The Ithacan Thursday, April 19, 20 12
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Volume 79, Is s u e 2 6
An active struggle The intertwined stories of two students who set out to make a difference.
Faculty seek pay increase for adjuncts By ELMA GONZALEZ ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Morgan arrived at the airport in Accra on a summer night in June. Her eyes searched, glancing between holes in the crowd of Ghanaian families who she imagined were on their way home. Morgan was farther from home than she’d ever been. Her eyes finally fell on a man holding a piece of paper with her name written across it. “Morgan?” he asked. “Hi, I’m Morgan.” “Welcome to Ghana.” He took her bag and walked toward an unmarked van. It was about midnight, warm and dark. There was another man in the backseat, and the two talked in a language Morgan didn’t understand. As the van wound swiftly through jungle dirt roads, African drumming vibrated her seat. The driver had no qualms about digging in the back for a new cassette when he got bored with the rhythm, veering into what would be opposing traffic, had there been any. After about three hours they dropped Morgan off at a hotel where the room had a single bare lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. It wasn’t until the sun rose the next morning that she realized the orphanage was about 100 yards down the road.
Full-time faculty and the Labor Initiative in Promoting Solidarity are taking a stand for part-time faculty who will not receive a raise for the second year in a row following the approval of the 2012-13 budget by the board of trustees. In a letter sent to all faculty, President Tom Rochon stated that there is a general 2.5 percent increase for fulltime faculty and staff STEPP BREEN said salaries, and a 0.5 part-time faculty percent additional don't receive equal increase for recom- consideration. mended individuals. However, this increase only includes full-time faculty and staff as well as eligible part-time staff and faculty who have an ongoing position. It does not include part-time faculty who are holders of parttime per-course appointments. Full-time faculty members Zillah Eisenstein, professor of politics, and Michael Smith, associate professor of history, sent a letter and a petition signed by 67 other full-time faculty in February to the board of trustees, Rochon, Provost Marisa Kelly and the deans from every school at the college raising the issue that it is a matter of “grave unfairness” to not extend the raise to all faculty, including part-time faculty. Rochon and Carl Sgrecci, vice president of finance and administration, declined to comment before the board of trustees’ official response. LIPS held a panel Tuesday in which part-time professors, full-time faculty and students discussed part-time faculty issues including the hours they log in, the respect they receive as professionals on campus, the lack of job security as adjuncts and the lack of health care benefits. Senior Chris Zivalich, a member of LIPS, said the group is demanding equal pay and equal benefits for part-time faculty by reallocating funds without increasing tuition. The three panelists who are part-time workers were Jennette Kollman, lecturer in theater arts, Vera Whisman, lecturer in women’s studies and Jenny Stepp Breen, lecturer in politics. Whisman, who has been an adjunct faculty member at the college for more than 10 years, said though she struggles without pay during summer break and in January after winter break, she has chosen to stay at the college because of the atmosphere and the roots she has set in Ithaca. Whisman and the other
See activism, page 4
See budget, page 4
Senior Morgan Milazzo poses with children from an orphanage in Ghana. Junior Laura St. John takes a stand in a Jobs with Justice protest last Milazzo often wonders about the children she volunteered for. year. Jobs with Justice advised LIPS in its living wage campaign. Courtesy of morgan milazzo
by taylor long staff writer
Thirty or so students form a haphazard circle of desks, and a seeing-eye dog yawns in the corner before shifting attention to the bone she’s been working on all week. Josette the black lab has become a sort of mascot for the tense silence that occasionally falls over the classroom. Silence is the sound of her jaw closing firmly around the bone. Crunch. Scrape. Pant. Slobber. It’s a grotesquely cheerful backdrop to discussions that routinely revolve around grave exhumations, rape and mass slaughter. Junior Laura St. John often slings her backpack over her shoulder and walks out of the room, sighing, “… if it wasn’t for that dog, this class would make me go nuts.” The images of trauma themselves don’t bother Laura as much as their subtext. She leaves Associate Professor Peyi SoyinkaAirewele’s Politics of Memory course asking questions she’s not prepared to answer, silenced by an internal conflict, mesmerized by the complexity of human interactions. Thinking about it keeps her up at night. Last spring around this time, Laura was one of the loudest voices of protest on campus, fists clenched, feet stomping and voice raised for her friends and co-workers — dining hall employees without a living wage and
without enough money to feed their families. She pokes fun at herself now. “Oh, back in my activist days …” Senior Morgan Milazzo knows the joke well — the fine line separating then from now. She sits at the front of the room beside Josette in class with legs crossed, writing furiously in a notebook. About two years ago, Morgan sat in a smaller classroom, which was dizzyingly hot and thick with the smell of petrol. She was responsible for keeping orphans from dipping their noses into Dixie cups of gasoline, props in a lesson about water. “Water has no smell, water has no smell, water has no smell …” The children repeated the phrase over and over again. It was Morgan’s only teaching lesson and her first day teaching at an orphanage in Ghana — the country one professor referred to as “Africa for beginners.” “I wanted to be one of those people who saves the world and saves Africa,” she laughs, embarrassed. “I used to say that. I was a gem freshman year.” Morgan and Laura went into volunteering and activism thinking they knew what they were doing, but they’ve stumbled across a long list of practical and philosophical questions they hadn’t bargained for. They occupy the tenuous space between past and present, intention and result, personal and political.
Distance dash Students organize indoor triathlon with a scoring twist, page 19
courtesy of laura st. john
Welcome to Ghana
new moves
Student with cerebral palsy finds inspiration by learning dance, page 13 f ind m or e onl ine. www.t heit hacan.org
vital link New SGA board needs more than transparency for students, page 10
[ T hurs day Bri ef ing]
2 The It hacan
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Nation&World
Dick Clark passes from heart attack
Dick Clark, the ever-youthful television host and tireless entrepreneur who helped bring rock ‘n’ roll into the mainstream on “American Bandstand,” and later produced and hosted a vast range of programming from game shows to the year-end countdown from Times Square on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” has died. He was 82 years old. Spokesman Paul Shefrin said Clark had a heart attack yesterday at Saint John’s hospital in Santa Monica, Ca., where he had gone the day before for an outpatient procedure. Clark had continued performing even after he suffered a stroke in 2004 that affected his ability to speak and walk. Long dubbed “the world’s oldest teenager” because of his boyish appearance, Clark bridged the rebellious new music scene and traditional show business, and was equally comfortable whether chatting about music with Sam Cooke or bantering with Ed McMahon about TV bloopers. He thrived as the founder of Dick Clark Productions, supplying movies, game and music shows, beauty contests and more to TV.
Soldiers berated for photos with dead
Newly published photographs purport to show U.S. troops posing with the bodies of dead insurgents in Afghanistan. Top U.S. military and civilian officials rushed to condemn the soldiers’ actions yesterday, calling them repugnant and a dishonor to others who have served in the conflict. The Army said an investigation is under way. The photos were published in yesterday’s Los Angeles Times. It said one of the photos shows members of the 82nd Airborne Division posing in 2010 with Afghan police and the severed legs of a suicide bomber. A few months later the same platoon was sent to investigate the remains of three insurgents reported to have accidentally blown themselves up — and soldiers again posed and mugged for photographs with the remains, the newspaper said. A photo from that incident appears to show the hand of a dead insurgent resting on a U.S. soldier’s shoulder as the soldier smiles. The U.S. commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, U.S. Marine Gen. John R.
Allen, also criticized the troops. He said there is a strict policy for the handling of enemy remains, and it dictates they be processed as humanely as possible.
Group warns of anti-Semitic violence
The head of a major European Jewish group warned yesterday of a “dramatic increase” in anti-Semitic violence across the continent if Israel attacks Iran to stop its nuclear development program. The U.S. and its allies suspect that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon — a charge that Tehran denies. Israel views a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its very existence, and claiming that time is running out, has repeatedly hinted that it is prepared to strike Iran’s nuclear installations if necessary. Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, said he feared a minority of angry, extremist European Muslims who live in impoverished neighborhoods may use an Israeli attack as a pretext to hit local Jews, particularly in France and Great Britain. Israeli leaders have reacted with skepticism to the latest efforts by world powers to negotiate with Iran over its nuclear program. Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, said yesterday the talks may be an Iranian stalling tactic as it pushes forward with a weapons program.
Swiss to extend sanctions for Iran
The Swiss government has extended its financial sanctions against Iran by freezing the assets of 11 more companies and people, but decided not to take any action against Tehran’s central bank, officials said yesterday. The action against an additional eight companies and three individuals was carried out Tuesday and “brings Switzerland largely in line with the restrictive measures” the European Union adopted in January, the Swiss Cabinet said. The move aims to pressure Iran to comply with U.N. demands over its controversial nuclear program. It did not identify the targeted companies and individuals. Iran’s denials of military intent for its uranium enrichment have failed to convince EU and U.S. officials.
Final countdown
West End theater workers and performers dance in front of the Olympic countdown clock to mark the 100-day countdown yesterday in Trafalgar Square, central London. The theater community in the city is confident that culture won’t suffer during a summer devoted to celebrating sport. John Stillwell/associated press
Secret Service investigation widens
A prostitution scandal involving the Secret Service has grown in scope, with the disclosure that U.S. agents and military personnel had been with at least 20 women in hotel rooms before President Barack Obama arrived in Colombia for a summit with Latin American leaders. Yesterday, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he would “clean house” at the agency in the wake of the incident, which had become a growing election-year embarrassment for the White House. Romney, however, said he remained confident in Secret Service director Mark Sullivan, echoing other statements of support for the agency chief from the White House and Capitol Hill. The Secret Service has dispatched more investigators to Colombia to interview the women involved. Sullivan said the 11 Secret Service agents and 10 military personnel under investigation were telling different
stories about who the women were, said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
US sets first controls on air pollution
The Obama administration yesterday set the first-ever national standards to control air pollution from gas wells that are drilled using hydraulic fracturing, but not without making concessions to the oil and gas industry. President Barack Obama in his State of the Union address strongly backed natural gas drilling as a clean energy source and recently announced an executive order calling for coordination of federal regulation to ease burdens on producers. But he has come under criticism by the industry and Republicans for policies they say discourage energy development. Top EPA officials said yesterday the new regulations would ensure pollution is controlled without slowing natural gas production.
SOURCE: Associated Press
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The I th a c a n 3
Campus goes green for Earth Week fest BY Patrick Feeney Staff Writer
With Earth Day around the corner, Ithaca College has joined the national Earth Week movement with a week of events sponsored by the Ithaca College Environmental Society, including the inauguration of a new permaculture garden near Williams Hall. The week began with Hempstravaganza, an Earth Week kickoff celebration with live music and hemp jewelry-making on Monday. On Tuesday, the Biker Bomber Initiative, a group which is planning to build bike shelters across campus, sponsored a bike repair workshop in which students could learn how to maintain their rides and use the organization’s new bike kiosks in front of Egbert Hall. A Frack Off! demonstration will also be held at 12:10 p.m. today in the Academic Quad to protest hydrofracking in the area. Earth Day, which will be held Sunday, celebrates the environmental movement and sustainability in the United States. The garden, which was planned and created by Michael Smith, environmental history professor, and his research team, will feature a host of perennial plants that will regrow from year to year. Permaculture is a managed natural space that requires little human participation, Smith said. “You design it so the plants are all perennials, in that they come back every year,” he said. “They’re mostly edible, fruit-bearing plants that we hope in a few years will create not just a nice place to go sit for a while, but a place you could even have a little snack in.” Sophomore Allison Currier said ICES had
upcoming Earth week events Thursday School of Business Sustainability Symposium will be held at noon in the School of Business Room 111. Organic garden tour and planting will take place at 12:10 p.m. in the IC Community Garden.
Friday Take It or Leave It clothing swap will go from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Academic Quad.
Saturday American Chestnut Tree planting will go from noon to 3 p.m. at the South Hill Natural Area located behind Terrace 10. To see more events throughout the week, visit theithacan.org/ 22845.
IC 20/20
by Erica Palumbo Assistant News Editor
From left, sophomore Dami Lahr, senior Noah Mark and freshman Jessica Warne build the new permaculture garden by Williams Hall. The garden will be opened Sunday to end Earth Week events.
Kristen Tomkowid/The Ithacan
originally established an organic garden next to Williams in the ’90s. However, a lack of participation as the years wore on led to the garden’s decay. “There was a group of really excited people,” Currier said. “The excited group of people ended up graduating, and I guess it wasn’t continued, which is really sad. It was probably a sign that something new needed to happen.” Senior Noah Mark said the garden was not kept because there were not enough resources to continue it. “It didn’t have funding, equipment nor faculty.” Mark said. “There used to be a fence here, and the soil was really poor. Nothing could really grow, so they just let it die.” ICES will plant an Asian Pear tree and kiwi plants, as well as pollinating plants. Mark said the variety of plants will ultimately depend on funding and donations. “Some plants we can get for free through Cornell Cooperative Extension,” he said. “We branched out and did a big fundraising campaign, and we got a lot of donations from nurseries around the country.” Currier said the research group and ICES are trying to reach out to the other environmental
groups on campus through Earth Week. “We are trying to become an umbrella group on campus for all the environmental initiatives or clubs,” Currier said. “We organized Earth Week, and we co-sponsor most of the events with the other environmental clubs on campus. It’s a way for all environmental groups to come together and do something cool.” The week is being co-sponsored by Resource and Environmental Management Program, Bomber Bike Initiative and Frack Off!, as well as organizations in the greater Ithaca community such as GreenStar and Sustainable Tompkins. Senior Margaret Keating, who works with BBI and helped arrange Earth Week, said the group received funding from the school to install the roofed shelters across campus over the summer. “We’ve been working with the architecture department,” she said, “A class last semester actually built a kiosk for us out of recycled materials.” Smith said the week’s events will hopefully foster awareness of the environment to the campus. “Especially with climate change and the strange spring we’ve had, I think an awareness of the human and environment relationship is important enough to have a whole week of activities,” he said.
