October 2010

page 3: Chinese Teacher

Exchange Program

page 13: Coach Fravil

Honored

page 4: Travels in Greece

THOUGHTS ON

RELIGION

page 8

October 22, 2010 • Estd. 1892 • Vol. 119 • No.2• Published Monthly • www.ihstattler.com • Ithaca High School, 1401 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca, NY, 14850 • FREE

JAZZ LEGEND WYNTON MARSALIS PERFORMS AT IHS

By DAVID DANKO

swing, and several more.

Despite being one of the world’s most accomplished jazz musicians, Marsalis maintained a remarkable modesty. He often gave the lead sections of songs to other members of his band and called-up volunteers to perform onstage. Marsalis managed to make music the point of the show: no small feat for such a celebrity. Our school was lucky to have such a fine musician play at the high school. We can only hope we learned something.

The New Kulp

By EMILY SCARPULLA

It’s unanimous: the new Kulp Auditorium is a hit.

From freshmen to teachers, everyone is pleased with the new facilities. Some of the new additions to the auditorium include sound boards, a catwalk, new seats and a brand new sound booth. Yet as impressive as these additions are, they only scratch the surface of our new state-of-the-art high school musical facility.

Just last year, there was only one rehearsal room; the band and orchestra were rehearsing on stage, and the green room was the same room that stored instruments and had choir rehearsals.

Now, each major music group has its own practice room, complete with soundabsorbing panels and digital recording capabilities.

Other features of the facility include six smaller practice rooms, a green room complete with costume racks, a shop to build sets, and a dance studio.

One of the most significant additions to the facility is the black box theater: this is a small theater used for smaller, more intimate plays.

“Kulp is wonder-

ful!” says Tracy Lai ‘14. “It is nice that our high-quality drama and music programs now have a high-quality facility to match.” This new facility has already made quite a difference to the groups using it. With the new recording capabilities, directors are able to have students listen to what they have been playing or singing in order to help them understand their mistakes as well as critique themselves. The new green room and dance studio will be a huge improvement for the drama program. That, along with the new lighting and sound systems, will set the stage for an amazing fall drama and spring musical.

“It’s absolutely beautiful. A truly extraordinary space that will no doubt foster the arts,” said Mariel Fahri, former IHS student.

“It’s amazing how much they added without adding too much actual space.

It always seemed small from the inside, but they really opened everything up.” From the outside, only a small patch of grass was taken out, but on the inside a new world for IHS music and drama kids was opened up.

The renovated Kulp has the potential to greatly benefit PHOTO/MANSI VOHRA IHS’s fine arts.

PHOTO/PROVIDED

On Friday October 1st, jazz legend Wynton Marsalis performed in the newly renovated Kulp Auditorium. Rather than simply perform, Marsalis taught a lesson in jazz, following the story of his own musical education.

The lesson began with Marsalis’s telling how he hadn’t wanted to play jazz at all as a kid; he wanted to play funk. That is, until Marsalis was taken to meet Mr. Barker, “the greatest profes-

sor of jazz.” Barker taught the young Marsalis that jazz has three parts: swing, the blues, and improvisation.

As he told the story, Marsalis would cue his band, putting music to his words and explaining his point in a way otherwise impossible.

Each section of his story was accompanied by music. “Better Get Hit in Your Soul” as an opening, “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag” for funk, “Little Eliza Jones” in which the audience took a part, “Baa Baa Black Sheep” to show that anything could

New Gym Policies: Interview with Ms. Bryant, Head of the Phys. Ed. Dept.

By ANNELISE RAYMOND

As many students at IHS are aware, some major changes have been made to the gym curriculum this year. Students have noticed that the units have changed: some gym classes are playing Twister and golf. However, the main source of distress for many is the fact that now juniors and seniors have to swim. In the past, students have always felt a sense of relief as their swimming unit during sophomore year wraps up: that sense of it’s okay, I can live this time, because at least I’ll never have to do it again. The teachers informed us that they completely understand, so they took pains to make the swimming for upperclassmen as painless as possible. But what exactly are we doing this year in the pool? And besides swimming, what other changes have been made to gym class?

For starters, the units this year are planned to be vastly different from gym classes in the past. The heads of the gym department have decided that their new goal is to introduce students to as many physical activities for individuals as possible, so that students can find something to do that they like, and they can continue to be physically fit on their own once they graduate from IHS. Thus, in addition to the team sports we’re accustomed to such as soccer and football, some of the new units continued on p. 3

October 22, 2010

Editorial: SCHOOL MASCOT REVIVAL Recently it has been noticed among IHS students that our school is ashamed of our unfortunate skunk mascot. We have a tendency of instead copying our big sibling up on the hill. It’s pretty much universal that our current mascot is considered no good — so it has, naturally, been abandoned — and even though the bear has shown up one time or another, it just doesn’t feel right to adopt it, considering that the brown bear is the Big Red’s big thing.

We’re not the little kids copying their bigger siblings here, trying to match them in mascot and school colors. We are not mini Cornell students. Not only have we unofficially adopted the bear as a replacement mascot to the skunk (“we’re the skunks, we stink” is not an ideal logo), but last year our yearbook cover was embellished with an image of the Cornell clock tower.

This leaves us with only one nickname left: the Little Red - yet another take-off from Cornell. This isn’t working out too well for us, either. At the first football game of the year, the starting announcement introduced the teams as “the Little Red vs. the Hawks” (the Hawks are a combination sports team from the Corning-Painted Post West High Vikings and the East High Trojans). Needless to say, this does not present “the Little Red” as a particularly ferocious lot. We want to be a team that no one wants to mess with. Thus, the Tattler editorial board introduces our very own “school spirit revival!”

Starting off, we have to ask ourselves: should it stay or should it go? If the overwhelming majority of students at IHS have a resounding cry that they really want to keep the skunk, the first step should be making our skunk into a more “chill” character. For instance, we could give our skunk sunglasses and a red baseball cap to wear backwards. He’d need a cool name like Scott — with such a hip dude, no one would even think of messin’ around with those tough Ithaca High Schoolers.

Of course, an obvious alternative to re-creating our skunk would be to completely revise our mascot’s character. Nothing run-ofthe-mill, of course: practically every school around the country chooses either a large cat or a wild predator such as a bear, a shark, or a raptor. If we had unique school colors, we could base our mascot off of that, such as Syracuse University’s Orange or Dryden High School’s one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people-eaters (or at least that should be their mascot). Alas, our school colors are red and gold, which limits our creativity. We could have Stella the Strawberry (who, quite obviously, is red). Imagine being re-

ferred to as “the stellar Strawberries”. Especially considering the “go green” movement taking place right now and Ithaca’s reputation for having hippies, a “healthy planet” theme fits in quite well.

Besides, have you ever heard of another high school — or another anything — with a strawberry as a mascot? Case in point.

But frankly, this would be a pretty lame mascot. Imagine telling your friend from Lansing that your school is known as the “Ithaca High School Strawberries”. In order to avoid such a catastrophe, we have come up with a superb suggestion for a skunk-replacement mascot for IHS! Introducing: the Red Knights!

First off, let us seriously contemplate this option. The Red Knights is a great professional-sounding name. It would certainly give our school an intimidating image to scare off those competitive rival high schools: the Union-Endicott Tigers, Vestal Golden Bears, Maine-Endwell Spartans, and Chenango Forks Blue Devils.

This one seems like a natural, all-around success. Everyone knows that knights are brave and tough — a reasonable, good replacement for the skunk.

With our new mascot, we know that you’re all wondering just to what purpose this mascot shall be put. And we have oodles of ideas on uses that our new mascot can serve. One such purpose should be a mural of our newly elected mascot, painted near the main office to show off our school spirit to any visitors. To top off all this school spirit, it would be just grand to have a nice big statue of our new mascot in the center of the quad (where that old tree used to stand, which was cut down several years ago during a senior prank). Someone recently attempted to plant some flowers there, but they’re just getting trampled, and they’re already being pulled up out of the ground. With our mascot majestically standing atop a podium, like some famous old guy in a park who died 400 years ago, we might have a nice plaque engraved on the stone: The Red Knight, Protector of IHS Since 2010. Uncle Sam-type posters — with our mascot as a substitution, of course — could glare down from the hallway walls: “I want YOU to join Ultimate Frisbee Club after school on Thursdays” or “I want YOU to run for Student Council.”

But let’s not get too over-the-top and excited, kids. We understand that the process of choosing a new mascot is thrilling and all, but let’s be practical and take this at a reasonable pace. The first step we’d need to take to achieve the unachievable would be to vote on what shall be done with our school mascot!

Editor’s Note: All editorials published in The Tattler are not anonymous and represent the views of the sixteen students on the editorial staff. Editorials are written about topics the Tattler staff deems important. Such issues may be global or specific to IHS.

editor@ihstattler.com

News Editor

Larry Ge ‘11

news@ihstattler.com

Features Editor

Rehan Dadi ‘11 features@ihstattler.com

Centerspread Editor

Ingrid Sydenstricker ‘12 centerspread@ihstattler.com

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Kyle Rothman ‘11 arts@ihstattler.com

Sports Editor

Geoff Preston ‘11 sports@ihstattler.com

Penultimate and Back Page Editor

Kelsey Shang ‘12

backpage@ihstattler.com

Copy Editor

Annelise Raymond ‘12 copy@ihstattler.com

Photography Editors

Medeea Popescu ‘13 Mansi Vohra ‘13 photo@ihstattler.com

Layout Editor

Anna Gill ‘11

layout@ihstattler.com

Webpage Editor

Yuqi Yang ‘11

webmaster@ihstattler.com

Fact Checker and Fundraiser Chair

Julie Stover ‘11

presents the regional premiere of

fact@ihstattler.com

The Brothers Size

by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Darian Dauchan*

Editor-in-Chief

Jade Fang ‘11

Business Manager

Jeff Setter ‘11

business@ihstattler.com

directed by Jesse Bush

Advertising Manager

October 27− November 7

ads@ihstattler.com

Always his little brother's keep, Ogun scratches out a living in his auto repair shop. His troublesome free spirited younger brother Oshoosi is fresh out of jail on parole. Can one brother succeed if the other fails? Can one be free if the other is imprisoned?

Ages 16 and up. Adult language and situations.

Jason Setter ‘11

Distribution Manager

Katherine Hambury ‘11 distribution@ihstattler.com

Faculty Advisor

Deborah Lynn

advisor@ihstattler.com

STUDENT TICKET PRICES: • $11 Student Rush Tickets

- subject to seat availibilty,

Mack Exilus

arrive at theatre 1/2 hour prior to curtain

• $10 Student Group Tickets

-$10 per ticket for groups of ten or more

(email info@kitchentheatre.org for group sales)

FOR TICKETS:

Samuel Smith* *Member, Actors’ Equity Association

• 607-273-4497 • 1-800-28-ITHACA • www.kitchentheatre.org

417 W. State / Martin Luther King, Jr. Street

“Important conversations happen in t h e K i t c h e n ”

RESPOND.

email submissions to:

we want to hear what you have to say. editor@ihstattler.com

The Tattler is the studentrun newspaper of Ithaca High School. The Tattler was founded in 1892, and is published monthly.

As an open forum, The Tattler invites submissions of opinion pieces and letters to the editor from all members of the community. Drop off submissions in H134, e-mail them to editor@ ihstattler.com.

Letters can be mailed to The IHS Tattler 1401 N. Cayuga St. Ithaca, NY 14850 We reserve the right to edit all submissions.

These submissions do not necessarily reflect the views of The Tattler editorial staff.

October 22, 2010

GYM

continued from p.1

being introduced include orienteering (using compasses to do a scavenger hunt), ultimate frisbee, yoga, fitness stability balls, dance, and golf.

Units have been shortened from five weeks to three so that more activities can be fit into the school year.

Because all teachers have been informed that they’re supposed to document student learning in order to determine success, student assessments have been added to the gym curriculum.

As students, we may occasionally be given written tests on defensive or offensive strategy for the unit we’re on, but overall the gym teachers prefer to limit the amount of class time spent with a paper and pencil. Our main project, therefore, will be based off of the FitnessGram: after the beginning-of-year assessments in the fall, students will make goals and fitness plans to improve their physical fitness for the spring. While working towards their goal, students will track their progress, and should show improvement in a certain area of physical fitness at the spring testing. This will count as the physical education final exam.

As for juniors and seniors who are concerned about their time spent in the pool, it’s nothing to sweat. The gym teachers decided that all students at IHS should spend time in the school pool, considering the amount of water surrounding Ithaca: we have Cayuga Lake, many gorges, rivers, ponds, and creeks, so it’s essential that every student know how to swim. While freshmen and sophomores continue with the regular curriculum of practicing strokes and concluding with a swim test, juniors and seniors will be playing water games and aerobics, such as playing water polo, playing with inner tubes, and practicing capsizing with a kayak.

