The Ithacan Thursday, April 5 , 20 12
Under the hood
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Volume 79, Iss u e 2 4
Students join movement after Trayvon Martin's death
NY consumers get exemption on clothing tax by kristen mansfield staff writer
From left, sophomore Cöelis Mendoza, senior Romi Ezzo and junior Meira Keil wear hoods to stand in solidarity with Trayvon Martin.
photo illustration by rachel orlow
by candace king Staff writer
Students at Ithaca College and campuses nationwide are pulling up their hoods to shed light on the racial Check later this profiling discourse surweek for online rounding the Trayvon coverage of Martin case. On Feb. 26, 17-year- Trayvon Martin. old Martin was returning home from 7-Eleven with Skittles and iced tea in hand in Sanford, Fla. Martin was unarmed and wearing a hooded sweatshirt at the time when 28-year-old
George Zimmerman, a crime watch volunteer, shot and killed the black teenager. The “Hoodie Movement” emerged in reaction to Martin's death and as a call for Zimmerman's trial. Though details of the altercation before Martin's shooting remain obscure, many outraged Americans are calling for justice. While Zimmerman is claiming self-defense under the “Stand Your Ground” Law in Florida, the case remains under investigation. The “Stand Your Ground” Law, implemented in 2005, makes it lawful for citizens to act in self-defense using any means necessary
for protection and still be immune from criminal prosecution. More than 20 states in the United States, including Florida, have implemented this law. Because of this, Zimmerman has yet to be charged and tried. Due to the outcry surrounding Zimmerman's impending arrest, Senator Chris Smith, D-Fla., announced his own task force to examine the law. President Barack Obama, along with other political figures such as Mitt Romney and Bill Clinton, and celebrities like Tyler Perry
See trayvon, page 4
Environment takes hit from historically warm winter by marissa smith chief proofreader
The warm winter has students enthralled, but environmental experts are warning it could negatively affect everything from plants to health. Jessica Rennells, climatologist in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University, said the off-season weather is expected to neutralize by the end of June and is raising questions about global warming. “Extremes like these we experienced are something that you’d expect to see in a changing climate, but you can’t say that one strange season is a result of that,” Rennells said. According to the Northeast Regional Climate Center, the warmest recorded temperature in Ithaca for the month of March was 85 degrees Fahrenheit in 1977. This past month had three
separate days of temperatures reaching 77 degrees, and nine out of the 31 days of the month breached 70. In the past five years, the highest March temperature was 66 degrees. Sophomore Jeremy Betterley, co-president of the Ithaca College Environmental Society, said the recent weather has left him unnerved. “It has the appearance of climate change because it lends itself to greater variability in the weather,” he said. “Among the environmental students that I know, we’re all like, ‘Well, this weather is nice, but it sure is unsettling.’” The unusual weather also has the spring biological ecosystem out of sync. “Things are about three to four weeks ahead of schedule here in upstate New York,” Paul Curtis, extension wildlife specialist at
See weather, page 4
fighting chance Start-up mixed martial arts league combines luck and skill, page 23
March highs and lows of the last five years 77° 66°
64°
60°
56°
11° 3° 2012
2011
7°
6°
-5°
2010
2009
2008
Source: northeast regional climate center
A recent New York state clothing tax exemption may soon have local consumers making bigger clothing purchases. Clothing, footwear and items used to make or repair clothing sold for less than $110 are now exempt from New York state’s 4 percent sales tax because of the sales tax exemption reinstated as of Sunday. Despite the cut, Tompkins County will still maintain its own 4 percent sales tax POTRIKUS said the exemption on clothing. The new ex- may be a sign of a growing economy. emption replaces the sales tax exemption that was only on items $55 or less, which was implemented in April 2011. The first 4 percent exemption on clothing and footwear under $110 occurred in 2000, but has often been suspended in order to balance the state’s budget. Ted Potrikus, executive vice president of the Retail Council of New York State, said the difference in tax rates among states bordering New York created incentive for residents to shop elsewhere and caused legislators to consider a state tax break. “The reason for its implementation initially was primarily for merchants down around New York City and the Southern Tier where you could bounce around the border and shop in PA or New Jersey, where they have lower or no sales taxes,” Potrikus said. Merchants in New York City were losing business, he said, so the legislature tried a tax exemption for a week in the fall of 2000. What began as a twoweek tax holiday has since turned into a yearly standard. The tax reduction will not bring the entirety of New York to the same level as Pennsylvania and New Jersey, where there are little to no sales taxes on clothing and other goods. New Jersey boasts having no sales tax on all clothing items, while Massachusetts and Pennsylvania set clothing as nontaxable with a few exceptions. Each county in New York has the right to regulate local property and sales taxes, so only 11 counties will truly be at a zero percent tax rate on eligible clothing and footwear that individually cost less than $110. “Anything over 4 percent is what’s charged by the local government,” Potrikus said. “The state will get rid of its sales tax on clothing and footwear, and if local governments want to go along with it, they can.”
See tax, page 4
coming of age
trophy kid
Junior celebrates her Bat Mitzvah with Hillel in Muller Chapel, page 13
Activism needs to go beyond raising awareness to make an impact, 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, Apr il 5 , 2 0 1 2
Nation&World
Ten killed by bomber in Afghanistan
New York Police Department said they are awaiting a medical examiner’s report to determine the cause of his death. A spokesman for the NYPD said Tuesday there’s no evidence a crime was committed. The New York Police Department said police received an emergency call about an unconscious male in a hotel room. The identity of the caller was not immediately available.
A suicide bomber blew himself up at a park yesterday in northern Afghanistan, killing at least 10 people, including two U.S. soldiers, officials said. This is the latest in a string of attacks as spring fighting season gets under way. Afghan and NATO security forces have frequently been targeted in the surge of violence as militants fight to assert their power and undermine U.S. efforts to try to build up the Afghan military and leave combat responsibility to local forces by the end of 2014. The bomber was riding a motorcycle when he detonated his explosives at the gate of the park in Maimanah, the capital of Faryab province, police spokesman Lal Mohammad Ahmad Zai said. It was not clear what was targeted, but he said four of those killed were police officers.
Romney turns attention to Obama
Mitt Romney is turning away from his primary opponents and toward Democratic President Barack Obama after sweeping three more Republican contests. The likely GOP nominee was set yesterday to take the same Washington stage that the president had used a day earlier to criticize Romney in a speech to newspaper editors in Washington. The former Massachusetts governor planned to address an audience of the Newspaper Association of America and the American Society of News Editors a day after Obama spoke to the annual meeting of The Associated Press. Romney’s victories in Wisconsin, Maryland and the District of Columbia widened his delegate lead and all but handed him the title of presumptive Republican nominee. Despite pressure to leave the race, rival Rick Santorum vowed to fight on. Romney didn’t mention Santorum on Tuesday night. Instead, Romney sought to cast Obama as an “out of touch” liberal whose background is hostile to a free economy.
Israel forces evict dozens of settlers
Israeli security forces swiftly evicted dozens of Jewish settlers from an illegally occupied building in the volatile West Bank city yesterday, ending a weeklong standoff that had threatened to spill over into broader violence. The raid caught the settlers off guard. Only a day earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had moved to block the eviction order. Settler supporters in Netanyahu’s hardline government condemned the surprise raid, a key political ally threatened to quit the coalition and settler leaders vowed retaliation. Hebron, the traditional burial site of Abraham, the shared patriarch of both Jews and Muslims, is the only place where Jews live in the heart of a Palestinian city. About 850 settlers now live in Hebron in heavily guarded enclaves among 180,000 Palestinians. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers enforce a rigid separation between the two sides.
YouTube scores deal with Paramount
YouTube and Paramount Pictures have reached a deal to make nearly 500 films available to rent online, even while their parent companies continue to feud over a $1.76 billion lawsuit. The agreement announced yesterday makes Paramount the fifth major Hollywood studio to join YouTube’s online video store, a growing rental library that typically charges $2 to $4 per viewing. 20th Century Fox is now the only major studio holdout. The Paramount films will be available on YouTube Rentals and Google Play. Online movies and pay-per-view options have
French university pioneer found dead
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and leading French minds paid homage yesterday to the director of one of the country’s top colleges, who pioneered efforts to open elitist schools to the underprivileged and bring in foreign students. Richard Descoings, 53, was found dead and naked in a hotel room Tuesday in New York, where he was on an official visit. The
Passionate painting
Residents clean the surroundings of Filipino self-taught artist Ronald Bautista’s version of the Passion of Jesus Christ in observance of Holy Week yesterday at the financial district of Makati City, east of Manila. The Holy Week is one of the most important holidays among Catholics. Bullit Marquez/associated press
spurred heated competition between Google, Apple’s iTunes store, Amazon’s website and the subscription video service from Netflix. The deal brings YouTube’s collection to nearly 9,000 titles. For most movies, renters have up to 30 days to begin watching a video but must complete the viewing within 24 hours after starting.
JPMorgan to pay $20M settlement
JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay a $20 million fine to settle federal regulators’ civil charges of illegally handling funds that Lehman Brothers, a failed global financial firm, deposited with the bank. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced the settlement yesterday. It involved JPMorgan’s handling of customer funds from November 2006 to September 2008 when Lehman collapsed. Lehman’s futures brokerage firm, LBI, deposited its customer funds with JPMorgan. The handling of customer funds at futures brokerages has drawn
more attention since the failure last fall of MF Global. About $1.6 billion in MF Global customer funds are missing.
Greek federation suspends games
The governing board of Greece’s track and field federation has suspended all athletic operations after an emergency meeting. The board said the suspension is indefinite and has the immediate effect of halting all domestic competitions. On Tuesday, federation president Vassilis Sevastis told The Associated Press the body was considering the suspension due to cuts in funding in the financially strapped country. He said coaching staff and suppliers had not been paid for months due to budget reductions. The suspension comes a month before Greece holds the Olympic flame lighting ceremony in Ancient Olympia for the 2012 London Games.
SOURCE: Associated Press
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Copy Editors Greg Broslawski, Alexa d’Angelo, John Winters DiMarco, Spencer Goldberg, Robyn Schmitz, Rose Vardell, Sara Webb, Vicky Wolak
Got a news tip? Slideshow
Discover the range of musical talents throughout the Ithaca community.
Video
Junior Katarina Andersson celebrated her Bat Mitzvah — college style. Take a look inside the party.
Video
Meet Standout Senior Alana Koehler and find out how she’s been involved on campus.
Video
Watch the journey of two Cornell University students who converted to Buddhism. Tom Moore, pictured, spent seven months in Nepal.
News
Learn about events held for World Autism Awareness week.
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Accent
Go front and center as the Jazz Combo plays at the Carriage House.
Follow us: twitter.com/ithacanonline
Sports
Follow up on the latest women’s crew dual regatta results.
Contact News Editor Kelsey O’Connor at koconno3@ithaca.edu or 274-3207.
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Th ursday, A pril 5, 2012
The I th a c a n 3
Literary voices reflect Caribbean culture Patrick Feeney Staff Writer
This week, Ithaca College got a little taste of the Caribbean during the celebration of Caribbean Culture Week. This year’s five-day commemoration, sponsored by the Caribbean Students Association, is titled “Shades of Faces: Caribbean Enlightenment through Literature” and is aimed at bringing deeper understanding of Caribbean culture to the campus community. In honor of the week, CSA hosted local and international writers and academics. Carole Davies, professor of Africana studies at Cornell University and one of the event’s featured speakers, said she hopes the events help to begin a dialogue on campus about culture and everyday life in the Caribbean. “If there’s a little bit of knowledge shared and someone leaves enriched, I’m fine,” Davies said. “In the midst of the framing of the Caribbean as America’s backyard, or as these islands in between where one can just show up and have a good time and come back home, you have a group of people making their lives and trying to establish who they are in the world.” Davies and Shauna Morgan Kirlew, a predoctoral fellow in the college’s English department, will discuss Caribbean culture and literature at 7 p.m. today. Author Merle Hodge addressed the campus community last night in Textor Hall with her lecture, “Caribbean Literature and the Journey to Peoplehood.” Her novel “Crick Crack, Monkey,” written about a teenage Trinidadian experiencing the neo-colonialist culture firsthand, has become standard reading in schools across the Caribbean. Sudie Ann Robinson, president of CSA, said the idea for a literature-based focus came from Binghamton University professor Donette Francis, who specializes in African and Caribbean literature. She was a guest speaker last year.
upcoming caribbean culture week events Thursday Shauna Morgan Kirlew, a pre-doctoral candidate to speak about neo-anticolonialism at 7 p.m. in Taughannock Falls Room.
Friday “Remembering Haiti,” a benefit concert at 7 p.m. in Emerson Suites.
Saturday “Swagga Bash,” a Caribbean music-filled dance, will take place at 8 p.m. in Clark Lounge.
IC 20/20
by Elma Gonzalez Assistant News Editor
Junior Rochelle Frankson sells jewelry by Grand Central Cafe in Campus Center to raise funds for the World Water Relief Project’s efforts in Haiti. The sale is part of Caribbean Culture Week.
Durst Breneiser/Ithacan
“Francis actually told us that we should focus on Caribbean writers,” Robinson said. “A lot of the time they don’t get as much press as American or Caribbean-American authors.” Kirlew said she most looked forward to Hodge’s lecture. “I read Merle Hodge’s work when I was a little girl,” Kirlew said. “I remember that novel [“Crick Crack, Monkey”] resonating with me because I had a very similar experience as a child in Jamaica, living in a very colonially influenced space.” Davies, whose “Celebrating Caribbean Voices” lecture was held Monday night, said she does not see much Caribbean culture locally, so events represent an opportunity to change the status quo. “There’s no ongoing Caribbean perspective as part of the framework of Ithaca,” Davies said. “A full representation of as many cultures as available is always desirable coming from university students in particular.” The week will culminate with a “Remembering Haiti” benefit concert tomorrow and a “Swagga Bash” dance party Saturday. A jewelry sale has also been held throughout the week as a fundraiser for the World Water Relief Project’s efforts in the Haiti recovery. This year featured a greater number of social
events, such as the concert and dance party. Robinson said a larger number of students participating in the CSA lead to this shift. “This year, one of the things I try to implement is stronger bonding and communication among the freshman class,” Robinson said. “Freshman membership has tremendously grown. We’re adding more social programs for them that will help them bond with members of the upper classes.” Davies said increased interest from students sometimes comes in waves. “Sometimes you have a host of students coming from a similar part of the country and that sort of creates a nexus,” Davies said. Kirlew said Caribbean students at the college need celebrations similar to this week to help unite with one another and the world around them. “Many of the students in the CSA grew up in the states but lived in households that were permeated with accents or language of their home, the food [and] the music,” Kirlew said. “There’s an urge to connect to that — particularly as we think about the climate of not just our country, but our world — this need for change and desire to see a movement toward justice.”
