2.19.10

the

Herald By and for the students of Hobart and William Smith Colleges

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2010

VOLUME CXXXI ISSUE 18

GENEVA, NY

William Smith Students Respond to the Use of “Hobart” in a NY Times Blog

By Rebecca Dennee ’10 Campus Happenings In a recent New York Times blog article by Jacques Steinberg, he praised the Colleges for the new method of recruitment: the use of 3D glasses. However, discussion sparked among William Smith students in response to the use of “Hobart” to refer to the Colleges as a whole. Steinberg’s article refers repeatedly to the Colleges as “Hobart” while Cathy Williams, the Director of Communications, refers to the Colleges as HWS. The article, which was published in the online NY Times and Daily Update on Feb. 10, was brought to the attention of the campus at the most recent William Smith Congress meeting.

In a recent Herald poll of William Smith students, many had a lot to say regarding the article with a range of opinions. One proud William Smith woman exclaimed, “We are proud to have separate schools here. The STUDENTS need to make more of an effort to say that they go to, ‘HWS’ and not ‘Hobart.’

It’s the students that are making this misconception continue because we

are not careful in our usage.”

Others took the side of the author, saying, “I don’t think they meant to offend anyone by dropping ‘and William Smith.’” Still others reflected that it is a hassle and a mouthful to explain exactly what William Smith is. “To be completely honest, it’s just a hassle to have to say Hobart and William Smith Colleges. No one has ever heard of William Smith; when you refer to it as Hobart, people understand.

I get why it’s Hobart AND William Smith, but it’s just a pain to explain why girls technically go to WS and guys go to Hobart when we’re no longer two different schools.”

Many agreed with the statement that this student reported, “I think all this nonsense about Hobart versus William Smith is exactly that, nonsense.

Men and women at this college attend the same institution. Both genders attend the same classes, interact with the same professors, eat the same food, occupy the same campus spaces, have similar college experiences etc. We may

Amy Nimon/Photo Manipulator

be separate colleges on paper and our diplomas but both men and women attend the same higher

level education institution. When BLOG continued on Page 3

Vikki Spruill P’12 Speaks on Ocean Conser vation

By Rebecca Dennee ‘10 Campus Happenings Editor

Photo courtesy of: www.peacecorps.gov

HWS Ranks 17th With Peace Corps

By Jennifer Holllander ’10 Herald Contributor Community Service and other service learning projects are two aspects that help to define the Colleges. Tied in with that, is the Colleges’ work with the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps just announced its listing of Top Universities that contribute to the Peace Corps; Hobart and William Smith Colleges were ranked 17th in the small school category.

This is a great achievement that students should be proud of. The University of California-Berkley holds the number one spot overall with over 3400 having served in the

Peace Corps. For small colleges St. Olaf holds the number one spot followed by the University of Mary Washington and Middlebury College.

The Peace Corps is a program that most students utilize after they have graduated college; a college degree is not necessary Students begin applying one year before they intend on entering. For many applicants, this is their senior year of college. The Peace Corps is a multi year commitment that PEACE continued on Page 2

Campus Happenings

A&E

Get in Shape with Dean Banks

Review: The Lightning Thief

Shrove Tuesday with Pancakes

Review: Wolfman

A F a ilur e o f Analysis

SASS Presents Mara Ahmed

Blackwell Leaves a Legacy

The Vampires: 3/5 Stars

Photo courtesy of: www.oceanconservancy.org

Beach clean-ups are one of the easiest and best ways to get involved in the initiative to keep our oceans clean.

On Thursday Feb. 25, Vikki Spruill P ’12, president and CEO of Ocean Conservancy, will join the HWS community and President’s Forum Series in the Geneva Room at 7:30 PM. Spruill has served as CEO of Ocean Conservancy since 2006 and is the first woman and fifth person to ever hold this position.

Ocean Conservancy promotes healthy ocean ecosystems through campaigns to stop ocean warming, support sustainable fishing and other critical policy challenges.

Prior to her appointment at Ocean Conservancy, Spruill, a communications degree holder, founded SeaWeb a multimedia public education project who are the “leading voices for a healthy

Opinions What Does Libel Really Mean?

E ma i l E t i que t t e Not Always Right the First TIme

ocean” according to their website.

She spent eleven years with SeaWeb promoting conservation of the ocean.

In an interview with Costal Living, Spruill noted that her proudest accomplishment has been “International Coastal Cleanup, without a doubt. It’s the world’s largest volunteer effort for ocean protection, and people from hundreds of countries spend a full day in September combing their local beaches for trash. I helped grow this event to 400,000 attendees last year and picked up balloons and cigarette butts on my own beach. Anyone, no matter who you are or where you’re from, can OCEAN continued on Page 2

Sports Spring Preview: WS Tennis U p co m i n g G am e s J o i n R e l ay f o r L i f e J o i n B o w l Fo r K i d s S ak e

2

FRIDAY, FEbruary 19, 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 Erin Houck, Advertising Director Contributors Jennifer Hollander Belinda Littlefield Liz Witbeck Melissa Warner

Cory Andrews Hannah Semaya Morgan Williamson Felix Spira

Copy Editing Belinda Littlefield Rebecca Dennee

Layout Belinda Littlefield Rebecca Dennee Yang Hu Caitlin Lugar Amy Nimon

Distribution Belinda Littlefield Jennifer Hollander Annica Crouse

Special Thanks to: Andrew Markham and Communications!

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.

If criteria are not met, the Herald may be unable to print submission.

OCEAN continued from Page 1 get involved.”

