/03.22.2012

Page 1

The Ithacan Thursday, M a r ch 22, 20 12

Volume 79, Is s u e 2 2

Special Series

IC 20/20: bringing the vision into focus

Photo illustration by Rachel orlow

Introducing the series

Part one: Integrative curriculum

By aaron edwards

By Patrick Duprey

Last year, President Tom Rochon addressed a packed auditorium of faculty and staff at the All College Meeting and emphasized what would become something of a mantra: “This is the year,” he said. It hinted that something big was about to happen — something that would define Ithaca College for years to come. We now know that those plans and goals have culminated in IC 20/20, the college’s trustee-approved 10-year vision. Beginning this week, The Ithacan will be publishing a series of articles examining all of the key initiatives in IC 20/20. Our team of reporters has taken time to break each part down and analyze how the vision plan might affect the college in the next decade.

As Ithaca College faculty and administrators prepare IC 20/20’s integrative core curriculum for committee and state approval, the five professional schools are making final adjustments to accommodate what some faculty members are calling the most drastic curriculum change in the college’s history. The Integrative Core Curriculum, a result of cross-college collaboration and pressure from the college’s

editor in chief

Online Editor

accreditation body that will begin to be implemented this fall, will establish the college’s first-ever college-wide general education system, with a minimum of 40 credits per student. As part of the ICC, new themes and perspectives requirements will call for students to select one of six themes and take four courses in surrounding disciplines that revolve around that theme. Other initiatives under the theme of integrative learning in the IC 20/20 plan promote integrative majors and electives

Ithaca College alumna accepts HSHP dean position by Grayson Wilkins staff writer

Ithaca College has appointed Linda Petrosino ’78 the next dean of the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance. The search process for the new dean included candidates from across the country. The applicants were narrowed down to a group of semifinalists who had neutral site interviews in January. Four of those were then chosen and brought to campus, Marisa Kelly, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said. “They were all excellent candidates, but Linda really stood out as having the right combination of both experience and enthusiasm,” she said. “That combination in addition to all of the practical abilities that she clearly had really helped us make the decision.” Petrosino also engaged well

Linda Petrosino, left, current dean at Bowling Green State University and future HSHP dean at Ithaca College, addresses students at BGSU.

Courtesy of BGSU Photo Department

with faculty, administrators and students throughout the search process, which is critical for a dean, Kelly said.

silent no more Student shares stories of suicide to raise awareness about risks, page 13

“It was easy to see during her time here on campus that she would be able to engage with all members of the campus community in a

positive way,” she said. Petrosino received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in speech pathology and audiology from the college, but Kelly said this did not have a major influence on her hiring. “It is a very nice side benefit to be able to welcome her back to her alma mater,” she said. Petrosino began as an entry level assistant professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Bowling Green State University 26 years ago. She then served as associate dean at the College of Health and Human Services at BGSU before gaining the full position, which she has been in for the last 10 years. Petrosino said she was attracted to the college because of the presidential and new provost

See HSHP, page 4

to bridge the gap between the schools and encourage students to connect ideas across disciplines. Marisa Kelly, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said the college’s Committee on College-wide Requirements has established the framework for the ICC, and the schools are currently reviewing that framework internally. Kelly said the ICC framework

See ic 20/20, page 4

IC to outsource email service by noreyana fernando Staff writer

Ithaca College has announced plans to abandon its current email system and shift to Microsoft-powered Live@edu, an email service, which Information Technology Services officials have called an improved system. The new email system will provide students, RUGG said the faculty members college will switch and staff mem- to Live@edu email bers with 10 service in August. gigabytes of email and calendar data storage and sharing, 25 gigabytes of online file storage through Skydrive, Microsoft Office

See webmail, page 4

dual interest

It's private

Junior exercises childhood passions for softball and equestrian, page 23

Guidelines for roommate respect should include web privacy, page 10

f ind m or e onl ine. www.t heit hacan.org


[ T hurs day Bri ef ing]

2 The It hacan

Th ursday, M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2

Nation&World

Pentagon disputes Afghan claims

and banging his fists on the pavement. He was in his underwear when police arrived. His outburst came after the video’s sudden success on the Internet brought heightened scrutiny to Invisible Children, the group he cofounded in 2005 to fight African war atrocities. Russell’s family said the filmmaker’s behavior was not because of drugs or alcohol. He was given a preliminary diagnosis of brief reactive psychosis, in which a person displays sudden psychotic behavior.

The Pentagon disputed claims yesterday by Afghans near the villages where a U.S. soldier is alleged to have killed 16 civilians that there had been a roadside bombing in that vicinity a few days earlier that wounded U.S. soldiers. A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. John Kirby, said U.S. officials have found no record of such an attack. Villagers have said they are convinced that the March 11 massacre, allegedly carried out by Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, was in retaliation for the earlier roadside bombing of a U.S. military vehicle on March 7 or 8. They said it occurred in Mokhoyan, a village about 500 yards east of the base where Bales was working.

Belgians mourn deaths in bus crash

King Albert II and thousands of mourners yesterday remembered the 28 victims of last week’s bus crash in a Swiss tunnel during a memorial service centering on the 22 schoolchildren who died suddenly March 13. In northern Lommel, soldiers took part in a solemn procession that carried 15 coffins into a 5,000-person-capacity hall. The brown casket contained the remains of a teacher, and the 14 white ones held the bodies of children who were on the cusp of their teenage years. The students and the teacher were from one of two schools in northern Belgium that shared a bus for a traditional “snow class” vacation in Switzerland. They were returning from that exuberant holiday on March 13 when tragedy struck. Their bus, carrying 52 people, slammed into a tunnel wall. In addition to the dead, 24 children were injured.

French riot police corner gunman

In a tense, daylong standoff, French riot police demanded the surrender yesterday of a gunman they say boasted about shooting seven victims in an al-Qaida-linked terror spree. Hundreds of police cordoned off streets around an apartment building in the southwestern city of Toulouse after a pre-dawn raid to arrest the suspect, Mohamed Merah, erupted into a firefight. Three police were wounded and negotiations with the 24-yearold Frenchman of Algerian descent dragged on for hours. Prosecutor Francois Molins said Merah was a self-taught radical Salafi who expressed glee at killing three Jewish children, a rabbi and three French paratroopers. Merah had been to Afghanistan twice and had trained in the Pakistani militant stronghold of Waziristan, he said. In the negotiations, Merah “expresses no regret, only that he didn’t have time to have more victims. And he even bragged, he said, of bringing France to its knees,” the prosecutor said.

Captive tourist set free in Somalia

A British tourist snatched by Somali gunmen from a resort island in Kenya was freed yesterday after more than six months in captivity, Britain’s Foreign Office said. Judith Tebbutt was taken in September. Gunmen killed her husband, David Tebbutt, during the attack. Tebbutt told Britain’s ITV in Somalia that she was relieved to be released after such a long time in captivity. She said she is in good health and slept well during the kidnapping. She got sick three times but was given medication and healed each time. She said her captors made her “feel as comfortable as possible.” An official with the Somali militia Ahlu

Kony director remains hospitalized The director of a wildly popular video

about brutal African warlord Joseph Kony has been diagnosed with brief psychosis and is expected to stay in the hospital for weeks, his wife said yesterday. Jason Russell, 33, was hospitalized last week in San Diego after witnesses saw him pacing naked on a sidewalk, screaming incoherently

Fighting forward

Campaign worker John Wells hands out signs for Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, before the beginning of a rally in Mandeville, La., yesterday. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney beat Santorum in the Illinois GOP primary Tuesday. Bill Haber/associated press

Sunnah Wal Jama who asked not to be named said a ransom was paid to pirates for Tebbutt’s release. No figure was given. Pirates have long earned multimillion dollar ransoms for taking ships and crews hostage. Families of individual hostages or hostage families have reportedly paid far less. Britain’s Foreign Office said: “Our priority now is to get her to a place of safety.” Tebbutt was expected to fly to Kenya yesterday.

NY program adds 2,900 youth jobs

A new state program has created more than 2,900 jobs for at-risk youths, with another 1,000 certified to participate. Now, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is looking for more employers to expand the program that uses government subsidies to encourage the hiring. Cuomo said yesterday more than 120 businesses have joined the New York Youth Works Program. The state provides $25 million in tax

credits for businesses that hire unemployed and at-risk youths as well as $62 million for job training. Companies get up to $3,000 to put the youths to work for six months. An additional $1,000 is provided if the youth is kept on the job another six months.

Mild winter affects bird migrations

This mild winter is reflected in the most unusual reports in the 15-year history of the Great Backyard Bird Count, a citizen’s science project conducted across North America for four days in February. John Fitzgerald, executive director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, said yesterday that many species were seen in larger numbers farther north than usual. They included early-migrating sandhill cranes and belted kingfishers in northern areas that normally would be frozen over.

SOURCE: Associated Press

corrections

Multimedia

It is The Ithacan’s policy to correct all errors of fact. Please contact Elma Gonzalez at 274-3207.

Can’t get enough of our stories? There’s even more online. Check out our multimedia at theithacan.org/multimedia.

Copy Editors Greg Broslawski, Alexa d’Angelo, John Winters DiMarco, Spencer Goldberg, Robyn Schmitz, Rose Vardell, Sara Webb, Vicky Wolak

Got a news tip? Video

Find out how the mild winter affects global ecosystems and weather patterns.

Audio Slideshow

Listen to the stories of a few of New York City’s inhabitants, photographed by The Ithacan.

Video

Watch junior softball player Lindsey Johnson talk about spring season challenges and goals.

Video

Take a look at Take Back the Tap’s water bottle-use initiatives.

News

Visit the greenhouse on campus to see the Konjac arum bloom.

Like us: facebook.com/ithacanonline

Accent

Go behind the scenes at the Locally Grown Dance Festival.

Follow us: twitter.com/ithacanonline

Sports

Check out the lineup for the upcoming baseball game.

Contact News Editor Kelsey O’Connor at koconno3@ithaca.edu or 274-3207.


n e ws

Th ursday, M ar ch 22, 2012

The I th a c a n 3

Student numbers surge at nonprofits by Makda Getachew contributing writer

Ithaca College is one of many schools beginning to see a rise in student volunteerism, with American students today becoming more involved in nonprofit groups and organizations than they were 20 years ago. In February, the college hosted the Making a Living by Making a Difference panel, where representatives from groups like AmeriCorps: Rural Health Services Corps, City Year, Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center, Secret Service and The Advocacy Center came in to speak about their respective organizations. City Year, a nonprofit group that works with public school students to fight the national dropout crisis, receives a large number of applications from Ithaca College students annually. The organization received 21 applications from the college for the 2009-10 academic year, a figure that doubled last academic year to 42. This year, City Year has already received a reported 31 applications from Ithaca College students and has already hired six. Senior Recruitment Manager Diana Vining said City Year is hiring Ithaca College students at a slightly higher rate than average. Diana Vining, senior recruitment manager for City Year, a national nonprofit organization, talks to “We still have one more application deadline Ithaca College students during City Year Interview Day at the college Feb. 24 in Friends Hall. on April 30, so we anticipate that we will beat last kristen tomkowid/the ithacan year’s numbers,” she said. “I feel like, especially with the rise of social between 2008 and 2010. Vining said they chose the college as one of Junior Nicole Hakimi, president of Stutheir focus schools for recruitment because of the media, we’ve seen a lot more attention pulled toward nonprofits,” Stoltz said. “Nonprofits dents Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations philanthropic nature of its students. “We’ve selected IC as one of our target schools especially have benefited from this rise in popu- at the college, which was founded in the fall larity of social media because it’s of 2010, began working with clients late last because of the shared cula free outlet, so it’s a great re- year. Working exclusively with local nonprofit ture of service, active stuorganizations, SCNO gives students the opporsource for them.” dent body and previous Over the last five years, the or- tunity to apply their skills in the real world and hires,” she said. ganization has raised more than gain work experience. The organization has “I started this chapter because I knew that $20,000 to fight malnutrition in had two undergraduate stustudents in Ithaca love to get hands-on experiEthiopia by providing supplies. dents working as summer “It’s really taken off with Ithaca,” ence,” Hakimi said. “Because of the professional interns since 2010, with two — Elizabeth stoltz Stoltz said. “We always have a new development majors here at Ithaca College, stuIthaca College alumni presbunch of students who come in dents are in a more practical mode of thinking, ently working as long-term — a lot of freshmen we pull from and they want to apply these practical lessons to staff members. Elizabeth Stoltz, president and founder of IC because we’re at the student organization fairs. In- local businesses.” Hakimi said she believes young adults today Food for Thought, a nonprofit organization aimed terest in the club is generally growing.” According to a study completed by the are much more eager to affect change. at fighting childhood malnutrition around the “I think, compared with previous generaworld, particularly in Africa, said social media has Corporation for National and Community played a pivotal role in spreading awareness about Service, the average national volunteer rate tions, our generation wants to make a difference,” for college students was 26 percent per year she said. the organization.

