Gaining depth
opinion custodial work-study not for all, page 10 accent roommates explore racial differences, page 13 photo finish football falls to fisher, page 28
Injury-plagued Bombers bring in two players, page 23
Thursday
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The Ithacan
Strength in
numbers? Local unions look to organize Ithaca College employees By Mallory Diamond Senior Writer
The Cortland-Tompkins County Building and Construction Trades Council and its affiliates, led by council president David Marsh, plan to begin an organizing drive among Ithaca College employees who lack union representation. In a letter to President Tom Rochon, the council proposed that all parties, including the college, enter a neutrality agreement in order to ensure that employees be able to make an informed decision about unionization without being threatened or coerced. As defined in the contract, neutrality prohibits threats or delaying tactics that might interfere with employees’ efforts to unionize. It also prohibits the college from organizing a campaign to oppose union representation. Marsh said Rochon declined to sign the neutrality agreement. Rochon also declined to comment for this story, but Marsh said he doesn’t necessarily believe Rochon to be the problem. “I have purposely not targeted the president … because I think
illustration by michelle barrie
he is a progressive, labor-friendly person,” Marsh said. “Now unfortunately, other decision makers, some of which influence his decisions, may not feel that way.” Because the college has declined to sign the neutrality agreement, the council has committed to educating interested college employees, who can be legally organized, on the possibility of unionization with the organizing drive. Marsh said the council has not yet initiated the organizing drive. “It would happen very strategically, and it would be planned well,” Marsh said. Marsh said the primary organizing drive would be conducted separately from the council’s ongoing protest, which began in late summer, of the college’s choice to employ nonlocal and nonunion contractors in the construction of its $65.5 million Athletic and Events Center. The college was subsequently awarded this year’s Goat of Labor award by the Midstate Central Labor Council and the
See labor, page 4
College data shows largest number of ALANA students By Allison Musante Managing editor
Ithaca College is showing a steady progression in diversifying its student population, enrolling the largest number of students from African, Latino, Asian and Native American backgrounds in the past 10 years, according to this year’s opening enrollment report. The number has also grown significantly in proportion to the total population on campus. A total of 844 ALANA students are enrolled this year, including undergraduates and graduate students, compared with 701 last year. The 143-student difference is the largest year-to-year increase the college has seen in at least the past 10 years, followed secondly by a 58-student increase between fall 2002 and fall 2003, according to data provided by the Office of Institutional Research. Eric Maguire, vice president for enrollment management, attributes the jump in part by the college’s over-enrollment of freshmen, but also in its ability to consistently attract and retain ALANA students
over the past decade. “The raw numbers show a reflection of the larger class, but on a percentage basis, we’re still showing continued progress,” he said. “I hope to continue to increase that percentage in the future.” The freshman class has a record-size ALANA class this year of 297 students, which make up nearly 15 percent of the total freshman class. In fall 2000, ALANA students accounted for less than 9 percent of the freshman class. Gerard Turbide, director of admissions, said the report reflects successful recruitment efforts not only on part of the admissions office and the creation of diversity task forces, but also how many current students and faculty promote diverse campus life to prospective students through campus tours, club outreach and Fuse Magazine. “The success of bringing these students to campus has a lot to do with the degree in which our campus is engaged in these conversations,” he said. “ALANA students, like all students, find when they
visit here that something speaks to them and confirms that this is the right place to be.” The report also showed more students declining to identify with a single ethnic group. This year, nearly 16 percent of the college population is labeled “unknown,” compared with 1.4 percent in fall 2000. 1200
“Students are finding it increasingly difficult to identify with a box on a form as our society becomes more multiracial,” Maguire said. Junior Chasity Dittmann, spokeswoman for the African La-
See students, page 4
Diversity report
This year the college saw the largest increase in ALANA students and students who chose not to identify their ethnicity.
1000
1087
585
800 600
774
418
400 295
200 0
222 138
149
93 85 53 56 2009 2008 Nonresident Alien
152
184 119
70 65 2009 2008 Black
design by michelle barrie
162 133
252 135 117
2009 2008 Hispanic
287
40 total 26 total 502 26 female 14 female 356 239 14 male 12 male 88 118 151 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 Asian/Pacific Native American Unknown Islander 169
Male
Female
source: Office of Institutional Research
find more. online. www.theithacan.org
I t h a c a , N . Y. Volum e 7 7 , I s s u e 8
Carbon neutrality proposal passed by board of trustees By Tristan Fowler Online Media editor
The Ithaca College board of trustees approved the Climate Action Plan on Oct. 9. The plan seeks to eliminate the college’s net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The plan establishes three benchmarks on the path to carbon neutrality through increased efficiency and investing in renewable energy. The first benchmark will reduce the college’s carbon emissions by 25 percent by the year 2015, then an additional 25 percent by 2025 and the last 50 percent by 2050. Marian Brown “Basically, it’s a said the Climate self-investment in Action Plan will efficiency and effec- be effective. tiveness,” said Marian Brown, special assistant to the provost and vice president of academic affairs. A committee of faculty, students and staff, with guidance from outside energy consultants, produced the Climate Action Plan, as a requirement of the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment, which President Emerita Peggy Williams signed in September 2007. This plan is a living document and will depend on available financial resources, said Carl Sgrecci, vice president of finance and administration and chair of the committee. “The climate action plan is a road map or blueprint,” Sgrecci said. “It’s an idea about what the priorities are and how we go about approaching the respected problems.” Rob McKenna, senior consultant at Energy Strategies — a company that consults businesses and higher education institutions about energy costs and policies — said the college prioritized its choices according to the greenhouse gas management hierarchy, putting energy avoidances and reductions first and carbon offsets last. “That hierarchy drives the thought process behind the climate action planning process,” McKenna said. The college will use the greenhouse gas emissions inventory from 2007, which was equivalent to 32,600 metric tons of CO2e, as its baseline for reduction. The first five years of the plan, when the college will reduce emissions by 25 percent, are well defined. The college plans to “seal the envelope” by managing the energy use of all campus facilities, upgrading controls for lighting and HVAC systems and assigning responsibility to someone to oversee campus energy use. For the second phase of the plan, from 2016 to 2025, the college will consider installing solar thermal systems to heat water for resident and dining facilities, two commercial-scale wind turbines to produce electricity and replacing the HVAC systems with more energy-efficient ones with lowto-neutral carbon emissions. After exhausting options of efficiency and renewable energy, the college will still be 28 percent short of its goal. One contingency of the last stage is the
See plan, page 4
[ Thursday Brie f i ng ]
2 The It hacan
{
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this WEEK
22 thursday
Reports from the Field: Global Experiences of Anthropology Students will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in Williams 218. Diversity Council meeting will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. in Friends 309. Harvest Moon Dance, an event sponsored by the gerontology student club, will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Emerson Suites.
23 Friday International Movie Night, sponsored by the International Club, will run from 5 to 9 p.m. in Textor 101.
25 sunday Build-A-Bear, sponsored by Hillel, will be held from noon to 5 p.m. in Friends 203.
26 Monday Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival Distinguished Writer in Residence, sponsored by the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies, will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in Clark Lounge.
27 tuesday “Colonialism and Indian Theater,” a part of the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Handwerker Gallery.
28 Wednesday U.S. Marines Corps Officer Selection, an event sponsored by Student Affairs and Campus Life, will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. in Ithaca Falls Meeting Room. “Hayavadana,” a stage reading that is part of the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Handwerker Gallery.
Add your event Drop events for “This Week” in the marked box in The Ithacan office, or e-mail Assistant News Editor Leah Tedesco at ltedesc1@ithaca.edu by 5 p.m. Monday.
Corrections The Ithacan reported Sept. 10 in the story “Art explores fashion in society” that Dawn Hunter’s professor asked the class to look at images in magazines over a 30-year period. Her professor asked the class to look at the images over a three-year period. It is The Ithacan’s policy to correct all errors of fact. Please contact Ashley May at 274-3207.
copy editors Lara Bonner, Laura Brothers, Marianne Dabir, Sara Friedman, Kelsey Fowler, Margaret Moran, Mary Kate Murphy, Briana Padilla, Meg Rindfleisch, Carly Sitzer and Erica Whiteside.
design Michelle Barrie and Chris Carlon.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Nation&World
Poland accepts US missile defense
Standing alongside U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Poland’s prime minister said yesterday his country was ready to participate in the Obama administration’s revamped plan for a U.S. missile defense shield in Europe. President Barack Obama removed a major irritant in relations with Russia last month by scrapping U.S. plans to place 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic to intercept long-range missiles from “rouge” states such as Iran. The Bush-era plan had enraged Moscow. The Kremlin has praised Obama for the decision, but Russian officials also have said they want to know more about what missile defense system the U.S. will use instead. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk welcomed the U.S. proposal for a missile shield that would replace a bulkier version previously planned for Poland. Biden, on the first stop of a three-nation trip aimed at reassuring Washington’s allies in the region of its support, praised Warsaw for its readiness to accept the revamped plan.
India train crash traps passengers
A passenger train in northern India crashed into another train’s rear carriage reserved for women and disabled passengers, killing 22 people and injuring 16 who remained trapped for hours yesterday near Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal, police said. Rescuers had to cut open the wrecked compartment to free trapped passengers following the crash outside Agra, about 130 miles southeast of New Delhi, Rajesh Bajpai, a railway spokesman, said. Rescuers recovered 19 bodies during an operation that lasted nearly seven hours, Rajesh Dixit, a police spokesman, said. Police said three of the 19 injured people died at a hospital. No foreigners were among the victims, Dixit said. The smashed coach was reserved for women and physically handicapped people, although some other people may have been among the victims, district Magistrate Suresh Chandra Sharma said.
China sentences criminals to death
A court in southwest China sentenced six men to death yesterday for gang-related crimes including blackmail and murder, the first convictions in a months-long crackdown that has exposed a major city mired in violent organized crime. More than 1,544 suspects have been detained in Chongqing, China’s largest municipality, since the gang sweep started in June, with more than a dozen criminal gangs busted. In August, the city’s long-
Washed out
Residents gather their belongings yesterday on the street as they vacate their houses in Marikina City east of Manila, Philippines. Forecasters said Typhoon Lupit might hit the northern Philippines tomorrow. The area is prone to flooding and was declared unsafe because of its proximity to the river. Pat Roque/associated press
time deputy head of police — who was also head of the judicial bureau — was taken away for internal investigation by the Communist Party, accused of protecting gangs in the city. Members of the city or district people’s congresses have also been ensnared. In two separate trials at the city’s intermediate courts, two gang leaders and one gang member were sentenced to death, and three others were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, said a notice on the official Web site for China’s courts.
Alleged al-Qaida radio stations close
A powerful Islamist group linked to al-Qaida has ordered two radio stations in southwestern Somalia to stop broadcasts indefinitely. Jubba Radio station journalist Mohamed Adawe said al-Shabab delivered a letter yesterday ordering the station’s closure. Adawe said the letter does not give any reason. The other station ordered to close is Warsan. Al-Shabab spokesman Sheik Hassan Yaqub Ali declined to comment on the closure. Al-Shabab is fighting to overthrow the fragile
College&City H1N1 shots to be given at Hammond Heath Center
The Ithaca College Health Center has received its first shipment of H1N1 influenza vaccine. Free immunizations for Ithaca College students will be from 2 to 5:30 p.m. tomorrow. The initial immunization is for students who are pregnant, have lung disorders, cardiovascular disorders other than hypertension, chronic kidney or liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes and anemia or other blood disorders. Anyone whose immune system is suppressed from HIV infection, cancer chemotherapy, chronic corticosteroid treatment or chronic immune disorders will also qualify for immunization. Any student not in one of those categories may be turned away from the clinic tomorrow. However, the second clinic will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday at the center and will be open to all registered students. The center has received 500 doses of the nasal mist vaccine for individuals between the ages 2 and 49 years, and 400 doses of the inactivated injectable vaccine for pregnant individuals and individuals over the age of 49. The center expects to receive ad-
ditional shipments of H1N1 vaccine over the coming weeks. For more information, contact the Health Center at 274-3177.
Graduate program ranked among top in the nation
The Ithaca College School of Business is among the top schools in the nation according to the Princeton Review for the fourth straight year. The Princeton Review, an education services company, features the school’s Master of Business Administration degree program in its 2010 edition of “The Best 301 Business Schools.” The graduate business program at the college offers students the choice between an MBA in business administration and an MBA in professional accountancy. For more information, visit http://www.princetonreview.com/ business-school-rankings.aspx.
Make A Difference Day honors community service
Students will engage in community service activities Saturday in recognition of national Make A Difference Day.
U.N.-backed government in the capital, Mogadishu. The extremist group controls much of southern Somalia.
Sweat lodge participant speaks out
A woman who took part in an Arizona sweat lodge ceremony tells The Associated Press that the spiritual guru who led the event pushed participants too far in what was supposed to be a life-expanding experience that culminated with people vomiting and passing out on the floor. Texas resident Beverley Bunn is the first participant in the incident to speak out publicly about the events that led up to the deaths. The 43-year-old said by the time the sweat lodge ceremony began, the participants had undergone days of physically and mentally strenuous events that included fasting. Investigators are considering bringing charges in a case that has cast a spotlight on James Arthur Ray, a millionaire self-help guru who led dozens of people into the lodge during a five-day retreat that cost more than $9,000.
SOURCE: Associated Press
Created by USA WEEKEND magazine, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. The day will be structured similar to Community Plunge, including cleanup activities. Service plans will not be canceled because of inclement weather conditions. For more information, visit the Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs on the third floor of the Campus Center or e-mail osema@ithaca.edu.
Snow storm sets record for earliest Ithaca snowfall
Last Thursday and Friday’s snow storm set the Ithaca area, including the city and the town, record for the earliest snowfall of one inch or more. About 1.6 inches of snow fell during the 24-hour period ending at 7 a.m. last Friday according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University. The previous record for an early snowfall exceeding 1 inch was Oct. 17, 1970, when four inches of snow fell in the Ithaca area. Accumulations of about 3.5 inches in Newfield, 2.5 inches in Freeville and 2.1 inches in Etna and Groton were reported by the National Weather Service. The forecast for this weekend is a mix of rain and flurries.
Resident discovers fossils dating back to last glacier
Ithaca resident Gregory Colucci was among the SUNY-Plattsburgh geology students who accidently discovered the remains of an ancient harbor seal near Lake Champlain while collecting mud samples. The bones have been donated to the geology collections of the New York State Museum. Robert Feranec, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the State Museum, said he believes they date back to the existence of the Champlain Sea, during the end of the last glacial cycle about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. The bones that have been uncovered at the site include a fibula, a tibia, four vertebrae, a jaw bone and what may be ankle and foot bones.
Dug Road Bridge closed to vehicles for repairs
The Dug Road Bridge in the town of Lansing will be closed for deck repairs until tomorrow. During the construction, the bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic but open to pedestrians. After the bridge is reopened additional work will continue. For more information, contact the Highway Division at 274-0300.
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The Ithacan 3
Employment rates remain low for graduates By Lily Oberman staff writer
Brian Kaiser ’09 is working part time at Best Buy in Brockport, N.Y. Even though Kaiser earned a degree in computer information systems while at Ithaca College, he said he has had no luck in finding a job suited to his field of study. Kaiser is currently using a headhunting company and searching online for jobs while taking online courses to help improve his Web design skills. But he said he doesn’t see much hope in the job market. “[The headhunting company] has a bulletin board, which they’re used to having full of positions,” Kaiser said. “Now they have one or two [postings] up at a time, if that. There aren’t as many available jobs as there were awhile back.” Kaiser is not alone in his experience. Mimi Collins, director of communications for National Association of Colleges and Employers, said a very small group of the class of 2009 had jobs secured by the time they graduated and that hiring rates were expected to drop even lower for the class of 2010. “Right now, it looks like hiring is going to be down 7 percent compared to last year,” Collins said. “[And] last year was obviously not a good year.” According to the United States Department of Labor, unemployment among college graduates has increased during the current economic recession. The number of unemployed persons who have obtained a bachelor’s degree has increased by 136 percent since 2007, with more than 2.2 million college-educated adults unemployed in the United States. John Fracchia, associate director of Career Services at the college, said about 98 percent of graduates from the college find jobs or attend graduate school a year after graduation but in the past year, that number may have gone down. “Last year, overall jobs and internships that were offered to our students were down 15 percent,” he said. Melissa Blitzstein ’09, who graduated with a master’s degree in secondary education at the college, is currently living at home in New Jersey. She has been unable to find any fulltime teaching positions and plans to start substitute teaching once she is certified in the state of New Jersey. “The only jobs that are available right now
By Leah Tedesco Assistant News Editor
From left, B.J. Whetstine and David Christoper, recruiters from the Peace Corps, talk to students last March in Textor Hall at a Job and Career Fair. Employment rates for graduates have been decreasing. File Photo/The Ithacan
are long-term subbing positions,” Blitzstein said. “I’m just waiting for [my application] to go through … and then I can start substitute teaching. That’s going to be most of my income in the near future.” According to the Economic Policy Institute, an organization that researches the United States workforce, the unemployment rate for college graduates below age 27 has hit 7.1 percent — the highest average in 30 years. Steve Jacobson ’08, a cinema and photography major who is currently living in Los Angeles, hasn’t started looking outside his field of interest just yet but said he may have to start looking elsewhere soon. “I’ve told myself that unless I am literally and completely broke, I won’t look for a job outside my field,” Jacobson said. “But it may be coming to a point where I have to go check out McDonald’s.” Jacobson has found some temporary projects, such as editing music videos and doing work for an independent film company, during the past year. For the second year in a row, though, he has found himself unemployed during the fall. Employers also expect to cut back on the
number of interns they will be hiring. According to NACE, employers will cut internships by nearly 21 percent this year. Kelley Zenger-O’Brien ’09, also a cinema and photography major, has been able to find a number of unpaid jobs while living in Los Angeles. She chose to take unpaid internships instead of applying for jobs that had nothing to do with her degree. “I’m going to stick with finding unpaid jobs that will help me get more experience rather than taking an office job right away just to pay the rent,” Zenger-O’Brien said. “[Internships] are pretty easy to get just because a lot of people don’t have the experience that graduates have.” Zenger-O’Brien said her parents have been helping her financially while she waits for a stable job offer. She said she hopes the connections she makes while doing unpaid work will eventually lead to a paying job. Even though she said she is happy with her unpaid internships, Zenger-O’Brien did not think she was going to be interning after college. “It was surprising that it’s been so difficult,” she said. “I thought it would be easier just to get an entry-level job.”