Special Series
Part five: Integrating new teaching methods by Kacey Deamer and Brian Rank Staff Writers
In the fifth part of a series on IC 20/20, The Ithacan takes a look at the college’s new faculty development resources and updated alternative learning methods. To broaden the resources and collaboration opportunities available to Ithaca College faculty, the college is planning to substantially revamp the Center for Faculty Excellence, which currently organizes new faculty orientation, tenure application assistance, faculty excellence awards and educational workshops. The changes, suggested by a CFE IC 20/20 subcommittee, include hiring a full-time director, adding learning tools to help professors strengthen their teaching skills and creating an office for the CFE. The center currently has no physical space allotted to it and a staff made up of professors who must find time between their other responsibilities. The CFE aims to become a hub
Colleagues remember Schettino
where faculty can trade ideas with colleagues for improving teaching, researching and using new technologies through needs-based workshops and personalized consultations. These functions will be a critical component for the new Integrated Core Curriculum, which emphasizes collaboration between schools and new methods of teaching. Carol Henderson, associate provost for academic policy and administration, who currently oversees the Faculty Development Committee, which is the CFE’s advisory committee, said the college community wants to allow faculty to collaborate across schools and build relationships that will strengthen the faculty community and yield positive results in classrooms. “The CFE is intended to bring faculty members together and to bring in any kind of expertise and also use our existing internal expertise to just help people get even better at what they already do,” she said. The college is concluding its search
From left, Brian McAree, Carol Henderson and Virginia Mansfield-Richardson discuss the core curriculum in a committee meeting last spring. file photo/the ithacan
for a full-time CFE director. The new director will come to campus during the summer and begin work at the center by the fall semester in a temporary space until a permanent place is found or built. All current staff are expected to remain, though their responsibilities will shift. Janice Elich Monroe is currently the faculty development coordinator and helps plan events and implement ideas from the FDC. Monroe said the addition of a full-time staff member will greatly reduce her workload; she is allotted six hours of release time from her duties as a professor — equivalent to two classes per
semester — to complete the work. She said IC 20/20 will add even more responsibilities to the CFE. “IC 20/20, if you looked at that carefully, you will see almost every task force says faculty development, faculty development, faculty development,” she said. “There’s a lot of initiatives that are new and different, and to make that work we’re just going to have to provide a lot of resources for faculty so that they can do the job effectively.” The workshops have already seen a growth this year because they
See ic 20/20, page 5
The campus community is reflecting on the passing of Leslie Schettino, director of the Office of Student Disability Services at Ithaca College. Schettino died last Thursday at her home from a life-threatening illness she had dealt with for four years. She was 56 years old. Robin Dubovi, a student disability specialist for SDS, said though she only knew Schettino when she was ill, she noticed an overwhelming strength in her and the passion Schettino had for life and for her students. “She was in treatment and discomfort for four years,” Dubovi said. “It was not an easy road at all. But she tried to come to work, even when it was obvious it was hard. It’s what kept her going, in addition to her family. It was amazing how much she fought and how much she loved students.” Humor also played a large role in Schettino’s life. Linda Uhll, acting director of SDS and a close friend of Schettino, said she was always the “office comedian” whose laughter and light would draw people in and make students feel welcome. “That sense of humor was what everyone knew about her,” she said. “I just always thought, ‘Wow, this is someone I love working with.’” Schettino came to the college in 1994 and was instrumental in developing the college’s Student Disability Services. Uhll, who began working with Schettino in 2000, said she essentially built the operation from the ground up without much financial assistance. “I know that it grew tremendously from ’94 to 2000, and that the program had continued to grow tremendously through her sheer force of will,” she said. “I know that when they started, there was no budget.” Since 2000, Uhll said, the number of students coming to the office doubled because of Schettino’s dedication to the program. When Schettino wasn’t working, she was exercising another passion — her love for New York sports teams, especially the Yankees. Dan Williams, adaptive technology specialist for SDS, said being an avid Red Sox fan, they were often engaged in heated debates about Major League Baseball. Though they may have clashed during baseball season, Williams said he first saw Schettino’s determination to provide everyone with equal opportunities when he met her two years ago looking for a job with SDS as a person with disabilities himself. “Being a person with disabilities, she never used it as an excuse for me,” he said. “As a matter of fact, she made me try to be better.” Cathy Howe, administrative assistant for SDS, said one of her fondest memories of Schettino was while they spent time together during Schettino’s last hospital stay. “I think the biggest gift was the last time I saw her,” she said. “We had a rip-roarin’ time. It’s a wonder we didn’t get kicked out of the hospital. It was just phenomenal. Her wit and her humor and her laugh were just there.”
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Service experience changes attitudes activism from page 1
“Welcome to Ghana.” That’s the only thing the man ever said. After the first couple of days, Morgan settled into life at the orphanage. She was surprised by how normal it all was — not quite the major adjustment she had imagined. The kids loved her. A little boy named Prince literally attached himself to her hip for the first couple of weeks. Sometimes he called her “mom.” When the time came to say goodbye two months later, the children crowded around her feet. “When are you coming back? When are you bringing us to America?” they asked. She told them the truth. “I’m 19. I’m not bringing you guys back to America with me.” At first, returning to the U.S. felt like waking up from a dream. It wasn’t until recently that Morgan began to reconcile her experience in Ghana. The kids smile back at her from pictures on her bedroom wall. Above the collage, a quote reads, “We don’t give because of their need, we give because of our need to live in a just world.”
Taste of home The gas stove flickers on. Laura methodically chops onions and scrapes them into the pan, throws in some basil and a dash of olive oil. She mixes in the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. She’s learned what to add when the consistency or color isn’t just right. The aroma settles in the air, subtle and sweet like memories of her family. Sauce is Laura’s favorite thing to cook, and naturally she volunteered to serve her roommates their first meal of 2012. It wasn’t until after the plates had been served and cleaned — all without turning off the TV — that Laura became painfully aware of the fact that still lingered in the air with the smell of garlic. She missed the boisterous laughing and talking of what she describes as her stereotypical, loud Italian family. Last summer, as an intern at the Tompkins County Workers’ Center, Laura was tasked with interviewing locals about what kept them up at night. Not surprisingly, she met Don, an Ithaca resident, in the same way she met many others she interviewed — across the dinner table, sharing a meal at Loaves and Fishes of Tompkins County. Laura remembers the way his laugh seemed jolly and sad at the same time. He told her about the family that had left him and would not return his calls, how alone he felt.
She didn’t just know how he was feeling, she understood. She looked up from her notebook and stopped taking notes. When he left, she hugged him goodbye. “All of the previous interviews had been to satisfy the questions that have been given to me and this didn’t really stick to that format,” she said. “This was just like a conversation that helped me. I felt like the roles had been reversed or shared in a way.” After meeting Don, Laura realized the sort of interactions with the potential to really make an impression can’t come from screaming in the street.
Voice of doubt In her years teaching at Ithaca College, Soyinka-Airewele has seen many students confronting ambiguity and occupying the spaces outside the polarized territories that society deems legitimate. The questions they ask have the power to shatter an individual completely. She’s seen some of her brightest students give up on change and drop out of college. “What happens to them is they kind of go through a self-immolation,” she says. “They almost envy those who are more superficial. Superficial people are very lucky in this world. They just do it, you know? They don’t have the soul-searching dilemma, they don’t have the angst … ” Morgan sometimes wishes she could just say “Oh, awesome” when she meets students who cling to dreams of building a school in Africa or hears about concerts to raise money for child slaves. Instead she can’t help but remember the boy she met in Ghana whose father sold him into forced labor. “Does it really matter to him that kids in Ithaca know that there’s slaves out there when his father sold him into slavery?” she wonders. “How is raising awareness actually helping?” In Ghana, Morgan saw the institution with all its cracks. And with those flaws exposed, she’s come face to face with her own limitations. Still, she’s planning a career in international development when she graduates. Laura is confronting a similar tension as she begins to plan for the “local-organic, payas-you-can, carbon-footprint-free bakery” she wants to open next spring. She was so into the Labor Initiative in Promoting Solidarity’s living wage campaign last spring. It was a battle that felt natural for Laura, who stands up for the treatment of blue-collar workers as if they were family. Injustices toward dining service workers sting
Junior Laura St. John, right, marches in a rally last spring with members of the Labor Initiative in Promoting Solidarity. The group won a living wage for Sodexo dining hall employees.
FILE PHOTO/the ithacan
like the injustices she’s seen her father, a pipefitter, encounter at his work. Still, she admits she won’t be able to pay her bakery workers a living wage. “I can’t pay a living wage to start,” she laughs. “I won’t even receive a living wage. It’s a lot of money if you’re a small business. And it kind of cripples small businesses, so you have to look at that side of it too.” Don Austin, assistant director of community service and leadership development at the college, said it’s rare to find someone willing to own up to this uncertainty or admit to contradictions. “They’re all going to tell you they’ve got it figured out,” he said. “But we’re all learning as we go.” Naeem Inayatullah, professor of politics, strives to support and cultivate the voice of doubt in his students. He said self-exploration in this way is often the root motivation behind activism. “These students and these volunteers or professionals — they all think that what they’re doing is about aid, but it’s not,” he says. ”What they’re really doing is about an encounter —
encounter primarily with one’s own doubts.” Without recognizing these doubts, Inaytullah said, students interested in activism and community development run the risk of doing more harm than good. “Someone who is very confident of what they’re doing in terms of volunteerism or anything — chances are extremely good that they’re going to do a lot of harm,” he says. “Someone who is in the middle of vulnerability is aware of the single most important thing, which is their own humility in the face of incredible complexity.” Morgan and Laura’s experiences chronicle the crisis of identity that sometimes arises when the time is taken to question the motivations driving their work and consider the implications their service may have. It’s a narrative Soyinka-Airewele sometimes hears in classroom silences and one that manifests itself in the margins of student essays. Their uncertainty articulates itself with silence. Josette, the seeing-eye dog, sits in the corner and gnaws on her bone.
Adjuncts voice concerns with pay budget from page 1
panelists and part-time faculty who attended also said they feel they are not getting paid enough for the amount of work and hours they log. “One of the things that I don’t like about being an adjunct is that either you volunteer a lot of labor — you go to committee meetings and you do service and that kind of thing — but you get absolutely no pay for it,” she said. Part-time faculty without an “ongoing position,” which means faculty whose contract is for one semester or one year only, as opposed to on-going contracts that span multiple years, do not receive health care benefits and are paid $1,300 per credit for each course, which is lower than full-time assistant professors, who are paid an average salary of $59,700, according to the 2012 Faculty Salary Survey Conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education. This means they are paid an average of $2,843 per credit hour and are eligible for benefits. According to the college policy manual, the instructional load for
part-time faculty should not exceed 50 percent of the maximum teaching load per semester. Adjuncts are not required to attend faculty meetings or be faculty advisers to students. However, some adjuncts feel this excludes them from department issues, so they still attend the meetings. Following a review of best practices in various institutions, the Modern Language Association recommended a minimum compensation for 201112 professors of $6,800 for a standard three-credit-hour semester course or $2,266 per credit hour. Stepp Breen said while full-time positions are offered every year, adjunct professors who already work at the college do not receive the same consideration as outsiders who apply for these jobs. “You are so consumed with teaching that occupies all of your time that you are not able to do the sort of publishing and researching that would enable you to stop being a part-time adjunct, so it is sort of a vicious cycle,” Stepp Breen said. The National Education Association reports there has been a steady growth in part-time faculty hired at
private colleges. In 1987, 32 percent of total faculty in the nation were adjuncts, and in 2003 the number grew to 42 percent. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports the number was 64 percent in 2009. “The percentage of [part-time] people within the academic teaching workforce has gone from about less than a third of the workforce to being almost three fourths of the work force in just a generation,” Smith said. The college has been able to maintain a low number of part-time faculty. Almost 30 percent of faculty at the college works part-time. Though some experts argue the reason for this increase is a result of the recent recession that struck the country and national colleges’ search for cheaper labor, Mark Coldren, vice president of human resources, said this view is a bit generalized. “To say this is an across-the-board consistency — ‘Let’s hire adjuncts because it’s cheaper,’ — I think is an oversimplification, and I don’t think it’s true,” he said. “Here is a decision made institution to institution about what is the makeup that makes sense. ” Contract appointments are being
Vera Whisman, lecturer of women’s studies, spoke at the adjunct panel held by LIPS on Tuesday in Textor 103. LIPS is fighting for balanced pay. rachel woolf/the ithacan
signed in the next few weeks and it is still unclear if the panel and the petition will lead the board of trustees to reconsider next year’s pay. Senior Alyssa Figueroa, a member of LIPS, said she hopes the faculty and student actions will bring the
issue to the forefront of discussion at the college. “I want it to be a catalyst for more discussion and hopefully action to demand that Ithaca College enhance the working conditions for part-time faculty,” she said.