“I feel like, especially with the rise of social media, we’ve seen a lot more attention pulled toward nonprofits. ”

‘Corpse flower’ blooms at Cornell after 10 years by Sally young Staff Writer

The Amorphophallus titanum, a rare plant also known as the titan arum, or “corpse flower,” only blooms once a decade. The plant, which can grow more than 10 feet high, also happens to be right here in Ithaca, in the Cornell University Kenneth Post Greenhouse. The plant seeds came to Cornell in 2002 after they were extracted from a flowering plant at the University of Wisconsin. Carol Bader, the greenhouse manager, has been taking care of it ever since. The corpse plant gets its nickname from the odor it emits when it is in bloom, which is said to smell like a rotting corpse. The smell is produced when the flowers are ready for pollination. The spadix, which is the tall part in the middle of the flower, emits the scent to attract carrion flies, which are attracted to the smell of rotting meat, in order to pollinate it. The plant’s bloom coincided with that of a cousin plant, Amorphophallus konjac, which is cultivated by Ithaca College’s Department of Biology. The Amorphophallus konjac plant, however, blooms annually. The flowering plant was also recognized in 2010 by Guinness World Records for having the tallest bloom

in cultivation. Louis Ricciardiello of Gilford, N.H., grew a titan arum on his orchards that measured 10 feet and 2.25 inches tall. This broke the previous record, also held by a titan arum, of 9 feet and 6 inches. Ellen Leventry, press officer for Cornell, said that the smell is one of the reasons that the plant gets so much attention. “It’s not very often that a plant smells like dead, rotting meat,” she said. “It’s plant matter; it’s not supposed to smell like dead, rotting meat.” Cornell’s plant smelled like rotten cabbage upon blooming, but had faded to a barely noticeable dead fish smell less than 24 hours later, Leventry said. Once it unfurls, the plant only stays in bloom for a couple of days. The plant began to bloom at about 1 p.m. Sunday, and was fully open by 6 p.m. It began to wilt as quickly as midnight. The plant, which was christened “Wee Stinky Glen” by voters in an online poll, was almost completely wilted by noon Tuesday. Caretakers, including Gwynne Lim, a graduate student in the Department of Plant Biology at Cornell, are hoping that the plant will flower now that it has wilted. They collected pollen and will put it in deep freeze

Gwynne Lim, a graduate student in Cornell University’s plant biology department, observes the “corpse flower” Monday in Cornell’s greenhouses.

sally young/the ithacan

for any other institutions or gardens that would like to grow their own titan arum plant. Leventry said that in the days the plant was in bloom, it drew in about 5,000 visitors. People had also been coming all week, before it was in bloom. “It’s a really cool thing,” Leventry said. “Especially here in Ithaca where we don’t often see tropical plants.” Mary Fisher, an Ithaca resident who came to see the plant, said she had expected a stronger smell, but

was still thrilled to see it. “It’s amazing, just amazing,” she said. “The fact that it only blooms so many years — it’s just once in a lifetime for me.” Lim, who also helped with the plant’s pollination, said she was excited to see the rare bloom. “It’s just really elegant, beautiful, charismatic — it’s really special to see,” she said. For more information about the flower, visit blogs.cornell.edu/arum.

City of Ithaca releases results of public survey by Noreyana fernando Staff Writer

The City of Ithaca this month released the results of a city-wide survey conducted in August and September last year to gauge Ithaca locals’ needs. The survey showed 78 percent of respondents were satisfied with the qual- MYRICK said the ity of life in survey provides the city with goals for Ithaca, and 83 future improvement. percent said they feel safe in Ithaca. Using the Random Digit Dialing sampling method, 2,267 residents were called in the city. Out of this number, 360 people finished answering the phone survey, while most of the remaining people were deemed ineligible for different reasons, which included living outside Ithaca. Mayor Svante Myrick said the survey will help the city better communicate to residents how their taxes are used. “We’ll do that using new communication avenues and traditional communication avenues like the newspapers, for example, so we can let people know not just the services we are offering but also what the services cost,” he said. Deborah Mohlenhoff ’92, chair of the Government Performance and Accountability Committee, was in charge of implementing the performance management system that gave rise to the survey. “After we did a lot of benchmarking of other cities that have performance management, one of the things [we saw] all of those other cities have is a city resident survey that is repeated every few years,” she said. “We needed to get an idea of what residents felt about programs and services of the city.” When asked about what aspects of the city they were dissatisfied with, 61 percent of respondents said they were not happy with the maintenance of city roads, and 53 percent reported they do not understand how their tax dollars are spent. Half of the respondents also said they do not think The Commons meets residents’ needs. Former Ithaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson, who also helped develop the survey, said coming up with the right questions was one of their most difficult tasks. “One of the hardest chores at first was trying to figure out what the questions should be,” she said. “Including the mayor’s office, there are 14 departments in the city. Each department does a very different thing, yet we didn’t want to make the questionnaire too long. We wanted to have people willing to answer the questions.” The questions were chosen based on a compilation of recommendations from all city departments, Mohlenhoff said. She also said the survey will be conducted again in a few years, in order to continue observing local response trends. “The purpose of this survey was to get a survey foundation so we could run exactly the same survey every two to four years because we want to know if we are improving in the areas that we asked about in the first place,” she said.


n e ws

4 The It hacan

HSHP dean job secured by alumna HSHP from page 1

leadership and the commitment of the faculty, as well as the strength of the programs, many of them being nationally ranked. These programs include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speechlanguage pathology. “I certainly have a love of KELLY said alumna Ithaca College, havPetrosino has vast ing been an experience working as a dean. alum of the late 1970s and having some other family lineage there,” she said. The IC 20/20 plan was also instrumental in Petrosino’s decision to apply for the position of dean at the college. “It is a very exciting, aggressive plan that I think is the right direction for an institution of higher education, and I was excited to see the college really being on the forefront of where higher education needs to go in terms of a real studentcentered plan,” she said. Diane Gayeski, dean of the Roy H. Park School of Communications and chair of the search committee for the new dean, said the committee selected a list of candidates that were most qualified for the position. From that list, the provost ultimately chose Petrosino. This decision was made by measuring Petrosino’s background up to the needs of the school and responsibilities of the dean position. Besides her practical experience as a dean and her genuine interest in IC 20/20, Petrosino will bring her track record of fundraising experience and success to the college, Kelly said. Once Petrosino takes office, one of the main projects she will tackle will be assisting with the fundraising for IC 20/20. “There are many elements of IC 20/20 that we intend to be funded by way of the institution’s next capital campaign, and we will want all of the deans involved in that effort,” Kelly said. She said Petrosino has collaborated with people across programs, schools and divides at BGSU, helping people resolve their differences and come to agreements. “She has a lot of experience in bringing people together, getting them to sit down at the table when they have a disagreement and being able to ultimately develop a common direction that everyone can agree to,” Kelly said. Petrosino is also confident that she will be a good addition to the college administration. “Hopefully I can bring my many years of administrative experience coupled with my years as a scientist researcher,” she said. “I also understand what is necessary to educate the next generation of health sciences and human performance professionals.”

Th ursday, M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2

Core curriculum to pilot in fall 2012 IC 20/20 from page 1

and the school reviews will be turned over to the Academic Policy Committee in the next few weeks. Once the APC approves the ICC framework, programs and departments will be able to introduce their plans, through their respective schools, that align with the curriculum changes, Kelly said. Once these plans are approved by the CCR and APC, she added, they will be sent to the Provost’s Office before submission to the New York State Department of Education this summer. The move toward a college-wide general education system is largely a result of pressure from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the body that’s accredited the college since 1955, though faculty and administrators say there are other influencing factors. Middle States has established general education as one of its 14 accreditation standards. Richard Pokrass, the commission’s director of communication and President Tom Rochon and Provost Marisa Kelly discuss the IC 20/20 vision plan in August. The plan was already gone into effect. public relations, said colleges that fail to enlist approved by the Board of Trustees in July, and some of the first initiatives have Andrew Buraczenski/the ithacan common general education requirements for stu85 for fall 2013, when the core is fully implemented, each in diversity and quantitative literacy, as well as dents risk not reaffirming their accreditation. Middle States last reaffirmed the college’s according to Danette Johnson, professor of commu- a capstone, first-year composition requirement and three-credit writing-intensive course. accreditation in June 2008, but the college was nication studies and core curriculum director. IC 20/20 seeks to develop new, integrative maThe college’s Board of Trustees approved the assigned a monitoring report, due in April 2010, to address its lack of an assessment program for 2012-13 budget last month, which allots about jors that bridge coursework from multiple schools. student learning and a general education sys- $4.5 million specifically to IC 20/20 initiatives. Existing examples include integrated marketing tem. The college has a periodic review report Carl Sgrecci, vice president of finance and admin- communications, documentary studies, environdue in June 2013, which, Pokrass said, is likely istration, said that of the $4.5 million, about $1.25 mental studies, and culture and communication. The document also recommends schools adopt million has already been committed. This includes to address the new core curriculum. Shaianne Osterreich, associate professor of allocations for seven new faculty hires specifically integrative electives and offers the example of applyeconomics, coordinator of the Ithaca Seminar connected to the core curriculum. Five of these ing the Physical Activity, Leisure and Safety model, and associate director of the core curriculum, hires will occur within the next year, Kelly said, with where students take half- or one-credit pass/fail the other two coming at a later date. courses in sporting areas. An example of an integrasaid the ICC’s timing is partly Across campus, faculty mem- tive elective would be students or faculty members due to Middle States review “[IC 20/20 is] not a bers are continuing to address how teaching personal finance to non-business students. pressure, but is also a result manifesto that says, The move toward integrative learning follows the new requirements will fit into of years of faculty and adminexisting course structures. In some a national trend spearheaded by the Association istrative collaboration on an ‘We’re going to do it this schools, such as the School of Busi- of American Colleges and Universities, an orall-campus general education way, no matter what.’” ness and the Roy H. Park School of ganization designed to improve undergraduate system. —Peter Rothbart Communications, it will be a less education, according to Pat Hutchings, a consultThe college’s plan goes beyond Middle States’ broad requirement of common complicated process of replacing existing distribu- ing scholar for the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The AAC&U has idention requirements with the core. learning objectives for all students, Kelly said. For some of the college’s more credit-heavy tified integrative learning as one of its five goals to “What we’re doing, drawing on strengths that we have already, is creating an integrative core be- majors, such as some in the School of Music, the improve liberal education. “The notion that students might achieve cohercause we believe that is the best way to prepare stu- process is more difficult. Peter Rothbart, professor dents for the world in which they will be living after of music theory, history and composition, said the ence and integration by having everybody do the they graduate from Ithaca College,” Kelly said. “Yes, School of Music has faced a complicated process same thing, by having everybody participate in the we’re meeting Middle States, but this is much more of revising course schematics while still attempting same 12 courses — that’s just not the way of the to preserve some student flexibility amid the chal- world anymore,” Hutchings said. significant than that.” Junior Rob Flaherty, vice president of commuThe core curriculum template requires incom- lenges of meeting core requirements, as well as the nications for the Student Government Association, ing students, beginning in Fall 2013, to select one various accreditation boards. Robert Sullivan, associate professor of com- said he supports an integrative curriculum, but is of six draft themes — Identities; Inquiry, Imagination and Innovation; Mind, Body, Spirit; The Quest munication studies and honors program director, not sure the broadly proposed themes and perspecfor a Sustainable Future; A World of Systems; and said he believes the new core is unlikely to deter tives approach is the best option. Faculty and administrators said even if the plan Power and Justice. Students will then select one students from adding on to their major through course each in humanities, natural sciences, social double majors or study abroad because it unifies garners state approval, it’s not set in stone. “It’s important to understand that IC 20/20 is a sciences and creative arts that relates to the theme. the many general education systems employed by concept that evolves over time,” Rothbart said. “It’s Students must also complete a four-credit seminar schools and programs across campus. The integrative core allows departments au- not a manifesto that says, ‘We’re going to do it this tied to one of the four perspectives. To accommodate the new requirements, the col- tonomy in determining how to require students to way, no matter what.’ As issues arise, there’s suflege will nearly double its seminar offerings to more complete 12 credits of liberal arts electives. Each ficient flexibility built into the process to address than 80 for next year before settling between 80 and student will be required to enroll in three credits and accommodate.”

Poor Webmail performance prompts switch webmail from page 1

Web applications and blogging tools, among other features. Beth Rugg, assistant director of technology and instr uc tional support services, said the decision comes amid reports of poor performance from Webmail, a 4-year-old sys- TAVES said Microsoft's email tem powered by service will provide the email server more storage. Mirapoint, this past fall. Additionally, Mirapoint introduced a double-digit cost increase in June, which Rugg said was also a factor in the decision to switch to the

Microsoft-powered email system. “Just think of yourself as a customer,” Rugg said. “Somebody’s giving you bad service. Why would you pay them more to give you bad service?” Tom Bohn, a lecturer in the Department of Cinema, Photography and Media Arts, said he, like many of his colleagues, is frustrated with the current email system, especially given the importance of using email to communicate with students. “If it was just a personal thing, it would be maybe slightly different,” he said. “But when you have to use it to talk to students, to interact with students, to even give students exercises that require their use of our Webmail system, it does get frustrating.” Junior Jonathan Graniero said his frustration with the current email system led him to forward all of his emails to an alternative account. He

said he is most bothered by system failures during the day. “It’s not even like it’s at four or five in the morning — Webmail goes down at like one in the afternoon until like four in the afternoon or at peak times that people actually need to check their mail.” Rugg also said Oracle Calendar, the scheduling software currently used by the college, will not be continued by Oracle in 2013. She said this detail was taken into consideration when making the decision to have a system that integrates both calendar and email features. Rugg also said that since Microsoft Live is a Web-based email system, it can be used with equal efficiency on both Macs and PCs. Also, the email can be configured with email clients like MacMail or Mozilla Thunderbird. The decision to outsource faculty, staff and student email was recently

approved by the President’s Council, Mike Taves, executive director of ITS, said. The recommendation for the switch, he said, was sent to the Faculty Council, the President’s Council and the Student Government Association. Taves said concerns about email confidentiality have accompanied the decision to outsource all college email accounts to another provider. “Because they run this big commercial environment for other companies, they can probably do at least as good or probably a better job than we can in assuring the security of our community’s data,” he said. Taves said the new email system, expected to launch by August, will be a significant milestone for the college. “It will be a great improvement,” he said. “They’ll have more storage space on email than we’ve ever been able to provide.”


N e ws

Th ursday, M ar ch 22, 2012

The I th a c a n 5

Voluntary response College freshman focuses effort on providing emergency relief by candace king staff writer

Freshman Joshua Couce has violated the speed limit on many occasions. Couce often exceeds more than 100 mph, but he is not behind the wheel of a sports car. He is driving an ambulance with an injured patient in the back. As a Senior Emergency Techni- To read Couce's cian, Couce's commentary rush is driven on emergency by the “golden medical options, hour,” or the first 60 min- visit theithacan. utes following org/21217. a traumatic injury in which immediate medical attention can improve a person’s chances of survival. When Couce is not concentrating on his politics major at Ithaca College, he works for the Newton Volunteer First Aid Squad in Newton, N.J., which is 3 1/2 hours away from the college. From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays when he's home, Couce responds to emergency calls and attends to injured patients. He’s no stranger to the blood and guts that come with being a trained medic. And he knows he is always at risk of contracting a disease when answering emergency calls. “I've been thrown up on before,” he said. “I've been soaked in blood. I've been soaked in people's urine. But you've just got to adapt to it.”

