Vol. 132, Issue 2

THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE SINCE 1893 Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Volume 132, Issue 2

www.oxyweekly.com

JSC Starts New Composting Program Annie Wolfstone Over the summer Occidental adopted a new composting program that converts nearly 75 percent of waste from the Johnson Student Center (JSC) into compostable material. The JSC, being the hub of campus life and the home to the Marketplace, is Occidental’s largest waste-producer.

The trash and post-consumer products left behind every day in the Marketplace, the Green Bean, conference rooms, the Office of Student Life and various other administrative offices are sorted and dumped into the college’s large trash compactor, which has been repurposed as the receptacle for compostables. Now, all of Occidental’s non-compostable and non-recyclable waste fits into a standard-sized dumpster.

Occidental dining staff will be doing the majority of the sorting for the Marketplace. As students’ dirty dishes arrive in the kitchen, the dining staff sorts the products according to their compostability. According to Vice President for Hospitality Services Amy Munoz, this isn’t much of a change for the staff.

“It’s just a third thing that we’re sorting, and it’s not recreating the wheel,” Munoz said. “It’s not a whole new thought process for our staff.”

The compostable items—including meat, fat, dairy, paper items and cloth, along with the starch-based containers and flatware—are then transported offsite by waste collection company Athens Services, based in Victorville, California.

According to the Athens Services website, the company has existed for nearly 50 years as a family-owned and operated business, offering a host of different waste management services from trash collection to organic and special waste transportation.

Athens Services approached the College with the program proposal.

Munoz said the plan made the composting process simple and financially feasible, so the College agreed to it.

Prior to Athens’ proposal, Occidental did and continues to compost a limited amount of organic waste on campus through the student-run F.E.A.S.T. garden. Dining Services gives F.E.A.S.T. old melon rinds and discarded fruits that the students then use to create a natural fertilizer for vegetables grown in the school’s garden.

The College aim that in the future it will also be able to utilize the compostable products that it sends out with Athens Services. The hope is that the compost will be returned to Occidental for use in the gardens around the campus, as Munoz explained in a July interview for Occidental’s website.

COMPOST continues on Page 3

Evan Carter Wide receiver Ryan Rodriguez (junior) scores a touchdown in the home opener against Menlo College on Sept. 17. Rodriguez caught 11 passes for 125 yards in the game.

Turnovers Prove Costly For Tiger Football

Mirin Fader

The Occidental Football team (1-1) lost their home opener against Menlo College (3-0) on Sept. 17 by a score of 41-17. After winning their first game 30-12 on the road at the University of Puget Sound last weekend, the Tigers struggled to contain the visiting Oaks on the offensive end.

Before the game, Head Coach Dale Widolff emphasized the importance of taking care of the ball. “We can’t turn the ball over. The offensive

and defensive lines have to step up,” he said.

However, in their Patterson Field debut, they did not meet their goals.

The Tigers gave up four costly turnovers and had little success on the ground as Menlo rushed for 203 yards as opposed to Occidental’s 48.

In the first quarter, the Tigers opened the scoring with a seven-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Luke Collis (senior) to wide receiver Bobby Phillips (senior). The scoring strike pushed Occidental’s lead to 7-3 with 1:21 minutes left in the first quarter. Unfortunately for the Tigers,

the offense ran dry and did not put the ball in the endzone again until the final quarter of the game.

Meanwhile, Menlo scored two of their five total touchdowns in the second quarter. Within the opening seconds of the period, Menlo ran a trick play in which wide receiver Robert Adan (junior) completed a 27-yard pass to fellow wide receiver Mike Alexander (sophomore) resulting in Menlo’s first touchdown of the night giving the Oaks a 10-7 lead.

With 13:40 minutes left in the first half, running back Thomas Reynolds (sophomore), who rushed for a game

high 134 yards, plunged in from eight yards out for a touchdown, stretching the Oaks’ lead to 17-7.

Menlo kicker Kevin Kurtz (sophomore) kicked a 25-yard field goal with 4:23 minutes left in the half to put the Oaks up 20-7. The Tigers responded with a 32-yard field goal by Josh Mun (senior) with 2:00 minutes left in the period, cutting the lead to 20-10.