Many students at IHS have noticed the absence of their gym teachers from last year. This is simply because every once in a while, the school district rotates teachers between the schools — it’s routine. We now have teachers who have swapped from BJM, Cayuga Heights, and Boynton, as well as some previous long-term-subs who have become full-time teachers.

Rumors that another gym facility is on schedule to be built have proved true. According to Ms. Bryant, this exciting new facility will help ease the overflow of gym classes currently clogging the small gym. In October, construction of the new building, to-be-built in Deebs Field and connected to C-Building, will break ground. This Health and Fitness Center will include a weight room, a dance studio, and a big room where students will play Wii games such as Dance Dance Revolution!

The changes to the gym curriculum are new and exciting, and should be more successful than gym classes have been in the past. The “written tests and projects” in gym class, though they sound menacing, are really not a big deal. We should all be super-excited for that new Health and Fitness Center for next year!!

Second Year of the Chinese Teacher Exchange Program

By ANNELISE RAYMOND

For IHS’s Language Department, this school year is quite a special one. We are one of only 15 schools in the country to have this unique opportunity; this is the second year of the Chinese Teacher Exchange Program at IHS. This program, started in 1996, selects top teachers from China to come to the United States for one year to teach Chinese classes. According to the National Committee on United States-China Relations, six or seven American teachers are sent to China every year in exchange. The program also exists in Egypt, where 11 teachers are chosen to teach Arabic in the U.S. The selection of which teachers to send is a very elaborate process: every school recommends one teacher, who submits hisresumé to school officials. There are various requirements for the teacher to be eligible for this program, one of which is that they must have at least four years of teaching experience. The teacher’s resumé is then passed through many steps up to the top education officials in China, and from there to the U.S.-China Teachers Exchange Program Committee.

Fifty teachers are chosen to have an interview, and of those, 15 are chosen to be the ones sent to America in the Teacher Exchange Program. The teachers do not get to specify a preference of where in the U.S. they would like to go. Until close to departure, the Exchange Program doesn’t even tell them where they’re being sent in the United States.

IHS happens to be one of those lucky schools to receive one of these rare exchange teachers. Ms. Lin, a teacher from a #1 high school in China (meaning it’s one of the top 100 in China), is from Xiamen, a coastal city in southern China located across the Taiwan Strait from Taiwan — because of the frequent travel across the strait, people in Xiamen often speak dialects with those from Taiwan.

Ms. Lin went to the top teaching school in China, and is an English teacher at her high school in Xiamen.

The high school where she teaches cost $1.4 billion to build and features new facilities with the newest technology. There are six grades, with around 1,200 students per grade making almost 8,000 students in the whole school. Because of its large size and urban setting, each discipline is given its own building — there’s a separate building for science, for instance — and the administration building alone is 12 stories tall.

The way classes are run at her school in China is quite different from the way they work here. There’s a ten-minute break between classes for questions, to avoid interrupting the flow of lessons, and students can stay after class to ask their teacher individual questions. In addition, two periods are free at the end of the day for students to do homework, while teachers walk around and help students with concepts they are finding difficult.

This is the first time that Ms. Lin has been to the United States, yet she said that it was just as she expected it to be — she knew about certain aspects of American culture already because of similar pop culture being popular in China. Students like the same songs, the same Internet videos, and the same Apple technology.

Her teaching experience here, however, is very dif-

Miss Lin and Ms. Miettunen

ferent from what she’s used to in China. Compared to the competitive high school she’s acustomed to, students in Ithaca are more rude and less respectful. Students in her classes would never speak out in class or yawn openly, and Ms. Lin is shocked at how little students here respect their teachers. Because all students in her English classes are polite and eager to learn, Ms. Lin has never had to deal with disciplining students or responding to rudeness. Another shock to her teaching system is the fact that there’s another teacher there (Ms. Miettunen) — dual teachers make interruptions in lesson plans. She finds it chaotic when students raise their hands or ask questions during class, because her lesson plan is planned for a 45-minute period, and interruptions make her run over the bell.

Ms. Lin not only teaches Chinese at IHS, but also at LACS. She finds being a teacher there to be more familiar than at IHS, mainly because she’s used to her own classroom. Her own plans and timing for the lesson work out when she’s the one in control of the classroom.

When asked what her plans are for Chinese class this year, Ms. Lin showed me some of the little word games she has. She likes to mix up her lessons, preferring to play student-interaction games rather than do lectures on grammar at the board; and already in Chinese class, students have learned Chinese speech tones, spoken some basic dialogue and learned some characters, practiced using chopsticks, played Chinese hacky-sack, and played multiple other games. Chinese class isn’t only meant to teach students Chinese language and writing, but also to inform us about Chinese culture. Currently there is no Chinese Club at IHS, but sometime in the future it may combine with other language clubs to make one international club.

Students should take advantage of this unusual opportunity to have a Chinese teacher from China at our very own IHS, and welcome Ms. Lin to Ithaca!

New York State’s New Grading Policy

By JULIE STOVER

Starting this school year, IHS’s grading system for report cards will be changed in accordance with new state mandates. Rather than giving students letter grades such as A’s, A-’s, or B+’s, students will now receive numerical grades: 99’s and 84’s. The new report card system is part of New York State’s (NYS) transition into a new report card system.

Slowly, NYS intends to make every school in the state utilize the same grading system. Report cards will gradually be transitioning out of the 4.0 grading system and into a common grading system.

One concern that IHS seniors may have is how the new grading system will affect the college application process. A’s range from a 93 to a 97 and some students worry that colleges will see a negative difference

in their scores, especially if they are on the cusp of getting an A. On the flip side of the argument, other students that have a 97 and are close to getting an A+ will benefit from the new system.

However, the new system is intended to have no impact on this process. When colleges look at a student’s grades and GPA, they convert the grades into a scale which results in all students having standard grades and GPA’s. Therefore, the new grading system will not affect students’ entrances into college.

Opinions about the new grading system vary among students and faculty, with some faculty members expressing opposition to the change in grading. Mr. Kirk stated that number grades are unrealistically specific. Between a 90, 91 and 92 there is little difference in grade value; however, there is a bigger difference

PHOTO/MANSI VOHRA

between an A- and an A. Labeling people and putting them into 100 different categories (for percentages 1-100) rather than 12 different boxes (for each of the letter grades) makes things much more confusing. Each percent grade has a meaning, but the difference between a 90 and 91 is not as great as that between an A and A-.

It can be argued that it is unnecessary to give people percent grades when the difference between some of the percent grades is so miniscule that it does not matter. Other teachers are not concerned about the new system; they do not think the change in grading is too drastic.

The grading system is changing, for better or worse, to ensure that NYS has a common scale to evaluate students. Although proponents argue that the new system will not affect college entrances, opinions over the new system still vary.

BoE Report

By Helen Bergstrom

The recent Board of Education (BoE) meeting was the usual scene of students fulfilling their participation in government requirements, with the Board and a few community members all trying to fulfill the group’s mission “to educate every student to become a life-long learner.” The meeting was opened by reports from Student Representatives to the Board. These representatives brought student concerns to the Board’s attention, including issues such as the 6th period lunch lines closing early, which the Board promised to address.

While this year’s budget seemed a bit barren to the whole community, the Board voted to reinstate the IHS and LACS Musicals, the LACS community service bus, and modified and freshman basketball teams. These additions remind us that even in a difficult fiscal time, the BoE is working to find ways to make every student’s experience fun and meaningful.

Culture and Tradition in Africa Today

by Mansi Vohra

Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines culture as “the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group.” In simpler words, culture is what defines a society: it can be as big as an entire country, or as small as a tiny village in northern Kenya. Many African cultures are centered around two religions: Islam and Christianity. Although these are the biggest and most widely practiced religions in

the continent, there are still numerous traditional African religions, divided into four sections: AfroAsiatic, Nilo-Saharan, Niger-Congo, and Khoisan.

These four are further divided into other religions.

An example of Niger-Congo religion is Akan, practiced by many inhabitants of Ghana and on the Ivory Coast — some of its core beliefs include ocean and riverine spirits that gain power from the Supreme God. Some 2000 languages spoken throughout the continent are also divided among the four previous sections, into languages such as

Bantu, Luo, Dinka, Nubian, Songhay, Kanuri, and Masaai.

One of the most exciting aspects of African cultures is art and music. Traditional African art consists of pottery and sculpture, which are generally centered on the topics of mother and child, couples, outsiders, and the portrayal of the power of man.

Singing songs has long been a form of communication in African villages. Africans traditionally use a wide variety of instruments, which include drums, slit gongs, xylocontinued on p. 5

CURRENT AFFAIRS Tariq Ali: 1492 and Islamophobia Today

PHOTO/PROVIDED

By REHAN DADI

Washington is Alive

By BEN KOMOR

It’s early on Sunday afternoon. I have less than a day to write about my trip to Washington DC, including attending the “One Nation Working Together” March and visiting the Holocaust museum. My mom and I left the house at 1 A.M. and drove to Shortstop in order to catch one of the three buses. We were on a free trip to Washington, complete with lunch and metro tickets.

We arrived near a giant stadium in a huge parking lot. It was a beautiful day. We ate turkey sandwiches, chips, and cookies, then attended some pre-rally speeches near the stadium. A podium stood before us with the sign “Fighting For Your Future” painted on a bus in back. People were very passionate: “I’ll pee in a cup, but you first!” “Politicians are outsourcing our futures,” “Biden and Obama have been going around for the past two weeks telling us to shut up,” “Corporate masters are purchasing our working hides.”

I agreed with a lot of what they said; it’s true that “people are out of touch and full of it” when they say to just work hard and you’ll get somewhere. My mom has a masters degree, saved enormous sums of money for her three kids, and essentially raised us on her own while working like a maniac. Yet, she is still having trouble finding a decent job.

Following the crowd, we began the 45 minute trip to the Lincoln Memorial. I gave an interview to a man along the way, expressing my views about political deceit, lack of accountability, and hope for the future. The energy was ecstatic: strangers greeted me, musical chants were commonplace. I rode a subway for the first time in ten years. Upon emerging I could immediately see the giant Washington Monument. It looked for a second as if it might tip over and fall. The streets were packed with people. We must have passed 40 volunteers offering free posters, signs, flyers, and water. When I first glimpsed the Lincoln Memorial it was surreal; I’d seen footage of MLK speaking in the same place. Things happened here. A man was grievously talking about atrocities like “Big oil poisoned the gulf with the volcanic eruption of an oil rig” in between continued on p. 5

London-based Tariq Ali is a renowned writer, filmmaker, and activist who recently visited Ithaca and gave two presentations at Cornell University. Born in 1943, Ali grew up in Pakistan in a family known for its leftist activism. Due to his political work at the local university against military dictatorship, he left Pakistan and attended Oxford University.

He has since been based in England but travels frequently all over the world. Ali was an important critic of the Vietnam War during the 1960s, and also became associated with many radical thinkers in the UK and abroad, including Malcolm X and John Lennon. He has also been a critic of the recent Iraq War. Ali has written over thirty books and novels, numerous screenplays, and has produced many television programs. His latest book is The Obama Syndrome (2010), and one of his recent screenplays is for the film South of the Border (2010), directed by the American filmmaker Oliver Stone.

At Cornell, Tariq Ali focused on the recent growth of Islamophobia in Europe and the US by discussing its historical roots. Ali has recently finished the last of his five novels, called The Islam Quintet, which is based on historical exchanges between the Muslim world and the West. He has also produced a movie titled The Final Solution about the Muslim (Moorish) presence in Spain that began in 711 CE and ended in 1492 CE. His talks at Cornell were based on this earlier work In his first Cornell presentation on September 22, Ali discussed this 700-year presence of Muslims in Spain, which had resulted in a rich cultural exchange between Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Part of the era is considered to be a Golden Age for Jews because of its tolerance and its cultural achievements. Even today, the Spanish language contains thousands of words derived from Arabic during that time period. Ali discussed how the year 1492 marked an end of a more multicultural era in Europe and the beginning of a more intolerant idea of European identity. Converted peoples suffered under suspicion, and those expelled

PHOTO/PROVIDED

longed to return to Spain. Ali argued that Cervantes’s novel, Don Quixote (1605), describes this fifteenth- and sixteenth-century environment of persecution, exile, and forced conversion in coded ways.

These forced conversions, expulsions and inquisition of Jews and Muslims in Spain, which resulted in the destruction of their communities and identities, permanently affected Spanish and European cultures. This meant when Columbus encountered the New World, also in 1492, the Europeans arriving there treated the peoples already inhabiting the Americas with the racism and intolerance they had developed earlier.

