/12.01.2011

The Ithacan Thursday, December 1, 20 11

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Volume 79, Is s u e 1 2

Student vote lacks impact in election By shea o'meara

assistant accent editor

As the final absentee ballots for the 2011 Ithaca mayoral race are being tallied, new poll data shows that students in Ithaca haven't jumped on the bandwagon of local politics.

The majority of students at Ithaca College and Cornell University did not choose to join permanent residents in casting a ballot in the City STEIN said she of Ithaca, but will expected more still be targeted students to come to vote in the up- out and vote. coming presidential election.

Stephen DeWitt, Democratic commissioner of the Tompkins County Board of Elections, said the board is just finishing counting the absentee ballots and have found that the overall voter turnout is about 39 percent of total registered voters, slightly lower than the turnout for the last contested mayoral election.

Dewitt said the board does not track student voters specifically, but said students tend to live in the 4th Ward in the City of Ithaca and in the 10th District in the Town of Ithaca. He said students did not account for much of the vote that put mayor-elect Svante Myrick in office.

“It’s mainly permanent residents,” he said. “You do see a spike in involvement during presidential elections, but even though students do vote they don’t vote what I would call great numbers.”

Junior Rob Flaherty, communications director for Myrick’s campaign, said Myrick visited the colleges early on to attract the student vote, but the campaign staff shifted gears to target more of the general public because the student vote would not drastically affect the turnout. In the last contested Ithaca mayoral election, which took place in 2003, only about 27 people between the ages of 18 and 24 voted, he said.

“There’s a great myth that went around about the Svante Myrick campaign that we were shepherding college students in to register and affect the election," he said. "Realistically if the Myrick campaign had targeted young voters and only young voters we probably would have lost badly."

Irene Stein, chair of the Tompkins County Democratic Committee, said she expected more students to vote because college students were involved in the campaigns, the election was highly contested and Myrick visited campuses to speak to students directly.

“I don’t think it’s lower particularly

See turnout, page 4

Empty shelves Food stamps provide vital support for students in tough economy photo illustration by rachel orlow

By taylor long staff writer

Dwindling resources for food stamp programs have left Tompkins County residents hungry, filling pantry dining rooms and struggling to put food on the table.

According to the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, 8,762 county residents have collected food stamps in 2011, compared to 8,103 in 2010 and 6,766 in 2009.

The trend isn’t limited to Tompkins County.

Mark Dunlae, executive director of Hunger Action Network of New York, said the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program already struggles to meet the needs of New Yorkers. A proposed 2012 reauthorization of the Farm Bill, which funds food assistance and rural development, threatens to

cut programs by $23 billion.

The SNAP program provides financially eligible shoppers with a supplemental EBT card to offset the cost of groceries.

Patricia Carey, commissioner of Tompkins County Department of Social Services, said the bill might change who is eligible for food stamps or decrease the amount of benefits some SNAP recipients collect each month.

Senator Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., released a statement advocating for an increase in SNAP benefits and food pantry relief.

“Hunger and food insecurity in New York have reached disturbing, historic highs, and food bank shelves have gone bare,” she said.

“We must take immediate action to make sure we’re helping New York children and families

during these difficult times.”

College students are among the record number of New York state’s impoverished, and are increasingly turning to food assistance programs.

John Ward, director of homeless services at the Tompkins County Red Cross, said he attributes the rise in food stamp usage to the growing county poverty rate, which currently rests at 19 percent. Half of the county’s population below the poverty line is between 18 and 20 years old — a figure that Monika Roth, agriculture issues leader at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, said is skewed by local students.

“If you look at poverty data, students fall into that group of people with low incomes because

See ASSISTANCE, page 4

Entrepreneurial contest inspires student innovation By ithacan staff Three student groups have been chosen as the first-place winners of Ithaca College’s first Business Idea Competition, sponsored by the School of Business, in the categories of web service, product and software.

The Business Idea Competition is an event created to foster student learning outside the classroom by coming up with business proposals, with the added bonus of a financial incentive.

Juniors Justin Lee and Michael Wehrhahn won for web service with RevoPT, a website that allows physical therapists to record personalized rehabilitation videos.

Sophomore Shanshan Mei won the product category with Screen Cleaner, a portable screen cleaner for mobile electronics that is meant to be functional and fashionable.

Senior Adiba Afros and sophomores Martin Cerny,

Dirty Dancing Students from the college strip in order to pay their bills, page 13

From left, sophomore Morgan Lemke moderates and senior Adiba Afros presents her group's software idea Nov. 10 in Emerson Suites.

courtesy of jake Tenenbaum

Adeesha Ekanayake and Morgan Lemke won the software category with traceIT, a mobile phone app that allows users to scan a barcode on their phone to

see if the product was produced in a socially ethical way, or if it contains ingredients that pose a health risk to the individual.

Each of the winning teams

globe trot

Junior players bring experience overseas to men's basketball team, page 23 f ind m or e. onl ine. www.t heit hacan.org

received a $5,000 prize, and will be provided with up to an additional $5,000 if they decide to follow through with their business ventures. The other nine finalists will also receive a cash prize of lesser values based on their place won in each category.

The contest was launched after Christopher Burch ’76, who began a successful start-up business by selling sweaters as a student during his time at the college, and Mary Ellen Zuckerman, dean of the School of Business, discussed ways they could provide more hands-on experiences for students.

The competition was announced in October, which gave students about a month to develop their business ideas. Burch, who provided the $85,000 funds necessary for the competition, served as one of the three judges for the showcase which was held Nov. 10

See business, page 4

IN CHECK Students should balance personal and dollar value of education, page 10

[ T hurs day Bri ef ing]

2 The It hacan

Th ursday, Dec ember 1 , 2 0 1 1

Nation&World

Police clear LA park of occupiers

would lead to severe losses for banks, recession in the United States and Europe and another global credit crunch.

The central banks said in a joint statement the moves were designed to “provide liquidity support to the global financial system.”

The statement said the central banks have agreed to reduce the cost of temporary dollar loans to banks — called liquidity swaps — by a half percentage point. The new, lower rate will be applied to all central bank operations starting on Monday.

They are also taking steps to ensure banks can get ready money in any currency if market conditions warrant by establishing a temporary network of reciprocal swap lines.

More than 1,400 police officers, some in riot gear, cleared the Occupy Los Angeles camp early yesterday, driving protesters from a park around City Hall and arresting more than 200 who defied orders to leave. Similar raids in Philadelphia led to 50 arrests, but the scene in both cities was relatively peaceful.

Police in Los Angeles and Philadelphia moved in on Occupy Wall Street encampments under darkness in an effort to clear out some of the longest-lasting protest sites since crackdowns ended similar occupations across the country.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck praised the officers and the protesters for their restraint and the peaceful way the eviction was carried out.

Officers flooded down the steps of City Hall just after midnight and started dismantling the two-month-old camp two days after a deadline passed for campers to leave the park. Officers in helmets and wielding batons and guns with rubber bullets converged on the park from all directions with military precision and began making arrests after several orders were given to leave.

There were no injuries and no drugs or weapons were found. City workers put up concrete barriers to wall off the park while it is restored. As of 5:10 a.m. PST, the park was clear of protesters, LAPD officer Cleon Joseph said.

British-Iranian states build hostility

Britain’s Foreign Secretary said the U.K. withdrew its entire diplomatic staff from Iran following attacks on the country’s embassy and a residential compound in Tehran.

William Hague told the House of Commons yesterday that Britain had also ordered all Iranian diplomats to leave the U.K. Mobs hauled down British flags and ransacked offices in Tehran on Tuesday in retaliation for Britain’s support of tighter sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

Hague said Britain and allies would consider other measures in response at a European Union meeting last Thursday.

He said it was “fanciful” to believe the attacks did not take place with support from Iran’s regime.

Central banks increase liquidity

Major central banks around the globe took coordinated action yesterday to ease the strains on the world’s financial system, saying they would make it easier for banks to get dollars if they need them. Stock markets rose sharply on the move.

The European Central Bank, U.S. Federal Reserve, the Bank of England and the central banks of Canada, Japan and Switzerland all took part.

As Europe’s debt crisis has been rapidly spreading, the global financial system is showing signs of entering another credit crunch like the one that followed the 2008 collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers. The possibility that one or more European governments might default on their debts have raised fears of a shock to the global financial system that

Clinton to suggest Myanmar reform

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said yesterday she is looking forward to her historic trip to isolated Myanmar this week and will suggest specific reforms to the country’s leadership to improve ties with the United States.

Clinton traveled to Myanmar’s capital yesterday on the first visit to the Southeast Asian nation by a secretary of state in more than 50 years. She told reporters at an international aid conference in South Korea before her departure that she was cautiously optimistic about her trip but said Myanmar would have to implement more reforms before the U.S. will reciprocate.

Mob motivation

Romanian medical students dance during a flash mob event to raise HIV awareness at the main railway station in Bucharest yesterday, a day before World AIDS Day today. More than 10,000 people live with AIDS in Romania, and 15 percent more were registered this year.

Vadim Ghirda/associated press

After meeting with senior Myanmar officials on Thursday, Clinton will travel to the commercial capital of Yangon where she will see opposition leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The Obama administration is betting that the visit will pay dividends, promoting human rights, limiting suspected cooperation with North Korea on ballistic missiles and nuclear activity and loosening Chinese influence in a region where America and its allies are wary of China’s rise.

China criticizes US-Australian pact

America’s strengthened military pact with Australia is a figment of “Cold War thinking” that will destabilize the Asia-Pacific region, China’s Defense Ministry said yesterday, in Beijing’s strongest criticism yet of a move widely seen as intended to counter China’s rising assertiveness.

Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng’s comments at a monthly news conference

came short of the scathing attacks on the agreement from China’s nationalist press and outspoken academics.

However, they reflected a harsher tone from the armed forces, whose expanding budget and reach have rattled many of China’s neighbors and prompted them to seek strengthened alliances with the region’s dominant military power, America.

Despite that criticism, Geng said Chinese and U.S. defense officials will still meet for consultations Dec. 7. Gen. Ma Xiaotian, the People’s Liberation Army’s deputy chief of staff, and U.S. Defense Undersecretary Michele Flournoy will be co-chairs.

The U.S.-Australia agreement, announced during a November visit by President Barack Obama to Australia, will send military aircraft and up to 2,500 Marines to northern Australia for a training hub to help allies and protect American interests across Asia.

SOURCE: Associated Press

corrections

Multimedia

It is The Ithacan’s policy to correct all errors of fact.

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Copy Editors Emily Rose Barry, Matthew Dezii, John Winters DiMarco, Dina Grimaldi, Rebecca Hellmich, Bernadette Javier, Jillian Kaplan, Brittany Smith, Rachel Stokes, Vicky Wolak

Video

Watch a recap of the Park Distinguished Visitor Randi Zuckerberg lecture in Emerson Suites.

Video

See what students think the college should do to improve sustainability efforts in this week’s Snap Judgment.

Video

Check out women’s basketball team guard Kathryn Campbell in this week’s 1 on 1.

Got a news tip?

Video

Check out the Achati Players improv performance held on the red carpet of Dillingham Center to benefit Food for Thought.

News

See volunteers at work for the Loaves and Fishes supper.

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Take a look at SGA’s candy grams sale in Campus Center.

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Sports

Watch highlights from the women’s soccer team’s season.

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

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Th ursday, Decem be r 1, 2011

The I th a c a n 3

Proposal for Emerson plant spurs debate by kacey deamer staff writer

Ithaca’s mayor-elect has big plans for the Emerson Power Transmission facility, with a controversial proposal to develop housing at the polluted building located off Route 96B. Svante Myrick, Ithaca’s newly elected mayor, wants to develop the Emerson site into residential housing and the plant itself into a combined heat and power plant. However, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has determined that the area had been contaminated with trichloroethene, a recognized carcinogen.

Myrick said the plan isn’t necessarily his, but he sees it as an opportunity for Ithaca.

“It’s a vision that’s informed by the entire community,” Myrick said. “A lot of people have been talking about it and working on it. So it’s the plan that I will pursue, and it’s a plan that I’m excited about.”

Karen Cahill, an environmental engineer and the DEC project manager for the Emerson site, said TCE contamination of groundwater is nowhere near state groundwater standards.

“Levels that they currently have on site are quite high,” Cahill said. “In relation to the fivepart-per-billion [state standard], they have tens of thousands of part per billion TCE in the water.”

Cahill said the groundwater contamination has been monitored and treated by Emerson, a manufacturing company, as required by the state since 1994. The DEC required in 2009 that the company upgrade the groundwater treatment system in order to increase efficiency in the removal of TCE. But the amount of time it will take to reach state standards, Cahill said, is impossible to estimate.

“We’re seeing much greater efficiency with the new system,” she said. “But even with those, it’s still going to take some time.”

Walter Hang, president of Toxics Targeting, an environmental information-gathering firm, said the toxicity of the Emerson site extends beyond TCE. “It isn’t just TCE contamination,” he said. “There are literally dozens of toxic chemicals, and the New York state authorities have determined that the site is a significant threat to the public health and environment, and that action is required.”

Hang said the remediation process has not been expedited, and that needs to be first priority.

“They’ve got to clean up the site,” he said. “They haven’t cleaned up the site for 25 years.”

by ithacan staff

The Emerson plant has been vacant for a year. The incoming mayor, Svante Myrick, plans to turn the plant into a residential area, which some believe is hazardous because of contamination. michelle boulè/the ithacan

Myrick estimated the clean-up effort might include an excavation of some of the land to fully eradicate the contamination.

“We’re going to have to actually get in there, dig up the soil, find out where the contamination is and remove it at the source in order to get it safe enough for people to live in,” he said.

Myrick said the entire process, even if expedited, is years away from completion.

“The actual, physical remediation will take time,” Myrick said. “The actual, physical construction, I would say that we are optimistically five years away from seeing anything on the Emerson site.”

Cahill said plans for developing the Emerson site are premature at this time, since the DEC determined the site can currently be used for industrial purposes only.

“A good portion of the site is wooded area, and we’ve encouraged them to possibly get that removed from the site as it is currently defined,” Cahill said.

Financially, the city cannot take on the South Hill clean-up and redevelopment alone, Myrick said.

“It’s going to have to be a joint effort between New York state, Emerson and a private developer,”

he said. “There are people who have come forward and offered to take the lead, and they’re in talks right now.”

Christine Linder, a spokesperson for Emerson Power Transmission, said in an email that the company is dedicated to the clean-up of the site.

“Emerson continues to work closely with the agencies involved in the remediation work at the Emerson site on South Hill,” Linder said. “Emerson is committed to completing this work to the satisfaction of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Department of Health.”

Myrick said the remediation and development of the Emerson site will not be ignored.

“It’s a top priority,” he said. “It’s something I’ll start work on right away and something the current mayor is already working on.”