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The I th a c a n 5
IC uses experiential learning methods ic 20/20 from page 3
address topics suggested by the IC 20/20 task forces, Monroe said. There was a total of about 275 people attending eight workshops, and a wine and cheese social this year with three more workshops planned this month. In the 2010-11 school year, about 125 faculty attended six workshops. This is almost 18 percent of the 724 fulltime and part-time faculty employed at the college last academic year. Michael Reder, director of Connecticut College’s Center for Teaching and Learning and member of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education, which provides support and resources for faculty development nationwide, said faculty development centers give professors more resources to teach better. “We claim that we care about teaching and we claim that we do it well, but the best way to do that is with a group of people who are also teaching, and doing it well,” he said.
beyond the classroom
Reder said the creation of faculty development centers is rising at small colleges, but centers with full-time staff like the one the college will build up are not typical. Monroe said the new CFE will bolster more collegiality at the college with further idea sharing and community building. “After 20 years at a place, you would think you would be bored and ready to move on,” she said. “I’m excited because it’s a whole new set of learning opportunities for all of us.”
Alternative learning Another aspect of the IC 20/20 plan includes alternative learning delivery methods. Many are already in use by specific departments across campus, but the inclusion of this initiative is aimed at making students’ experiences in the classroom more consistent. Initiative 12 calls for the use of instructional technology, including more online courses, as well as adaptation of non-traditional calendars, Under IC 20/20’s 12th initiative, students will further their learning through alternate teaching methods.
Instructional Technology — Further development of online course offerings and build an online platform to allow for connectivity of off-campus resources, like alumni and scholars. Non-Traditional Calendars — Expand learning opportunities for students by offering more courses during summer and winter sessions, as well as other course offerings that do not fit within a semester calendar. Peer/Alumni Instructors — Create opportunities for students to learn from their peers, alumni and other non-traditional instructors. Non-Traditional Classrooms — Encourage courses to move outside of a classroom setting to allow for hands-on learning experiences.
opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, incorporating alumni instruction and other improvements. Rob Gearhart, associate dean of graduate and professional studies, chaired the alternative learning delivery methods task force. Gearhart said the expansion of an online platform for learning is still in the development stages. “We are primarily a residential, undergraduate institution. So we’re not going to wholesale just to become an online institution. That’s not what Ithaca College is all about,” Gearhart said. “However, there are ways that we can support our existing population of both undergrad or graduate students by carefully utilizing online courses.” Michael Taves, executive director of Information Technology Services, said many of the details for increased and enhanced educational technology use have not yet been defined under the IC 20/20 plan. “We know that there’s going to be a general trend toward encouraging more online learning, online course offerings,” Taves said. “The college is already preparing for that in terms of supporting some programs that ITS is co-sponsoring for faculty to learn how to develop effective online courses. But exactly what form that’s going to take, or how extensive it is, is not known yet.” Gearhart said online course offerings will allow students to get ahead with credits, study outside of the traditional academic year and take courses while participating in an internship-based study abroad program without needing to spend
Junior Madison Vander Hill takes a nature walk around the South Hill Natural Area behind Terrace 10, an area used by professors to teach.
Durst Breneiser/the Ithacan
time in a classroom. Other aspects of the initiative also call for learning outside of a classroom setting. The Environmental Studies and Sciences Department has had an experiential learning approach for years. Professor Jason Hamilton, who will be chair of the department beginning next fall, said the Ithaca College Natural Lands serve as a hands-on learning method for the ENVS department and others at the college. “The lands out there are our classroom in many cases, and in addition to that, they are our equipment,” Hamilton said. “The trees outside become an important part of our equipment and the water and things like that. It’s our equipment, it’s our
study organism, it’s our place to be, it’s our classroom.” Hamilton said ENVS has already been “doing IC 20/20” before it was created. However, he said it is important that all students, not just those who are environmental studies and science majors, have these alternative learning experiences. Many colleges and universities are making innovative changes to their higher education approach, according to Hamilton, because it has been recognized that a change needed to be made. “Status quo isn’t going to cut it anymore,” he said. For a more in-depth look at the 12th initiative, visit theithacan.org/22818.
6 The It hacan
Th ursday, Apr il 1 9 , 2 0 1 2
Everybody has issues ...
... we have a new one every week.
The Ithacan
Every Thursday.
N e ws
Th ursday, A pril 19, 2012
The I th a c a n 7
Cross-college research outlines senior’s path By Elma Gonzalez Assistant News Editor
If the sun is out and the temperature is warm, one thing is certain — senior Daniel Weller will be outside. Weller, an anthropology major and biology minor, grew up in the countryside near Annapolis, Md., and from a young age developed a passion for the outside world. Weller spent his childhood far away from televisions. Instead he hiked, played soccer and learned Kung Fu. “We had to invent our own entertainment,” his sister, Sarah, said. “We used to have this thing where we would climb a tree in our front yard and pretend to be bird-watchers. We would take our parents’
Standout Seniors
School of Humanities and Sciences
DANIEL WELLER
bird-watching book and we would pretend that we saw things.” His parents’ interest in nature sparked Weller’s enthusiasm for ecology. He said he remembers annual camping trips with his family during the summer. They never stayed at hotels unless the circumstances made it inevitable. “I stayed in a hotel with them
during Hurricane Danny when we were camping in Boston,” Weller said. “They said we should probably go inside.” His interest in the outdoors and nature also led him to pursue a degree in the sciences, and in 2008 he enrolled at Ithaca College as a biology major. But he wasn’t truly committed to the subject. In fact, during his time at the college, Weller considered three different majors. But what could have driven most students off track actually enhanced the content of Weller’s résumé. He has participated in seven different research projects in the fields of anthropology, environmental science, ecology, biology and archeology — two of which have been published in different research journals. The 13 different recognitions and honors he has received while at the college, in addition to his research work at places like the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and Cornell University, make up his résumé, which is three pages long. One of his most recent research projects about the role of food in the identity of first- and second-generation Latinos in Ithaca won a national award at the annual American Anthropological Association conference in Montreal in November and a student paper prize from the college’s anthropology department. David Turkon, associate professor of anthropology, who serves
Senior Daniel Weller inspects a tree trunk’s rings to determine its age yesterday in the dendrochronology lab at Cornell University. Weller was accepted to the University of Cambridge but is exploring more options. shawn steiner/The Ithacan
as Weller’s adviser and oversaw his winning research project, met Weller while he was still a freshman. Turkon said he has always noticed Weller’s passion and dedication to his work. “He is able to take abstract concepts and apply them toward figuring out real-world situations and problems and interpreting them in meaningful ways,” he said. “He takes the bull by the horns and figures things out as he goes, and you see this in the product of what he does.” However, Weller’s to-do list transcends just his planner — he uses his arm to write memos to remind himself of other deadlines for upcoming projects. “I do a lot of work, but I have very good time management,” he said. “If you see my arm, I have
what I’m going to do today written on my arm.” Despite spending much of his time in research labs, Weller manages to balance academics, extracurricular activities — and a social life. Senior Margaret Keating, a close friend of Weller’s, said he will take spontaneous road trips, hike trails around Ithaca and hold bonfires at any given time. “He does a pretty good job balancing all those activities with his social life,” Keating said. “He likes to do things like socially make food together or go hiking together or have potlucks or bonfires.” Weller is also beginning to look at potential jobs and graduate schools. He applied to more than 30 jobs and has already been accepted to Cambridge University’s graduate school for archeological
science. However, Weller said he is considering working or attending other universities and reapplying to Cambridge in two years after saving up. His father, Donald Weller, a senior scientist at the Smithsonian, said his son’s dedication and ambition will undoubtedly lead him on the right path — even if it is still unclear to Weller what exactly that is. “He has lots of good options,” his father said. “In some ways, he can’t go wrong.” Though Weller has had many outstanding moments in his academic career, he said he still believes the best is yet to come. “Life is made up of a bunch of defining moments,” he said. “I can’t really say there has been one, but I’m sure there will be eventually.”
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Th ursday, Apr il 1 9 , 2 0 1 2
Remember that time ... ... your roommate made it into the Public Safety Log?
The Ithacan
N e ws
Th ursday, A pril 19, 2012
The I th a c a n 9
College & City Ithaca College Relay for Life raises more than $44,000
More than $44,000 was raised for the American Cancer Society at this year’s Relay for Life from March 31 to April 1 at Ithaca College. The event, which was sponsored by the college’s chapter of Colleges Against Cancer, drew 780 participants on 70 teams, including five cancer survivors. Colleges Against Cancer meets every other Monday from 7 to 8 p.m. in the School of Business Room 103. The next meeting will be held Monday. Visit the college’s Relay for Life website to continue donating at www.relayforlife.org/ithacacollege.
Ron Paul to visit Cornell before New York primary
Ron Paul, Republican presidential candidate, will visit Cornell University to speak to students before New York’s presidential primary Tuesday. The free event, called “Youth For Ron Paul,” will take place at 7 p.m. today at Cornell’s Lynah Rink. Paul’s visit is PAUL co-sponsored by two of Cornell’s political student groups, Cornell Libertarians and Cornell Republicans.
Business school to host annual sustainability panel The Dorothy D. and Roy H. Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise will host
the annual Sustainability in Action Student-Faculty colloquium as part of Ithaca College’s Earth Week participation. The event, which will be held from noon to 1 p.m. today in the School of Business Room 111, will feature five separate talks from students and faculty at the college who have collaborated on different environmental research projects. Presentations include: “Climate Action Research Team: Launching a Campaign to Target Unsustainable Behaviors in Residence Halls” by senior Kelsey Scott and Scott Erickson, professor of marketing and law; “Understanding Cosmetics Regulation” by junior Kayla McCormack and Marlene Barken, associate professor of marketing and law; and “Student-led Sustainability Initiatives at Ithaca College Shared at a Global Conference” by junior Lauren Goldberg and Aimee Dars Ellis, assistant professor of management.
County named among top 10 poised for economic growth
Tompkins County has been recognized as the fourth best place to increase business growth in the nation. Fourth Economy Consulting, a national economic development consulting firm, recently released its Fourth Economy Index, which evaluates counties with between 100,000 and 150,000 residents that are “positioned to attract modern investment and managed economic growth,” according to a press release. The FEC Index considers
counties for the list based on five criteria: investment, talent, sustainability, place and diversity.
County approves closure for home health agency Joe Mareane, Tompkins County
Administrator, announced April 10 that the New York State Department of Health has approved a closure plan for the county’s Certified Home Health Agency, according to a county press release. The agency, which provides part-time intermittent health care and support services to individuals who need intermediate and skilled health care, will close in May under the plan. The action follows a review by the County Legislature to divest of the CHHA due to financial losses.
Alumni donate $11 million to revitalize Cornell program
Cornell University’s Program in Real Estate received an $11 million donation from two alumni to restructure the current program. The gift from Lisa and Richard Baker ’88 will more than triple the real estate program’s current endow- BAKER ment of $5 million. The new program, which will be renamed the Baker Program in Real Estate, will be housed and directed out of Cornell’s College of Architecture, Art and Planning and Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration.
Public Safety Incident Log april 2 Medical Assist LOCATION: East Tower SUMMARY: Caller reported not feeling well after chipping a tooth on a door. One person transported to CMC by ambulance. Master Patrol Officer Brad Bates. Safety Hazard LOCATION: College Circle Roadway SUMMARY: Officer reported construction workers damaged a gas line. Area was evacuated and made safe, and a repair was made. Fire and building safety coordinator Ron Clark. Larceny LOCATION: Smiddy Hall SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person stole a set of headphones. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Robert Jones. Criminal Mischief LOCATION: Z-Lot SUMMARY: Person reported an unknown person stole a hood ornament. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Robert Jones. Reclassification of Crime LOCATION: Office of Public Safety SUMMARY: Officer reported the incident originally reported on March 29 as “criminal intelligence” was reclassified to “making graffiti.” Graffiti was not previously reported. One person was judicially referred for their actions. Patrol Officer Robert Jones. Medical Assist LOCATION: Dillingham Center SUMMARY: Caller reported a person slipped and fell, sustaining a knee injury.
Person declined medical assistance and was transported to CMC by a friend. Patrol Officer Robert Jones.
APRIL 3
{
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this WEEK
The program has been run out of Cornell’s provost’s office rather than a particular school or college on its campus since its founding in 1997.
College to host carnival for community families
Ithaca College United Way, a student-led initiative dedicated to community-wide charitable efforts, will host a family carnival on campus for Ithaca residents. The festival, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Fitness Center, will feature live entertainment, food, crafts and bounce houses. Tickets are $3 for children, $5 for adults and $15 for a family of five or more.
Physical therapy professor elected to national board
Christine McNamara, clinical assistant professor and clinic director of physical therapy, was recently elected president of the Aquatic Physical Therapy section of the American Physical Therapy Association. APTA, a national organization consisting MCNAMARA of physical therapists, physical therapist assistants and students of physical therapy, has 18 speciality sections within its organization, including the Aquatic Section. McNamara will assume the new position with the association in June.
thursday
The Big Read: Great Expectations Book Three will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in Buffalo Street Books in Dewitt Mall. CU Music: World Music Night will begin at 6:15 p.m. in Ho Plaza at Cornell University.
friday Shabbat Services will begin at 6 p.m. in Muller Chapel. Shabbat Dinner will be held at 7 p.m. in Terrace Dining Hall. Rainbow Reception will take place at 7 p.m. in Clark, Klingenstein and McDonald Lounge.
Saturday Comedy Night will begin at 8:30 p.m. in the Taughannock Falls Room.
Sunday Catholic Mass will be held at 1 and 9 p.m. in Muller Chapel. Walk MS Ithaca, to benefit multiple sclerosis research, will begin at 10 a.m. at Cass Park.
