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Vol. 62 Issue 12
CAYUGABRIEFS
GSA event gives new meaning to ‘dressing up’ for a party!
CCC’s Harlequin Productions opens new play March 10th It’s been a whirlwind since auditions as we work to bring David Rush’s adaptation of Herman Melville’s novella BILLY BUDD and we are final two weeks till we open on March 10th! Stay tuned for more information! The show is shaping up to be a strong theatrical experience! —Bob Frame, director
Get involved in campus activities and meet new people. We are planning a trip to the Trooper and Correctional facilities this semester. We are also raising money for a trip to Washington D.C. in the summer. Hope to see you there!
The deadline to run for Student Government Organization (SGO) leadership positions on both campuses is March 7th FOR DETAILS, SEE PAGE THREE
COLLEGIAN OFFICE HOURS Caleb Slater, editor-in-chief
By Caleb Slater, Editor-in-chief
CCC’s Gay-Straight Alliance mixes Masquerade with Drag CCC Bowling Team competes in Nationals The Spartans finish the tournament in Cheektowaga, NY in ranked 8th!
Monday: 10 am - noon Wednesday: 10 am - noon
Mary G. Merritt, faculty advisor Most Tuesdays: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Most Thursdays: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm EMAIL US AT CAYUGACOLLEGIAN@GMAIL.COM
2016 BOWLING TEAM
CONGRATULATIONS ON A GREAT SEASON!
PHOTO BY MALCOLM HUEY
The Criminal Justice Club meets every Wednesday at 11 a.m. in T219.
March 1, 2016
The Gay-Straight Alliance at Cayuga Community College held a public fundraising event last Friday night on the Auburn campus, with more than 30 people attending. The event which was held in the student lounge, was a masquerade ball, which also featured food, beverages, an MC, and a live drag show, in which drag queens from the Syracuse area put on an extravagant performance in front of the attending audience. “It definitely exceeded our expectations, we were not sure how it was going to go when we first started planning as it was the first event of its kind we tried,” said GSA Club President Steve Brewer. The event successfully raised more than $60 which will be spent on other programs planned by the club. Brewer says the amount raised is twice the amount of money the club made in December when they hosted an a similar drag show. Organizers of the event were very pleased with their results. “The Masquerade will be added to our list of events for next semester, specifically around Halloween! We may not do a drag performance and may opt just for the ball itself,” explained Brewer. Cayuga Collegian editor-in-chief Caleb Slater interviewed Brewer about the event. Q. What does the success of this event mean for the GSA club? A. The event was successful in presenting the GSA to the community and they now know what events we will be doing this semester. This will be critical when we move to expand or hold more events. Q. Tell me what went into the planning for the event. A: In simple terms, a lot. We first had the club sign on to the event back in late October and early November. From there we had to secure the space and the date which we did by submitting a request to facilities soon after the club voted to approve the Masquerade. Then we partnered with a few friends of club members who do drag who helped us reach out to other performers to CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
PHOTOS BY MALCOLM HUEY
Collegian
OPINIONS TO THE EDITOR: The T in LGBTQ
The stories that Hollywood likes to tell you about trans people are for the most part completely inaccurate to the actual narrative of transgender people’s everyday lives. Though we live in a society that is growing more and more accepting each day, we still have a long way to go. The amount of people that have a prejudice against the trans community, I would like to believe, are not-so-much just plain mean, but uneducated on the topic. That being said, transgender individuals are the most likely of the LGBTQ community to face discrimination and violence. And while this will in short be a guide on manners, it will also be a guide on preventing violence against the trans community starting with you. So here I am, a bonafide trans