Going into the third quarter, the Tigers looked to close the gap. Menlo, however, tacked on another touchFOOTBALL continues on Page 10

New Coach Invigorates Dance Team Chris Ellis

On Sept. 8, Occidental hosted more than 100 student organizations at the annual Involvement Fair, where every campus group had the opportunity to make themselves known to the Occidental community. The Occidental Dance Team, however, attracted particular attention. Introduced by their new coach Dana Rosenthal, the dance team premiered their first performance of the new school year at the Fair.

“I loved the performance,” said Daniel Martinez (sophomore). “It brought a lot of excitement to my day.”

The 2011-2012 Occidental Dance Team hopes to carry that kind of enthusiasm generated at their first show over to the rest of the season as they enter the new year. The team has recruited five DANCE continues on Page 8

NEWS ................................... 3 OPINIONS ............................ 4 LETTERS .............................. 5

Chris Ellis New dance coach Dana Rosenthal introduces her new team at the Sept. 8 Involvement Fair in the Academic Quad.

FEATURES ............................ 6 A&E ...................................... 8 SPORTS ................................. 10

The Occidental Weekly is recyclable.

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THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY

- September 21, 2011

THIS WEEK Social Justice Film Series Today, 9/21 - 7:00 p.m.

Johnson 104

Insomnia 3: yOya Concert Friday, 9/23 - 10:30 p.m.

Norris Lobby/Lounge

Luxury Chocolate Salon Sunday, 9/25 - 11:00 a.m.

Pasadena Convention Center

TV on the Radio Sunday, 9/25 - 6:00 p.m.

Hollywood Bowl

Men’s Soccer Monday, 9/26 - 4 p.m.

Soccer Field

The Social Justice Film Series will screen Freedom Riders to showcase justice, community action and social change.

Check out the Los Angeles band yOya perform in the Norris Lounge on Friday night.

Sample gourmet chocolates and wine pairings. Stick around for a panel discussion with Top Chef: Just Dessert’s Danielle Keene.

Watch TV on the Radio perform with Arctic Monkeys, Warpaint, Panda Bear and Smith Westerns at the Hollywood Bowl.

Support Occidental’s men’s soccer team play against Weaton College.

INFORMATION: Student Events Calendar

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As part of the Transnational Encounter series, and with Occidental College’s commitment to international learning, Occidental College’s Film Department kicked off the Cinematheque series last Thursday with two documentaries by filmmaker Anayansi Prado.

The event took place from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in Johnson 200. Prado screened her original screenplays “Maid in America” and “Children in No Man’s Land” and remained afterwards for a talk with students, professors, members of the community and patrons of film. Prado’s film “Maid in America” has reached a national audience as the film was featured on PBS’s Independent Lens series. The film centers around the lives of three Latina immigrant housekeepers in Los Angeles as they try to pursue the American dream while at the same time, cleaning it.

Cinematheque will showcase various films dealing with the theme of transnational colloquialism throughout the semester. Expect films such as “Babel,” “Persepolis” and “Machete” to be screened at Cinematheque as the semester progresses.

Glendale based graffiti artist, Saber, began a new project this past Monday protesting the Los Angeles City Council’s objection to street art. He spent the day flying around Los Angeles, writing messages such as, “OBEY,” “JUXTAPOSE” and “ART IS NOT A CRIME” with airplane exhaust fumes. His writing could be seen from the Civic Center to Silver Lake.

“The reason I hired five to sky write over City Hall and downtown Los Angeles is to bring awareness to how ridiculous a moratorium on public art is,” Saber said on his blog.

Saber advocates for the artistic integrity and freedom which he feels artists are entitled to. He writes, “...taxpayer money is now used to obliterate all traces of the artwork my generation have created. I believe this city-funded censorship pushed by lawmakers with personal vendettas.”

“His piece on the sloping cement bank of the Los Angeles River is nearly the size of a professional football field, and can be read clear as day from a satellite photo,” Saber’s website reads.

Saber’s work can be seen on his website, http://saberone.com/, or on his Twitter account, SaberAWR.

