The Ithacan Thursday, December 15 , 20 11
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Volume 79, Is s u e 1 4
RAs oppose meeting time set by Res Life By candace king staff writer
Resident Assistants across campus are petitioning against a standardized meeting time that is set to be implemented by the Office of Residential Life next fall. The initiative will require all student staff members to maintain their availability during the assigned time and day of the PRUNTY said the staff meeting. The proposal new standardized meetings will has been met with benefit staff. backlash from some Resident Assistants. Last week, a petition was drafted in an attempt to reform the new ruling. The current format for weekly staff meetings allows each RA to choose his or her staff meeting time, which requires a two- to four-hour time block. With the new rule in place, every RA will have to attend the designated time and day for the staff meeting. Many RAs were reluctant to speak out at the risk of putting their jobs in jeopardy. Three anonymous RAs sent emails to The Ithacan, in which they shared a common dissent with the proposed meetings. “I made this email account because I know that talking to you about this puts my job at stake,” one RA wrote. “One of the RDs, whom I won't name, preaches to his RAs during staff meetings about how replaceable they all are and that they shouldn't object if they want to keep their jobs.” Junior Gary Cohen, who has served as an RA for three semesters and spearheaded the petition, said the change did not fully take the RA perspective into consideration. "I don't believe in the way that this action is being implemented," Cohen said. "One of my core values is that everybody that is involved in something should have an input ... especially when it affects them. When such a large group of people are not taken into consideration by the minority, it really bothers me." Bonnie Prunty, director of residential life and judicial affairs, said the rule is meant to create benefits for the staff. “One of the added benefits is that if we had some kind of major issue that happened and we needed to pull the entire department together so that they can get all the same information at the same time about something, we would have an opportunity to do that,” Prunty said. Many RAs argue that the meeting changes will detract from their academic
See petition, page 4
Selling short By nicole black staff writer
Finals week: the exams, the essays ... the pills. Students have been using Adderall for years, but now it's returning to the forefront of attention as the nation sees a shortage. The addition of Adderall to the Federal Drug Administration’s list of drug shortages in October has brought the spotlight back on the medication as pharmacies struggle to meet the demand for prescriptions. Those with prescriptions are finding it harder
to get them filled, Nicole Pagano, pharmacist and owner of Green Street Pharmacy, said. The pharmacy has been working with customers and their doctors to change the dosage of prescriptions and make it easier for patients to get their prescription. Pagano said some customers have chosen to look elsewhere when they get put on the wait list. “It’s been difficult because everybody needs their medication, and only the lucky ones get it,” Pagano said. Those with prescriptions are not the only
Photo Illustration by Rachel Orlow
A look at the controversy and culture surrounding student Adderall use
ones who will be affected, though. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that fulltime college students were twice as likely as peers of the same age who are not in school to have used Adderall non-medically in the past year. Junior Susan* sells Adderall pills at Ithaca College for $5 each. Her friend, who does not like taking the prescription but recognizes their monetary value, gives some to Susan to sell. She said he does not live in a college town, so he gives her
See adderall, page 4
City approves suicide net installation under bridges by gerald doherty staff writer
Last Wednesday, the City of Ithaca’s Common Council approved 7-2 a motion by Cornell University to build nets aimed at preventing more suicides under three city-owned bridges. The suicide nets are part of a multi-pronged approach by the university to address troubled students in light of the multiple suicides over the past two decades, which include six deaths during the 2010-11 academic year. Three of those deaths occurred in March alone. The nets are replacing fences that were put on the bridges before. The university, which agreed in September to cover the $6-10 million cost of the installation as well as insurance and maintenance, is set to construct the nets for three bridges on Thurston Avenue and Stewart Avenue this summer. Last
joint effort LGBT athletes spark discussion to wipe out stereotypes, page 23
Thurston Bridge, located near the south side of Fall Creek Gorge, is one of the locations approved for the installation of suicide nets. file photo/the ithacan
month, Cornell won approval from a sight plan committee to construct nets on university bridges. Timothy Marchell, director of mental health initiatives at Cornell,
said the nets are a single but vital part of a comprehensive initiative to stop suicides. He said physical impediments to committing suicide, known as “means restriction,”
borderless
Student travels to Palestine to teach English in violent city, page 13 f ind m or e. onl ine. www.t heit hacan.org
are an effective way to prevent more tragedies in the future. “Because of the ready availability of this highly lethal means of suicide, it’s important to take steps to make it physically difficult to jump from these areas,” Marchell said. Cornell based its support for means restriction on a study of net installation under bridges in Bern, Switzerland, which found that increased media coverage of suicide attracted more troubled individuals to kill themselves at the site, and that physical barriers significantly reduced instances of suicide in the immediate years after installation. “Means restriction is really about creating physical barriers to slow down the process by which someone might attempt to take their own life,” Marchell said. “In Ithaca, given our unique topography, means restriction on bridges is an important
See nets, page 4
double up Core curriculum may hinder choice to pursue two degrees, page 10
[ T hurs day Bri ef ing]
2 The It hacan
Th ursday, Dec ember 1 5 , 2 0 1 1
Nation&World
Obama greets returning Iraq troops
involving hundreds of villagers, residents said yesterday. The sometimes-violent protests — which flared up again this week after a villager died in police custody — are part of a growing trend of confrontation between Chinese and their government over the seizure of land for business development projects. Police started blocking roads leading to Wukan, a fishing village of 20,000 people in Guangdong province, late last week and prevented food from being transported in, Qiu Yankun, a man who owns a shop selling farming tools, said. Some food was allowed into the village, located in Shanwei city, starting Monday but police continued to prevent villagers from fishing and supplies are running low, said Qiu, who was reached by phone. Calls to local government and police offices rang unanswered yesterday. Tensions rose in September when protests by hundreds of villagers over a land dispute turned violent, with residents smashing buildings, overturning vehicles and clashing with police.
President Barack Obama saluted returning troops returning from Iraq yesterday, declaring that the nearly nine-year conflict is ending honorably, “not with a final battle, but with a final march toward home.” The war cost nearly 4,500 American lives and left about 32,000 wounded. All U.S. troops are to be out of Iraq Dec. 31, though Obama has pledged the U.S. will continue civilian assistance for Iraq as it faces an uncertain future in a volatile region of the world. Even as majorities in the U.S. public favor ending the war, some Republicans have criticized Obama’s withdrawal, arguing he’s leaving behind an unstable Iraq that could hurt U.S. interests and fall subject to influence from neighboring Iran. Obama’s approval rating on handling the situation in Iraq has been above 50 percent since last fall, and in a new Associated Press-GfK poll, has ticked up four points since October to 55 percent. Among independents, his approval rating tops 50 percent for the first time since this spring.
NY approves benefit corporations
Iran intends to refute killing claims
A new law for New York authorizes establishment of benefit corporations with a dual focus on social responsibility and profits. While officers and directors of existing companies are required to pursue profits on behalf of shareholders, sponsors say the new model envisions other fiduciary responsibilities meant to have a positive material impact on society and the environment. It is meant in part to address concerns among some entrepreneurs who need to raise growth capital but fear losing the social or environmental missions of their business. The bill will go into effect in 60 days. It unanimously passed the Senate and Assembly and Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed it. Supporters say New York is the seventh state to enact the legislation, following Maryland, Vermont, New Jersey, Virginia, Hawaii and California.
A rare visit by Iran’s intelligence chief to Saudi Arabia sought to refute U.S. claims that Tehran planned to kill the kingdom’s ambassador to Washington, a senior Iranian official said yesterday. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Iran also wanted to convince Saudi Arabia that the U.S. and Israel are seeking to sow seeds of discord. Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi was reported to have met the Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdel-Aziz Al Saud during his Tuesday visit. The prince is also the kingdom’s interior minister. Initially, few reports emerged from the meeting. Saudi diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters, said the two discussed regional issues, including developments in Syria and Bahrain. Iran has dismissed the U.S. accusations that Tehran was involved in a plot to assassinate Adel Al-Jubeir, calling the claims “absurd.”
Village locked down after protest
Police have sealed off a southern Chinese village, blocked people from fishing and cut food supplies to crush land protests
Rock the boat
South Koreans destroy a mock Chinese fishing boat during a rally to denounce a fisherman from China who killed a South Korea Coast Guard officer when his boat was stopped for suspected illegal fishing in South Korean waters, near the Chinese Embassy in Seoul yesterday. Lee Jin-man/associated press
Two men, including a member of Iran’s Quds Force special foreign actions unit, have been charged in New York federal court in the plot.
Romney touts personal strengths
Mitt Romney says his business background makes him a better presidential candidate than Newt Gingrich, who has spent decades in Washington. But the argument is not moving Republicans his way, underscoring Romney’s challenge in finding a way to stem Gingrich’s rise three weeks before the Iowa caucus, a new Associated Press-GfK poll finds. Republicans are evenly divided on whether a Washington insider or outsider is best-suited to be president. That’s a problem for Romney, who cites his private-sector experience as the biggest difference between the two front-runners for the GOP nomination. The poll also found a significant drop in satisfaction with the overall field of Republican candidates for the next election. In
October, 56 percent of Republican adults were satisfied with the field, and 29 percent were unsatisfied. Now, 56 percent are satisfied and 40 percent are unsatisfied.
Putin loyalist resigns after scandal
A loyalist to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin who served as the speaker of Russia’s parliament resigned yesterday in a move that appeared to be part of the government’s effort to stem public anger over alleged fraud in this month’s parliamentary election. Boris Gryzlov had served as speaker of the State Duma for eight years and helped make it a reliable rubber stamper of Putin’s decisions. However, Putin’s authority has been hurt by the Dec. 4 parliamentary election, which saw his United Russia party lose about 20 percent of its parliament seats and barely retain its majority. Putin is now campaigning to reclaim the presidency in March.
SOURCE: Associated Press
corrections
Multimedia
In the Nov. 17 issue, The Ithacan reported that Zac Bissonnette was a senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Bissonnette actually graduated in May and now works full time at CNBC.
Can’t get enough of our stories? There’s even more online. Check out our multimedia at theithacan.org/multimedia.
Copy Editors Emily Rose Barry, Sophia Chawala, Tina Craven, Matthew Dezii, John Winters DiMarco, Zoë Epstein, Dina Grimaldi, Rebecca Hellmich, Bernadette Javier, Vicky Wolak, Danielle Merendino, Brittany Smith
Video
Check out this video exploring student stress and work load around finals.
Video
Take a look at the 2nd Annual Downtown Ithaca Chowder Cook-Off.
Video
Meet women’s track and field thrower Anna Lawrence in this week’s 1 on 1.
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Audio Slideshow
Go behind the scenes at the annual ice carving competition on the Commons hosted by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance.
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Find out about the latest flash mob to break out on campus.
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Get an inside look at IC Culinary Club’s Greek-themed dinner.
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Sports
Get updated on the women’s basketball team’s latest games.
Contact News Editor Kelsey O’Connor at koconno3@ithaca.edu or 274-3207.
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Th ursday, Decem be r 15, 2011
The I th a c a n 3
Sport media cuts graduate program by nicole ogrysko staff writer
The Department of Sport Management and Media at Ithaca College has announced plans to dissolve the Master of Science degree program to keep up with the rapidly evolving sports industry. The program was also cut in an effort to strengthen and focus the sport management and media undergraduate program. Rob Gearhart, associate dean of the division of graduate and professional studies, said the decision came from within the sport management and media department, for which the number of faculty across both programs was becoming “stretched.” “In the future you might think the next level of being competitive would be to have the master’s degree, but right now, that doesn’t seem to be the thing that drives what gets people jobs in the industry,” he said. The program will end after the 17 students currently enrolled finish their six-credit internship over the summer or next fall, Gearhart said. The Office of Admissions is no longer accepting graduate applications for the master’s program in sport management. Gearhart said the department informed all current students of the decision before publicly announcing that the master’s program would be dissolved. The graduate program was launched in 2005 and typically enrolled about 16 to 19 students a year, Gearhart said. Because the M.S. degree in sport management is a one-year program, he said, while the program length is convenient, it isn’t able to provide a specialized education that meets the needs of students looking to find jobs in the industry. The undergraduate program currently offers three degree paths for about 200 students: a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management a Bachelor of Science in Sport Media and a Bachelor of Arts in Sport Studies. Craig Paiement, sport management and media professor and chair of the graduate program, said the decision to cancel the graduate program came after the department did a routine analysis of the curriculum. “It was better to expand our resources into the undergrad program than spread them between
by Noreyana fernando staff writer
Annemarie Farrell, assistant professor and chair of the sport management and media department, reviews student papers. The department is currently refocusing on their undergraduate program. michelle boulé/the ithacan
two different programs,” Paiement said. Annemarie Farrell, chair of the undergraduate sport management and media department, said IC 20/20, the college’s strategic vision for the next decade, prompted the department to look into bringing more alumni back as well as thinking about developing new internship programs and course options, like a class in globalization in the sports industry. “This was an outgrowth of the kinds of things that IC 20/20 is asking the entire campus to do, which is where are we going to be,” Farrell said. “How are we setting ourselves up for future success? Essentially, this is just our department responding to that challenge,” Farrell said. With one less program to manage, Paiement said, the department will have more time and energy to devote to the undergraduate program, which would include increased advising time, a lighter faculty course load, more planning for
courses and additional opportunities for students to take advantage of, like short-term study abroad programs. Though Gearhart said the sport management and media department may look into developing another graduate degree in the future, its focus is on the undergraduate level. Paiement said the college hopes to stay at the forefront of a quickly changing sport industry that is becoming more globalized. He said there are increasingly more third-party agencies that plan events and negotiate media deals for the four main sport franchises in the United States — the NBA, NHL, NFL and MLB. While the college may lose prospective students without the sport management graduate degree, Farrell said, it’s important to focus on the positive aspect of the decision. “It’s less about what we’re losing and more about where we can put our additional passion,” she said.