person, here to give you the “inside scoop” on etiquette toward the T in LGBTQ. I would like to add that these definitions are not consistent for every transgender person, but advocates in many non-profit organizations that directly work with those within the LGBTQ community, such as the Trevor Project stand by these definitions. If you are ever confused about how to refer to someone, it is always best to just ask them what they prefer. • Transgender - anyone who does not identify as the gender they were assigned at birth • Cisgender - anyone who fully identifies with their gender assigned at birth • Intersex - a person born with reproductive anatomy that does not fit in the traditional expectations of male or female anatomy • Nonbinary - anyone who does not or does not fully identify with either of the binary genders, male or female • Binary - anyone who identifies, trans or cis, as the traditional genders, male or female • AFAB/AMAB - “Assigned Female at Birth” “Assigned Male at Birth” • Genderqueer - someone that identifies as neither, both, or a combination of binary and/or nonbinary genders • Bigender - someone who identifies as two or more genders • Agender - someone who does not identify with any gender • Passing - when a trans person effectively can blend into the cis binary • Gender Dysphoria - anxiety
experienced by transgender and nonbinary people as a result of the discrepancy between gender identity and perceived gender identity (social), or the discrepancy between gender identity and one’s own body (body). You may be wondering why I mentioned more than two genders. That might be something that you are unfamiliar with. Gender is a spectrum and just because someone’s gender is different than what you are used to defining it as doesn’t mean it’s wrong or bad. You might be wondering, now, if you know anyone who identifies with any of the above terms outside of the “norm”. A good way to find out is simply just ask. You can broach the topic with asking, “What name should I be using for you?” or, “Am I using the right pronouns for you?” Real quick, some common pronouns are: • He, him, his • She, her, hers • They, them, theirs • Xe, xem, xyr • Zie, zir, zirs. However, there are some questions that are offensive or otherwise uncomfortable that you shouldn’t ask a trans person (or any person): • “What bathroom do you use?” • “Have you had ‘the surgery’?” • “So… what do you have? You know, down there?” • “But… What’s your ‘real’ name?” • “Can I still call you _____?” • “Aren’t you just gay?” • “Why have you been lying to me? I thought you were actually a ________.” • “You’re trans? I love Laverne Cox/ Caitlyn Jenner/Celebrity Trans Person!” • “You’re trans? I would never be able to tell!” • “You’re trans? Why are you prettier than me?” While the last few of these sound like compliments, they’re really, really backhanded. The first comment assumes that Laverne Cox or Caitlyn Jenner are the only trans people that exist, the second implies that all trans people want or should want to pass, and the final comment implies that it is surprising that a transgender person is attractive, which furthers the stereotype of trans people “looking funny.” So now that you know what not to do, you might be trying to figure out a way to help. Unlearning any offensive or outdated terms, such as “cross-dresser”, “transsexual”, or, god forbid, “transvestite” is a good place to start (these are some, but not all of the words that should never be used to describe trans people). Sometimes you might hear a trans person use one of these slurs toward themselves, which is called “reclaiming” and is perfectly okay. However, you shouldn’t use these words toward them without their permission, and you shouldn’t use these words against other trans people just because you know someone else who is okay with it. Being open and communicative with the people around you is important, but so is respecting their boundaries. While this isn’t a perfect, end-all-be-all guide to transgender issues and terminology, it can be a good starting point for our peers and professors who want to learn but don’t know how or who to ask. When in doubt, just treat transgender individuals just like you would treat anyone else: with respect.
