others would have just left as old pot roast. His visual effects
and soundtrack translated Carroll’s original thoughts into his own, even though barely any of the primary plots or characters of the novels were present. We as an audience need to stop the comparisons and start praising differences just as we do with theater productions, such as Orson Welles’s modern dress Julius Caesar or Haitian set Macbeth, both committing some act of infidelity to Shakespeare’s originals. However, these works are praised by the artistic community, as they should be. Because seriously, are you that dedicated to sameness that you are willing to sit through the same Shakespearian drama over and over again, or a 34 hour version of War and Peace just so you can see and hear every explicit Tolstoy detail that wasn’t included in the first seven hour adaptation to film? I think not. So thanks Burton for not serving us the same Alice two nights in row.
The Luck of the Draw? By Carrie Stevens ’11 Sports Editor Lottery: A scheme designed for the distribution of prizes by chance; any happening, process or action that appears to be determined by chance; an activity or event regarded as having an outcome dependent on chance. The underlying themes of any lottery include chance, luck and fate. The purchase of lottery tickets is a gamble—only one in a million trades in their scratch card
for a couple million dollars. But a lottery is based on luck. When selecting housing on a college campus, a system devised on pure chance and randomness is unethical and inappropriate. With the housing selection for the 2010-2011 academic year Photo courtesy of: www.arrowinternational.com currently underway, Hobart and The housing selection numbers pictured above are what every William Smith Colleges should look LUCK continued on Page 5
student hopes to get, but many are disappointed. Can a reevaluation and overhaul of the system distribute numbers more fairly?
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FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2010
Opinions An Open Letter Relay for Life to the HWS Community Controversy By Kazia Berkley-Cramer ’13 Herald Contributor
By Will Abbott ’13 Herald Contributor
Dear students, faculty, and staff, Where were you? Where were you on Sunday at 8pm? I missed you at the candlelight vigil to remember 11 million people who died in the Holocaust. Now, I am aware that this is an extremely busy time, and I know that I do not have a perfect attendance record for events like this, but I am confused as to how only twelve members of the student and faculty bodies thought the vigil worth ten minutes of their time. Where were the other 2,265? I know that you had homework, teaching fellows, papers to grade, families to be with, club meetings to go to, and hours of procrastination with friends and on Facebook to accomplish. I also know that if asked, you would say that you did not know it was happening (because you don’t read your email or look at the myriad of posters plastered on every free wall space on campus). I can understand these excuses, I really can. I’ve made them before. But still, where was the rest of Hillel? Where were the other students and
faculty going on the March of Hope trip? Where were the members of Pride Alliance, Women’s Collective, and Student Movement for Real Change? Where were professors and students of Religious Studies, LGB Studies, Women’s Studies, Peace Studies, Holocaust Studies, History, Philosophy, Writing and Rhetoric, English, Psychology, and Sociology? Or others, regardless of whether their academic field pertains to the Holocaust? Besides one other, where were the students from my Making Connections class this semester, in which we are currently discussing Christian privilege? Where was one of the photographers who photographs for This Week in Photos? Where were the people who always attend social justice and cultural events on campus? From a community that prides itself on community service, study abroad, and “lives of consequence,” I hoped for more.