Students to dress as ghosts in global climate protest By Sara Friedman Contributing Writer
In an effort to bring environmental awareness to Ithaca College, students and faculty will walk around the campus dressed as ghosts tomorrow. This day of action is part of an international endeavor to raise awareness by a national organization called 350, a global grassroots campaign aiming to stop the climate crisis. Susan Allen-Gil, environmental studies and sciences associate professor and chair, introduced the event to the college through her international environmental policy class. “We wanted to participate in an international day of action where people from all over the world will be making public displays of awareness about climate change,” she said. Sophomore Sofia Johnson will be participating in the event. She said students and faculty will be wearing sheets as ghosts to show the morbid aspect of climate change. “We are dressing up as ghosts to show the death of species and to get people’s attention,” Johnson said. Allen-Gil said the event’s name comes from the amount of carbon
Board grants compensation for employees
dioxide that the world needs for ecological life to be safe — 350 parts per million. This week, pillowcases on stakes outside Campus Center display facts about climate change to inform the campus community. Atlas Health Care Linen Services, a local organization that sells linen and apparel, donated hospital sheets to the class to make the ghosts’ costumes through “upcycling” — taking an object that would be trash to someone else and making it into something else. The students will dye the bottom of the ghost costumes blue to demonstrate the rising sea level. Ghost costumes will be distributed from 11 a.m. to noon tomorrow in the Campus Center. This week, other advocates of environmental awareness participated in the 350 national campaign. Environmentalists in downtown Ithaca gathered Sunday to spell out 350 on The Commons. At the college, Allen-Gil said the grounds staff will draw a large 350 on the lawn in front of the Fitness Center. A picture will be taken of all of the ghosts there so the event can be
Sophomores Sofia Johnson and Michelle Uberbacher spray paint each other’s ghost costumes Friday afternoon outside the Center for Natural Sciences. Andrew Casper/The Ithacan
showcased on the 350 Web site. Several different groups across the world will also participate. According to the 350 national Web site, a group in Ghana will plant 350 trees to raise awareness. In Washington, D.C., 350 people will ride bikes around the Capitol to bring attention to climate change. Jon Warnow, director and national coordinator of 350, said he hopes tomorrow’s event will raise awareness for the International Day of Action and the United Nations Day on Saturday. “The time is building up to the U.N.
negotiations, which occur in December,” he said. “We want to draw awareness to this environmental issue.” According to the national 350 Web site, part of the 350 mission is to influence government leaders. Warnow said he hopes the climate change legislation in the United States will pass before the U.N. negotiations. “Hopefully, we will get something out of the U.N. negotiations,” Warnow said. “It may not be finalized, but we hope to get a treaty to start addressing the problem.”
The board of trustees approved a one-time compensation program for faculty and staff in response to a projected $3.3 million surplus created by the freshman class. The compensation went into effect in employees’ paychecks last Friday. The compensation will give employees $500 each plus an additional 1 to 3 percent of their base pay, which means a full-time employee will receive a minimum of $750 and maximum of $1,500. Compensation for part-time employees will be distributed based on the number of months they work during the school year. The expenditures received from the surplus of freshmen have allowed the college to pay for the restoration of the TIAA-CREF to 8.75 percent, a salary raise of 50 cents above the living wage and the compensation. These three expenditures total $1.9 million and will be drawn from the operating budget. Carl Sgrecci, vice president of finance and administration, said the college was keeping its word on a commitment made last semester. The compensation was put into the executive budget in February because the college didn’t give wage increases for the current fiscal year. “We have exceeded our targeted enrollment which enabled us to turn around our financial situation,” he said. Sgrecci said the board of trustees, the budget committee and President Tom Rochon decided on the $750 minimum to recognize the lower salary income level. Rochon said an employee on the higher pay scale could receive a 1 percent base pay and employees on the lower end of the pay scale could receive up to 3 percent. “In percentage terms, this makes a bigger difference to people at the lower end of our scale, and everyone involved in developing this particular plan thought it was important to do that, rather than having a single percentage that applies to everybody,” he said. Those not eligible include any faculty or staff member hired on or after June 1, 2009, part-time faculty holding per-course appointments, part-time coaches with a special compensation structure and any employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Raj Subramaniam, associate professor of health promotion and physical education, said though he was pleased with receiving a check last Friday, he was disappointed that the compensation is only a onetime thing. He said he would have preferred a salary raise. “If you get a 3 percent raise in the base salary, in the long run, it is going to add up,” he said. “This one-time compensation doesn’t do anything more.” Eligible faculty member Deborah Rifkin, assistant professor of music theory, history and composition, said the compensation is a good compromise on the college’s part. “This is a compromise-positionway of un-freezing the salaries for this year by not adding a potential liability to our budget in the on going future during uncertain economic times,” she said.
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Thursday, October 22, 2009
Previous unions failed at college labor from page 1
Tompkins County Workers’ Center at their Labor Day picnic, an award traditionally reserved for a local employer who engages in questionable labor practices. Carl Sgrecci, vice president of finance and administration, said an open and competitive environment ensures both union and nonunion groups equal opportunities. “It pretty much comes down to who gives us the lowest bid,” Sgrecci said. Marsh said in the past the college has utilized local workers in campus construction projects. “What’s changed so dramatically that the college now has to insist on the bottom line?” Marsh said. “What I thought we brought to the campus was skilled local labor, professionalism, quality work. They have no loyalty to that concept.” Sgrecci said 69 percent of all construction workers hired for the project live within an hour of Ithaca. Forty-six percent are union workers and 54 percent are nonunion workers. “How much more local do you want to get?” Sgrecci said. Mark Coldren, associate vice president of human resources, said employers are bound by law to not block the attempts of employees to unionize if there are enough interested individuals. “I don’t think as an employer we go out and say ‘Gee, we need some unions,’” Coldren said. “As an employer we would never stand in their way. What we would do is try to listen and find out what it is that are issues for folks and then try to help them decide whether that’s what they want to do or don’t want to do.” But the college has historically been less than supportive of employees who wanted to unionize. When faculty at the college tried to unionize in the early 1980s, former college president James J. Whalen blocked the union by citing the Yeshiva decision, a Supreme Court decision that said fulltime faculty members of private institutions were “managerial” and therefore not entitled to negotiate through a union. Don Beachler, associate professor of politics, said he was not surprised that the college received the Goat of Labor award and that the college should have received the award in previous years. “They’re anti-union,” Beachler said. “They use methods that I would call legal but not ethical to intimidate workers out of forming unions.”
Plan
from page 1
Steven Harvey, a member of a local union, passes leaflets to cars entering campus in August. The union workers were protesting the college’s decision to hire nonlocal, nonunion contractors.
Allison usavage/the ithacan
He said when the college’s electricians tried to unionize in 2005, former college President Peggy Williams told them their benefits would be open to negotiation. The union was unanimously voted down. In 2001, the college’s Dining Services workers, who are employed by the food service provider Sodexho, experienced similar failure. Under federal labor law, employers are prohibited from threatening employees for considering joining a union. But Beachler said provisions in the law heavily favor employers. “It’s the college with all of its power against an individual,” Beachler said. “A union gives you the collective power of a group of workers.” Roy Pealo, facilities maintenance supervisor, said in the late 1970s the college’s maintenance employees were members of the North American Carpenters Union, but the employees eventually chose to dissolve their union. “It wasn’t really doing anything for the people,” Pealo said. “It never helped us.” In 2003, 26 Public Safety employees voted to join the Local 507 of the United Government Security Officers of America, the only employee union on campus today. Master Patrol Officer Erik Merlin, acting president of the local union, said the union has been
successful in negotiating additional health care options for its members. “There is no real advice to be given or secret benefit to being a member of a union,” Merlin said. “You will get out of the union what you put into it.” Since 1981, maintenance employees at Cornell University have been represented by the United Auto Workers Local 2300. Harry Evans, former president of the union, said the union gives workers a voice. “One person can’t make a difference, but if you do it together in solidarity, you get a little bit more power — at least you get the chance to say what you need to say,” Evans said. But Pete Meyers, coordinator of the Tompkins County Workers’ Center, said employees often lack the knowledge and experience to form unions. “Workers are afraid to organize,” Meyers said. “They think they’ll get fired. It’s going to be organizations like us who help push the envelop.” Zillah Eisenstein, professor of politics, said the recent pressures put on faculty because of the over-enrollment could be enough for faculty to mobilize again. “Either we’re going to make a statement that says ‘This is not OK,’ or we’re going to become the new bottom line,” Eisenstein said.
ALANA increase part of large class students from page 1
tino Society, said while she was pleased that more ALANA students have enrolled at the college than in prior years, the college shouldn’t focus on the numbers alone when measuring its diversity. “It is about making sure that all students have the resources necessary for a successful college experience,” she said. “It means having the administration, faculty and an educational initiative that can embrace multicultural students and studies.” John Rawlins, assistant director of the Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs, said while the report reflects how the college has improved the recruitment and retention of ALANA students, the college can always do more. He said he thinks one reason for the college’s historically small ALANA population is high school students’ lack of knowledge about searching for colleges and the application process. He said admissions office programs such as local high school group tours and the admitted ALANA
Climate plan approved by deadline
student program Inside Look help educate ALANA students about the college application process. “That’s a much larger problem not specific to Ithaca College,” he said. “But I think we do a good job addressing some of those issues, for example, with the special high school tours [the college does].” Rawlins said his office is integral in fostering a community among ALANA students. Speaker series, social activities, the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar program and events such as the CrossCultural Leadership Retreat are among the many ways the office tries to make ALANA students feel included on campus. “[Events like these] are a great way for students to feel like ‘I’m here, and this is a community I can thrive in,’” he said. “So long as we do things like that and make them feel like they have a place here, we’ll continue to see improvement.” Senior Tiffany Cheng, president of the Asian Culture Club, said the report shows that the college is making progress to attract more ALANA students overall but said the ALANA community deserves
From left, then-freshmen Stephanie Sang, Natalie Bell and Kevin Nhieu attend last year’s MLK Celebration in Emerson Suites.
File photo/the ithacan
more support in the college’s academics. She said she would like to see the creation of an Asian studies minor, more classes devoted to Asian and cultural studies and more speakers and lectures directed to the Asian community. She said her club has been filling this gap in the community with its programming, providing social activities for Asian-American students as well as raising awareness to all students about issues affecting Asians. “We’re not only informing the campus community but also showing non-White and Asian students that we’re concerned about where they come from,” she said. “We’re trying to make an effort to build
some kind of family for them so they don’t feel isolated on a campus where it might not be inclusive for them.” Maguire said this year’s larger ALANA class is a positive outcome of the college’s largest freshman class, which is at 2,027, according to the report. But he said the college won’t “rest on its laurels” and will continue its recruiting efforts. “I’m encouraged by the progress but interested in more,” he said. “I don’t view as what we’ve achieved this past year as ‘We’ve finally arrived,’ in terms of multicultural diversity on campus — we’re a long ways from that. However, I do think it’s steady upward progress that we can be proud of.”
hope for a “silver bullet” technology that has not yet been developed to eliminate the college’s remaining emissions. In order to become carbon neutral, the college will most likely have to purchase carbon offsets. Buying offsets means that the college would pay another company to reduce carbon by planting trees. These carbon credits are supposed to be equivalent to the amount of carbon the college produces, therefore canceling out it’s greenhouse gas emissions. The carbon offset market is unregulated by the Federal Trade Commission. The College of the Atlantic, which claims to be the first institution to become carbon neutral, spent $21,500 to offset its remaining 2,150 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. If the college wanted to buy its way out, it would cost the college $640,000 in carbon offsets, based on 2009 prices of offsets. Brown said it would be better for the college to invest in its energy infrastructure rather than purchasing offsets. “We ruled it out pretty soon because we think that to buy your way out of it doesn’t solve the problem,” Brown said. The college also set itself apart from other institutions by reaching the national deadline. More than 650 institutions have signed the president’s climate commitment to become carbon neutral. Of the 392 early signers of the commitment, only 88 made the Sept. 15 deadline. “I don’t think anybody should be ashamed that they didn’t make it,” Brown said. “I think we should be proud that we did make it.” Sgrecci said the plan will save the college money over time. More efficient lighting, appliances and HVAC require less energy and cost less to operate. Also, future legislation attached to carbon-intense forms of energy will increase the price of nonrenewable energy. It’s also expected that as fossil fuels deplete, prices will rise. “So much of this is common sense based,” Sgrecci said. “What’s good for the carbon footprint is good for the budget. … It’s a win-win.” Sgrecci said the college should not stop trying to become energy efficient for financial reasons but should go the extra mile to become carbon neutral, even if it requires buying offsets. “The quality of life on our planet isn’t a factor which can’t be necessarily equated to a financial equivalent,” Sgrecci said. The goal of 2050 was set based on evidence from reports from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2007 that state if something is not done by 2050, possible climate disasters could happen, Brown said. But Brown said climate scientists are now recommending substantial reductions by 2020. She said the college might need to decrease its carbon emissions sooner. “It’s another thing we need to come back to the table and say, ‘Hey folks, if we can step this up faster, we need to try to do so,’” Brown said. For now, the plan will stay at 2050, but if resources are available, then the college will move more quickly. The next step is implementation, and Brown said that the college must follow through at the budget table. “This is where we need to hold our own feet to the fire — to make sure that this plan becomes operational through the budget process so that facilities, next year, will have the resources they need to start to move these things forward,” Brown said.
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Stopping the violence Community groups join to help bring attention to domestic abuse By Gillian Smith Staff Writer
Advocate groups in the Ithaca community and student organizations from Ithaca College, Cornell University and Tompkins Cortland Community College will join to participate in outreach programs to help raise awareness for Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. About 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are physically assaulted each year in the United States, according to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. Events during the month will include the “Clothesline Project” and “Go Purple Day, ” collaborations of the college and the Advocacy Center in Ithaca. The Advocacy Center in Ithaca is a nonprofit organization that serves people of all ages who have experienced domestic violence, according to education intern and volunteer Kailey Denzer-Weiler, a junior at the college. Heather Hampdell, media relations director for the Advocacy Center, said the center is holding many events during the month to raise awareness about domestic violence in the community. Hampdell said the center will coordinate with IC Feminists for the “Clothesline Project.” The project will be shown at TC3, Cornell, the college and at DeWitt Park. Hampdell said the project is a collection of T-shirts that are decorated by local survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Event planner of IC Feminists senior Joy Kucinkas said the “Clothesline Project” will be held today and tomorrow in Emerson Suites. She said it is one of the most moving projects the organization is involved with. “We want students and faculty at Ithaca to be aware of the Advocacy Center’s services, which provide support for anyone who is affected by domestic violence,” she said. Domestic Violence Awareness Month originated from the Day of Unity, a celebration on the first Monday in October held to end violence against women and children, according to Kenya Fairley, program manager for the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. Fairley said there are three themes for the month: to mourn the victims that have lost their lives to domestic violence, celebrate the work that they have done and bring together advocates who are working to unite around the cause. “It is important for everyone to observe this day so they can be aware of what the issues are, what the warning signs are and most importantly that they can get help,” she said. Denzer-Weiler said the center also offers support groups for women, men and children who have been victims of rape, sexual assault and physical abuse. She said a library and a shelter for domestic violence victims are also available through the center. Another major event will be “Go
Senior Kim Lareau and freshman Hawley Brett, members of IC Feminists, answer questions at the “Clothesline Project” yesterday afternoon in Emerson Suites. The shirts on display were decorated by victims of domestic abuse.
Andrew Buraczenski/The Ithacan
Purple Day” on Thursday. Hampdell said the Advocacy Center would like everyone in the community to wear purple ribbons or clothing in support of survivors. The ribbons will be available on campus as well as at Gimme! Coffee and Collegetown Bagels. “We are encouraging people to join together to show that we in the community have support for survivors of domestic violence,” she said. The ribbons will be attached to fact cards with information about services that the center provides. Hampdell said there will also be a volunteer information meeting Thursday at the Cornell University Cooperative Extension, where volunteers can talk about their experiences.
“We have trained volunteers who are members of the community as well as IC students who commit to volunteering with us for at least a year and go through our 50-hour training and then take volunteer shifts on the hot line,” she said. The Advocacy Center is also planning many specific outreach programs to spread awareness about the issues surrounding violence. Denzer-Weiler said there is a 24-hour hot line run by volunteers that provides crisis counseling, advocacy, support and referrals to victims of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse. Fairley said domestic violence is a prevalent issue. “Approximately one in five female high school students re-
ported being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner,” she said. “In addition to the risk for injury and death, victims of dating violence are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior, unhealthy dieting behaviors, substance use and suicidal attempts.” Fairley said many national organizations also observe the month through services, candlelight vigils, galas and other events. “It is important to celebrate this issue and raise awareness about it because domestic violence affects not just individual lives but the entire community,” she said. “The prevalence of domestic violence knows no particular race, class, income level or status.”
6 The Ithacan
Thursday, October 22, 2009
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Graduate selects alternate path Erika Spaet ’09 never thought she would end up in a small community in Oregon working as a full-time volunteer when she left college. Spaet said she came to Ithaca College hoping to have a career in long-form magazine journalism when she graduated. But when her senior year started, Spaet took a slightly different route. While her friends hunted for jobs, Spaet, then a double major in journalism and politics, secured her place in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps — a nondenominational program that began in 1956 and supports communities in 19 locations throughout the Northwest. Now in her second month as a JVC fulltime volunteer, Spaet works as a community organizer for the Partnership for Safety and Justice in Portland, Ore., advocating for a fair criminal justice system. When not working for the nonprofit organization, she lives with other JVC volunteers. Staff Writer Rebecca Webster spoke with Spaet about the volunteer work she is doing in Oregon. Rebecca Webster: Why did you decide to join the Jesuit Volunteer Corps? Erika Spaet: At a certain point during my senior year at Ithaca I decided I didn’t really want to go for the traditional route and hope for a job. I didn’t even look at other volunteer opportunities either because I was looking for something that was a little bit more holistic and a little bit more involved. The unique part about the Jesuit Volunteer Corps is that it involves a different approach to living. I live in a community with seven other people, and it’s a spiritual community. RW: What does your job entail? ES: With the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, we’re placed in a position with different nonprofits throughout the country. I am the membership organizer for the Partnership
for Safety and Justice, a grassroots advocacy nonprofit that advocates policies that will ... help [the] criminal justice system. I do volunteer coordination and outreach to our members to organize and create a community for incarcerated individuals and their families. I kind of bring them together so that we can advocate for policies that will make the current justice system more just. RW: Was it difficult for you to take a different route when your friends were getting jobs? ES: At times, especially at graduation and [when] a lot of my friends were getting jobs or internship opportunities in fields that they studied. [With] the work that I do now as a community organizer, I definitely rely heavily on my communication skills and the things that I learned at the Park School. It is difficult [not having a journalism job], but I really knew that I wanted to do something where I felt like I was making a difference in a community. RW: Why do you think it’s important for students to learn more about these types of post-graduate opportunities? ES: Not only do I have my job, where I’m learning skills about how to be a community organizer, which is definitely a career skill, but then I come home and my housemates and I have discussions about social justice, what it means to live simply and what it means to be sustainable and have a spiritual life. I love that I’m given the space and the time to have those kinds of discussions and really work on the kind of person that I want to be. I feel that in a traditional job I would feel a lot more isolated. I’m glad that I have this opportunity, and I hope that this centeredness that I feel every morning in my community will transfer … to a job that I go to every day.