Myrick said there is a sense of urgency to clean up the plant and to solve the city’s housing shortage.

“The opportunity to create housing on a site that will increase the walkability of the city while still preserving the residential neighborhoods we care about here is tremendous.”

SGA plans to collaborate for increased exposure by candace king staff writer

The Ithaca College Student Government Association is advancing its goal to promote “transparency” in its organization.

“Transparency is something that has always been important to student government,” junior Rob Flaherty, vice president of communications for SGA, said. “We are definitely working on finding new and creative ways to create opportunities for transparency.”

Among the new tactics is SGA’s recent collaboration with the Resource and Environmental Management Program, a group that promotes sustainable living on campus.

SGA is working with REMP to have a space for SGA updates in its monthly installments, which are located in bathroom stalls throughout campus.

Flaherty said the popular location of the installments makes for a creative way to reach the student body and inform it about upcoming SGA campus initiatives and events.

Though REMP has agreed to collaborate with SGA for space on its installments, senior Margaret Keating, an intern for REMP, said SGA should aim to focus on

VP applicants to be reviewed by president

sustainability in its updates, since that issue is concurrent with the theme of the notice.

SGA has been working with Mark Darling, sustainability programs coordinator of facilities services, about having space on the installments.

“It’s a great marketing tool,” Darling said. “It’s not a unique idea here. There are other campuses that do it. I’ve seen them in University of Vermont and other places.”

Flaherty said the contents of the updates are still being discussed, and that SGA is looking to implement this initiative next semester.

Last year, the organization attempted to reach out to the student body by hosting more events, conducting senate meetings in IC Square and holding a table at the Campus Center to be more accessible to the student body.

This year’s executive board, the Constructionists, took office with transparency as one of its goals.

Freshman Rita Ouimet, who reads the REMP installments, said this initiative would be beneficial to the student body and have a general positive impact on campus.

“I honestly don’t know what they are doing at all,” Ouimet said. “I think that this would be a good idea

Seniors Scott Nachlis, SGA president, Eve Trojanov and sophomore Robert Hohn, hold a meeting Oct. 12. SGA is working to get more student interest.

Rachel woolf/the ithacan

to inform the student body of what they’re doing.”

In another effort to expand and promote transparency, SGA is also looking to hold a State of the Union address, which senior Scott Nachlis, the president of SGA, will deliver to the student body.

Based on the success of presidential addresses at other colleges, SGA decided to try to host an address next semester.

Flaherty said planning for the event is in its preliminary stages.

“We’re still working on the venue,”

Flaherty said. “It’s still in the planning process, since it’s the first time that it’s ever been done. It would probably be a 10-minute speech presentation from Scott in person.”

Flaherty said transparency is a problem student governments face throughout the country.

“It’s the annual challenge of the person in my position and really in everyone’s position in student government to show people that we’re here and that we’re working for the student body and trying our best to advocate for them,” he said.

The candidates for a new vice president for institutional advancement have completed their interviews and Ithaca College President Tom Rochon is now poised to choose the new addition to the administration.

The vice president of institutional advancement ROCHON said he is in the process of is responsible reviewing the three for providing final candidates. leadership and management for fundraising operations as well as working with the president and board of trustees to develop the college’s direction and policy.

The search began after vice president Shelley Semmler announced she would retire in February.

Michael Archibald, former vice president for university advancement at St. Lawrence University; Nancy Harvin, vice president for advancement at the Culinary Institute of America; and Richard Watkins, director of major gifts and campaign direction at Claremont McKenna College in California, are the three candidates.

Rochon said in an email that the search committee is making reference calls to former coworkers of the candidates to solidify their choice, but there is no set date for a decision.

“An important part of any search process is the assembly of additional information about candidates primarily through phone calls to people who have worked with them in the past,” he said.

Archibald, originally from Ithaca, said what attracted him to the college was its scope and size.

“It’s both small enough to focus on teaching and learning and student-faculty interactions and student experience, but large enough, through its schools and graduate programs, to have efficiency of scale in its efforts,” Archibald said.

Harvin said her decision to apply for the vice president position at the college was rooted in the IC 20/20 vision plan and what she saw as strengths of the college’s Institutional Advancement division.

“It’s not broken,” she said. “The advancement function is working beautifully. I believe in Tom Rochon; I have found the right president.”

Watkins said the college has a hands-on educational environment that is not often seen in other places. He said it also has a strong connection to the liberal arts and professional schools.

Carl Sgrecci, vice president of finance and administration, said it is unclear when the new vice president will take office because it all depends on whether he or she will be allowed to leave his or her current position immediately.

Though the college hopes the candidate will take office by March 1, Rochon said it is more important that they focus on choosing the right person, rather than trying to make a deadline.

“The most important thing is to make a great hire, not to make one by a given date,” he said.

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4 The It hacan

Competition fosters ideas in enterprise business from page 1

in Emerson Suites.

Brad Treat, former CEO of mobile phone projection company Mezmeriz Inc., helped lead workshops for the 24 original teams, where mentors met with them weekly to help develop their ideas. The competition, he said, is a great experience because it prepares the students for the entrepreneurial ZUCKERMAN said world. the competition “ This aids out-of-thecompetition classroom learning. is basically a vehicle to give people who are interested in business an opportunity to experience what’s really a real-world situation — talking to investors, talking to potential customers — and it’s all around their ideas, so it’s really practical,” Treat said.

The contest taught the participants essential values they would need to succeed in the business world, he said.

“In the work environment there’s a whole lot less structure," Treat said. "So this prepares them for that.”

Zuckerman said the business competition also correlates with the out-of-classroom learning aspect of the college’s IC 20/20 plan.

“This fits right in with IC 20/20 because at the heart of IC 20/20 is that interdisciplinary integration so that every school on campus can think across those disciplinary boundaries,” she said.

Zuckerman also said she wants to expand the competition overseas to international students so participants have a greater opportunity to reach global markets.

“My dream is to make it more international and to match some of our students up with students overseas, maybe in China,” she said.

Lemke said the competition gave his group an opportunity to learn about software and financing. He and his partners worked closely with computer science professors to develop traceIT, the winning pitch in the software category. Lemke said the group was shocked to hear the competition results.

“There were two other ideas in our section that were pretty good so we were all a bit surprised,” he said. “We kind of almost fell over each other when we went on stage.”

Senior Jake Tenenbaum, a business student who helped organize the event, said the response to the competition was so positive that Burch is moving toward making it greater and more comprehensive in the future.

“We want the students to go out there and start their businesses,” he said. “We want them to know that they can do it.”

Staff Writer Kristen Mansfield and News Editors Elma Gonzalez and Erica Palumbo contributed to this report.

Th ursday, Dec ember 1 , 2 0 1 1

Food stamps aid low-income students assistance from page 1

you’re counted in the census when you’re living here,” she said. “So it looks like we have a high number of people in the age group from 18 to 24, but three-fourths of that age group are students.”

Students are eligible for food stamps if they are residents of New York and meet the financial requirements. This means students must prove their financial independence and be eligible for federal work study or work at least 20 hours each week.

While Carey said there is no way to keep a record of how many students apply for or receive food stamps, Tompkins County DSS has seen a 66-percent increase in the number of county residents between 18 and 25 years old receiving food stamps over the past five years.

Emily*, a senior at the college, qualified for SNAP’s expedited services in the spring and is in the process of applying for regular monthly benefits. At the time, Emily was accepted for emergency relief, she was living off ramen noodles.

Because her family is no longer able to offer financial support, Emily said she needs to pay the cost of attendance at the college not covered by loans or financial aid each semester.

“There are times here and there that I won’t have any money for a week or up to two weeks and am living on like $5,” she said.

Emily said she also used the college's chaplain emergency relief fund, which acts as a resource for members of the college community facing financial burdens.

Jewish chaplain Michael Faber said the fund was created about 20 years ago and also supplies gift cards to local grocery stores.

“I would say about a dozen times a year we’ll get wind of a student, or a student will actually come in and say 'This is my situation: it’s either the rent or food for this coming month,'” Faber said.

Ward said underemployment is a problem in Tompkins County, where many residents rely on a part-time or minimum-wage job. This problem hits financially independent students particularly hard because they must support themselves in addition to coursework.

Jason Barrera ’11 received food stamps while attending the college and living off campus. Even though he worked a series of jobs, Barrera still couldn't afford groceries and to pay for his bills.

After being eligible for food stamps, Barrera said he was able to put some money aside for savings.

“It’s not just about the groceries,” Barrera said. “I was working hard — full time, sometimes

From left, Ithaca residents Nicholas Williams, Sara Knapp and Nicki Sayward work Tuesday at Loaves and Fishes. Attendees at some pantry meals this year exceeded 200 for the first time in 28 years.

michelle boulé/the ithacan

more than full time — every week for years on end and wasn’t keeping any of that money.”

Barrera said after he received food stamps, he was able to save up for a spring break vacation.

A Cornell Cooperative Extension communitywide food assessment is focusing on low-income and older residents. She said food security might be an issue for students not because of underemployment, but because of poor money management.

“The reality for students is that maybe if you don’t have money for food, you’re spending money elsewhere,” Roth said.

Carey said money management does not impact SNAP eligibility.

“We don’t ask questions like ‘Could you manage your money better?’” Carey said. “What we’re looking at is any household that meets the income criteria and are employed, regardless of whether or not they’re a student.”

Laura*, a senior at the college who considered applying for food stamps but was not eligible, said many people assume students can afford food because they can afford to pay for college.

“If you ask people downtown or something, they think that students should never be on food stamps because we have potential — though we may not be wealthy now —we have the potential to be because we’re educated,” Laura said.

Christina Culver, executive director of Loaves

and Fishes food pantry, said the increase of residents receiving food stamps has also increased the number of people she sees lining up for free daily meals. For the first time in the food pantry’s 28-year history, the number of individuals attending some meals has exceeded 200.

Culver said many of the newer faces at the food pantry likely relied on a primary caregiver who is no longer able to provide financial support.

“Because everything is so much more expensive, maybe people they relied on for support are suffering or without a job,” Culver said. “A relative or a close friend might have been supporting them enough to prevent them from coming to Loaves and Fishes as often or at all.”

It is the same issue facing college students who suddenly find themselves financially independent. Turning to food assistance programs becomes a last resort.

Emily is still in the process of gathering the materials she needs to apply for SNAP benefits, but hopes to have finished the application by the end of the month. Until then, she is scrounging together what she can, working two jobs.

“Nobody else was going to help,” she said. “I either had to do it or that’s it.” *Some names have been changed to protect students' anonymity.

Groups aim for student activism in 2012 election turnout from page 1

than in past mayoral elections, but I am disappointed that it isn’t higher,” she said. “There are a number of students who participated in his race, but we haven’t found yet a magic formula to turn out the students.”

He said it was difficult to get young voters interested because the issues in local elections like dredging and comprehensive zoning aren’t as intriguing as hot-button issues in national elections.

Junior Robert Oliver, secretary of Ithaca College Republicans, said organizing for Republican candidates in Ithaca is difficult because of the area's mostly liberal demographic.

The group is looking to advocate for Republican issues in more rightleaning counties outside of Ithaca.

“Republicans don’t vote because they know they don’t have a chance, because I think we got 200 votes in the mayoral election,” he said. “It’s hard to canvass or campaign for Republicans because you get most doors slammed in your face.”

Stein said the low student turnout in this election has not deterred the Democratic Committee from seeking youth involvement in the upcoming presidential election.

“We’ll encourage them voting, and we’ll encourage them getting involved in the campaign, and I suspect those efforts will be successful,” she said. “They have been in the past.”

Peter Levine, director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, said the turnout for students voting is mixed, and local elections tend to see fewer student voters than national elections, despite local issues like city ordinances regarding dormitories, rental properties and police treatment of students.

“We know voting is very habit-forming , and once you start voting, the chances that you’ll stop are pretty low,” he said. “So if you’re concerned about the long-term future of democracy, you should be worried about young people.”

Darol Chamberlain, a volunteer coordinator for the Ithaca

division of Organizing for America, President Barack Obama's election campaign, said the group is targeting all voters. He said they expect the student body to be more involved in the upcoming election.

He said the campaign is working with students from the college and Cornell as well as permanent residents in the area. “[President Obama] has a positive vision of what this country can become and young people recognize that and will, as in 2008, vote

disproportionately for that vision,” he said.

Levine said he expects young people will turn out to vote in the upcoming presidential election.

He said though students tend not to participate in local elections as much, the excitement surrounding a presidential campaign pushes them to be more active.

“The likelihood of actually matching the 2008 turnout rate is pretty low, but we could be close to that,” he said.

Th ursday, Decem be r 1, 2011

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The I th a c a n 5

Occupiers gather in Week of Action ITS to implement updates on campus-wide network

By patrick feeney staff writer

Occupy Ithaca College began its Week of Action on Monday, in solidarity with worldwide protests that are entering their third month.

The Week of Action is a series of meetings focusing on different aspects of the Occupy movement.

It will end with a General Assembly on Friday.

Junior Ren Ostry, a facilitator for Occupy IC, said the week of action is intended to create more student interest in the larger movement.

“The greatest critique of the Occupy movement is a lack of action, a lack of messaging and goals,” Ostry said. “Our hope is that these meetings this week will allow us to recruit and culminate in a General Assembly.”

The organization is holding meetings every day this week at noon in the middle of IC Square.

Tuesday, a group of about 15 students sat in front of La Vincita and went over self-protective measures.

Senior Gabriel Alvarez-Millard, who was in charge of Tuesday’s meeting, said he is hopeful for larger turnout in the coming days.

“There is a core of people that is slowly growing,” he said. “The way we plan it, there will be more people each day.”

Occupy IC first started with a mass student and faculty walkout Oct. 14. However, as the movement progressed, student participation has not grown substantially.

Junior Lyndsey Lyman, an organizer for the Week of Action, said the problem is based on inaccessibility.

“It’s because people don’t really know we exist on campus,” she said.

by jack curran staff writer

Senior Gabriel Alvarez-Millard sits in front of La Vincita during a workshop on self-protective measures Tuesday as part of the week of action.

shawn steiner/the ithacan

“We realize the meetings we have for the General Assemblies, which were Tuesdays at noon, might not work for as many people as we’d like.”

Lyman said the meetings planned for the week are based around preparation for protest and whatever might possibly happen during one.

The week of action comes after heavy student involvement in Occupy demonstrations across the nation. Wall Street protesters in Zuccotti Park were cleared overnight Nov. 15, but soon returned.

Videos of peaceful UC Davis student protestors being peppersprayed by police officers caused uproar across the nation.

“We chose to do those in light of recent events,” Lyman said. “We’ve seen more horrific events recently.

As the movement grows, these events may become more unpredictable. There’s always the chance that [something] may happen and people should be prepared to protect themselves.”