College pushes forward on sustainability goals by kacey deamer staff writer
With a goal to reach carbonneutrality by 2050, Ithaca College is behind on reaching its target emission levels for the current academic year. While the college has made strides in sustainability in the dining halls and small energy efficiency upgrades, Mark Darling, sustainability programs coordinator for Facilities Services, said the college is not on par with the efforts of other educational institutions. “Looking at other campuses, I’d say we’re a little behind the curve,” he said. “We’re doing some really great stuff, but it’s so spotty. Dining services and what we’re doing in those kitchens? We’re way ahead. Campus vehicles? We’re behind the curve.” Darling said Oberlin College is a model of success in achieving high ratings of sustainability. In the on-campus transportation sector, Binghamton University has been trying electric vehicles and other alternatives, which Darling said would be used as a model when the college decides to make changes in the same areas. Energy consumption and transportation are two of the areas the college has to address in order to make significant changes in the
Council seeks funds to restore city Commons
campus’ carbon footprint. The college’s Climate Action Plan, which committed the college to a 40-year track to become carbonneutral by 2050, was approved in the fall of 2009. The plan identifies areas of importance for energy efficiency and carbon mitigation on campus. Carl Sgrecci, vice president of finance and administration, said the college’s goal has been to increase energy efficiency and decrease consumption. Initiatives to change light bulbs and light fixtures, replacing gears in heating systems and significant efforts made by Dining Services have all impacted the college’s overall energy consumption. “The emphasis in this first stage of the plan has really been to curtail energy consumption as much as possible,” Sgrecci said. “And we were having pretty good luck. We were able to add square footage to the campus and keep our energy consumption actually going down until last year.” Darling said the college will factor in the fact that the addition of the Athletics and Events Center will increase average energy use and carbon emissions of the college. “We anticipated that having an impact,” Darling said. “We were really excited because last year we made
The Athletics and Events Center has set the college behind on its environmental goals since the facility’s construction was completed in July. Graham Hebel/the ithacan
huge gains and then those gains evaporated the following year.” Michelle Jones, facilities energy manager, said some of these small changes were substantial undertakings and have impacted the college’s overall energy usage. “Almost 100 percent of the lighting on campus has been retrofitted to the most efficient [compact fluorescent lights] on the market at this point,” she said. Though improvements are being made to increase efficiency, Darling said the college remains conscious of its fiscal situation, though it does not have a specific sustainability budget.
Sgrecci said these upgrades, while beneficial, are not the big gestures the college needs to make to reach its sustainability goals. “For our carbon footprint, we’re making good progress, but it’s been the easy part,” Sgrecci said. “Now we’ve got to start looking at what we can do longer term to continue to be on target.” Marian Brown, special assistant to the provost for sustainability, said the college is focusing on increasing consciousness of the campus community who are using the buildings. “[We will] try to make buildings as efficient as possible and engage the occupancy in them,” she said.
Ithaca Mayor-elect Svante Myrick and city officials are on the hunt for funds to begin redesigning the Commons. Gary Ferguson, executive director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, said the project is expected MYRICK said the Ithaca Commons’ to cost $5-$8 infrastructure million, and needs replacement. construction drawings by Sasaki Associates, the architectural firm directing the job, are expected to be completed by the summer of 2012. The DIA’s plans for the new Commons include rebuilding the area to enhance its commercial and community functions as well as creating a transit hub with a streetcar or other form of enhanced transit to connect the plaza to Cornell University, Collegetown, Ithaca College and the West End. Ferguson said he believes once the project comes to fruition the new Commons will be financially beneficial to the city. “This is really and truly a great economic development project,” he said. “This project will generate new investment and tax revenue for the community. It will create new jobs for the community, and it will create new housing for the community because it provides a stimulus for other development around it.” Myrick said he will hold public meetings and work with the Common Council on the project to show his support. He also said it is important to keep the future in mind during the redesign process. “The infrastructure underneath the Commons needs to be replaced soon,” he said. “Maybe not right away, but soon. When infrastructure is replaced, we should redesign the Commons, first to make it a more welcoming and inviting place — and also to make sure that the next time we have to repair the Commons, we also don’t have to completely tear it up.” He said the water pipes beneath the Commons have outlived their estimated lifespan. “All the pipes down there are at, or well-past, what their rated useful life is,” he said. “For example, our water pipes are best estimated to last between 40 and 100 years. So they are now about 150 years old.” A public informational session on the project was held to hear residents’ opinions earlier this month. Ferguson said the response toward the proposed redesign was generally positive. “I think it’s very safe to say that, in listening to lots of people, the general reaction was ‘Yeah, let’s get on with it. This is a good thing’.’” Tom Pine, the owner of Race Office Supply & Variety located on the Commons, said the revamp would be a welcome change. “It’s been the way it is for quite some time and a new change bringing some fresh ideas would be welcome and a step forward.”
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4 The It hacan
nets
from page 1
part of our approach.” Cornell’s suicide rate falls roughly into the national annual average of university populations, which is about two per 20,000 students. Marchell said nearly half of the suicides over the past 20 years have been committed by bridge-jumping. Because this type of suicide is public, it garners negative media attention to the bridges and tags them as suicide “hot spots,” according to a MCCOLLISTER study pubsaid the nets don't lished by address the root the Americause of suicides. can Association of Suicidology. Andrew Magre, associate university architect, said the school settled on horizontal net installation after hiring NADAAA, a Boston-based design consultant firm, to go over all options. “The benefits of the net systems are that they are effective, and they don’t block views from the bridge decks looking out over the beautiful landscapes,” Magre said. In addition to reducing suicides via gorge jumping, the university has also taken steps to address student mental health. In 2007, the university created a team that meets weekly to discuss students observed by police and administrators to be struggling. Ellen McCollister, an alderwoman who represents the 3rd Ward of Ithaca on the Common Council, voted against the measure and said installing the nets does not address the root causes of suicide. She disputed the idea that coverage of Cornell suicides would lead others to take the same action. She said the proposal of suicide nets is just a "knee-jerk" response to bad publicity. “If you look at the issue of symptom versus root cause there will always be a few people who commit a compulsive suicide, but suicide is a much more complicated mental health problem than that,” she said. George McGonigal, an alderman who represents the 1st Ward of Ithaca, said the resolution got his support because of Cornell’s willingness to cover costs, but also because of community reaction to the proposal. “People from throughout the community lobbied in favor of it,” McGonigal said. “This included the mental health community, private citizens, leaders of the hospitals, the local fire department, which was very significant in my vote because these are the people who have to go down into the gorges to rescue people or to recover people in all kinds of weather in all times of the year.” McGonigal said the nets are an experiment, and the only thing to do is wait and see whether they are effective. “We won’t know until they’re installed and time passes and at the end of 10 years the city can change its mind if they so choose,” he said.
Students fake symptoms for medicine adderall
10
from page 1
the prescription when he visits, Susan sells to students and then she keeps half of the profit. She said demand usually goes up during finals week. “I’m not on a large scale or anything, but I maybe sell between five and 10 pills a week,” she said. “I bet during finals week I’ll definitely run out.” Students like senior Maria* take Adderall as a study aid, especially during stressful weeks like midterms and finals. Maria is not prescribed ADHD medication and said she first took Adderall her freshman year of college because she didn't feel prepared by her high school for the course load. Maria said she takes Adderall to better her energy, focus and mood. She said it makes her feel motivated and think about the future, but on the other hand, sometimes it can make her distracted and focus on the wrong thing, like Facebook. She also said professors are almost never aware of how much coursework a student might have from another class, which adds pressure. “Sometimes I have three papers due the same day,” she said, “And I can’t … my body … I can’t take it, I’m a human being.” The use of prescription medications like Adderall, which include other attentionenhancing drugs like Focalin, Ritalin and Concerta, introduces a moral question, as some feel that when it is used as a study aid, it gives students an extra edge, Elaine Moore, author of "The Amphetamine Debate," said. Moore said she feels the stigma surrounding Adderall is not due to the side effects of the drug, but because of its effects on society. She said there are many federal restrictions on obtaining Adderall, with the large number of students being prescribed Adderall who do not take it because they do not enjoy the effects. Instead of ending the prescription, they choose to sell it, fueling the black market. Moore said the black market and other effects of the restrictions on obtaining stimulants can be worse than the prescription drugs themselves. “All of the restrictions led to people manufacturing crystal meth, which is totally different, shooting it up and causing problems with it,” she said. “The restrictions themselves are what have caused it to be this major problem. It’s not that bad of a drug.” Many colleges have taken a stance against nonmedical use, usually citing that it is not only illegal, but in the eyes of some colleges and universities, unethical. In September, Duke University amended the Duke Academic Integrity Policy to include
college demand
Full-time college students
Studies show that full-time students in college are more likely to take Adderall.
Other persons aged 18 to 22
8 Percent
Residents favor nets for bridges
Th ursday, Dec ember 1 5 , 2 0 1 1
6
6.4
4
7.0
6.1
3.0
3.2
6.9
2.8
6.0
3.2
2.9
2 Total Aged 18 to 22
Aged 18 to 20
Age Group
Aged 21 or 22
Male
Female
Gender Source: 2006 and 2007 SAMHSA National Surveys on drug use and health
nonmedical use of prescription medications under what the university considers as cheating. Even some people who are prescribed a medication for ADD, like senior Allison Freeman, who has been prescribed Concerta since she was diagnosed in the third grade, understand why students would take the medication without a prescription. “Sometimes I know if I have to get a paper done I’ll take it because I know then that six hours of time I’m going to get a lot of work done," she said. "It makes a huge impact, because even if you don’t get work done, you might get something else done and you’re like, ‘Whoa, I’ve been trying to get that — anonymous done for ages.’” To obtain the drug, some students fake symptoms for a prescription. Ithaca psychiatrist William Wittlin said he gets a feel for the person’s integrity and makes sure there is no pre-existing drug abuse. He asks a series of questions about performance before prescribing ADD medication. Wittlin said, for example, a person who actually has ADD would probably have trouble taking notes and listening to a professor at the same time. Wittlin said distinguishing the difference between somebody who has the disorder and somebody faking it to get a prescription can be difficult.
“I’m not on a large scale or anything, but I maybe sell between five and 10 pills a week.”
“There’s a fine line between performance enhancement and whether the person ‘actually has’ Attention Deficit Disorder,” he said. “After a number of hours in my presence, generally I feel pretty comfortable that I can figure out or question out people who might have an agenda of just getting drugs to enhance performance or make money.” Besides the moral issue, the FDA warns that stimulants can affect pre-existing problems, such as cardiac abnormalities and psychosis. Wittlin said the side effects of taking Adderall can be just as harmful to people with or without the disorder. “People that don’t have the disorder are just trying to be better at what they’re already OK at," he said. "People that have the disorder truly are highly distractible, can’t concentrate for a long period of time, are disorganized as to how they allot their time, so they can’t study effectively.” Some students, like senior Rena Ostry, oppose Adderall because of what it says about society. Ostry said the use of Adderall highlights this generation’s dependence on pharmaceutical companies and using medications as a blanket solution. “We’re in a society where young people aren’t taken as seriously as they could be because dependence on crutches like these drugs leads to a reiteration that we’re not capable,” she said. *Some names in the article have been changed to protect anonymity.
Meetings to change despite negative feedback petition from page 1
experience at the college. As outlined in the petition, "As a liberal arts college with a commitment to excellence, we will be deprived the opportunity to explore our interests in other fields of study if it conflicts with the time that Residential Life deems appropriate for the staff meeting." Prunty said the only exception to the rule will be if the meeting time conflicts with classes needed to graduate. Still, some RAs are concerned about the restrictions on academic exploration that the rule could impose. The same RA from the email said the new rule does not follow the priorities that the Residential Life policy stresses. “After preaching to us about how deeply they understand and care for our educational priorities, the Res Life staff only claims to be understanding when we tell them about academic difficulties,” the RA said. “It is even more hypocritical now that they are preparing to install policy that literally forces us to compromise
our class schedules and, vicariously, our education in order to make it to a standardized meeting time.” Resident Assistants make up the largest group of Residential Life employees with 116 resident assistants currently employed. This was not the first time this concern has been expressed. The Office of Residential Life considered the possibility of standardized meeting three years ago, but the office could not find a staff meeting time that worked. Prunty said when the idea was introduced the first time, it received an overwhelmingly negative response. The previous initiative did not, however, include an academic exception. Ron Trunzo, associate director of residential life, and Pat Walsh, residence director for Terraces One through Four, conducted research concerning colleges and universities that have a standard meeting time and found a standardized meeting time was effective. Walsh said the selection of the schools was based on staff size and similar population. Although feedback is being requested from all RAs, the feedback will not affect the decision to enact
The Residence Hall Association sponsored a Fall Fest on Oct. 7. RAs are petitioning a new standardized meeting time set by Residential Life. juan tamayo/the ithacan
the proposal, Prunty said. Instead, the feedback will contribute to setting up the common meeting time. “As a professional staff we made a decision that this is something that we want to move forward and try,” Prunty said. “I would want to go to the staff for a decision that we know is going to move forward.” Cohen said he plans to take his
petition, along with the signatures of several RAs, to the Office of Residential Life tomorrow. The petition will include the RAs’ disapproval along with some alternatives to the rule, including more compensation for room and board and a request to redraft the proposal with the contribution of the RAs.
Th ursday, Decem be r 15, 2011
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The I th a c a n 5
Go with the flow
Professor follows path of creativity from forgiveness to fracking by tina craven staff writer
Life isn’t a spectator sport for Mara Alper, a dynamic professor and documentarian who dedicates her energy to whichever cause she deems most important at the moment. “I’m very spirited in every sense of the word,” Alper said. “I consider being creative one of the best gifts you can be given. It just makes life very interesting.” Alper, associate professor in the television-radio department, is known for her documentaries, interesting courses and most recently her efforts to raise awareness about the importance of valuing and respecting water. During her 20s, she lived in a Cretan cave and studied puppeteering. Thirty years later, she began focusing on how she could bring public awareness to the value of water through her classes and Take Back The Tap, a club dedicated to raising awareness about depleting freshwater sources and the damaging effects of the population’s reliance on bottled water. Alper said investing in bottled water is investing in misfortune for future generations because bottles collect in landfills and represent wasted resources that could have been utilized for other purposes. “My goal is to get people to respect
water rather than take it for granted and respect the water particularly by not buying bottled water,” Alper said. Junior Jess Wunsch, secretary of Take Back The Tap, said Alper helps recruit members and offers guidance in meetings. “Mara has been the driving force behind us,” Wunsch said. Freshman Leonard Slutsky, treasurer of Take Back The Tap, said that he became interested in water activism after taking Water Equals Life, a summer course that focused on the importance of fresh water, with Alper and recognizing how water issues are serious and need to be spread to the Ithaca community. “Mara is really the inspiration for the club, you know, she’s really, really passionate about water,” Slutsky said. “You can tell because she is so resourceful, and she has been doing work with water in Bali and —mara alper informational programs downtown and just here on campus.” Her documentaries and installations have been viewed all over the world and have provided her the opportunity to travel to Bali, Greece, Mexico, Japan, Europe, Hong Kong and Singapore. And as far-reaching as her travels, her films have explored widespread topics, including astronomy, Huichol
“I consider being creative one of the best gifts you can be given. It just makes life very interesting.”