Couce said he has had plenty of time to adjust to the job. At 16 years old, he was certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillation. He began working as a first responder within three months of being certified. After completing the 40 hours of training required to be a First Responder, Couce began taking emergency calls. He said the education was good preparation, but his experiences out in the field are where he has learned the most. Rick Wahlers, 2nd Lieutenant of the Newton Volunteer First Aid and Rescue Squad, has worked with Couce since he first joined and has watched him progress. “He has gone from a somewhat hyper teenager to a very calm, very resourceful adult,” he said. “He is one of the few people who I can honestly say that if I was ever in trouble, I would feel much better seeing him show up.” Freshman Leonard Slutsky, a friend of Couce, said Couce's calm demeanor and knowledge of the field makes him a trustworthy EMT. “After I got to know him a bit better, it made me feel good that he is an EMT or someone who does that kind of work because when he does something, he does it right,” he said. “I really trust him with that sort of thing.” On his first case, Couce was called to his high school football field where one of his friends dislocated his shoulder.

From left, freshman Joshua Couce and 2nd Lieutenant Rick Wahlers stand in front of one of Newton Volunteer First Aid and Rescue Squad's emergency response vehicles. Couce was certified as an EMT at 16 and has been on the squad since.

courtesy of joshua couce

“After that call, I knew I loved this stuff,” he said. “Going to the scene, lights and sirens, adrenaline’s pumping and you’re going there to help that person — even if it’s just a broken bone, you’re still making a difference.” However, some calls have been more traumatic. Couce said he once responded to a man who sustained fatal injuries to the neck and head after falling 10 feet and bashing his head against the side of a staircase. “He had brains coming out of his head, and there was blood all over the floor,” he said. “That was the worst trauma I have ever seen." Couce said he understands encounters with death are inevitable when working in the medical field. “You’re putting in so much effort,

and you’re doing so much that it’s so hard to accept the fact that you feel that you could not do enough to save that person’s life, and they die because of you,” he said. “But in reality, you have to think that it’s not true and that you didn’t even cause that person to be that way.” In his time working with the squad, Couce said he has seen the impact it has on saving lives. For this reason, he said, he wants to establish a First Aid Squad at the college. The initiative is still in the works, but he said he has spoken with staff members in the Health Center and Residential Life. Slutsky said he supports Couce's initiative, and he believes there are added benefits to having an EMT squad on campus.

Writing on deadline. Reporting. Designing pages. Shooting video. Blogging. Copy editing. Selling ads. Taking pictures. Making slideshows. Writing reviews.

Learn to do it all at

The Ithacan.

"There are a lot of emergency calls every year, and they can be handled by something that's not as expensive as an ambulance call,” he said. When Couce is not at home serving on the squad, he can be found in the Taughannock Falls room every Wednesday voicing his concerns as a senator for the Student Government Association. He is also a member of the Model United Nations team at the college, which he calls his “second family.” Though he said his dream is to become a U.S. Senator, Couce said he plans to continue serving as an EMT. “Even if I become a senator, I don't care,” he said. “I'm a person too, and it's something I want to do, and it's something I'm going to do. I'm still going to make my difference.”


6 The It hacan

Th ursday, M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2


Th ursday, M ar ch 22, 2012

N e ws

The I th a c a n 7

Public display of protection Quick Response code condoms give people new ways of checking out and checking in By Lauren Mazzo Staff writer

You may not be Sarah Jessica Parker, but thanks to Quick Response code technology the whole world can now know if you are having sex in the city. Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest has combined the social media technology of QR codes with its National Condom Week campaign to promote safe sex practices for college students and young adults. PPGNW set up WhereDidYouWearIt.com, a website that allows people to “check-in” the location of their safe sex encounter with their smartphones. The QR-coded condoms are available at any Planned Parenthood location. Nathan Engebretson, new media coordinator for PPGNW, said the project was created while brainstorming ideas for National Condom Week, which is observed annually during the week of Valentine’s Day. “We were thinking of how to add our voice to the larger conversation about not only normalizing and encouraging condom use, but really giving people an opportunity to celebrate and be proud of their healthy decisions and responsible behavior,” he said. Putting QR codes on the condoms was also intended to spread the word about the project, Engebretson said. After only a month, there have been more than 8,000 check-ins on the site from nearly all 50 states, six continents and about 170 countries. In Ithaca, there have been five check-ins as of Tuesday. Casey Martinson, public affairs director at Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes, said PPSFL is supportive of the project and shares the national organization’s goals. “We hope that all the attention being generated in the media and social media will bring people’s attention to the importance of

safe sex in our area as well,” she said. While people of all ages may use the site to check in their behavior, most of the check-ins have been from people in their 20s. Engebretson said they were happy to see this pattern of response because college students and 20-somethings were their main targets. “They’re the people who are already using social media, and they’re really comfortable with this channel of communication, so it seems like a natural fit,” he said. Freshman Kristina King, a member of IC VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood, said she doesn’t think the check-in site will be much more widely used, however, because she believes young people view sex as a private matter. “Sometimes people overestimate how into sharing our generation is,” she said. “We will share a lot about ourselves, but I’m not sure that sex is one of those things that people are willing to post about publicly, even in a more anonymous form.” King said the initiative is a worthy cause, but may be lost in today’s culture where condoms aren’t always viewed as a necessary preventative measure. “The unfortunate thing about our environment in regards to sex is that safe sex isn’t considered cool,” she said. “The focus is set on the actual act of sex itself without any regard for the consequences or aftermath.” Engebretson said Planned Parenthood took an unconventional approach to normalizing the use of condoms because the typical tactic of scaring people into using them simply isn’t working anymore. “It’s an alternative that gives people an opportunity to be proud of their responsible behavior,” he said. “That’s just as cool, if not cooler, than the QR codes and technology.”

Water works

Sophomore Emily Junge takes one of three water samples offered by Take Back the Tap on Wednesday during the “Water Challenge.” The water samples were used to show there is little difference between bottled and tap water. The event is part of World Water Week. rachel orlow/The Ithacan


8 The It hacan

Th ursday, M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2

Everyone wants to be liked...

So does The Ithacan.

Find us on Facebook.


N e ws

Th ursday, M ar ch 22, 2012

The I th a c a n 9

{

College & City Torture survivor to speak about social rights activism

Ithaca College will host Patricia Isasa, a human rights activist from Argentina, to give her presentation “Citizenship and Human Rights in Argentina” in several venues from March 23 to 27 at the college. Isasa is a torture survivor who ISASA was imprisoned as a 16-year-old in 1976 for her role in organizing a student union in Argentina. She is currently active in advocating human rights issues, sexual violence, women’s social movements and politics. She will speak after IC Teatro’s performance of “Teléfono,” a play about child abductions during the Dirty War military period in Argentina. The discussion will begin at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow in Studio 2 in Dillingham Center. Isasa will also speak at the presentation of the film “El Juicio,” which will be screened as part of the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival at 2:35 p.m. March 27 in Hill 58. Isasa will also participate in a discussion during the politics seminar, “Citizenship and Social Mobility,” at 4 p.m. March 26 in Friends 303.

Visiting therapist to share health aspect of harp music

Christina Tourin, founder and director of the International Harp Therapy Program, will visit Ithaca College to share her expertise on using music as medicinal therapy.

Tourin’s presentation will be held at 4 p.m. March 30 in Iger Lecture Hall in the college’s James J. Whalen Center for Music. The event will include a performance, a Q&A session and a demonstration of the therapeutic benefits of harp music. Tourin is known TOURIN for pioneering the use of the harp at patients’ bedsides as a method to support healing and ease the end of a patient’s life. The discussion is sponsored by Hospicare, a local resource center that provides hospice care for people of any age with any terminal diagnosis, as well as grief counseling for families. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Ithaca College to sponsor first Palestinian film festival

Ithaca College will host its first Palestinian Environmental Film Festival with a screening at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Williams 232. PEFF will kick off by screening “Little Town of Bethlehem,” a documentary that follows the stories of three men from Israel and Palestine of different faiths who choose nonviolent paths during a time of political violence. PEFF will feature eight films as well as two presentations by guest speakers. All of the festival’s events are free and open to the public. For the complete schedule of the festival, visit icpeff.weebly.com.

Business School to feature IC’s first Alumni Power Day

Ithaca College’s School of Business is holding its first annual Alumni Power Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday. The event will feature alumnus Steve Gonick, vice president and chief marketing office at the Adirondack Small Cap Fund in Albany, N.Y. Gonick will provide insight into Fortune 500 companies like US West and Johnson & Johnson. The day will begin with a Senior Power Breakfast on the fourth floor of the Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise. Gonick will hold office hours in room 203 to answer questions and advise students. For more information, contact alexamcroberts@gmail.com.

Professor publishes chapter in peace journalism book

Matt Mogekwu, associate professor of journalism at Ithaca College, recently published a chapter in the new book “Expanding Peace Journalism.” His chapter, “Conflict Reporting and Peace Journalism: In MOGEKWU Search of a New Model: Lessons From the Nigerian Niger-Delta Crisis,” discusses the role journalists play as peacekeepers and argues they should pay as much attention to preventing conflicts as resolving them. The book is published by the Sydney University Press and edited

Public Safety Incident Log February 22 criminal mischief LOCATION: L-Lot SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person damaged a fire lane sign. Investigation pending. Master Patrol Officer Robert Hightchew. Larceny LOCATION: Gannett Center SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person stole a book and sold it on the Internet. Sergeant Ron Hart.

February 23 Off-campus incident LOCATION: All other SUMMARY: Caller reported two people were injured snowboarding in separate incidents Feb 2. Patrol Officer Dan Austic. harassment LOCATION: Flora Brown Drive SUMMARY: Caller reported a physical altercation between a male and a female inside a vehicle. Officer restricted one person from campus, and one person was judicially referred for responsibility of guest. Patrol Officer Brad Bates. criminal mischief LOCATION: Landon Hall SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person damaged a wireless router in one of the rooms. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Brad Bates. Criminal Trespass LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person opened the door to a resi-

dence hall room several times but did not actually enter the room at about 3 a.m. Feb. 17. Investigation pending. Sergeant Terry O’Pray. Criminal Mischief LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person damaged a light fixture. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Bruce Thomas. Trespass LOCATION: Ben Light Gymnasium SUMMARY: Caller reported people in a locked area after hours. Ten people judicially referred for trespassing and two people for underage possession of alcohol. Security Officer Lucas Thomas.

February 24 making graffiti LOCATION: Campus Center SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person wrote on a few napkin dispensers in the dining hall. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Brad Bates. making graffiti LOCATION: Towers Concourse SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person wrote unidentifiable graffiti on the walls. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Jay VanVolkinburg. larceny LOCATION: Campus Center SUMMARY: Caller reported a person stole digital recorders and then left the building. Person located and arrested. Officer issued an appearance ticket for Ithaca Town Court and restricted the person from campus. Patrol Officer Robert Jones.

}

this WEEK

by Ibrahim Shaw of the University of the West of England, Jake Lynch of the University of Sydney and Robert Hackett of Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada.

thursday

Educational Technology Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Campus Center. “Flow: For the Love of Water,” a film directed by Irene Salinas that examines the world’s water crisis, will begin at 8 p.m. in Park Auditorium.

Cornell receives recognition for community service work

Cornell University was named to the Corporation for Nation and Community Service’s President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, With Distinction on March 12 for its service to disadvantaged youths. According to the corporation’s website, the honor roll, which was launched in 2006, “annually highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community problems.” The honor roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve. Cornell spent about $100 million in its 2011 fiscal year on community outreach and public service. An estimated 7,600 students were engaged in community service in 2011, logging a total of 400,000 service hours.

Distinguished Executive Lecture Series will feature Michael Axelrod ’91 who will speak about technology strategy and business solutions from 12:05 to 1:05 p.m. in the Business School, room 111.

friday Shabbat Services will begin at 6 p.m. in Muller Chapel. Shabbat Dinner will be held at 7 p.m. in Terrace Dining Hall.

SUNDAY Catholic Mass will begin at 1 and 9 p.m. in Muller Chapel.

Initiative funds students to collaborate on research The Educational Grant Initia-

Monday “Just Joshin’ Ya,” an event sponsored by IC Stand Up, will be held from 8 to 9:15 p.m. in IC Square.

tive, funded by Ithaca College’s School of Humanities and Sciences, awarded its annual $10,000 grant at the end of February to 20 collaborative projects between faculty and students in the school. The Humanities and Sciences EGI covers the entire liberal arts curriculum, including humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and fine arts.

Wednesday Battle of the Bands, sponsored by the IC Bureau of Concerts, will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. in IC Square.

selected entries from FEB. 22 to feb. 26

suspicious circumstance LOCATION: Park School of Communications SUMMARY: Caller reported concerns about an Internet posting. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Jeremiah McMurray.

february 25 medical assist LOCATION: Emerson Hall SUMMARY: Caller reported a person sustained a finger injury with uncontrolled bleeding. Person declined medical assistance from ambulance and was transported to CMC by personal vehicle. Master Patrol Officer Christopher Teribury. criminal trespass LOCATION: Circle Apartments SUMMARY: Caller reported a person attempting to break into an apartment by kicking and punching the door. Person arrested, and officer issued appearance ticket for Ithaca Town Court for criminal trespass of the 2nd degree and harassment. Person was determined to be highly intoxicated and was taken into custody under Mental Hygiene Law and transported to CMC. Patrol Officer Robert Jones. medical assist LOCATION: Center for Natural Sciences SUMMARY: Caller reported sustaining a head injury during a simulated fight scene for a film shoot, which was the cause of the injury. Person declined medical assistance from ambulance staff. Patrol Officer Jay VanVolkinburg. conduct code violATION LOCATION: Garden Apartments SUMMARY: Officer reported a person stayed in their building when a fire alarm went off. One person judicially

referred for failure to leave the building during a fire alarm. Patrol Officer Matthew O’Loughlin. conduct code violation LOCATION: Emerson Hall SUMMARY: Caller reported a person passed out. Person transported to CMC by ambulance and judicially referred for underage possession of alcohol. Master Patrol Officer Christopher Teribury. unlawFUL poss. OF marijuana LOCATION: Landon Hall SUMMARY: Two persons judicially referred for possession of marijuana, underage possession of alcohol and excessive noise. Patrol Officer Brad Bates. found property LOCATION: Campus Center SUMMARY: An iPod was found and turned over to the Office of Public Safety. making graffiti LOCATION: Muller Faculty Center SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person wrote graffiti on the wall. Investigation pending. Master Patrol Officer Christopher Teribury. conduct code violation LOCATION: East Tower SUMMARY: One person was judicially referred for underage possession of alcohol. Security Officer Trent Lucas. criminal mischief LOCATION: College Circle Roadway SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person damaged the windshield on someone’s car that was parked in the roadway. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Bruce Thomas.

february 26 conduct code violation LOCATION: Circle Apartments SUMMARY: Caller reported a residence was being loud. Two persons judicially referred for underage possession of alcohol and excessive noise. Patrol Officer Matthew O’Loughlin. found property LOCATION: Terrace Dining Hall SUMMARY: Caller reported finding a knife and turned it over to Public Safety. making graffiti LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person wrote graffiti. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Robert Jones. found property LOCATION: Alumni Hall SUMMARY: Person found a cellphone and turned it over to Public Safety. larceny LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Caller reported a person stole a fire extinguisher. Investigation pending. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke. For the complete safety log,  go to www.theithacan.org/news.