LUCK continued from Page 4 to establish a more logical selection process for next year’s drawing. A system based on merit, specifically cumulative GPA, and not luck should be implemented. First, a random, computerdriven system isn’t practical. This isn’t how it works in the real world. In a land far away from Saga, Stern Hall and the Quad, an individual must work in order to secure their living situation—a portal in cyberspace doesn’t randomly generate it. They must find a job. They must go to work. They must complete their work. And then, they choose a living arrangement that’s practical for them. Apartments, houses, condos and ranches are all products of working a job and earning a salary. Instituting a GPA-system at HWS is a direct extension of the abovementioned principle. In short, it would give students incentives to keep working. A young adult who is dedicated to academics and excels in the classroom should be rewarded. In the real world, this person would earn their salary and be able to choose an affordable place to live. Therefore, said student should be assigned a better number than a student who has a lower GPA. If good grades translated into a lower lottery number – and a better place in the selection process – it’s possible that students would make a stronger commitment to academics. Secondly, living in one of the most competitive areas on campus – mainly the Village at O’Dells Pond and Emerson Hall – is a privilege. Only juniors and seniors are allowed to live in an O’Dells unit, and residents of both locations must be in good standing. The keyword is privilege. These residence halls are not open to everyone. With this in mind, a student with a high GPA should have first dibs on an Emerson suite or an O’Dells unit, if they so choose. Students in good academic standing
should be rewarded with higher lottery numbers, so they can secure their desired housing first. In a merit-based process, a higher GPA would yield a lower – and better – selection number. There are a few ways to alter this system in order to weight academics less and rely on chance a bit more. In one wrinkle to this plan, each numerical GPA value (4, 3, 2, 1 and under-1) would be broken up into smaller pools. For example, all students with a 4.0 GPA would be in a group; 3.99-3.9 in the next; 3.893.8 after that, etc. Selection numbers would be assigned to each grouping – from 1 to however many are needed – beginning with the highest GPA in the pool. For example, if 3.95 were the highest GPA in the 3.99-3.9 group, that student would receive number 1; 3.94 would receive number 2; 3.93 would receive number 3, etc. This version of the merit system places the most stress on– you guessed it–academic rankings. It’s also possible to keep the abovementioned GPA groups, but use a computer program to randomly assign numbers to each pool. In this example, a higher GPA would secure a place in a better pool – which, in turn would yield a better number – but chance still plays a role. This second system also has an advantage in tiebreaker situations. The first proposal – in which two students could hypothetically have the exact same GPA (carried out to the hundredths spot) – needs a process to separate students with the same GPA. The higher major GPA or Fall GPA could decide a tie. These two propositions aren’t perfect, but they are processes rooted in academic achievement. In a new system, a student’s GPA should some role in the housing selection process. The luck of the draw just isn’t acceptable.
My saturday night did not go exactly as planned, and any substance abuse ideas you have in your head have nothing to do with it. My girlfriend and I decided to enjoy each other’s company for the night; go out for dinner, take in a movie, sit by the lake, etc. On this particular Saturday night, however, The Relay for Life Fundraiser took place, which featured an allnight event from 6PM - 6AM. Upon hearing that this event was taking place, we moseyed on over to Bristol Gymnasium to celebrate and participate, only to be kicked out. Let’s backtrack. This isn’t an article ripping into or hating on Relay for Life. In fact, as everyone should know, Relay for Life is a wonderful organization. It calls “for a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease”. It’s an institution I admire and advocate for, as several members of my family and close family friends have been diagnosed with cancer in the past, namely my mom just three summers ago. My girlfriend, who also is an active supporter of the organization, and I, only heard of the event the night of, and decided to venture over around midnight to show our support. Needless to say, it was a last minute decision but nevertheless something we were excited about being apart of. But as we walked around the gym track, enjoying the live music and turnout of the HWS student body, we were escorted out of the gym to the registration booth. At the booth, the students in charge of the fundraiser demanded forty dollars between the two of us, as we hadn’t signed up prior to the event. I was shocked, as we were just looking to show our support! I understood it was a fundraiser, and the ultimate goal was to raise money, but I simply did not have forty dollars on me. When I told them that I was unaware of the event and unable to pay the “entry fee”, I was kicked out. The conflict had nothing to do with paying the full amount, as I respectfully understand that every participating member of the event had paid the correct
fee, but the mere fact that I just did not have ready access to the money. Subsequently, the event staff fellow students I may add - were unforgiving. I urged, “I have only two dollars in my pocket and I’ll give you whatever I can, please let us participate in the event!” They denied my request. In fact, they told me that “it was a liability issue” to let us in, as if we were incapable of walking around a track, as we had not signed a waiver prior to the event. Shocked once again! I fully comply with the law and my intention in writing this is not to combat the actual liabilities that were attached to this event. However, the notion that two Hobart and William Smith students who chose to show their support, although last minute, should be welcomed rather than made to feel like trespassers. I’m upset at the way the staff handled this situation. There were so many options for reconciliation that were left unmentioned, options that would’ve granted us participation in this great event. They should’ve understood that as a walk-in it’s not likely we’d be carrying forty dollars on us, and cut us some sort of temporary deal. A request to send in a check? A registration booklet and some reading material on the organization as to assure our payment? A written guarantee we would pay the event staff as soon as we could? I am happy to pay the American Cancer Organization the “fee”, I’ve donated in the past and would of course follow up with the requirements of the event! We were looking to celebrate the event but were wrongfully turned down. I applaud the staff for the event, but am left feeling left out and utterly wronged, as I was looking to take part in a wonderful cause.