Monday Sandra Bruce, a lecture sponsored by the Distinguished Executive Lecture Series, will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. in Business 111.
selected entries from april 2 to april 7.
owner was judicially referred by the officer who issued the ticket for violation of the college’s regulations. Patrol Officer Jay VanVolkinburg.
April 4 Medical Assist LOCATION: Bogart Hall Larceny SUMMARY: Caller reported a person LOCATION: Whalen Center for Music having difficulty breathing. One person SUMMARY: Complainant reported an transported to CMC by ambulance. Master unknown person stole their laptop. Patrol Officer Brad Bates. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Bruce Thomas. MVA LOCATION: Compost facility parking lot April 5 SUMMARY: Caller reported a vehicle damaged the building. Report taken. Conduct Code Violation Patrol Officer Michael Marcano. LOCATION: J-Lot SUMMARY: Officer reported a vehicle Conduct Code Violation with a fraudulent parking permit. Vehicle LOCATION: Z-Lot was towed, and one person was judicially SUMMARY: Person reported a vehicle referred for violation of college regulawith a fraudulent parking permit. Vehicle tions. Patrol Officer Jeremiah McMurray. was ticketed and the owner was judicially referred for violation of college regulaApril 7 tion. Patrol Officer Jay VanVolkinburg. criminal Mischief Found Property LOCATION: Landon Hall LOCATION: Williams Hall SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown SUMMARY: Person found a cellphone person damaged a door-closing device. and turned it over to Public Safety. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Dan Austic. Medical Assist LOCATION: Terrace Dining Hall For the complete safety log, SUMMARY: Caller reported a person go to www.theithacan.org/news. sustained an ankle injury. Person transported to CMC by ambulance. Master Key Patrol Officer Bruce Holmstock. cmc – Cayuga Medical Center Conduct Code Violation DWI – Driving While Intoxicated LOCATION: K-Lot V&T – Vehicle and Transportation SUMMARY: Caller reported a vehicle MVA - Motor Vehicle Accident had a fraudulent parking permit on it. IPD - Ithaca Police Department The vehicle was later ticketed and the
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The Ithacan
Opinion
1 0 The It hacan
Th ursday, Apr il 1 9 , 2 0 1 2
editorials
transparency, and beyond!
As the college continues to carry out one of its largest institutional changes in history, the new SGA board needs to represent the student voice now more than ever.
R
ecently, the campus has served as a test ground. From registration time ticketing and all-freshman housing to the New York City Program, the college has implemented pilot programs and continues to do so. As the core curriculum goes into effect this fall and students feel the effects of the other changes laid out in IC 20/20, the Student Government Association needs to fully serve as the student voice. Only 49 more students voted in this year’s SGA election than last year’s; 83.3 percent of students did not cast their vote. The small, 49-student increase is perhaps a sign that making students aware of SGA processes is not enough to truly represent their thoughts. During this time it is particularly critical to not only show students what SGA is up to, but also to make students feel a part of the process. Like IC Progress, previous boards have also announced plans to focus on transparency to its constituents. SGA should be applauded for its efforts in making the student voting system and board meetings more accessible to students. But it’s time to focus on going beyond being visible to the campus body by truly engaging in student opinions. The core curriculum will change the way students experience Ithaca College. How do the new core classes change this experience, is anything lost with the additional requirements, and who can speak to that? Current students and SGA can be instrumental forces in presenting the administration with how students feel about the many changes. Next year’s SGA senators need to make sure they’re well-versed on all aspects of IC 20/20 so they can help explain what exactly this or that change means for students’ college careers. Since students wont be asking President Tom Rochon directly, the senators need to bridge this gap. The administration needs to take student input into account as the college comes into a changed atmosphere with IC 20/20. SGA, which can streamline this input, needs to relate to students by spending time outside the SGA office doors. The only way to serve as the student voice is to hear it, face-to-face.
girl power
SNAP JUDGMENT It’s covered Should the Affordable Care Act cover contraceptives?
Watch more Snap Judgments at theithacan.org.
The proposed Affordable Care Act could be instrumental in normalizing insurance coverage for women’s reproductive health.
A
merican health coverage is a controversial topic lately as the Supreme Court prepares to rule in June on the Affordable Care Act. If passed, the act may change the way society views female sexuality by completely normalizing birth control use and make its use an accepted standard. When “the pill” first arrived to consumer culture in the 1960s, it gave women a tool to have some form of control over their reproductive rights. Since then, popular culture has unfortunately cast female sexuality in a negative light. Women receive many media messages, and the frequent characters they see in many media forms are either the “slut” or the “prude.” There’s not much in between, and there still exists the stigma that a woman cannot simply enjoy sex for the sake of sex. Women face this stigma each time they pay out of pocket for their birth control prescription. Imagine if contraception, including condoms, was covered under health insurance like other medications. A step like that may work toward pop culture stomping out negative female sexuality stigmas.
“health care should support birth control because it prevents teen pregnancy and also diseases.” Rachel Kern ’15 Clinical health studies
“i’m not Quite sure if i feel it’s appropriate for birth control to be included in health care. i don’t want to be paying for crazy college girls to be careless with their ways.” Winston Mayo ’15 Writing
“the government should cover contraception because women not only need it, but they deserve it, too.” Alyssa Milazzo ’15 Clinical health studies
“Contraceptives should be covered by the health care bill ... people that do want to go that route, they should be able to whenever they want and readily available ... it should be a woman’s choice.” Lucas Dunham ’14 Exercise Science
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
“Birth Control should not be covered in the health care bill but it should ... be readily available for those who choose to use it. it should be a choice and not forced upon people.“ Marcus Dunham ’14 Accounting
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Opi n ion
Th ursday, A pril 19, 2012
The Ith a c a n 1 1
guest commentary
Federal pot raid slows marijuana legalization E arlier this month, the federal government came into Oakland, Calif., against the will of the voters, local government and the police department to raid a gift shop, museum, school and a fully compliant medical marijuana dispensary. Federal agencies used a sealed warrant and did not reveal the purpose of the raid. As the raid occurred at Oaksterdam University, a non-accredited educational facility that offers training for the cannabis industry, city officials and hundreds of locals protested. The local police department refused to escort the federal agents out, and shortly after, the county executive issued a statement condemning the raids. Federal Evan Nison agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service took computers, documents and plants. The U.S. government targeted the man who owns these businesses — the same man whom city officials credit with revitalizing downtown Oakland — Richard Lee. Why would the federal government, after agreeing to respect states’ medical marijuana laws, knowing it would hurt the City of Oakland, go out of its way to target him and try to shut down his business, Oaksterdam University? Because of political oppression and intimidation. Lee spent more than $1 million dollars to put Proposition 19 on the ballot. Prop 19 was the 2010 campaign that almost legalized marijuana in California and brought the issue to the mainstream culture. If the federal government could bring Lee and Oaksterdam University down, it would reduce the chance of other future efforts by him. I got to know Richard personally when I took a semester off to work on the Prop 19 campaign. I worked out of one of the buildings that was raided this month. I often personally worked with Richard and much of the Oaksterdam staff. They’re not dangerous, and they cause no harm. This raid did
Police officers arrest a pro-marijuana demonstrator at Oaksterdam University in Oakland, Calif., on April 2. Protestors took to the streets as federal agents raided the cannabis instruction facility.
Noah Berger/Associated Press
not protect public safety in any way. Oaksterdam was targeted because in 2010 we stood up for a stance that the federal government didn’t agree with, and it doesn’t want that to happen again. Raiding a school to oppress political and ideological views should be alarming to any student, professor, academic or proponent of free thought. The only way to respond to an act as political as this is by bringing this issue to where they don’t want it: the local U.S. House of Representatives races around the country, particularly in districts that are close. The Democrats need 25 seats to take control of the House, so both parties will be aggressively fighting over the close districts. These Congressional campaigns give us a perfect opportunity to push the issue. If you want to join our effort, there are a number of effective ways
you could help. You can write an op-ed or letter to the editor to promote awareness of the issue. You can also attend town halls and debates during your local U.S. House races to ask questions relating to this issue to get your representatives’ stances on the record. You can also take advantage of social media by creating an online email system that lets people you know automatically send a prewritten email to each candidate in your district asking their stance on this issue. You and your friends can even canvass the 4th of July or Memorial Day Parade that the candidates are attending. Or, you can contact me directly, and I’d be happy to help you get started. Evan Nison is a senior business administration major and president of the IC chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. Email him at enison1@ithaca.edu.
Students shouldn’t feel pressure to seal an internship
W
TJ Gunther
Google’s take on 20/20 vision
I
guest commentary
hen asked, “What are you doing this summer?” I feel like I must immediately jump to the defensive. “I am working at a camp … It pays well … I get a great tan …” I begin spewing justifications for my deviation from the norm, but I know what they are thinking, “Oh, no internship?” Yeah, no summer internship for me. I’m not going to be creating CocaCola’s newest ad campaign, Perri redesigning Rumstein Nike’s logo or taping MTV’s latest masterpiece. First, I must mention that I have relented to internship pressure twice before. I once practiced marketing for a national brand and learned wonderful lessons about the industry that I hope to enter. In another situation, my internship did not allow me to utilize my skills and offered little educationally. My point? I understand that internships can go either way, and I hope students are having positive experiences. To clarify, my goal is not to attack internships. I know they have the potential to be a gateway to employment. However, it is time to rethink the emphasis we place on acquiring internships.
tech bytes
Instead of doing an internship, junior Perri Rumstein spends her summers working as a camp counselor or as a volunteer for animal shelters. Courtesy of Perri Rumstein
What scares me about recent attitudes toward internships is students’ desperation to secure one. Searching Craigslist for a valuable internship is as good of an idea as searching Craigslist for a brain surgeon, but students are doing it anyway. Why? Because they have been pressured to believe that without an internship, they will spend eternity on the unemployment line. Despite what you have been told, your future does not depend on securing that one prestigious internship. It is time to be empowered through the experiences that students gain outside the world of
internships. Ithaca College students seem to thrive on involvement. We volunteer, explore the arts and compete in athletics. Our involvement has resulted in meaningful work experiences that often go undervalued. Students may gain more hands-on production experience by working for ICTV than by interning at their local television station. Team captains learn to lead successfully on and off the field, and volunteers learn community values. Believe it or not, applicable workplace experiences do exist outside of internships. Internship enthusiasts often ignore the value of acquiring a
traditional paid job. Internships are a luxury. Many students cannot validate unpaid work when empty wallets and impending debt are crying loudly for attention. Student workers who stack trays in the dining hall or organize books in the library are gaining far more than just a paycheck. They are learning valuable skills in organization, time management and customer service. While working on campus for the President’s Host Committee, I developed confidence as well as strong public-speaking and eventplanning skills. My internships were not nearly as valuable. If you have secured a meaningful internship this summer, I tip my hat to you. But if you are sweating just thinking about securing an internship, remember it isn’t the end of the world. Realworld experiences exist without the internship title. This summer, I will be a camp counselor for my fourth consecutive summer. I am forgoing the prestige of an internship to impact the lives of young children. Not only will I collect a paycheck, but I will grow as a leader, communicator and problem-solver. I will also have a smile on my face and a tan that cannot be acquired while getting coffee for the boss. Perri Rumstein is a junior integrated marketing communications major. Email her at prumste1@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.
n the future, we’ll all be wearing glasses — if Google gets its way. The company has pulled back the curtain on Project Glass, a new augmented reality system that is worn like glasses. Depending on where users are and what they’re doing, the system overlays real-world places and things with pertinent information. This ranges from maps and alerts to video chats where the user can share what they’re actually seeing. It’s something straight out of a sciencefiction flick, and it’s rubbing some people the wrong way. Not much is known about the project aside from a mockup video that shows one guy using Project Glass to find directions, check in, stalk his friend and share his vision through a video chat with a female friend, all with a few phrases. Most of the features aren’t far from what modern smartphones can do, but the real “wow” factor is how seamless Google envisions the project can be. The artificial intelligence in Glass, similar to Siri, lets the actor turn off his music with just a phrase and dictate messages to send. The video leaves many questions about how these tasks will be accomplished. Already, bluetooth headset users are mocked for talking to themselves, and Project Glass looks like it could face the same issue. The technology perpetuates the trend that real life needs to be overlaid with digital information. People who already have a hard time leaving the house without their phone may never unplug if Glass takes off. Already, people seem to be writing it off without ever trying the device. The big questions though, are when and if Google can deliver on the augmented reality teased in the video. Many people think Project Glass will end up a money hole, sucking up funds without ever producing a mass-market product that people actually want to use. The issue with this thinking is that if Google can pull it off, they could be paving the future of mobile computing, leaving competitors behind. Specifically for a hardware company like Apple, Project Glass has to be on their radar as they plan for the future. There are only rumors of when a prototype may emerge — some say as early as this summer — but don’t expect to be lining up to buy the system anytime soon. Project Glass seems to be strictly experimental at this point. Until devices emerge and the public can see how Project Glass really works, it’s impossible to pass judgment. One thing is certain though — Google is finished playing catch up to Apple and Facebook, and is headed back to what they do best — innovation. Rumors of more secret projects that push the boundaries of technology should have tech fans excited to see what’s next. Count this one stoked.
TJ Gunther is a senior journalism major. Email him at tgunthe1@ithaca.edu.