Special Series
Part three: Graduate and honors programs by Kacey Deamer Staff Writer
In the third part of a series on IC 20/20, The Ithacan takes a look at the graduate and honors programs highlighted in the 10-year strategic plan. While some aspects of Ithaca College’s Integrative Core Curriculum have been approved by the Academic Policy Committee, graduate and Honors Programs initiatives are still in the developing stages. Under the college’s IC 20/20 plan, the graduate studies program has been made a priority for both expansion and recognition. The IC 20/20 Final Plan includes an initiative for integrative graduate programs, specifically noting the college’s commitment to “continue to find opportunities to provide new graduate degrees that are necessary for entry into professional fields for which IC has undergraduate majors.” The document also calls for an expansion of education offered at the college “by developing prototypes of graduate certificates or degree programs valued
Pest control tackles bugs in T3 beds
by professionals whose advancement depends on ability to move across standard professional boundaries and skill sets.” Rob Gearhart, associate dean of graduate and professional studies, said the development of the graduate program would fit into the college’s IC 20/20 commitment to integrative learning. “Initiate seven — integrative graduate education — talks about moving across standard professional boundaries and skill sets to bring different disciplines together in a more focused advanced study, which would be graduate education,” Gearhart said. Gregory Woodward, music school dean, former provost and future president of Carthage College, was the first full-time graduate dean. “When I became graduate dean there really hadn’t been a voice at the table for graduate studies,” Woodward said. When the college was set to renew its Middle States accreditation for the
From left Junior Ana Calcano goes over internship opportunities for this summer with Junior Taylor O’Hare, student adviser at Career Services. Shawn steiner/the ithacan
master’s program, it was suggested that it build its program by considering the way students are embedded in the culture of the college. “In the four years I worked on that we did double enrollment of the graduate program, which was significant,” Woodward said. “We added about nine or 10 new degrees to the graduate program, and we started a number of events which made the graduate students feel like they belonged more to the college.” These immersion events included a graduate-specific orientation session, a separate graduation ceremony, an academic symposium and
various social events. Woodward said these efforts will be continued and built upon under the guidance of the IC 20/20 plan. “I would say that from that time through the present, the graduate programs have taken a more important position in the priorities and hierarchy of the college,” he said. One aspect of graduate studies the college plans to build upon is the professional certificate program, which has seen growth in colleges and universities nationally. Certificate programs are
See ic 20/20, page 5
Terrace 3 is housing some nasty visitors for the second time this academic year. There have been confirmed reports of bedbugs in two dorm rooms and a lounge in the Terrace 3 residence hall this week. Nathan Platt, assistant director of Residential Life, said last November there were two bed bug reports that were confirmed — one in Terrace 3 and one in the West Tower. Sheila Morgan, office assistant at Acme Pest Control in Ithaca, confirmed the company treated the two recent bed buginfested rooms and the lounge with heat yesterday. November’s incidents were already treated. “It kills everything,” she said. “It kills the eggs and the bedbugs.” Platt said heat treatment is the best practice in the industry for treating bedbugs. “What they do is bring in large unit heaters that actually heat the temperature in the room up to 140 degrees for a period of five hours,” he said. Students were asked to take anything from their dorm like aerosols and deodorants that could be damaged by the heat. Students were encouraged to keep other belongings like clothes and electronics in the dorm because they would not be damaged by the heat, and the temperature would allow for any bugs that may have been present to be killed. Freshman Ken Robertson, who lives in Terrace 3, said bedbugs are not new to the residence hall, as the building was affected last semester. “There was an infestation earlier this year in one of the rooms on the second floor, and they treated it,” he said. “They brought in a dog on Monday, and they found two or three more rooms that were infected on the third floor.” Bed bug infestations occur most in residences, with 89 percent of pest professional business occurring in residential buildings. Fifty-four percent of incidents occur in college dormitories according to the National Pest Management Association. The total cost of the bed bug extermination was about $2,550, Platt said. The heat for each room cost $700, and the lounge cost about $150 because a pesticide, which is cheaper, was used instead of heat. An additional $1,000 was required for Sirius K9 Inspections, a Buffalo-based bed bug detection company, to find the bedbugs and identify the affected dorms. Though the college hopes to contain the bugs, Platt said, all that can be done now is to act quickly and spread awareness among the student body. “We want to encourage students if they think they’ve got bedbugs, if they think they’ve got bites, educate themselves, go to the health center, get a diagnosis and then let us know so we can be very aggressive in treating this,” he said. “It’s in our best interest — in everybody’s best interest — to make sure that if we do have a case on campus it doesn’t spread so we want to be very, very proactive with this stuff.” Staff Writer Patrick Feeney contributed to this report.
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4 The It hacan
Winter heat alters phases of organisms weather from page 1
Cornell, said. Because plants are sprouting earlier this season, Jason Hamilton, associate professor of environmental studies at the college, is co n ce r n e d animals — including bears, birds and bees — will not get an adequate food supply. “One of HAMILTON said the things the lack of snowthat this sort fall could impact the water supply. of a spring makes us ecologists worried about is, ‘Are things getting out of phase?’” Hamilton said. “This particular year, it’s definitely the case.” In many parts of New York state, including Ithaca, beekeepers are being forced to feed their bees before they starve to death because the bees are out of phase with the blooming of their main food source — nectar and pollen from flowers. Though few enjoy Ithaca's usually bitter winters, ecologically speaking, the cold weather normally regulates populations by killing off insects, larvae and eggs. Without the normal cold, many organisms that usually shouldn’t survive winter are increasing, Hamilton said. “It’s too early to tell, but this is just the sort of weather that could lead to large insect outbreaks, mosquitoes, ticks, crop pests, that sort of thing,” he said. Because of a low acorn count in the fall, Lyme disease — a ticktransmitted illness — is already a more prominent threat this year. The local deer population, already high in the area, is expected to increase as well, Curtis said. “It’s not only going to impact the crops,” Curtis said. “It will impact the garden plants, landscape ornamentals and the potential for deer to cause vehicle accidents and car collisions, too.” Another concern is the lack of snowpack Ithaca had this year. Because snow acts as a water reservoir for the spring as it melts and trickles into the soil, Hamilton anticipates water shortages throughout the spring and summer. “I don’t think it’s as dire as saying Ithaca’s going to run out of water or something, but the wildlife are potentially going to suffer,” Hamilton said. “If it turns out to not be a particularly rainy spring, we didn’t get our water resources recharged.” The potential for the weather to become cold again before it continues to warm has Rennells concerned about the cold’s possible effect on plants that have already begun to grow. “The average last day of freeze for Ithaca is May 15, so we’re far before May 15, and some of these vegetations that are more susceptible to cold temperatures will get frost,” she said. “Many crop-growers are worried about what will happen with this freeze.”
Th ursday, Apr il 5 , 2 0 1 2
Case draws discourse on racial profiling trayvon from page 1
and Spike Lee, addressed the case. Obama made his first comment on the case in his Rose Garden appearance Mar. 23, saying that if he had a son, he would look like Martin. Today, Ithaca College students are also speaking up about the case and planning to gather in front of the library to demand justice for Martin’s death. Sophomore Cöelis Mendoza, organizer of the campus’ protest, said the movement is in response to the racial tensions in Ithaca and a way for participants to stand in solidarity with rallies nationwide that are demanding Zimmerman’s arrest. “There [is] a lot of coverage about it as far as racial tensions are concerned,” Mendoza said. “The ‘Hoodie Movement’ specifically refers to Geraldo Rivera’s comment on Fox News that the hoodie is just as responsible for Trayvon’s death as George Zimmerman shooting him. In other Cornell University Freshman Osbogu Ukuku joins a movement of more than 100 students calling for justice words, saying that if Trayvon had not worn a for Trayvon Martin yesterday at Cornell. Institutions across the country have held similar protests. hoodie with the hood up and not look like a susshawn steiner/the ithacan picious thug, then he would not have been shot.” Sophomore Tessa Crisman said she supports like Greenwood’s situation, is an example of case are the 911 calls Zimmerman made to the police. There are two words that remain unclear the “Hoodie Movement,” but is also cognizant of the racial profiling. “Because he had his hood up, the shooter during the call that many say make up a racial slur. daily discrimination that may not get as much attenCraig Gurian, adjunct professor of law at tion as Martin’s case has. She said she hopes people described him as a suspicious character, even though there were reports saying that it was Fordham University and executive director of begin to look at the case sociologically. “Black men are posed in society as a threat, raining that day,” Mayo said. “Him being black the Anti-Discrimination Center in New York, whereas in reality they are often the target and wearing a hood up — that’s racial profiling. said the media give attention to incidents simithemselves in police violence,” Crisman said. The shooter probably assumed that [Martin] lar to Martin’s, but ignore subtle forms of prej“Trayvon Martin is not the exception; he’s the was probably some gangbanger or some type udice such as discrimination in the classroom and workplace, where no deaths are present, but rule. I don’t want to minimize the experience of of thief in the neighborhood.” Martin’s death has also lives are still adversely affected. his family or his community, “The fact that it may not have been justified spurred conversations in classand I think what happened and people were of two different racial or ethnic es all over campus. to him is horrible, but I Last week, sociologist and backgrounds does not mean that it automatihonestly don’t think that author Patricia Hill Collins ad- cally is discrimination,” Gurian said. “There are it is uncommon because dressed the college about the a ton of people who are saying how terrible it is, there is so much police viocrisis of black men in her pre- and that’s very easy to do. But when it comes to lence against black men.” Martin’s case, though in —tessa crisman sentation, “At the Center of the making structural changes — whether that’s in Storm, Black Men, Violence, terms of education or housing or employment Florida, had a domino effect and U.S. Society,” sponsored by — those people are nowhere to be found.” on the country as many states Gustavo Licon, assistant professor in the and cities are beginning to reflect on the racial ten- the Center for the Study of Race, Culture and EthCSCRE, said there is a collective societal fear of nicity during its “Black Men” series. sions present in their own communities. In her presentation, Collins said black men in black men, which creates a justification to act vioTwo years ago, similar race-centered conflict surrounded an Ithaca case. Shawn Greenwood, particular have a heightened vulnerability to op- lently towards that group. Though Zimmerman was half-Latino, Licon said the interracial violence a black Ithaca resident, was shot and killed by pression in American society. According to the FBI's 2010 hate crime statis- still functions to help perpetuate racial stereotypes Sgt. Bryan Bangs in February of 2010. Bangs and several officers were attempting to serve a tical report, there were 3,949 victims of racially according to the Eurocentric fantasy construction. “Even as a half-Latino, he is still acting withsearch warrant for a narcotics investigation when motivated crime in the U.S. Of that number, 70 percent were of “anti-black” bias. This percentage in a white supremacist framework that informs Greenwood resisted removal from his vehicle. his ideas of what a ‘thug’ looks like or someone On July 1, 2010, the jury ruled that Bangs acted is fairly consistent in the last three years. There is not sufficient detail to determine who’s suspicious looks like,” Licon said. “It is still in self-defense. A week later, Bangs’ home was targeted by an arsonist attack in protest of his acquittal. whether Martin’s case is racially motivated. Cur- filtered through racial knowledge where Trayvon Freshman Winston Mayo said Martin's case, rently, some of the key pieces of evidence in the Martin would be targeted.”
“Trayvon Martin is not the exception; he’s the rule.”
New exemption hints at better NY economy tax
from page 1
Katie Spallone, owner of Evolution 102 in downtown Ithaca, said the exemption won’t really affect her store because the current tax has hardly made a difference. “Most of our stuff is under $55 here anyway,” she said. “It’s not really something we’re going to notice. If people want to buy, I think they’ll buy.” Kelly Moreland, owner of the local children’s store Mama Goose, said the change will bring revenue to her business as well as make for a more pleasant shopping experience because people know they are paying less. “It’s really nice the way it’s happening at a change of season because that makes a difference for our business,” Moreland said. Kevin Sutherland, budget coordinator of Tompkins County, said taxes affect consumers’ decisions about what to purchase. “You look at the necessity of the choice to spend money on clothing,” he said. “People might be more inclined to buy something that’s between $55 and $110 now.” Viewed as a price cut by state
lawmakers, this tax exemption is estimated to increase state revenue by hundreds of millions of dollars according to Potrikus. Sutherland said it is the people’s reception to the exemption that will prove whether consumers have more money to spend. “Their confidence in how well things are going determines whether or not they go out and buy additional clothing items,” Sutherland said. Potrikus said the tax exemption is a sign of the state's improved economy. “This is a signal that the state’s financial situation has righted itself in the last couple years and that the legislature feels comfortable enough with that to move forward with this exemption,” he said. State and local governments alike are hoping that clothing and footwear stores get excited about the tax reduction and continue to bring in revenue. Ed Walsh, director of public information at the New York State Department of Taxation and Finances, said stores will advertise the tax break on their own. “Retailers often do their own promotions and advertisements announcing the tax exemption, so it’ll
Nicholas Daniluk, who works at Evolution 102, puts away clothes last month. New York eliminated the sales tax on clothing under $110 this Sunday. kelsey o'connor/the ithacan
definitely stimulate sales at the retail level,” Walsh said. The exemption came as a pleasant surprise for freshman Angelique Hudson. She said she’s happy with any discount, even if it’s small. “I’ll definitely shop more now,” Hudson said. “Little discounts make a difference, especially when you’re
buying a lot of clothes.” The state legislature has reflected its high hopes for the New York state economy by making the $110 and under tax exemption the indefinite state policy. “But in Albany, whenever they say something is permanent, that means that it’s not,” Potrikus said.
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Th ursday, A pril 5, 2012
The I th a c a n 5
Program to emphasize global learning ic 20/20 from page 3
non-credit-bearing professional development programs commonly offered online that assist professionals in acquiring new skill sets to help further their careers. “We’ve had, for about five years now, online professional certificate programs, one in strategic communication management, another one in performance improvement management, one in sustainability leadership, and these are non-credit,” Gearhart said. “They’re really professional development opportunities that are delivered fully online.” The inclusion of these programs allows for the college to reach beyond its own community. Gearhart noted the initial development of the certificate programs were designed with college alumni in mind. However, the
college has found that there are more non-Ithaca College alumni participating in these programs. “Delivering these online is a great way to share the expertise that Ithaca College has, but also create a new network of professionals out there who can benefit from that Ithaca College expertise,” Gearhart said. “We’ve really exposed the college to a whole new population of people who had never had any connection to Ithaca College.”