Hosted by Glee’s Jane Lynch, the 63rd Prime Time Emmy’s took place on Sunday, September 18, in LA’s Nokia Theatre. Unsurprisingly, AMC’s “Mad Men” took its fourth consecutive Emmy for best drama series. ABC’s hilarious and critically acclaimed “Modern Family” swept the show with five Emmy’s.

The Amazing Race, which had its streak of seven consecutive wins broken last year by Top Chef, won Best Reality Show.

Kyle Chandler won an Emmy for his role as Coach Eric Taylor in “Friday Night Lights.” Melissa McCarthy took home an Emmy for her work on “Mike and Molly.”

Charlie Sheen presented, addressing his former “Two and a Half Men” stars and cast about his best wishes for the success of the show’s future with Ashton Kutcher taking his place. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that show creator Chuck Lorre lobbied vigorously to have Sheen banned from the show.

TV execs chose to allow Sheen to present, thinking it would be good for ratings, the reports states. According to TV polls, this year’s Emmy’s was watched by 12.4 million people, down eight percent from last year.

A 6.8 catastrophic earthquake hit India and Nepal on Sept. 18, 2011. The USGS said that the disaster might have consisted of multiple simultaneous seismic events that compounded each other. According to BBC News, five people have died in Nepal due to a wall of the British embassy collapsing and crushing the victims. Five deaths have been confirmed in India’s Sikkim state, which was the epicenter of the earthquake.

Gangtok, an Indian city which took the most damage, had two major roads destroyed by the earthquake. Power lines have been knocked rendering the city without electricity. The New York Times reported that the death toll is on the rise as rescuers find more victims under the debris and chaos. Along with the earthquake came heavy rain and landslides, only adding to the trouble.

Other regions which have also suffered damage from the earthquake, include the Himalayas and Tibet.

The rural and mountainous nature of the most affected areas have hindered the emergency response. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is sending troops to help the rescue and recovery efforts.

4:43 PM Bell Young Service Road Student reports two males drinking alcohol and harassing female students.

Responding Officers contacted subjects (locals) and escorted them off campus without incident.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 6:45 AM Johnson Student Center Workers stacking boxes in the interior loading dock area, accidentally struck a manual pull station which activated the fire alarm panel.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 2:05 PM Emmons Rd. Staff reports a tan truck with two Caucasian males in their 20’s

advertising an off campus party.

Officers observed vehicle heading southbound on Armadale Ave towards York Blvd.

11:10 PM 1500 Block of Campus Rd. Observed an intoxicated male subject (local) yelling profanities while on his cellphone. Officers contacted the subject who was belligerent and refused to identify himself. Officers advised the subject regarding private property and he complied by walking into the middle of the street. No further action taken.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 11:08 PM 1533 Munson Ave Observed a social gathering of approximately 150 persons inside the residence and backyard. Officers made contact with student tenant and issued “sanction flyer.” No complaints received.

11:57 PM 1533 Munson Ave Neighbor requests Campus Safety

Occidental College 1600 Campus Road M-40 Los Angeles, California 90041 (323) 259-2886

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor in Chief Dean DeChiaro

Managing Editor Aralyn Beaumont Senior Editors Ashly Burch Mitchell J. Cde Baca

EDITORIAL STAFF News Faryn Borella Ryan Strong

Features Sam Ovenshine Kirsten Wright Sports Ryan Graff Juliet Suess Opinions Alexander LaRose Rachel Liesching Arts & Entertainment Cordelia Kenney Ian Mariani Senior Layout Editor Christine Lew

REPORTS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

The Occidental Weekly

Photo Editor Evan Carter

BUSINESS

Advertising Manager Tucker Eason

return to the location regarding the loud party involving Oxy students.

Responding Officers assisted LAPD in dispersing approximately 200 persons from the location without incident.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 3:37 PM N/A Parent of an Oxy student advised that her daughter who was suffering from abdominal pains was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital by her roommate and asked if someone could call the Hospital to speed up the process of her seeing a doctor.

Professional staff on duty was notified.

11:34 AM 1557 Ave. 47 Student residing at the above address reports a slowly dying squirrel in the driveway and requests an Officer remove it from location. Animal Control notified.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 12:16 AM 1432 Armadale Ave. (Phi Psi) Observed a social gathering of approximately 60 persons inside the residence and back yard. Officers made contact with student tenant and issued “Sanction flyer.”