1 2 The It hacan
Divers ion s
dormin’ norman
sudoku
By Jonathan Schuta ’14
Pearls Before Swine®
Th ursday, Apr il 1 9 , 2 0 1 2
By Stephan Pastis
answers to last week’s sudoku
crossword ACROSS 1 Boys 5 Purse item 9 Hang loosely 12 Quit flying 13 Not for 14 Annex 15 Where heather grows 16 Alpine peak 18 Bedroom pieces 20 Clink glasses 21 End up ahead 22 Female rabbit 23 Charley horse 26 Baton wielder 30 Paddle cousin 31 Gasp of delight 32 Donne’s “done” 33 Large snakes
By United Media
36 Proof of ownership 38 Tarzan’s nanny 39 I’ve been --! 40 Silent flier 43 Hoop’s place 47 Chaucer pilgrim 49 Pavlov or Turgenev 50 Electric swimmer 51 Client mtg. 52 “Quo Vadis” role 53 Chow down 54 Rational 55 Eat away at
DOWN 1 Gentle one 2 Slugger Moises -3 Name in fashion 4 Casts about 5 Bayou dweller 6 Disagreeable burden 7 Geol. formation 8 Foot part (2 wds.) 9 Vaccines 10 Woeful cry 11 Market oversaturation 17 Celts, to Romans 19 Set your sights on 22 Morse syllable 23 Dip in gravy 24 Treat somebody 25 Landscape or portrait 26 Aug. and Feb.
27 Little kid 28 Shinto or Zen (abbr.) 29 Natural resource 31 “-- Note Samba” 34 Moon ring 35 Verdi works 36 Paving material 37 Lazing 39 It makes waste 40 Rapier 41 General vicinity 42 Thin gold layer 43 “Baseball Tonight” network 44 Roast cooker 45 Silents vamp Theda -46 Enough for Byron 48 Envir. monitor
answers to last week’s crossword
Th ursday, A pril 19, 2012
a ccen t
Daring to
The I th a c a n 1 3
dance Freshman with cerebral palsy finds inspiration through therapeutic dance lessons Freshmen Jarvis Lu, who has a form of cerebral palsy, and Ruby Ogno practice their dance moves together in the Mondo Gym on Monday. rachel woolf/the ithacan
Vicky Wolak
contributing writer
Freshman Jarvis Lu walked down the hallway in Hood Hall. It was late at night, so he wasn’t worried about anyone seeing him in shorts. Then, he caught a glimpse of himself in the full-length mirror in the hallway. He was taken back; he had forgotten how his legs looked without clothing to cover them. “Wow, my legs are really skinny,” he said. “The way I walk — it’s not right.” Lu has a mild form of cerebral palsy that affects both his legs, though he can walk without assistance. CP is caused by brain damage or abnormal brain development in utero or during the first two years of a person’s life and can affect motor skills, muscle movement and coordination. Because of his illness, Lu battled depression during his first semester at Ithaca College and needed an emotional and physical outlet — dance. “The whole concept of artistry — it’s like you’re a paintbrush on a canvas, and your legs are painting the ballroom floor,” Lu said. Lu was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. His family moved to Shanghai, China, when he was in seventh grade so his father could open a restaurant there. While living in China, he — begged his parents for private ballroom lessons, swept away by the beauty and grace of the dancers on TV shows such as “Dancing with the Stars.” But dance lessons were too expensive in China. Lu said his mother wanted her children to attend American colleges, so Lu and his two older siblings, Jenny and Jason, returned to their hometown to live with their grandparents. Lu completed his junior and senior years of high school in Brooklyn before coming to Ithaca. During his first semester this fall, Lu went to a ballroom practice at the college that nearly scared him away from dance altogether.
“I changed into my sweats in the locker room, went to the Aerobics Room, opened the door [and] saw that there were so many people learning — I think it was the cha-cha,” he said. “I freaked out and ran out of there.” But this semester, Lu emailed the executive board of the college’s ballroom team and asked if anyone from the team was interested in giving him private lessons. Senior Geoffrey Presor, vice president of the ballroom team, said he told Lu the team would try to find someone. “To my knowledge, no one from the team had any experience teaching someone with a disability,” he said. When freshman Ruby Ogno, a member of the ballroom team, read Lu’s email, she said she was inspired to help. During her preschool and kindergarten years, she attended an elementary school in which students with mental and physical disabilities were integrated into regular education classes. “I had a lot of friends with disabilities, so I hope to get back to those roots,” she said. Now, at least once a week, Lu kicks off his sneakers in the Mondo Gym to get ready for a dance lesson. “I know my dance moves freshman jarvis lu from ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and ‘So You Think You Can Dance?’” he said. “I get really excited about every lesson.” Ogno begins the lesson by reviewing what Lu learned last week: the basic moves of chacha and American style rumba. She has studied ballroom dance for two and a half years. Like Lu, she was inspired by watching other dancers — not celebrities on TV, but people through the windows of a dance studio that opened three years ago in her hometown of Syracuse, N.Y. Ogno is currently an exploratory major but said that she has considered working with people with physical disabilities in the future.
“The whole concept of artistry — it’s like you’re a paintbrush on a canvas, and your legs are painting the ballroom floor.”
Freshman Ruby Ogno leads a dance with Freshman Jarvis Lu Monday in the Mondo Gym.
rachel woolf/the ithacan
“Everyone was kind of open with their disabilities [at the school],” she said. “It was weird when I moved to a regular school in first grade because obviously everyone is separate.” At the beginning of the semester, Ogno’s lessons consisted of mostly Latin dances that did not require as much movement around the floor, such as the cha-cha and rumba. When Ogno leads Lu through the basic steps of cha-cha, she counts out loud — “two, three, four and one!”— and announces the next move a few counts in advance, using the teaching methods she has seen student instructors do for the ballroom team. She also modifies her teaching style and, sometimes, the moves themselves so that Lu can keep up with her more easily. After almost a semester of practices, Ogno is able to teach Lu the basic moves for the tango. “Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow,” Ogno says as Lu leads her from a basic step into a promenade — a sharp move that requires Lu to walk to the side with his torso facing forward. After several tries, he still stumbles over his and Ogno’s feet. He groans in frustration. “In my head, I’m counting perfectly and I look perfect, and I’m this masculine, macho, sexy person,” Lu said. “When I actually do it, it’s like, ‘Wait, something’s off.’” But Ogno’s firm yet encouraging tone of voice
shows she won’t let him give up. “He’s always used his mind over his body, so he thinks about the moves so much that it prevents him from just doing it,” she said. “I’ve been trying to break that down, just letting him get the muscle memory instead of thinking about the moves.” Lu also turns to other people with physical disabilities for inspiration. One of his idols is Gregg Mozgala, a professional actor with CP who was the muse and star of a dance show called “Diagnosis of a Faun,” which premiered in New York City in 2009. Another inspiration for Lu is the British reality show “Dancing on Wheels.” “Dancing on Wheels” pairs celebrities with wheelchair users. Lu’s lesson is almost over, but he is determined to do the promenade perfectly. “Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow,” Ogno counts again. On the last beat, Lu whips his head to the side with a dramatic flair and leads Ogno into the move. “You got it!” said Ogno, beaming. Lu laughs and jumps in the air. “I definitely do appreciate everyone [on the ballroom team] being really patient,” he said. “The energy that the dance team has — it’s pretty vibrant and it’s contagious!”
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1 4 The It hacan
Th ursday, Apr il 1 9 , 2 0 1 2
Hot or Not This week’s hits and misses
Accent Editor Shea O’Meara rates the best and worst tributes in the Cleveland Rock Hall of Fame’s induction show on Saturday.
Hot The Beastie Boys Though music fans in the ’80s originally dismissed the New York-born hardcore punk group The Beastie Boys as drunk frat boys with the release of rowdy songs like “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!),” the group quickly became one of the most recognizable names in modern music. Hip-hop group Public Enemy’s Chuck D spoke to honor The Beastie Boys during the ceremony and said, “They proved rap could come from any street — not just a few.” Though only two of the original members could attend the ceremony, the heartfelt tribute was a perfect fit for a retired band that fought both stereotypes and boredom.
Lukewarm
Guns N’ Roses Hard-rockers Guns N’ Roses no doubt deserved their status as headline performers at the ceremony. The group is responsible for rock classics like “Sweet Child of Mine” and “Welcome to the Jungle.” However, not every member was on board for the honor. Lead singer Axl Rose opted out of the performance, making the band’s performance lack the on-stage dramatics the legendary band is known for. Inner turmoil has plagued the band for decades, and Rose’s refusal to take the stage disappointed fans who were hoping for one last chance to see Guns N’ Roses in full bloom.
Not
To see a video of the fashion show, visit theithacan.org.
Hands down for HiFashion
Freshman Kelvin Kim, a model for HiFashion Studios, a student group that works to bring students who are interested in fashion together to produce a runway show, strikes a pose during the group’s Spring Fashion show Monday in Emerson Suites.
durst breneiser/the ithacan
weird
but true
colorful smartphone tool gives Iphone new perspective
Rocker mom misses beat
Why buy colored lenses for your smartphone camera when you can have them all in one? The Holga iPhone lens is a rotating ring of multiple colored lenses that attaches to the back of an iPhone and can be easily turned to tint pictures red, blue or green. The lens will also add cutouts like hearts and stars. The device features nine lenses, which makes it more advanced than current tinting options for smartphones. — Benjii Maust
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Hall of Fame should have left inductees The Red Hot Chili Peppers on the back burner for a bit longer. Having won seven Grammy Awards and sold more than 85 million albums since they began in 1983, the Peppers are still touring and going strong. The red-hot rockers encapsulated their sound with a career tribute before they had the chance to let their spicy style fizzle out. This premature move prevents their future endeavors from being included in their Rock Hall memory and made their show seem too soon. Unfortunately, these peppers weren’t quite ripe for the picking.
Super
Socially conscious designers inspire peace through fashion
Fab
Fashion and activism team up in a new line of jewelry by Peace Bronze, a fashion company based in the U.S. Designers for Peace Bronze use recycled weapons of war, including a bronze and copper alloy made from disarmed nuclear weapons systems used by American soldiers, to create their products. The jewelry is crafted to help spread a message of coexistence between warring nations. Many of the designs are of a Hamsa, a hand-shaped symbol of protection that has come to represent a prayer for peace. — Shea O’Meara
quoteunquote He’s gotta work on his dance moves. He’s got to be able to represent America in any dance-related diplomatic situations. — Jamie Foxx on President Obama’s leadership abilities.
celebrity SCOOPS! There’s some new momma drama for Frances Bean Cobain. Frances, the daughter of Courtney Love and the late Kurt Cobain, is facing vicious rumors about her love life — from her own mother. Love recently declared that she believes circulating rumors involving supposed flirtations between Frances and former Nirvana member Dave Grohl. Grohl and Cobain deny the rumors, and Frances Bean retorted by claiming she is “generally silent on the affairs of my mother, [but] her recent tirade has taken a gross turn.” Love has tried to apologize by reaching out to Francis on Twitter, saying “Sorry I believed the gossip.” It looks like mother doesn’t always know best.
— Benjii Maust
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Th ursday, A pril 19, 2012
The I th a c a n 1 5
Leading the way Senior and SGA president inspired by father’s fight with syndrome By patrick duprey online Editor
Throughout his life, much has been asked of Scott Nachlis. On campus, the senior applied psychology major serves as the president of the Student Government Association in a time when administrators, faculty members and students are finalizing and preparing IC 20/20, Ithaca College’s vision plan for the next decade, for implementation. Such a task would be a difficult undertaking for many, but Nachlis is no stranger to responsibility. Back home in Kingston, Pa., about 15 minutes outside Scranton, Nachlis had no choice but to grow up quickly. His father, Steven Nachlis, said he has struggled with the blood-clotting chronic pain condition anticardiolipid syndrome, meaning his blood can clot at any given moment. Nachlis called an ambulance for his father at the age of eight, according to Steven, and sometimes even had to give his father shots. His father’s medical problems reached a point where Nachlis said he “knew the hospital like the back of [his] hand.” Nachlis’ father walks with a cane and doesn’t always have a lot of energy. But to Nachlis, he’s a best friend and a motivator. “He serves as a huge inspiration to me,” Nachlis said. “If I complain about writing a paper, I just think he’s dealing with physical pain day after day — what he goes through every day and how optimistic he is.” In November 2010, Steven underwent heart surgery, and, regardless of what was happening on campus, he said he never doubted that his son would be
there with him in the operating room — just like any other time. “Scott is tremendous by my side,” Steven said. “He’s one I can always depend upon, rely upon.” It’s this unselfish, others-first attitude that, according to SGA adviser Sarah Schupp, has allowed Nachlis to excel as leader of the student body. “During your senior year, you’re supposed to be self-absorbed because it’s your last time in college and your last time you can leave your mark somewhere,” Schupp said. “But I really think that he thought about others during his senior year.” Nachlis has presided over SGA in a year when, in addition to soliciting student feedback and working with the administration on facets of IC 20/20, the body has created an international student senator position, endorsed an Asian-American studies program and a hydraulic fracturing ban on campus, grown the off-campus medical amnesty policy and established a new bill system within SGA. “In terms of personality, if I see something that I think should be changed, I’ll go out and do it,” Nachlis said. “I’m not the type of person to necessarily be shy.” But Nachlis has not always been this outgoing — he said he didn’t have the courage to run for SGA his freshman year. His sophomore year, he served as a class of 2012 senator, and the following year, he occupied the position now referred to as vice president of Senate affairs. Nachlis also formed the Constructionists to run for the SGA e-board about a year ago with the simple goal of “construct[ing] a better IC.” When
Senior Scott Nachlis addresses incoming students at Convocation in August. Nachlis is the president of the Student Government Association and looks to continue his career in student affairs after graduation. rachel orlow/the ithacan
asked why he ran for the presidency, he acknowledged a cliché in citing Mohandas Gandhi’s famous quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” garnering a laugh from junior Rob Flaherty, SGA’s vice president of communications, who’d heard the answer before. All joking aside, despite the changes, Nachlis said the accomplishment he’s most proud of within SGA may not be felt until after he’s left — that he believes he’s better positioned student government moving forward. It’s a skill that Flaherty attributes
to Nachlis’ “big picture” and “longterm” thinking style. Nachlis’ involvement with the Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs through SGA and as an orientation leader and student leadership consultant even led him to change his career plans. He originally planned to enter the field of sports psychology but now seeks to enter higher education, specifically student affairs. Here, Nachlis said, he can use the leadership, motivation and team-building elements he’s
learned in his psychology classes and applied through SGA. Despite a long list of responsibilities, his friends, family members and co-workers are quick to point out Nachlis’ sense of humor, which they say draws others in. “Even if we’ll be having a very heated, intense discussion about a policy issue on campus, five minutes later, he’ll be joking or laughing about something else,” Flaherty said. “He’s very good at keeping his work life and his life life separate.”