Lyman said she is hopeful students can overcome apathy.

“There were some people present who were obviously not in support of the movement,” Lyman said. “General apathy is part of what we encounter. I hope the students can see how the movement will benefit them and how it 100 percent effects them.”

An expansive project launched three years ago by Information Technology Services to improve the quality of the Ithaca College computing network is now entering its final stages.

The Network and Security reArchitecture TAVES said the project will improve project, was network speed implemented and security.

by ITS to improve network speed and performance for users.

Michael Taves, executive director of ITS and project chairman for NSrA, said the project started to renovate outdated technology and because of a need for improved network security.

“We were very concerned about improving our posture in terms of network security — securing the computers and information on our network,” Taves said.

Since the NSrA project began, more than 20 buildings on campus have been re-cabled, and a new Active Directory and new security hardware was installed.

Taves said the NSrA project allows ITS to control what computers on the network are reachable from the Internet, which will prevent hackers from accessing secure files stored on computers in the network.

“They can still use the Internet

and do all the work they need to do,” Taves said. “But other people with bad intentions will not be able to reach in and find that computer.”

The new Active Directory, which took the place of Novell to store network accounts, became visible this year.

John Barr, associate professor and chair of the computer science department, said one of the project’s biggest improvements has been reducing the amount of time it takes a user to log in to the network after entering a username and password.

“Before, it would take about 10 minutes to log on to the computers,” Barr said. “That’s 10 minutes of class you’ve now lost.”

The NSrA project upgraded all fiber communication links, which allows for improved connection to ResNet, the college’s residence hall computing network run by Apogee.

Senior Thillman Benham said he noticed improvements to the Internet service offered by the college.

“The free service that they offered was terrible when I first got here,” Benham said. “The free service essentially became the old service that you paid for, and now the service that you pay for is hyper fast.”

The next stages will be data migration, in which user files will be moved to the network, and data server migration, in which the main servers will be moved.

Taves said he is unsure when the project will be finished, but said it will continue through next fall.

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Exploring virtual morality Author examines choices in gaming world Rachel Wagner, associate professor of religion at Ithaca College, recently published “Godwired: Religion, Ritual and Virtual Reality,” a book that explores the connection between religion and virtual reality. In her study, she urges video game players to think critically about the virtual worlds they interact with and discusses how they perpetuate certain stereotypical views of mainstream society.

Staff writer Candace WAGNER said King spoke with Wagner she urges gamers about how her publica- to think critically tion is relevant to today’s about stereotypes. virtualized society.

Candace King: What inspired you to write this book?

Rachel Wagner: I knew some people who had done a study in ritual theory, and ritual theory is the way that we interact with stories, gestures, meaning, behavior and with ways that shape the way we see ourselves in the world. People are doing that in film, and I thought, ‘Well, if we’re thinking about how people engage interactively with stories on the screen, must that be true with video games?’ So that got me started, and no one was writing about this. If you play a video game, you are actually engaging in behaviors with images that represent people.

CK: What are some of the topics you touch on in your study?

RW: There’s a chapter on storytelling, which is about what happens when mostly sacred texts become new media and how they might be chopped up by Twitter. They might be transformed by cut and paste, and they might

be hyperlinked. They’re going to be digitized, and so they might exist as an app alongside other apps on the iPhone, for example, and that might change their meaning. I have a chapter on virtual violence and whether it’s possible to do something called virtual evil.

You harm, but it’s only within the virtual context. Even if you are not actually physically hurting the real person, the game may still be inviting you to make moral choices that then may possibly shape your choice in the real world, at least if you don’t think critically about it.

CK: What kind of reconciliation is there for the issue of stereotypical representation in some gaming culture?

RW: I wrote the book in part because I do believe that critical thinking is possible. We should think about the algorithmic structures that engage us in any screened, digital environment. I also think that if we learned to think critically about those spaces — the spaces that we make behind our computer screen or behind whatever screen we are using for gameplay that have been coded by people with particular purposes in mind — we can also think critically about the coded structure places in our lives which are equally ideologically informed.

CK: Is there anything else you are currently working on?

RW: I am starting a second book. It’s going to be called “Religion and the Game.” It’s following up on these issues. There’s a trend in society called gamification, and that’s that we want everything to be fun, we want everything to be a game. So I’m wondering about those groups that play religion like a game and those people who gamify culture and therefore view religion in this very simplistic way.

Here to stay

Ithaca residents Joy Hines and Logan Bell continue the Occupy Ithaca protest along with 40 other residents Tuesday in DeWitt Park. Protesters pitched tents in the park Nov. 21 and wrote a declaration citing plans to address grievances and solutions for the City of Ithaca. kevin campbell/The Ithacan

Applications for paid positions on the Ithacan’s editorial board for Spring 2011 are now available.

Positions include:

• Multimedia Editor • Two Assistant Photo Editors • Year in Review Design Editor

Applications are available at the front desk in The Ithacan office. Completed forms, accompanied by a resume, should be returned to the managing editor, Whitney Faber, by Monday, Dec. 5. The available positions last the full semester. Students from all majors are welcome and encouraged to apply.

Please address any questions to Faber or editor in chief, Aaron Edwards, at 274-3208.

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{

College & City Pulitzer winner to lecture about immigration issues Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer

Prize-winning journalist and undocumented immigrant will speak to Ithaca College students about the fallacies surrounding immigration in his speech “Immigration ... Beyond Media Myths.”

In the discussion, which will VARGAS begin at 7:30 p.m.

Monday in Emerson Suites, Vargas will talk about how he did not learn of his status as an undocumented immigrant until he was 16 years old. Vargas has lived in the United States since he was 12 years old.

After exposing his status to the public, Vargas founded his nonprofit organization, Define American, which aims to shed light on the ignorance surrounding immigration.

Vargas previously worked for publications such as the Washington Post and the Huffington Post, and profiled Mark Zuckerburg for The New Yorker.

The event is free and open to the public.

Cornell class to present research on inlet wetlands

Tompkins County will host a program revealing research conducted on how to restore the Cayuga Inlet wetlands that have been lost during the past 200 years.

The program, titled “Cayuga Inlet Dredge Material: Opportunities for Restoring Ecosystem Functions

and Services,” will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. today in the Borg Warner Room of the Tompkins County Public Library.

The Tompkins County Environmental Management Council reviewed written records, aerial photographs and maps to determine the extent of wetland loss in the vicinity of the Cayuga Inlet during the past two centuries.

Cornell University associate professor Tom Whitlow and his Restoration Ecology class will present the results of their research.

Airport teams up with fund hoping to reduce emissions The Ithaca Tompkins Regional

Airport is working with Sustainable Tompkins to make the Finger Lakes Climate Fund available to flyers at the airport.

With the fund, air travelers can use the computer in the passenger departure lounge, or two stations in the airport installed by Sustainable Tompkins, to calculate the carbon footprint of their journeys.

They can also make secure credit card payments to the FLCF, which would go toward a tax-deductible carbon offset.

The net effect of the initiative is to zero out the carbon associated with an individual flight and to work toward eventual carbon neutrality.

Sustainable Tompkins launched the climate fund in 2010 and has made two energy improvement grants to local households since its launch.

For more information, visit www.fingerlakesclimatefund.org.

Film producers to give talk about production business

Independent film producers Christine Vachon and Ted Hope will give a lecture at Ithaca College on film financing, how to prepare an independent feature-length film and ethics in global businesses.

Vachon and Hope will also talk about their expeVACHON riences producing films such as “Boys Don’t Cry,” “I’m Not There” and “One Hour Photo” at the event, which will be held at 7:30 p.m. today in Park Auditorium.

Vachon won an Emmy award for her work as the executive producer of the Showtime series “This American Life.” She also received the Producers Award from the National Board of Review.

Hope worked on the HBO film version of “The Laramie Project” and won the Grand Jury Prize for three of his films submitted for the Sundance Film Festival.

HIV/AIDS film will screen as part of World AIDS Day

Ithaca College will show “Rock the Boat,” a documentary about the story of a crew of HIV-positive sailors who entered the Trans-Pacific Yacht Race, and how people in the 90s lived with the disease.

The event will be held at 7 p.m. today in Textor 103 in conjunction with World AIDS Day. The movie is a part of the Out of the Closet and Onto the Screen film

Public Safety Incident Log

series sponsored by the college’s Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Education. Campus organizations concerned with HIV/AIDS issues will also host informational sessions at the event.

The documentary is free and open to the public.

Friday

“Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life,” a film based on the life of the French pop icon, will begin at 7 p.m. in Willard Straight Theatre at Cornell University.

Shabbat Services will begin at 6 p.m. in Muller Chapel.

IC Active Minds presents at wellness conference

Shabbat Dinner will be held at 7 p.m. in Terrace Dining Hall.

IC Active Minds, a student advocacy organization dedicated to raising awareness about mental health issues, presented at the Active Minds 8th National Mental Health on Campus Conference at the University of Maryland’s College Park campus.

Ten students from the organization, along with their adviser LeBron Rankins, spoke at the conference, which was held from Nov. 18-20. They presented about Speak Your Mind Panels, which were developed to decrease the stigma about seeking mental health help and counseling when needed.

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

Monday Mary Jo-Dudley will speak from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Klingenstein Lounge about the contributions migrant farm workers make to the Ithaca community.

Tuesday Save Energy, Save Dollars, a workshop that offers low-cost ways to reduce home energy, will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Cooperative Extension Education Center at Cornell University.

Colleges Against Cancer kicks off event for relay

Colleges Against Cancer, a student organization at Ithaca College, will hold its annual Relay for Life Kickoff to prepare for the college’s Relay for Life on March 31.

The event, which will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. tonight in IC Square, will feature performances by campus groups such as Premium Blend, IC Circus and Pulse. Different CAC committees will also give presentations on past relays hosted at the college.

Wednesday Dawn’s Early Light, an exhibition showcasing the first 50 years of American photography, will be begin at 9 a.m. in Kroch Library, Hirshland Gallery at Cornell University.

selected entries from Nov. 3 to Nov. 9

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF November 6 LOCATION: K-Lot SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person broke a window. Investigation MEDICAL ASSIST SAFETY HAZARD pending. Patrol Officer Mark Denicola.

LOCATION: Garden Apartments LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Officer reported a bicycle SUMMARY: Caller reported a person having causing a safety hazard was issued a MEDICAL ASSIST an allergic reaction. Person declined mediwarning notice for removal. Fire and LOCATION: All Other cal assistance with ambulance staff. Fire SUMMARY: Caller reported a person and Building Safety Coordinator Ron Clark.

Building Safety Coordinator Ron Clark. injured a hand during training. Report taken. Patrol Officer Mark Denicola.

MEDICAL ASSIST/ INJURY RELATED Criminal Tampering LOCATION: Rowland Hall LOCATION: Terraces November 5 SUMMARY: Caller reported a person fell SUMMARY: Officer reported an unknown and struck their head while taking a shower. person tampered with wires from telecomPerson transported to CMC by ambulance. CONDUCT CODE VIOLATION munication box. Investigation pending.

Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke.

Sergeant Ron Hart.

LOCATION: Circle Lot SUMMARY: Caller reported an intoxicated CONDUCT CODE VIOLATIONS person vomiting. Person transported to Conduct Code Violation LOCATION: S-Lot CMC by ambulance and judicially referred LOCATION: J-Lot SUMMARY: Officer reported a vehicle for irresponsible use of alcohol. Sergeant SUMMARY: Person judicially referred with a fraudulent parking permit. Vehicle Terry O’Pray. for irresponsible use of alcohol. Master towed and one person judicially referred Patrol Officer Christopher Teribury. for violation of college regulations. Patrol V&T VIOLATION Officer Brad Bates.

Fire Alarm Smoldering

LOCATION: Grant Egbert Blvd SUMMARY: During a vehicle stop, a LOCATION: Lower Quad November 4 person was arrested for DWI. Officer is- SUMMARY: Caller reported smoke comsued uniform traffic tickets to the driver ing from a cigarette receptacle. Smoke for Ithaca Town Court for DWI, failure to extinguished. Sergeant Ron Hart.

PROPERTY DAMAGE submit to a field screening device and LOCATION: C-Lot November 7 SUMMARY: Person reported an unknown an expired inspection. A campus sumperson damaged vehicle mirrors. Inves- mons was issued for speed in zone, tigation pending. Master Patrol Officer and a warning was given for improper Larceny use of a turn signal. This person was LOCATION: G-Lot Christopher Teribury. also judicially referred. Patrol Officer SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown perLARCENY Dan Austic. son stole a bicycle on Oct. 16. Investigation LOCATION: Center for Natural Sciences pending. Patrol Officer Jay VanVolkinburg.

SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown CONDUCT CODE VIOLation person stole a laptop. Investigation pend- LOCATION: Conservatory Drive Case Status Change SUMMARY: Caller reported an intoxicated LOCATION: Garden Apartments ing. Sergeant James Landon. person passed out in a vehicle. Person SUMMARY:Complainant reported a phone LARCENY declined medical assistance with am- originally reported as stolen on Oct. 15 bulance staff and was judicially referred from the Garden Apartments was returned, LOCATION: F-Lot SUMMARY: Caller reported a stolen a ban- for irresponsible use of alcohol. Sergeant and no larceny occurred. Larceny unfoundTerry O’Pray. ner. Patrol Officer Jeremiah McMurray. ed. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke.

November 3

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this WEEK

Medical Assist/ Injury Related LOCATION: Athletics and Events Center SUMMARY: Caller reported a person running fell and sustained a face injury.

Person transported to CMC by ambulance. Patrol Officer Jay VanVolkinburg.

Harassment LOCATION: Emerson Hall SUMMARY: Caller reported a person entered a room without authorization and refused to leave. Investigation pending.

Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke.

November 8 Larceny LOCATION: Williams Hall SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person stole an iPod. Investigation pending. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke.

Larceny LOCATION: Landon Hall SUMMARY: Complainant reported an unknown person stole a laptop. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Brad Bates.

Criminal Trespass

LOCATION: West Tower SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person entered a room, threw paper towels and moved furniture.

Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Bruce Thomas.

November 9 Disorderly Conduct LOCATION: F-Lot SUMMARY: Officer reported an uncooperative person skate boarding in the roadway. Person was judicially referred for skateboarding in an unauthorized

area and was given a warning for failing to provide their ID. Patrol Officer Dan Austic.

Fire Alarm Smoke Investigation LOCATION: F-Lot SUMMARY: Caller reported a cigarette dispenser was smoking. Dispenser extinguished with water. Fire Protection Specialist Mark Swanhart.

Medical Assist/ Psychological LOCATION: Circle Apartments SUMMARY: Caller reported a person having psychological problem. Officers determined person was not a threat to themselves or others, and Residential Life provided assistance. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke.