Honors Program
The Honors Program is also revamping its curriculum with changes to its core requirements. As outlined in IC 20/20’s 11th initiative, in addition to the curriculum revisions, the Honors Program, which is housed in the School of Humanities and Sciences, will continue to open its doors to the entire student body. The program has been all-college inclusive for Some of the proposed changes to the Honors Program in conjunction with IC 20/20 four years already, Robert Sullivan, director of the Academic Excellence — Students will have program, said. to complete about 10 credits in the Honors Program and a thesis project. The program is by invitation only for inGlobal Citizen — Students must have a global coming students, about focus, whether it’s studying abroad or taking a 100 per class. It is deseminar. signed as a minor, with 19 credits of interdisciCultural Engagement — Students must demonplinary seminars. There strate being a part of the cultural life at Ithaca College. are currently 430 students in the program, Scholarly Community — Students must pursue representing more than independent research with a long-term goal. 70 majors across all schools at the college. Civic Engagement — Students must lend serThe program is still vice at the college or in the community. listed under Humanities
honors expectations
and Sciences on the website. Sullivan said he thinks this initiative in the IC 20/20 plan will expand the Honors Program further and give it a larger platform on campus. Changes to the program will also “Increase the ability of our students to compete effectively for Fulbright, Goldwater and Jefferson Fellowships, as well as other high-profile post-baccalaureate awards,” according to the initiative document. Nazareth College, which is on the list of comparable institutions to Ithaca College and has a similar Honors Program, includes an 18-credit minor. Marjorie Roth, director of Nazareth’s Honors Program, said one difference in Nazareth’s program is a more intensive, independent research project. However, IC 20/20 is already poised to fill this gap with more experiential learning and service requirements for honors students. Sullivan said the new model is still in the planning stages, but will generally lower the credit load and add new features outside of a classroom setting. The IC 20/20 plan highlights five expectations for honors students, including academic excellence. However, Sullivan said other requirements will include being a “global citizen” — for instance, participating in a study abroad program, attending an international conference or taking a seminar that has a global perspective. Engaging in the cultural life of the college will also be an expectation, such as attending lectures and other programs on campus. Kevin Knudson, director of the Honors Program at the University
Robert Sullivan, director of the Honors Program, meets with honors students in 2010 in Williams Hall to discuss changes to the program.
File Photo/the Ithacan
of Florida, argued in an opinion piece in The Chronicle of Higher Education that an Honors Program should be a challenge for students rather than “concierge services.” “Many students view college simply as a means to an end and are not especially engaged in the educational process,” he wrote. Because of this, there is a need for Honors Programs that challenge students who are seeking more from their collegiate experience, and colleges should meet that need, he wrote. Cindy Hill, executive director of the National Collegiate Honors Council, said there is no single national honors model, but there is a trend of moving honors beyond the classroom.
“Honors really emphasizes teaching and learning, so it sounds to me like Ithaca is doing exactly what they should be doing to expand their Honors Program to make it more comprehensive to develop the whole person, the whole student,” Hill said. Sullivan hopes the changes to the program will not only enhance student experience, but also add to the college’s overall academic image. “IC 20/20 is going to do a lot of things for Honors, in a variety of ways,” he said. “We’ve been identified from the beginning as being one of the central goals of IC 20/20 under the heading of improving Ithaca College’s academic standing.”
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Dedication and drive propel senior’s career By whitney faber senior writer
When senior Alana Koehler steps out of Ithaca College with her bachelor’s degree in exercise science in hand, she will leave for a place she least expected. “It’s sort of ironic,” she said. “I applied to a bunch of different places all over the country, and I end up accepting the one that is right where I started, where the whole thing began.” Koehler has accepted a research internship at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., where she will work with a doctor on a study. She hopes to work with children who have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. She will then take her research and present it at the program’s symposium at the
Standout Seniors
School of Health Sciences and Human Performance
Alana koehler
end of the summer. But Koehler’s connection with the hospital began before she even entered college. As an active competitive swimmer and dancer, she sustained multiple injuries during her junior year at Palmyra-Macedon High School in Palmyra, N.Y., that culminated in a spinal fracture. Koehler said the experience of dealing with her sports-related injuries sparked
her interest in exercise science, as she looked at nutrition and exercise options for treatment. “The whole health and healing process — and sports medicine and the medical side of things — I was just really into,” she said. “I think I’m the To see an only person interview with that was kind of excited to Koehler, go to go to the hos- theithacan. pital and learn org/22483. about what tests they were going to run and talk to the doctors.” From there, she decided to attend the college because of the exercise science program’s flexibility. She also enrolled in the college’s Honors Program, where she developed her interest in undergraduate research. As a freshman, she presented a paper on the perceptions of virginity in ancient Athenian drama at the James J. Whalen Academic Symposium. Tom Swensen, Koehler’s academic adviser and chair of the exercise and sport science department, said watching Koehler’s composure during her presentation reinforced his confidence in her abilities. “You’re not necessarily picking a baseball team, but when you’re in a college and you’ve got a committee job, and you’re choosing teams, in essence, you know who gets it done and who kind of shirks it a little,” he said. “I’ll take Alana on our team.” Koehler continued with research
Senior Alana Koehler stands next to the Ithaca College Athletics and Events Center Pool. Koehler helps coach the college’s men’s swimming and diving team and has taught water aerobics classes since her sophomore year.
rachel orlow/The Ithacan
in multiple departments. She presented a paper on the South African AIDS crisis at the Northeast Regional Honors Conference in Harrisburg, Pa., during her sophomore year. In the same year, she began working with Swensen and his team of graduate students researching the effect of fish oil on delayed muscle soreness, which she presented at the regional conference for the American College of Sports Medicine and again last year at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. A self-described “kid at heart,” Koehler said she is excited to move on from these research topics to go to Strong Memorial, where she can pursue her greatest passion — working with children. She has worked at a day care center in her hometown of Macedon, N.Y., during the summer and other breaks and
said she has been hooked ever since. “I’m amazed at how they view the world,” she said. “I can get really stressed out about things and think that my problems are just the world, and then you go to work and you see these kids, and they’re just so happy about simple things. They really help me put things back into perspective. Gosh, I just love them to death.” Between her interest in research and her love for patient care, Koehler has decided to pursue a M.D.-Ph.D Dual Training program, which she hopes to begin in the 2013-14 academic year. She said this program would combine both her passions. “‘Bench to bedside’ is what they refer to it as,” she said. “So you’re seeing patients, and then you’re doing research that you can take the results of and directly apply to the kids and see the benefits of it right away.”
Applications for paid positions on The Ithacan’s editorial board for 2012–13 are now available. Positions include:
• Managing Editor • News Editor • Assistant News Editor • Opinion Editor • Accent Editor • Assistant Accent Editor • Sports Editor • Assistant Sports Editor • Design Editor • Assistant Design Editor
• Photo Editor • Assistant Photo Editor • Chief Copy Editor • Chief Proofreader • Online Editor • Online Media Editor • Sales Manager • Classifieds Manager • Year in Review Editor Applications are available at the reception desk in the Roy H. Park School of Communication’s dean’s office. Completed forms, accompanied by a résumé, should be returned to the dean’s office by noon on Thursday, April 12, for all positions. The available positions last the full academic year. Students from all majors are welcome and encouraged to apply. Please address any questions to Michael Serino, Ithacan adviser, at 274-1036.
In addition to her academics, Koehler is a chairperson for the college’s chapter of Up ’Til Dawn, chairperson of the Honors Program Advisory Board and was the student representative on the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance Dean Search Committee. Her mother, Kathy, said through it all Koehler has been able to keep herself balanced because of her dedication and grace. “Alana says she never quits anything in her life,” Kathy said. “One step at a time; That’s how she’s always done anything.” Koehler said she also focuses on the important aspects of life despite her busy schedule. “I take advantage of things more instead of stressing all the time, enjoying the moment, living in the moment and soaking it all in, because it flashes you by,” she said.
You are invited to attend the Board of Publications meeting to ask questions of editor in chief candidates for the 2012–13 school year. This advisory board to The Ithacan will also be available to hear questions or concerns about the publication. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. April 9 in Park 220. Direct questions to Michael Serino, Ithacan adviser, at 274-1036.
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{
College & City Antiracism activist to talk about racism on campuses
Lee Mun Wah, a documentary filmmaker and diversity educator, will give a lecture at Ithaca College to discuss issues of race, racism and diversity on college campuses. The discussion, which will begin at 7 p.m. today in Emerson Suites, will be an open dialogue for MUN WAH the college community to talk about personal experiences with issues regarding race. The presentation will also be based on his film, “If These Halls Could Talk,” in which a diverse group of college students is brought together to have an open discussion about diversity. It will also be centered around his new book, “Let’s Get Real — What People of Color Can’t Say & Whites Won’t Ask About Racism,” which focuses on similar issues of race.
Foundation approves grants to benefit Tompkins County
The Park Foundation’s Board of Trustees approved a total of $5,895,823 in grants at its March meeting to benefit higher education endeavors, media, environment and animal welfare programs, as well as local programs in the Tompkins County community. Grants benefitting programs in Tompkins County totaled $3,815,088, which includes a grant of $3,281,010 which will be used to support Ithaca College’s class of 2017 Park Scholars.
Some county organization recipients of the remaining $534,223 include the Child Development Council of Central New York, the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, Loaves and Fishes of Tompkins County and the Tompkins County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. For more information about the organization, contact the Park Foundation at 272-9124.
IC to host group discussion regarding health reform act
In response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s discussion March 26 about the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, the college will host a panel of health promotion and physical education speakers to discuss its future effects. TENNANT Speakers at the event, which will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. today in Klingenstein Lounge, include Frederick Barken, primary care physician at the Ithaca Free Clinic; Joe Sammons, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes; Jennifer Tennant, assistant professor of economics at the college; and Matthew Wiggin, head of business communication for Aetna, a Connecticut-based health insurance group. The event is sponsored by the college’s Department of Health Promotion and Physical Education. For more information, contact Stewart Auyash at auyash@ithaca.edu.
LGBT center to host events for April awareness month
Throughout April, the Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Education, Outreach and Services at Ithaca College will sponsor different events at the college and in town to promote LGBT Awareness Month ALAM in April. Some events include an Out of the Closet and Onto the Screen Film Series screening of “Walk Like a Man” at 7 p.m. April 11 in Textor 103; a foster care and adoption information session for LGBT people at 6 p.m. April 12 at the Women’s Community Building; a free HIV testing day for students in the college’s Center for Health Promotion on April 13; and a student luncheon featuring speaker Faisal Alam’s talk “Hidden Voices: The Lives of LGBT Muslims” on April 18. For more information, contact Lis Maurer at lmaurer@ithaca.edu.
Cornell spends $1.56 million on safety features for gorges
Cornell University recently committed more than $1.56 million, with $800,000 awaiting approval, to make its gorges safer for students and residents. The funds will be used to implement recommendations made by the Gorge Safety Steering Group, which was formed by Cornell’s President David Skorton in August 2011 in response to three deaths that occurred in the gorges that summer.
Public Safety Incident Log March 20 Suspicious Circumstance LOCATION: J-Lot SUMMARY: Caller reported finding a laptop computer in a dumpster and turned it over to the Office of Public Safety. Investigation pending. Master Patrol Officer Christopher Teribury. Off-Campus Incident LOCATION: All Other SUMMARY: Caller reported accidentally sustaining a nose injury on March 11 while attending an off-campus school function. Report taken. Master Patrol Officer Bruce Holmstock. Assist County Sheriff’s Office LOCATION: State Route 96B/Danby Road SUMMARY: Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office reported looking for a person who had threatened suicide. Ithaca College officer located the person, and she was turned over to Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office. Person was transported to CMC. Patrol Officer Robert Jones. Making Graffiti LOCATION: Landon Hall SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person wrote graffiti. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Dan Austic.
March 21
Conduct Code Violation LOCATION: S-Lot SUMMARY: Caller reported a vehicle with a fraudulent permit. The vehicle was towed and the person was referred judicially for violation of parking regulations. Patrol Officer Robert Jones. Conduct Code Violation LOCATION: S-Lot SUMMARY: Officer reported a vehicle with a stolen permit. One person was referred judicially for violating parking regulations. Master Patrol Officer James Landon. Criminal Tampering LOCATION: Campus Center SUMMARY: Officer reported an unknown person tampered with a door. Investigation pending. Sergeant Terry O’Pray. Unlawful Poss. Marijuana LOCATION: Lyon Hall SUMMARY: One person referred judicially for unlawful possession of marijuana. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke.
March 22 conduct code violation LOCATION: Z-Lot SUMMARY: Caller reported people were in possession of alcohol. One person was judicially referred for having an open container of alcohol in public. Master Patrol Officer Christopher Teribury.
Larceny v&t Violation LOCATION: P-Lot SUMMARY: Caller reported that an un- LOCATION: Farm Pond Road known person stole a battery cover from SUMMARY: During a vehicle traffic stop, a college Global Electronic Motorcar. the driver was found to have an expired Investigation pending. Patrol Officer license. Officer issued the driver uniform traffic tickets for Ithaca Town Court for Dan Austic.
}
this WEEK
One key recommendation the group made was to create a Gorge Safety committee, which has met twice to institute plans for infrastructure, education, alternatives and enforcement. Part of the funding also went toward installing a 1,200 lb. iron gate, which was placed at the Cascadilla Gorge trail’s lower entrance. The support also includes $160,000 in emergency funding toward new railings, fences, gates and signs that clearly identify the boundaries of safe areas that are open to the public and restricted, unsafe areas.
thursday
Marjorie Fortunoff Mayrock Lecture will be held at 7 p.m. in Textor 101. Caribbean Culture Film Screening, which is sponsored by the Caribbean Students’ Association, will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in Taughannock Falls Room. Health Reform: What’s Next?, a panel discussion, will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Klingenstein Lounge.
friday
Award winners to speak at IC about modern media
Shabbat Services will begin at 6 p.m. in Muller Chapel.
Lisa Graves, executive director for Center for Media and Democracy, and renowned journalist Sharif Abdel Kouddous will talk to the Ithaca College community about the importance of media watchdogs. The free lecGRAVES ture will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Emerson Suites and will discuss the important role the media plays in moderating people in positions of power in order to protect citizens’ rights and freedom. Kouddous and CMD were the recipients of this year’s fourth-annual Izzy Award for outstanding achievement in independent media, which is presented by the college’s Park Center for Independent Media. For more information, contact Jeff Cohen at jcohen@ithaca.edu.
Shabbat Dinner will be held at 7 p.m. in Terrace Dining Hall. Good Friday will be begin at 3 p.m. in Muller Chapel.
Saturday Holy Saturday: Easter Vigil Mass will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Muller Chapel.
Sunday Easter Mass will be held at 11 a.m. in Emerson Suites.
Tuesday Adjunct Panel, sponsored by Labor Initiative in Promoting Solidarity, will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. in Textor 101.
selected entries from March 20 to march 24
unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and driving while using a cellphone. Vehicle was released to a valid licensed driver. Master Patrol Officer Brad Bates. conduct code violation LOCATION: S-Lot SUMMARY: Caller reported a vehicle playing loud music. One person judicially referred for excessive noise. Patrol Officer Dan Austic. medical assist LOCATION: J-Lot SUMMARY: Caller reported a person on a bus fell and struck their head on a window causing an abrasion. Person was transported to CMC by ambulance. Master Patrol Officer Christopher Teribury. v&t violation LOCATION: Coddington Road SUMMARY: During a vehicle traffic stop, officer reported there was a vehicle with an expired registration. Officer issued the driver uniform traffic tickets for Ithaca Town Court for an unregistered motor vehicle and driving while using a portable electronic device. The vehicle was towed. Master Patrol Officer Brad Bates. making graffiti LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person wrote graffiti on the outside of a building. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Dan Austic. harassment LOCATION: Garden Apartments SUMMARY: Person reported receiving threatening messages from a known person. Master Patrol Officer Brad Bates.
case status change LOCATION: Office of Public Safety SUMMARY: Officer reported a person was interviewed regarding the harassment case reported in the Garden Apartments. One person was judicially referred for aggravated harassment. Master Patrol Officer Brad Bates.