Key cmc – Cayuga Medical Center DWI – Driving While Intoxicated V&T – Vehicle and Transportation MVA - Motor Vehicle Accident IPD - Ithaca Police Department


Opinion

1 0 The It hacan

Th ursday, M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2

editorials

when a friend doesn’t ‘like’ it

As students post personal information on the Internet, residential colleges need to deepen the online privacy conversation.

L

ast week, former Rutgers University student Dharun Ravi was convicted of 15 charges, including invasion of privacy and committing a hate crime. Two years ago at age 18, he used a webcam to spy on his roommate kissing another man in their dorm and streamed the footage over the Internet. Shortly after, his roommate, Tyler Clementi, jumped from the George Washington Bridge and died. Critics say Ravi’s sentence of up to 10 years in prison is too harsh. Others say the verdict was fair for a homophobic act. Were Ravi’s actions simply “ignorant and immature,” as his lawyer said, or were his motivations malicious? Whatever the answer, his case shows that as technology and the way young people use it changes, residential colleges should better educate students about the implications of the invasion of privacy. College students know how to change Facebook privacy settings. But after setting those controls, they can easily place caution on the back burner and give way to the freedom of online sharing — even information about a friend that may violate their notion of what should be kept offline. Students should think of how their posts portray others. Ithaca College is a fairly accepting campus, but the Office of Residential Life should take the Ravi case into consideration and tweak the way students are prepped to live with a stranger. Some students read the entire roommate contract they receive from RAs and talk about potential issues that may arise with people they live with. However, a good majority of them also just skim through it, sign their name and give it back to the RA. Online actions should be brought up at initial RA-resident meetings. For example, is it OK to tag a roommate in a post and upload pictures of the room that includes the roommate’s belongings? Roommates should be conscious of whether their online presence coincides with their agreement. Colleges and students need to discuss the things that don’t always come to mind when posting to social media. By including the Internet in the category of crucial topics to discuss, students can better protect privacy for themselves and those around them.

That’s the spirit

SNAP JUDGMENT Separate quarters Should there be designated housing for freshmen at Ithaca College?

Watch more Snap Judgments at theithacan.org.

Further interfaith dialogue would turn religious acceptance into understanding.

S

tudents with different spiritual ties coexist on Ithaca College’s campus. Now, more can be done to move beyond interfaith coexistence and into understanding. Greater participation in on-campus religious organizations has helped initiate the creation of the Interfaith Council. It makes sense that as more students attend religious services and events, a council would form to promote harmony among students of different religions. Muller Chapel is not bound to services for one religion, and it now strives more to reflect students’ desire to learn. Along with solidifying beliefs should come the effort to find common meaning among religions. As the council grows in tandem with participation in religious communities, students should continue interfaith dialogue to understand, accept and respect differing beliefs. When students are able to not only discern the differences between religions but also recognize the commonality between them, the campus community could grow even further together in spirit.

“I’m totally against designated housing. [For] the price of this school, these kids should be allowed to live in president rochon’s house, honestly.” Max Kwarteng ’14 Politics

“It’s a problem ... Freshmen who want to live in learning communities ­— they won’t have the opportunity because they’ll be obligated to live in freshman housing.” Anjali Patel ’14 Documentary studies

“in your first year it’s a really hard transition ... and [freshman housing] gives you a chance to meet people who are also going through the transition.” Rebecca Levine ’15 Integrated Marketing Communications

“as an international student, if i had just been put in with the international students ... i wouldn’t have learned about the good places to go. I have mixed feelings. it has pros and cons.” Laura Lavelle ’13 Vocal performance

comment online. Now you can be heard in print or on the Web.

Write a letter to the editor at ithacan@ ithaca.edu or leave a comment on commentaries and editorials at theithacan.org. Letters must be 250 words or less, emailed or dropped off by 5 p.m. Monday in Park 269.

The Ithacan Aaron edwards editor in chief Lara Bonner Managing editor Alexandra Evans opinion Editor kelsey o’connor news Editor elma Gonzalez assistant news editor erica palumbo assistant news editor Patrick Duprey online editor Shea O’Meara accent editor

“It’s a bad idea to put all freshmen together because they don’t really have a chance to branch out and meet upperclassmen ... They’ll just be stuck together.” Meira Keil ’13 Culture and Communication

269 Roy H. Park Hall, Ithaca College Ithaca, N.Y. 14850-7258 (607) 274-3208 | Fax (607) 274-1376

allie healy assistant accent editor kevin mccall Sports editor matt kelly assistant sports editor Rachel ORLOW photo editor rachel woolf assistant photo editor shawn steiner assistant photo editor kari beal Multimedia editor matthew dezii chief copy editor

ithacan@ithaca.edu www.theithacan.org

marissa smith chief proofreader molly apfelroth design editor flora wang assistant design editor derek rogers sales manager honest bodkin webmaster michael serino ithacan adviser The Ithacan is printed at: Our Press in Chenango Falls, N.Y.

Single Copies of the ithacan are available free of charge from authorized distribution points on the Ithaca College campus and in the ithaca community. Multiple copies and mail subscriptions are available from the office of The Ithacan. Please call for rates.


Opi n ion

Th ursday, M ar ch 22, 2012

The Ith a c a n 1 1

Point/Counterpoint

The video that got us all talking

tech bytes

TJ gunther

A risky redesign for Microsoft

M

In this photo from Nov. 12, 2006, Joseph Kony (left), leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, sits with his deputy Vincent Otti inside a tent in Southern Sudan. Associated Press file photo

The Kony video plays up “White savior” archetype.

I

n many ways, the Kony 2012 campaign was perfectly executed. It was fast, got widespread attention and, best of all, it provided people with a simple answer to a complex issue. Unfortunately, the video failed to portray the reality of the Lord’s Resistance Army, and its strategy of “making Kony famous” does not take into account the Morgan larger political Milazzo systems that are at play, nor what the people of Uganda want. Rather, it plays into the long-standing Western archetype of the white savior. While watching the video, I could not help but wonder why Invisible Children, whose main purpose is to raise awareness, focused the majority of the video on showing Americans supporting their campaign and did not leave any room for the people directly affected by the LRA to be part of the discussion. The only depictions of the victims of the LRA in the video were in a passive role, looking to Americans as the saviors. One organization on the ground in Uganda, the African Youth Initiative Network, began holding screenings of the video, but had to stop only a few minutes into the first showing because of the audience’s outrage. Victor Ochen, director of African Youth Initiative Network, was recently quoted saying, “People were asking why they were showing white children in America and not telling the truth about the situation of the local people in the area.” Invisible Children claims this is the perfect opportunity for the world to rally together and stop an evil man, but this is a perfect opportunity for us to take a closer look at why it is so easy for a 30-minute video to persuade millions of Americans to assume the role of saviors to an African country.

Throughout the documentary, Invisible Children not only left out the voices of the people most directly affected by the LRA, but they also presented a series of manipulated facts and half-truths that made it easier to outrage the American public into what they determined as the best form of action. The truth is that while Kony had terrorized many parts of Uganda for a long time, he was driven into exile in 2006, and since then, the country has been relatively peaceful. Even the prime minister of Uganda, Amama Mbabazi, who has enjoyed much support from Invisible Children despite reports that the Ugandan Army commits its own share of crimes against civilians, released a response video in which he condemns Invisible Children for portraying an outdated view of the situation. If many Ugandan civilians — victims of the LRA as well as the Ugandan government — do not feel that the video told the real story, then who is it really helping? The facts that the Stop Kony campaign manipulated and blatantly ignored are far too many to be presented here, just as the real situation of the LRA and Kony is too long and complicated to be presented in a 30-minute YouTube video. I believe the people involved with Stop Kony have the best intentions, but sometimes that is not enough. In this situation, it is our duty to look further and uncover the real truths so we are aware of all the implications we are supporting. It is not realistic to expect that posting a Facebook status is going to change the world, nor is it realistic to expect the American military to take action without any selfish motivation. It has now been proven that social media can connect us together, but now it is our responsibility to make sure we really understand what we are supporting. Morgan Milazzo is a senior anthropology major. Email her at mmilazz1@ithaca.edu.

It’s time to criticize Kony, not bash Invisible Children.

I

nvisible Children spearheaded the Kony 2012 campaign to make Joseph Kony, one of the world’s worst war criminals, infamous. For more than two decades, he has been kidnapping and forcing children to be soldiers in his army, the Lord’s Resistance Army. I’ve been following the conflict in central Africa for nearly six years now. In 2009, JP Keenan when lobbying Congress for the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, I had to become an expert on the situation. For years I’ve been trying to get people involved and aware of what was happening in central Africa. So when Kony and Invisible Children were on the lips of every other person I was talking to that week, I was ecstatic. When the Kony 2012 criticisms came out, I was confused. Had they seen the same documentary I had? Why were they saying Invisible Children was “out of touch with Ugandans” and “promoting imperial ideologies of the white man’s burden and military occupation?” I knew something was lost in translation. Invisible Children never intended for this video to be the answer nor the end of the discussion. It was created to inspire education into the history of this conflict. To criticize Invisible Children for “oversimplifying the situation” is unreasonable. A five-hour or even 10-hour documentary wouldn’t encapsulate everything necessary to understand the situation. Invisible Children’s mission was to bring Kony’s crimes to light so the viewer could dig further. Invisible Children has been working in Uganda and central Africa for almost 10 years. Last year, it premiered a documentary called “Tony” that directly addresses the notion of Invisible Children’s “White

Savior Complex.” It shows Invisible Children’s work creating educational programs for Ugandans from Ugandans. In their Ugandan office, there are 85 Ugandans and three ‘Westerners.’ Their approach is built upon the idea that Ugandans should be building themselves up, not Westerners. Many criticized the 100 U.S. military advisers that were sent to advise and assist the African Union’s mission to capture Kony. For years, Kony has refused peace. Similar to a hostage situation where the abductor has refused to negotiate, a use of concentrated force must occur. The African Union has deployed regional forces to seek and capture Kony. America’s troops aren’t about establishing a land grab or securing oil interests abroad, but to support the AU-backed mission. We’ve learned from the Arab Spring that change has to come from within, and the victims have spoken. They want Kony gone by any means possible. The Ugandan-led regional forces welcomed the U.S. military advisers and are now deploying to capture Kony and his top commanders. From President Barack Obama’s letter to Congress about this deployment, the American military advisers are there to “provide information, advice, and assistance … The support provided by U.S. forces will enhance regional efforts against the LRA.” I cannot stress the importance of the supporting role they are playing in the capture of Kony. This deployment is a message that the United States wants to help capture Kony by offering their training and logistical support — nothing more. I understand the desire for truth. But we shouldn’t be targeting Invisible Children — we should be targeting Joseph Kony. JP Keenan is a sophomore documentary studies and production major and president of the college’s chapter of Invisible Children. Email him at jkeenan1@ithaca.edu.

All opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of The Ithacan. To write a guest commentary, contact Opinion Editor Alexandra Evans at 274-3208.

icrosoft needs help. The company is no longer the dominant PC force and is prepared to gamble its future to halt Apple’s momentum by making major changes to its core product, Windows. After more than a decade without any massive changes, with Windows 8 Microsoft is throwing out one of the most iconic symbols in computing — the start button. With the release of the Windows 8 consumer beta at the end of February, Microsoft has officially killed the omnipresent start bar and system tray living at the bottom of every screen. In fact, it’s not even on the first screen people see. The result is the most forward-thinking version of Windows in more than a decade. Microsoft has decided to implement a new design in Windows 8 called Metro. Instead of centering on the desktop, people see “live tiles” that represent applications and update in real time to show information such as new Facebook messages, the weather and more, all without leaving the start page. Gone is the start button; say hello to the living, breathing start window. To go along with the new start screen, Microsoft is introducing true full-screen apps that only show toolbars when commanded to. The design includes new ways to share screen real estate, with the ability to drag entire applications and pin them to the side of the screen for quick access. Windows is gambling its company success on dynamic content and design, and it has led to the most exciting product it has released since the first version of Windows. Though revolutionary, Windows 8 could blow up in Microsoft’s face. The company has played it safe for years, and it has lost a lot of ground to Apple over it. Microsoft remains the dominant operating system for businesses, but many Windows 8 features are aimed at the everyday consumer and could lead to discontent from companies. Businesses may choose not to upgrade to Windows 8, leaving Microsoft to support multiple operating systems and unable to push new ideas and upgrades to many users. They have to find a way to entice businesses to upgrade, and the new consumercentric Windows 8 design could stymie these efforts. Windows 8 features the most creative operating system design of the past few years, and the consumer beta has garnered a lot of excitement, which is rare for Microsoft. The question is whether they’ll be able to deliver the same or a better workflow for business users. Windows 8 is an all-in bet that will make or break Microsoft’s efforts going forward. TJ Gunther is a senior journalism major. Email him at tgunthe1@ithaca.edu.


