Year in Review 2012-2013 by The Ithacan

year in review A special publication of The Ithacan

2012-2013

year in

review Ithaca College 2012-2013

Year in Review Taylor Long, Editor Molly Apfelroth, Design Editor Rachel Orlow, Photo Editor Rose Vardell, Proofreader

Special Thanks Kelsey O’Connor for pulling late nights editing Audrey Pincus for being a fabulous model The Sports editors for compiling game statistics The Accent editors for Year in Entertainment help Emily Fuller for her beautiful graphics The Ithaca College community for participating in our survey

The Ithacan Kelsey O’Connor, Editor in Chief Sara Webb, Managing Editor Lara Bonner, Managing Editor Shea O’Meara, Opinion Editor Kelsey Fowler, Opinion Editor Elma Gonzalez, News Editor Noreyana Fernando, Assistant News Editor Sabrina Knight, Assistant News Editor TinaMarie Craven, Assistant News Editor Candace King, Assistant News Editor Kacey Deamer, Online Editor Jackie Eisenberg, Accent Editor Allie Healy, Accent Editor Rose Vardell, Assistant Accent Editor Taylor Palmer, Sports Editor Matt Kelly, Sports Editor Emily Hull, Assistant Sports Editor Rachel Woolf, Photo Editor Shawn Steiner, Photo Editor Emily Fedor, Assistant Photo Editor Durst Breneiser, Assistant Photo Editor Jaclyn Cataldi, Multimedia Editor Kari Beal, Multimedia Editor Matthew Dezii, Chief Copy Editor Alexa d’Angelo, Chief Proofreader Emily Fuller, Design Editor Molly Apfelroth, Design Editor Erica Pirolli, Assistant Design Editor Melinda Baublitz, Assistant Design Editor Kevin Dates, Sales Manager Honest Charley Bodkin, Webmaster Michael Serino, Student Media Adviser Copyright © 2012-2013 The Ithacan

news 23 8 // Ithacan Index

38 // China

54 // Diversity

12 // Timeline

40 // Housing

58 // Sustainability

18 // Public Safety

42 // SGA

64 // Hurricane Sandy

The year by the numbers.

A chronological look at the defining moments of the 2012-13 academic year.

We dug into our Public Safety Log in search of some incidences that deserve your attention.

20 // Media Policy

Ithaca College placed restrictions on student media, and the campus community fought back.

30 // Huron The college called in an outside company to evaluate its finances. Here’s a breakdown.

36 // IC 20/20 The college continued to finalize its vision for 2020 in preparation for Middle States review in June.

The rising global power will also be playing a greater role at the college in coming years.

Housing policies underwent major shifts. Here’s what you need to know if you got lost in the shuffle.

Student government played an integral role in keeping students aware of institutional changes.

44 // Election

Obama was re-elected this fall. Here are the issues students followed during the campaign.

48 // Drug Policy

Students worked toward livening the diversity dialogue, while the administration crunched numbers.

Students and members of the community stood strong against harmful environmental practices.

Hurricane Sandy swept through the East Coast, impacting students and their families.

66 // Guns Violence in Newtown, Conn., prompted a national debate concerning gun control.

68 // Technology

When it comes to marijuana and alcohol, the college decided to even the playing field.

The Snapchat fad took hold of campus and iPads made their way into the classroom.

This year was all about the ladies — in national news and when it comes to stand-up gals on campus.

College officials and student leaders share their plans, fears and predictions for the year ahead.

50 // Women’s Issues 148 // The year ahead

features 72 // Profiles

After surveying the campus community, we profiled an administrator, instructor and several students who had big years.

78 // King and Queen 80 // In Memoriam 82 // The Jungle

One man’s act of charity relocated a homeless community this winter, after its presence caused debate.

86 // Activists and Academics Faculty share their experiences with activism and apply their hands-on knowledge to classes.

90 // Flu

An exhibit about Spanish Flu highlights issues of public health, past and present.

92 // Homeward Bound

culture

Tompkins County no-kill shelter saved dogs from across the U.S. and helped them find homes.

96 // Food 96.

Farm-to-table This tour gives new meaning to “local food movement.”

104.

Tapping in Ithaca Brewing Company opens a tap room with a tasty menu.

98.

From the farm to the fork Freshly grown dinners are a hit at Silver Queen Farm.

106.

Oktoberfest Thirst-quenching photos from Ithaca’s first Oktoberfest.

100.

Fresh for all Gardens 4 Humanity’s pop-up restaurant promotes food justice.

101.

Apple-y ever after Images from Applefest guaranteed to make your mouth water.

102.

Chili fest Our sports editor loses his title in the hot pepper eating contest.

108 // Fashion 110 // Art

110. Cognitive Creations

Handwerker Exhibit blurs perceptions of memory and reality.

111. The Fine Print

Half workshop, half gallery, The Ink Shop is a home for artists.

112 // Theater 112. Spring Awakening

One of the college’s most daring plays rocks to sold-out audiences.

114. Legally Blonde 114.

Double-cast and fabulous. Will the real Elle Woods please stand up? Opera The theater department and School of Music highlight Puccini.

116 // Entertainment 116. 117. 118.

112

119.

sports

120.

121.

121 // Top 5 Games

145 // Varsity blues

Our sports editors choose five game-changing matches.

124 // Teams

Our beat writers report the biggest features of each team’s season.

Bombers Athletics reveals how they select a winning varsity sport.

146 // Golden Grad

138 // Cortaca Breaking down the Bombers’ heartbreaking Cortaca loss.

141 // Between the lines

Our weekly sports columnist reminds us Cortaca isn’t the only game in town.

142 // Head to head

After a spike in instances, we dissect a concussion’s impact.

144 // Ready to launch Title IX brings sculling to IC as its newest varsity sport.

Former Bomber rower visits IC after bringing home the gold.

138

Gypsy Gets Shotgun A local Ska band with a cult following gives skanking a rest. Fiddlin’ around Local bluegrass festival adds to Ithaca’s musical diversity. Music Reviews The Vaccines wowed us. Hoobastank was ... Hoobastank. Movie Reviews Can’t get enough of that Daniel Day-Lewis, can we...? Books and Comics Entertainment picks for the literate among us. Games Our gaming expert names his favorite PlayStation pastimes.

147 // Making Waves Underwater Hockey Club makes a splash in the A&E Center pool.

From the Taylor Long

Editor, Year in Review

he beauty of editing Year in Review is that it has given me the opportunity to see the year in retrospect. You’ll be surprised at the hidden insights such a perspective dredges up. Institutionally and personally, life doesn’t provide enough opportunities for reflection. It moves too fast. It requires planning. But some clichés are true. Hindsight is 20/20 — crisper than even the most meticulously outlined visions for the future. Just like a novel, themes begin to emerge in life if you pay attention. And when I reflect on this year, I think of communication. The year has been defined by the ways it has failed us, and punctuated by the moments it has succeeded. When President Tom Rochon implemented a student media policy this fall, I was far removed from the campus community studying social movements in Prague, Czech Republic. I remember checking my Facebook news feed one morning to find dozens of status updates critiquing the policy, linking to the article about the policy published in The Ithacan and calling for student action. Though I was thousands of miles away, the message I received was quite clear. Students, particularly those involved with student media, felt as though their voices were being filtered. From afar, I hoped this message would not be tuned out by the Ithaca College administration. When the policy was rescinded a little over a month later, it felt as though the message had been received. “Life is a process of learning, and we will always move forward,” Rochon told The Ithacan. It was a lesson in communication, and a reminder that open dialogue is invaluable to this campus, particularly as it undergoes serious institutional changes. Gradually, the administration appeared to improve in its capacity to hear and respond to these concerns. Rochon added two students to the college budget committee after being pushed by the Student Government Association to create more space for student comment during the implementation of Huron’s recommendations. Of course, some of the most crucial discussions this year occurred outside the corner offices of Peggy Ryan Williams Center, student government meetings or the editorial pages of The Ithacan. The spirit of open discourse was infectious. Women on campus came together to discuss their definitions of feminism and took control of the debate surrounding sexual violence and rape. Visitors like Talib Kweli and organizations like Intersectionali-tea breathed new life into conversations about race and ethnicity by creating an environment where students were allowed to be vulnerable. Nationally, the presidential election focused on issues important to youth voters, such as the cost of higher education, the gender pay gap, health care and the economy. Students didn’t shy away from considering these questions as IC Democrats and IC Republicans defended their ideals in a campus-wide debate, leading to a larger discussion of ideological diversity at the college. “Spring Awakening,” one of the most provocative productions put on by the theater department, introduced themes such as sexuality and existential grief to sold-out audiences. During my time at the college, I have learned that communicating effectively is not an easy task. With each attempt to convey our feelings, share thoughts or respond to criticism, we open ourselves up for failure. It is much simpler to stop communicating altogether, and that is what makes some of the discussions we’ve managed to have this year so remarkable. My wish is that we can forget about the outcomes these discussions may or may not have for a moment, and remember how important it is that we had the courage to speak at all.

RACHEL ORLOW/THE ITHACAN

editors Kelsey O’Connor

Editor in Chief, The Ithacan

There was nothing quiet about this year. From an editorial standpoint, the student media policy posed an interesting challenge for The Ithacan, raising questions about coverage and the role of our paper in the campus community. The editorial board had many discussions about whether The Ithacan was a part of the community or an outsider, whether to be active in protesting the policy or to simply cover it. The policy threw us into an odd identity crisis, hovering between active community member and watchdog. I came to realize that in my opinion, a newspaper’s role is to provide the tools and knowledge its audience needs to thoroughly assess an issue. It should be a forum and launching point for more dialogue. The media policy served as a learning experience for more than just this editor, and it marked the beginning of a very vocal year. We dubbed last year a “season of protest,” with Occupy Wall Street and the Arab spring overwhelming the news. Perhaps that energy stuck, because this year, the voices in the community — faculty, staff and students — were unrelenting. Most importantly, they were effective. When Huron Consulting Group’s recommendations

were made, President Tom Rochon chose to release those recommendations for comment. One of the highlights this year was to hear the passion of the students in the physical therapy program who drove from Rochester to make sure their comments were incorporated, in the hope of keeping the Rochester Center. And that passion to make sure issues were brought to attention expanded past Ithaca College to national issues like politics, immigration, gun ownership, women’s issues, culture and identity. I hope this year is remembered as a victory of the power of turning up the volume, and I hope that the theme of communication, of activism, is not just a theme but continues as commonplace. Moving forward with the implementation of IC 20/20 and exploring the value versus cost of education, Ithaca College can only benefit from listening to the voices of its community. Likewise, I hope The Ithacan can always maintain the balance between covering the community and being a member of the community itself.

Molly Apfelroth

Rachel Orlow

Design Editor

Photo Editor

Since the beginning of my design career, I have been told to remember one particular rule of thumb, “Keep it simple.” Before undertaking Year In Review, I knew that I wanted to make a statement with the design. I did not want the reader to feel as though they were reading a yearbook but rather a magazine picked up from the newsstand. With our theme in place, the design of the book draws on the idea of being bold and simple, just like effective dialogue.

Photography is the only medium that makes it possible to tell a story in a single frame. All the photos featured in Year in Review have the power to resonate with the viewer. I chose strong photos that captured the essence of the story and could stand on their own. I believe that a striking photograph can spur as much discussion as the spoken word. Transparent and effective dialogue mirrors the process of looking through the lens of a camera to seek the truth.

Ithacaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Index

Number of years it took to approve the Asian-American Studies program

13 percent increase in Fall 2013 applications

82 The college offered 82 new seminars in Fall 2012, nearly doubling the number of first-year Ithaca seminars SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

70 percent of Ithaca College undergraduates — 4,496 students — fund their college expenses with the help of federal loans, totaling more than $30 million RACHEL ORLOW/THE ITHACAN

Ithaca’s Index

years the State Diner was open for business

years of Applefest

$1,400 tuition

increase from last year

30 SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

members of the college’s Administrative Assembly who were affected by the student media policy

$50,000: amount of money it

took to relocate Jungle residents 10

$$ $$ $

Ithaca College students interned at NBC Olympics COURTESY OF ERIN DUNPHY

15 COURTESY OF JORDIN ALTHAUS/FOX

The number of minutes it took for David Boreanaz to confirm he would be the Class of 2013’s commencement speaker

$15

million: cost of Hill Center renovation

DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

The median base salary for private college presidents was $294,489 in 2010-11 In 2010-11 President Tom Rochon made $301,605 in base compensation

recommendations offered by the Huron Consulting Group were released as part of Ithaca Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Efficiency and Affordability Review

Sodexo, the company that runs the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dining services.... sources food from

17 5

New York-based businesses

of those are within 100 miles of the college. of these food providers are located in Ithaca, such as Finger Lakes Fresh. 11

DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

A year in news

News

The year has been full of key events — Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast, and fires shuttered some of Ithaca’s favorite restaurants. President Barack Obama was re-elected. Students and faculty made their voices heard within the college’s administration. Here’s a look at the moments that defined 2012-13.

11 Attack in Benghazi Four people, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were killed when a heavily armed group attacked the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya on Sept. 11, 2012.

DESIGN BY KACEY DEAMER

30 Enrollment falls short Despite a record-breaking number of applicants, Ithaca College missed its enrollment target for the class of 2016. This year’s freshman class is made up of about 1,570 students. The college had aimed for 1,600-1,650.

NANCY A. YOUSSEF/MCT

August 27 Students face new equal drug policy Beginning Fall 2012, students faced equal penalties for alcohol and marijuana use at Ithaca College. The new protocol is the result of a joint effort between the Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the Student Government Association. more on page 48

September 5 Ithaca Farms suffer drought Following what the U.S. Drought Monitor is calling the worst drought in five years, Ithaca farms saw a drop in vegetable crop production during the summer and fall of 2012.

1 Student media policy implemented Ithaca College President Tom Rochon issued a new media policy that required all student media to route requests for interviews with any of its 84 administrators through the college’s office of media relations. more on page 20

19 College sends out survey to improve alumni relations In an effort to improve alumni relations, the college Office of Institutional Advancement sent out a survey to alumni to get their opinions on the college in the hope that more alumni will donate money.

19 SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

2 State Diner Fire After a destructive electrical fire Oct. 2, the owners began the process of rebuilding, unsure whether the diner’s doors will open again.

October 25 Ithaca College groundskeeper and DJ is featured in Esquire Victor Rosa, a member of the grounds crew and DJ for WICB’s Ritmo Latino radio show was featured in Esquire magazine’s “Employees of the Month” series.

HSHP launches new health major The School of Health Sciences and Human Performance officially launched its public and community health degree program Oct. 19, replacing three other programs in the department of health promotion and physical education.

Hurricane Sandy Sandy, the massive, multi-state storm, flooded tunnels in New York City, brought snow to the mountains of West Virginia, snarled early voting for the upcoming election and caused more than 8 million power outages. more on page 64

GARY CORONADO/MCT

A year in news 23 Commons construction project announced A $30 million project to revitalize The Commons was proposed to Ithacaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Planning and Development Board on Oct. 23, in hopes of bringing greater density and new jobs to downtown by 2014.

16 7

COURTESY OF DAVID LUBIN

Maine, Maryland and Washington vote to legalize gay marriage Supporters of same-sex marriage reached a major milestone in the Nov. 6 elections, when Maryland and Maine became the first states where voters upheld marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples.

Clinton Street Bridge re-opens after construction Construction on the Clinton Street Bridge leading from downtown Ithaca to Ithaca College reopened on Nov. 16, putting an end to a year of traffic headaches for the campus community.

DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

October

November 7

Obama named president President Barack Obama on Nov. 7 won a second term in the White House, defeating Republican challenger Mitt Romney in a hard-fought election that served as a referendum on who could better ease Americansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; economic pain and uncertainty. more on page 44

December 5

13 Student media policy repealed President Tom Rochon notified student media leaders and others Nov. 13 in an email that the student media policy implemented Oct. 1 was rescinded. more on page 24

Policies aim to change Cornell Greek system Changes will include a shortened pledge period, increased alumni involvement and potential live-in advisers in all chapter houses, which would be put into place during the 2014-15 academic year. The new policies would also call for increased university access to offcampus chapter houses for medical purposes.

BRIAN CASSELLA/MCT

Man relocates remaining Jungle inhabitants In the first week of December, Newfield resident Carmen Guidi found shelter for the 10 remaining inhabitants of the Jungle. Guidi, a board member of Community Faith Partners, moved them out of the chilly Ithaca Jungle and gave them new homes, new jobs and new lives. more on page 82

SHANNON HICKS/NEWTOWN BEE/MCT

Sandy Hook school shootings A lone gunman turned the Sandy Hook Elementary School into a scene of horrific chaos and carnage the morning of Dec. 14, killing 20 children and six adults, including the school’s principal. It was the worst shooting at a primary school in U.S. history.

21 Apocalypse averted December came and went without the apocalypse being ushered in by the end of the Mayan calendar.

17 Huron recommendations released to campus President Tom Rochon announced in August that the college had hired the outside consulting group, Huron, to assess finances and review academic and administrative support. The results of the semester-long review were revealed to faculty and staff at the AllCollege Meeting on Jan. 17.

Terrace dining hall adds healthy stations To provide students and staff with healthier food options, Ithaca College Dining Services introduced two new food venues to the Terrace Dining Hall during the fall semester — Food Lab, which offers students healthy, balanced meals and Simple Servings, an allergen-free area.

more on page 62

Public Safety TRESPASS: Campus Center Officer reported three people climbing the wall toward the roof of Phillips Hall. Officer issued the people a criminal trespass restriction. Patrol Officer Patrick Johnson.

ASSIST OTHER COLLEGE DEPARTMENTS: Terraces Caller reported a person got upset during an ongoing disagreement and left the area. Officers located the person and assisted in a temporary resolution. Sergeant Terry Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Pray.

DANGER TO SELF: J-Lot Caller reported an unconscious person after a possible head injury sustained while sledding. Officer found person conscious and alert. One person transported to CMC by ambulance and four persons were judicially referred for danger to self. Patrol Officer Jay Vanvolkingburg.

HARASSMENT LOCATION: Boothroyd Hall Complaint reported a person had made verbal threats to hit another person in the back with a door. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Jeremiah McMurray

ANIMAL COMPLAINT: Ofificer reported a raccoon on a walkway acting strange. Animal dispatched. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA : Clarke Hall Caller reported a large gathering and the odor of marijuana. One person judicially referred for unlawful possession of marijuana and underage possession of alcohol. Master Patrol Officer James Landon.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: Emerson Hall Caller reported an unknown person damaged buttons in an elevator. Investigation pending. Patrol Officer Bruce Thomas.

18 ILLUSTRATION BY CAROLINE ROE

WELFARE CHECK: College Circle Apt Caller reported a person had made a statement about wanting to taint another person’s food. Officer determined the person was not a threat to others. Master Patrol Officer Donald Lyke.

Public Safety increases coverage on campus BY PATRICK FEENEY

UNDERAGE POSS. ALCOHOL: College Circle Apt Caller reported people using a funnel for alcohol. Six people judicially referred for underage possession of alcohol and irresponsible use of alcohol. Student Auxiliary Safety Patrol

TRESPASS: Muller Faculty Center Caller reported a disruptive person yelling at people and demanding someone contact a taxi cab for him. Officer restricted the individual from campus. Patrol Officer Michael Marcano.

Crime wave A selection of some of the most unusual incidents that occurred this year on campus

Changes to the Office of Public Safety’s patrol methods, including an increase in bike-riding officers and daytime hours for campus security, led to more coverage of the Ithaca College campus beginning Fall 2012. Thomas Dunn, investigator for Public Safety, said three officers were trained to patrol campus on mountain bikes. Security officers who previously would only patrol at night began patrolling around the clock. Students in residence halls on campus, including the Circle Apartments and Emerson Hall, said they noticed what they believed to be more officers in their areas. Terri Stewart, director of the Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management, said this increased perception at the college is one of the office’s goals. “I’m actually pretty pleased that the student body is recognizing a higher visibility,” Stewart said. “I think that’s good feedback.” However, higher visibility does not equate to more presence, Dunn said. The office has not added more vehicles, he said, and new recruits have been minimal, but they have made better use of their resources. “They used to just work the night shift and they work around the clock now,” Dunn said. “So it’s just a different way to use the resources we have, on our end, in creative ways.” The bike patrols are not new. Deputy Chief David Dray, assistant director of Public Safety and Emergency Management, said the program has been around for more than a decade, but more officers volunteered to go through training this year. “We like the philosophy of community-oriented policing,” Dray said. “With someone being on a bike, they’re out there, they’re more visible than being in a cruiser.” Senior Sophia Cardinali said she began to see more Public Safety vehicles on the college’s campus than in previous years. “I feel as though I see them driving around all the time and walking around campus, especially up in the Circles,” Cardinali said. Junior Meredith Sager said though she hasn’t noticed much change in Public Safety’s behavior on campus, she is surprised by the new bike patrols. “It was kind of weird,” Sager said. “It’s not like a crime-ridden place where they need a lot of excess cops on bikes patrolling your every move. They’re trying to make it a safe place to be, I guess.” Stewart said areas where Public Safety’s presence seems higher have probably been subject to more incidents recently. “Obviously, we’re strategic about our deployment,” Stewart said. “We’re incident-driven.” Scan this code with a smartphone to see a full breakdown of public safety incidents, or go to theithacan.org/psl. 19

Media Policy President Tom Rochon faced a wave of criticism this fall when he implemented a controversial media policy for campus publications. By the first week of November, Rochon rescinded the policy.

Campus reacts to restrictions on journalists media that the policy is meant to curb a “tendency to rely too much on just a few people” which, he said, distracts them from their “actual jobs.” Maley said the new requirements were not intended to control media access. “To best facilitate being able to answer questions and find the best person to represent the institution, the general media policy is for reporters and members of the media to go through the media relations office in order to facilitate interviews with administrators at the college,” he said. He said external media already tend to operate this way, and that instituting this requirement for college media was simply a formalization of the practice. The policy will not apply to students writing stories for classes.

receiving the response from administrators and finally sending the responses to Ithaca College faculty and students rethe reporter. sponded this fall to a media policy issued by Williams said the new procedure could President Tom Rochon that required all stuslow down the publication processes. dent media to route requests for interviews “If it’s anything that is timely, going with administrators through the college’s through a bureaucracy to get info or not office of media relations. being allowed to get the information really Under the new policy, which went into cuts down on your ability to be a journalist,” effect Oct. 1, all student media interested he said. in contacting an administrator, director, The Student Government Association dean, associate dean or assistant dean passed a resolution, “New Media Policy were required to contact Dave Maley, asRepeal,” Oct. 1 in response to the new sociate director of media relations, who policy. The document stated that SGA would facilitate an interview. “formally recommends the new media polRochon informed Ithacan editors of the icy be repealed.” Sixteen senators voted in new policy in a meeting Sept. 24. He sent favor of the resolution, two voted against it an email Sept. 28 to editors of The Ithacan, and one abstained. The resolution was sent WICB, ICTV and Buzzsaw Magazine exto Rochon at noon Wednesday. plaining the new Senior Rob Flaherty, policy, which states “... giving the administration that much authority president of SGA, said that reporters from most students opposed is not something I or many of the students I’ve student media who the policy because it could are reporting on toplead to media censorship. talked with are comfortable with.” ics of college policies “They say they are not and developments going to do this, and I want must go through the to believe that, but giving office of media relations. The Ithaca College student media, the administration that much authority is The email included a list of 84 members however, have always had open access to not something that I or many of the stuof the college’s Administrative Assembly administrators, faculty and staff at the col- dents I’ve talked to are comfortable with,” who are affected by this policy. Those ad- lege, directly contacting the sources they he said. ministrators were informed about the policy find appropriate for stories. Jeff Cohen, director of the Park Center at a meeting Sept. 11. Claudia Wheatley, communication for Independent Media, was one of the diWenmouth Williams, chair of the manager in the office of press relations rectors on the list. He said the protocol is journalism department at the college, at Cornell University, said Cornell has no reminiscent of corporate media relations said though the new procedure would formal media policy. Student reporters strategies, and that he was not clear on not apply to faculty, it would affect their can contact administrators directly or go what the problem is that the college wants to address. work environment. through media relations. “The jury is out in terms of if they can “It’s affected what we think about the “It’s up to our administrators to decide culture in which we work, which obviously whether to respond directly or refer them explain what problem this is intending to fix,” Cohen said. has an impact on our excitement, job satis- to press relations,” she said in an email. Maley, who was responsible for faction issues — you know, the kind of unMaley said though administrators who measurables that are primary reasons for us fail to follow the procedure will not be pe- coordinating interviews for 84 listed administrators with the media, said he was being here in the first place,” he said. nalized, the policy is not optional. In an interview Sept. 25, Maley said if Initial email correspondence between hoping the new procedure would be efan administrator is contacted directly by a the reporter and the source is also includ- ficient for everyone involved. “It will be our job to ensure that we are reporter, the administrator must redirect ed in the policy. Maley said he would serve the inquiry to the media relations office. as a middleman, receiving emails from re- not slowing things down and getting in the Rochon said in the email to student porters, sending them to administrators, way,” he said. BY KELSEY O’CONNOR AND ELMA GONZALEZ

— Rob Flaherty

Letter to the Editor 10/4/12: Faculty and staff call for college to rescind media policy As we see it, this policy has implications beyond the merely procedural. It bureaucratizes and centralizes a process that should remain free and open by allowing students to approach whomever they want. Identifying their sources and interviewing many different people is how students learn to be good journalists. Besides, an administrator is always free to decline the request for an interview or to suggest another person. The policy also seems to sequester the highest leadership from student media, raising questions about accessibility, accountability and transparency. We do not know how much of the “actual” work of this leadership is negatively affected by interview requests, but it shouldn’t be all that arduous for their assistants to field such requests or, if necessary, to direct them to the office of media relations in the office of marketing communications. The policy suggests that only selected administrators should be interviewed about

any given policy. This effectively disallows hearing “multiple” perspectives on the same issue since not all administrators may necessarily agree with the policy in question. By relying on only the “correct individuals,” student media and their audience in the campus and broader communities may get a false sense of consensus and homogeneity on campus, obscuring a diversity of viewpoints and foreclosing or silencing dissent and critique. This policy also appears to indicate mistrust of the college’s own administrators, something these individuals might well feel as a personal affront on their ability, integrity and judgment. There is the additional concern of timeliness. A journalist on deadline cannot wait for a marketing/media relations officer to return a phone call or send her or him up the chain command until an available, approved spokesperson is found. While we could understand that the presi-

dent’s inner circle, the vice presidents or President’s Council, might have internal reasons to speak with a common voice, this is entirely inappropriate with the wider circles of administrators, staff and faculty. At a college where the journalism program and all communications programs are heralded, and where the administration and board rolled out IC 20/20 — with its No. 1 theme of “integrative learning,” never better modeled than in student-run media — this hints of censorship and sends a troubling signal to current and potential students. To foster a positive and fruitful learning environment, as well as transparency, accountability and collegiality, and in keeping with the stated mission of Ithaca College, we urge the president to rescind this policy. Scan this code with a smartphone to see the list of faculty signatures, or visit http://theithacan.org/25746.

Commentary 10/11/12

Policy won’t hinder media access

’d like to take this opportunity to clear the misapprehension that surrounds the new policy for interactions between student media and representatives of the Ithaca College administration. As I wrote to the student media in announcing the policy, it is strictly limited to situations in which they wish to interview a member of the Ithaca College leadership team, defined as members of the Administrative Assembly, about college policies or developments. The procedure for speaking with all faculty members, all students, all third parties and all staff who are not in Administrative Assembly remains unchanged — they can simply be contacted directly. If the interview topic is not related to college policies or developments, administrators may also be contacted directly. Additionally, media may contact anyone directly on urgent or breaking news; I only ask that they acknowledge to their prospective interviewee that they have not gone through our media relations office. Finally, the policy does not apply to students working on class projects, an exclusion intended to protect academic freedom. As always, we ask students to be judicious in making interview requests in these instances and to take into account the fact that administrators may not be immediately available to respond to inquiries. Why did I deem this policy necessary in the first place? Media relations offices have been developed in organizations of all kinds to help journalists navigate to the source(s) best able to provide the specific information they are looking for. Our media relations office, headed by Dave Maley, has done this job effectively for external media outlets for years. For student reporters, just as for the professional journalists at the Ithaca Journal or The New York Times, a media relations contact facilitates getting the information and quotes one needs for

By Tom Rochon

a story. The “system” this replaces is one in which student reporters tended to focus their interview requests on the president and vice presidents for many stories in which other individuals might be better positioned to comment. The volume of requests flowing into a few offices at times detracted from our ability to focus on our actual jobs. By pointing student journalists in the right direction to begin with, the media relations office can help match up reporters and appropriate sources in a timely fashion. I have let the media know that they should tell us if they find that the policy is preventing them from obtaining reasonable access to IC administrators. If that occurs, we will tweak the policy to fix any unanticipated problems. Contrary to claims that some have made, neither in intent nor in application will this policy lead to censorship or a reduction in the number or variety of Ithaca College “voices” in news stories. I anticipate that there will be an increase in the range of IC voices in news stories, since the media relations office is more knowledgeable about IC’s organizational structure than reporters — student or independent — could possibly be. Our student media will have the same access to administrators that non-affiliated outlets have always enjoyed. I am proud of the work that our student journalists do on a daily basis, and this policy should in no way hinder them in continuing to learn and practice their craft. Tom Rochon is the president of Ithaca College. Email him at president@ithaca.edu.

Editorial 10/4/2012

New student media policy limits campus discourse

college community is, or should be, an environment that maximizes discussion, debate, trial and error, and relationship building. In terms of free discourse and fostering an open community, Ithaca College has always stood high. In recent years, however, it seems to be straying from the path. Last week, President Tom Rochon officially announced a policy that all student media must go through the office of media relations to reach any of the top 84 administrators, deans, assistant or associate deans and directors at the college. Specifically, students must first contact Dave Maley, associate director of media relations, to set up any administrator interviews. Rochon said the policy should not limit access to administration or cause a time delay. He said he implemented the policy to reduce a tendency of reporters to rely on just a few people to comment on everything, sometimes on so many stories that it detracts from their “actual jobs.” It might be argued, however, that communicating with the media is part of their jobs. Of the 11 members of the top tier of the administration (the president, five vice presidents and five deans), The Ithacan has directly contacted only seven for stories this semester. Rochon was contacted for only two. Diane Gayeski, dean of the communications school, was contacted the most, for four stories. Receiving calls for two to four stories from a reporter in a sixweek time span can hardly be considered a disruption to “actual jobs.” Having Maley as a facilitator only makes his job and the reporters’ more difficult. Deans and directors should be encouraged to speak to reporters without a facilitator. It’s insulting that they are being treated as incapable of deciding when and how to discuss programs within their schools. Some community members have already questioned what

this policy is intended to accomplish. Past experience makes it clear Rochon has an interest in controlling messages as well as a tendency to act without first gauging the college climate. The policy was announced to the Administrative Assembly and to student media without any prior discourse with any of the involved parties about drawbacks or nuances. The Rochon administration is becoming increasingly characterized by centralization and a corporate atmosphere. Students, faculty and staff should fight to keep Ithaca College the open and personal community that has made it so appealing in the past.

Letter to the Editor 10/4/2012:

Student Government Association recommends media policy repeal Dear President Rochon, Included with this correspondence, you will find a resolution, passed by the Student Government Senate, entitled “New Media Policy Repeal.” It is in direct response to the new policy which was announced last week creating a system for student media outlets to reach members of the Administrative Assembly. The resolution was considered by the full Senate, and was passed by a vote of 17 in favor, two opposed, and one abstention. It is the opinion of the Senate that this policy, while not necessarily malicious in intent, gives the administration an unnecessary level of authority over student publications at the college. Student publications serve, as they do outside of higher education, as a watch-dog of administrative policies. By limiting access to the 84 top members of the college’s administration, the institution effectively places a gate keeper between themselves and students, allowing the college to “sit” on a story that it sees as potentially damaging. Whether the institution intends it or not, the college has given itself authority to decide if an article can be published in a credibly sourced way. While I am certain the current administration would not use the policy in this manner, it is hypothetically possible for an administrator to exert an alarming level of control over student publications. It has been argued that this policy will mirror the real world. But in our opinion, this is a false equivalency. If the parallel is a government, there are many different sources, moving parts and agendas that a reporter has at their finger tips to access. If the parallel is a 22

corporation, there is rarely an independent newspaper devoted to covering that corporation. In addition, if a story is written about a corporation or an organization, there are a number of sources who can be spoken to if PR reps decline comment. In the system we have now established, the institution can effectively block information from reaching the paper in its entirety. Few organizations can block coverage unilaterally in the way that the college has given itself the authority to. We also find this argument not to square with the fact that this policy exempts class projects. If a journalism student is writing an article, don’t we want them to experience the same real world challenges that we subject The Ithacan, WICB, Buzzsaw, 360, and ICTV to? It would appear that the only difference is that articles from student publications will actually be published. Student Government Association has remained committed to ensuring a robust, two-way line of communication between students and institutional leadership. This dialogue is important and valuable. By placing a mediator, however well intentioned, between our primary sources of information on the college, this policy will be another step in the wrong direction for this continued discourse. It is for these reasons stated above, that we ask for you to consider this letter resolution, and listen to the calls to revert this policy. Rob Flaherty, Student Body President, and John Vogan, Class of 2014 Senator.

Students protest media policy On Oct. 12, about 50 students and members of the faculty held a peaceful protest calling for President Tom Rochon to rescind the controversial media policy implemented at the beginning of the month. Following the protest, students staged a sit-in at the Peggy Ryan Williams Center, then marched to Campus Center to meet the Ithaca College Board of Trustees as they left a meeting. Demonstrators chanted, “Board of trustees, keep the press free!”

Students stage a sit-in in the lobby of the Peggy Ryan Williams Center on Oct. 12 before marching to Free Speech Rock.

Students march from the Peggy Ryan Williams Center. DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

Letter to the Editor 10/25/2012:

Faculty respond to president’s commentary Dear President Rochon, Your commentary, “Policy won’t hinder media access,” published in The Ithacan on October 11th, explains your decision for instituting the Student Media Access Policy, but it does not cover any new ground. More to the point, it does not address the broader concerns many students, faculty, and staff have raised about this policy and its method of implementation, namely, growing centralization and bureaucratization, a preference for administrative unilateralism and fiat, and the inculcation of

corporatist attitudes at the college. We feel these trends hollow out the culture of openness, collegiality, and trust that has evolved at Ithaca over the past two decades and which we would like to see strengthened. Instead of “tweaking” this policy, we ask you to rescind it forthwith and to meet with students so that the college can learn how best to serve their interests as journalists. This would be a demonstration of your commitment to open conversation and shared governance that would be heartening to a currently very discouraged college community.

Scan this code with a smartphone to see the list of faculty signatures, or visit http://theithacan.org/26767. 23

Campus comes together to discuss media policy BY SAGE DAUGHERTY

More than 50 students and faculty from across Ithaca College packed into Park 220 in the Roy H. Park School of Communications for the Oct. 15 media policy panel, sponsored by the college’s chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The panel consisted of David Maley, associate director of media relations; Diane Gayeski, dean of the Park School of Communications; Wenmouth Williams, chair of the journalism department; Kelsey O’Connor,editorinchiefofTheIthacan;EmilyMiles,editorofBuzzsaw;and Nicole Ogrysko, news director for WICB. President Tom Rochon was invited to the panel but declined because of a prior engagement. Junior Meagan McGinnes, president of SPJ, moderated the panel. The panelists and the audience discussed recent petitions against the policy, Student Government Association’s call for the policy’s repeal and the sit-in protest that took place Oct. 12. Maley said the policy is being put in place in part to cut down the number of calls top administrators receive from the student media. He said it is important to understand that he is not creating quotes or putting words in the mouths of the administrators. One of the things he said he will try to do through this new policy is make administrators, some of whom have never been interviewed by student media before or claim they have been unfairly treated or misquoted, feel more comfortable talking to student media. He said he can also help facilitate meetings between the media and administrators more quickly. There have been concerns about the new policy slowing down the process of mediating contact between student journalists and administrators instead of helping to facilitate contact. The policy could affect

student media access and deadlines, O’Connor said. Gayeski — who, with four interview requests from The Ithacan during the first six weeks of the semester, had the most of any member of the Administrative Council — said those four requests did not distract her from her work. “I get so many requests for different kinds of information and meetings,” she said. “I personally feel like four requests did not get in my way. If I felt this [policy] would impede my access to The Ithacan, I would feel very uncomfortable.” During the question and answer session, some students said they were concerned the college is trying to control student media. Buzzsaw magazine publishes three issues during the fall, said Miles, so they aren’t working on short-term deadlines. “Our concern is not with timeliness, not with convenience, not with the workload of administrators but how student journalists are able to get information on our campus,” Miles said. Kelly Dietz, assistant professor of politics, said the college community is still confused as to why the policy was issued, and they are concerned about the possible effects it will have on future coverage. “The policy seems to have been put in place because of a problem that has affected a very small number of people … I’m still confused about the policy,” she said. “How would you ensure that the reader is getting all the different voices that are out there?” In response, Maley said he does not think the policy will stop student media from covering contentious issues. “I don’t expect the media to change the way they approach and how they write the stories, and the way they approach contentious issues, that will always happen,” he said. “I don’t expect, I don’t intend to stifle or prevent anyone from speaking, and that’s not the intention of the policy.”

President Rochon rescinds student media policy BY ITHACAN STAFF

President Tom Rochon notified student media leaders and others Nov. 13 in an email that the student media policy implemented Oct. 1 had been rescinded. The announcement came in the wake of a meeting with student media leaders Nov. 5 to assess the impact of the policy’s implementation thus far. Senior Emily Miles, an editor of Buzzsaw Magazine, attended the meeting with Rochon last week. “What we really got to in the meeting the more campus wide effect of the policy rather than just looking at timing and effectiveness it really came down to how students feel about it,” Miles said. Rochon said the conversations he had with student media representatives and the other panel members about their experiences with the policy were what most strongly swayed him to rescind the policy, rather than the protest and petitions that stemmed from the policy. “They felt that the policy didn’t treat them properly as part of the campus com24

munity because it equated them with off-campus media, and they felt that over time the policy could lead to less transparency to media-administration relations,” he said. Senior Rob Flaherty, president of SGA, said he’s happy the president listened to criticism of the policy, but the repeal should not end discussion of how decisions are made on campus. “I don’t want the repeal to take away from broader discussions that need to happen on campus about the decision-making process here and the sort of perceived corporatization and centralization of campus,” Flaherty said. Gayeski said though the policy created a great deal of concern on campus, it can be viewed as a learning experience. “It was a way for students and faculty and staff to think about what’s important to them, not in terms of journalistic rights, but the campus climate we want to create and maintain,” Gayeski said. Jeff Cohen, associate professor of journalism, said the community clearly expressed why the policy reflected a corporate approach and that there needs to be greater consulta-

tion with faculty in the future on similar matters. “This is a real victory for democracy on campus and a real victory for all constituencies being heard,” Cohen said. Kelsey O’Connor, editor in chief of The Ithacan, said she appreciates that Rochon took the time to meet with student media leaders and revisited the policy. However, she said, while the media policy has now been shelved, members of the community should continue to voice their concerns with campus issues. “It really has been amazing to see the community rally around this topic and shows that students, faculty and staff can have an impact, and I hope that this spirit doesn’t go away now that the media policy has been rescinded,” O’Connor said. Rochon said he does not plan to revisit the policy or implement similar ones in the future. In response to why faculty or students were not consulted before implementing this policy and others, he said he is moving forward. “Life is a process of learning, and we will always move forward,” he said.

Rochon said a meeting with representatives of the student media encouraged him to rescind the policy. Students voiced concerns that the policy would decrease transparency. DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

Editorial 11/15/2012

Repeal of media policy is a small step in the right direction

ess than two months after its implementation, the student media policy has been rescinded. President Rochon’s repeal of the policy follows public criticism from faculty members, a referendum from the Student Government Association, opposition from student media organizations and oncampus student protests. From the beginning, Rochon said he would consider changing the policy if it caused problems. The choice to rescind shows Rochon’s willingness to listen to the campus community when it comes together. However, the repeal should not be the end to the conversation about top-down leadership at the college. Opposition to the media policy was not simply a reaction to the constraints it put on student journalists to interview sources in a timely manner, nor was it out of pure concern for the lack of transparency that may result from a policy that could filter messages from student journalists to key members of the administration. The opposition surrounding the new policy had roots in growing discontent with the administration’s inability to incorporate the college population in decisions that affect day-to-day operation. The campus community should continue to unite to ensure all voices are heard as the college moves forward with key programs like IC 20/20. Rochon said the decision to put an end to the policy came after he had the opportunity to speak candidly with student media leaders. While it’s encouraging that Rochon took the time to speak to members of the community about the policy, the conversation should have taken place before the policy was implemented. By reaching

out to the campus community after the policy was instituted and opposed, the administration fueled the sentiment that the college is run through a top-down structure, and other voices are only heard after decisions are made. The repeal of the media policy is a step in the right direction toward a less-centralized and more transparent administration. Following Rochon’s compromise, the faculty have a responsibility to continue the discussion about how to create a better balance of power at the college.

Huron

Ithaca College hired Huron Consulting Group in hopes of increasing efficiency. Students and faculty fought against potential fee increases and department cuts.

IC partners with Huron Consulting Group to review finances BY ELMA GONZALEZ

In an effort to assess its finances, Ithaca College hired an outside company — Huron Consulting Group — to review academic and administrative support functions during the fall semester. President Tom Rochon said the college made the decision to hire Huron this summer with the objective of controlling the cost of tuition and room and board for students. Huron, he said, will hopefully help the college reduce costs and increase revenue by improving efficiency in college processes rather than increasing revenue from tuition sources. “My objective with respect to tuition, room and board — my long-term objective — would be that increases are held down to the cost of inflation,” he said. “We cannot do that today and operate the way we

are operating, so we obviously need to make changes in order to get there.” The partnership also comes at a time when the college suffers low enrollment numbers. Rochon said the college did not hire Huron as a reaction to enrollment numbers, but rather with the long-term objective of reducing costs for students. “We believe that the reason our enrollment is a little bit low this fall isn’t a one-time event, but it’s related to the price problem and the fact that many students would love to come to Ithaca College and get this experience, but they simply can’t afford it, and we have to change that,” he said. The college will collaborate with two full-time consultants, a project director, two senior directors and other experts from Huron. The team will work closely with a steering committee headed by Carl Sgrecci, vice president of finance and

administration. Other committee members include Mark Coldren, associate vice president of human resources; Diane Gayeski, dean of the Roy H. Park School of Communications; Marisa Kelly, provost and vice president for educational affairs; and Eric Maguire, vice president of enrollment and communication. Rochon would not comment on the cost of the contract with Huron. Christopher Biehn, vice president of institutional advancement, said this partnership is an important step in identifying inefficiencies at the college. “It is a positive message about what we need to do in general in higher education but also specifically for Ithaca College,” he said. Kelly also initiated a review of at least seven academic departments and programs this fall, but it will not be a part of Huron’s review.

Editorial 9/6/2012 Huron Consulting Group cost-cutting evaluation should focus on retention

ather than work internally to target instances of inefficiency, the college has chosen to hire an outside firm that will recommend the best means to cut costs. On Aug. 23, the college announced Huron Consulting Group will evaluate support functions this fall to lessen costs on campus. Because the college is worried about future increases in tuition costs, reducing costs is necessary. But efforts should also be made to bring in more students, especially in light of low enrollment numbers this year. Since those in charge of managing admissions failed to meet their enrollment target, the consulting group should take extra care to focus on “enrollment management.” At Wayne State University, for example, Huron helped identify students to attract and retain by using a strategic plan for managing enrollment. Huron Consulting has worked with more than 60 other higher education institutions. Case studies from the University of Florida and other large, public research universities, such as Georgia Tech and Northern Kentucky University, suggest the group helps improve financial aid notification, streamlines contracts for suppliers and reduces wasteful spending. In other instances, the firm has recommended aligning human resources across campuses, eliminating duplicate technology services and consolidating central offices. The college’s academic departments and programs will be re-

viewed separately from Huron’s evaluation. It’s not yet known what effect that will have on faculty and staff. Efficiency and affordability are important, but the steering committee should take care not to eliminate resources that students, staff and faculty need.

Recommendations

On Jan. 17, 39 recommendations from the Huron Consulting Group were released at the All College Meeting. These were broken into seven themes.

Centralization Suggests where department staffs could be merged or realigned to reduce spending. Suggests utilization of available space. Stresses there is space available to increase enrollment without building new structures.

Business processes Calls the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current HR and hiring processes cumbersome. Offers suggestions for how to maintain a stocked warehouse and implement design standards in the facilities departments.

Revenue maximization Suggests re-evaluating the organization of departments. For example, moving Environmental Health and Safety organization to Facilities services. Improvements can be made in the Information Technology department.

Employee benefits

Cost consciousness Calls for the consolidation of the Rochester Center, moving the program site of the physical therapy graduate program to the Ithaca campus. Suggests reducing the need for overtime pay, develops strategies to cut energy costs and reducing the facilities car fleet.

Includes adjusting health care benefits offered by the college to shift more of the expense on employees. Suggests that the college could begin to charge faculty to park on campus.

New revenue sources Encourages college to utilize college facilities to host events more often â&#x20AC;&#x201D; calls the A&E Center under-utilized. College should establish goals for transfer student admission and work to improve retention rates.

6 Student fees Suggests the college could begin to charge students a $10 co-pay per visit to the Health Center. Also suggests that students could pay more for parking privileges on campus, with pricing based on preferred parking zones.

2727

College to add students to budget committee BY EMILY MASTERS

President Tom Rochon temporarily added two student representatives to the Institutional Effectiveness and Budget Committee this December for the first time at Ithaca College to give input on where the college should allocate its funds. Two additional staff members were also added to the IEBC for the course of the Huron Education Consulting review, which will assess ways to reduce costs, spend college funds more efficiently and improve revenue and service. This is in addition to the 21 members of IEBC, three of which are staff and two are faculty members, Rochon said. “This temporary addition of students and staff to the IEBC is a direct response to the importance of the Efficiency and Affordability Review,” Rochon

said in an email interview. Rochon said he wants students to be more involved in the process because they are directly impacted by the results of the review. “Students have a vital interest in this process because cost savings from reorganization or identifying efficiencies will enable us to slow the future rate of growth in tuition and fees,” Rochon said in an email interview. “Students also have a vital interest because we do not want any possible changes in service levels to have unintended impacts on the quality of the educational experience.” Senior Rob Flaherty, president of SGA, said the organization lobbied for more student participation in administrative decisions this semester, and Rochon’s decision to include them in the budget committee this year is a huge step toward that goal.

“I asked for an inch, and he gave us a yard,” Flaherty said. Many student senators had not known about the college’s partnership with Huron until Bob Nudruff, Huron project director, presented the stages of the review and plan of action to SGA members on Nov. 13. Flaherty said SGA members raised concerns about the lack of student involvement in Huron’s surveys, as well as with the upcoming decisions on where to allocate resources based on Huron’s review. “I raised some concerns about the fact that there was only a week, [beginning Jan. 17,] to comment on Huron things. For most of that week, students aren’t even going to be here,” Flaherty said. “And the final recommendations were going to be made by a committee that was not going to have any students there.” Huron announced formal

recommendations Jan. 17. Students, faculty and staff were able to post feedback on the Effectiveness and Affordability Review website until Feb. 11. Originally this process was to be advertised mostly to faculty and staff. IEBC made their recommendations to Rochon in April and in May, Rochon will make his recommendations to the board of trustees. The final plan will be shared with the college community and then implemented over the next few years, according to the Effectiveness and Affordability Review timeline. Rochon requested that Flaherty be one of the two student representatives and help him select the second, who can be any student, on SGA or not. Flaherty said Rochon suggested that it not be another SGA executive board member.