Say no to beef
From left, members of the Farm Sanctuary Acadia and Esa Merson attend the Walk for Farm Animals on Sunday on The Commons to help raise awareness about how animals are treated on factory farms. Esa hands out T-shirts while Acadia gives out posters.
Alexis mcnutt/The Ithacan
8 The Ithacan
Thursday, October 22, 2009
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Public Safety Incident Log SEPTEMBER 10 FIRE ALARM LOCATION: Dillingham Center SUMMARY: Fire alarm activation caused by dust from construction. System reset. Operations Manager Steven Yaple. MEDICAL ASSIST/ILLNESS RELATED LOCATION: West Tower SUMMARY: Caller reported a person having abdominal pain. Person transported to CMC by ambulance. Patrol Officer Daniel Bechtold. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF LOCATION: S-Lot SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person damaged a vehicle. Incident occurred between 1 and 2:45 p.m. Investigation pending. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke. CASE STATUS CHANGE LOCATION: Office of Public Safety SUMMARY: Owner reported a stolen bike was found and returned. Larceny reported in the Lower Quads on Sept. 9 was unfounded. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke. MEDICAL ASSIST/INJURY RELATED LOCATION: J-Lot SUMMARY: Caller reported a person fell and sustained an ankle injury. Person transported to the Hammond Health Center. Patrol Officer Dirk Hightchew.
SEPTEMBER 11 V&T VIOLATION/DWI LOCATION: Flora Brown Drive SUMMARY: During a traffic stop, driver was arrested for DWI. Uniform traffic tickets were issued for Town of Ithaca
Court for driving while intoxicated, failure to signal turn and no rear plate lamp. Person also judicially referred. Sergeant Bill Kerry. UNLAWFUL POSS. OF MARIJUANA LOCATION: Landon Hall SUMMARY: Five people judicially referred for marijuana. Patrol Officer Daniel Bechtold. UNLAWFUL POSS. OF MARIJUANA LOCATION: L-Lot SUMMARY: Officer reported finding a bag containing marijuana paraphernalia. One person judicially referred for unlawful possession of marijuana. Patrol Officer Jeffrey Austin. CCV/UNDERAGE POSS. OF ALCOHOL LOCATION: Circle Apartments SUMMARY: Two people judicially referred for underage possession of alcohol. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke. CCV/FIRE SAFETY RELATED OFFENSES LOCATION: Circle Apartments SUMMARY: Officer reported a person with an open flame on a balcony. Person warned for having open fire in barbecue grill. A bottle of lighter fluid was confiscated. One person judicially referred for possession of a flammable liquid. Fire Protection Specialist Enoch Perkins.
SEPTEMBER 12 CCV/UNDERAGE POSS. OF ALCOHOL LOCATION: Conservatory Drive SUMMARY: During a traffic stop, driver was judicially referred for irresponsible use of alcohol, and two passengers were judicially referred for underage posses-
The Ithacan 9
selected entries from September 10 to September 13
sion of alcohol. A campus summons was also issued for through stop. Patrol Officer David Amaro. CCV/UNDERAGE POSS. OF ALCOHOL LOCATION: Flora Brown Drive SUMMARY: One person judicially referred for underage possession of alcohol. Patrol Officer David Amaro. CCV/UNDERAGE POSS. OF ALCOHOL LOCATION: Circle Lot 1 SUMMARY: One person judicially referred for underage possession of alcohol. Sergeant Bill Kerry. CCV/IRRESPONSIBLE USE OF ALCOHOL LOCATION: Circle Lot 1 SUMMARY: Person transported to CMC by ambulance and judicially referred for irresponsible use of alcohol. Sergeant Bill Kerry. FALSELY REPORTING AN INCIDENT LOCATION: West Tower SUMMARY: Officer reported unknown person maliciously activated the fire alarm system. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer David Amaro. ASSAULT/NO WEAPON LOCATION: Terrace-Circle Walkway SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person struck a person in the face causing injury around 11:45 p.m. Sept. 11. Investigation pending. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke. UNLAWFUL POSS. OF MARIJUANA LOCATION: Circle Lot 13 SUMMARY: Person transported to CMC by ambulance and judicially referred for irresponsible use of alcohol and unlawful possession of marijuana. Sergeant Bill Kerry.
EXPOSURE OF PERSON LOCATION: Circle Lot 4 SUMMARY: One person judicially referred for indecent conduct. Patrol Officer Daniel Bechtold. UNLAWFUL POSS. OF MARIJUANA LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Three people judicially referred for unlawful possession of marijuana. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke. EXPOSURE OF PERSON LOCATION: Circle Apartments SUMMARY: One person judicially referred for indecent conduct. Patrol Officer David Amaro. CCV/IRRESPONSIBLE USE OF ALCOHOL LOCATION: West Tower SUMMARY: Officer received a report from a caller indicating a person fell and sustained an eye injury. Person transported to CMC by ambulance and judicially referred for irresponsible use of alcohol. Patrol Officer Daniel Bechtold. MEDICAL ASSIST/INJURY RELATED LOCATION: Hill Center SUMMARY: Caller reported a female injured her back during an intercollegiate volleyball match. Person was transported to CMC by ambulance. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke.
was judicially referred for irresponsible use of alcohol. Patrol Officer Daniel Bechtold. CCV/OPEN CONTAINER LOCATION: Circle Lot 1 SUMMARY: One person judicially referred for having an open container of alcohol. Patrol Officer David Amaro. CCV/UNDERAGE POSS. OF ALCOHOL LOCATION: Circle Apartments SUMMARY: One person judicially referred for underage possession of alcohol. Master Patrol Officer Erik Merlin. MEDICAL ASSIST/PSYCHOLOGICAL LOCATION: Garden Apartments SUMMARY: Caller reported receiving text messages indicating that a person may harm him- or herself. Person was voluntarily transported to CMC for evaluation. Master Patrol Officer Erik Merlin. CCV/UNDERAGE POSS. OF ALCOHOL LOCATION: Substation Road SUMMARY: Two people judicially referred for underage possession of alcohol. Patrol Officer Daniel Bechtold. For the complete safety log, go to www.theithacan.org/news
Key cmc – Cayuga Medical Center CCV – College Code Violation DWI – Driving while intoxicated IFD – Ithaca Fire Department IPD – Ithaca Police Department MVA – Motor vehicle accident RA – Resident assistant SASP – Student Auxiliary Safety Patrol
SEPTEMBER 13 CCV/IRRESPONSIBLE USE OF ALCOHOL LOCATION: Hilliard Hall SUMMARY: Caller reported a person was intoxicated. Person was vomiting. Person declined medical assistance with ambulance staff and
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OF ALC son decline SUMMARY: Y: Caller rep IPD investigatlly referred PO Per AR icia GE MM jud RA SU DE e and CCV/UN Terry O’Pray. rol Offiwn person. nt Pat kno 3 gea l. by ambulanc a Lot Ser by oho es le Circ rassed rred Kerry. LARCENY use of alc tural Scienc LOCATION: judicially refe Sergeant Bill irresponsible Center for Na UANA One person ing incident. LOCATION: htold. pending. ohol. Patrol SS. OF MARIJ SUMMARY: cer Daniel Bec UNLAW PO Y: Investigation session of alc AR ll pos 6 Ha MM ge n R SU era tma BE Eas for und LOCATION: judicially reSE PT EM l Bechtold. ION DWI One person on of mariOfficer Danie BE R 16 V&T VIOLAT SUMMARY: Boulevard ssi SE PT EM OL Grant Egbert awful posse p, the TY . OF ALCOH LOCATION: fer red for unl icer Chris Teribury. a traffic sto UND PROPER er RAGE POSS FO DE ring UN Du s Off V/ Y: wa rol SUMMAR over CC Lot 6 juana. Pat Y ON: East Tow DWI. Person le ned ATI LAR for tur Circ RG LOC : ed rred BU and ON est refe n nd LOCATI judicially driver was arr traffic tickets for Tow East Tower ARY: Keys fou sOne person BE R 9 LOCATION: m pending. to SUMM SUMMARY: of alcohol. Ma ety. SE PT EM issued unifor for DWI and failure Investigation possession to Public Saf SUMMARY: urt . for underage of Ithaca Co . Driver refused chemicer Erik Merlin EST TUS GU Offi STA rol OF nal SE Y in Pat sig CA ter BE R 17 ONSIBILIT use tur n CHANGE IN led to appear SE PT EM CCV/RESP son schedu tor Hall on pt. 9. Person LOCATION: Terraces uncal test. Per LOCATION: Tex TY ed larceny NT Court on Se warned for LEN PROPER Officer report ded. STO s HARASSME Y: OF ent AR irtm SS. MM Town of Ithaca lly referred. Patrol Of- SUMMARY: One person jud SU oun person Circle Apa CRIMINAL PO icia being haident was unf LOCATION: sion, and one was also jud Aug. 28. Inc : Baker Bridge ler reported of guest. . ON age posses Cal g. old ATI ility der tion Y: din cht sib LOC iga AR Be pen l est pon SUMM . Inv for res ficer Danie Investigation known person Amaro. cially referred BE R 10 SUMMARY: OL rassed by a vid ry O’Pray. SE PT EM . OF ALCOH rol Officer Da Sergeant Ter FETY LOG, RAGE POSS pending. Pat MPLETE SA CCV/UNDE TUS ALCOHOL R THE CO Wood Field OL STA OF p FO . OH SE Car SS : rred CA .org/news ALC PO ON IN LOCATI POSS. OF CHANGE judicially refe l. CCV/UNDERAGE w.theithacan GE son ww RA ads to per DE Qu e go UN er On oho Sept. 9. lly CCV/ ATION: Low Circle Lot 4 SUMMARY: sion of alc LOCATION: rred LOC was judicia y reported on ON: L-Lot ge posses judicially refe ARY: Larcen One person o- LOCATI . for undera . One person rol SUMM SUMMARY: session of alc James Landon s unfounded SUMMARY: of alcohol. Pat underage pos KE Y Patrol Officer Incident wa possession ge referred for aro. era Am und vid OL Da for cer . OF ALCOH Amaro. hol. Patrol Offi ter RAGE POSS EM BE R 11 Officer David PT Medical Cen SE s CCV/UNDE uga ED ent Cay – LAT rtm C CM on ESS RE Circle Apa e Code Violati judicially re- MEDICAL ASSIST/ILLN LOCATION: Y ted CCV – Colleg e people LAR Fiv xica pel RG ses Y: into Cha BU AR pos ile ller g wh SUMM erage ON: Mu un- DWI wn Drive ed a person LOCATION: East Tower DWI – Drivin nt se and und cer LOCATI orted an ON: Flora Bro Caller report ets were Fire Departme nt ferred for noi r Patrol Offi reported in- SUMMARY: Caller rep a residence LOCATI SUMMARY: IFD – Ithaca m traffic tick ohol. Maste ice Departme d ARY: Unifor zure. Officer e . Pol ere sei MM sion of alc zur urt ca a ent SU sei Co Itha ing no hav nt IPD – person n of Ithaca occurred fainted and vehicle accide di- known Donald Lyke. y. Incident issued for Tow dividual had MVA – Motor declined me stole jewelr OL Sept. 7. InIndividual nt assistant geant and . OF ALCOH R 12 g. 24 and occurred. RA – Reside ety Patrol Officer h IFD. Ser RAGE POSS between Au PT EM BE t Auxiliary Saf SE g. Patrol CCV/UNDE den istance wit din Stu ass – pen P n cal ation SAS L-Lot rred vestigatio and Transport LOCATION: judicially refe Terry O’Pray. V&T – Vehicle y Austin. One person RTING fre and Y: PO l Jef AR RE oho Y MM alc SEL SU FAL Drive session of wn Bro pos ra rol ISE ge Flo Pat NO era : SIVE Master for und LOCATION pending. FIRE CCV/EXCES n container. ents Investigation FIRE ALARM pus Circle Apartm having an ope e. SUMMARY: judicially LOCATION: : Lower Cam d Lyk stic trash Five people rol Officer LOCATION Officer Donal reported a pla ces. SUMMARY: on. Pat ARY: Caller lati MM vio SU se See the fa . noi referred for beat e LARCENY th ter l Bechtold. el Cen nie Da pus Fe Cam unACCENT LOCATION: orted an ices. Caller rep Hear the vo SUMMARY:
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acan The Ith
The Ithacan 13
Thursday, M ar ch 19, 2009
WHO’S ON TOP?
Research shows college students are reversing the stereotypical gender roles when hooking up
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EVAN FALK/THE ITHACAN
BY MICHELLE SKOWRONEK ASSISTANT ACCENT EDITOR
Eric, an Ithaca College freshman, has something his friends don’t — his virginity. It’s not because he has bad luck with girls. Eric says he just has different ideas about hooking up. Though his friends might not get it — new data show that plenty of other college students do. Rebecca Plante, associate professor of sociology, recently conducted a nationwide survey researching the hooking up behaviors of college students, who defined a “hookup” as an intimate physical interaction outside of a relationship — from kissing to having intercourse. Plante presented the results of her four-year-long study to the campus community on Feb. 25. in a lecture called “Hooking Up in the Little City.” She said a common misconception on college campuses is that males are searching for hookups but not relationships and that females are looking for serious commitments. But her local research found that students are reversing these assumed gender roles. “I found that some guys at Ithaca College don’t want to have sex with every girl they see,” Plante said. “[And] some girls on this campus are strictly not looking for a relationship.” Though Eric’s teammates on the football team laughed when he told them he has never hooked up with anyone, Plante’s research proves his passive approach to the opposite sex is not as uncommon might think. students as Other students — who, along with Eric, asked to have their full names withheld — have also reversed the gender stereotypes. Caitlin, a junior, said she’s not interested enough in anyone to dedicate time to a relationship. She said she takes a casual approach to hooking up. She said her hookups have mostly been with men she knows personally or through a friend, not people she chooses at random. “I just let whatever happens happen,” Caitlin said. “If I don’t meet someone, I either go home or crash at a friend’s place.” Plante’s nationwide data did not show
a change in percentages of sexually active young adults, but her interviews with Ithaca College students revealed that those who are hooking up take a different approach than their parents did, during a time when men were typically the ones to initiate a date, hookup or relationship. Justine, a sophomore, said when
“I’m just along for the ride; I want to follow her lead.” —ERIK
she goes to parties with her single girlfriends, she notices they often take on a traditionally masculine role by seeking out a hookup for the night. “Girls want to feel important,” she said. “Some might use hooking up as a validation of that.” But for many women, hooking up doesn’t always mean racking up notches on the bedpost. Plante’s research found that women often look for a steady partner in order to build a physical connection with a sexual rhythm. She said when having sex with a partner for the first time, heterosexual women only orgasm 32 percent as often as men do. The percentage increases each time the two partners have sex. Plante’s statistics show that women in a relationship experience an orgasm 79 percent as often as their boyfriends. She said moving from man to man does not usually leave a woman sexually satisfied. “It’s obvious women need to have sex multiple
times with the same partner to climax,” Plante said. Erik, a sophomore, said he knows pleasing women takes time and attention, so he takes a backseat when it comes to hooking up. “For me, the girl dictates the pace and determines whether or not a hookup takes place,” he said. “She also determines if there is more to the hookup or not. I’m just along for the ride; I want to follow her lead.” Erik said letting one woman in particular assume the dominant role led him to what he said is the best relationship he has ever had — though he said it’s up to her to decide when they will make it official. “I would ask her out right now, but I don’t want to rush anything,” he said. “Whenever she’s ready, I’m ready.” Jessie, a junior, said though many of her girlfriends are looking for a serious commitment, she doesn’t plan on having a relationship in college. “I don’t really have the time and energy to dedicate to another person,” she said. “It’s hard enough trying to get through all of the things I have to do on a day-to-day basis without worrying
DEFINING THE DEED
about someone else all the time.” Jessie said not only is living the single life liberating, it also prevents possible disappointment. “Most guys aren’t looking for a relationship, so if you go in without expectations, you’re less likely to get hurt,” she said. Eric refrains from hooking up not because he doesn’t know how to woo a woman but because he chooses not to. He said opportunities are out there for him and others like him, but taking someone different home every night is just not his style. “I’ve turned down hooking up a few times in high school and in college and not because I didn’t find the girls attractive,” he said. “Hooking up outside of a long-term relationship just isn’t for me, and I get ridiculed for it.” Eric thinks he stands out among the traditional crowd of drunk, sex-driven college students at weekend parties, but he said he wakes up in the morning with no regrets. “For those that do bother me about it, they look at it as me being inferior to them,” he said. “I look at it as not conforming to their pressures and expectation of me.”
e of Get a tast with the action acan The Ith Online.
Students interviewed for this article define the ambiguous term “hooking up” in their own words.
engaging in sexual relations with a person whom you are not in a relationship with – beyond just kissing.
kissing, making out, maybe a little more, like some gentle boob action.
making out or having sex with someone on a consistent basis but not having a relationship.
anything sexual that happens between two people that aren’t in a long-term relationship.
anything more than making out — all forms of sex included.
anything from kissing to having sex and getting heavy in between.
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hacan.org
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Opinion
10 The Ithacan
Thursday, October 22, 2009
editorials
Work without fulfillment
College should seek to create work-study jobs that enhance the college experience and help greater Ithaca community
T
his year, 100 randomly chosen freshmen were given new jobs in the Office of Facilities doing largely the same work as custodians to fulfill their federal work-study packages — a placement that does not serve the goals of the work-study program. Students chosen to work as custodians perform all functions of full-time custodians with the exception of cleaning restrooms. The jobs were created because of the more than 400-student surplus and lack of available work-study jobs that many students were promised. The custodial staff serves a vital function at Ithaca College and should be recognized for creating comfortable conditions for learning and teaching. Custodians have been asked to compensate for internal cuts by attending to more space with a smaller work force. Instead of hiring more staff, the college turned to the surplus of freshmen. Though it was a fiscally smart decision, since the government matches students’ minimum wage pay, offering students custodial work as their only work-study option is inappropriate. While freshman-level work-study jobs like custodial and dining hall service help the college community, they are not always a perfect fit for students. In the past, students who were dissatisfied with their jobs had other options. But now, with the surplus of students, work-study jobs like these are more permanent. Federal work-study jobs should enhance a student’s education and promote community service in addition to helping meet the costs of higher education, according to the U.S. Department of Education. When students are paying more than $40,000 to attend the college, they should be placed in jobs that teach them practical skills and allow them to help others. When the college was creating federal work-study jobs to meet the increased demand, it should have created jobs in service activities such as tutoring or looked to local nonprofit organizations and local public agencies. Such work experiences can broaden students’ educations and expose them to new perspectives and people. If the college creates additional work-study jobs for students, it should seek opportunities that reach beyond the campus.