IC Teatro to perform short play featuring an all-female cast By Lucy walker staff writer
With four women representing the wives of one man, a woman cast as the husband, and all the dialogue in Spanish, “Ramón” is no ordinary student drama production on campus. Members of IC Teatro, a student group dedicated to expanding the presence of Latino and Spanish-language theater on campus, will present Catalan playwright Sergi Belbel’s short play, “Ramón,” this Saturday. “Ramón” tells the story of an argument between a named man and four anonymous women onstage. The play can be left to many interpretations, and for director Anna Lawrence, a senior Spanish major, the play is about the couple’s long-term decline into emotional disorder. “No one ever addresses anything, there’s no communication, and it just kind of culminates in badness,” she said. Cris Ramirez, a sophomore drama major who has acted in and directed previous Teatro shows, said IC Teatro allows student directors and actors to explore a side of theater not often performed at Ithaca College. “Teatro is a way for Hispanic and other students to be able to explore the world of Hispanic theater in our society,” Ramirez said. Lawrence said the play’s universality makes it appealing anywhere to anyone. “It could be taken as just a relationship between two people,” she said. “They don’t need to be married or in a romantic relationship because it’s
about communication.” Lawrence said the story’s atmosphere should aid non-Spanish speakers in the audience. The play runs 20 minutes and is entirely in Spanish. “You can really tell what’s happening, know what’s going on with the conflict, to a certain extent, without knowing the language,” she said. “There’s certain emotional appeal everyone can understand and respond to.” Lawrence altered the play for the college’s audience. She decided the four women would represent one woman at different stages of her life, instead of four lovers. She also chose to cast a female as the main male character because of the show’s production history. “[This casting] doesn’t cause an immediate conflict,” she said. “You have to pay attention. Not just glance and say, ‘Oh, there’s four women ganging up on a man’ or ‘There’s a man mistreating,’ but you have to really listen to what they’re saying.” The performance will be followed by a staged reading, the premiere of Lawrence’s “El Armario” (“Out of the Closet”). Her short play is written in Belbel’s creative style, to pair with “Ramón,” and it depicts a character of unknown gender struggling to decide whether to go through with a medical procedure, which is alluded to as a sex change operation. There will also be a talk-back panel with Lawrence, Spanish Professor Annette Levine and the cast. The events are part of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Awareness Month,
From left, seniors Shannon McGuinness, Marianna Manganiello and junior Reisy Veloz rehearse their parts in the IC Teatro production of “Ramón,” which will show 7 p.m. Saturday in Iger Hall. ritza francois/the ithacan
also known as Gaypril. Senior Mary Apesos, who does publicity for IC Teatro and is a staff writer for The Ithacan, said that while the group is a one-credit class, they are looking to become an official organization on campus. As a journalism major, Apesos said that
it is easy for anyone to join the group, no matter what they study or what language they speak. “[IC Teatro] is a great a opportunity to get involved even if you don’t like theater,” she said. “You can do what you do best while helping the play. It’s been a really great cultural experience.”
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1 6 The It hacan
Th ursday, Apr il 1 9 , 2 0 1 2
Thrilling werewolf novel raises hairs
thursday
by rose vardell contributing writer
In the novel “The Wolf Gift,” author Anne Rice takes a break from her usual theme of vampires, demons and witches to explore lycanthropy, the ability to transform into a wolf. Yes, it’s another book about werewolves, but even those who thought authors like Stephenie Meyer beat the final nail into the dark theme long ago may find “The Wolf Gift” contains some surprisingly appealing aspects. The book’s protagonist, “The Wolf Gift” Reuben Golding, is a young Knopf Publishing journalist who visits an enchanting mansion to write a piece for the San Francisco Observer. It doesn’t take more than a few pages for Reuben to become infatuated with the house and its occupant, the lovely Marchent Niddick. Unfortunately the attraction between Reuben and Marchent is cut short by a sudden bite that turns the protagonist into a werewolf. After a bite from the enraged wolf, it should not come as a surprise to learn an onslaught of violence ensued. What is more interesting is the way Rice revised some of the traditional aspects of werewolf lore. The actual metamorphosis from human to wolf is not the painful experience that most literary or film adaptations depict. Instead, the transformation is a highly erotic transition, during which the character undergoes orgasmic spasms while he changes forms. The general theme of sensuality is heavily prevalent throughout the novel, which will not surprise those familiar with Rice’s style. These moments are not limited to his transformation — the book is embedded with erotic scenes, many of which could be seen as comical. What is worth appreciation in “The Wolf Game” is Rice’s incorporation of the modern world. Though she deals with elements of fantasy, she does not leave reality far behind. In fact, she embraces modern technology and social media. As the wolf man, Reuben somewhat maintains his humanity as he tries to justify his urge to attack innocent people by going after murderers and rapists. His enhanced senses allow him
The Jeff Love Band, an 11-piece funk and soul band, will perform at 8:30 p.m. at Castaways. Admission is free.
friday
Ithaca College Family Carnival, sponsored by Ithaca
book Review
College United Way, will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Fitness Center. Tickets are $3 for children, $5 for adults and $15 for a family of five or more.
Rainbow Reception, the annual celebration of Ithaca College’s graduating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and allied seniors, will begin at 7 p.m. at Campus Center. Reservations are required.
Author Anne Rice and the cover of her novel “The Wolf Gift,” a story about a journalist who transforms into a werewolf. Rice is a well-known fantasy author who also wrote “Interview with the Vampire.” Courtesy of knopf publishing
to hear peoples’ cries for help, and once he finds these criminals, he literally tears them apart. The original survivors of these attacks immediately report their sightings saying an unnatural creature saved their lives. Soon enough, news organizations and the government address the issue. It is particularly humorous when she first mentioned that “wolf man” was trending on Twitter. Rice does not shy away from complex intellectual themes. When Reuben becomes a sort of vigilante, the ethical ramifications of his actions inevitably arise. As he struggles to come to terms with his monstrous side, society attempts to justify the savage massacre of rapists and murderers. The metaphysical discussions of evil are expected and even somewhat dreaded because intense philosophical speculation isn’t for everyone. However, the development of internal conflicts
within characters is fascinating. Specifically, there is a beautiful moment when a grieving mother of one of Reuben’s victims insists her son deserved a trial, just like any other person. These moments were thought-provoking, because it is interesting to imagine how the world would react to such a creature in real life. Rice manages to write the novel so Reuben’s horror mirrors the reader’s while he struggles to come to terms with his manslaughter. Despite the complex themes, the novel is easier to read than Rice’s other works. Her prose is almost reminiscent of Stephen King with its stark clarity, which is particularly noticeable in the dialogue. In fact, if her name was not printed across the cover, it would be difficult to know that she wrote this book. “The Wolf Game” is a great option for anyone who enjoys an easy read, the fantasy genre and a healthy dose of literary angst.
Hardcore alternative group trades in angst for maturity by Bernadette javier staff writer
The Used’s developed sound in their fifth studio album, “Vulnerable,” has certainly come a long way from the raging days of their self-titled debut to The Used their current, more “Vulnerable” Anger Music mature sound. Group For some, the Our rating: more contemporary HHH rock feel of the album is a refreshing change from their previously ruthless sound. However, the change may not impress many of the original fans who admire the band for their usual creepy yet angst-driven lyrics. Unlike their first few albums, “Vulnerable” is truly a transformation
Album Review
hot dates
to a more positive attitude. A ballad like “Getting Over You” gives fans a different perspective of lead singer Bert McCracken’s singing ability, which is completely stripped of its usual force and replaced with a softer tone. One of the more surprising bits from the album is “Shine,” an upbeat track that showcases McCracken’s ability to belt out self-reassuring anthems that seem almost unprecedented in The Used’s history of seething vibes. “Put Me Out” is perhaps the closest song that could still relate to the band’s old hardcore sound. The beginning sequence blasts with McCracken’s growl, giving loyal fans the screamo vibe that they are familiar with in this experimental album. Similarly, “Now That You’re Dead” offers the same window to the past with a cryptic start to the
Song of the Week “Need Your Love”
saturday
The Farm & Fork April Dinner, featuring an appetizer reception and a five-course meal hosted by Serendipity Catering, will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Silver Queen Farms. Tickets cost from $25 to $60.
“Why Calories Count,” a reading by authors Marion Nestle and Malden Mesheim, will begin at 2 p.m. at Buffalo Street Books. Admission is free.
sunday
Folk Song Swap, a folk music exchange and sing-a-long, will begin at 2 p.m. at Buffalo Street Books. Acoustic instruments are welcome and admission is free.
Wavy synths electrify album by jared Dionne staff writer
Listeners may be familiar with Chromatics after their track “Tick of the Clock” was incorporated into the stellar soundtrack of the film “Drive.” With their latest album, “Kill For Love,” the band sings and Chromatics strums their “Kill For Love” trademark disItalians Do It co-pop sound Better to perfection. Our rating: ThroughHHHH out the album, Chromatics specialize in creating dreamy atmospherics in which listeners can get lost in the music and be taken to another world. One needs to look no further than the album’s title track to grasp what Chromatics is seeking to accomplish with this release. The band looks to set the mood with
Album Review
Courtesy of Anger music group
melody that has previously defined the sound of the band. The lead’s abrasive vocals follow the creepy beginning, channeling the youthful angst that he’s provided his fans in previous albums. The Used has made a fresh start with “Vulnerable.” With the album displaying varying sounds, the band shows off its ability to hold onto previous rigor while grasping a different sound that offers not just edgy music, but incorporates a similar sound they’ve experimented with in past albums.
singer Ruth Radelet’s breathy vocals over a bed of interweaving synthesizers and guitar strums. The group also treats listeners to a brooding cover of Neil Young’s “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black).” A lone guitar line carries through the entire song as synthesizer elements are skillfully worked in. On “Kill For Love,” Chromatics has only set the already-lofty bar even higher for themselves.
Courtesy of italians do it better
quickies
The temper trap
“All american”
Hoodie Allen Hoodie Allen
“vava voom”
The band puts guitars on the back burner and opts for heavier synthesizer lines to accompany Mandagi’s pristine and versatile vocals.
In this collection of eight original tracks, Hoodie Allen gives listeners a glimpse at his progressing musical career. Filled with catchy tunes and choruses, the album shows that Hoodie hasn’t lost any of his old lyrical charm.
Bassnectar shows off its hard-hitting beats with the title track featuring hip-hop megastar Lupe Fiasco. Infused with punk, metal and dubstep, the album is appropriately named with its vivacious attitude.
Need Your Love Liberation Music
Scan This qr Code with a smartphone to learn more aboUT Music blogger Jared Dionne’s pick for the song of the week.
Courtesy of hoodie allen
Bassnectar Motema Music
courtesy oF amorphous music
Compiled by allie healy
A ccen t
Th ursday, A pril 19, 2012
The I th a c a n 1 7
Horror finds refuge in twisted script Thriller shocks despite clichéd setting and stereotypical storyline bY James hasson
]
valid friday through thursday
cinemapolis The Commons 277–6115
staff Writer
While horror films set in isolated woodlands aren’t hard to find, “The Cabin in the Woods” brilliantly takes the stereotypical thriller movie tropes and twists them inside out like a horror victim gutted in spectacular fashion. In the film, a group of college kids trek up to a secluded cabin for a weekend retreat. Someone watches the group as they settle in the cabin, “The Cabin but the watcher’s in the identity, along Woods” with many other Lionsgate strange secrets, is Our rating: HHH gradually revealed as “The Cabin in the Woods” goes deeper down the rabbit hole. But from there, the similarities to conventional horror movies tear away. The simplistic premise of this movie hides a twisting, complex multilevel action/horror flick. “Lost” and “Cloverfield” writer Drew Goddard makes a strong, wild impression directing his first Hollywood film by taking the typical horror movie toward a more fantastic and unpredictable story. “The Cabin in the Woods” pulls no punches and throws everything at the audience. In addition to the monsters, the movie compiles hilarious comedy in the form of clever or strange one-liners and ludicrous yet entertaining scenes. Elements of everything from clichéd horror to ancient religion are included and at times cleverly twisted. An inversion of the classic
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amelie 7 p.m. Wednesday The artist HHHH 7:10 p.m. and weekends 2:10 p.m. national lampoon’s animal house 7 p.m. Friday
Film Review
In darkness 7 p.m. and 9:35 p.m. and weekends 1:35 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. being flynn 7:25 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. and weekends 2:25 p.m. and 4:20 p.m.