Senior Rob Flaherty, student body president, met with SGA on Feb. 4 to discuss the recommendations made by Huron Consulting Group and assess impacts on students. DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

Physical therapy students rally for Rochester Center

From left, President Tom Rochon talks with physical therapy students Aaron Atwater and Marissa Speno about the importance of the Rochester Center to students. RACHEL WOOLF/THE ITHACAN

BY KELSEY O’CONNOR

Physical therapy students drove from Rochester, N.Y., to Ithaca on Feb. 6 to voice their opposition to a recommendation by Huron Consulting Group to eliminate the Rochester Center, which many say is an integral part of the program. About 25 sixth-year physical therapy students carpooled from Rochester after their classes Feb. 6 to attend the open house about Huron’s Effectiveness and Affordability Review and give input about why the college should not consolidate the Rochester Center. The open house was held for the college community to drop off comments at stations relating to the recommendation themes. Concerns from students in the program include losing connections to hospitals and medical professionals in Rochester and losing opportunities for research, residency and accreditation. The doctor of physical therapy program is a six-year program. In addition to undergraduate study at the college, it requires an undergraduate summer and a year of graduate study at the Rochester Center, which is about two hours from Ithaca. Marissa Speno, a sixth-year physical therapy student studying in Rochester, said she was surprised to hear about the recommendation. She said the center is a key part of the physical therapy program because the location and facility has more to offer as a medical community than Ithaca. Speno said the Rochester Center is im-

portant for physical therapy students’ education because of the diverse patient population and the types of conditions treated there. “The Cayuga Medical Center is a small hospital, and it’s not equipped to deal with a lot of the more acute and serious conditions that we’re able to see in Rochester — for example, people with traumatic brain injury and strokes — so it’s definitely a big component of it,” Speno said. President Tom Rochon, who was at the open house, said the event was what he hoped it would be — a place for people to engage one another about the recommendations. During the open house, he sat down with the sixth-year physical therapy students. “I did have a chance to sit down with two groups of students and listen to their experiences in Rochester,” Rochon said. “I learned a great deal from listening to them.” At the Student Government Association meeting Feb. 4, the center consolidation was a large topic of discussion. Junior Colin Covitz, senator for the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance, said consolidating the program will hurt the major and the students in it. “It’s a very good program,” Covitz said. “It gives the students a really good taste of what’s to come in the coming years, and phasing that program out would be a huge detriment to both the program and all the students in the program.” Speno said the Rochester Center and the strength of the physical therapy

program was a large deciding factor for her and many students who decided to attend the college. “A lot of my classmates and peers choose Ithaca because of the strength of the program and what Rochester in part has to offer,” Speno said. “So if that component of the program was consolidated, I know that if we were to make the decision over again whether or not to go to [Ithaca College], I think a lot of us would reconsider that decision.” Students in the physical therapy program released a video on YouTube on Feb. 5, where they discussed reasons why the college should keep the Rochester Center. Stephanie Allen, a sixth-year physical therapy student who was at the open house, said the college should consider more than finances when evaluating whether to consolidate the center. “I know [the college is] looking at this as something they would be gaining financially, but they need to look at what they’re losing,” Allen said. Speno said having the dual campus arrangement has elevated the level and quality of physical therapy students’ education. “When we make the move to Rochester, we’re forced to up our game,” Speno said. “The expectations are raised, and even just moving to a new environment with different professors, new facility surrounded by a huge medical community — I think that that just facilitates so much professional growth.” Staff Writer Henry Apostoleris contributed reporting to this article. 29

Editorial 2/14/2013

Satellite campuses are critical to gaining professional experience

ne of the recommendations from Huron is to do away with the Rochester Center, where physical therapy students currently spend one summer and one graduate year. Physical therapy students argue that the Rochester Center is critical to learning the skills they will need after graduation. Ithaca is not located near a major medical center, so physical

therapy students would not get the hands-on experience they receive in Rochester if the program was consolidated to the Ithaca campus. As the college is looking to cut spending, satellite programs should not end up on the cutting board. Because the college is located in a small city, students seeking real world experience will be less likely to choose Ithaca over colleges in larger cities.

Programs like the Rochester Center, the L.A. Program, the London Center and the recent New York City Program offer students the opportunity to work with organizations that can provide realworld experiences. If the college hopes to recruit more competitive students, it must continue to offer opportunities for students to gain experience away from the Ithaca campus.

SGA discusses Huron recommendations BY HENRY APOSTOLERIS

Huron Consulting’s recommendations for Ithaca College were major topics on the agenda at a Student Government Association meeting Feb. 4. SGA discussed recommendations on billing students for Health Center services, introducing differential parking fees for students and the consolidation of the Rochester Center for physical therapy students. The meeting began with discussions about the Rochester Center, a main component of the college’s physical therapy program. Huron recommended consolidating operations, which would save the college an estimated $600,000. A majority of SGA board members agreed that Huron’s recommendation to consolidate the center was not a good choice for the program. Attendees also reacted to Huron’s recommendations about billing opportunities for Health Center services. The recommendation suggests charging a $10 copay per visit, seeking private insurance reimbursement as well as instituting a flat rate student Health Center fee. Huron Consulting estimates $190,650 in added revenue as a result of these recommendations. Junior Courtney Brown, vice president of communications — along with several board members — opposed the recommendation, pointing out the major expenses that students would incur when they seek private insurance reimbursements. “Although 80 percent of college students are covered by their parents’ health insurance because it’s more cost-effective than spending their money on school insurance, a lot of health plans are regional health plans,” Brown said. “Students won’t be able to cover the costs here at IC.” Another concern with seeking private insurance reimbursement was that it violates student medical privacy. Sean Themea, 30

senator of the Class of 2016, said SGA members received feedback from students who said they would not want certain parts of their medical testing history to be seen by their parents. Themea said this would also go against Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy regulations. “If you wanted to check for an STD and you didn’t want your parents to find out, or you wanted to tell them on your own time, that concept would be eliminated, as it would show up on the bill,” Themea said. “I feel like this decision would not sit well with students.” The final topic of discussion at the meeting was the recommendation to introduce differential parking fees for students. Under the student fees section, Huron recommended the college increase the cost for on-campus parking, eliminate pro-rated parking permits and begin charging for on-campus employee parking. The group also recommended a change in lots aimed at deterring students living in the Circle Apartments from driving to class, taking up space for people living off campus. The

savings is estimated to be between $100,000 and $290,000. Some students disagreed with the suggestions, while others were in favor of such a change. Ayesha Patel, vice president of campus affairs, said she is not opposed to some of the changes because she believes students who live on campus should walk to class. Comments from the SGA will be forwarded to the Institutional Effectiveness and Budget Committee, which will make final comments to President Tom Rochon. Rob Flaherty, president of SGA, said it is important to make sure students are aware of how changes will affect them. Flaherty will be sitting on the board of the IEBC temporarily as the process moves forward. He said he looks forward to helping ensure students’ proposals are heard in the final recommendation. “At the end of the day, we do need to find a balance between affordability and maintaining programs that benefit students,” Flaherty said. “I look forward to trying to work with the committee to find that balance.”

Student Government Association played a role in keeping students informed about Huron’s recommendations. FILE PHOTO/THE ITHACAN

College works to fit transfers into IC 20/20 TRANSFER RATES 6,783 6,780 On average, about 132 students transfer into IC each year

KEY Total student enrollment Number of transfer students BY SAGE DAUGHERTY

As Ithaca College moves forward with IC 20/20, adopts the Integrative Core Curriculum and begins to implement the First Year Residential Experience, the college community is left wondering how transfer students fit into the college’s vision for the future. The ICC is a facet of the college’s IC 20/20 plan and involves a campus-wide general education system to create a wellrounded student experience, which went into effect last summer. But as the costs of higher education continue to rise, many students opt to take classes online or at community colleges before transferring into a four-year institution. Data obtained from the Office of Institutional Research shows that in the last five years, Fall 2008 to Fall 2012, 659 students have transferred into Ithaca College. On average, about 132 students transfer into the college each year, but the biggest increase in the number of incoming transfer students came in Fall 2009, when 162 students transferred to the college. In Fall 2012, the college welcomed 124 transfer students. Marisa Kelly, provost and vice president for educational affairs, said the college wants students as well as community colleges to know what courses students would need to take before transferring and how the courses would fit into the new Integrative Core Curriculum. Kelly said she believes transfer students will be well supported when they come to the college and said the new student advising center, which will launch in the fall, is critical to providing that support and smoothing the transition.

6,323

6,602 6,589 161 133

123 2008

109 2009

2010

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, one-third of all college students transfer to another institution at least once before earning a degree. Many factors are involved in a student’s decision to transfer, including personal reasons, financial hardship or social and academic issues. Eric Maguire, vice president of enrollment and communication, said increased mobility in higher education is a growing phenomenon, and students are searching for affordability as well as quality education. One of the recommendations by Huron Consulting Group, an outside company hired by the college to assess finances, was to accept a larger number of transfer students into the college. Maguire said the college has to weigh whether it wants to become more transfer friendly or remain primarily an institution based on a fouryear residential experience. “It might be the case that that is not feasible from a financial perspective, that’s a certainly understandable possibility, but at the same time we have to really balance that message in carefully, that we don’t want to devalue what is a really valuable four-year experience from those that can afford it and from those that would benefit from having that opportunity,” Maguire said. Transferring into some of the professional schools and majors on campus with narrow tracks can be challenging for transfers because of the prerequisites and major-specific classes. Diane Gayeski, dean of the Roy H. Park School of Communications, said all levels of the four-year experience at the Park School are important to student development. “The Park School is built on a multiyear experience starting with a lot of

2011

122 2012

activity in cocurricular activities and internships over all four years,” Gayeski said. “And while certainly those are not required, I think students who spend all four years certainly benefit from participating in all those activities at higher and higher levels as they proceed through their degree.” Sophomore Jessica Bikales, who transferred from a commuter school this semester, said the quality of the communications school and the television-radio major in particular made her decision, and the cost of attendance is worth it. “I’ve only been here a month, but so far I’ve used professional equipment,” Bikales said “We’ve done a lot in my field production class, so I definitely think that in the long run it will be worth it.” Though transfer students may miss the full experience, Mary Ellen Zuckerman, dean of the School of Business, said transfer students bring diversity and personal experiences from previous schools attended. Zuckerman said transfer students come into the business school with different amounts of coursework completed, so they are evaluated and then placed in the correct program. “They can get integrated into the classes fairly quickly … because they’re often working with other students, they learn what we’re doing here in the business school and can meet other people fairly quickly,” she said. Bikales said it is an adjustment being farther away from home, but the transfer orientation was helpful. “It was definitely difficult at first, because I came in mid-year, but they’ve made it pretty easy with the transfer orientation,” Bikales said. 31

Administration

In response to the student media policy and other institutional changes, Faculty Council called for a more open public dialogue on campus.

Faculty seek more input in policy changes BY ELMA GONZALEZ

The Executive Committee of the Faculty Council scheduled a meeting this fall with President Tom Rochon and Marisa Kelly, provost and vice president for educational affairs, to discuss the need for greater faculty input in college decisions. “There is dissatisfaction with a lot of the policies — or how policies are being interpreted — and implementation of the policies,” Peter Rothbart, professor of music and chair of the Faculty Council, said. “The purpose of the meeting with the president and the provost is discussion and resolution and to gather information.” About 70 faculty members met for a closed-door, all-faculty town meeting Oct. 9 to voice concerns about shared governance, a concept that encourages collaboration between faculty and administrators to develop ideas and solve problems, and how it is being applied at

the college. The concerns surrounded the interpretation and implementation of IC 20/20’s Integrative Core Curriculum and the faculty’s involvement in the drafting of new policies. Faculty at the meeting asked the Faculty Council Executive Committee to address the issues in a meeting with Rochon and Kelly. Rochon and Kelly declined to comment on the upcoming meeting. Dani Novak, professor of mathematics, attended the town meeting. He said many faculty there candidly expressed frustration with their lack of involvement in policy drafting and implementation. “What I felt at the meeting is that there are many faculty that are simply very upset,” he said. “Some of them are not happy, because they don’t feel part of [IC 20/20], but I think the fundamental idea behind [IC] 20/20 is a wonderful idea.” Though only about 10 percent of faculty attended the closed meeting, many are aware

of the issues and support the faculty’s initiative to tackle them with the administration. Arturo Sinclair, assistant professor of television and radio, said he believes the problem lies in the college’s structure. “There is a top-down structure in place. That is how I feel things are done,” he said. “That is why the word ‘corporation’ or ‘corporate structure’ comes on and on throughout these meetings, because everybody feels that is the way things are done, and that is definitely a way of doing it and running it, but it doesn’t play well with a lot of people.” However, to some faculty, like Novak, the problem is a lack of willingness to collaborate. “It’s a problem of maturity,” he said. “We have to grow up, but we have to grow up together. We have to think together why are we here and how we can achieve this goal together, and it’s not one person that the fingers can be pointed to in my opinion, but faculty are upset.”

Editorial 11/8/2012

Faculty call for balance of power

embers of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Council at Ithaca College are calling for change in the way the college is governed. Concerns about the fast-paced implementation of IC 20/20 policies and the college taking on a more centralized, corporate structure drove the call for change. The concept of shared governance, which allows faculty to have a larger role in policy decisions, does not force the administration to call every action to a vote but offers a pathway to greater faculty involvement in issues that directly affect them and their students. Though the ultimate authority for decisions on academic policies lies with the board of trustees, power is delegated to the president to manage the college and faculty to set academic requirements and standards. While IC 20/20 is being put into practice, top administrators should take extra steps to ensure as many voices as possible are being represented in the new curriculum while still allowing the process to progress in a timely manner. Because faculty spend more time with students and with the curriculum on a day-to-day basis, their opinions are crucial to making IC 20/20 successful. The responsibility for communication lies with both the administration and the faculty. If the college expects to create an environment where educational and personal growth for its students 32

is fostered, the faculty and the administration must combine their expertise to ensure all policies are created and executed in a way that most benefits students.

Faculty Council discusses IC 20/20 and salary issues BY ELMA GONZALEZ

About 100 faculty members attended an all-faculty town hall meeting Nov. 13 to continue conversations about shared governance at the college. Faculty Council engaged in a heated debate about salary increase with Marisa Kelly, provost and vice president for educational affairs, who attended the first 40 minutes of the meeting. The council also expressed concern over the speed of the implementation of the Integrative Core Curriculum. At their previous meeting, Faculty Council submitted a recommendation to the administration for the college budget committee, asking for a 3-percent increment in general merit pay. Don Lifton, professor of business and former Faculty Council budget representative, said it was historic to bring forward one recommendation instead of the list of priorities they submit to the administration every year. “For the first time, we only brought forward one recommendation to underscore the sincerity of it, and that one

Provost Marisa Kelly discusses faculty salary increase and academic issues on Nov. 13 at a Faculty Council meeting. SABRINA KNIGHT/THE ITHACAN

recommendation is 3-percent general merit,” he said. To encourage communication between faculty and administration, the council passed a motion suggesting each academic school invite Rochon to school meetings at least once a year. Warren

Schlesinger, associate professor and chair of accounting, proposed the motion. Schlesinger said colleagues approached him after the town hall meeting earlier that day asking about faculty school meetings with the president that used to

happen in previous years. “That is an opportunity to talk to the president face-to-face in those meetings, rather than just that large meeting in the start of the year — that would be very helpful to get those concerns out there,” Schlesinger said.

President’s blog spurs discussion BY ELMA GONZALEZ AND KELSEY O’CONNOR

Scan this code with a smartphone to read Tom Rochon’s blog, or visit http:// bit.ly/YMvqWH.

Ithaca College President Tom Rochon has initiated a weekly series on his blog to update the campus community on challenges and developments facing the college. In response, faculty have used this blog as a forum to air their concerns. On Nov. 26, Rochon emailed the faculty and staff his first installment of the series, which he then published on his blog, the President’s Notebook, Nov. 27. The post describes challenges the college is facing, including the issue of balancing the cost of higher education while maintaining quality. “We are never going to be one of the cheaper higher education options, so prospective students will not want to come to IC if we are not seen as offering the very best in quality. But if we continue

to add to quality by increasing cost well beyond the rate of inflation, then prospective students will not be able to come to IC,” Rochon said in the post. Rochon also noted the national issue of whether “traditional college education is worth it anymore” in the face of increasing online alternatives. On Nov. 29, as a comment on Rochon’s blog post, 99 faculty signed a letter requesting “a full and open accounting of how funds are being allocated at Ithaca College.” Faculty said they are concerned about program review with the threat of cuts, office space issues and the relocation of the philosophy and religion department. At the same time, they wrote, the college is investing in things not considered a

priority by the majority of faculty members, such as “funds in the China Center, the New York City Center, the new administrative team for advising, new software for e-portfolios, and the costs of the consulting team.” Faculty agree in the letter that cost is a concern at the college, but they said where the college is shrinking and expanding is not completely in line with faculty concerns. They said they would like to see evidence for how online education poses a threat to the college and how “its funding priorities are the best ways to ward off that threat.” The letter came in the wake of continuous faculty attempts to communicate concerns with the administration in Fall 2012. 33

Faculty continue to express concerns BY ELMA GONZALEZ

Growing tensions between Ithaca College faculty and administration surrounding salary and college budget developments were at the forefront of the Dec. 4 Faculty Council meeting. At the meeting, Marisa Kelly, provost and vice president for educational affairs, reiterated her stance on the Faculty Council’s request for a 3-percent increment in general merit pay. Kelly said the percentage is significantly higher than what the IEBC was comfortable in putting forward. At the Nov. 13 meeting, she said she did not support advocating for a larger salary pool. On Dec. 4, President Tom Rochon called for an all-faculty meeting “to bring greater transparency and clarity to the directions the college is taking and to provide an opportunity to hear faculty concerns.” This decision follows an unfavorable faculty response to Rochon’s first installment of a weekly series on his blog, the President’s Notebook, on Nov. 27 to update the campus community on challenges and developments facing the college. Peter Rothbart, professor of music and chair of the faculty council, said the executive committee conversations with the administration included a push for better communication between the administration and faculty. “We’ve communicated the need that there has to be more open communication

Marisa Kelly discussed future plans for several of the college’s IC 20/20 initiatives on Sept. 5 SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

and explanations of things,” Rothbart said. However, for some faculty, the informative blog posts from Rochon and emails from Kelly are insufficient. “You see, the thing is you cannot cover bad policies through PR,” Asma Barlas, professor and program director for the Center for the Study of Culture, Race and Ethnicity, said. Barlas, as well as 100 other faculty members, have electronically signed the

comment in response to Rochon’s first installment, requesting “a full and open accounting of how funds are being allocated at Ithaca College.” Rothbart said Faculty Council is not directly linked to the comment on the president’s blog. However, six of the 33 Faculty Council members have signed the comment. The council is currently developing a separate action plan and sending out a survey to gauge faculty concerns.

College begins assessment of president BY KELSEY O’CONNOR

Ithaca College launched a “Comprehensive Presidential Assessment” in February, which is reviewing the performance of President Tom Rochon. Though the board of trustees regularly evaluates the performance of the president, the college is undertaking a more expansive process because it is the fifth year Rochon has been in the position, according to a college press release. The review will be opened up to representatives of the faculty, staff, students, alumni, community leaders, senior officers and the board of trustees. David Maley, associate director of media relations, said this is not the first time a presidential assessment has taken place at the college. The college will be adopting the recommended best practices of the Association of Governing Boards, a national higher education organization that works with college and university governing boards.

To do so, it is hiring Douglas Orr, a consultant from the AGB. Orr served as president of Warren Wilson College for 15 years. David Lebow, vice chair of the board of trustees and chair of the board’s Presidential Assessment Committee will oversee the work of Orr. Lebow said it’s a standard time to do a presidential assessment because boards typically do comprehensive 360 assessments about halfway through a 10-year period of a president’s tenure. He said the assessment will be used to give the president feedback. “Typically, we are giving a diagnostic tool to a leader, much as we would in a business, to help them become more effective in their roles,” Lebow said. The process is being done with the full support of Rochon, according to the press release. The perspectives gathered from the review are meant to enhance awareness, provide opportunities for the president to strengthen leadership capabilities and revisit priorities and responsibilities as necessary.

Lebow said questions will include things like, “What are you thankful that the president has tackled and is working on?” and also, “What would you like to see more of and less of?” Group interviews will take place on campus March 26–28. After, Orr will present a report to the board of trustees. The results of this process will not be made public. Lebow said the anonymous feedback will be given to the president, which will lead to a discussion between the consultant and president. “Typically, what you will see is that the more enlightened leaders will really internalize that feedback, and they will try to really understand why the feedback is what it is, both in what’s going well, what you need to do more of and less of,” Lebow said. “At the end of the day, this is a tool intended to help a leader be optimally effective in their job and ultimately that is up to any leader to internalize and act on that feedback in a way they see fit.”

Editorial 2/21/2012

All comments are welcome President Rochon’s attempts to gather input shows a shift toward open governance

n the past year, the administration has come under fire from students, faculty and staff demanding an end to topdown governance and the opportunity to have their voices heard. Ithaca College has been in the midst of major changes that include an overhaul of the academic curricula and modifications to the budget. The campus community has expressed its opposition to many of these changes through open letters, online comments and town hall meetings. While this opposition gave voice to separate specific concerns, the overall message seemed to be the same — everyone deserves a say in the college’s future. Recently, the college hired Huron Consulting Group to help the college become more efficient. When Huron unveiled its recommendations, the administration actively sought input from the community before making policy changes. The college created an online forum for input on the recommendations and scheduled open discussions on campus to ensure students were able to provide

feedback. Members of the campus community were not only allowed to voice their opinions on potential changes to the college, they were strongly urged to join the conversation. All students received a letter from President Tom Rochon urging them to weigh in on the potential changes that could stem from the Huron review, faculty have received regular emails with more in-depth analysis of issues facing the college and Rochon attended meetings with students to hear their concerns. Rochon’s commitment to hearing all opinions is a mark of strong leadership and a hopeful sign of a more open and balanced future for governance at Ithaca College. Moving forward, the administration must make a clear effort to include the campus community’s feedback in deciding which Huron recommendations to act on. Many of these recommendations could directly impact life on campus, and student, staff and faculty opinions are critical to ensuring these changes do not hinder the college’s ability to provide students with a quality education and college experience.

IC 20/20

The college continued to work toward its vision this year, beginning to finalize the integrative core curriculum in time for Middle States regional accreditation review process before the June 2013 deadline.

IC 20/20 projects gain momentum

BY ERICA PALUMBO

Ithaca College faculty, staff and administrators continued to work behind the scenes this year to gradually implement the 15 different initiatives of IC 20/20, a 10-year vision plan for overhauling the college’s current curricular and structural system. According to Marisa Kelly, provost and vice president for educational affairs, three main components of IC 20/20 were focused on this year.

INTEGRATIVE CORE CURRICULUM In response to the push for a college-wide general education system by the college’s accreditation organization, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the college has been working to overhaul the current curriculum across the five individual schools. One of IC 20/20’s overarching themes is to establish an integrative, cross-college curriculum. This includes integrating majors to foster a well-rounded student experience. As a result, the Integrative Core Curriculum initiative of the IC 20/20 plan was formed during the 2011-12 academic year. This fall semester has been dedicated to finalizing the ICC so it can be fully implemented by Fall 2013. Danette Johnson, director of the ICC, said the college has

nearly doubled the number of first-year Ithaca Seminars it offers in the fall. Beginning this academic year, all first-year students from the Roy H. Park School of Communications, the School of Humanities and Sciences and the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance were required to enroll in one of the new seminars. Kelly said the business plan for IC 20/20 calls for seven new faculty positions to support the effort that includes the ICC as well as integrative majors and integrative electives. Kelly said the college is conducting three faculty searches this year that will be tenure-track positions in support of the ICC. These three searches are for faculty lines in the Park School, School of Business and the School of Music.

STUDENT ADVISING One of the key initiatives of IC 20/20 has been to restructure the college’s current academic advising system in order to create a more centralized program in a physical center. Margaret Arnold, special assistant to the provost, is overseeing the development of the future Center for Advising and

Achievement. Arnold said she is in the process of pulling together a search committee to hire a director for the center by December. That way, she said, the spring semester can be dedicated to hiring professional advisers to begin working during the Fall 2013 semester.

FUTURE PROSPECTS Kelly also said the college is planning for a broader campus climate survey on diversity within the college community,

which was spearheaded this year by Mark Coldren, associate vice president of human resources.

College targets young alumni for donations BY NICOLE OGRYSKO

In an effort to raise money for Ithaca College’s Annual Fund, and to implement the college’s IC 20/20 strategic plan, the Office of Institutional Advancement reorganized and realigned programs and staff this year. Chris Biehn, vice president of institutional advancement, said the board of trustees is preparing to announce an exact launch date and fundraising goal for the campaign. Three new directors in institutional advancement are at the center of the realigning of the office. Rob de la Fuente joined the college as the director of the newly renamed Ithaca College Annual Fund, Craig Evans ’84 serves as the new director of gift planning and Greg Kimbell is the new director of advancement. Biehn said the college’s fundraising and alumni advancement functions are now within one department. “The next step is creating the multi-year plan that will delineate what are the key goals that we need to accomplish each year in order, by 2020, to have a more comprehensive and stimulating program of alumni, students and parent engagement, and therefore a more suc-

cessful fundraising program,” Biehn said. This year, de la Fuente said, the Annual Fund will target young alumni who have graduated 10 or fewer years ago through its new program, Young Alumni Challenge. Their goal is for at least 1,000 young alumni to donate to the college , which would be an increase of 11 percent from the previous year. De la Fuente said institutional advancement hopes 38 percent of the senior class — the largest in college history — will donate to the Senior Class Gift, which is part of the Annual Fund. Through the Annual Fund, Biehn said, Institutional advancement hopes donors will give to the college as a whole, as opposed to specific departments or programs. “We are encouraging people to think more broadly about the college and to look at the plan as a way to connect the schools,” he said. Biehn said the college also wants to grow its endowment, which stands at about $200 million. “The larger the endowment, the more can come from that endowment,” he said. “We’re able to offer both scholarships and other financial awards to students. It also helps us maintain a competitive position in terms of faculty salaries.”

Associate provost breaks down Middle States

BY ELMA GONZALEZ

Frustration with Ithaca College over the speed of the implementation of IC 20/20 has brought forth questions about how Middle States, Ithaca College’s regional accreditor, is linked to new curriculum deadlines. News Editor Elma Gonzalez sat down with the college’s accreditation liaison officer, Carol Henderson, associate provost for accreditation, assessment and curriculum, to discuss developments with Middle States, program review and IC 20/20.

Elma Gonzalez: What is our relationship to Middle States? Carol Henderson: There are a number of regions around the U.S., and those are voluntary associations formed by colleges and universities to monitor quality and conformance to a certain set of standards to ensure that students are getting good service from colleges and that we are meeting quality standards across the whole country. Institutions of higher education that want their students to have access to federal financial aid, student loans, grants, that kind of thing, need to comply with those standards and be accredited. EG: How does the Integrative Core Curriculum play into all of this? CH: I understand that there is a history of getting recommendations... and then not actually doing what we were asked to do, so it’s kind of come to the point where if we don’t take action this time, the consequences could be serious. Part of IC 20/20 is to respond to that and to the other recommendations that we got, which

were mostly about strategic planning and linking resources and budgeting to the goals and objectives of our strategic plan. EG: Is academic program review connected to Middle States? CH: It is generally accepted as an ordinary practice in higher education, and also part of one of the main points that Middle States stresses in all of its work with colleges and universities is the need for continuous review of what you are doing. EG: Some faculty are concerned program review may lead to the elimination of programs and positions. Is there ground for that fear? CH: It could lead to [the elimination of programs and positions], but it doesn’t necessarily lead to that, and that is not the whole purpose of program review, although that is sometimes the first thing people see — especially when it hasn’t been done for a while, and then we are on a tight budget year.

CH: This year, by June 1, we have to turn in a written report that addresses the recommendations that were made in the last team visit, and then it also needs to address a number of other basic issues EG: Is there a real concern that we would be denied accreditation? Is that a possibility? CH: I think it is a possibility. I think it is a pretty small possibility. Ithaca has a long history of very high quality, and it would be unusual for the commission to take a drastic action like that

EG: What happens if the college is placed on probation? CH: Then they would give you much more specific recommendations, and they would set up a timetable by which you would have to accomplish them. So you want to avoid that, because you want to be able to chart your own course. That is part of what we are doing with [IC] 20/20, we are taking command of our own future rather than putting ourselves in the position where the commission is going to tell us what our future is going to be.

EG: When do we have our next review, and what needs to be ready? Associate provost Carol Henderson is in charge of overseeing Middle States evaluation. SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

China

marketcurriculum

global

plan

IC 20/20

center languageChinacurriculum

culture Ithaca IC 20/20 culture

minor curriculum

culture

plan

Ithaca historycurriculum IC 20/20

Ithaca

minor

IC 20/20

Ithaca China center marketChinese minor curriculum integrative China IC 20/20

Ithaca

Ithacaglobal China Ithaca

plan IC 20/20

plan

curriculumplan IC 20/20

language

minor

integrative

cultureIC 20/20

plan

China

IC 20/20

language

culture

minorIC 20/20

minor

history integrative

China center market culture

curriculum culture IC 20/20

College aims to prepare students for new frontiers of China BY MICHAEL TKACZEVSKI

To prepare students to capitalize on the opportunities of the fastest-growing economy in the world, the college is expanding Chinese language and history classes, professors across campus are organizing more study-abroad programs to China and the college’s IC 20/20 strategic plan outlines the creation of an Ithaca center in China by 2020. According to the IC 20/20 vision plan, the center will be established by 2014 and will be available to students who are interested from all schools by 2020. The exact nature of the center cannot be determined until Ithaca College and another Chinese college or university finalize an agreement, Marisa Kelly, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said. “We have a number of programs with very strong connections already in China, and we have particular educational links there, which we thought would be very valuable for our students,” Kelly said. Kelly said the educational links include study-abroad programs organized by the schools of Health Sciences and Human Performance and Business, and the School of Music’s recent recruitment efforts in China. The national interest in China is growing. The Obama administration’s 100,000 Strong Foundation encourages students to travel to China to start businesses and facilitates study-abroad programs with funds to strengthen social, economic and diplomatic ties with China. The college is eager to forge ties with Chinese universities and begin creating the 38

China center, Kelly said, and will support curriculum on campus to help students prepare for China. Kelly said the faculty will create more curricula as the China center develops. Even without the center in place, professors are creating more courses about Asian history and culture that dovetail with the new Asian-American Studies Minor, which will be available to students by Fall 2013. Liu Lu, assistant professor in the department of history, is creating courses on Chinese history, which has changed dramatically since the 19th century. She is piloting a freshman seminar about modern Chinese society as part of the college’s Integrative Core Curriculum. As education on Chinese culture is gaining headway at the college, the language course is also expanding despite limited resources, Li Hong, lecturer in the department of modern languages and literatures, said. According to a 2011 article by China Daily, more than 300 million Chinese students are studying English, and the rate is gradually increasing. However, according to a 2010 article by The New York Times, only 9 percent of Americans speak a foreign language, and the federal government spends 25 percent less, adjusted for inflation, on foreign language training at the university level than it did 40 years ago. Liu would like to see more Chinese-related courses offered throughout the college’s departments. Since Liu was hired in 2010, she has been creating more levels of history courses related to Chinese topics. “I think we have enough courses for

plan

students to take, but there is area for improvement, especially in the language and literature department,” Liu said. “There should be more language courses here that could prepare Ithaca College students so they have at least some minimum experience before they go to China and study there.” Cornell has a full four-year Chinese language program featuring both Mandarin and Cantonese. Ithaca College has one professor, Li, teaching the first two years of Mandarin that have been available since Li was hired in 2007, and will be hiring another professor to teach a new third year of courses. A third year of Chinese language courses is in the works, Li said. Students who elect to take Advanced Conversational Chinese, which will be available by Fall 2013, will learn how to make an argument or presentation. Another course dealing with Chinese culture and literature will still be in planning until Spring 2014 at the earliest. Li has been working toward creating a Chinese minor or a broader Asian studies minor. She said having a minor will make the IC 20/20 plan for China more beneficial for students. Preparing students to learn about China’s culture and economy is a daunting task for the college, but it is necessary for American students to have this knowledge to succeed in the modern economy, Kelly said. “In the 21st century, the ability as a future businessperson or entrepreneur … to engage in China, to understand how to work collaboratively with the Chinese, seems to be something that makes a lot of sense,” Kelly said.

Chinese students adapt to life at Ithaca College BY JEREMY LI AND MICHAEL TKACZEVSKI

The transition from high school to college is already a daunting task for students from the U.S., but Chinese students face a greater challenge after moving away from family, friends and their native language. As Ithaca College expands its recruitment efforts in China, there is a rising number of students from China here on campus. Like other international students, Chinese students experience a change in culture and language more drastic than American students face. However, the difficulty of the change does not deter Chinese students from coming to the college and the country. According to the Office of Institutional Research, there has been a steady increase in the number of the Chinese students enrolled at the college in the last five years. In Fall 2008, there were three Chinese students enrolled full time, and in Fall 2012, 10 Chinese students were enrolled full time. This follows a national trend of increase in the number of Chinese students in American colleges. At 194,029 students, the number of Chinese students has nearly tripled since five years ago, according to the Institute of International Education.

The college has been expanding its recruitment operations in China for the last three years. Thomas Kline, director of music admissions and preparatory programs, said he and other faculty held 420 auditions in Mainland China, 220 of which were in Beijing, over the course of four weeks last summer. Freshman Liu Gengshu had learned about Ithaca College’s music program ahead of time. He auditioned at the college’s recruitment fair in Beijing in 2011 and was accepted later that year. Liu came to the college to study music but decided he wanted to pursue a career in business instead. He said the switch between majors was much easier at Ithaca College than it would have been in China. “I want to try more things, I want to explore,” Liu said. Breaks between schools are usually good news for American students who can visit their friends and family back home. For many international students however, the trip back home can be too expensive, so breaks end up being lonely, Zhang said. “Life here is so different,” Liu said. “I missed everything back home, the food, the people, the places. In fact, I am counting down how many days left before I can go home. But this

homesickness in no way negatively impacts my study here, it’s a positive motivator.” Friends are an important part of the college experience, but the cultural barrier between international and American students can make it difficult to make friends. “It’s easier to communicate with my fellow international students,” Liu said. “We share more commonalities. American students tend to retain their own culture, and therefore are less adaptive when making friends.” Junior Mei Shanshan said she has learned much since she first came to America and wants to share her experience with future incoming Chinese students, she said. “Try to reach out to American students, Mei said. “You’re scared of them, they’re scared of you too. If you don’t reach out to them, how can you even start bonding?” Zhang’s and Liu’s interviews were originally conducted in Mandarin and were translated into English by Jeremy Li.

China offers business opportunities BY MICHAEL TKACZEVSKI

Recent developments in plans for the center in China, which is part of the college’s IC 20/20 strategic plan, have inspired professors and staff to organize study abroad programs to give students a better understanding of Chinese business culture. According to a 2012 article in IC View written by President Tom Rochon, he and other staff and board of trustees members of the college traveled to China last year to visit 12 universities in five cities to discuss the creation of the China center with potential partners. Rochon said in an email that the college can’t disclose any details about the China center, because the college and a prospective Chinese university would need to develop the center’s features together. In general, the China center will provide students with courses and help them find internships while abroad, Rochon said. Marisa Kelly, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said professors have also taken the initiative to form connections with Chinese universities, which she said will be crucial in establishing a China center. “It’s very much an organic situation,” Kelly said. “Moving forward with the center in China will institutionalize [those connections] to a much greater degree than has been the case before.” Isaac Kardon, a teaching assistant at Cornell University and a Ph.D. candidate for Chinese politics, said American students who form professional relationships with Chinese businesspeople will be more valuable to the American economy. “The more you can respect, appreciate and understand where people are coming from … [the more] it builds an individual into a more thoughtful, sensitive, well-rounded person,” Kardon said. “At a macro level, it also makes it easier to reduce conflict at an international level.”

Scan this code with a smartphone to see where most international students come from, or visit http://bit.ly/ ZamJVP.

Editorial 3/21/2013

The new land of opportunity

s the job field becomes increasingly globalized, American students should seize the opportunity to build social and economic relationships abroad. If we hope to stay competitive in global industry, we must strive to build a globally conscious curriculum. The China center is an important step in ensuring the quality of the college’s education in the future. The administration’s commitment to international education shows a focus on forward thinking and is a sign that the college is willing to adapt to the needs of future generations

of students. The federal push for American students to spend semesters in strategic locations like China is a common sense and people-driven approach to foreign policy. By encouraging young people to spend time in regions that are of specific economic and political interest to the U.S., the government is helping build basic relationships that can yield meaningful political alliances. The economies of the U.S. and China are intertwined, and it’s time we build the personal and intellectual ties that will allow the two countries to exist peacefully.

Housing Off-campus housing denials cause serious difficulties for students BY NICOLE OGRYSKO

Students faced difficulties this fall with the off-campus housing approval process as the Ithaca College Office of Residential Life approved only about half of the number of offcampus housing applications it approved last year. The college automatically grants rising seniors — students who have completed five semesters by the fall or six semesters by the spring — off-campus housing status if they want, but sophomores and juniors looking to move off campus must apply for approval. Bonnie Prunty, director of residential life and judicial affairs, said 418 non-seniors were approved for off-campus housing this fall, compared to 761 non-seniors in 2011. This spring, 145 applicants added their names to an off-campus waiting list, compared to 12 students last year. When the college finished building the Circle Apartments over the summer, it added 138 on-campus spaces for the fall semester. This year, the college also brought in a smaller freshman class of about 1,570 students — fewer than the targeted class size of 1,600 to 1,650. These factors, plus an in-

crease in the number of sophomores and campus housing,” Hone said. juniors applying for off-campus housing, all To prevent future conflicts, Prunty said contributed to a higher denial rate for off- students should not sign lease agreements for campus housing this year, Prunty said. off-campus housing until they know they have Junior Sarah Ward signed a lease for a approval from the college, though she said she house off campus with a few friends last fall. recognizes the competitive nature of securing After she was denied off-campus housing, housing off-campus for the following year. she joined 144 other students on a waiting “We had a number of students on that list for approval. [waiting] list who have leases off-campus “It was really difficult because we had to and on-campus obligations, and we don’t find people to fill our lease last minute,” Ward want our students to obviously end up in said. “It was very much a scramble to try to that position again,” Prunty said. salvage the situation at all.” Prunty said some students ended up doing what is termed “phantom housing” — where students live off campus, but maintain their on-campus assignments. For senior Tim Hone, “phantom housing” wasn’t an option because he could not afford to pay rent for both rooms. “I thought I was going to have to drop out of school because I was going to be responsible for Junior Emily Weiner moves into her Circle Apartment. This year only half of the number the lease and for some sort of on-

College changes application deadlines for off-campus housing approval BY NICOLE OGRYSKO

The Office of Residential Life announced in October that it will begin to approve students for off-campus housing during the fall semester, rather than the spring, in order to better correspond with when students sign rental leases. Bonnie Prunty, director of residential life and judicial affairs, said applications to live off campus will be available Oct. 29. This decision comes after a hectic off-campus approval process last school year, when more than 160 students were placed on an off-campus housing waiting list. Because many students sign leases for off-campus housing in October and November, Prunty said, it makes sense to move up the application process. “We had a number of students on that list who ultimately never 40

got approved, who had signed off-campus leases and also had an on-campus housing obligation,” she said. “We’re just trying to sync things up better so that students have the information they need before they are in a position where they make a decision to sign a lease.” Prunty said Residential Life typically looks at the number of students who were eligible to select housing in the spring semester. Now, she said, the office plans to look at overall class enrollment, as opposed to the number of students who have sophomore, junior and senior standing by the spring semester. “This allows us to do the offcampus projections in a much more precise way and come up with a target in the fall as opposed of needing to wait until January, early February to come up with that target,” she said.

of off-campus applications were approved by the Office of Residential Life.

DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

Editorial 10/11/2012 Moving off-campus application process to fall prioritizes students’ needs

y approving students for off-campus housing in the fall semester rather than the spring, the college will better serve students who typically must sign rental agreements in the fall. Under this new system, students will be able to know earlier and can look for off-campus housing without worrying if or when they will be approved. However, Residential Life will not know the number of incoming students for the following year by the fall. The college must estimate the dorm rooms it has to fill without knowing definite numbers for the next incoming class. Ideally, the college should avoid erring on the side caution and not drastically reduce the number of students allowed off campus. Under this policy, the college is putting students in a better position to make responsible decisions regarding housing. In the past, Prunty said Residential Life looked at the number of students who were eligible to select housing in the spring semester. Now, she said, the office plans to look at overall class enrollment, as opposed to the number of students who have sophomore, junior and senior standing by the spring semester. “This allows us to do the off-campus projections in a much more precise way and come up with a target in the fall as opposed of needing to wait until January, early February to come up with that target,” she said.

IC 20/20 causes housing changes Students from all graduating classes were impacted by changes to housing programming this year

Bonnie Prunty, director of residential life and judicial affairs, said the addition of new FYRE programming has potential to change available housing options for rising juniors and seniors. DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

HOUSING CHANGES FRESHMEN

SOPHOMORES

Under IC 20/20, all freshman students will be required to participate in the First Year Residential Experience Program.

Students will now select housing in July instead of during the spring semester. They will not be able to apply for suites, apartments or block housing.

JUNIORS

SENIORS

Juniors will be given priority for single rooms, suites and on-campus apartments such as the Circle Apartments.

Senior off-campus housing intention forms have been eliminated. They will be given priority for single rooms, suites and on-campus apartments.

Editorial 11/1/2012 New Policy restructures housing options

s a part of IC 20/20, Ithaca College announced this October that it will begin to require incoming freshmen to be housed in freshman-only dorms and will limit housing options for some students. To ensure all freshman students are placed in First Year Experience housing, sophomores will have to wait until July to register for housing when the college can determine how many dorms will be needed for the incoming class, and some sophomores will be prohibited from applying to live in Circle Apartments, Garden Apartments and Terrace suites. In the past, all non-freshman students registered for housing during the spring semester. The new process will strain relationships between members of different classes, as juniors and seniors will continue to select housing during the spring semester. Current students who planned to live with friends from different years will have to pick new roommates or move off-campus under the new policy, which will go into effect for the 2013-14 academic year. The new First Year Experience requirement will prohibit incoming freshmen from living in Residential Learning Communities. While the college’s attempts to improve the first-year experiences of its students are admirable, the new initiatives should not come at the cost of current students. All students should have timely access to housing decisions and a fair chance at the housing choices that will benefit them most. Students should also be encouraged to foster relationships with members of the entire student body, not just with members of their own academic class. Mixed-year communities provide students with the opportunity to spend time with people who have different insights into college life. Limiting these types of living arrangements may hinder students from building lifelong friendships with others at the college.

RAs voice concerns about First Year Residential Experience program changes BY MICHAEL TKACZEVSKI

The Office of Residential Life is addressing resident assistants’ concerns about new responsibilities that will come as part of the college’s IC 20/20 strategic plan. The changes to the First Year Residential Experience include new events that RAs will organize for incoming freshmen next year. The events are based on six themes that provide structure to the IC 20/20 plan. However, some RAs have voiced concerns that the new events will increase their workload, which is already demanding. Residential Life worked with Educational Affairs to coordinate how the themes would impact first-year students’ residential and academic experience at the college. Each student will select a theme at the beginning of the year and take Integrative Core Curriculum classes for credit. They will also attend events based on the six themes, organized by Residential Life. The themes are “Identities,” “Inquiry, Imagination and Innovation,” “Mind, Body and Spirit,” “The Quest for a Sustainable Future,” “A World of Systems”

and “Power and Justice.” The scope of the IC 20/20 residential policies has evolved since administrators, professors and students first discussed the plan two years ago, Bonnie Prunty, director of residential life and assistant dean of the FYRE, said. “From a Residential Life perspective, we have worked hard for many years to try to integrate opportunities for students to interact with faculty and to continue their learning

outside of the classroom,” Prunty said. “Other campuses have general education requirements for students. … It’s based on that kind of a concept, but it’s around themes instead.” The new program will be mandatory for next year’s incoming freshmen, who will live in the Towers, Boothroyd, Rowland, Tallcott, Holmes and Hilliard. By 2014, the college will expand FYRE further, adding Bogart, Eastman, Hood, Landon and Lyon halls to the freshmen housing pool.

Changes to the First Year Residential Experience include new events RAs will organize for incoming freshmen. COURTESY OF MARY KATE FAIN

SGA

Rochon meets with SGA to discuss student concerns BY NOREYANA FERNANDO

Ithaca College President Tom Rochon openly discussed student concerns with members of the Student Government Association on April 1 in his second meeting with the SGA for the 2012-13 academic year. During the discussion, Rochon spoke about the changes that will be brought about by the IC 20/20 strategic plan and the cost of attending the college. Rochon also addressed several questions from SGA members, including online courses and concerns about the quality of communication between the administration and the SGA. Junior Colin Covitz, senator for the school of Health Sciences and Human Performance, said he was surprised by how open Rochon was during the meeting. “I’m used to President

Rochon kind of beating around the bush a little bit when he answers questions, especially the tougher ones,” he said. “I felt that he was much more open.” Ayesha Patel, vice president of campus affairs, said she was concerned about the lack of communication between the administration and the SGA. “The relationship between student government and the administration is less than ideal, and I think a lot of people in this room agree with me,” she said. Rochon responded saying he was invited to a public SGA meeting once for the whole academic year. Patel said SGA members would have liked to have been notified of announcements about the student media policy in advance, for example. Speaking to The Ithacan, Rob Flaherty, president of SGA, said he hopes for better

dialogue on campus. “We hope that the president and the administration at large are able to have a productive, respectful conversation with stu-

dents and a mutually beneficial conversation about the ways that students can have their voices heard in the administration” he said.

President Tom Rochon attends the Student Government Association meeting. DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

SGA campus-wide survey finds dining is a top concern BY LISA FAMULARO

Campus dining, class registration, oncampus concerts and residential life were top concerns of students in a campus-wide survey conducted by the Student Government Association in Spring 2013. Rob Flaherty, student body president, said the survey asked students to rank certain subjects by degree of concern. The areas of concern that were ranked were campus dining services, campus events (concerts), campus events (other), class registration, diversity awareness, parking, residential life, school spirit, sporting events and sustainability. The survey was sent out to the entire student body on Feb. 8 and received 210 responses. The results were released March 20. Freshman Sean Themea, senator for the Class of 2016, said he ranked campus dining as his No. 1 concern, campus events as his second and school spirit as his third. To help address the issue of campus dining, Themea said he has taken on the position of co-chair 42

of the Food Service Advisory Committee, a group of students and Sodexo administration members who are working together to bring students’ voices to administration to make change. The Food Service Advisory Committee has begun to address nutritional imbalances on campus by identifying Late Night as the least healthy option. “We said that there was a high student demand for healthy food at Late Night, and as a result, the Towers Dining Hall manager rolled out a new menu for Late Night that won’t take away anything but adds nutritionally balanced options,” Themea said. Flaherty said the plan of action to address these areas of biggest concern indicated by the survey is to create student task forces by the end of the academic year. Their function will be to propose recommendations about what can be done to improve the student experience. Sophomore Leonard Slutsky said he also ranked campus dining among his top concerns, in addition to poor Internet quality at

the college, and is satisfied with how SGA is taking student opinions into consideration. Flaherty said the task forces, which are currently in the process of being formed, are going to have an SGA co-chair and a student co-chair, who is considered an “expert” in the area. When an email was sent out to students asking about interest, 18 responded. SGA is trying very hard to connect with students and is encouraging more of them to get involved. A press release from SGA said three bills were passed at its meeting this past Monday. The first created a committee to generate a recommendation to modify and improve the smoking policy on campus. A second bill described SGA’s plans to create a diversity and social justice statement. Finally, the third recommended that transfer housing be expanded to the second floor of Terrace 11 to accommodate more students. Flaherty said administration recently gained the ability to email all students, which pushed back the time the survey could be administered.