Bomber pride
Alumni and Homecoming Weekend promotes community and saves money
F
or the first time, Ithaca College combined its Alumni and Homecoming weekends into one event held Oct. 8 to 11 — a smart decision that saved the college money and brought students and alumni together. In the past, Alumni Weekend was held in June, when school was not in session. By combining the weekends and holding them in October, the college was able to encourage more people to attend, creating a more engaging social atmosphere. Alumni were also given the opportunity to see the campus in action. Holding two separate events in the past was expensive for the college, having to accommodate between 500 and 800 people each weekend. Of all the college’s cuts and money-saving measures, combining the weekend was a practical choice that made for a better time. Through events like the Senior Happy Hour, the college was also able to facilitate networking opportunities for current students and especially those who are about to enter the work force. Alumni connections are important assets to the campus community, and the college is privileged to have them. Keeping the weekends combined in the future is encouraged as the event created a stronger sense of pride among students — past and present.
your letters Homecoming Weekend a success I must admit that in May of my senior year at Ithaca College, I was ready to go. I spent four years enjoying all that Ithaca had to offer, but it was time to move on. However, six months out of college, I found myself desperately needing to return to the place that I feel has played a huge role in my development as a global citizen and a leader. I, along with many of my classmates, returned for Homecoming and Alumni Weekend to relive pieces of our four years, if only for a weekend. I am pleased to say that I enjoyed every bit of my time back in Ithaca. I loved the fact that the college made the decision to merge both of the events, because I think it is important for alumni to experience the campus when it’s at its busiest time. So many things had changed, from the new doors in the Campus Center to the third floor where I spent most of my time. Things like new administrators and Terrace 13 made it evident that the college was ushering in a new era. The only thing I was disappointed about was the number of people at the pep rally. In the two years that I planned the pep rally, we had both alumni and current students attend. I really hope in years to come, the pep rally becomes something that people look forward to, like Cortaca. I hope that students develop a stronger
Difficult Dialogues not a dialogue
The Difficult Dialogues Committee has done a great disservice by fomenting a Limbaugh-like atmosphere opting for the most extremist of speakers, far outside the mainstream of discourse. The committee confused “difficult” with “extremist” dialogue. One can only imagine the difficult dialogue about race relations if the committee had chosen only David Duke. The campus anti-Israel faction can no longer claim that the Palestinian voice is unheard on campus. The ferocity with which every on-campus, pro-Israeli comment is attacked has intimidated students still exploring their political and cultural ties to Israel. Very little learning and dialogue takes place when students are fearful of being verbally accosted and shouted down in writing. Recent letters to the editor support this allegation. How can there be dialogue when one side controls the forum of expression and limits access, as is the case with ICView, in which pro-Israel views, limited to letters to
the editor, are not given equal prominence or length? Where is the dialogue in the Difficult Dialogues when the respondent offers no cogent rebuttal because his perspective is only slightly removed from the extremist position of the speaker? In both instances, the anti-Israel faction used its power and position to intimidate and limit, rather than promote, dialogue. I encourage the mainstream pro-Israel community to become proactive and assertive, for the pro-Palestinian group to stop shouting and listen and for those who control the flow of information on campus to foster an atmosphere in which students, faculty and staff can explore ideas without fear. Dr. Peter Rothbart Professor of Music Theory, History and Composition LETTER POLICY The Ithacan welcomes correspondence from all readers. Please include your name, graduation year, organizational or college title/position and phone number. Letters must be 250 words or less. The Ithacan reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and taste. All letters must be received by 5 p.m. the Monday before publication. All letters must be signed, submitted in writing and either e-mailed to ithacan@ithaca.edu or delivered to Park 269.
Speak your mind. Write a letter to the editor ithacan@ithaca.edu
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The Ithacan Lindsey hollenbaugh editor in chief Allison musante Managing editor Elizabeth sile opinion Editor Jacqueline palochko news Editor ashley may assistant news editor Leah Tedesco assistant news editor michelle skowronek accent editor
sense of school pride. From experience, it is that sense of pride that makes your years in college memorable. Thank you, Ithaca College, for a great weekend, and I look forward to furthering my commitment to the institution. Cornell Woodson ’09 Former SGA President
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Opinion
Thursday, Octobe r 2 2 , 2 0 0 9
The It hacan 11
Guest commentary
Difficult Dialogues not a balanced discussion O n Oct. 7, Marc Ellis came to speak as a part of the Difficult Dialogues Symposium. While this presentation was difficult, it was certainly not a dialogue. A dialogue is defined as “an exchange of ideas or opinions.” What happened that night neglected to fulfill that definition. Instead, audience members were treated to an extraordinarily biased, and at many times offensive, presentation on the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. Morgan The first, and perhaps most Goldstein important, problem with the event was the lack of balance, both in presentation times and in opinion. Ellis spoke for 45 minutes, while the person chosen to respond to Ellis, Sanford Gutman, had only ten minutes to speak. Gutman also was not truly an expert regarding the Middle East. According to an Intercom announcement (as well as the SUNYCortland Web site), though Gutman has an interest in the Arab-Israeli conflict, his scholarship lies in the French Revolution and Jews in France. Gutman also stated that he did not receive a copy of Ellis’ speech in advance and was inadequately prepared to speak. Many of his comments were not spent critiquing Ellis’ speech but instead stating he “admired and agreed with” Ellis. What took place, then, was not an “exchange of ideas or opinions” but a powerhouse presentation by Ellis followed by a short, awkward agreement from Gutman. The second major problem is Ithaca College’s and Ellis’ emphasis on Jews, as opposed to Israelis. Posters for the event asked if there was a “future for Jews and Palestinians.” This question — if the goal was in fact to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — is inaccurate. For the record, Judaism is a religion while Palestinian refers to a nationality. Israeli, which would have been the correct term to use, does not mean Jewish: There are approximately one million Israeli-Arabs
Lilly miller
These signs are a-changin’
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Sanford Gutman, professor emeritus of history at SUNY-Cortland, speaks at the Difficult Dialogues Symposium Oct. 7 in Emerson Suites. Goldstein says Gutman’s speech did not offer a critique. Marlee Pradichith/the Ithacan
(people of Arab ethnicity who are Israeli citizens) living in Israel. However, a person attending the event would never have known that: The speakers did not refer to “Israelis” but rather“Jews” or occasionally “Jewish Israelis.” The final problem is one that was truly frightening to see on a college campus. During the question-and-answer session, members of the audience asked Ellis thoughtful questions that in many cases challenged his comments from earlier in the evening. Instead of providing equally thoughtful answers, Ellis refused to answer the questions and instead deflected them, making jokes and finally, insulting the people in attendance when he said the discussion had become “silly.” The questions asked were not silly, though they often differed in opinion from Ellis’ beliefs. The fact that a speaker brought in by the college would respond in such a hostile way is offensive and a sad reflection on the administration.
It is wonderful that the college is attempting to have dialogue about difficult topics in today’s world. However, in order to have a true dialogue, the college must make an effort to allow for “active, open inquiry” as the Intercom announcement stated Oct. 1. This means people presenting should be experts on the actual topic discussed, should actually differ in opinion on the topic and should both be given enough time to thoroughly present their opinion. This also means that just as the speakers should be shown respect, members of the audience who ask questions should not be brushed off as “silly” and should be provided with thoughtful answers. Hopefully, the college will make improvements to the program and the next “Difficult Dialogue” will actually involve dialogue. Morgan Goldstein is public relations chair for Student Alliance for Israel. E-mail her at ic.safi@gmail.com.
Guest commentary
Symposium exposed campus to controversial views
A
fter having heard so much about Jewish studies professor and liberation theologian Dr. Marc Ellis, I was both thrilled and terrified to hear him speak as part of Ithaca College’s Difficult Dialogues Symposium. Brooke Any honest Reynolds discussion of the conflict in Israel and Palestine has proven difficult, painful and often quite incendiary; many anticipated as much with this event as well. His message was nuanced, clear and raw: Just as the Holocaust, with all its suffering and cruelties, has been written into our modern-day understandings of Judaism, so must the atrocities committed against Palestinians in the name of religious right. In his book “Unholy Alliance,” Ellis asks:“What happens when, while continuing to sort out the debris left by the Holocaust, the Jewish community itself commits atrocities in the name of its own survival?” In asking this question, Ellis seeks not to elevate one atrocity over another — either recognizing the suffering Jews endured or the plight of Palestinians — but rather to bridge them. Ellis reminded us that both catastrophes must be given voice. The perspective shared by Ellis, though held by many throughout the
little fish, big pond
Marc Ellis, director of Jewish studies at Baylor University, speaks Oct. 7 in Emerson Suites as part of the Difficult Dialogues Symposium.
Marlee Pradichith/The Ithacan
world, often goes unheard in U.S. academic institutions. The reason for this is simple: It challenges the dominant discourse and exposes realities that many have an investment in ignoring. Too often, we succumb to the desire to marginalize dissenting voices whose messages threaten the integrity of our own constructed realities. And too often, those with the largest investment in silencing oppositional viewpoints also have the power to do so. The college’s decision to bring a speaker like Ellis was a courageous move that demonstrated its commitment to the exploration of painful and controversial topics. It is of utmost importance to hear voices that make us question our own
convictions, for this is how we grow and learn. However, there is also a point at which students have to take responsibility for their own learning. During the question-and-answer session, it was apparent that some students were continuing to plug their ears to what Ellis was trying to say. In a series of diversions, students laughed, spoke over him and otherwise devised maneuvers so as not to have to hear or take seriously a painful, yet crucial, message. As for the questions themselves, I was humiliated and disappointed to see the closed-mindedness, disrespect and — quite frankly — racism that dripped from the inquiries of some of my peers. Asking questions such as, “Would you want a potential
bomb-threat walking down your street?” and “I heard you deny the Holocaust. Is this true?” some students proved themselves incapable of listening and unwilling to learn. Equating Palestinians to terrorists and anti-Zionists to Holocaustdeniers, students were able to justify to themselves their immature and dangerous refusal to engage in a truly difficult dialogue. Certainly, this is not a reflection of the college as a whole or of the entire audience that evening. Emerson Suites was packed, and I know many people who were grateful for the opportunity to confront this difficult issue as a community — through dialogue. And, despite the negative responses from some, I consider this event a success. Through the Difficult Dialogues Symposium, a controversial and often silenced voice was finally heard. Though some may not have taken away as much as we hoped, it is a step in the right direction that the conflict in Palestine and Israel has, though momentarily, come to the forefront of our minds. On the path to a more nuanced understanding of the world around us and the roles we play in it, speaking out and listening carefully are crucial. Ellis provided us with a perspective that we can learn much from. Now, it is up to us to listen. Brooke Reynolds is a senior planned studies major. She can be reached at breynol3@ithaca.edu.
All opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of The Ithacan. To write a guest commentary, contact Opinion Editor Elizabeth Sile at 274-3208.
oing home for fall break, I expected things to be different. I had left, so clearly my hometown would be depressed, I thought. Apparently it found ways to move on because life was relatively normal. The uniform at my high school was still there, and my parents still weren’t letting me drive at night. Being 19 years old and in college and having your mom drive you places is apparently the only way to get around. Coming back to Ithaca College, I assumed everything would be how I left it four days earlier. Little did I know that there would be more changes made here during fall break than my entire town made in a couple of months. For those who don’t know, Ithaca now has street signs on campus. And by street signs, I mean resort-looking signs that belong anywhere but here. A friend and I noticed the signs driving from the Circle Apartments to Landon Hall after break. “What are these?” she asked. “They look like they’re for old people,” I said. “Can you imagine actually using them?” she laughed. “I’m driving around Alumni Circle right now towards Egbert. I wonder if they’re on Google Earth.” “If these are on Google Earth, I’m actually embarrassed,” I said. “They probably spent $2 million on them, too,” she said. Seriously, with the economy how it is, who decided to fork out the cash to get street signs on campus? Driving back, we took note of the directions and signs, laughing at how absurd the names were. “I wonder what road Park is on,” she said. “Probably Writer’s Street or Production Drive,” I said. Park’s road isn’t named, and our reasoning led us to determine that it’s because it’s a parking lot and not an actual street. This is the only logical explanation. “On tours, I can imagine them saying ‘If you look to your left, you’ll see the Whalen Center for Music on Conservatory Drive,” she said. “Then one of those kids would come up to a student and ask for directions to some road, and we would have no idea what they were talking about,” I said. “That would be awkward.” Laughing more than needed at these new signs, I realized that eventually the shiny white posts would grow dirty and they would become just as much a part of the college as I have. Even though they seem ridiculous and out of place now, they don’t do any real harm other than make me wonder if my address might change. Maybe I should let my parents know that the next letter they send should be addressed to “Lower Quad Drive” or something. Lilly Miller is a freshman journalism major. E-mail her at lmiller1@ithaca.edu.
12 The Ithacan
Thursday, October 22, 2009
accen t
mixing spaces with races Thursday, Octobe r 2 2 , 2 0 0 9
The Ithacan 13
From left, sophomores Kevin Nhieu and Ledon Black.
photo illustration by allison usavage and chris carlon
By monica Watson Staff writer
When sophomore Amber Hammonds, who is African-American, moved into her freshman dorm last year, she was greeted by her Caucasian roommate. While living together, Hammonds realized their differences were as clear as black and white. “I think I was the third black person she had met in her life,” Hammonds said. “She might say it was an eye-opening experience for her, or she might be one of those people who would say they got educated and such, whereas I would say, ‘Yeah, that sucked.’” Sophomore Robyn Lustbader, Hammonds’ roommmate from freshman year, said she did find it to be eye-opening because she had limited experiences with other races in her town. “When she had a lot of her friends over and they were all African-American, it was definitely a good experience for me hanging out with people of a different race,” she said. The majority of interracial roommates at Ithaca College are randomly placed together. Though the initial reaction of these roommates may not be positive, living with another race can help dismiss stereotypes, according to a new study. Natalie Shook, assistant professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University, conducted a racial experiment at Ohio State University with Russell Fazio, a psychology professor at Ohio University, that studied the racial interactions of 260 anonymous freshman roommates. They found that after three months, students living in the interracial dorm rooms showed a positive increase in their racial attitudes, whereas those in same-race rooms didn’t show any change over time. Shook also found at the beginning of her research that initially students in interracial rooms spent less time in their rooms and were less satisfied with the living situation. Shook said her research shows people have a harder time interacting with members of a different race. “We’re generally much more comfortable with people who are part of the same group that we are because we feel that we have more in common, more shared experiences,” she said. Bonnie Solt Prunty, director of Residential Life and Judicial Affairs, said if there was a problem between roommates at the college that had to do with race, Residential Life would handle it as they would handle any other roommate conflict. “If it’s a situation where the students haven’t even met, our position is that we wouldn’t move students in anticipation of there being a roommate conflict,” Prunty said. “So we would at least ask
you were because you didn’t want to answer questions.” Seniors Craig Moses, Will Gaskins and Aubrey Manning have lived with interracial roommates since their freshman year. Moses, Caucasian; Gaskins, African-American and Chinese; and Manning, Puerto Rican, AfricanAmerican and Blackfoot Indian, live in the Circle Apartments together. Gaskins said he and his roommates are comfortable talking about race because they are so immersed in it. He said they joke about it every day. “We gang up on Craig and make fun of him, but he gives it right back to us,” Gaskins said. “I always tell him that he has gold buried under his house. Or Aubrey and I will be in the kitchen cooking and, [Craig will] walk in and be like, ‘Smells like chicken.’ But it’s all in good fun. We all get along really well.” Manning said while he doesn’t think the rooming situation has had a huge effect on him, living with Moses has made him more aware of another culture. “Just getting used to Jewish holidays and customs like how they won’t eat for a certain time after a certain holiday, or that they celebrate Hanukkah instead of Christmas,” he said. “It does open your eyes to different cultures.” Sophomore Kevin Nhieu, who is Asian-American, said he was worried freshman year about rooming with one of his roommates after hearing he was from Jamaica. “I did have a few stereotypes in mind,” Nhieu said. “I had the idea that he would consume a lot of alcohol or smoke marijuana, but after meeting him and getting to know him, I learned that wasn’t true.” Sophomore Ledon Black, Kevin’s roommate from freshman year who is now a resident assistant in Boothroyd Hall, said living with people of different backgrounds can be a learning experience and a way to fight stereotypes. “When [Nhieu] met me he was probably kind of surprised because I don’t drink or smoke at all,” Black said. “Stereotypes aren’t always true. That’s what Kevin found out and what I found out.” While a lot of people may say that they don’t believe in stereotypes and therefore don’t need to interact with people of different backgrounds and races, Moses, Manning and Gaskins all agreed that this ideology is impossible. “To say that there are no stereotypes at all, I feel is pretty ignorant,” Moses said. “To embrace the fact that you’re truly comfortable around another race, you have to accept the fact that there are stereotypes you have to overcome.”
Living with roommates of a different race can break stereotypes and boundaries
Right, sophomore Amber Hammonds studies in her Terrace dorm room. Hammonds no longer lives with her freshmanyear roommate. Lauren decicca/the ithacan
Far Right: From left, seniors Aubrey Manning, Craig Moses and Will Gaskins play a game of cards Monday night at their Circle Apartment. Allison usavage/the ithacan
them to move into their room, meet each other and give each other an opportunity to get to know each other before they make a decision about whether they can or can’t live together.” Prunty said living with people of different backgrounds and races can create a much more enriching college experience for students. “Some of the students who have had the richest experiences during their time here at Ithaca have had them because they’ve done something that the idea initially made them a little bit uncomfortable,” Prunty said. Hammonds said Lustbader would make comments that may have seemed innocent but were actually offensive. “She would say things that she heard in rap songs, and she’d be like, ‘What — that’s not OK? I can’t call you that?’” Hammonds said. Lustbader said when she sang “n----r” in that instance she didn’t realize it was considered offensive or inappropriate. “It was fair of her to get upset at the word,
but in the context of me just singing along to a rap song, it may have been an overstated reaction,” Lustbader said. Belisa Gonzalez, professor of sociology, said the July 2009 New York Times article “Interracial Roommates Can Reduce Prejudice” regarding the study did not discuss some of the negative effects on students of the nondominant race. “While the overall effect might be positive, it’s positive for the white students and not necessarily the students of color,” Gonzalez said. “Unfortunately, the burden is usually put on the person who isn’t in the dominant group to explain and teach the person who is.” Janet Cobb ’89, a former African Latino Society member who is African-American, said when she was at the college races didn’t usually mix because they were more comfortable around each other. She said the thing she was most uncomfortable discussing with her white roommate was hair. “I found it difficult because as black people we don’t wash our hair every day, and at night you usually wrap your hair with something,” Cobb said. “If I went to the bathroom, I had to take my hair out because I didn’t want to be questioned. You kinda hid a part of who
[ a ccentuate] 14 The Ithacan
Hot or Not
Thursday, October 22, 2009
This week’s hits and misses
Networks have succumbed to the easy laughs and easy budget of comedic shows this season. Staff Writer Anne Gould Northgraves takes a peek at the hilarious and laughably terrible programs.