The cast of “The Cabin in the Woods,” a horror film by “Lost” writer Drew Goddard, must survive a long weekend retreat in a secluded cabin while they struggle to discover who has been watching them in this twisted thriller.
Courtesy of Lionsgate
“virgin sacrifice” image from mythology and folklore stands as one of the most compelling moments of the climax. A strong cast carries the characters of “The Cabin in the Woods.” Fran Kranz delivers a charming, and then compelling, performance as Marty, one of the principle horror sources. Marty is one of many focal points of comic relief; he delivers brash lines about life, society and the group’s situation while smoking marijuana from a bong disguised as a coffee thermos. The jock, Curt (Chris Hemsworth), also benefits from Hemsworth’s believable
appearance and swagger as an alpha-male type. “Cabin in the Woods” forgoes most of the scares of conventional horror films. There are a few memorable moments, including a simultaneously hilarious and intense moment involving a mounted wolf head. But the film sacrifices tension with more compelling action and comedy. The climax of the film delves into an action bloodbath. Classic horror movie monsters such as werewolves, banshees and killer clowns engage in bloody, gory battle with SWAT teams as the facility collapses around the characters.
After schoolgirl Dana (Kristen Connolly) “gets the party started,” she unleashes a horde of typical horror icons in one of the most spectacular scenes of CGI slaughter ever splattered onto the big screen. “The Cabin in the Woods” elevates itself above the frequently dismal tone of other horror films with its playful spirit and reckless abandon toward convention. It is completely uncompromising, strange and fun to watch. “The Cabin in the Woods” was written and directed by Drew Goddard and written by Joss Whedon.
Thriller crashes with poor script
Segel hits home in comedy flick By taylor palmer
By shea o’meara
In his first silver-screen appearance since “The Muppets,” Jason Segel continues his run as one of Hollywood’s most lovable leading men in “Jeff, Who Lives at Home” — a film that straddles the line between comedy and drama. The title character, Jeff (Segel), is an endearing ganjaloving slacker who — of course — “Jeff, Who lives with his mom. With no job, Lives at no friends and no real prospects, Home” Jeff is directionless, but he believes Paramount all he needs to do is follow the signs Pictures the universe gives him, and he’ll be Our rating: HHH happy. One day, fate intervenes as Jeff’s unhappy, estranged brother Pat (Ed Helms) comes into the picture. The two romp around Baton Rouge, following a snack delivery truck to track down Pat’s adulterous wife and save a few lives. For a film that could very easily implode underneath the weight of its own quirkiness, “Jeff, Who Lives at Home,” is extremely genuine. The vintage look, the bouncy Casio synthesizer soundtrack and stoner Segel could have been overwhelming, but they all lent themselves to create a compelling film. While the film has a distinct indie image characterized by vintage aesthetic, balance and modernity are found by juxtaposing shots of retro areas — Jeff’s house and an old Hooters restaurant — with contemporary shots — a good amount of the film is spent in Pat’s modern Porsche. The soundtrack, while minimal and kitschy, follows the emotion of the scenes’ pitch perfectly. As tension grows, the keyboard gets more frenzied but remains understated. While heartfelt silences appear in the film, the soundtrack kicks in. The characters
aren’t saying a word, but the music speaks volumes. While the destiny-pedaling, pot-smoking slacker may be one of the most annoying stereotypes in Hollywood, Segel doesn’t overdo it. Jeff’s more stereotypical qualities serve only as a backdrop for a rich, complex and emotionally inviting character. His devotion to his family makes him lovable and his uncertainty and confusion — something many people deal with from time to time — make him relatable. It’s hard not to root for Jeff. “Jeff, Who Lives at Home” is a heartfelt film that will have funny bones tingling and eyes watering. The visuals and likeable characters make the film appealing to any viewer, from college students to corporate climbers to kids who live at home.
While the directors of “Lockout” aimed to piece together the most thrilling parts of classic films like “Armageddon,” “The Green Mile” and “Rambo” to create an epic tale of patriotism and adventure, they only managed to produce a lackluster film filled with clichés. “Lockout” follows Agent Snow (Guy Pearce) as he tries to avoid a lifetime in prison after he is convicted of double-crossing fellow government opera“Lockout” tives. When the president’s Open Road daughter Emilie (Maggie Films Grace) is taken hostage by Our rating: inmates in the prison, Snow H is given an ultimatum — spend life in jail or rescue the girl. There’s a bit of a twist: the top-secret, high-security prison is in outer space. The sci-fi-meets-classic-conspiracy flick idea had some potential to make an early summer blockbuster, but the execution of the “Lockout” storyline fell short. The literally outof-this-world characters and places simply existed without any explanation as to how they got there. The top-secret space prison that served as the setting for most of the film has almost no history. This lack of context makes it difficult to understand key characters’ motives or to become fully invested in the film. Despite its promising storyline, “Lockout” is not much more than yet another violencefilled sci-fi flick trying to launch in Hollywood.
“Jeff, Who Lives at Home” was directed and written by Jay and Mark Duplass.
“Lockout” was directed and written by James Mather and Stephen St. Leger
staff writer
accent editor
Film Review
Film Review
Jeff (Jason Segel) is a 30-year-old who still lives with his mom in “Jeff, Who Lives at Home.” Courtesy oF Paramount Pictures Entertainment
salmon fishing in the yemen 7:15 p.m., except Friday, and 9:25 p.m., and weekends 4:25 p.m. Saturday and 2:15 p.m. and 4:25 p.m. Sunday jeff, who lives at home HHH 7:20 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and weekends 2:20 and 4:30 p.m. pina 9:10 p.m. and weekends 4:10 p.m.
regal stadium 14 Pyramid Mall 266-7960
chimpanzee 12:50 p.m., 3 p.m., 5:10 p.m., 7:20 p.m., 9:30 p.m. the lucky one 12:50 p.m., 2:10 p.m., 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 9:20 p.m., 10:20 p.m. Think like a man 1:10 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:50 p.m., 7 p.m., 9:10 p.m., 10:05 p.m. The cabin in the woods HHH 1:05 p.m., 4:20 p.m., 7:10 p.m., 9:40 p.m. lockout H 2:50 p.m., 5:20 p.m., 7:50 p.m., 10:10 p.m. The three stooges 2:30 p.m., 3:50 p.m., 7:40 p.m., 8:40 p.m. american reunion HH 1/2 12:35 p.m., 3:20 p.m., 6:40 p.m., 9:25 p.m. titanic 3d HHH 12:40 p.m., 2:20 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 8:50 p.m. mirror mirror H 1/2 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6:20 p.m. the hunger games HH 1/2 12:30 p.m., 1:20 p.m., 3:40 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6:50 p.m., 8 p.m., 10 p.m.
Cornell Cinema 104 Willard Straight Hall 255-3522
For more information, visit http://cinema.cornell.edu.
our ratings Excellent HHHH Good HHH Fair HH Poor H
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Th ursday, A pril 19, 2012
The I th a c a n 1 9
Triple Threat
N RU
SW IM
Nine competitors perform in distance-based triathlon
ROW
Clockwise from top, senior Antoine Connors, graduate student Tony Aquilina and junior Sam Liberty compete in an indoor triathlon Sunday in the Athletics and Events Center.
shawn steiner/the ithacan
by Nate bickell staff writer
Senior Antoine Connors propels through the water in the Athletics and Events Center pool — a few feet ahead of four other competitors — and hits the wall as the time on the judge’s stopwatch hits 10 minutes on the dot. But as Connors exits the pool knowing he has finished the event in first place, he still has two other events that will test his physical and mental endurance. Connors was one of nine participants in the Ithaca College Indoor Triathlon held Sunday in the Athletics and Events Center. Each participant paid $7 to compete in three events in the pool and the arena — swimming, rowing and running — as part of their first triathlon. Connors said he was looking for an event that would motivate him to remain fit after his career in college athletics ended. “I recently finished my last season on the varsity swimming team, and I figured I should try to do something to stay in shape,” Connors said. “I’ve been very competitive since I was six or seven, and it’s really hard to drive that out of me.” The event was the final project for Sport Event and Facility Management, a class in the sports management and media department. Graduate student Lyndsay Bisaccio said the class wanted to put on an event that had not been done before, but was also practical. “We were looking to do a race of some kind and wanted to try something a little bit different than a standard 5K race that a lot of groups have looked to put on in the past,” she said. While triathlons typically consist of an open-water swim, a bike ride and a run, indoor triathlons are able to reduce costs and risk by
holding all three legs within a single facility. “When you’re inside, you don’t have to worry about mapping out a course or any sort of run-in with cars for the bike or running, and not having to deal with open water for swimming is certainly safer,” Bisaccio said. Athletes in a full outdoor triathlon are usually required to swim, bike and run a set distance within the fastest time in each event, while distances range from 5 kilometers of running and 2.4 miles of swimming, according to — Senior USA Triathlon. The class’s indoor triathlon, however, was a race to complete the most distance within 10 minutes. The distances covered during each event were entered into a points formula that Craig Paiement, assistant professor in the Department of Sports Management and Media, created with his class. Points earned on the rowing machines were worth 40 percent of the final score, the running was worth 35 percent and the swimming was valued at 25 percent. Paiement organized triathlons and road races when he was executive director of Suncoast Sports, Inc., in Orlando, Fla., before becoming chair of the college’s graduate program in sports management and media. He said the scoring system must be altered for an indoor triathlon because space is limited for competitors. “Instead of setting a distance and having
it measured by time, you’re setting a time and having it measure by distance,” Paiement said. “For the competitors, it changes the competition because you don’t know where you stand. In a traditional triathlon, if you’re in first, you’re in first.” The low registration cost made the triathlon at the college more easily accessible to people on campus that were interested in taking part. The annual Iron Man Triathlon in New York City has charged competitors more than Antoine connors $1,000, and the local Cayuga Lake Triathlon costs $90 to participate in, Paiement said. Connors was worried the scoring system would not play to his strengths in the pool. “I was originally concerned because it was total distance, and considering I’m a swimmer, my greatest strength would account for the least distance,” he said. “I was thinking that it was going to be really unfair, but they seemed to find a system that worked out really well.” Graduate student John Ostler finished second overall in the field of nine competitors. His toughest challenge was competing in the swimming event. “I run on my own recreationally, but otherwise I haven’t been swimming since last summer,” he said. “It was tough — 10 minutes in the pool was quite a long time.” Paiement thought the swimming event
“I’ve been very competitive since I was six or seven, and it’s really hard to drive that out of me.”
in the triathlon was the most different of the events because it was less intense. The openwater swim is often the most daunting event of the three because competitors are shoulder-to-shoulder with one another until they cross the finish line. “People that do their first triathlon in a regular open-water triathlon — that swim is the most terrifying thing because you get beat up pretty well,” Paiement said. “I was in a race where the guy who won got his front teeth kicked out 20 yards into the swim. The guy won the race with his two front teeth in the bottom of Tampa Bay.” Connors built up an insurmountable lead in the swimming portion and was able to withstand a challenge from Ostler to win the event. Connors said all the participants were friendly with one another despite the intensity during each event. Bisaccio hoped the class would get more competitors from on-campus organizations such as the Ithaca College Triathlon Club and the Physical Activity, Leisure and Safety Triathlon class. “We struggled with time constraints of being in a semester system and having to put it on before the end,” she said. “More specific targeting towards specific groups could have helped.” Graduate student Nick Chavez, who was in charge of putting on the triathlon, thinks the event will grow in popularity because it’s a good way for athletes to be introduced to more intense triathlons. “Hopefully future classes might adopt this and make it into an annual tradition here at Ithaca,” he said. “Seventy percent of the campus uses the Fitness Center daily, so the campus has the right attitude towards it, and it could really take off in the coming years.”
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2 0 The It hacan
crunch time
Th ursday, Apr il 1 9 , 2 0 1 2
Bombers steal opponents’ thunder By steve derderian staff writer
harlan green-taub
Violent hits taint playoffs Thrilling, unpredictable or intense. Any of those three words could be used to describe the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. But sadly, vicious and dirty hits, fighting, and suspensions have marred this year’s playoffs. Hockey players are often praised for their toughness and ability to bounce back from injury more quickly than most athletes. What happened during the first week of the playoffs, however, has cast an unflattering light on a sport that has been trying to avoid negative publicity for as long as the game has existed. Instead of watching the dazzling, skillful hockey that so many fans come to expect from the NHL Playoffs, viewers have been treated to as many dirty hits as goals and ugly brawls that scar what is normally a beautiful game. It all began in the first game of the playoffs between the Nashville Predators and the Detroit Red Wings. In the closing minutes of the game, Predators defenseman Shea Weber slammed Red Wings center Henrik Zetterberg face-first into the boards. Weber did not receive a penalty, and the league did not suspend him because the hit occurred toward the end of the game. The league’s lack of action opened the floodgates. By not suspending Weber, it sent the message that unnecessary violent actions would go unpunished. Fighting and cheap shots have also blemished the first-round series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers — two of the most intense rivals in the league. Game 3 of the series Sunday featured a total of 158 penalty minutes following a series of fights, including one involving the league’s golden boy, center Sidney Crosby. Things got particularly ugly when, after delivering a big hit, Pittsburgh right winger Arron Asham cross-checked Flyers center Brayden Schenn in the throat. Asham has escaped unpunished thus far. In other cases, such as the series between the New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators, the suspensions have been handed out unfairly. Rangers left winger Carl Hagelin was suspended three games for a hit on Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, but Ottawa defenseman Matt Carkner was suspended only one game for pummeling Rangers center Brian Boyle when he was already lying on the ground. This aggressive style of play hasn’t been present since the 1970s. Currently, it appears the league is punishing players based on the results instead of the intent. The league needs to look at player history and put a neutral arbitrator in charge of suspensions instead of a former player. If they don’t get it under control now, the perception of the game may never change. Harlan Green-taub is a senior television-radio major. Contact him at hgreent1@ithaca.edu.