Mara Alper, associate professor in the television-radio department, displays her sustainable water bottle in a Take Back the Tap meeting Nov. 10. Alper has made films on topics, including astronomy, forgiveness and water. kevin campbell/the ithacan
art, incest, forgiveness and healing. After a trip to Bali last year, Alper redirected her focus to water conservation, classes and the club on campus. Alper aims to educate her students about all aspects of water. She taught Media & The Environment: Water Issues in November and an online summer course, Water Equals Life, which is now called Water and You: Perceptions/Reflections. “I’m a teacher, what I do is teach, the way for me to approach this was through teaching things about water,” she said. For her next endeavor, Alper is working on “Sacred Waters of Bali,” a documentary which focuses on the perception of water as a cherished resource. The film was
inspired by a trip to Bali where she observed how Balinese treated water as a crucial element in religion. “If you carry water in a bucket on your head, you value and respect water, you don’t waste it,” Alper said. She said her motto, “Have video, will travel,” ensures that she never misses an opportunity to document something. It was this motto that made it possible for her to include an interview with Archbishop Desmond Tutu from South Africa on forgiveness in one of her films after spending half a day waiting for him to appear at Cornell University. “I do documentaries on whatever is interesting to me at the moment, and they’re pretty much all social issues,” Alper said.
Freshman Rebecca Norton, one of Alper’s students, said she appreciates how Alper set aside a day to go to the Farmers Market with the class to practice different filming techniques. “She likes her students a lot,” Norton said. “I definitely think she’s there for you in class.” Alper said she decided to teach at the college because she wanted to be in an interesting area. Annette Levine, associate professor in the department of modern languages and literatures, worked with Alper on the subtitles for a documentary and said she has a lot to offer the community. “Mara is a very generous person with her time and her energy and her knowledge,” Levine said. “She has a lot to share with the rest of us.”
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Film recounts farmers’ plight Junior Candace Riggs, an activist advocating for Colombian farmers and their economic and social struggles, created a documentary this semester for her politics class to highlight the plight of Colombian farmers. Riggs’ film, “Shoveling Water: War on Drugs, War on People,” explores U.S. influence in Colombia and RIGGS said the shows how farmers weath- U.S. has added er the changing seasons. to Colombia’s Staff Writer Katrina ongoing struggle. Fedczuk spoke to Riggs about her experience creating the film. Katrina Fedczuk: Can you tell me more about your documentary? Candace Riggs: It’s about Colombia, and what’s going on is that local farmers who are just trying to grow legal crops, like sugar cane — their farms are getting fumigated. Any time the U.S. suspects someone is growing coca, which is the drug that makes cocaine, they take gallons of pesticides and pour it on the fields. But Colombia has a really diverse ecosystem. The wind takes it everywhere, and it’s killing off these peoples’ way to live. It’s killing other crops. Coca is a really strong bush. It always grows back. The other crops don’t grow back. KF: Did you have any interest in Colombia before the project? CR: Not before this semester. I wanted to do something that was right now though, a hot topic that was relevant that will play out more in the future. I feel that if you get people involved early into an issue, they’ll have more drive to fight with it. Once something is done, it’s done. The Free Trade Agreement has been passed by Congress, but it hasn’t been implemented yet so there is
still time to make changes to land reform in Colombia or even changes to U.S. foreign policy before it’s enacted to prevent an increase in human rights violations. KF: Why should the Ithaca community care about this topic? CR: We have so much control over other countries that we’re not even thinking about what it’s like to live in that situation. This is an issue a lot of people in the United States can relate to, but it’s just not talked about. You know, poverty is huge here. Starvation is huge here. We hide under this blanket of western society that we’re not even talking about how many people are living on the streets like in downtown Ithaca. KF: Can you talk about Witness for Peace? CR: It’s an organization that got started on the premise of creating a forum where people can learn about issues firsthand. They go on delegations where they take a group of people — students, adults, whoever — and they give them a tour of interviews and bring the issues up front so that when we come back to the United States, we can hopefully start making some changes, fighting for policy, becoming more active. KF: What is the documentary’s purpose? CR: I hope that they’ll start to see how the U.S. implements their policies. We are all about the market and how it ties everything in, but we have really lost touch with the people that are being affected, and I don’t think we’re doing enough to protect human rights, to ensure safety, to ensure things like water, food, and shelter. And then we’re just enacting these policies blindly. We’re doing things for all the wrong reasons, and if you bring these issues to people who are just about to go into the real world, maybe they will think about this when they start making policies and when they start making changes.
To see a video of the Chowder Festival, visit theithacan.org.
Cup-a-soup
Walker Gruen, an employee from Blue Stone Grill, serves seafood chowder during Ithaca’s Second Annual Chowder Festival on Saturday on the Commons. Residents tasted several soups by local restaurants who were competing to win the “Best Chowder” category. michelle boulé/The Ithacan
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{
College & City Speech-language professor receives national award
The American Speech-LanguageHearing Association has awarded Yvonne Rogalski, speech-language pathology and audiology professor, the Advancing Academic-Research Careers Award. The award gives funding support to increase ROGALSKI student research involvement, experimental technique proficiency and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Research director honored with top award for service
The North East Association of Institutional Researchers has awarded Martha Gray, director of institutional research at Ithaca College, the 2011 Distinguished Service Award. This award is given annually to the GRAY top institutional researcher in the Northeast. Gray has worked as a mentor in the NEAIR mentorship program, and with the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium.
Group to hold discussions on diversity for IC students
The Ithaca College Diversity Awareness Committee will host Talking Circles, a series of conversations about race where students
will be able to share their feelings, thoughts and experiences. The talks will run from 7 to 9 p.m. for five weeks and will begin Jan. 25 during Martin Luther King Jr. Week. Students must apply and about 20 students will be chosen to participate. Students from all races, ethnic backgrounds and creeds are invited. The event was facilitated by the Multicultural Resource Center. The application is available at http://ithaca.edu/sacl/committee/ diversity, and should be sent to fogundele@ithaca.edu by Dec. 22.
Cornell gets first place for architecture program
Cornell University’s undergraduate program in architecture was ranked No. 1 for the fourth consecutive year in America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools. The program for graduates was ranked sixth for a second year in a row. The results are based on a survey of more than 185 leading American architecture firms and organizations. The respondents have direct experience hiring and evaluating the performance of recent architecture graduates.
University research project named program of the year
A research project run through the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar was named the Best Environment Research Program of the Year at the Annual Research Forum of the Qatar Foundation in Doha on Nov. 21 and was awarded a $100,000
prize to extend the research. The study’s goal is to improve knowledge about microbes in sand dunes and engineer microbiological methods to prevent mobile sand dunes from encroaching onto infrastructure. The project is sponsored by the Qatar National Research Foundation.
Local plant society to hold annual solstice celebration
The Native Plant Society will hold its annual Solstice celebration at 7 p.m. today. There will be live music from the String Throttlers, a self-graded plant ID contest and door prizes for all who try the contest. There will also be a slide show where members show their favorite plant or natural area. Guests are encouraged to bring a food dish having a native or naturalized plant ingredient. There will be a prize for the most creative dish and a “people’s overall choice” prize. Guests can also bring local seeds they have collected for distribution.
Winter festival continues in Cayuga Nature Center
The Museum of the Earth at the Paleontological Research Institution Nature Center will host a winter celebration at the Cayuga Nature Center as part of Ithaca’s Winter Festival. The Nature Center invites Ithaca residents to attend and explore six stories of decorated treetops. Hot apple cider and cocoa will be provided afterwards. The cost is $5 for adults and
Public Safety Incident Log November 27 Safety Hazard LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Caller reported finding flammable materials. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Jay VanVolkinberg.
November 28 Criminal Mischief LOCATION: Holmes Hall SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person damaged a light fixture. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Bruce Thomas. Larceny LOCATION: Ceracche Athletic Center SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person stole cash from a wallet. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Brad Bates. Conduct Code Violation LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Three people referred for drug violations and one referred for underage possession of alcohol. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke. Medical Assist/ Illness Related LOCATION: Public Safety Parking Lot SUMMARY: Caller reported a person having tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing. Person transported to CMC by ambulance. Sergeant Terry O’Pray. Medical Assist/ Illness related LOCATION: East Tower SUMMARY: Caller reported a person having an allergic reaction to a medication. Person transported to CMC by ambulance. Master Patrol Officer Don Lyke.
Larceny LOCATION: Whalen Center for Music SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person stole a violin on Nov. 16. Investigation pending. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke. Making Graffiti LOCATION: Circle Lot 1 SUMMARY: Officer reported an unknown person spray painted on some equipment. Investigation pending. Sergeant Terry O’Pray.
November 29 Conduct Code Violation LOCATION: Eastman Hall SUMMARY: One person judicially referred for violation of drug policy. Patrol Officer Jay VanVolkinburg. Disorderly Conduct LOCATION: Circle Lot 3 SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person threw eggs at a vehicle. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Jay VanVolkinburg. Identity Theft LOCATION: Unknown Location SUMMARY: Complaint reported an unknown person attempted to use a debit card. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Jay VanVolkinburg.
November 30 Fire Alarm Accidental LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Fire alarm activation caused by excessive use of photography lighting that overheated the room heat detector. System reset. Fire and Building Safety Coordinator Ron Clark.
}
this WEEK
$3 for children. Tickets are $3 for adult members and $1 for children members. The Cayuga Center will deduct $1 for whomever brings food for the animals.
thursday
The Big Read: Moby-Dick, a book discussion, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at Buffalo Street Books on 215 North Cayuga St., Dewitt Mall.
Tech services to replace college’s clicker system
friday
The Ithaca College Information Technology Services is evaluating three different student response systems to replace the college’s current eInstruction PRS system. Representatives from the three finalists, which include iClicker, Quizdom and Turning technologies, will come to campus to give live demonstrations of their products at 2 p.m. Dec. 14, 12:30 p.m. Dec. 15 and 2 p.m. Dec. 19. The campus community is invited to attend the presentations and participate in the question and answer afterwards.
Technology ‘R Us will be held at 5 p.m. in Barnes and Noble in the Tops Plaza. Shabbat Services will begin at 6 p.m. in Muller Chapel. Shabbat Dinner will be held at 7 p.m. in Terrace Dining Hall.
sunday Catholic Mass will begin at 1 and 9 p.m. in Muller Chapel.
Tuesday
College makes additions to licensed brand program
Internship Prep Sessions will begin at noon in the Business School 114.
Ithaca College has added new colors and fonts to the licensing program’s scheme. Light pink has been added as a fashion color, and tan/khaki has been added as an additional neutral color. The college’s licensing color palette already includes navy, gold, gray, black and white. Script or cursive fonts will not be approved on merchandise bearing the college’s trademarked terms. All products must contain the appropriate trademark symbols like TM. If the college’s official artwork is not used, custom drop-art is permitted on the product.
Wednesday Mighty Yoga will hold a “Pay what you can Wednesday” at 7:30 p.m. on the second floor of 106 West State Street. Holiday Sale at Plantations will begin at 11 a.m. in the Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center in Cornell. End-of-the-Semester Screening, a student work showcase, will begin at 10:30 a.m. in Park Auditorium.
selected entries from Nov. 27 to Dec. 4
December 1 Found Property LOCATION: Upper Water Tower SUMMARY: Officer reported finding lantern and turned it over to Office of Public Safety. Criminal Mischief LOCATION: Emerson Hall SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person damaged an exit sign. Investigation pending. Master Patrol Officer Christopher Teribury.
December 2 Conduct Code Violation LOCATION: Grant Egbert Boulevard SUMMARY: One person judicially referred for underage possession of alcohol. Patrol Officer Dan Austic. Accidental Property Damage LOCATION: IPD Range SUMMARY: Officer reported accidental damage to a laptop. Sergeant Ron Hart.
December 3 Conduct Code Violation LOCATION: Circle Lot 10 SUMMARY: One person transported to CMC by ambulance and judicially referred for irresponsible use of alcohol. Master Patrol Officer Bruce Holmstock. Medical Assist/ Injury Related LOCATION: Lower Quad SUMMARY: Caller reported a person fell on the stairs and sustained an ankle injury. Person declined medical assistance with Public Safety. Patrol Officer Jeremiah McMurray.
Conduct Code Violation LOCATION: Circle Apartments SUMMARY: Caller reported an intoxicated person locked in a bathroom. One person transported to CMC by ambulance and judicially referred for irresponsible use of alcohol. Patrol Officer Bruce Thomas. Medical Assist/ Illness Related LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Caller reported an ambulance was dispatched for a person with a general illness. One person transported to CMC by ambulance. Master Patrol Officer Christopher Teribury.
December 4 Harassment LOCATION: Circle Apartments SUMMARY: Caller reported a person out of control and threatening another person. One person judicially referred for harassment. Master Patrol Officer Bruce Holmstock. Conduct Code Violation LOCATION: Terrace 11 SUMMARY: Caller reported semiconscious person took prescription medication and alcohol. Officer determined person was not intentionally trying to harm them self, declined medical assistance with ambulance staff and was judicially referred for irresponsible use of alcohol. Sergeant Ron Hart. Unlawful Possession Marijuana LOCATION: Circle Apartments SUMMARY: Caller reported an intoxicated person locked in a bathroom. Forced entry was made into the bathroom by IFD. Person declined medical
assistance with ambulance staff and was judicially referred for irresponsible use of alcohol and unlawful possession of marijuana. Sergeant Ron Hart. Fire Alarm Malicious False Alarm LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Fire alarm caused by malicious activation. System reset. Sergeant Ron Hart. Falsely Reporting an Incident LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Officer reported an unknown person maliciously activated a pull box, causing a fire alarm. Investigation pending. Sergeant Ron Hart. Conduct Code Violation LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Officer referred a person who failed to leave the building during a fire alarm. One person judicially referred. Patrol Officer Bruce Thomas. Criminal Mischief LOCATION: Athletic and Events Center SUMMARY: Caller reported an unknown person broke a window. Investigation pending. Sergeant James Landon. 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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editorials
Double double Major trouble
A new core curriculum may jeopardize students’ flexibility to choose meaningful courses and pursue two majors to better prepare themselves for the future.
D
ouble majors at Ithaca College may want it all, but will a heavier course load help them get it now? One reason why the college’s percentage of double majors is nearly fives times the national average could be its students’ opportunistic mentality. The college prides itself on giving students the freedom to choose and responds with a promise to prepare them regardless of what field they decide. For many students, this means pursuing multiple passions instead of just one. Because of our current curriculum’s flexibility, fewer undergraduates have to compromise one interest over the other. A second major may especially help those who follow a vocational track — music, communications, theater and clinical education — satisfy their intellectual curiosity. A proposal for an Integrated Core Curriculum, however, may inhibit students’ ability to pursue two degrees. While the college is trying to retain freedom of choice by offering different “themes” within the core, it requires students to take a minimum of 16 extra credits and fulfill writing and mathematics requirements. Not only would this curriculum introduce a more regimented course load, but it may also create a deeper hole for students who long to fill the existing gap by pursuing two degrees. If the college wants to better prepare its students for the future, it should offer a wider variety of courses that can fulfill more than one purpose. It should also bring students into the conversation before requiring them to take courses for the sake of “well-roundedness.” By allowing students to dual-purpose their courses, the college can enable students to pursue opportunities outside the classroom that can better prepare them to become socially useful citizens in the future.