Motor Vehicle Accident LOCATION: L-Lot SUMMARY: Officer reported two-car motor vehicle accident. Report taken. Master Patrol Officer Robert Hightchew.

Larceny LOCATION: Circle Apartments SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person stole chairs on Oct. 28. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Dan Austic.

For the complete safety log, go to www.theithacan.org/news

Key cmc – Cayuga Medical Center DWI – Driving While Intoxicated IFD – Ithaca Fire Department IPD – Ithaca Police Department SASP – Student Auxiliary Safety Patrol V&T – Vehicle and Transportation MVA - Motor Vehicle Accident

Opinion

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blind decisions break the bank

Before students make conscious choices to attend expensive colleges, they should first weigh the financial burden against their ideal personal experience.

A

merica’s higher education system has made a dent in students’ wallets, but tuition isn’t solely to blame for their financial burdens.

The issue of student debt is growing more political. A feasible part of President Barack Obama’s new proposal to reduce student debt considers students’ financial ability to repay loans. However, the other part about eliminating debt after 20 years doesn’t seem realistic. The president’s proposal only perpetuates irresponsible borrowing, considering student debt surpassed credit card debt for the first time this year, and our national debt of more than $15 trillion is pushing the country closer to another recession.

But perhaps one reason for this debt is that students aren’t fully educated on options for higher education. Community colleges, state schools and international exchanges can be cheaper than some well-known private institutions. By studying at lessexpensive institutions, students can explore their interests, cultivate passions and then move on to possibly more specialized colleges for job preparation, which could help eliminate some financial worries.

Those who want more than a career-focused education, however, may choose to invest in the “experience” of campus community and local culture that comes with a hefty tuition price. While some argue students make too large of financial decisions, it doesn’t apply to those who invest in the experience places like Ithaca College additionally offers.

If students were more educated about the options available to choose from, they could be saving time and money. This awareness could also help students weigh both the personal and dollar value of their education before making a decision that could leave them dancing with debt.

branching out

The college should establish multiple committees that combine the interests of students, faculty and the institution to improve sustainability efforts.

W

hile Ithaca College could build a single roof over its sustainability initiatives for increased visibility, it should not permanently house its diverse practices in only one location.

If the college established an Office of Sustainability like other institutions across the country, the office should be a resource for students, faculty and organizations interested in improving campus sustainability.

If the office is college-run, it wouldn’t be wise to mandate that students and campus organizations become part of the facility. These organizations are affiliated with the college, but are student-run and have student-driven agendas — not institutional ones.

Such independent efforts have shepherded our campus toward more equitable and ecological success. Groups like Frack Off and Slow Food have been able to protest hydraulic fracturing and petition for more local foods on campus. However, there is still a lack of interdependency among all the groups working toward sustainability.

The college must create multiple sustainability committees focused on food, energy and the environment among other efforts. These committees could have volunteer representatives from different student and faculty groups to get diverse input and a 360-degree perspective on sustainability issues at the college.

your letters Education can curb risky drinking

It’s disheartening to hear students’ negative comments regarding efforts to reduce high-risk drinking. Nancy Reynolds, program director for the Center for Health Promotion, is a prevention specialist who was hired specifically to address alcohol and other drug issues on campus. She is a recognized expert Brian McAree in her field and has successfully collaborated with students, faculty and staff who share concerns about health and safety.

Ithaca College has never taken a “hands-off” approach to high-risk drinking, nor is it an option during Cortaca weekend or at any other time. The college has a duty to enforce the law and to maintain a safe environment on campus. It also has the right to set expectations about behavior and to hold students accountable through the judicial system.

Students do have a choice of how to behave and, as adults, we know that behavior has consequences. A review of the Public Safety Log for Cortaca weekend shows 45 reports, most associated with high-risk use of alcohol. These reports include hospital transports, vandalism, disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing and DWI. The college has employed many evidence-based prevention strategies over the years to deal with this complex issue. I welcome students, staff and faculty to join me and the Center for Health Promotion in educating our campus community about the dangers of high-risk drinking and to avoid serious consequences.

brian mcAree, Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Life

The Ithacan Aaron edwards editor in chief whitney faber Managing editor megan devlin opinion Editor kelsey o’connor news Editor elma Gonzalez assistant news editor erica palumbo assistant news editor Patrick Duprey online editor kelsey fowler accent editor

Americans should take lessons from China about sustainability

Marian Brown, professor Allen-Gil and professor Swenson can be forgiven for missing the many indicators of how the Chinese value sustainability. The Chinese have been practicing sustainability for centuries. Their challenge is articulating to Americans — in English, no less — concepts that are almost second nature to them.

Beyond coal, China is light-years ahead of the U.S. in sustainability in almost any category. It already generates 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, versus 14 percent in America. China may generate 23 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases, but that is 25 percent of the per-capita amount generated by Americans.

Sustainability in China manifests in what is not there. In Shanghai, only about 5 percent of residents own automobiles, 97 percent of residents rely on bicycles, buses or metros for commuting. In stark contrast, Americans own about one car for every citizen over 18, and 88 percent of Americans commute to work in private vehicles.

With relatively few cars in a megacity like Shanghai, many neighborhood streets serve pedestrians first and cars second.

Major downtown commercial streets, like East Nanjing Road in Shanghai, have been converted from arterials to pedestrian malls.

Americans should look more closely at China’s ambitious efforts toward a sustainable future. Yes, the Chinese have a long way to go, but they recognize this. They can also teach us along our own way to sustainability.

George Frantz, Visiting Lecturer, Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University

Columnist ignores big issues

I agree with Chris Zivalich’s larger point that media often focus on sound bites instead of substance. But I was disappointed

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

shea o’meara assistant accent editor kevin mccall Sports editor harlan green-taub assistant sports editor michelle boulé photo editor emily park assistant photo editor rachel orlow assistant photo editor carly gill Multimedia editor marissa smith chief copy editor

by his ad hominem tone.

While he calls for “critical thinkers” and “tough questions,” he spends his column calling names and avoiding serious arguments. He calls Bachmann and Cain nonsensical, ludicrous, stupid, vane, ridiculous, laughable and disturbing. While that may be his opinion, it does not add to the dialogue, just like those who argue against Obama by asking for his birth certificate or simply calling him a name. In addition, he only mentions one policy proposal, Cain’s 9-9-9 plan, and quickly dismisses it without an argument or fact.

He brings up drone attacks and statements about sexuality, but doesn’t give candidate’s positions or arguments about those issues either. Zivalich does exactly what he criticizes in the column, which is a symptom of a larger problem on campus: the lack of intellectual diversity. I hope the campus community uses the 2012 elections to learn about the candidates and also the arguments and ideas behind their policy proposals. Students should take the time now to read ideas with which they disagree, and strengthen their own perspectives by respectfully discussing ideas with those whom are different. Don’t fall into the trap Zivalich does by using ad hominem attacks without arguments or facts.

Roger custer, ’04

SPEAK

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Opi n ion

Th ursday, Decem be r 1, 2011

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guest commentary

Post-Katrina society still needs revitalization L

ast month, the student organization ReNew Orleans hosted a teach-in on issues in postHurricane Katrina New Orleans. As part of the group’s mission to raise awareness of social and environmental issues in the area, the event featured presentations by professors from Ithaca College’s anthropology and environmental science departments. Other speakers included the director of a local non-profit organization, Love Knows No Bounds, and the co-founder of the St. Bernard Project, a non-profit in Chalmette, La., that helps survivors of the hurricane return home.

The St. Bernard Project educates its employees and volunteers on the real reasons behind the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe — the ones that Lyndsey Lyman continue to plague the city today. This summer, as a site supervisor for SBP, I taught volunteers how to rebuild homes that were damaged in the storm.

As I learned more about New Orleans, I understood that sociopolitical and environmental issues are still prevalent there. For instance, the gaping hole between the wealth of the lower and upper classes and the disregard of human well being in favor of corporate prosperity are but a few issues faced in the area and across the U.S. The cause of the widespread devastation wasn’t the storm itself as much as it was the intense flooding that followed. The levees, built just one year prior to the storm, broke because of the poor design of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Also, the rezoning of flood areas prompted insurance companies to tell homeowners they only needed coverage for hurricanes, not for floods.

The problems that led to the flooding, however, date back to the 1960s. During this time, the

tj gunther

Bring on the computer geeks

I

Junior Lyndsey Lyman presents about her experience with the St. Bernard Project, a group that rebuilds homes in New Orleans, during a teach-in Nov. 10 in the Taughannock Falls Meeting Room. kristina stockburger/the Ithacan

Mississippi River Gulf Outlet was constructed to increase efficiency and ease for ships coming into the Port of New Orleans. But by the time Katrina made landfall, the MRGO had already depleted many of the wetlands. It had introduced salt water into an ecosystem dependent on fresh water. This ruined the buffer that healthy wetlands offered by slowing down hurricanes before they make landfall.

Moral failings also occurred both before and after Katrina wreaked havoc on New Orleans. The unwillingness of local governments to create a citywide evacuation plan that included transportation for people of lower socioeconomic status left many stranded. The notoriously corrupt New Orleans Police Department carried out racist and classist

actions. Contractor fraud prevented homeowners from returning to the city years later.

The logic in this country says it is acceptable to sacrifice human life and the dignity of those at the bottom of the hierarchy as long as it serves those at the top. It is time to put an end to that logic.

Students at the college must address the systemic issues, not just in Ithaca, but also in each of their hometowns, to prevent societal devastation.

The measure of our society should be how well we take care of one another. When it came to Katrina, we failed. But we don’t have to fail again.

Lyndsey lyman is a junior culture and communication major. Email her at llyman1@ithaca.edu

guest commentary

Recent sports scandals should be a campus wake up call

I

f football is a metaphor for life, the Ithaca College campus just had two large “plays” to read.

First, legendary “JoePa” Paterno was ousted after more than four decades as Penn State University’s head football coach. This came only when PSU learned Paterno didn’t report the child sexual assault Betsy keller by long-time assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky. Second, our campus learned that Nancy Reynolds, director of the college’s Center for Health Promotion, allegedly conspired to give students more homework as a ploy to prevent them from getting soused and “fully experiencing” the Cortaca Jug game.

While these two events may seem like parallel universes colliding during the same November week, they were predictable and emblematic of “business as usual” at colleges today. If we offered a course entitled “Personal Accountability: Give It a Try,” it’s likely no one would enroll lest they had to read and write about, discuss and, yes, do homework assignments on this antiquated notion of “the buck stops here.” Being responsible for our actions is simply not a popular notion. With so few role models, it would be tough to find accountable examples for such a class. But these recent football-related events shed light on the practice of accountability.

If there were an ounce of personal

tech bytes

Students greet former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno at his home Nov. 8 after the university’s board of trustees threatened to end his career.

Matt Rourke/associated press

accountability in the Penn State faux pas of JoePa, I wonder how the following would have been answered: Were Penn State students upset because Paterno was fired or because children were sexually assaulted? If Sandusky’s actions were reported when he was banned from a local high school in 2005 for student sexual assault, how many fewer children would he have sexually assaulted?

Are Paterno and the Penn State president solely culpable in this case?

Or should we also fire the students, school system, law enforcement and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, who appear to hold the sanctity of Penn State football in higher esteem than the welfare of their children?

Regarding Ms. Reynolds, who posted environmental management

strategies to a faculty-only listserv, she wanted to start a dialogue about whether such practices should be considered, given the history of drunk and disorderly conduct during the Cortaca Jug. But was it responsible for the faculty to leak this info to The Ithacan when posted to a faculty-only listserv? Did the faculty “leaker” consider speaking with Ms. Reynolds about these “controversial” practices and her intentions before parading her words before the court of public opinion? Did that faculty act responsibly and accountably?

Despite Ms. Reynold’s efforts, has the college pondered why it chooses to keep its head in the sand rather than deal effectively with rampant alcohol and drug abuse on this campus, and why it lags behind other institutions?

Has the college considered that, while each student has a choice about substance use, it still has a responsibility not to tolerate substance illegalities?

With 20 years at the college, I find student alcohol and drug behavior is unchanged or worse. To understand why, I considered the college employees, policies and actions that serve as role models for our students. What message do we send to students when instead of removing a faculty who fails to teach assigned classes, we simply add language to our faculty policy manual that states we’re “expected” to teach classes? When we fail to hold ourselves accountable for our own job performance, how is that perceived?

What is the message when some of us reduce academic expectations during Cortaca because we assume students will be too hung-over to study?

Increasing academic rigor may not solve the problem of preventing alcohol abuse, but I support Ms. Reynolds’ attempt to urge this campus to effectively address our health, conduct and responsibility.

Over the years, many members of the college’s football team have taken my courses. But I don’t recall one of them asking for an extension or to change an exam date because it interfered with their football schedule. Maybe they know I expect more of them. So I ask, Ithaca College, when will we be “Ready” to expect and demand accountability and responsibility of all members of this institution? betsy keller is a professor of exercise and sport sciences. Email her at keller@ithaca.edu

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

f you quit school now, you could be making six figures before you turn 30.

College has traditionally been the pathway to higher-paying and better jobs, but the current unemployment rate and rising college tuitions have tossed this old adage into question. As the American tech industry thrives and needs more programmers, designers and researchers, the best of which make upwards of $100,000, a growing faction of industry insiders see academics as a hindrance to economic growth. They say it keeps some of the best minds from the business world.

Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, has led the charge against traditional education with his 20 Under 20 fellowship. The program recruits 20 of the brightest students from top universities and invests $100,000 into each of them — on one condition. The recruits must quit school and join Thiel for two years in San Francisco to begin entrepreneurships in fields like robotics and information services.

Thiel is part of a growing group that believes too many of the best minds are caught doing research in academia, when really these young thinkers should be tapped now to develop creative and new ideas that can solve old problems. By providing them with the resources to get started, Thiel believes the fellowships could produce the next wave of technology innovators.

College students now learn to research and analyze, and how to apply for existing jobs. But colleges seem to be lacking when it comes to teaching students how to turn their own ideas and projects into successful businesses. Countless good ideas are lost because of students’ lack of understanding about how to break out on their own.

The technology sector is growing and invading an increasing number of industries. But even skilled workers looking for these jobs aren’t meeting the rising demand. This is because most graduates lack a basic understanding of computer science, which keeps people from exploring it. It’s easy to choose subjects like English or history as an elective when a student is already familiar with them, but computers can intimidate those who haven’t studied the mechanics behind them.

The U.S. needs a new education standard that reconsiders the digitization of a growing number of fields, from health care to taxi services. The country is experiencing a tech growth spurt, but it lacks the trained personnel needed to fulfill the increasing demand for laborers. Either through better technology education or an increased focus on entrepreneurship, the U.S. must modernize or risk losing its tech dominance to another country.

TJ Gunther is a senior journalism major. Email him at tgunthe1@ithaca.edu

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Breaking news.