1 2 The It hacan

Th ursday, M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2


Th ursday, M ar ch 22, 2012

In loving memory a ccen t

by Shea O’Meara accent editor

In April of her junior year of high school, Olivia Rowe brought a plastic bag into a hallway bathroom and tied it over her head to stop her breathing. She thought she wanted to kill herself. “I had my hand on the stall, so if I passed out the door would open,” she said. “I realized I didn’t really want to die.” After nearly 20 minutes of waiting in the stall, she left to seek help. Rowe had emailed her high school guidance counselor for help earlier that year, but felt her therapy program wasn’t helping her overcome her depression quickly enough. She continued to battle depression and began cutting herself after watching an episode of Degrassi, a popular teen drama, which featured a character who struggled with cutting. Now a junior at Ithaca College, Rowe continued to struggle with cutting during her first years as a college student. Rowe said she thinks people tend to cut themselves for two reasons: Either they have emotional pain they need to get out, or they are trying to distract themselves by thinking about physical pain instead. For her, deciding to cut came from a desire to do both. “There was one point freshman year [at IC] that I ran laps around my building because I had all this anxious energy,” she said. “I tore up magazines to try to get it out, and nothing worked. I had always known that cutting was harmful, but I didn’t care.” Rowe said leaving her troubles at home to go to college and having the freedom to act on her own helped her realize that she wasn’t trapped in her difficult day-to-day life. “The thing that I got stuck with in high school was that I never really saw the better part of life,” she said. “That’s where people who contemplate suicide get stuck, because they don’t think things get better and that they’re always going to live like that.” Now, Rowe works with the Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service of Ithaca to raise awareness about suicide and prevention in the community. “People who are considering suicide often feel very much alone,” she said. “If you know of other people in that situation, or there are other people around who have gone through that same thing, it helps.” According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, every 14.2 minutes someone in the United States dies by suicide. In 2009 about 36,909 people took their own lives, 4,371 of those dead were between the ages of 15 and 24 years old. But for Rowe, her own suicide attempt isn’t her only connection to the issue. On Aug. 4, 2010, Rowe received a phone call from the sister of her best friend, Brittany Helton, telling her that 19-year-old Brittany had killed herself. At the time, Rowe had been waiting for Helton to text her back so the friends could spend the day together. “I didn’t know my friend had struggled with anything I had struggled with at all,” she said. “She would make anyone happy, which I found out later was one of the reasons why she didn’t tell anyone — because she felt too much pressure to act the way everyone had always seen her and to be the one who was always full of life and the one who makes everything better.” Christie Helton, Helton’s adoptive mother, said Rowe and her daughter were like the Olsen twins growing up, “funny and

The I th a c a n 1 3

Junior uses struggle with depression to raise awareness about suicide

carefree.” Helton was a dean’s list student in college with a family and group of friends who loved her. Helton did not fit the stereotype of a suicidal teen, Christie Helton said. “It doesn’t just happen to kids who come from a broken home or kids that come from ‘lower class society,’ as they call it, or kids with drug problems,” Christie Helton said. After their daughter’s death, her parents founded the Brittany Helton Memorial Foundation, an organization that promotes awareness about suicide and honors Helton’s life. “College kids and high school students relate to younger people,” Christie Helton said. “With the work she’s doing we’re able to utilize her to get through to the kids, telling her own story and telling Brittany’s story.” Rowe said the shock of losing her friend and standing by as Brittany’s family and friends mourned their loss helped her overcome her own thoughts of suicide. “Watching everyone go through that pain and thinking, ‘How could she have done this?’ just turned me around,” she said. Rowe recently developed the project “Unspoken Stories: The Tragedy of Suicide,” a series of photographs posted on Facebook that shows her struggle with losing her best friend to suicide. She said she and her colleagues at the Ithaca prevention center were inspired by a series of Tumblr blogs that told stories of people who thought they had no voice to express their personal hardships through photo strips of them holding signs. She said the project is part of an effort to make resources more accessible to young people that includes an expanded social media presence and online chat forums. “People don’t really call on the phone anymore and talk to people,” she said. “So how many are really going to want to call the crisis line?” Lidia Bernik, associate project director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, said the lifeline has 152 crisis centers across the United States and works to connect people considering suicide to local resources. Part of this mission is a partnership with Facebook that makes it possible for users to report content they think represents signs of suicide. Facebook administrators evaluate a reported post and send the user information about the lifeline if the content is shown to warrant that action. Currently, the lifeline is running a pilot program that offers professional assistance to people by online chat. “We feel that there is certainly a role for technology in assisting folks in need,” Bernik said. “It’s just become a very normal means of communication. There is some evidence to suggest that people feel more comfortable disclosing sensitive information via electronic means.” Though talking about Helton makes some of her friends uncomfortable, Rowe said it’s important that her friend’s memory be preserved and used to prevent other people from making the same painful decisions. “[My friends] don’t talk about her that much because they’re like, ‘It makes us sad to even talk about the good things,’” she said. “But it’s helpful, and I think she should be remembered.” To learn more about Rowe’s work with suicide prevention, visit facebook.com/pages/Suicide-Prevention-and-Crisis-Services/361595137186509.

From left, junior Olive Rowe sits with her best friend since 2nd grade, Brittany Helton. Helton died by suicide in 2010. courtesy of olivia rowe


[ a cc e ntuate]

1 4 The It hacan

Th ursday, M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2

Hot or Not This week’s hits and misses

Following “Pretty Little Liars” writers unveiling A, Accent Editor Shea O’Meara ranks the best and worst part of the big reveal.

Hot Team A It’s official! Mona Vanderwall (Janel Parrish) is A, the bully who terrorized ABC’s Pretty Little Liars since Allison (Sasha Pieterse), the ring-leader of their group of gal-pals, was killed in the first episode. Despite being taken into custody for her crimes against the girls, Mona is far from gone from the show, and A is still as dangerous as ever. In the finale, a mysterious person visits Mona in prison and implies A is more than one person, giving the show more intrigue. Lucky for Liars fans, the producers made sure there is more to unravel, and the girls aren’t going away any time soon.

Lukewarm

Mona’s arrest While the fashionable and catty Mona makes a delightful deranged diva, she was not the best choice to embody the mystery of A in the show. Parrish takes on the persona well and shows her skill as an actress when Mona huddles in a blanket after taking a fall from a cliff that could have killed her. Mona’s motives for bullying the girls are in line with the show’s overall theme of the devastating effects of teenage bullying and broken friendships. But the shortcoming in choosing Mona as A is that the decision mirrors the books on which the show was based too much. Viewers were promised a new take on the old novels, and the producers simply did not come through.

Not

Maya’s death At the same time the other Liars are given gleaming romantic moments with their boyfriends, the writers abruptly ended an intriguing romance by killing Maya, Emily’s girlfriend. The show’s executive producer, Oliver Goldstick, told Inside TV Maya’s death “was a step we needed to take to give ourselves more mystery.” That step may have the producers headed in the wrong direction as fans of the couple will be left without the dream duo.

Folk from afar

Students and faculty from the China West Normal University, the oldest established teacher-training university in Sichuan province, performed traditional Chinese folk music in Ford Hall on Tuesday. The concert was the first of two by the group in Ithaca this week.

rachel orlow/the ithacan

wtf

adventurous german artist brings bright colors to jail

When thinking of the word “prison,” adjectives like “fun, colorful and vibrant” usually do not come to mind. But for artist Markus Linnenbrink, rainbow colors were his main inspiration when he was commissioned to paint the prisoner’s tunnel in the Justiz Vollzugs Anstalt prison outside of Düsseldorf, Germany. Linnenbrink painted straight lines of bright colors across the walls and floors of the tunnel, accented with drips and smears that transcend the rigid lines of the rainbow patterns. Proof that a little Home and Garden-style makeover can make any space a homey environment. — Benjii Maust

blog week of

the

Website inspires brides-to-be to recycle on their big day

For those who are setting out on the stressful journey of planning a wedding, EthicalWeddings.com lends a helping and environmentally conscious hand. The website provides everything soon-to-be spouses need to know on how to plan an eco-friendly and socially conscious wedding. Whether your cause is fair trade, organic, recycled, local, crueltyfree, green — or anything in between — you can find what you need through their list of suppliers, tips and advice. Helping dream weddings of all sorts come true, Ethical Weddings is the go-to source for any fiancees. — Allie Healy

quoteunquote We decided to jump in the ocean — naked. It was nighttime, thank God.

— Channing Tatum confessed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” that he and his “21 Jump Street” costar went for a little dip in the ocean in their birthday suits.

celebrity SCOOPS! Roberts’ kids are TV-free This week, actress Julia Roberts went public with the fact that her own movies, as well as most movies in general, are off-limits to her kids. Roberts, 44, said even her latest movie “Mirror, Mirror,” a familyoriented adaptation of the Snow White fairytale, is not fit for viewing by her children, 7-year-old twins Phinnaeus Walter and Hazel Patricia, and 4-yearold Henry Daniel. Roberts said her own movies and those created by filmmaker husband Danny Moder are not fit for their young kids. Instead, Roberts said to People magazine “Those nice, cozy, very short hours before bed, we just really spend together as a family talking and sharing the day and reading books, and really, before you know it, it’s time for bed.” But, once the twins are old enough to search mommy dearest on Google, Roberts better prepare some explanations for her children.

— Benjii Maust


A CCEN T

Th ursday, M ar ch 22, 2012

The I th a c a n 1 5

Do-it-yourself duo Funky couple leaves their mark on new town with old goods By allie healy

assistant accent editor

Nestled inside the Race Office Supply store on The Commons, colorful chain-linked rings of construction paper swoop from one end of the new storefront display to the other. Soft indie-rock tunes fill the air, glossy red chandeliers dangle from the ceiling and mustard tweed couches huddle around a polished oval coffee table. Kristina Thelen sat at a cashier booth where she carefully wrapped twine around a discolored lampshade. She stopped her work and looked up, her circular earrings swinging. “I’m not sure if this deserves a bird or a mushroom,” Thelen said as she put down the nest-like lampshade. Thelen opened Funky Junk, a midcentury inspired refurbished furniture shop, with her husband David West on Feb. 27. Avid unwanted-furniture collectors, the couple takes old pieces and turns them into something new to resell at a moderate price. “I wanted to open something that had to do with sustainable business practices,” Thelen said. “I wanted to create a place where people can hang out, but also shop and get advice.” Thelen and West toyed with the idea of opening a furniture store when they lived in Seattle, Wash., but their plans changed when West decided to attend Cornell University. For Thelen, New York, let alone Ithaca, was uncharted territory. “It wasn’t a natural fit for me to

know anything about this part of the universe,” she said. “I didn’t think we were going to leave the West Coast.” Soon after they moved, Thelen took on a job working at Mimi’s Attic, a local furniture consignment shop. The couple continued their longtime hobby of “taking something ugly and turning it into something beautiful.” The couple’s repurposed furniture sold well at Mimi’s Attic, and that success convinced Thelen and West that their dream location could work in the community. West searched for a space in Ithaca that could work with the funds that they had saved up. No loans, contractors or web designers were needed to get the business up and running because West did everything on his own. “We figured out how the palette of the space would work for us,” West said. “I also learned how to create and design the website on my own time. We wanted to have our business to reflect the way we do business.” Thelen and West relied on their own ideas, often stored and pulled from their own pages on Pinterest, a new image-centric social network. Thelen’s Pinterest page is filled with pictures of cans of her favorite Annie Sloan chalk paint — used on many of the pieces in the store — glass container vases and paper lanterns where West features candy-colored credenzas, mushroom-shaped tables and a hand-stenciled furniture. “We are trying not to do what is

From left, Kristina Thelen and David West stand in their newly opened store, Funky Junk. The shop is located within Race Office Supply on The Commons and features homemade refurbished furniture from local vendors.

durst breneiser/the ithacan

already here and instead do things better and different,” Thelen said. “Pinterest has really pushed us to the edge as far as inspiration goes.” Thelen and West said their new business is family-friendly. Thelen smiled and looked behind a dresser where her three-year-old daughter Topenga played with a kitchen set. She turned her back with a smirk and said that her daughter is “the store mascot.” As a side project, Thelen has been

training to teach classes on natural birth. She has attended some of her students’ home births, including the birth of Ithaca resident Jenny Pronto’s son last May. “I thought from the beginning that Kristina was experienced and knowledgeable,” Pronto said. “My husband and I formed a sense of trust with her.” While Funky Junk is still in its beginning stages, Thelen and West said juggling their roles as store owners

and as parents is worth the struggle. “The other night we were out to dinner and we both said at the same time, ‘I am so tired but I am so happy that we’re doing this,’” West said. “It’s been really great to know that when we are exhausted we are doing something good for ourselves.” To learn more about Funky Junk or see the owners’ Pinterest pages, visit www.funkyjunkithaca.com.

Check our status.

Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Find us on Flickr.

The Ithacan


1 6 The It hacan

Th ursday, M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2


Th ursday, M ar ch 22, 2012

The I th a c a n 1 7

Breaking news. Daily stories. Game stories. Multimedia. Student blogs ...

... It’s all online.

theithacan.org


A ccen t

1 8 The It hacan

Th ursday, M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2

Writer tells old story with young voice

thursday

by marissa smith chief proofreader

In Ramona Ausubel’s debut novel, “No One is Here Except All of Us,” the Holocaust is given a fairytale spin that removes the reader from the panic of the battlefields and concentration camps and inserts them into the mind of one very imaginative child. The tiny Romanian village of Zalischik has a population of barely 100 people, one of whom is the protagonist of the tale, an 11-year-old Jewish girl Ramona Ausubel named Lena. The village’s “No One is Here fragile peace is shattered Except All of Us” when an explosion from Riverhead Hardcover over the hills surrounding their village causes a stranger to wash up — still miraculously alive — on the shore of their river. The stranger tells them about the horrors she’s just survived. Instead of facing possible atrocities in their diminutive community, the villagers reinvent their society through sheer will and imagination, denying any relationship with the world outside. Jobs, husbands and children are reassigned, radios are destroyed, and time and history are forgotten. Lena is assigned to a new family and is forced to grow too quickly and marry too young. She becomes a mother around age 15, and after the village’s flimsy solitude is shattered, she embarks on a journey — while trying to keep her two sons safe — to save her husband, Igor, who was captured by Italian soldiers. The account gives a whimsical, surreal quality to make it more fantastical than convincing, but the emotions that drive the lovable characters within the story are relatable. Ausubel beautifully creates the new world of the villagers with Genesis overtones — obvious from the chapter headings named after the first seven days of creation — that give a structured appeal to the first few days of life in the village. Unfortunately, Ausubel’s rendition of the Jewish religion as practiced by the villagers is flighty at best and doesn’t live up to its potential. The villagers have an unyielding faith evidently prescribed on their very beings and identities, but Ausubel never explains where this love for their God came from and doesn’t elaborate

Local Live Music, featuring Ithaca guitarists Tom Olson and Wayne Gottlieb, will perform at 6:30 p.m. at Stella’s Restaurant. Admission is free.

friday

Rockwood Ferry, a local folk

book Review

band, will perform at 8 p.m. in the Carriage House Cafe. Tickets are $10 at the door.