Hot
Modern Family One of the best shows of the new season, “Modern Family” details the riotous everyday lives of three branches of the Pritchett and Dunphy families. The patriarch of the family, Jay, is recently remarried to a much younger Colombian single mother, Gloria. His daughter, Claire, has an “average” family of three moody kids, and her husband, Phil, just wants to be cool. Jay’s son, Mitchell, and his partner, Cameron, deal with parenting troubles and their recently adopted daughter. With such a quirky family, hijinks undoubtedly ensue — some that may remind people of their own relatives.
Lukewarm
Community Going back to college never seemed more appealing. The new NBC comedy about adult students at a community college has more going for it than against it. The cast, headlined by Joel McHale, is stellar. The show features actors like Chevy Chase, who plays a creepy old student, and Danny Pudi’s fast-talking, pop-culture nerd. Guests stars include “Daily Show” comedian John Oliver as a know-it-all British professor. Jokes fly hard and fast, but the plots can be hit-or-miss. The story lines never quite jell or progress. Despite the problems, there is still hope that “Community” might develop a higher quality of humor.
Not
Hank Comedy veteran Kelsey Grammer stars in ABC’s “Hank,” about an ex-corporate executive forced to downsize his family from upscale New York City to the Virginian suburbs. Despite Grammer’s past success in “Frasier” and the original concept that speaks to current economic concerns, “Hank” is flat and humorless. Though the show attempts to bring a pompous man down to average-Joe size, the comedy talks down to the audience, making “Hank” wholly unappealing.
“
On point and on pitch
Junior vocal performance major Daria Harper performs her solo, “I Don’t Want to Wait,” with Premium Blend, Ithaca College’s all-female a cappella group Oct. 12 in Emerson Suites. The group was formed in 1998 and has a repertoire ranging from Regina Spektor to R.E.M.
michelle montgomery/the ithacan
the throwdown omg!
Everyone is obsessed with babies on YouTube. Parenting values aside, a wide array of kids have gotten their chance in the spotlight. Forget cute shuffling and head shaking, kids nowadays are going all out with dance moves. This 3-year-old tried her hand at Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” A few more years and some lessons and she’s bound to have the moves down pat. But can her cute performance top the “Single Ladies” baby? — Aaron Edwards
hot dates thursday
Haunted History Tour, an inside look at the horrific tales behind venues and landmarks in Ithaca, will start at 7 p.m. outside Center Ithaca on The Commons. Tickets are $13. St. Vincent, a multi-instrumentalist singer, will perform at 9 p.m. at Castaways on Inlet Island. Admission is $12 in advance.
versus Beyoncé’s hit “Single Ladies” has been getting a lot of attention lately. But arguably the best tribute to the song to date is a video of a baby dancing along with Sasha Fierce on TV. Clad only in a diaper, the baby imitates the moves in the “Single Ladies” music video to the best of his infantile ability. And you’ve got to admit the kid’s got rhythm. Don’t miss the diva-licious arm move in the first few seconds. — Heather Karschner
quoteunquote
No, no, no, no ... There will not be a lot of ... hugs given, at any point, by Sue Sylvester. Actress Jane Lynch to NPR on Oct. 7 on the development of her tough-as-nails character, Sue, on the hit Fox TV series “Glee.”
friday
IC Voicestream, a coed a cappella group at Ithaca College, will perform from 7:30 to 11 p.m. in Emerson Suites. Admission is free. Three Monkeys, a drama directed by Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, will be shown at 7 p.m. in Willard Straight Hall at Cornell University. Ticket prices range from $4-$6.50.
saturday
Lost Sailors, a Grateful Dead tribute band, will perform at 9 p.m. at Castaways on Inlet Island. Admission is $7. Moshtoberfest, an event featuring rock bands Bone Jar, Check Engine and Absolution Project, will start at noon at The Haunt off Route 13. Admission is $10.
sunday
DJ Law, a local DJ, will play a collection of goth and industrial rock from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. at The Haunt off Route 13. Admission is $3. First Day, a play about a man’s first day on the job, will start at 4 p.m. at the Kitchen Theatre downtown. Ticket prices range from $18-34.
Accent
Thursday, Octobe r 2 2 , 2 0 0 9
The Ithacan 15
Local colleges team up with director in new film By Whitney Faber Staff Writer
Students flock to the Tompkins Cortland Community College extension center across from the Starbucks downtown. As they wait anxiously, clutching scripts, a casting director ushers them in one by one to a room with a panel of judges. These students are hoping this audition could lead to their big break. Students from TC3 are working with Michael Kehoe, a writer, director and producer with extensive Hollywood experience, to make a new independent film called “Pimp Laundry.” Kehoe has worked on popular films such as “Jerry Maguire,” “Panic Room” and “Star Trek.” On a special visit to TC3, Kehoe met Cory Grogan, a third-year student who showed Kehoe around the campus. The two began talking about scriptwriting. After his visit, Kehoe signed a contract saying he would make two feature-length films with TC3 students. The first is a comedy co-written by Kehoe and Grogan, which follows an innovative college student who tries to earn money for school. The true identity of the character’s work is where the entertainment begins, as members of the community begin to suspect that he is running an immoral business. Shooting for the film began Oct. 3 at the Ithaca Yacht Club. Kehoe, who is originally from Trumansburg, said he wants the entire film to be shot in Ithaca. He said the abundance of students and community members interested in independent filmmaking is why he came back. “I love the area,” he said. “There is a score of wonderful filmmakers here, very talented filmmakers.” Grogan said the cast and crew will depend on the community for help in finishing the project by its August 2010 deadline, as it is such a smallbudget film. “Community support has been vital because we don’t really have a budget at this point, and so far, the community has come through in spades,” he said. Director Jeff Lower, a TC3 student, said he hopes to show the strong aspects of the town and the people working on the film in the
From left, Suzanne Vandermark and Masa Gibson role-play at the open auditions for “Pimp Laundry” held last Thursday at the Tompkins Cortland Community College extension center.
Eduardo maguey barrera/the ithacan
finished product. “I really want to show the natural beauty of the area and, more importantly, the passion that all the people involved in this project have,” he said. Kehoe and Lower also hope to include stu-
dents from Cornell University and Ithaca College in creating the film. An open audition was held last Thursday for students and community members. About 25 students from Cornell and the college attended. Assistant Director Matthew Watkajtys, a
junior at the college, said getting experience outside of the college is important for film students when it comes time for them to get a job in the industry. “Ithaca College is a great school, but the school will only take you so far in the industry,” he said. “Without the real-world experience, you have nothing.” Grogan said working with students has its disadvantages because of their imperfections and inexperience, but Kehoe wants students to be in all principle and supporting roles. “Mistakes will be made by everyone, but we’re all learning, which is the most important thing right now,” he said. Kehoe achieved success in the independent film industry with the screening of his film “Second Dance” at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival and by creating his own production company, Taughannock Entertainment. He said a large part of what he wants to do with this project is share his success with students from the area. “If I can support the students — the filmmakers of tomorrow — I can then produce their films,” he said. “I can nurture some of these young filmmakers of today that will be the big filmmakers of tomorrow.” For the second film with TC3 students, titled “She Monster,” Kehoe will be directing the film, playing a more hands-on role. Currently, he acts mainly as a producer for “Pimp Laundry.” The two films will be screened in August 2010, along with short films and commercials made by students in the Ithaca community. He hopes the event will also include an announcement for the commencement of the Taughannock Film Festival — an opportunity in the future for students as well as professional filmmakers to showcase their work in Ithaca. Kehoe said he wants this film to be the beginning of many features filmed and screened in the Ithaca area. “With these films that I am going to make with the TC3 students, I am hoping it catches a fire,” he said.
New Collegetown café uses local ingredients By Kelsey Fowler Contributing Writer
Sebastian Villa ’07 plucks a carrot from a local farm in Ithaca and examines its freshness to make sure it will complement the flavors of the other vegetables and herbs he picks. For his Vietnamese restaurant, Xeo’s Café, Villa makes sure that every single ingredient is local. Villa is the owner, founder, manager and sole employee at Xeo’s (pronounced “say-oh”) in Collegetown. Luckily, he only has three tables to worry about. Villa graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in drama and a minor in art history, but he said his passion for local food led him to open Xeo’s on Sept. 16. “A big part of the concept of the place is that there is one person in charge of food, from getting it out of the ground, to preparing it, to serving it,” he said. “I’m all about keeping it simple.” Villa runs Xeo’s from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. The only time he is not in the café is when he is out picking up food from farms. He said his menu allows him to prepare most meals in the morning, making cooking multiple meals easier. “Our mission is about knowing the food all the way from conception to serving it,” he said. “It’s about being strongly connected to the entire process. Everything starts with the food itself.”
Customers may be surprised though, when they arrive at Xeo’s and the café is closed in the middle of the day, but Villa said he enjoys going out to get food because it’s important for him to know where the food comes from. He makes it a point to talk with customers about every step in his preparation process. “I wanted to have a hands-on approach,” he said. “I can tell you a story about everything I’m serving you, how I got it and how I prepared it. I just wanted it to be a really personal experience for the customer.” Cindy Kramer, an Ithaca resident for 18 years, said she enjoyed her first experience at Xeo’s. “What got me in the door was the sign outside that says, ‘Locally grown,’” she said. “And I love the board inside that lists where all the food comes from. It’s educational while providing good food as well.” Villa’s strategically placed whiteboards hang above the counter, listing every menu items’ description, price and ingredients. Unlike the restaurant serving Vietnamese food across the street, Villa said he offers different menu options daily. He said with a large community interest in Asian food, opening a restaurant in Ithaca was easy. It also helps that Villa comes from an Asian background. “My mom is Vietnamese,” he said. “So she cooked Vietnamese food a lot,
Sebastian Villa ’07 chops lettuce Tuesday for a Vietnamese-styled dish at his restaurant, Xeo’s Café, in Collegetown. Villa is the only employee at the café, but he still makes it a point to buy fresh food from local farms every day. Andrew Buraczenski/the ithacan
but it wasn’t until I worked in a Thai restaurant that it kicked me back to those flavors I hadn’t thought about for a while.” Villa said he never planned on getting involved in the restaurant world at first. He said what prepared him the most for running a business was not necessarily the degrees he received, but the organizations he was involved with at the college. “I was in charge of IC Players and IC Triple Threat,” he said. “And running those programs was like running a business. The budgets, hiring for shows — it helped me a lot. Directing a play is just like directing a restaurant.”
But Villa didn’t come into the business completely green. He worked for two years as a manager at Taste of Thai, which he said helped him tremendously when it came to contacting the right people to set up his own business. He said he wants to be the only worker in the restaurant for now. Villa said he likes handling everything from buying the food to ringing up customers. Villa said Xeo’s is currently the only restaurant in the city of Ithaca that serves food entirely made from local ingredients. He planned the menu around things he knew grew locally. “The menu will change depending on the season,” he said. “But I really
want to keep it affordable. There’s this stigma that local food isn’t practical or that it has to be expensive. My dishes are really accessible.” Caroline Hugh, a senior biology and society major at Cornell University, said her bánh mì, a Vietnamese sandwich, at Xeo’s tasted great. “I can see the freshness,” she said. “There’s more flavor, and you can taste the difference.” Hugh said that the novelty of the café was what drew her in. “It’s really hard to know where your food comes from,” she said. “In fact, most places you don’t know. So I really appreciate that here it’s made to order and fresh.”
16 The Ithacan
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thursday, Octobe r 2 2 , 2 0 0 9
Accent
The Ithacan 17
Senior’s poetry inspires group Jaylene Clark plans biggest year ever for Spit That! By Alexandra Evans Contributing Writer
“Yes, Baby, I know you love me, but that is something I will not do / I will not choose / To create the biggest snafu / Let me break it down for you like a reversed haiku,” senior Jaylene Clark shouts out onstage at last year’s Spit That! Open Mic Night. These lyrics from her published poem “Detrimental to my Success,” are an example of Clark’s talents as a writer and a performer. As an acting major, Clark said she is comfortable performing in front of people, which is part of the reason she started the spoken word group Spit That! She said each week the group tries to perfect a new technique in poetry reading. “You can play with a simple journal entry by adding some speed and rhythm,” Clark said. “We’ll be playing around with movement, volume and speed today.” Clark created the group when she was a freshman in 2006. A Harlem native, she was part of Urban Word, a nonprofit spoken word organization, when she was in high school. She said Spit That!’s meetings are a place where students can write in a free manner and a place for her to also practice her craft. “Spit That! is a dynamic group of people coming together in the name of poetry to express their words, to craft their talents and to just explore the many possibilities that poetry has to offer,” Clark said. She said anywhere from 15 to 30 members show up at weekly meetings. Together they have been pre-
paring for their first performance of the fall semester from 6 to 8 p.m. tomorrow in IC Square. Spit That! member sophomore Matt Sporer said people can come to watch, read their own work or do a little bit of both. “Afterwards, we’re having a cipher,” he said. “It’s a free-forall expression using words, beatboxing and voice. We’ll start it. Hopefully people will be willing to come forward and join us.” Senior Tracey Casseus, Spit That! vice president, said Clark’s work is what makes the club grow in members. “I think [the growth of the club] has been phenomenal,” she said. “I remember last week, someone sent me a text. He was walking through the quads and some kid was telling his friends [about a Spit That! meeting]. [He said,] ‘That was amazing last night, you should have been there.’” Clark said the club plans to bring more guest poets to collaborate with Spit That! in upcoming events this year. “I have some exciting prospects,” she said. “I might even get some international poets. There’s a group from Trinidad called Washikong. I would love for them to come here.” With both the president and vice president of the club graduating this spring, Clark hopes Spit That! will continue and encourages students to get involved in the group. “I would hate to see Spit That! go down as soon as I leave,” she said. “This is a positive environment. We
welcome everyone, no matter if you’ve been writing since you’ve been able to write or if you’ve never written a poem in your life. We definitely will welcome you with open arms so feel free to come through anytime.” Katharine Kittredge, professor of English and Spit That! adviser, said the club has been lucky to have a dynamic performer like Clark with a strong work ethic. “She’s been instrumental in bringing in outside poets, planning events, turning it into a group that isn’t about her,” Kitteredge said. “She’s really made it feel like a place where you don’t have to be experienced. You don’t have to be a star. Everybody is welcome.” Since she founded the group, Clark has emphasized holding the group’s weekly meetings like workshops. Sporer, who joined the group about a month ago, said he wanted to be surrounded by other people who could critique and present other examples to inspire his own writing. “When we do our rehearsals, Jaylene will take notes, and she’ll critique,” he said. “She plays kind of a director. She’s really open-minded, very enthusiastic, charismatic and really knows spoken word very well.” Clark’s dreams do not end at Spit That! Clark said she would like to publish her own book of poetry as well as release her own spoken word CD. After graduation, she said she plans to audition for professional theater in Philadelphia. “That’s pretty high on my list right now because [Philadelphia is] cheap, and it’s a place where I could
Senior Jaylene Clark discusses her daily routine with friends Wednesday in IC Square. Clark said she loves to perform in front of friends or strangers. Lauren decicca/the ithacan
get involved in non-equity shows and build up my résumé before doing a big move to somewhere like New York,” Clark said. Though her career plans point her toward acting, she said she still wants to keep poetry in her life. “Poetry is a great way to express yourself through all types
of emotions,” Clark said. “It’s a friend that’s always there, that you can always speak to. It won’t let you down because it’s an extension of who you are.” Spit That! meets at 6 p.m. every Monday in the African Latino Society room in the West Tower.
Accent
18 The Ithacan
single Tracks we’ve got on repeat
file
‘Shine blockas’
Big Boi ft. Gucci Mane Southern studs Big Boi and Gucci Mane team up for an ode to their beloved sunglasses and how they help to “block out those haters.”
‘happy birthday, Flying lotus’ Flying Lotus
The 30-minute sci-fi opus dedicated to DJ Flying Lotus features producers Exile and frequent Erykah Badu collaborator Stephen Bruner.
‘river of breaklights’ Julian Casablancas
Strokes’ front man primes his solo debut with this electro-rock record that is certain to surprise old fans. compiled by sam fanburg
Accent’s Oldie But Goodie ‘sometimes I rhyme slow’ (1991) Nice and Smooth
Though the group was established in the ’80s, this ’90s song finally helped these pioneers make their mark on the industry.
—sam fanburg
quickies
courtesy of Geffen records
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Excessive A-list cast overtakes comedic film by James hasson staff writer
It’s a widely accepted fact that boats sink if they have too many people or too much weight on them. The same can be said for romantic comedies. If they focus on a central character, then it usually is smooth sailing. “Couples Retreat” tries the same journey with four different couples, but the film’s badly executed jokes only add deadweight to the plot. “Couples Retreat” is about four couples taking a trip to Eden, a secluded tropical “Couples paradise and couples Retreat” therapy retreat. They Universal hope to relax and Pictures ignite lost sparks of Our rating: H passion with their significant others, only to find the couples therapy program is more regulated and frustrating than they anticipated. The first couple, Dave (Vince Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Akerman), is a pair of traditional suburbanites immersed in the chaos of work, children and shopping for new bathroom fixtures. Joey (Jon Favreau) and Lucy (Kristin Davis) are high school sweethearts who married young and constantly try to sleep with other people. Shane (Faizon Love) is a recent divorcé who desperately tries to fill the hole his previous wife left. He dates Trudy (Kali Hawk), an energetic, 20-year-old party animal half his age. And finally, Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell), the no-nonsense, white-collar couple that considers divorce because of their inability to have children. The movie capsizes from its
Film Review
Dave (Vince Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Akerman) participate in a couples bonding exercise in Peter Billingsley’s “Couples Retreat.” The film’s actors have starred in many recent blockbusters including “Watchmen” and “Juno.” Courtesy of universal pictures
encumbering amount of characters played by many of the popular comedic film actors seen in the last five years. Some of the actors have made face time in “The Break-Up,” “Juno” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” to name a few. The excessive amount of couples is unnecessary since they all undergo the same process of denial, realization and acceptance of their issues. There’s also the quintessential ending that leads up to four repetitious “kiss and make up” sessions. The film delivers an excess of weak, unsavory stabs at humor. For starters, there is plenty of childish, sex-based potty humor. This is embodied during a scene when a
“Raditude”
Fabio-esque yoga instructor (Carlos Ponce) dry humps the cast in a Speedo while leading them through stretches and awkward poses. The film fails where other comedies like “Zombieland” and “Extract” succeed. Where these films fully embody the exaggerated comedy theme, “Couples Retreat” seems disjointed. The movie’s themes of love and relationships are not fleshed out enough and are a recycled representations of the issues that plague many couples. If “Couples Retreat” has one saving grace, it is the quirky island resort staff. They arguably exude much more personality than the main characters. The ringleader
Seven albums into its career, Weezer collaborates with rapper Lil Wayne in Raditude. Goofy titles like “The Girl Got Hot” dominate this release.