Daily stories.

Game stories.

Multimedia.

Student blogs ...

... It’s all online.

theithacan.org

Th ursday, Decem be r 1, 2011

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Examining the private lives of students who strip to pay the bills

By Elma Gonzalez Assistant News Editor

A girl spirals around a golden pole upside down as she holds on with one hand. She brings herself to the ground and crawls toward a grinning middleaged man. She stretches her leg onto the man’s shoulder, slaps her thigh and lifts her garter. The man places a single dollar in it with a smile.

While this typical strip club scene reads like a Hollywood creation, for some Ithaca College students, it’s a reality.

photo illustration by Michelle boulé

This is just an average night for juniors Dirty Dallas* and Sugar Cookie*. They joined Kuma Charmers, a strip club in Ithaca, in October to supplement their incomes after struggling to pay school, apartment and health bills.

Any given day, Cookie might wear jeans, a T-shirt and glasses to her Biology class, but twice a week, she sports a seductive G-string and sexy garter to match. Walking around campus, she gives no clue of her stripper nightlife.

Her debt comes from expensive medical bills. Initially, she worked as a tutor at the college, but needed to find a second job to supplement her income.

Dallas also searched for a job, but c o u l d not find one with enough income to pay for all her school loans. She thought Kuma’s would be the answer to her many financial problems.

The outside is painted in a faded gray and red. The place, located just off Route 79, is desolate. A marquee listing the rules — no drugs, no refunds and no assholes — stands next to a single red door. Dallas said she was skeptical about the place when she first saw it.

“It’s kind of rundown,” she said. “It’s in the middle of nowhere. The bouncers walk us up to our cars each night.”

Inside, the light is strategically dimmed to place focus on the stage, where disco lights illuminate the naked girls dancing to the beat. Chairs are arranged surrounding the stage for club patrons to sit and enjoy the show. At first, Dallas felt intimidated by the stage.

“I can’t even read in front of people so I [didn’t] even know how I [was] going to be naked in front of people,” she said. “It’s kind of given me some confidence — I’m not going to lie.”

Even now, they both have to mentally prepare before performing. Cookie worries she might fall and hurt herself because of problems with her joints, so she tries to block the moment out and focus on the task at hand. For Dallas,

any nude establishment. pre-stage worries are more trivial.

Kuma’s work environment is surpris“I hope that I look OK, I hope that everything is in place, everything is clean ingly ordinary despite its provocative constitution. Dallas said all the workers down below,” she said.

Despite it being a bit overwhelming, know each other’s real names and have destage dancing has become the most enjoy- veloped close relationships.

Except for their roommates and a few able part of the job for her.

“We’ve learned some pretty sick pole close friends, no one else at the college knows their whereabouts from 7:30 p.m. to tricks,” Dallas joked.

During the first-day tutorial, the girls are 1 a.m. on the nights they work.

Dallas’ roommate was in the room when told not to think of themselves as strippers, but “Charmers,” like the club’s name. Callie she confessed what her part-time job is to Jo Oliver, the wife of the club’s owner, said for her mother. She was very surprised her each tryout, only the girls with the best per- mom was so supportive.

“She was like, ‘Well you need the sonality are kept. have to do what “Everyone knows what a stripper is money so you do,’” the roomstereotyped as,” she said. “We try to keep you have to mate recalls. “‘Just don’t put those type of people out of here.” yourself in a The girls said the late-night situation that hours they spend you don’t want at the club don’t to be in.’” affect their acaThe only demics at school.

— Dirty Dallas person Dallas Strippers are able hesitated to tell was to choose how many times her boyfriend. He said per week they work. his initial reaction was shock. He was Yet, the stigmas associated with their craft pose a potential threat worried about the risks and the stigma that to their social lives, so they are determined came with the job and it took him about three to four weeks to fully digest the news. to keep their jobs confidential.

He tries to be supportive, but Dallas said she The girls get 50 percent of each private dance fee, plus whatever they make in tips. still feels he is uncomfortable with it sometimes.

“When I get back, I try to immediately take On average, they make $200 to $300 every night. For just $20, customers can take any a shower because I know that he is grossed out girl to a private booth and have her dance by that,” she said.

He said he is glad she did not hide her and strip for them.

It’s something of a clean deal. Clients can situation from him, and he feels they have not lost the connection that brought them touch the girls everywhere, except the vagina.

Dallas said the private dances are always together last May when they began dating.

“It adds a new dynamic to it,” he said. the most awkward part of the job.

Cookie has not been able to confess her “We straddle them, grind on them, put our butts in their faces, put our boobs in secret to any family member. Reactions from their faces,” Dallas said. “Some guys do some friends discourage her from doing so.

“I’m comfortable when I’m there. I feel weird stuff with your nipples and you are like ‘What the f*** are you doing with my uncomfortable talking to other people about it sometimes because they don’t unnipple? Jesus Christ!’”

Club owner Bob Oliver said this is derstand the situation,” Cookie said. “You where having a “good personality” comes in just feel like you’ve done something that handy. Girls with good looks don’t neces- you are not supposed to.”

While stripping pays the bills for these sarily do best.

“The best talkers are the ones who do students, they said the job has come to mean the best, so it’s more of communicator more than just the money.

“I’ve also gained a better idea of my skills that count,” he said.

Cookie said the most important thing is sexuality,” Dallas said. “[I’m] a little more to “make the guy feel special,” like it’s “all confident in who I am and what I’m doing, about them.” Older men come in and casu- and definitely a lot more confident with my ally sit by the stage. Their faces are serious body, too.” and nonchalant as if seeing nude, teasing *Alternate stage names were used, or names dancers is an everyday event.

Younger customers show more excite- were excluded, to protect anonymity. ment. They smile, joke and “act cocky” when sitting by the stage, Dallas said.

“They have a poker face. As ∙ One third of strippers are students. soon as you get them in a dance ∙ 60 percent are between the ages of 22 and 29.

— oh my God — they are like shaking,” she said, making faces ∙ 9 percent are married, and an additional 41 percent and breathing heavily to imiare in a relationship. tate them. “It’s hilarious.” ∙ 21 percent want to become professional dancers.

Oliver said the club is a family owned business. He tries to ∙ About 13 percent have children. maintain a safe environment for everyone who works there. ∙ 16 percent were seeking better pay.

Originally, the club was a ∙ Close to 31 percent have lost respect for men. nightclub and bar when Oliver opened it in 1981. Eventually, ∙ 80 percent feel safe at work. he decided to switch the club entirely to fully nude dancers ∙ 47 percent feel they have to keep their job a secret. and stop serving alcohol to abide by a New York law that SourcE: Economic and Social Research Council prohibits serving alcohol in

“It’s kind of given me some confidence — I’m not going to lie.”

Dirty Details

[ a cc e ntuate]

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Hot or Not This week’s hits and misses

Assistant Accent Editor Shea O’Meara ranks the best and worst moments of ABC’s 90-minute special program “A Very Gaga Thanksgiving.”

Hot

The Music Lady Gaga traded in her typical edgy, sexually charged musical style for a more traditional tone as she welcomed Tony Bennett to the stage to perform the classic show tune “The Lady is a Tramp.” Bennett later said the young star had “a touch of theatrical genius,” and Gaga gave the show a more personal touch when she revealed that “Edge of Glory” is about her grandfather, and that she was celebrating only the second Thanksgiving since his death. With heart-filled tunes and a nod to musical tradition, Gaga made ABC’s studio yet another “House of Gaga.”

Lukewarm The Interview While the majority of the show took place on a dining-room-style stage, Gaga also returned to her elementary school for part of the segment. There, she created timely arts and crafts with students and walked the school’s hallways with journalist Katie Couric to talk about her childhood and career. The artist freely discussed her willingness to expose her body to the public, but would not reveal any details of her mysterious personal life. When Couric asked about the status of her romantic life, Sister Bayo, the performer’s former teacher, suspiciously rushed in to save the singer from having to answer the question.

Nice dodge, Gaga.

Not

The Cooking Mother Monster seemed more like Martha Stewart as she cooked up fried turkey and waffles with celebrity chef Art Smith. The show as a whole featured a more subdued Gaga, but lost its risque appeal as she removed her Valentino couture yellow coat to crack eggs and whisk batter. Gaga is known for her controversial style, songs and performances, and watching her calmly prepare a Thanksgiving meal while making jokes about the tastiness of the entrée seemed more like a daytime talk show than an offbeat holiday special. Gaga may have been heating up on stage, but she lost some flavor in the kitchen.

You go, Glen Coco

From left, freshman Hannah Oppenheim sells holiday candy grams to sophomore Sam Meehan on Tuesday in Campus Center. The sale raises funds for the Student Government Association and will continue from 8 p.m. to midnight tonight in the tc lounge.

kevin campbell/the ithacan

omg!

Ryan Gosling fans gather in street to protest sexiest man alive choice

While Occupy Wall Street protesters are struggling to stay in public areas and continue their stance against corporate greed, another group has taken to the streets to protest injustice in the mainstream media — sort of. People Magazine recently named Bradley Cooper the sexiest man alive, leaving Ryan Gosling in second place. Occupy Sexy, a group of about 15 Gosling fans, wore masks with Gosling’s face and stood outside People’s headquarters in Manhattan last week. People Magazine editors responded by defending the publication’s choice in the rankings.

So don’t worry, despite the protests the magazine will still be showing off some of the hottest bodies in Hollywood’s “1 percent.”

— Shea O’Meara

blog week of

the

fairytale-themed tumblr blog continues disney storylines

Even as news of Kate Middleton’s unconfirmed pregnancy made her the focus of media attention yet again, the English princess isn’t the only royal lady gracing the covers of top magazines. The Tumblr blog Petite Tiaras features photoshopped images of Disney princesses on publications like Vogue and Vanity Fair, complete with fairytale-themed headlines and tips straight from the royal castle. In one issue, Princess Jasmine dishes about Aladdin’s bad-boy behavior, and in another Mulan shares tips for dealing with unruly ancestors. Petite Tiaras provides a fresh look at some of the most recognizable media covergirls.

— Shea O’Meara

quoteunquote You suddenly realize that the role of a man, the role of a groom in a wedding, is that of a prop.

— Breaking Dawn’s Robert Pattinson on his role in the newest installment of the Twilight Saga.

celebrity SCOOPS! Paula Abdul fears ghosts Paula Abdul’s antics on “American Idol” earned her a reputation for being emotional, and her new gig as a judge on “The X Factor” proves some things haven’t changed.

The television star recently reported that her California mansion is home to some unwelcome visitors — from the other side. Abdul claims that strange white lights and silhouettes of humanoid figures appeared in her bedroom and are a sure sign of ghosts.

Her longtime neighbor, 87-year-old Wayne Mosely, says that Abdul, while kind and friendly, is also mildly delusional, adding that he has never seen any evidence of ghosts in his house. Abdul may want to call the Ghostbusters for a tip, but her neighbors are probably hoping she just gets a clue.

— Benjii Maust

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Ithaca Qudditch team takes flight at World Cup

By Lucy Walker staff writer

Players run up and down the field seven to a team. A few carry balls, a couple others bats. It looks like they could be playing a traditional American sport if not for the brooms between the players’ legs, hoops in the air and the cross-country runner dressed completely in yellow spandex.

This hybrid of dodgeball, soccer and baseball is called Muggle Quidditch, and the students playing it are The Hex, Ithaca’s community Quidditch Team.

After almost a year of practice and working to become a full team, The Hex got the opportunity to show its skill outside of Ithaca. During the second weekend of November, the team traveled to the Fifth Annual Quidditch World Cup. The tournament stretched across 10 fields on Randall’s Island in New York City.

The event was not only the team’s Cup debut, but also its first official match, an earlier informal scrimmage versus Cornell excluded.

Junior Caitlin Ghegan, the team’s coach, said she appreciates the kinship of the team. She said they often call her “Mama Weasley,” after Potter’s beloved maternal figure.

“We got a lot of freshmen, and there’s potential here to keep growing,” she said. “I know when I was a freshman, I would’ve loved to have had that community.”

Students at Middlebury College invented the game in 2005 based on the sport in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. The charmed balls that fly independently in the fictional

world of Harry Potter may be missing, but the magic is not. Since its inception, the sport’s popularity has exploded at universities, colleges and even high schools.

Junior Tom Aroune, team captain and founder, began playing the sport his freshman year with a few friends.

By the next fall, the team was a visible entity often found practicing on the quad by Campus Center.

With the assistance of sports management majors, a tournament was planned for November 2010, but failed to kick off the ground due to safety concerns surrounding the unofficial team and unrecognized sport at the college.

The Hex grew in size from about 15 regulars — and the friends they convinced to occasionally tag-along last year — to nearly 30 people, with an influx of enthusiastic freshmen this year. Some freshmen, like Erik Jaworski and Morgan Schuman, came to The Hex with high school Quidditch experience.

Schuman said she also enjoys the team feel of the sport.

“We’re like a family,” she said.

Almost 100 teams from five countries competed in the display of both athleticism and creativity organized by the International Quidditch Association. Creative uniforms, banners and mascots decorated the island. One team, named the Badassilisks, brought a Basilisk mascot, the mythical snake-like monster from the Harry Potter series.

About 20 players from The Hex

From left, freshmen Alisa Babcock, Morgan Schuman and Jessica Warne prepare to compete in the Fifth Annual Quidditch World Cup in New York City. They are members of the new Ithaca Community Quidditch Team.

Erik jaworski/the ithacan

were able to compete in the games against top Quidditch teams, including Texas A&M University, Vassar College, the University of Miami and New York University.

Schuman said the team had a rough start.

“We had a really tough bracket,” Schuman said. “Our first game was against Texas A&M, who was in the semifinals, so that was an interesting experience.”

Jaworski said the competition was difficult, but said The Hex improved

as the games progressed.

“We were paired up with two of the teams that were favored to win the World Cup,” he said. “We got brutally murdered by Texas A&M, but we progressed slowly but surely afterwards. The NYU game was very close. It was anybody’s game.”

Despite their losses, Ghegan said, the Cup was still enchanting.

“It was exciting to meet [other teams] and watch them play and see what other schools did,” Ghegan said.

After the games, Vassar players

invited The Hex to its Butterbeer Invitational in the spring, but for now the team is resting after the Cup and collaborating with the Harry Potter Alliance, a student group that works to raise awareness about the social issues featured in the book series. For any student wanting to play or just learn more about the sport, Arroune said there will always be a friendly game on campus.

“We play Quidditch for Quidditch’s sake,” he said. “To have fun.”

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Students work to bring fresh voice to green living Dani Stoffregen contributing writer

While sustainability in Ithaca is far from a new trend, a group of students, faculty and staff are digging up the newest and most creative eco-friendly happenings in the area.