According to Ali, Islamophobia in the West today is thus not a recent development but must be seen in a longer stretch of historical setting. It should also be explained in relation to anti-Semitism in Europe that affected the lives of Jews for centuries, resulting tragically in the Holocaust.

Ali’s second presentation the next day was based on a screening of his film, The Final Solution, which also portrays this little known history of Spain. The screening was followed by a discussion by four faculty members.

Tariq Ali is a gifted speaker who inspires his audience with his ideas and ensures audience awareness of the deeper historical significance of contemporary events. He has appeared many times on Amy Goodman’s radio show Democracy Now!, and his speeches are widely available on YouTube and other sites. His Cornell presentation is also available as a video on Cornell Cast.

AFRICA

October 22, 2010

continued from p.4

phones, harps, bells, flutes, and trumpets.

The different cuisines in Africa can be divided into five separate groups: Central African, East African, North African, South African, and West African. The five groups each have cuisines that are seasonal and grown in their specific regions. Spices such as ginger, coriander, and chilies generally influence Central African cuisine. Tomatoes, rice, saffron, and bananas play a major role in the preparation of East African cuisine. North African cuisine consists of both meat and vegetables and includes delicious Turkish pastries. Down in the south of Africa, chutney, marinated kebabs, and spicy cur-

ries are foods that one would also generally eat in South Asia. However, in West Africa, people prefer sweeter, softer dishes, because they often consider the rough, spicy dishes to be “harsh to the tongue.” In many parts of Africa, festivities occur around farming and harvest times, including the Yam festival, Adae Kese festival, and the Homowo festival. Other holidays that are celebrated include Eid and Christmas, celebrated also in Ithaca.

There are vast differences between the African and American culture. It makes learning about another culture that much more enjoyable.

Literary Linguist: Words to Know in a Globalized World

Commonly Used Words of African Origin

By REHAN DADI

banjo (probably from Bantu mbanza) A stringed instrument with typically four or five strings, which vibrate a membrane of plastic material or animal hide stretched over a circular frame.

cola (from Temne kola, Mandinka kolo) Trees native to West Africa and introduced to New World tropics.

Means “carbonated soft drink” in English.

jive (possibly from Wolof jev) Meaning “to deceive playfully” or “empty, misleading talk.” Additionally a style of fast, lively jazz and dance music in English.

jumbo (from Swahili jambo/jumbe or from Kongo nzamba “elephant”) Perhaps from slang “clumsy, unwieldy fellow,” which itself is possibly from a word for “elephant” in a West African language.

juke, jukebox (possibly from Wolof and Bambara dzug through Gullah) Black English slang from “juke,” joog (wicked, disorderly) in Gullah (the creolized English of the coastlands of South Carolina, Georgia, and northern Florida).

mojo (from Gullah moco “witchcraft,” Fula moco’o “medicine man.”)

The art or practice of casting magic spells; magic; voodoo. An object, as an amulet or charm, which is believed to carry a magic spell.

safari (from Swahili, ultimately from Arabic safar) Journey, expedition.

tango (probably from Ibibio tamgu) Syncopated ballroom dance, originally the name of an AfricanAmerican drum dance.

voodoo (from Ewe and Fon vodu “spirit”) Religious witchcraft of Haiti and Southern U.S., ultimately of African origin. zombie (from Kikongo zumbi, Kimbundu nzambi) Originally the name of a snake god in Central Africa, later meaning “reanimated corpse” in voodoo cult.

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Technology Review: A Comparison of iPods & Knock-offs

By ALEXANDER BABIAK

I usually prefer knock-offs, especially in mp3 players: they’re cheaper, of similar quality, and usually work just as well. I own a knock-off iPod with all functionalities of the original. Naturally, I’m intrigued why people would buy an iPod for a hundred dollars so they have a device that is compatible only with iTunes (unless they hack it.)

It’s just beyond me.

First I compared prices, looking on Amazon.com for knock-offs and iPods. In the “mp3 player” section, one can find the Sansa Clip - a functional if somewhat limited model with no video capability and two gigabytes - for $34.99. With identical performance and memory but in a bigger size is the Coby, for $23.95. A Sansa Fuze with eight gigabytes and video function can be had for only $69.99. Microsoft’s 16 gigabyte Zune is $199.99. So, that should give you an idea of a generic’s price.

Looking under “iPod,” my eye is caught by the newest model, the Classic with 160 gigabytes for $224.59. Truly impressive! My question, however, returns when I see the 8 gigabyte Nano for $144.50 compared to my own Eclipse, which I bought for $38.99 with identical capabilities. The same for the fourth generation 8 gigabyte iPod Touch at WASHINGTON

$223.99 and the PE eight gigabyte multimedia player with a touch screen at $52.99.

Now that we went through a solid price comparison, let’s see why people still buy iPods. I called on Google to show me what web users have to say on the subject with the search terms “why buy an iPod.” All these sites discuss which iPod to buy, thus assuming you intend to already. Ah! “Ten Reasons Why You Should Not Buy an Apple iPod.” This looks like a relevant contribution! But, it’s basically what I have already talked about. I’m looking for why anyone would WANT to buy an iPod. Perhaps I didn’t look hard and long enough, or maybe I’m simply too biased, but I didn’t find one good reason why a customer should choose an iPod over another perfectly fine mp3 player, at half the price of an Apple product. I found a few more sites bashing iPods, and many persuading you to buy one type as opposed to another, but I came away with no new knowledge. As I can’t find anything on the web to convince me to buy an iPod, I’ll have to draw on my personal experience. It seems like the one advantage of buying an iPod is that there are a bunch of cool accessory devices made for the iPod...but keep in mind that this is just one more way to separate you from your dollars. continued from p.4

uttering the chorus “We are still not satisfied/we are still denied justice.” This Jewish rabbi also offered wisdom from the prophet Muhammad. Afterwards, a man (who talked about ethnicity and diversity in the same manner as MLK) commented on how we can work together and more efficiently as a nation. He posed two questions: “Who are we?” and “Why are we here?” We’re a nation working together, attempting to secure our children’s future, to be sustainable... We’re here to “defend the poor and powerless.” He finished with “We will not remain silent.”

People were urged to stand up to corporations: “They’d ship your jobs overseas; we will fight back under one nation. We will not stand by silently.” Many speakers were priests or rabbis, expressing unity with phrases like: “struggle together, go to jail together” and “community over submissiveness”. These people didn’t want to incite violence; they often addressed the crowd with “brothers” or “sisters,” advocating “not white or black power, but human power.” People in the crowd from all different walks of life were conversing and laughing with one another, dancing to the same songs.

A “skit speech” was performed by a group of five people of different ages and ethnicities. They took turns saying: “We march for [reason].” Some of these reasons were “world class public education, ending racial profiling, and green jobs.” Amazingly, many of these speakers were intensely optimistic. They still had hope for “giving birth to a new world” despite facts like paying for our college students for one year was equivalent to 5% of our military budget (though the average student has $25,000 worth of debt). These speakers were still “consciously choosing to live, love, and work together.” Songs with peppy and peaceful tunes were sometimes played in between speeches and added a pleasant variety of sound. One speaker spoke of “how the government has already accomplished so much, but we still have a lot to go.” Lastly, we heard an Irish woman advocating for immigrants. She said Americans have “no need to be afraid of immigrants.” They essentially built this infrastructure, and America is supposed to be a melting pot. She pointed out that many important and influential figures in our society, usually considered American, were actually immigrants. Henry Ford, for example, came from Ireland; Edison’s father was from Canada.

After visiting the Holocaust Memorial, my mom and I went back to the parking lot we had left eight hours before. People laid around waiting for others to return. But our bus was missing. Apparently, our driver had gone to a hotel to catch a few winks. Eventually he returned and we loaded on… but there were people missing. By the time a golf cart rolled up carrying the last straggler, we were an hour behind schedule.

As soon as the bus started rolling, I was out of it. Everyone was beat. But now it was hard to sleep; there was simply too much excitement. No more stops until home...yes, home! But I did pass out, eventually waking up at 2:00 a.m. in Ithaca. We got off our bus into a cold night and hastily said our goodbyes. It was worth sacrificing the meat of a weekend for this experience, though. This trip will definitely be something to think and talk about for a while.

October 22, 2010

Highly Biased Politics:

The Real American Way Dying Right Wing: Remarks on the Tea Party

By ALEJANDRO YOUNGER

By AVALON BUNGE

The most concise thing I can say about Athens in August is that it is hot. The heat swirls around you almost visibly. Imagine standing behind a bus in front of the exhaust pipe on a summer day and you will have some idea what it feels like. The heat slows down brain function, which is bad, because the language is confounding.

The Greek alphabet has twenty-four letters, half of which sound like each other. If you think that doesn’t matter because you won’t have to read anything (which is not true anyway), then consider: what are the absolute language basics you need to get along in a foreign country? “Yes” and “no”? Fine, except in Greek “yes” is pronounced neh and “no” is ochi accompanied by a nod of the head. Thankfully almost everyone speaks English, and the scenery is so incredible that words rapidly become superfluous.

Athens is built on and among hills, which are neither true mountains nor rolling and gentle like those of the Finger Lakes, but jagged and ridged, with trees at regular but sparse intervals and red-brown earth visible between them. The city itself is divided into many neighborhoods, some of which are upper-crust and most of which are not. Almost everything is dirty; the main visible difference between neighborhoods is the amount of graffiti on the walls, and greenery spilling over balconies. The city’s modern architecture is practical and light-colored without much ornament.

I would not call Athens beautiful if it weren’t for the fact that every hundred yards or so you run into a ruin of some description. In the center of Athens is an immense public garden with a lake, a menagerie, and innumerable columns, pillars, and random blocks of stone from thousands of years ago. They aren’t roped off; you can just go and lean up against them.

It’s the same at the Acropolis (literally “city on a hill”, home to the Parthenon), the ancient Agora (the marketplace — this is where Socrates would grab your arm and shout philosophy at you as you tried to go buy your eggs), and the Theatre of Dionysos (where works

by Sophocles or Euripides were first

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A recent phenomenon in American politics is the rise of the movement known as the Tea Party. Characterized by far-right or ultraconservative ideals, the Tea Party’s rise to political prominence has led to its name being a household term. A Google search for “Tea Party” yields 209 million results, and refining the search to “Tea Party political group” yields 13 million hits, an impressively large number.

What do these numbers mean? Simply stated, the Tea Party is important; it is now a political force to be reckoned with.

An important point to drive home is not just that the Tea Party is big, but that it is destroying the American right from the inside out. Tea Party candidates are winning primaries across the nation, ousting well-established incumbent Republicans. These ‘Tea Party-ers’ gain their following from endorsements by Sarah Palin, Tea Party rallies, and by allowing the Tea Party candidates to secure a larger turnout during the state primaries. This means that these conservative candidates are now on the ballot for the state race. That’s good, right?”

Well, no. The voters who have the most important role in deciding elections are not grassroots, small-government movements, but the moderate voters. Swing voters are everything in American politics. Having candidates that spew far-right-wing ideals is not going to appeal to the middle-of-the-spectrum voters.

The Tea Party’s blunt radicalism gets them labeled as “just some more crazies.” Swing voters are much more likely to vote with Democrats who are (in comparison) closer to their own ideals. The Tea Party will likely lose votes for the Republican Party as a whole; that’s the bottom line.

What does this mean for the Tea Party?

Given the celebrity status of Sarah Palin, the Tea Party may live on for another few election cycles. But eventually this conservative drive will fizzle, and the Tea Party will lose their following once there are no longer any targets for their rage. Despite everything that I outlined above, the Tea Party may still win seats during the midterm elections, and I expect to analyze the reasons as we approach the November elections.

Travels in Greece

performed). Even in the Athens Metro, behind glass, you can see the remains of ancient water and sewage systems.

Everything that was uncovered when the Metro was built was left exactly where it was found, and most of it is almost perfectly preserved.

We took a day to visit the islands of Hydra and Spetses, and if I am on the fence about calling Athens beautiful, I will fall all over myself to describe the beauty of the Aegean Sea and the Greek islands. The Aegean is a color of blue that has to be seen to be believed, and the islands are another world. On Hydra there are no cars; if you get off the boat for a long stay and don’t want to carry your luggage up the hill, you hire a mule. The entire island is filled with unclaimed cats, but they seem to be doing alright for themselves. The game of choice in the cafes is backgammon; you cannot play backgammon without drinking, and in Greece it is unacceptable to drink without eating, so you have table after table of backgammon-players dropping tidbits to the cats which lounge under their chairs.

A word about eating: the Greeks eat continuously and well. Most streets are packed with cafes and if you walk from one end of a particularly touristy street to the other, you will find five or six business cards stuffed into your hand with promises of free drinks, shaded tables, or great atmosphere.