SGA president reflects on the year

BY TAYLOR LONG

Rob Flaherty, president of the Ithaca College Student Government Association, played a particularly vital role this year —first as one of the most outspoken advocates for the repeal of President Tom Rochon’s controversial media policy and later as one of two student representatives on the college budget committee, making sure the voice of students is heard as Huron recommendations are implemented. Year in Review editor Taylor Long sat down with Flaherty and asked him to reflect on what has turned out to be a very busy year. Taylor Long: It’s been a turbulent year for the college. How would you describe the trajectory the college has taken? Rob Flaherty: It’s been a weird year. I can’t really say what happened, but I think we hit this point where we first realized the crisis point that the institution is at, so the administration reacted as you would — you see a crisis, you fix it, you try to deal with it. The problem is they stepped on a lot of toes to get there and it really wasn’t pretty. But I do think that they learned lessons from it and tried to apply them to Huron, so I think it has been a year where the college has tried to figure out how exactly it is going to deal with the crisis that it’s in. Whether it’s going to be a tight-knit group of people dictating the decisions or whether it’s going to be a community-based approach to dealing with it, and I obviously favor the community approach. And I think slowly but surely as people became upset about it they began to move in that direction and tried to include more voices in the process. TL: And what, from your point of view, is the crisis the college is in? RF: It’s the problem of institutions like Ithaca College where demographically the people who come to Ithaca College are going to college less, and if they’re going to go to college they’re not going to go to one that costs $50, $60, $70 thousand a year. I kind of have equated it to if you’re paying for a Lamborghini, but you’re getting a Camry, you can either pay for the Lamborghini and get the Lamborghini or pay for the Camry and get the Camry. You’re not going to pay for a Camry that costs as much as a Lamborghini. And Ithaca College is concerned that it’s pricing itself into that territory. Where it’s like “What do we offer that makes us exceptional and how can we do that cheaper?” So the idea is to make us better in that regard and make us a higher quality institution that also costs less. So you can kind of see where IC 20/20 is coming from because they want to make things better, and you can kind of see where Huron’s coming from because they want to make things cheaper and that’s a noble cause, but I think IC is looking at its long-term viability, it’s long-term institutional trajectory, and this is sort of the year we’re getting rocked with those initial conversations, so we’re sort of growing into how we’re going to deal with it as a community. TL: How would you describe the role SGA played this year. RF: We can’t — like when the media policy came down — say “And this is repealed! It’s over!” What

we can do is start a conversation and we can start to advocate strongly. It kind of really started to form last year. The president came to a SGA meeting and it was testy. Students had questions about IC 20/20 at that time about why it hadn’t been communicated to students, why we felt that students were not involved, why it was kind of slipped away and slipped through, and I think that started a broader conversation about the place of students in college governance. So again, it comes to SGA pushing for the things we think students want. TL: As one of the two students sitting on the budget committee for the first time in Ithaca College history, how would you describe your experience and what do you see as your responsibilities to represent the student body in this regard? RF: It’s been good. There’s only so much I can say. It’s been interesting. It’s a group of people, mostly vice presidents, some budget people, and I think it’s been good because I feel like they’ve actually taken students into account there and, you know, I can’t say what’s happening or where it’s going to go, but I feel as though the committee has been very responsible to students and truthfully the president has been really good about making sure student voices were heard there, so he deserves a lot of credit for that. My role, I think, is to make sure that anything that’s being discussed or thought about or anything, that they don’t forget the ways that it will affect students. You know, it’s easy to make this budget cut, and that budget cut and see it as dollars and cents and not students. TL: You’re pushing to have student representation be a permanent thing? RF: Yes. We haven’t made formal maneuvers yet, but one of the things we’ll try to do by the end of the year is make this a more permanent plan. TL: What was SGA’s biggest victory this year? RF: For the community, I thought the media policy was the biggest win. I don’t know if that’s SGA’s biggest thing. I think getting more student involvement in the Huron process was another really good one. We just also got the ability to communicate with the entire student body, which internally is kind of a big deal. And there’s still a lot that’s more to come. RACHEL ORLOW/THE ITHACAN

Election President Barack Obama celebrates his re-election on Wednesday, November 7, 2012, in Chicago, Illinois. BRIAN CASSELLA/MCT

National: Obama wins a second term BY MARK Z. BARABAK LOS ANGELES TIMES

President Barack Obama overcame a disappointingly slow economic recovery and a massive advertising onslaught to win a second term Nov. 6, forging a coalition of women, minorities and young people that reflects the changing political face of America. The outcome was surprisingly swift. Major television networks called the race against Republican Mitt Romney less than 20 minutes after the polls closed on the West Coast, as a succession of battleground

states tipped the president’s way. About 90 minutes later, Romney offered his concession in a private phone conversation with the president. Claiming victory before a roaring, flagwaving crowd in his hometown of Chicago, Obama summoned a bit of the poetry that was absent throughout much of the acrid campaign. He told supporters that the country was moving forward “because of you.” “You reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of

Editorial 11/8/2012 Campus response to election lacks excitement seen in 2008

hen President Obama was first elected in 2008, students rushed the academic quad staging an impromptu victory rally. Four years later, Obama earned a still-historic second term, but the quad remained mostly quiet. In 2008, Ithaca College President Tom Rochon led students in a “Parade to the Polls” march, while members of the Fife and Drum Corps dressed in green coats and triangle hats and played “Yankee Doodle.” Later that night, The Ithacan reported nearly 1,000 students at the victory rally — many still in their pajamas. Since the 2008 presidential election, IC Republicans have earned national recognition and IC Democrats was founded. The

organizations have successfully brought important debates, campaign events and overall attention to political issues to campus. Though more 18- to 29-year-old voters cast a ballot in this election than in 2008, and the majority favored Obama, according to the early National Exit Poll conducted by Edison Research, the 2012 campaign season failed to inspire students the way the 2008 race electrified the campus. The lack of on-campus celebration on election night this year is discouraging considering the widespread youth support of Obama and memorable 2008 campus response. However, youth turnout showed that the youth vote can remain strong even in elections that fail to fully excite.

despair to the great heights of hope,” he said, “the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an America family, and we rise or fall together as one nation and one people.” Romney, standing alone on a flag-bedecked stage in Boston, spoke before Obama. “This is a time of great challenge for America,” he told disconsolate supporters, his voice worn and expression taut, “and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation.” For Obama, 51, winning a second term proved far more difficult than his barrier-breaking romp four years ago to become the nation’s first black president. His re-election drive bore only a faint resemblance to the uplift and aspiration of 2008. New campaign laws produced a flood of more than $2.5 billion in spending, much of it from outside groups. There were more than 1 million TV ads, many of them scathingly negative. Even so, the political map ended up looking much as it did in 2008. The only states that flipped to Romney, pending final results, were North Carolina and Indiana, both icing on Obama’s first victory. There were big stakes in the election: the fate of tax cuts scheduled to lapse at year’s end, the likelihood of one or more appointments to the Supreme Court and, more fundamentally, two visions for the proper role of government, embodied by competing plans for health care and the future of Medicare and Medicaid.

Central

Election Central: The issues Higher education S

UE E ISS

With the cost of attending college increasing each year and the number of student loan defaults constantly rising, candidates President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney frequently addressed the privatiza-

Foreign policy

tion of the financial aid system. Eric Maguire, vice president of enrollment and communication at Ithaca College, said that last year 41 percent of graduating seniors at the college had federal loans and had an average debt of $21,739. Another 26 percent had private loans and an average debt of $38,592. This election focused on the role of pri-

vate companies in the student loan market. Maguire said private and federal loans have different terms but have recently been able to compete. “You’re seeing the private loans be a little bit more competitive now because interest rates of those loans have dropped,” Maguire said. “Relative to the federal loans, they’ve become a little more attractive in terms of interest rates.”

BY JACK CURRAN

The violence in the Middle East, including Syria’s attack on Turkey on Oct. 3 and the terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya, made foreign policy a more prevalent issue in the election. Robert Nolan, producer and editor at the Foreign Policy Association, said the campaigns began to focus on foreign policy in the Middle East.

“We’re looking at hot spots like Egypt, Libya, Iran and Israel,” Nolan said. “Those are the areas where the foreign policy debate will focus on.” Under the Obama administration all U.S. troops were withdrawn from Iraq. Obama plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Romney questioned whether leaving Iraq was the right decision.

Women’s health rights Women’s reproductive health also played an important role in this election. Abortion rights and access to affordable contraception are both issues that were up for debate. Many religious and anti-abortion groups support bills regarding the personhood of an unborn child because they consider abortion to be murder. Women’s rights groups are against these

Health care

BY JACK CURRAN

China also received attention in the race. Nolan said the candidates will need to focus on how to deal with China as a world power — both economically and politically. The candidates had varying opinions on how to deal with immigration. Both candidates agreed the borders need to be secured, and the immigration system needs to be reformed, but their methods of doing so differ.

BY JACK CURRAN

bills. Sybil Shainwald, president of the national women’s health alliance, said the right to abortion and contraception were in danger in this election. “There’s a clear and present danger to women in this election,” Shainwald said. “Rights that [women] have had for decades are being challenged now.” Maureen Kelly, vice president for pro-

gramming and communications at Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes, said Planned Parenthood’s ability to provide for women is at risk in the election. “It’s going to be harder for us, potentially, to provide people with the information and resources they require,” Kelly said. “That means that people may go without having access to preventive reproductive health care.”

benefits has directly impacted students in college. The Affordable Care Act has done away with limited benefit plans. According to Laura Keefe, manager of health center operations, this year the college’s insurance plan increased its maximum benefit from $10,000 to $100,000. Next year the maximum benefit will be $500,000, and the following year it will be unlimited. Keefe said this increased maximum benefit

means the college’s student insurance plan now includes coverage of preventive care. It also means premiums for student insurance have increased and will continue to increase. As coverage increases the cost of insurance must also increase. “Our premium was $575 last year; this year it’s $1,110,” Keefe said. “Expand coverage, the premium goes up.”

BY JACK CURRAN

The Affordable Care Act, passed in March 2010 and upheld by the Supreme Court in July 2012, was another contested issue. The health care bill is one of the main components of President Barack Obama’s campaign, but Republican candidate Mitt Romney promised to repeal the bill in his first act as president. While the bill has an effect on many areas of insurance, its provision concerning limited

The economy

BY SHEA O’MEARA

In September, the unemployment rate in New York state was 8.9 percent, which was slightly higher than the national unemployment rate of 7.7 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nicole Woo, director of domestic policy for the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a progressive economic policy think-tank based in Washington, D.C., said the economy

has grown since the economic recession in 2008, but the American economy is stalled, meaning the number of jobs is not growing as much as the population is. Senior Robert Oliver, president of IC Republicans, said Romney would create a freer market and more energy through more drilling and natural gas. Senior Rob Flaherty, president of IC

Democrats, said Obama has made job growth one of his top priorities while in office and has made gains on bringing jobs to Americans. He said he hoped Obama would be re-elected. “I’m a senior myself, and that’s why I’m so strongly supporting the president this time,” Flaherty said. “I’m concerned about what comes next, and I want to be sure the person in the Oval Office is looking out for me.”

Election

IC Democrats defeat IC Republicans in campus-wide debate BY NOREYANA FERNANDO

Nearing the final countdown to the 2012 presidential elections, IC Democrats and IC Republicans exchanged sharp comments, smirks and glares in a campus-wide debate Oct. 30 in Emerson Suites. In the end, IC Democrats were declared the winners. In an effort to make a final appeal to college voters, the two groups discussed President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, student debt, immigration and higher education. Nearly 100 students gathered to watch the debate. Judge Lucia Sciore, board member at the Tompkins County League of Women Voters, said though both teams did well, the Democrats’ argument was stronger. “They were both well-matched,” she said. “I thought the Democrats had a little more strength to their arguments, and some of their rebuttals were a little stronger.” Senior Rob Flaherty, president of the IC Democrats, said his team successfully conveyed Obama’s policies. “We really pushed the president’s agenda, the democratic agenda, to move our country forward within the next four years,” he said. Contestants were not judged based on their political positions but on their speaking style, factuality, posture and delivery, according to Sara Schupp, program coordinator for the First Year

Experience at OSEMA and organizer of the debate. A group of faculty and staff selected the topics students focused on for the campus debates. The IC Democrats’ team included seniors Flaherty and Stephen Burke, junior Cedrick-Michael Simmons and sophomore Gillian Nigro. The IC Republicans team consisted of sophomores Grace Demerath and David Owens, freshman Ian Wiese and senior Rob Oliver, who is also the president of IC Republicans. The opening question focused on the roles of private employers in providing a healthcare plan that provides contraceptives for female employees as laid out in the Affordable Care Act and incited two divided arguments. Demerath, of the IC Republicans, said the use of contraception is a personal decision for which other people should not be responsible. On the IC Democrats side, Nigro responded to the question by saying birth control is an expensive affair that most women cannot afford. “My opponent said that it should be a personal issue, that women should buy their own birth control,” she said. “Birth control is extraordinarily expensive. It ranges from $15 to $50 a month, which is sometimes just more than women can pay.” The two teams also clashed on the use of the term “illegal immigrants,” which the IC Democrats deemed “offensive and dehumanizing.” The Republicans responded saying the

Rob Flaherty, president of IC Democrats, takes the podium at the campus-wide debate. 46 SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

term “undocumented” was “misleading.” The debate did not cover issues such as the budget, economy and unemployment rate in the country, which have been discussed extensively in presidential debates. However, the economy is one of the main issues of concern among young voters, according to a poll by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning at Tufts University. Owens said the arguments brought up at the debate were comparable to those discussed in national debates. “Both of us had very strong arguments,” he said. “It really shows how we are just a microcosm of Washington; we are all having these same arguments.” The event was sponsored by the Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs. The panel of judges consisted of Simon Gilhooley, lecturer in the politics department; Theresa Radley, assistant director of student leadership and involvement at OSEMA; and Sciore of the Tompkins County League of Women Voters. Senior Justin Pyron moderated the debate. Schupp said the event was organized with the intention of encouraging young people to vote. “It was to get people to vote, because our age group doesn’t vote nearly as much as older age groups,” she said. “But we are going to become one of the largest voting electorate groups ever by 2015.”

Simon Gilhooley, lecturer in the politics department and debate judge, takes notes. RACHEL WOOLF/THE ITHACAN

Central

Checks and Balances

Rightly So

Examining politics from the left

Political analysis with a conservative twist

Election results mark new era

Grand Old Party needs an update

BY RACHAEL HARTFORD

BY ROB OLIVER

President Obama won his second term by winning minority voters, particularly Hispanics, women and young voters. Some feared Obama’s voter turnout would be stifled by a lack of excitement about the election this year. This was not the case. While a win for the Obama camp was expected, it is where he drew support from that is drawing much comment. The increasing number of minority voters has analysts proposing we have reached a new era. Census data from 2010 shows America is becoming more diverse. Racial and ethnic minorities, especially Hispanics, are dominating national growth and will continue to do so for years to come. The Democratic agenda, which supports broader federal involvement in medical care, housing and education, is typically more favorable to Hispanic voters, according to the Brookings Institute. Overall, Obama won a 44-point advantage among Hispanics. This shows the incredible significance the minority vote had on this election. When it comes to women voters, we also saw Obama prevail. According to Bloomberg, Obama built a 11 percentage-point advantage among female voters. Finally, Obama won the national youth vote with 67 percent compared to Romney’s 30 percent. Several analysts initially worried Hurricane Sandy would have a negative impact on early and absentee voting, which the Obama camp heavily relies on to garner young voters. However, these voters turned out where it counted. Overall, women, Hispanics and young people had a noteworthy hand in tipping the scale in Obama’s favor for the presidential race. While this ultimate outcome was expected, it suggests shifts in voting patterns and trends that will prove significant for future races, both presidential as well as on the state and congressional levels. Pundits and GOP members alike are now urging the Republican Party to re-evaluate how it reaches out to minority voters. If the party hopes to win in the future, it will have to better meet the needs of a base that does not solely consist of older, white and male conservatives.

Nov. 6 was a wake-up call for the Republican Party: If the Republican establishment wants to be successful in winning the Senate and White House, it must rebrand itself and focus on the pressing issues of our time — national spending and immigration. Republicans have gone from the inclusionary party to the exclusionary party by rejecting particular voter groups necessary to win popular elections. Republican candidates such as former representatives Todd Akin (R-MO) and Richard Mourdock (R-IN), stress social issues like the right to life even in cases of rape. These are not the most important issues of our time and clearly not helping the GOP win elections. Republicans should address issues that have been overlooked and bypassed by Congress and the American people, like the fiscal cliff, immigration and civil liberties. We as Americans all know that the president didn’t “cut the deficit in half” in his first term, as he promised when he was campaigning in 2008, but we must get past that and work together to come to a viable solution. Deportation numbers skyrocketed under “progressive” Obama, with Obama deporting roughly 33,000 illegal immigrants a month, while President George Bush only deported about 21,000 a month, according Politifact. President Bush received 44 percent of the Latino vote in 2004, whereas Mitt Romney received just 27 percent in 2012. As Florida senator and 2016 presidential hopeful, Marco Rubio, stated on election day, “The conservative movement should have particular appeal to people in minority and immigrant communities who are trying to make it, and Republicans need to work harder than ever to communicate our beliefs to them.” Young conservatives don’t always agree with the Republican leadership that lays out the party’s platform, and we know that the party has major work to do if they want to be successful in the Senate and White House. The Republican leadership put a moderate candidate out there in 2012 with a reactionary platform, not a particularly victorious combination. The Republican Party has been the party of big government and has infringed on civil liberties. We can’t cave to higher taxes and minimal spending cuts; we must learn to compromise.

November 6, 2012 RACHEL ORLOW/THE ITHACAN

January 31, 2013 RACHEL ORLOW/THE ITHACAN

Drug Policy

Ithaca College implements new drug policy BY CANDACE KING

Beginning in Fall 2012, students began to face equal penalties for alcohol and marijuana use at Ithaca College. The new protocol is the result of a joint effort between the Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Student Government Association. The proposal for the Equal Drug Policy was introduced last year by senior Evan Nison, president of SSDP and Ben Malakoff, ’12, public relations officer of the SSDP. SGA endorsed the initiative last October with a 14-2 vote. Malakoff said the policy allows students to make informed decisions based on health and social consequences, rather than the severity of penalty. “We’re not advocating that one substance is safer or should be used over the other, but they should be treated in a similar manner,” Malakoff said. “Students should have the ability to make the decisions based on fact-based evidence rather than their fear of being punished more for one versus the other.” Previously, sanctions for marijuana possession were stricter and included a semester on probation, which prohibits students from becoming a resident assistant or studying abroad,

and mandatory participation in an online course, Marijuana 101. If a student received a second marijuana violation, they would be placed on a year of probation. The penalty for a first violation for underage drinking, however, was a written warning. Under the new protocol, judicial sanctions for both offenses emphasize education and healthier choices. The first violation for underage drinking or unlawful possession of marijuana became a written warning, along with a scheduled meeting between the student and a hearing officer. Students also have to enroll in and complete a web-based education program that has a $50 fee. According to Nancy Reynolds, health promotion center program director, medical amnesty continues to be in effect for both alcohol and marijuana cases when students call on behalf of themselves or another student. Michael Leary, assistant director for judicial affairs, said the objective of the policy is to decrease high-risk behavior with substances like alcohol and marijuana. “Our goal is to cut down on high-risk drinking and help students be successful,” Leary said. “It’s that balance between we’re

Michael Leary, assistant director of judicial affairs. RACHEL WOOLF/THE ITHACAN

going to hold people accountable, but we also want be to be safe and healthy and make good decisions.”

Editorial 8/30/2012

Ithaca College successfully equalizes alcohol and marijuana penalties

icking the lesser of two evils is no longer necessary, thanks to college’s decision to equalize the consequences for marijuana possession and underage drinking. Because of the efforts of Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Student Government Association, the illegal substances are placed

on even ground. The policy should not be seen as a free pass to smoke or drink, but instead as a way to encourage students to make decisions based on health, rather than worrying about the severity of the punishment. Granted, lowering the sanctions for marijuana possession meant raising the penalties for a first-time alcohol offense in order to treat both equally. However, alcohol is often regarded as just as dangerous, if not more so, for a developing brain than marijuana. By adding an education component for both offenses, the college is prioritizing students’ well-being. The change raises the issue of what resident assistants, who typically write warnings and dispose of alcohol, are supposed to do in cases where Public Safety would normally be needed. Because the substances are now equated, those who are comfortable disposing of either one should be able to do so. The college should trust resident assistants to dispose of drug paraphernalia, with additional training. Police support should also still be available for any situation if needed. College is a time of independence and practical decision-making. Under this new policy, students are afforded the opportunity to assert that independence while knowing the consequences for their actions are the same. By educating students on the dangers of marijuana and alcohol, the college has done a service to the campus by opening the door to healthier choices.

Proposed legislation targets local tobacco dealers BY STEPHEN ADAMS

The Downtown Ithaca Alliance proposed legislation in Fall 2012 to increase oversight and tighten regulations on local tobacco dealers. The proposed legislation, “Tobacco and Tobacco Products Permit Legislation,” limits the ability of local tobacco dealers to sell tobacco products and paraphernalia. If passed, the drafted regulations would require all stores that sell tobacco products or smoking paraphernalia to obtain a local license from the City of Ithaca. In the legislation, “tobacco products” refer to one or more cigarettes or cigars, chewing tobacco, powdered tobacco or any other tobacco products, whereas “smoking paraphernalia,” items commonly found in head shops, refers to pipes, water pipes, hookahs, rolling papers, vaporizers or other apparatuses designed for inhaling tobacco. Any establishment that sells either tobacco products or tobacco paraphernalia is considered a tobacco dealer. There are currently six head shops located on The Commons. In addition, there are nearly 20 tobacco retailers — not counting corner stores and gas stations. Until now, Ithaca tobacco dealers have only been obligated to register with the New York State Department of Tax and Finance and obtain a certification that authorizes the collection of tobacco excise taxes. Like most cities, Ithaca requires no specific local permits for the sale of tobacco. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the drug remains the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. The proposed changes would require every dealer of tobacco products in Ithaca to have a valid permit. For the first year permits will only be issued to applicants for the same location where they were issued

Mayor announces support for marijuana legalization BY KACEY DEAMER

Ithaca is joining the national trend toward support of marijuana legalization following an announcement of support from Mayor Svante Myrick last week. Myrick published a commentary for the Times Union, an Albany-area newspaper, on Dec. 3, calling on state lawmakers to permit medical marijuana and consider complete legalization. The mayor of Binhamton, Matt Ryan, announced support of legalization in November. The commentary included reference to medical marijuana being legalized in other states — 18 in total and the District of Columbia. Myrick said part of his decision to support legalization comes from the need for marijuana for medicinal purposes. “I know a lot of Ithacans of all ages who rely on marijuana use for medical symptoms, and they feel guilty about feeding the black market to buy the stuff,” he said. Ithaca College recently enacted a policy equalizing the drugs after the Students for Sensible Drug Policy chapter at the college pushed for it. Senior Evan Nison, president of SSDP and an intern for Myrick, said the new policy has been effective. “From what we’re hearing from administrators, they’re happy with it, they think it’s effective, and it’s doing what it’s supposed to do,” Nison said. Myrick said punishments for marijuana use, can be especially harmful for youth. “[I] know a lot of young people who see their reputations stained sometimes for a lifetime,” Myrick said.

a certificate of registration from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. The number of permits issued will have a limit, though that number has not yet determined. In addition, no permit shall be issued to any tobacco sellers that are not in a fixed location. A permit will also not be issued to any tobacco sellers within 500 feet of a school or within 500 feet of another tobacco product-selling establishment in possession of a valid permit, unless they were licensed by New York State as a tobacco dealer. Gary Ferguson, executive director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, said the legislation is being brought to the table to regulate businesses selling tobacco and paraphernalia. “The legislation is supposed to regulate businesses, it’s not supposed to put them out of business,” Ferguson said. “It’s supposed to provide a framework for regulating them and licensing them, and making sure people are all doing what they’re supposed to do. It could also control the growth, the numbers in the future,” Ferguson said. The proposed regulations have been sent to the Ithaca Common Council for review, but no timetable has been set. If considered, the document would be passed to the Common Council Committee for approval. Among the head shops that would be affected is Jabberwock, located on The Commons. The store sells glass pipes, assorted beads, drums, ethnic clothing and local crafts. Jael McGreal, co-manager at Jabberwock, said she wants people to understand what stores like hers bring to the community. “Although we do sell a lot of glass, which is considered paraphernalia sometimes, we’re keeping local artists alive,” McGreal said. “And, we’re not just selling pipes that we order from China, we try to keep 95 percent of our industry entirely local.”

Editorial 9/20/2012 Proposed local tobacco licensing that includes paraphernalia threatens local businesses

he City of Ithaca’s proposed local tobacco legislation needs to distinguish between establishments that sell tobacco products versus smoking paraphernalia. Requiring head shops to carry a local license simply because they sell glassware associated with tobacco only serves to limit local artists, not prevent underage tobacco use. Tobacco dealers are currently only obligated to register with the New York State Department of Tax and Finance, and most cities do not require a specific local permit for the sale of tobacco. Without a distinction between drugs and paraphernalia, the license requirement would not only strain tobacco retailers, but other shop owners who are selling glassware and other locally crafted merchandise. Tobacco is deadly, and aiming to limit underage purchases and more strictly regulate the sale and distribution is a goal Ithaca should be proud of pursuing. However, the policy doesn’t help solve a public health issue as much as it simply imposes on local businesses. The proposed policy states that Ithaca will only issue one

new permit for every two permits that were revoked or not renewed. The policy also states that there will be a to-be-decided limit on the permits given out each year. Limiting the number of local tobacco licenses allows the city to restrict the number of growing businesses in a still-weak economy. If a retailer does not actually sell tobacco, there is no reason that shop should be included into a category of “dealer of tobacco products,” therefore, they shouldn’t be subject to regulation under a local tobacco license. There’s no local law restricting the sale or display of wine glasses to discourage underage alcohol purchases, so why should there be a comparable one for tobacco paraphernalia?

Women’s Issues Gender wage gap still plagues working women BY GERALD DOHERTY

Data released this fall shows women who graduate from college will probably see a smaller starting paycheck than their male peers. A study by the American Association of University Women published in October found that college-educated women working full time make an average of 82 percent of their male counterparts’ salaries just one year after graduation. The report, titled “Graduating to a Pay Gap,” examined the salaries of working men and women one year out of college in 2009, when the most recent data was available, and found recent female graduates across majors and occupations made less than male graduates after one year in the workforce. The organization, which includes former president Ithaca College Peggy Williams as a director-at-large, ranked New York 6th in the country for sex-based salary discrepancy, where the median salary for female college graduates aged 25 or older is $57,000 compared to $73,000 for college-educated male New Yorkers. Christianne Corbett, senior researcher at the AAUW, said the organization used federal data from the Department of Education to study pay according to gender and chose recent college graduates because there should be no reason for a difference in their pay. “We wanted to look as much as possible at apples to apples,” Corbett said. “Working one year out of college, most men and women at

that stage in their life do not have kids. They’re as equal as they can be in terms of experience and family responsibilities.” The AAUW attributed the gap to several explained causes, including occupational and major choice, as men are more likely to enter higher-paying fields such as engineering and computer sciences, while women are more likely to work in lower-paying fields such as education and healthcare. However, the study found a pay discrepancy for many economic sectors even when looking at men and women in the same field. For example, among business majors, females made about $8,000 less than males after the first year, $45,000 for men compared to $37,000 for women. Fields with no significant difference in pay included education, healthcare and the humanities. Though the study set controls for explained factors, including hours worked, job, economic sector and chosen study, Corbett said the AAUW found there was still a difference in pay that could not be accounted for. “We do a regression analysis where we consider everything like major, job and hours worked, put them all together and find there’s still a 6.6 percent unexplained gap,” she said. Carla Golden, professor of psychology at Ithaca College who teaches courses such as psychology of women, said the benefit of focusing on recent college graduates working full time in explaining the pay gap is that often-cited causes, such as child rearing, part-time work and time spent outside the labor force can be rejected.

“Most economic studies of the pay gap always find some amount of variance unexplainable,” Golden said. “This study, like most studies, was able to point to certain things which explain the gap, and yet still there’s some amount of variance that’s unexplained, which people then attribute to discrimination, unconscious mostly.” One portion of the unexplained gap, Golden said, can be attributed to women being less likely to negotiate for a larger salary than men, an idea that the AAUW study cited as possible and that is supported by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever’s book, “Women Don’t Ask.” In September, a Yale University study found that when male and female scientists were given identical applications, but with male and female applicant names, the applications from females were scored lower for competence, ability to be hired and mentoring. Both female and male scientists were also more likely to offer the female applicant a lower starting salary. Senior Mariana Garces, vice-president of IC Feminists, said knowing about this pay discrimination makes current economic uncertainty more daunting. Ultimately, Garces said, the pay gap can be resolved by educating people about the pay gap, mobilizing to change it and supporting legislation to address it. “It’s important for us to see this now and start to do something about it,” Garces said. “It doesn’t have to be like this, we can change this, not only through educating women but also by educating men about the interaction and the structure we live in.”

AVERAGE ANNUAL EARNINGS ONE YEAR AFTER COLLEGE GRADUATION

$35,296

GENDER

WOMEN

$42,918

MEN 0

10,000

Numbers show 2007-08 bachelor degree recipients employed full time in 2009 and exclude graduates older than age 35.

20,000

30,000

40,000

$50,000

EARNINGS IN DOLLARS SOURCE: AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN

Editorial 11/29/2012

It’s time to market gender balance

hile women make up the majority of students on American college campuses, a recent study shows they may be graduating into a man-centric workforce that creates a gender gap in salary during the first year of employment. “Graduating to a Pay Gap,” a study conducted by the American Association of University Women published in October, claims women who have recently graduated across all academic disciplines and job occupations made less money than men in equivalent positions after only one year in the workforce. The AAUW recently awarded nine institutions, including Ithaca College, grants to promote dialogue about the gender pay gap on campus. The AAUW found college-educated women 25 years and older made about $16,000 less per year than men in similar positions. Research suggests women are socialized to believe they should be less aggressive, and because of this societal standard, women are less likely to defend themselves or promote themselves for advancement. While social aggression may be an important trait in the workplace, neither women nor men should be forced to alter their mentalities to be successful. Women should feel free to embrace their aggressiveness or take on more quiet characteristics depending on their personalities. Graduates should work to market their skills and show that — despite their gender — their natural personalities and traits will make a solid fit for the employer. At the same time, employers should value both traditionally masculine traits, like aggressiveness, and stereotypically feminine traits, like the ability to listen and show compassion, as equal parts in an overall goal of creating a balanced workplace. If employers better understood the benefits of gender balance in the office and stepped away from the traditional idea that a group of hard-hitting, aggressive employees makes the best office team, workplaces would be more balanced and the gender gap would decrease. It is important that recent graduates be as educated as possible about the challenges that will face their generation. Supporting legislation that will help end overt discrimination and voicing concern for the gender gap will help inspire policy makers to affect real change.

Letter to the Editor:

Peggy Ryan Williams responds to coverage of gender pay gap Bravo on the Nov. 29 editorial, “Time to Market Gender Balance.” I am pleased to see the American Association of University Women research report, “Graduating to the Pay Gap,” get such good attention in a college newspaper. We need to educate undergraduates about the issues raised in the report and work vigorously to get Congress to pass the “Pay Fairness Act”. The

act “…required employers to demonstrate that any salary differences between men and women doing the same work are not gender-related…” (Huffington Post 6/5/12). In 2012, it is hard to believe that it is so difficult to get agreement on this basic concept of equity. Keep up the good work, and we will get it done. Peggy Ryan Williams, President Emerita, Director, AAUW board

String of assaults puts Cornell on alert A string of three reported assaults on Sept. 2 led to a crime alert on the Cornell University campus. Investigations by the Cornell University Police Department and the Ithaca Police Department followed.

Editorial 9/13/2012

Public safety Sexual assault victims should come forward

or the safety of students at Ithaca College, Cornell University and residents of Ithaca, victims should strive to always report incidents of sexual assault and rape. More than 60 percent of sexual assaults go unreported, according to the Advocacy Center of Ithaca. There is a significant gap between the number of reported rapes and the actual incidence of rape. The simple truth is that if victims don’t report crimes, there can’t be greater strides toward prevention and resources. In 2011, there were three reported cases of forcible rape in Tompkins County. At the college, the Office of Public Safety recorded one report of rape and three reports of sexual assault in 2011. Because most rapes are unreported, it can give campus administrators and police false impressions that current efforts are adequate. College students report sexual assault even less often than the general public does. As many as 95 percent of students who are sexually assaulted do not file a report. While the three recent attacks reported at Cornell University may seem like a high number in a short period of time, it should serve as a wake up call as to how many assaults may really be happening here. If those are merely the reported incidents, it is of even greater importance to encourage those who remain silent to give their voices to the fight against sexual assault.

National: Ban lifted for women in combat BY MATTHEW SCHOFIELD MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

The U.S. military announced the end of a 19-year ban on women in combat Jan. 24, according to a senior defense official, a sweeping change that appears to recognize the reality that female troops have experienced since the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. Like the elimination of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy prohibiting gay men and women from serving openly, the decision represents another far-reaching reversal of military policy and is emblematic of the changing mores and culture in the American armed services. About 200,000 women are among the 1.4 million active-duty personnel currently serving in the military. The decision follows a lawsuit filed in November challenging the legitimacy of the ban. The suit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of four female service members. All four had served tours in Iraq or Afghanistan, and two had

received Purple Hearts for injuries sustained on duty. Reversing the ban, said ACLU senior staff attorney Ariela Migdal in an email, means “qualified women will have the same chance to distinguish themselves in combat as their brothers-in-arms, which they actually already have been doing with valor and distinction.” The lawsuit was challenging a ruling banning women from “being well forward on the battlefield,” a definition that didn’t always make sense in Iraq and Afghanistan, where fighting tactics are not traditional. In reality, the policy has been a ban almost in name only. But the danger that female troops faced only came to the attention of many Americans early during the Iraq war when Jessica Lynch, a private first class and Army truck driver, was captured and held hostage. Almost 2 percent of the nearly 4,000 military deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq were women, according to Military Times. “We’ve seen how the realities of

operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have blurred the lines of combat and service members’ roles and exposure to danger,” said Joyce Wessel Raezor, executive director of National Military Family Association, a nonprofit group that aids military families. “Significant numbers of women have been injured or killed in these conflicts over the last 11-plus years. I would guess their families would tell you those women were ‘in combat.’” Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was quick to voice support of the new policy in a statement: “It reflects the reality of 21st-century military operations.” But Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, a nonprofit group that studies military personnel policies, said the change was “irresponsible.” “For the same reason you don’t see women in the NFL, you shouldn’t see women in combat units,” she said. “Women are not the equal of men.”

Editorial 1/31/2013

The front line of civil rights T

he American military is advancing. On Jan. 24, outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, with the support of the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, announced the Pentagon would lift the ban restricting women from combat positions. This policy change is the latest step toward making the military a stronger, more inclusive force, following the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell last year. By making it possible for military leaders to select candidates based on ability rather than gender, the Pentagon is allowing for a stronger force. Women who are qualified and able

to take part in ground combat should not sit on the sidelines. Critics of the new policy argue that placing men and women in combat situations together will create sexual tension that may distract soldiers from completing their mission. American troops live, work, fight and die together. The idea that sexual attraction would prohibit some of America’s most trained and talented military personnel from completing a mission they are quite literally risking their lives for is offensive to these individuals. If this policy change sparks a discussion about the culture of sexual violence often associated with the military, Americans would be better for it. However, qualified women who want to serve their country in direct combat should not be denied simply because the military worries she may see a man naked or catch the eye of a lonely comrade. Any woman, if she is deemed physically and mentally prepared for a ground combat mission, should be allowed the opportunity. Though this change is a landmark for both women’s rights and the history of American civil liberties, this policy should not force the military to undergo major structural changes, especially during wartime. The military should work to integrate women into combat positions while keeping its ability to function as its top priority, even if that means delaying integration of women into the combat. Gender inclusion is an important goal for the U.S. military, but maintaining a strong military is an American necessity. Overall, the end to the ban on women in combat should be hailed as a defining moment of the 21st century and should set a precedent for the benefits of inclusion worldwide.

Commentary 9/27/2012

Feminism campaign comes to campus BY BRENNIN CUMMINGS

he “Who Needs Feminism” campaign was started on Tumblr by a group of Duke University undergraduate students who realized that there was too much apathy toward the subject of feminism. People assume feminists are unshaven man-haters who want women to rule over men rather than have equality between the sexes. Almost more troubling, the group found that too many people think we live in some sort of post-sexism world. The truth is, we don’t. In a time when legislators are attempting to block women from getting birth control, and women are still paid 70 cents for every dollar a man makes at the same job, feminism is more important than ever. I need feminism because I’m sick of girl-on-girl hate. We don’t live in a Taylor Swift world. There aren’t “cheerleaders” and “nerds” or “sluts” and “virgins.” There are just girls, and the second we stop tearing each other down based on clothing or sexual activity, we can start building each other up and present a solid front against a society that doesn’t think we can make our own decisions. The notion that girls are silly or weak is nonsense and we know it. So let’s transcend the stereotypes and reclaim feminism. Once we realize and acknowledge why feminism is important to us all, we can fight for equal rights together.

Senior Brennin Cummings based her “I need feminism because” whiteboard message on the stereotypes in the Taylor Swift song “You Belong With Me.” SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

Female comedians burst onto comedy scene BY EVIN BILLINGTON

“You’re a lady, not a whore. Even when down to your knickers, keep your pearls on,” junior IC Comedy Club member Lindsey Williams jokes in her stand-up routine. While TV stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were leaving the audience in stitches during the Golden Globes this year, female comedians have been making people laugh at Ithaca College as well. Junior Brennan Banta said this line of work is beginning to become more accepting of women. “I think the world wants more girls now,” Banta said. “I think everybody wants more diversity — which kind of stinks for the white males out there.” Williams said she considers comedy part of the feminist movement. As

feminism makes more of an impact on society and women gain more respect, more people listen to female comedians, she said. This, in turn, helps spread awareness of social issues. “You’ve got these women pushing for rights with birth control and stuff like that, and I feel like comedy is a really good way to inform people,” Williams said. “So that’s stuff that I like to write about.” However, many people, like Banta, still consider the comedy world a difficult one for women to succeed in. This year, IC Comedy Club has a nearly equal number of male and female members, but Banta said typically fewer women in the club actually go up and perform. Senior Alyssa Onofreo said she believes this is because some women in the club are intimidated by the men, admitting she felt that way when she joined last year. For three months, Onofreo attended meetings but never had the courage to actually perform until the end of her first semester in the club. This, she said, had nothing to do with the atmosphere of the club and everything to do with her own confidence. “I don’t think that the men are ever making us feel as if we’re less,” Williams said.

From left, juniors Brennan Banta and Kristen Shepherd and senior Alyssa Onofreo. EMILY FEDOR/THE ITHACAN

“Women inside, I feel like, are less confident.” Despite the support Williams said she feels from her male colleagues, she recognizes that some people just think men are funnier. Freshman Jake Winslow, a member of IC Comedy Club, has heard similar sentiments from men outside the club. “It’s a stigma,” Winslow said. “I definitely think it’s going to become better … but it has to do with gender roles. As those change, I think the opinions about female comedy [will too].” Junior Max Levine, a member of IC Comedy Club, was recently a judge for an SAB comedy competition. He said he was shocked when, at the end, the judges separated the men and women into two different groups and voted who the best girl was out of the female performers. Levine also said during comedy shows he has often heard male audience members make remarks about female performers that are much harsher and more personal than the criticisms they have for the men. “Once someone sucks as a guy, it’s that he’s not funny, but when a girl sucks, they just start to bash her and how they think she would be in a relationship or how much she just sucks sexually,” Levine said. Banta said seeing the diminishing but still present resistance to female comedy is not discouraging for her. “It just means we have to fight a little bit harder, and I think that when we are funny it’s like, ‘Whoa, she brought something,’ and it makes it a little bit more lasting of an impression,” Banta said. 53

Diversity

Members of the Committee for Inclusive Education fought for an Asian-American Studies minor at Ithaca College for more than two years before it was approved. FILE PHOTO/THE ITHACAN

Asian-American minor program approved by college BY CANDACE KING

After nearly two years of debate, an Asian-American minor was officially approved Sept. 17 by Marisa Kelly, provost and vice president for educational affairs. The Committee for Inclusive Education, an on-campus group that promotes crosscultural education, launched a campaign along with the Asian-American Alliance more than a year ago to include a minor program focusing on Asian-American history in the college curriculum. The movement included photo campaigns and educational workshops to outline the importance of having this program in the curriculum. Despite this milestone, Asma Barlas, professor and program director for the

Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity, said the Asian-American Studies program continues to await the approval of the Academic Policies Committee and the State Education Department. Leslie Lewis, dean of humanities and sciences said she does not anticipate any obstacles in these final steps. “[It] is moving along through the process, and I foresee no problem,” Lewis said. If the process goes according to schedule, the minor will be approved for Fall 2013. Barlas said acquiring an Asian-American studies program has been a goal for the center, but they faced a roadblock because of the lack of professors to teach the program. “The center is charged with developing an [African, Latino, Asian, Native American]

ALANA-focused curriculum, and, so far, it was lacking a minor in Asian-American Studies,” Barlas said. “This is mostly because, until rather recently, there weren’t any faculty who were teaching courses in this area, and one needs to have enough courses before one can develop a minor.” This proposal includes a new faculty hire to solve this problem. Senior Kristiana Reyes, one of the key members of the movement, said she is pleased with the decision, and as a result, she feels empowered and proud of her identity. “I felt really empowered that I can actually change things as a woman, as a student, as an Asian-American woman,” Reyes said. “I felt an overwhelming sense of my agency and how powerful I am as an individual.”

Immigration plans spark conversations at IC BY NICOLE OGRYSKO

Debate over a comprehensive immigration plan sparked conversation nationally — and on the Ithaca College campus — as some have advocated for a national change to immigration policy. Reform proposed in November 2012 could grant undocumented immigrants a pathway to legal citizenship in the U.S. Now, lawmakers are debating everything from tightening border patrols and requiring employers to check for legal status to providing a way for undocumented youth to live, work and learn in the U.S. The college has previously put on events throughout the semester to encourage conversation about the immigration debate. Juan Gonzalez, co-host of “Democracy Now!” and author of “Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America,” spoke at the college Feb. 25, and he outlined the struggles that Latinos face, among other topics. The college also showed the documentary version of “Harvest of Empire” on Feb. 12. In early February, the New York state Higher Education Committee approved its own Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act measure that would grant undocumented immigrants in-state tuition rates. It also creates a fund that would give undocumented students access to private scholarships to help them pay for college. If the Ways and Means Committee approves it, the New York State Assembly will debate the act. Since 2000, the number of immigrants living in the U.S. has increased by about 30 percent, a jump from 31.1 million immigrants in

Cornell president signs letter to Congress urging immigration reform David Skorton, president of Cornell University, joined the presidents of Arizona State University and Miami Dade College on March 6 in a letter to convince more than 1,200 university and college presidents in the country to join them in pushing for smart immigration policies that they say will “attract and retain the world’s best and brightest.” Skorton, Michael, Crow, president of Arizona State University, and Eduardo Padrón, president of Miami Dade College are collaborating with the Partnership for a New American Economy and the National Immigration Forum. The presidents said they will host several major events on their campuses to underline the role of immigration in innovation and job creation. They hope other school presidents will join them to speak in one coordinated voice, the presidents said in the letter.

2000 to 40.4 million immigrants in 2011, according to January data from the Pew Hispanic Research Center. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York is one of eight U.S. senators, known as the “Gang of Eight,” who proposed an immigration reform plan in January. The bill, called the Bipartisan Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, would allow undocumented immigrants to apply for legal status and receive a green card after every other person who is on the “waiting list” for a green card receives one. For minors who enter the U.S., the bill states children and students would face different legal status requirements because “they did not knowingly choose to violate any immigration laws.” Of the immigrant population in 2011, 11.1 million are “unauthorized,” a slight drop from the population of 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. in 2007. Gonzalez said the problem with the proposed immigration reform lies in the details and the long wait for immigrants to receive legal status. Since 1965, U.S. policy has said about 20,000 people from each country can immigrate to the U.S., meaning that for immigrants coming from Mexico, India, China and the Philippines, the four largest sources of U.S. immigrants, the wait is long. Under the bill, the U.S. government would also grant green cards to immigrants who have earned their master’s degree or Ph.D in science, technology, engineering or math from an American college or university. The bill did not specify

if undocumented students would receive federal loans or in-state tuition. Gustavo Licon, professor in the Center for the Study of Race, Culture, and Ethnicity at the college, is the son of undocumented parents. Licon said if he and his brother had been born in Mexico, he may not have gone to an Ivy League university or received access to federal loans. “I got to do so many things that many of my relatives that were born in Mexico and then immigrated to the U.S. both legally and illegally [didn’t have],” Licon said. The Federation for American Immigration Reform, a national nonprofit public interest group, actively advocates for tighter border controls and a temporary ban on most immigration to the U.S. Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said in a statement in January that President Obama’s proposed immigration reform jeopardizes the economy for citizen who are born in the U.S. “It is the American people who are the true victims of our dysfunctional immigration policies and especially this president’s defiant refusal to enforce laws meant to protect them,” Stein said in his statement. But Licon said the debate surrounding the DREAM Act is based on fear and does not accurately portray the reasons why people immigrate to the U.S. “When we have a system that keeps documented and undocumented people separate and not on a equal access to opportunities, then we have a society that’s not based on equality,” Licon said. “[We have] a segregation based on where you’re born and what opportunities you have.”

Reaching out to all students

or the children of undocumented immigrants, the American Dream may be becoming more of a reality. Inspired by a post-election national focus on immigration reform, the New York state Higher Education Committee approved a measure that will grant undocumented immigrants in-state tuition rates. The measure may also establish a fund to help undocumented students access private scholarships to pay for higher education. The legislation would serve as a first step to giving the children of undocumented immigrants the resources they need to help pay for their college education. By denying undocumented students an education, the American government forces them to seek lower-paying jobs and further isolates immigrant communities. While these resources are a positive step toward making higher education accessible to all qualified students, outreach efforts will be critical to ensure undocumented students are able

Editorial 3/6/2013

to fully take advantage of the new legislation. The United States is, at its core, a nation of immigrants, and Congress must come together to create more comprehensive immigration policy that makes sense for current times. Reforming access to education is a good start and a sign of the progressive changes still to come for immigrant communities.

ALANA increase brings college closer to goal BY GERALD DOHERTY

This year, African American, Latino/a, Asian American or Native American students increased their representation at the college to 16.1 percent of the college’s student body, up from 14.9 percent last year. This brings the college closer to its IC 20/20 goal of 20 percent ALANA student enrollment by 2020. The largest increases were among Black/African-Americans and Hispanic/ Latinos at 42 students and 17 students, respectively. ALANA students make up 18.7 percent of freshmen this year. Last year, 17.9 percent of full-time freshmen were ALANA students. However, this represents a difference of only five students: 296 this year compared to 291 last year. Mark Coldren, associate vice president for human resources, said one goal of IC 20/20 is to have the college body take a survey with a focus on diversity and inclusion for faculty, staff and students to receive feedback on the social climate at the college. Questions on the survey included topics of fairness, equity, personal experience and inclusiveness. “Do we want to look differently as an organization for students, faculty and staff?” Coldren said. “The answer is, yeah. It is intentional to try to see what that path will be for us.” The college conducted a similar survey in 2004, gauging student perceptions at the college and found that the climate for ALANA students, women and LGBT

RACE/ETHNICITY

+/–

147

160

+13

Black or African-American

223

265

+42

American Indian or Alaska Native

206

214

389

406

+17

4,744

4,748

Two or more races

163

186

+13

Race/Ethnicity Unknown

814

760

- 99

Asian Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Hispanic/Latino White

DESIGN BY MELINDA BAUBLITZ

students, among others, needed to be improved. There has been a change in environment for some students since then; for example, this year Campus Pride ranked the college among top 25 most LGBT-friendly schools. Eric Maguire, vice president for enrollment and communication, said one of the main ways the college is attempting to draw a larger ALANA student body is through recruitment at more than 500 high schools across the country, with a focus on major metropolitan areas and building relationships with organizations in those communities, he said. “We’re recruiting from a more diverse

Pay attention to retention his year, ALANA student enrollment increased to 16.1 percent, up from last year’s 14.9 percent. The largest increases were in Latinos and African-Americans. ALANA students make up 18.7 percent of this year’s freshman class, up from last year’s 17.9 percent. Yet, the difference is only in five students. The college is also conducting a survey through November of students, staff and faculty to gauge perceptions of diversity in its policies at the college and also to see how it’s doing with reaching its diversity goals. Some of the topics will include fairness, equality, personal experience and inclusiveness. A previous survey in 2004 found that the climate for ALANA students, as well as women and LGBT students, needed to be improved. While it is admirable that the college is reaching out for the community’s input through

2012 - 13

Nonresident Alien

Editorial 10/24/2012

2011 - 12

the survey, a number of students are raising concerns that the retention rate of ALANA students on campus is not high. Some said they have seen many leave the college for a number of reasons, including “financial issues” and “not feeling included.” The college does not release retention data for ALANA students, and the retention data for the general population is only available from 2002 to 2006. Recruiting ALANA students to diversify the campus community should continue to be a priority, but retention must also be an equal concern. Retention and climate are the job of not only the college administration but also the community. Students, faculty and staff should take time to respond to the survey, and to make informed responses, they should have access to the relevant retention data.

student population, so that will naturally make for a more diverse incoming class,” Maguire said. Despite the college’s efforts to attract ALANA students, students of color express concern over the retention rate. Though the college’s general retention rates are available, ALANA retention rates are not released to the public. Senior Oluwayeni Ropo-Tusin, president of the African Students Association, said she attended the Summer Institute as part of her pre-freshman program with about 25 other students of color, 10 of whom did not return to the college. While she said the college has done a good job of reaching out and supporting the various communities on campus, including the LGBT community, the effort falls short for some students. “Some left based on not feeling included on campus, some left because they had financial issues, some left because they could not compete academically,” Ropo-Tusin said. The college will continue to work toward representing the many distinct people it employs and educates, Coldren said, as an extension of its mission and the opportunities for learning it seeks to create. “Diversity is such a part of that because it’s about who you are, your background, the things that are important to you,” Coldren said. “You blend all that into a community, so if you don’t focus on that you’re not going to build a place where great learning can happen.”