12:55 PM Campus Rd. Alumni Ave. Observed a female student on street corner with minor lacerations to the right side of her face. Investigation revealed student sustained injuries when she was accidentally dropped by a student attempting to give her a “piggy back” ride. Incident report filed.

2:00 AM Newcomb Hall RA reports faint odor of marijuana on the first floor hallway. When the responding officer arrived, the odor had dissipated, and the officer could not locate anyone and no visible contraband was observed.

Business Manager Andreas Bloomquist Communications Director Arielle Darr

Founded in 1893, the Occidental Weekly is the official newspaper of Occidental College. Published by the Associated Students of Occidental College, the Weekly is distributed to 2,000 faculty, staff, students, parents and community members every Wednesday during the academic year.

RESOURCES If you would like The Occidental Weekly to cover a story, please write to weekly@oxy.edu, contact a section editor, or call The Occidental Weekly office.

If you would like to write a letter to The Occidental Weekly to express an opinion or address a current event, please e-mail weekly@ oxy.edu. Letters are capped at 700 words.

THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY

September 21, 2011 -

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City Expected to Issue Building Permits Disney, Ben Stiller Set to Depict Historic Loss to CalTech in Film for Solar Arrays Before Month’s End Sam Van Buren

Courtesy of Jim Tranquada The majority of the solar rays will be located on Mount Fiji and parking lot due to the large amount of space and its south-facing nature.

Jake Steele

O

ccidental should receive the final building permits for its solar array project by the end of next month, according to recent reports after a summer of back-andforth deliberations between the city and the College. Once it is given the permits, the College will begin construction on the project as soon as possible. The construction should not last longer than six months, according to Director of Communications Jim Tranquada.

The project has a total projected cost of seven million dollars, but the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) would pay for half of the cost after its completion. It is estimated that the solar arrays will provide 250,000 dollars in savings per year, according to Tranquada.

The College worried that they would miss the deadline to receive the city’s rebate because of the city’s slow permitting process, but DWP’s decision to extend the deadline by three years alleviated the concerns, according to President Veitch.

The three-and-a-half million dollars the College will be accountable for is going to be covered under a plan proposed by Chief Financial Officer Mike Groaner. Trustees accepted the plan, which calls for borrowing money to be paid back over 15 years.

Getting government approval for

the project was a two-step process.

The lack of special zoning for colleges requires that Occidental abide by residential zoning construction standards, necessitating land use approval for the solar array.

Health and safety questions had to be thoroughly vetted and the administration has had to work closely with the Eagle Rock and Highland Park communities to gain support. College representatives went to numerous homeowner association and neighborhood council meetings.

The solar array will take up a considerable amount of space and needs to be southern facing in order to have maximum sun exposure throughout the day. It will also have to connect to the electrical grid easily. Fiji and the upper soccer field parking lot were chosen as the array site because of space and direction, and there is already an electrical maintenance area at the edge of the parking lot. The array would be impractical to install over most roofs for reasons of cost.

Some of the panels will serve as parking lot carports with minimum heights of eight feet and maximum heights of 15 feet. The rest would be placed on the slope of Mt. Fiji that faces the soccer field. About a quarter of the array would be on the parking lot, the rest on the hill. The panels would be fenced in and only two to three feet above the ground.

Many in the community were concerned the solar rays could be an eye

Courtesy of Jim Tranquada The plan calls for some of the solar panels to double as car ports near the upper soccer field.

sore for the campus and surrounding community.

Professor Amy Lyford and Associate Professor Mary Beth Heffernan, from the Occidental Art History and Visual Arts department, and local design firm Lettuce pushed for the array to be thought of as land art.

“The hillside array is a sweeping curve that hugs the topography of the hillside -- the panels will be just two to three feet off the ground -- and it actually looks cool,” Tranquada said.

“It is an innovative design that combines science, engineering and art in a way that directly addresses aesthetic concerns about ground-mounted solar arrays.”