There is so much competition that any restaurant not up to par simply fades away, so that almost every eatery in

Greece is really excellent. Every cafe serves stuffed vine leaves, spanakopita, tzatziki (cucumber-yogurt dip), souvlaki (meat on skewers) and saganaki, the famous flaming fried cheese. In the islands everything is right out of the sea. You can order a plate of “little fishes” and find yourself confronted with forty or fifty tiny fried sardines that were pulled from the water that morning a hundred yards from where you sit. Most of the vocabulary I picked up in Greece was related to food.

Before we set off for Greece, there was a lot on the news about how the government was collapsing, everyone was on strike, the economy was in the toilet, people were abandoning their cars because of gas shortages, and various other dysfunctions. I honestly did not see a single abandoned car or sign of civil unrest. However the economy stands, the sky is blue, the sun is bright, the people are friendly, the food is divine, and ancient Athens is aweinspiring. One night we climbed Lycabettus Hill, the summit of which is the highest point in Athens, and from the top you can see the Parthenon, which absolutely dominates even the vast sea of lights that is Athens by night. After 2500 years of systematic attempts at destruction by all of Greece’s enemies, of use as a shrine to Athena, a Byzantine church, a Roman Catholic church, and an Ottoman mosque, it stands today as a symbol of pure human accomplishment, difficult to describe because — like the city of Athens and the Aegean Sea — nothing comparable exists.

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Restaurant Review: Panera Bread

By JULIE STOVER and ELISE YANG

You may have noticed that Panera Bread has recently opened one of their cafe chains in Ithaca. One Saturday afternoon, a group of dedicated and hungry restaurant-reviewers wandered into this cafe, and proceeded to get down to business. We all agreed that the feel of Panera is that of an impersonal cafe — one can definitely tell that it is not family-owned — but a comfortable ambiance nonetheless, comparable to that of a casual eatery. The outside of the building displays the familiar Panera sign, featuring a woman holding a loaf of bread. Walking into the cafe, there are several small two-person tables immediately on the right, as well as a much larger room on the left with many tables designed to accommodate larger groups. We took note of the comfortable, friendly atmosphere — people were talking quietly at the tables and kept their voices down so as not to disturb others. We ordered our food and made some hard decisions due to the vast array of enticing offerings, from macaroni and cheese to soup served in bread bowls. The staff thankfully did not judge us when we tried to order a lemonade smoothie, which we were later told they do not offer.

Panera has a wide array of sandwich-shop-like items from which to choose. All their breads are freshly baked at the restaurant. Breads include country, stone-milled rye, three cheese, focaccia, whole grain, French, sesame semolina, three seed, and cibatta. Sandwiches range from vegetarian options, cheese-filled sandwiches for cheese lovers to ones full of meat and toppings, or they can be personalized. Besides sandwiches, Panera has various types of soups, all of which can be served in a bread bowl if desired. Soups include French onion, garden vegetable soup and low fat chicken. Dishes also come with different sides, including apples, cottage cheese, and mac and cheese. Drinks include several kinds of coffee, smoothies, frozen drinks, iced drinks, and espressos.

All food served at Panera include nutrition facts. For those watching their weight, salads are also served as a healthier option. Kids’ menus are available for children or those with smaller appetites.

There is also a drive-through for those in a hurry. The food takes minutes to prepare, and the bread is served warm.

The staff are friendly, interact frequently with the customers, and are very patient when indecisive customers who take a while to order. As a current employee stated, “I truly believe in being happy and coming to Panera.”

Overall, the food was very delicious. The tomato and mozzarella panini, resembling a pizza, was a crowd-pleaser. However, it could’ve been made with less grease. The sierra turkey club, custom-made with feta cheese and tomatoes, was also very appetizing. The low-fat cherry smoothie tasted exactly like real fresh black cherries. The portions are large and will definitely satisfy most appetites. However, if you’re not full from the main course, there are appealing desserts offered including bear claws, crumb cakes, muffins and a variety of other pastries.

We recommend eating at Panera; it has a comfortable ambiance, good food for the right price, large portions, and friendly staff.

Arts &

The Johnson Column Ithaca Underground: Menzingers and Local Scene Show Off Punk Music and American Spirit

BY INGRID SYDENSTRICKER

By KYLE ROTHMAN

On Tuesday, September 29, Ithaca’s mischievous and music-bound youths gathered at The Haunt to see quite an Ithaca Underground (IU) show. IU is a local music community-based organization that provides touring bands and local acts to perform together and expose people to new and innovative music. For this show, the IU community booked rising punk stars the Menzingers from Philadelphia. After a busy tour in Canada this summer with NOFX and Against Me! in support of their new album Chamberlain Waits, the band stopped in Ithaca before doing a fall tour supporting Anti-Flag. This will be the second time the Menzingers have played in Ithaca, the first time being a legendary performance in the summer of 2009 that also featured Cobra Skulls, The Sidekicks, and the final performance of Ithaca High School’s own Rolemodels. The Menzingers, along with local acts Beach Parade, The Berettas and Slow Burning showed The Haunt what underground and independent music is all about.

First to take the stage was Slow Burning, a tight punk/reggae band consisting of graduates from Lansing and IHS. After 6pm, the band ripped through four songs in continued on p. 11

Hitchcock’s Vertigo

By MAX TAYLOR-MILNER

PHOTO/PROVIDED

Jean Dubuffet French, 1901-1985 La Bouche en Croissant (Smiling Face), 1948 “In my paintings, I wish to recover the vision of an average and ordinary man… without using techniques beyond the grasp of an ordinary man.”

Dubuffet’s La Bouche en Croissant has been on the walls of the Johnson for some time now, always greeting viewers with that direct, in-your-face, inescapable smile. It was the will of the artist, to interact in a different, off beat way with the viewer and shift from traditional to modern. He was inspired by the art of children and the insane, coining the term “art brut” or “raw art,” giving a very humanistic approach. Just after World War II, there was a universal appeal for a new, refreshing start, which Dubuffet hits pefectly with La Bouche en Croissant.

The painting itself gives off a relatable, universal vibe of childhood and youth. The colors are vivid and primary, the shapes geometric and basic, and it seems that anyone could have painted this; of course, only at a first glance. The texture jumps off the canvas, with the use of sand and oil, and the little figure seems to be smiling back at you. It’s not traditionally beautiful, but it is aesthetically pleasing. The piece, simply titled, La Bouche en Croissant or Smiling Face, allows it to be openly interpreted. It is free of association and connection, open to a new world, a new light and a new smile.

I just can’t help but wonder what he’s smiling about.

Interested in Dubuffet?

Other works can be found at the MoMA, Guggenheim, or online at the Dubuffet Foundation.

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University Open Tuesday through Sunday; 10am to 5pm. Free admission.

Why should anyone care about director Alfred Hitchcock’s film Vertigo?

Apart from the fact that it is a brilliantly made psychological thriller that’s not only tense as hell but one which also defies the unfortunately widespread idea that “classic films” have to be boring to be important, it is also about Facebook. Well, not completely. It is pretty far-fetched that Hitchcock’s 1958 study in surveillance could have predicted digital social networking. But stranger things have happened; a book called Golf in the Year 2000, written in 1892, talks about televised sports with almost uncanny foresight.

What Hitchcock really captures is the experience of Facebook and the society of watchers it has made. This is what most of the first third of “Vertigo” is about. James Stewart plays John “Scottie” Ferguson, a San Francisco detective who develops acrophobia, or “vertigo” (a fear of heights), after watching a fellow police officer fall to his death during a police chase. After retiring from the police force, he is contacted by an old college friend who hires him to watch his wife, Madeleine (Kim Novak). From just these details, all given in the first few minutes of the film, Hitchcock has laid the foundation for one of cinema’s most complex and fascinating plots, one which constantly doubles back on itself, shuffling and reshuffling ideas of memory, love, and obsession.

The first set of these concepts is seen during the sequences in which Stewart follows Novak. The camera trails their hypnotic motion up and down the hills of San Francisco as Scottie becomes

more and more intrigued in Madeleine’s mystifying behavior, drawn ever more into the whirlpool of memory.

This is reinforced by the film’s cinematography, which works in distinct color palettes that give every scene a different theme, which is then referred to throughout the film. For example, the saturated red of a restaurant that Scottie follows to appears again as the color of Madeleine’s necklace in a crucial scene.

The cinematography also favors enclosed spaces, even in areas that one might think of as being open. In a scene that takes place in a redwood forest, Scottie and Madeleine seem hemmed in by the trees and the quasi-dusk. In one of the film’s most iconic scenes, at the Golden Gate Bridge, the ocean is framed by the bridge at the top and a hill at the side of the shot. Even during the sequences where Scottie is pursuing Madeleine, he is compartmentalized within his car, the sensation of mobility negated by Hitchcock’s framing and close-ups of Stewart’s apprehensive face and watching eyes.

The film’s soundtrack accentuates this even further. Its repeating and at times hypnotic, musical phrases take the film’s atmosphere from a straightforward search to the territory of dreams and the subconscious, the habitat of memory. For a large section of the film, this is Scottie’s environment as he constantly revisits places from the world he lost. Which takes us back to Facebook, where one can constantly search for and review lost times, relationships — faces, as it were. So why not take a break from the museum of one’s own memory and step into Vertigo’s instead?

THOUGHTS ON

RELIGION Islamophobia

A History of American Intolerance

By JENSEN LO

By ALLISON MOLLENKAMP

The Declaration of Independence sets out the basic American ideal: all men are created equal. However, there is no use denying that even before the United States had gained its freedom from Britain, the “American Dream” was tainted with prejudice and intolerance. Whether it be for racial reasons or for being left-handed, being different has, for most of history, been a burden for the individual. Risks of refusing or simply being unable to conform to the crowd include anything from getting killed to facing disadvantages in the workforce, depending on the era.

One of the earliest American prejudices was against the indigenous people of this continent. This country was built on land that had already been lived on for thousands of years by people with rich and diverse cultures, cultures which European settlers found perfectly acceptable to obliterate. Typical treatment of Native Americans in the early days ranged from dishonest trades to massacres of entire villages. When they were not getting slaughtered, they were driven into smaller and smaller reservations while the U.S. government robbed them of their lands. Though appreciation of the indigenous cultures is growing, the people of Native American cultures today struggle to survive among the mainstream, white society and to retain their traditional roots. Due to neglect and disuse, some Native American languages have nearly disappeared.

Aside from prominent racial discrimination throughout American history, prejudice also existed for various other reasons on a widespread scale. Unfortunately, one of the most prejudiced institutions throughout the decades in this country has been the educational system. Children have

suffered for any number of reasons. At one time, being lefthanded was considered wrong. Deaf students were considered mentally incapable of learning. And in yet another example of racial intolerance, a group of African American students called the Little Rock Nine were physically prevented from attending Little Rock Central High by the Arkansas National Guard. It took nothing less than a regiment of the U.S. army to break through the physical and mental barriers set up by bigoted Americans adamant in guarding the children from their right to receive education from a public institution.

Through all the long-standing American prejudices, there has been one truly continuous and complex divide: religion. The Puritans and other early European settlers of North America came to escape religious injustice. This trend picked up later when many Russian Jews came to the United States to evade the pogroms in their home country. Almost all religions, at one point or another, have faced some type of intolerance in America. Jews, Catholics, Muslims, and Protestants have been persecuted for their beliefs. This is true even today. Last month, as our country remembered the tragedy of September 11, 2001, there was much debate over issues involving the Islamic faith. Though there are arguments for both sides of these issues, I think it should be remembered that our country was formed on the idea that everyone should get a chance. People should not be judged by their race, their faith, the hand they write with, the actions of their peers, nor for any other reason than that of who they are as a person. America has a long history of intolerance and fear of those who are “different”, but the important thing is to learn from the past so that we can look forward to a better future.

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Prejudice against Islam has been brought to the forefront of American political and social debate in recent weeks. The Park51 project (dubbed as the “Ground Zero Mosque”) and the Koran Burning Controversy have ignited a firestorm of dispute, with Christians, Muslims, Presidents, and people from all around the world weighing in on the issue. Protests have sprung up near Ground Zero and across the country and consequently hindered the Park51 project. Even larger protests from the International Muslim community were organized in response to International Burn-a-Koran day, leading to frustration and hatred from both sides of the issue.

This phenomenon is not new to the United States. The term “Islamophobia,” referring to the irrational fear of Islam, was coined in the 1980s. It remained low-key for the next two decades, during which the Oklahoma City bombing took place, a primary terrorist attack conducted

by American militia movement extremists. Everything changed with the September 11 attacks, when Islamic extremists crashed two hijacked civilian airliners into the twin towers: the deadliest terrorist attack in American history. International reaction to the attack was overwhelmingly Pro-American, with leaders from Queen Elizabeth II to Yasser Arafat expressing sympathy for the victims of the attacks and condemning the extremists for their actions. Millions sent aid, including several prominent Islamic organizations. Despite support from Muslims and non-Muslims alike, Muslims and “Middle-Easterners” living in the United States were subject to hate crimes for months after the attacks, ranging from arson to shooting. In part because of 9/11, American public opinion has turned against Islam, and the religion has become thought of as an extremist religion rather than for the peaceful and benevolent ideals that it actually represents.