She included that picking up trash off beaches is one of the easiest and best ways to get involved.

Everyone can be part of the effort to save the ocean.

For Lilly Pulitzer lovers, you can also support the cause while looking fashionable. Funds raised from their Resort 2009 Collection: “Escape to the Water’s Edge” will support SeaWeb and Ocean Conservancy.

Spruill serves on many committees and boards including member of the board of directors for Sky Truth and sits on the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program Steering Committee. Among many other accomplishments, she is a

newly appointed member of the Pew Fellows Advisory Committee and a director of COMPASS: Communication Partnership for Science and Sea. Her most recent project, FoundationWorks, promotes funding for a wide variety of policy actions.

Spruill graduated cum laude from Loyola University in New Orleans with a Bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in religious studies. She received her Master’s degree from the University of West Florida; also in communications.

Join the Spruill and the HWS Community for a discussion on ocean conservation next week.

PEACE continued from Page 1 sends people from the United States to countries in need in a variety of fields including agriculture, health and education, and IT. As of right now there are a total of 183 alums who have participated in the Peace Corps program. At the present moment there are 15 alums that are currently going through the program. With the Colleges’ president being a former head of the Peace Corps, the program has gained in favor among the student body. President Gearan himself is proud of dedication of students who have been in and aspire to be in the Peace Corps. The recruiters here at the College have participated in the program and speak fondly of it. Ever since President Gearan came to the Colleges there have been more and more people applying to be in the

program. This trend can also be observed on the national level; the Peace Corps foundation released an 18% application increase from 2008 to 2009 alone.

Next year Peace Corps will be hitting its 50th year anniversary.

There have been over 200,000 people that have served in the Peace Corps. Presently there are almost 8000 people in different countries performing service through the Peace Corps. The program hopes to continue working with a variety of colleges and universities to garner student interest. The service that the corps members perform for the other countries is invaluable; many trans-national friendships and lifetime bonds are formed because of this program.

Chaplain Hosts Pancake Dinner for Shrove Tuesday

By Liz Witbeck ’10 A&E Editor

Class of 2010 Has Graduation in:

79 Days

Do you have questions that you want to ask upcoming

President’s Forum Speakers?

If so, email them to herald@hws.edu, and maybe your question will be asked during the Herald’s next interview.* *All questions should be submitted one week before the relevant President’s Forum

On Tuesday night, students filled up the Chaplain Lesley Adams’ residence for one of the many popular events she holds during the year, a pancake dinner in honor of Shrove Tuesday.

The holiday takes place the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. The name is a form of the verb shrive, or to give absolution for a confession.

Traditionally, Shrove Tuesday was a day of going to church and confessing ones sins before beginning the period of Lent.

Another tradition of Shrove Tuesday is the eating of pancakes.

During the period of Lent, food stores would dry up and there would not be enough milk and eggs to last the forty days. People would assume a vegan diet because of the shortage of these animal products, essentially going on a fast. Today some people still choose to fast on Lent, or restrict themselves from other foods. Shrove Tuesday was designated as a day to use up milk and eggs before starting the Lenten fast. For dinner, followers eat pancakes with syrup.

Adams believes Shrove Tuesday and Lent is an important time for reflection and realization, saying that it “gives us six weeks of solidarity to think about what it’s like for the rest of the world… what it would be like if you didn’t have access to milk, if you didn’t have access to eggs, if you didn’t have access to meat.” Shrove Tuesday is a day to recognize that not all people in the world are able to live in abundance.

Chaplain Adams has been holding the pancake dinner since the first few years she began working at HWS. She says a student gave her the idea to hold the dinner, and it has been a popular event at the Colleges since. Many students enjoy it because it reminds them of the

Shrove Tuesday pancake dinners at their churches back home.

The pancakes that are made at the dinner are Chaplain Adams’ own recipe, one that she found in a Mennonite cookbook and made some improvisations to. Adams says that the pancakes contain cornmeal and whole wheat flour, among other things not found in regular boxed pancake mix.

Other past dinners have featured variations on the standard pancake. Some dinners include chocolate chip pancakes. One year, Shrove Tuesday and HWS Day coincided. The theme of HWS Day that particular year was Russia, and in order to keep with the theme, the pancake dinner featured blini, Russian yeast pancakes eaten on Shrove Tuesday.

The Chaplain hopes that students who come will have a good time and be more comfortable and open. She believes that students who have been in her home feel more comfortable coming to her or to a Campus Peer Minister, who help her run the event. Adams also hopes that visitors move away from their social circle and “meet someone they don’t know”.

Students are invited to the Chaplain’s residence for all regularly planned activities, including Pasta Nights on Wednesdays at 6 p.m., Sustainable Saturday of Bread Making on February 20th, and CloseKnit Handwork Guild on Thursdays at 4 p.m. Contact Lesley Adams for more information.

3

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2010

Campus Happenings Dean Banks Helps Students Get in Shape

William Smith Congress Update

By Morgan Williamson ’12 Herald Contributor

By Jennifer Hollander ’10 Herald Contributor

Kevin Colton/Photographer

On Tuesday Feb. 16, in Bristol Field House Dean Banks and 20 William Smith Students and Faculty walked laps around the track to keep in shape. This event is one of many to come in Dean Banks’ mission to get in shape with William Smith Students.

When the Herald asked her why she started these events she responded that between work and other stuff “the only way I was going to actually commit is if I make it my job.” So now all William Smith Students and Faculty members are invited to join Dean Banks and her mission to get fit.