Rapper Talib Kweli speaks Feb. 7 to a crowd in Emerson Suites. Brothers 4 Brothers sponsored Kweli’s visit with the help of the Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs. RACHEL WOOLF/THE ITHACAN

Visiting rapper shakes up diversity dialogue during visit BY TAYLOR LONG

There was something special about the energy in Emerson Suites on Feb. 7 as Talib Kweli took up the mic not to rap, as some students had expected, but to discuss the hip-hop industry and the role of the artist in society. Some students arrived nearly an hour early, worried they wouldn’t be able to get a seat, only to walk into an empty Emerson Suites where they camped out with laptops, spreading scarves and jackets across seats to save places for friends. I was one of them, perched amongst a group of girls who, for the most part, knew only that Kweli was a famous rapper — easily conflated with his popular contemporary, Lupe Fiasco. As we waited, Wikipedia filled in the blanks. Evidently Talib means “student” in Arabic; Kweli Swahili for “true.” He grew up the son of professors in Park Slope, Brooklyn. In the early 2000s he gained notoriety as half of “Black Star,” along with MC Mos Def. Eventually boredom gave way to the usual conversations that arise when someone famous is on their way. “What if we make friends with Talib and hang out with him all weekend?” one girl joked. A few others sent text messages encouraging friends to come, some with more success than others. As it would turn out, cell phone autocorrect doesn’t recognize the name Talib. It wants to change it to Taliban. But by the time Kweli arrived, a few

minutes late from an interview in the WICB studios, the seats in Emerson had all but filled. Members of Brothers 4 Brothers, who sponsored Kweli’s visit, occupied the first two rows. Senior Ellis Williams, president of the organization, arrived with Kweli and walked down the front row doling out handshakes. The event was the end-result of a twoyear effort of B4B to bring a speaker to campus, aided by John Rawlins, adviser of B4B and assistant director of the Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs. Williams and co-president Nathaniel Hemingway introduced Kweli — one wore a red tie and the other a matching bowtie for the occasion. As Kweli leaped on stage, the audience erupted in cheers. . “There was somebody who goes to this school who was on Twitter earlier who said, ‘It’s a damn shame that I’m going to see Kweli speak and two thirds of the school don’t know who he is,’ he paused for effect. “… And y’all are showing me that’s bullshit.” It wasn’t, but the event did immediately stand in stark contrast to many similar events sponsored by OSEMA or Center for the Study of Culture, Race and Ethnicity — hell, most events held on Ithaca College’s campus — in that “ALANA” students and “white” students were about equal in number. Still, the real shocker was the creation of an honest dialog between the two. Something was different. Kweli didn’t shy away from the truth; he wasn’t trying to impress anyone. When the time came to ask questions, students and

members of the community actually said what was on their mind. The Bronx on fire. The future of rap. Advice for the artist in a corporate world. The feasibility of being a white rapper. Being the only black student in class. The religious qualities of a black barber shop. Senior Gipsy Fernandez approached the mic frustrated with her generation and eager to move forward. “I don’t know if we need another black power movement, or Chicano movement, a women’s liberation movement … do you think we’re missing that in our generation?” Kweli was hopeful. “The Malcolm Xs, the Stokely Carmichaels … They’re there in this audience.” Something about Kweli’s directness, his willingness to laugh, freed the debate from the weight that burdens discussions about controversial topics such as race and ethnicity — particularly on a campus paralyzed by political correctness, too scared to move. Senior Tim Hone was glad to experience something besides blind consensus at a college event. “A lot of those on-campus lecture things in Emerson Suites are a bunch of people in a room all agreeing with each other,” he said. Williams said he hopes to continue to provide programming that empowers students. “That’s one of the most beneficial things we can do,” he said. “I really hope students in the future continue on the tradition of trying to incorporate ways that students can interact with other students in a beautiful environment.” 57

Sustainability The durable turbine prototype is located on private property in Trumansburg, N.Y. COURTESY OF EMILY MILES AND LAUREN MATEER

Local startup develops wind energy prototype BY EMILY MILES AND LAUREN MATEER

In an effort to increase the use of sustainable resources, Weaver Wind Energy, a local startup company, is developing a more reliable and effective wind turbine that adjusts with changing weather. The turbine is currently being prototyped on private land in Trumansburg, N.Y. Founder Art Weaver is working with a team of designers, engineers and interns to collect data on voltage levels, wind speeds and energy production. The new model is expected to be on the market in 2014. “Small wind turbines have not been as resilient as, in my view, they should be,” Weaver said. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, there are currently 38 wind energy projects operating or in development. Alex Hagen, president of the company, said wind resources could potentially provide 8,000 megawatt-hours of energy annually, yet they are only currently producing about 1,400 MWh. The company’s aim in creating a more durable turbine is to construct a product that would require less frequent maintenance than those currently on the market, engineer Gary Bush said. 58

The most common way a turbine fails stages, finances can hinder production. is when high winds cause the alternator to Small wind turbine certification requires overheat, Bush said. The new turbine con- meeting a set of global standards of safety tains an overspeed mechanism that is more and performance for nearly $150,000. “The main struggle is just sort of the prepared to handle changing wind speeds. Focusing on durability rather than in- cost of entry into the market,” Hagen said. creased efficiency would lead to increased productivity over time, Hagen said. This article was originally produced in “Let’s say that your wind turbine Multimedia Journalism class. has some innovation that makes it 10 percent more efficient,” Hagen said. “If that little gizmo breaks or needs service every six months, and your downtime is now 30 percent, that efficiency has been lost. Whereas with our turbine, if it’s running 95 percent of the time, the overall lifetime cost of energy is going to be lower.” The new small wind turbine can be used in conjunction with traditional energy production, as well as with other sustainable methods such as solar panels, to create a hybrid system that would offset Wind resources could provide 8,000 megawatt-hours of energy annually. energy costs. COURTESY OF EMILY MILES AND LAUREN MATEER However, in the initial

Ithaca EcoVillage to build Passive House community BY JAMIE NASH AND KELLY MILLIN

EcoVillage, a sustainable living community located two miles outside of downtown Ithaca, began initial construction on its final neighborhood in October, using stateof-the-art airtight enclosure technology. The existing communities, FRoG, First Residents Group, and SoNG, Second Neighborhood Group, run on energy obtained from solar panels and are all EnergyStar certified. The new TREE community, or Third Residential EcoVillage Experience, will feature the same solar technology as well as a more cutting-edge design called Passive House. This green-building technology, originally from Germany, uses passive solar and airtight enclosures that regulate the temperature inside the house without wasting energy. Passive Houses are common in Europe, but have not yet gained a prominent presence in the U.S. Passive House design saves about 90

While life in EcoVillage is relatively normal, it has sustainable practices different than most types of suburban living. COURTESY OF JAMIE NASH AND KELLY MILLIN

percent of energy used on heating and cooling, Ken Levenson, president of New York Passive House, said. While it costs more to build a Passive House, the energy savings alone make it more affordable in the long run. “One can typically expect about an eightyear simple payback, but really it is paying for itself from day one,” Levenson said. “You get a more resilient, healthy, comfortable and sustainable building that is affordable.”

EcoVillage resident Thaddeus Bates said he and the community members are excited for the addition of TREE because it demonstrates that sustainable living is succeeding. “It’s really just a sign that what’s going on here is working,” Bates said. “There’s enough interest, and people are willing to invest the time and energy to keep it going .

This article was originally produced in Multimedia Journalism class.

City signs environmental resolution BY KARLY PLACEK

In the wake of major storms like Sandy, the importance of combating climate change is returning to the spotlight. Many cities, including Ithaca, are taking steps to prevent further environmental damage. Some scientists are attributing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide as the cause for the increase in the number of severe storms. To help reduce carbon emissions that contribute to climate change, the City of Ithaca signed a resolution for the Clean Air Act this fall, becoming the 41st city in the U.S. to do so. Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1963 to promote the reduction of carbon dioxide and improve the air quality in urban areas. In 2009, cities began to propose resolutions urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to begin implementing and enforcing strategies for carbon dioxide reduction, as outlined in the Clean Air Act. Joseph Murtagh, a representative of the Second Ward of the City of Ithaca’s Common Council, said it was important for Ithaca to sign the resolution. “We have a big focus on environmentalism and sustainability locally,” Murtagh said. “Passing that resolution is really in line with our other environmental efforts. We want to make sure that we’re sending the message that Ithaca is a place that cares

about the environment and wants the federal government to take the appropriate steps and regulations to make sure we all have the cleanest air possible.” According to the EPA’s U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report from April 2012, greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 10.5 percent since 1990. Carbon dioxide emissions made up nearly 84 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. In 2007, Ithaca College made steps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and create an environmentally conscious campus by signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which inspired the Climate Action Plan that was approved in 2009 and implemented in the 2010-11 fiscal year. Marian Brown, the campus and community sustainability special assistant in the office of civic engagement, said the college has recognized its responsibility to reduce the impact of climate change. “We committed to developing a climate action plan to become carbon neutral,” Brown said. The goal of the Climate Action Plan is for the campus to be 100 percent free of carbon emissions by 2050.

DESIGN BY EMILY FULLER

According to the Climate Action Plan progress report for the 2010-11 academic year, some progress has been made in reducing 107 metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent gases utilizing practices such as composting. However, Paula Turkon, professor of environmental studies and sciences, said the college should do more to follow the Climate Action Plan in other areas “Places of higher education and corporations in the public eye need to make [environmental] changes, because people on an individual level have to use those places as guides to make change themselves,” Turkon said. 59

IC provides more local food options for students BY KACEY DEAMER AND KALEY BELVAL

Sustainability is on the menu for Ithaca College students now that the college’s dining services are pushing to source more local products. Members of the campus community, including students and employees, have been working to encourage a shift toward supporting locally produced food. This year, the college expected to have nearly a 5 percent increased investment in sourcing food from the region. Sodexo, the company that runs the college’s dining services, sources food from 19 New York-based businesses, and 17 of those are within 100 miles of the college. Five are of these food providers are located in Ithaca, such as Finger Lakes Fresh. Finger Lakes Fresh, a hydroponics agriculture company, provides lettuce to the one dining location on campus that exclusively offers local, fresh and natural foods: the Fresh Food Market within Towers Dining Hall. A small pilot project to bring more local products to campus began this year with Tim Leonard, the Towers Dining Hall manager who passed away earlier this semester. Holzbaur said Finger Lakes Fresh had provided several cases of produce, such as squash, tomatoes, corn and beans. Stephanie Piech, sustainability coordinator for Sodexo at the college, said dining services usually sources the cheapest food available from Sysco, one of the largest

wholesale food distributors in the U.S. From what she is able to track, Piech said 14 to 15 percent of food costs were spent on local food. “With a better tracking system put into place this year and an increase of items, I believe we will be closer to 20 percent this year,” Piech said. In the past, students have fought to support the living wage for Sodexo’s dining workers and for more vegetarian and vegan options. Last year, the college’s chapter of the international Slow Food movement created a petition for more local and allergen- or diet-conscious options. Senior Danielle Prizzi, co-president and treasurer of the organization, said they received about 800 signatures. “[It stemmed from] how frustrating it was that it was our tuition money that was paying to have Sodexo supply our food, while there wasn’t a great deal of student input,” Prizzi said. Prizzi said there was an opportunity to source more food from local farmers that Sodexo was not taking advantage of. “We realized it would be easier to work within the infrastructure [of Sodexo],” Prizzi said. “I know a bunch of different schools have Sodexo and have dining halls that are completely locally sourced or as locally sourced as possible. I know [the University of Vermont] is a perfect example of students fighting for it.” UVM’s dining services are still provid-

ed by Sodexo, but because of the campus community’s vocalization for more local foods, they now source local seasonal produce for all dining locations. If local food isn’t the best option, Piech said, dining services tries to source organic or fair trade products, which ensure fair payment to producers in developing countries. Sodexo introduced the Better Tomorrow Plan in 2010, a sustainability initiative that includes 14 commitments, including local food. “We will source local, seasonal or sustainably grown or raised products in all the countries where we operate,” according to the document. Piech said this has pressured Sodexo’s partners, like Sysco, to work harder to provide local foods. One dimension of local food in which Sodexo has seen success is sourcing local dairy products. “For any Sodexo campus, all of our milk is always local, regional,” Piech said. “Ours comes from Byrne Dairy, so pretty much any dairy we use comes from them.” There is no ideal in mind for the future of Ithaca Dining Services, Prizzi said. However, she said transitioning one dining hall to all local foods and expanding from there would allow for a test of student interest and of cost. “It’s going to be a long process to incorporate more locally sourced food, though I really do believe the intention [from Sodexo] is there,” Prizzi said. “But there’s always more that could be done.”

Scan this code with a smartphone to see where your food comes from or visit http://theithacan.org/local-food.

Students are served vegetables from the Fresh Food Market in Towers Dining Hall on Jan. 30 for Ithaca College’s Meatless Monday program. The market is part of the college’s local food movement. 60

DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

A flag flies over the crowd at the largest climate protest in history on Feb. 17 in Washington, D.C.

Change of climate Photographs by Rachel Woolf

Sophomore Gabriella Ruocco holds a sign.

From left, freshman Menli McCreight and junior Louisa Clarke join the rally.

BY SABRINA KNIGHT

In what is being called the largest climate change protest in American history, about 50 Ithaca College students rallied alongside thousands of protesters Feb. 17 in Washington, D.C. About 35,000 people from across the U.S. traveled to D.C. to protest issues that affect the environment, such as the Keystone XL Pipeline, tar sands oil and fracking. The Keystone XL Pipeline is a proposed 1,179-mile pipeline that would transport tar sands oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Tar sands are deposits of loose sand or partially consolidated sandstone saturated with viscous bitumen. On Feb. 16, six buses left Ithaca for Washington, D.C., two were a combination of Ithaca College, Cornell University and Tompkins Cortland Community College students, one was from Lehman Alternative High School and three were from the Ithaca community. On the student bus to D.C., sophomore Dennis Fox, a student from Cornell and treasurer of KyotoNOW!, a student climate action organization, explained what students could expect from the protest. “There’s going to be a lot of emotion, and we’re going to be doing a lot of good tomorrow, but you should remember especially the

Freshman Natalie Dionne and sophomore Curt McConnell chant at the rally.

world is watching, and you are the face of the environmental movement,” Fox said. “We’re fighting for something that is larger than just ourselves and just Ithaca.” Student groups that participated were Divest IC and Ithaca College Environmental Society. The protest was meant to stress to President Barack Obama how important it is to preserve the environment. After Obama made no mention of the Keystone XL Pipeline in the State of the Union Address, activists found it important to encourage him to deny the approval of the pipeline. Prior to the protest, smaller groups of protesters came to protest on their own, including a group of 48 who were arrested for civil disobedience Feb. 13. The Keystone XL Pipeline rally is held annually in Washington, D.C. In January 2012, about 12,000 protesters, including 70 from the Ithaca community, formed a chain around the White House. Junior Ben Knowles said he is no stranger to the environmental protest scene. He said he has attended four tar sands protests in Washington, D.C., in the past two and a half years. “We are trying to get our schools to take their money out of fossil fuels, including tar sands production,” he said.

Throughout the rally, many New Yorkers protested fracking, marching and carrying banners like “Our future is unfractured.” Junior Allison Currier, member of Divest IC, said climate change is more than just an environmental issue. She said people involved with building the Keystone XL Pipeline are not adequately informing those affected by the construction. “Transcanada is taking advantage of these people, building pipelines without even telling them what they are getting themselves into,” she said. Susan Multer, a resident of Horseheads, N.Y., said she was at the rally because fracking and climate change are important to her. “I’m here because I think the planet is in trouble,” Multer said. “If we don’t decrease emissions of greenhouse gases, like CO2 and methane, our survival is at stake.” Multer said she plans to move to Ecovillage in Ithaca, which is a residential community that minimizes impacts on natural systems, in the fall. Currier said the future of clean energy is in the hands of this generation. “We want to create a clean future that we are proud to be a part of,” Currier said. Staff Writer Shawn Steiner and Webmaster Charley Bodkin contributed to this report. 61

Sandra Steingraber, distinguished scholar in residence at Ithaca College, is taken into custody in Reading, N.Y., after protesting with 11 others against Inergy, LP, a natural gas storage facility. COURTESY OF EMILY WILSON

Locals protest gas storage facility BY KELSEY O’CONNOR

A dozen people — including two from Ithaca College — were arrested March 18 after blockading a natural gas storage and transportation facility on Seneca Lake. The demonstration was in front of Inergy Midstream, LP’s location in Watkins Glen. The company, which is based in Missouri, is an energy infrastructure and distribution company. Inergy purchased salt caverns from US Salt in 2008 and plans to develop liquefied petroleum gas storage. Protesters were opposing the company’s potential expansion. Sandra Steingraber, distinguished scholar in residence at the college, and senior Katya Andersson were arrested along with 10 others who had linked arms and held a banner that read “Our Future is Unfractured, We Are Greater Than Dirty Inergy” in front of the Watkins Glen Inergy facility. According to a press release from Our Future is Unfractured, a group dedicated to protesting Inergy, “the blockade joins a growing national movement to call attention to environmental injustices caused 62

by unconventional and extreme fossil fuel extraction techniques, including Inergy’s hotly debated salt cavern gas storage facility proposed for Reading, N.Y.” Opponents of the facility have raised concerns about potential water pollution to Seneca Lake, which provides drinking water to more than 100,000 people. Hydraulic fracturing, which is widely debated in upstate New York because of its location on the rich Marcellus Shale, is the process of natural gas extraction. The extraction process can use millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals to break apart or “fracture” rock to release gas. According to a poll released March 20 by Quinnipiac University, among New York voters the scale has tipped toward opposition to fracking. Among all New York voters, 46 percent are opposed to fracking, while 39 percent are in favor. However, voters in upstate New York are still closely divided, with 44 percent in favor and 42 percent opposed. Steingraber said it was her first experience with civil disobedience. She said she went to the protest with only two things in her pocket: her license and a picture of herself nine months pregnant, standing in

front of Seneca Lake. “The intent of this company called Inergy from Kansas City, Mo., to come in and use our land — our land that grows food, provides us water, is our home — for a storage depot for lethal gases that are fracked out of the ground somewhere else is part of a story about extreme energy and the intent of the world’s largest industry — the oil and gas industry — now that it’s run out of the easy-to-get fossil fuels, to do these surreal experiments, using our land as its proving grounds,” Steingraber said. “This is just one small but important battle, but it seemed like a good place to make a stand.” By 11 a.m., 12 arrests were made on account of trespassing violations. By 12:46 p.m., all of the blockaders that were arrested were released with court dates spread across March and April. Those arrested include Marjorie Rodgers, 58, of Elmira; Richard Jones, 64, of Belfast; Michael Dineen, 64, of Ovid; Melissa Chipman, 55, of Hector; James Amato Borra, 64, of Hector; Katarina Andersson, 23, of Ithaca; Kathleen Alvey, 22, of Ithaca; Steingraber, 53, of Trumansburg; Jack Ossont, 69, of Himrod; Darmaye Marley, 53, Hector;

Nathanael Miller, 26, of Ithaca; Dennis Fox, 20, of Middle Island; all in New York. Andersson grew up in Caroline, N.Y., and has been opposed to fracking for about four years. She said she had taken a hiatus on protesting the issue since being in college but felt it was time to become involved again. “I’m continually reminded of why I was there and why I was doing what I did,” Anderson said. “I don’t regret it for a second, because I just keep coming back to why this issue was a no brainer, because there’s nothing hypothetical about it.” Steingraber said it was important to make a statement because the issue goes beyond just fracking to the infrastructure that makes it possible. “If our system of democracy worked, then I wouldn’t have to do this, but our regulatory system around the infrastructure for fracking is really broken, unlike the decision for fracking itself, which has a public process involved,” she said. In a statement, Inergy responded that the safety of people and the environment were top priorities. “The safety of our employees, neighbors and the environment is paramount in all of our projects. This project will store much needed propane, create jobs and improve energy affordability and reliability for hundreds of thousands of New York residents and businesses. Propane has been stored and transported safely in this area for decades.” According to Inergy, the proposed Liquefied Petroleum Gas storage has received endorsements from several constituencies in upstate New York, including Donald Siegel, a hydrogeologist at Syracuse University. In a letter dated March 12, Siegel wrote to Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joseph Martens to endorse the safety of the project. “I can think of no better geological environment in New York State to store liquid gas than salt caverns filled with brine,” Siegel wrote. Further in the letter, he said the caverns “do not leak — after decades of use. Leaks can’t be catastrophic as some are saying, and even if they were … Seneca Lake would not be affected, given its enormous volume, quick replenishment time and mixing characteristics.” New Yorkers have had eyes on their governor, Andrew Cuomo, to see what decision he will come to about allowing fracking in the state. To frack or not has been on the table

for about five years in New York. According the Associated Press, Cuomo was on the verge of approving gas drilling in February but held off after discussions with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmentalist and his former brother-in-law. Later in the day Monday, a separate rally took place at the Watkins Glen Village Marina with about 150 people who were also protesting Inergy’s facility in Watkins Glen. Ossont said he has protested environmental issues for many years but said he has never seen an issue of this magnitude. He also said he doesn’t want to see future generations having to deal with fracking’s impact on the land. “The industry itself, as far as I’m concerned, in its exposure to me and my activism, has consistently lied and misled the public around the dangers,” Ossont said. “And the salt caverns in Watkins Glen are just a piece of the infrastructure that’s necessary for this industry to invade New York.” During and preceding the rally, Andersson said a real sense of community emerged. “This was people from all generations,” Andersson said. “People from all different walks of life and even political persuasions.” Steingraber said a unifying theme of Monday was, “If our own state government won’t defend us, we’ll have to defend ourselves.”

Sandra Steingraber, local organizer Jack Ossont and Cornell student K.C. Alvey COURTESY OF EMILY WILSON

Protesters stand arm in arm in protest of Inergy, LP, a company that transports and stores natural gas. COURTESY OF EMILY WILSON

Sandy National: Hurricane devastates East Coast An image taken on Oct. 25, 2012 by the Suomi NPP satellite as it passed over Hurricane Sandy after it made landfall over Cuba and Jamaica. NASA/MCT

BY JOSEPH TANFANI, DAVID ZUCCHINO AND SCOTT GOLD LOS ANGELES TIMES

Sandy’s departure from the Northeast on Oct. 30 brought no hint of relief, revealing instead a tableau of splintered trees, severed beaches and shuttered businesses for the affected by the storm. The U.S. death toll rose to 50, including three children, and estimates of the property damage soared to $20 billion, which would make Sandy among the na-

tion’s costliest natural disasters. More than 8 million homes and businesses in 17 states were left without power, half of them in New York and New Jersey. Authorities pledged an unprecedented recovery and relief effort. “No bureaucracy. No red tape,” said President Barack Obama, who called off a third day of campaigning the election and prepared to visit storm zones. “America is with you.” Obama unlocked federal money for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut

Students react to Sandy

Students took to social media to share stories and photos as the hurricane hit Ithaca

@missycj03 Charisse Oates The mayor of Ithaca has declared that the roads in town will be closing at 9pm tonight. Be safe. #windy #hurricane #sandy

@14850today 14850 Today NYSEG reports over 2,500 customers without power in Ithaca, mostly in Collegetown area.

with a major-disaster declaration, skipping post-storm assessments and signing the paperwork even as the tail end of Sandy remained overhead. Camaraderie was apparent throughout the region. At a hospital in Manhattan, people formed a human chain to pass fuel up to the 13th floor, the only way to keep an emergency generator operating. “Nature is an awful lot more powerful than we are,” said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. But he added: “We are on the road to recovery.”

@heyisha Isha T. So far, #Sandy is just rain and dark grey skies...so, like every #Ithaca fall day ever.

ICNYC students experience Sandy’s impact BY KACEY DEAMER

Despite its minor impact on the Ithaca area, superstorm Sandy ravaged much of the East Coast and affected some members of the Ithaca College community in October, including those in the New York City program. The National Hurricane Center determined Sandy to be the largest hurricane to hit the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the U.S. Scientific American compared Sandy to two other extreme storms in recent history, Irene and Katrina, and found that Sandy had the widest diameter at 940 miles — nearly double the diameters of the other two storms. Hersey Egginton, the ICNYC program director, said there were a few students without power, but they live with family members. None of the 14 students involved in the program this semester lived in the areas of the city that were evacuated, Egginton said. The building housing ICNYC on Washington Street near the World Trade Center was directly affected by the hurricane. “Our headquarters in downtown New

York, they were flooded, the hotel where we operate out of is flooded, so we may have to find another location to meet just so people can have an easier time getting there,” Egginton said. “Ultimately [students] need to do a certain number of hours in order to satisfy the requirements for their internship credit, and if this drags on for too many days, there’s a risk they won’t accumulate the hours they need.” Julie Holcomb, Ithaca city clerk, said the Ithaca area received little effect from the storm. “We fielded about a half a dozen calls for downed limbs in the evening, but we didn’t sustain any damage in the city,” Holcomb said. “Our Emergency Operation Center was deactivated [Tuesday] morning because the area of concern had passed, and we’re not expecting any flooding or anything like that.” Tanya Saunders, assistant provost for international studies and special projects, said ICNYC students living in New York City are dispersed throughout the neighborhoods, so Egginton contacted each of them to ensure their safety.

The extent of damage in the city is still unclear, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg updated New York City residents on Sandy’s effect on the city at an Oct. 30 press conference. “I don’t think it’s any secret, but Sandy hit us very hard,” Bloomberg said. “It was a storm of historic intensity. But New Yorkers are resilient, and we have seen an enormous outpouring of support from people eager to volunteer, donate and help out.” The city experienced 24 deaths as a result of the storm. Bloomberg said 6,400 people crowded into the city’s 76 evacuation centers. Estimates of people without power in downstate New York and New Jersey were in the millions. Egginton said many students rely on public transportation to get to their internships and the program’s headquarters. At this time, he said, it’s just a waiting game. He did note that, while unsettling, the experience allows for growth and maturity. “No one would put this kind of experience in a curriculum description, but on the other hand, living in a major city has its array of perils and opportunities,” Egginton said.

New Jersey student helps her state weather the storm BY MICHAEL TKACZEVSKI

Everything changed for junior Lindsay Tomaro when Hurricane Sandy hit. Her home in Monmouth County, N.J., took minor damage and uprooted trees narrowly missed her house, but water and sand ravaged the first floor of her aunt and uncle’s beach house in Mantoloking where she spent every day of summer for 11 years. “Every day was a memory,” she said. “Looking at the pictures and footage of places that I grew up in and have been to was really hard.” After seeing the pictures, she decided to organize a donation drive at Ithaca College. “I wanted to do something,” Tomaro said. “I thought the best way would be to collect stuff and help people who lost everything.” Tomaro’s family went without power for 12 days until Nov. 11, so they were unaware of the scale of the damage. Tomaro said she didn’t know how much Sandy had affected her hometown until she checked Jersey Shore Hurricane News, a Facebook page that gets updates from many news outlets. “I was the only one in my family who knew what was going on,” Tomaro said. “I was frustrated, because I wasn’t with my friends who were helping every day.” More than 100 died in the storm and about 45,000 families were approved for housing assistance by the Federal

Government after the storm, according to The New York Times. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told the Associated Press Hurricane Sandy could total $33 billion in damages. Junior Jackelyn Branco, another student from New Jersey and a friend of Tomaro’s, shared Tomaro’s feeling of shock when she saw photos of the damage. Branco learned of Tomaro’s relief effort and decided to pitch in. Tomaro made a Facebook page called “Collecting Donations for Victims of Hurricane Sandy!” on Nov. 7. More than 600 students were invited to the group. Tomaro said she felt overwhelmed and impressed by the campus community’s positive response. Other students, like senior Arianna

Jarosinski, are also collecting donations to contribute to the relief effort. Jarosinski gathered books, gift cards and school supplies for Lavalette Elementary School, a K-8 school in New Jersey Jarosinski attended. “I actually got Buffalo Street Books to donate some books, which was amazing,” Jarosinski said. Branco said Hurricane Sandy gave her a new perspective on what she values in life. “The biggest lesson I learned was to appreciate what you have,” Branco said. Tomaro said FEMA is with her community every day as they restore their homes. “I learned the importance of family and the importance of friends,” Tomaro said. “This has changed me.”

Junior Lindsay Tomaro, a New Jersey native, organized a donation drive for Hurricane Sandy victims. SABRINA KNIGHT/THE ITHACAN

Gun Rights

Government creates legislation to combat gun violence The Dec. 14 shooting in Newtown, Conn., shook the nation when 20 children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. On Jan. 20, three people were wounded in a shooting at Lone Star College in Houston, Texas. According to the Associated Press, the authorities charged Carlton Berry as the shooter that injured himself and two others during an altercation. Incidents like the Lone Star and Newtown shootings are what Obama said he is aiming to prevent with the 23 executive actions he signed Jan. 16. Obama’s actions include requiring background checks prior to all gun sales, strengthening school security, ensuring the mentally ill receive treatment and banning military-assault weapons sales. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act on Jan. 15 to further restrict gun sales in the state. At the local level, the Ithaca Police Department, in a joint effort with the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, has made efforts to remove illegal guns from the community. While Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick said he has not read Cuomo’s gun legislation, he said he is impressed with the provisions he has heard about. “It is going to help us get more guns off of the street,” Myrick said. The Ithaca Police and the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office generated two initiatives in an effort to curb gun violence locally. The two law enforcement offices hosted a “Gun Buyback Program” on Jan. 5 to provide residents with an opportunity to surrender illegally owned or unsecured guns in an effort to prevent the guns from falling to people who may use them for illegal purposes.

According to the Ithaca Police Department, ons such as bows and arrows. they collected 75 handguns and 72 shotguns To store guns or other hunting weapons and rifles, two of which were assault rifles. at Public Safety, students must show photo Myrick said he had contacted the IPD identification and the proper permits if their about having a gun buyback and that he gun requires them. was thrilled with the number of guns “Some weapons in New York state do not turned in at the event because an event like require a permit,” Dunn said. this had never been done before in Ithaca. Students have access to their guns when“We thought even one gun would be a ever they want them because Public Safety is hit,” Myrick said. open 24 hours a day. Once the guns were collected, they Dunn said all police officers on campus were sawed in half and recycled on-site to carry a Glock pistol, which is the standard prevent them from falling into the wrong gun of law enforcement in New York, and hands, Myrick said. that they also have access to rifles and Plans for another gun buyback event shotguns as well. are under way. Myrick said the police deIn December, President Tom Rochon partment will hold another event in the signed a letter addressing Obama in supspring or summer because people have port of his efforts to tighten gun control. called requesting to privately donate Rochon was one of 255 college and unitheir guns. versity presidents who signed the letter. Ithaca College’s Office of Public Safety holds guns in Weapons 2013 GUN Storage at Public Safety REGULATIONS for residential students BACKGROUND CHECK BACKGROUND CHECK who hunt because the required for college does not permit public students to have guns private or other weapons round allowance gun transfers Tom Dunn, invesREDUCED from to tigator at the Office of Public Safety, said there are fewer than 10 guns held for students in Weapons Storage. He said roughly a dozen sharing of guns students keep huntindividuals with a EVERY ing weapons at Public handgun LICENSE or Safety. The guns stored REGISTERED at Public Safety vary assault weapon from pellet guns to with person MUST be recertified “basic firearms” as well unauthorized possess one to as other hunting weapDESIGN BY EMILY FULLER

NEW YORK ALL &

10 7

YEARS

BY TINAMARIE CRAVEN

National: Obama pleads with nation to enact gun regulations BY ANITA KUMAR MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

President Barack Obama delivered an emotional plea March 28 for lawmakers to pass legislation intended to curb gun violence, saying Americans couldn’t possibly have forgotten the horror three months ago of 20 children shot to death in their elementary school in Newtown, Conn. “Less than 100 days ago that happened, and the entire country was shocked,” Obama said. “And the entire country pledged we 66

would do something about it and that this time would be different. Shame on us if we’ve forgotten.” Obama, speaking at an event in the White House, urged every American to call members of Congress to urge them to put aside political considerations and vote for a series of proposals that polls find have support from most people. “There are some powerful voices on the other side that are interested in running out the clock or changing the subject or drowning out the majority of the American people to prevent any of these reforms from happening at all,” he said.

Lawmakers should approach gun control with caution

series of tragic gun-related deaths has ignited the longrunning debate about gun control in America. While lawmakers must work to reduce gun violence, reactionary measures are not the answer. When Vice President Joe Biden introduced changes to gun control legislation earlier this month, he used the families of murdered children as political capital to help push the legislation forward. Any challenge to constitutional rights, deserved or otherwise, must be given complete and levelheaded consideration. The Second Amendment must be modernized, and banning military-grade assault weapons is a step in the right direction. However,

Editorial 1/30/2013

legislators must pass laws that are well thought out and researched rather than seeking quick fixes supported by a general public that is still in mourning and fearful of future acts of violence. New York state’s new gun restrictions have been criticized by state sheriffs who argue some regulations will be difficult to enforce. America can’t solve its gun violence problems in one legislative shot. Guns in America must be a constant topic of discussion. Decisions that involve all major players and focus on changing both gun laws and American gun culture are critical to creating legislation that will yield lasting improvements.

POINT/COUNTERPOINT

The right to bear arms We should change gun culture before taking rights away

Comprehensive regulations will help save American lives

GRACE DEMERATHIS

STEPHEN BURKE

Horrendous crimes like the Sandy Hook shootings did not occur because of guns. Who is really to blame for these occurrences, the tool or the operator? Guns were merely the vehicle by which these criminals chose to act. If someone is intent on committing such a crime, they can find a way to do it that does not involve guns. Crimes such as the ones we have recently witnessed should make us question the lack of education and respect for firearms, rather than make rash decisions limiting our Second Amendment rights. By passing harsh gun control laws, we are virtually letting the “bad guys” win. How do we expect to defend ourselves against a gunman if we, as law-abiding citizens, are denied the rights given to us by the Second Amendment? The best way to protect ourselves from these sorts of crimes is to ensure that responsible citizens can own weapons. The passage of strict gun control laws is not only an infringement on every American’s constitutional rights, but also poses a serious national and international security issue. We have to remember, firearms are inanimate objects. They are by no means responsible for these crimes. Obama has recently said, “If gun control saves one child, it’s worth it.” We can save a lot more innocent people than just one child, and President Obama’s plan is not the way to do that.

No amount of gun control legislation enacted in the past decade would have prevented the shootings in Newtown that ended in the deaths of 28 people. This was an anomalous tragedy involving a very disturbed man. However, using tragic incidents as a case for gun control legislation isn’t helpful because it allows gun advocates to frame the debate exactly how they want to see it. If we only talk about gun control in terms of big, dramatic shootings, they can point out that the shooters in these cases would have found other ways to kill and that the debate should be focusing on mental health issues instead of guns. Why do we have relatively little gun control in the first case? Part of it certainly has to do with money. Gun companies give a lot of money to lobbying groups and are deeply connected to the National Rifle Association, a group ostensibly representing gun owners. The $17.4 million spent in the 2012 elections by the NRA on behalf of these gun companies certainly affects our politicians’ decision-making skills on the subject. Guns are designed to kill. The freedom involved in purchasing a gun is the freedom to kill, and in so many other aspects of our society that is a freedom we are not comfortable giving out. So why bother with background checks, waiting periods, bans on high-capacity magazines? Because each of these measures has the chance to save lives. 67

Technology College offers more online courses as part of IC 20/20 BY GERALD DOHERTY

A worldwide trend toward online teaching and education gives colleges and universities a means of delivering higher education globally to millions of students. Institutions are sharing entire courses with anyone with an Internet connection, leading Ithaca College to readdress how it will utilize online learning in the future. IC 20/20 has charged the Task Force for Instructional Delivery Models with outlining how the college can offer more online courses and degrees and also enable students studying abroad or working in internships to take college courses from their computer. This move represents a deeper engagement by the college with online learning. Five years ago, the college began offering professional development certificates for taking online courses with no academic credit. Now the college is calling to move more, but not all, of the college experience from the classroom to the online forum. Rob Gearhart, assistant provost for online learning and extended studies, is the administrative co-chair for the task force. While online learning at the college can be beneficial, he said, it will only serve to supplement — not replace — traditional higher education. “We have to do this all within what’s most beneficial to our campus environment,” Gearhart said. “We’re a residential learning campus. We recognize that learning happens in a lot of different places, not only in the classroom.” The college’s approach to online teaching differs from a national trend toward Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, which offer online courses for no academic credit, but allow hundreds of thousands of students to interact with class material

from courses at colleges and universities nationwide. Examples include Coursera, which was founded in April by two Stanford professors, and edX, which is a collaboration among MIT, Harvard and University of California, Berkeley. With the increasing number of MOOCs comes a debate over what effect they will have on established colleges and universities. Coursera, for example, makes a college course normally taught in a room of 200 people available to potentially tens of thousands at a time, with a goal of worldwide availability and democratization of higher education. Ithaca College, however, has chosen to have its virtual classrooms resemble their physical counterparts as closely as possible. Gearhart said the college keeps tuition rates for online courses the same as for on-campus ones and caps the number of students in a class. Gearhart said online courses at the college are open to those who are not enrolled in classes at the college, called extramural students. He said online learning at the college offers anywhere from one to four credits, depending on the course. Gearhart said most online courses are intersessional or offered in the winter and summer semesters, but he said about seven online courses are offered during the fall and spring semesters. In January, during the winter semester, 18 undergraduate and three graduate courses were offered online, compared with 43 undergraduate and 10 graduate courses for this year’s summer semester. Marilyn Dispensa, instruc-

tional technology coordinator at the college, said about 17 faculty members and a few staff members are enrolled in an Internet program from the University of Wisconsin to help them become more proficient online teachers. When the instructors complete the courses, Dispensa said, they will get a certificate in online teaching. Jack Powers, assistant professor of media, arts and sciences, taught Introduction to Mass Media and Introduction to Media Industries online over the summer, and he previously taught Research Methods online. Powers described teaching via Internet as “a mixed bag.” “I still think there will always be a place for person-to-person communication in an educational setting,” Powers said. “There’s a reason I teach here and not at the University of Phoenix.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY FULLER

College to offer Park School graduate program BY SAGE DAUGHERTY

The Roy H. Park School of Communications has created a new graduate program that will be offered completely online, beginning Fall 2013. Diane Gayeski, dean of the Park School, said the new Master of Science degree, the Executive Masters Degree Communications Innovation program, is designed for working professionals already successful in the communications industry. 68

“The program will kind of be a think tank with a master’s degree associated with it,” she said. “We see that we certainly have a wonderful reputation in undergraduate education, and we feel that we can serve not only our own alumni but also professionals in the field.” Gayeski said the program is designed for leaders in all communications professions across the globe who are responsible for designing, developing and managing the next generation of media innovation appli-

cations. The curriculum provides a foundation in research methods; media economics and business modeling; human perception and consumer behavior; communication product design; global leadership theories; and regulation while stimulating new ways of thinking. Applicants to the program are required to have a bachelor’s degree and at least five years of work experience, as well as letters of recommendation from professionals in the field.

College pilots classroom use of Apple iPads BY ERICA PALUMBO

A different kind of apple is appearing on more and more teachers’ desks. Educators around the country at almost all academic levels are leaning toward utilizing Apple devices, like iPads, as predominant tools for learning and instruction. Following the Apple trend, Ithaca College implemented a pilot program this year in which 40 iPads were distributed to select faculty members — 20 in the fall and 20 in the spring — to help aid classroom instruction. The program, which was developed through a collaborative effort by Information Technology Services and the Center for Faculty Excellence, was launched this semester. The goal is to “explore the use of tablet computing for their teaching, research and personal productivity,” as stated on the pilot program website. The pilot also aims to create a faculty iPad “community” through Sakai for instructional collaboration. Twenty professors across all five academic schools received their temporary iPads to use during the fall semester. Beth Rugg, assistant director of technology and instructional support services, said she believes the program will help the college gauge how it can better use portable devices to foster more in-depth instruction and learning. “Through this, I think we’ll gain a better institutional knowledge on how these devices can be implemented in the classroom, and as we work alongside the faculty with

Adam Zelehowsky, assistant professor of biology, looks at molecular structures on an iPad with students. SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

the technology, we’re hoping we can enable them to explore their discipline in a very specific way,” she said. Rugg said the college funded the iPad purchases, and the Center for Faculty Excellence supplied $30 iTunes gift cards to faculty participants for software purchases. One of the program’s goals is for faculty to find concrete apps that could be targeted toward different subject areas. Rugg said these apps would help facilitate more focused learning. David Gondek, assistant professor of biology, was one of the faculty applicants to receive an iPad. Gondek said he plans to use a lab management app developed by labguru.com as a research and teaching tool to help manage student projects and labs. He also said he is looking into an app called Molecules, which allows users to study biology at the molecular scale through 3-D molecules based on touch interaction. “One of the things we have an issue with is that, if we wanted to draw a structure that’s not flat in reality, we’d have to draw

these ‘chair structures’ to demonstrate three dimensional structures on a two dimensional environment,” he said. “But with the iPad, we can display them on a 3-D scale.” Using tablets for educational purposes, however, is not without its flaws. For one thing, implementing cross-school iPad use is not cheap. Rugg said though ITS was able to secure one-time funding from the college for the iPad program, the cost amounts to around $10,000 for 20 tablets. An individual iPad starts at $499, and many educational institutions attempting to utilize the device have had to rework their yearly budgets to accommodate purchasing costs. At this point, Rugg said, the college does not have any plans past the pilot to further implement iPad use in the classroom. She said her greatest hope is that the program will provide a template of ideas that faculty can build upon to look into new areas of education. “Maybe all we can do is learn,” she said. “We hope it will help break down some of the barriers that prevent people from further exploring different educational topics.”

College to require student web portfolios to graduate BY ELMA GONZALEZ

Ithaca College is taking the final steps toward institution-wide implementation of electronic learning portfolios as part of the new Integrative Core Curriculum. E-portfolios are online portfolios that showcase student work, including writing samples, projects and experience, for potential employers. The new e-portfolio platform will be used as a way to assess integrative learning that will happen with the new ICC, and it will be a graduation requirement for all students. E-portfolios will be required for all incoming students beginning in the fall of 2013, Danette Johnson, director and professor for educational affairs, said. “The core curriculum is going to start in the fall [of 2013], and the expectation is the

electronic learning portfolio is a component where all students are going to be able to integrate and document all elements of their learning,” Johnson said. An e-portfolio pilot program was scheduled for the fall semester, as stipulated by the ICC Implementation Timeline, but it was delayed until the spring. Taskstream will not replace, but supplement, the assessment of academic major programs. Some schools, such as the Roy H. Park School of Communications, will use the e-portfolios as a supplement to their student learning assessment. Diane Gayeski, dean of the Park School, said communications students will be required to take a class senior year dedicated solely to e-portfolio development. Currently, the school of communications offers a freshman class, S’Park, which requires e-portfolios. However, students are not

required to continue building the portfolio after leaving the class. “We do require that students take a class in social studies and a class in humanities; it’s kind of our own distribution requirement with the idea that we want them to have a broader education and experience things that are not just professional education,” Gayeski said. “But we’ve never had a way to assess what’s happened there, whether students actually put it together in any meaningful way. It just is ‘You need to take four courses.’” Though the ICC will institute e-portfolios as an institution-wide graduation requirement, some programs and departments already require them as part of the curriculum. Currently, all education, recreation and leisure studies, aging studies and physical therapy programs require e-portfolios. 69

Now you see it, now you don’t From left, sophomores Andrea Zalin and Lily Caruso take a photo using Snapchat while hanging out in IC Square. RACHEL WOOLF/THE ITHACAN

Timed photo-sharing app entertains student body BY ALLIE HEALY

While walking to class in the School of Business, junior Lindsay Kingston raises her iPhone to eye level and presses the blue circle on her screen. Kingston admits to taking and sending many “selfies” like these on a daily basis. But unlike a typical photo message, Kingston’s face will disappear from the receiver’s phone in 10 seconds or less. Sweeping the Ithaca College campus, Snapchat is a photo-sharing application that allows users to take photos and send them to anyone on their friend list. The catch is the sender must set a time limit from one to 10 seconds before sending the image out. Once the receiver opens the photo, time begins counting down, and eventually the image is wiped completely. But the app’s beginning was not as simple as point and shoot. In the spring of 2011, Stanford University student Evan Spiegel stood up in his product design class and pitched the app to his fellow classmates. After explaining that the app sent photos that self-destructed, Spiegel said, his idea was turned down by the students. “They said the app was a terrible idea, and people would use it just for sexting,” Spiegel said. “So we went ahead and created Snapchat anyway.” 70

Spiegel, the 22-year-old co-founder and CEO of Snapchat, said he and co-founder Bobby Murphy felt social media was boring and people were “putting on a show” by presenting a superficial image through online profiles. While it began just as a social experiment, Snapchat now has more than 10 million users sending a combined 20 million — or more — snaps a day. Within that growing number of users are Ithaca College students who use the app, like Kingston. Junior Megan Downes found out about the app from one of her friends, who strongly suggested she download it. She said she finds herself snapping the occasional “selfie” as well as things she comes across while reading the news. Spiegel said this social behavior is what the app is intended to maximize. “We believe that Snapchat brings people together in a really unique way,” Spiegel said. “Nearly everyone we talk to uses it to communicate with their friends.” While many publications and websites are focusing their attention on the potential for sexting, Spiegel said that’s not the app’s intended utility. He attributes these claims to the lack of effort he and his team have put in to get their story out to the public. Despite Snapchat’s lack of marketing,

Kingston said she sends “nudies,” or naked selfies, as a joke — but never with the intention of gratification. “I enjoy sending nudies through Snapchat,” Kingston said. “My friends can tell you I’m not lying. But, I wouldn’t send them to boys and be like, ‘Look how good looking I am.’” For now, students like to simply connect with friends. Sophomore Ben Weger uses Snapchat to communicate with his girlfriend Morgan while they are away at their respective colleges. He said that if the photo calls for it, like a recent one he received from his friend, he’ll take a screenshot for memory’s sake. “I received one of my roommate’s girlfriend while she was in class and clearly bored,” Weger said. “Also, when my girlfriend makes a funny face, oftentimes I’ll screenshot it.” Freshman Sam Russell said Snapchat comes in handy when updating his sister and mother about what’s going on while he is away. He finds the time limit on the photos to be one of the most interesting components of the app, allowing the images to truly be snapshots of his life. “It’s cool to have something you know is impermanent in an age where everything is permanent,” Russell said.

Students compete in schoolwide app contest BY LISA FAMULARO

Many people say there is an app for everything. However, some Ithaca College students will soon be working to prove that’s not entirely true. Young entrepreneurs, developers and designers at the college are participating in a nine-week app design competition with a chance to win up to $1,000. The app can be any webbased or native software application for a computer, tablet or mobile device. Students sign up individually, whether or not they have an idea in mind. Adam Peruta, assistant professor in the department of strategic communication, who developed

the idea for the competition, said he selected the nine-week time window so students would have to work intensely to develop their product over a short period of time, like they would in the business world. The competition ended April 12. Peruta said more than 35 students signed up to participate. A panel of judges include college professors, local businessmen and women and alumni. At the end of the competition, the panel determined the first-, second- and third-place winners, who received $1,000, $500 and $250, respectively. “One of the goals from the beginning was to have this really be an interdisciplinary

From left, Adam Peruta, assistant professor of strategic communication, discusses a Chipotle app as junior Noah Delin and Stacey Lawrence look on. DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

experience for the students,” Peruta said. “We really want the student teams to form with

Bubbling up online BY EVIN BILLINGTON

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? The absorbent, yellow and porous SpongeBob SquarePants, of course. Quotes from him and his underwater friends are propelling sophomore Peter Marshall’s “SpongeBob”-themed Twitter page, FoxyGrandpa62, to success with thousands of followers. Marshall and his friend Tori Mueller a senior at Harriton High School in Rosemont, Penn., where Marshall also attended,

created the Twitter page in 2011, which currently has more than 34,768 followers as of press time. Marshall and Mueller said they decided to create it because of their mutual love of “SpongeBob” and their habit of constantly quoting the characters, but they never expected a page with simple “SpongeBob” quotes would become such a success. “We just annoyed so many people in high school quoting “SpongeBob” out loud that we decided to basically stop and just

Sophomore Peter Marshall checks his “SpongeBob”-themed Twitter page Feb. 15. JENNIFER WILLIAMS/THE ITHACAN

people from different majors, different schools, different interests, different talents.”

“SpongeBob”-themed Twitter garners thousands of followers

do a Twitter instead,” Mueller said. “We just sort of wanted to share the ‘SpongeBob’ love, because there are so many people out there who love ‘SpongeBob.’” The two searched Twitter for a page similar to their idea, and after finding none, they decided to officially create the first “SpongeBob” quote Twitter page. The name FoxyGrandpa62 is a “SpongeBob” reference on its own. Mueller said it is pulled from an episode called “One Krab’s Trash,” in which Mr. Krabs sells SpongeBob a cheap drink hat — basically a baseball hat with two soda cups on the side with straws coming down from them for easy drink access — only to realize it is a hot commodity and he could get a lot of money for it. In an effort to get the hat back, Mr. Krabs tries to bribe SpongeBob with a baseball cap that says “Foxy Grandpa.” Coming up with quotes, which they tweet at least once a day, is something Mueller has a knack for, Marshall said. He said they usually correlate the quotes to things happening to them in their daily lives.

“A lot of times if it fits with something that’s going on in my day or something that happened to me, I’ll do it, and it might not mean anything to anyone else, but it does to me,” Marshall said. Marshall and Mueller tweet quotes in the morning to greet the followers. One tweet greeted followers with “Good MORNING krusty krew!!” It was retweeted 122 times and favorited 27 times. Marshall said the Twitter only began really taking off in the past few months. He attributes this success to a snowball effect, where people following and retweeting easily make other Twitter users aware of the page. While Marshall does not consider Mueller and himself Twitter celebrities exactly, Mueller said they are surprised and ecstatic with their popularity. “It’s just a great place to go and remember all the old ‘SpongeBob’ quotes,” Mueller said. “I didn’t think it would become a huge thing when we started. It’s really awesome knowing there are, like, 29,000 people out there who follow me and Peter. It’s crazy.”