March 23 making graffiti LOCATION: Academic Quad SUMMARY: Officer reported an unknown person wrote graffiti on a sidewalk and pillar. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Brad Bates. illegal disposal of solid waste LOCATION: Lower Quads SUMMARY: Caller reported bags of garbage were placed into a dumpster. Two people were judicially referred. Patrol Officer Michael Marcano. medical assist LOCATION: Public Safety SUMMARY: Complainant reported accidentally cutting one of their fingers with scissors. No medical assistance was required at the scene. Report taken. Patrol Officer Jay VanVolkinburg. larceny LOCATION: West Tower SUMMARY: Complainant reported an unknown person stole clothing from them. Investigation pending. Sergeant Terry O’Pray. v&t violation LOCATION: Conservatory Drive SUMMARY: During a traffic stop, officer issued the operator uniform traffic tickets
for Ithaca Town Court for an expired registration and inspection, an appearance ticket for court, unlawful possession of marijuana and a campus summons issued for going through a stop sign. The vehicle was also towed. Master Patrol Officer Christopher Teribury. medical assist LOCATION: Academic Quad SUMMARY: Caller reported a person was having a seizure. Person was conscious and alert when medics arrived. Person was transported by ambulance to CMC. Environmental Health and Safety Officer Ron Clark.
March 24 criminal mischief LOCATION: Emerson Hall SUMMARY: Officer reported an unknown person damaged an exit sign and stole the back of the sign. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Dan Austic. criminal mischief LOCATION: Eastman Hall SUMMARY: One person judicially referred for criminal mischief, noise violation, and false identification. Master Patrol Officer Christopher Teribury. 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
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editorials
once more, with feeling
As the Net Generation sinks into the mold of online activism and raising awareness, students need to try harder if they want to impact the world.
I
n the ’90s, teachers flooded their students with praise, even when it wasn’t deserved. “Good try,” they would console elementary school students after answering a question incorrectly. “A for effort.” Current college students rode the yellow bus to school during a feel-good period of education where boosting the students’ self-worth was more important than getting the right answer. Imposing an individualist mentality on students may explain why the kids born in the 1980s and 1990s have a sense of complacency that is now taking its toll. More than 20 years ago, psychologists and educators believed students who held themselves in high regard would be happier and thus succeed. The state of California even created a task force to explore how self-esteem could solve anti-social behavior. Teachers were encouraged to reward students for effort, not outcome. Maybe this is why youth sports teams gave ribbons to all of their players — not just the winners. But not everyone deserves a trophy. Many collegeage people think they’re performing better work than they actually are. College students who received straight As in high school often can’t understand why a professor would give them a C on a college essays. Many students bring this trophy mentality outside the classroom as well to “raise awareness” about issues. But after that’s done, what’s next? The feel-good education and social movement has no doubt led to a perception among youth that “slacktivism” is actual activism. The Twittersphere blows up with retweets to save this and stop that while Facebook users race to post a compelling video their friends must see. We feel good when we sign an online petition or share a social media campaign. Of course we would: We were conditioned to feel good as long as we put forth a little effort into something. It’s time to rethink the definition of “doing something.” One complaint about the Kony 2012 campaign was it oversimplified an issue and mainly led to social media advocacy rather than a full understanding of a complex issue. Getting things done includes more than going online. How about writing a ballot initiative, calling senators’ offices or physically traveling to a place and lending a hand? Generation Y needs to step away from the computer and understand that little is accomplished if being aware is the extent of their efforts.
SNAP JUDGMENT New kids on the block What would you like to see SGA implement next year?
Watch more Snap Judgments at theithacan.org.
UPS and DOWNS The best and worst of last week’s news
Provost Approval of the Asian-American Studies minor Students have been fighting for an official Asian-American Studies minor, and Marisa Kelly, provost and vice president of academic affairs, has given her OK. Creation of the Office of Civic Engagement per IC 20/20 The new OCE will serve as a resource to get students off campus and into the real world, where help is most needed. Popular local waterfront bar Castaways to close in May The bar has been open for seven years and has been a community favorite. Hopefully the owners will relocate.
“maybe a little more emphasis on healthy eating or education on vegan and vegetarian meal selection.” Shea Lynch ’13 DOcumentary Studies and Production
“a monthly newsletter. can i get something to show that you’re making actions, you’re doing some sort of movement toward whatever you’re trying to accomplish?” Yeimmy Torrez ’12 Communication management and Design
“BRING MORE OF THE CAMPUS TOGETHER, LIKE ALL THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES — THE ALANA COMMUNITY ALONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.” Allison London ’13 Sociology
“somehow work with OSEMA and risk management on campus to allow more students to get more hands-on activities.” lyndsey Lyman ’13 Culture and Communication
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
“some type of representative poll so that the greater student body can vote on an issue, and then the sga representatives can actually represent what the students are voting for.” Danielle Keenan ’13 Sociology
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Opi n ion
Th ursday, A pril 5, 2012
The Ith a c a n 1 1
guest commentary
Is it time for the US to kill the death penalty? A
s far as I can consider myself an adequate judge of the character of men, Ray Krone is one of the best I have ever met. To share a beer with Ray is to share a beer with a simple, honest man born and raised in small-town America. He owns a few motorcycles, never hesitates to loan money to needy friends and likes to go to diners where he can order a Reuben with extra crispy tater tots. Ray is exactly the sort of person you would never expect to be accused of violently murdering Nate Crider a waitress in the bathroom of an Arizona bar. Nevertheless, Ray was accused of capital murder and given the death penalty for a crime he didn’t commit. While Ray spent 10 years in prison fighting for his freedom through the appellate courts, the real perpetrator — a registered sex offender who lived less than four blocks from the murder site — remained free. For me, Ray’s story raises a terrifying question: If someone as honest and good as Ray can be sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit, can someone like me be sentenced as well? The unfortunate answer is that the capital punishment system in America is so irrevocably broken that there is no good reason why you or I can’t be condemned to death for a crime we didn’t do. This is exactly the message Ray delivered last week in a lecture sponsored by my club, IC Human Rights. Ray’s experience is far from an anomaly. Since 1976, there have been 1,289 executions in the United States, and 140 people have been exonerated from death row. Undoubtedly, there have been innocent people put to death during that time, or at the very least, individuals whose guilt was seriously recall questioned at the time of their execution — the execution of Troy Davis. But for those retributivists who walked out of Ray’s lecture unmoved by his testimony, still supporting the death penalty, I want to offer more points for your consideration.
TJ gunther
Skipping class just got easier
A
In this Sept. 2011 file photo, anti-death penalty protestors gather at a rally for Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis in Jackson, Ga. Last year, Davis was executed for a 1991 police officer murder. Stephen Morton/Associated Press
In 96 percent of states with the death penalty, there’s a pattern of race-of-victim discrimination or race-of-defendant discrimination. A 2005 study by Glenn Pierce and Michael Radelet published in the Santa Clara Law Review found that someone who kills a white person in California is more than three times more likely to receive death than if they killed a black person, and over four times more likely than if they killed a Latino. Additionally, 98 percent of chief district attorneys in death penalty states are white, while only 1 percent are black. Secondly, administering the death penalty costs roughly three times more than imprisoning someone for life, and it doesn’t deter criminals any more than life without parole. According to a 2009 survey conducted by Michael Radelet and Traci Lacock, 88 percent of the top current and former academic criminologists reject the notion that the
death penalty lowers homicide rates. The Southern U.S. accounts for 80 percent of all executions, and it has the highest murder rate of all the U.S. regions. It is shameful that America is the only western country that continues this barbaric and retrograde practice. Our deliberate refusal to listen to the Ray Krones of the world and face the realities of our failed capital punishment system fuels the delusion that humans have the ability to construct a just, nonarbitrary, nondiscriminatory and error-proof capital punishment system. As Supreme Court Justice Henry Blackmun wrote in 1994, it is time we stopped “tinkering with the machinery of death … for the path lessens us all.” nate Crider is a senior music and philosophy major and president of IC Human Rights. Email him at ncrider1@ithaca.edu.
guest commentary
Students can be a key component of nonprofits’ success
O
ne of the things I love most about Ithaca is the amount of nonprofit organizations in the area and the relationship they cultivate with the campus community. Community service involvement is extremely important for students to develop professionally and personally, and the organizations always benefit as well by gaining new insight into ways they can improve their operations and therefore their social impact. However, many nonprofits are struggling Shayna Dunitz with a lack of resources such as volunteers, money and professional assistance. When most people hear about providing nonprofits with resources, especially at a college level, they think that must mean “raise money.” In fact, this is how many student clubs on campus do their part to assist local non-profits and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I’ve participated in many successful fundraisers and am proud of all the work Ithaca College does to help the local community. But often fundraising alone is not enough to sufficiently help the organization. They need solutions to the challenges they face with their business processes. For-profit companies can afford to hire consultants
tech bytes
From left, junior William Olney, sophomore Kristi Niblo and senior Adiba Afros hold a student-run 180 Degrees Consulting meeting last Wednesday.
Durst Breneiser/The Ithacan
to assist them with these issue, but nonprofits often cannot. This leaves them with a gap that is transferred to the community they serve. This gap is usually not enough to completely undermine them, but with improved tools for volunteer management, relationships databases, marketing campaigns, etc., the organization’s impact could be greatly increased. This is the gap that 180 Degrees Consulting works to solve. Founded in Sydney, Australia, about six years ago, the group is a student-run consultancy that offers pro bono consulting services to nonprofit organizations. While there is no doubt that IC students are creative,
innovative and skilled, students are often overlooked in general as a resource for nonprofits. 180 Degrees works to fill the gap that nonprofits face when they’re unable to afford professional business services with forward-thinking students. As the founder of the Ithaca College chapter of 180 Degrees, I have witnessed firsthand the struggles that nonprofits go through. There are many organizations with fantastic ideas that truly want to help people but just don’t have the necessary resources, often in the form of business operations. This is a problem not only nationwide, but worldwide, as is evident from the growing
number of successful international chapters of 180 Degrees. While I was in Sydney, I worked with a charity that was struggling on many different levels, from marketing and their website to business operations and client relationships. It was clear that all of the board members had the desire to help these people, but they just did not have all the means to do so. After working with the charity for a full semester, we gave them a report with our recommendations for how they could improve, and I have seen some of those improvements take place. The issue here is not always a lack of money on the part of the nonprofits — though that is often a problem with small, local organizations. The problem is a lack of innovative ideas that can be applied to a nonprofit business model and used easily by the organization. Pro bono consulting services offered by trained students help to solve this problem. There are many ways one can give back to their community, either financially or by volunteering time. I’m suggesting putting the skills you’ve gained in the classroom to work in a real-world setting by joining 180 Degrees Consulting and watching the effects it has. SHayna Dunitz is a junior communication management and design major and president and founder of 180 Degrees Consulting at Ithaca College. Email her at sduntiz1@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.
s the semester starts to end, class attendance will drop as students become busier and generally care less if they miss a lecture or two. Having tests based on lecture notes makes it hard for some students to skip class. Skippers have to find someone else with trustworthy notes or accept a possible point deduction on the exam. Attending class is necessary as long as note sharing is a hassle. Now there’s GoodSemester, a social education website that allows students to upload and share notes for any class. Open in beta, anyone can create an account. From there, GoodSemester allows students and instructors to post resources and communicate with one another. It’s a mashup of social tools and classroom dynamics that has become the standard among startups looking to disrupt education. The notes database is what sets GoodSemester apart from other competitors. Registration for GoodSemester is free, and anyone can log on and join groups to see and upload notes for specific classes. Being open allows the company to create a database of notes for any class at any school. GoodSemester wants to be able to offer every course to any user, opening education to everyone. Ithaca College students could browse politics notes from other colleges as well as relevant materials for the classes they’re currently enrolled in here. The big issue GoodSemester faces is quality control. Lecture notes often reflect the student’s own understanding. Anyone outside of that specific class may have a hard time comprehending the notes. As the service grows, GoodSemester has to find a way to help users sort through worthless notes to find the beneficial ones. If it doesn’t figure it out fast, another startup will take their idea and do it better. The note-sharing feature could hurt GoodSemester. Schools may see a drop in class attendance if students utilize the service. If one student is taking solid notes and uploading them, then other students may slack off and skip class more frequently. Professors would need to tailor their classes so students rely less on note taking and keep coming to the classroom. GoodSemester’s social aspects and design are strong, but the company’s high hopes for note sharing may be too much. An open database of notes isn’t going to be the solution most students are looking for when they want to learn a topic or just skip class. Another network that lets users pick trusted sources will prove more dangerous to professors who rely on note taking as a classroom dynamic. Though GoodSemester may not be the winning solution for note sharing, be sure another service will find a way to capitalize on the note market. TJ Gunther is a senior journalism major. Email him at tgunthe1@ithaca.edu.