—Jack Hall, CCC student
CALEB SLATER - EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MALCOM HUEY - PHOTOGRAPHER KEVIN SHUTTER - STAFF WRITER STEVEN BREWER - STAFF WRITER ZAKARY HAINES - SPORTS WRITER MONICA ESPADA -STAFF WRITER THOMAS HUNDLEY - STAFF WRITER SPENCER KENNEY - STAFF WRITER JESSA LAMPHEAR - FULTON STAFF WRITER MICHAELA ZIEGLAR-GREER - STAFF WRITER SAM PHILLIPS - DISTRIBUTION CHIEF - POET MARY G. MERRITT - FACULTY ADVISOR EMAIL THE COLLEGIAN AT CAYUGACOLLEGIAN@GMAIL.COM
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More people should embrace body positivity Lately, body positivity has been receiving some backlash on social media and it’s been affecting students at Wells College. The act of promoting body positivity has been on the rise among the younger generations, but not everyone wants to see it. Body positivity is Abigail Rundle about loving yourself and Wells College being confident in the freshman skin you’re in. It takes a lot of courage to post pictures of yourself on social media these days. I think that everyone should love their body because it’s the only one you have. You can’t change it, so just embrace it. Body positivity can be expressed in many ways; pictures, blog posts, video, etc. The big controversy is over the pictures and how ‘scandalous’ they can be. In fact, people have taken to social media to express their ‘disgust’ over the pictures. Recently, an individual made an anonymous post on Yik Yak voicing their concerns about body positivity pictures saying “stop f***ing posting nudes that’s not body positivity idiot…” Now despite the horrible grammar, this really hit me, as well as others, personally. They even called out a Wells College student. The student, who has been targeted many times for expressing body positivity, didn’t deserve to be called a “chunky girl” for simply posting pictures on Instagram that make her feel good about herself. “I’m sorry that you’re offended by a woman loving herself,” the targeted student stated in a Facebook post regarding the issue. People all over the world struggle with their body image and feeling comfortable in their own skin. It takes a lot of courage to post a picture
of yourself on social media these days without facing scrutiny. Emrys Burl, a freshman at Wells College, agrees with the idea of promoting self-love. “Not everyone has self-confidence,” Burl said. “But for those who do, they should be able to show it off.” Body positivity should be praised and not rejected and if it makes you feel comfortable, unfollow the account that posted it—it’s that simple. Those who are against the body positivity movement feel that it is “gross” and “distasteful.” They often argue that it is something that should remain personal. “It’s something you can’t take back,” an Alfred University student said. “Make sure you know where you’re putting it.” I believe that if you are proud of your body, flaunt it—show it off! Let the world know that you love the skin you’re in. Freshman Jon Haines admits to being happy with his body and he isn’t afraid to flaunt it. “It’s a good thing for people to really be able to feel good about themselves,” Haines said. “But also people like to take advantage of it. I know I do.” There is no need to target an individual simply for posting a picture of his/her body. They might not be a Victoria’s Secret model, but they are still beautiful and deserve to be recognized. I stand with the dozens of people on this campus and the millions around the world in the movement of promoting body positivity. Everyone should be able to show the world that they love their body without facing ridicule. This is just the beginning of something very big. No one should be afraid to love their body. “I understand completely that my body is lovable, and that self-love and body positivity are healthy,” the targeted student said. —Abigail Rundle Wells College freshman
Turning the Tables Why the GSA will be asking straight people questions they often ask LGBT people “You’re gay? I would’ve never known!”, “So what is it like to be gay?”, “When did you know you were gay?”, these are just some of the questions I have been asked when someone discovers that I am gay and these are the mild questions. Other members of the LGBT community can attest that we get asked quite a few questions ranging from simple to mild to far off base when people learn of our sexual orientations or gender identities. I cannot speak for straight people, afterall I never was one, but having been asked the questions so many times I can hypothesize the main reason we LGBT are asked questions like the ones above to be fascination and curiosity. We all go through life being accustomed to everything being the same way and when something shatters this perception we either react with hostility or curiosity to it. The hostility comes from our primal instincts when a pack needed to be cohesive in it to be successful, when a member went out of line from the rest they represented a true danger to everyone else and often had to fall in line or be cast out. On the other side is the curiosity which comes from us becoming more aware, when knowledge began to trump instinct it lead to us seeking out new things so we could observe them and use our newfound knowledge to our advantage. This very curiosity is what causes straight people to ask LGBT people so many questions when they first learn of their sexual orientations and gender identities, they are so used to having dealings with other straight people they naturally assume everyone they meet is straight until they learn otherwise. I experienced this before I started school, back then most of my dealings were with girls and I was aware of my feelings towards other boys so I naturally assumed that most boys must be like me with some liking girls. It was not until I started school that I learned this was not true, in fact it was completely reversed from how things actually were. I remember the feeling of curiosity come over me when I learned that the other boys liked girls, specifically I wondered how it was to like girls more than as just friends. The desire to ask questions was suppressed when I saw how they reacted when there was an implication that another person was like me so I never asked the questions nor did I reveal my true feelings. But there is something many people do