Profiles

Administrator recalls lifetime at college BY NOREYANA FERNANDO

In the spring of 1967, a 20-year-old Carl Sgrecci got into his parents’ car and drove up to Ithaca College from Watkins Glen, N.Y. He drove up the dirt road that went across where the athletic fields lie today and pulled up by the flagpole in front of Textor Hall. He stepped out of his car, a slightly apprehensive sophomore at Corning Community College who had come to explore the campus before transferring. Forty-six years later, Sgrecci sits in his office on the third floor of Peggy Ryan Williams Center — not far from that flagpole — where he serves as the college’s vice president for finance and administration. After being a student, faculty member and administrator at the college, Sgrecci ’69 will retire in August. Sgrecci, who has come to be known as the “chief financial officer with a heart,” often walks down the hallway that connects Job Hall, Friends Hall, Textor Hall and Muller Center, with an unfailing smile on his face. However, when Sgrecci first walked that same hallway 46 years ago, he was not smiling. “That long hallway and people walking up and down it, going to and from classes really intimidated me when I walked in,” Sgrecci said. One of Sgrecci’s most memorable moments of his time as a student at the college was the arrival of the famed Textor Ball when the college was celebrating its 75th anniversary in 1967. Even when it first arrived, Sgrecci said, students had different speculations about the plastic-covered delivery. “We were students, smart alecks,” he said. “There were people who thought maybe it was a statue of the president’s wife.” Two years later, Sgrecci graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. Sgrecci said his whole career has been “an accident,” a series of unexpected opportunities that began when he was hired by the college in a back hallway the day he went to pick up his diploma. “The chairman of the [accounting] department was there, and he asked me if he could talk to me for a minute,” Sgrecci said. “So he pulled me aside and asked me if I would be interested in teaching the next year, because they were cut short because [a faculty member had] left so suddenly. I said, ‘Sure.’” With that, Sgrecci began teaching at the college in the fall of 1969. While teaching, Sgrecci also pursued his master’s degree at Syracuse University. Steve McCluski ’74, a member of the college’s board of trustees, was one of the students in Sgrecci’s 8 a.m. intermediate accounting class in 1972. It was in this class that McCluski met his future wife, Kim (Joslyn) McCluski ’74. 72

Carl Sgrecci ’69 transferred into Ithaca College from Corning Community College in 1967 as a junior accounting major. Sgrecci announced last year that he will be retiring from the college in August. COURTESY OF KAREN MCGAVIN

“In his intermediate accounting class, there was a young lady named Kim who I started sitting next to and ultimately has become my wife,” McCluski said. Sgrecci also met his wife at the college. Marilyn Sgrecci had graduated from Michigan State University and had just begun an administrative position on the second floor of the Muller Center in 1971. Sgrecci’s office was on the fourth floor of Muller. “One day, I was looking out of the window, and there was this good-looking blonde that was talking to another college employee, and I said ‘Gee, I wonder who that is,” Sgrecci said. Marilyn said one of the sociology professors, Jules Burgevin, who was notorious for matchmaking, had noticed Sgrecci’s interest and set up a meeting between the two of them. “He arranged to have us meet [in the duplicating center], and then he kind of left us on our own, and we hit it off right away,” she said. “I think our first date was actually the next night. I believe it was a Friday night, and believe it or not, our first date was to go to the movie in Elmira called ‘Dirty Harry.’” This year, Sgrecci and Marilyn celebrated 40 years of marriage. In his post as vice president of finance and administration, Sgrecci officially

oversees the office of business and finance, the office of facilities, human resources and Information Technology Services. Sgrecci’s view of his tasks is slightly different from the official job description. “Every employee here is an important cog in the gear that is Ithaca College, and my job is to try to keep things oiled,” he said. As the time for his retirement approaches, Sgrecci said he has been more reflective. But Sgrecci said he is leaving the college with no regrets or “if only’s.” “As you get older, you worry about getting older and realize how much time has passed,” he said. “But I really don’t have any regrets. I don’t think about living it over again. I have been blessed. I really have been blessed at a job I enjoy doing 99.9 percent of the time. I just feel very, very fortunate.” Sgrecci said he plans to visit the college occasionally after retirement, for either a swim in the A&E center pool or for a social event, like a football game. Marilyn said she expects her husband will continue to watch the college’s progress. “He is not a person to sit and read and watch the world go by,” she said. “He is going to keep on being involved. I know he will look at the college from a distance and watch it continue to grow.”

Instructor examines society psychosocial dynamics, manipulation, coercion and those sorts of things,” Selimovic said. Selimovic finished his course work as a “The students here are awesome. They’re doctoral student at York University in Toronto tough, they don’t open up lightly,” Adnan and with only a dissertation to complete before Selimovic, instructor in the politics departreceiving his PhD, he decided to get off campus ment, said, leaning back in his desk chair. He and give teaching a try. says he understands, though, because there is “Universities are still places where we can trust that must be earned as a new instructor. have political pedagogy,” Selimovic said. “It can Selimovic has a silver hoop in his right be about intergenerational communication ear, and his brown hair is shaped in a ’50s that matters.” crew cut. His blue denim button-up is covShaza Elsheshtawy is a senior politics maered by a plaid, wool blazer. He crosses his jor enrolled in Selimovic’s Political Economy legs and bright, kelly green socks obviously of the Illicit Drug Trade in the United States. rise out of his brown leather Mephisto shoes. After four years of politics courses, she said Last fall was his first semester teaching. she could tell Selmovic was different right Selimovic, a Ph.D. candidate in York University’s away. She noticed Selimovic used feminine Graduate Program in Social and Political pronouns instead of the typical “his” and Thought in Toronto, Canada, is working to “he,” and also included a list of conditions finish his dissertation on youth cultures and under which a student should reconsider entechnology while teaching courses at Ithaca rolling, such as if they “cannot stomach the College. This semester, he is teaching Political restlessness of not knowing the answer.” Economy of the Illicit Drug Trade in the United “To me that is important,” Elsheshtawy States, Political Theory of SelfConsciousness said. “The world isn’t easy, isn’t clean. and U.S. Politics Through Scandals. Explaining it shouldn’t be so either.” “Most of these intro classes are just Elsheshtawy said Selimovic helps to end about trying to put on the brakes and saystudents’ fear to question systems and society. ing you know, you don’t have to necessar“I never have problems with students beily identify with the systems around you,” cause my solidarity is with them as learners, you Selimovic said. “I always try to stay aware of the know, as young people who are just trying to get some sort of bearing on reality,” Selimovic said. Eisenberg-Guyat, an anthropology student who is currently doing ethnographic research about drug use in Philadelphia at CUNYHunter, said she enjoyed watching Selimovic build confidence in his ability to teach. “As a young instructor, you don’t want to be authoritative or a disciplinarian,” she said. “But he still holds his students responsible for their serious commitment to learning and that is incredibly important.” Selimovic said his time at Ithaca College has been “great,” although teaching four classes a semester can be “pretty intense.” “I can’t believe it’s April! When I talk to my colleagues and older colleagues in mentor positions … I think they think I am exaggerating, that I’m making it seem better than it is,” Selimovic said. “I’ve gotten all of the institutional support I need, plenty of space, all the resources I need to put something together, and the students are awesome.” Adnan Selimovic spent the year at Ithaca College teaching courses such as U.S. Politics Through Scandals and Illicit Drug Trade in BY EMILY MILES

political economy of being a young person and involve that in every class.” Besides shelves of neatly lined books that surround his desk, the walls of his small office on the third floor of the Muller Faculty Center are almost completely blank. That is except for a chart of Foucault’s Panopticon and an ad ripped out of a magazine given to him by his partner, Nadja Eisenberg-Guyat. He said people notice that it’s still blank after a year, but he doesn’t think it’s that important. “My parents always say don’t get invested in things that are material,” Selimovic said. Selimovic was born in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, where he lived with his mother, father and younger sister until the country’s fall in the early ’90s. Selimovic said he watched his parents, who had “invested everything into a political system,” get ousted. The world he knew was shattered and his family lost everything. He spent his childhood living in refugee camps in Turkey and Bulgaria and moved to the U.S. in 1998. As a teenager living in St. Louis, Missouri, he said he explored the new environment to teach his younger sister about American society. “All of the moving and translating ideas is when I became interested in socialization,

the United States. Selimovic said he encourages his students to question their place in the social structure.

SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

Profiles Senior Brittany Kenyon studied abroad in Africa during her junior year, where she conducted a field study on indigenous mammals in Kenya. COURTESY OF BRITTANY KENYON

Senior thesis takes student far BY SHEA O’MEARA

After a three-hour drive through the makeshift desert roads of Kenya’s Turkana Basin where, instead of road signs, locals know to turn at a specific Acacia tree or termite mound, Brittany Kenyon came to a crocodile-filled lake in remote Kenya. The lake sits at the bottom of a volcano that erupted when the dinosaurs still roamed the Earth and was one of many historic locations that Kenyon, an anthropology major from Rochester, visited during her semester-long stay with the Turkana Basin Institute last year. After she arrived at the lake, Kenyon began a three-mile hike to the top of the island and told her host mother, Anja, that being on the site was surreal. She was used to seeing this type of history at the planetarium but couldn’t believe she was actually there. During her semester in Africa, Kenyon lived in a remote compound where she took classes and worked with anthropologists to conduct research on animal life that ultimately inspired her senior research in the way humans and nonhuman primates interact. Despite the 90 to 110 degree heat, Kenyon and her fellow students hiked through the desert to find and identify fossil remains. In her room, Kenyon and her roommate dedicated a shelf to animal bones they collected on their hikes — several camel bones and a nearly complete goat skeleton. 74

The compound had no cellphone service and Kenyon was only allowed an hour of Internet a week. She spent that time updating her blog and researching galagos, which are small nocturnal primates that live in the trees by the Turkwel River. The students in the compound were tasked with attempting to count the number of galagos that lived in the area to give the scientists a better idea of the animal life in the region. At night, Kenyon donned research gear, a flashlight and a pair of binoculars she had gotten as a Christmas gift before she left for Africa. She would wade through the local river to look for bright eyes in the tree tops which would let her know a galago was hanging around. “It’s not as scary as it sounds,” she said. “There’s no people around and no lights so you just go by the moonlight. It’s really cool to be that close to nature and to see things that are in the wild that don’t know what a human is.” They counted the number of galagos they saw each night and presented it as preliminary research that could inspire a future archeological project. When Kenyon told her mother, Teri, that she wanted to spend a semester in Africa, Teri said she was concerned for her daughter’s safety, but Kenyon’s passion for her work quickly put Teri at ease. “The more she talked about it and shared the idea of studying at the roots of anthropology it

became really exciting,” Teri said. Back on campus a year later, Kenyon is finishing her senior honors thesis. Her research pulls from her time in Kenya as well as her experiences in primate sanctuaries in the U.S. Outside of the classroom, Kenyon has been a resident assistant since her second semester at the college and said the close ties with fellow RAs is one of the reasons she’s stayed with the job for so long. Senior Adam Zimmer, anthropology, music and voice major, said Kenyon convinced him to become an anthropology major when they were both RAs together Zimmer recalled working with Kenyon on a website building project for their human development course. “It was like a week before the project was due and I got a text from Brittany saying ‘You should come join me in Friends.’ When I got there she had set up an entire spreadsheet on the chalkboard looking at different variables on the project and how we were going to set the website up,” he said. For Kenyon, studying anthropology is a way to answer all of her questions through science and allow her to research and experience different things within the same career. Teri said it’s been obvious that Kenyon would chose a field like anthropology since she was a child. “If we were looking for Brittany, she’d be in the backyard climbing the trees,” Teri said. “She has always been very interested in ecology and nature.”

Set design major constructs home at IC BY SABRINA KNIGHT

In Emilio Martinez Zurita de la Garza’s junior year of high school, he went to see many plays in his hometown of Mexico City. The scenic design and lighting of one in particular, “Nubbia,” fascinated him and encouraged Zurita to pursue a career in that area of study. Though Zurita had set his sights on that career path, Mexico had little to offer. When he Googled “colleges for scenic design in Mexico,” the only thing he found was the name of Sergio Villegas ’01, an alumnus who lives in Mexico. After sending him an email, Zurita found that Villegas had studied scenic design at Ithaca College and encouraged him to make the move to the U.S. to do the same. As an international and full-time student, leadership scholar and honors student, senior Zurita spreads himself around campus to make the most of his time spent at the college. “That transition to become a student here surrounded by American students has been difficult but at the same time really rewarding,” Zurita said. “It has made me think about my identity as an international student and about the role I have at Ithaca College.” In the fall, as part of his senior capstone project, Zurita designed lighting for “Man From Nebraska.” “For me, ‘Man From Nebraska’ was really special because it was the first show in which something that I conceived conceptually was realized on stage, and I was very happy with the product,” Zurita said. Tom Burch, assistant professor of scenic design in the theater arts department, who is also Zurita’s theater capstone adviser, said he loves working with Zurita because of his love for theater. “What I love about Emilio is he has such a great energy and a great love for theater as a storytelling medium,” Burch said. In the spring, Zurita designed the set of “An Enemy of the People,” which opened at the Hoerner Theatre on April 25. For “An Enemy of the People,” Bob Moss, founder of Playwrights Horizons in New York City, came to the college to direct the play. Zurita said he worked closely with Moss to design the set according to the director’s vision. Burch said Moss pushed Zurita to do something different with the design of the spring play. “He had to consider a world to create a world that can physically change over the course of time so it can allow us to move to different locations,” Burch said. “He has come up with some really interesting ideas about

how to move the story forward and still use the same general visual style to support that.” After graduation, Zurita said he wants to pursue an internship in New York City for a year before he goes back to Mexico, where he plans to work in theater. Outside of the theater department, Zurita has also directed “I Don’t Have to Show You No Stinking Badges” during his sophomore year as a part IC Teatro, a theater group that performs plays focused on Latin issues. Zurita said the experience taught him about managing a play, which encouraged him to pursue more within the theater department. Management also carries through to other parts of his life. As a part of his leadership scholar senior capstone, Zurita is the campaign coordinator for a fundraising initiative called La Movida. The campaign raises money for service learning, performances, workshops and a scholarship for students involved in the play. Diana Dimitrova, director of international

student services and programs, has worked with Zurita since he first came to the college. Over those four years, she said she has seen Zurita grow as a leader because of his involvement. “Emilio is on that quiet level of leadership where every step he takes, he takes it by himself, but he also brings everyone else along with him,” Dimitrova said. Bob Sullivan, director of the honors program, has also known Zurita for four years since he first took Sullivan’s honors seminar as a freshman. “He’s what I call a happy warrior,” Sullivan said. “He’s curious about everything. He’s got a great attitude towards learning. He’s funny and just a great guy.” Zurita said the skills he learned at the college will set him apart when he returns to Mexico. “Having the skill and professionalism that are expected from me at Ithaca College will really help me stand out in Mexico, and from a really young age, compared to other student designers,” Zurita said.

Senior Emilio Martinez Zurita de la Garza stands in front of a set he designed for “An Enemy of the People.” Zurita is a student from Mexico who came to Ithaca College to pursue a major in scenic design. RACHEL ORLOW/THE ITHACAN

Profiles

Student finds writing is healing

Senior Emily Nowels holds a copy of her mental health literary arts magazine, The Mirror. Her involvement with the publication led Nowels to an internship at The Mental Health Association in Tompkins County, where she is pictured above. SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

BY MEGAN DEVLIN

With impenetrable ice blue skin, she rises above me, horridly stunning. Empty stone eyes bore into me as she screams. Spewing abhorrent black. She is beautiful. She spins and spins as yards of cream silk come cascading off her body. I race my hands up the fabric pulling harder and harder as if stripping a mummy. And she twirls gracefully, faster and faster and lower and lower until her body spills on the floor. In this excerpt personifying her lifelong experience with mental illness, Emily Nowels, a senior double major in international communication and television-radio, uses the power of language to understand her personal struggles. As co-editor of Ithaca College’s first mental health publication The Mirror, she has found that writing and other forms of literary art have the same rehabilitative qualities for others. Growing up in the small town of Edinburgh, Ind., 76

Nowels was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder by age seven and went to therapy for a few years. Despite her progress, mental illness came back in a new form during Nowels’ freshman year at college. But creative outlets like writing helped her cope with, and eventually overcome, the effects of the disorder. The Mirror has been as much about using writing and art to illustrate the universal connection to mental health, as it has been part of Nowels’ own selfhealing. The Mirror includes a piece titled “Learning to Love,” which Nowels began writing her freshman year to understand her experience with mental illness. It is based on a dream she had and tells the story of a woman who guides Nowels to different locations, dark places and ultimately her own beauty. “Each part of the dream was a different aspect of self,” she said. “In order to become well, I had to strip away defense mechanisms and baggage. What’s left is vulnerable and pure … In the end, the

woman on the floor is me, the literal me.” With support from academic advisers, friends and family, Nowels was able to confront her anxiety and depression-based struggles to reach out for help. What began as visits to the Hammond Health Center and meetings with a therapist downtown blossomed into a creative exploration and self-reflection process through writing. “It was a way of taking something very negative in my life and making it very positive,” she said. Her parents, Mike and Gail Nowels, have also seen the rehabilitative role writing has played in their daughter’s recovery process. Mike, who is a professional printer and advised The Mirror staff while designing layout, said he believes writing has helped Emily express her true feelings to him and his wife instead of tucking them away. “Sometimes the written word can express things that are hard to articulate in speech,” he said. “Writing is a way for her to communicate.” In recognizing the power of narratives to connect people’s struggles and experiences, Nowels wanted to use the magazine as a way to both tell individual stories and to educate those who feel stigmatized by mental illness resources that are available. “The whole premise of the project is to give people who have had experiences with mental illness a platform to tell their stories and a platform for others to ask questions,” she said. Her close friend senior Anika Steppe, co-editor of The Mirror, said Nowels transformed into a literary arts editor. “She has gained confidence from this experience to go further into it,” Steppe said. “What she likes about this new experience is that she’s meeting new people in the community who are really struggling.” Between submissions to The Mirror, which included pieces from high-school and college students as well as college faculty and alumni, Nowels found a forum to connect people across generations around the universal topic of mental health. Writing has been Nowels’ path to recovery, and she wants to ensure that others can find similar outlets. “It was a place for me to rehash my own experience with mental health, and digest it, understand it, and move on from it,” she said. “The Mirror offered me an awesome opportunity to do that.”

Senior’s enthusiasm leads the way BY KELSEY FOWLER

Puppies selected for the Guiding Eyes for the Blind program are, in part, chosen for their confidence, something senior Grace Goodhew, an aging studies major with a focus in management and administration, knows a thing or two about. An Ithaca native, Goodhew graduated high school early, beginning college at 17. Elizabeth Bergman, assistant professor of gerontology, taught Goodhew in her first aging studies class, and four more courses since. “She’s the kind of person where she goes into a room and she’s there 30 minutes and everybody in the room is her friend,” Bergman said. “If she is ever stressed out you don’t know it — she always has a smile on her face.” Goodhew’s purple yoga mat, rolled up and slung over the shoulder of her light leopardprint coat, bounces with her as she walks. She constantly carries multiple bags filled with books, outfit changes for yoga class and supplies for puppy training. She is quick to pull up iPhone pictures of Josette, the black lab she previously raised. Goodhew decided to raise a puppy after seeing a Guiding Eyes dog on campus her

junior year. Guiding Eyes is an organization that fosters puppies and trains them to assist the visually impaired. Josette is now being considered for the breeding program, the top 2 percent of all GEB graduates. Giving up her dog after more than a year was difficult. “She is the sweetest pup ever and I still miss her tons,” she said. With updates from her new foster family, Goodhew is excited to see Josette go on to make more little puppies now. This year, with Goodhew’s help, there were 10 puppies being raised on campus. It’s a 24/7 commitment, and Goodhew knows firsthand how much work it takes. The GEB has a 21-year history at the college. Students raise the dogs from eight weeks to about 14 months, strictly training and socializing them before the dogs begin training to work for the blind. Goodhew said campus is an ideal place to raise a dog because there are so many different areas and people for the dogs to get accustomed to, and a Guiding Eyes dog must be comfortable and calm in any situation. Goodhew made GEB an official college club fall 2011, which is what she attributes to its

Senior Grace Goodhew snuggles with one of the guide dogs in training that is part of the Guiding Eyes for the Blind club at Ithaca College. Goodhew also practices yoga regularly and teaches courses downtown. KELSEY O’CONNOR/THE ITHACAN

growth this year. She wanted to add more structure to the process, instead of just entrusting someone with a dog worth $50,000. “Now we’re really able to outline what the process is, with meetings and rules,” she said. “Instead of just having it be vague, handing you a puppy and saying, ‘Go for it.’” Junior Katie Sheena, vice president of GEB, said without Goodhew in charge, GEB wouldn’t be nearly as successful as it is now. “With all of the things she’s put in place, she’s helped bring more awareness,” she said. Goodhew’s mother, Lee Goodhew Romm, is a professor of music performance at the college and the faculty advisor for the college’s GEB chapter. She is confident her daughter is ready to meet the “challenges and joys” of what’s to come. “Her leadership skills have been refined and grown in huge ways,” she said. “Grace is inspiring and I am so proud of her decisions.” Goodhew also practices Kripalu yoga, which literally translated means “compassion.” She was 6 years old when her mother first introduced her to yoga, and she became certified last summer. Goodhew teaches five to six classes every week now, some on campus, some at Sunrise Yoga. The practice emphasizes stillness and relaxation, using standard yoga poses with a focus on meditating and breathing. When raising Josette, Goodhew would practice her own yoga with the dog by her side, snuggling on her mat. She wanted to take a year off after graduation and teach yoga on an around-the-world cruise ship, but when those plans fell through, Goodhew decided to apply to graduate schools in hopes of becoming a nursing home administrator. “I’ll be able to do amazing things with my degree, but that’s only a portion of who I am and where I spend my energy,” she said. From the students who attend her yoga classes to those she now mentors as they raise their own puppies, Goodhew has made a niche for herself on campus. “She has an uncanny ability to see the way things are connected,” Bergman said. “So even though something’s not officially part of her major, like Guiding Eyes for the Blind for example, she sees overlaps and intersections and how that could relate.” Goodhew’s list of possible graduate schools spans the coasts, all with three requirements: someplace warm, sunny and near water. Josette, of course, is invited to the graduation party. “I don’t have a bucket list, because as soon as I have the will to do something I find a way to make it happen,” Goodhew said. “Many times, this involves sacrifice in some way, but you learn to prioritize. Ninety-nine percent of the time you can make things happen for yourself.” 77

In Memoriam

Victoria Howell BY NOREYANA FERNANDO

To celebrate the life of Victoria “Tori” Howell, 20, an Ithaca College junior who died over winter break, members of the Ithaca College community gathered at 4 p.m. Dec. 30 in Muller Chapel for a memorial service. Howell died as the result of a car accident Dec. 30 while traveling on State Route 366 in the Town of Dryden, according to the New York State Police. Howell lost control of her vehicle and struck an automobile traveling east. The accident was reported at 1:27 p.m. She was transported to Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca where she later died from her injuries. Howell was an English major with a minor in psychology. During the fall of 2011, she studied at the Ithaca College London Center. She also worked for Purity Ice Cream and Ithaca College Dining Services on campus. Amanda Kellerson, direct employee supervisor at Purity Ice Cream, said they closed the store when they were informed of Howell’s death. “We received a phone call at the store from her mother the night she died,” she said. “We closed the store immediately. For some of us, it took awhile to sink in.” Howell was also a dedicated member of the Harry Potter Alliance and To Write Love on Her Arms. On Dec. 5, Howell was inducted into Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society of the college. Ruth, Howell’s mother, said she, Howell’s father and brother were devastated by the news of the death. “How are we supposed to continue without the light of our lives?” she said. Junior Grace Wivell was one of Howell’s close friends. Wivell recalled a time when she and Howell had gone in search of the town of Agloe, New York — a fictitious town in John Green’s 2008 book, “Paper Towns.” “We just packed a picnic lunch and were like, ‘We are going to go find Agloe’ and we ended up in this little fishing town and there was this castle,” she said. “It was like something out of a book or a movie.” Wivell, who met Howell during their freshmen year, said Howell was always determined to get something meaningful out of everything she did. “She was one of those people who never really got satisfaction out of something like a good grade in a class or on a test,” she said. “It was whether or not she had done something meaningful.” 78

Junior Grace Wivell hugs a sympathizer as senior Ashlyn Velte walks behind her at the memorial service for friend, junior Victoria Howell on Dec. 30 in Muller Chapel. Howell died in a car accident. DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

“She had so much joy in finding others who would share her passions.”

— KATHARINE KITTEREDGE

Senior Ashlyn Velte spent a semester with her in London. She said one night when they were on their way home from a charity concert they realized they had no way of getting back home. “The bus schedule we were supposed to take wasn’t running because they had delays on the line,” she said, smiling. “At three in the morning, we are dressed up and trying to find our way around the shady parts of London. And it was a really good time.” Howell’s mother recalls her daughter’s high school days. Howell stepped up to be co-president of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender group, just because nobody else was stepping up. She was also a Girl Scout and an ardent Harry Potter Fan. “It’s a great tragedy,” her mother said. “She had an awful lot to offer and she won’t get to complete that.” The college’s English department is planning to name an annual book prize after Howell. The prize will be awarded to outstanding English majors or minors whose academic or extracurricular work reflects Howell’s intellectual interests and values. In addition, part of the college’s annual “Pippi to Ripley: Female Figures of Science Fiction Conference” will be dedicated to

Howell. The conference will take place in May. Katharine Kittredge, professor of English, is the coordinator of this conference and was one of Howell’s professors. She said the event will be a contest in which teams of students from local middle schools, high schools and colleges come together to test their knowledge of all things fantasy and science fiction. It will be named the “Tori Cup Fantasy and Science Fiction Challenge.” Kittredge also said she is saddened by the fact that Howell’s death left so many missed opportunities. “She was becoming one of the most rewarding students in my career,” she said. “I am so sad I won’t be able to introduce her to the Cornell Archives, or to direct her Honors thesis or watch her do her first professional presentation.” Howell was registered to conduct an independent study with Kittredge’s help this semester. Kittredge said Howell was a bright yet humble student. “She was always with a smile when she was offering her opinion,” she said. “There is no grandstanding. She just had this wealth of thought and she expressed herself beautifully. She had so much joy in finding others who would share her passions.”

Frank Musgrave BY SABRINA KNIGHT

The Ithaca College community was saddened by the unexpected loss of Frank Musgrave, a retired economics professor, on Jan. 2. Musgrave, 80, died four days after being diagnosed with pneumonia, his wife Eva May Musgrave said. Musgrave was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1934 and grew up in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. He graduated from Muhlenberg College and Rutgers University. Musgrave joined Ithaca College as an economics professor in 1968. He was the chair of the economics department in the School of Humanities and Sciences from 1977 to 2001. After 42 years of working in the economics department, Musgrave retired in May 2011. Bob Sullivan, director of the college’s honors program, knew Musgrave because their offices were on the same floor of the Muller Center. The two were known for their baseball rivalry. Musgrave was a Yankees fan and Sullivan was a Red Sox fan. Though their teams are rivals, Sullivan said, they both genuinely enjoyed the sport and were able to get over their differences when discussing the game. “He always was very respectful of the very profound differences that we had,” Sullivan said.

“I honestly think that he would seek to find those things that we could agree upon rather than to emphasize the things upon which we were not to agree on.” In addition to being dedicated to his students and friendships with his colleagues, Musgrave was involved in other organizations on and off campus. He established a chapter of Students for Free Enterprise at the college and was the director of the Southern Tier Center for Economic Education from 1999 to 2001. He was also on the Board of Directors of the New York State Council on Economic Education and was on the board at the Cayuga Medical Center. Musgrave was chosen to participate in a Roundtable in Oxford, England, multiple times, and conducted research at the University of London during his sabbatical for one semester once every seven years. He also was published in notable economic publications, such as The American Economist. After Musgrave retired in May 2011, he focused his attention on two things: the bedand-breakfast, called The Edge of Thyme, that he and his wife, Eva May, owned in Candor, N.Y., and continuing to write publications and books about economics. At The Edge of Thyme, Musgrave spent a lot of time with the visitors, greeting them and telling jokes, Eva May said.

She said she has a collection of notes that students gave Musgrave after their graduation and his retirement throughout his career. One of the letters, written in 2008, said, “I do not even know where to start really. It seems like I’ve known you forever. I cannot thank you enough for everything you have done for me for the past four years, and you’ve guided me, and your guidance is truly a lifelong gift, something I will take with me as I transition through the different stages of life.” Trip Wolf ’77 was an economics major who became very close to Musgrave because he took many of his classes and co-wrote a paper with him. “I thought he was the greatest professor, and all these years later he still stands out,” Wolf said.

Just as Musgrave developed strong relationships with his students, he also had a strong relationship with his wife for 52 years. She said she spent a lot of time with her husband and loved him deeply. After his death, she said she has many stories and memorabilia to share. Eva May said her favorite memory of her husband was of their wedding day. “It was perfect,” Eva May said. Eva May said Musgrave was an inspirational figure to his friends, colleagues, students and family. She said his humor stood out in all aspects of his life. “He loved life,” Eva May said. “He loved his students, he loved his family. He just really loved everybody.”

Retired economics professor Frank Musgrave stands at his last commencement ceremony in May 2010. Musgrave died on Jan. 2. COURTESY OF SCOTT MUSGRAVE

Nick Vandam BY ELMA GONZALEZ

Nick Vandam, a retired mathematics professor at Ithaca College, passed away Nov. 19. Vandam, 64, battled a long-term disease. He taught at the college for 33 years and was a Vietnam veteran.

A service with full military honors, which several members of the college community attended, was held Nov. 24 at Quick Cemetery, Brooktondale, near Ithaca. James Conklin, associate professor and chair of mathematics at the college, said Vandam was passionate about teaching, the outdoors and community service.

“We will all miss Nick as a friend and as a valuable teacher in the department,” he said. Vandam retired last semester. He was a member of the the Finger Lakes Cycling Club, Adirondack Mountain Club, Cayuga Nordic Ski Club and helped maintain the Finger Lakes Hiking Trail. He also volunteered at the Caroline Food Pantry. 79

Nobody

home

The Ithaca Jungle is empty after decades of housing the homeless

By NOREYANA FERNANDO Photographs by Rachel Woolf

Scan this code with a smartphone to listen to a radio feature on the Ithaca Jungle.

The Ithaca Jungle, located off South Fulton Street near Ithaca Agway, has been home to some of the city’s homeless for at least five decades. Births, deaths and marriages have happened there. People have come and gone. But today, all of its inhabitants have roofs over their heads, and the Ithaca Jungle is empty. The tents where dozens spent many nights have collapsed under the weight of the snow. The ceramic plates are empty. The small area of land known as The Pit — where people would gather in the evenings for a drink — is now a mass of ash from the fires that once warmed the jungle inhabitants. Nailed onto a tree is a box with the words ‘Jungle Brothers’ on it. A few yards away, an American flag is pinned to the bark of a leafless tree. In the first week of December, Newfield resident Carmen Guidi found shelter for the 10 remaining inhabitants of the Jungle. Guidi, a board member of Community Faith Partners, moved them out of the chilly Ithaca Jungle and gave them new homes, new jobs and new lives. Guidi said emptying the jungle was not his motive when he first visited the Jungle three years ago. “I just wanted to help my friends,” he said. Guidi was born in Ithaca and raised in Newfield, where he still lives and is the owner of Guidi’s Collision Services. Guidi said he was inspired after a mission trip to Haiti and wanted to make a change in his own community. “What I saw there in Haiti, it just shook me,” he said. “It just rocked my whole world.” When he returned to Ithaca in July 2010, Guidi began to contact agencies to find out if there was any way he could help the people around him. When Guidi heard about the Ithaca Jungle, he decided to visit. With six large pizzas in hand, he walked into the jungle and into the inhabitants’ lives. “They are still people, they are still human beings,” he said. “We

Tom Persun looks out from his new trailer in Newfield, N.Y. 82

still need to reach out to them.” Guidi’s efforts to house the inhabitants and find them work has cost him about $50,000, but he refuses to take credit. “When the guys that I have helped try to give me the credit, I say it’s not me — it’s the Lord working through me,” he said. Tom Persun lived in a tent in the Ithaca Jungle for nearly four years. Persun was among the group of inhabitants Guidi moved out of the Jungle. Today, Persun lives in a trailer down Jackson Hollow Road in Newfield. A thick sheet of snow covers the trailer, but it is 80 degrees inside. In a corner, a small TV screen is playing Jesse James’ “History of the Chopper.” Persun said he remembers the bitter cold of the Jungle. He said one of the hardest struggles was staying warm and keeping his tent from collapsing under the weight of the snow. When asked what he misses about the jungle, Persun said he didn’t miss anything. “Not a damn thing,” he said. “It was a hard way of life, living in a tent, especially on days like today.” However, he said, he does miss his friends. “You make friends you can depend on, because you shared something in common,” he said. Persun said there were times when the jungle inhabitants worried about being evacuated by the city. In 2011, Jungle residents said they were considered a “problem” by the city. In August 2011, the City of Ithaca gave the American Red Cross of Tompkins County a “draft eviction notice,” requiring that residents living in the city-owned Sectors Two and Three of the Jungle to leave by September or get arrested. Jungle Sector One inhabitants were not warned, because they rested on land owned by Norfolk Southern Corp. Railroad. In a meeting later that month, the city removed the deadline. No arrests were made and no one was evicted.

Meow Meow, the Jungle cat, takes shelter from the cold.

Guidi’s work means the city can take the Jungle off their agenda for the moment. Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick said he was glad citizens had worked to make such a change. “Both personally and professionally, I am thrilled,” he said. “I think that’s not an environment for anyone to live. I am glad that a committed group of private citizens were able to make this positive change.” Three of the Jungle inhabitants now have permanent jobs, while some were given temporary work. Guidi said it was hard to find work in the area. He said the Syracuse Rescue Mission and several other connections helped him secure these jobs. Guidi said not all of the Jungle inhabitants are physically fit for work. Gossa Tsegaye, assistant professor of television-radio at Ithaca College, has produced three documentaries on the Ithaca Jungle. Tsegaye spent months immersing himself in the Jungle community and researching for his documentaries. He said the people he saw

Two years ago, Meow Meow’s owner hanged himself. Guidi said the man had killed himself because he was desperate to get out of the jungle. Meow Meow’s owner was not the only person who died in the Jungle. Many deaths have been reported in the Jungle over the years — some suicides and some accidents. The number of homeless persons staying in Tompkins County shelters has decreased by nearly 50 percent since 2001, according to shelter usage data analyzed by the Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County. Myrick said homelessness is not a problem that can be solved by a single establishment. “The private sector, nonprofits, government, none of us alone can solve this problem,” he said. “Only together can we solve it.” Guidi is working with local rescue missions to build a 10-room supportive living home on Court Street to house inhabitants. But keeping the Jungle empty is the next challenge. Guidi said he does not expect the Jungle to stay empty.

What stood out to me is the resilience of human beings. People can survive no matter what the condition is.

-Gossa Tsegaye

were hopeful and adaptable. “What stood out to me is the resilience of human beings,” he said. “People can survive no matter what the condition is. They cared for each other, they trusted each other. I think it was important to understand that they really loved each other.” Persun smiled as he talked about his other friends from the Jungle — the cats. Cats that once belonged to Jungle residents peer from under the fallen tents and weather-beaten couches. One of these cats is Meow Meow, whose black coat and green eyes have captured many Jungle hearts. Persun said she is known in the Jungle as the “mother of all cats.” “When she would have a litter of kittens, we always got the first pick of them,” Persun said. “I had a great kitten. I called her Spirit. But she just disappeared. I don’t know what happened to her.”

“As soon as the weather warms up, there’ll be people back,” he said. Myrick said the city has long-term plans to keep the Jungle empty. “We’d like to have housing for everyone, and we’d like to put that land to good productive use,” Myrick said. Today, Persun works at the Ithaca Rescue Mission, where he runs the donation center — a job he said he loves. Persun pays Guidi a sum of money at the end of the month, whenever he can afford it. Guidi drives him to and from work for the moment, but Persun is working on getting a learner’s permit. Though originally from Pennsylvania, Persun said Ithaca is his home — Jungle or otherwise. He said those who have a place to call home should not take what they have for granted. “Appreciate it,” Persun said. “Just appreciate it.”

A makeshift tent stands vacant after Jungle residents were relocated. 83

Christopher Habib, a sophomore at Cornell University, protests for a free Palestine.

Activists and

academics Ithaca College professors apply lifelong activism to classrooms By KRISTEN MANSFIELD Photographs by Shawn Steiner

Beth Harris, associate professor of politics, stands in front of her Political Justice class describing the conflict between Israel and Palestine, holding up a packet with maps and articles inside of it. What many students don’t know is that after class Harris would be holding up posters at a Gaza protest on the side of Route 13. For professors like Harris, protesting is how they do their part to enact change in both the college community and elsewhere. They have chosen to not only weave their passions into their teachings but also to go out and advocate for the issues they believe in. Harris said she has felt strongly about human rights issues since she was in college and is now focusing her energy on the situation in Palestine and the Gaza Strip. “At this point, Israelis have a government that can protect them, and the Palestinians don’t,” Harris said. “It’s a big concern of mine. Since 1948 the Palestinians have been in the position of refugees.” Harris was not the only faculty member to attend the Gaza protest Nov. 16. More than 20 college students, locals and

Fred Wilcox, associate professor of writing, holds up a photo at the rally. 86

professors participated in a demonstration in Ithaca to oppose U.S. aid to the Israeli military. Fred Wilcox, associate professor of writing, who was also at the protest, said Israel’s weapons used to attack innocent people on the Gaza Strip are paid for by U.S. citizens’ tax dollars. “The more you know about it, the sadder you’ll get and wish that everybody there would step back from the violence,” Wilcox said. The history of violence in the Gaza Strip dates back to 1948, when Israelis drove Palestinians from their land. The latest round of hostilities began in November when Israel launched an air campaign against Hamas in retaliation for Hamas rockets fired into Israeli civilian areas. After eight days of escalating hostilities, Palestinian militant groups ordered a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. On Nov. 29 the U.N. accepted Palestine as a nonmember observer state. Wilcox said he remembers his own professors who went out

Scan this code with a smartphone to their professors experiences with activism or visit http://theithacan.org/29162.

and demonstrated with students during the Vietnam War protests and said it was inspiring. However, he also said some academics fear their job security if they are too outspoken, but he believes it is important to act because “talking is cheap.” “If more professors would come out at Ithaca College, Cornell, the students would follow,” he said. “They’d come out and see the example and say OK, it’s good and you can stand up for what you believe in.” Patricia Rodriguez, assistant professor in the department of politics, often shares her experiences with students about attending rallies and peaceful protests for issues, including drone warfare and Colombian social movements. “It’s important to raise awareness about policies that are usually not put out to the people in the correct way or the way that informs them of everything that happens,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez, who is Chilean-American, became aware of political issues in Latin America when she was younger because of her family’s struggles under the regime of Augusto Pinochet in Chile. Her activism began after her family was forced into exile from Chile, which caused them to move to Mexico and Brazil. “I was protesting a lot in Brazil during the time of the transition to democracy,” Rodriguez said. “I just didn’t want to sit in class and be listening to some other history. I wanted to be participating.” In 2008 and 2009, Rodriguez joined a group of students who drove down to Fort Benning, Ga., to attend a large protest against the School of the Americas, a U.S.-based school designed to train Latin American soldiers for combat against their own people, Rodriguez said. Some students, like senior Ren Ostry, say they appreciate when professors advocate for their beliefs because it creates a better learning environment. Ostry is an activist who often sees professors and familiar community faces at events like the anti-fracking rallies held over the past summer. “Participating in actions with my professors and advisers is a really incredible space for me and others to build relationships and really practice what we learn,” Ostry said. “I feel very lucky that the professors … really encourage community participation, hands-on practice and experience and to really seek empowerment from voices and actions.” Sophomore Nicole Nader, who took the Political Justice course with Harris, said she likes when professors choose to protest because it means they’re going out and doing what they discuss in class. “I feel like I respect Professor Harris specifically more after I found out that she protests and stands up for causes,” Nader said. “She’s not just telling us what’s happening, she actually believes in something.” Rodriguez said while she will encourage students to attend protests she’s interested in, she also keeps in mind the dangers that come with protesting. “I want to do more, but you get arrested, and you have to pay fees, and you probably have to go to jail,” Rodriguez said. “So as a scholar and as an activist, I can’t do too much.” Other professors like Harris and Wilcox have both dealt with the police in some capacity during past protests. In 1971, Wilcox went to Washington, D.C., to “close down the capital” in an anti-war protest, where he experienced severe police brutality. “The police attacked us,“ Wilcox said. “They broke arms, legs, heads and they broke my leg and shattered my kneecap to pieces and

Beth Harris, associate professor of politics, rallies for a free Palestine on Nov. 16.

threatened to kill me.” Since becoming a professor at the college, he has returned to Washington, D.C., many times to protest U.S. involvement in El Salvador, death squads in Guatemala and others. “If we think the government is committing war crimes anywhere in the world, we should stand up and say, ‘No, you aren’t doing this in my name,’” Wilcox said. Involvement is something that rings true for many professors on campus who think voicing opinions and participating in nonviolent protests can really create change, Wilcox said. Student organizations on and off campus can find ways to link social injustices in areas that we may have never realized, Rodriguez said. By joining a group working toward policy change, students can build a movement, she said. “Being integrated in talks in the community, in workshops, getting to know these people, would be an amazing way to be more aware,” Rodriguez said. Nothing should hold anyone back from standing up for what they believe in, Wilcox said. “I think a lot of people are waiting for the next Martin Luther King, the next John Kennedy or Malcolm X,” Wilcox said. “But we don’t need to wait for leaders, we just need to take action and do something that we feel strongly about.”

Exhibit uncovers local stories of 1918 flu By KELSEY O’CONNOR Photographs by Rachel Woolf

Ithaca History Center opens exhibit about 1900s Spanish Flu epidemic The year was 1918. Like thousands of others at the time, Nellie H., 12, lay on a davenport sofa suffering from a fever and fierce headache. She remembers the “cursory glance” of the doctor. Downstairs, her father was dying of double pneumonia, the common deadly turn from grippe, or the Spanish influenza. Her two brothers and mother were also ill, along with their neighbor. The Spanish flu epidemic lasted from 1918 to 1920 and killed more than 50 million people worldwide. In Tompkins County, which had a population of about 35,000, hundreds were affected. Nellie’s story is one of many featured in “Grippe: The Epidemic of 1918” until December at The History Center in Ithaca. Curator Catherine Duffy researched the Spanish flu for months, through Ithaca Journal articles and other materials from the time, and put a face to one of history’s deadliest epidemics. “Everyone was affected by the flu,” Duffy said. “No one was safe from this at all.” Typically, the seasonal flu is most likely to affect children and the elderly who have weaker immune systems. This was not the case for the more recent H1N1 flu, which affected people in the “healthy adult” age bracket, most between the ages of 18 and 64. The Spanish flu was a similar story. Ben Dalziel, a Ph.D. candidate at Cornell University, worked with Duffy to map out who was most affected by the epidemic at the time. Using mostly obituaries from The Ithaca Journal, he and Duffy found that males between the ages of 20 and 40 were hit hardest. They also found that many infected worked at Cornell.

“Catherine was able to totally reconstruct an epidemic just based on historical research,” Dalziel said. “It’s the most detailed data set for the spread of a disease in the city that I think I’ve ever seen, and it was just done by one person in a couple months.” Cornell and Ithaca College, which was still a music conservatory at the time, were also heavily affected by the epidemic. In 1917, the first president of the college, William Grant Egbert, along with his second wife, Mabel, opened their home to students suffering from the flu and turned it into a makeshift infirmary, according to John Harcourt’s 1983 history of the college, “The Ithaca College Story.” A year later, in 1918, Mabel was working “ceaselessly day and night” caring for victims of the flu, but eventually she also became stricken by the illness and died Nov. 2. Duffy said two women from the conservatory died while at the infirmary. It is not known if Egbert got the flu, but he was said to have suffered from “exhaustion and ill health” at the time of Mabel’s death. “Grippe: The Epidemic of 1918” is designed to tell the story of the people who were affected, rather than just give the statistics, Duffy said. “It seems like it was a very long time ago, and it’s hard to relate to someone that you don’t know who lived a long time ago,” Duffy said. “But, if you understand who they were and what they did, you see a picture of them, it’s a lot easier to realize they were a person, just like me, and got sick and died.” The exhibit featured stories and newspaper clippings of people who were affected. One case displayed pictures of Cornell students

88 Senior Corinne Swanson, an intern at The History Center, worked on the exhibit.

Gail Koch and Aleks Nikolic of Canandaigua, N.Y., explore the exhibit.

Medicines from the early 20th century.

who died either from the flu or in World War I. Others were filled with medical supplies used at the time, such as a metal compress, homeopathic medicine bottles, elixirs and an old inhaler. The 12-year old girl’s letter will also be there. Her family, including her father, eventually survived, but many did not. In some cases, entire families were wiped out. In Tompkins County, there were more than 100 deaths from the Spanish flu reported, Duffy said. The strain of the flu was so powerful that it generally turned into pneumonia. “At a certain point in the time frame it became so powerful it was called the three-day fever,” Duffy said. “So you got sick on day one, and you were dead by day three.” After graphing out the data, Duffy and Dalziel found that the largest number of cases were in October and November. According to an Ithaca Journal article, as of Oct. 18, 1918, there were about 600 cases of Spanish flu. The hospitals were full, as were Cornell’s infirmary, Sage Hall, Cascadilla Hall and the Masonic Hall. While the Red Cross put out an appeal for more nurses, the board of health kept schools open, saying, “Every teacher has been instructed to watch the pupils in her room closely and to send home any child that shows signs of illness.” Duffy said the county, like the rest of the country, was unprepared to deal with the illness. “There just wasn’t enough room for all these sick people, and then add to that the fact that it’s World War I, and a lot of medical professionals had enlisted overseas,” she said. Even after the flu passed, it left lasting effects on the victims. Nellie suffered from ear infections and frequent sickness after. She also suffered long-term ear damage and was told “total deafness was inevitable.” She did recover, however, and never became deaf.

Senior Corinne Swanson, an intern at The History Center, has been researching victims of the flu using newspaper clippings and trying to piece together their lives before they were infected. One story that jumps out from the time, Swanson said, is of a family with three children under the age of five who all died within a month except for the husband. It’s the human aspect that makes the exhibit interesting, she said. “It’s going to be really interesting,” Swanson said. “We’re covering a lot of different aspects, so we have the human element where we go through the stories, but then we’re also going to talk about the war and SATC, which is kind of the equivalent of ROTC. We also have a huge medicine exhibit talking about how epidemics work and how we deal with them today.” These days, some institutions are better prepared to deal with sudden outbreaks. In 2009, the college’s Core Emergency Response Team developed a Pandemic Flu Plan after the scare of the bird flu, and broadened it to include pandemics after the H1N1 outbreak, Dave Maley, associate director of media relations, said. It includes steps the college will take in the event of another pandemic and also refers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s pandemic interval chart, which places flu types into five categories based on fatality ratio and projected deaths. The seasonal flu is in category one, while the Spanish flu is in category five. With recent scares from H1N1 and the bird flu, Duffy said, visitors to the exhibit should think about what would happen in the event of another epidemic and realize that people are more susceptible than they think. “It’s important to tell the story, but it’s important for visitors to The History Center who come to see this to just sort of think about how this would affect their lives today,” Duffy said.

“If you understand who they were and what they did, you see a picture of them, it’s a lot easier to realize they were a person.”

—Catherine Duffy 89

Tucker eagerly awaits for his meal at the SPCA of Tompkinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s County on Jan. 19.

Homeward bound SPCA of Tompkins County takes in dogs from across the country to avoid kill shelters. By ROSE VARDELL Photographs by Rachel Woolf

As visitors walk by the dog wing of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Tompkins County, Scraps, a skinny brown Chihuahua mix, presses his nose against the small round opening in the window of his room, eyeing prospective adopters with curiosity. Some kneel down to say “Hello,” but many glance at the red adoption-pending sign on his door and walk on, giving their attention to other dogs who, like Scraps, have traveled across the country to avoid being euthanized and find a family. The SPCA of Tompkins County typically opens its doors to unwanted animals in the local community, but lately the animal shelter’s admittance has extended to include dogs from all across the country. On Jan. 13, staff members and volunteers of the animal shelter welcomed 20 dogs from Los Angeles who were scheduled for euthanasia in their original shelters. The local SPCA collaborated with American Airlines and Best Friends Animal Society, a Utah-based organization that aims to spread its No More Homeless Pets agenda. They contact no-kill shelters to organize a transfer of dogs from overcrowded shelters

SPCA staff member Katie Deis of Lansing cuddles with Darla at the SPCA on Jan. 19. 92

to establishments that have the room. “We also need to work with shelters that are reputable, no-kill and have the same principles as Best Friends,” Robin Harmon, the LA branch’s Best Friends Animal Society Rescue and Shelter Coordinator, said. “We have found that in the Northeast and Northwest part of the country, there are shelters like Tompkins County who don’t get in very many small dogs.” Volunteers for the SPCA of Tompkins County such as Liz Constable welcomed the arrival of the dogs. Constable said she was relieved when she saw the first two dogs leave with a family. “All of these dogs would have been euthanized, and every one of them is so sweet,” Constable said. Constable has volunteered at the SPCA for more than a year and has witnessed the adoption of dogs from dog transfers in the past. This is the third dog transfer the SPCA of Tompkins County has been able to organize since its first in August. “We’ve saved a total of 60 dogs since we started working with [Best Friends Animal Society],” Jim Bouderau, executive

director of the SPCA of Tompkins County, said. Best Friends Animal Society reached out to the SPCA of Tompkins County for the first exchange, but when Bouderau noticed fewer dogs in the shelter, he contacted the organization to inquire about another possible transfer. “We had so few dogs,” Bouderau said. “We only had about four dogs about a week and a half ago.” Within the week, the Best Friends Animal Society office in LA was able to set up a transfer of 20 dogs. The SPCA of Tompkins County asked for specific criteria for the dogs in response to the popular inquiries from prospective adopting families. “The most phone calls we get are for small dogs and young dogs,” Bouderau said. “So we select a criteria that is under 25 pounds and under three years of age, specifically.” The shelter received mostly Chihuahuas because of a high population of the dogs in the overpopulated shelters in LA. The rest of the dogs were what Best Friends Animal Society refers to as “fluffies,” or small, furry dogs, such as terriers and poodles. The dogs’ flight took off at 11 a.m. PST on Jan. 13 and arrived in New York City at 6:20 p.m., EST. Bouderau was part of the group who traveled to JFK International Airport to pick up the dogs and said the arrival of the dogs in their carriers was a startling sight. “It’s kind of crazy when you see them,” Bouderau said. “They’re strapped to a wood pallet, so literally a forklift comes and places them on the ground. They’re treated like cargo, but they’re in a temperature-controlled, pressurized part of the cargo hold in the plane, specifically for live animals or other things that might be perishable.” Best Friends Animal Society covers the cost of the airfare through a partnership with American Airlines. They receive a reduced rate from the airline and have managed to transfer hundreds of dogs to no-kill shelters across the country. The dogs arrived vaccinated, spayed and neutered, and the SPCA of Tompkins County was reimbursed by the organization for all travel expenses. Harmon worked directly with Bouderau to exchange the dogs from LA to Ithaca and said she is grateful for no-kill shelters such as the SPCA of Tompkins County. “They are giving [the dogs] a wonderful chance for new lives with loving families,” Harmon said. “It takes a lot of committed people working together to try and have a time of no more homeless pets.” Staff members, such as intern Amber De Jong, were moved by the experience and are grateful the shelter could make a difference in the dogs’ lives. “I think it’s a 70 percent kill shelter that we’re taking dogs from,” De Jong said. “We’re giving them a chance to find a home, and I think that’s beautiful.” Bouderau said he does not anticipate a delay in the adoption of the dogs. In previous transfers, the dogs did not stay long before they were brought into new homes. “We’ve had people who were interested and didn’t get [a dog] because they went so quickly,” Bouderau said. “That is why we select the criteria because we’re not just helping them save lives but we’re also fulfilling a need in our own community that exists.”