Another issue with the solar panel project is potential glare. Physics Professor Dan Snowden-Ifft performed calculations to find where glare would occur to try to minimize reflections on Norris residents and Occidental neighbors. He found that in June and July there would be early morning glare on these residences that will last a couple of minutes.

Snowden-Ifft has played a large role throughout the project. He had solar panels installed at his personal residence in South Pasadena and has been an advocate for them at Occidental. He began his lobbying two years ago, after joining the College’s sustainability committee. SnowdenIfft also chaired a solar subcommittee that included former physics professor Adrian Hightower, Associate Vice President for Facilities Management Michael Stephens, Director of UEPI Mark Vallianatos and others.

With encouragement from the sustainability committee and administration officials, the subcommittee heard presentations from seven different installers over the summer of 2009.

The subcommittee decided to go with SunPower panels and Martifer Solar as the installer. SunPower panels were chosen because they have the highest efficiency of any solar panel of their kind.

Employees, students, families of students and alumni will have an opportunity to purchase solar panels themselves with a significant discount. SunPower is offering 40 cents/ watt with a maximum of 2000 dollars off of installation for personal solar panels. All families and small businesses located in Eagle Rock, Mt. Washington and Highland Park will also be eligible. Contact professor Snowden-Ifft (ifft@oxy.edu) or visit www.sunpowercorp.com/asp/occidental for more information.

Disney recently acquired the rights to produce a movie on the Caltech Men’s Basketball team’s triumph over its 26-year losing strike, the climax of which will be its victory over Occidental last February.

The rights were issued as “remake rights” to a 2007 documentary, “Quantum Hoops,” which follows the Caltech’s team throughout its 2006 season.

Ben Stiller and his production company Red Hour, the same company that produced “Dodgeball,” have signed on to the film. The movie, if production goes as planned, is set for a 2013 release date, according to Deadline Hollywood.

The film is expected to be a fictionalized comedy, according to sports news source Rush the Court, contrasting it with “Quantum Hoops,” which is a documentary. “Quantum Hoops” interviewed former Caltech basketball players, many of whom had become successful software programmers or engineers, quizzing them on why the team was winless for so long. The documentary also spoke to the benefits of the athletic experience, even

when a team loses all of its games.

While the New York Times called the movie “the cutest thing ever” and the majority of reviews were positive, the documentary did not end with a Caltech victory. This will be different in Stiller’s remake.

The climax will certainly be based on Caltech’s historic victory over Occidental.

“The game felt like a movie,” basketball player Sam Stapleton (junior) said. “The last game of the season, on senior night and with free throws in the final seconds.”

The Feb. 22, 2011 victory was Caltech’s first league win since its defeat of La Verne in January 23, 1985.

How Occidental will be portrayed in the movie is unknown. The College could be either the perennial powerhouse or the bitter rival that Caltech can never quite catch.

“I hope we become a typical Disney villain,” Occidental basketball player Ty Cobb (sophomore) said.

While the movie will be based on Caltech and its success in breaking its losing streak, it certainly carries meaning for Occidental basketball players, as well. Stapleton says that if a movie is made on the loss, it will definitely be “motivational.”

College Looking to Further Expand Composting Program

Ruby Paiva The dining staff performs most of the sorting tasks that facilitate the composting process.

From Front Page While many consider the program a step in the right direction, some students did raise concerns about the impact that this program will actually make.

“One issue is that we’re shipping our compostables over the San Gabriel Mountains to the Mojave Desert,” UEP major Nicholas Conti (senior) said. Conti has reservations about the fuel consumption required to pick up and haul away the College’s compostable materials.

“We must be mindful that just because we’re reducing waste in one area doesn’t necessarily reduce our total environmental impact,” Conti said.

Nevertheless, the college considers the program a success and is looking for opportunities to further expand its composting program. According to Environmental Health and Safety Officer Bruce Steele, other locations on campus, such as the Cooler, are also ripe for improvement when it comes to composting.

“There is very little space to manage the solid waste in that facility. At the Cooler, this job will be on each individual who purchases food,” Steele said.

Steel and Munoz recognize that separating waste will be a change for students, but they believe it is possible.

“People just need to get into the habit of doing it,” Munoz said.