Come Participate In:
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FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2010
Book of the Week: The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan By Melissa Warner ’12 Herald Contributor Often authors will have themes that recur in all their books; Amy Tan is definitely one of these authors. If you’ve ever read any of her books (Joy Luck Club, The Bonesetter’s Daughter), you probably noticed that there is great emphasis placed on understanding the perspective of Chinese females and ChineseAmerican females. The Kitchen God’s Wife is no exception. Pearl Louie Brandt, the forty-year-old daughter of a Chinese mother, Winnie Louie, and a Chinese-American father, Jimmie Louie, narrates the beginning of the story. Pearl and her family, husband Phil and daughters Tessa and Cleo, are heading to San Francisco for the engagement dinner for her cousin Bao-Bao, as well as the funeral of her Auntie Du. Pearl’s Aunt Helen and mother, Winnie, are very close and own a flower shop together. Pearl is keeping a secret from her mother, one that the rest of the family knows. What Pearl is unaware of is that her mother is also keeping secrets from her. Auntie Helen knows both sides of these
secrets and, in an attempt to bring mother and daughter together, blackmails and guilts them into sharing. Winnie begins to tell her daughter the story of her life, which has been long and full of hardship. Born to the lesser wife of a wealthy man in China, Winnie was very sheltered until her mother one day disappeared. Winnie was sent to live with her uncle and his two wives. She was never truly loved by them, as they gave preferential treatment to the Uncle’s real daughter, Peanut. However, when the time came, Winnie’s aunts arrange a marriage for her and her real father provides a fine dowry. The man Winnie marries, Wen Fu, who seems at first charming and kind, turns out to be insecure, abusive, and cruel. Winnie must find ways to protect herself and her children from the man she married, while at the same time World War Two is raging all around her. The Kitchen God’s Wife is a story of triumph despite seemingly impossible odds. It is a tale of secrets and the way they can affect relationships.
Photo Courtesy bestbooksellers.about.com
Arts and Entertainment
You will become immersed in a lifestyle, history, and culture that they may not have been that familiar with previously. By the end of the Kitchen God’s Wife, you will be so absorbed in the lives of the characters that they will almost feel like close friends.
Apathy at HWS: Where Do You Stand? By Gabrielle Perez ’11 Herald Contributor I have learned a lot in the past year about myself and where I stand on the path for social change, but with that position comes the realization that not everyone will agree with you or that people will go against said position. What I don’t seem to understand is how students can attend a liberal arts college and not feel the need to advocate for things that occur on this campus. HWS has been influenced with many negative situations, and it doesn’t seem like it would stop any time soon. Faculty and staff try to place this security blanket over our eyes, but it doesn’t shield us from all the things that happen at HWS. Many HWS students are apathetic about the issues at HWS; the only worry for these students is drinking on the weekends,
partying, and roaming from place to place. When a club decides to throw an event to better the campus and get them more in tune with cultural awareness, people shy away from it. WHY? People need to learn to step out of their comfort zone in order to move forward. There is always a push back from the greater campus when it comes to clubs at HWS (especially Social Justice and Cultural clubs) and it needs to stop because we aren’t going anywhere. If we stopped throwing events, what would happen to the HWS community— where would we stand? Where does the apathy come from? It doesn’t seem to make sense when you really think about it. There are about 75 clubs at HWS and about half of them are
recognized by the greater HWS community; this excludes teams and club sports, who in themselves receive little attendance as well. I am thoroughly disappointed at the majority of the student population for the lack of participation in their college careers; what do you all care about here at the colleges? The Colleges Mission of Inclusive Excellence is that it is organized around a concept of diversity that is historically situated and includes multiple social and cultural identities. Its goal is to foster the excellence of all community members and promote meaningful interactions and relationships with diverse peoples and perspectives, both on and off our campus, but how can we be socially aware of the issues of our campus if we are not
in tune with the things that occur on campus? Do you disagree with what I am saying? Let your voice be heard! Our next Boiling Points meeting on Apathy at HWS is on April 19, 2010 at 7pm on the Second floor of Scandling Center (Wasey Lounge). Be there, be active.