SNAP JUDGMENT Crunch time How do you feel about finals being so late in the semester?
‘Illegal’ Move
The media have a duty to present the facts about immigration to prevent a continuation of the distortion and criminalization of immigration.
Watch more Snap Judgments at theithacan.org.
“I hate it because all my friends are home, and then I can’t see anyone.” Allison Cipriano ’15 Psychology
“Next year we’ll switch with Cornell, and we’ll be out a week earlier, so I think it’s ok.” Karly Placek ’15 Documentary Studies
I
mmigration is one of our generation’s most pressing issues, yet we continue to ignore how it affects all our daily lives. Last week, Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Jose Vargas spoke about his recently “outed” status as an undocumented immigrant. He pointed out that conscious people have a responsibility to be completely awake and connect the dots for those who are “asleep.” One root of public unconsciousness is the lack of critical debate on immigration. While the media have a responsibility to produce and transmit unbiased news in order to incite discussion that helps create an informed citizenry, they have failed. On the topic of immigration, the media regurgitate quotes from politicians about the need for tighter border security to prevent “illegal” immigrants from crossing onto American soil. According to the Immigration Policy Center, the government takes a collective $11.2 billion from them each year. Yet the media ignore the fact that our country profits from the same individuals some people aim to demonize. For a society that purports itself as the land of opportunity, its members should not have to live in fear. Until the media expose different viewpoints, we cannot become a truly cultured public or change the inherently racist perception of the immigration issue.
“you don’t have any time to celebrate ... my family Christmas party is this weekend and I won’t be able to go to it.” Sarah Baker ’15 Anthropology
“In the long run, we actually get to have a longer break than many other people..” Sangita Burke ’15 Culture and Communication
comment online. Now you can be heard in print or on the Web.
Write a letter to the editor at ithacan@ ithaca.edu or leave a comment on commentaries and editorials at theithacan.org. Letters must be 250 words or less, emailed or dropped off by 5 p.m. Monday in Park 269.
The Ithacan Aaron edwards editor in chief 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
“I would have traded the four days off for Thanksgiving to get out earlier for Christmas.” James Murtagh ’15 Writing
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Opi n ion
Th ursday, Decem be r 15, 2011
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guest commentary
Conscious food choices reflect personal values F ood seems to be a hot topic on campus these days. In recent weeks it has appeared in The Ithacan and Buzzsaw, and was the focus of Sodexo’s Better Tomorrow Plan Celebration. This is of little surprise, as it follows a wave of writers like Michael Pollan, Barbara Kingsolver and Jonathan Safran-Foyer, and documentary films like “King Corn,” “Supersize Me,” and “Food, Inc.,” which examine what we eat and the larger impacts of our grocery lists. Remember the tomato from Wegmans that smiled to you from the display the other day? It could have been grown from genetically modified seeds to keep its color and firmness, covered in artificial nitrogen-based fertilizer that is synthesized from fossil Devin Castaldi-micca fuels, sprayed with chemicals that kill insects and prevent them from trying to eat it and shipped across the country in a refrigerated truck. The costs of all of these processes includes a loss of biodiversity, eutrophication from fertilizer runoff and carbon emissions associated with the miles it has traveled — just to name a few. As students at Ithaca College, we are at a unique junction where we have the option of embracing just about any food politics we want. Out from under the confines of our parents’ food habits, we are at a dietary Tabula Rasa, a blank slate where we can choose what types of consumers we wish to be: vegetarian, vegan, locavore, organic, raw food, paleo diet, or even the type that views D.P. Dough as a well-rounded meal for every night of the week. And unlike other movements that have gripped the campus consciousness — Occupy comes to mind — the food movement focuses on the daily choices we make, ones that have direct influence on our health and the world, and ones that can be changed by shifting purchasing habits. Ithaca offers many ways to become involved with “good” food options. Venues like the farmers
TJ gunther
Tablets battle for No. 1 spot
W
From left, senior Hayley Stormon and junior Brian Chick, co-presidents of IC Organic Growers Society, sell produce from the community garden located near Williams Hall on Sept. 20 in Phillips Hall. James earl/the ithacan
market, local food restaurants and cooperative grocery stores stock more sustainable and ethical food items. On campus, students with meal plans may be more restricted with their food options, but groups like Slowfood and Sodexo itself are working to improve the dining hall offerings. In addition, we have numerous campus groups that address issues in the areas of food justice, specifically Slowfood, IC Organic Growers Society and Food for Thought. I have spent the semester working on a contribution to the “good” food movement on campus developing ICfresh, a local food service for students, faculty and staff. The initiative, which is set to launch this spring, will feature both community-supported agriculture shares and items for individual purchase. It will also allow students, especially those of us with limited transportation, to
partake in the agricultural bounty that surrounds us. By removing the barrier to access and bringing local food right to the campus itself, we can make a campus-wide effort to support the economic, social and environmental benefits associated with local food. People should look at their dietary choices not just as sustenance, but as a political and social statement that helps define the type of person they will be and the ideas they believe. With a subject matter with such profound consequences and such necessity to our lives, it is important that we choose foods that support the ideals of strong local communities, healthy natural products and sustainability. After all, you are what you eat. Devin Castaldi-Micca is a junior environmental studies major. Email him at dcastal1@ithaca.edu
guest commentary
Students need outlet for fostering newsroom diversity
I
’m not new to experiencing racism on the job. About a year ago, I was at a press conference with a photographer from The Ithacan. We were seated in the back part of an auditorium when an older white man with shaggy gray hair Aaron and a baggy Edwards camouflage jacket stepped up to me and stared me straight in the eye. “A few years ago, people like you wouldn’t even be allowed to do your job,” he told me with a silver glare in his eyes. “Do me a favor and leave.” The other reporters around me saw what happened, and the man continued to heckle me as a few security guards pulled him out the side entrance of the room. I stayed silent. I pulled out my reporter pad and recorder, and directed my attention to the front of the room. Then-Attorney General Andrew Cuomo was about to speak, and I had a job to do. To say minority journalists have come a long way would be both an understatement and a subtle exaggeration. Though the number of blacks, Hispanics, Asians and other non-White races in newsrooms has grown over the past 40 years, there is still room for improvement.
tech bytes
From left, seniors Monica Watson and Sydney Normil attend the initial meeting for The Park Association for Journalists of Color on Dec. 8.
kristina stockburger/the ithacan
For example, The Associated Press has had only two black female White House correspondents in its 165 years of existence. And as a black student at a predominately white institution, I can confidently say I was not “Ready” for the climate and reality faced by minorities in media when I stepped into my first internship outside of the college. That preparedness came from other real-world experience at places like The Atlanta JournalConstitution, where I covered race issues and immigration under the supervision and fine editing of veteran reporters and editors.
It came from having candid talks with people like LaSharah Bunting, National News Editor at The New York Times, at The New York Times Student Journalism Institute — a fantastic program dedicated to training talented young minority journalists. But what about the atmosphere right here at Ithaca College? Walking the hallways of the Park School of Communications, it’s obvious that the school is not a particularly diverse one. My racial community exists, but we’re scattered. From my first day as a freshman, there was no sense of community or connectivity, and the numbers seemed to
decline every year in my class. While we have the ALANA community, which does a commendable job of providing minority students on campus with an outlet for community building and enrichment, some communications students struggle to find their own sense of identity. That’s why I’m working with Wenmouth Williams, interim chair of the journalism department, and a group of dedicated students to start The Park Association for Journalists of Color, a group that I hope will fill that void. Through guest speakers, workshops and events, I want the group to grow into a network connecting students at the college to professionals doing exactly what they aspire to do. The veil of racial disparity in journalism needs to be torn at its seams, and it should start while young journalists are still training for the future. In his memoir, Gerald M. Boyd, the first African-American managing editor at The New York Times, who resigned after the Jayson Blair scandal, said “curiosity plus legwork becomes expertise.” Minorities are not handed much of anything, but most journalists share a curiosity and passion for our craft. Now it’s time for the legwork. Aaron Edwards is editor in chief of The Ithacan. Email him at aedward3@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.
hile 2011 has been deemed the “Year of the Tablet,” it has come up short of what many tech experts predicted. Instead of prices dropping and consumers jumping on board with their first tablet purchase, there has been a fading interest and promise in diverse-platform tablets during the past 12 months. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, tablets were the soup du jour. Nearly every major tech company came out swinging with its own interpretation of the gadget, many featuring different cameras, new processors and large amounts of RAM. All of those were powerful and cost-effective options that allowed anyone to become a tablet user. Around the same time, Google announced its launch of Android 3.0, nicknamed Honeycomb. This mobile operating system was specially designed for the wave of tablets in production, and it promised to add functionality and fix technical issues that kept Android from working on a larger screen. Thanks to the new OS and impressive internal technology, the first tablet featuring Honeycomb, Motorolla’s Xoom, was a promising contender for the dominant iPad. Now, midway into December, much of the tablet excitement and frenzy has faded as technology companies prepare for this January’s tech trade show, where new super-thin laptops, called ultrabooks, are set to dominate the floor. Consumers have lost some interest in tablets as flagship products like the Xoom and Honeycomb have had more issues than expected, and many of the midlevel tablets have blended together into a jumbled mess. Throughout the year, companies have cloned similar devices, which have left consumers confused with no clear winner of the Android market — until Kindle Fire came along. Cheap but functional, the Fire has a custom build of Android that doesn’t look or feel like one with its app carousel home screen, which features a side-scrolling interface instead of the standard grid of icons. At an affordable $199, the Fire offers a quality user experience and appears to be doing well after only a few weeks on the market. With the Kindle Fire capturing the low-end market and the iPad holding out at the top, there is clearly no middle track for tablets in the 2011 race. Apple defined the tablet experience, and Amazon has finally made it affordable to own a device. All other tablet makers are in an uphill battle against these two tech giants and won’t win without a sudden burst of creativity. It will either come down to quality or price as Apple and Amazon battle it out for “Tablet of the Year.” TJ Gunther is a senior journalism major. Email him at tgunthe1@ithaca.edu
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bol of h, a sym e y ffi e A map of Palestine that currently decorates a wall in senior Sara k ng a er weari er in Palestinech. el orlow Fitouri’s apartment. Fitouri taught English in Nablus, Palestine. h f o e g h c ima by ra glish tea Courtesy of Sara Fitouri ration ects an as an En photo illust that refl e r m ro ti ir r e m h a g n to ri in u d s uri look ntly wore ara Fito e freque h s e c n Senior S ta ian resis Palestin
Student travels to Palestine to work with youth in violence-ridden city shea o’meara
assistant accent editor
As then-junior Sara Fitouri stood in front of a class of Palestinian girls, a sudden explosion shook the windows and made her ears rattle. The students continued their work. For them, it was normal. Fitouri spent the spring of her junior year in Nablus, Palestine, as a volunteer for Teach for Palestine, an organization To watch a that provides free English video of Fitouri’s language and students, visit sports lessons theithacan.org. to Palestinian youth. In that time, she learned to ignore the sound bombs hitting the streets. She was offered a job with the organization through friends she met visiting Nablus, but wasn’t sure she could do it. As a child in Colorado, she was taught to believe Palestinians were her brothers and sisters by her father, a Muslim born in Libya. But turning away from the traditional path of an American student — getting a diploma, then a job or a higher degree — was difficult because it wasn’t what was expected of her. “I wasn’t going to have another opportunity to do this,” she said. “Even though it meant telling my mother that ‘Hi, your daughter’s running off into a conflict zone,’ it’s something I knew I wouldn’t have been happy with myself if I didn’t do.” On her first day of work at the girls’ high school in Nablus, she saw a 20-foot wall with an additional 10-foot-high chain-link fence decorated with ivy surrounding the school building and yard. A security guard stood watch outside. Only women are allowed inside the gates, so the 12- to 15-year-old girls could escape the burdens on Muslim women in the city. “It’s this incredible free zone where I didn’t have to be worried about what guys are watching me on the streets,” she said. “On the streets, [women] have to be very poised and covered.” Helen Brooks, assistant director of Teach for Palestine, said some of the
female volunteers struggle with being harassed on the street because women are expected to be either at home or work. “Girls around here, particularly high school girls, are discouraged from playing sports and being confident — all the things Sara really likes and encourages them to do,” she said. For Fitouri, teaching wasn’t about helping the students build language skills — most of the girls won’t be allowed to leave the country or be able to afford a college degree. “I had some concerns with what I was teaching them,” she said. “It wasn’t my place to go in and say, ‘Yeah, liberate yourselves,” Fitouri said. “I just wanted to understand, and I wanted them to understand me.” She said part of getting to know her students was seeing the violence they lived with every day. While traveling outside of the city, she saw 18-year-olds carrying rifles, and the people around her didn’t think twice. She flinched as fighter airplanes roared above of her school, but her students didn’t look. Martyr posters plastered the walls of buildings, and a nearby cemetery was constantly filled with fresh flowers and pictures of children.
“Nablus was hit the hardest during the last intifada,” Fitouri said. “They were massacred, so it’s like you don’t meet someone who doesn’t have somebody dead in their family.” She said seeing how the money the U.S. sent Israel as foreign aid was used to oppress her students and their families made her question the importance of her work in the classroom. “It seems so contrite and fake to be like, ‘I taught them English,’” she said. “Who cares? My tax dollars, my own personal tax dollars, have undone any good that I could have done.” In the classroom, Fitouri taught her students the few American songs she could find that were appropriate for her Muslim classroom. She decided her students would learn “I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy. “Every time they were singing ‘I am woman, hear me roar,’ I was forgetting for a few moments the pain I was in or, for a few moments having a connection with them,” she said. “I was the big, strong teacher who would never fail and never fall, and was there to hug them when they needed to cry. I needed that class more than they ever did.”
Palestinian high school students, ages 12 to 18, stand with one of their other English language and sports teachers in their Teach for Palestine classroom. Courtesy of Sara fitouri
The day before her three-month visa expired, Fitouri left Nablus. One student gave her a pouch with a Palestinian flagshaped necklace, and letter that read, “I love you so much, I know you’ll probably forget me, but I’ll never forget you. Always remember Palestine.” Fitouri said her co-workers, like her, wanted to do something in Palestine other than simply teach English. Some came to escape student debt, some were looking for a distraction after a personal disaster and some were so disillusioned with their country’s policies they chose to leave. “It wasn’t the satisfaction of volunteering and the ‘self sacrifice’ we could claim out teaching,” she said. “They needed to get away from something or they needed to find something.” Fitouri’s father, Ezzedin, noticed she had changed when she came home. He said she was more mature and grateful for what she has. “I can see it in her face that she really loved them,” he said. “I’m so proud of her.” Fitouri continues her Palestinian adventure on campus as a teaching assistant for Beth Harris, associate professor of politics. She helps to facilitate Skype conversations and shares blogs between students at the college and students from a university in Nablus next to where she lived. The initiative is part of a partnership between Harris and Peyi Soyinka-Airewele, associate professor of politics, which focuses on connecting classrooms around the world. “When we’re learning, we make assumptions about the given understandings that our knowledge is based on,” Harris said. “Reaching beyond borders creates a greater self-consciousness among the students, both individually and collectively.” Fitouri said working in Palestine made her see the conflict as more than a policy debate or a foreign issue. “It’s not this abstract Jews versus Muslims, and Palestinians versus Israelis,” Fitouri said. “As much as people want to declare themselves neutral, if you’re not speaking out against the occupation, then you’re, by default, supporting it.”