“I hope by May everyone will have a goal that they will have accomplished,” Banks said; she went on to say that she hopes that participants of this event will share their experience on the Facebook group “Get in Shape with Dean

Banks”.

Other activities will be announced on the group page and an email pertaining to future events will be sent out to all WS students. There will also be some Nutritional Potlucks and Banks has invited anyone to join her on her morning works outs at 6:30 a.m.

At the event, students walked around the track while getting to know other people they had never met before and faculty and staff they had never talked to.

The atmosphere was relaxed and you could go at whatever pace you wanted to. “You guys [students] are my motivators” Banks said and, given the success of this event, she appears to serve as theirs as well. Some students plan to meet Dean Banks at 6:30 on Wednesday morning for a workout.

The in house committees continued giving the quorum updates on what has been happening. An honors committee member reported that there had recently been a presentation aimed at juniors and sophomores who wish to take on honors projects their senior year. Budgets have been very tight on the honors committee; many honors students requesting reimbursement for their projects have been denied due to lack of funds. One goal is to give the honors students more print credits.

The junior class president gave the announcement that State Radio was booked for the price of $17,500. College bands that want to play as openers should contact any of the class presidents. As State Radio is well known for community service, it is unknown what community service project they might take on when they come here; the class presidents will be discussing that today.

A New York Times blogger wrote an article about the College’s 3-d glasses give-away. It praised Hobart for using an old idea so creatively. This struck a nerve with William Smith students who comprise about 60% of the combined student body. Certainly

the quorum is proud of the college’s method of attracting new students, but William Smith students did not appreciate being left out. There are two colleges and William Smith is just as important as Hobart.

Several ideas were brought up by the quorum as events.

One senior brought up the idea of “rent-apuppy” where students could spend time with a puppy- or kitten from an animal shelter to help relieve stress. One student asked why laundry money was not on the student tuition. One member of the quorum was an RA and explained that having the washing machines changed to swipe cards or paid via tuition has been discussed. It, unfortunately, has a low priority.

Another suggestion was having a communal car. This would highly benefit students in the education program or who participate in events like America Reads. The car would be rented only for a short period of time and students would have to register to get it.

Some time ago the two quorums made votes on how to deal with the yearbook’s dilemma.

As neither quorum can agree, the two executive boards will be meeting soon to create a proposal to present to the quorums soon.

BLOG continued from Page 1 someone says Hobart and leaves out the William Smith it doesn’t disregard the women of this school, because Hobart is a term that the commonly used to define the institution, the institution that has a student body representative of both men and women.”

However overall, the survey results showed that a majority of William Smith women were offended and felt left out in the article. “I think this is inappropriate considering there are two

schools involved here. Also, William Smith typically has better results as far as academics and athletics so maybe the NY Times should refer to the school as William Smith? The article should have at least put in the effort to say Hobart and William Smith Colleges or even HWS.” Dean Banks has not yet made a formal statement but is working with other faculty members to create a response and an open forum of discussion.

a Mitch Messin “Linkage” Davis Galler y se Houghton Hou

Want to Write For

The Herald?

We Look Forward To Hearing From You! herald@hws.edu!

NAR ASU LU EAR NEW Y eb. 19 F , y a d i Fr mstock o C @ 6pm

Upcoming Events Friday, Feb. 19th Series: Debra Castillo • 5:30pm- Anita Canizares Lecture @ Sanford Room

Comstock Hall • 6:00pm- ASU Lunar New Year @

Join the

HERALD Review a Concert Interview Big Names

Saturday, Feb. 20th ad Making • 9:00am- Sustainable Saturdays: Bre @ Chaplain Adam’s House

Belhurst Castle • 6:00pm- CSA Masquerade Ball @ • 9:00pm- HWS Helps Haiti Concert Main St.) @ Community Service House (737 S.

Learn New Things About Campus

Monday, Feb. 22nd es @ Wasey Lounge • 7:00pm- “Boiling Point” Dialogue Seri • 6:30pm- Buddhist Meditation @ Office of Intercultural Affairs

Take A Position of Leadership

Tuesday, Feb. 23rd an M. Yussman Talk • 2:30pm- Body Awareness: Dr. Sus @ Sanford Room

erence Make?: • 7:00pm- “What Difference Does Diff Examining Goal Six” @ Fisher Center

Panel @ Trinity Hall 305 • 7:00pm- Peace Corps Information Wednesday, Feb. 24th g, and Discussion • 6:30pm- SASS: A Talk, Film Screenin with Mara Ahmed @ TBA

Get To Know Your Classmates Learn InDesign

Bring Issues on Campus to Light Make the Paper Your Own

Meetings: Tuesdays 7pm @ Creedon Room

4

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2010

Campus Happenings A Failure of Analysis

By Felix Spira Herald Contributor Ben Shabot’s article “The failure of suicide bombing” reinforces a popular view on the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, namely that Israel will and should only resume talks with the Palestinians if they renounce violence and dissolve radical groups, such as Hamas. These conclusions, however, rest on a selective analysis of only some features of the conflict.

Shabot’s narrative firmly positions Israel as the innocent party in the conflict. Any serious or comprehensive analysis of the causes of Palestinian violence must also take situational factors into account that are created by Israeli policies on which the Palestinians have little influence.

Two features of Israel’s policies stand out: 43 years of land theft, combined with an illegal occupation of the homes of and military rule over of Palestinians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza-Strip. These claims are not the polemical work of antiZionists but are legal observations, reinforced by Israel’s own human rights community.