Fresh Dirt Ithaca, the newest green living magazine of Tompkins County, is scheduled to publish this week. It features stories about community members who have adopted green living practices and offers tools to make sustainability an easier, more effective lifestyle. A class of Ithaca College students produced the magazine in collaboration with college faculty and community members.

Tommy Dunne, a freelance copy editor for Glamour Magazine and former editor of Recruitment Marketing, a subsection of the Office of Marketing Communications focused on undergraduate recruitment, pitched the idea for the course to professors at the college in the spring of 2010, but was turned down.

He then turned to Nancy Cornwell, chair of the television and radio department on leave this year, and was accepted under IC Studio, a series of television-radio mini-courses geared toward raising awareness about social change.

Cornwell advised Dunne to partner up with someone for the project, so he looked to Nick Kowalczyk, assistant writing professor, for assistance. The college agreed to fund the magazine, but students were responsible for selling advertisement space to local businesses to fill out the budget.

Dunne, who became the editor in chief and publisher of Fresh Dirt Ithaca, said he wanted to create a sustainability magazine after working with students on Fuse, a publication targeted to prospective students that depicts life at the college.

“I was really impressed with much of the writing and photography the students produced,” he said. “The quality of their work inspired me to start Fresh Dirt Ithaca through IC.”

Nick Kowalczyk, assistant professor of writing, reads proofs of Fresh Dirt Ithaca, a magazine produced by students, alumni and faculty that focuses on sustainability in Tompkins County.

juan tamayo/The Ithacan

Creating the magazine became a central goal of “Social Entrepreneurship in Action: Learning the Business of Magazines

by Launching a Green Living Magazine for Tompkins County,” a class developed to teach students how to build a magazine from conception to execution. While the writing

department originally planned to offer the class from fall 2010 to spring 2011, Dunne said he and Kowalczyk spent the previous summer and fall discussing the idea. The class was not made available until spring of this year. Twenty-one undergraduates and one part-time graduate student, from

majors including journalism, photography, politics and business, enrolled in the course. The magazine was completed with help from college faculty and other Ithaca residents with an interest in green living.

Robyn Wishna, a cinema, photography and media arts lecturer, was the photo editor and independent photographer for the magazine. Wishna said the publication highlights what is special about Ithaca.

“It involves students, progressive thinking and ways of living, and delves into some tough and relevant issues like fracking,” she said. “It goes beyond being just a local progressive magazine. There is something for everyone, from food to beauty products.”

Kowalczyk said the magazine will appear in print and online and is composed of feature stories meant to share the imaginative ways that members of the region are choosing to live sustainable lifestyles.

To be considered for the magazine, the stories had to focus on local sustainability initiatives and be creative and fresh. The articles were researched and written mostly within the class, but Kowalczyk, Dunne, and Rebecca Barry, Dunne’s wife, spent the summer fact-checking and revising stories as needed.

“Rather than being the kind of greenliving magazine that would make people feel guilty for what they’re not doing, we wanted instead to show this is what people are doing,” Kowalczyk said.

Kowalczyk said working on the magazine helped him to meet interesting people and learn more about Ithaca.

“I think that this project really helped me meet a lot of really cool people,” he said. “I appreciate a lot more where I live because I was actually able to see what was going on.”

The magazine will be available online after it is distributed in print. To read the stories, visit www.freshdirtmag.com.

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Series fires up with fifth installment

thursday

by Silvan Carlson-Goodman Contributing Writer

A fantastical world where people can do whatever they please — that’s the classic concept many video games are built on. Unfortunately, game development has been stuck in a one-step-forward, two-steps-back situation as far as actually achieving that fantasy. But “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” is a solid step in the “Elder Scrolls V: right direction.

Skyrim” “Skyrim” is the fifth main Bethesda Game installment in the Elder Studios Scrolls series from Bethesda.

HHH1/2 It’s the most recent heir to a millions-selling dynasty of open-world games that share their basic structure with the recent “Fallout” games by the same company. Those who haven’t played the previous games in either series should know that “The Elder Scrolls” typifies a “go anywhere and do anything” style of play.

In terms of narrative, it would be disingenuous to say that there is a main story that makes up the primary chunk of the game. Sure, there is a main quest line and it is suitably epic, but it barely touches upon what is actually going on in the game world. The story focuses on the player being a chosen dragon slayer who must rid the world of the scaly, fire-breathing menaces. There are some twists and turns as the plot moves forward, and the dragons never cease to be a terrifying and imposing threat. Then throw in the fact that the continent of Skyrim is currently in the throes of a civil war, which forces the player to pick sides — that’s when things really get exciting. But these elements merely scratch the surface. The detailing is superb, especially with the dragons, and the interactive lighting also plays a huge part in the game.

“Oblivion,” the previous game in the Elder Scrolls series, was a deeply flawed game that still managed to garner a devout following, due mostly to the presence of strong exploration hidden behind the broken gameplay. Playing “Skyrim” makes it obvious that the developers understood what was wrong with the previous game.

The game feels like the final draft of the sketchedout notes that made up “Oblivion.”

Living Your Story is a To Write Love on Her Arms event featuring guest speaker Dan Duval, who will discuss drug and alcohol addiction and recovery at 7 p.m. in Clark Lounge. It is free and open to the public.

Game Review

friday

“The Change Up,” starring Ryan Reynolds and Jason Batemen as two opposites who swap lives, will show at 7 p.m. in Textor 102. The film will be shown Saturday and Sunday as well. Tickets are $2.

saturday

In the game “Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,” players can develop characters in individual ways with the series’ traditional open-world gameplay, leaving many major choices for the story up to the user.

courtesy of Bethesda Game Studios

The biggest failing of “Oblivion” was the broken leveling system, and in “Skyrim,” the developers have rebuilt the system from the ground up. The game has done away with attributes such as Strength and Intelligence.

Removing such long-standing role playing game mainstays would seem to be sacrilege.

However, it turns out that melding those statistics into the skills of “Two-handed Weapons” and “Destruction Magic” helps players immerse themselves into the game more. They can grow into their characters and spend less time fretting over the numbers.

Building a character opens up into a wonderful adventure. The game offers no end of fantasy archetypes to play as. A Wood-elf who harvests berries to brew into fine elixirs — one option.

A Bloodthirsty orc who forges giant war hammers to slaughter his enemies — absolutely. A

sellsword who uses a mixture of magic, blades, and trickery to tackle the challenges at hand no matter what — the game not only offers, but fully supports these options.

And that’s what separates “Skyrim” from other open-world games ­— the player isn’t railroaded down the same path whether they like it or not. The choices for who a character becomes is completely in the player’s hands. Ditch the main quest to join the wizard’s guild. Halfway there, change it up, and instead explore an ancient cave full of dwarven artifacts. The world of “Skyrim” is full of distractions, and every one of them is just as captivating as what other games consider the “main story.” After playing Skyrim for more than 30 hours, the game doesn’t lose its luster. Every minute invested into the game reveals yet another magic sword to covet or giant monster in need of slaying.

staff Writer

Even in the frigid winter months, Bieber fever seems to be heating up.

But with his new CD, the teen heartthrob leaves listeners out in the cold.

In “Under the Mistletoe,” Justin Bieber capitalizes on what makes holiday albums a Justin Bieber success: a careful “Under the mixture of original Mistletoe” cuts and renovated Island Records covers of holiday Our rating: classics. He also falH1/2 ters with what could ruin any album — really weird lyrics.

For starters, “Under the Mistletoe” strips away all of the dance-like hip-hop of his debut and sophomore efforts and trades it in for actual R&B. The sweet

Album Review

first single, “Mistletoe,” combines a strummed acoustic guitar and a light synth backing track to make for a cozy ballad that seems far less schmaltzy than Bieber’s earlier attempts at being romantic. Honest-sounding lyrics even compare his love interest to the star that led the Wise Men to Jesus — what an honor, right?

With “Drummer Boy,” fans are ambushed with a mash-up of the chorus and a rap-off between Bieber and Busta Rhymes. Lyrics like, “Playing for the King, playing for the title/ I’m surprised you didn’t hear this in the Bible” are particularly nauseating. The mature-sounding “Christmas Eve” is marred by some questionable lyrics about leaving cookies out for Santa and eating them so his love interest does not know that Santa is not real.

Song of the Week “Last Night I Heard Everything in Slow Motion”

by Jared Dionne staff writer

While his day job as Bloc Party’s frontman is still in limbo during the band’s hiatus, Kele Okereke released his second solo EP Kele in his free time.

“The Hunter” On “The Wichita Hunter,” he Recordings hones his style Our rating: and puts forth HHH a more cohesive compilation in comparison to his previous effort.

With this new EP, Kele separates himself from his British alternative-rock pedigree to create a collection of groovy house tracks.

The standout track “Love As a Weapon” showcases Kele’s harmonious pairing of classical elements such as piano with

Album Review

Courtesy of Island Recordings

My, how romantic.

Other covers are fantastic, namely a funk guitar-enhanced version of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and a fancifully produced rendition of “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).” No amount of ingenuity salvages “Under the Mistletoe” from its own undoing, which seems to be haphazard songwriting. Judging by this collection of misfired original songs, Bieber is destined to have coal in his stocking this year.

Sam Roberts Band, a rock group from Canada, will perform at 9:30 p.m. at Castaways. Tickets are $15.

sunday

Game and Wing Night, a free class of 2013 event sponsored by the Student Government Association, will begin at 6:30 p.m. in IC Square.

Free Sunday at the Sciencenter, an exploration of the museum’s current exhibit, “The Healer Within,” will be held from 12 to 5 p.m. at 601 1st St. Admission is free.

pounding synthesizers and even machine gun fire. He samples “Unholy Thoughts” from his previous EP, which provides a welcome sense of cohesion between the two releases.

Kele has proven he remains a strong musician even when out on his own. Should Bloc Party continue its hiatus, he will still have no problem delivering refreshing music to his listeners.

Courtesy of Wichita Recordings

quickies “Codes & Keys Remix”

“Speak Now World Tour Live”

“Dreams”

Death Cab for Cutie Atlantic Records

Taylor Swift Big Machine Records

Oliver Tank Yes Please Records On this track, Tank fosters a harmonious marriage between classical string instruments and softer electronic motifs.

Scan This qr Code with a smartphone to learn more aboUT Music blogger Jared Dionne’s pick for the song of the week

IC Voicestream, a co-ed a cappella group, will perform its second concert of the year at 7:30 p.m. in Emerson Suites.

Admission is free.

Solo EP reveals fresh sound

Justin Bieber fails to deliver on spiritless holiday album

by Benjii Maust

hot dates

courtesy of Big Machine Records

This deluxe two-disc CD and DVD live release from the country/pop crossover star gives the complete concert experience with all 17 tracks from her Speak Now tour, plus bonus content.

A companion to its recently released alternative rock album, this EP features seven of the album’s 11 songs, remastered by artists such as RAC Maury, Dillon Francis, Unicorn Kid and Yeasayer. courtesy oF Atlantic Records

Compiled by Kelsey Fowler

A ccen t

Th ursday, Decem be r 1, 2011

The I th a c a n 1 9

Musical Muppets stand test of time Classic charm of puppet gang reimagined for new generation

bY James Hasson

]

valid friday through thursday

cinemapolis The Commons 277–6115

Staff Writer

The Muppets dust off the cobwebs and bring their show to the big screen once again as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the “The rest of the cast prove Muppets” their combination of Walt Disney diverse characters, Pictures excellent punch lines Our rating: and crazy perforHHHH mances hold up over the years in “The Muppets.”

Walter (voiced by Peter Linz) is a brand-new Muppet and a hardcore fan of the original Muppet Show from the late 1970s. So much so, that when his human brother, Gary (Jason Segel), and Gary’s girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams), invite Walter to join them on their anniversary trip to Hollywood, all he can think about is seeing the original Muppets Studio.

While there, Walter learns of a sinister plot by oil baron Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to tear down the studios to drill for oil. The three embark on a journey to find Kermit the Frog and the rest of the Muppets so they can throw one more fundraiser show to get their theater back.

The Muppets stick close to their traditional style, framing comedy variety acts and song-and-dance numbers within a simple story. The songs range from peppy, upbeat tunes about friendship to a spontaneous rap solo from Richman and Kermit’s classic, “The Rainbow Connection.” The integration of songs falls in line with traditional Disney musicals, but screenwriters Segel and Nicholas Stoller use meta-humor by poking fun at the movie’s own style

[

ticket stub

Take Shelter 7:10 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and Weekends 2:10 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Film Review

Like Crazy 7:25 p.m. and 9:40 p.m. and Weekends 2:25 p.m. and 4:40 p.m.

Martha Marcy May Marlene

HHH

7:20 p.m., except Wednesday and Thursday, and 9:35 p.m. and Weekends 2:20 p.m. and 4:35 p.m.

The SKin I live in 9:15 p.m. and Weekends 4:15 p.m.

Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy (both voiced by Eric Jacobson) and Kermit the Frog (voiced by Steve Whitmire) work to reunite the Muppet gang in a fundraiser show to help save their old theater from an evil oil tycoon in “The Muppets.”

Courtesy of walt Disney Pictures

and structure. When the lengthy production of “Life’s a Happy Song” concludes, the backup dancers break character and sigh with relief after the long dance number. This turn of the musical appeals to an adult audience as well.

“The Muppets” does not deviate from the group’s traditional comedyskit style, but the writing and the skits themselves are fresh and clever, including kidnapping ninja Muppets parodying old-school Kung Fu films and edgy barbershop quartets. Gonzo flies and hangs out with the singing chickens, Fozzie has his bad jokes and Miss Piggy is as sassy as ever.

Walter is likable enough, partially

because his story about growing up and believing in yourself is integral to the overall narrative. He has amusing lines and scenes, such as a montage of his face contorted hilariously into a long scream. Walter contributes enough to the film to make him welcome.

Thanks to the amazing puppeteers behind them, the Muppets teem with life. Meanwhile, the humans adopt simple stock character types — the romantic couple and the greedy villain, for example. In a way, the human leads — with their expressive faces, bright wardrobes and sunny demeanors — become Muppets themselves.

This theme is reinforced when Gary

Hoover bio film lacks intrigue

sings to a Muppet version of himself in a mirror, and he and Walter ask whether they are a “Manly Muppet” or a “Muppet of a Man.” This uniformity among the Muppets and the human stars and cameos further contributes to the overall Muppet Show entertainment.

“The Muppets” manages to keep the best traditions of the decadeslong Muppets legacy. The film is downright fun, even if just because of the nostalgia it evokes for the classic show.

“The Muppets” was directed by James Bobin and written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller.

Movie captures psychological pain

By Ian Carssia staff writer

By Lauren Mateer staff writer

As the first director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover discovered intimate details about everyone from Eleanor Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy.

But in “J. Edgar,” director Clint Eastwood and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black are less successful in delving into the personal life of such a notable “J. Edgar” figure. The biographical drama folWarner Bros. lows the ups and downs of Hoover’s Pictures career scandals, but doesn’t deliver.