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THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY

- September 21, 2011

OPINIONS

iPads are Not the Answer for ResEd’s Dysfunction

Sarah Spinuzzi

T

he Residential Education and Housing Services department recently purchased six iPads for its staff, a fact confirmed

by Assistant Dean Tim Chang. Although the purchase was confirmed, the reasoning behind the acquisition has not been explained. At a retail cost of 499 dollars per iPad, the department spent approximately 3,000 dollars. Despite the prevailing sense of student discontent, it seems as though the department is being rewarded. The problem with ResEd is not simply the fact that they waste copious amounts of money on iPads and balloon artists but also that there is a lack of oversight with respect to the department’s activities.

Instead of using funds to purchase iPads, resources and time should have been used to design a student evaluation process for

ResEd staff that would make the department more accountable for poorly designed and executed policies.

Evaluations would be simple.

When students turn in their room condition reports, on which room damages are listed, students could also submit a housing satisfaction evaluation. ResEd Staff could be evaluated based on their respective duties. Students could rate the success of ResEd policies and their satisfaction with staff members. ResEd needs to be held accountable to students for their actions and policy decisions. Implementing an evaluation system would be a meaningful step toward addressing student concerns and putting ResEd back in touch with the students it serves.

Another productive alternative would have been to put the funds toward the development of an electronic room draw process, in light of the past room draws which left

Don’t Cut Aid to the Palestinian Authority Ethan Weiss The course of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has changed since the time this newspaper went to print.

While both sides might seem more at odds than ever, everyone should agree on one thing: don’t cut funding to the Palestinian Authority (P.A.).

On Tuesday, Sept. 20, the Palestinian Authority took their desire for statehood to the United Nations Security Council. They went asking for full membership to the United Nations as a sovereign state of Palestine, which by all accounts means a state of Palestine along the borders established before the 1967 War. The United States vetoed the resolution as promised. While it seems as if everything is unfolding along a set script, there is a worrisome subplot developing within the U.S. Congress that threatens the security and stability of the West Bank and of Israel and the viability of the peace process as a whole.

There are several legislative efforts underway in the U.S. Congress to cut all U.S. funding to the Palestinian Authority in retaliation for their action in the United Nations. As President of J Street U Occidental, and as a concerned individual, I cannot help but see the proposals as misguided, selfdestructive and ultimately detrimental to the cause of a peaceful two-state solution that I, along with many others, take as our guiding principle.

The funding, approximately $520 million per year, builds roads to support a growing economy and schools to ensure that youths find productive ways of participating in civil society.

The funding also supports Palestinian security forces, whose work makes both Israel and the West Bank safer places to live.

The Congressional action is the reason we have phrases like, “To cut off your nose to spite your face.”

By cutting aid to the Palestinian

Authority, Congress would alienate Israel’s only real partner for peace.

Mahmoud Abbas and Salaam Fayyad, President and Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, represent the most viable Palestinian leadership, having repeatedly participated in peace talks where other prominent Palestinian voices—Hamas comes to mind—have refused. The New York Times recently noted that cutting aid to the Palestinian Authority could “shift the political balance dangerously toward Hamas.” The survival of the Palestinian Authority means the continued existence of a critical negotiating partner.

Moreover, cutting the funding to the P.A. might mean a greater security risk for both Palestinians and Israelis.

American and Israeli security experts, including members of Israel’s own internal security agency the Shin Bet, argue that slashing aid to the P.A. could be disastrous for the security positions of both sides. If we want peace, and if we want to minimize violence at all costs, we should support continued funding of the Palestinian Authority.

Fortunately, Congressmen David Price and Peter Welch have written a letter to their congressional colleagues in Congress and the Obama administration urging them to continue to fund the Palestinian Authority. We can help that cause by calling our members of Congress and asking them to sign the Price-Welch letter. On the Quad this week, J Street U will have a table with information on how you can do that.

However wise or unwise the Palestinian Authority was to take their statehood bid to the U.N., it is no excuse for the self-destructive behavior that has once again taken center stage in a conversation that needs, above all, pragmatic voices for two states for two peoples.

Ethan Weiss is a senior politics major. He can be reached at weiss@ oxy.edu.

many students without rooms.