Sophomore Alison Copenhaver scratches the neck of a beagle named Sadie.

Liz Constable, a volunteer from Ithaca, holds Levi, a transfer from the Los Angeles SPCA.

A vehicle transports dogs from JFK International Airport in to the SPCA of Tompkins County. COURTESY OF SPCA OF TOMPKINS COUNTY

Ithaca’s own

royalty

After a showing of senior class talent and wit, Lelia James and Zeke Spector were crowned the class of 2013’s Mr. and Ms. Ithaca.

Lelia James and Zeke Spector show off their crowns and relish in victory. ALEX MASON/THE ITHACAN

a i l e L

Zeke

Helene Weiss takes up the mic for the talent portion of Mr. and Ms. Ithaca ALEX MASON/THE ITHACAN

Alyssa Onofreo is carried onstage dressed like a mermaid for the swimsuit competition. ALEX MASON/THE ITHACAN

Gen Cohen does a dance in front of the American flag in Emerson Suites. ALEX MASON/THE ITHACAN

Alyssa Stoeckl dons blue and gold to show off her Ithaca pride. ALEX MASON/THE ITHACAN Lelia James and Zeke Spector celebrate being named Mr. and Ms. Ithaca. ALEX MASON/THE ITHACAN

Food

Farm-to-table Guests explore origins of food and wine on new tour Photographs by Rachel Orlow

Shannon Brock gives a wine tasting tour at Silver Thread Vineyard on March 30. BY STEVEN PIRANI

A van steers toward Lively Run Goat Dairy. From within, the passengers catch the sight of two horses’ rumps, their tails bouncing gaily to and fro. A road leads up to the main barn, and on the porch a sign reads “Cheese Shop.” On the steps, Buster, the farm’s resident hound, barks ardently, his breath steamy in the air. These are the first moments of Experience! The Finger Lakes’ Farm-toTable Wine and Cooking Class Tour, an all-day venture that president and owner Laura Falk said she hopes will change the way people view farm-to-table dining in the Finger Lakes. Falk said the tour embraces her and her husband’s dining philosophy, which focuses on fresh, locally produced ingredients that go from the ground to the plate with little lingering in between. “The idea was to tell the story of what farm-to-table is all about, why it is important to this community, and then actually have you live it,” Falk said. The seven-hour tour, which gives patrons an opportunity to explore a farm and winery, 96

and enjoy the spoils of local Finger Lakes markets, is a labor of love on Falk’s part. She said she hopes at the end of the experience, patrons will have a newfound appreciation for their cuisine. “It’s all about learning where your food is coming from so you can appreciate the passion that goes into it,” Falk said. The tour features three locales, all of which immerse visitors with a behind-the-

the 1920s. Along the walls, plump cheesecloth sacks hang one after another. They drip as moisture seeps from the soon-to-be cheese they envelop. This process hardens the cheese, with softer cheeses like feta dangling for less time than their harder cheeses, such as their famous Cayuga Blue. Every locale featured in the Farm-toTable tour allows the tour group to let their palates explore samples of Lively Run’s array

“It’s all about learning where your food is coming from so you can appreciate the passion that goes into it.” — Laura Falk scenes look at the processes of three local establishments: Lively Run Goat Farm, Silver Thread Vineyard and Red Newt Bistro. The tour begins at Lively Run Goat Farm, a dairy farm that dishes out flavorful cheeses, owned and operated by Susanne Messmer. Within Lively Run’s walls sit behemoth pasteurizers, which Messmer dates back to

of cheeses. These include a savory feta and an aromatic chèvre with a peppercorn twist. Shannon and Paul Brock, the owners of the tour’s second stop, Silver Thread Vineyard, said they take pride in their local identity and their homegrown product. “We’re really all about making a product that is expressing the climate and the soil and the people that live here in the Fin-

ger Lakes,” Shannon said. Tour guide Rachel VerValin said she believes giving patrons a peek behind closed doors also increases the intrigue of Experience!’s tour. “It blends all the great things about hospitality — teaching people about what they’re eating and what they’re drinking and telling them interesting stories about it and just making a memorable experience,” VerValin said. As the glasses empty at Silver Thread and suppertime looms, the tour journeys to Red Newt Bistro. Upon entering, cheese sampling and wine tasting is already under way, and an espresso machine hisses in the background. Guests are led into the bistro’s kitchen, where chef Samantha Buyskes, who is known for her appearance on the cooking show “Chopped,” leads a cooking demonstration. The kitchen experience is highly interactive. While two other chefs busy about, crafting dishes, Buyskes invites guests to get an up-close view of the preparation of the meals they will soon devour. Patrons ladle servings of lentil bean stew into petite ceramic cups. Its flavor is powerfully spiced and delightfully zesty. Paired with a sumptuous Lively Run goat cheese salad and finishing with caramel-drizzled chai honey cakes, the meal is a showcase for the flavors available in local markets. However, a full belly isn’t the only thing patrons will leave the tour with. Perhaps the biggest take-home is the sentiment to take note of local markets, despite some elevated prices, something tour guest Basilia Zagrobelny of Ottawa said as she mused over the entire experience. “I think that’s the message,” Zagrobelny said. “Don’t be afraid to make the effort, don’t be afraid to spend a couple extra dollars for a quality product or a local product if it means supporting someone’s livelihood.”

Chai honey cakes drizzled in caramel sauce were served for dessert by chef Samantha Buyskyes.

The guests were served a meal of chicken, lentil bean stew, a roll and house salad on March 30.

Five goats stand at Lively Run Goat Dairy on March 30.

Celebrity chef Samantha Buyskyes prepares a meal at Red Newt Bistro.

At Silver Thread Vineyards, guests sampled a variety of wines that were paired with local produce.

Food

From the farm to the fork Silver Queen Farm serves freshly grown dinners. By AMANDA HUTCHINSON Photographs by Michelle Boulé

From left, Dakota Potenza and Nana Monaco, both of Trumansburg, enjoyed a Farm and Fork dinner made from locally grown food Sept. 19 at Silver Queen Farm.

Under a wooden cathedral ceiling draped with strands of Christmas lights, 20 dinner guests seat themselves at long tables graced with glass vases of wildflowers. Wine glasses are filled with the best of local vintners and swirled as conversation begins. The waitstaff slides full baskets of fresh bread and plates of tapas, featuring freshly picked produce, during the discussion. Though the elegant setting may look like an uptown bistro or winery, diners are gathered in Silver Queen Farm’s newly constructed barn — a dining experience that is growing in popularity in the Tompkins County area. Silver Queen Farm, on the western edge of Trumansburg, is one of more than 10 farms in the Tompkins County area that have joined in the farm dinner trend. Once a month during the growing season, farms host dinners that feature local produce, meat, dairy and wine. Gordie Gallup, owner of Silver Queen Farm, said the farm dinner was a longtime goal of his, and it has been well received. “People are excited because it’s such a trendy thing,” Gallup said. “The people who are really into locally grown stuff and fine food really get a kick out of it.” For the September dinner, pears were the featured menu item. As plates of Silver Queen’s pickled okra and Chateau Royal’s pheasant sausage were passed around, romaine salads with the featured grilled pears were quietly slid onto the tables as to not interrupt conversation. Glass carafes of water and more baskets of bread were emptied and refilled as the staff bustled back and forth from the kitchen. Salad plates were stealthily replaced with plates of braised chicken 98

on a bed of Silver Queen cauliflower, onions and collard greens, complete with a side of roasted fingerling potatoes. As the night wound down, tables were finished with slices of pear tarte tatin drizzled with cream and caramel sauces. Silver Queen Farm joined forces with Ithaca’s Serendipity Catering in the winter of 2010 to create the Farm and Fork, which is dedicated to serving farm-driven meals on the property. But for Gallup, this is only the beginning. “The ultimate climax or goal of [the farm] would be to have farmto-table, a place where people could actually tour the farm, see how things are growing, then actually sit down and eat food that they’ve just seen how it was grown,” Gallup said. Through a mutual friend, Gallup got together with the owners of the catering company, who were also interested in the pursuit of farm dining. The first Farm and Fork dinner debuted in July 2011, and the events have been held every month from April to December since. Though the dates are pre-established as the third Saturday and Sunday of every month, much of the planning doesn’t happen until a week or two before the event in order for Kate Millar, general manager of Farm and Fork, to fully explore what’s fresh. “Every month we go out to Silver Queen and see what’s growing, and we make a menu about a week in advance depending on what’s really fresh, what’s available,” Millar said. “You think about, ‘What’s a really great highlight this month? What does this month mean in Ithaca?’” Many menu items are sourced directly from Silver Queen Farm,

while others, such as meat and dairy, are sourced from other local farms. The menu identifies the farm from which each ingredient came. Millar inquires with local protein producers to see what’s available and abundant, and the venue features a bar with wines from around the Finger Lakes as well as local juices and Saratoga sparkling water. Dinner tickets are sold for about $60, while brunch tickets go for about $30. The family-style appeal of both contributes to the friendly atmosphere, as guests dine at long tables and mingle during the meal and the farm tour. “Overall, the brunch has probably been a little more popular,” Gallup said. “The brunch is a little bit less expensive, and I think it probably has a little more universal appeal.” The Sunday morning events often include live music and lawn games in addition to the meal and tour, and attendance is about 10 to 20 percent higher than the dinners, which average around 50 guests. While farm dinners help the hosts by raising awareness of both their products and the process they go through to produce them, they also help the community by serving as charity events. Healthy Food For All, an Ithaca initiative directed by Elizabeth Karabinakis that combines nine local farms, uses the farm dinner experience to raise money so low-income families can have access to fresh produce. [Farmers] wanted to ensure that their high-quality, good food was reaching everyone in the community, regardless of income,” Karabinakis said. While the trend is big in the Ithaca area, other regions of the U.S. are seeing similar success. The Denver Post featured a $210 dinner at the Isabelle Farm in Lafayette, Co., which showcased products from eight different farms. Gallup said locals often bring out-of-state guests who may not have had the opportunity to witness the farm-to-table dining. “For somebody who lives around here, it might not be all that exciting,” Gallup said. “But for somebody that lives in a totally different environment, it’s actually a fairly exotic kind of experience.”

Clockwise from top Silver Queen Farm is located on the western edge of Trumansburg and hosts dinners from April to December. James Neidhardt, a chef with Serendipity Catering, prepares an entrée for the Farm and Fork dinner. The table is set for incoming diners with fresh flowers. A grilled local pear salad with Finger Lakes fresh lettuce and Balsamic vinaigrette was served at the dinner. 99

Food

Fresh for all Mary Anne Grady Flores serves a salad.

Gardens 4 Humanity promotes food justice

BY KELSEY O’CONNOR PHOTOGRAPHS BY RACHEL ORLOW

Fresh food is not always the cheapest option, which turns many to the dollar menu. However, some locals are working to break the barriers to healthy food. On Jan. 26, hundreds of Ithaca residents came out to support Gardens 4 Humanity, a food justice group created in 2009 that promotes health through education and community initiatives. Titled “ABC Café for a Day,” the event was also an homage to the closed cafe that was once a local favorite. The Brooktondale Community Center, located about 15 minutes from downtown Ithaca, was transformed into a pop-up vegetarian kitchen for the day. While local musicians like Art Bakert and Tiffany Lu were jammed in the corner, plates of fresh salads topped with dressings from mason jars, squash curry soup and the ABC 100

Café classic Mockingburgers were rushed around to the always-full tables. Josh Dolan, lead educator and organizer at G4H, said the event Saturday was to help reach the group’s $6,000 goal for a mobile kitchen, a community garden hub and a neighborhood garden coordinator. “We’re trying to increase food security in Ithaca and also empower community members to kind of take a more active role in the food system in a number of ways,” Dolan said. Some initiatives of G4H include after-school programs for teenagers, neighborhood gardening services, and planting and harvesting in Tompkins County. They also hold Junior Iron Chef competitions and teach members of the community to be leaders in gardening creation and management. With a mobile kitchen, Dolan said, G4H can educate members of the community on how to cook fresh, local

produce. Dolan, who has traveled to areas that have been affected by either economic or natural hardships, such as New Orleans and Detroit, said he drew inspiration from successful urban community food justice programs. “Different groups, whether it be low income groups, people of color, elderly people or people with disabilities, have been marginalized in terms of having access to the food system or the economic benefits that can come from owning a small business or owning land,” Dolan said. Many of the visitors were not only there to support G4H but to have a taste of food from the defunct ABC Café menu. The popular cafe, which had been located on Stewart Avenue, went out of business about two years ago. Many of the volunteers, including Dolan, had previously worked at ABC Café. Lines formed at several times Saturday to get into “ABC Café for a Day.” With reggae by Shaka playing in the background, lines began to swell midday. Among that was Ithaca College junior Sam Boyles and Amy Cohen ’08. Cohen said she came for the old “warm and cozy” ABC Café vibe. “It was like being in a friend’s living room kind of a vibe,” Cohen said. “There was always music casually being played and good food.” Ithaca resident Marty Hatch, along with his wife, Suzie, said they had been longtime patrons of the ABC Café. “It was pioneering, basic, hearty, inventive; it had a progressive feel to it in general in terms of cuisine and ideas about how it fits into the community,” Hatch said. Hatch and his wife were at “ABC Café for a Day” for the food and to support G4H because of the impact it has on the local community. “Everybody says Ithaca is 10 square miles surrounded by reality,” Hatch said. “I’d like to think that Ithaca is 10 square miles of reality surrounded by fantasy, because it is really trying to develop different procedures for living in the world today, and frankly, the world isn’t doing a good job of figuring out how to live by itself, so local solutions are really important.” By the end of the event, G4H raised $2,500 and brought their total raised amount to about $4,700, Dolan said. There are no immediate plans for another ABC Café pop-up kitchen, but Dolan said there will continue to be events in the future. “We’re trying do our part in our community to increase access to the land and increase access to economic tools to be able to allow people to be more engaged in the food system,” Dolan said. Assistant News Editor Noreyana Fernando contributed reporting to this article.

Fresh vegetarian enchiladas, were served at “ABC Café for a Day.”

Apple Fest has grown from a small farmer’s market to a regular Ithaca tradition. This year, about 30,000 people crowded The Commons to attend the event. CARL HEYERDAHL/THE ITHACAN

Playland Amusements, from Auburn, N.Y., maintained a stand to sell apple slices with caramel and a wide selection of toppings.

Apple-y ever after RACHEL ORLOW/THE ITHACAN

This year, Ithaca celebrated the 30th Annual Apple Harvest Festival. Thousands crowded The Commons to get a taste of local apple treats and enjoy some fresh fall air.

Scan this code with a smartphone to see an interactive on Apple Fest.

Amir Aslamkhan from Sidney, N.Y., who works for AppleKnockers, pours caramel onto a specialty “ walk-away apple sundae.” This is Aslamkhan’s first year working at the Apple Harvest Festival. ALEX MASON/THE ITHACAN

Fresh apples from a local orchard spill out of a wooden crate. Many local orchards sold their apples and some concocted homemade apple treats. CARL HEYERDAHL/THE ITHACAN

Food

Too Hot to handle Scan this code with a smartphone to watch a video about Chili Fest and the hot pepper-eating contest.

From left, senior Cory Healy, junior Duncan Fuller, Ithaca resident Aleks Racenis and junior Taylor Palmer eat jalapeños Feb. 16 on The Commons during the preliminary round of the 15th Annual Downtown Ithaca Chili Cook-Off’s hot chili pepper-eating contest. Palmer made it to the final round before losing after a two-year winning streak. SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

BY TAYLOR PALMER

The Chili Fest athlete’s road to glory is paved with blood, sweat, tears, cornbread, black beans and broken dreams. Every February, restaurants set up booths around The Commons to sample their wares and compete to be named the creator of the “Best Chili in Ithaca” in either the meat or vegetarian category. Local chefs scour their recipe books looking for the one set of ingredients that will put them on top. But for the festivalgoer — the heat seeker, consumer of fiery dishes, veggie and meat alike — Chili Fest’s top prize is first place in the hot pepper-eating contest. Each year, this burn-inducing competition has attracted people around the city to test their mental and physical fortitude. The pepper-eating contest has been one of the flagship events of the annual Downtown Ithaca Chili Cook-Off since its inception. “The chili pepper-eating contest is one of the true Ithacan experiences,” junior Cassie Medcalf, WICB promotions director and pepper-eating contest emcee, said. Participants have stepped up in front of the festival’s largest crowds to eat every kind of pepper, from mild poblanos to tongue102

searing ghost peppers. Contestants have to bear the heat of the most famous member of the pepper family — the jalapeño — for the chance to be the champ. “The hot pepper-eating competition lets everyone in the community go head to head to see who is top dog — who can handle the heat,” Patty Clark, events manager for Downtown Ithaca, said. “Only one person can be the hottest chalupa.” For two years running, that chalupa was me, and this year I sought out glory once again, chasing after a three-peat. As this year’s hot-pepper eating contest grew near, contestants began training for the event. Ithaca resident Doug Moorehead said he prepared by chewing mass quantities of bell peppers to up his chewing speed, while others ate Habanero peppers to train for the spice. Legend has it that some competitive eaters have eaten whole heads of lettuce and drank entire gallons of milk before a contest to expand their stomachs and fit more food in. Very much aware of these training methods and equally as confident in my natural pepper-eating abilities, I chose not to train, thinking a two-time champ didn’t need to. As Saturday rolled around and the 2013

contest was approaching, I sauntered into Chili Fest an hour or so early and stood by the signup table to scout the competition. One was an older man, seemingly in his early 50s. Dressed in a worn Carhartt jacket, a pair of jeans and work boots with more than a few miles on them, he stared intently ahead as he quietly waited for his opportunity to sign into the contest. Everything from his thick, luxurious, graying beard to his steely gaze said he was an experienced pepper eater, ready to beat the heat. The other was Aleks Racenis, an Ithaca resident, ready to enter the pepper-eating contest for the first time. Standing tall at about 6 feet, Racenis waited in line and joked around with other competitors. “Gather round!” Medcalf yelled, her voice booming through the cold, winter air. “We have a chili pepper-eating contest about to begin.” The crowd responded. Dozens looked on, creating a horseshoe around the eaters, pumping up their favorite competitor or chatting with friends. The atmosphere was electric, and a buzz was building around the tent as contestants selected their pepper. “For the preliminary round, we want to find out if you can handle the heat,” Medcalf

said. “You must eat one jalapeño in one minute. Three, two, one — go!” I took a small bite into the pepper — its seeds spilling out onto my tongue immediately turned the temperature in my mouth from “comfy” to “annoying.” The heat was tolerable, so I kept on chewing. Before I could finish my first bite, I heard a loud cheer from the crowd. “We’ve got our first finisher,” Medcalf said. “He took that one down easily.” It was the bearded man. He came into this contest ready to eat. Dammit. I finished my pepper shortly after and waited out the final 30 seconds of the round. When the minute ended, the emcee asked every competitor to stick his or her tongue out to make sure every bit of the pepper had been swallowed. Down the line she went, nixing two competitors before clearing me for the next round. As she continued down the line, the bearded man, red-faced and watery eyed, threw one hand up in the air and walked out of the competition and into the crowd. What a relief. Rounds came and went, and untested palates dropped like flies until the final round. Only three remained. One was Racenis. “How have you prepared for this competition, Aleks?” the emcee asked. “I have two brothers and everything we did was a competition, so I’m used to this kind of stuff,” Racenis said. “What about you, Taylor?” “I was just born with this talent, I guess,” I replied, assured of my eventual victory. The final round of the chilipepper eating contest was about speed. The first contestant to finish two peppers would be the winner. The round began and all three of us jammed a jalapeño into our mouths. The heat had mounted from the past few rounds, and I began to sweat a little. I was in a good rhythm and the first pepper was down, but the crowd’s eyes were fixed on Racenis. He had already

popped his final jalapeño into his mouth, and I had a full pepper still in my hand. It was game time. I bit into the pepper, furiously swallowed half of it with just one bite and put the rest of the pepper in my mouth, looking over toward Racenis out of the corner of my eye. Chewing as fast as I could, I saw Racenis open his mouth and stick out his tongue. He had finished the pepper and was about to be crowned champion. “Oh, you’ve got some seeds on your tongue. You’ve got to clean those off,” Medcalf said. I was still alive! My head perked up and I chewed through the pain, closed my eyes and tilted my head back to get the last remnants of pepper down my throat, opened them back up and stuck out my tongue confidently. When my eyes opened, I could see Racenis to my right with his tongue already out and the emcee in front of him checking for leftover jalapeño. “We have a winner!” she shouted out. The crowd cheered on the new champion, Racenis, and quickly dispersed as the spectacle ended, and I shook his hand after our audience was gone. “Ya know, earlier today, I was in the tomato toss and lost in the final round,” Racenis said. “I had a huge motivation to win this one. I said ‘I’m not losing again’. I think it helped me win.” Racenis left The Commons with a friendly “See you next year” and a pepper-eating championship to his name, while I was left to wallow in defeat and contemplate the loss. Arrogant and cocky, I had walked into the contest assured of my victory and ended losing to those who were well-trained. I solemnly walked home knowing that Racenis had bested me and that he was right about one thing — he would see me next year. He would see me well-trained and ready to challenge a formidable champion. Everyone loves a comeback story.

Facial hair frenzy hits Chili Fest BY KARLY REDPATH

Many styles of facial hair were on display at Chili Fest’s fourth annual mustache contest

THE MANY STYLES OF MUSTACHE THE

DALI MUSTACHE

Here are a few specifications for mustaches that are judged in international competition

SLENDER WITH LONG TIPS ARCHING UP. HAIRS ALLOWED TO START GROW UP TO END OF UPPER LIP.

THE

FU MANCHU MUSTACHE

CHIN SHAVED WITH MUSTACHE THAT GROWS DOWN PAST THE JAWLINE. TIPS ARE LONG AND PULLED DOWN.

BIG AND BUSHY, BEGINS

THE

UPPER LIP HUNGARIAN ATANDMIDDLE IS PULLED TO

MUSTACHE

THE SIDE. ENDS ARE UNCURLED.

THE

IMPERIAL MUSTACHE

THE

MUSKETEER MUSTACHE

LONG AND SLENDER, TIPS MAY BE POINTING UPWARD OR OUT TO THE SIDE. THE BEARD IS SMALL AND POINTED. SOURCE: WORLDBEARDCHAMPIONSHIPS.COM

Facial hair of all shapes and sizes took center stage on The Commons at this year’s fourth annual Chili Fest mustache competition. Contestants sported twirly handlebars, full beards and stickon, glitter staches, hoping to be the crowd favorite and win the title of best mustache. Just like world competitions, the hopefuls in the Chili Fest mustache competition are judged in different categories. While world competition has up to 10 categories,

THE

ENGLISH MUSTACHE

SMALL AND BUSHY WITH TIPS ARCHING UP. HAIRS CAN TO GROW TO END OF UPPER LIP. SLENDER, BEGINS AT MIDDLE OF UPPER LIP WITH LONG HAIRS PULLED TO SIDE. TIPS LIFTED SLIGHTLY.

DESIGN BY EMILY FULLER

like the Dali mustache, The Imperial and the Hungarian mustache, Chili Fest staches were judged in three categories: the hairiest, the cutest and the curliest. The winners of each category then moved on to the final round to compete for the grand prize: a small trophy with a mustache glued on the top, a $25 gift certificate to the restaurants and shops on The Commons. “Everyone wants people to look at them and say, ‘That’s the best mustache in Ithaca,’” Clark said.

First-ever Chili Olympics shake up Chili Fest BY JACLYN CATALDI

While hungry festivalgoers waited in line for cups of chili at the Great Downtown Ithaca Chili Cook-Off, some took a shot at the first-ever Chili Olympics — braving an obstacle course made of tires, spoons, sombreros and paddles in the middle of The Commons. The Chili Olympics is an event hosted by four stations of the Cayuga Radio Group: Lite Rock 97.3, 98.7 The Vine, I-100 Classic Rock on 99.9 and Hits 103.3. During past Chili Fests, the area of The Commons was home to obstacles that promoted the prevention of drunk driving. This

year, organizers said they wanted to mix it up. “This was kind of [the Cayuga Radio Group’s] thought on how we could make this part a little more fun,” Patty Clark, event manager for Downtown Ithaca, said. “This is a way for you to interact and do something really silly that’s a little competitive.” The event consisted of four game challenges: an obstacle course, a game of tomato pong, a hot tire challenge and a jalapeño hustle. The winner walked away with a $25 gift card and a Chili Olympics championship title to their name. 103

Food

n i g p p i n a T By STEVEN PIRANI Photographs by Shawn Steiner

Local brewery opens doors to newly launched taproom Within the newly constructed Ithaca Beer Company taproom, a vast curved bar is lit by afternoon sun. The taps, each bearing a name of one of their locally brewed beers, ride the contour of the marble bar. The taproom, which opened Oct. 11, is located at 122 Ithaca Beer Drive off of Route 13, roughly a 10-minute drive from The Commons. The space is a combination of wood, marble, glass and stainless steel. The aesthetic emphasizes the industrial yet modern look Ithaca Beer Company owners Mari and Dan Mitchell intended to showcase. For Mari, the taproom is the realization of something she and her husband have wanted to implement since the company’s creation. “When we first opened the brew company, we talked about opening a brew-pub

and a restaurant, and just because of location, that never worked out,” she said. “It was just a natural thing for us.” Since its establishment in December 1998, Ithaca Beer Company has been a prominent presence in Ithaca producing a large selection of brews that are distributed in seven states — New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island. Two of their brews, CascaZilla, their year-round red ale, and Flower Power, their year-round India Pale Ale, have received praise in competition. CascaZilla took first place in its category in 2009 at the Great International Beer and Cider Competition held in Providence, R.I., Flower Power reached the final four bracket at the 2008 National IPA Competition.

Four different flights are offered at the Ithaca Beer Company taproom and are priced at $7 each.

Their limited-run annual blends, which exclusively bear the moniker Excelsior!, have also reaped in their share of awards, notably Excelsior! Brute, which took silver in its category at The Great American Beer Festival. CascaZilla and Flower Power are on two of the 17 taps featured. Other beers include a lighter Apricot Wheat Ale, a balanced Pale Ale and a darker Nut Brown. Because they brew soda in the same apparatus as the beer, five of the 12 taps are reserved for their non-alcoholic products. These include root beer and ginger beer, and the staff mentioned a cider is in the works, which would occupy a tap in the future. Ithaca resident Jim McCutcheon, a visitor to the taproom on its opening day, said he appreciated the brewery’s original approach to a taproom.

“I don’t think there’s anything else like this around,” he said, trying a sampler of the brewery’s beers with his wife, Susan. “It’s very unique.” A massive window that spans the taproom’s right wall exposes the steel innards of Ithaca Beer Company’s brewery, where the beer on tap is made. Another window overlooks the company’s farm, where many ingredients featured on their locally-sourced dinner menu are grown. Ithaca Beer Company began to offer brewery tours every Saturday and Sunday hourly from 1 to 4 p.m. this January. The tours are designed to bring patrons behind the glass wall and get a closer look at the process of creating and selling the company’s wide range of brews. If all goes accordingly, Mitchell said, Ithaca Beer Company will prove to be a worthy stop for many, and there will be more to come from the company. Beer enthusiasts may also see the range of beers expand. Hamilton mentioned the possibility of taproom-only drafts and microbrews. “We’re going to be able to start doing drafts only available here,” he said. “We’d be focusing on things exclusive to here.” Until then, customers can try a variety of beer flights, which are a popular choice of many visitors. The taproom features four flights — Excelsior!, Year Round, Hop and Seasonal, all featuring a different grouping of beers and each for $7. A cheese platter is also available offering local cheeses to accompany the flights and is served with farm-grown tomato jam and a warm baguette for $5. The taproom is open noon to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Dowd, who was present at the taproom’s opening, said the company has great significance within the community and will continue to for years to come. “It’s just been a staple of the town,” she said. “It’s kind of an identity people from Ithaca can have.”

Aaron Thurston of Dryden pours a glass of Nut Brown beer on Oct. 24.

Rachel Wood and Carrie Corcan, both of Syracuse, toast in the new taproom.

105 Taps at the Ithaca Beer Company feature 12 different types of brews.

Ithaca Beer Company provided samples of its seasonal Country Pumpkin beer. The pumpkin beer is a harvest ale brewed with pumpkin puree and spices.

Cheers and beers

Photographs by Durst Breneiser

Ithacaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Oktoberfest celebration, modeled after the original festival in Munich, Germany, took place Saturday, Oct. 27, on The Commons. The event featured beer, music and traditional German food. 106

A band featuring a mandolin played at the first Oktoberfest, which featured traditional German music as well as food and beer.

From left, Joerg Werner, an Ithaca resident originally from Germany, enjoys beer from Cortland Beer Company with Anna Legard, of Ithaca. Both are dressed in traditional German clothing.

Collegetown Bagels made German Chocoalate Bavarian pie sprinkled with chocolate chards for the festival.

107 From left, Mark Alamond, executive chef at Kilpatrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Publick House, pulls pork apart while Ithaca College senior Samantha McDaniel prepares to serve a sample to customers.

Fashion

Juniors Joel Paisner and Rachel Gropper pose by the Ithaca College fountains wearing this fall’s latest British-inspired trends. RACHEL WOOLF/THE ITHACAN

British invasion BY CADY LANG

Blame it on the 2012 Summer Olympics being hosted in London or Her Royal Highness’ Diamond Jubilee festivities, but this fall’s fashion forecast had a decidedly British flavor. The key to mastering the season’s look for both men and women was to strike the balance between traditional and whimsical. Imagine an aesthetic cross between a traditional British dandy and a counterculture bohemian from Camden Town. For women, fabrics and prints were key. Emily Finegan, online store manager for popular Ithaca boutique Petrune, said the store integrates these elements for the changing of seasons. “For fall, we always bring out our plaids and darker, more elaborate patterns,” she said. “We’re looking forward to bringing out richer, more textured materials like wool and velvet.” New York City-based fashion bloggers and sister duo Rachel and Nicole Effendy of the blog “Rachel et Nicole” are loyal supporters of the patterned trend. “We love prints! We wish we could be the poster children of prints,” Rachel said. “Amongst our faves [this season] are Nicole

108

Miller’s and Prabal Gurung’s.” From leopard to baroque scrolls, prints were ubiquitous this fall. Floral prints were especially prominent. Garden-party whimsy appeared in easy pieces like floral jeans or sheer blouses. Print mixing is not for the faint of heart, but when done correctly, it can be a witty observation of the season’s trend. Nicole said though she and her sister love to mix prints, it can be tricky to pull off. “Always be sure to have a slightly less complicated print over a more intricate one,” she said. “This way, it will look like the New York Botanical Gardens sprinkled its fairy dust on you.” Conversely, a peplum — one of the season’s hottest shapes, consisting of a mini skirt attached to either another skirt or a shirt — called for a more fitted top and sleek pants. Katie Spallone, the owner of Avanti! and Evolution 102, both located on The Commons, said her boutiques took a simplistic approach to prints this fall. “We do much more with texture and solid colors than with prints,” she said. “I have to say, however, that stripes are going to be huge, especially in knit tops and sweaters.”

A Fall 2012 fashion preview

Spallone also said that leather was undoubtedly one of fall’s hottest trends. While the traditional leather bomber or motorcycle jacket has long been a favorite, fall took it up a notch with leather shorts or leather dresses. Mixed media leather pieces, like leggings with leather accents or jackets with leather trim or paneling were also trendy options this fall. Jenni Zellner, who co-edits the fashion blog “Chronostyle,” said she supports the leather paneling trend. “I especially like the way designers have been experimenting with simple touches of leather because it still has a badass feel but doesn’t go overboard,” she said. “It definitely caters to the fashion lover caught in a corporate environment and is a great way to bring luxury to a simple outfit.” Zellner’s blog co-editor, Lyle Hawthorne, said he knows how easy it is to go overboard with a trend. His advice: Stick to your gut. “The question that people usually struggle with is, ‘How much leather should I wear?’ This is a difficult question because in fashion, well, there really are no rules,” he said. “If you can pull it off and look fly, do it! But in general, I would leave the 100 percent leather ensembles at home.”

The most popular shoes of the fall season were smoking slippers and loafers, a definite nod to British prep style. For men, this fall was all about the welldressed gentleman. Men channelled the quintessential British dandy Beau Brummel and added prints to a basic wardrobe with accent pieces like a daringly printed bow tie or a collared shirt in a shocking hue. Pedro Maldonado, president of HiFashion Studios, Ithaca College’s fashion organization,

is excited to say that the “dandy” is back for fall. “We have returned to an age where men want to look respectful and look like gentlemen,” he said. “It’s that Beatles look, English gentlemen and Donald Draper look that is becoming so popular.” Maldonado said tailored cuts paired with whimsical touches and unexpected pops of color were the go-to look. “Men’s cuts are slimmer and better fitted, so a man can look like a well-dressed man,”

Bold and brash BY CADY LANG

After a fall and winter season filled with opulent colors and overthe-top embellishment, fashion this spring is about going back to the basics. Runway shows for Spring and Summer 2013 featured bold, primary colors, strong silhouettes and architectural cuts, as well as welltailored pieces tempered by soft sheers and light shades. Call it a return to ’90s minimalism or homage to mod, but this season is about finding boldness in simplicity. New York City-based bloggers and sisters Sutton and Astor Van Brigsby of the blog, Sobbing on Fifth, said the mod trend is one of the strongest and most easily achievable looks for spring. “There is a really strong mod moment happening,” Astor said. “The razor-sharp yet flirty silhouettes, the stark contrast of black and white, the fun graphic prints — this was definitely spearheaded by Marc Jacobs and his optical illusion monochrome prints, but again, this trend is so easy to work on any budget. Any sort of black and white combo with sharp tailoring and a more minimalist look is going to work, as is any sort of stripes, check pattern and/or polka dots.” Black and white are definitely two colors that emerged as a hot trend for spring and one that college students can pull out of their closets. White jeans are an excellent way to work the trend and will remain a flattering staple piece for spring and summer fashion in future years. Other colors trending this spring are bold brights like kelly green, red and blue, conversely pale,

subdued shades of white, gray and mint green. Structured ruffles, streamlined silhouettes, dramatic necklines and lots of cutouts are marks of this trend. Keep the colors bright or muted but always solid with these strong shapes and peek-a-boo cuts, because patterns may overwhelm with an intense cut. Stripes are also a strong trend this spring. Wide and horizontal stripes have long been a favorite of the fashion set. In the form of the boating top made famous by classic bombshells like Brigette Bardot or Jean Seberg, it’s effortless chic that’s now experiencing a modern heyday. Vertical stripes, however, are a fresh interpretation of stripes that can be flatteringly slimming if worn correctly. Other fabrics and textures to look for are leather and sheers. Leather, long seen as an outerwear fabric and a fall/winter staple, is being reimagined for spring. Delicate and feminine, sheers are the perfect complement to the strong looks this season. Other easy ways to update wardrobes for spring are with statement pieces that have a decidedly ’90s flair: crop tops, sporty racerback styles a la Sporty Spice, harem pants and strappy ankle heels that pay homage to an early Carrie Bradshaw. Menswear this season is also all about calculated minimalism. One bold statement piece, be it a striped sweater, a boldly colored shirt or an impeccably tailored suit keep a look clean but still commands attention. This spring, boldly embrace simplicity with one or all of these trends. But keep in mind the minimalist attitude of the season when experimenting with these colors, stripes and other trends. The old adage is true: less really is more.

he said. “I also feel that textures have made it more important — we see a lot more cottons and wools, natural and soft textures.” Zellner said fall styles should be worn with an insouciant attitude and a cheekiness characteristic of those across the pond. “The Brits have a way of embodying a style of fashion that is eclectic and innovative,” she said. “Any fashion lover should look to their history and culture for inspiration this season.”

A Spring 2013 fashion preview

Junior Brooke LeWinter models a bold green skirt and navy shirt for spring. EMILY FEDOR/THE ITHACAN

Art Junior Alex Halky looks at “Beautiful Wounds/Doubt” by Patricia Bellan-Gillen at the Handwerker Gallery. SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

Cognitive creations Large-scale art exhibit explores artist’s memories BY CADY LANG

Shades of acid green and chartreuse overlap each other as shadowy splotches dot the surface of the artwork spanning a wall of the Handwerker Gallery at Ithaca College. The colors of the exhibit slowly grow muted. Dusky pink and warm rusts fade into blacks, whites and grays, punctuated by the occasional pop of fluorescent orange. The images on the wall, most of them large scale and covering the entire wall space, are broodingly dark. Eerie prints peek out from hand-drawn images of children and exquisitely obscure silhouettes. “re(Collection): memory and narrative in recent work” opened Aug. 29 at the Handwerker Gallery, its first show of the school year. The artist, Patricia BellanGillen, is debuting four new pieces in the exhibition, in addition to showing older pieces. Bellan-Gillen often produces pieces large in scale like the ones featured in the exhibit. Despite their size, Bellan-Gillen pays great attention to detailing her work and creating a visually pleasing experience for her viewers. According to Bellan-Gillen, the mix of new and old is intentional, showing the evolution and 110

relation of the works to each other throughout the years. The exhibit is centered on the personal aspect of memory and recollection, with a touch of the macabre. “The overriding or umbrella theme of most of the work in the show is based on stories or bits and pieces of stories — historical stories,” Bellan-Gillen said. The historical theme is reflected in Bellan-Gillan’s pieces. For example, the silhouette of Alice in Wonderland complements the visual recollection of the biblical story of Lot’s wife. Images are “ones that you’re familiar with; they’re mixtures of personal stories of my own,” Bellan-Gillen said. “The work is kind of a confluence of bits and pieces of stories and how stories overlap or remind one another.” Viewers are encouraged to draw on their personal experiences while engaging with the evocative pieces. While most exhibits at the Handwerker Gallery have about 60 pieces, this exhibit features 12. Gallery Director Mara Baldwin said the exhibit reexamines the use and perception of space for the gallery. “As the director of the gallery now, I think that’s really interesting to change the way that the space is being used, to have

larger works that really show how an idea can be brought to full resolution and full capacity,” Baldwin said. Bellan-Gillen experienced the unexpected appearance of subconscious memory while creating one of the large-scale paintings in the exhibit, “Beautiful Wounds/ Doubt (2012).” The huge blackand-white piece features detailed print work, an overwhelmingly lush landscape and a drawing of a small girl hiding in the plant life, jabbing a finger at a television. She said imagery reflected the feelings she had about the Marcellus shale drilling near her home. As Bellan-Gillen intended, the striking appearance of the neon orange paint shocks the senses. “Primarily, there’s a big orange gash in a painted framed area on it and after I did it, I realized that it relates to all of the orange, fluorescent orange ribbons that are tied throughout the landscape here to denote where they are going to do the testing,” Bellan-Gillen said. “They’re sort of like wounds.” Baldwin said she hopes students will not only draw on their own memories for this exhibit, but also receive inspiration. “When you recollect or experience memory or something that happened before, you experience it in a different way,” Baldwin said.

“Lure” SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

“Bouquet” SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

“Saint Francia/Saint Francis (Sea Change)” SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

The fine print The Ink Shop studio is a working exhibit space where local artists create and show their work.

The Ink Shop showcases dual-purpose downtown space BY STEVEN PIRANI

It is not quite a public gallery. It is not quite a workshop. The Ink Shop, nestled into State Street on the second floor of the Community School of Music and Arts building, is a medley of the two — a gallery-workshop hybrid where the artists exhibit art while simultaneously producing their own works. The Ink Shop is a long, white studio. Prints adorn the walls, and in the back, resident artists are busying away on printing presses. There is a range of artists within the working gallery, each producing their own portfolios of work. Judy Barringer, co-president of The Ink Shop, has been there since 1999. She walks over to a cluster of small prints framed on the wall, just a few of the pieces that make up the 17th Mini-Print International Exhibition. This biennial exhibit exclusively features prints all no larger than four inches by four inches and has been doing so for 34 years. The Ink Shop is but one stop for the touring exhibit, housing the petite bits of design on its walls. Anita Hunt’s “Vees II,” an olive-tinted dreamscape of a print that is as serene as it is surreal, depicts no more than a grouping of stick-like figures. Just a few feet away, Charles Heasley’s “Snow,” a solemn photogravure, depicts the elegant sloping lines of a violin. Both pieces pack a sensory punch despite their small size. In addition to the 17th Mini-Print International Exhibition, The Ink Shop is currently showing “Light Swallower,” an exhibit of work by Roberto Silva-Ortiz. Silva-Ortiz is the 2012 H. Peter Khan Family Fellow, a memorial fellowship that The Ink Shop gives to one individual a year. With this title, he has the opportunity to utilize The Ink Shop to produce his own body of work. Heading downstairs,

he approaches the main gallery room where “Light Swallower” is on display. “‘Light Swallower’ is a literal translation of skylight,” Silva-Ortiz said. “In Spanish it’s tragaluz, it swallows the light. It’s a metaphor of the human condition of understanding the world by swallowing light.” Illustrating this concept is a notable piece, “Corpus.” It’s a digital photograph, depicting a marketplace scene. The market keeper stands across from his exact likeness, a mirror image; the scene reflects over its y-axis, creating an almost kaleidoscopic view. The lighting has been manipulated, illuminating the scene with neon and pastel hues. “I’m celebrating artificial light completely,” Silva-Ortiz said.

SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

The prints and tapestries play upon the presence of light. Positive and negative space is achieved in pieces as light and dark hues mingle. Back in the main studio, Pamela Drix operates a printing press. Drix, a local artist, is one of the co-founders of The Ink Shop and teaches printmaking at Ithaca College. The Ink Shop at its core is a space for artists to create and share their art. For Silva-Ortiz it will continue to be a haven for his creativity. “The Ink Shop is a very nice place to work,” Silva-Ortiz said. “There’s a lot of creative people, and they encourage young artists to keep working and give the tools and the basics of development in any artist.”

Review Art exhibit delves into dark themes in children’s literature BY STEVEN PIRANI

Erupting from the chest of the fallen wolf, Little Red Riding Hood holds her grandmother’s face. Blood clings to their pant legs, and the wolf ’s tongue hangs from its mouth — he’s obviously done for. This is the first thing visitors saw as they walked into the exhibit “Beauties and Beasties in Children’s Book Illustrations,” held in Bowers Gallery in Cornell University’s Johnson Museum of Art. The piece, “Born,” by Kiki Smith, is just one of many shown in this new exhibit, which had its opening reception Feb. 2. The exhibit features original pieces from classic children’s literature as well as more unorthodox interpretations of the tales. Within most children’s tales, there is a degree of macabre. Be it the Big Bad Wolf or the Boogeyman, fear is intrinsic with the tales of youth. This concept is not ignored within “Beauties and Beasties.” Many of the pieces are both wondrous and downright eerie. George Bellows’ “The Jabberwock,” one

of the exhibit’s larger pieces, also takes inspiration from the “Wonderland” mythos. Its palette is dark and nightmarish, displaying the reptilian “Jabberwocky” in all its ghastly proportions. However, the exhibit isn’t only ghastly imagery. What makes “Beauties and Beasties” so well executed is that it displays all of the dimensions of children’s stories. The whimsy that the childhood classics are so well known for is captured with expertise. Perhaps the only downfall of the exhibit is how rapidly a viewer can go through the body of works. The entire collection is small, but it’s intricately nuanced. To truly enjoy “Beauties and Beasties in Children’s Literature,” visitors must make sure to give it the time it deserves. Its subject matter might be based in childhood, but the content is as mature as any other exhibit. What a viewer will find on the walls of this exhibit is a plethora of visions from a range of artists who seek not only to relive their childhood but also turn it on its head.

Theater

Spring Awakening Explicit musical focuses on dark issues regarding sexuality, abuse and love Photographs by Rachel Woolf BY JACKIE EISENBERG

“There’s a moment you know you’re f---ed.” Teenagers have come to this conclusion in America today, but it turns out they also came to it in 19th-century Germany, drawn out in the musical “Spring Awakening.” Ithaca College’s theater department debuted its second sold-out musical of the year, “Spring Awakening,” in the Clark Theatre on March 26. The Tony Award-winning musical surrounds a group of teenagers who struggle to figure out who they are while dealing with issues regarding sexuality, their upbringing and their friends and families. The plot surrounds Wendla (senior Sarah Charles), a sheltered, pubescent schoolgirl who is clueless about human sexuality because of her mother’s overprotection and discomfort with sexuality. Director Norm Johnson said this show is important because it reflects mindsets spanned across generations. “Every generation goes through this, every single one,” Johnson said. “Resisting their parents, resisting their teachers, resisting the rules, reinventing the wheel, if you will, and the adults and the teachers as the bad guys.” Some of composer Duncan Sheik’s upbeat songs, like “Totally F---ed,” which the whole cast sings, express the angsty side of the children through explicit lyrics and energetic choreography, while softer, acoustic songs like “Mama Who Bore Me,” ask questions about life. Music director Joel Gelpe said the music contributes to the show’s dramatic quality because it isn’t like more classically-based showtunes. “I think the music in this show reflects perfectly what’s going on dramatically,” Gelpe said. “There are a lot of mellow introspective moments in the show. There’s always this underlying kind of pain and danger of getting found out, and sometimes it manifests itself with this almost hypnotic music.” Though Johnson said the rock score was popular among the performers, he said he thought it was difficult for some of them to sing this type of music because either it didn’t always suit their classically trained voices or they “didn’t have the chops to sing it without strain.” While Johnson said he expects the audience to be moved by the “wonderful music” and “become uncomfortable,” Charles said she expects the show to spark some controversy because of its explicitness. “I think there are going to be some haters,” Charles said. “But that’s awesome.”

112

Senior Sarah Charles stars as Wendla during a dress rehearsal for the musical “Spring Awakening” on March 24 in Clark Theatre.

From left, senior Sarah Charles gets beaten by sophomore Coleman Hemsath during rehearsal.

From left, junior Stephen Humes and senior Michael Kushner kiss.

The cast of “Spring Awakening” performs the song “Totally F---ed” in Clark Theatre. The controversial performance ran until April 6 to sold-out audiences.

113

Theater

‘Legally Blonde’ production paints Hoerner Theatre pink BY ALLIE HEALY

After two three-hour sessions in a salon chair, senior Megan Ort said she can’t say blondes have more fun. But thanks to her newly dyed locks, she said she felt confident enough to slip on her pink stilettos and take the stage as Elle Woods in the Ithaca College Main Stage Theater production of “Legally Blonde.” The musical, an adaptation of the movie starring Reese Witherspoon, was written by Heather Hach and ran Nov. 1-10 in the Hoerner Theatre in Dillingham Center. Ort performed in half of the performances, as she and senior Chloe Tiso were both cast as the lead, Elle. Because Elle is such a physically demanding part of the production, Tiso has been pleasantly surprised with the double casting of her role. “It’s been such a great process, and I loved being double casted,” she said. “It’s awesome to be a part of the finished product but also see the finished product.”

Though Ort does admit to watching the movie in preparation for the role, she said she hoped it didn’t interfere with the audience’s perception of the musical. “The movie is a whole other animal,” she said. “It’s its own story, and it was quite easy to forget what the movie was. The musical is very structured, and a lot of the story is sung, which is very contemporary.” Ort said Emmett, Elle’s eventual love interest played by senior Joe DePietro, has a self-discovery that is parallel to Elle’s own journey throughout the show. She said in the first act Emmett helps Elle when she allows herself to swallow her pride. But in the second act, Emmett finds he wants to impress Professor Callahan, played by junior Roger Dunkelbarger. In response, Elle takes him shopping. “She teaches him looks do matter, and it’s not a perfect world,” Ort said. “You can go a long way with a brain and a good shopping spree.” Likewise, Tiso said the same number, “Take It Like A Man,” is her favorite to perform because of the shift in roles.