Our rating: Leonardo DiCaprio is predictHH1/2 ably strong in the role of Hoover, playing him with equal parts self-loathing and self-importance. In an early scene when a young Hoover reminds one of the secretaries to call him Mr. Hoover, there is no hint of any underlying insecurity. The film explores his alleged homosexuality, a fact rebuffed by many historians. During the heartwrenching scene in which Hoover attempts to come out to his mother (Judi Dench), there is no trace of the confidence Hoover shows in the office.

Even more impressive than DiCaprio is Armie Hammer as Clyde Tolson, Hoover’s confidant and romantic interest. Hammer shows remarkable range in expressing Tolson’s emotional turmoil, though the speculated relationship is historically less important than events such as the Lindbergh baby kidnapping.

Hammer plays Tolson from the 1920s to the 1970s, and there are times when his acting is so convincing it is easy to forget his youth. This is important considering the makeup used to age the actors comes off as unrealistic and over the top.

Much of the film takes place in flashbacks while Hoover recollects his life to FBI agents acting as ghostwriters for his memoir. This technique is effective in that Hoover is seen as an unreliable narrator.

Some flashbacks depict scenes that would likely have not been included in Hoover’s narration to the agents. To include flashback scenes of Hoover’s supposed homosexuality seems to imply it was also included in his retellings. The choppy sequencing and confusing use of flashback damages the realism of the film.

“J. Edgar” highlights Hoover’s greatest accomplishments and most negative attributes.

DiCaprio’s performance evokes pity for Hoover’s insecurities, and disgust for his ruthless dedication to gathering information about those he considered his enemies. However, the film lacks a fresh look at its protagonist. His secrets, like his infamous personal files, remain unexplored.

Sean Durkin’s new psychological drama, “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” is infectiously tense, powerfully mirroring the inner conflict of its character’s suffering.

Elizabeth Olsen plays Martha, a runaway who reunites with her estranged “Martha Marcy May Marlene” older sister, Lucy (Sarah Fox Searchlight Paulson). Through flashPictures backs, it’s revealed that Our rating: Martha was a part of a cult HHH led by the unhinged Patrick (John Hawkes), who renamed her Marcy May as a part of her indoctrination. Now free, her relationship with Lucy and Lucy’s husband Ted (Hugh Dancy) becomes strained.

Durkin’s skill as a filmmaker lies in his ability to take the power of this trauma and transmit it to the audience through effective imagery. The strength of his script does not lie in the dialog, which, while terse, feels unnatural. Rather, it is when Durkin is at his most observational — with long single shots and minimal speaking — the cinematography itself parallels the traumatized state of its protagonist.

Olsen’s performance is withdrawn, relying mostly on body language to portray a character whose silence betrays a deep desire to lash out at those who have harmed her. She carries the weight of a character trapped between the world of the present and the world of dark memories.

The interplay between Durkin’s direction and Olsen’s performance makes this film a chilling experience.

“J. Edgar” was directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Dustin Lance Black.

“Martha Marcy May Marlene” was directed and written by Sean Durkin.

Film Review

Film Review

The embattled life of J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) is shown in Clint Eastwood’s “J. Edgar.”

Courtesy oF Warner Bros. Pictures

Margin Call 7:15 p.m. and 9:15 p.m., except Friday, and Weekends 2:15 p.m. and 4:20 p.m.

The Way 7:05 p.m. and Weekends 2:05 p.m.

regal stadium 14 Pyramid Mall 266-7960

Arthur Christmas 1:50 p.m., 7:20 p.m.

Arthur Christmas 3-D 4:30 p.m., 9:45 p.m.

HUgo 3:30 p.m., 9:20 p.m.

HUgo 3-D 1:10 p.m., 4 p.m., 7:10 p.m., 10:10 p.m.

The Muppets HHHH 1:20 p.m., 2:10 p.m., 4:20 p.m., 5:10 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:50 p.m., 10:30 p.m.

Happy Feet Two 2:20 p.m., 5:20 p.m., 8 p.m., 10:35 p.m.

Happy Feet Two 3-D 1:30 p.m., 4:10 p.m., 6:45 p.m.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1 H 1 p.m., 1:40 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:50 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:40 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:20 p.m., 9:40 p.m., 10:20 p.m.

Immortals 3-D HH 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 7:40 p.m., 10:15 p.m.

Jack and Jill 2:40 p.m., 5:40 p.m., 8:10 p.m., 10:40 p.m.

J. Edgar HH1/2 12:40 p.m., 3:40 p.m., 6:50 p.m., 9:50 p.m.

Tower Heist HH1/2 10 p.m.

cornell cinema 104 Willard Straight Hall 255-3522

For more information, visit http://cinema.cornell.edu.

our ratings Excellent HHHH Good HHH Fair HH Poor H

2 0 The It hacan

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Th ursday, Decem be r 1, 2011

The I th a c a n 2 1

2 2 The It hacan

Divers ion s

dormin’ norman

sudoku

By Jonathan Schuta ’14

Pearls Before Swine®

Th ursday, Dec ember 1 , 2 0 1 1

By Stephan Pastis

answers to last week’s sudoku

crossword ACROSS 1 Scuba gear 5 Toon Olive 8 Geisha’s tie 11 Moon track 12 Golly!

13 Drowse off 14 Physicist Nikola 15 Coral-reef pools 17 Half a fly?

18 Parched feeling 20 Cry of dismay (2 wds.)

22 Jr. naval officer 23 Garden tiller 27 Cask stopper 29 Breathe hard 30 Gives the willies 33 Left at the altar 34 Dragon puppet

By United Media

35 Combat for two 36 Tournament passes 37 Feeling low 38 Warning, perhaps 42 Teed off 45 Stein filler 46 Baton wielder 49 Garment parts 51 Ceiling 52 Sanctioned 53 Standing tall 54 Good pal 55 Open meadow 56 Place in order

DOWN 1 Cool 2 Peer Gynt creator 3 Less than one 4 ASAP 5 Wolf’s pastime 6 Trips around the sun 7 Chair parts 8 Lennon’s wife 9 — Jovi 10 Psyche parts 11 Kruger or Preminger 16 Desdemona’s love 19 Layers on the farm 21 Orchestra members 24 Breakfast grain 25 Morn’s counterpart 26 Embarrassed 28 Luau strummer

29 Go quickly 30 Weep audibly 31 Operate a ferry 32 Pamplona cheer 33 “Hey —” (Beatles) 35 Sitting Bull’s territory 37 Rocky debris 39 Manufacturer 40 Choose by a vote 41 Twig shelter 43 “— do for now” 44 Applies henna 46 Diamond org.

47 It’s mostly nitrogen 48 Shoguns’ capital 50 Galleon cargo

answers to last week’s crossword

sports

Th ursday, Decem be r 1, 2011

The I th a c a n 2 3

overtime overseas Basketball players bring back international championship experience From left, junior forward Andrei Oztemel and junior guard Eric Halejian pose in their uniforms with the gold medals they won at this summer’s Pan-Armenian games. Oztemel and Halejian played for the Los Angeles-based team. michelle boulÉ/the ithacan

By harlan green-taub assistant sports editor

More than 10,000 spectators cheered as music blared and fireworks erupted above Republican Stadium in Yerevan, Armenia, during the opening ceremonies of the fifth annual Pan-Armenian games on Aug. 13. There to take it all in was junior guard Eric Halejian and junior forward Andrei Oztemel.

The games, played every three years in the former Soviet republic, featured athletes from Armenia or of Armenian descent. Halejian, whose great-grandparents are Armenian, started at point guard and Oztemel, whose father is Armenian, played forward for the Los Angeles-based team that went on to win the gold medal in men’s basketball.

A family friend who had played in the games talked to Halejian about playing in the 2009 Armenian games.

Carl Bardakian, head coach of the team, recruited Halejian to play point guard that year.

Upon enrolling at the college in the fall, Halejian found out Oztemel was Armenian as well and started recruiting him to play for the team.

Oztemel said he was skeptical about playing overseas at first, but eventually came around to the idea after talking with his father.

“Initially I didn’t really understand the whole cultural pride behind the whole thing, and because it was at the end of the summer and I wanted to get ready for school, I wasn’t sure about going,” he said. “I talked it over with my dad, and he thought it would be a great idea because I don’t know when else I would have an opportunity to go there.”

Oztemel and Halejian flew to Los Angeles in July and only had limited practice with the team before flying over to Armenia for the games. Oztemel was one of only two new players added to the team before this year’s games.

Upon arriving, Oztemel said he was curious and eager to explore the country.

“I expected a village with dirt roads and mud huts but, it’s completely different,” he said. “The capital of Yerevan where we stayed was really built up and affluent. The second we got there I felt an immediate sense of culture.”

Halejian had been to the country before, but said he didn’t realize the difference in culture until he stepped off the airplane during his first visit.

“When we landed at the airport, there’s all these people waiting to pick up family and friends, and it kind of hits you then that everyone looks a little different and speaks a different language,” he said.

Though Halejian and Oztemel enjoyed success on the court, it was their time off the court that truly impacted them.

Armenia was the first country in the world to accept Christianity as a religion, in the beginning of the fourth century, and features some of the oldest churches in the world, which Oztemel toured.

Oztemel also visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial while he was in the country. Both players we’re born in the United States, and Oztemel’s grandfather escaped to Turkey, where he changed his last name to Oztemel during the genocide before World War I, in which the

Ottoman Empire massacred more than 1.5 million Armenians.

Oztemel said his visit conjured up a lot of emotions.

“It was a sad, eye-opening experience. Not even the United States recognizes the genocide happened because of their connection to Turkey, so going through there and seeing the pictures and graphic photos evoked a lot of anger and sadness,” he said. “I was real ignorant about it before so it was pretty surreal going through there.”

The purpose of the trip though was to win a gold medal, and in order to do so the team had to win seven games in eight days. Four teams in the competition featured players who were playing professionally in the Middle East and Europe, providing a unique challenge for the two college players.

Oztemel said he could tell which players were professional, from their appearance to simply the way they played the game.

“Their games were much more fundamentally sound,” Oztemel said. “The style of play is much different over there, and the size was another issue we had to deal with.”

In the final game against two-time defending champion Sochi, Oztemel was forced to guard several players who stood three or four inches taller. Bardakian said he could see Oztemel’s growth as a player with his performance in the final, which Los Angeles wound up winning 93-86 in overtime.

“When Andrei grabbed 13 rebounds a few games ago, I said to myself his rebounding definitely improved having to go up against bigger and stronger players in Armenia,” he said. “Also, with FIBA having the longer three-point line in International competition, without a doubt it’s going to help prepare him to be a better shooter this year at Ithaca.”

Bardakian said Halejian became a fan favorite because of his quick and flashy moves.

“When he would get the ball, people would look for him to do something creative off the dribble,” Bardakain said.

Halejian and Oztemel also got to meet Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who handed them their gold medals following their championship victory. Oztemel said he took pride in representing his heritage by playing in front of such a large crowd.

“That was such an amazing feeling,”

he said. “Being a team from Los Angeles, they treat you like you’re celebrities, and we had a nice little following of fans out there.”

Halejian and Oztemel said they gained plenty of knowledge that they planned to bring back to the Bombers this winter.

“Leadership and toughness are the two big ones,” Halejian said. “We were down big in the final and were pretty discouraged.

We knew we had to come together as a team and grind out a win.”

Oztemel said he wants his South Hill squad teammates to feed off of his experience winning at the international level.

“Just bringing together a team in a short period of time speaks in and of itself,” he said.

“We were able to get it done through adversity and I keep joking about it, but we were able to bring back a little championship savvy. We haven’t had a championship here, but that’s what we’re working for.”

S ports

2 4 The It hacan

crunch time

Th ursday, Dec ember 1 , 2 0 1 1

Team optimistic despite shaky start By andrew kristy staff writer

harlan green-taub

Coaches’ acts scar players When allegations of molestation were raised against Bernie Fine, assistant basketball coach at Syracuse University, two weeks ago, many people initially dismissed them. Fans and the media jumped to the conclusion that the men who came forward were simply looking to take advantage of a situation at a time when the relationship between young athletes and coaches was receiving an inordinate amount of coverage.

Many people defending Fine, including Syracuse basketball Head Coach Jim Boeheim, thought the accusers were seeking money.

“The Penn State thing came out, and the kid behind this is trying to get money,” Boeheim said in an interview with the Syracuse Post Standard the day the allegations were made. “He’s tried before. And now he’s trying again. If he gets this, he’s going to sue the university and Bernie.”

A third accuser came forward Sunday, telling Syracuse Police that Fine repeatedly molested him in a series of isolated incidents in 2002. Fine was subsequently released from his position at the university later that day, but maintains he is innocent.

Boeheim has since apologized for his initial statement.

While Fine’s incident at Syracuse is drastically different from what is currently taking place at Penn State University, the appearance of child molestation cases in the world of sports seems to be picking up steam.

In the past few years, several former hockey players have come forward, accusing their youth coaches of molestation.

As grisly as it sounds, youth sports are the ideal environment for adult males to take advantage of the boys they are coaching. While athletes may put up a tough exterior front, people sometimes forget they are as vulnerable as the next human being, maybe more so because they excel at an inherently dangerous activity that immediately earns them respect.

Every time players lace up their spikes or skates, they understand they are risking their bodies to do something they love. The trust players put in the coaches who train and condition them to perform at the height of their abilities is immense, and there is no telling what the effects of a break in this trust will be. Theo Fleury, a former NHL All-Star admitted he was molested as a teenager by his hockey coach in his autobiography. In his case, it drove him to alcoholism and 13 failed drug tests in a 16-year NHL career.

While these may be isolated cases, my fear is that we are only at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to coaches damaging the lives of their athletes.

Harlan Green-taub is a senior televison-radio major. Contact him at hgreent1@ithaca.edu.

The men’s basketball team is off to its worst start in six seasons after losing five of its first six games. But the Bombers are staying positive and still trying to develop the team chemistry necessary for a second consecutive 20-win season.

The loss of key players, such as leading scorer Phil Barera ’11, has caused the South Hill squad to struggle on both offense The Bombers are converting and defense.

44 percent of The Bombers suffered a their shots to 92-67 blowout loss Nov. 15 their opponents’ at Hobart College and fell to 48 percent.

SUNY-Oswego and SUNYFredonia the following weekend. Both games were decided by five points or less.

Senior guard Jordan Marcus, who is averaging 13 points per game this season, said the Bombers have not played a consistent 40 minutes of basketball yet this season.

“We have to figure out a way to put games together where we play well on both offense and defense, and that just hasn’t happened yet,” he said. “I feel like we’re right there, we’re just not getting it done.”