With such emotional investment, it seems likely that Islam will become a central issue in the upcoming 2010 midterm elections. Politicians have already begun issuing statements mainly opposing the Park51 project, which is the majority opinion of the nation as a whole (64%), especially Republicans (76%). Mosques have been opposed on religious grounds in other places as well. In several rural towns, mosques have been the subject of strict scrutiny and oversight. Building codes have been used to prevent free expression of Islam.

Prejudice against a religion is not new to this decade or even to this millennium, but in the age of speedof-light communication and speedof-sound travel, it has new consequences. Talk of the burning of the Koran in a small town with a small congregation might not have been of much consequence in the past, but in this modern era, the news quickly traveled all over the world and brought the attention of world leaders. A new world is emerging, and prejudice has no place in it.

Should Religious Symbols be Allowed in Schools?

By AREH ZAX and ALEKSA BASARA

The question of whether or not religious symbols should be allowed in schools could be a simple one: don’t we all have freedom of religion as American citizens? Can’t we freely express ourselves? Alas, it isn’t quite as clear as that. It’s debatable everywhere. Both the schools and the families wishing for their students to bring a certain item to school have valid points. Students should be able to express themselves, but it is up to the school districts as to whether they want to allow religious symbols to be present in their schools.

Logically, many joke religions have sprung up over similar debates. In 2005, Kansas schools began permitting intelligent design, which is the proposal that “certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection,” as an alternative to evolution. In response, Bobby Henderson, an Oregon State graduate, sent in

a letter arguing for equal time to be allotted to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM), as many of the arguments for permitting intelligent design also supported the teaching of his deity. This parody religion has since become an Internet phenomenon. Should the FSM be seen on hats, necklaces, and the like around the United States’ schools? Should students who believe in Him be allowed to wear pirate regalia, which is supposedly His favored garb? Other than being distracting, these attires would also be ridiculous.

Should schools have some ability to restrict the students’ rights? As the students’ parents/guardians have agreed to enroll them in that specific school, they should be aware of the rules of that school. Schools have a right to make some decisions that are not necessarily approved of by all students or their parents. The homeschooling option is always present.

Certain symbols could also prove disruptive in the class environment. A FSM hat could be distracting, as could

a burqa. Two burqa-wearing students could sit for each other’s exams, which is one of the reasons sited for the recent ban against them in schools in France. The idea of students being able to wear religious symbols would be interesting to see. However, there would simply be too many precautions the schools would have to take in order for no one to go to extreme measures when seeing someone else advertising a different religion as theirs.

The right to express one’s religion seems like it should be taken for granted, but in reality, schools should have the final say. Maybe an occasional necklace or a concealable religious article should be allowed in to schools; if that article is being used to advertise for a religion, schools may request that the item be put away during school hours. Yet, the students could be allowed to wear them so long as they won’t show it off. Rules should vary from school to school, but not all should be required to permit religious symbols.

October 22, 2010 PHOTO/PROVIDED

Opposition to Islamic Center

By CHRISTINA SEUNG

Protesters gathered in New York City, firmly clutching signs that read: “You Can Build Your Mosque at Ground Zero When We Can Build Our Synagogue at Mecca,” and “Building a Mosque at Ground Zero is Like Building a Memorial to Hitler at Auschwitz.” Construction workers stood with their hands over their hearts, swaying to the national anthem. When asked if they would help build the Islamic Center near the site of 9/11, they solemnly shook their heads.

On September 11, 2001, there were a total of 2,996 deaths, of which 55 people were military personnel and 2,606 were civilians. Firefighters, police officers, bystanders and employees all risked their lives trying to rescue each other amidst the chaos. Not only were Americans affected; more than 90 countries lost their citizens from the attacks of the World Trade Center.

According to Islamic representatives, the Islamic Center is not an absolute Mosque—it is more of a recreational center that also has a prayer center where people can come and peacefully socialize. Imam Feisel Abdul Rauf, the founder of the Islamic Center plan, said that the “cultural center” will have “facilities for athletics, arts, performances, lectures series, and weddings.” In addition, the Islamic Center is not at Ground Zero, but about two blocks away from it. The plan is to tear down the abandoned Burlington Coat Factory, which was damaged on 9/11 and build the Islamic Center from scratch. However, despite the reasonable distance from the attack site and moderate religious connections, the strong Islamic association of the Center has led many people to protest.

Muslims state that the people’s opposition shows the growing hatred and racism towards Muslims. Zead Ramadan said that the protest was “simply due to Islamophobia.” But during Manhattan’s Community Board 1 meeting, Rosemary Cain insisted that it isn’t the Muslims or the mosque with which the people have a problem. Having lost her firefighter son during the attack,

she said, “I’m not against a mosque. It’s the location which has caused so much heartache. Why here?” A protestor in New York City said, “There are hundreds of mosques here in America… just not here.” The news of building the Islamic Center near the 9/11 site have caused pain to the families of the victims and their remorse was reflected in a Republican representative’s firm statement: “Nazis don’t have the right to put up their sign next to the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C.” Three-quarters of the people who attended the Landmark’s Commission Meeting were in favor of establishing the former Burlington Coat Factory as a landmark, meaning that it would remain as a destroyed building to preserve the memories of the victims.

Protesters have expressed their anger toward the progressing plan of building the Islamic Center rather than establishing memorials dedicated to the victims. The protesters say that they are not against Islam, but rather the fact that the Islamic Center, very near the 9/11 site, will be a constant reminder of the tragedy. C. Lee Hanson, whose son was killed on Flight 175, said, “If you are against it, they’re calling you a bigot. I’m not a bigot. I’m opposed to the mosque because it’s in poor taste.”

Rauf ’s mistake is not in trying to establish an Islamic Center, it is in being insensitive by trying to build it in close proximity to the site that caused the whole nation to suffer. Through the protesters’ vehement objections, it is very clear that the hurt and pains have not subdued.

Our Changing Religion

By GREG CHU

Religion has undergone a significant change in how it is viewed in the U.S. over the last fifty years. The Gallup Organization reported in one of its polls that the number of Americans who believe “religion can answer all or most of today’s problems” decreased from 82% in 1958 to 58% in 2010, while the number of Americans who view religion as “oldfashioned” and “out of date” increased from 7% in 1958 to 28% in 2010.

In addition, the number of people who say religion is not an important part of their lives in increased from the range of 11 to 14% in the 1970s to 19% today. This trend applies to those without

a religious identity. Currently 16% of Americans have no religious identity, compared to the greater number of people who have either lost faith in religion or believe it to be outdated.

Although overall the importance and impact of religion in our lives may have diminished, claiming that religion might become irrelevant to the majority of Americans any time in the near future would be a vast overstatement. The number of Americans who still hold significant faith in religion is currently the vast majority. Even if by chance the majority of Americans believed religion couldn’t fix most or all of their problems, such a view would not preclude the view that

religion still holds a significant role in the lives of those people. It is also worth noting that holding less favorable views about religion could be interpreted as holding less favorable views about older interpretations of the role of religion rather than about religion itself. Just because the “older view” of religion is not accepted doesn’t mean religion is less valued. It might well be the case that decades from now, religion will still hold a significant but different role in society than it does today. It is up to each generation to decide what to keep, what to change, and what to leave behind. All we can do is to decide for ourselves, and to wonder what will come to pass in coming years.

In Favor of the Islamic Center

By TRACY LAI

It has been several years since the tragic, terrorizing day of September 11th, and still our nation has not prevailed through the growing Muslim prejudices. Now, as we are living in a world of increasing racial and religious tensions, all eyes turn to New York City, where the ongoing debate of the mosque is more drastic than ever.

In the previous edition of The Tattler, the editorial focused on key pro-mosque ideas. To reevaluate, the building being proposed is merely an Islamic Community Center; granted, it does have a place for Muslims to pray, but it is more recreational than spiritual. In regards to where this community center is located, it is not actually at the site of Ground Zero (a common misconception), but two blocks away.

We also cannot forget that American Muslims were among the 3,000 who died during the 9/11 attacks.

Yes, these clarifications make the argument seem more like an embarrassing farce than anything else.

Muslims are perfectly in their right by the constitution to exercise their religion, but the moral and ethical issues are another matter entirely.

Arguments against the mosque are strong indeed, saying that putting an Islamic structure (regardless of what it actually is) near Ground Zero (regardless of where it is actually located) is insensitive and, as one source claimed, the equivalent of putting a statue of Hitler at Auschwitz.

But if this is what we believe, then what message are we sending to all the Muslims in the United States and the world? That their religion is not valued enough in our country for memebers to obtain the status of a “good Americans?” That their losses are nothing and the blame is on them, for an act sprouted from extremist terrorists, not Muslim Americans?

The thought is degrading. What message are we sending to the world about ourselves? We, who pride ourselves on our virtues of equality, our philosophy that “all men are created equal”, and our holding onto the principles of propriety and integrity set by our founding fathers. By disclaiming our constitution we mock and scorn the toil of our first leaders. We tramp on their dream of a great and mighty nation, the “land of the free and home of the brave.”

The United States has a reputation to carry on. We are the ne plus ultra and quintessence of rights. If there is one thing we can learn from our history of endless struggles over discrimination and prejudices, it is that our country has the ability to prevail through anything. This religious controversy is no different.

Perhaps that is the number one reason we should build the Islamic Community Center: to triumph over the Islamophobia that has been gripping our nation for years; to make peace in our minds with the Muslims and embrace their beliefs; to truly accept them into the already culturally diverse country that is the United States of America.

It’s about time we do so.

An Atheist’s Perspective

By MEDEEA POPESCU

Living in Ithaca, it’s easy to forget that in other parts of the United States, religion is an important, even dominant, cultural aspect. It influences everything from what is taught in schools to what holidays are celebrated. More recently, religion has been coloring the debate on the Islamic Community Center called Park51 to be built two blocks away from Ground Zero — a spot that 56% percent of Americans strongly believe is sacred. It has been called “an Islamist cultural-political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilization,” and those who think it’s acceptable “argue that we have to allow the construction of this mosque in order to prove America’s commitment to religious liberty.” Well, aren’t we? Isn’t America a haven for those persecuted in countries where personal rights and liberties aren’t guaranteed?

If the religious aspect is ignored, then there really is no reason not to build Park51, is there?

Actually, some politicians like Sarah Palin are saying that although it’s constitutional to build that “mosque,” it’s insensitive to the “anguish of the families and friends of those who were killed on September 11, 2001.” This isn’t really a plausible argument. Think about it a different way. Let’s say that instead of a group of extremist Muslims who attacked a building with Christians in it, a fanatic Catholic group had done the same and killed Muslim individuals.

Nine years later, someone attempts to build a Christian church near the site.

Would it have the same reaction? Would the media publicize it? Would there be mass protests against it?

No, most likely not. Christianity is so deeply tied into 9/11 that many people forget it was an attack on Americans, not Christians. Americans who practice Islam are just as American as those who go to church. They are protected under the First Amendment just like the rest of us, and therefore have the right to build a community center anywhere they want, with zoning board permission. So why is this artificial controversy still going on? It’s been established that people living in Manhattan, the mayor of New York, and most of the families of 9/11 victims are okay with building the community center.

Part of being an American is to live with your neighbors in tolerance and respect, and in the words of Mayor Bloomberg, “it was exactly that spirit of openness and acceptance that was attacked on 9/11.” So, from a non-religious standpoint — there is no reason to oppose Park51.

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October 22, 2010

Unexpectedly Easy to Like

By MAIA RODRIGUEZ-SEMP

PHOTO/PROVIDED

PHOTO/PROVIDED

For the last five years or so, the film industry has created some masterpieces. However, as of late, teen movies and romantic comedies do not tend to merit awards or, sadly, laughs.

How many times have you seen an exciting trailer and gone to see the movie only to find that the editors had picked the only two best lines in the movie and surrounded them with appealing effects? These situations are disappointing to say the least, and leave the viewer feeling cheated of ten dollars. The movie Easy A is a welcome change.

Directed by Will Gluck, Easy A opened in theaters on September 17, starring Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, and Lisa Kudrow. The basic plot involves teenage Olive Penderghast (Stone), who pretends to lose her virginity to help out a tormented gay friend (Byrd). Rumors spread and in no time she is the school tramp with eager boys, who are unfortunate in both social skills and looks. They offer her coupons so they can say that they too are receiving her favor-

able “treatment.” The Christian society at school begins a campaign of slander against her; in response to this tide of aggression, Olive sews a red letter “A” to her clothing, emulating Hester Prynne of the Scarlet Letter.