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Hot or Not This week’s hits and misses
Staff Writer Allie Healy looks back on this year’s celebrity nude covershots and ranks the sexiest to the tackiest.
Hot
Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway “Love and Other Drugs” co-stars Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal showed off more than their award-winning smiles on the November cover of Entertainment Weekly. All three provocative covers show the two in an embrace, but with different emotions — looking into the camera with passionate eyes, laughing together and romantically gazing at each other. Though they are not a couple, the actors prove to be one of the most convincing pairs of the year. In the movie, the two are shown in many intense sex scenes bravely baring almost every inch of their toned bodies. Between their sultry looks and coy smirks, these two are nothing short of steamy.
Lukewarm Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey In the April issue of OK! Magazine, a glowing and very pregnant Mariah Carey posed naked with her husband, Nick Cannon. Cannon put his goofy personality aside for the shoot, and stood behind his wife of three years with his hands barely covering her chest. Carey held her enormous belly with one hand, wearing a half-hearted smile. The couple’s nudity and dramatic lighting did not make the portrait any more glamorous. Carey and Cannon should have saved the photos for their keepsake albums instead.
Jelly Belly bash
From left, freshmen Abbie Hutchinson and Stefanie Cramer dig into their piles of goodies at Candy Craze, an IC After Dark Event held Saturday in IC Square. Students entered raffles for a chance to win prizes like a 5-pound Hershey bar and Skull Candy headphones.
cassie bender/the ithacan
wtf
bonsai kitten meme revisited just in time for the holidays
An elaborate hoax sparked by a group of MIT graduate students and a person under the alias of Dr. Michael Wong Chang, the Bonsai Kitten was an experiment that tested if kitten’s bodies molded when confined in a glass jar. After public outrage and even an FBI investigation, Internet users soon recognized it as a joke and it became one of the first Internet memes. Poking fun at this unusual incident, the Bonsai Kitty Plush haunts the public in cute, toy form. When taken out of the jar, the small, stuffed kitten will hold its form making it a great gift for any gimmick lover on your list. — Allie Healy
Not
Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Lohan’s been naughty again, but instead of wearing an orange jumpsuit, this time she is stripping down to echo her idol in the January/February 2012 Playboy pictorial. Lohan aimed to recreate Marilyn Monroe’s memorable December 1953 photos in the 10-page spread. In an interview, she said that her intention while posing in Playboy was to explore her sexuality by going along with nature. But the intensely airbrushed photos call into question Lohan’s vow to this motto. Her peroxide blonde hair and too-plump lips do not help her case either. Though she is trying to make a bold comeback, LiLo is doing so in all the wrong ways.
video of
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week
navy crew pays musical homage to mariah carey Christmas hit
While many people were wrapping presents or sending out greeting cards to kick off the holiday season, the crew of the HMS Ocean was busy becoming an Internet sensation. In the YouTube video, men and women onboard the Royal Navy ship lip-synched and danced to the festive hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey. Catching the eye of Carey herself, she responded on Twitter with, “This is the best thing I’ve ever seen, you guys just made my day! Happy Happy Christmas!!! x0x0” to the troops. — Allie Healy
quoteunquote Bill helped pick ‘em out. I’m like, ‘Bill, that big? Really?’
— Giuliana Rancic, former host of E! News, on her husband’s advice regarding her plans to get implants and reconstructive surgery after she completes chemotherapy.
celebrity SCOOPS! Odom faces b-ball blues Just days after his trade to the New Orleans Hornets was cancelled, the Los Angles Lakers re-traded Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks. But behind every man is a strong woman ... with a Twitter account. Wife Khloe Kardashian is doing her best to maintain a positive spirit while the NBA tosses her husband around from team to team. Continually sending her love and support to her hubby, Kardashian tweeted uplifting quotes in response to the recent news, all while Odom has yet to comment on the abrupt trade to the Mavericks. Upon hearing rumors of the trade, he called in to a local ESPN radio station for verificaiton. The station said Odom sounded emotional after the learning the truth. Keep your chin up, Lam Lam!
— Allie Healy
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Sex shop creates toys with eco-friendly vibe Amanda Hutchinson contributing writer
A new trend in adult toys is creating a buzz among Ithaca’s naughtiest residents looking to be nice to the environment this holiday season. Sustainable Passion, a store established for women that is nestled on Taughannock Boulevard, offers new designs for sustainable, safe sex toys. Christine Barksdale, owner of the store, began her business as a series of “Passion Parties,” gatherings where women would come together to learn about and purchase new sex products. “I had decided [to start the parties] frankly after seeing an Oprah show,” Barksdale said. Barksdale found few sex toy distributors offer a full line of sustainable products, so she decided to start her own. The party bookings with her new toys became so frequent that she opened the store to support the demand. After two years, the store expanded its products and jumped on a national trend of safe, eco-friendly products from both trade shows and local merchants. Aaron Verity, one of the merchants Barksdale works with, is the owner of PyreXions, an exotic art store in Enfield, and has been a glassblower since 1998. Verity has worked with Barksdale since her store opened to create functional glass erotic art to sell to customers. His art is designed to be both aesthetically and physically pleasing. “I have production designs that I designed and sold for years, but Christine went beyond the norm and actually asked me to design things for her,” Verity said. “She’ll
just give me a drawing and dimensions, and I go from there.” Verity’s products are nationally recognized. One of his customers is Good Vibrations, a physician-run franchise based in San Francisco that recently ordered more than one hundred pieces from him. Barksdale said locality is often key in finding quality products, and she strives to sell American and European-made products. Because sex toys from China are considered a “novelty item,” American companies are not liable for the chemicals that might be in them. In recent years, phthalates, chemicals found in many plastics, have caused heath concerns by leaching out of the plastic and into the body. “There really are a lot of toxic toys,” Barksdale said. “And I stay away from all of them.” Because sustainability and personal health often go hand-in-hand, Sustainable Passion offers several different kinds of “green” products. The most common, fully sustainable toys are made of silicone, wood, glass or stainless steel, but phthalate-free plastics are also safer than traditional plastics. “Those tend to cost less,” she said. “I try to have a price range so everyone can have body-safe toys.” Verity said the new sustainable toys are also more durable. Most products that come out of larger, production-based companies are not as well-made and therefore do not last as long. Manufacturers have pushed for a sex toy recycling program, especially to prevent the electronic components from being discarded. But for the most part, the toys remain in landfills. Sustainable toys, however, generally have a
Christine Barksdale, owner of the eco-friendly sex shop Sustainable Passion, organizes products in the store on Saturday. Barksdale is working to make women more comfortable with sex through sustainable, safe toys. shawn steiner/The Ithacan
longer life because the materials are more resilient. “Glass will last,” Verity said. “Glass will outlive you, especially if properly taken care of.” Ellen Barnard, a sex counselor and owner of A Woman’s Touch, a sex boutique in Madison, Wis., said the overarching lack of sustainability in sex toys reflects how unsustainable society is today. “It really is going to be each person in each shop and each consumer to decide what you consider is sustainable,” Barnard said.
Barnard said she defines these sustainable products as items made from renewable resources with little manufacturing and shipping. To apply this definition of sustainability to the realm of sex toys, an example of an ideal sustainable toy would be locally manufactured using wood and beeswax from nearby locations. In addition to the environmentally conscious focus of the store, Sustainable Passion was also established to give women a positive environment to talk about sex. “I did start this store so that
women would have a safe space to come explore the world of sex toys,” Barksdale said. “Most sex toys are for women, but they have the half-naked woman on the packaging because they’re being marketed for men.” The sex toy parties, which she still hosts, create an accepting environment for women. “Sex is funny, let’s face it,” Barksdale said. “So we should be able to laugh and be comfortable around it. The biggest thing is that people laugh.”
Stories from schizophrenics inspire professor’s studies Kerry tkacik staff writer
A man strolls happily down a back road near Ithaca, leading a large animal resembling a furry steer with pointed horns on a leash. He’s going home to open a petting zoo with his new friend. This is one of the stories Terry Garahan, a sociology professor and mental health and counseling instructor at Ithaca College, has accumulated over the years as a counselor for the mentally ill. Using experiences from his work, Garahan published his first novel, “When Truth Lies: A Journey with Schizophrenia” in October. The book has been in the works for 20 years and is an internal view of the life of a schizophrenic. The book features Kevin, a fictional character who fights mental illness as he experiences hospitalizations, life on a commune and homeliness in New York City. Kevin is also seen at his best, living with a woman he loves and working as a property manager. “Over time, with all these notes, a character began to emerge in my mind,” Garahan said. “Someone who would be a compilation of all these stories that people told me over the years.” The story is set in an upstate New York university town similar to Ithaca. Kevin, described by the author as a “townie,” is a recent high school graduate when a construction saw first talks to him. Hearing voices from inanimate objects is a common initiation into schizophrenia. The journey begins in the 1960s in the midst of the Vietnam War and mass paranoia caused by the draft. The topics of war and a lack of freedom are thematic, Garahan said, and relate to Kevin’s inner turmoil and the independence he lost during his hospitalizations.
“If you read the book, what you’ll find is that you enter Kevin’s world,” Garahan said. “You enter the world of voices and visions and delusions. You sort of start to understand what the illness is like in a way that I have never seen presented before.” Garahan said his intention was to educate as well as entertain because he noticed a large literature gap concerning his topic that needed to be filled. “If you Google schizophrenia fiction, nothing comes up,” he said. A secondary objective of the story was to examine the end of the state hospital system. Garahan said there are more mentally ill people sent to prison than into treatment centers, and that this trend of incarceration instead of hospitalization is dangerous. Jails and prisons for the mentally ill are vulnerable to predators and often do not receive treatment for their illness, he said. Judith Rossiter, an Ithaca City Court judge, works with Garahan to help mentally ill citizens of Ithaca avoid incarceration and receive treatment. She said education is key to solving social problems involving mental illness. “Putting a face to the stories, as with Terry’s novel, it’s providing essential information that people don’t have,” Rossiter said. The average person, Rossiter said, will avoid someone who appears to have symptoms of schizophrenia. The assumption is that the mentally ill person is dangerous — when in reality he or she is probably more afraid of the observer than the observer is of them, she said. “Fear of the unknown is one of the greatest social problems we have,” Rossiter said. “It’s the reason people are racist. It’s the reason why
Terry Garahan, a sociology professor and mental health and counseling instructor, reads his new novel, “When Truth Lies: A Journey with Schizophrenia” at Tompkins County Public Library.
emily park/The Ithacan
people fear anyone else. It’s the idea that ‘I don’t know anyone who acts like that or looks like that, therefore I am afraid of that person, therefore I won’t interact with them.’” Garahan’s wife, Bonnie Shelley, is a social worker in the mental health field and designed the inside cover of the book. Shelley said understanding is key to eliminating the misconceptions about schizophrenics that often exclude them from society. “It’s so important to understand [mental
illness] from the inside as well as the outside, to find a way to educate the rest of the community,” she said. Garahan said he will continue to write about his experiences and to attempt to educate the public about the mentally ill. “I felt really honored that people would share stuff with me that was so difficult and frightening for them,” he said, “I have a chance to pay back all the people who trusted me with their stories.”
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Jewish Studies scholar rethinks divine beings Rebecca Lesses, associate professor of Jewish Studies at Ithaca College, is digging into the roots of the New Testament to shine a modern light on some of Christianity’s best-known biblical figures. Lesses recently wrote “Divine Beings,” an article that highlights the connections between Christianity and Judaism, and was published in “The Jewish Annotated New Testament,” the first edition of the New Testament annotated by Jewish scholars of biblical studies. Staff Writer Jillian Kaplan spoke to Lesses about her contributions to the anthology, her motivations for her research and its significance to Western religion. Jillian Kaplan: How did this project begin? Rebecca Lesses: One of the people who is involved in the editing of this is a scholar named Marc Brettler, who teaches at Brandeis University. He was involved in the production of the book, “The Jewish Study Bible.” That’s where he sort of thought, “Well, we’ve done the Hebrew Bible, let’s do the New Testament.” In the last even 40 years, more and more Jewish scholars have gotten involved in the study of the New Testament on an academic level. There’s kind of a critical mass of Jewish scholars who, for the first time in history, are working on the New Testament. It’s a testimony to the fact that biblical scholarship on both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament is ecumenical — it’s something that both Jews and Christians are engaged in. JK: What is your research about? RL: I wrote an article on a topic called divine being, which is a survey of accounts and beliefs about divine and angelic beings in the
Hebrew Bible and then in later Jewish literature before the New Testament was written. I look at what the Hebrew Bible says about God as the creator of the universe and the one who makes the covenant with the people of Israel. And then I talk about how angels are referred to in the Hebrew Bible. I also talk about a figure who appears in the Book of Proverbs called Wisdom, who’s depicted as a female figure who’s kind of the co-worker with God and the creation of the universe. JK: Did your work focus strictly on angels, or did you research other biblical figures as well? RL: There is a section of the titles that are given to Jesus in the New Testament. He’s called, for example, “Son of Man,” which is a title that originally comes from the biblical Book of Daniel. It seems to refer to some kind of heavenly figure who is next to God, and then Jesus applies this term to himself. Of course, in the New Testament he’s called the “Son of God,” and that refers to the Christian belief that Jesus is the son of God. JK: Does the article draw correlations between the Old and New Testament, or is it more so a background? RL: Some of it is giving the Hebrew Bible background, and some of it is drawing out fictions of God or the divine that are then used in the New Testament. If you look in the Hebrew Bible itself, there’s certainly no idea that there’s a son of God who comes down to Earth as a human being. There are ideas of angels who are at work among human beings. Perhaps some of these ideas about angels were then applied to Jesus and the process of working out Christian theology.