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L’Chaim! 21-year-old Ithaca College student celebrates her Bat Mitzvah on campus
Junior Katarina Andersson takes part in a Jewish tradition during her Bat Mitzvah celebration on Friday in the Fitness Center at Ithaca College. The event was sponsored by Hillel.
kristen tomkowid/the ithacan
Allie Healy
assistant accent editor
When junior Ithaca native Katarina Andersson was 12 years old, her parents told her that having a Bat Mitzvah was off the table. Confused, Andersson talked to her parents about why she could not participate in a traditional Jewish coming-of-age ceremony. She had been raised Jewish, though her parents To see a video did not follow strict of the Bat Jewish practices. Mitzvah, visit She soon found out theithacan. that her family was org/22481. caught in a tangled web of religious politics. One of Andersson’s aunts converted to Born Again Christianity before marrying her husband. Because Andersson and her parents did not convert from Judaism as well, her aunt disapproved of their religious opinions. Trying to avoid conflict in the family, Andersson and her parents put her Bat Mitzvah on the back burner. Tensions grew in the family as time went on, and Andersson and her parents still did not convert. She received countless “Veggie
Tales” videos in the mail from her aunt and “Jesus loves you” paraphernalia. At family gatherings, religion was often brought up as a topic of conversation. “I would hang back from those conversations, and so would my parents,” she said. “We can’t really express how we feel, but we still do love them.” Upon entering college, Andersson took time to explore different faiths. She did her research on major religions including Buddhism, Hinduism and Catholicism. She read the Quran and attended Catholic mass a few times before realizing that the religions did not stick with her. “I like to learn and experience other religions, but I didn’t connect with them to say the least,” she said. “I appreciate anything that practices love — that’s very meaningful to me.” Andersson said her beliefs fit best in the Jewish framework. Growing up, her Hebrew and Judaic education was pieced together from different denominations. She said she often finds herself connected to Judaism the most when singing the Hebrew melodies because she loves how music plays such a large role in the Jewish faith. “The melodies are beautiful and they have different tonalities than western music,”
Junior Katarina Andersson reads from a siddur at her Bat Mitzvah ceremony.
rachel orlow/the ithacan
she said. “I tried to remember the melodies that my old rabbi used.” Freshman Marisa Rosenberg, treasurer of Hillel, said the organization usually holds an annual party, but this year they thought it would be special to have
“I appreciate anything that practices love — that’s very meaningful to me.” — katarina andersson
an actual Bat Mitzvah. They sent emails to students announcing they would sponsor a Bat or Bar Mitzvah if a student wanted to have one. This was a chance for Andersson, who became a member of Hillel after transferring from Hampshire College the spring of her sophomore year, to have the organization host her Bat Mitzvah. Hillel hosted both the service held Friday at Muller Chapel at Ithaca College and the party Saturday at the Fitness Center. As advertised, the entire campus was invited. “We told her we were willing to do whatever she wanted,” Rosenberg said. “We just wanted to have this Bat Mitzvah and have this dedication to her.” For her Bat Mitzvah, Andersson led a traditional Shabbat service, which meant memorizing multiple melodies and writing a personal statement that she would read at the end. Andersson’s preparations for the ceremony were not as thorough as a typical Bat Mitzvah would require in a traditional Hebrew school. But deciphering Hebrew blessings were the least of Andersson’s problems. “I think the worst part of it all was the dress shopping because I hate shopping,” she said. This was the first time in his 30
years at the college that Hillel director Michael Faber assisted a student with Bat or Bar Mitzvah preparations leading up to the ceremony. Faber said he was thrilled that Andersson elected to have a Bat Mitzvah because she “was doing it for all the right reasons.” Faber said the purpose of a Bat or Bar Mitzvah as a coming-of-age ceremony in older societies, and some Orthodox Jewish societies that exist today, is that once children reach puberty they are married off. Faber said he believes the age should be changed to sixteen or older so that the children have a better awareness of what they are partaking in. “It was really a conscious decision on her part and an expression of commitment to Jewish culture,” he said. “For a person to share herself the way she did, that is really putting yourself on the line.” While Andersson is focused on her own spiritual identification, she remains unsure about what religion her parents continue to practice. She said she wants them to do whatever is meaningful to them and what makes them happy. “I celebrate Jewish holidays with them, and that makes them happy,” she said. “I don’t know what my dad’s deal is, and my mom has jumped around with me. She is a spiritual being like every Ithacan.” Though her parents could not attend the ceremony, Andersson said they supported her through her religious journey. She said regardless of her faith her parents were going to continue to love her. “It ended up being so meaningful, and so many people that I loved dearly came,” she said. Now an official part of the Jewish community, Andersson plans to involve herself more leading up to her birthright in May. Currently, Andersson has a cornerstone fellowship for art education, a counselor position with Camp Seneca Lake at the JCC of Rochester and has plans of working with Hillel throughout her senior year. Hillel leaders hope to host more Bat or Bar Mitzvah services throughout the coming school years. “Hopefully we can get the word out and have more people involved in the Jewish community,” Rosenberg said. “It’s never too late.”
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Hot or Not This week’s hits and misses
Staff Writer Jamie Nash rates the best and worst appearances at Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards on Saturday.
Hot One Direction The British invasion at the Kids’ Choice Awards turned heads as the muchloved UK boy band One Direction stole the show and the hearts of teen girls. Dressed in their signature British prep style — blazers, suspenders and khakis galore — the young heartthrobs were anticipated in the U.S. after touring with Big Time Rush, who won a Blimp for Favorite Music Group this year. Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift were even seen singing along in the audience during the performance. This boy band may be giving Prince William and Prince Harry a run for their money as the most-wanted British boys on American soil.
Lukewarm
Selena Gomez While the starlet cleaned up shop in the awards department, controversy about her outfit on the Orange Carpet took Selena Gomez’s reputation down a notch. Showing some skin in a pale pink crop-top and metallic, bold print skirt, the 19-year-old Disney star may be trying to break into a more adult role. But whatever her intentions, Perez Hilton slapped Gomez at the top of his “Worst Dressed” list, followed by Heidi “Needs a Bra” Klum. Despite Hilton’s trash talk, some fans don’t mind Gomez’s understated sexuality, with many calling her one of the best-dressed stars of the night. “Who says” Selena can’t be a foxy pop icon and a Disney sweetheart at the same time?
Not
Katy Perry Always making a statement in her overthe-top attire, Katy Perry made the wrong impression at the KCAs. Perry wore a slime-green bra-top with a flowing green skirt and highlighter-green pumps. The votes were not in Perry’s favor either. She won only one Blimp — Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie — for her performance in “The Smurfs.” She was beat out in Favorite Female Singer and Favorite Song by the likes of Selena Gomez and LMFAO. Overall, Katy Perry’s night lacked spark.
Back to Bach
From top left, David Neal, Rebecca Leistikow, Suzanne Miller and Laura Campbell perform Tasty Tunes, a concert of songs inspired by food held Sunday at the Community School of Music and Arts. The show included a rendition of Bach’s “Coffee Cantata.”
parker chen/the ithacan
weird
but true
Top Burger king advertisers turn burgers into beauty
Burger King claims you can “have it your way,” and now that means you can paint their famous sandwiches on your face. The advertising team for the Burger King branch in the Netherlands has created a marketing campaign that features posters and television ads depicting models with eye makeup designed to look just like their signature Whopper. So, will the new advertisements spark a burgerthemed makeup fad? Only time and the sales of lettuce-colored mascara will tell. — Benjii Maust
Super
Child struggling with cancer inspires hairless barbie dolls
Fab
When 4-year-old Genesis Reyes lost her hair during her cancer treatments, she told her mother she didn’t feel like a princess anymore. The parent of another child in the hospital then asked her friend, the CEO of Mattell, to make a Barbie for Reyes. The doll inspired a Facebook page “Beautiful and Bald Barbie! Let’s see if we can get it made,” which received 150,000 “likes” in less than four months. Mattell then announced it would produce the dolls, but they were not going to be for sale. Instead, the hairless Barbies will be donated to hospitals around the United States and Canada to help children cope with their disease. After all, Barbie is one inspirational babe. — Shea O’Meara
quoteunquote I feel like throwing up when I hear it. No, I shouldn’t say that. No, actually, I do feel like throwing up.
— Kate Winslet, star of “Titantic,” expresses her extreme disgust for the movie’s theme song “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion.
celebrity SCOOPS! Bowen stays true to role Ariel Winter and Sarah Hyland of “Modern Family” don’t just treat on-screen mom Julie Bowen like family for the cameras, they actually ask her for advice. Winter, 14, reported to Star Magazine that Bowen helps her with relationships, even sorting out her text message conversations. And just because Hyland is 21, that does not mean she is exempt from the mommy treatment, because Bowen even fixes up her apartment when she visits. All of this extra mothering has made the cast extremely close and the chemistry on screen more powerful than ever. The real question is, though: How do their real moms feel about this? — Benjii Maust
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Blogging sites add restrictions to user content By Jamie Nash staff writer
In response to Pinterest photos of scantily clad, malnourished women tagged as “thinspiration,” site administrators have released a policy taking a stand against users who promote selfharm in pursuit of beauty. They are not alone. Tumblr and Pinterest, blogging and social media websites, recently prohibited users from posting content that promotes self-harm, eating disorders or other dangerous behaviors, sparking a debate about the blogger’s rights. The change is meant to remove only those blogs that cross the line into active promotion or glorification of selfharm, according to a recent press release from the Tumblr staff. Students at Ithaca College who use Tumblr have taken notice of the new policy, but some don’t believe it will change things. Junior Charlotte Orban said seeing posts that promote self-harm made it difficult for her to resist falling back into harmful behavior. “As someone recovering from both self-mutilation and anorexia, it is extremely unnerving to encounter people supporting these diseases,” she said. “Seeing one picture of self-mutilation made me relapse, even though it was intended to raise awareness about the disease.” Though Tumblr’s ban is meant to prevent instances like hers, Orban is doubtful it will last. “Someone will inevitably pull the freedom of speech card, or they’ll just end up tagging their posts as other innocuous things,” Orban said. Tagging posts allows Tumblr users to label their content with specific keywords that can then be searched by other users. “Tracking tags,” or following a certain keyword or idea, help users find content that is relevant to their interests. To enforce its new ban, Tumblr will be tracking tags like “pro-ana” (pro-anorexia), “thinspiration,” “cutting” and others words for personal harm. Orban said she is concerned that users will learn to disguise their harmful content under different terminology or, as many users have
already done, cite their freedom of speech. More than 1,800 users have signed an online petition to stop Tumblr from banning content. The petition is hosted by Change.org, a website that aims to promote social change through Internet outreach. Jeff Cohen, founding director of the Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College and associate professor of journalism, said social media sites have responsibilities, but freedom of expression for a site’s users may become an issue for those banning content. “Adding speech is better than subtracting speech on these kinds of controversies,” Cohen said. “In other words, the addition of public service announcements by Tumblr to these blog areas would be one approach perhaps better than banning certain blogs or posts.” Janis Whitlock, director of the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injurious Behavior in Adolescents and Young Adults, said online communities can influence young adults to adopt harmful habits. “People seek out these websites to fulfill a human need of community, which is great except they end up finding things within these communities that aren’t so great,” she said. “People may feel like they have to buy into the behaviors and activities of a community to fit in, and then it becomes very difficult to stop these dangerous behaviors.” Cohen supports Tumblr’s decision to ban harmful content but allow discussion. He cautions that social media sites need to be careful of how exclusive policies and bans are. “For Tumblr or anyone else, it’s not always easy to decide whether content is promoting self-harm or eating disorders, rather than merely discussing it bluntly in ways that might be helpful to those in the discussion,” Cohen said. “Folks in subcultures grappling with such issues need to be able to communicate with each other to not feel totally alone and shunned. Trying to silence them may not work.”
Junior Charlotte Orban sits in the Park School of Communications browsing the microblogging website Tumblr. The popular social media site has recently changed its content policy.
photo illustration by rachel orlow
Whitlock said open discussion can be dangerous, and that Tumblr should ban that as well. “Discussions are best if there is a moderator or somebody who can help people not to regress into the behavior,” Whitlock said. “It would be responsible for the site to ban discussion if they know there’s not going to be somebody with therapeutic training to help monitor it.” Sophomore Katharine Levittan has come across eating disorder blogs on Tumblr before. “It’s crazy that people actually dedicate a blog
to promoting such self-destructive behavior,” Levittan said. Levittan said social media sites may have overstepped, but something needed to be done. “It’s a touchy subject because they are technically intruding on the blogger’s right to freedom of speech, but I think that having blogs like that out there creates an unsafe environment for people, especially teenagers, who look to social media to express themselves,” Levittan said. “They have an obligation.”
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Local choir collaboration closes generation gap Nash said she has seen bonds being formed between the students and residents. “A lot of the students that come over here The collective voice of the Intergenerational Choir is made up of Ithaca College students and are in a community service class or are doLongview residents who come together to make ing fieldwork here,” Nash said. “Many of them keep coming after their hours are fulfilled benot only music, but memories as well. Longview, a residential senior community, cause they’ve made a real connection with one teamed up with Nancy Tittelbaugh-Riley and individual or a group.” Zimet said she has seen a friend of hers John Krout to found the Intergenerational Choir in 1993. Tittelbaugh-Riley was a lec- build friendships with the residents. “She was so bonded with the girl that sat turer at the college in choral music education, and Krout was the director of the college’s with her, that she called her grandchild, and the Gerontology Institute. In the fall of 1999, the grandchild invited her to her wedding this sumchoir became a weekly activity. Now, the choir mer,” she said. “It was really a close relationship.” Zdan compared her relationship with the offers the opportunity for Ithaca College stuolder adults to having a grandparent on campus. dents to connect to residents through music. “It’s been cool to kind of talk to them and Breelan Nash, recreation and volunteer coordinator at Longview, said the purpose hear about what they’ve done with their lives of intergenerational activities is to get old- and hearing where they came from, where er adults and younger adults working and they grew up, what kind of family they have in the area,” Zdan said. socializing together. Mason said that students “We just want everyone to have the best opportunity I see it as a means of teaching also benefit from the residents’ words of wisdom. they can with each other,” young folk something that I “It just shows them that Nash said. “We have a really you can continue making great interaction with Ithaca think should be taught. music well throughout your College that enriches both — Barbara Zimet entire adult life,” Mason said. the college’s curriculum and Nellie Morley, a student the Longview community.” Senior Donna Zdan, a piano and music ed- conductor in the choir, has been participating ucation major at the college, has been singing for two years. She said she’s become a better in the Intergenerational Choir for four years. conductor because of her time with the group. “A bunch of them are teachers, which is She decided to join because it combined her cool because they offer words of encouragetwo loves of community service and singing. “They’re all just so thankful for us to be ment when I’m really nervous conducting a there, and they just have these huge smiles new piece or something,” Morley said. To the younger adults, it is always unsetwhenever we come every week,” Zdan said. tling when residents of Longview become ill. “It’s really gratifying to work with them.” Barbara Zimet, a resident at Longview, has Zdan said that even leaving for winter and been participating in the choir for three years. summer breaks can be a sad time. “We all just kind of get worried and want She has been involved with music her whole life and conducted choirs before entering to make sure everyone gets back safely,” Zdan the nursing home. Zimet decided to join the said. “Sometimes the residents will get sick or have to have a surgery, so we’ll be missing choir because of her love for making music. “Anytime there is a chance to make music, them for a couple rehearsals, especially the ones who come a lot.” it’s attractive to most folks,” she said.
By justine chun staff writer
“
”
Members of the Intergenerational Choir, a musical group that brings together Ithaca College students and Longview Nursing Home residents, practice singing together in February.