The cast of “Gianni Schicchi,” the second of two one-act Giacomo Puccini operas, rehearse a scene. EMILY FEDOR/THE ITHACAN

114

“It’s a moment when their relationship comes full circle and she is teaching him. The cast and crew for “Legally Blonde” have rehearsed for three hours every night since August in preparation for the show. It wasn’t until three weeks into rehearsals that guest choreographer Roy Lightner joined the creative staff. Lightner said the musical runs the gamut, showcasing a diverse collection of dance styles. He said there was everything including a hip-hop marching band number, a dance involving jump ropes and even a nod to Irish step dance. Senior DeAnne Stewart, who plays Paulette, a local salon owner who befriends Elle, said her character acts as Elle’s guide throughout the musical. Because the show is set on college campuses, Stewart said she thinks the college community will find the production to be especially entertaining. “It’s one of those shows that my friends can come to and be able to understand,” Stewart said. “It’s a cool product of our generation.”

From left, senior Chloe Tizo and senior Richard Lindenfelzer rehearse for Legally Blonde’s premiere. SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

Theater department and School of Music stage opera performances BY JACKIE EISENBERG AND ANIKAH SHAOKAT

Gray arches frame brown doors to a holy convent. A statue of Mary stands in the doorway. Several nuns rush on stage and Suor Angelica begins to sing a sentimental aria. After intermission, a comedic tone washes over the stage as a sickly old man takes his last breath in his bed. Surrounding him, his family anxiously awaits his death before beginning to argue over his will. In collaboration with the School of Music, the theater department performed two oneact operas by Giacomo Puccini called “Suor Angelica” and “Gianni Schicchi.” Spanning 48 minutes each, the operas are part of a three-act trio known as “Il trittico.” Usually, the collaboration between the departments results in one three-act opera, but this year director David Lefkowich decided to produce two contrasting one-act operas. The first opera, “Suor Angelica,” surrounds the title character (graduate student Wenhui

Xu), who is sent to a convent by her aunt Zia Principessa (graduate student Zohaniris Torres Rosado) because she got pregnant out of wedlock. Throughout the opera, set entirely in the convent, Suor Angelica seeks redemption through prayer and service to the convent. The second opera, “Gianni Schicchi,” follows a man of the same name (senior Michael Lewis) and his family, who plot to steal Gianni’s friend Buoso Donati’s (senior Adam Zimmer) fortune from his will. Meanwhile, a romance brews between Gianni’s daughter Lauretta (senior Megan Ort) and Rinuccio (seniors Nick Harmantzis and Thomas Riley). Seniors Sara Stevens and Lydia Kubiniec, assistant directors, said they chose these operas because there is a huge disparity between the two. “Suor Angelica” is a sadder opera, while “Gianni Schicchi” is a comedy. Stevens said it’s interesting to see two shorter operas, because three-act operas can seem lengthy. “They are very contrasting,” Stevens said. “We have one that’s very sad and about nuns

and one that’s funny and about a family. They are part of the same three-part opera, so the music is all Puccini. It’s kind of similar, but really you get to see two different plots, two very different situations, and that’s kind of interesting.” The cast consists of several international students. Stevens said as an exercise, a trio of women would sing in their native language, so at one point, there was someone singing in English, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. “We have a lot of people who speak different languages and are from different countries,” Stevens said. “I love working the opera, because I love working with people from such different backgrounds.” Ort said she loves the opera because of its cohesiveness and its talented cast. “It’s a great ensemble, and I think you’ll find that the actors, the singers are really playing off of each other and really creating a whole world in which we live. There’s no disconnect. The show is very cohesive and beautiful and hilarious.”

115

Music Thomas Fuller performs with his band, Gypsy Gets Shotgun, at a show Feb. 11 at The Nines. SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

Gypsy Gets Shotgun plans to unplug BY ROSE VARDELL

The rules of riding shotgun are well known, but not many know about the GPS clause. When someone provides the GPS for a long drive, they are entitled to sit in the front seat. The saying goes: The driver picks the song, but the gypsy gets shotgun. Two and a half years ago, junior Thomas Fuller had this rule in mind when he suggested the name for what would become the seven-member, punk/ ska band Gypsy Gets Shotgun. With an album on the way to release and three EP tracks under its belt, the band has entertained a wide group of local fans but now faces the countdown to what may be the group’s final number. Gypsy Gets Shotgun was formed by vocal artist Fuller and guitarist junior Jeremy Betterley in 2010, during the fall of their freshman year. Both shared an enthusiasm for making music and had experience playing ska music in high school. “[Betterley] was playing bass, and I was just singing around, playing my melodica and tambourine, just making noise,” Fuller said. “And we thought we kind of had some good songwriting chemistry.” By the end of the semester, they had recruited five other members — junior Jeff Chilton on the trombone, junior Meghan Kelly on the tenor saxophone, senior Jimmy Rose on the trumpet, junior Jason MacDermott on the drums and junior Brendan Duran on the bass. Betterley said Gypsy Gets Shotgun has performed more than 20 shows at venues such as former bar Culture Shock and The Nines. The band members said they love performing live shows and give credit to their loyal fans who often sing along to the lyrics of favorite songs. “I never feel more support from my friends and from people in general when I see them at a show and they’re having a good time,” Chilton

said. “I feel more connected to them. It means so much to me that they’re there in the first place. It’s the gratitude and the feelings you get. That’s not very punk rock, but that’s okay.” One of their fans, junior Jack Simons, who plays bass in The Yips and guitar in Unicorn Harvest, has attended many shows and says he will miss the band during their absence. “There are so many shows where they’d all be up on stage going nuts,” Simons said. “To me, I just associate them with the music scene.” But with Betterley and MacDermott leaving to study abroad for the spring semester, the mu-

“We said, because our guitar player and drummer are going abroad, that we would have a final show where we drag the band on stage and murder it mercilessly and skank in the syrupy red blood.” - Thomas Fuller sicians are placing Gypsy Gets Shotgun on the back burner. During the Fall 2012 semester, the band reached the collective decision to perform in shows, but only if asked. Betterley attributes the reduction of rehearsals to the lack of new material. With their recordings finished, the need to gather everyone and practice is no longer as imperative. This leaves the band in a predicament over the fate of Gypsy Gets Shotgun. There are two different ideas concerning the future of the

band, and the members are determining which course of action is best. One option is to end it permanently with a final, funereal performance. “We said, because our guitar player and drummer are going abroad, that we would have a final show where we drag the band on stage and murder it mercilessly and skank in the syrupy red blood,” Fuller said. Other band members are not as inclined to let the band go. Betterley sees the appeal of the finality of a performance annihilation of Gypsy Gets Shotgun but hesitates to follow through. “It’s kind of cool telling people this is the last show — you have to celebrate it,” Betterley said. “That’s what appeals to me about the idea, but ending Gypsy is not what I want to do.” In the meantime, the band released an album Feb. 25. The album contains 12 original songs and a few bonus tracks, including a cover of “Mary J” by Desirable Sun, and is available to download for free on Bandcamp and MediaFire. Gypsy Gets Shotgun welcomes the opportunity to perform because, though the musicians have begun to drift, for many members the live performances are the best part about being in a band. “What other time do you go into this loud, dark bar and there’s just people sweating for an hour listening to the somewhat shitty music that you wrote but that you love,” Chilton said. “I hate parts of the songs that I’ve written, but I love them at the same time, and to hear other people having a good time listening to that beautiful, disgusting, ugly music— you feel so connected to everybody.” On April 12, Gypsy Gets Shotgun opened for Streeetlight Manifesto in Emerson Suites. “We don’t really practice much anymore,” Fuller said. “But when there’s the rallying cry of a show, we all get together under the motley flag of Gypsy Gets Shotgun.”

Fiddlin’ around

Ithaca community celebrates Winter Village Bluegrass Festival

BY KACEY DEAMER

The sounds of bluegrass music filled the cold winter air of Ithaca on the weekend of Jan. 25 as the third annual Winter Village Bluegrass Festival brought out Ithacans and out-of-towners alike for old-time melodies. The festivities included performances as well as workshops. The festival was housed at La Tourelle Resort & Spa, located two miles up 96B from Ithaca College, and expanded to restaurants and other venues in Ithaca. Rick Manning, the festival’s producer and a bluegrass musician, said Winter Village grew from a love of bluegrass music that wasn’t nourished by Ithaca’s music scene. “There’s a lot of music that I hear at festivals that just doesn’t get to Ithaca,” Manning said. “Ithaca’s not quite on the map for that kind of acoustic, bluegrass music. The musical culture here is very grassroots-y kind of groove [and] dance. It’s more rhythm based.” This year’s festival highlighted national bluegrass bands from the Northeast. Bluegrass is a subgenre of country music, inspired by the folk music of the Appalachian region with influences from the traditional music of the U.K. It differs from mainstream country music in that it is traditionally played on acoustic stringed instruments. While bluegrass has roots in the South, the Northeast has become a burgeoning bluegrass music center in recent years. Peter McDonald, guitarist for local band Rebecca Colleen and the Chore Lads, said his friendship with Manning brought him into the festival. He said the festival concept is the perfect combination of music and timing. “This was something timely and necessary for people of Ithaca to go to a venue in winter and enjoy music,” McDonald said. A big part of the bluegrass culture is collaboration between artists. Rebecca McDonald,

Chris Luquette, Frank Solivan and Danny Booth of Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen perform on Jan. 26. DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

Peter’s daughter and lead singer of the band, said it was especially exciting to interact with the more established bands, musician to musician. “A festival like this is great because you can interact with all of the other musicians, and you can meet all of your heroes,” McDonald said. “Everyone will offer advice, and they’re all very encouraging.” Bluegrass festivals are much more than performances, with many integrating workshops and other gatherings that allow for more personal interactions, Manning said. Senior Riley Goodemote attended the mandolin workshop. Frank Solivan of the band Dirty Kitchen was one of the players leading it. “I think [Solivan’s] whole thing is making the traditional less traditional, playing traditional songs non-traditionally and playing non-traditional songs traditionally,” Goodemote said. “So he talked a lot about how to change up music and how to fool around with it while still keeping its integrity.”

For the third year in a row the festival’s big concert sold out to offer standing room only. The Hangar’s 300-plus auditorium was filled to the rafters with chairs brought in from the lobby to accommodate more audience members. With all of its success in bringing bluegrass to Ithaca and living-up to the true musical culture, Manning said he wished there were more young people in the audience. “One little conundrum that I have is how to get younger people interested,” Manning said. Goodemote saw the age gap differently, however. He said the musicians themselves were telling of bluegrass’ move toward a younger generation. “In a lot of circles, the culture of traditional bluegrass music is older, and you can see that here, but that’s why it’s so cool,” Goodemote said. “Like Della Mae and twothirds of the performers on stage were under 30. It’s kind of a great thing to see that it’s vital and spicy.”

Festival of Black Gospel celebrates 36th anniversary BY BRONWYN BISHOP

Every year, people from around the country travel to Ithaca to hear inspirational gospel music at the annual Festival of Black Gospel. This year, the festival committee is expected to bring people together from Ithaca and all over the East Coast. The weekend of Feb. 29, Cornell University and Ithaca College hosted the FBG, an event showcasing gospel performances by students as well as local and national acts to spread the culture of black gospel music to people of all backgrounds. The festival was founded in 1977 by Ithaca pastor the Rev. Samuel Perry and

former Cornell University United Religious Works Director the Rev. Jack Lewis as a response to widespread racial tension on Cornell’s campus and across the U.S. The event was intended to bring together people of different races, and when the college officially became part of the festival in 2007, it also became a way to unite the two schools. In addition to performances by local groups like the Amani Gospel Singers, there will be headline shows from gospel artists Anita Wilson and Jonathan McReynolds. FBG volunteer coordinator Oluwayeni Ropo-Tusin said one of the most important aspects of the event is its religious component. Ropo-Tusin said what makes the FBG

meaningful to her is the combination of beautiful music and religious expression. “You come there, you enjoy the music, but you get something else,” Ropo-Tusin said. “The basis of gospel music is people writing songs about their relationship with God.” Ropo-Tusin also said though people may not be particularly interested in gospel because they feel it’s too religious, they’ll still have a good time experiencing the religion with the performers. “The festival is a huge opportunity for people to get exposed to gospel music,” Ropo-Tusin said. “It’s about the beauty of music, the art, the incredible talents that people bring to the table.”

Entertainment

THEyearINEnt

music

The Vaccines “Come of Age” Columbia Records

HHHH

The Vaccines, Britain’s hailed next great guitar band, has created an album dedicated to youth. With their sophomore album “Come of Age,” The Vaccines have matured from a throwback rock ‘n’ roll band into a major force in the alternative rock scene. Britain’s next great guitar band seems to be on the right track.

Yesteryear’s Hoobastank was a powerful force in pop music. “The Reason” dominated airwaves and was stuck in the collective consciousness of everyone with a television or radio. This is a far cry from the Hoobastank of today, which records bland songs that offer little entertainment for even the most devoted fans. 118

The Killers “Battle Born” Vertigo Records

The Joy Formidable “Wolf’s Law” Atlantic Records

HHH1/2

HHHH

“Battle Born” shows The Killers have matured in the past eight years. Fans are treated to songs consisting of developed themes that exceed the superficial. Gone are the days of boys looking like girls and high school heartbreak. Instead, the band now chronicles struggling relationships and the challenges of everyday life.

The Joy Formidable refuses to disappoint, carrying the raw power of its previous studio album, “The Big Roar,” well into its second full studio album, “Wolf’s Law.” This album comes charged with power chords typical of the band’s noise-rock vibe. “Wolf’s Law” is a solid follow-up for a band deserving of more airplay.

Hoobastank “Fight or Flight” Open E

Owl City “The Midsummer Station” Universal Republic

Back with more electronics than a Skrillex single and more artificial sunshine than a fluorescent lightbulb, Owl City’s “The Midsummer Station” condenses a season of sunlight into one lackluster album. Once a prominent name in the electro-pop scene, Owl City may make listeners shut off the radio to save their ears from the noise.

Scan this code with a smartphone to listen to our picks for the songs of the year, or visit http://spoti.fi/127xVuh.

tertainment

movies

Lincoln DreamWorks Pictures

Argo Warner Bros. Pictures

Life of Pi 20th Century Fox

HHH1/2

HHHH

Daniel Day-Lewis’ commanding performance pushes the envelope while providing more than enough strength and energy to fuel a movie. “Lincoln” fuses historical biography with elements of a family drama. While the entire cast deserves acclamation, Day-Lewis mesmerizes and awes with his powerful performance as a beloved president.

With the tension between Iran and Israel omnipresent and the question of U.S. involvement looming, “Argo” will resonate in Americans’ minds because of the film’s historic parallel. “Argo” takes an event in the nation’s history, the Iranian hostage crisis of the late ’70s and early ’80s, and pairs it with superb acting, writing and directing.

Last Ounce of Courage Rocky Mountain Pictures

True quality films do not rely on one asset to succeed. Instead, a superb film blends the best parts of the movie’s every facet. To say that director Ang Lee, of “Brokeback Mountain” fame, achieved this with “Life of Pi” is a drastic understatement. The film, an adaptation of author Yann Martel’s 2001 novel, potently delivers an incredible tale.

Movie 43 Relativity Media

A Glimpse into the Mind of Charles Swan III A24 and FilmBuff

Some of the best movies reveal a powerful message through the stories they tell. “Last Ounce of Courage” is not one of those films. “Last Ounce of Courage” disappoints and dulls. It may have a feel-good message about freedom and the courage to stand for your beliefs, but this tiny nugget has to be mined from a tangle of propaganda.

Taking the “star-studded cast” genre to a new level of underperformance, “Movie 43” is a failed attempt to make an overly outrageous and stupid comedy. Made over the course of four years by actors, directors and writers, the raunchy comedy does little for the audience in terms of laughs or enjoyment. If anything, It may be good for a few cheap laughs.

Rarely does an actor play a role so close to home as the notoriously troubled Charlie Sheen does in the film, “A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III.” The only positive choice director Roman Coppola made was limiting the film to a merciful 86 minutes. It is clear that this film will not be the vehicle for Sheen’s comeback. 119

Reading ‛The Casual Vacancy’ BY LARA BONNER

You won’t find any witches and wizards in the tiny town of Pagford, the setting for J.K. Rowling’s only novel since leaving behind her “Harry Potter” legacy. Rowling makes the brave leap from children’s literature to her first adult novel with “The Casual Vacancy,” a book full of all the sex “The Casual and drugs the Vacancy” Potter char- J.K. Rowling acters never encountered. The scandalous subject matter acts as a fitting backdrop for Rowling’s social critique of smalltown facades. Pagford is sent reeling after the sudden death of Barry Fairbrother, a member of the town’s Parish Council. In light of his death, his political opponents and allies go head-to-head in an election to fill Barry’s vacant seat. The novel also encompasses the rage many of the town’s teenagers feel toward their status-obsessed and often inadequate parents — rage that

spurs them to reveal their parents’ most startling secrets on the Parish Council’s online message board. A nod to her success with Potter, Rowling’s teenaged characters are her strongest and most developed. Rowling narrates in the third person, bouncing around among the teenagers’ and their parents’ lives as they cross paths at work, school and obligatory social events laced with hidden agendas. However, the constant switching among characters can be disorienting at times. Some of these flashbacks span pages, the reader having forgotten that what they were reading was a flashback at all. Indeed, perhaps Rowling’s editor gave her a little too much liberty, considering her past success. Though perhaps not a book everyone will reread over and over until tattered — as one might with the beloved “Harry Potter” series — “The Casual Vacancy” is by no means a failure. Though she focuses on drastically different subject matter, Rowling’s prose style and complex young characters will feel like familiar territory. Even adults without Potter experience will find “The Casual Vacancy” to be an enjoyable read, thought-provoking and witty in all the right places.

‛The Tenth of December’ BY SHEA O’MEARA

If the creative muses of “Catch 22” author Joseph Heller and “A Clockwork Orange” author Anthony Burgess got pathetically drunk and had a one night stand, the result would be something like George Saunders’ new book “The Tenth of December.” Mark Twain would be a fitting godparent. “The Tenth of “The Tenth of December” December” George Saunders is a collection of 10 short stories that create a timely social satire and a nearly complete guide to being a decent moral person. In the book, Saunders tackles the basics: love, lust, patriotism, fear, relatives that don’t care enough and friends who care less. He attempts to drive home the flaws of the American characteristics with short words and simple characters — a tall task to say the least. Saunders doesn’t waste time creating thick, intricate plots. For

the most part, his characters are easy-to-digest silhouettes of the stories we all know. The narratives, in their predictable simplicity, provide a base for a collective idea of what’s right and wrong. Saunders allows the reader to insert context and build personal meanings from the stick-figure characters he uses as puppets to illustrate human shortcomings. Rather than encouraging his readers to hate the people who fall short of moral goodness, Saunders gives a reminder that moral flaws are human and natural. Saunders managed to write a full book without producing one possible plot spoiler. Because we’re not waiting around for something to go bump in the night, the narrative begs the reader to fill in the gaps and realize these stories, told again and again, are the cultural backbone of American moral behavior. Though “The Tenth of December” is a worthwhile read, Saunders fails to produce a work that will leave a new mark on the face of good satire. The book is more of the same witty, dark humor Saunders is known for. While it shows traces of the genius inspired by writers like Heller, Burgess and Twain, this book isn’t likely to become a quick classic in an already cluttered genre.

D.C. Comics relaunches ‘Green Lantern’ comic book BY ROBERT RIVERA

In the past year, DC Comics has gone to great lengths to better relate to comic book readers from across the cultural spectrum in their new initiative, “The New 52.” Some changes include turning a formerly straight character gay, introducing new heroes from Africa, Asia and Europe, and creating new characters from more diverse religious backgrounds. In “Green Lantern, Issue Zero,” this trend continues with the introduction of a new character, Simon Baz, who is an Arab American, born and raised in Dearborn, Mich. However, his family was ostracized as terrorists in a post-9/11 world. His courage and will to stay alive allow Baz to become the recipient of a Green Lantern power ring, making Baz the new Green Lantern of Earth. The ring is powered by a person’s will to act and is driven by that person’s conviction and imagination. With the ring on his hand, Baz joins the Green Lantern Corp., which is made up of more than 7,000 humans and aliens. Writer Geoff Johns’ story is not only superb in its content, but it also draws from Johns’ personal experience as an Arab American. Johns’ story in “Green Lantern, Issue Zero” shows the human struggle toward self-preservation at its finest; Baz is trying to live the American Dream, but because of prejudices he is treated as a second-class citizen. The only lackluster element to this issue of “Green Lantern” is that it does 120

not move along fast enough in comparison to the pace of the past year. Baz is among the first of what is hopefully many changes to the DC universe. “Green Lantern, Issue Zero” is not just a story made for a comics fan, but a groundbreaking title that promotes a sense of unity and justice for people of any color.

COURTESY OF DC COMICS

Games ‘Dishonored’ dazzles gamers with sound effects BY ROBERT MAYO

“Dishonored” is a game defined by choices. How the player deals with enemy threats, chooses and utilizes his or her abilities and traverses the dystopian Victorian environment all create the player’s experience. With an immersive game play, “Dishonored” is an experience tailored to each player. “Dishonored” stands apart from other games because of the clear effects of each action. While killing a guard allows one to traverse an area more easily, if the body is found or if the action is seen, the other enemies in the level are more alert to the player’s presence. The game is challenging, but it is always fair. Using the sheer number of tools and abilities provided, there is no scenario that cannot be resolved. When sneaking, “Dishonored” provides both audio and visual cues, such as enemy awareness meters and dialogue, to alert the player before being found. Actual combat is very much timing-based; one button slashes the sword and another blocks, but the flavor of the combat is spiced up by the myriad abilities and weapons at the user’s disposal. The controls of the game are immersive, with small details like being able to lean the player left or right coming in handy for first-person stealth. Sound elements in the game all feel accurate, from the satisfying jingle when collecting coins to the sound of the bolt flying from the player’s crossbow. A cumbersome component of “Dishonored”

is some of the voice work. Some of it seems lackluster or poorly presented,. The true greatness of “Dishonored” lies in the multitude of ways in which a level can be reached. Level design in “Dishonored” is among the most creative elements. Non-marked routes are usually the most rewarding; the clever or observant player can find interesting ways around an environment. Each method of taking on a level presents its own challenges and appeals. Completing “Dishonored” in its entirety

on standard difficulty takes around 11 hours. Game length should not dissuade a purchase, as the game highly encourages multiple runs because of the immense number of player choices the game provides. “Dishonored” is an amazing game and a stellar addition to modern adventure games. “Dishonored” was created by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is available on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

COURTESY OF ARKANE STUDIOS

Imaginative videogame creates magical journey BY ROBERT MAYO

Seldom do modern Japanese Role Playing Games get released outside of Japan. Recently, however, fans of the genre have pressed Japanese developers to release their games to Western audiences. With a recent revival of interest, JRPGs have hopes of returning to their previous prestige. “Ni no Kuni” (meaning “Another World”), developed by Level 5 Inc. and Studio Ghibli, provides an incredible experience that inspires hope for the future of the genre. The story of “Ni no Kuni” follows Oliver, a young boy on his journey through a magical world. Guided in his travels by his candlenosed fairy companion, Drippy, Oliver must improve his newfound wizarding abilities to save the magical world and attempt to bring his mother back from the dead.

Perhaps the most notable thing about “Ni no Kuni” is its art direction. Studio Ghibli did a wonderful job of creating a fascinating world. Characters are cel-shaded. Backgrounds, buildings and the world itself all have a hand-drawn appearance, which lends to the game’s fairy-tale vibe. Monsters and enemies have charms from both their friendly looks and their pun-riddled names. For example, a cat dressed as a thief is called a Purrloiner. In addition to its incredible visuals, “Ni no Kuni” features amazing audio work. Songs presented are orchestral masterpieces crafted by Joe Hisaishi, the same talent behind Ghibli movies such as “Howl’s Moving Castle.” The game also has the option to use the original Japanese voice actors with English subtitles. In combat, the player begins

HHHH

with only “attack” and “block” commands, but the game slowly adds more elements, such as controllable “familiars,” various spells to cast, additional characters, monster taming and group commands. The pace of the game is rather slow to start, and the first few hours feel like a tutorial to the actual game, which may deter the thrill-seeking gamer.

HHH1/2

“Ni no Kuni” is a very long game; expect to put dozens of hours into the game before finishing. “Ni no Kuni” provides a stunning experience into a magical world that is near unprecedented. The world the player explores is elegant and magical and creates wonderful situations that the player will be sure to remember.

COURTESY OF STUDIO GHIBLI AND LEVEL-5 INC.

121

MEN’S BASKETBALL

vs. Nazareth College, Feb. 16 Ithaca won 76-69

FOOTBALL

With this win, the Bombers took home the Empire 8 regular season championship and entered into the E8 tournament. This win came after a crushing last-second loss to Utica College and gave the Bombers momentum going into the Empire 8 tournament, where they would go on to earn an NCAA tourney bid.

Top five

Ithaca College senior guard Sean Rossi advances as Nazareth College junior Scott Hayford plays defense.

vs. Salisbury University, Oct. 27 Ithaca won 21-14

DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

After a torrid start to the season, the Bombers ended a three-game losing streak by beating Salisbury University. Junior QB Phil Neumann led the Bombers past the No.7 ranked Sea Gulls, revitalizing the Blue and Gold’s season. With six catches and 110 yards receiving, senior Joe Ingrao tore up the Sea Gulls’ secondary.

Salisbury University defense tries to bring down Ithaca College senior wide receiver Joe Ingrao as he dives into the end zone Oct. 27. JENNIFER WILLIAMS/THE ITHACAN

Gymnastics

Harriet Marranca invitational, Feb. 16 Three individual victories A winless start marred the Bomber’s early season. The team kicked it into gear in the Harriet Marranca invitational by taking home three individual victories, one coming against last year’s national champion, SUNY-Brockport. This was the final home meet for decorated seniors Chelsie Robie and Tiffany Grube.

games

Kate Woodward competes in the vault at the Harriet Marranca invitational Feb. 16, the last meet of the season. PARKER CHEN/THE ITHACAN

Women’s Soccer

vs. Nazareth College, Nov. 3 Tied 1-1 (Ithaca won 3-2 in penalty kicks) In the semifinals of the Empire 8 tournament, the Bombers won a thrilling bout versus Nazareth College. After a 1-1 tie throughout regulation and overtime, the Bombers lined up in front of the goal and knocked in three penalty kicks while GK Becca Salant held the Flyers to one goal.

5 Ithaca College sophomore midfielder Liam Joy steals the ball. JENNIFER WILLIAMS/THE ITHACAN

Men’s Soccer

vs. Houghton College, Sept. 22 Ithaca won 1-0

Ithaca College freshman Kelsey King takes on Nazareth College offense. MATT KELLY/THE ITHACAN

Lining up against a talented Houghton team, the Bombers held strong through regulation. Goalkeepers Jordan Gentile and Kenny Chapman held Houghton scoreless and Blair Carney knocked in a shot across the goalkeeper’s face in the 99th minute to give the Blue and Gold the OT victory. 123

Heartbreaking loss ends Bombers’ Sweet 16 run BY CHRISTIAN ARAOS

Statistically, the final 10 seconds of the men’s basketball season could be described as a stretch involving a tie, two lead changes and an eventual 73-72 loss. But stats alone cannot tell the story of one of the most dramatic and important games in Bomber history. The game on March 16 pitted the Middlebury College Panthers, who were the 7thranked team in the country and making their fourth consecutive appearance in the Sweet 16, against the South Hill Squad that entered the postseason unranked, relatively unknown and in unfamiliar territory, making their firstever Sweet 16 appearance. For most of the first half, the Blue and Gold traded buckets with the Panthers and went into halftime down 3634. All in all, for a team whose head coach doubted they would make the tournament if they failed to win the Empire 8

tournament, keeping the game close was an accomplishment. The Bombers came out of the second half gate firing, scoring the first five points of the period. Things looked bright for the team, but the Panthers responded with an incredible feat of outside accuracy, draining seven straight 3-pointers and taking a 10-point lead. The Blue and Gold could have been discouraged by the hotshooting Panthers, but for the third straight week, the Bombers came out of the under-12 media timeout motivated. Middlebury senior guard Jake Wolfin’s sixth 3-pointer revitalized the crowd on the Panther’s next possession, and the Bombers, for the first time in the postseason, lost their cool. The Bombers had 15 seconds to get a basket and advance to the national quarterfinals. While the Bomber guards quickly ran up the court, junior forward Frank Mitchell posted senior forward Peter Lynch up on the right elbow. The pass quickly came in, and Mitchell used his

feet and torso to roll the ball off him and dribble toward the basket unguarded. As Lynch chased Mitchell from behind, Mitchell laid the ball in off the glass. The Bombers had retaken the lead with nine seconds left. The Panther crowd was stunned as the team inbounded to Panthers junior guard Joey Kizel. Pressed by the Bombers, he dribbled towards the top of the arc toward senior forward Andrei Oztemel. The two collided with a thud. A whistle blew and the crowd went silent. Oztemel was flagged for the team’s 10th foul, and a questionable call put Kizel at the line for two and gave him a chance to take the lead. The first free throw went up and in, guaranteeing overtime at worst. With four Bombers

Overall: 21–9 Pct.: .700 Conf.: 10–4 Pct.: .714

standing guard, Kizel coolly converted the second free throw, and the collective heart of the Bomber Nation sunk. Middlebury had scored its last six points at the free throw line and taken the lead. The ball was inbounded to senior forward Travis Warech, who took a dribble as two Panthers converged on him. With no options left, he heaved a three-quarter-court shot. The ball sailed through the air carrying the team’s last hope at extending its improbable run. The shot clanked off of the front of the backboard and bounced away as the buzzer sounded. Warech, who had averaged more than 20 points per game, stumbled toward the Bomber bench and lay face down on the hardwood.

Streak: L1 Home: 10–3 Away: 9–6 Neutral: 2–0

Standings

Men’s Basketball

Junior Panthers guard Joey Kizel hits the free throw that gave Middlebury a 73-72 lead over the Bombers in their Sweet 16 matchup March 16. 124

DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

Women’s basketball pulls unexpected bid in NCAA tournament BY DANIELLE D’AVANZO

A strange female voice faintly echoed down the hallways of the Hill Center on Feb. 25. The sound was coming from room 61, where several members of the women’s basketball team sat, waiting for the announcer to reveal their fate. Eyes stared at the projector in front of the classroom, their faces expressing a mixture of anticipation and concentration. Though the Bombers did not know who their next opponent was or where they would play, they were certain they would be making an appearance at the Big Dance. The wooden plaque hanging in Head Coach Dan Raymond’s office was their ticket, for the women’s basketball team was the Empire 8 Tournament Champion. After finishing the regular season with a 23–2 overall record and going 13–1 in conference play, the Blue and Gold earned the No. 1 seed in the Empire 8 tournament. Their first matchup was against St. John Fisher on Friday, one of two teams to beat the Blue and Gold this season. The loss to Fisher on Jan. 18 haunted the South Hill squad, but it has become added fuel to its desire to win a national championship. Sophomore forward Francesca Cotrupe said after dropping the regular season conference game, the Bombers vowed to never let it happen again. “After we lost, the way we felt, we said we weren’t ever going to feel that way and watch another team celebrate by beating us,” Cotrupe said. Going into the semifinal, senior forward Elizabeth Conti said the team was pumped to have a chance at redemption. “Not only was it a tournament game but we just totally wanted to shut them down,” Conti said. “We didn’t even want them to think they could be on the same court as us.” And the Bombers did shut down the Cardinals, winning the game 64-54 and tying the record for most wins in a single season. After the win against the Cardinals, the team was pitted against Hartwick College for the tournament crown Saturday, a rematch of last year’s championship. Raymond said the players were ready to take on the Hawks, even though the atmosphere surrounding the game was intense. The Bombers defended their title with a 47-29 victory over the Hawks and earned an at-large bid into the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament. However, the squad did not rejoice much after the win. Many members of the team have said their journey is still far from over as they strive to reach the golden number 33 — the national championship game. Ultimately the Bombers were bested 64-60 to Williams College in a heartbreaking Sweet 16 loss.

Women’s Basketball

Ithaca College junior Kathryn Campbell goes in for a layup trailed by Utica College sophomore Samantha Stayer. DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

Overall: 27–3 Pct.: .900 Conf.: 13–1 Pct.: .929

Streak: L1 Home: 10–0 Away: 13–3 Neutral: 4–0

Standings 125

Swimming and diving earn honors at nationals BY DOUG GELLER

Not all great seasons end with a championship. This is the message the Blue and Gold took away this season, as they were unable to defend their state title. The season may have ended on a low note, but the Bombers had plenty of highlights throughout the year. The men’s and women’s teams both came in 2nd place in the New York State Championships, unable to defeat Stevens Institute of Technology. The men fell 1,356.5 to 1,586 and the women fell 1,333.5 to 1,447. The team swam better than they have all year and broke several school records in the process. Junior diver Korie Fackler set the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association, the Empire 8 and the Athletics and Events Center Aquatics Pavillion record in the 3-meter dive with a dive of 494.50 and the UNYSCSA and school record on the 1-meter dive with 475.35. Sophomore Peter Knight, senior Jake Robbins, freshman Adam Zelehowsky and junior John Carr set the school record in the 400-meter free relay at the state championships. This was one of 11 school records set during the meet. Breakout stars emerged from both teams this year. Sophomore Megan Busiman put up a team record in the 200-yard backstroke, and junior Emily Hoskinson pushed through breathing problems during the state meet to swim in every event in which she was entered. Head Coach Swimming Paula Miller said she was pleased with all of her swimmers and how coachable they were. and “There were a lot of people who stepped Diving up,” Miller said. “It was a fun year to coach. They would do anything we asked and didn’t complain.” On the men’s team, Zelehowsky and freshman Addison Hebert stepped up for the Bombers. Zelohowsky helped out the team early in the season by winning the 500-yard freestyle and the 200-yard freestyle at the Henry Kumpf Invitational at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Hebert fought through a shoulder injury all season but was still able to win events such as the 200-yard individual medley at the Kumpf Invitational. Men’s team Head Coach Kevin Markwardt said he Senior Martin Brown , who placed fourth in nationals, takes a dive during practice Feb. 12. was happy with the season as a whole, looking at the DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN potential of the team and the results on paper. “We were really happy,” Markwardt said. “You’re alwill be continuing on to the national competition. Three divers, ways disappointed when you’ve won the [state title] and feel like you have a chance to win it again, but I don’t feel too sophomore Matt Morrison, senior Martin Brown, senior Kloe bad about it. You look back over that and realize that was for us Boeckel and five swimmers advanced on to nationals. Brown and Morrison earned first-team all-American with Brown placing to perform up to our potential.” Team competition has come to an end, but several individuals fourth and Morrison fifth nationally in 3-meter diving.

Men

Women Overall: 12–0 Pct.: 1.000 Conf.: n/a Pct.: n/a

Streak: W12 Home: 4–0 Away: 5–0 Neutral: 3-0

Standings 126

Overall: 15–1 Pct.: .938 Conf.: n/a Pct.: n/a

Streak: W11 Home: 3–0 Away: 5–0 Neutral: 7–1

Standings

Female coxswains diversify men’s team’s boats BY KARLY REDPATH

The sun is at its highest point in the sky and the water on the Cayuga Inlet is still as the Bombers’ crew team readies itself for its first home race of the season. Senior coxswain Rachel Jordan calls her eight rowers into their boat for the race, getting them in place for a matchup against rival Hobart College. Jordan sits at the back of the boat facing forward, and the eight men in the boat sit in a line facing toward her. The boat needs Jordan to keep on pace, and she needs all of her rowers to be in synch to move the boat at the demanding pace at which varsity crew boats need to row. She is a varsity athlete, but not a typical one. She is a part of the men’s varsity crew and one of two female athletes on male intercollegiate teams at Ithaca College, both in the crew program. Though opportunities have grown for women in athletics over the past few decades, few female athletes compete on male teams. Through cooperative efforts between the men’s and women’s crew teams, female athletes like Jordan have had an opportunity to take part in male athletics and have found that, when given a chance, the difference between men and women is less important than the shared drive to win. In 1972, Title IX was passed into law. This decree has given women an opportunity to compete on a more equal scale. The legislation’s three-pronged law states that schools have to meet one of three criteria in order to meet Title IX’s standards, one of which states that schooling

systems have to present both men and women the same opportunity to participate in competitive sports. The Bombers’ men’s crew team, as well as other crew programs like Hobart College and Cornell University, has complied with Title IX by incorporating female coxswains into men’s boats. Stephen Mosher, professor of sports management and media, said this trend is growing. Mosher said an unwillingness to allow women into men’s boats is a result of outdated perceptions of male dominance in sports, even though a woman could be just as good, if not better, at the sport. In crew, women generally act as the coxswain if they are on men’s teams. Mosher said most women have a lighter weight that helps the boats move faster. Because of this, he said it makes strategic sense for men’s boats to use female coxswains. “On average, females have a much better sense of timing than do men, and so you have a larger pool of people you can pick from to find somebody who is excellent,” he said. Freshman Kristen Handal joined the college’s crew team this fall as a coxswain for the women’s team. The novice men’s team was in need of a coxswain, and Handal volunteered to switch teams. Handal said initially the switch was a little scary, but she has already gotten used to her new teammates. “At first it was weird, because I felt like I was the only girl, but it’s better now, because I feel like I’m really part of the team,” she said.

Sophomore Charlie Enright, who had not rowed before joining men’s crew, said when he first got in a boat with a female coxswain, it took some getting used to, but today, the gender of the leader of his boat has no effect on the way he rows. “There are noticeable differences between coxswains, but they’re not differences that are a factor of gender,” Enright said, “The only discrepancies between coxswains are over how they cox.” Enright said positive rower-coxswain relationships are formed based on trust between members built over time. A good coxswain commands authority and skill in the boat, and many can effectively act as a coach to help with rower’s mechanics during practice. “Once you have built a healthy relationship with your team, there’s a really, really strong bond,” Enright said. “I feel like it’s easy to get that guy-to-guy and girl-to-girl, but when there’s a bond and trust between a women’s coxswain and men’s rowers, it shows a really strong relationship.” The men’s and women’s crew teams are the only varsity sports on campus that have incorporated both genders onto a single team. Mosher said he thinks the crew team is ahead of the curve and can see the landscape of sports heading in that direction. “Society has moved tremendously in the past 50 years, certainly since Title IX became a method for women and girls to gain access to sport participation, that it’s just a matter of time for sporting organizations to include women at every level,” Mosher said.

Crew

Senior coxswain Rachel Jordan coxes the second men’s varsity boat during the Cayuga Duals in the Cayuga Inlet. The boat finished with a time of 6:34 in its first race.

127

DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

Senior Ricardo Gomez wins national championship BY STEVE DERDERIAN

Senior Ricardo Gomez knew the final match of this season and his career, the Division III national championship March 16, would come down to one mistake. It was his championship to lose. However, when he stepped onto the mats against freshman Jimmy Gotto of Coe College, he made no mistakes. Gomez rode a 4-2 decision to victory. With the win, Gomez became the 11th wrestler in program history to win an individual national championship and became the first Bomber to win in the 125-pound weight class. This meet was not the first time Gomez stood on the top of the podium after competition. However, it was the last time that he and his teammate senior Jules Doliscar would ever stand on the championship pedestals. On his path through the national championship tournament, Gomez squared off with Wartburg senior Gilberto Camacho in a rematch from Jan. 12 at the Division III National Duals. Gomez got the best of Camacho, earning a 3-2 decision. The rematch had a similar result with Gomez winning an overtime bout with a 2-1 decision.

Overall: 7–6 Pct.: .538 Conf.: 3–1 Pct.: .750

Streak: L2 Home: 3–1 Away: 1–2 Neutral: 3–3

In the championship match, Gomez was a heavy favorite facing unranked Gotto. The match came to a finish with a 4-2 decision in favor of Gomez, giving him the national championship and a final record of 29–2 on the year. After besting his competition in the 125-pound weight class, Gomez said he was speechless and that it took him a while to finally realize that he was a national champion. “There is no better way I could’ve asked to finish my career,” he said. “I knew that this season was my last chance to get to the top, and I never forgot that I just had to always make the most of every opportunity I had to compete.” As a team, the five Bombers competing combined for 47 points, placing them fifth overall out of 88 teams in the NCAA Division III national championship standings. It is the third consecutive year the Bombers have placed in the top five at the national championships. Led by All-American senior Jules Doliscar and sophomore Alex Gomez, who finished second at 174 pounds and sixth at 133 pounds respectively, the Bombers placed the highest of every team in the three eastern and western regionals.

Wrestling

Standings

Ithaca College senior Ricardo Gomez wrestles at the Division III national championships March 16. Gomez is the first in program history to win in the 125-pound weight class. CARMEN LADIPO/THE ITHACAN

One last meet remains for Ithaca College gymnastics team BY HALEY COSTELLO

The only thing that stood between Gymnastics the Bombers and the goodbyes to their teammates was one final meet March 22, the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championships. The Bombers finished fifth overall out of six teams in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships. The results did not qualify them as a team, but the IC squad sent 10 individual athletes to represent them at nationals, more than any other team in the Eastern region. Sophomore Valerie Cohen said though the team did not qualify, the Bomber pride will be well represented at the national meet. “We are looking forward to making the best of it, because it wasn’t the ideal situation, but we are going to make it like we are a team,” she said. When the 2012 season closed, the South Hill squad lost six graduating seniors, including Ithaca’s most decorated gymnast, Jessica Bolduc, ’11. With the return of graduate students Christine Niles and Tiffany Grube, along with the addition of seven freshmen for the 2013 season, the team had a completely new dynamic. As the season began, the Bombers saw this struggle affect their overall performance. Even with the new team, they knew they had the potential to pass 181.100 as an overall score, which they failed to do for the five weeks of competition. Senior Chelsea Robie said with such a new team, they did struggle to create the Senior Chelsea Robie practices on the balance beam durteam unity they had in the past, but once ing a practice Feb. 11 in the Hill Center. She averages 8.99. RACHEL WOOLF/THE ITHACAN they began bonding, they got the push they needed. “Our biggest obstacle was to become a of team competition, Cohen said the South Hill squad gave this team, because a lot of people didn’t know each other like last year,” meet their all as if it would be their last time competing. she said. “Once we got a couple meets under our belt, we definitely “We just wanted to perform to the best of our ability, because came together, and we did the best we could do. in gymnastics you have no control over who wins or loses,” she The following week of competition, the team competed in the said. “Even though the results weren’t exactly where we wanted Harriet Marranca Invitational, the team’s invite meet and the seniors’ to be, we fought until the very end, which was an accomplishand graduate students’ final competition in the Hill Center. Standing ment in and of itself.” at 0–9 on the season, the squad came out excited and ready to comThe Bombers headed to the National Collegiate Gymnastics pete, pushing them to a season high 186.025 points overall. Association Championships to compete March 22 and 23 in Niles said this meet was the turning point of the season Whitewater, Wis. Niles was named All-American in the uneven for the Bombers because they discovered their true potential bars after placing eighth March 23. for the remainder of the season “We [had] an absolute blast and took it in for all it was,” she Overall: 4–12 Streak: L1 said. “It paid off, because we ended up winning the team chamPct.: .250 Home: 3–3 pionship, and a lot of people won individual awards, and that propelled us into the mindset of ‘Oh, we can really do this.’” Conf.: n/a Away: 0–5 Falling just short for the two remaining meets of the seaPct.: .n/a Neutral: 1–4 son, the Bombers still had their eyes on the prize heading into ECAC competition. With a fifth-place finish shutting them out

Standings

129

Ithaca runners hit strides at NCAA championship BY HALEY COSTELLO

As the season came to a close, the only climb left for the men’s cross country individual athletes and the women’s cross country team were the rolling hills of Terre Haute, Ind., for the NCAA championships. The women’s cross country squad finished in fifth place overall at the NCAA Atlantic Region Championship on Nov. 10 and received a spot as a team to compete at the national meet Nov. 17. The men’s team finished seventh overall, falling just short of a team qualification, but sent two individual athletes to Terre Haute. With only one week between the two competitions, both the men’s and women’s teams were forced to prepare for what would be the biggest race of the year. Freshman Sawyer Hitchcock said the Bombers trained the way they had all season going into the national championship in order to approach this meet as if it was another meet on their schedule. “Most of our preparation was to just keep doing what we’ve been doing, because that was basically our coaches’ motto,” Hitchcock said. “The goal was to try to think of nationals as just another 8K; if we could do that, we knew we could do well.” On Saturday, the athletes arrived at Rose-Hulman Institute

of Technology ready to race across a course lined with fans screaming and cheering for teams and athletes from across the country. Sophomore Alexa Rick said this race could not compare to any race she had ever attended before because of its atmosphere and design. “It had an atmosphere I had never experienced before, and it was awesome to have the opportunity to be there and experience it all,” Rick said. “The course was also something I had never experienced, because it was made to serve solely as a cross country course.” For the men’s team, senior Nathan Bickell and Hitchcock both competed as individuals. Bickell clocked in at personal record of 25:52.80 to finish 127th overall out of 280 runners, while Hitchcock crossed the finish line in 149th place at 26:01.50, beating his own personal best. The women competed as a team and finished in 30th overall, topping their 31st place finish in 2009. Senior Carly Graham said the Bombers benefited from the efforts of every runner on the squad. “It was a great season overall, and even though only eight people can make the trip to the nationals meet, it doesn’t mean that everyone did not make a difference,” women’s cross country co-captain Graham said. “Everyone’s support was given along the way, and we all accomplished this together.”

Cross Country

The mens cross country team goes for a run on South Hill on Sept. 17 in preparation for the NCAA Atlantic Region Championship later in this season. ALEX MASON/THE ITHACAN

130

Indoor track team add to E8 championship winning streak BY MATT CONSTAS

The Ithaca College men’s and women’s indoor track teams both cruised to victory in the Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championships, each winning their sixth straight. The men’s team won their seventh overall Empire 8 title with 142 points, 48 points higher than secondplace Stevens Institute of Technology. Many individuals contributed to the BombIndoor ers’ victories. In the 800 meter, the team finished Track and with the top three spots. Field Billy Savage was the winner with a time of 1:59.19 followed by Mason Mann and Dennis Ryan. In the pole vault Jarrod Monacelli and Steve Episcopo finished first and second respectively. In the mile, Nate Bickell and David Geary looked like they were going to finish top two for the second straight year, but freshman Sawyer Hitchcock surprised even himself by beating both of them with a time of 4:32.71, which edged out Bickell by a half of a second.

After the meet, Coach Jim Nichols said he was excited about how well the team is performing after losing a sizable graduating class last year. “Every year is different, every year is unique and every year is special,” Nichols said. “This is a totally different group than what we had last year. We graduated some very good seniors, we have some good freshman that are with our program.” The women’s team scored 199 points, followed by Stevens’ 76 point showing. The team was led by a couple of athletes like Harmony Graves, who finished 1st in the 60 meter with a time of 7.89 seconds and finished second in the 200 meter. Amanda Rissmeyer contributed with first place in the high jump, second in the 60 meter hurdles and third in shot put. Emilia Scheemaker won the triple jump with a jump of 11.54 meters. Eliza Dewart and Martyann Chromik finished as the top two in the 400 meter, both running it in just over a minute. Jennifer Randall won the 800 meter with a time of 2:18.64, and right behind her were three other Bombers giving them the top four spots. In the 60-meter hurdles, Christine Benway finished first for the Bombers with a time of 9.25 seconds. Four of the top five finishers were Bombers.