For example, Israel’s leading human rights organization, Btselem, has concluded that “Israel has stolen hundreds of thousands of dunam of land from the Palestinians” in order to built Israeli settlements. The extent of the land theft was further emphasized in a 2006 report by the Israeli NGO Peace Now indicating

that “Palestinians privately own nearly 40% of the land on which the settlements have been built,” yet have received no compensation for the expropriation.

Palestinians resent this land grab, not only because the land was stolen and they are being harassed by violent settlers, but also because the settlements block the territorial continuity and thus viability of any Palestinian state.

What about Israeli military oppression? If we understand oppression as systematic human rights violation as a result of military policies directed against the civilian population, then Israel’s account is far from rosy: The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions estimates that the Israeli military demolished 24,145 houses in the OPTs since 1967, engaging in a policy of collective punishment and intimidation.

The well-known international human rights organization Amnesty International concludes that the economic effects of demolitions of agricultural land for the Palestinian economy are “severe”. Furthermore, the Israeli military has humiliated Palestinians, endangered the lives of Palestinians, and killed innocent Palestinians. Aside from the effects of the land expropriation, courageous Israelis from Btselem have worked in the OPT to detail

Photo courtesy of: revista-amauta.org

the “use of Palestinian civilians as human shields,” “torture and illtreatment of Palestinian detainees,” the use of military courts that “do not satisfy the requirements of due process,” impeding medical treatment of Palestinians and firing at ambulances by Israeli soldiers and denying “Palestinians’ freedom of movement in the West Bank”.

The organization reflects the consensus of the human rights community when it argues that “the responsibility for the infringement of human rights created by the existence of the settlements rests, first and foremost, with all the Israeli governments since the occupation began”.

In addition to the devastating effects of the Israeli land grab and occupation on the Palestinian society and economy, many of these policies are considered to be illegal under international humanitarian law.

Amnesty International notes “some of these acts of [house] destruction amount to grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva

Blackwell Leaves Behind A Legacy

By Cory Andrews ’12 Herald Contributor Hobart and William Smith Colleges offers a vast array of merit and need-based scholarships and grants. One of the most comprehensive and prestigious awards on this list is the Blackwell Medical Scholar Program.

The program is named for the iconic Elizabeth Blackwell. She received her medical degree from HWS (formerly Geneva Medical College) in 1849, becoming the first female physician in North America.

The program is set up to providequalifiedfirst-yearstudents with an amazing opportunity.

Students who are selected, and maintain their requirements, get some major perks.

Not only do students receive full tuition for their four years at HWS, but also a waiver of the requirement to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and a guaranteed seat at

the medical school at SUNY (State University of New York) Upstate University College of Medicine at Syracuse upon graduation from HWS. Sounds like anyone who receives the Blackwell Scholar award has it made for the next 4 years, right? But a scholarship of this caliber doesn’t come easily.

For benefits like these, there are appropriately stiff requirements. To qualify to apply for the Blackwell Medical Scholars Program, in-coming students must be from a rural background, an underrepresented minority, and be the first generation of their family to attend college.

Additionally, applicants must have a minimum base SAT score (math and reading) of 1250 or an ACT composite score of 28, a high school grade point average of a 3.7

Convention and are war crimes”; the EU and the UN agree that the Israeli settlements violate article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention; and the International Court of Justice ruled in an advisory opinion that the route of the separation barrier on Palestiniain land also breaches international law and must thus be removed behind the Green Line.

None of this is offered in order to justify Palestinian violence, or to suggest that Israeli policies are singularly responsible for all of the violence committed by Palestinians.

But any analysis that purposely ignores the effects of 43 year of systematic human rights violations against a population under military occupation is at best incomplete and at worst perpetuates a discourse that enables violence to continue.

Recognizing these violations of the rights of civilians and not seeking to justify them as simple reaction to Palestinian militants is a necessary step in attaining a peace built on the renunciation of violence on both sides.

BAC REALLOCATIONS

Sunday Feb. 21 or higher, and must demonstrate a commitment to a career in medicine. All applicants must come to campus for an interview as well.

9 a.m.- 5 p.m.

It Is Never Too Late to Get Involved!

Club of the Week: Women’s Collective The Women’s Collective goal is to create a safe space for William Smith students and raise awareness in the HWS campus of womens issues, including domestic violence, reproductive rights, and women’s rights; as well as to facilitate discussions on goals and running events to support women on the HWS campus and in the Geneva community. Some events that they host include The Vagina Monolgues and Take Back the Night, events that are both intended to stop violence against women. Women’s Collective meets on 10 p.m. on Monday nights in the basement of Miller. Women’s Collective was also responsible for providing William Smith women with the “Our Bodies, Ourselves” books. Further, the Women’s Collective is responsible for running the Women’s Resource Center in the basement of Miller, which provides a space for William Smith women to study, meet and relax. In addition to finding a library of resources concerned with women’s issues, students who visit the center can benefit from the help of student staff members who are trained for peer counseling and crisis intervention.

If your club is interested in being this week’s Club of the Week, send us a short profile (100-200 words) along with a picture. Submissions are due by 5:00 p.m. on Monday nights.

5

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2010

Opinions What Does Libel Really Mean?

By Jennifer Hollander ’10 Herald Contributor Lately, I’ve heard the term “libel” thrown around by several students. As someone aspiring to go to law school, I’ve done some research on the issue.

The first amendment to the United States Constitution allows for freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

People around the country take full advantage of these freedoms; college students are no exception.

Freedom of speech is neither freedom from consequences nor responsibility.