Brad Patocka/the ithacan
The Intergenerational Choir sings different types of music and will often base their music selection on songs that the residents are familiar with. “What we try to do is pick pieces that the residents are familiar with, or pieces that were popular and that they were drawn to,” Mason said. “It can be anything from Broadway to jazz, to anything that was popular at that time.” Zimet said that the music is a good way of teaching the younger adults about early American Heritage. “I see it as a means of teaching the young folk something that I think should be taught, that is our early American heritage in terms of where music is concerned, and that in
We Are Scientists to perform at IC By Marissa Framarini Staff WRiter
The Ithaca College Bureau of Concerts recently announced We Are Scientists, a New York-based indie rock band, will perform at Ithaca College on April 14. The concert will mark the first professional band brought to campus by the bureau this semester. We Are Scientists are known for their album, “With Love and Squalor,” which shot them to instant stardom selling 100,000 copies barely six months after its release. The band is also known for its album “Brain Thrust Mastery,” which gave the band a spot on the U.K. album chart and two top-40 singles. Junior Lucas Matheson, codirector of the Bureau of Concerts, said the We Are Scientists concert came together despite difficulty booking acts in the past. “The stars were aligning for this concert,” Matheson said. “When it came down to the wire, We Are Scientists just seemed perfect, and it definitely made the students happy.” Sophomore Claudia Pietrzak, also co-director of the Bureau of Concerts, said the bureau wanted to get more input from their peers regarding who they wanted to see perform at the college. “We’re in a transition period with how we are deciding to run the executive board,” Pietrzak said. The bureau sent out an online
Keith Murray and Christopher Cain, members of the New York-based indie rock band We Are Scientists, will perform on April 14 in Emerson Suites. photo courtesy of we are scientists
survey about what the college’s students would like to see for music, which received feedback from more than 400 individuals. From the survey, the most requested genre of music was indie rock and the top nominated band was Mumford and Sons. This semester, the organization is under the guidance of their adviser Theresa Radley, assistant director of Student Involvement at the Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs. “B.O.C. has worked extremely hard this year to provide entertainment for
the campus,” Radley said. “They are an energetic group of students who are passionate about music.” Radley said it is important that the Bureau of Concerts remain considerate of the student body when planning events for the college. “BOC wants to represent the entire campus,” Radley said. “Each student on campus should be able to say that they attended a concert on campus to their genre.” We Are Scientists will perform April 14 at 9 p.m. in Emerson Suites.
turn is pleasant to the old folks because they know them,” Zimet said. Zdan said the choir is for people who want to do community service, help out residents at Longview and also connect with people they wouldn’t otherwise see. “It’s one of those things that once you go there you can’t stop in a way,” Zdan said. “At least for most of us we just really, really enjoy it, and it’s the highlight of the week. Just being able to make music with such deserving people and just having a good time with them and the other students and the conductor.” The Intergenerational Choir will perform in the Hockett Recital Hall on April 29 at 3 p.m.
Local artist pays tribute to past in Ithaca Festival Meghan Wood has watched her grandmother and parents purchase Ithaca Festival T-shirts and buttons for as long as she can remember. This year, Wood will design the newest version in the button series. W o o d , a WOOD will design f i r s t - y e a r the new buttons graphic de- and shirts for the sign student at Ithaca Festival. Rochester Institute of Technology, was recently named the 2012 Ithaca Festival Official Artist. The Ithaca Festival is a four-day summer music and arts festival on The Commons and will be luau-themed this year. Staff Writer Alyssa Frey spoke with Wood about her plans for the festival, her past experiences with the festival and her love for the Ithaca area. AF: How did you become involved in the past with the Ithaca Festival? MW: I did the graphic tee last year, and they ended up picking two of the designs that I proposed, which was great. They’ve been super supportive of me, and I’ve been painting signs
for them for the last two years. Jes Seaver, the director of the Ithaca Festival, has a level of involvement with that festival, and she saw my work and work ethic and approached me about it last year to do the graphic tee, and I was so psyched. AF: What are you designing for the upcoming festival? MW: I’m designing both the graphic tee and the art tee, which they have been doing for the last four or five years. And in doing the art piece for that T-shirt, that will also be the button and be featured in the program and stuff like that. It’s a pretty awesome gig. AF: What can we expect from your work at the festival? MW: The idea of luau reminded me of this touristy feel, like those vintage old postcards that you see for Hawaii. And I was like, ‘How cool is it to think of Ithaca, your hometown, as this tourist destination?’ So I played a lot with that idea, and then also, there’s just the intuitive sense that Ithaca is such a beautiful town with so many beautiful waters — almost tropical spots. A lot of the designs play off of that.
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Hard work pays off in charming show
thursday
by lisa purrone staff writer
While trying to tell the story of the everyday laborer, the message was better sung than spoken. The Ithaca College Main Stage Theater production of “Working” displayed talent and dedication, despite the play’s unconventional structure. Opening with the familiar sounds of frantic typing and phones ringing, the scene is set in a typical, bustling office. These sounds introduce each character, as his or her name is typed and projected on a “Working” screen. This makes the perIthaca College formance more consistent Department of and helps the audience tranTheatre Arts sition between characters. The show employs the style of “A Chorus Line” in that each character tells his or her story and explains how it’s related to the theme of the show. This approach makes it difficult to connect with the characters because their story is only told within one song or monologue. While the production is equipped with captivating moments and actors, the show appeals more to older adults than to the college community. With this in mind, the actors still manage to be entertaining and engaging. Mike Dillard (senior Will Boyajian) begins the show with a speech about what it is like to be a construction worker. While this sounds like a story that has been heard one too many times, Boyajian is convincing with his accented speech and a heavy walk that is weighed down by a tool belt. Each performer showcases his or her ability throughout this production. Most cast members play multiple roles and embody every one differently. Playing characters such as a wealthy socialite opposite a restaurant server can be quite difficult, but sophomore Grace Stockdale provides a smooth transition. Senior Ned Donovan’s physical and vocal talent makes his change from a trucker to an overly imaginative hippie successful and compelling. The most engaging moments in the production occur during the musical numbers, in which characters are given the chance to tell their story. In “Just a Housewife,” a song about the trials and tribulations of being a stay-at-home mother, Kate Rushton (senior Katie Peters) shows her dedication to her
Broke-ology, a theater production about a family struggling with finances, will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Kitchen Theatre. Tickets cost from $15 to $35.
friday
theater Review
Spring Awakening, a theater production about the journey from youth to adulthood, will begin at 8 p.m. at Risley Theatre at Cornell University. Contact Risley Theatre for tickets.
“Remembering Haiti,” a concert sponsored by the Caribbean Students Association, will begin at 7 p.m. in Emerson Suites. Admission is free.
saturday Dolores Dante (sophomore Grace Stockdale) is a waitress in the award-winning musical “Working.” The show is about the trials, tribulations, monotony and joy faced by Americans of the working class. courtesy of sheryl sinkow
family by consistently cutting vegetables for a meal throughout the number. Peters’ emotion and strong voice make for a standout performance. Joe Zutty (senior Danny Bristoll) later tells his story of retired life with a song that looks back on some of the moments he wished he could have changed. Bristoll embodies age with his slowpaced walk, slight rasp and quiver to his voice — holding true to the characteristics throughout the song as well. In “Joe,” Bristoll paints a heart-wrenching picture of what life could’ve been if he had a relationship with a past lover. Aiding these musical numbers through their different time periods and musical genres is the detailed lighting by lighting designer Clay Harding. Though the jazzy genre of the song may seem out of context, “Lovin’ Al” was lit with a bold spotlight on Al Calinda (senior Denzel Edmondson) that alludes to a cabaret-type performance.
Working in a thrust-structured space makes for creative solutions for set pieces. The show moves quickly through different, sometimes contrasting, settings. Almost all of the set pieces roll on and off stage with ease and transform the space within seconds. During “I’m Just Movin,’” grocery checkout counters are brought on stage to showcase Babe Secoli’s (senior Elizabeth Hake) love for her work. In “It’s an Art,” the set consists of only a few tables and string lights, but manages to create the atmosphere of an intimate Italian restaurant, which plays a part in the humor of the song. While students may be able to relate in the future, for now the show may be somewhat out of place. Nevertheless, viewers will see a production that is charming, witty and well-constructed. “Working” will run until Saturday at Clark Theatre at Ithaca College.
Glamorous mega pop star fades with lackluster album by Benjii Maust staff writer
If the title of her new album, “MDNA,” is any indication, Madonna wants her fan base to really know what she’s made of. One spin of the album Madonna is enough to know “MDNA” that the answer is Boy Toy Inc. apparently glitter, Our rating: leather and outdatHH ed fads that reveal an unsightly fork in the road in the career of one of the world’s most beloved pop stars. The normally adventurous Madge opts for a slew of producers she has worked with before, including William Orbit of the immaculate “Ray of Light.” His presence on nearly every track is a
Album Review
hot dates
risky move for a singer who prides herself on reinvention. Madonna may be trying for some “new sounds” on the album, but the high-octane club beats fit her like a lime green halter top would look on a grandma. The complex album includes the worn-out message of the dance anthem “Turn Up the Radio” and the bizarre synth-laden “Gang Bang,” which gloats about the joys of gun violence via a hodgepodge collection of gurgles, bleeps and dubstep breakdowns. It’s a bad case of treading wellworn ground while breaking new ground in all the wrong ways. The album offers its share of references to Madonna’s other career highlights — the fact that the forced “I’m a Sinner” features a roll-call of famous saints rehashes memories of
Song of the Week “Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)”
about mountain bike champion Michelle Dumaresq, will be screened at 7 p.m. in Textor 103. Admission is free.
Dancing with the Stars, featuring the Ithaca College Ballroom Dance Team, faculty and staff members, will begin at 8 p.m. in Emerson Suites. Admission is free.
sunday
“Nature as Source and Inspiration: A Poetry MiniRetreat,” a writing workshop to help compose original poetry, will begin at 10 a.m. at Saltonstall Art Colony. The workshop costs $65 and includes lunch.
Shins shine with simple songs by jared dionne staff writer
Courtesy of boy toy inc.
the more honest-sounding religious commentary present on just about every track from “Like a Prayer.” But the fast-paced production is overlaid with just enough live instrumentation to keep the album dynamic. By the album’s end, it becomes resoundingly clear that Madonna has reached a point in her career where competing with Lady Gaga’s outrageous sense of musicality has become more important than making pop music with heart and soul.
After remaining dormant for half a decade, indie rock darlings The Shins have released their new album, “Port of Morrow,” at long last. On the highly anticipated album, James Mercer and company draw from their typical mix of indie ballads and sensitive slow jams. Listeners The Shins are treated to “Port of a healthy dose Morrow” of eccentric Columbia instrumenRecords tal elements, Our rating: which carry HHH 1/2 over from the partnership with producer Danger Mouse under the moniker Broken Bells back in 2009. The album’s lead-off single, “Simple Song,” is a monster of
Album Review
a tune. Steady bass and forceful strumming create an energized track that lends itself to Mercer’s flawless vocals. With “Port of Morrow,” The Shins have once again delivered the goods as far as indie ear candy is concerned. The album’s eclectic sampling offers something for die-hard fans as well as those who are in the first phases of Shins discovery.
Courtesy of columbia records
quickies “Nothing but the beat: The Electronic Album”
“the night the sun came up”
Neck of the Woods
Silversun Pickups Dangerbird Records
Dev Universal Republic
Silversun Pickups return with their traditional screaming guitars and wall-of-sound production mentality.
Scan This qr Code with a smartphone to learn more aboUT Music blogger Jared Dionne’s pick for the song of the week.
“100% Woman,” a film
courtesy of Universal Republic
While Dev’s use of auto-tune and annoyingly repetitive hooks will only encourage Ke$ha comparisons, simple synths and beats save the listener’s ears from sensory overload.
David Guetta Astralwerks/Capitol
French house-music veteran David Guetta released his purely electronic album filled with familiar bass-bumping tracks that fans won’t hesitate to dance to. courtesy oF Astralwerks/Capitol
Compiled by allie healy
A ccen t
Th ursday, A pril 5, 2012
The I th a c a n 1 9
Mythical movie lacks expected wrath [ Disappointing second installment fails to create iron-clad story bY James Hasson
]
valid friday through thursday
cinemapolis The Commons 277–6115
staff writer
Titans and monsters cause trouble once again in “Wrath of the Titans,” the sequel to the 2010 “Clash of the Titans.” Though there are plenty of creatures and giants, they make a mess of both Greece and the movie as they stum“Wrath of ble on screen. the Titans” Perseus (Sam Warner Bros. Our rating: Worthington), the H 1/2 half-human, halfgod son of Zeus (Liam Neeson), is content living the life of an ordinary mortal in a seaside village. But as the power of the gods wane, Hades (Ralph Fiennes) and Ares (Edgar Ramirez) betray the gods and capture Zeus to sacrifice him and unleash the titan Kronos from his prison in Tartarus. Before Kronos and the fiends of Tartarus unleash chaos on the world, Perseus must save his father and find the pieces to a mythical weapon. This movie is all about the action. After a brief reintroduction to the hero from the first film, “Wrath of the Titans,” the new movie jumps quickly from monster fight to monster fight with little time for any development. There is no time to map and savor the characters or the conflicts between them, which is the film’s main issue. Except for a few quick lines explaining the back-story, exploration of the main characters is left by the wayside. The characters are all too busy fighting one another to reveal any substantial story behind them. Agenor (Toby Kebbell) is a rogue and son of Poseidon, but beyond that the audience learns hardly anything about
ticket stub
hidden books: the art of kumi korf 9:15 p.m. Friday
Film Review
salmon fishing in the yemen 7:15 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. and weekends 2:15 p.m. and 4:25 p.m. jeff who lives at home 7:20 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. and weekends 2:20 p.m. and 4:20 p.m. A Separation 7:05 p.m. and weekends 2:05 p.m. Pina 9:10 p.m. and weekends 4:10 p.m.
Ares (Edgar Ramirez) betrays the Greek gods by capturing his father, Zeus (Liam Neeson). He must then escape the ancient Titans unleashed upon the world by the angry gods in the action-packed movie “Wrath of the Titans.”
Courtesy of Warner bros.
him and just goes along with Perseus’ quest. This makes the performances not only shallow, but forced. For the most part, the sets and locations of the film all have a very similar appearance to a dusty, desolate wasteland. The Greek buildings already look like battered ruins. So many locations have sandy ground and rocky ledges that it’s perplexing how any human can live there, let alone entire armies and civilizations. It does not matter whether the world is saved — the land is already bleak and barren after Kronos rampages through it. The storyline of “Wrath of the Titans” is essentially a carbon copy of its predecessor. Perseus starts out
living an ordinary human life in both films, and he fights hideous humanoid monsters, a tragically flawed superhuman rival and a colossal monster in both as well. Perseus has to seek advice from mysterious mythical characters to find an ancient superweapon to defeat evil. It does not take long for the number of direct parallels between the two films to become tiring. Some of the monsters, such as the stampeding Chimera or the monumentally large lava titan, Kronos, may look impressive, but others appear cheap or difficult to distinguish. The Minotaur especially is very hard to see in the dark depths of the labyrinth. The fights against the monsters
Stirring portrait captures PTSD
leave much to be desired. The sword work can feel very choppy and slow. Other fights are so poorly shot that it is difficult to discern just how Perseus got the chains around the Chimera’s neck or how many poorly animated CGI Cyclopes are attacking the group. Overall, “Wrath of the Titans” falters and falls short in its character and story development, and the fights and settings are dull. Like the powers of the Greek gods in the film, “Clash of the Titans” shows many signs of fading by its second installment. “Wrath of the Titans” was directed by Johnathan Liebesman and written by Dan Mazeau.