RELAY continued from Page 1
Which am I?
BY CAITLIN LUGAR
bringing in the Hobartones and Three Miles Lost to provide some musical entertainment. Chi Phi hosted the Hope Ball on Feb. 6. Students dressed up and went for a charity formal dance in the Vandervort Room, where members of the Colleges Against Cancer educated them. This event alone helped to raise $2,200 of Chi Phi’s eventual $3,463.96 donation it made to the cause. On March 7, Phi Sigma Kappa hosted another Relay for Life event at its house. The brothers hosted a brunch at about the halfway point in the event’s fundraising and signup period. Joe’s Hots provided and cooked the food for the morning/ afternoon, serving scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, and hot dogs. The brunch also sought to get more people to sign-up. Various members who already signed-up and were coordinating the whole Relay for Life event helped those interested to register. The brothers also tried to spread the word from their own backyard and get students to come to the brunch. Prior to the actual event, Phi Sigma Kappa brothers helped table with Relay members at Scandling Center. Delta Chi also helped with tabling in the week prior to the Relay walk. Tabling efforts went towards signing up more people and selling t-shirts to anyone interested. Last weekend saw the hosting of the actual Relay, and by the end of it, the Greeks raised about fifteen percent of the total donations. Chi Phi, with its near $3,500 fundraising, won a set of three new speakers as
part of the Relay for Life Fraternity Incentive as it was the leader in the charity competition. Kappa Sigma followed in second with a $745 donation, with Delta Chi and Phi Sigma Kappa also raising $230 and $240 respectively. The total amount of Greek donations amounted to $4,698.96. Each fraternity had a team ranging from eight to seventeen brothers. Members visited the main event throughout the night on Saturday, walking on the path at Bristol Gym and participating in various activities. Some fraternity brothers held some of their own activities at the event. Chi Phi continued to look for donations in the form of a “kissing/hugging booth.” Phi Sigma Kappa helped to grill and sell hot dogs and hamburgers at midnight. A number of brothers from all of the fraternities were also distinguished as VIP members; these members raised $100 or more for the Relay and received a free t-shirt for their efforts. Many people have been impacted by cancer in one way or another. Some have been diagnosed with the disease, while most have had someone close to them afflicted by it. When asked why they relay, most of the Greek men stated it was for a family member or friend who battled or passed away from cancer. Others say Relay for Life was a just good cause and wanted to do something to help in the fight against the disease. One Phi Sigma Kappa brother could often be heard at Relay events and around campus saying, “Let’s kill some cancer today.”
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FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2010
Arts and Entertainment John Butler Trio Has an April Uprising By Will Abbott ’13 Herald Contributor “The Warren” (wabbott.wordpress.com) April Uprising is John Butler Trio’s fifth studio album since their first over ten years ago. The John Butler Trio is a jam band/ folk roots group from Australia led by guitarist and vocalist John Butler. This band has flown under the radar since their creation but are adored by the independent music industry, including myself. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them live and their musicianship is outstanding and the show is mesmerizing. John Butler himself comes off as a very cool and down to earth kind of dude (literally). The trio incorporates banjos and bongos in their shows, and can turn a five minute studio song into a twenty minute extravaganza. Don’t expect much of that in their new album, however. April Uprising is undoubtedly a good production, even by John Butler’s standards. The sounds in each track are diverse and unique, and the bass line always bumps a funky groove. Tracks such as “Close to You” or “Don’t Wanna See Your Face” represent the classic John Butler Trio sound. In fact, overall this album has a very funky feel to it. Songs such as “Revolution” and “Ragged Mile” represent the trio’s versatility and ability to seamlessly transition into a folk group. But this funk and folk combination has come to
be expected in every John Butler album. The problem? It’s not funky enough! The case of John Butler Trio is very similar to that of the Kings of Leon. April Uprising represents a transition to a more studio-based, pop-alternative-rock album than the previous albums. Just like Kings of Leon’s Only By The Night, April Uprising should draw in a larger fan base, at the expense of others. I stay true to John Butler, just like I did Kings of Leon, as this album was enjoyable and musical. But the continuous classic sound of Grand National, one of my favorite albums of the year, is found only in increments in April Uprising. I can’t label John Butler as sell-outs, but they are certainly trying to make a splash in the mainstream market. Perhaps the (relative) failure of this album is the replacement bassist, Highlights of the album: Nicky Bomba. No doubt his sound works One Way Road, Don’t Wanna See Your Face with John Butler, but Shannon Birchall will undoubtedly be remembered for the Lowpoints of the album: ease and intricacy of his grooves in Grand I’d Do Anything National and Sunrise over Sea. The most interesting song on the album responds to Shannon Birchall’s leave from the group, The song and album is a real tribute to their “Johnny’s Gone”, where John Butler claims they potential, but they certainly lack that same sound don’t need him and “have a lot left in the tank.” from the earlier years.