Rebecca Lesses, associate professor of Jewish studies, reads from a chapter of her new article, “Divine Beings,” an analysis of divine figures in the Hebrew Bible and Jewish literature. shawn steiner/The Ithacan
JK: Will this project have an impact on the way people interpret major religions like Christianity and Judaism? RL: Because the scholars all have been writing on various New Testament topics, they’ve already begun to have an influence on Christian scholars of the New Testament. It’s not just going to affect academics who study this as their job, but I think the book is appealing to ordinary Jews and Christians, especially Christians who are interested in what Jews have to say about the New Testament. A lot of people
are sort of just very intrigued by it, especially Christians who are interested in the Jewish roots of Christianity, and they see a commentary like this as a way to have access to that knowledge. JK: Did your research impact your beliefs? RL: It made me think more about the connections between Jewish ideas about God and Christian ideas. I started to see why some people who were among the early followers of Jesus were using some biblical texts to shape the way that they thought about Jesus.
Shopping for a second chance Used clothing boutique helps local women in need find jobs Justine Chun
contributing writer
While most resale shops work to give used clothes another shot, the Mary Durham Boutique in Ithaca offers local women in need of a second chance to take control of their lives. The Mary Durham Boutique, located on West Court Street, sells inexpensive used clothing and offers women in need of career assistance a place to develop the skills they need to enter the job market. Anne Hartsfield, supervisor and manager of the boutique, said more people in the community need financial help this time of year. “During the holidays, it’s harder,” she said. “Especially women who have children, that becomes difficult to make ends meet.” Mary Durham, a Cornell University graduate and activist, taught English as a second language and counseled young people in the area. When Durham passed away 30 years ago, she left her home in downtown Ithaca to her children. They donated the house to the Women’s Opportunity Center, an organization that helps women overcome obstacles and achieve success through employment and training services. Durham’s home was turned into the boutique to honor her legacy. Hartsfield said that local women who are faced with divorce,
sudden unemployment or are oth- everybody and have a good attierwise struggling to get by seek tude,” Hartsfield said. “Retail can help from the center to get back on prepare you for anything. So track. In working with the center, much of it is customer service orithe store helps provide the women ented — being able to work well with the resources they need to get with others and learning skills.” Tish Brown has been working a job and live on their own. “They have a dressing room at the boutique for about a month because she where they help wants to develop women who a better sense of may need some independence. clothes for an She said she is interview that being taught they’re going on,” — Penny romantic skills to make Hartsfield said. her more appeal“We also someing to employers. times help with transportation.” “The Mary Durham Boutique Some women also staff the store. While they are not paid helps young women to become selffor their time, the women work sufficient and help get them out on to gain the experience they will their own,” Brown said. “It makes need to get a job. Hartsfield said you independent and responsible.” Ruth Lewis works at the Mary the women in training often work with customers to gain communi- Durham Boutique to get experications skills and at the register ence working with the public. “I’m getting out there and to develop mathematical skills. She said the boutique helps them working with people,” she said. “I learn to work under pressure and pretty much stay downstairs and work with the customers. I usually to think quickly on their feet. Hartsfield said her main goal work the register, and I make sure is to help women become work everything looks good.” Lewis said the boutique proready. She said she hopes the volunteers will treat the experience vides stress-free shopping, and as if they are employed and ex- most of the clothes being sold are pects they will show up every day from brands that are not found in and complete the tasks at hand so the Ithaca area like Eileen Fisher, they develop a deeper sense of re- Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, J. Jill and Bebe. sponsibility. “It’s a great place to shop be“I expect that you’ll do the job that I give you, work well with cause it’s small, there’s a really
“I love the whole philosophy behind it ... helping people and saving money.”
Mary Durham Boutique volunteer Tish Brown looks through previously used clothing. The boutique works with women who need to find jobs.
kevin campbell/The ithacan
nice dressing room, no stress, no crowds,” she said. Penny Romantic, a regular customer, frequently purchases clothes from the boutique and said she originally noticed the store when she was working out across the street. As a mother of two children in
college, Romantic said shopping at the boutique is an inexpensive place for her and her family to shop. “You never know what you’re going to find, and I love what it supports,” she said. “I love the whole philosophy behind it — it’s recycling clothes, helping people and saving money.”
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Newest Zelda game plays up motion
thursday
by Silvan Calrson-Goodman Contributing Writer
As an homage to his childhood exploring forests around his hometown, Shigeru Miyamoto captured the thrill and whimsy of his adventures as the creator of “The Legend of Zelda” series. This year celebrates the “The Legend of 25th anniversary of that first Zelda: Skyward game from 1986, and in all Sword” of that time, “The Legend of Nintendo Zelda” games have never lost HHH the pure joy and excitement of exploring the unknown. “The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” sticks to the effective storytelling model from previous installments. In “Skyward Sword,” players are yet again put in control of Link, a green-garbed, sword-wielding hero who must rescue the fair Zelda. This time, the two characters are childhood friends who live on Skyland — a floating island. The island rests above the clouds, and all of its inhabitants fly around on giant birds. Stories of a land below the clouds are considered nothing more than fairy tales, and they would remain that way if Zelda was not taken below the clouds by some unknown evil in the beginning of the game, forcing Link to pursue her. “Skyward Sword” is the first Zelda game to make use of the Wii’s “Motion Plus” controllers. “Motion Plus” is Nintendo’s latest advancement in motion control and offers 1:1 recognition where hand movements with the controller are precisely replicated within the game. “Skyward Sword” uses this feature in nearly every aspect, from sword-swinging to swimming. Unfortunately, it comes with mixed results. Some in-game experiences, such as riding on a bird through the sky, are nothing but a joy thanks to the controls. But the majority of actions feel as if the player is merely going through the motions, and it often seems like pressing a button would have been a lot simpler. This is especially true of the swordplay, which is unfortunate, because sword fighting is a crucial part of the game. The dungeons, however, are slick and crafted well. Every dungeon in the game is visually and thematically unique. In one dungeon, the player must use portable stones that warp time hundreds of years into the past, but only in Link’s
IC Comedy Club will perform its second show of the semester featuring student comedians at 7:30 p.m. in IC Square. The event is free.
Game Review
friday
Space for Rent, a photo workshop exhibition, will begin at 7 p.m. at 609 West Clinton St. The event is free, and the gallery will be open through the weekend. Premium Blend, the college’s all-female a cappella group, will perform its Block II concert at 7:30 p.m. in Emerson Suites. Admission is free. The group will also be selling its new CD for $15.
In “The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword,” players control Link on a mission to rescue Zelda, only this time with a Motion Plus Wii controller, which adds a more interactive dimension of play to the game.
courtesy of Nintendo
immediate vicinity. And speaking of the puzzles, their difficulty is balanced supremely well. The dungeons are always challenging, but never enough to completely stump the player. The answer to every puzzle is always within reach after a reasonable amount of time. Outside of dungeons, the game is not as streamlined. Many quests feature Link simply taking long trips to talk to someone, only to find that yet another long trek is required. It feels like the game’s length is being padded. This extra length comes to a head near the end. Right when the player approaches the final boss, Link is given a new quest to go talk to three dragons to get the parts of a song that they know. One of the dragons says she is not going to give out the song needed to save the world — at least, not without a test first. It is as if the developers ran out of ideas to justify their fetch-quests.
Past Zelda games have leaned heavily on music. “Skyward” tries to do the same, giving Link a harp. It is sad to say the score of the game is completely forgettable, even though a full orchestra recorded the music. The new songs are not helped by the few classic songs sprinkled into the score. What keeps the game from falling into mediocrity is the charm of the story. The side characters are important and memorable, and Link is still dynamic as the protagonist. Plus, the main villain, the demon king Ghirahim, is alternatively terrifying and flamboyant. He steals the show and masters an archetype that hasn’t been used this well since the character Kefka, a clown-like psychopath, in “Final Fantasy VI.” In the end, the newest Zelda game keeps the spellbinding series alive and soars with innovative puzzles and game play.
Bluesy rock band fires up with classic guitar sound by Jared Dionne staff Writer
Coming off the success of their fiery Grammy-winning album, “Brothers,” Ohio blues-rock duo The Black Keys are back to doing what they do best — The Black Keys crafting monstrous “El Camino” rock jams, like the Nonesuch ones found in the Our rating: scorching new alHHHH bum, “El Camino.” In a time when synthesizers are the “it” thing in music, The Black Keys prove the guitar is still the instrument that defines rock. The band’s crunching riffs and hard-hitting drum cadences are a shot of energy that invites listeners to shimmy and stomp. “Gold on the Ceiling” sports a
Album Review
hot dates
chugging bass line and typical Black Keys guitar-shredding. The track is just one of the many songs that proves “El Camino” is not ideal to listen to sitting down. This album is best served when the listener is up and moving. “Little Black Submarines” is an old-school slow-burner that brings to mind Led Zeppelin’s light and airy “Stairway to Heaven.” The track begins like a small, flickering flame and then explodes with crashing drums and an onslaught of electric guitars. The Black Keys made a wise decision in recruiting production genius Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) to craft this album. Danger Mouse produced “Tighten Up” on the “Brothers” album, which hauled in one of the band’s three Grammy Awards last year. While he is known for his quirky production
Song of the Week “American Terrorist III”
“The Spirit of Reindeer,” an IC Underground musical performance, will start at 10 p.m. in Studio 3 in Dillingham Center. Admission is free. The Pride Party will begin at 9:30 p.m. at Delilah’s. Admission is $5, or free with a donation of warm clean clothing for those in need. DJ Wreckord will spin tunes.
sunday
Caroling in the Candlelight with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra will begin at 5 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. Student tickets are $7.
Hip-hop group retains roots by Chloe WIlson staff writer
With 13 albums released over the past 18 years, The Roots have a strong musical reputation to live up to. The Roots “Undun” “Undun” showcases the Def Jam hip-hop band’s Our rating: vocal abilities HHH1/2 while incorporating thematic storytelling. While The Roots are mostly known for their stellar live performances, the production value of “Undun” helps the album soar. This is the group’s first concept album, and the messages presented are meaningful. The album tells the story of a man reflecting on his life as a criminal and the moments in which he is most self-aware. “Undun” slides through different genres, from funk to classical.
Album Review
Courtesy of nonesuch
tactics with bands like Gnarls Barkley and Gorillaz, Burton allowed the raw qualities of the instruments to shine through with this album. On “El Camino,” The Black Keys lead the charge in the movement to keep the blues alive and kicking in the modern music scene. With their catchy tunes and relatable lyrics, they will continue to build a larger following. Overall, “El Camino” is a modern rock classic just begging to be put on the best-of lists.
It’s a short album — roughly 39 minutes long — that leaves the listener wanting more. The use of multiple guest rappers, including Dice Raw, also makes the story less effective than if told through a singular voice. As more than just a musical compilation, The Roots’ “Undun” is an illustration of the originality of hip-hop when put into the right artists’ hands.
Courtesy of Def Jam
quickies “Back to Love”
“The Twilight Saga: BreakinG Dawn — Part 1 Soundtrack”
American Terrorist III
Lupe Fiasco Atlantic Records
Anthony Hamilton RCA Records Returning with his signature funk, Grammy-award-winning Hamilton showcases his gritty, soulful voice on this R&B album. His focus on vibrant vocals shines as he crafts a broader, more energetic sound.
Various Artists Chop Shop/Atlantic
Lupe spits a precautionary PSA over dramatic electrorock rap to bring attention to current affairs.
Scan This qr Code with a smartphone to learn more aboUT Music blogger Jared Dionne’s pick for the song of the week
saturday
The romance and danger of this vampire love story is captured with an array of artists, including Bruno Mars and Iron & Wine. courtesy of Chop Shop/Atlantic
courtesy oF RCA REcords
Compiled by Kelsey Fowler
A ccen t
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Festive movie spreads Christmas cheer [
Underdog lights up screen in spirited fun-for-all-ages adventure bY James Hasson
]
valid friday through thursday
cinemapolis The Commons 277–6115
Senior Writer
Kids and adults alike have always wondered how Santa delivers all of his presents in one night. The newest holiday hit “Arthur Christmas” attempts to answer that question with enticing visuals backed up by great performances and a wacky “Arthur but wonderful story. Christmas 3-D” It’s Christmas Sony Eve, and the North Pictures Pole is running like Our rating: clockwork. Santa HHH (Jim Broadbent) flies around in his flashy new megasled, and his eldest son, Steve (Hugh Laurie), leads the operation from the control room. But after Santa returns, he realizes that they forgot to deliver one child’s present. Santa’s younger son Arthur, (James McAvoy), Bryony the elf (Ashley Jensen) and Santa’s father and predecessor, Grandsanta (Bill Nighy), decide to dust off the old sleigh to deliver the last present. The voice acting in “Arthur Christmas” is strong, especially between the duo of Arthur and his Grandsanta. McAvoy shows his versatility when transitioning from a bumbling fool and a worry wart to a warm Christmas-lover delivering one last present. Nighly’s deep English voice is barely recognizable, but he steals the show with his entertaining interpretation of the crotchety old Santa proudly telling his stories about the “good old days.” Laurie, Jensen and Broadbent also deliver solid performances, but their characters never get involved in the story until the end of the film.
ticket stub
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey 7:10 p.m. and Weekends 2:10 p.m. Melancholia 7 p.m. and 9:35 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m. and 4:35 p.m.
Film Review
The Descendants 7:05 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and Weekends 2:05 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Take Shelter 9:20 p.m., except Saturday, and Weekends 4:20 p.m. Like Crazy HHHH 9:40 p.m. and Weekends 4:40 p.m. Martha Marcy May Marlene Santa Claus’ youngest son Arthur leads a final mission, against better judgment, to deliver one missed Christmas present in “Arthur Christmas.” The family film features the voice talents of Hugh Laurie and James McAvoy.
Courtesy of Sony Pictures
Screenwriters Peter Baynham and Sarah Smith craft funny dialogue for the characters, but also an imaginative story with deep themes about life and the meaning of Christmas. The dysfunctionality of the Claus family in “Arthur Christmas” makes for a more compelling story than the average family film fare. The characters adopt their own philosophies and techniques for handling Christmas, arguing frequently between themselves. This conflict generates tension and estrangement for each character to overcome. Whether technological or traditional, the many interpretations of Santa allow the film to dive
into its holiday message about coming together and spreading joy. The story has a few inexplicable hiccups. The elves, for instance, use the go-to “self destruct button” in their fortress as an easy way to build tension. World leaders attempt to track Arthur and Grandsanta with a predator drone after confusing the sleigh for a real-life flying saucer. It’s a climactic moment, but the idea of the military involved in a Christmas story does not fit all too well in what is billed as a children’s movie. The visuals throughout are sharp. Santa’s control center on the North Pole and his sleigh are magnificent in scale and design.
Wide shots of such fantastical sets are reminiscent of Asgard from the blockbuster “Thor.” The 3-D stands out infrequently, but with vibrant color, especially with the magic dust — mined from the Aurora Borealis — trailing at the end of Santa’s original sleigh. “Arthur Christmas” is a holiday joy on many levels. Its heartwarming tale, fully-realized imagination and impressive cast go beyond answering the simple question of how Santa does it all in one night. “Arthur Christmas” was directed and written by Sarah Smith, and written by Peter Baynham.