not take into account before they ask these questions, the fact that they are asking another person questions that can be extremely insensitive, intrusive and offensive. Someone once asked me when I was in my first long term relationship “Which one of you is the guy and which is the girl?”. I will pause a moment for you to absorb that. Mind you they did not intend this to be offensive, they were trying to figure out the dynamics of the relationship but they did fail to take into account how the question would be received. It did offend me and I quickly responded with “Neither, we are both guys, that is the point.” and it just blew their mind that we would not identify ourselves according to how they perceived a relationship should be. Back in September, at one of the first meetings of Cayuga Community College’s reestablished Gay‐Straight Alliance, we watched a Youtube video in which the hosts, both gay men, lamented questions they have been asked by straight guys and decided to turn the tables and ask three straight men the very same questions. The reactions of the men to the questions ranged from laughter to shock and all points between. That is when the GSA decided to conduct a similar experiment but with expanded parameters, instead of focusing on straight men we decided to expand and also interview straight women and couples to see if the reactions were the same. The purpose of the experiment is simple, show straight people how it feels when they ask us these questions by asking them the very same questions. We will be keeping to the more mild questions so none will be about sex. We also will be discussing the questions with LGBT members of the GSA to get their thoughts and feelings about being asked the questions. After the interviews we will ask the interview subjects how they feel about the questions, if they have asked them before and if they will ask them again. The interviews will be recorded so we can splice the videos together and post them online, with the permission of those we interviewed. We encourage all students who are interested to stop by for the interviews! The interviews will be from 11 to Noon on Monday, March 7th in M244 & M246. Everyone who completes the interviews will receive a free lunch provided by the GSA!
—Steve Brewer, CCC GSA president
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PHOTOS BY MALCOLM HUEY
GSA event masquerades in drag... CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
Apply now for April SGO elections By Caleb Slater, Co-editor-in-chief The time for mudslinging, announcing platforms and the promise of change is approaching at Cayuga Community College. Any student interested in taking a more active role in the decision making process can now apply to represent the student body by working diligently as a member of the Student Government. Election season is upon us. Positions available include: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Student Trustee. All applicants must meet the 2.5 GPA requirement to have their name on the ballot. If you are unsure where you stand academically, student engagement coordinators, Margaret Thomas and Michael Fochman will review all incoming applications. Applications are accepted until March 7th, with elections being held from April 18th until the 22nd. Listed below are the exact duties of the executive board members, as laid out in the Constitution.
PRESIDENT:
“The President will be the Chief Executive Officer of the SGO. He/She will set agendas for and preside over regularly scheduled SGO meetings which include Senate and Executive meetings. The President may call special Executive Board meetings with eight (8) working hours notice, as needed, appoint members to standing college-wide committees and any established SGO committees, be it ad hoc or otherwise, present club budgets to the FSA, oversee all SGO activities, maintain a periodic review of all SGO funds and accounts, maintain an active, voting role in the Student Senate, within the Executive Board, and on the FSA Board. The President may only vote in the Student Senate and the Executive Board in the event of a tie. The President will have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point index and full time status at the time of elections; both of which must be maintained during his/her term of office. The President shall hold (12) twelve office hours per week in which classes are in session. It is recommended that he/she will have been a member of student government for at least one semester previous to taking office. In the case of legislation presented by the Student Senate, the President may veto any Student Senate legislation prior to the next regularly scheduled Student Senate meeting after passage of said legislation. The President may call an emergency Senate meeting, with (48) forty-eight hours notice.”
Vice-President:
“The Vice-President will be the alternating presiding officer of the Executive Board, and shall be prepared to fulfill any presidential duties should the President be unable to do so. The Vice-President will hold the responsibility for election dates, processing all applications for SGO officers, and the running of the elections in the spring of each academic year. In addition, the Vice President will maintain an active, voting role in the Student Senate, within the Executive Board, and on the FSA
Board. The Vice President will be immediately responsible for the Secretary and Treasurer. The Vice-President will have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point index and full time status at the time of elections; both of which must be maintained during his/her term of office. In addition, the Vice President shall fulfill (7) seven office hours per week in which classes are in session.”