Iphigenia, a multimedia presentation by Theatre Incognita, will begin at 8 p.m. at Center Ithaca. Tickets are $10 to $15.

saturday

Learning to Love your Digital Camera and Smartphone, a

Author Ramona Ausubel and the cover of her new book, “No One Here Except All Of Us.” In her first novel, Ausubel writes about a Romanian village that pulls away from the world during the Holocast. courtesy of riverhead hardcover

on traditions that non-Jewish readers may be left scratching their heads at. The burgeoning author often catches herself in a web of convoluted language. Ausubel overpoeticizes the world in trying to describe mundane things such as fields and a river, leaving the reader trudging through heavy adjective muck in an effort to interpret a basic statement. It’s uncertain whether Ausubel intended Lena to sound as young as she does throughout the story — her narrative does not seem to mature as she grows from an 11-year-old girl to a 20-something mother. If she is meant to sound young, it’s unfortunate that Ausubel provided such a naïve narrative for so grievous a topic. If it’s intentional, it instead comes off as an impressive authorial challenge to tackle, especially for a debut novel. Because it’s not apparent either way, however, the reader is left unsure of how to interpret Lena as a

narrator and an effective mother. Conversely, Lena’s oldest son, Solomon, sounds too old. Ausubel writes Solomon’s dialogue in beautifully structured sentences that are unrealistic for a 3-year-old. Solomon also shows an impressive prowess for understanding and accepting difficult situations and emotional hardships he experienced as a toddler. This rips the reader out of the story and brings how relatable Solomon’s character is into question. Those looking for a harrowing account of the atrocities of the Holocaust will be disappointed in Ausubel’s tale. The story is a folktale of major proportions that somehow finds its way to the simplicity of a mother’s arms. At times winding and tangled, the story isn’t perfect. But as Ausubel teaches us in her debut novel by lesson and example, sometimes the best stories to tell aren’t the easiest to put a narrative to.

Demonic Canadian rock duo revives grave-wave sound by Jared dionne staff writer

Lately, all manner of gothic and grave-wave electronic acts have been crawling out of their cellars and bedrooms. The scene’s latest Trust addition is Trust, “TRST” a menacing duo Arts & Crafts that calls Toronto Records its home. Their Our rating: HHH debut LP, “TRST,” is both sonically impressive and sinister. Band members Robert Alfons and Maya Postepski channel Nine Inch Nails with industrial elements by manipulating synthesizers to give the tracks a mechanical feel. Alfons’ distorted vocals writhe

Album Review

hot dates

their way in and out of the depressing instrumental elements to raise the drama. The result is a dance album crafted for the undead and a requiem for the world’s ending. “Candy Walls,” the fifth song on the album, is anything but sweet. Down-tempo synthesizers and drums make for a veritable wasteland of sound. Moaning vocals fill the ether with a sense of paranoia and desperation. Intermittent screeching heard throughout many of the tracks seems to emulate a sort of demonic bird of prey and makes the complex rock album especially haunting. As if Trust were attempting to combat the demonic spirit that permeates their album, the band throws in a track called “Heaven.” The song sticks with the general

Song of the Week “Can’t Mind My Own Business”

Maple Festival, featuring a pancake breakfast, maple syrup demonstrations and a self-guided walk along the Sugarbush Trail, will be open at 9 a.m. at the Cayuga Nature Center. Admission is $12 for adults and $7 for children.

sunday

15th Annual Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival will feature Ithaca-based writers reading from selections of their works that open up this year’s festival theme at 3 p.m. at Buffalo Street Books. The event is free.

Boy band finds the right track by allie healy

assistant accent editor

Courtesy of arts & crafts Records

theme of the LP and draws from electronic drum kits and repetitious synthesizer arpeggios. Alfons’ vocals continue to be depressed and snarling as they seem to seep into the moaning undertones. Trust, along with cohorts Zola Jesus and Light Asylum, proves that the grave-wave movement is still alive and kicking. With “TRST,” the band has given birth to an album straight from the bowels of the underworld.

Proving to be the ultimate comeback kids, One Direction is breaking out onto the boy band scene with their high-energy album “Up All Night.” Hitting the radio waves with their smash hit “What Makes You Beautiful,” the floppy-haired X Factor contestants are wasting no time with their One Direction i n - y o u r- f a ce “Up All Night” pop tracks. Sony UK With catchy Our rating: melodies, HHH heartfelt lyrics and endless hype, listeners can practically hear the screaming crowds of girls after each of their new songs on the album. A surprising addition to the album, “I Want” is a funky

Album Review

departure from the boys’ typical electronic style. It proves the members of One Direction — Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Zayn Malik — aren’t afraid to take risks with their blossoming career as musicians. Watch out Justin Bieber: One Direction is wowing the world with sweet solos and boy-nextdoor charm — fivefold.

Courtesy of sony uk

quickies

Start the Revolution Without Me

“White Flag”

“Delta Spirit”

This Christian group’s latest installment is a concrete representation of contemporary rock music. The album rises up and delivers powerful tracks backed by strong vocals from Kristian Stanfill and Chris Tomlin.

Taking a risk with a new sound, Delta Spirit launches themselves back onto the rock scene with a new album. The hard work can be heard in the band’s sophisticated songcraft and tracks that take them back to their deep roots in rock.

Delta Spirit Rounder Records

Passion Six Step Records

Kaiser Chiefs Cooperative Music

The track stays in line with the traditional Kaiser Chiefs aesthetic: energized rock with the slightest edge of power punk. Scan This qr Code with a smartphone to learn more aboUT Music blogger Jared Dionne’s pick for the song of the week.

photography workshop by Joe Ziolkowski, will begin at 10 a.m. at Saltonstall Arts Colony. The workshop costs $35.

courtesy of Six Step Records

courtesy oF rounder records

Compiled by allie healy


A ccen t

Th ursday, M ar ch 22, 2012

The I th a c a n 1 9

Horror flick opens new doors in genre [ Experimental psychological film calls on realism to create fear bY James Hasson

ticket stub

]

valid friday through thursday

cinemapolis The Commons 277–6115

staff writer

Though “Silent House,” a psychological thriller, may have some kinks in its storyline, its experimental shooting and editing has the potential to establish a trend for mockumentary style “Silent horror films. House” A house renoOpen Road vation turns into a Films Our rating: home invasion when HHH a prowler attacks Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen) and her father, John (Adam Trese), while they fix up their summer home after it was left unused and pillaged by squatters. Directors Chris Kentis and Laura Lau — the former known for the shark movie “Open Water” — craft “Silent House” without any cuts or scene changes. All the action is presented in real time. This camera work represents an evolutionary cousin of the found footage film, allowing the film to be as real as possible. But this experimental film strategy produces a mixed bag of results. On a positive note, the single cut creates intriguing limitations in time and space. Other horror movies may have perspective jump from shot to shot and cut across seconds and minutes in this fashion. “Silent House,” on the other hand, uses a single cut to trap the audience inside the eerie house in real time with Sarah, whom the camera follows the most throughout the film. One of the best shots proves to be a close-up behind Sarah’s head as she desperately peeks through a hole in the boards covering a window. While this shooting may offer

the iron lady 7:15 and 9:30 p.m. and weekends 2:15 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Film Review

chico & rita 9:15 p.m. and weekends 4:15 p.m. A Separation 7:10 p.m. and 9:25 p.m. and weekends 2:10 p.m. and 4:25 p.m. Pina 7 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. and weekends 2 p.m. and 4:10 p.m. the descendants 7:05 p.m. and weekends 2:05 p.m.

From left, John (Adam Trese) and his daughter, Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen), try to escape an unknown prowler after they are attacked while they try to fix their pillaged summer home in the psychological thriller, “Silent House.”

Courtesy of open road films

the benefits of unparalleled realism, it has its drawbacks. During chase scenes, the camera moves and jostles violently to keep up with Sarah. The camera is focused so tightly on the protagonist that it can be difficult to see what it is that scares her before she jumps and runs, which interferes with the viewer’s understanding of the scenes. During these scenes, Olsen, the kid sister of actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley, proves to be especially expressive when she is struggling to stifle a scream while hiding underneath a table with her hunter standing by. For a movie that strives for ultrarealism as much as “Silent House”

does, its strange forays into the surreal may prove to be a disjointed transition and in conflict with the film’s tone. The film makes a turn away from reality and tangibility. Though this may offer powerfully disturbing imagery when the shift occurs, it comes across as abrupt and completely contradictory to the rest of the film. The film’s plunge into a purely mental heart of darkness conflicts with the vivid tangibility and realism the film’s camera work strives to portray. The film’s soundtrack is one of the better ones to come out of a horror film. Nathan Larson, who has composed for dozens of movies since 1997, elegantly blends the soundtrack

Hit NBC show deserves a look

into the film’s haunting atmosphere. Violin pieces come up so infrequently and quietly that they feel like sounds from the house itself, as if they were trying to disguise themselves as creaking floorboards or other strange noises an old house would make. While it may not be seamless in its execution, the experimental cast behind “Silent House” creates a horror film that avoids convention. It is a jarring, heart-pounding film that locks you in and hides the key for an intense 85 minutes. “Silent House” was directed by Chris Kentis and Laura Lau and written by Gustavo Hernandez and Lau.

Unoriginal sci-fi saved by visuals

By Aaron Edwards

By chloe wilson

You’d be hard-pressed to find an article or review — this one being no exception — on NBC’s newest musical series endeavor “Smash” without hearing mention of its not-so-similar second cousin, “Glee.” But that’s the catch. Seven episodes into its first season, this “Smash” high-energy prime-time gamble NBC has capitalized on and targeted Our rating: HHH its toe-tapping appeal to the audience of Broadway buffs and theater aficionados that “Glee” caters to only once in a blue moon. The show, which follows the production of a made-up Broadway musical based on Marilyn Monroe’s life, is being received at a time when NBC is facing rating slumps steep enough to make any television or Broadway producer weep with chagrin. Its stars come from the different churches of television, film and theater — Anjelica Huston, Katharine McPhee, Megan Hilty and the alwaysstunning Debra Messing, to name a few. The championed selling point of “Smash” was that it’d have a similar appeal to “The West Wing,” the highly successful NBC drama that followed characters in a fictitious White House. Producers of “Smash” hoped that a show about Broadway could sell in the same way that “The West Wing” did by giving audiences a microscopic look at a cadre of characters in a shared setting. But it was the snappy dialogue and masterful plotlines from writer Aaron Sorkin that made “The West Wing” arguably the most successful show NBC has seen in years — not its premise. That’s where “Smash” could invariably fall flat: The writing, the dialogue and the meat are

severely lacking. What viewers get instead are overplayed colloquialisms that fail to capture the real, “this-could-be-my-last-shot” essence of people who work in the New York City theater scene. And just like a Broadway show, it could all flop at any minute. It was a risk to pump such emphasis, money and promotion into a show so heavily focused on the dramas of the Great White Way, but isn’t that what showbiz is all about — taking odd, random and ballsy risks? Every once in a while they work out, and “Smash” is a testament to that truth. It’s got the music. It’s got the drama. And it’s got the characters. All it needs is a chance.

Though the marketing campaign made it out to be a generic science-fiction film, “John Carter” slumps thanks to its century-old sci-fi novel that inspired filmmakers such as George Lucas and James Cameron. Based on the book “A Princess of Mars” by Edgar Rice Burroughs, “John Carter” tells the story of former Confederate military captain John Carter (Taylor “John Carter” Kitsch), who is transported to Walt Disney Mars and becomes entangled Pictures in a conflict against Thark Our rating: warrior Tal Hajus (Thomas HH 1/2 Haden Church), which leaves the fate of the planet in Carter’s hands. Many of the film’s alien creatures were created with CGI. While this has looked gimmicky before, director Andrew Stanton’s experience with CGI from his work on “Finding Nemo” and other Pixar films no doubt contributes to its execution in the film. Instead of glaringly standing out from the actors and sets, the CGI is naturally integrated into the film. While the source material contains sciencefiction ideas that led to the creation of “Star Wars,” these themes are so common that they no longer seem novel. The beginning of the film drags, rendering it uninteresting. Ultimately, “John Carter” has something for everyone. Its technical execution and strong screenplay will entertain viewers of all ages.

“Smash” was created by Theresa Rebeck and Garson Kanin and written by Scott Burkhardt and Rebeck.

“John Carter” was directed by Andrew Stanton and written by Mark Andrews and Michael Chabon.

Editor in Chief

staff writer

TV Review

Film Review

Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) performs in “Smash,” NBC’s musical show about Marilyn Monroe’s life. Courtesy oF NBC

The artist HHHH 7:20 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. and weekends 2:20 p.m. and 4:20 p.m.

regal stadium 14 Pyramid Mall 266-7960

the hunger games 11:45 a.m., 12:10 p.m., 12:30 p.m., 12:50 p.m. 1:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 3:20 p.m., 3:40 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:20 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 5 p.m., 5:20 p.m., 5:40 p.m., 6:10 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 6:50 p.m., 7:10 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 7:50 p.m., 8:10 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 9 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 10 p.m., 10:20 p.m., 10:40 p.m., 11:10 p.m., 11:35 p.m. friends with kids 3:50 p.m., 9:50 p.m. john carter 3d 12 p.m., 1:10 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 7:40 p.m., 10:50 p.m. 21 jump street 2:15 p.m., 4:10 p.m., 4:50 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 10:10 p.m., 11 p.m. a thousand words 12:40 p.m. dr. Seuss’ the lorax HHH 12:20 p.m., 2:45 p.m., 5:10 p.m., 7:20 p.m., 9:40 p.m. dr. seuss’ the lorax 3d 11:30 a.m., 1:45 p.m. project X H 3:30 p.m., 9:10 p.m.

cornell cinema 104 Willard Straight Hall 255-3522

unfinished spaces 7:15 p.m. Monday they call it myanmar 7:15 p.m. Tuesday alice 7 p.m. Wednesday the girl with the dragon tattoo 9 p.m. Wednesday For more information, visit http://cinema.cornell.edu.

our ratings Excellent HHHH Good HHH Fair HH Poor H


2 0 The It hacan

C l a ss i f i ed Fully furnished Ithaca College

An apartment with no hassle.