Stoner comedy doesn’t sit well
Stars don’t shine in holiday film
By Ian Carisa staff writer
By Cady Lang staff writer
Garry Marshall’s latest film, “New Year’s Eve,” is as flat as leftover champagne, lacking the liveliness and effervescence to make up for the plot’s inadequate substance. The movie follows the same blueprint of Marshall’s last roman“New Year’s Eve” tic comedy holiday blockbuster, Warner Bros. “Valentine’s Day,” with a bevy of Pictures intersecting plotlines featuring a Our rating: plethora of characters celebratHH ing new beginnings, life and love amid New York City’s hustle and bustle. The stories range from an estranged father and daughter (Robert DeNiro and Hilary Swank) who reconcile before his death, to a couple (Jessica Biel and Seth Myers) anticipating the birth of a baby. The plots are predictable, the outcomes are unrealistic and the film panders to the audience’s emotions with overly sappy romantic entanglements. The glossy cast should have had enough star power to boost the lackluster plot, given the range of stars, including Jon Bon Jovi, Sarah Jessica Parker, Katherine Heigl, Lea Michele and Zac Efron, but most of the performances are bland at best. One exception to this is Michelle Pfeiffer playing a mousy secretary who decides to seize the day by fulfilling all of her New Year’s resolutions from years past after a near-death experience with the help of Efron’s character, the cheery, but undeniably rakish teen. Another is Lea Michele, whose winsome enthusiasm and earnest acting make her dreamer character believably bubbly, despite being trapped in an elevator with a cynical slacker, played by Ashton Kutcher. But the other characters are lost in a stagnant script that’s characterized by cloying clichés. Sofia
Film Review
To satisfy a lazy night out, “The Sitter,” at a base level, offers enough disposable laughs to fit the template of recent “stoner” comedies. Jonah Hill plays college dropout, Noah, who reluctantly takes a job babysitting three eclectic kids. But with the prospect of sex “The Sitter” with his girlfriend, Marisa 20th Century (Ari Graynor), Noah decides Fox to take the kids with him to Our rating: a party, stopping to buy coHH caine for Marisa. When one kid steals a plaster egg containing $10,000 worth of blow, Noah finds himself in jeopardy. At 81 minutes, “The Sitter” is hardly a crime against humanity, but its plot is incongruous, and its characters are underdeveloped and are not relatable. The more time the audience spends with Noah, the more of an irredeemable mess he becomes. What prevents “The Sitter” from falling to total pieces is that virtually the entire cast seems equally morally bankrupt. And yet, as poorly constructed as the script and characters are, there is an element of satisfaction derived from how chaotic the narrative gets. David Gordon Green, who directed “Your Highness” and “Pineapple Express,” seems to be developing a track record of films that largely rely on humor for people who are either high, or merely subscribe to the lowest common denominator. “The Sitter” is so extreme, it could very well be seen as a parody of the films that aim for the same kinds of laughs.
Film Review
Griffin (Seth Myers) and Tess (Jessice Biel) await the birth of their child in “New Year’s Eve.” Courtesy oF Warner Bros. Pictures
Vergara’s minor character is a laughable caricature that mimics her “Modern Family” character, Gloria. She’s not the only one who falls victim to Marshall’s slapstick preference for humor, with many of the more precious romantic scenes in the movie being ruined by unnecessary comedic pratfalls, with jokes thrown in just for cheap laughs. The multiple meandering story lines also impede on the film’s potential, with not enough screen time for any of the characters to be fully fleshed out. The film has a few good surprise plot twists and the sappy, feel-good vibe is expected from a holiday romantic comedy. “New Year’s Eve” isn’t a work of cinematic genius, but rather poorly attempts to capture the many expectations of the new year. “New Year’s Eve” was directed by Garry Marshall and written by Katherine Fugate.
“The Sitter” was directed by David Gordon Green and written by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka.
HHH
7:15 p.m., except Saturday, and Weekends 2:15 p.m. The SKin I live in HHH 9:15 p.m. and Weekends 4:25 p.m. The Way 7:20 p.m. and Weekends 2:20 p.m.
regal stadium 14 Pyramid Mall 266-7960
ALVIN AND THE CHIPmunks: chipwrecked 12:20 p.m., 2 p.m., 2:40 p.m., 4:20 p.m., 5 p.m., 6:40 p.m., 7:20 p.m., 9 p.m., 9:40 p.m. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 1 p.m., 2:20 p.m., 3:20 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 5:20 p.m., 6:20 p.m., 7 p.m., 8:20 p.m., 9:20 p.m., 10 p.m., 10:40 p.m. New Year’s Eve HH 12:30 p.m., 1:50 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 10:10 p.m. The Sitter HH 12:25 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4:50 p.m., 5:40 p.m., 7:10 p.m., 8:10 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 10:20 p.m. Young Adult 12:35 p.m., 3:05 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 8 p.m., 10:30 p.m. Arthur Christmas 2:10 p.m., 7:35 p.m. Arthur Christmas 3-D HHH 5:10 p.m., 10:05 p.m. HUgo HHHH 2:50 p.m. The Muppets HHHH 12:40 p.m., 3:35 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 9:10 p.m.
cornell cinema 104 Willard Straight Hall 255-3522
For more information, visit http://cinema.cornell.edu.
our ratings Excellent HHHH Good HHH Fair HH Poor H
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for rent Beautiful large 3-4 bedroom apartment available. Walking
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Th ursday, Decem be r 15, 2011
The I th a c a n 2 1
...and we’re just getting started. The Ithacan Look for us Jan. 26, 2012.
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Divers ion s
dormin’ norman
By Jonathan Schuta ’14
Pearls Before Swine®
Th ursday, Dec ember 1 5 , 2 0 1 1
sudoku
By Stephan Pastis
answers to last week’s sudoku
crossword ACROSS 1 Plane stabilizer 4 Had a snack 7 Junk email 11 Pay-stub acronym 12 Orange seed 13 German import 14 They have rosettes 16 Snatch 17 Radius neighbors 18 Specks 20 Publishing execs 21 Motif 23 Cousins of “um” 26 Broncos do it 27 Dribble 28 Treacherous ones 31 Like nacre 33 Pack member
By United Media
34 Like gargoyles 35 Lawyer’s task 36 Prickly pear 38 Firefly holder 41 Soaring 43 Give the slip 45 Scrape with a rough file 47 Blossomed, as corn 49 Roasting chamber 50 Be very frugal 51 Monsieur’s son 52 Oysters’ abodes 53 After expenses 54 -- kwon do
DOWN 1 Specialty 2 Desktop pictures 3 Auto-parts store 4 Calendar abbr. 5 Neater 6 -- Downs (racetrack) 7 Long, heroic narrative 8 Hound, to a fox 9 Tooth-fillers’ org. 10 Playing marble 11 Chimney 15 Fall flower 19 Lawrence’s initials 22 Suffers from 24 “2001” computer 25 Aurora locale 26 Lib. section 27 Reclined
28 German “bugs” 29 Unlucky gambler’s note 30 Happy 31 Putter’s org. 32 Ladies of Paris 34 Quick on the -36 Thumbs down 37 At frequent intervals 38 Actor Raul -39 Astaire sister 40 Barn colors 42 Hosp. workers 44 Port side 45 Steal 46 Gladiator’s hello 48 Hardened, as cement
answers to last week’s crossword
sports
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From left, juniors Amanda Rissmeyer and Emily Welch and seniors Jessica Hoeffner and Anna Lawrence stand together Tuesday on the track in Glazer Arena. Rissmeyer and Lawrence, two openly gay athletes on the women’s indoor track team, said their teammates and coaches support and accept them regardless of their sexual orientation. Photo illustration by Rachel orlow
a bond beyond labels By kyle robertson
Athletes band together to raise awareness of LGBT issues on campus
staff writer
Junior Amanda Rissmeyer was apprehensive when she first came to Ithaca College. As a lesbian athlete who would be competing on the field hockey and women’s indoor track teams, she worried about facing stereotypical reactions from her new coaches and teammates. “Playing field To see a video hockey my freshman and sophomore of senior Anna years was difficult,” Lawrence, visit Rissmeyer said. theithacan.org. “There was no one else on the team that was out, so I was nervous and a bit insecure.” Rissmeyer said after she came out to her teammates on the women’s track and field team in the winter of 2010, her experience on both teams became an overwhelmingly positive one. “I told my close friends and teammates, and then other people found out through the grapevine,” Rissmeyer said. “I made a lot of connections with people because I shared something so personal, and people didn’t treat me differently.” Despite general acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender athletes within teams, there are still pockets of prejudice on campus against athletes who are out. Senior thrower Anna Lawrence said though her experience as a lesbian athlete has been relatively positive, athletes who are of different sexual orientations still face a certain degree of discrimination on campus. She said one way negative images of LGBT athletes are perpetuated is the way some sports are perceived as masculine, while others are more acceptable for women to participate in. “A lot of people just assume that women who play sports like rugby or basketball are lesbians because they think the game is ‘tough,’” Lawrence said. “Transgender
athletes also have problems because people think they can’t compete fairly as men or women.” Lauren LaPointe ’11, a former rower on the women’s crew, said her close competition with men’s crew showed her that some teams are reluctant to socialize with other athletes that are or are perceived to be of a different sexual orientation. “The men’s team didn’t really take to them or to me, and a lot of the time I would hear them making comments about people behind their backs,” LaPointe said. Andrew Whitson ’11 said he was also subject to intolerant language as a gay athlete on the men’s club volleyball team, with new players joining the team at the beginning of the fall semester. “It mostly happened around the beginning of year when the new freshmen that hadn’t been on the team for a while would come to try out,” Whitson said. “Guys would make comments like ‘no homo’ and ‘I don’t swing that way’ that made LGBT people like me very uncomfortable.” Though Whitson said homophobic slurs would often disappear as the season went on, he said he did hear about more blatant instances of homophobia on other varsity and club teams, especially in regards to transgendered athletes. The Alliance of Gay and Straight Student Athletes began at the college by aiming to increase awareness of issues LGBT athletes face as well as provide support for players experiencing difficulties related to sexuality. Lawrence, who is currently the club’s president, said it was difficult for the alliance to become involved in the campus community because the issues surrounding LGBT athletes coming out were often overlooked. “The AGSSA is still very young,” she said. “Starting any group like this from the ground up is difficult but even more so because this topic is still rather taboo. In some sports, it’s still really not OK to do anything out of the ordinary in terms of gender.” Lis Maurer, program director of the
college’s Center for LGBT Education, against LGBT athletes. “So much is changing today in terms Outreach and Services, said though discrimination against LGBT people is more subtle of sexuality and gender, and these kids in sports, its effects can be just as devastat- should be allowed to play the sports they love,” he said. ing as in other areas. LaPointe said most negative attitudes “Sports is one of the last areas where homophobia comes up in very direct ways toward LGBT athletes are born of fear and that may prevent people from participating lack of knowledge. She said the LGBT comin a sport or bringing their true selves to the munity must be willing to persevere and educate the public against intolerance. field,” Maurer said. “Maybe it’s unfair that we should face Maurer, who is also the adviser of the AGSSA, said student interest in starting this negativity and be forced to educate the organization increased after the col- those around us, but it’s better to be forced lege hosted Sport, Sexuality and Culture, into changing the world around us than to an international conference held in April walk through life never changing anything,” 2009. John Amaechi, the first NBA player she said. to publicly come out as homosexual, was the keynote speaker at the conference. This year’s theme of the LGBT Center’s annual film series, Out of the Closet and Onto the Screen, featured documentary films that told stories of the obstacles LGBT athletes faced at collegiate and professional levels. Maurer said it was difficult to find enough movies made about LGBT athletes to show until this year. The monthly showings for the Fall 2011 semester ended Dec. 1, and the Spring 2012 screening dates are still to be determined. Whitson said the AGSSA should push the administration for more supervision of coaches and tolerance Former men’s club volleyball player Andrew Whitson ’11 leads the training programs that team in postgame handshakes following a match in 2009. wipe out the stigmas Courtesy of carter raines
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crunch time
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New coach inspires upbeat attitude By andrew kristy staff writer
harlan green-taub
Tebow keeps fans guessing With all due respect to the Green Bay Packers, who may very well be on their way to a second straight Super Bowl title and a perfect 19–0 record, the story of this NFL season is the miraculous play of Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. Except for week eight’s 45-10 blowout loss to the Detroit Lions in his second game of the season, Tebow has won every game he has started to give the Broncos a 7–1 record. Six of Tebow’s seven wins have come by one touchdown or less. Of those six wins, five have been come-from-behind victories, and three have come in overtime. The probability that the Broncos would win the five games they trailed was 1 in 80,000. But if you’ve tuned into ESPN for even five minutes during the last two months, you know it’s the lefty quarterback with the awkward throwing motion who’s the real story. Built like a Mr. Olympia contestant, Tebow has already established himself as one of the most thrilling fourth-quarter quarterbacks of all time. He stands alongside all-time greats Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Joe Montana, and the king of the fourth-quarter comeback, former Broncos legend John Elway. The difference between Tebow and the aforementioned legends that he seemingly emulates each week is the way he goes about bringing his team back. Every week for three quarters, Tebow sometimes makes it look like completing a pass is more difficult than quantum physics. But, when those last 15 minutes show up on the clock, it’s like an internal alarm goes off in Tebow’s head that tells him the game can still be won. Tebow doesn’t have the arm strength of Aaron Rodgers, the athleticism of Michael Vick or Peyton Manning’s intellect, but he does possess an undying belief that he will find a way to succeed regardless of the situation. Take Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears. After the Broncos were held scoreless on their first 12 possessions and down 10 points with five minutes to go, Tebow completed all six of his passes, including a touchdown to close the gap to 10-7. After the Broncos got the ball back, Tebow led his team into field-goal range to tie the game. Once he got the ball again in overtime, he drove his team into scoring range, and another field goal cemented a Broncos victory. While it may not be pretty or easy to watch, what he’s done these last eight weeks has been simply stunning. The Broncos face their toughest test of the season this week when they play the Patriots, but something tells me that no matter what the score, come the fourth quarter, Tebow will be at it again. Harlan Green-taub is a senior televison-radio major. Contact him at hgreent1@ithaca.edu.