The Bombers made half of their shots last season, but are shooting 44 percent to their opponents’ 48 percent through their first six games this season.

Sophomore center Tom Sweeney said the team is currently transforming its offense from last year’s run-and-gun style to a more balanced approach that focuses on patience when distributing the ball.

“We’ve been working on more plays to get all of the players involved in more of a half-court offense,” he said. “There’s still a lot of running involved, but we’re working on slowing it down a little bit.”

Marcus said the team added two plays that were successful in the team’s 91-78 loss Saturday against Lebanon Valley College.

The South Hill squad’s inverse relationship between its offense and defense in games has been a factor in its losses. While the team has done well in one aspect, it has severely lacked in the other. When the team’s offense built a halftime lead against Lebanon Valley, for instance, the defense surrendered 51 second-half points to lose the game by 13 points.

Marcus said though the Bombers are a tightknit group off the court, the team has not quite

stat check

From left, junior guard Sean Rossi drives past SUNY-Cortland sophomore forward Kevin McMahon in the Bombers’ 68-67 loss Tuesday in Ben Light Gymnasium. The Bombers are 1–5 this season.

shawn steiner/The ithacaN

found the key ingredients to success in games.

Junior forward Andrei Oztemel said the team knows it is only a matter of time before it starts to click on all cylinders, and that the squad is still adjusting to getting back into seasonal form with the new team.

“We’re not losing confidence — it’s really early in the year,” he said. “We’re in every game and we’re just kind of figuring this out right now.”

Marcus said the team’s morale has remained high despite the poor start since Empire 8 Conference play does not begin until Jan. 6 when the team faces off against St. John Fisher College in Ben Light Gymnasium.

“We’re going to be a good team,” Marcus said.

“We’re talented — a lot of good players on the team. Hopefully, by the time conference play comes around we’ll be in sync.”

South Hill squad set to square off in Final Four By george sitaras staff writer

Less than one month after earning an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs, the women’s soccer team is among the final four teams competing for a national championship.

Though the team is making its 22nd playoff appearance, this is the first time since 1998 that the Blue and Gold have played in the semifinals.

Junior forward Rachael Palladino said the team was ready to build on its regular season success after coming up short in the Empire 8 Conference tournament on Nov. 5.

“When we got a bid, we didn’t really have any expectations besides the fact that we wanted to prove to ourselves that we were way better than the last game we played before the tournament,” she said.

The Bombers beat nationally ranked teams Illinois Wesleyan University, Ohio Northern University and Trinity University, which was 22–0. They have won by one goal in three of their four playoff games, two of which ended in extra time.

Palladino said the intense playoff atmosphere has gotten the South Hill squad excited to play rather than made the team nervous.

“Before each game I can feel the energy in our team,” she said. “All of us are excited and ready to get on the field and leave every ounce of energy

From left, sophomore back Elise Sherman tries to steal the ball from junior midfielder Julie Winn during practice Monday at Higgins Stadium.

rachel orlow/the ithacan

we have on it.”

Though the team was outshot in three out of its four wins, the Blue and Gold have only allowed one goal in the tournament so far, which came in the 2-1 overtime win against

Illinois Wesleyan on Nov. 12.

Junior midfielder Julie Winn said the team knows one small mistake can cost the Bombers a chance at the program’s first national title since 1991.

“We knew that there were no

more second chances this year,” she said. “We had to work hard and play with our hearts to keep our season going.”

Palladino and sophomore forward Ellyn Grant-Keane have combined for four goals and three assists in the NCAA playoffs.

Grant-Keane said her and Rachael’s history playing together in Lansing, N.Y., before playing for the Bombers has helped them develop chemistry.

“Rachael and I work well together because we have played together since we were about 10 years old,” she said. “We have been playing next to each other on the field in high school, club and travel teams.”

The Bombers will be going up against sixth-ranked Wheaton College at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow in San Antonio, Texas, for a spot in the national title game Saturday.

Winn said the Bombers will have to look past Wheaton’s recent playoff accomplishments and concentrate on what the Bombers must do to emerge with a victory.

“By not worrying about our opponents and what they were planning to do, we were able to play without fear,” she said. “We have been the underdogs throughout this tournament, so if teams continue to underestimate us, then we will continue to persevere and come out on top.”

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Th ursday, Decem be r 1, 2011

The I th a c a n 2 5

Bombers dominate with early victories by matt kelly staff writer

The women’s basketball team is opening its season with a challenging non-conference schedule to prepare itself for a late-season stretch run of Empire 8 Conference games.

The front end of the Bombers’ regular season schedule is packed with tough opponents from outside the Empire 8. This season’s non-conference opponents include the University of Rochester, NCAA playoff qualifier Baruch College, St. Lawrence University and rival SUNY-Cortland.

Head Coach Dan Raymond said he looks for opponents with recent playoff experience when setting the team’s non-conference schedule.

“The opponents we play in our non-conference schedule are some of the best teams, not only in our region, but in the country,” he said.

“Generally the teams we see from out-of-conference are bigger, and we really want to play against those kinds of teams.”

The Bombers’ non-conference opponents last season included Rochester, which was ranked fifth in the nation at the time, and a Red Dragons team that was unbeaten.

The South Hill squad went 6–5 during its non-conference stretch last season and then won 15 consecutive games in Empire 8 play.

Sophomore guard Kathryn Campbell said the team’s defense matured during the eight games outside of the Empire 8 last season.

“Some of our non-conference opponents were definitely bigger,” Campbell said. “We also played some teams that were really fast and prepared us on defense for what we were going to see in conference.”

Senior guard Jessica Farley said she and her teammates are familiar with their conference foes, but the non-conference games this season have given the Bombers different lineups to prepare for.

“We saw more zone than what we’re used to and from what we’ve seen in previous years,” Farley said. “Medaille played zone almost the entire game up until the last 10 minutes. That helps us because in practice we play a lot of man coverage.”

Though the easiest way to qualify for the NCAA Tournament is to win the conference, Raymond said winning games outside the Empire 8 can be beneficial when the team needs help earning a playoff spot.

“We generally try to play the top teams in the country, because once we get into the conference our strength of schedule has dropped, and there’s really nothing we can do about that,” he said. “If we had beaten just one or two of those top teams from out-of-conference, we probably could have gotten an at-large bid.”

Raymond said the beginning of this year’s schedule could be tougher than last season. The Bombers have already defeated Medaille College,

From left, Bombers freshman guard Samantha Klie tries to keep the ball away from SUNY-Cortland freshman guard Brittany Rando during the Blue and Gold’s 85-77 overtime win Tuesday in Ben Light Gymnasium. michelle boulÉ/The ithacaN

a 2010-11 NCAA playoff team, and Cortland en route to the Blue and Gold’s first 5–0 start in 14 seasons.

SUNY-Cortland Head Coach Jeannette Mosher said she scheduled the Bombers to face her team so that the Red Dragons could acclimate themselves to the physical play that comes with the annual contest.

“They’re always very tough games,

and it’s such a battle that the quality of play might come across as ugly at times,” Mosher said. “But I think it’s just because of the rivalry. It’s always a game that shouldn’t be difficult at all for the players to get up for.”

Raymond said the Bombers’ performance against the remaining top-notch non-conference opponents are used as teaching tools for

Empire 8 play in the latter portion of the season.

“Even though we didn’t play well against a team like Rochester, our kids figured out what they had to do to play the best they can against any opponent,” Raymond said. “I think that’s how you prepare them to play their best, no matter who they play against.”

Look online for game stories from these sports: TOMORROW • 2:30 p.m. Women’s Soccer at Wheaton College in San Antonio, Texas • 6 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. St. Lawrence University in Ben Light Gymnasium • 8 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. St. Lawrence University in Ben Light Gymnasium • 6 p.m. Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving at Ithaca Bomber Invitational at Athletics and Events Center Pool

SATURDAY • 9:30 a.m. Wrestling at Spartan Invitational in York, Pa. • 10 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track at Cornell Relays • 10 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving at Ithaca Bomber Invitational at Athletics and Events Center Pool

SUNDAY • 10 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving at Ithaca Bomber Invitational at Athletics and Events Center Pool

TUESDAY • 7 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. University of Rochester in Ben Light Gymnasium

WEDNESDAY • 7 p.m. Wrestling at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y.

Bold = Home game

rachel orlow/the ithacan

The Ithacan

online | theithacan.org/sports

2 6 The It hacan

S ports

Th ursday, Dec ember 1 , 2 0 1 1

New group of runners yearns to go the distance by rebecca alpert staff writer

The women’s indoor track and field team has a combination of seasoned veterans and eager underclassmen runners that will compete in more distance events than last season both as individuals and members of relay teams.

This year’s group of Bombers is looking to follow up on its success from competitive championships as well as past performances on the women’s cross-country team. They are motivating each other through arduous workouts to achieve personal and team goals of earning recognition at the state, regional and national levels.

Junior Jenn Randall said the Blue and Gold’s distance runners are more versatile than in past seasons.

“We have multiple incoming freshman this year with the potential to make a contribution to both the middle- and long-distance squad,” she said.

Randall was one of the team’s highest finishers in middle-distance events last season, earning a team-best time of 2:20.43 in the 800-meter run. She completed the 500-meter run in 1:22.68 at the Marc Deneault Invitational at Cornell University.

In addition to Randall’s achievements, senior Heidi Baumbach and junior Carly Graham qualified at the state and regional levels in the mile run.

Freshmen Alexa Rick and Anastasia Diamond meanwhile, placed third and fourth, respectively, for the Bombers at the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships on Nov. 12 at St. Lawrence University to end the cross-country season.

Sophomore middle-distance runner Alexandra Heinkel said she has taken on a leadership role to help the new runners like Rick and Diamond work together to prepare for competitions and build team unity.

“The upperclassmen have taken on the responsibility to help the younger girls

From left, distance runners junior Hillary Cox, freshman Angelica Pizzi and sophomore Alexandra Heinkel sprint during practice Monday in Glazer Arena. The Bombers’ season starts Saturday. emily park/The ithacaN

work cohesively as a team so that each runner can achieve their personal best, which will ultimately benefit the team as a whole,” Heinkel said. “Since the track and field team is so large, at times it is difficult to get to know everyone, especially the new

people on the team.”

Junior Meghan Shanley competes as a distance runner in both individual and relay events. She said the new runners will help fill the voids created by the runners who graduated last year such as long-distance runner

Kate Leugers ’11, middle-distance runner Emily Moran ’11 and sprinter Marcia McCord ’11, who also ran individually and on relay teams.

Shanley said the team has emphasized attention to detail in practices.

“We’ve tried to show everyone on the team that hard work and dedication truly pays off,” Shanley said. “As a junior, I feel that I should help the underclassmen if they have any questions and be a positive example.”

Heinkel said the upperclassmen’s actions have spoken louder than their words during preseason practices. She said the runners do their own exercises in practice that differ in length and intensity.

“We do faster-speed workouts, which help your start and finish of a race, and the slower, longer workouts that help build up your endurance,” Heinkel said.

Both types of workouts help runners train for all types of races, including the short distances of 55 and 60 meters, the middle distances of 1,000 and 3,000 meters, and the longer distances of 1 and 2 miles.

Shanley said Assistant Coach Andrew Weishaar creates workouts that help develop speed and endurance in all the runners, which gives the newer runners confidence to take more risks in competition.

“We all run and train differently, and he does a great job of creating workouts that benefit us all individually,” she said. “When I hit the times in the workout that our coach tell us to hit, I feel that I actually got something out of the workout.”

Heinkel said the physical preparation for meets is not enough by itself. It also needs to be paired with mental preparation and developing trust in one’s abilities.

“You need to train your upper and lower body in order to run fast, but you need to train your mind as well,” she said. “Being confident in yourself is a major component in this sport.

If you lack in one of these two components, it will show in your race.”

[the buzzer]

Th ursday, Decem be r 1, 2011

The I th a c a n 2 7

where we stand

31

men’s swimming*

1. Kenyon College 2. Denison University 3. Emory University 4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 31. Ithaca College

13

women’s Swimming*

1. Emory University 2. Denison University 3. Kenyon College 4. Johns Hopkins University 13. Ithaca College

4 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Pocketing the money ball

Senior Christian Erali prepares to take a shot on the pool table yesterday in the The Rec Center. The center is open from noon to 11:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and offers pingpong, foosball, air hockey and board games.

kevin campbell/the ithacan

the foul line

Wrestling**

Wartburg College (Iowa) University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Coe College (Iowa) Ithaca College Cornell College (Iowa)

Weird news from the wide world of sports

*College Swimming Coaches Association of America Division III Poll **National Wrestling Coaches Association Division Rankings

by the

numbers

22

The number of NCAA playoff appearances by the women’s soccer team. See story on page 24.

92

The number of points given up by the men’s basketball team in its loss to Hobart College on Nov. 15.

See story on page 24.

Professional athletes sometimes forget that they are always susceptible to the all-watching eyes of the camera, even when on the sidelines. This past Sunday, with 1:24 remaining in the fourth quarter of a tie game between the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos, Chargers kicker Nick Novak seemed oblivious to this fact. With little time left in the game and the possibility of a need to kick a game-winning field goal, Novak had no time to run to the locker room. Nature was calling. With a trainer’s towel shielding him from the stands, Novak kneeled down near a Gatorade table, and wizzed away. However, Novak might have relaxed a little too much. He missed a 53-yard field goal that would have won the game in overtime and the Chargers would go on to lose their sixth game in a row. Maybe next time he needs to go to the bathroom, Novak will wait until he hits a field goal so he can come out as the real No. 1.

—Harlan Green-Taub

Bombers to watch Kathryn Campbell Sophomore Basketball

Ellyn Grant-Keane Sophomore Soccer

Campbell was named Empire 8 Player of the Week after averaging 19.3 points and 8.3 rebounds and leading the Bombers to a 3–0 record. She recorded back-to-back 20-point games and shot 56.8 percent on field goals.

Grant-Keane assisted on the gamewinning goal in the Bombers’ 1-0 double-overtime victory against Trinity University and scored a goal and assisted on another in the team’s 2-0 victory against SUNYCortland in the Elite Eight.

they saidit I felt like it was a mistake for our team.

That’s it.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson commenting on his touchdown celebration where he impersonated New York Jets wide receiver Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg. The Bills were penalized 15 yards and the Jets would score on their next possession.

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photo finish Captu ri ng th e B ombers at t h ei r be st

Th ursday, Dec ember 1 , 2 0 1 1

Rising to the occasion

From left, SUNY-Cortland freshman forward Erin Wolstenholme tries to block a shot from Bombers junior center Devin Shea during a game Tuesday in Ben Light Gymnasium. The Bombers handed the Red Dragons their first loss of the season, winning 85-77 in overtime. Shea had a double-double in the victory, registering career highs with 30 points and 15 rebounds. michelle boulÉ/the ithacan