Whimsical film falls to pieces
By shawn steiner
By chloe wilson
Stunning visuals and powerful storytelling draw the viewer into the life of Marine Sgt. Nathan Harris, a man who is forever changed — both physically and emotionally — by war in “Hell and Back Again.” Director Danfung Dennis is able to capture Harris’ mentality in “Hell and this moving documentary. Back Again” The film portrays Harris’ life New Video Our rating: in a delicate manner, resulting HHHH in an extremely observational and poetic documentary. Dennis presents a man who believes in his mission, a soldier completely drawn by a sense of purpose and honor. His bravery allows him to lead his men through battle — and then back home. But while the soldiers leave the atrocities of war, viewers find out that the painful memories never completely leave them. Dennis skillfully weaves scenes of war in with Harris’ time at home. However, even while at home, his desire to fight is apparent in his words and actions. Sound plays a crucial role throughout the film, leading viewers through war scenes and then back into Harris’ reflection at home. Overlapping transitional audio allows the viewer to feel how the war always follows veterans home. Dennis creates a sentimental portrait of Harris both before and after the war. Harris is portrayed as brave and composed, able to command troops with ease and gather information with expertise. It is an enjoyable experience to watch him in action, but quickly becomes upsetting. The construction of the film is carefully planned so that the viewer has a better understanding of Harris’ emotions.
Despite its star-studded cast, the fantasy flick “Mirror Mirror” fails in becoming the charming film that it tries to be. A modern retelling of “Snow White,” the film follows the evil Queen Clementianna (Julia Roberts) as she plots against Snow White (Lily Collins) to take control of the kingdom and to marry Prince Andrew (Armie Hammer), who has his heart set on Snow White. Supported by her personal servant “Mirror Brighton (Nathan Lane), the Mirror” Relativity queen faces off against Snow Media White and the seven dwarves. Our rating: Unfortunately, Roberts’ H 1/2 performance is much too
assistant photo editor
staff writer
film Review
Film Review
Marine Sgt. Nathan Harris fights overseas in the powerful documentary “Hell and Back Again.”
Courtesy oF New video
Dennis’ experience as a photojournalist comes through in the film’s cinematography. Using a camera with a small form factor allowed Dennis to get close to the action. During the war scenes, he is on the ground with the troops, crawling in the ditches as guns fire around him. This perspective allows for the cinematic look and shallow depth of field — a common feature of fiction films. At the end of the film, the viewer can see the argument the documentary presents: war is something that will always be with those who experience it. The final scene of the film has Harris speaking about the realization that he is finished and that his mind will always have to deal with the haunting memories of war. “Hell and Back Again” was directed and written by Danfung Dennis.
forced. The amount of effort put into her performance reeks of desperation, and any humor that her role would evoke is quickly discouraged as a result. Roberts has proved in multiple other films that she is a talented cinematic comedienne, but the direction and writing of “Mirror Mirror” prevent her from performing to her potential. However, supervising art directors Ramsey Avery and Isabelle Guay did a fantastic job of bringing the fairy tale to life. The costume and sets featured throughout are whimsical and delightful despite the film’s broken qualities. Though visually spectacular, the disjointed plot and forced acting turn “Mirror Mirror” into an unfulfilling waste of time. “Mirror Mirror” was directed by Tarsem Singh and written by Melissa Wallack and Jason Keller.
the iron lady HH 1/2 7 p.m. and 9:05 p.m. and weekends 2 p.m. and 4:05 p.m. we need to talk about kevin 9:15 p.m. and weekends 4:15 p.m. The artist HHHH 7:10 p.m. and weekends 2:10 p.m.
regal stadium 14 Pyramid Mall 266-7960
american reunion 1:30 p.m., 2:10 p.m., 4:10 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:50 p.m., 9:40 p.m., 10:10 p.m., 10:40 p.m. Titantic 3D 12:30 p.m., 1:10 p.m., 3:20 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 5:20 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:50 p.m., 9:30 p.m. mirror mirror H 1/2 2 p.m., 4:50 p.m., 7:20 p.m., 9:50 p.m. wrath of the titans H 1/2 1:20 p.m., 3:50 p.m., 6:20 p.m., 9 p.m. the hunger games HH 1/2 12:50 p.m., 1:40 p.m., 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7:10 p.m., 8:40 p.m., 9:20 p.m., 10:30 p.m. 21 jump street HHHH 1 p.m., 3:40 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 10 p.m. dr. Seuss’ the lorax HHH 2:20 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6:40 p.m., 9:10 p.m. dr. seuss’ the lorax 3d 12:40 p.m.
cornell cinema 104 Willard Straight Hall 255-3522
For more information, visit http://cinema.cornell.edu. my week with marilyn 7:15 p.m. Sunday, 9:45 p.m. Monday and Thursday the wages of fear 9:45 p.m. Monday, 9 p.m. Tuesday tinker tailor soldier spy 9:30 Wednesday, 9:45 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday norwegian wood 7 p.m. Thursday, 9:30 p.m. Saturday
our ratings Excellent HHHH Good HHH Fair HH Poor H
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Th ursday, A pril 5, 2012
The I th a c a n 2 1
Everybody has issues ...
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Every Thursday.
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Divers ion s
dormin’ norman
sudoku
By Jonathan Schuta ’14
Pearls Before Swine®
Th ursday, Apr il 5 , 2 0 1 2
By Stephan Pastis
answers to last week’s sudoku
crossword ACROSS 1 Evergreen tree 4 Get under one’s skin 7 Type of market 11 Verdi heroine 12 Caviar 13 Dock 14 Makes more interesting (2 wds.) 16 Bookie’s figures 17 Wyoming range 18 Unstable 20 Mir successor 21 This and that 23 Humongous 26 Fall fruit 27 Luau number 28 Crotchety and cantankerous
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31 Estimated 33 Smallest amount 34 Raspberry stem 35 A great many 36 Museum piece 38 Suffix for hero 41 Chaplain, slangily 43 Stray calf 45 Lemony 47 Seemed attractive 49 Wacky 50 Grassy field 51 Clothing 52 Yellowstone sights 53 Form 1040 info 54 Ground breaker
DOWN 1 Egads! 2 Goes over proofs 3 Baylor University site 4 Tax-collecting org. 5 Carpenter’s tool 6 French Legion headgear 7 Broadway turkey 8 Pretty beetle 9 Bring to a conclusion 10 Super Bowl highlights? 11 -- spumante 15 Register for 19 Gym class, briefly 22 Dried clover 24 Seine vista 25 Traipse about 26 Four-footed pal 27 Outcry
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Night hunter Greek letter Carp about details Pit stop purchase Battery terminal Crinkled fabrics QB stat Ph.D. exams Snow house Long bout Docs prescribe them Bothers over trivial things Solemn promise Pub pint Mountain pass Cook’s vessel
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Th ursday, A pril 5, 2012
sports
The I th a c a n 2 3
A twist of fate New amateur fighting league fuses elements of chance and versatility
From left, Briggs Seekins and Gerald Bradley, members of the Fortune Fight League, spar with each other in the hexagon Friday at the Ultimate Athletics Martial Arts Fitness and Training Center.
Rachel woolf/The ithacan
By kevin mccall sports editor
Two muscular men stand opposite each other inside the hexagonal fighting cage prepared to face off in a round of fierce martial arts combat. Though they have spent months preparing for the fight, three strokes of luck that neither of the competitors could have trained for will have a major impact on the bout. The Ithaca-based Fortune Fight League, founded by mixed martial arts promoters Ryan Ciotoli, Dave MacLean and Primo Bellarosa, combines elements of chance and skill in its aim to give amateur fighters more experience. There were 28 competitors participating in a series of 14 fights in the league’s first event on March 17 at Ultimate Athletics in the Pyramid Mall. Ciotoli, owner of Ultimate Athletics, said fortune fighters participating in the new league would learn the deliberate tactics they can use to gain advantages against their opponents. “The new form forces a fighter to develop the technicality of each movement and focuses on gaining experience,” he said. The two fighters are divided into two locker rooms before the fight — one labeled as red and the other blue. Once the competitors step into the hexagonal cage, a ring girl flips a circular piece of wood with red and blue on the opposite sides to determine who will choose the fighting style for the particular round — grappling, Muay Thai or sanshou. The coin toss takes place before each round, giving each opponent an equal opportunity to declare the style for the round. The winner can choose any one of the three types of fighting that will be incorporated into each round. While mixed martial arts juxtaposes hand-to-hand combat with the precision of karate kicks and explosiveness necessary in wrestling, fortune fighting breaks down each of these skills into separate rounds by focusing on one skill at a time. Grappling helps the fighter improve positioning and requires swift movements; Muay Thai strictly applies to hand to hand combat; and sanshou regulations incorporate kickboxing and the use of elbows and knees in some competitions. A panel of three judges determines the winner of the fight after the three rounds unless there is a technical knockout. Gerald Bradley, an amateur fighter from
Lockwood, N.Y., looking to turn pro, said he was nervous before his first fortune fighting bout and was afraid of the unknown aspect of it. “I almost threw up in the back before the match,” he said. “I had done a grappling tournament last August, and that was a little bit of a rush, but with the loud rock music and large crowd this was a totally different feeling. I hadn’t felt that way since my son was born.” Judges for the fortune fights look for a participant’s ability to bounce back from hits to all areas of the body. Henry said he was looking for the fighter’s ability to take control during a match when choosing the victor. “Everyone is going to get hit, so you can’t judge things based on that,” he said. “It isn’t about playing tag, it’s who’s doing the most punishing. What mattered in the end was which fighter was knocking the other one backward.” But wins and losses in fortune fighting are not counted toward an amateur fighter’s overall record. The league also aims to provide a legal outlet for amateur fighters to gain experience in the cage. New York State law has forbidden the staging of live mixed martial arts contests since former governor George
Pataki placed a ban on them in 1997. Concerned with the safety of competitors, the New York State Athletic Commission has shut down many amateur shows for more than 10 years. This forced fighters training in New York gyms to travel to other states such as New Jersey to compete. Stephen Koepfer, who founded the Coalition to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York, said the lawsuit’s ending allowed promoters to organize fights the state had unfairly blocked them from holding in the past. “The state took a napalm approach,” he said. “They created the impression that amateur MMA was illegal when it really wasn’t, and even if you knew it was legal you couldn’t do a show because they would come in and stop you.” Following a lawsuit against New York state from Zuffa, the company that owns the Ultimate Fighting Championships, state officials agreed to work with promoters to organize mixed martial arts shows. Because of the verdict in this lawsuit, more events like
fortune fighting have been able to occur. The TNT Fight Series, which will feature Muay Thai fighters and will take place May 19 in Tonowanda, N.Y., will be the first New York state-sanctioned amateur mixed martial arts show in nearly a decade. The fortune fights bring an element of fast-paced action that is not present when opponents are training. Briggs Seekins, a fortune fighter from Ithaca, said the new form alters the intention of each competitor. “When you spar, you’re thinking about what you’re doing, and it might get a little chippy, but you’re not trying to hurt the other person,” Seekins said. “In a fight, you’re thinking about hurting the person as quickly as you can, so there is a different mindset required.” Ultimate Athletics trainer Eric Henry said fortune fighting blends all the necessary techniques to make the ideal martial arts fighter. “There’s no such thing as mixed martial arts — it’s just cross-training,” he said. “Every fighter comes from a specific tradition and blends their experience in this one form of fighting. The trainer must be able to read the trainee’s charge to know what and how much his competitor needs to learn.” Bradley said each round of his fortune fight passed by so quickly that he could not recall certain aspects of it. “Sparring is more focused on developing your technique — picking and choosing your shots to see how the other guy will react,” he said. “But when you get into the fight, everything is happening at 150 miles per hour, and I had to adjust to that.” The next Fortune Fight League event is scheduled for June 2 and will feature the same number of competitors. Patrick McGreal, a membership coordinator at Ultimate Athletics, said experience in the Fortune Fight League helps fighters gain versatility in their skill set. “Guys develop through wins and losses and take whatever individual rewards they can from them,” he said. “But to be prepared is the greatest strength they can have.”
Ultimate Athletics Trainer Eric Henry holds the coin flipped to decide the competitor who chooses the fighting style before each round.
RachEl woolf/the ithacan
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Th ursday, Apr il 5 , 2 0 1 2
Sluggers generate Bombers’ late runs By steve derderian staff writer
harlan green-taub
Golfer strays from glory When the 79th Masters Golf Tournament gets under way this morning at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Ga., all eyes will be on Tiger Woods. Woods is the most watched golfer wherever he tees up, but the Masters is different for him. He’s won the tournament four times — the most of any major meet — but has not emerged at the top of the Masters leaderboard since 2005. This marks his longest drought in any major invitational, including the British and U.S. Opens and the PGA Championships. With 14 major titles, Woods needs four more championships to tie the record set by Jack Nicklaus during his 43-year career on the PGA Tour. The end of Woods’ playing days may be closer than he realizes, however. He turned 36 years old in December and had reconstructive knee surgery in June 2008. Yet Woods does not see this year’s Masters as the end of his quest to surpass Nicklaus and win 19 majors. When ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi recently asked Woods what drives him, Woods had an intense look in his eyes — one that has crumbled so many competitors’ hopes on the final Sunday at those 14 tournaments. He uttered one word in response to Rinaldi’s question — winning. While it’s understandable for Woods to want to hold himself to the highest standard in his sport, hasn’t this sole focus on winning led him astray in the past? Let’s not forget that Woods has done almost nothing on the golf course in the past two and a half years. With a highly publicized divorce from his wife following a slew of sexcapades coupled with his knee surgery, the world’s top golfer has been physically and emotionally crippled. Despite all the trauma, Woods maintains the same emotional state on the golf course, and seemingly in the rest of his life as well. While he has certainly toned down since the days when he would yell and swear after hitting an errant shot, Woods shows almost no pleasure when playing the game. It hardly ever seems like he smiles when he is on the course and the camera is around him. There seems to be a distance between Woods and everyone else that no one can seem to penetrate. Obviously I do not know Woods personally, but it appears as though he is the least approachable golfer on the PGA circuit. His undeniable drive makes it impossible for him to simply enjoy playing the game. Woods scrutinizes and evaluates every movement on the course like no other. Every once in a while, I wish he would realize and take in what he has accomplished and not let his failure to pass Nicklaus ruin what time he has left in his career. Harlan Green-taub is a senior televison-radio major. Contact him at hgreent1@ithaca.edu.