Date Night: Not the Typical Date Movie By Hannah Semaya ’13 Herald Contributor
Date Night- the title is incredibly misleading. Fortunately, just knowing who stars in the movie will give you a hint of what to expect. Tina Fey (“30 Rock”) and Steve Carrell (“The Office”) are two of the most prominent names in the comedy world. They do not disappoint in a movie that pleasantly blends humor with action, adding in the tiniest drop of romance. It’s funny, entertaining, and most definitely innovative and new. There is no other movie quite like Date Night. Carrell and Fey play a normal, well to do married couple. The Fosters live in New Jersey, they have two kids, and they work as an accountant and realator respectively. Everything changes for them when Mr. Foster decides that he and his wife need to take their weekly date night into New York City to break out of the cycle they had fallen into. Things do not go quite as expected.
The Fosters encounter gangsters, dirty cops, blackmailers, and a host of other characters. It truly was a night unexpected. Joining Carrell and Fey are a number of well-known actors. Mark Wahlberg (The Departed, The Lovely Bones) is the attractive computer analyst Holbrooke. James Frano (Pineapple Express, Milk) is fantastic as Taste, a very questionable character. Taste’s girlfriend Whippit is played by Mila Kunis (Forgetting Sarah Marshall). The film moves through New York in a believable way, with some of the most memorable moments including minor characters such as a snooty maître ‘d or an amusing cabbie. The plot is there, but the characters are what make the movie great. The plot is not exactly believable, but not entirely senseless. It is entertaining without crossing the line of absurdity. Carrell and Fey are very strong in the lead rolls, and wherever there is a weak moment they still manage to pull it through.
A Spirited Review The Original Drink of the Week Since 2006
Tezón Blossom Pre-marinate fresh fruit pieces in lime juice and Malibu Passion Fruit Rum
Ingredients: 2 parts Tequila Tezón Blanco .5 part SOHO Lychee Liqueur 1 part Pomegranate Juice 1 part Orange Juice Spoonful of Sugar
Serve over ice in a rocks glass filled with marinated fruit pieces. The Herald reminds you to enjoy the drink of the week safely and at the appropriate time and location, as long as you are of age…
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8
Sports
Statesmen and Herons Celebrate National-STUDENT Athlete Day By Carrie Stevens ‘12 Sports Editor
Herons Trample RIT Tigers By Carrie Stevens ‘12 Sports Editor
Kevin Colton/Photographer
HWS Athletic Communications
On April 6, Hobart and William Smith Colleges – along with other high schools and colleges nationwide – celebrated the 23rd National STUDENT-athlete Day. Donning team sweatshirts, sweatpants and t-shirts, Statesmen and Herons wore their apparel during the day in support of their commitments to both academics and athletics. Created by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS), the annual event recognizes student-athletes and the support system of parents and
coaches that make it possible for young people to excel both on and off the playing field. The Colleges have captured a total of twenty-two national championships and dozens of conference titles since the Athletic Department’s inception. During the 2008-09 academic year, HWS athletes earned 178 conference, regional and national academic awards combined. And since the 2003-04 academic year, 13 student-athletes from the Colleges have been named Academic All-Americans.