Typically people do not consider the times when their free speech crosses into the realm of slander and its written counterpart, libel. When free speech or press crosses into that territory, it is often censored in a variety of means.

In the case of libel and freedom of the press, the publication is asked to cease printing. If the publication refuses to cooperate, the offended party attempts to remove any evidence of the publication. Accusations of censorship then follow.

Censorship is a dirty word in this country; those accused of it face painful repercussions.

However, in the case of libel, the publication needs to be held accountable for the falsities that it promotes.

In order for a case to be considered libel it must fall under specific circumstances.

One form of libel is where the publication prints false statements about anotherindividual, group, country, etc- in a defamatory manner.

An example of this would be if a publication attributes false words to any person that are defamatory to the person or person’s well being.

With respect to the

Colleges, this could mean that a publication would print false statements about a student, faculty, or administrative person about the person’s character or words that the person did not actually say.

A second example involves two separate publications. In this case, where publication A got permission to print a particular story, publication B is not allowed to print the same story without receiving similar permission for their own publication to print it. Essentially, consent for one publication does not equal consent for all.

Permission can be granted on an individual basis. Not only is this action libelous, it is rude by social norms.

A third example would be if the publication printed true statements with malicious intent. This portion of the libel law has just recently been added due to the case of Noonan vs Staples. This case was decided in early 2009; this case overturns the idea that as long as the statements are true, it is not libel. If this case were to come up at the Colleges, it would mean a publication were to print true statements about an individual or group with the intention of causing damage to a person’s reputation with financial, emotional, or physical repercussions.

Libel is a civil offense in the United States. In order for the law to work, people, no matter whom, need to be held accountable when they print in a libelous manner. Many people in this country assume freedom of the press allows them to print whatever they want without any consequences; anyone who calls them out on what is published wants to censor them. Now that’s not so say that censorship should be the only viable alternative, but people should realize that freedom of speech is neither freedom from consequences nor responsibility.

Email Etiquette

By Cory Andrews ’12 Herald Contributor Advancements in technology and communications over the past century have really been a defining achievement for those generations involved.

From the original cell phones, to emails, to text messaging; each mode of communication has been invented to simplify talking to other human beings. Subsequently, each comes with their own code of conduct, so to speak. The email is a particularly tricky one, and even today it seems that we have yet to master email etiquette.

The email is probably one of the most versatile forms of communication we have. It’s less personal than a phone call, but can be as formal as one. At the same time, it can be as informal as a text message. It can be used for official business, or writing a quick note to a friend. The email can be used for a wide range of purposes, but the one aspect that is maintained throughout is that you should always answer them.

This, it seems, has been forgotten.

Because of the ability of an email to be informal, individuals too often see this as a reason to disregard an email they don’t have time for or can’t be bothered with. This is especially pertinent (and annoying) with adults in positions of authority whom students are trying to contact.

Simply, not responding to emails has become an epidemic.

There has been a particular increase of this outbreak with adults.

We all know the feeling of sending an important email to a professor, admissions counselor, etc. and never hearing back from them. I personally can vouch for this frustration.

Example A: Last semester, in one of my classes we submitted our final paper via email. The professor told us that she would read them, grade them, make comments, and email them back. Well that never happened. Feeling let down, I emailed said professor at least 3 times over winter break asking about the papers.

Couldn’t I at least know what grade I got? The first time, she responded saying she hadn’t gotten around to it yet but she would. The second two went unanswered and I never did get my paper back. Annoying? Yes.

Important in the grand scheme of life? No. Example B: I had applied for a scholarship through a particular institution. After submitting my application and essay, I contacted the Director of Admissions through email to set up the required interview.

This person, who had previously been very quick to respond to emails, all of a sudden pulled a complete 180. I emailed the Director himself multiple times, the admissions secretary multiple times, and the general admissions office email address multiple times; all to no avail. How can it be that no one thought it was important to get back to me? This wasn’t some random question, it was an application for a lucrative scholarship.

Annoying? Yes. Important in the grand scheme of life? Very!

The list could go on and on. This is not the extent of my frustrations, and I’m sure everyone has experienced similar difficulties. Situations like this strike most of us as unacceptable, yet they are far too common. Of course, there may be reasons to explain this.

Maybe the emails never went through?

Maybe the recipient accidentally deleted them? Maybe I just should have called when they didn‘t respond?

While these excuses may apply some of the time, in my cases it’s not likely. I doubt that my emails didn’t go through since I had no trouble with other emails sent to other people at the same time. I would certainly hope that the recipient didn’t delete them, especially when I sent some of the emails multiple times. That would be a lot of “accidental” deleting. And in the case of the scholarship, I did in fact call. The result? The Admissions Director wasn’t in his office. Did I want to leave a message? Sure. Did I get a call back? No. So through this ranting and raving, there is a valuable lesson to be learned. Whether you’re a student, a professor, a secretary, or a dean, it is common courtesy to answer your emails. Don’t let the sender wait in suspense you wouldn’t want that to be done to you. Even if responding in full may be inconvenient at the time, at least let the person know you got their email and intend to get back to them soon. No exceptions, no excuses.

Sometimes We Don’t Get It Right the First Time

By Cory Andrews ’12 Herald Contributor After talking to many peers of my high school’s graduating class, it’s amazing to see how many of them love their chosen colleges and universities. Practically all of my friends seem to have chosen the perfect institution the first time around and have been having the time of their lives since the fall of 2008…and then there’s me.

Having just transferred to Hobart and William Smith Colleges this semester, I’m finally getting to a place where I can consistently keep my head above water. A lot of people don’t even consider transferring to another college, even those who might not be entirely happy where they are now.