Indie-rock group releases strong, catchy debut album by melanie sherman Staff writer
“The twilight saga: New Moon” Various Artists Atlantic Records
Indie fans will drool over this impressive compilation of Thom Yorke, Grizzly Bear and St. Vincent tracks to accompany the film.
Courtesy of Epic
Latina loses iconic flair by andrew weiser assistant sports editor
Anyone anxiously anticipating Shakira’s powerful signature vocals and easily recognizable Latin-pop infused rhythms will be left unsatisfied and clawing for more from her most recent album, “She Wolf.” The album is a far cry from her traditional Colombian sound. Instead, she Shakira adopts heavier hip-hop beats and “She Wolf” electronic sounds. Epic Working with hip-hop proOur rating: ducers Pharrell Williams, John HH1/2 Hill and Wyclef Jean, Shakira samples her staple sounds of Latin America with an electronic twist in “She Wolf.” She builds off a hip-hop beat platform, and the outcome results in a sound that falls short of what listeners have heard from her previous releases. The album’s title track, “She Wolf,” is driven by rhythmic breathing that reveals an edgier side of Shakira, which her audience may not associate with. The lyrics, “Starting to feel just a little abused / Like a coffee machine in an office,” may reflect listeners’ auditory condition when finishing the album.
Album Review
courtesy of Sony Records
“christmas in the heart” Bob Dylan Sony Records
Back with a new and unconventional album, Bob Dylan covers classic holiday songs like “Little Drummer Boy” and “Winter Wonderland.” His compilation is a reminder of the importance of holiday season traditions. compiled by sam fanburg
“Couples Retreat” was written by John Favreau, Vince Vaughn and Dana Fox and directed by Peter Billingsley.
‘Rocket’ launches into mainstream
Weezer Geffen Records
courtesy of atlantic records
of the employees is Marcel (Jean Reno), the aloof, Zen-like master of the island. He has studied everything from Tai Chi to “The Art of War” for the sake of fixing relationships. His antics generate some of the funnier dialogue in the movie. The peculiar island staff is not enough to keep “Couples Retreat” afloat. Even if they threw three of the couples and the empty humor over the side, the film would still have just been an empty shell of a romantic comedy.
Following up its catchy EP “Greetings From ... ,” A Rocket to the Moon’s first full-length album “On Your Side” proves that the popularity of its EP was no fluke. The fledgling band — which shares its label, Fueled By Ramen, with Paramore, Cobra Starship and Gym Class Heroes — has a lot of hype to live up to. With its pop-rock beats, catchy lyrics and creative vocals, A Rocket to the A Rocket to Moon proves that listenthe Moon ers unfamiliar with its “On Your Side” music may soon have a Fueled By Ramen new favorite band. Our rating: HHHH The band is currently embarking on an all-star tour with Cobra Starship and Boys Like Girls, and having “On Your Side” as new music to play on the road will surely gain them new fans. Each song lends itself to a different sound, giving the band a well-rounded, eclectic record. The first single off the album, “Mr. Right,” is a solid embodiment of the album. With its bouncy background, catchy lyrics and memorable tune, it won’t be long before listeners start bopping along. Every song shows a different nuance of A Rocket to the Moon’s musicality. “Annabelle,” the opening track, catches the listener’s attention with simple, interesting lyrics like “I need a girl, not a body with a complex.” Another track, “Like We Used To,” perfectly exemplifies relationships from a male’s perspective and shows a softer side not often heard in indie-rock. The song is about memories of a former lover, and the lyrics reminisce about watching favor-
Album Review
ite movies and dancing to “Purple Rain.” “Sometimes” takes the debut to a new level, combining the band’s normal pop-rock influences with a bit of a jazzy undertone. The band’s arrangements of acoustic guitar give the track a smooth-listening sound. Featuring Brandon Wronski, lead singer of Eye Alaska, the track meshes the characteristic indie feel of both groups to add a new dimension to “On Your Side.” “Give A Damn” and “Life of the Party” are destined to become great sing-a-long songs to belt out in the car with the windows down. “Baby Blue Eyes” shows the sensitive side of the band, with lead singer Nick Santino’s smooth vocals soaring on the song. The title track, which closes the album, is the perfect way to end a CD-listening experience. The song’s warm vocals epitomize the band’s cute, youthful essence. With a debut album as promising as “On Your Side,” it won’t be long before A Rocket to the Moon is on the same artistic level as its famous labelmates.
Courtesy of fueled by ramen
Accent
Thursday, Octobe r 2 2 , 2 0 0 9
The Ithacan 19
Feminist drama delves into complex themes [ Ladies of Dillingham fiercely tackle challenging Caryl Churchill play
ticket stub
]
valid friday through thursday
cinemapolis
By aaron edwards assistant accent editor
Conventions of “polite dinner conversation” are thrown away in Ithaca College’s production of “Top Girls,” a play by Caryl Churchill that in the first 50 minutes encompasses a dreamlike dinner sequence, which includes six women, with topics ranging from abortion to sexual escapades. The first scene of the play — which to some could stand as a separate play in itself — presents an assortment of historical, mythical and fictional women in history coming together for dinner. They are celebrating the promotion of Marlene, a high-class businesswoman played by senior Vanessa Sterling, to manag“Top Girls” ing director of an Clark Theatre employment agency. The women’s lives span centuries — a concubine from 13th century Japan and a world traveler from the 19th century, to name a few. Churchill’s writing sets the characters into a complex duel of words. Overlapping dialogue and, at times, unintelligible statements require the audience to sit up, prepare a keen ear and listen to the intricacies of the masterful language. There is an underlying message of strength and overcoming adversity in the backand-forth of the dinner guests. All of them deal with struggles and some find a way to laugh at their past. It’s important to understand that Churchill’s work is not for the run-of-the-mill theatergoer as it borders on overly erudite. The first scene is a skewed parallel to the next act. Each historic character mirrors another character in the following scenes. What’s confusing about Churchill’s piece is she placed the challenging dinner scene at the forefront of the show. Regarded as a mezzanine-clearer, even in the play’s recent Broadway revival, the scene is riddled with intense emo-
The Commons 277–6115
amelia 7:20 and 9:30 p.m. and Weekends 2:20 and 4:30 p.m. the boys are back 7:25 and 9:25 p.m. and Weekends 2:25 and 4:25 p.m. bright star 7:15 p.m. and Weekends 2:15 p.m. Capitalism: A love story 7:10 and 9:35 p.m. and Weekends 2:10 and 4:35 p.m.
theater Review
it might get loud 9:30 p.m. and Weekends 4:30 p.m. From left, senior Emily Brazee, freshman Celeste Rose and senior Vanessa Sterling talk in “Top Girls,” Ithaca College’s first main stage show this year. Caryl Churchill’s unconventional plot and overlapping dialogue make it a difficult work.
courtesy of sheryl sinkow
tion and witty humor but no traditional sense of cohesive structure. However, the battalion of actresses tackle this theatrical maze of tricky dialogue with commitment and dedication. Sterling’s regal composure and hard-hitting British gait is nothing short of believable. She exemplifies the notion that Marlene has neglected what it means to be a woman. Alongside her is a powerful ensemble of actresses. Sophomore Katie Peters, who plays the concubine Lady Nijo, is natural and effective in her emotive facial expressions and spot-on accent. Another standout in the scene is freshman Celeste Rose, who portrays the unresponsive yet hilarious Dull Gret, a figure from a Pieter Brueghel painting depicting a peasant woman leading an army of women to pillage hell. Relying mainly on physical acting — as most of her speech is limited to monosyllabic responses — Rose adds a hint of
comedy to the scene. She doubles up as Marlene’s troubled niece, Angie, in the following scenes. Her transformation is nearly flawless. Acting as a parallel to the Gothic Dull Gret, Rose’s Angie is a stunning representation of morbid eccentricity. She idolizes her Aunt Marlene, but at the same time she represents a girl who, in Marlene’s words, is “not going to make it” in a male-dominated world. After the unconventional first scene, the play moves into the traditional drama most viewers might be waiting for. Introducing a slew of additional characters, the second act examines Marlene’s relationship with her co-workers, Angie and her sister Joyce, played by senior Emily Brazee. Another doubled-up actress, Brazee also plays 19th century world traveler Isabella Bird. Her success lies in her ability to remain a strong argumentative contender while confronting the intimidating and towering Marlene about neglecting her family life.
Technical aspects of the play are a particular success. Junior Daniel Moss’ design mixes a rigid, boxy ’80s-reminiscent backdrop with a triangular table and floor pattern appropriately inspired by “The Dinner Party,” a 1979 feminist art installation of a dinner table with plates and fixtures, each commemorating an important woman in history. Moss’ bold and inspiring choice is a wonderful homage to a great work of art. To choose such a strange and difficult piece of theater to kick off the college’s main stage season is daring to say the least. However, under the direction of associate professor Norm Johnson these ladies have taken a successful and deep plunge into what is arguably one of the most complex plays of the 20th century. “Top Girls” is showing tomorrow at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. in the Clark Theatre.
Classic novelist returns with historically vivid story By jacob cohen COntributing Writer
Some may remember being required to read E.L. Doctorow’s colorful account of New York City during the turn of the century in “Ragtime.” While it’s no required reading, Doctorow’s newest novel, “Homer & Langley,” is a must for contemporary reading audiences who enjoy his work. In the book, he tells his fictionalized version of the story of Homer and Langley Collyer, two brothers born to the lavish Park Avenue lifestyle, spending most of their adult lives as antisocial shut-ins. Doctorow tells an interesting story, taking details from the truth of the brothers’ actual lives and tweaking details and times. The story is told from the point of view of Homer, the blind brother, who lost his “Homer & sight at an early age. He is a Langley: A Novel” generally resilient character, Random House who functions without a cane, Our rating: though he is entirely depenHHH1/2 dent on those around him. Homer eventually deteriorates and spends his final years trapped inside the house. Homer’s older brother, Langley, was always the precocious brother, but fighting in World War I changes him, and he comes back angry and paranoid. This is when he begins to obsessively collect newspapers and other knickknacks inside their home. Their eccentricities move the plot forward through the years, and the natural challenges and obstacles they face show how the brothers react with their own peculiar flair.
book Review
“Homer & Langley: A Novel” explores the lives of two eccentric brothers living in New York City. courtesy of random house
Doctorow has done a fantastic job of skillfully telling a story based on fact. He doesn’t bore the reader by overloading the writing with pure history but allows actual events to unravel around the main characters. He writes the fictional story to fit into historically factual surroundings, with the development of New York City occurring alongside the development of the brothers. When the neighborhood begins to fall
apart, so does the health of the brothers. “Homer & Langley” is written in an almost conversational style but from a very educated perspective. Doctorow gives the novel a clear, fluid and conscious train of thought, which goes well with the general mood of the story. The story is generally optimistic, despite how the characters’ lives develop. The narrator seems to always have an positive outlook, even when the characters’ power and water are cut off or when, for an entire summer, the neighborhood kids bombard the brothers’ house with stones. The narrator tries to consider the good first and take the bad in stride. Doctorow skillfully varies his language. He is able to combine complex words and simple sentences to make a story that doesn’t get bogged down. However, at times, his lack of punctuation makes dialogue difficult to distinguish from narration. He brings the book to life with sensory and authentic feeling that flows throughout the writing. He takes the reader into the scenes by weaving in sounds, smells and accents. For instance, Homer reminisces about going to an ice-skating rink as a child and listening as the skates scrape against the ice with “a very satisfying sound … scoot scut, scoot scut.” The general tone of the novel, and the style used, brings a musical quality to the writing. Readers will enjoy the book, as it is funny, emotional and wonderfully written. Whether it is gradual maturity or increasing isolation from the world, all of the characters undergo authentic development. The novel puts the reader in the world of two escapists, and their life story entertains from cover to cover.
julie and julia 7:05 and 9:25 p.m. and Weekends 2:05 and 4:25 p.m.
regal stadium 14 Pyramid Mall 266-7960
Astro boy 2:10 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6:50 p.m., 9:20 p.m. cirque du freak: the vampire’s assistant 1:40 p.m., 4:20 p.m., 7 p.m., 10 p.m. Cloudy with a chance of meatballs HHH 1:10 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6:20 p.m., 9 p.m. Couples retreat H 1:30 p.m., 4:10 p.m., 7:20 p.m., 10:20 p.m. law abiding citizen 12:40 p.m., 3:50 p.m., 6:40 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 12:20 a.m. Saw VI 1 p.m., 2:20 p.m., 3:20 p.m., 5:10 p.m., 5:40 p.m., 7:40 p.m., 8:15 p.m., 10:45 p.m. the stepfather 1:05 p.m., 4:15 p.m., 6:45 p.m., 9:10 p.m., 11:40 p.m. toy story 1 & 2 3-D 3:40 p.m., 7:50 p.m., 11:50 p.m. where the wild things are 1:20 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:10 p.m., 9:40 p.m., 12:10 a.m. whip it HHH 9:15 p.m. zombieland HHHH 1:50 p.m., 4:50 p.m., 8:05 p.m., 10:25 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
20 The Ithacan
Cl a ssi f ied
Thursday, October 22, 2009
for rent
for rent
for rent
Notices
AUG. 10-11 2 STORY 6BEDRM HOUSE ON Prospect St. 2 bath, 2 kitchen, 2 livingrm, 8 parkings, porch, laundry, bar. 607-233-4323 mfe1@twcny.rr.com.
NOW RENTING 2010/2011 1,3,4,5,6 Bedroom Houses+Apt. Fully furnished off street parking close to IC. Call 607-592-0150.
ELCA Lutheran Campus Ministry Nov 1st is All Saints Sunday Festival Eucharist at 10:45 AM Details @ www.StLukeIthaca.org.
2010-11 THREE BEDROOM DOWNTOWN 103 EAST SPENCER ST FURNISHED, HARDWOOD FLOORS, OFF ST. PARKING, CLOSE TO COMMONS & IC, SPACIOUS, WASHER & DRYER, DISHWASHER, $460 PER PERSON INCLUDES HEAT 607-279-3090 OR LIVINGSPACES1@MSN.COM.
IthacaEstatesReality.com “Live on the Hill” Suburban Rentals Next to campus.
2010-11 FOUR BEDROOM HOUSE 1123 DANBY ROAD QUIET BUT CLOSE TO IC, PARKING, HARDWOOD FLOORS, CARPETED, FURNISHED, WOODBURNING STOVE, YARD, PATIO WITH GRILL, GARAGE, LARGE DINING ROOM, WASHER & DRYER, DISH WASHER $440 PER PERSON + UTILITIES, 607-279-3090, LIVINGSPACES1@MSN.COM.
3 Bedrm Apt on Hudson St. with parking call 272-5210 or 279-8110. An apartment with no hassle. Hudson Heights Studio Apartments are located next to IC. We are renting for the next school year 2009-2010. We have one opening starting immediately. We are also renting for January 1, 2010 for the Spring Semester (6 months) $700/m, or a year. The rent includes: furniture, all utilities, parking, garbage and recycling, with laundry rooms on the complex. Call Cliff at 607-273-8473 cell 280-7660 for an appointment Web site www.hhithaca.com. 3 Bedroom. 2 Living Rooms. 1.5 baths. 205 Prospect St. Remodeled, furnished, fresh paint. 450+. No pets. Free parking. Call 339-1450 or 339-8167. Ask for Tim, John or Harry. Now renting 2010-2011 4 Bedroom houses fully furnished off street parking close to IC call 607-592-0152. Renting now for 2010 to 2011 215-17 Prospect St. - 6 Person House 315-17 Hillview Pl. - 4 Person House 319 Hillview Pl. - 5 Person House 11 month leases starting August 1st 2010 Call 273-5370. 1,2,3,4,5 bedrooms for rent. South Hill close to IC, Cornell and Downtown. Furnished, laundry and off street parking. Call Kelly at 607-592-9812. 2010-11 Six-bedroom: 3 bedrooms/unit, Prospect St. 201 Fully furnished, appliances including dish washers, microwaves, two full bathrooms/ unit, spacious dining rooms, laundry facilities, utilities and private parking included Please call: 607-272-6889 or e-mail: jag1023@hotmail.com. Now renting for 2010/2011 2- 8 bedroom apartments and houses in South Hill and Downtown. Call today or visit our Web site at: certifiedpropertiesinc.com Certified Properties of TC, Inc. 273-1669. ROOM FOR RENT at 271 Penn. Available 1st semester 2011. Perfect if studying abroad. Call 443-534-9700. Ithaca Solar Townhouses, 4 bedroom, furnished, 2 baths, fireplace, off-street parking right next to campus. For showing call 273-9300 or 277-1076. View online: IthacaEstatesRealty.com. 4 BR House, 100 Blk Hudson St, Off street parking available Aug. 2010. Call 607-351-1835 for more info. 3 to 6 person house on lake 5 minutes to downtown Fall 2010 607-327-0357. 3 to 6 bedroom houses for rent 2010 Walking distance to IC furnished. Call 607-327-0357.
Newly Renovated 3 Bedroom furnished apt. washer and dryer 607-272-3389 avramisrentals@aol.com. 2, 3, 4 Bedroom Houses/Apt. for rent 2010-11 school year. Very clean, furnished, free parking, maintenance, 11 month lease. Call soon for appt. 220-8779 Travis. PRIME STUDENT HOUSING ACT FAST Available for the 2010-2011 academic year from studio to six bedroom. Close to campus. Rentals are safe and affordable. Visit us at rentingithaca.com for more information.
2010-11 TWO BEDROOM 201 W KING RD FURNISHED, CARPETED, QUIET SETTING BUT CLOSE TO IC, DUMPSTER, LOTS OF PARKING $440 PER PERSON + UTILITIES 607-279-3090 OR LIVINGSPACES1@MSN.COM. 2010-11 FOUR OR SIX BEDROOM 201 W KING RD. LARGE, FURNISHED, PARKING, HARDWOOD FLOORS, CARPETING, DUMPSTER, WASHER & DRYER, DISH WASHER, 3 FULL BATHROOMS, QUIET BUT CLOSE TO IC, LOTS OF OFF ST PARKING $440 PER PERSON + UTILITIES 607-279-3090, LIVINGSPACES1@MSN.COM.