While the softball team’s power has been its driving force in Empire 8 Conference games, its ability to put runners on base has helped it seal eight of its 16 wins this season. In the Bombers’ fifth game of the year, a 5-2 win against The Blue and Manhattanville College on Gold have been March 14, sophomore outcaught stealing on the base fielder and second baseman paths just five Julianne Vincent drew a walk times this year. with the Bombers leading by one run, then stole second and third base. She later scored on a base hit by freshman shortstop Francesca Busa to put the Blue and Gold up 2-0. Vincent said the South Hill squad has had a tenacious mentality on the base paths during all their games this year. “We always try to look for the open base, and we try to take an extra base because we’re never satisfied until we can score a run,” she said. The Blue and Gold have a success rate of 85 percent on the bases, as they have stolen 29 bases in 34 attempts this season. Vincent leads the team with eight steals this season. She said she has learned to exploit recognizable signs from opposing pitchers. “If we recognize if a pitcher is throwing a changeup and we can see it coming out of her hand, we and a few of the other girls with good foot speed will just take off,” Vincent said. The Bombers have a record of 6—3 when they steal two or more bases in a game, and their ability to stretch base hits and score extra runs has also kept them in games. The Blue and Gold had nine hits in Game 1 of their Empire 8 doubleheader sweep against St. John Fisher College on Saturday, and eight of them were for extra bases. Head Coach Deb Pallozzi said she has used pinch runners late in games this season to provide the team’s hitters with a spark. “They perk up when we start using the short game and start stealing and getting on base,” Pallozzi said. “Sometimes the people who get on base the most aren’t as quick, so we can utilize more younger and faster players to get on and get things moving.” Base running has been a staple in each of the South Hill squad’s indoor and outdoor practices this season. Freshman outfielder Nina Lindberg,
stat check
Sophomore outfielder and second baseman Julianne Vincent fields a ground ball during a practice Wednesday at Kostrinsky Field. Vincent leads the Blue and Gold with eight steals this season. Shawn steiner/The ithacaN
who Pallozzi has used often as a pinch runner, said the team practices with base runners when preparing plays for the infield. “It helps being involved in the play, even if you are not the one who gets on base all the time,” she said. “It also helps prepare for different situations that happen in the field both on offense and on defense.”
Vincent said she is beginning to notice opposing infielders communicate with others when she reaches base, but she said this recognition does not decrease her aggressiveness on the bases — it only fuels it. “It pumps me up more because if they know I have speed and they’re aware of it, when I slide in safe it makes it much more exciting,” she said.
Squad shifts to individual focus for championships By haley costello staff writer
The women’s track and field team is looking to capitalize on its renewed focus toward individual results from the team-oriented regular season in order to bring home another Empire 8 Conference Championship crown this weekend. Senior Emma Dewart said the Blue and Gold’s psyche is tailored more toward each athlete as the team approaches its postseason meets. “Our mental training now is much more individualized, so if you are having any problems, the athlete will approach the team’s sports psychologist or one of the coaches,” Dewart said. Senior Kate Middleton said the conference title meet is used to readjust each athlete’s focus to their own specific goals to maintain a competitive edge for competitions at the regional and national level. “When we get to this point in the season, we focus on our own mental needs rather than everyone else, because we are striving to be the best,” she said. “I know for me, visualizing is very important.” This transition has been a proven strategy for the Bombers, as they have won eight of the last nine conference meets and placed first at last year’s Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships. Head Coach Jennifer
From left, senior Becca Coffman and junior Cassandra Clark sprint in a relay race during practice Tuesday on the track in Butterfield Stadium. parker chen/the ithacan
Potter said the team knows it can take the top spot in the Empire 8 meet at Butterfield Stadium because of its positive attitude. “When you have won eight of the last nine, you feel very confident,”
Potter said. “We are very deep right now, so we are feeling very good about the meet.” The South Hill squad is coming off a 2011 campaign in which it scored 132 points more than
second place Rochester Institute of Technology. The team’s total of 250 points earned it a fifth consecutive Empire 8 championship. Middleton said this outcome has given the Bombers even more motivation to live up to the standards the team set in the past. “We know what our potential is because we have seen what we can do,” she said. “The only thing we have to worry about is that the other teams are focused on us because they want to win.” The Blue and Gold have competed in four meets so far, and the Empire 8 Championships mark the halfway point of the outdoor season. The South Hill squad hopes to peak in the middle of May when it competes in the New York State Collegiate Track Conference and ECAC Championship meets. The Bombers will be hosting the conference title meet for the first time since 2008. The team hopes to use the conference championships as a launching point for the end of its season. Potter said the team will approach the Empire 8 meet the same way it has approached the other invitationals this season. “We really want to go out there and win,” Potter said. “But in addition to that, we also want to go out there and build on our strength and our depth for the postseason.”
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Th ursday, A pril 19, 2012
The I th a c a n 2 1
Pair extracts skills from past ventures By doug geller staff writer
Some members of the men’s crew’s four boats have transferred their experiences from individualistic sports as they adjust to new waters this season. Freshman Jared Freedman and sophomore Paul Casey have come from other teams on campus to play a prominent role in the Bombers’ nine first-place finishes this spring. Freedman came to the college aspiring to be a catcher on the baseball team, but was cut in the second round of winter training. He had been playing baseball since he was 7 years old and continued with the sport until he graduated from Amherst Regional High School in Amherst, Mass., last year. Freedman said he was disappointed after being cut, but decided to test out crew during the spring season because a friend suggested he join the team shortly after he came to campus. The coaching staff makes an effort to reach out to people who have not competed on crews before and does not make cuts throughout the season. Freedman said this open environment fosters experiential learning within the team and has helped him adjust to the rigors of crew. “All the guys have been so accepting and warm, and I’ve never felt like an outsider because I’m new to the sport,” he said.
Casey was originally recruited to be on the men’s swimming and diving team. However, he chose to switch to crew because he felt there was more focus on individual training while he was on the swimming team. He said both sports involved training similar muscle groups. “It helps both in terms of psychologically being prepared for races and physically,” he said. “Swimming is a sport that relies primarily on your legs, your core and your back, and rowing is the same exact way.” Freedman said crew requires more endurance and stamina than he was accustomed to, but the importance of individual responsibilities to achieve success is similar in both sports. “Having a lot of athletic experience, you understand every guy plays a different role in the collective team identity, and that’s a really important thing to establish,” he said. Crew has also helped Freedman understand how to motivate people from a mix of athletic backgrounds, he said. “You learn how to be a part of a team and push your teammates to do well along with yourself,” Freedman said. Head Coach Dan Robinson said Freedman has been able to quickly move up to the squad’s top boats such as the third varsity 8, which compete in more races. Freedman helped the novice varsity 8 to a second-place finish at the Blue and Gold’s regatta against Skidmore College and St. Lawrence
The men’s crew’s second varsity 8 boat competes against Skidmore College and St. Lawrence University during Saturday’s regatta on Cayuga Inlet. Sophomore Paul Casey (far right) helped the boat finish in second place. shawn steiner/The ithacaN
University on Saturday on Cayuga Inlet. The final time of 6.46.09 was 0.3 seconds short of first place, but was the boat’s best finish of the season so far. Robinson said Freedman’s and
Casey’s involvement in baseball and swimming has helped them make a smooth transition to crew because it struck a balance between training with internal motivation and being open to criticism.
“The mental edge of being able to be competitive and be coachable — those are all characteristics that make somebody a strong performer, and they’ve had that experience,” Robinson said.
Look online for game stories from these sports: TODAY • 3 p.m. Softball at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.*
SATURDAY TBA Women’s Golf at Jack Leaman Invitational in Amherst, Mass. • 8 a.m. Men’s Crew at Colby College, University of New Hampshire, Trinity College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass. • 8 a.m. Women’s Crew at Colby College, College of the Holy Cross and Connecticut College in Worcester, Mass. • 10:30 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Track and Field at Empire 8 Conference Outdoor Championships in Butterfield Stadium • Noon Men’s and Women’s Tennis vs. New York University in Reis Tennis Center • 1 p.m. Softball vs. Alfred University on Kostrinsky Field* • 1 p.m. Baseball at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y.* • 1 p.m. Men’s Lacrosse at Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y. • 1 p.m. Women’s Lacrosse at Elmira College in Elmira, N.Y.
sUNDAY • TBA Women’s Golf at Jack Leaman Invitational in Amherst, Mass. • 1 p.m. Baseball at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y. • 1 p.m. Women’s Lacrosse at Alfred University in Alfred, N.Y. • 1 p.m. Softball vs. SUNY-Buffalo on Kostrinsky Field*
TUesDAY • 3 p.m. Men’s and Women’s Track and Field at Ithaca Quad Meet in Butterfield Stadium • 4 p.m. Women’s Lacrosse at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y.
wednesDAY • TBA Women’s Track and Field at Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa. • 3:30 p.m. Softball vs. Cornell University on Kostrinsky Field* • 4 p.m. Baseball at SUNY-Oneonta in Oneonta, N.Y. • 4 p.m. Men’s Lacrosse at Elmira College in Elmira, N.Y. • 4 p.m. Men’s Tennis vs. Elmira College on Wheeler Tennis Courts
Bold = Home game TBD = To Be Determined * = Doubleheader
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Th ursday, Apr il 1 9 , 2 0 1 2
[the buzzer]
Th ursday, A pril 19, 2012
The I th a c a n 2 3
Top Tweets The best national sports commentary via Twitter from this past week. katiebakes @katiebakes This Pens-Philly series so far is really packing in every plotline. Degrassi-style pacing. Brian Phillips @brianphillips If I saw a box score that said Rondo had more assists than the Celtics had baskets, I would not assume it was a misprint. Grantland Live @GrantlandLive Tough season for Jason Kidd he’s 4 for 5 for 11 pts, with 3 assists, and Hubie Brown just described it as “a special day.” The Bill Walton Trip @NotBillWalton LA is performing like the ensemble cast of Cheers without Kobe! And no he isn’t Sam. He’s Norm, a drunk that shows up to take a lot of shots.
This one’s mine
From left, senior Kyle Murdock, junior Wayne Giovinazzo, junior Elliot Bresnahan and junior Alex Reckoff prepare for a face-off during an intramural floor hockey game Sunday at the Mondo Gymnasium in the Fitness Center. Kristen Tomkowid/the ithacan
by the
numbers
85
The softball team’s overall stolen base percentage (29-for-34) this season. See story on page 20.
7
The number of teams the women’s track and field team defeated at last season’s Empire 8 Conference outdoor championships. See story on page 20.
the foul line
Weird news from the wide world of sports
There are 99 days until the 2012 London Olympics begin, and the event’s organizers may be getting a little desperate for star power. They recently reached out to Bill Curbishley, manager for the legendary rock band The Who, to ask if the band’s drummer, Keith Moon, could make an appearance for the opening ceremonies. The only snafu is that Moon has been dead for nearly 34 years. Curbishley kept from laughing too hard and gave the organizers a clever, polite response. “I emailed back saying Keith resided in Golders Green Crematorium, having lived up to The Who’s anthemic line ‘I hope I die before I get old’,” Curbishley told London’s The Sunday Times. While the concept of bringing Moon back from the dead may excite a lot of classic rock fans, it’s doubtful that a seance would fit in with the Olympic Movement’s intended spirits of friendship, solidarity and fair play. —Matt Kelly
Play of the week
O x O x O O O O O x x x x Steve Danylyshyn Freshman Men’s Lacrosse
Freshman’s first goal of the season breaks late-game tie and boosts Bombers to first place in the Empire 8 Conference.
Before Saturday’s contest against St. John Fisher College, the men’s lacrosse team was tied with the Cardinals for first place in the Empire 8 Conference. Each team’s star players brought their best efforts. Senior Tom Mongelli tallied four goals and Fisher’s top two scorers; and seniors Connor Henderson and Mitch Ritchie each recorded hat tricks. It was a freshman, however, who scored the decisive goal. Midfielder Steve Danylyshyn picked up a rebound from a shot by senior attack Devin Weinshank and threw it back toward the net to put the Bombers up 11-10 with 6:14 left in the fourth quarter. The South Hill squad held on for a 1210 victory against Fisher and secured sole possession of first place in the Empire 8.
they saidit It was the first time I can remember not wanting to play basketball. Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird on CBS’ “The Late Show with David Letterman” recalling his reaction after learning Los Angeles Lakers star and former rival Magic Johnson had tested positive for HIV in 1991.
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To see a slideshow of the rest of the concert, visit theithacan. org/22837.
I'm with
We Are Scientists lead singer and guitarist Keith Murray prepares to exit as the crowd rushes the stage after their performance of the final song of the night, “After Hours.”
the band
The band is made up of singer Keith Murray, bassist Chris Cain and percussionist Andy Burrows. The concert, which was sponsored by Ithaca College’s Bureau of Concerts, drew a crowd of more than 450 students.
Indie-rock band We Are Scientists performed Saturday night in Emerson Suites. Throughout the show people jumped on stage, surfed the crowd and danced with the band. Photos by shawn steiner Assistant Photo Editor
Bassist Chris Cain provides backing vocals during the concert. The band performed songs like the 2005 single “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt.”