“It’s messy.”

“It’s too much work.” And those people are right on some accounts. Transferring isn’t easy. It’s basically college application stress, round 2, and if you transfer midyear (like I did), you’re in a serious time crunch to get your paperwork, recommendations, and essays done in time to get a decision and find out if you need to withdraw from your old school and move your stuff out; ALL before winter break starts.

And that doesn’t even take into

account financial aid applications and choosing between multiple schools to transfer to. Not to mention once you get to your newly chosen school, you’re basically a friendless first-year again.

By the sound of this article so far, transferring must sound pretty awful. You’re probably asking me right now, “Why would you do it?” or calling me crazy or something. Well, the answer is because sometimes we don’t get it right the first time.

A favorite saying of high school guidance counselors is “when you visit the school that’s right for you, you’ll just know.”

What if you don’t know? Or if you think you know, but you were wrong? Or if you didn’t get that feeling of whole-heartedness at any school you visited, but kinda, sorta felt it a little bit, so you chose that school. That’s what happened to me. I stuck it out through a year and half at my old school before finally getting the courage to admit that I had made a mistake and I needed to fix it.

Sure, it was difficult to leave my old friends behind. In fact, it was almost enough not to leave. You think to yourself, ‘I don’t like the

location, my classes, or the food, and I’m generally unhappy…

But I have friends here.”

And that’s every college student’s biggest fearnot making friends. But I decided that this one thing, no matter how important, can’t be the only reason to keep me from improving my experience of higher education.

So I did it. I wrote the essays, filed the paperwork, got my recommendations and decided to apply to a couple schools for the Spring 2010 semester. I didn’t want to wait until the summer and go somewhere new in the fall. I wanted to make the most out of my time at my new school.

So we arrive at the all important question, “Why HWS?” It’s a favorite among adults and students alike, and probably one of the most challenging to answer.

For me, visiting HWS gave me that feeling guidance counselors talk so much about. And it’s hard to articulate what “that feeling” is.

Aside from the beautiful

Photo courtesy of: www.va4business.com

lakeside campus, the people here are almost aggressively friendly (which is a good thing).

This institution combines nationally-recognized academics with equally recognized athletics and an impressively motivated student body. There hasn’t been one person I’ve met to far who hasn’t been involved in something. But what makes all of this particularly valuable is the fact that HWS is still a school where professors can invite students for dinner, and you can even stop to shake the president’s hand outside his house while you’re passing by on a tour. That kind of atmosphere is where I wanted to be. And that’s where I am.

6

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2010

Arts and Entertainment Book of the Week:

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

By Melissa Warner ’12 Herald Contributor

Photo courtesy of: everythingtudor.com/

If you are a fan of historical fiction, you’ve probably heard of Philippa Gregory’s works.

She has written a large number of books, but is most well known for her Tudor series.

Spanning the lives of many important figures in English history, Gregory makes fascinating plots out of the real lives of kings, queens, princes, and princesses.

The Constant Princess is the prequel to her very successful book, The Other Boleyn Girl that chronicled the lives of Mary Boleyn and her ambitious sister Anne.

The Constant Princess tells the life story of the first wife of Henry VIII of England, Catherine of Aragon, whose place as Queen of England was taken by Anne Boleyn following the annulment of Henry and Catherine’s marriage.

The Constant Princess follows the early life of Catherine of Aragon both in Spain and when she moves to England to marry Arthur of the House of Tudor, heir to the throne of England and older brother of Henry VIII. The reader follows Catherine’s struggle

to learn the ins and outs of her new life in England. The novel delves into fiction with the creation of a love story between Catherine and her young husband.

In real life, not much is known about the relationship between Arthur and Catherine but Gregory creates a fascinating plot intricately woven into known facts about their lives.

The young crown prince and princess plan together what they intend to accomplish as King and Queen on England, growing closer and happier as the days pass.

Soon, though, tragedy strikes the young couple and the promises Catherine makes during this time of strife will shape the rest of her life.

Gregory makes history come alive in her books and The Constant Princess is no exception.

For anyone who enjoys learning about the lives of historical figures, as well as reading a good love story, The Constant Princess is a great choice.

South Asia Speaker Series Presents: Mara Ahmed

By Elizabeth Witbeck, ‘10 A&E Editor

The South Asia Speaker Series presents its next event, “Film, Art, and Activism”, a documentary

film screening and discussion with filmmaker Mara Ahmed.

Ahmed, a native of Lahore, Pakistan, will be at the event to discuss her film “The Muslims I Know”, a documentary about the lives of moderate Muslims living in America. She believes that since 9/11, there are more stereotypes of Muslims than ever, and the term “moderate Muslim” is not easily defined.

Non-Muslim Americans have not had adequate education in Islam and Muslim culture. Her goal for the film is “to break those stereotypes by showcasing Pakistani Americans and asking them questions non-Muslim Americans have framed through

vox pop interviews.” Another goal of the film is “to educate people about the basic tenets of Islam in order to highlight similarities with the Judeo-Christian tradition.”

Rather than speak for the entirety of the Muslim population, the film focuses on the local Pakistani Muslim community in Rochester. Ahmed moved to the area when she started a career as a financial analyst. She began to take filmmaking classes at Nazareth College, which allowed her to explore her love of art. Ahmed went on to a career in documentary filmmaking.

Ahmed is currently working on two other documentary films.

One film is shot in Ahmed’s home of

Lahore and discusses the Pakistani opinion of America, the Taliban, and foreign policy, and is currently in the editing process. The other film is regarding the separation of India and Pakistan, and is still being shot.