Student houses. Located on

Hudson Heights Studio Apartments

Spacious 3BR Aprts on Commons

Kendall Ave. Available the

are located next to IC. Openings

Includes heat - furnished For Fall

2012-2013 school year. Please

for the spring semester, January

2012, call 272-7441

call 607-273-9221 for more

1, 2012 for 6 months or a year

information.

lease. We are renting for next year

for rent

Fully furnished Ithaca College student houses. Located on Kendall Ave. Available the 2012-2013 school year. Please call 607-2739221 for more information. Twenty-two windows, 2 bedroom,

One Bedroom, furnished, bright and warm, includes

starting June 1st to August 15th. We have houses and 2-3 bedroom

2012-13 Two Bedroom 209 Giles St. Ithaca, overlooking 6 Mile Creek, furnished or on-street parking, private balcony, washer + dryer, close to IC and The Commons, close to public $510 for each person, includes heat and cooking gas, available August 1, 2012, call 607-279-

gets you this year’s prices. The

ithacarent.com under “featured

ithacaestatesrealty.com or

rent includes furniture, all utilities,

listings.”

607-273-9300

parking, garbage and recycling, with

laundry, off-street parking.

apts, we have places from 1

ithacaestatesrealty.com or

up to 6 Brs, furnished, laundry,

607-273-9300

free parking, reasonable rent,

2 bedroom apt Kendall Ave furnished, incl. utilities $600/room 10 mo. lease 592-4196 available Aug. 1st 2012

laundry rooms on the complex.

The Ithacan

3090 or email livingspaces1@

laundry, off-street parking.

2012-2013 Great house/

... we have a new one every week.

transportation, Internet available,

apartments as well. Early sign up

furnished, includes major utilities,

Everybody has issues ...

unfurnished, carpeted, 24 hr.

major utilities. Full bath, full

eat-in kitchen, hardwood floors,

Th ursday, M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2

msn.com pictures can be seen at

Great College Rental! 224 Pennsylvania Ave. Available

A division of ILS Ithaca Living

7/1/2012 12 mo. Close to

Solutions: Call Tony at 607-273-

Cornell and Ithaca College. 2

8473 office or cell 280-7660 for an

bedrooms 1 bath 936 sq. ft.

professionally managed by

appointment. EMAIL anthonybusse@

home. Park on site. Fully furnished

working landlords 607-227-3153

gmail.com or website www.

$950/mo. Call 908-307-9390,

see http://ithaca-apts.com

hhithaca.com.

email crwarner5@yahoo.com

Every Thursday.


Th ursday, M ar ch 22, 2012

The I th a c a n 2 1

Everybody has issues ...

... we have a new one every week.

The Ithacan Every Thursday.


2 2 The It hacan

Divers ion s

dormin’ norman

By Jonathan Schuta ’14

Pearls Before Swine®

Th ursday, M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2

sudoku

By Stephan Pastis

answers to last week’s sudoku

crossword ACROSS 1 Peal of thunder 5 Mounties’ org. 9 Family mem. 12 “Fancy” singer 13 Historical periods 14 Admirer’s response 15 State definitely 16 Yearly (2 wds.) 18 Jersey, for one (2 wds.) 20 Queues 21 Quick to learn 22 Roadie gear 23 -- nova 26 Choosier 30 Country rtes. 31 Sports “zebra” 32 Coral habitat 33 Broke a promise

By United Media

36 35mm setting (hyph.) 38 Home-heating fuel 39 Pack it away 40 Shady nook 43 Tagged 47 Conductors 49 Midwest state 50 Long time 51 Gael republic 52 Yuletide song 53 Egg producer 54 Maraud 55 Nimble

DOWN 1 Overstuff 2 Name in blue jeans 3 Labor leader I.W. -4 Goose-down items 5 Move a mum 6 Shuttle fliers 7 Damage the surface 8 Choir selections 9 Rhine port 10 Casanova type 11 Electrical units 17 Playful bites 19 Audit ace 22 -- Wiedersehen 23 Subzero comment 24 Shelley offering 25 Nine-digit ID 26 Kept up the fire

27 Devotee’s suffix 28 Want-ad letters 29 Hip-hop music 31 Legal matter 34 They often clash 35 Harmless snake 36 Marvy 37 Tankards 39 Moderated 40 Calcutta nanny 41 Storm about 42 “-- there, done that.” 43 Petty or Loughlin 44 Downtown Chicago 45 Jug 46 Actress Tyne -48 Narrow inlet

answers to last week’s crossword


Th ursday, M ar ch 22, 2012

sports

The I th a c a n 2 3

Ride of her life

Junior juggles passions for softball and equestrianism

photo illustration by rachel orlow

steve derderian staff writer

Every time junior catcher Lindsey Johnson comes to the plate to hit, she performs the same ritual, touching the second “A” in the middle of her Easton Stealth bat as a tribute to her horse, Andy. After this symbolic gesture, she steps into the batter’s box with strength and poise. “When I think of Andy and horseback riding, it relaxes me and makes me really happy and confident,” she said. “When I’m at catcher and there’s a runner on base, I think about the power and the drive that you have — like when you’re coming toward that last fence and the last thing you have to do is clear it.” Ever since she rode her first horse at a fair in Springfield, Mass., when she was 4 years old, Johnson has been an avid horseback rider. “It’s something that’s become such an innate part of me that I couldn’t imagine my life without it,” she said. In addition to her longtime passion for horseback riding, Johnson has also always loved playing team sports for the camaraderie. When she was attending Manchester High School in her hometown of Manchester, Conn., Johnson decided to play on the softball and volleyball teams and participate in equestrian competitions on weekends. To balance time juggling all three sports, Johnson developed a schedule of waking up between 3 and 4 a.m. to go riding at Windcrest Farms in Hebron, Conn., which was a 25-minute drive from her home. After riding, she would begin a full school day at 7 a.m. Johnson would attend volleyball practices in the fall and softball practices in the spring, then return home to start the weekday cycle again. “The overlap helped me stay in good shape, but it was definitely

challenging, based on time, to find enough hours in the day to practice each sport I was doing,” she said. Johnson was dependent on her mother, Danielle, and younger sister, Megan, to help her stick to her weekly schedule. Megan, who is three years younger than Johnson, competed in the Connecticut Hunter and Jumper Association equestrian shows. Danielle began horseback riding when her daughters developed a passion for it. Growing up in New York City, she never had an opportunity to ride horses. But now she is a horseback riding instructor for children at Windcrest Farm. Johnson said Megan and her mother are her biggest critics and most loyal fans. “The three of us have become what people call ‘The Johnson Team,’” she said. “We bounce ideas off each other and make it work in the end.” Danielle said Johnson and Megan’s passion for the sport was expensive because the average cost to lease a horse for one year ranges from $4,000 to $10,000. “Economically it can be a burden at times,” Danielle said. “There were very little family vacations. Still, my husband and my son were willing to make the sacrifice for the girls’ interest in the sport.” Before she decided to join the softball team at Ithaca College her freshman year, Johnson was in contact with the club equestrian coach, Austra Ravo-Putnam, about riding for the team. After contemplating joining the club team, Johnson chose to strictly play on the softball team because equestrianism was an easier sport to return to. Johnson started off with a young pony named Molly, who was 4 years old. She finished eighth overall in a field of 10 competitors in her first

contest in 2004. The following year, Johnson competed in the Children Medal Championship composed of 99 riders from eight different states using both horses and ponies. Her equestrian career took off from there, as she had the opportunity to compete in the 2006 HBO Marshall and Sterling Finals in Saugerties, N.Y., which consisted of the best 30 riders in the nation. When Johnson was approaching the final two jumps at the Marshall and Sterling Finals, she knew it was going to be a special performance. “I remember approaching my last fence, and I could already hear people starting to cheer because they knew it was that great,” she said. “One way you know that you’ve done really well is when you hear my trainer, Armand, cheering for you because he’ll always clap, but when you hear him wooing, you know you’ve done really well.” Johnson won the national title with her brown stallion Andy, who she was able to establish a special connection with because of a shared motivated and competitive nature. “It’s not just you being able to do the part,” she said. “It’s the horse as well. In any sport you do, there’s teamwork involved, and it can be physically demanding.” Johnson learned to pick up on Andy’s emotions, noticing his ears were forward when he was focused and back when he felt upset. Though Johnson’s lease on Andy has expired, Andy lives in a stable on Windcrest Farm under Danielle’s care. Johnson also helps her mother teach younger riders on the farm during the summer. Johnson’s ability to read Andy allows her to make adjustments on the fly, a trait she uses often as a

Johnson rides on her horse, Andy, after they competed in the HBO Marshall and Sterling Finals in Sept. 2006 in Saugerties, N.Y.

courtesy of lindsey johnson

catcher on the softball team. Sophomore pitcher Jillian Olmstead said Johnson has become one of the team’s best communicators behind the plate and has helped her develop more precise location on her pitches. “She’s willing to help anybody, whether it’s the pitchers with their pitches or batters with their hitting,” Olmstead said.

Softball is a sport Johnson can play for a short period of time, but horseback riding will always be her main passion. “The way I look at it, I probably won’t go professional in softball, and horseback riding is something that I’ll have forever,” Johnson said. “I tell people that if I had to quit everything that I do, horseback riding would be the last thing I would stop doing.”


S ports

2 4 The It hacan

crunch time

Th ursday, M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2

Bombers coach captures 1,000th win By nate king staff writer

harlan green-taub

March hype beguiles fans It’s impossible for sports fans to think of the month of March without thinking about one thing — college basketball madness. Of course I’m talking about the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament and the hype that surrounds each game. The most thrilling tournament in all of sports got under way March 13, with 68 teams playing a single-elimination tournament to decide the sport’s top team in the nation. It’s not just the passion and effort the players put forth that makes the tournament fun to watch — it’s the unpredictability that each game offers. Butler University reached the national title game for the second year in a row to face high-powered Duke University, and Virginia Commonwealth University reached the Final Four as a No. 11 seed in last year’s tournament. There is no way I thought the opening weekend of this year’s tournament could top those two surprises, but boy, was I wrong. College basketball fans across the nation were treated to two of the greatest upsets in modern college basketball history when Lehigh University beat Duke and No. 15 Norfolk State University beat the No. 2 University of Missouri Tigers on Friday. I was fortunate enough to work at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City as a replay logger for the first two rounds of the tournament and, by luck of the draw, was assigned to watch the Norfolk State-Missouri game. Like most people, I expected Missouri to easily win the game. Only four times in history had a No. 15 seed defeated a second place squad. Something felt different about this game right from the get-go, however. As often happens in a game with this type of competitive parity, the lower-seeded team comes out hot and keeps the contest close in the first half, and the higher seeded team pulls away in the second half. But Norfolk State stayed right with the Missouri Tigers in what was the most well-played game of the tournament so far. With access to a constant feed of the game that included a locker room camera, I was treated to Norfolk State Head Coach Anthony Evans’ halftime speech. Surrounded by his players, Evans assured his players, with a stoicism and confidence saved for army generals, that if they played hard and believed in each other, they would win the game. Evans’ words were chilling and inspiring, and I had no doubt Norfolk would come out on top. Still holding the lead with fewer than 10 seconds remaining, Norfolk State forced a jump ball off a missed free throw to retain possession and seal the improbable, but well-earned victory. Harlan Green-taub is a senior televison-radio major. Contact him at hgreent1@ithaca.edu.

During the baseball team’s best road trip in six seasons, Head Coach George Valesente ’66 celebrated a milestone that has been reached by only 50 coaches in all levels of college baseball. But he didn’t know it happened until his players began to celebrate the achievement with him. “To be perfectly honest, I didn’t realize it was 1,000 wins,” he said. “I don’t pay attention to that. But as soon as I was talking to the team, they dumped a bucket of ice on me and started hollering, and then I made the assumption.” In his 40th year as a head coach, Valesente earned his Valesente got his 1,000th career victory when 900th career win the Blue and Gold defeated as head coach of Pomona-Pitzer College 9-5 on the Bombers on March 16 in Claremont, Calif. April 27, 2011. Valesente began his head coaching career in 1973 with the baseball team at SUNY-Brockport and had stints coaching the baseball team at SUNY-New Paltz and the men’s soccer and baseball teams at SUNY-Maritime. Before the 1979 season, Valesente took the baseball team’s head coaching job at his alma mater after Carlton “Carp” Wood retired, and has held the position ever since. During his 34-year tenure coaching at the college, Valesente has maintained a record of 910—402—7 on South Hill. Senior pitcher Tucker Healy said the long-term dedication Valesente has shown to the college makes his benchmark more noteworthy. “In this day and age, longevity is rare and scarce,” he said. “So to accomplish something like getting 1,000 wins is amazing.” However, Valesente was quick to downplay the personal success of the career milestone. He said it wouldn’t have been possible without the support he has gotten from assistant coaches and players during his four decades of coaching. “This is a kind of accomplishment that should be shared by many people,” he said. “It’s a testament to the number of people that have contributed to this and helped make it possible.” Hitting Coach Frank Fazio, who played on the college’s baseball team with Valesente, said Valesente’s characteristics rub off on his players. “He’s a committed, dedicated, hardworking individual that expects the kids to do the same thing to be successful,” he said.

stat check

Head Coach George Valesente hits pop flys to the outfielders during practice Tuesday on Freeman Field. Valesente is the fourth active coach in Division III baseball with more than 1,000 wins. kristen tomkowid/The ithacaN

A three-sport athlete at the college, Valesente said his intuition and competitive nature helped him become a successful coach. “I coach by feel and instincts,” he said. “I was very competitive as an athlete — everything I played, I played to win — and that is the philosophy and mindset here.” Fazio said Valesente acts as a teacher to his players. Healy said his coach’s nurturing style engenders respect from the players. “He’s a great guy and he’ll do anything for

us off the field,” Healy said. “He treats us almost like we’re his children.” Valesente said though he is glad to have reached his 1,000th win, he realizes he still has a full season ahead and doesn’t want to focus on it until his coaching career is over. “I have a tendency to not be enamored by all this because I believe that I just go to work every day and try to do the best I can,” he said. “The numbers and results shouldn’t be appreciated until I’m retired and sit back and look at it.”