Senior Rachel Spirito competes Jan. 26 in E8 indoor championships. DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

Track teams brace themselves for the great outdoors BY MATT CONSTAS

As the indoor season came to a close, the Bomber’s men’s and women’s track and field prepared to turn things inside out and begin their outdoor season. This transition is easier said than done. There are many differences between competing indoor and outdoor. The biggest challenge that the teams faced, according to women’s Head Coach Jennifer Potter, is the weather. “You can only qualify for Nationals outdoors, and if the weather doesn’t cooperate we could lose meets or not have favorable conditions for things like sprints,” she said. The track is also a factor in the transition, because it is bigger outdoors than it is indoors, going from 200-meter laps to 400-meter laps. This, freshman sprinter Alex Schneider said, it is something athletes have to adjust to. “It’s a different track, you have to stretch yourself out,” he said. “You have to adapt to running longer distances, and most of the events are longer.” While those two changes may be the biggest challenges, another thing altered is the way the team trains. Freshman Tina Gibble said the team peaked strength-wise and now they have to build on that and keep up with their progress. One way to take strides and continue to get better is to work out the kinks and the little things that they didn’t quite get down during the indoor season. Both squads have done well this year. Both brought home conference and state titles as well as the women winning the ECAC Indoor

Outdoor Track and Field Junior sprinter Jake Willis receives a handoff during the 4/100-meter at the E8 Outdoor Championship on April 21. FILE PHOTO/THE ITHACAN

Championship. They looked to continue this trend outside. Historically the Bombers are better outdoors than indoors, Potter said. “We always do better outdoors, because it is the continuation of our training,” she said. “The momentum will continue, and they will get a much needed break, which will be a good time to refresh and rejuvenate.” 131

Blue and Gold capture first Empire 8 title in 10 years

Men’s Soccer

From left, senior back Dan Shirley dribbles past Stevens Institute of Technology sophomore midfielder Jonathan Stallone during Stevens’ 2-0 win on Carp Wood Field on Nov. 3. NORA NOONE/THE ITHACAN

BY DANIELLE D’AVANZO

The men’s soccer team may not have gotten a bid into the Division III NCAA tournament, but the Blue and Gold can still call themselves co-Empire 8 Conference champions. The Bombers won a share of the Empire 8 crown for the first time since 2002 after a 0-0 draw with Stevens Institute of Technology on Nov. 3. With both teams guaranteed “co-champion” status, the game went on to penalty shots to determine who received the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. The Ducks went on to win 3-2 in the penalty kick shootout to move on to the first round of the national tournament Saturday. However, the South Hill squad ended Stevens’ 14-game win streak and is now one of three teams to hold the Ducks scoreless this season. The Bombers’ captains said they are ecstatic to be able to return some hardware to South Hill and wear their Empire 8 championship T-shirts with pride. Senior back Dan Shirley said one of the best parts of winning a share of the conference title is seeing how much the squad improved this season. “To see how our team was when we first came here and how we progressed to the team we have now, it’s really accomplishing to see such a great group of kids earn this [championship],” Shirley said. The Bombers featured a young squad this season with only five

132

upperclassmen on the roster. At the beginning of the season, senior captains Ryan Norland, Shirley and his brother, Jack Shirley, instilled hard work by leading through example. After many hours of intense workouts and pushing each other to play their best, the players can call themselves champions. After finishing with a 7–5–6 overall record, the Bombers were able to make a huge turnaround compared to the 2011 campaign, when the team finished 4–10–1. The seniors have stressed to the players returning next year that if the team wants to keep improving and reclaim the Empire 8 crown, they must put in the time during the offseason. “They encouraged us to become gym rats, because DIII soccer is a physical game,” freshman goalkeeper Kenny Chapman said. “Everyone on this team can get stronger. There’s no one that can be content with how strong and fast and fit they are, so off-season is where we’re going to get most of it done.”

Overall: 7–5–6 Pct.: .556 Conf.: 3–2–1 Pct.: .583

Streak: T2 Home: 4–2–2 Away: 2–2–3 Neutral: 1–1–1

Standings

Sweet 16 loss marks end of an era for South Hill squad’s seniors BY STEVE DERDERIAN

During this past summer, the women’s soccer team’s Head Coach Mindy Quigg sat at her desk and looked over a roster that was stacked with a record-setting senior class and a talented junior class. This was the team she believed would bring the national championship back to South Hill. The Bombers’ season began in almost picture-perfect fashion when the Blue and Gold started with 12 consecutive victories, including wins against rival SUNY-Cortland and No. 21 Stevens Institute of Technology. After a tie with conference opponent St. John Fisher College on Oct. 7, the Bombers won their next four of five games before dropping a 1-0 decision to Rochester Institute of Technology in the final game of the regular season. During the Bombers’ run to the NCAA tournament, a number of records were also being pursued, most notably the career goals mark by senior forward Rachael Palladino. Entering the 2012 season, Palladino had scored 47 career goals and was in pursuit of the record of 61 career goals set by Chelsey Feldman ’09. Heading into the opening of the NCAA tournament, Palladino had 60 total goals and needed only one goal to tie the record, but Palladino went beyond the minimum requirement and tallied a hat trick with two assists in the Blue and Gold’s first-round victory against UMass-Boston on Nov. 10. Though Palladino’s hat trick put her atop the career goals mountain, the senior forward said her accomplishment was only a side note to something that

was more important to her during the season. “What has always been most important to me is not the stats but making myself and my teammates better soccer players,” Palladino said. Palladino wasn’t the only Bomber to rewrite the program’s record books during the team’s opening round victory. Senior midfielder Julie Winn distributed two assists and set a new single-season record with 12 assists total to surpass Feldman’s old mark. After coming back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat Bowdoin College 2-1 in the tournament’s second round, the Bombers were advancing to the tournament’s Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year. Unfortunately for the Blue and Gold, a second consecutive trip to the Final Four was not in the cards. Misericordia University avenged its 1-0 regular season loss to the South Hill squad Oct. 2 by advancing on penalty kicks 6-5 after 110 minutes of scoreless play Nov. 17 on Carp Wood Field. A sense of disbelief fell over the Bombers; it was the last game for the seniors, who during their years of play had come close to a national championship several times.

Women’s Soccer

Overall: 19–1–3 Pct.: .891 Conf.: 6–0–1 Pct.: .929

Streak: T1 Home: 11–0–2 Away: 6–1–1 Neutral: 2–0

Standings

Ithaca freshman midfielder Kelsey King challenges Misericordia freshman Devin Simpson for the ball. ALEX MASON/THE ITHACAN

Overall: 15–1 Pct.: 938 Conf.: 7–0 Pct.: 1.000

Squad deals crazy eights with another E8 title

Streak: W4 Home: 5–0 Away: 5–1 Neutral: 5–0

Standings

BY KRISTEN GOWDY

Women’s Every team’s goal at the end of the season is to hoist Tennis the championship trophy above their heads and celebrate the end on a high note. Most players are lucky to do this once in their four-year college career. But for the women’s tennis team, winning championships has become more of a habit than an anomaly. On Oct. 14, senior Cristina Nunez won the New York State Division III championship in the first singles bracket. Nunez, who was seeded second, won her first two matches easily but needed a heroic effort to come back in the championship. After dropping the first set 2-6 to Skidmore College senior Nataly Mendoza, the Bombers’ senior, roared back to take the second set 6-2 and set up a decisive third set for the the state championship. The two players struck back and forth in dramatic fashion, stretching into a super tiebreaker before Nunez finally prevailed 11-9 to take the match. For Nunez, the victory was especially significant because she was coming off of a rotator cuff strain that had sidelined her the previous week. “I hadn’t played that many matches, so I was hoping to even be able to play in States,” Nunez said. A week later, the Bombers won their eighth consecutive Empire 8 Conference championship against Stevens Institute of Technology 5-0. The blowout score did not tell the whole story, however, because the victory was not for Blue and Gold. Each of the team’s three doubles victories against the Ducks required exSenior Allison Young prepares to serve during practice in the A&E Center. tra games to decide a winner. SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

Tennis team shows growth with freshmen players BY MATT CONSTAS

This spring, the men’s tennis team was building for the future by serving out a young team with five freshmen and one senior. While the team hasn’t found much success so far this season, it is developing a team that looks to take the Empire 8 Conference by storm within the next couple of years. Over spring break, the team went to South Carolina to compete in three matches. Head Coach Bill Austin said he is noticing growth in the freshmen this year even though the team has lost every match. He said this is what he had planned as the team heads into conference play. “They are getting stronger and more confident,” he said. “They just need more seasoning. Part of what this spring break trip [is for] is gaining more confidence and making sure that we are as prepared as we can be for the April push.” So far this season, many of the wins for

Men’s Tennis

Freshman Jonathan Smucker hits a tennis ball during practice. DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

134

the Bombers have come from the middle of their lineup, which consists of young talent. Freshmen Zach Lipson, Chris Hayes and Jonathan Smucker have combined for five of the team’s 15 singles wins this year. Out of all the freshmen, Austin said Lipson has had to take on the most difficult roles. As one of the top three singles players in every match so far, he is put up against the top competition on the opposing teams. Though he has struggled at times, with a singles record of 1–9, Austin said, he has noticed much improvement from Lipson, one of his key players. Though the season isn’t starting off as well as Austin said he hoped, there is much to look forward to. The team has a talented young core and is only losing one player after this season ends, so Austin said he is looking forward to a great future with a lot of young and improving players. “We’re building depth right now,” he said. “If we keep the depth building and we get a good recruiting class in and we’re only graduating one senior, it doesn’t take much to turn it right around.”

Men’s lacrosse struggles with inconsistent play BY CHRISTIAN ARAOS

A 10-goal win and a seven-goal loss in its first two conference games were representative of the inconsistent play that defined the men’s lacrosse team’s season. The Bombers were outscored 8-1 by Nazareth in the second half of their 15-8 loss April 5 and had a home game against St. John Fisher that would go a long way in determining their contention for the Empire 8 title. Only twice since 2005 has the Empire 8 tournament champion lost more than one conference game during the regular season. A second conference loss would likely leave the Blue and Gold out of contention for a home playoff game and with little margin for error in the conference playoff race. If the Bombers were to lose, they would fall into a tie for the fourth and final playoff spot in the conference with Hartwick. Despite the narrowing margin for error, senior defenseman Marc Roberts said the team still maintained confidence in their conference schedule. Bomber Head Coach Jeff Long said the inconsistent play did not make him push the panic button because the fundamental

Men’s Lacrosse

and defensive errors committed in their recent losses are fixable. He said the potential overconfidence of players on the team was a surprising concern. “We’re not good enough to cruise through anybody,” Long said. “No matter how you look at it, every team we play is going to give us their best.” The Fisher game is the first of a five game stretch of conference games that would conclude the regular season for the South Hill Squad. That stretch of games concluded with a visit to the Stevens Institute of Technology on April 27 in what Freshman Michael Walker runs for the is the regular season finale for both ball in a game against SUNY-Oswego. teams. The Ducks are ranked eighth DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN overall and have not lost at home to the Bombers since 2009. The late game collapses against top- would have to be cut down in the upcoming ranked SUNY-Cortland and eighth-ranked games in order to win. Cabrini were missed for the Blue and Gold, “In the E8s, you have to treat every game who could have had an impressive resume like a playoff game,” senior Andrew Bruce for a potential at-large bid. said. “We can’t take anyone lightly. These Long said the team’s 22 turnovers against past few years, we’ve dropped a couple close Nazareth on April 5 were something that games we should have beat.

Record-breaking senior discusses women’s season BY MARK WARREN

Senior attacker Tracy Rivas scored her 200th point this season and as of April 9 ranked third on the school’s all-time list in that category. Rivas answered questions re-

garding her climb up the record books and her last season as a Bomber. Mark Warren: How does it feel to be third on the all-time scoring list? Tracy Rivas: It’s not about the records that I have, although they are a bonus and a cherry on top. But it’s about the fact that I love to come out and play every day and be with my team MW: Who do you feel has helped you the most as you climb the record books? Teammates, coaches, etc.?

Senior Tracy Rivas scoops the ball during a game against Cortaland. JENNIFER WILLIAMS/THE ITHACAN

TR: Strategically my coach now, Shannon, has really helped me become a more versatile and well-rounded player. Last year, looking at my final stats, I’ve improved a lot in assisting this season. I had never really utilized assisting as much as I do now.

MW: As a senior who is partway through her last season as a Bomber, do you feel pressure to perform at a high level, or are you just enjoying it?

Women’s Lacrosse

TR: I think a bit of both. In the beginning of the season there was definitely a lot more pressure because we were playing a lot of top10 teams. So the first thing they are going to do is scout out the best players on their opponent’s team, so I would get face-guarded right away. So that pressure to score and be that player for the team was really heavy. At the same time I kind of work with the pressure — the only way I really rise to the challenge. MW: How has your place as a senior and team leader helped the younger players? TR: It’s pretty cool to see when they do well that they have the confidence to do so. It goes to show that we have such a versatile team that if they lock someone out from scoring that someone else will be able to step up. That’s such a strong component of our team and such an important asset.

135

Squad enters Empire 8 tourney as top dog BY ALEX HOLT

Golf

Sophomore Paige Fontana hits an iron shot during women’s golf practice Sept. 12.

The women’s golf team headed to the fall Empire 8 Championship Sept. 15 at Mark Twain Golf course in Elmira, N.Y., with just one full tournament under its belt and two of its best players — sophomore Sharon Li and senior Jackie Young — coming off of recent minor injuries. Even so, the Bombers were favorites to win the Empire 8 title again, and they didn’t disappoint. Ithaca won the championship for the third consecutive year with a team total of 679 wins with a 121-stroke margin — the highest in conference history. Li achieved a second day score of 78, the best of any player. Junior Amanda Failla placed second overall followed by Young and sophomore

DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

South Hill squad suffers early E8 exit BY ALEX HOLT

All season long, the women’s volleyball team has had a knack for pulling through at exactly the right time. The clock finally struck midnight, however when the Bombers lost their Empire 8 Conference tournament semifinal in straight sets to the Stevens Institute of Technology on Sept. 3. After a 3–1 run in their final four regular season conference matches, the Bombers were able to secure the No. 3 seed for the Empire 8 tournament in Elmira, N.Y., on Sept. 3. But the South Hill squad promptly dropped its final two regular season matches against SUNYFredonia and Hiram College. When the Bombers got to Elmira, junior Syline Kim, right side hitter and team co-captain, said the Blue and Gold were once again plagued by the same issue that frustrated them all season — communication.

“Mostly playing defense or passing, if we just talked a little more and called out whosever ball it was, it would have definitely made the game a lot more close and easier for us,” Kim said. Another reason for the team’s lackluster finale, Head Coach Janet Donovan said, was the Bombers’ inability to pass and serve. Donovan said the Bombers’ late rallies are a trend she’s noticed more and more often during the second half of the season. “If our passing was off early on, we didn’t have a lot of fight,” Donovan said. “As the match went on, we fought harder, we started to serve tougher and we started blocking better.” After a 13–15 during the regular season, the Bombers finished without Volleyball a winning record for the first time in 20 years.

Overall: 13–15 Pct.: .464 Conf.: 4–3 Pct.: .571

Kelsey Baker who were tied for third. Five of the six Bombers that made the 33-mile trip to Elmira were returning players, including Baker, Li, sophomore Paige Fontana, Failla and Young. The team’s sole freshman, Taylor Reeves, competed in the individual E8 championships. In the four years since the Empire 8 expanded into women’s golf, the Bombers have won the championship three times, one of which included a 100-stroke victory last year. The championships began just one week into the Bombers’ schedule. The Empire 8 golf championships start earlier than any of the conference’s other athletic tournaments. The unusually early start date is because of the combination of team availability and the need to get the meet in before the cold weather.

Streak: L3 Home: 6–3 Away: 4–4 Neutral: 3–8

Standings

Freshman Christine Flannery executes a spike against SUNY-Oneonta. 136

SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

Strong freshman class adds dimension to softball squad

Softball

BY STEVE DERDERIAN

Freshman Brooke Powers hits the ball during practice March 3. RACHEL WOOLF/THE ITHACAN

Before the Bombers’ game against Husson College at the beginning of the season, Head Coach Deb Pallozzi had a difficult decision to make. With a bevy of talented pitchers at her disposal, Pallozzi sent out freshman pitcher Allison Macari to the pitching circle. In her third game of her college career, she threw a complete game, surrendering only one run, and achieved her first career win as a Bomber. Macari is part of a freshmen class that has been invigorating the Blue and Gold. In the first 10 games of the season, five of the nine freshmen on the Bombers’ roster saw significant playing time. The freshmen make up nearly half of the squad this season compared to last year’s four. This season, five of the freshmen started in at least five games and helped lead the team to a 7–5 start of the season. The freshmen starters led the team in important statistical categories. Freshmen Brooke Powers and Casey Gavin led the team in batting average, hitting .389 and .364 respectively. The shift from high school to collegiate play can be challenging for athletes,

but Gavin said the intensity and focus during practice has allowed for a smoother transition. She said the practices have prepared her for the increased speed of play at the collegiate level. “The practices are as intense, if not more intense, than the games,” Gavin said. “During practice, we’re not going through the motions; we keep the energy up and cheer everybody on just like we would in a game.” When in the center circle, Macari said she felt comfortable knowing her teammates have trusted her to pitch and give the team a chance to win. Macari and junior infielder Julianne Vincent were teammates at Westhill [Conn.]High School, while Gavin looks toward senior captain Molly O’Donnell, who was also a starting outfielder in her first year in the program. O’Donnell said it was easy to assist the freshmen, considering the competitiveness and skill level as a whole. “They all want to be the starters in their positions and are constantly making those adjustments to get better,” O’Donnell said. “Hitting-wise, everyone of them can hit, and coach has always said, ‘If you’re a hitter, I’ll find a spot for you,’ and we really have hitters one through nine.”

Weather keeps baseball team from field time BY KRISTEN GOWDY

When the baseball team landed in California for its annual spring break trip, it was at a severe disadvantage. Because of Ithaca’s unpredictable weather conditions, the Bombers had yet to step on a grass field this season. Before March 25, the Blue and Gold could not practice on Freeman Field. Instead, they relied on Ithaca College’s Athletics and Events Center for their workouts. Assistant Coach Frank Fazio said the lack of outdoor experience gave their West Coast opponents an edge. “I certainly think that the teams in California had a big advantage, because they were able to play more games outside [before they played us],” Fazio said. The Northeast weather forces the coaching staff to make the daily decision over whether the team will be able to practice on Freeman Field or whether it needs to retreat indoors. Junior shortstop Tim Locastro said the team was excited to escape the confines of the A&E Center. “[Practicing outside] is so much better

than being in the A&E Center,” Locastro said. “Being out here really gets us ready for game.” The team’s options for practice space opened up since the completion of the A&E Center. Head Coach George Valesente said the A&E Center provided an excellent alternative compared to where the team used to practice during poor weather.

“I’ve held full practices in the [Hill Center] before, so the field house for the past two years has been a real plus,” Valesente said. Valesente said the players adapted to the constant change. “The guys have been really good about it,” Valesente said. “They do a great job with adjusting, even though we improvise a lot.”

Baseball

Junior shortstop Tim Locastro throws out a runner during a 13-inning game against SUNY-Oswego. RACHEL WOOLF/THE ITHACAN

ALM Football

The story behind the Bombers’ Cortaca Jug loss BY CHRISTIAN ARAOS

The running back took his stance at the five-yard line. He knew the play and where he needed to go. It would be the final carry of senior Clay Ardoin’s career, an aria for a contrasting performer. His 1,000-yard performance this season is a stark contrast to his zero-yard, zero-carry season last year. He reflected on his season by saying his offseason work prepared him for his successful season this year. “I never worked harder in my life,” Ardoin said. “To get back to where I was last season was very fulfilling.” It would also be the final snap for senior center Nathaniel Hemingway. After severely dislocating his foot in a car accident last December, Hemingway was named offensive captain and returned to the football field in time for their opening game. On the Wednesday before his final game, Hemingway vowed to bring the Cortaca Jug “back to Ithaca where it belongs.” His assertion served as the main story in the buildup to the 54th annual Cortaca Jug football game. The game began tamely with both teams trading an unproductive offensive possession. Then Ardoin took a handoff from junior quarterback Phil Neumann and burst through on the left side for a 38-yard gain on his first carry, leading to a field goal from sophomore kicker Garret Nicholson. On the second play of the second quarter, Ardoin received a handoff and ran through the left side with a burst of speed and power. He continued down the sideline untouched and into the end zone for a 50-yard touch-

down to put him at 112 yards in just under 16 minutes of game time and give the Bombers a 10-0 lead. The South Hill squad would not score again. The momentum began to slip away when Neumann was sacked to end the Bombers’ next possession, and Cortland scored two straight field goals to cut the lead to four at halftime. The Red Dragons, whose sevengame winning streak had made them the favorites for this game, would be getting the ball to start the third quarter with a chance to assume control of the game. The Red Dragons’ offense did not score in the third quarter, but the game was changing. It did not seem as if the question would be if SUNY-Cortland, who entered the game averaging more than 40 points a game, would score but rather when. Cortland senior quarterback Chris Rose lofted a pass toward the left sideline, where Humphrey hauled it in to give the Red Dragons a 13-10 lead. While Rose and Bloom will play in the NCAA playoffs, this was the end of the road for senior defensive end Skylar Schlenker. After the game, Schlenker’s white jersey and bottom lip were bloodied and torn. The Bombers had scored a touchdown in only 45 percent of red zone opportunities this season. Now, with the ball at Cortland’s 20yard line, they were looking to defy the odds. A 12-yard Ardoin rush on the first play put the Bombers at the eight-yard line, and the anticipation grew. After Ingrao gained six on second and goal, the Bombers had third and goal at the three. Ardoin had another rush to the left and cut back to the right before being

brought down two feet short of the goal line. It was fourth and goal — one play to determine the postseason fate of two schools and the pride of central New York. The crowd waited after a Red Dragon timeout and rose. As the Bombers ran the power play to the left, Red Dragon senior defensive back Phil Bossman surged forward. Bossman grabbed Ardoin’s ankle and held on long enough for his teammates to bring the Bombers running back down for good. Ardoin remained down on all fours, while the Red Dragons jumped for joy at the goal line stand. His teammates helped him up, while the scoreboard read Cortland 16, Ithaca 10. He would say after the game that this was one of the lowest points of his career, but he acknowledged the opportunity he had at glory. “The life of a football player is great,” Ardoin said. “You have your own life and then your football life. They overlap with the character you bring and the relentless dedication you have, and you can always carry it over to life in general.” For the Bombers, the 2012 season is over. A season that ended with the most haunting question in all of sports: “What if?” What if the Bombers had not been fooled on the fake? What if Moon had stopped Bossman from getting through? Coach Mark McDonough tried to answer the “What if?” question after the game. ”We [were] one or two plays away,” he said. “I hope that they internalize that and use that as motivation moving ahead for next season.” When asked to sum up the season, McDonough said one word. “Almost.”

MOST Top fom left: Fans cheer the Bombers down the field for a touchdown. JENNIFER WILLIAMS/THE ITHACAN

Sophomore cornerback Sam Carney is tackled by senior defensive lineman Vaughn Labor of Cortland. TAYLOR PALMER/THE ITHACAN

Senior captain Nate Hemingway and Assistant Coach Ryan Heasley react after the 16-10 loss. SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

Smiling fans watch the game before the loss to Cortland. SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

Bottom: Junior linebacker Jake Santora takes a knee after the Bombersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; loss. SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

Senior offensive tackle Matt Hartz and senior running back Clay Ardoin carries a handoff early into the game. SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

Origins of Cortaca Jug game’s unofficial motto called into question BY TAYLOR PALMER

Ithaca College versus SUNY-Cortland — it’s a rivalry that has electrified upstate New York sports fans for more than half a century. But the Cortaca Jug football game is not as “big” as it’s been made out to be. The college has been marketing the rivalry between the football teams from the college and Cortland as “the biggest little game in the nation” for at least 20 years, generally attributing the phrase to Sports Illustrated. However, no records of the phrase “biggest little game in the nation” exist in the Sports Illustrated archives in relation to the Cortaca Jug, with the exception of one August 26, 1991, story written by John Walters. Joe Gladziszewski, sports information director at SI, said the phrase is attributed to an article seperate from Walters’, but attempts to find citations earlier than 1991 have come up empty. “To my knowledge, when that is cited, in reference, it was earlier than 1991,” Gladziszewski said. “But I could not find the citation [before 1991] that I was looking for.” Rachel Reuben, vice president for marketing communication, also said she was not aware exactly where the phrase came from. Walters’ piece was a Division III football preview, written before the season began, highlighting a number of important games and statistics and speaking of Division III athletics as an arena where students play the game simply for the love of their sport. A small portion of the piece, 64 of the 690 words, was devoted to the matchup between the Bombers and the Red Dragons set to conclude the 1991 season for each team. The year 140

A selection from the 1991 issue of Sports Illustrated in which John Walters called Cortaca “the biggest little game in the nation.”

before, both squads had turned in successful seasons. The Bombers made the NCAA playoffs, and both teams looked strong heading into ’91. “The biggest little game in the nation could turn out to be Ithaca versus SUNYCortland, by the shores of New York’s Cayuga Lake on Nov. 9,” Walters wrote on Aug. 26, 1991. There are no follow-up articles after in regards to Cortaca. On Dec. 23, 1991, Sports Illustrated followed up on the Bombers’ season but discussed the team’s run through the NCAA playoffs without a mention of Cortland. Walters said he was unaware that the school was using the “biggest little game in the nation” phrase. “I’d be remiss to tell you that I don’t know much that’s been going on between the two schools in the last 15 years, and I don’t mean that in a slam way in any sense of the word,” Walters said. “That was a long time ago.” Walters also said while the Cortaca rivalry was and still remains a fierce competition, there are many similar rivalries across the nation, such as the annual game between Williams College and Amherst College in Massachusetts that could be “the biggest little game in the nation.” The landscape of college football changes annually. Division III football and the rivalry between Ithaca and Cortland have changed drastically since the piece was written, Walters said. Because of this discrepancy, he said the use of the phrase “biggest little game in the nation” is not fair. “I understand that Sports Illustrated, having worked there for 15 years, carries a

COURTESY OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED VAULT

lot of weight,” Walters said. “But I think it’d be an anachronism to use what I said in 1991 in 2012.” Adam Peruta, associate professor of strategic communications, said he understands why the school would use the phrase as it does because of the college’s difficulties branding itself. “We’re this small liberal arts school that has trouble coming up with an identity for ourselves,” Peruta said. “We’re latching onto [the phrase] because it’s different, it’s unique, and it gives us some identity.” According to Gladziszewski, a general regular season game does not sell out, but Cortaca has for about 25 years. Six of the Bombers’ last 10 matchups against Cortland have been decided by a touchdown or less, and the game also often carries the weight of playoff implications. Dave Maley, associate director of media relations, said use of the motto is valid because it’s factually accurate. “Fans of both teams watching in the stands or on a live stream would say that it was one heck of a game.” Maley said. “To say that it’s ‘the biggest little game in the nation’ wouldn’t be wrong.” Each year, pumped up fans pack the stands for Cortaca, and the fans that can’t be in Central New York watch the game together throughout the country. In New York City, hundreds of Cortland and Ithaca College alumni gather together to watch the game. Gladziszewski said Cortaca holds a special significance for those who have partaken. “These are the games that you remember, for fans and players,” he said. “This is the game that your memories are made on.”

Between the lines Student athlete reflects on Bombers athletics

There’s more than one game on Cortaca weekend BY NATHAN BICKELL

When I decided to take the Division III route and become a Bomber, I knew the fan inside of me was losing out to the athlete. I chose to run for a school where I knew I could become an integral part of a competitive team over jumping up and down in the student section of a massive football stadium and maybe eking out a position among the scrub runners on the cross country team. However, there was one event where I knew I could get that big-time college sports atmosphere: Cortaca. In my first few weeks on campus, I asked some of the upperclassmen on the cross country team what it was like to go to Cortaca, and I received upsetting news: The NCAA Atlantic Region championships, the most important meet of the season, was on the day of Cortaca. Every. Single. Year. I did get to experience the game, however, when my freshman season was cut short by a stress fracture. I ended up cheering on the Bombers at Butterfield Stadium when they won their last Cortaca Jug in 2009, and I felt like I got the Division I fan experience I hoped for. But I knew that next year I wanted the Division III experience of running at regionals. My next three Cortaca games weren’t spent with public displays of intoxication in the stands, but rather in the nervous air of toeing the starting line with 300 other athletes who had all spent the last six months training for the next 26 or so minutes. It turns out I am not the only one who has missed out on the Cortaca experience for their own athletic pursuits. For the seniors on the women’s RACHEL ORLOW/THE ITHACAN

soccer team, the first round of the NCAA playoffs has fallen on the day of Cortaca for each of their four years on South Hill. Senior Julie Winn said after losing in the first round of the Empire 8 tournament last year, the team attempted to find a silver lining by wondering if they would actually be able to attend the football game. “We weren’t sure if we were going to get a bid, and we were talking like, ‘Oh, maybe we’ll get to go to Cortaca this year,’” Winn said. “And then we realized we don’t want to go — we’d much rather be playing.” In the end, the Bombers did receive an at-large bid to the NCAAs and put it to good use by making a run all the way to the final four in San Antonio. The women’s basketball team always plays a scrimmage the day of Cortaca. Senior Devin Shea said Head Coach Dan Raymond always schedules a scrimmage for the day of Cortaca. “If Cortaca is away, our scrimmage is at home, and if the game is home, our scrimmage is somewhere else,” she said. “I mean, we don’t want to get drunk or anything, but it would be nice to go to the game.” Winn and Shea both expressed a small measure of disappointment that their own sports prevented them from attending Cortaca, but each athlete said they would much rather be suiting up to compete for the Bombers than cheer them on in the stands. I could not agree more. So if you end up talking to an athlete and find out they weren’t at the Cortaca game because they had a game of their own, ask them how it went. We don’t expect to have 7,000 fans cheering us on, but it is nice know Bomber Nation is behind us, even if only in spirit.

November 13, 2012 141

Senior wideout Joseph Ingrao takes a helmet to helmet hit from a defender last season. DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

Head to head Bombers handle concussion spike BY WHIT IVES

Concussions have been a focal point of conversation surrounding health and safety issues in football for several years. Head injuries even gained presidential attention in February, when President Barack Obama weighed in on the state of athlete safety. “I’m a big football fan, but I have to tell you, if I had a son, I’d have to think long and hard before I let him play football,” Obama said in a Jan. 27 interview. In Spring 2012, the suicide of ex-National Football League linebacker Junior Seau was linked to degenerative brain diseases brought on by concussions. In January, Baltimore Ravens’ safety Bernard Pollard said he predicts someone will die on the field and the league will cease to exist. Obama said he is more worried about player safety at the collegiate level than any other. “Most [NFL players] are well-compensated for the violence they do to their bodies,” Obama said in the interview. “You read some of these stories about college players who undergo some of these same problems with concussions 142

and so forth and then have nothing to fall back on.” This year, concussions have spiked at Ithaca College. To create a safe environment for athletes on campus, coaches, athletic trainers and staff continue to work to treat and educate athletes about concussions. However, sometimes despite routine checkups and medical screenings from coaches and trainers, pressure that players put on themselves can place them in danger. Chris Hummel, associate professor of athletic training and football team athletic trainer, said concussions are usually the result of a hit to the head, causing a whiplash effect. The brain is jarred after a hit, bouncing it against the inside of the skull. The contact causes chemicals in the brain to unbalance. As a result, dizziness, blurred vision and nausea can set in, and in some cases, a loss of consciousness. According to Hummel, the entire football program, made up of about 150 players, reported 19 concussions this season. This is up from a nine per season average in the past seven years. Hummel pointed to the increase in concussion awareness in both high school and col-

lege athletics as a possible reason behind the increase in reported concussions. Athletes are reporting more concussions because they are better educated in the danger of the injury. Concussions are dangerous because they are unpredictable, both for athletic trainers and players. Because the events of a concussion are so sudden, players like Stremmel say they often do not even know it happened. On the training side, Hummel said there is no way to truly tell if a hit has caused a concussion, no matter how hard the hit. Receiving a high-impact hit to the head does not necessarily mean a concussion has occurred. Hummel said concussions may be sustained after an extremely mild hit and could even happen from merely sitting down too hard. “We cannot yet prove that the severity of the blow is equal to the severity of the symptoms,” Hummel said. Jorge Barrio, UCLA professor of neuroscience, said advancements in head injury detection and safety are constantly being made, and that early detection is the key to long-term safety. To recognize concussive damage early,

all athletes at the college are required to take what is called an “ImPACT” test. Before the season, an athlete takes an online test measuring reaction time, verbal memory and visual memory. These tests provide a baseline score for an athlete, so if he or she sustains a hit to the head, he or she retakes the test and the program compares the score to his previous scores to determine if the athlete has been negatively affected by the hit. Once the damage has been assessed, there are steps that must be taken before an athlete is allowed to return to full play, including a seven to 10 day period of slowly acclimating the body to full contact football. Junior quarterback Phil Neumann said during the recovery period from his concussion, routine checkups and medical screenings were done to ensure he was healthy enough return to the field. “They weren’t going to let me go out there, even to practice, unless I was 100 percent,” Neumann said. “I couldn’t be out there at 85 or 90 percent. It was 100 or I wasn’t playing.” Kyle Woody, associate professor of sport management and media, has worked with players all the way up to the NFL level and said he thinks the team puts the players’ safety above any other interest. But if coaches and athletic trainers don’t know about a head injury, they cannot effectively protect the athlete. Some athletes put pressure on themselves to stay on the field and don’t report their own concussion. “There is almost that fear within the player community that ‘If I’m not on the field

THE ANATOMY OF A CONCUSSION A diagram on what happens to the brain that leads to a concussion

After initial impact, energy transmits through the helmet into the brain.

The force from impact causes the brain to hit against the skull bone and causes bruising.

Brain tissue swells and has no room to expand. The cranial pressure results in a concussion.

2 3 DESIGN BY EMILY FULLER

practicing, if I’m not in the weight room in the offseason training, if I’m not on the field game day, there is somebody who is going to take my spot,’” Woody said. Stremmel said he has stayed in games after big hits because of internal pressure. “I’ve always been so concentrated on the game or season that I had to keep going,” Stremmel said. “I don’t know if you can call

it an ego thing or if it’s about pride, but I just never made it a priority for me to go get checked.” Despite some player pressures that keep athletes on the field while they are injured, the coaches strive to make player health a priority. “From a coaching position, we put the athletes’ safety first and foremost,” Assistant Coach Mark McDonough said.

Ithaca College senior wideout JJ Crandall receives a blow from Union College senior outside linebacker Connor Beerworth after catching a pass during the Bombers’ 27-24 victory. DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

Cassidy Goepel is the first member of Ithaca College’s new sculling team. DURST BRENEISER/THE ITHACAN

Ready to launch Sculling sets sail as Ithaca College’s newest varsity sport years. This year it’s sculling, but other sports were mulled over during Athletic Director Ken Kutler’s difficult decision-making process. After contemplating the merits of equestrianism, bowling, water polo and ice hockey — among others — as a women’s varsity sport, the college’s location and dedicated rowing coaches made sculling the top choice. “I think this [decision] is a result of having expertise on the staff to be able to coach it, being in an area where we have the facilities to operate,” Kutler said. “Having that knowledge base on the coaching side was more of the driving force for adopting this.” Sculling is a rowing sport, but it differs from crew — traditionally known as sweep rowing — in several distinct ways. The biggest difference is in the boat’s power supply. Scullers must learn how to master two oars instead of the one oar that sweep rowers employ and motivate themselves without the use of a coxswain. Women’s crew Head Coach Becky Robinson said the easiest way for people to understand the difference is to visualize the dimensions of a canoe versus a kayak. Aside from the advantages that accompany an additional sporting opportunity, Goepel said sculling and its heavy focus on technique

BY MATT KELLY AND TAYLOR PALMER

The water surface on Cayuga Inlet lies still and serene as fifth-year senior and former crew member Cassidy Goepel carefully steps into a wobbly white boat and straps two oars into the boat’s riggers. Goepel, paddling confidently out to the center of the Inlet, checks over each shoulder to ensure the waterway is clear and begins her solitary practice session. This smaller boat is known in the rowing community as a scull, and fall marked the first year sculls would be raced in a women’s varsity sport for Bombers’ athletics. The new sculling program at the college is only the second varsity sculling program in the United States. The first began at Oklahoma City University in 2007. Goepel is currently the only member of the team because of her previous experience with sculling. The rest of its members will be decided by a 3,000-meter time trial. The recent addition of sculling to the women’s varsity sports lineup is part of an initiative at the college to add women’s sports in accordance with a gender equity compliance in Title IX, federal legislation to create equal opportunity for male and female athletes. Robinson said there should be a new women’s varsity sport every three to five

Editorial 9/6/2012

Women’s varsity sculling improves equality under Title IX

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Title IX, the amendment that outlawed gender discrimination in schools. With the addition of women’s sculling to varsity sports, Ithaca College continues to make strides toward equality. There are 11 varsity men’s teams, and with the addition of sculling, 14 women’s teams at the college. Title IX ensures fair funding of athletic 144

will make for a more well-rounded athlete. She said that while many rowers have power, technique is harder to craft. “Power can take you a long way, but if you don’t know how to use it, it’s not worth much,” Goepel said. Goepel said she still expects the scullers to be competitive in their inaugural season. “I know [the coaches] are going to be fighting to get us wins and really make us the most competitive team out there and build ourselves a niche in the sculling world,” Goepel said. The Bombers will be competing against an assortment of schools that feature sculling as a non-varsity sport. Bucknell University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Tufts University and Gates College are the teams on the Blue and Gold’s sculling schedule this year. As far as competition is concerned, there may be no better year for the inauguration of a sculling team. The region is teeming with new scull programs and the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference will hold its very first sculling regatta Oct. 23 on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass., for both varsity and non-varsity programs. While this varsity program is brand new, postseason success is in the realm of possibility for South Hill’s fledgling scullers.

programs. Currently almost one-third of schools have a female head athletic trainer, but the college does not. There are 11 varsity men’s teams, and with the addition of sculling, 14 women’s teams at the college. While women are assistant athletic trainers, as well as assistant sports information directors and assistant athletic directors, the head leader-

ship positions are all held by men. The college is not just expanding women’s sports, but also the sports made available to women, creating only the second varsity sculling team in the U.S. By adding to the varsity lineup, the college is not only upholding the integrity of the law, but also approaching a decades-old policy with new fervor.

Varsity blues Ithaca College considers varsity sport candidates BY EMILY HULL

When the time comes to choose a new varsity sport for Bombers athletics, the college’s administrators must evaluate a multitude of strengths and weakness for each deserving candidate. After everything is considered, however, the final decision almost always comes down to suiting the college’s athletes or its resources. According to Ken Kutler, director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports, the college is adding women’s sports to comply with Title IX legislation. There are two ways to comply with Title IX, one being to base the college’s number of teams for each sex on the ratio of male to female students. The college has chosen to comply with the second method, which is to provide additional opportunities for the underrepresented sex in the athletics program. In the college’s case that would be women, because the number of female athletes is lower than male athletes. For a women’s sport to be approved, members of the team must first submit a bid to the Office of Intercollegiate Athletics. Next, it must receive a recommendation from the college’s Gender Equity Committee, which oversees aspects of the sport’s proposal in context of Title IX. Then competition at the varsity level in the region, the amount of local recruiting available for the sport and coaching availability are reviewed. After all of this is considered, the committee recommends a sport to President Tom Rochon, who makes the final decision. Sculling was approved this fall as the college’s 27th varsity program. Kutler mentioned equestrianism, water polo, bowling and ice hockey as the other sports considered before sculling was eventually chosen. The college plans to add a new

women’s sport every three to five years for the time being to keep current with the athletic department’s demographics. When those sports are considered again three years from now, the committee will have to make a decision: Do we tailor the choice to our athletes or our resources? Equestrian is one sport that already has capable athletes but lacks the necessary facilities to compete. If the college approves the equestrian club team for varsity status, the decision would be made based upon the riders’ recent success, because there are no stables. The team of 25–30 placed 4th overall last year in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association regional competition, falling short to three established varsity programs: Cornell University, Nazareth College and Alfred University. “We have done great competitively against varsity teams. We are up to that standard, but we can’t quite crack that top three,” Burns said. “The sport is gaining popularity here and in our area. We deserve to have that chance.” Kutler said he understands the equestrian club has proven their ability to compete against the best programs in the Northeast. “In equestrian’s case it’s not even a question,” Kutler said. “Since I have been here it has been a very viable club. It competes against other schools that have varsity teams as well.” Despite its competitive successes, the team faces funding issues. Burns said the Office of Recreational Sports allocated $9,592 for the equestrian team for the 2011-12 school year, while the estimated cost for running the club was $42,303.25. An obstacle with equestrian lies with facilities, because there are no stables on campus. The club currently contracts

with the If Only Farm in Freeville, N.Y., which is about 20 minutes from campus. While the equestrian club has a group of talented riders, other possibilities for varsity consideration, such as water polo and bowling, are not currently organized clubs on campus. These sports may not have rosters, but they do have what equestrian lacks — suitable facilities for competitions. Starting a varsity sport without athletes may seem like an unorthodox strategy, but Kutler has proven successful at Hartwick College, which initiated the addition of Division 1 women’s water polo, which has risen to compete against elite programs. Another sport facing the same obstacle is bowling. There is no organized bowling club or bowling alleys on campus, but there are many venues throughout the City of Ithaca available for use. The college has set a precedent for suiting both athletes and resources with its two most recent varsity approvals. Golf, which has captured the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference title, was approved in 2009, even though the team had to rent the use of a course off campus. Sculling was approved this past summer, and though it only has one member, the resources were already available. While the next decision for the compliance with the Title IX tenant isn’t for another three to four years, teams are already putting in their bids for consideration. Junior Samantha Robinson, captain and manager of the equestrian team, said promotion of these sports benefits students in more ways than one. “Competing at high levels provides a lot of opportunities. Scholarships become available,” Robinson said. “This gives us the potential to go somewhere, and this opens up doors for us.”

Gold medalist Megan Musnicki ’05 poses for the camera with the women’s alumni eight during her visit to Ithaca’s Romer Boathouse on Sept. 8 to meet with the Ithaca College crew team.

Golden grad BY KARLY REDPATH

Everything that Meghan Musnicki ’05 had worked for since her freshman year of college all comes down to this race at Eton Dorney in London: six minutes, just over 200 strokes. Before the most important race of her life, Musnicki calms her nerves by thinking about her teammates, eight women bonded and in sync with her, a team that she wouldn’t want to race without. She thinks of her father, Bill Musnicki, who died of a heart attack her freshman year of college. She thinks of tireless hours of practice and preparation leading up to this moment. She is prepared. “Australia, the Netherlands, the United States…” the official calls out each nation before the race. The opening beep finally relieves the tension. The first 10 strokes are an all-out sprint where instinct, muscle memory and adrenaline take over. After a minute of blinding exertion, the U.S. boat pulls forward into the lead. More than 30,000 spectators cheer loudly for their countries with 250 meters to go. American oars break the water’s plane as the coxswain tests the limits of her vocal chords. The race atmosphere is pandemonious, but it doesn’t break Musnicki’s rhythm. Six minutes and 10 seconds after the beep sets things in motion, an air horn signals that the U.S. has won. On Aug. 2, after years of hard work, Musnicki can finally call 146

SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

Former Bombers rower Meghan Musnicki ’05 captures Olympic glory

herself an Olympic gold medalist — a far cry from when she first strapped into an erg indoor rowing machine nine years ago. Musnicki said she felt one of the most basic emotions when she realized she had won gold. “It was pure joy,” Musnicki said. “You train for a long time, six, eight years to kind of reach the pinnacle of your sport, which is winning an Olympic gold medal, and to be able to achieve that goal is a phenomenal feeling.” When Musnicki discovered she had made

GOLD

United States

6:10.59

SILVER

Canada

6:12.06

BRONZE

Netherlands

6:13.12

the U.S. Olympic 8 earlier this year, she said she was ecstatic, but at the same time she knew making the boat was only the first step. “I hadn’t come this far to just make the boat,” Musnicki said. “We all train so hard to go to the Olympics and win a gold medal. Making the team was like being able to check that one thing off the list and move on to the next goal that you’re trying to achieve.” Since taking home the gold, Musnicki has been thrown into a whirlwind of newfound fame, including an appearance on the Today

Show and a visit to the White House on Sept. 14. While Musnicki has enjoyed the support, she also said sometimes the media attention can be exhausting. “It’s something that I’m not used to at all,” Musnicki said. “But it’s fun because the sport of rowing doesn’t get a lot of attention. So if there are people who want to talk to me, I really want to try and talk to them to kind of get the sport out there.” On Sept. 8, Musnicki visited the college’s crew and their new boathouse to give them inspiration for the upcoming season. She said she was happy to see how far not only the college’s crew program has progressed over the past few years, but also how far the sport itself has progressed. Musnicki answered questions for the women’s team about what her experience was like for training and racing at the Olympics. She talked about her teammates in the Olympic 8, what some of her favorite workouts were during training and the dubstep music she likes to listen to while she trains. Sophomore Zoe Rheingold said meeting Musnicki at the beginning of her first year as a varsity member inspired her and her teammates to set goals for themselves. “Crew is really tough at times, and I think a lot of people start thinking, ‘This is so hard, why am I doing this?’” Rheingold said. “I think a lot of us can start thinking back to what she said and realize that all our hard work is going to pay off.”

From left, underwater hockey members Laura Lange, Reid Davis and Alessandro Farsi, play underwater hockey in the A&E Center. SHAWN STEINER/THE ITHACAN

Making Waves Underwater hockey club seeks new home in Athletics and Events Center pool BY ALEX HOLT

“Sticks up, ready, go!” A man in a swim cap, mask and snorkel yells the opening command, and the calm surface of the Athletics and Events Center Pool is suddenly broken by the activity of thrashing arms and legs. Men and women scramble with small, handheld sticks to gain possession of a plastic puck filled with lead. As the puck slides around on the pool floor beneath them, the players try to flick it into small metal goals at each end and crash against each other in a tangled knot of arms, elbows and legs before intermittently coming up for air. This is underwater hockey, also known as octopush, a sport invented in 1954 by British scuba instructor Alan Blake to help improve his students’ snorkeling ability. The sport then spread to Canada and the U.S. and is now played all over the world. In 2007, Meghan Cerveny, a former Cornell University employee who had previously played the sport for USA Underwater Hockey, brought it to Ithaca with the creation of Ithaca Underwater Hockey at Cornell. Two evenings per week, Cornell graduate students and members of the local community gather in a small swimming pool at Cornell’s Teagle Hall for practice. Laura Lange, a fifth-year graduate student at Cornell and president of Ithaca Underwater Hockey, said breath control

is one of the most important aspects of the game. “Once you dive down to reach the puck, the snorkel fills up with water,” Lange said. “So you have to have enough breath to stay down long enough to play and then to blow the water out of the snorkel once you return to the surface.” The members of Ithaca Underwater Hockey have been trying to attract members and teach the game to a wide range of potential players but are limited by their facilities at Cornell. Because Ithaca College has an Olympic-sized swimming pool in its Athletics and Events Center, Ithaca Underwater Hockey’s officers want to bring their sport to the college as well. “It’s a perfect pool, five meters by a yard, so it’s the perfect size,” Alessandro Farsi, vice president of Ithaca Underwater Hockey and a fourth-year graduate student at Cornell, said. Farsi said they would like to stage some underwater hockey clinics at Ithaca College, but he said they would first need to build up interest on campus, which has no underwater hockey presence. “The problem is finding people who like to play the sport because if you have enough people who want to do that, they can set up their own student association,” Farsi said. With a larger pool, the team hopes to increase its numbers. Individual players on

the team like Farsi and Lange have played on other teams in tournaments against schools like Penn State, but the Cornell group has never been large enough to field a team in competition. There are 63 club teams in the U.S. listed in Underwater Hockey Tourist, an informational site about the sport. Like many of the club’s members, Farsi said he first began attending practices because he thought it was such a bizarre idea, and he had to find out what it was about. “Of course, I was attracted by the silliness of the name underwater hockey,” Farsi said. “I thought it was one of those very fun, ridiculous activities, and then when I tried it, I started really having fun [with it] as a game.” Lange said underwater hockey allows her to use the skills she developed as a competitive swimmer in high school and college. “I used to swim in high school, and I did synchronized swimming in undergrad, so it’s kind of like putting the two together,” Lange said. “[It combines] the speed of competitive swimming and playing on a team.” While they have never been able to field a full team, Lange said she and her fellow club members are still trying to make attending practices one of their priorities. “Over the years, I have made it a priority to be here,” Lange said. “This is something that I’ve set aside time for because if you don’t have fun, you’re going to go crazy.”

147

The year ahead

We asked key Ithaca College figures to share their hopes, fears and predictions for the future of Ithaca College. A new core curriculum focused on how different disciplines shed light on the most important topics in the world today. A first year residential experience whose programs bring together residential and academic life. A Student Advising Center that will help all students get the most out of their IC experience. And a new studentalumni online social network that will enable students to tap into the professional expertise of our alumni. These are just some of the innovations that await IC students in the 2013-2014 academic year. We are taking an Ithaca College that is already focused on giving students the best possible educational experience and moving it to a whole new level. — Tom Rochon, president of Ithaca College

My hope and plan for the Park School is for our faculty, staff and students to gain more visibility for their creative and scholarly accomplishments and for our commitment to innovation. — Diane Gayeski, dean of the Park School

I hope the time, energy and resources invested in IC 20/20 will pay off (there’s now a SUNY2020 as well, so it seems to be an emerging fad), and I fear the Integrative Core Curriculum may not produce a more integrated curriculum or draw more students to IC after all. — Asma Barlas, professor and program director for the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity

The Business School is looking forward to continuing a number of exciting initiatives for faculty and students and, as always, open to new ones that emerge. Competitions, student clubs, student travel to conferences, student research with faculty and faculty research and development all keep us moving forward. We are working on connecting our initiatives to the larger IC 20/20 vision. And we’re happy to welcome the incoming class of 2013. — Mary Ellen Zuckerman, dean of the Business School

148

I hope that the Ithaca College community can come together and figure out what we want this institution to become in the future. We’ve got a lot of hard decisions to make — decisions that can’t just be made in a room with a few people. This is a wonderful, beautiful and unique institution, and we all have ownership over it. I hope that our policy process reflects that. Also, we should bring back the old pub Chinese food. — Rob Flaherty, student body president

In the year ahead, I hope the Office of Career Services can help students travel for job interviews. Either by providing transportation or subsidizing travel costs, it would give graduating seniors a chance to explore more job opportunities before they leave Ithaca. — Rachel Heiss, senior class president

This is a green publication. Read it and recycle it. Or better yetâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;share it with a friend!

year in review 2012/2013

The Ithacan