Chang signs off on all ResEd decisions and only Dean Barbara Avery oversees his actions, which means there is no direct channel for students to weigh in on his decisions. In contrast, all professors receive bi-annual reviews from their students and professors seeking tenure face a much more thorough review. Both help to provide students with the highest quality academic experience. Deans in charge of student services should face reviews by students on a regular basis because they too play a significant role in determining the quality of the student experience at Occidental.

From alcohol policy to room draw procedure, ResEd has continued to implement unsuccessful policies and procedures that students downright loathe. ResEd’s failure to maintain an open discussion with students on a variety of issues has

resulted in unnecessary and onerous burdens being placed on students.

One example of a failed policy is the manner in which ResEd handles room draw and financial aid. Since room draw and the housing decision deadline occur before financial aid letters are sent to students and their families, students are often stuck living on campus even if it is not the most economically sound decision.

Following the announcement that financial aid packages would be reduced if students moved off campus, many students were left with no choice except to continue living in the dorms, despite the fact that off campus housing often costs less.

Unless the iPad has an application for fixing bad residential policies, this waste of resources is downright disrespectful.

The ResEd staff seems to be pretty close. They all eat lunch together and can be spotted walking around campus together, which

would normally reflect a positive and collaborative work environment.

However, in light of their highly unpopular and failed policies, this behavior indicates that the department has become insular and aloof.

Expanding oversight of the department with a thorough evaluation system would help to restore student faith in ResEd and provide a better on-campus residential experience.

This process will clearly take time to implement, but the sooner ResEd makes a commitment to openness, the better the residential experience will be. However, purchasing iPads will make no substantive changes to the quality of student life and is simply a waste of precious resources.

Sarah Spinuzzi is a senior philosophy major. She can be reached at spinuzzi@oxy.edu.

Obama’s Faithful Can’t Lose Hope in Change Let Obama get some satisfaction

Clark Scally President Obama had a rough summer as he faced public discontent and disillusionment with his administration from both sides of the political spectrum. He is caught between two halves of the country, the Right, that attacks him with viciously clever bumper sticker slogans, and the Left, that believes they have not seen enough of the “hope and change” that they voted for in 2008.

The President is in dire straits and struggling to find his stride, but now is not the time to give up on him. The prevailing attitude seems to be that hope and change can just be given up on if they do not come immediately. President Obama needs to be given more time to fix the damaged country he inherited.

It is up to the construction workers and college students that made history in 2008 to make history again.

Even the most ardent President Obama supporter will have trouble forgiving him for failing on several key issues. Most famously, the health care debacle tarnished the Obama administration’s image and gave the entire world the perception that the Democrats are weak and ineffectual when it comes to achieving their legislative goals.

The failed nature of the health care initiative is made clear by the fact that the average American thinks “Obamacare” either accomplished very little or should be repealed immediately.

President Obama also disappointed his constituents on Sept. 3 of this year when he issued an executive order to the Environmental Protection Agency, which scrapped plans for regulating smog and holding corporations accountable for their pollution. Environmentalists

across the nation were outraged because the President had previously championed the environment with legislation that increased funding and size of national parks and forests. This sudden change of heart with respect to emissions regulations shows that President Obama is now openly surrendering to the Republicans and big businesses on a key issue of his policy agenda.

The most stinging betrayal of all was on May 27, 2011, when President Obama signed a four year extension to the Patriot Act with an autopen (a digital version of President Obama’s signature). All of a sudden some of the most dehumanizing and tyrannical legislation in U.S. history was being passed in the most impersonal way possible.

The President did little to challenge the most controversial provisions of this legislation and it was ultimately another case of failing to deliver on campaign promises.

As a former law professor, Obama would have been uniquely suited to address the most troubling aspects of the bill, yet he failed to do so.

Despite this,00 now is not the time to lose hope. Early in his term President Obama passed legislation that significantly expanded Pell grants, which help low-income students pay for college.

The Center for College Affordability& Productivity said, “In 2000, 35 percent of students at twoyear institutions were receiving Pell Grant funding, but by 2009, this figure had almost doubled to 65.9 percent. Although not as extreme, similar trends can be seen at fouryear institutions.” With college education becoming more expensive, exclusive and competitive, many Occidental students have President Obama to thank for boosting federal student aid programs.