Improving to 9-3 on the season, the William Smith Tennis Team trampled the RIT Tigers on April 12. The Herons swept the series, 9-0, winning every match played in Rochester. In singles, junior Amanda Slack, sophomore Joanie Hilton, junior Melissa Slack, senior Shari Damon, first-year Remy Raevsky and first-year Hallsey Leighton beat their opponents at Nos. 1-6, respectively. The six singles competitors combined for an overall record of 60-4 against the
Tigers. Continuing their domination, the Herons went undefeated in doubles action. Hilton and sophomore Jess McCue secured a victory at first doubles, while Amanda and Melissa Slack teamed up for a win at the No. 2 spot. The Raevsky-Katie Serock combination also finished with an 8-1 victory at third doubles. The next home match takes place on Saturday, April 15 at 1 p.m. against the Brockport Golden Eagles.
Herons 2V8 Wins Conference Award
Sailors Take 4th in Prosser Trophy
Ken DeBolt
Meghan Metz
The William Smith second varsity eight was named the Liberty League Co-Boat of the Week by the conference office today. It’s the fifth weekly award for the Herons, and the first time the 2V8 has earned the award this season. In a head-to-head race with conference rival Rochester, the second varsity eight of junior Christine Babcock, sophomore Tallarie Thurgood, junior Alaria Pizzo, junior Alayna Beebe, first-year Laura Cappio, sophomore Sarah Hollingshead, sophomore Jenna Lohre, sophomore Emily
Desemery, and first-year Jess Steketee slowly and methodically built a larger and larger lead over the Yellowjackets. Both crews were faced with a strong head current and cross winds, but William Smith was up to the challenge, covering the 2,000-meter course in 8 minutes, 10.69 seconds, more than 7 seconds ahead of Rochester. The Herons are on the road for a pair of races this weekend. On Sat., April 17, they’ll square off with Division II UMassLowell followed by a Sunday race at WPI. Ken DeBolt/Photographer
Miller Leads Hobart at Palamountain Invitational Ken DeBolt
Senior Dan Miller led the Hobart golf team in the 24th annual Joseph A. Palamountain Invitational. He finished 35th in the 68-golfer field at the par 72 Saratoga National Golf Course.
Miller fired an opening round 78 on Sunday and was eight strokes off the lead heading into Monday’s final round. He carded an 85 this afternoon to finish 19 over par. Junior Cullen White was next in the clubhouse with rounds of 83 and 91. As a team, Hobart finished 12th. Skidmore produced Ken DeBolt/Photographer the top five 36-hole scores to win the team title by 28 strokes on its home course. The Statesmen will be back on the links April 24-25, when they compete in the Oswego State Invitational.
The Hobart and William Smith College sailing team placed fourth out of eight teams in the Prosser Trophy Regatta hosted by N.Y. Maritime, and finished seventh out of 10 in the President’s Trophy at Boston University over the weekend. At the team racing Prosser Trophy, HWS posted a 7-7 record in the double round robin to earn a spot in Sunday’s final four, and keep the team’s hopes alive for a berth in the ICSA Team Race National Championships. Unfortunately, HWS went winless and finished fourth. The top three finishers advanced to nationals. Sailing at N.Y. Maritime were skippers junior David Thompson, sophomore Austen Anderson, and
sophomore Sam Blouin. They were joined by crew junior Hannah Littell, sophomore Chris Klevan, junior Sam Padnos, junior John Babbitt, first-year Bridget Nannig, senior Meghan Jordan, and sophomore Aimee Kelleher. In Boston, junior Caroline Patten and senior Emily Pelo sailed to a sixth-place finish in the A division, while junior Sarah Yuskaitis and senior Maria Trainor placed seventh in the B division. The HWS sailing team will be back on the water April 17-18, when it hosts the MAISA Spring Open Regatta on Seneca Lake. The squad will also be in action at the America Trophy Regatta and the Navy Sloop Regatta.
Upcoming Games Saturday, April 17 Hobart Rwoing vs. Seneca Cup 10:00 a.m.
Saturday, April 17 Hobart Lacrosse at Bellarmine 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 18 William Smith Tennis at Cortland 12:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 21 William Smith Tennis vs. Ithaca 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 17 William Smith Tennis vs. Brockport 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 17 William Smith Lacrosse vs. Hamilton 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 20 William Smith Lacrosse at Ithaca 4:30 p.m.
Friday, April 23 William Smith Lacrosse at Rochester 4:00 p.m.