The pedestrian and clearly predictable plot choice does not detract from Stone’s performance in the comedic hit. In fact, she IS the comedy. Without her perfect delivery of lines and facial expressions, the film would have been another product of the same overused formula, with the Scarlet Letter theme simply a backdrop.

Proof of the actress’ success lies in the fact that she is now being considered for roles in 21 Jump Street and Spider-Man Reboot. Easy A was definitely a career launcher for her. Currently, the movie has grown 283% in the box office this week.

Though completely worth it, moviegoers may be reluctant to watch the movie due to previous disappointments with movies of this genre. Don’t be. If you’re in need of a good laugh or in the mood for a simple, funny movie, go for Easy A.

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art Tuesdays–Sundays 10:00 am–5:00 pm Free admission museum.cornell.edu 607 255-6464

Dylan’s Record of the Month: Seasick/Don’tWake Up

Split 7”

As someone who loves music more than anything and still buys CDs and records, my music collection grows rather quickly. Once in a while there comes along an album or EP that really stands out among the crowd, and reminds me that there are people who love physical media as much as I do.

This month’s record is a split between two New Jersey hardcore bands, Seasick and Don’t Wake Up, and was released by Poker Face Records and Think Tank Records. One hundred copies were pressed on standard black vinyl and four hundred copies were pressed on clear orange vinyl with black and white splatter. I was lucky enough to get a copy on colored vi-

nyl, and it’s one of the coolest-looking records I own. The 7” is pack-

which has the lyrics to all the Seasick songs.

As for the music, both bands sound like, well, NJHC bands. That is to say, their influences lie in bands like Black Flag and Aus Rotten, from whom simplistic riffs and beats blast out at supercharged tempos and sociopolitical lyrics tear at the vocal chords of each member. This isn’t a bad thing. In fact, I like that they can make an amalgamation of all of their influences and have it be their own music. For me, punk and hardcore is only really “bad” when the band is either trying too hard to be “hardcore” or if the music seems uninspired.

Both of these bands put their PHOTO/PROVIDED passion into making this muaged in a two-color mini-LP jacket sic, and it shows. I recommend it if (not a single-sheet fold-over like a you like your tempos fast and your lot of 7”s are) and includes an insert guitars distorted.

Starcraft 2: An Addiction

By EVAN HAINES

Many have waited eleven-and-ahalf years for Blizzard’s latest masterpiece, Starcraft 2, and the wait was definitely worth it. Though I never was a huge fan of the original Starcraft, Starcraft 2 keeps me sucked in with its addicting gameplay.

Unlike Starcraft the original, Starcraft 2 gives players tools to improve their own playing skills without completely destroying their ego in the process. This practice league allows a new player to play against other opponents, but with a slower game progression and on maps in which rushing (gathering a small force of units and attacking in the early stage) is prohibited. Rushing is prevented by two large rock clusters blocking the entrance to each player’s base. Then there are placement matches, which are five games that determine in what league a player is placed. The five different leagues are bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and diamond. A player can graduate from a league if he or she does well enough. And finally, Starcraft 2 has one more useful feature in helping players improve: replays.

Each match played is automatically saved, so players can spectate their own matches and see what can be improved for future gameplay. I’ve used it plenty of times, and it’s always been very helpful.

If you’re not gutsy enough to play online, Starcraft 2 has a fantastic campaign. The story follows Jim Raynor, your standard stereotypical “good guy,” as he liberates planets from the evil Dominion. The story is decent, but the campaign missions really shake things up. By getting rid of the typical campaign formula that many real-time strategy (RTS) games hold to (build a large enough force to trample over your opponent), Starcraft 2’s campaign missions are stranger than the last.

One campaign has a player defend against waves of zombies at night, and go out in daytime to destroy the infested colony. Another requires players to constantly move their bases as a gigantic wall of fire slowly makes its way across the map.

Starcraft 2 also has a fantastic map editor. Many still play Warcraft 3 due to its amazing campaign editor, and in time this may be the case with Starcraft 2. The Starcraft 2 editor allows for some fun gameplay types, including a mode in which you roll a small grub around, eating up everything nearby and getting larger and larger until you can eat entire bases. Another mode involves spawning massive numbers of units cheaply, throwing them at your opponents. The game modes aren’t as polished as Warcraft custom games, but those of Warcraft have been worked on and debugged for years, while Starcraft 2 has only been out for a couple of months.

Starcraft 2 is great. The game still has a heavy competitive focus, but there are enough different modes that keep the game fresh. The fact that I wasn’t constantly getting destroyed online was a good indicator that the game is balanced for players of all skill levels. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a classic RTS.

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October 22, 2010

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continued from p.7

15 minutes, transitioning from hardcore drum beats to reggae grooves filled with intimate guitar solos, dub-heavy basslines and a voice that takes influence from Joe Strummer and Mike Ness of Social Distortion. Slow Burning’s set also contained some new unnamed tracks that were apparently written before the show.

Despite their abrupt appearance and unfinished songs, Slow Burning had quite a pleasant show.

After a long lull, Ithacan punk act the Berettas gathered their band mates and ravaged the stage with their street-punk sound waves. These fan-favorites have been playing the IU scene from the very beginning, making them the longestoperating IU band, which is quite a title. As the Berettas belted out their edgy pop-punk repertoire, the crowd grew and grew, showing their appreciation for the impressive performance by starting up the mosh pits. The Berettas pleased fans by playing all their classics, from their catchy “Conniption” to their circle-pitinducing “Joyride” and their hardcore closer “Dan Fargo”. The Berettas is a band that’s always full of surprises, and it’s great to see them still together playing their music.

Following The Berettas, another local band with a following stepped up. Beach Parade has been rising in popularity and it’s not hard to see why. This indie-punk band has been improving their live shows with crazier songs and more energy.

Mix this with hordes of flailing teens, and you’ve got the recipe for a great show. From start to finish, Beach Parade shook the crowd with their new material, filled with impressive fingertapping and some of the most intricate drumming I have seen in a long time.

Songs like “Trav At It!,” “Summer of Stamos,” PHOTO/PROVIDED and other recent material stood out and engaged the audience. The highlight of their performance was when someone in the crowd discovered some mini American flags and commenced to wave them during the performance. This feat was outdone during the Menzingers set.

Around 9:00 the Menzingers entered the stage with a roar of applause, and jumped straight into their hard-driving punk madness. As the crowd high-kicked, flogged, and sprinted to the mesmerizing mesh of raw, straight-forward punk, the band did the same. Jumping and screeching, they dominated the audience with their high-octane energy. Halfway into their set, the crowd must have discovered the stash of patriotic fanfare, because within an instant the crowd exploded with red, white and blue. Nearly every fan waved flags in circle pit fashion, all for the Menzingers, who thought the audience’s patriotism at a punk show was delightfully ironic. In response, the band borrowed some flags to dress up their equipment, and played twice as hard as they had been before, engaging the audience even more. From the driving folk/punk grooves of tracks like “Victory Gin” and

“Sir Yes Sir” to the hard melodies of their new songs like “Tasker-Morris Station” and “I Was Born,” the Menzingers belt out every tune like it was their last. For their encore song, they invited the entire audience on stage to sing and dance along with them. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen a band manage to connect so much with an audience.

Shows like this reflect very well on Ithaca as a smaller destination for bands to play. If we keep up the energy, intimacy and insanity at our IU shows, who knows what acts we could book, or how big the scene could get. In short: come out to shows, support your scene!

Hiroshima Vacation – EP

By DYLAN WELLS

PHOTO/PROVIDED

Ithaca’s resident grindcore band, Hiroshima Vacation, has finally released their first CD: a ten-song, fourteen-minute EP on Pirate House Records. Made up of brothers Seven and Tenor Caso and friend Severin Keeley, these boys crank out an awful lot of noise with just guitar, drums and vocals. The music takes its cues from ‘80s punk (Aus Rotten),

death metal (Gojira), and of course, plenty of grindcore bands (Magrudergrind, Insect Warfare, Defeatist, and others).

The album starts with guitar feedback and four snare hits before assaulting your eardrums and well-being for a full 45 seconds.

The mix is just about as good as I could have hoped for, with everything having definition where there should be and noise when it’s necessary. There is a good mix of simple and complex riffs, and the album sticks around the grindcore pace except for a break in the middle of the album. Songs like “BloodFilled Wallet” and “Child Psychiatrist” throw everything right at you, whereas “Take Away Their Power” and “Bashing Emo Kids” both replete with breakdowns, show slightly more restraint and are much more songoriented. All in all, this album kicks it, and if anything you just read sounds appealing you should go out and snag a copy.

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October 22, 2010

IU: Star F*cking Hipsters Bring Punk and Metal Domination to Ithaca

By LEO WINTERS

For the past month or so, everyone who followed Ithaca Underground (IU) shows was anticipating the arrival of New York City’s Star F*cking Hipsters. The band was formed by legendary ska punk group Choking Victim’s frontman “Stza” on vocals and guitar, with members of other brokenup punk bands such as the Degenerics and Casa De Chihuahua. It was the biggest act to have come to the IU in a while.

So, on the night of Thursday the 30th, I decided to take a break from my studies and go down to The Haunt to check these guys out. Of course, there were three other bands playing that night as well, and first up was Ithaca’s very own “Ballistic Sh*t Circus.” The duo consists of Ithaca High School students Corey Mahaney on guitar and vocals and Peter Pillardy on drums. I had the privilege of interviewing Ballistic Sh*t Circus’s Corey Mahaney about the show.

Me: As a local band, how does it feel to be playing a show with a big act like Star F*cking Hipsters?

Corey: It’s pretty exciting because I’m sure there will be a big turnout, which will mean getting good exposure.

Me: Have you ever played any big shows?

Corey: When I played with the Rolemodels we got to open for Sonic Boom Six, who are still fairly popular

outside of the US. We also got to open for Cobra Skulls twice and they’ve gotten a lot of attention.

Me: Do you think you’d be doing what you are now if not for IU? Corey: Definitely not. Probably something similar, but a lot less DIY. Ballistic Sh*t Circus proceeded to play several energetic and distorted punk tunes. Combined with Corey Mahaney’s incomprehensible but melodic yelling they had a very unique sound. Though they played a relatively short set and broke a guitar string halfway through, they still got a warm reception from the audience and retained their title as one of the best bands in Ithaca.

Next up was Hiroshima Vacation, a “grindcore” band also from Ithaca. Grindcore is basically metal with distorted and down-tuned riffs, fast tempo, and growls and screams for lyrics. Hiroshima Vacation consisted of the Caso brothers (Tenor and Vii) switching off between guitar and drums. I had the privilege of interviewing Hiroshima Vacation’s Tenor Caso.

Me: As a local band, how does it feel to be playing a show with Star F*cking Hipsters, and have you ever played a big show?

Tenor: Playing with big acts always gives you a little extra adrenaline before the show, and we’ve played with a couple other national bands, like Today is the Day and Magrudergrind.

HELP WANTED The Tattler needs

cartoonists,

Me: How did you guys get involved with IU? Tenor: When you got enough songs down, or a set, you just contact Bubba (the don of IU) and ask to set up a show. Pretty soon you get the hook up, that’s what we did.

Me: Do you think you’d be doing what you are now if not for IU? Tenor: We’ve all been in various bands before IU, so yeah I think so.

Definitely makes things more convenient though.

They played a series of short, fast songs, got their praise from the audience, and made way for the next band, Ailments. As Ailments got on stage, scruffy-looking frontman Tyler Rodkey declared this was his first show sober. They then proceeded to turn their amps up to an eardrum-shattering volume, and busted out some tunes that bordered between hardcore punk and flat-out rock & roll. As always, the audience loved them and danced like crazy to their music. When they had finished they left the stage and waited with the rest of the crowd for the moment when Star F*cking Hipsters would take the stage.

It took a little while, but finally the band, beers in hand and looking as if they had just been plucked from the streets of New York City, walked onto the stage and began to fiddle with their equipment and set up the drum set. As they did this, the number of people in the Haunt pretty much doubled with people dressed in black army jackets

covered in patches and jeans with dangling chains. As soon as the first song started, the crowd of people became more like a waving sea of motion as they pushed each other around, dancing manically. The energy and loud instruments filled the bar and even I got off the sidelines to participate in the shoving and dancing. Sure, I got hit a couple times, but it was all in good fun so I couldn’t care less. About halfway through the band’s set the place reeked of sweat.

The band’s performance was awesome, full of crowd participation and energy. Stza even walked with his wireless guitar to the other side of the bar and got up on one of the tables during a song. At the end they asked if we wanted them to come back to Ithaca, and the audience responded with a loud cry of “yes.” When they were done, the crowd began to chant for them to play one more song, and, being good sports, they let us vote on what they should play. The crowd decided on “500 Channels,” a song by Stza’s first band Choking Victim. The crowd shoved extra hard and sang along for the final song.