Spacious 3, 4, 5 or 8 bedroom apartment available on 316 S. Aurora St. lease starts August ’10. On site laundry and parking available. Utility included. Contact Connie at 255-0789 for an appt. or e-mail ck236@cornell.edu.
2010-11 8 Bedroom house Hudson St. with 3 living rooms 3 kitchens +3 baths new washer and dryer, free parking for 8-9 cars for info call 607-272-8343 or 607-339-5112.
Lovely 4, 5, 6 Br Houses. 6 on Pleasant. 5 on Green. 4 on Prospect. Parking available. Call 272-5210 for 2010-2011.
2010-11 4-5 Bedroom house downtown fully furnished free laundry on premises and parking for more info call 607-272-8343 or 607-339-5112.
Fully Furnished Ithaca College Student Houses. Located on Kendall & Pennsylvania Ave. 10-11 School Year. Call 607-273-9221.
Nice 3 Bedroom Apt. Downtown for 20102011 school year. Fully furnished. For info call 607-272-8343 or 607-339-5112.
APARTMENTS and HOUSES FOR NEXT YEAR Various locations on South Hill and Downtown near The Commons. All sizes, from three bedrooms up to 10 bedrooms. Fully furnished. Nice condition, with parking and laundry. Now is the time for the best selection! For a full list, visit PPMhomes.com.
Apartments and houses for rent for the fall 2010 school year, walking distance to Ithaca College. 607-342-5994 or 607-272-1115.
FIVE BEDROOM HOUSES. Two baths, laundry, parking. Huge rooms! Located on South Hill and near The Commons. PPMhomes.com. FOUR BEDROOM HOUSES. Great locations on South Hill and Downtown. Two baths, laundry, parking. Nice condition. Huge rooms! Leases starting in June and August. Visit PPMhomes.com. SEVEN and EIGHT BEDROOM HOUSES. Great locations on South Hill and Downtown. All have at least two baths, laundry, parking. Large rooms, nice condition. Leases start in June and August. Free Internet service! Visit PPMhomes.com. 918 Danby Rd. 4 Bedroom, 2 1/2 baths, furnished fireplace, lakeview, off-street parking, walk to campus. For showing call 273-9300 or 227-1076. View online: IthacaEstatesRealty.com. Luxury Lakehouse. 3 bdrm 3 baths Cathedral ceiling. Fireplace, washer/ dryer. 15 minutes to campus. Drive to door. 533-7613 or 592-7701.
THREE BEDROOM APARTMENTS We have the best selection on South Hill— 20 listings on Aurora Street, Hillview Place, Pleasant Street, East Spencer Street, Prospect Street. Nice condition. Most have laundry, parking and free Internet service. Some have all utilities paid by the landlord! Leases start in June and August. For a full list, visit PPMhomes.com. 3 & 5 Bedroom Apartments for rent, 1 mile IC 607-279-6052. 212 Hudson St 3BR 2 parking spots. Living room and dining room furnished. Laundry 339-1137.
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CNY most complete HydroShop Greentree Hydro 308 Elmira Rd Next to BankAmerica 272-3666 www.greentreeithaca.com. Spring Break! Unlimited! Pay One Price! Free! ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT Free Meals, Free Drinks, Free Covers www.sunsplashtours.com 1-800-426-7710. VADO HD STUDENT FILM CONTEST Make a short film with Creative Labs Vado HD Pocket Cam. Compete for cash, internships and prizes. Vote for your favorite film! www.vadofilmcontest.com.
For Sale Grow Lights and Hydroponics Greentree Hydro 308 Elmira Rd Next to BankAmerica 272-3666 www.greentreeithaca.com. TRICARE FABRICS are in need of employee in these category. BOOKKEEPER, PAYROLL/ PAY RECEIVER. Our salary is attractive plus benefits and takes only little of your time. Requirements -Should be a computer literate, no age discrimination, must be efficient and dedicated. For more info, Contact or Recruit Dept at ttricarefabrics@gmail.com. SALESMAN’S SAMPLE SALE - 40% to 60% OFF retail prices Mountain Hardware Clothing and Equipment, Montrail Footwear, Giro Snow Helmets, and Goggles, Redfeather Snowshoes, Thule Racks, DYNASTAR-ROXY-LANGE- skis and boots. Saturday, Oct. 24 - 9:00 - 3:00 p.m. Cash or local checks only. 8-10 W. Main Street, Dryden, N.Y.
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Thursday, Octobe r 2 2 , 2 0 0 9
Remember that time ...
The Ithacan 21
P HOTO F IN ISPH HOTO
ber 8, 2009
28
28 The Itha can
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The Ithacan
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22 The Ithacan
dilbert®
Thursday, October 22, 2009
sudoku
By Scott Adams
Medium
Hard
9
4
7
3 8 7
3 3
5
4 1 5 8 2 7
4 9
7
3
6 5 3 7 3 2 5 6 1 Medium
6 6 5
2
2 1 5 3 8
7 5 3
Hard
9
4
7 3
3
3 8 7
5 7
3
6 5 3 7 3 2 5 6 1
4 6
7 1
4 1 5 8 2 7
4 9
7 1
6
2
9 1 7 6
9
5 1 3 6
5 4 2 1
2
1 5 3 8
7 5 3
4
6 8 1 7
answers to last issue’s sudoku Easy
7 3 5 2 9 4 8 1 6 1
2
3
11
4 12
15
17 20
23
24
29
30 35
40
41
46
55
8
37
48
56 62
65
66
39 45
50 54
58 63
28
33
44
53
27
38
49
57
61
26 32
43
52
10
21
31
42
9
18
25
36
47 51
7
14
16
34
6
13
19 22
5
59 64 67
60
crossword ACROSS 1 Center 4 “Wool” on clay sheep 8 Groundhog mo. 11 Sandwich cookie 13 Quark’s home 14 Luau strummer 15 Situated 17 Iris covering 19 Surrenders territory 21 Barbecue extra 22 Refreshing 24 Turkey, maybe 26 Sulk angrily 29 Irritate 31 Theater sign 33 Private’s word 34 Ocean-liner letters 35 Also
37 39 40 42 44 46 48 50 51 53 55 58 61 62 64 65 66 67
Medium
4 6 8 3 7 1 9 5 2
9 1 2 6 5 8 3 4 7
1 7 9 8 6 5 4 2 3
2 8 6 1 4 3 5 7 9
3 5 4 9 2 7 6 8 1
6 9 7 5 8 2 1 3 4
5 2 3 4 1 6 7 9 8
8 4 1 7 3 9 2 6 5
1 9 5 7 8 3 4 2 6
6 4 7 2 1 5 9 8 3
8 2 3 4 9 6 7 5 1
5 6 4 8 7 2 3 1 9
7 1 2 9 3 4 5 6 8
9 3 8 6 5 1 2 7 4
4 5 6 3 2 8 1 9 7
3 7 1 5 6 9 8 4 2
By United Media
Almost grads Roast beef - jus Big green parrot Vase Dirigible Fawn’s parent Alley from Moo College credit Tint Drop by Chiefly Inhabit Buy In - (as found) Blarney Stone locale More than ask They may be split Wrecker’s job
DOWN 1 Infield bounce 2 Web site 3 Lighthouse light 4 Future officer 5 Alt. 6 Gold Medal org. 7 In a frenzy 8 Yeast or mildew 9 Just scrape by 10 Lillie or Arthur 12 Wild feline 16 Newspaper VIP 18 TKO official 20 Brillo rival 22 Hogsheads 23 Beginning 25 Newlywed title 27 Dolphins’ city
28 30 32 36 38 41 43 45 47 49 52 54 55 56 57 59 60 63
Throw lava Me opposite Planet, in verse Galleon cargo Miner’s trough Exclaiming over Autumn mo. Sense Pistol Monklike Failing that Ga. neighbor Marshal’s problem Blow away Feminine principle Ski lodge instructor Longbow wood NFL score
answers to last issue’s crossword R H I N O
P O R T S
A U D I T S L A R V A E
D I O B C A E T B H I S O I L GE AME P A E Y MV RGE EMS
U P WH E A U A R S H R A H N E A E RU N T K ROE AWN S P I N T DU G
S UR P A L E R G T I CUD S UR E T E N E I D S NO T E Z I P S L O P L E X Y P S Y
2 8 9 1 4 7 6 3 5
Thursday, Octobe r 2 2 , 2 0 0 9
sp orts
Piecing
The Ithacan 23
it together
Volleyball team picks up two players after suffering multiple injuries early in season
Left: Freshman Katie Rickabaugh digs the ball in her first game with the Bombers, a loss to SUNY-Geneseo on Sept. 22. Allison wassink/The ithacan
Right: From left, freshman Katie Rickabaugh and senior Lindsey Jones cheer during their loss to SUNY-Cortland on Oct. 6.
Andrew Buraczenski/ The ithacan
By Dylan Hornblum Staff Writer
As freshman Katie Rickabaugh headed down South Hill on her way to women’s crew practice, her phone rang. It was junior Ivan Dashkov, an assistant coach of the volleyball team and coach of the women’s club volleyball team. “Ivan called me and said, ‘Donovan wants you to go to practice,’” Rickabaugh said. “And if they like you, they will offer you a spot.“ The next day, Rickabaugh was signing her NCAA commitment papers and unexpectedly became the newest member of the Bombers. Starting the season with only 12 players on the roster, the Bombers have had to claw their way out of a serious deficiency of players. Since the beginning of the season, the volleyball team has been fending off injuries. First came the loss of sophomore Jess Hoeffner, a powerful outside hitter who showed great potential as a freshman last season. The loss was coupled with the sidelining of sophomore hitter Chelsea Hayes, who was unable to compete for a large portion of the season. Freshman Stephanie Lavallato, who had been stepping up to fill the offensive void left by Hoeffner and Hayes, fractured her foot a couple of weeks ago and has been sidelined since. Adding to the Bombers’ injury woes, sophomore Liz Previte suffered a severely sprained ankle
basketball team where she was given during Monday’s practice. senior Lindsey Jones’ name. During Head Coach Janet Donovan a brief phone exchange, Jones told said she refuses to let theses injuDonovan she had no previous exries affect the Bombers. Instead, perience playing volleyball, but that she decided to look elsewhere for did not deter Donovan from making possible athletes at Ithaca College. Jones a part of the team. Donovan said she was hesitant to “If I was on the basketball team, give a young newcomer such a large and our coach brought in a girl that’s role, but she felt Rickabaugh’s six never played basketball in her life … I years of volleyball experience had would be like ‘Who is this girl?’” Jones prepared her well for collegiate play. said. “So I was extremely nervous to Rickabaugh, who is in the fivesay the least.” year occupational therapy proJones had decided not to play basgram, had planned on saving her ketball this season for personal reafirst year of NCAA eligibility until sons, but she her sophosaid having more year, been part of a but because “With the injuries that we’ve team for most of all the had, I have had no choice but of her life, it injuries the to think outside of the box to was a strange Bombers feeling not s u f f e r e d , help this team, especially this to have to go she was senior class, to have the best to practice asked to every day. step up and year we could possibly have.” Head Coach Janet Donovan “I’m not fill some looking to be big holes. this all-star player, but I enjoy helpInstead of joining the volleyball ing the team out in any way that I team right away, she had been pullcan, making them be successful,” ing double duty, attending practice Jones said. for both the women’s crew and When Donovan first went to the women’s club volleyball team, Head Women’s Basketball Coach which in the end, made the transiDan Raymond for names of potention to the varsity team easier. tial athletes, he said Jones is “a great “For her it was the same net, kid with a great attitude.” Donovan same court, different faces, but the said Jones has not disappointed. same game,” Donovan said. “It’s fun for myself, the coaching Before seeking out Rickabaugh, staff and her teammates to watch Donovan turned to the women’s
somebody who just has a phenomenal attitude try something new to help us out,” Donovan said. Donovan credited Jones’ success at picking up the new sport so quickly to her work ethic, athletic ability and coachability. “We’ve worked really hard with her, and she’s worked even harder to get where she is,” Donovan said. “She has become our blocking specialist, and she can contribute in some of the matches in order to give some of our starters a rest. She’s done quite well in those matches.” Upon first joining the team, it was uncertain whether Jones would ever move past the practice court. Now with injuries as prominent as ever and the playoffs lurking, Jones has already seen action in multiple matches including a match against RutgersNewark University during the Bomber Invitational, in which she played in all three sets. Donovan said Jones has been improving at a remarkable rate and has already gone from being a practice player to a solid backup. “I can’t put a ceiling on Lindsey because every time she’s out there, she gets better,” Donovan said.
Rickabaugh had to make a quick adjustment as she made her first start at home against SUNY-Geneseo on Sept. 22, just a few days after committing to the team. Rickabaugh said because of her experience, she wasn’t nervous. Rickabaugh tallied four kills and 11 digs in her debut. “I was actually fine once I settled in … I’ve played some pretty competitive volleyball,” she said. Rickabaugh said that joining the team late created additional obstacles, but Donovan said her new teammates made the transition smooth. “It was wonderful to see her jump right in with the group and click with them so quickly,” she said. “I was also proud of my own players that they had no problems accepting her right in and going to her, using her skills.” Donovan said in more than 18 years of coaching, she had never recruited athletes midseason, but this season called for desperate measures. “With the injuries that we’ve had, I have had no choice but to think outside of the box to help this team, especially this senior class, to have the best year we could possibly have,” Donovan said.
Sports
24 The Ithacan
The inside Pitch Cory Francer
Bombers bond over beards
W
hat do Ozzie Smith, Bruce Sutter and Baron Davis have in common? Give up? Some of the best beards the sports world has ever seen. Whether it’s a trademark image, a playoff tradition or just some unkempt scruff, the beard has had a lasting image on the sports scene. So, not to be outdone by the members of the professional ranks, the members of Ithaca College’s men’s cross country team are growing their own in a show of team solidarity and will not be shaving until Thanksgiving Break. Seniors Brian Riley, Curt Bell, Brian Ivory and Nate Lavieri-Scull started the tradition their freshman year and have made it an annual teamwide razor boycott. The team even made the players’ final shaving into a bonding event. “Our last shaving was Wednesday, and we won’t shave again until Thanksgiving,” Riley said. “There were a dozen people at the apartment the team lives at, and everyone else did it at home.” Though “No Shave November” has become an essential aspect to building-team unity, Riley said it is not without its drawbacks. As anyone with considerable facial hair can tell you, it can become itchy, not to mention the inevitable comments people make about the newly grown beard. “Around the second or third week we have to start explaining it’s for the team,” Riley said. “The social aspect is worse than the physical aspect, though.” But facial hair is what the world sees, and it is clear that not all beards are created equal. Riley said seniors Scott Walker and Phil Abbott and junior Anthony Palma are so blessed in the facial hair department that they are disqualified from the team’s honor for best beard. It just wouldn’t be fair. However, there are other members who are clearly lagging behind the others in their beard abilities. Riley said Stefan Karkuff has the same complex as David Spade’s character in “Joe Dirt.” For those that have not seen the movie, that means his sideburns come in nice and sharp, but there’s no hair on the cheeks, where it really counts. When “No Shave November” comes to a close, some members of the team find it difficult to part with what they worked so hard to achieve. That’s when the creativity comes out. “After the season maybe we’ll keep a moustache or a goatee,” Riley said. But for now, the beards will be in full force. So don’t make fun of any of your distancerunning classmates. Instead, show some respect for the dedication it takes for such a display of team solidarity and self-sacrifice. And maybe if you feel so inclined, show your school’s athletes some support: Put down the razor and embrace the beard. Cory Francer is a senior sport studies major. Contact him at cfrance1@ithaca.edu.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Bombers bounce back from injuries By Bryan Shay Staff Writer
One last goal-line stand was all the football team needed for a win. The ball was on the 1-yard line as the middle linebacker bent his knees and balanced on the balls of his feet. With the snap of the ball, he hurdled over the running back to try and clog the hole to the goal line. But when the whistle blew, a game-winning touchdown became the least of his concerns. An awkward landing on his left foot had graduate student and captain Matt Scalice wondering if his days in a Bomber uniform were over. Check out coverage “I had immediate pain of the Bombers’ in the middle of my foot,” Oct. 17 win over Scalice said. “When I came Frostburg State off the field, I knew some- University at theithacan.org/go/games. thing was wrong.” It was an injury originally diagnosed as season-ending for Scalice. But after missing three games early in the year, Scalice saw limited action against St. John Fisher College in week six and returned to the starting lineup Saturday in the team’s 20–10 win over Frostburg State University. “I could be done for the year, but I’m prolonging the surgery,” Scalice said. “I count my blessing every day that the doctor cleared me to play.” Head Coach Mike Welch said Scalice’s return was a pleasant surprise for his team. “The doctor that gave the diagnosis was surprised,” Welch said. “Usually that type of injury is season-ending, but he responded well to treatment and really felt it coming around.” Scalice is not the only Bomber captain who has been sidelined by an injury this season. Senior captain and defensive end Adam Drescher missed three games after an elbow injury in the season opener. “It was hard to watch from the sidelines,” Drescher said. “I just tried to stay involved as much as I could coaching and helping out. You just got to stay in that football mind-set.” Drescher’s injury forced him to miss three games before returning to the starting lineup Oct. 3 in Oneonta, N.Y., a game in which the Bombers defeated Hartwick College by a score of 24–10. Drescher also made a speedy recovery back to the gridiron ahead of his expected timetable and said he is back to 100 percent. Saturday’s win against Frostburg marked the first
From left, graduate student linebacker Matt Scalice tries to tackle a St. John Fisher College player as senior linebacker Tyler Baker assists on the tackle in the Bombers’ loss Oct. 10 at Butterfield Stadium. Jacob Lifschultz/The ithacan
time Scalice and Drescher lined up on the starting defense together since week one. Despite the bangs and bruises, the Bombers’ defense has allowed fewer than 20 points per game, which is better than last season’s 9–1 conference champion Bombers, who allowed an average of 22 points per game. While the Bombers finally have the core of their defense back in the starting lineup, the team still finds itself overcoming injuries. Senior fullback Danny Witbeck is done for the season because of an injury in week five, and junior tight end Dan Higgins had an injury keep him out of the starting lineup the last two weeks after starting the first five games of the season. Most notably, junior running back Dan
Ruggiero has been sidelined since being injured in week two. Ruggiero practiced last week, and Welch said he is day to day. Senior running back Thomas Bergerstock suffered an injury in Saturday’s game, but his status is unknown. The Bombers are idle this weekend, and the week off could not have come at a better time for the team, which will play two crucial league contests before finishing the regular season against rival SUNYCortland. But despite having an extra week of rest, the Bombers said they must remain focused. “It’s good to have extra time to prepare and get these guys healed up,” Drescher said. “But we know it’s not just a week off. We take it really serious.”