The event, sponsored by the South Asia Speaker Series (SASS) and the Provost’s Office, will feature the screening of “The Muslims I Know”, with a discussion with Ahmed to follow the screening. The event will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact Professor Cerulli of Religious Studies.

Entertainment Corner

Geneva WInds

For help: crosskit.com.

You can also print more crosswords as well as utilize a 25,000 word crossword dictionary.

BY CAITLIN LUGAR

7

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2010

Arts and Entertainment The Vampires:

A Successful Piece of Theatre

By Andrew Oliveira ’13 Herald Contributor “The Vampires”, a two act production written by Harry Kondoleon, and directed by Robert Gross, deals with numerous social and psychological struggles that endure in contemporary society.

Kondoleon creates a slew of archetypal characters who satirize antiheroes within the intellectual and artistic community. It is through these bold and unsubtle portrayals that we can begin to piece together Kondoleon’s commentaries which

focus on collaborative efforts in art, the paradox of individualism, social and intellectual ineptitude, artistic clichés, identity, personal achievement, and spiritual consciousness.

The play is a more conservative absurdist work which deals with a socially exaggerated plot to present the message in a clear and concise manner. There are many social and intellectual discussions at hand, though only

six characters to bear the issues presented. Each character is piled high with different criticisms.

Ian (played by Alex Johnson), for example, portrays over zealous intellectual individualism, social rejection, social indifference, cynicism, and moral insecurity.

The play presented some very interesting ideas that revolved around the idea of individuality, originality, and, when the title is taken into account, it comments on the way that within the social construct, people “feed” on each other to maintain their own existence.

There was Ed (Henry “Max” Pitts), the bombastic husband who strove for a voice in society through his amateur play, CC (Vienna Farlow), the optimist who’s creative spark refuses to be silenced even in the

VAMPIRES continued on Page 8

The Wolfman:

Nothing Special

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

face of harsh criticism, Pat (G. K. Lyttle), the docile house wife who’s darker façade is revealed as the play progresses, and Porter (Jordan Youngmann), the spiritual healer who parodies in sometimes striking overtones the role of god and the spiritual in the grander scheme of the universe.

I was perhaps most surprised by the religious commentaries which we saw through Youngmann’s character; he is a constant thorn in the sides of the characters, but is the salvation of the young Zivia (Abigail Kent).

The play ends with an intensely dramatic, desperate, and comical scene in which the characters are lined up and conducted by Zivia,

Not an Improvement From the Original

By Hannah Semaya ’13 Herald Contributor

By Hannah Semaya ’13 Herald Contributor

Photo courtesy of: filmofilia.com

The movie Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is based on the novel ‘The Lightning Thief’ by Rick Riordan.

The book caters to a younger audience, and the movie adaptation does the same. The characters are predictable, the action expected.

Great effects and references to Greek mythology can make the film a little more enjoyable for an older crowd-if you’re willing to tough a theater filled with chatty children. The Lightning Thief is a fun two hour film that will leave you feeling satisfied, but probably will not leave a lasting impression.

Director Chris Columbus (Harry Potter) looks to the Percy Jackson books for the next big thing in the teen-hit arena. Percy Jackson is just a normal teenage boy. He has the normal amount of teenage drama, until he learns that he is a demi-god.

Percy is the son of the Greek god Poseidon and his mortal mother, played by Catherine Keener (The 40 Year Old Virgin).

Percy, played by Logan Lerman (Gamer) is in trouble when he is accused by Zeus of stealing one of

his bolts of lightning. He sets off on a quest to clear his name.

Accompanying him is his faithful friend and protector Grover, played by Brandon Jackson (Tropic Thunder) and Annabeth, daughter of Athena, played by Alexandra Daddario (“White Collar”). Uma Thurman (Kill Bill), Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings), Pierce Brosman (GoldenEye), Steve Coogan (Hot Fuzz), and other star names complete the stellar cast.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a fun movie. There is a lot of running around, action, and even some imaginative references to Greek mythology. The effects are great; the acting is not bad at all. The biggest problem that this movie has is the plot.

Unfortunately, I can’t speak on whether it got lost in translation from the original novel or if this is a fault of the movie. Either way, there are no surprises to be found here.

There are five novels in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, we can hope that if there is another adaptation it will turn out better than this one. 3/5 stars.

A Spirited Review The Original Drink of the Week Since 2006

Peppermint Cosmo In the long final days of winter this drink is a good reminder of the holidays. Also after learning how many calories a drink will add to your workout routine this festive drink is low in the calories but still tasty.

Ingredients: 1 cup pomegranate juice Juice of 1 lime 4 ounces vodka 1/4 tsp peppermint extract 8 ice cubes 8 mini candy canes 2 tbs chopped fresh mint Combine juices, vodka, peppermint and 1/2 cup water in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into 8 shot glasses. Garnish with candy canes and mint.

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…

Photo courtesy of: filmofilia.com

The remake of 1941’s The Wolfman does not pretend to be anything it’s not. Taking place in 18th century England, a man has to deal with the reality of the monster he is becoming.

Delayed from its original September release, The Wolfman opened to a lot of hype last Friday.

The film is beautifully filmed with a great cast, but there are many faults with the plot that hurt the movie.

The effects are enjoyable, but the wolfman himself does not seem to have advanced at all from the 1941 version. The film is fun to watch, but it fails as the horror movie it sets out to be.