National champions leave legacy of top finishes By Christian araos staff writer

Senior Seth Ecker and graduate student Jeremy Stierly are listed in the wrestling team’s history as two of eight national champions, but they will also be remembered for their contributions in the classroom. Ecker became the South Hill squad’s first two-time individual national champion when he defeated Coe College senior Jordan Westfall at the NCAA Championships March 10 to earn the top spot in the 133-pound weight class. Stierly had suffered two successive defeats in the 141-pound weight class before moving up to the 149-pound category and earning his first national title. They have also earned national honors for balancing their course load with athletics. Ecker was named to the District I All-Academic Team in 2011, while Stierly was a National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American. Ecker said he felt a deeper sense of responsibility to win during his second time on the biggest stage in Division III wrestling. “Representing your school, your coaches and the hard work and dedication they put into you — it’s the culmination of that which makes winning a national title so special,” Ecker said. Stierly said if he lost in the national

From left, senior Seth Ecker takes down Delaware Valley College senior Eric McCann during a meet on Feb. 4 in Ben Light Gymnasium. courtesy of tim mckinney

title bout a third time, he would have seen his final season as a failure. “Anything but first would have been unsuccessful for me,” he said. “One of the things about getting second twice is that you go in there

knowing that getting second or worse is going to be an unsuccessful finish for that weekend.” Junior Rick Gomez had a similar experience to Stierly’s when he wrestled at Nassau Community College in

the 125-pound weight class. Gomez said he wants to match Stierly’s persistence in overcoming adversity. “He made it to the finals twice and lost but kept chasing his goal and got to accomplish it because he prepared the same each day,” he said. “That is a feeling I’m waiting to experience next year.” Doliscar said other wrestlers can follow in Ecker and Stierly’s footsteps by not only winning matches at the national level, but also passing on knowledge they’ve gained from their four seasons on the South Hill squad. “Not only should you win your championship, but you need to guide the others and lead them the right way, just like they led us,” Doliscar said. Ecker said he and Stierly’s legacies cannot be measured by only athletic achievements. “Besides being dual national champs, performing well academically is important and something I hope sticks with the program’s reputation,” Ecker said. Stierly said he wants younger wrestlers to learn the dedication it takes to become a national champion from his and Ecker’s actions. “I just hope that the guys on the team look at me and Ecker and they see the work we put into it, and they understand what we went through in order to get to where we were,” Stierly said.


S ports

Th ursday, M ar ch 22, 2012

The I th a c a n 2 5

Pentathlete propels to first-place finish By rebecca alpert Staff Writer

When senior pentathlete Emma Dewart stood atop the podium at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 10 in Grinnell, Iowa, she had achieved one of her personal best performances and etched herself into the women’s track team’s record books. Dewart became the most accomplished women’s indoor track athlete in Bomber history with her second consecutive individual national title. Dewart said she knew defending her national title was going to be more challenging this year. “Going into nationals this year after being the national champion in the event was a little bit more nerve-racking because everyone is there to beat you and get to that top place on the podium,” she said. Shattering her old school record with 3,674 combined points from all five events — the 800-meter run, 60-meter hurdles, high jump, long jump and shot put — Dewart became one of 20 Bombers to win at least one individual national title since 1983. Dewart said she did not think about her first-place performance at last season’s national championships in Columbus, Ohio. Her main goal going into this season was to win the title in the pentathlon with or without rewriting the program’s history. “Setting the school record was

like an added bonus to the weekend,” she said. “I didn’t go out aiming to set the school record, but it’s something that happened. It came as a result of what I had to do to win another pentathlon national championship.” Dewart said each of her practices consisted of work in each event and six 200-meter runs at a set pace. She said she felt physically and mentally prepared for the national title meet because of her strict daily workout regimen. “Whereas many athletes will do a spring workout in one day’s practice or a throwing workout in a day, as a pentathlete we usually do two to three, sometimes even four events in one practice,” she said. Sophomore hurdler Alyssa Wu said Dewart’s focus on collective success sets her apart from other athletes on the team. “Emma has always shown her commitment and support to this team, whether it is in practice, meets, team bonding activities or outside of track altogether,” Wu said. Senior Ashley Dlubac, who has been participating in the pentathlon with Dewart since their first indoor season in 2008-09, said Dewart’s amiable nature is her greatest attribute and something the team will remember her by after her four years of eligibility are up. “They will miss her talent, her advice, her personality and most of all her being there as a teammate and friend to all of us,” Dlubac said. Dlubac said Dewart remains

Senior Emma Dewart clears a hurdle during practice Monday on the outdoor track at Butterfield Stadium. Dewart became the first pentathlete in Bomber history to win back-to-back national championships March 10.

parker chen/the ithacan

humble despite her success and is always the first one to congratulate anyone on their performance. “She is very driven to perform well for herself and her team, and I think she is coming into the outdoor season with confidence that she will do well along with the desire

to have fun doing so,” Dlubac said. “She doesn’t stop cheering and being there for teammates as they compete as well.” Dewart said she will have to continue to train hard during each practice for the outdoor season to build on her performance at the

indoor national championships. “Pentathletes are often the last track and field athletes to leave practice each and every day,” she said. “We need to multi-task in a way because we do a little bit of each event to prepare for competition at the end of each week.”

Look online for game stories from these sports: TODAY • 10 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving at NCAA Championships in Indianapolis

tomorrow • 10 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving at NCAA Championships in Indianapolis • 3:30 p.m. Baseball vs. Keuka College on Freeman Field • 4:30 p.m. Gymnastics at National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Team Championships in Brockport, N.Y. • 7 p.m. Men’s Lacrosse vs. SUNY-Cortland in Higgins Stadium

SAturDAY • 10 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving at NCAA Championships in Indianapolis • 11 a.m. Men’s Tennis at University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y. • 1 p.m. Women’s Lacrosse at SUNY-Cortland in Cortland, N.Y. • 1 p.m. Softball vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Kostrinsky Field • 3:30 p.m. Gymnastics at National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Event Finals in Brockport, N.Y.

SUNDAY • 11 a.m. Women’s Tennis vs. University of Rochester on Ithaca College Tennis Courts • Noon Men’s Lacrosse vs. SUNY-Oswego in Higgins Stadium • 1 p.m. Baseball vs. SUNY-Oswego on Freeman Field

TUESDAY • 4 p.m. Men’s Tennis vs. Alfred University on Ithaca College Tennis Courts

wEDNEsDAY • 4 p.m. Baseball vs. SUNY-Cortland on Freeman Field • 4 p.m. Men’s Lacrosse at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. • 4 p.m. Women’s Lacrosse at SUNY-Buffalo in Buffalo, N.Y.

Bold = Home game TBD = To be determined

david wayman/the ithacan

The Ithacan

online | theithacan.org/sports


2 6 The It hacan

S ports

Th ursday, M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2

South Hill squad rejuvenates offensive attack by nate bickell staff writer

The women’s lacrosse team is adjusting to a new offensive style this season that requires more creativity and risk-taking from all areas of the field. First-year Head Coach Shannon McHale implemented the new offensive system for the Bombers. She developed the formations while she was Head Coach of the St. John Fisher College Cardinals for the past decade. The Cardinals led the Empire 8 Conference with 16.7 goals per game last season, while the Bombers finished fourth, scoring an average of 12.6 goals per game. McHale said the success of the Bombers’ offense relies on players making well-timed moves to break away from a defender. “Instead of being in a space and being marked, it’s ‘Leave it open and then make your cut,’” she said. McHale said the team’s new offense is influenced by soccer strategies she used when she played for the SUNY-Brockport Golden Eagles. “It’s kind of based on triangles,” she said. “You always have someone north-south and you always have someone east-west, so you’re never stuck if the person ahead of you isn’t open.” Senior attack Nicole Borisenok said this year’s squad is more unpredictable when it has possession than it has been in the past. “We don’t have set plays or set positions — we have seven people on the attack at all times that are a threat,” she said. “The defense can’t really determine what we’re going to do.” The new offense requires more energy on the field than in seasons past, as players are looking to make extra passes to keep opposing teams on their heels. It’s a style that aims to wear opponents down rather than scoring a lot of goals in a short period of time. Junior midfielder Michelle Avery, who finished with 11 goals in 18 games last season, said learning the new offense forced the upperclassmen to focus on more fundamental

From left, SUNY-Geneseo sophomore midfielder Emily Haggerty defends junior midfielder Nicole Dahl during the Bombers’ 14-13 win against the Knights yesterday at Higgins Stadium.

david wayman/the ithacan

skills they developed in earlier seasons. “Everyone is on the same level,” she said. “It’s like we’re all first years again learning brand new things.” Borisenok and junior attack Tracy Rivas accounted for 44 percent of the team’s 221

goals last season. McHale said with more emphasis on movement this season, players are often in positions on the field they are not used to, which will result in a wider range of players scoring this season. She said the team’s main goal is to be more versatile than it has

been in the past. “If you can have all seven people being a threat, then how is the other team going to stop you?” she said. The Blue and Gold’s offense got off to a fast start, scoring 41 goals in its first three games against University of Rochester in the season opener March 7, Springfield College on March 12 and Franklin and Marshall College on March 14. Five Bombers found the back of the net in the first game of the regular season. Junior midfielder Kim Armbruster was one of three players to register a hat trick — the third of her career. Avery recorded her first career three-goal game against the YellowJackets and said the Blue and Gold’s new offense gives her more opportunities to score without having to cut from behind the net. “Coach McHale has had us taking shots from farther out and that’s something we’ve never really done before,” she said. Borisenok, who led the team in goals and points in 2011 with 53 and 66 respectively, said she has had to work on attacking the goal from a wide variety of positions on the field. “Everybody I mark up against knows I want to drive from the top right, so I’m trying to become confident in driving from all angles on the field,” she said. The Bombers will face SUNY-Cortland and SUNY-Buffalo this week before beginning their conference schedule on March 31 with a contest against Stevens Institute of Technology. Cortland and Stevens won their conferences and averaged more than 13 goals per game in the regular season prior to their playoff runs. McHale said one of the challenges the South Hill squad has faced in adjusting to the new system is getting used to fitting the ball into tighter spaces. “It’s hard to put yourself in a place to fail,” McHale said. “They are used to being very successful, and it’s hard to say, ‘It’s going to be OK if I make a mistake.’”


[The buzzer]

Th ursday, M ar ch 22, 2012

The I th a c a n 2 7

Best on the beam The Ithacan highlights two top gymnasts from the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships on March 10.

Kim Callahan Senior Gymnastics

Balance was the name of the game as Callahan placed first overall at the championships with a score of 9.550 on the balance beam. Her first place finish marked both her first career ECAC event championship and All-ECAC honor. Callahan’s performance was 20 spots better than last year’s performance and .28 points better then her average score for the season.

The edge of glory

From left, junior Danielle Torres stands on the thighs of sophomore Julian Weisner during practice for IC Circus on Monday in the Fitness Center Gymnasium. The club team holds practices on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Justine Picciano Graduate Student Gymnastics

rachel woolf/the ithacan

the foul line

Weird news from the wide world of sports

For the third straight year, Picciano was named to the All-ECAC team after joining Callahan on the podium with a third-place finish on the balance beam. Picciano finished with a score of 9.475, good enough for her second-best score of the season. Picciano previously won the event in 2009 and placed fourth in 2011.

by the

numbers

40 The number of seasons it took Head Coach George Valesente to win 1,000 games in college baseball. See story on page 24.

Quarterback Peyton Manning has unquestionably been the biggest NFL free agent this offseason, and several cities feverishly offered everything they could to woo him to play for their teams before he signed a contract with the Denver Broncos. But residents of Nashville, Tenn., home of the Tennessee Titans, gave Manning an offer that was almost too sweet for him to pass up. Nashville’s Shoney Restaurant ran an advertisement in the city’s newspaper, The Tennessean, offering Manning a free stack of pancakes every day for the rest of his career if he signed with the Titans. Assuming Manning plays for another three seasons, he could have looked forward to thousands of flapjacks. While the Titans would have been thrilled to have Manning come to town, they would have had to keep an eye on his breakfast routine and made sure he doesn’t eat his way out of the league. —Matt Kelly

5

The number of wrestlers who earned All-American honors during their performance at the NCAA championships in La Crosse, Wis. See story on page 24.

Play of the week John Prendergast Freshman Baseball For the second time this season, freshman phenom Prendergast collects Empire 8 Conference Pitcher of the Week award.

The Bombers posted their best mark on the West Coast since 2006, after finishing with a record of 5—2 on their spring break trip to California. Prendergast’s pitching was a big reason for the Blue and Gold’s success, as he went 2—0 on the trip. In his first start, Prendergast hurled a complete-game shutout against then-21st-ranked Chapman University and followed that up by allowing only two runs in seven and two thirds innings against Claremont Mudd-Scripps College. In his three starts, Prendergast threw a team high 23 2/3 innings and walked six batters to begin the regular season.

they saidit I didn’t give a darn about the money. I can’t take the money with me. Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson when asked why it was so urgent for his team to sign free agent Mario Williams to a 6-year, $96 million contract.


2 8 The It hacan

Th i s I S ee

Spring Th ursday, M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2

Fever Record temperatures have students donning shorts and tees across campus during the first days of spring.

Junior Ethan Jodziewicz plays the double bass with a group of friends Tuesday afternoon outside Phillips Hall. The weather has drawn many musicians onto the Academic Quad.

Rachel Woolf/The Ithacan

Senior Lisa Wenhard feeds pretzels to ducks during the lunch hour yesterday. The ducks are often sighted swimming together in the pond outside Muller Chapel.

Rachel Orlow/The Ithacan

Freshman Katie McKenna catches a football yesterday outside Lyon Hall. Students crowded the campus grounds to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather throughout the week.

Shawn Steiner/The Ithacan

Sophomore Kanoa Ishihara takes a break from homework to perform captivating tricks with different sized hula-hoops Tuesday afternoon outside the library.

Rachel Orlow/The Ithacan


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.