After going to this show, my only advice to you folks is if you’re ever at home bored one night, want a new experience or to blow off some steam, you need not look any further than Ithaca. Just head down to an IU show.

It’s worth the five or so bucks. And if it isn’t the best time you’ve ever had in Ithaca, you can always just go home and listen to your Lady Gaga.

photographers,

columnists,

and most of all,

New Maroon 5 Album Reveals an Interesting Change in Sound

By ELIE KIRSHNER

The first four or five songs of Maroon 5’s new album, Hands All Over, sounded fresh and new.

The rest of the album, however, seemed like variations of songs from their first and second albums. I got the deluxe version of Hands All Over, but all I received for the extra five bucks was a horrible acoustic version of “Misery” and two other forgettable acoustic versions of songs. Even after listening to the album a few times, some of the songs were not at all memorable. There seemed to be less emphasis on auto-tune use in Hands All Over than in their last album, It Won’t Be Soon Before Long. One of the major faults of the album is that it doesn’t have a real radio hit.

On a better note, “Misery,” “Stutter,” and “Never Going to Leave This Bed” are decent songs.

PHOTO/PROVIDED But at the same time, I feel like

their decency only stemmed from the fact that they all sounded very similar to songs in It Won’t Be Soon Before Long. And while “Hands All Over” has Maroon 5 experimenting with arena rock, which is fine and catchy, Adam Levine’s voice and power cords don’t suit that genre. Still, it was nice to see them experiment with new kinds of music. Another experiment for Maroon 5 was “Out of Goodbyes,” a country song which includes harmonies with Lady Antebellum. Even though I’m not a big country fan, Adam Levine and Lady Antebellum’s voices harmonized together well, and overall I enjoyed the song.

In It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, Maroon 5 was accused of selling out and losing their original sound. Hands All Over comes across as their attempt to re-embrace what they started out with.

But perhaps what is lost isn’t so easy to regain; it felt as if something was missing through the entire album.

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editor@ ihstattler.

com for more information

The Six Worst Sports Towns in America The Sergio Mitre offering came in flat and Reid Brignac did not miss. As the towering fly ball made its way to the nest of arms and jostling fans out in the right field bleachers, the Tampa Bay Rays began to huddle around home plate, waiting for their hero to come sprinting in so they could begin their gleeful drubbing of the reserve batter that had been on the bench all night. The Rays had finally passed the Yankees in one of the most exciting and hard fought pennant races in recent memories. The Rays had finally passed the World Champions. 26,907 people watched, half of them Yankee fans. That may not sound like a lot to you, but it was one of the largest attendances at Tropicana Field all year.

It has been a reoccurring problem in Tampa ever since Major League Baseball awarded them a team

in 1998, but that was due in part to ten straight last place and 100 loss seasons. Then 2008 happened, the Rays shocked the baseball world by winning 98 games, a division, and ultimately appearing in the World Series...they ranked 26th in all of baseball in attendance that year. I’m not kidding. The Yankees, on the other hand, led the majors in attendance but missed the playoffs. People get the notion that if so many of baseball’s most talented players were from central Florida, then there must be a hot bed of passionate fans in the same area. Sadly that is a false association, and though they have been a part of a nail biting and exciting pennant race (not since 2001 have the two teams with the best record come from the same division, as is the case this year), the Rays rank a startlingly low 23rd in baseball.

Bad sports towns are all over the map. For every New York and Philadelphia there are just as many laid-back or ill-informed groups of fans who would rather be surfing or watching celebrities order ice cream. It is a sad fact about the word we live in.

The Philadelphia Phillies fill 103% of their ballpark every night. Yes, they go over the capacity on a nightly basis. Meanwhile, we have NFL blackouts in Florida, half filled parks in California, and an overall lack of interest in sports in towns across the country. Where are the best fans is the up for debate, but the places with the worst fans are not difficult to identify.

Sports are proven to bring communities together, so how can anyone be so good at shunning such continued on p. 15

In Remembrance: Coach Dan Fravil

By Emma Preston

There is not one person who has met Coach Fravil and not been able to realize his unmistakable spirit. The hat, the turtleneck, and his dedicated passion are what made him the coach he was every single day. It’s such a unique experience to interact with someone who is so purely passionate about the things they’re doing. Coach Fravil’s passion was so strong that it rubbed off on all of his athletes, and the effect brought complete dedication. When reading this quote, the only thing I could think about was Coach Fravil. He had the spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel more than anyone I’ve ever met, and he showed it by his encouragement and attention to the individuality of every single athlete he coached. Whether it was his absolutely crazy stories, or the certain look he got on his face when he explained how we like to have a little “fun” during Saturday practices (a couple medicine balls to the face, and an excessive buildup of lactic acids later, we all knew exactly what he meant); he always drove us to do our best.

On Sunday, October 3, co-workers, athletes, alumni athletes, parents, and family of Coach Fravil piled into the activities building at IHS to remember him the best way that the Ithaca Track & Field and Cross-Country family knows how.

Everyone from current athletes to long-ago-graduated athletes, from grandchildren to athlete parents, stood up in front of the crowd and shared their stories, memories, and even some quotes from the Coach we love and remember. He aspired to be all that he was, and he is what he aspired to be. His actions as a father, a grandfather, friend, co-worker, coach, encouraged and inspired us in a way that will endure with us forever. He is watching every single meet, race, and workout, just waiting for those knees to drop so he can loudly remind you to drive them back up again. The bond that comes from the teams he coached isn’t something that just happens; it’s something that is created by the amazing spirit that will be present with us always. We’ll always remember your presence and feel it with us for every PR and new accomplishment; it’s for you, Coach Fravil.

Soccer Off to a Great Start

By CAROLINE FLEISCHAUER

Few can forget Landon Donovan’s game-altering goal this summer versus Algeria. However, if you go down to the turf most weeknights at 7:00, you can experience the same rush and exhilaration firsthand. I’m speaking, of course, of the Ithaca soccer teams. Both teams lost a plethora of seniors last year, 9 girls and 17 boys. As a result, the younger players have really been making their mark on Ithaca soccer. Says Andrew Troisi ‘11, “We’re really starting to come together as a team.

We have a lot of depth this year that we haven’t had in past years. There’s a lot of camaraderie. The young guys are really starting to step up.” Clearly, losing their ’10 squad hasn’t been too detrimental; the varsity boys are jumping into their season with a winning record, standing presently at 4-1 after beating out some tough teams, namely U-E, Vestal, ESS, and Binghamton. Sadly, in the game against Bing-

hamton, goalie Mark Demarest ‘12 injured his leg and is now out for the remainder of the season, putting Sam Cherney ‘12 in the net. Hopefully this won’t negatively impact the team’s momentum, and we wish Demarest a fast recovery!

The girls team is also back with a vengeance this year; after losing their first three games, they dealt out three consecutive defeats, taking out Binghamton, EFA, and ESS. Safira Amsili ‘11 addresses some of the early tribulations of the season: “A lot of players graduated, so we have lots of new girls this year. At first, it was difficult learning to play with completely new players.” However, as evidenced by their recent winning streak, the girls’ early rough patch is over, and we all avidly look forward to the addition of tallies to their ‘WIN’ column as the season progresses. IHS, remember to go support both of your soccer teams, and wish them luck as they continue to dominate other Section IV teams and look towards some championships!

PHOTO/JACKIE CORNELL

PHOTO/RACHEL WALDROP

PHOTO/OWEN KAY

“The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.”

-Vince Lombardi

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October 22, 2010

Wife Carrying: When Muscles and Love Unite

By KATHERINE HAMBURY

What’s the number one rule in wife carrying? ... all participants must have fun. The offbeat sport of wife carrying originated in Finland and was most likely inspired by a combination of historical tales. One tale dates back to the 19th century and tells of men who stole wives from nearby villages. Another is about an outlaw, Rosvo-Ronkainen, who made men prove that they could be worthy soldiers by competing in a race where each man carried heavy sacks. When you put these two fables together, you get wife carrying!

Contrary to popular belief, wife carrying does not require that each man carry his own wife. Rules for Finnish wife carrying state that the male participant may carry his wife, his neighbor’s wife, or anyone he found “further afield.” So shouldn’t the sport be called “Woman Carrying?” I guess it’s not as catchy. Despite this, not every female in the world is qualified to take on the title of “wife.” Any willing woman who takes on the title of “wife” for the competition must be over the age of 17 and weigh at least 108 pounds. If the “wife” weighs less than the required amount, she must carry a rucksack filled with weights so she meets the weight minimum. Each wife carrier must think wisely about which woman he chooses to carry. He wouldn’t want strategy for a fun sport to result in relationship problems.

Wife carrying is actually quite simple to play. Participants compete two at a time on a course that is 253.5 meters long. The track has two dry obstacles (sand, grass, or gravel) and a wet obstacle (one meter deep).

The objective is to finish the course as efficiently and quickly as possible. And what, exactly, does the winning pair receive? In Finland, the prize is the wife’s

weight in beer. However, prizes vary depending on the event.

Even though the sport seems simple, it requires immense strategy and skill. There are three tried-and-

PHOTO/PROVIDED

Ithaca Girls’ Swimming Continues Dominance

true techniques that seem to reign supreme when it comes to carrying the wife: piggyback, fireman’s carry (woman draped around mans shoulder like a snake), and Estonian carry (woman hangs upside down with legs wrapped around man’s shoulders while woman grabs onto the man’s waist). Clearly, there is some risk involved when men are racing through an obstacle course while carrying women. For obvious reasons, all women are required to wear helmets. If a man drops his wife, he is penalized with an additional 15 seconds onto his race time (and probably some relationship problems). It’s a good thing the wives don’t weigh much because men drop their wives all the time.

I’m sure you’re wondering, in the name of equal rights, can a woman compete as the carrier in wife carrying? Or can two men or two women compete?

Well, according to Finnish rules, the answer is no. The rules for wife carrying state that the carrier must be male and the “wife” must be female. Some people are a bit baffled about this fact because Finland prides itself as the first parliament in the world to accept full gender equality. However, there’s no need to get worked up about this issue, because wife carrying is nothing more than a friendly, compelling, enjoyable sport.

Everyone knows that practice makes perfect. Then again, it’s probably not a great idea to go to the gym and run on a treadmill while balancing your wife on your back. Don’t worry, though – you can train just as John Farra did, the winner of the 2006 North American Wife Carrying Championship. Farra trained by running around his yard with an 80-pound bag of cement balanced on his back. Personally, I would advise against training in public, because while wife carrying is a serious and legitimate sport, it happens to look a little ridiculous.

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Football Team Going Strong

By SUZIE HIRASUNA

PHOTO/ANNALI VERNON

By SAMANTHA GRANISON

The IHS girls’ swim team is known for its achievements. They have gone undefeated since 1989, and winning has become a tradition for these dedicated ladies. Like most sports, they have practice after school from 4:00 to 6:30 and then a two-hour Saturday practice as well. In addition to this, they do morning lifts and abs with Coach Hunter three times a week. The hardest type of workout in the pool for swimmers is when they cover around 500 yards.

This hardworking team is fairly young this year, having only one senior, Mieke Ruina ‘11. Ruina serves as captain along with Ally Van Valen ‘12 and Shelby Williams ‘12. As captains, they organize events, lead some practices, and are the team’s communicators with the coaches.

The head coach, Roy Staley, is assisted by four other people who help bring success to the team. This year, though, the assistant coaches were cut in the budget, so their coaching has become volunteer. The girls held an annual car

wash and raised approximately $2,200, which they used to give their assistant coaches a salary.

Ruina feels that their success comes from how close they are as a team. The girls do a lot of bonding activities, such as having a secret buddy (when everyone on the team gives another girl a gift before every meet). There are also a lot of team dinners, which tend to occur before important meets. To bring about team unity, they go all out on team spirit.

For away meets, the tradition is to dress formally, and the team does team spirit the entire week before sectionals.

The swim team meets are high-energy, so there is always a lot of cheering.

The girls’ biggest rival was supposed to be Union-Endicott, but U-E didn’t turn out to be much competition for this killer team.

Swimming is a physically and mentally challenging sport. Ruina said that during a workout or a race, there is always going to be a wall; what makes a good swimmer is that they can push through that wall.

The 2010 varsity football team started off this season with two blowout wins (65-21 vs. EFA; 400 vs. Massena); however, the team is still waiting to test their talent against other strong teams. Led by captains Riley Lasda ‘11, Reggie Feaster ‘11 and Sam Donovon ‘11 and Head Coach Ed Redmond, this group shows great promise. After a tough and well-fought game against the newly combined Corning team, as well as an even closer game against Union-Endicott (21-24), the Little Red will have to keep fighting. But what about the ‘09 and ‘10 seasons that have improved their performance in games? What was missing in the varsity football seasons only two years ago? (’07 season’s record is 1-8, ’08 season’s record is 0-9.)