Benicio Del Toro (Snatch, Che) stars as Lawrence Talbot, an actor returns home to Blackmoor castle in England after years of estrangement from his family.

His brother’s fiancé, played

by Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) had written him in hopes that he could help in the search for his brother, who had recently gone missing.

M O V I E T I M E S

There seems to be a mysterious beast lurking around Blackmoor. Sir John Talbot, Lawrence’s father, is played by the masterful Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs). Lawrence and his father have not spoken since Sir John put his son in an asylum when he was a boy.

Detective Abberline of Scotland Yard, played by Hugo Weaving (The Matrix, V for Vendetta) thinks that Sir John just might know something about the monster lurking around town.

The Wolfman is a poorly organized film. The violence is overdone and poorly done.

There are many moments where the audience members find themselves laughing at places in the film that are not funny but just utterly ridiculous.

It is reminiscent of old B horror movies, except with a way bigger production value. There is no excuse for the faults in this movie, but they can be overlooked if all you want is a fun, campy, horror movie impersonator.

FRIDAY, FeBRUARY 19, 2010

8

Sports

Spring Sports Preview: William Smith Tennis

By Cory Andrew ’12 Herald Contributor With the spring sports season quickly approaching and many team practices underway, the upcoming athletic contests at HWS are sure to be exhilarating ones. For the William Smith tennis team in particular, this season looks especially promising.

According to Head Coach Chip Fishback, the team has a strong combination of depth of talent and improved conditioning.

Head Coach Fishback told the Herald, “This is a very deep team…

Our new strength and conditioning coordinator, Willie Danzer, has given all the teams here a distinct advantage over our competitors.

He’s been working with our team since the end of October.”

Making the Herons even more formidable is that the entire team will be able to participate in the upcoming season. In addition to two talented first-years, Hallsey

Leighton and Remy Raevsky, the entire line-up will be on campus this season as many of the players have been studying abroad in the past year. A senior on the team, Shari Damon says, “As a result, every practice will be regarded as another challenge as we will all be pushing each other to improve both physically and mentally.”

Kevin Colton/Photographer This physical and mental toughening will come Kiara Ocasio ’13 was tabbed the Liberty League Women’s Tennis from the depth mentioned by Co-Rookie of the Week.

Coach Fishback. Katie Serock had during my four years at William have put into the season.”

‘12, echoed this notion, saying, Smith.”

But, regardless of the “Our team is so close in experience With the rekindling of outcome of the matches Serock and level that we’ll have a great rivalry matches against Skidmore assures that the Herons know that chance of being one of the top and St. Lawrence, along with tough keeping a positive attitude is the teams in Liberty Leagues.” Damon competition against schools like most important thing. “Our team expressed the same sentiments, Vassar, the benefits of such depth is made up of some great girls so adding, “We are all very close in and productivity will surely be we should have a great season. ability, which in addition to being a invaluable. Says Damon, “Matches Hopefully the season goes well and challenge, means we have the most give us an opportunity to reap the we have a great time on the way.” productive practices and lifting/ benefits of all of the hard work we training sessions that I have ever

Upcoming Games Friday, Feb. 19 Hobart Squash vs. Northeastern 5:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 19 WS Basketball at Rensselaer 6:00 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 19 Hobart Ice Hockey vs. Utica 7:00 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 19 Hobart Basketball at Rensselaer 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 20 WS Squash vs. Rochester 11:00 a.m.

Saturday, Feb. 20 WS Basketball at Vassar 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 20 Hobart Basketball at Vassar 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 20 Hobart Squash vs. Colgate 4:30 p.m.

PEACE continued from Page 7 who represents a divine power, as the audience hears the sounds of ringing door bells and knocks on the door suggesting the overwhelming and suffocating power that the role of critics and the public perception of art plays, the endless suffering and contortion that occurs when the public takes issue with a work of art. On the whole, the play was very thought provoking, and, at times, almost dizzyingly complex in its layers of meaning. I saw it twice and probably only scratched the surface of the deeper meaning.

Despite this, one of the strengths of the play was also its weakness. At times it was muddling, and in many cases, the dialogue was unsubtle. Though Kondoleon does play this off well with the comedic aura about the play, there were times when the messages began to encroach upon the play in an adverse way. The play was not abstract or absurdist enough to

pull off some of the symbolic stunts that Kondoleon writes into the script.

I came away from the production with only a few technical critiques of the actors (ironically what the play comments on, third party critique).

For one, project your voice, speak to the exit sign at the back of the room as an old director of mine once dictated. The space was small yet I found myself straining my ears at times to hear what was being said. Part of the former was most likely a result of this next violation of traditional theater convention: the back to the audience. While this is a rule that varies from director to director, I was taught by a traditionalist

in order to let the play speak for itself. Some of the best productions I’ve ever seen require very minimal set construction. The craft of it was, however, rather impressive.

On the whole, I would say that there are some excellent features to this production, and I would deem it a successful piece of theater. The acting was Kevin Colton/Photographer compelling, and some of the jokes I found to be who upheld, perhaps not the most genuinely hilarious, I particularly contemporary conventions, but enjoyed the Johnson’s portrayal to instead the most time honored the elusive, eccentric, and apathetic conventions of theater, one of which Ian, who contrasted beautifully with was, never upstage yourself; never the other characters in a subtle turn your back to the audience.

The set was a pretty manner and brought comedy to remarkable feat of stage almost every scene he partook in.

Out of five stars I would give construction, however, despite the this piece three stars; it was worth awe it inspired, I at times found it the Friday evening. to be distracting from the acting. I believe a set should be recessive

r