SECRETARY:
“The Secretary shall hold the responsibility for documenting and filing all SGO meeting minutes. He/she shall also hold the responsibility of collecting all SGO club meeting minutes and records to be kept on file. He/She shall prepare a report for the SGO Vice-President every other week. The Secretary shall maintain an active, voting role in the Student Senate, within the Executive Board, and on the FSA Board. He/She shall have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point index and full time status at the time of elections; both of which must be maintained during his/her term of office. The Secretary shall fulfill (7) seven office hours per week in which classes are in session.
TREASURER:
“The treasurer shall hold the primary responsibility for all SGO funds and accounts, maintaining a complete and accurate record of all SGO accounts. He/She will present a complete and updated financial statement at each Executive Board meeting, and a biweekly report to the SGO Vice-President. The Treasurer shall maintain an active, voting role in the Student Senate, within the Executive Board, and on the FSA Board. In addition, the Treasurer shall have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point index and full time status at the time of election; both of which must be maintained during his/her term of office. The Treasurer shall fulfill (7) seven office hours per week in which classes are in session.”
STUDENT TRUSTEE:
“The Student Trustee shall serve as the liaison between the SGO and the Cayuga Community College Board of Trustees. He/ She shall be elected along with the other SGO officers during the spring semester each academic year. The Student Trustee shall be a participating member of the SGO, and required to attend all executive Board and Senate meetings, with an active voting role and with the same privileges as the executive board. In addition, he/she must present a trustee report at Student Senate meetings. The Student Trustee shall have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point index and full time status at the time of election; both of which must be maintained during his/her term of office. The Student Trustee shall fulfill (3) three office hours per week in which classes are in session. It is expected that the Student Trustee will fulfill office hours at the opposite campus from where they attend classes no less than once per month.
secure them for the event. After that we had to obtain a DJ, buy decorations, promote and advertise the event and assign roles for the night. The club divided the work well and we all accomplished our objectives. Q. Did you need college approval for the event? If so, how did that process work? A. We did need approval, specifically from facilities. We had to submit a form to the Facilities Manager of the campus with the specific details of the event and Norm Lee’s signature. From there she had to send out the request to various departments and offices who had to individually approve the request. Once all of them approve it the facilities manager emailed us to tell us we were approved or if it was denied she would email us with an explanation. Q. Is Masquerade synonymous for drag? I’m not up on the terms lately. So it just wasn’t a costume party? A. Masquerade is not synonymous for drag, a masquerade is a party in which people wear masks that cover around the eyes, bridge of the nose and part of the forehead, sometimes even the entire face. Drag is when a person dresses and adopts the mannerisms of the opposite sex. What happened was we started out wanting to do just a Masquerade but after we did the other show in December we wanted to try another show so the Drag show aspect of the Masquerade was added at that time. Q. What do you think people reacted to the event? A. I feel overall everyone had fun that night, they were very supportive and
expressed interest in us doing another show and many have followed our Facebook page in the wake of the event. Q. Some of the students who attended the event are talking about it today and were saying they were uncomfortable with the vulgarity of the show. Was the show part planned? What is your reaction to anyone being uncomfortable with what went on in the performance? A: I am surprised people were uncomfortable with the vulgarity, I was not aware of anyone taking offense to it and I do apologize but the show actually did a good job about keeping it mild. Drag shows can be full of vulgarity and when myself and the other president of the GSA, Allison, met with our contact for the queens we specifically asked them to ensure the vulgarity and sexual innuendos were kept at a minimum for this show. As I stated above the drag show aspect was added after the Masquerade started taking shape so it was not our original intent to do another show, we were actually thinking about having the club perform but since we have a small pool of committed members it would have been impossible to pull off. Q. What is the next event planned? Do you think this event will be repeated? A. Our next event is the social experiment in which we will be asking straight people questions they often ask of LGBT community members. We want to show them and others how it feels for us to be asked these questions and show the reactions in a video we hope to post online.