Blue and Gold battle tough conference schedule BY Kevin mcCall Staff Writer
Coming off a Final Four loss at Williams College to end its 2008 campaign for a national title, the women’s soccer team expected to have a tougher out-of-conference schedule for the 2009 season. Looking at the schedule beThe Bombers fore the season, are 7–0 against Head Coach conference opMindy Quigg ponents, including six shutouts over circled a series Empire 8 foes. of three games in October she said could make or break the team’s run at a national championship. The players said they knew the schedule was not easy, as they opened with games against top-notch competitors Gettysburg College and No. 1 Messiah College. More importantly, the Bombers played three road games against Empire 8 opponents St. John Fisher College, Nazareth College and Hartwick College in a span of five days in early October. The Bombers had historically fared well against these three opponents with a 50–14–8 series record before this season. The team continued to fare well away from the confines of Carp Wood Field, winning all three games against Fisher, Nazareth and Hartwick last weekend in shutout fashion. Because the road trip will likely influence the Bombers’ chance at a
Stat Check
From left, freshman Rachael Palladino loses the ball to St. Lawrence University’s Elena Rogers in the Bombers’ 2–1 loss Saturday at Carp Wood Field.
Sabina Cao/the ithacan
conference title, Quigg said she was adamant about sticking to the plan of hard work and intense preparation. “We knew we would just have to do our best and prepare for each opponent like we had been doing,” she said. Junior midfielder Kelley Hand said the team drew inspiration from
last year’s road conference victory at Stevens Institute of Technology that broke a record 44-straight home wins for the Ducks. Hand said during that game, the road environment didn’t intimidate the team. On this year’s conference road trip, the team kept the same mentality. “We didn’t let the atmosphere
get to us that much,” she said. “We thought we actually slightly benefited from this road trip because we were able to get away from distractions on campus that were stressing us out.” Senior Amy Scheffer and graduate student Lauren Koppel were a dynamic duo on the road, combining for the team’s four goals and three assists in the wins. Junior goalkeeper Alyssa Sotomayor made nine saves in the 2–0 and 1–0 shutouts at Fisher and Nazareth. In the 1–0 shutout at Hartwick, the Bombers’ defense held the Hawks to only three shots on goal and gave the Bombers the opportunity to host this year’s Empire 8 Championship Tournament on Nov. 6 and 7. Junior forward Kelly Gannon said the team’s success comes from preparing for aspects of the game that are in its hands. “We had to worry about things we could control like knowing our opponent, and I feel like we were able to do that,” she said. As far as what the future holds for the Bombers beyond the regular season, Scheffer said the team is in good position to win the program’s first national title since 1991. “We definitely think we’ll be a championship-caliber team if we come together over these next few games and continue to play our game,” she said.
sp orts
Thursday, Octobe r 2 2 , 2 0 0 9
The Ithacan 25
Historic tandem
Men’s tennis doubles team gains All-American status By Andrew Weiser Assistant Sports Editor
A complete game requires both strength and finesse, and for men’s tennis doubles team senior Taylor Borda and junior Josh Rifkin, their complementary play styles and confidence in each other has resulted in recognition at the national level. Competing at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Small College National Championships last weekend in Mobile, Ala., Borda and Rifkin defeated the Carnegie Mellon University team to finish in third place. With this victory, Borda and Rifkin became the first players in Ithaca College men’s tennis history to receive All-American honors — a feat that Head Coach Bill Austin said reflects both players’ poise and commitment to the sport. “I’m proud of these guys whether they [win] or not,” Austin said. “The way they compete and handle themselves on the court and the way they represent the college and the team, I’m proud of them regardless.” Both players acknowledged the thrill associated with being the team’s first players to receive the honors. “It’s a great feeling,” Rifkin said. “It’s pretty exciting knowing no one else has ever done that.” Playing doubles together for the second consecutive season, Borda and Rifkin used their level of familiarity with each other’s game to stay composed and optimistic about their outcome on the national stage. “We were going to nationals, and [Borda] put it as ‘icing on the cake,’”
Rifkin said. “We just wanted to be in the moment and have fun, and doing that really helped us.” Staying focused on the moment and understanding each other’s role on the court is an important part of their chemistry. “The combination of [Rifkin’s] instinctive doubles skills and my ground strokes really complement our strengths and weaknesses chemistrywise,” Borda said. Working with incorporating Borda’s powerful backline hitting game to complement Rifkin’s expert placement at the net is something that Austin views as a significant contributor to their continued success. “Taylor’s back there, and he’s pounding … and Josh is up there just creating,” Austin said. “So it’s the old hammer and chisel theory. It can work well, and in this sense it worked great.” As roommates, in addition to being teammates, Borda and Rifkin have learned what to anticipate and expect from each other’s selfless approach to the game. “When [Rifkin] is at the net, I have a lot of confidence that he’ll make the right move and take the right ball off of my shot,” Borda said. Rifkin recognizes that some of his opportunities are the direct result of what his counterpart has contributed. “[Taylor’s] ground strokes set up a lot of my volleys,” Rifkin said. “I just have to wait. He can hit it just as hard, if not harder than anyone playing doubles, and it works out pretty well.” Before the start of their spring
Senior Taylor Borda hits a forehand in the Bombers’ win over Utica College last April at the Ithaca College tennis courts. Borda and junior Josh Rifkin are the first men’s tennis players in the college’s history to earn All-American honors. File photo/The Ithacan
season, Borda and Rifkin will prepare for the Empire 8 competition. Even though conference opponents may appear easier than those at the national level, Austin said the tandem should expect competition. “You can always expect it when you have that kind of success,” Austin said. “The next team is going to bring their best game and fire it at you and see what you got. They’re going to have to be very ready.”
Ithaca College @ ITA National Small College Championships at Copeland-Cox Tennis Center. - Oct. 4
doubles competition Quarterfinals Josh Rifkin/Taylor Borda (Ithaca College) def. Brad Fenter/Nick Kreinas (University of Texas-Tyler) 6–3, 6–4 Semifinals Dillon Pottish/Chris Goodwin (Emory University) def. Rifkin/Borda (Ithaca) 6–4, 6–1 Third-Place Match Rifkin/Borda (Ithaca) def. Nikola Ljuboja/James Muliawan (Carnegie Mellon University) 6–4, 4–6, 10–3 Source: Sports Information
Runners look to rejoin Bombers
From left, sophomore Jacob Brower and junior Stefan Karkuff run during practice yesterday on the track at Butterfield Stadium. Karkuff and junior Anthony Palma are recovering from injuries. Jacob Lifschultz/The Ithacan
Average: 26:54.70 Average: 27:17.10 Average: 27:36.40 Average: 27:42.90 Average: 28:13.10
5
Team Scores
3
Team rankings Queens College Total Time: 134:33.30 Hamilton College Total Time: 136:29.10 Ithaca College Total Time: 138:01.60 SUNY-Brockport Total Time: 138:34.20 University of Rochester Total Time: 141:05.10
4
Hamilton Invitational at Hamilton College - Oct. 10 1
Juniors Anthony Palma and Stefan Karkuff stand on the side of the cross country course, itching to return to the team as the rest of the men’s cross country team runs by. Both Karkuff and Palma have been sidelined for the first half of the year because of hip flexor injuries that happened before the season. Palma’s injury occurred last May after a race for the men’s track and field team, and Karkuff suffered his injury in July after waking up sore one day from running. Both runners have been working toward fixing the problems and getting back on track. “After [the hip flexor], I took a lot of time off,” Palma said. “I was done for the track season. I started running in the summertime, and it started all over again. I went to go see a doctor before I came back for school and got an MRI right before school. I’m still battling the injury.” The runners look to make their return to competition in the next couple of weeks. Palma was scheduled to compete last weekend, but he decided to rest another week. He is expected to run his first meet in the next two weeks. Karkuff said he plans to run this weekend at the New York State Collegiate Track Conference Championships in Rochester, N.Y., as long as his leg holds up the rest of this week. “It’s somewhat of a fragile injury,” Karkuff said. “It’s kind of dangerous, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.” Along with visits to doctors, Karkuff and Palma have been constantly cross training. On the days they aren’t able to run, the runners work to strengthen themselves with stationary bike workouts, swimming and weight lifting. The runners said they have made great progress since the start of their
rehabilitation assignments. “My leg is holding up all right,” Karkuff said. “For the past two weeks I started running with the team doing more intense workouts. My endurance has held up very well. I’m somewhat out of shape, so I have to hit the workouts hard to get back in shape.” Senior captain Curt Bell said Karkuff and Palma have been improving during their cross training. “They’re both well on their way to getting themselves healthy,” Bell said. “We’re hoping they’re as close to full strength as they can be in the next couple weeks.” Karkuff and Palma both had standout seasons last year. Karkuff received first-team allconference honors with three top-10 finishes, coming in sixth at the Empire 8 Championships. Palma earned all-state and all-Empire 8 honors, finishing in Ithaca’s top seven in each of his six races and placing seventh at the Empire 8 Championships. Palma said he hopes his return can yield results similar to past performances. “I would love to be part of the top runners,” Palma said. “The injury is just really weighing me down. As far as this season, it’s hard to tell [how I’ll perform] because I haven’t been training as hard as I had been last year.” In their absence, Bell said other runners have stepped up to take control. “Instead of the team hanging their heads, a lot of the other guys like Tyler Gustafson, John Davis and Daniel Craighead realized they have to step it up,” Bell said. “It’s motivated the team to train that much harder.” Bell said with the postseason nearing, having Palma and Karkuff return will help the team. “They are some of the better runners on the team,” Bell said. “We can only hope they’re at the same form as they were last year.”
2
Contributing Writer
TOT AL
By Collin Schuck
Queens College
27
2 3
Hamilton College
56
1 10 13 14 18
Ithaca College
69
7 9
11 19 23
SUNY-Brockport
82
5 8
20 22 27
4
6 12
Houghton College 134 15 21 31 32 35 Source: Sports Information
sports
26 The Ithacan
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Senior runner makes smooth return from injury well she has run this season. “It’s almost more stressful [than last year] because I started out this well,” Boccio said. “I need to at least maintain or get better.” Boccio was elected one of the team’s captains. Junior Cathy Ortiz said Boccio has done a great job overcoming difficulties that come with the captain position. “It’s challenging to have a leadership position because you have to take into consideration everyone’s individual goals,” Ortiz said. “She likes to keep everyone on top of things.” Looking to the end of her senior season, Boccio said her favorite race is the Empire 8 Championships, which is run at Saratoga Springs State Park, the same course she ran in high school. But the most important will be the regional championships where Boccio and the Bombers will have the chance to qualify for the national championships for the 10th year in a row, and for Boccio, it would mean running at nationals all four years at Ithaca. “I want to bring it full circle,” she said.
BY Nathan Bickell Contributing Writer
Six days in the pool, one day running; six days in the pool, one day running. This was not the typical workout for then-junior Amanda Boccio, but she was fighting through a stress fracture and continuing to compete with the women’s cross country team as they went all the way to the NCAA Championships last season. After a trying junior year, Boccio has come back strong for her final season of cross country to be the team’s No. 2 runner in all but one race this year. Halfway through the season last year, Boccio began to develop pain in her lower leg. She continued to run, but it worsened. An MRI revealed a stress fracture in her shin. By the time the New York State Collegiate Track Conference Championships came around last October she had stopped running with the team and was exclusively training in the pool because of the lower impact it had on her muscles. “I was doing workouts in the pool every day,” Boccio said. In the pool she would do her best to simulate what the team was doing that day. If the workout was 6x800 meters on a 5:30 cycle, Boccio would aqua-jog — run in deep water — hard for three minutes then rest for 2:30. If the team was going on a long run, she would aqua-jog nonstop for an hour. The only running she did every week was the race itself. While her teammates would jog the course beforehand, she would seek out the training room of the college where the meet was held and warm up on a stationary bike. “She fought through it,” Head Coach Bill Ware said. Boccio said it was difficult to overcome the injury mentally. “It’s so hard not being able to see everyone,” she said. “It’s so much easier to motivate yourself and work harder when there are people doing it with you.” Despite the challenge of being a cross country
Hamilton Invitational @ Hamilton College Oct. 10
Team rankings 1 2
From left, freshman Jenn Randall and senior Amanda Boccio lead the pack during women’s cross country practice Sept. 14 on the cross country course. Boccio placed 14th at the team’s last meet. Chelsea Bell/The Ithacan
runner without actually running, Boccio managed to remain fast enough through the cross training to be one of the top seven runners on the team and run in every meet all the way to the Division III National Championships at Hanover College in Indiana. Ware said, despite the injury, Boccio has been one of his most consistent runners during her four years as a Bomber. “The fact that I was allowed to race kept me going,” Boccio said. This summer, after fully recovering, Boccio
Look online for game stories from these sports: TOMORROW
• 4:30 p.m. Women’s cross country at Reif Invitational at Cornell University • 4:30 p.m. Men’s cross country at Reif Invitational at Cornell University • 5 p.m. Men’s swimming vs. Le Moyne College at Hill Center Pool • 5 p.m. Women’s swimming vs. Le Moyne College at Hill Center Pool
SATURDAY
• 11 a.m. Women’s cross country at New York State Collegiate Track Conference Championships at University of Rochester • 11 a.m. Men’s cross country at New York State Collegiate Track Conference Championships at University of Rochester • Noon. Women’s soccer at SUNY-Plattsburgh • 1 p.m. Field hockey at SUNY-Oswego • 2:30 p.m. Volleyball vs. Alfred University at Ben Light Gymnasium • 6 p.m. Men’s soccer at Stevens Institute of Technology • 7:30 p.m. Volleyball vs. Hartwick College at Ben Light Gymnasium
SUNDAY
• 12:30 p.m. Volleyball vs. Elmira College at Ben Light Gymnasium • 3 p.m. Volleyball vs. Nazareth College at Ben Light Gymnasium
TUESDAY
• 3 p.m. Men’s soccer vs. SUNY-Brockport at Ben Light Gymnasium • 4 p.m. Women’s soccer at SUNY-Oneonta Bold = Home game The Ithacan
online | theithacan.org/sports
Sabina Cao/the ithacan
began training harder than ever, adding runs on weekends that progressed to 11 miles by the end of the summer. Boccio was motivated by knowing this would be her last cross country season ever. The training has paid off as she has been consistently in the lead pack of races, helping the team to three wins and a runner-up finish in five meets this year. At the Paul Short Run at Lehigh University on Oct. 2, Boccio ran a 20-second personal record of 22:52 for the six kilometer race. She said she has surprised herself with how
2 4 5
Queens College Total Time: 92:28.20 Ithaca College Total Time: 96:29.00 University of Rochester Total Time: 96:56.30 SUNY-Brockport Total Time: 98:24.30 Hamilton College Total Time: 98.15.50
Team Scores
AL TOT 1
2
Average: 18.29.70 Average: 19.17.80 Average: 19:23.30 Average: 19:40.90 Average: 19:39.10 5
4
3
Queens College
20
2 3
Ithaca College
75
1 14 18 19 23
Rochester
75
10 13 15 16 21
4
5
6
SUNY-Brockport 107 11 12 20 28 36 Hamilton College 109 9 17 24 27 32 Source: Sports Information
[the buzzer]
Thursday, Octobe r 2 2 , 2 0 0 9
The Ithacan 27
where we stand
4
VOLLEYBALL
1. Stevens 2. Nazareth 3. Elmira 4. Ithaca 5. RIT
1
W L 17 7 18 10 12 8 17 13 18 10
Win% .708 .643 .600 .567 .545
women’s soccer
1. Ithaca 2. Nazareth 3. RIT 4. St. John Fisher 5. Alfred
W 11 9 6 5 4
L 3 4 5 7 7
T 0 1 3 2 2
Win% .786 .679 .536 .429 .385
Elevated level of play
From left, senior Jonathan Lin blocks a hit from junior Niko Mason during the start of six-person intramural volleyball league play Tuesday. Teams compete on two weeknights and Sundays in the Hill Center Gymnasium III.
jess arnone/the ithacan
3 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
by the
numbers
Football
Alfred Springfield Ithaca Hartwick St. John Fisher
W 5 5 5 4 4
L 0 1 2 2 2
Win% 1.000 .833 .714 .667 .667
Empire 8 Standings/Overall Records
3
5
The number of runner-up finishes the women’s cross country team has recorded this season. See story on page 26.
The number of consecutive shutout wins on the road the women’s soccer team recorded from Oct. 6-11. See story on page 24.
the foul line
Weird news from the wide world of sports
Beach balls are often batted around the stands by fans at baseball and cricket games, but unfortunately for Premier League football club Liverpool, its fans have actually put this ball into play. During Liverpool’s match against Sunderland Association Football Club at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, England, last Saturday, Liverpool’s 1–0 loss was determined by the interference of a beach ball. In the fifth minute of play, a young fan hit a large, red beach ball onto the pitch, coming to rest inside the 6-yard box. Sunderland striker Darren Bent lined a shot that ricocheted off the beach ball, resting in front of Liverpool goalie Pepe Reina, scoring the match’s lone deciding goal. Official rules state that referees have the control to stop the game in case of “any kind of outside interference,” but matches regularly continue play despite these uncommon obstructions. – Andrew Weiser
play of the week Fernando Casanova Junior forward Men’s soccer In the Bombers’ 2–1 victory over visiting Utica College on Saturday, Casanova scored both Ithaca goals in a 20-second span with only six minutes left in the match.
leading goal scorer Casanova, a transfer student from Tompkins Cortland Community College, has quickly contributed to the team this season — leading the Bombers in goals scored and total points. Through the first 13 games of the regular season, Casanova has scored five goals and assisted on another to lead the team with 11 total points. Casanova has scored two goals in a game twice this season, to go along with three game-winners for the Blue and Gold.
they saidit My fingernail is about gone, but I just continued to play. That is the thing about this game that is so special. University of Texas at Austin quarterback Colt McCoy on the No. 3 Longhorns’ narrow 16–13 victory over No. 25 Oklahoma University on Saturday. Known as the “Red River Rivalry/Shootout” this matchup is held annually at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park, Dallas, Texas.
28 The I t hacan
photo finish Capturing the Bom be rs at their be s t
Th ursday, October 22, 2009
Sophomore linebacker Eric Toporoff tackles St. John Fisher College senior Brad Carlton as junior Pete Soehner looks on in the Bombers’ 40–17 loss Oct. 10 at Butterfield Stadium.
Allison Wassink/the ithacan