On March 24, junior infielder Molly O’Donnell stood at the plate down to her last strike with the softball team trailing Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. One pitch and 210 feet later, she was able to send the game to extra innings with one swing of her bat. O’Donnell has jump-started the South Hill squad’s powerful offense by hitting three home runs. She also leads the team with a .404 batting average and 16 RBIs. After the second game of the Bombers’ split doubleThe Blue and header against Rensselaer, Gold have hit 10 O’Donnell said the Blue and home runs this Gold’s offensive production season, which was infectious, and a single ranks them 34th in the nation. offensive play had the power to ignite the late rally. “We get that one hit and usually get excited for one another, and that sparks everyone to hit thinking that they could do the same,” she said. O’Donnell is not the only member of the South Hill squad putting up high offensive numbers this season, as sophomore catcher and third baseman Sydney Folk has gone deep three times and is hitting .326. Folk and O’Donnell are also in the top four on the team in hits, total bases and on-base percentage. Folk said an altered focus on training in the offseason has allowed her to use more of her entire body in her swing. “The difference between this year and last year is being able to pick up on the changes the coaches are making to our swings by using our back hips and really being able to drive the ball,” she said. “In high school, I was more swinging from my upper body. Now I am using more of my legs to drive through the ball rather than using just my arms.” The Blue and Gold have held a home run derby in practice on several occasions throughout the season. O’Donnell said though she and Folk are the team’s two primary power hitters, there are other players who can get timely hits before the home runs sail over the fence. “We have players who can drive the ball, but we also have those who can get on base through bunting and some who can move runners over when needed,” she said. Head Coach Deb Pallozzi said the South Hill
stat check
Freshman outfielder Nina Lindberg swings at a pitch during a game against SUNY-Cortland on Tuesday on Kostrinsky Field. The South Hill squad has 176 total bases in 17 games this season.
kristen tomkowid/The ithacaN
squad was able to make adjustments in each one of its at bats during a pair of wins against SUNY-Old Westbury on March 21. “We’re doing a better job of handling the away pitch, and we were able to allow the ball to travel deeper and drive the ball to right field more often,” she said. The Blue and Gold are ranked 34th out of all 389 teams in Division III in home runs per game. They are entering a tough portion of
their schedule, however, with 10 of their next 14 games on the road. O’Donnell said maintaining an optimistic outlook will help the Bombers sustain their power and improve their overall record of 7—10. “We just need to focus on our mentality when it’s our turn at bat and stay positive when we’re at the plate,” she said. “Instead of thinking ‘I don’t want to swing at this’, we think of what we want to swing at and try to find that perfect pitch.”
Athletes escalate conditioning for outdoor season By haley costello staff writer
Though some of the 21 field athletes on the women’s track and field team have a one- to two-week break following the indoor season, they must begin a taxing period of adjustment before competitions move outdoors. The spring season of track adds five field events to the Bombers’ competition — the hammer throw, javelin, discus, steeplechase and heptathlon. The weight throw from the winter season is dropped from each contest. Sophomore Elaine Abdulky said the 12-pound difference in mass between the heavier weight used in winter and the lighter hammer thrown in the spring affects her ability to control her movements while she’s in the cage. “When you’re throwing the weight in winter, you have to go slower and use so much of your weight to counter the ball,” she said. “But when you go outdoors it is a lot faster, so you have to use so much more body weight to counter it.” In addition to the throwing events in the outdoor season, the heptathlon replaces the pentathlon. The outdoor heptathlon includes the 200-meter run and javelin throw in addition to all of the pentathlon’s events. Senior multi-event competitor
Freshman middle distance runner Ruby Benn competes in the 1,500-meter run during the Ithaca Invitational on Saturday at Butterfield Stadium.
rachel woolf/the ithacan
Emma Dewart, who participates in the pentathlon and heptathlon, said the increased distance in events requires more stamina from athletes in spring practices. “We are now required to increase
our endurance more than before,” Dewart said. “And while we practice some of these skills before we get out to the spring season, it is still a change we need to adjust to.” Abdulky said the team’s coaching
staff knows the difficulties that go into the new spring events, and they use repetition effectively when preparing the team’s field competitors. “The last couple weeks of indoor practice, we actually start doing some outdoor technique indoors,” Abdulky said. “The coaches are really good about understanding that it will not happen in a day, so they walk you through your technique over and over.” Senior Jessica Hoeffner said she has learned to train her mind to treat each of the South Hill squad’s invitationals the same whether they’re indoors or outside. “After the first spring meet, my body was absolutely drained from taking all my throws,” Hoeffner said. “Over time I have taught myself to stay focused on the meet so that going from two events in the indoor season to all the events in the spring season is not as hard anymore.” While the mental and physical change does put a strain on the field athletes, Dewart said the indoor season is a huge factor in adjusting to the outdoor season and helping the team get in stride. “Outdoor is the most important part of our season because that’s where we want everything to come together,” she said. “If we didn’t have indoor to prepare us, it would be a completely different season.”
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Intense preparation triggers early win By doug geller Staff Writer
The men’s crew faced its toughest challenge of the season before it competed in its initial regular-season regattas against Hobart College on Saturday on Cayuga Inlet. For this year’s rowers, the most important part of the season came during spring break when they could get in shape and improve their technique on the water. The crew trained in Marietta, Ga., this season during spring break, spending five to six hours on the water in warmer weather conditions each day. Senior captain Zach Doell said the training trip made the crew better because it brought the freshmen and seniors together. “This is the best team unity we have had over the past couple years,” Doell said. “We were able to tell the freshmen stories of when we were freshmen.” While the Blue and Gold were spending the break in Georgia, they practiced for a total of about 28 hours, which Head Coach Dan Robinson said adds up to about three weeks of practice in Ithaca. Robinson said the time the team spent in Georgia was priceless. “Without it, I don’t know where we’d be,” he said. “The guys would not know how to row.” Through the long hours on the water and the team picnic, the rowers solidified relationships with
other competitors in their boats. The South Hill squad also took part in scrimmage regattas against the crews from Marietta College and the United States Naval Academy. These regattas helped the South Hill squad prepare for an seasoned Hobart crew that won the last two contests between the teams. Robinson said 90 percent of Hobart’s rowers have high school experience with crew, forcing the Bombers to feel the need to compensate for their losses. “We do have to prove ourselves every time, no question about it,” he said. “Hobart has beaten us the past two years.” The Bombers’ hard work during spring break paid off, as they defeated the Statesmen in the first varsity regatta with a time of 6:15.3. The second varsity 8 lost to Hobart by more than two seconds, however, registering a time of 6:37.3. Senior captain Per Tvetenstrand said the entire crew gained confidence from the regatta despite the second boat’s tough losses. “We are usually never that close to Hobart,” Tvetenstrand said. “We are definitely going to be able to beat them at states — it was actually a really great race for us.” The Blue and Gold continued to scrimmage against top schools when they faced Cornell University on Saturday after its morning regattas against Hobart. The Bombers have a rough home schedule to begin the season,
The men’s crew’s 4B boat races against Hobart College during the Cayuga Duals on Saturday on Cayuga Inlet. The regatta was the first of the season for the Bombers, who also scrimmaged against Cornell University.
shawn steiner/the ithacan
facing the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology on Saturday. They also have regattas against Trinity College and Williams College later this month. Unlike the Bombers, Trinity and Williams re-
cruit rowers from local high schools to compete in their crew programs. Doell said the Blue and Gold’s pride after the Cayuga Duals stemmed from earlier regattas against top competition, and the crew now
feels it can compete with any school. “There aren’t any boats this year we are not going to race hard against and have a chance of beating,” he said. “We all should be very strong this year.”
Look online for game stories from these sports: TOMORROW • 2:30 p.m. Softball vs. Utica College on Kostrinsky Field • 3 p.m. Women’s Track at Cornell University’s April Open in Ithaca, N.Y. • 4 p.m. Women’s Lacrosse vs. Nazareth College in Higgins Stadium • 4 p.m. Baseball vs. St. John Fisher College on Freeman Field • 6 p.m. Men’s Track at Princeton University’s Sam Howell Invitational in Princeton, N.J.
SATURDAY • 10 a.m. Men’s Track at Muhlenburg Invitational in Allentown, Pa. • 10:30 a.m. Women’s Track at Cornell University’s April Open in Ithaca, N.Y. • 11 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Crew vs. Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology on Cayuga Inlet • Noon Men’s Lacrosse vs. Nazareth College at Higgins Stadium • 1 p.m. Baseball vs. St. John Fisher College on Freeman Field • 1 p.m. Softball at Elmira College in Elmira, N.Y. • 3 p.m. Women’s Lacrosse vs. St. John Fisher College in Higgins Stadium • 3 p.m. Women’s Track at Cornell University’s April Open in Ithaca, N.Y.
TUESDAY • 4 p.m. Baseball at Keuka College in Keuka Park, N.Y. • 4 p.m. Men’s Tennis at Hobart College in Geneva, N.Y.
WEDNESDAY • 3 p.m. Softball at SUNY-Oneonta in Oneonta, N.Y. • 4 p.m. Baseball at SUNY-Cortland in Cortland, N.Y. • 4 p.m. Men’s Lacrosse at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y.
Bold = Home game TBD = To be determined kristen tomkowid/the ithacan
The Ithacan
online | theithacan.org/sports
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Squad fine-tunes fitness during long break by joe gentile staff writer
With the month of March nearly free from competition, the men’s track and field team had time to focus on training for the spring season as they moved outdoors. The Blue and Gold has shifted its focus to improving its conditioning as it enters the outdoor season as a more unified and motivated squad. While many of the events remain the same during the transition from indoors to outdoors, some longer distances are added. The 60-meter dash is extended to 100 meters, and races such as the 4x100-meter relay are added to the list of events. Freshman Matt Femia said the Blue and Gold lost their momentum toward the end of the indoor season, which resulted in disappointing finishes at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships on March 2 and 3. The Bombers were looking for a third straight top-five finish at the regional championships, but they placed 13th out of 62 schools. “We started tapering off before states and ECACs because our conditioning wasn’t where it needed to be,” Femia said. “We raised our intensity in practice, and we are lifting more now.” Freshman sprinter Kevin Davis said the Blue and Gold have shortened their breaks between circuit training, a combination of resistance training and high-intensity aerobics, and picked up the pacing of sprints during practice to improve their stamina. Conditioning and event preparation were not the only things the squad worked on during their month off from competition. Davis said the extended break allowed the Bombers to build a stronger bond than they had during the indoor season. “We were all grinding through the conditioning part of practices together and it made us more of a team,” he said.
Sophomore Brendan Wilkins competes in the high jump during the Ithaca Invitational on Saturday in Butterfield Stadium. Wilkins finished in second place, clearing 1.83 meters. rachel woolf/the ithacan
Head Coach Jim Nichols believes the month off was used more efficiently this year because of the new facilities the track team has been able to use. “The A&E Center has been great for us,” he said. “In past years we had to modify our
practices and conditioning to work around the cold, and the A&E Center has allowed us to work hard straight through the offseason and into competition.” Senior captain Dan Craighead believes the biggest adjustment the team had to make
was the move outside itself. “Getting used to the weather elements of outdoor racing will be our biggest challenge as a team,” Craighead said. Nichols believes the training that the team is doing now is important for the meets in the following weeks, but it really pays off most toward the end of the season. “You are not judged by your success early in the season,” Nichols said. “Over break we worked very hard for our competitions that are five weeks down the road. The exciting part about what we do is we look long-term and build for the end of the year.” The high-intensity practicing and conditioning helped the Bombers get the bad taste from the end of the indoor season out of their mouths. The South Hill squad put forth a dominant performance Saturday in the Ithaca Invitational with 17 top-three finishes, including seven wins against top opponents such as Cornell University, SUNY-Cortland and Herkimer County Community College. Femia and Davis had impressive showings in their outdoor debuts. Femia was the top finisher in the 200-meter dash at 23.66 seconds and placed third in the 400-meter dash, while Davis finished first in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.61 seconds. Both runners were members of the first-place 4x100-meter relay team with junior Clay Ardoin and sophomore Brennan Edmonds. Davis was not alone at the top of the men’s 100-meter dash leaderboard. Ardoin finished just one one-hundredth of a second behind Davis and freshman Rashaad Barrett finished in third with a time of 11.89 seconds. Craighead said the Bombers’ time in the gym over this extended break should begin to pay dividends once the team begins competing outdoors on a regular basis. “Our focus on fitness during March helped us greatly,” he said. “But we are going to look much better as a team once we are in the swing of racing again.”
[The buzzer]
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Fresh Start The Ithacan takes a look at three freshman winners from the first outdoor home meet for the men’s and women’s track and field teams last weekend.
Kevin Davis Men’s Track and Field 100-meter dash Competing in his first collegiate outdoor meet, Davis sprinted to a first-place finish in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.61 seconds. Davis was also a member of the Bombers’ winning 4x100-meter relay squad that placed first at 43.99 seconds.
Leigh Martino Women’s Track and Field 400-meter hurdles
Catch me if you can
SUNY-Albany sophomore Karlene Freiermuth chases freshman Amy Johnstone with help from Albany sophomore Alexa Scott during a women’s rugby game as part of the first IC Rugby Tournament on Sunday at Higgins Stadium. Shawn Steiner/the ithacan
Martino made a big impression in her first outdoor meet by capturing the 400-meter hurdles with a winning time of 1:06.81.
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Matt Femia Men’s Track and Field 200-meter dash Femia excelled in two events for the Blue and Gold by winning the 200-meter dash in 23.66 seconds and placing third in the 400-meter dash at 51.39 seconds.
The number of runs batted in junior infielder Molly O’Donnell has this season. See story on page 24.
the foul line
The number of hours the men’s crew spent on the water during its spring break training trip to Marietta, Ga. See story on page 25.
I’m sure my mom has cried a few times already tonight.
Weird news from the wide world of sports
University of Florida basketball guard Erving Walker collected a total of 159 steals over the course of his four years with the Gators, but he’ll unfortunately be remembered most for his only illegal steal of his career. The Gators were defeated by the University of Louisville in a crushing 72-68 loss in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament on March 24. Evidently, Walker was still a little conflicted last Friday night when he stole a taco at 1 a.m. in Gainesville, Fla. According to the Gainesville police report, Walker ordered a $3 taco from a downtown vendor and ran away with his treat without paying. He was chased by “several marked patrol cars” for about three blocks, and when he was finally caught he tried to explain to the police that he was “just playing around.” The cops were not amused, and Walker was charged with petty theft and resisting an officer without violence. —Matt Kelly
Play of the week
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Tim Locastro Sophomore Baseball
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Shortstop’s home runs in back-to-back at bats springs the Blue and Gold to an early lead against Stevens Institute of Technology.
Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps on how emotional his family was for his final meet in Indianapolis, Ind. Phelps qualified for his first United States Olympic team in Indianapolis 12 years ago.
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Leading off the top of the first inning Saturday against Stevens Institute of Technology, sophomore shortstop Tim Locastro found the perfect way to begin the Bombers’ Empire 8 Conference schedule. Locastro took a pitch from Stevens sophomore pitcher Gary Boardman and sent it over the right field wall for a solo home run and a quick 1-0 lead for the South Hill squad. The shortstop showed his ability to hit to all fields when he followed up with another solo homer — this time to left field — in the very next inning. Locastro finished with three runs scored and the Blue and Gold won its first Empire 8 game of the season by a score of 5-1.
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Freshman Olivia Burgher participates in the Luminaria Ceremony as part of Ithaca College’s Relay for Life. Each luminaria bag honors someone who passed away from cancer.
Fight back Colleges Against Cancer hosted Relay for Life last weekend. Relay is the largest fundraiser for the American Cancer Society in the nation.
From left, juniors Cassie Wat and Kloe Boeckel begin the pie-eating contest. The winner needed to find a piece of gum in the pie and blow a bubble.
Members of IC Circus perform a routine full of acrobatic feats as one of the many entertaining groups at the event.
Photos by Durst Breneiser
From left, Dryden resident Anthony Alo, associate director of Student Financial Services Anne Woodard, freshman Marley Owen and senior Adam Girgenti hold the Relay for Life banner as part of the opening lap.