Professor tests out software on students By Caleb Slater, editor-in-chief Environmentalist Ansel Adams once said, “In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration.” Trying something new and exploring his teaching knowledge is the exact approach that adjunct professor, Rick McIntyre is taking to his Bio 209 course, Basic Nutrition. Professor McIntyre is using the relatively new interactive teaching software, Top Hat, which launched in 2010, as a guide for his course work. McIntyre explains that the software allows him to create an original course outline using a variety of sources other than the textbook, as the book often publishes inaccurate information. “As a nutritionist, a lot of textbooks are politically correct, but they’re not accurate from a health standpoint. In other words, you have to say high fructose corn syrup is safe in nominal levels, well that’s politically correct. In actuality there is no high fructose corn syrup safe for people to eat.” McIntyre described. The software offers many features, in terms of substance, that blackboard can already do. Just like blackboard, instructors can post assignments, quizzes and display class notes, but the biggest difference is the immediate
SERVING THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS!
feedback Top Hat offers by allowing students to use their laptops and mobile devices as clickers and answer questions presented in class. Department chair, Christie Waters explained that in years past the department received a grant to use a similar audience response system called, iclicker, but this is the first time she’s heard of Top Hat. One of the criticisms of this software is the cost. In addition to paying for a textbook students must also pay a fee to access the course work found in Top Hat. “Right now they are paying $10 for the course, $24 for the software, which is $34. […] In the future it would be $84 because it would include the textbook.” Top Hat is described on their website as being, “A comprehensive teaching platform that helps professors like you easily create an interactive learning experience.” That experience differs among reviewers. One student referred to the software as, “Slow and buggy.” On the other side of the spectrum a Google Play reviewer called the software, “Very convenient, I can use where ever.” Where ever you decide to use this software, be sure to tip your hat off to McIntyre to trying something new.
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Hamlin wins Daytona 500 by .01 seconds By Zakary Haines, sports writer Not every victory is won by a huge margin. A prime example is this year’s Daytona 500 race in Daytona Beach, Florida where Denny Hamlin, Number 11, won the race by one hundredth of a second (0.010 seconds). Considering this is a motor sport, that’s not a whole lot of time. Hamlin started in 11th place at the beginning of the race and was near the front when the final lap began. Matt Kenseth, number 20, held the lead for the majority of the lap but almost crashed halfway through. Hamlin and Truex Jr. (Number 78) were neck and neck until Hamlin pulled ahead in that hundredth of a second. Denny Hamlin won his first Daytona 500 race in his career and the first one for Joe Gibbs Racing in over 23 years. This also was the first time a Toyota car has won the Daytona 500. Other racers under Joe Gibbs Racing like Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards finished in third and fifth place. Last year’s winner, Joey Logano, ended up in sixth place. Hamlin in a post race interview said “This was a team victory,” he said. “My teammates did an amazing job all day; this is a proud moment for everyone at Toyota. I don’t know what happened, I can’t even figure out what I did.” This win is more historic because Hamlin is only the sixth racer to win the Sprint Unlimited and the Daytona 500 in the same season. The last time this was accomplished was in 2000 by Dale Jarrett. The racers will have more chances to win later this season but Denny Hamlin will not been seen as an underdog for the remainder of the season.
ACTIVITIES
COLLEGE BOUND BY MONICA ESPADA
Packing my things looking back at the past Brings back memories that will forever last. A small child dancing as the world awaites her. Time went by with a speedy blur. Pre-K to twelfth grade. College now. What a trade. Can’t believe it’s over. Now it’s time to really behave. But you made it, take a bow. Be proud of yourself. Now college bound.
PHOTOS BY MALCOLM HUEY
FAIR
The SGO hosted a blood drive on the Auburn campus last week.
COLLEGIAN COLORING
FULTON
CAMPUS! The Collegian wants to know what is going on up there! Be a Fulton Correspondent or just email us your news at Cayugacollegian@ gmail.com
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