Louie Koconis ‘11, starting tight end and defensive end, stated: “Our last two varsity teams have had excellent team bonding experiences.

A team with good chemistry is a team destined to succeed.” In the ’08 season the talent was definitely there, and the roster had a little more size than this season’s, but it’s ‘10’s mentality and relationship on the field that gives them the competitive edge over past years.

So what should IHS expect of this year’s football season? This season will not have a boring game.

Don’t be surprised when Ithaca comes out on top more than we’ve grown to expect. First string quarterback Vinnie Gneo will be throwing long to wide outs Joe Bucci, Jaden Henderson, Alec Iacovelli and Andrew Johnson. Riley Lasda and Keagan Duncan will carry the running game. The offensive line was predicted to be Ithaca’s weakness, mostly because of their general small size. Despite this, they have been performing well, as they were named Athletes of the Week in the Ithaca Journal.

On the defensive end, pardon the pun: Ithaca has generally been very strong. A combination of speed and experience is apparent to spectators. However, recent minor injuries may have contributed to the close loss to U-E on September 24th. The linebackers are Richie Gillespie ‘12, Riley Lasda ‘11, Zach Williams ‘11, Bennett Winters ‘11 and Keagan Duncan ‘11. And wide receivers Bucci, Henderson and Iacovelli play as defensive backs.

Only you can determine the home field advantage that the Little Red will enjoy, so get out and support the team.

15 TOWNS

October 22, 2010

continued from p.13

a good thing? I think it is the easiest thing in the world to be a good sports fan, so the fact that there are bad sports towns astounds me. I took the liberty of ranking the six worst sports towns in America, and all I can say is: hats off to all the towns on this list. This is a new level of pathetic.

6. Miami The one thing easier than being a sports fan? Being a sports fan when things are going well. After the re- signing of Dwyane Wade and the additional free agent signings of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, the Miami fan base will all of a sudden become the most invested group of basketball supporters anyone has ever seen. Last year the Heat ranked 15th in attendance, but the most telling sign that Miami fans are bad fans can be found in their reaction to the one-hour LeBron Fest special “The Decision.” As Cleveland fans cried and burned LeBron jerseys, Heat fans acted more like they were at the opera then at a sports bar. It was painful to watch as one fan base got its heart broken and another one didn’t look like it cared. The same can be said about football.

One of the reasons we Bills fans dislike Dolphins fans is that the game every Sunday is not life or death to them. Win or lose, Dolphins fans still have sand, sun, and surf. It is the most frustrating thing to watch.

5. Boston Hear me out: Boston has fooled the masses for years by draping their sports inefficiencies behind a blanket of misguided passion. The Boston sports fan supports one team with all their passion (the Red Sox) and watches as the other four falls to the wayside. Gillette Stadium is often referred to as the “quietest stadium in the NFL” and the reason is that Boston fans are not prone to support a team for which they can’t gain sympathy from the rest of the country. The Celtics played in front of half filled arena’s before Kevin McHale orchestrated the trade of all trades and established the first 21st century “Big Three”. Now Boston might as well be basketball central USA. For a town with so many colleges, it might be the worst college sports town in America; even their support of the Red Sox can be questioned. Passionate? Sure. Intelligent?

Not so much. The majority of Red Sox fans were convinced that the reason they didn’t win a World Series for 86 years was because a dead man was controlling their players from the grave. Give me a break. These people are supposed to be the shining example for sports fans to follow and they are blaming hex’s and jinx’s for their team’s failures. The Bills lost four straight Super Bowls in the 1990s and their fans aren’t blaming the ghost of Jack Kemp for their Super Bowl losses. Boston fans have fooled you. It’s okay though because you are not alone.

4. Los Angeles This one was hard, because I believe that Dodgers fans rival Giants fans as the best fans on the west coast. That, however, does not excuse the country club atmosphere at Angels games, the fact that 200 people attend Clippers games regularly or the fact that L.A Lakers fans are without a doubt the WORST fans in sports. Lakers fans arrive midway through the 2nd quarter, try to get on the jumbo tron, then leave at the end of the 3rd quarter. Instead of breaking down the opposing team’s post defense in a sports bar, Lakers fans talk about what actress they saw while enjoying some kind of green herbal tea.

It is embarrassing. I don’t think a franchise that successful should really be allowed to have fans that bad. It is pathetic.

3. Jacksonville When the NFL can’t succeed in your town, that is a clear indication that your town does not deserve professional sports. The NFL is a multi Billion dollar juggernaut because fans attend NFL games in staggering numbers. Except for in one city, for one team. The Jacksonville Jaguars made headlines last year not for their pursuit on a return trip to the playoffs, but for the numerous

blackouts of home games. The Jags averaged a little fewer than 50,000 fans per game, good enough for 30th in the league. Seven of the 8 home games in 2009 were not seen locally. That is staggering; it really never happens. The Jacksonville experiment in the NFL is similar to MLB’s experiment in Tampa Bay. A hot bed for players must equal a hot bed for fans. Again this does not end up being true. When the NFL expanded in 1995 Jacksonville beat out football towns like Memphis, St. Louis, and maybe the greatest tragedy of all, they beat Baltimore’s bid to replace the displaced Colts. Jacksonville beat out some great Football towns and has proven to be maybe the worst town itself.

It seems highly unlikely that the NFL can survive in Jacksonville right now, some say it is on life support already.

2. San Diego Why are Chargers fans worse then Jags fans? While the Jaguars enjoy mild success year to year, they haven’t reeled off a dominant 13-3 type season since the 1990s. That is the way every season is for the Chargers. The Chargers are the Phoenix Suns of basketball, lots of talent that is worthy of a championship but for some reason they have never quite been able to get over the hump. The Chargers employ an enclave of talented players at a variety of positions. In 2009 they won 11 straight games to close out the season, but they still couldn’t crack the top half of the league in attendance. Despite a 13-3 record, a supposedly easy path to a repeat division championship, and one of the most exciting young Quarterbacks in the league [Philip Rivers] the Chargers couldn’t even sell out their home opener. Literally everyone sells out their home opener. The only game in 2009 the Jags sold out was their home opener. It just is painful to me to see the towns that don’t have professional football and the teams that do. I say move the Chargers to any college football town in the Deep South and see what happens. Maybe the disconnect between the college and professional game spell doom, I don’t know. Here is what I do know, professional sports [don’t even get me started on the Padres] should not be allowed in San Diego. I am all for a constitutional amendment. Hey, if we are going to do this thing, let’s do it right.

1. Tampa Bay We already know that the Rays can’t fill their ugly, ugly baseball stadium despite having one of the most exciting young teams in baseball, but what about other sports in the Tampa area? Well, the Bucs ranked 27th in the league in attendance last year, but the really startling number is how low they are on the NFL attendance list for this young season. The Bucs rank 30th with a little over 54,000 fans showing up for their games. This even after the Bucs started the year 2-1. The 0-4 Bills, on the other hand, average 69,278. Did you know there is an NHL team in Tampa? I have to remind myself from time to time.

The Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t crack the top 20 last year despite competing for the playoffs [seems to be a trend for Tampa fans] and yet they still draw more then the Rays do. That is another complete mystery in and of its self.

On October 3rd, I had the fortune of going to Ralph Wilson Stadium to see the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets do battle. It made me thankful for what I have, for I have the geographic pleasure of rooting for a team with a fan base that is as deeply passionate and smart as any fan base in sports. The game was sold out despite the Bills 0-3 record going into the game. I got to experience the cold, the rain, and the sheer experience of being around 70,000 likeminded fanatics [a side note, go to a Bills game at The Ralph, just once in your life. It ranks in the top 3 greatest sports atmosphere I have ever been a part of].

Sports bring communities together, stimulate economies, and provide a much needed distraction for people. Why certain towns and communities would shun such a great thing is beyond me. I guess if you live in a town where most of the residents are retired 80 year olds who have to do be in bed by 5, you may have a problem selling out your ballpark.

Ithaca Girls’ Tennis Holds Winning Record

By CAROLINE ESTILL

The Ithaca Girls’ Tennis team is on a roll this season with a record of 7-1. This record follows the tradition of high performance for the team, which has gone undefeated the past two seasons. Vestal is the only team to defeat Ithaca so far this season, in a close match that ended 4-3. Despite this setback, the team is confident that it will succeed. Doubles player Emma Logevall ‘12 commented: “We may have lost to Vestal, but we still have great wins over many other difficult teams.” Ithaca’s toughest wins came over Horseheads (4-3) and Maine-Endwell (4-3). Last season, Ithaca managed to beat Maine-Endwell in the STAC Championships.

One problem facing Ithaca this year is the loss of many players. After four seniors graduated and two juniors left to study abroad, the team’s lineup has been seriously depleted.

Fortunately, many younger players have filled the empty spots and stepped up their game.

Sophomore co-captain Mane Mehrabyan ‘13 plays at first singles, replacing her sister Lucy, to much success. Fourth singles is dominated by freshman Sierra Denesevich ‘14. Rachel Pollak ‘12, a doubles player, attributes the team’s success to its depth: “We don’t just have one or two great players. Instead, we have an entire team filled with accomplished, allaround players.”

Other Ithaca players attribute the team’s achievement to the charisma and closeness of the team. Senior co-captain Rebecca Gilovich ‘11 stressed this idea of togetherness in a talk to the team: “If you win your match, think of how 25 other people will be happy and celebrate for you, and if you lose, no sweat. You’ll have 25 people to cheer you up so you can win the next one.”

This team mentality has worked so far to provide Ithaca with victory. Hopefully, they can maintain their winning record with upcoming matches and have a successful rest-ofseason.

PHOTO/LAUREL MALEY

By Janice Jinx

HORRORscopes

Aries (March 21 to April 19): You complain your world is spinning around in circles. The universe’s advice? Get off the Teacup!

Taurus (April 20 to May 20): Time to work off extra weight. That Siamese twin is getting really obnoxious.

Gemini (May 21 to June 20): You are a star! Well, according to your mother.

Cancer (June 21 to July 22): This month, don’t drop any cement blocks on your foot. That would hurt. A lot.

Leo (July 23 to August 22): It’s time to end your relationship with Big Brother.

He’s just not the same anymore.

Sagittarius (November 23 to December 21): You will be an unsuccessful pastry chef. Ramsay’s going to serve you his rage on a plate.

Virgo (August 23 to September 22): Don’t propose, she’s not the one. She has a goat cheese fetish.

Capricorn (December 22 to January 19): Armadillos. Ducks. Iguanas. Oh, and then there’s you.

Libra (September 23 to October 23): Yeah, you’re sick; but the bacteria are healthy.

Aquarius (January 20 to February 19): The stars predict a change in your choice of ice cream toppings; this will inspire a dramatic novel.

Magic Cards

Pisces (February 20 to March 20): It’s time to pierce your ears, and other various body parts.

Mallowmar Season

Scorpio (October 24 to November 22): Gummy worms are the closest things you will ever have towards real friends.

Ask Angelika...

leave a trail on the dance floor. Mascara should sweat down your face. Most importantly, remember your fake lashes. The longer, the better. Your eyes will stick out like a sore thumb.

Dear Angelika,

I’ve just got my first date to winter formal! This is my first high school dance and I don’t know what to wear or how to dance! Please, Angelika, give me some advice so I can be the coolest person there!

-Wannabe A. Superstar

Dear Wannabe A. Superstar, Your first date, that’s exciting! Don’t worry Wannabe, I’m the queen of dancing and social activities. I know how to rock out, yet keep it cool. With my help, you’ll be the second-hottest thing there! I’ve included some tips to help you do your best: 1. Pick the Shortest Dress or Suit Possible Scratch that; don’t even arrive clothed. The less you wear, the more attention you’ll receive when you are kicked out for not following the school’s dress code.

2. There is No Such Thing as Too Much Makeup Pack it on like there is no tomorrow. Your eye glitter should

3. Forget Your Date Your date’s only purpose was to provide transportation. So go ahead, enjoy the night, and dance with everyone! The more the merrier. But don’t forget to spend the last dance with your date.

You still have to get back home.

4. Be Prepared Bring all your electronic devices. You must balance taking quick snapshots with your camera while texting the guy across the room. Everyone on Facebook, Myspace and Twitter needs to know what is happening to you every minute. Don’t betray your followers!

5. The After-Party The school dance may end at a certain time, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop partying. Listen carefully for the address of the after-party and be there! If you can’t come, plan an extravagant story of where you awoke, and what you found in the morning.

Yours truly,

Angelika

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