The men’s basketball team had become accustomed to former Assistant Coach Nevada Smith’s intensity on the sideline, but current Assistant Coach Jon Tanous is taking a more laid-back approach with the Bombers. Tanous joined the coaching staff this year after six years as an assistant at his alma mater, SUNY-Potsdam, and Smith became head The Bombers’ coach of the men’s basketball defense has team at Keystone College. surrendered an average of 76 The Bombers’ new coach points per game filled multiple roles while this season. at Potsdam, working in the Office of Admissions in addition to coaching and recruiting for the Bears. He was also a shooting guard for four years. Tanous said his experience making presentations to high school juniors and seniors at college fairs helped his communication and recruiting skills. His ability to focus solely on his responsibilities with the team was one of the main reasons he came to South Hill. “A lot of friends that I have are coaching at the Division III level,” Tanous said. “Some of them are high school teachers or working sales and going to coach, so they can’t put their whole attention to the basketball program. This was nice to be able to come and coach and teach a couple classes, which makes it very easy and more enjoyable to be at.” Bears’ Head Coach Sherry Dobbs said Tanous’ personable attitude toward college students has helped him become a coach the players trust. “He understands what it’s like to be a college athlete, so he’s been in those guys’ shoes,” Dobbs said. “He communicates well with people and with the players. He truly wants to see guys achieve to their highest potential.” Sophomore center Tom Sweeney said Tanous’ stoicism helps the team remain level-headed. “We know whenever we get into trouble or any adversity, he’ll be calm and he reacts to everything the same way,” Sweeney said. “Whether we’re up big or losing, he doesn’t really change his demeanor.” Tanous had individual meetings with each player at the beginning of the season, putting an emphasis on defense. He said though the
stat check
From left, sophomore center Tom Sweeney dribbles past Assistant Coach Jon Tanous during a drill in practice Tuesday in Ben Light Gymnasium. Tanous was an assistant coach at SUNY-Potsdam.
danielle d’avanzo/The ithacaN
Bombers have lost some close games, things are still looking up. “We’re playing pretty good defense, but a couple more stops here and a couple more stops there — four out of our six losses were decided by five points or less — and we’re right in the ballpark,” he said. Tanous’ role on the team has been more of
another head coach rather than assistant to Head Coach Jim Mullins. Senior guard Jordan Marcus said Tanous’ influence has been beneficial for the entire team. “Mullins is a great coach obviously, but he likes to have a second opinion,” he said. “Tanous has a lot of power. He’s a guy you can come to that knows what he’s doing.”
Bombers’ quick hands trigger defensive turnovers By matt kelly staff writer
On its way to a 7–1 record this season, the women’s basketball team has discovered that its best offense stems from an effective defense. The South Hill squad has forced its opponents to cough up the ball nearly 20 times per game and is scoring 23 points per game off those turnovers. A good portion — 32 percent — of the overall point total for the Blue and Gold this season has come directly off turnovers. The Bombers’ propensity for using defensive stops to create fast-break scoring chances was manifested in their games against two of the top teams in Division III — University of Rochester and Baruch College. Senior guard Jessica Farley said the team’s ability to force turnovers enabled the Blue and Gold to climb back into their matchup against Baruch on Saturday. “We were down 13 at the half, and we couldn’t get it all back in three or four minutes,” she said. “So we slowly started getting stops and steals and actually converted them on offense.” Farley, who currently leads the Empire 8 Conference with 29 steals, said the team has a straightforward mindset on defense that emphasizes one basic rule of thumb.
From left, sophomore guard Kathryn Campbell defends Baruch College junior guard Jessica Duleba in a game Saturday in Ben Light Gymnasium. kristina stockburger/the ithacan
“When the player has the ball, we don’t try to steal it from them, and we just keep them from going in the middle,” Farley said. “But when the ball is in the air, that’s when we go after it.”
While the Bombers’ guards are making opponents think twice before they pass on the perimeter, the team’s forwards have been consistently challenging entry passes into the low post. Sophomore forward Jennifer Es-
cobido said the team’s single coverage in the paint area puts a premium on clogging the passing lanes. “We definitely work on being aggressive in practices and in games,” Escobido said. “It just helps a lot to be out in the passing lanes so that it’s hard to get the ball into the post, and it flusters the other team’s guards.” Senior guard Jacqueline Shinall said most of the team’s points off turnovers have been created by how quickly they shift from defense to the fast-break offense. “We look to transition first, and if it’s not there, we’ll pull the ball out and set up our offense,” Shinall said. “But getting rebounds and steals definitely sets up the transition game for us.” Raymond said the offense needs to keep the ball out of harm’s way. “Our philosophy in transition is out, up, and in — that’s what we really look for,” Raymond said. “We don’t like to have the ball in the middle of the floor until it gets to the front court.” As the Bombers prepare for a trip to Holland, Mich., this weekend, Escobido said opponents should plan for the team to play aggressively on defense. “It definitely flusters the other team, and they don’t know what to expect,” Escobido said. “And when we’re all over them on defense, they just don’t know what to do.”
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Propelling to victory Women’s swimming and diving team captures 28 straight dual-meet wins by steve derderian staff writer
Along with back-to-back conference and state championships, the women’s swimming and diving team boasts a feat that can’t be seen in their trophy case. With their dual-meet win against SUNY-Geneseo on Nov. 19 in the Athletics and Events Center Pool, the Bombers raised their winning streak in those meets to 28. They have not lost a dual-meet since Nov. 14, 2009, when they lost to Division II competitor Bloomsburg University. Head Coach Paula Miller said she has been satisfied with her team’s success during the winning streak, but she’s reluctant to dwell on it when motivating the team. “Overall I’m pleased, but I never look back,” Miller said. “You always have to look toward the future.” The Blue and Gold shattered the previous record for consecutive wins, which stood at 10, and have been winning by an average margin of 74 points during their current dual-meet streak. The Hartwick College Hawks came the closest to ending the Bombers’ streak with a final tally of 140 points to the Bombers’ 160 in the Nov. 19 meet at the Athletics and Events Center Pool. Hartwick Head Coach Dale Rothenberger said the Hawks have a healthy rivalry with the Bombers. Each time the two teams face off against each other, they get together in a pregame huddle to motivate each other to do well and remain on the
same side of the pool deck during the rest of the meet, he said. The Blue and Gold have also earned respect throughout the Empire 8, winning the conference’s title every year since its inception in 2000. Senior captains Amanda Vitullo and Simone McCarron said team unity and support were the two most important factors for keeping the winning streak alive. During the Bombers’ winning streak, the swimmers and divers have found a way to balance focus with fun. Before the final event of the Ithaca Bomber Invitational on Dec. 2-4, 15 Bomber swimmers lined up on the pool deck and began to dance to the song “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO. Vitullo said the team dances to keep up its energy and stay loose during a stressful time in the meet. “Other teams know us for that too, and if we’re not doing it, Paula will say something to us and ask what’s wrong,” Vitullo said. “Swimming can be so mentally hard sometimes that you need to have fun, and our team does a great job of that.” Vitullo was part of the Blue and Gold’s 200-yard medley relay team that finished ninth at the Ithaca Bomber Invitational. She said the team’s consistent performance is also the result of swimmers and divers setting benchmarks for themselves and the team at each competition. “You have to prove your worth a lot in every single meet, and not just in one race,” Vitullo said. “You have to prove your value across the board.”
Sophomore Elizabeth Gawrys swims during practice Monday in the Athletics and Events Center Pool. The Bombers have won 28 straight dual-meets dating back to last season, outscoring opponents by an average of 74 points.
kristina stockburger/the ithacan
McCarron, who competed in the 500-, 200- and 1,650-yard freestyles at the team’s only home invitational, said versatility allows the team opportunities to experiment with lineups in meets when the team is ahead. “The specific events depend on
our competition,” she said. “If we know it’s going to be a close meet, people are going to be in their best events. But if we know it’s going to be a swing, then we’ll put somebody in an event and see what they can do.”
Vitullo said everyone on the team is receiving support, not only the top swimmers. “I think our depth is important and has always been really important, and it comes from being supportive of everyone,” she said.
Look online for game stories from these sports: TOMORROW • 6 p.m. Women’s Basketball at Robert Morris College in Holland, Mich.
SATURDAY • Noon Men’s Basketball at La Roche College in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Bold = Home game
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online | theithacan.org/sports
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Injuries thrust sophomores into mixed lineup by haley costello contributing writer
Though the gymnastics team’s regular season has not yet begun, the injury bug has bitten the Bombers in more ways than one. The Blue and Gold have persevered through major and minor injuries on its way to putting together a younger lineup of sophomores to compete in events. In addition to sophomores Shilanna Gallo and Kate Woodward being limited in practice, senior captain Tiffany Grube fractured her foot in practice Dec. 5. Gallo, a returning All-American who received a score of 9.4 on the uneven bars at the NCAA Championships, has been battling a wrist injury that has forced her to modify her entire bar routine. She said she has worked with the coaching staff to add new components to her routine that do not require her to use her wrist as a focal point for twisting her body. Despite these modifications, Head Coach Rick Suddaby said Gallo’s skill and consistency that she had last season would carry over to this season. “Shilanna was the quickest one to pull it together,” Suddaby said. “That wasn’t really new stuff for her, that was stuff that we tuned up that she came with. She came in strong, but this year she has relearned it all so we are confident and will see how it goes.” Woodward, who has had issues with her back, said she is trying to stay in the moment. “Our first meet is not for a few weeks, so physically, I am taking it one day at a time,” Woodward said. “Mentally, I just remind myself that it is about quality, not quantity, and I will get back to where I want to be.” Woodward has been limited to mostly handstands and jumps in practice, but Suddaby said he expects her to be ready to compete on both the uneven bars and balance beam at the start of the regular season next month. Grube, on the other hand, is wearing a
Sophomore Kate Woodward kneels on the balance beam during practice Monday in Ben Light Gymnasium. Woodward has been limited in practice because of a back injury.
rachel woolf/the ithacan
walking boot and is expected to be unable to compete for the next six weeks. She earned scores of 9.175 and 8.969 on the floor exercise last season. With the loss of Grube for at least the team’s first meet against SUNY-Brockport on Jan. 14,
as many as three slots in the floor exercise event have become available for the sophomores on the team, which include Meredith Daniels and Rani Jacobson. Daniels longs to make her mark on the balance beam, while Jacobson yearns to establish herself as the team’s go-to athlete for
the events in the all-around. Though Daniels and Jacobson only saw limited action last season, Suddaby said he is confident they will rise to the occasion along with their classmates in Grube’s absence. “It puts more pressure on them to be ready, but the injury opens up spots,” he said. “We are going to rely on them so that we can still be very competitive. Our sophomore class has improved more than any group of kids I have ever coached, and this is my 26th season.” Graduate Assistant Coach Lauren Marcoux said she has been preparing this year’s group of sophomores for roles as starters using an intuitive coaching style she shares with Suddaby. This allows her and Suddaby to get a sense of each individual’s level of motivation. Marcoux said the ability of the sophomores to take criticism has given them more of an edge in practices than past second-year athletes on the team. “They never get tired of trying to push themselves further or hit any stumbling blocks that they can’t overcome,” she said. “They really want to learn in order to get better.” The Golden Eagles defeated the Bombers by a narrow margin of three points during last year’s Harriet Marranca Invitational in Ben Light Gymnasium. But the South Hill squad believes its hard work, desire to start the season off strong and defeat of Brockport at last year’s national championships has given it the confidence and ability it needs to begin the 2012 season with a win. Senior captain Kim Callahan said the sophomores feed off of each other and motivate the team to practice harder. She said they know what they want and are more willing to achieve their goals than any group she has ever seen. “They don’t have off days or excuses,” she said. “They come in and do their job no matter what. They work so hard that they keep everyone on their toes.”
[the buzzer]
Th ursday, Decem be r 15, 2011
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bombers to watch Jordan Marcus Senior Men’s Basketball Marcus hit eight three-point shots in the Bombers’ 68-65 loss to Juniata College in the championship game of the Doc Greene Tournament on Sunday. He moved into a tie for first place all-time in career three-point field goals made with 261 baskets.
Jules Doliscar Junior Wrestling Doliscar picked up his 12th pin, more than any wrestler at any collegiate level, in the Bombers’ win against SUNY-Oswego on Saturday. With a record of 18–4, Doliscar is ranked third nationally in the 174-pound weight class.
Perfecting the stroke
Freshman Jake Wittershein swims laps for the Ithaca College Swim Club on Monday in the Athletics and Events Center Pool. The club holds practices from 7 to 9 p.m. Sundays and 8 to 10 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays.
Sean Rossi Junior Men’s Basketball Rossi posted a season-high 15 assists in the Bombers’ 68-65 loss to Juniata College in the championship game of the Doc Greene Tournament on Sunday. He became the program’s career leader with 559 assists.
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by the
numbers The number of consecutive dual-meet wins the women’s swimming and diving team has. See story on page 25.
The percentage of the women’s basketball team’s overall point total scored off turnovers this season. See story on page 24.
shawn steiner/the ithacan
the foul line
Weird news from the wide world of sports
Being able to say you scored a touchdown in the NFL would be enough motivation for most players. But Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch requires a little more incentive to sweeten the pot. TV cameras caught Lynch munching on some Skittles on the sidelines after he scored a touchdown in a contest against the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 1. When asked why he chose such an unhealthy snack in the middle of a football game, Lynch said his mother used to give him candy when he scored touchdowns in high school. As Lynch celebrated a 16-yard score in the back of the end zone during Monday’s game against the St. Louis Rams, a crowd of Seahawks fans held up a sign that read “Feed the Beast” and hurled handfuls of Skittles in his direction. As the Seahawks, who have won four of their last five games, make their final push toward the playoffs, they’d better hope their star runner has found a taste for the end zone, too.
1
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Women’s basketball*
Ithaca College Alfred University Hartwick University Utica College Nazareth College
* Empire 8 Conference Rankings
W
L
Win %
7 6 7 5 4
1 1 2 3 3
.875 .857 .778 .625 .571
7 1. 2. 3. 4. 7.
When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals? Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert in his letter to other NBA executives that protested a trade that would have sent point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers.
—Matt Kelly
where we stand
they saidit
men’s basketball*
Hartwick College Stevens Institute of Technology Alfred University Nazareth College Ithaca College
W
L
Win %
9 7 4 5 3
0 2 2 3 6
1.000 .778 .667 .625 .333
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Check out an audio slideshow at theithacan.org. Chris Uyehara, professor of hospitality management at Syracuse University, fashions a snowman from a single block of ice Friday night during the first round of competition.
Kristina Stockburger/The Ithacan
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Fire and ICE Downtown Ithaca kicked off the holiday season with the annual Winter Festival. The main event featured 16 participants from around the country in a three-round ice carving competition.
Sanya Milton, 2, plays on a throne built from multiple blocks of ice Friday evening. The icy throne was placed in the center pavilion of the Aurora Street entrance to the Commons.
Kristina Stockburger/The Ithacan
Colorado resident Jess Parrish represents Cool Hand Ice yearly in the festival. Participants had three hours to carve and move a sculpture to a downtown storefront Saturday. Rachel Orlow/The Ithacan
Ice Wars is a professional event supported by the National Ice Carving Association. Aaron Costic from Ohio took home the first place prize in the competition this year.
Kristina Stockburger/The Ithacan