President Obama’s other suc-

cesses include the extension of benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees, the expansion of hate crime legislation that now includes sexual orientation, and cutting prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients by 50 percent.

These accomplishments indicate that the President is not a complete failure and that he is on the right track. He deserves a second chance from the people that elected him in 2008.

If the American people can unite to elect the first African-American president, they can believe in reelecting that same man with the hope that he will try harder and continue to fight for civil rights.

Now more than ever, President Obama needs the help of his supporters. The triumphant coalition that elected him on that auspicious day in November 2008 must reaffirm their belief in him. Republicans have offered few if any productive alternatives to “Obamunism,” which voters should remember.

For the Right, everything he does is an evil socialist plot, yet for the Left, everything he does has become increasingly disappointing to his core constituency of liberal Democrats.

Despite President Obama’s failure to deliver on all of his campaign promises, he has brought forth tangible changes to improve the lives of Americans. As with all politicians, he cannot please every single constituent and must make compromises.

His supporters should not abandon him if they do not agree with some of the concessions he has made.

Clark Scally is an undeclared first-year. He can be reached at scally@oxy.edu

THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY

September 21, 2011 -

5

Finding Happiness is in the Student Body’s Hands Alex Zeldin The Daily Beast ranked Occidental seventh overall, as opposed to last year, where Occidental ranked 12th. While publicity of this sort is certainly worthy of celebration, students and administrators should not hang their hats on this ranking, but rather use it as an opportunity to assess the quality of student life in order to seek the number one spot.

In the list of the top 40 happiest colleges, Occidental finished in the bottom six when it came to the freshman retention rate. Additionally, Occidental finished in the bottom seven among the top 30 happiest colleges when it came to the number of student clubs and organizations on campus.

One reason Occidental was ranked seventh overall is based on the category of total number of sunny days during the academic year.

While this is definitely a good reason why students should be happier at Occidental than other places, it is a factor that cannot be attributed to the policies of administrators.

In fact, because Occidental has the distinct advantage of perfect weather year-round, there is no reason why it cannot be closer to number one overall.

What can be attributed to Occidental’s policies is the fact that the school dropped from an A+ nightlife rating in 2010 to a B+ ranking in 2011. This was also the same year Occidental’s alcohol policies became much stricter and offcampus social gatherings began to come under more intense scrutiny.

That negative change easily revers-

ible as long as the college reevaluates its attitude toward student social events and alcohol consumption. Although this policy change is not solely responsible for the drop in nightlife rating, it is an example of a situation where the administration has had a role in changing students’ lifestyles.

The shortcomings Occidental may have, however, and its relatively low freshman retention rate cannot solely be blamed on the administration. Students must ask themselves why they are unhappy and make positive contributions to the community in order to improve the morale of the student body across the board.

Occidental finished in the bottom seven in terms of the number of student clubs and organizations on campus among the top 30 happiest schools. While Occidental is a small school and stands no chance of having more clubs than a school like Yale, it still scored relatively low, even among other small schools. In 2010, Occidental had 105 clubs/organizations.

By contrast, Haverford College in Pennsylvania, a school of only 1100 students, had 144 clubs/organizations. If students are unhappy at Occidental, banding together to create a more diverse offering of clubs could have a profound effect.

Many clubs at Occidental are based around social justice initiatives, rather than being centered on activities of pure leisure. Other schools feature cigar-smoking clubs, bowling clubs and miniature golf clubs. That is not to say there are too many clubs that promote social justice, but that complementing them with leisure clubs

may contribute to a greater sense of happiness among students.

To give Occidental credit where credit is due, the school improved in two categories from a year ago.

Campus Dining improved from a B+ to an A-, and the average graduate indebtedness fell from $20,381 to $17,561, although that can possibly be attributed to the school accepting fewer students who require

Dear Editor, We were very happy to see the two articles in last week’s edition in which Kara McVey and Sarah Spinuzzi reported and opined about the Academic Commons. Surprisingly for a small campus like Oxy, communicating about what is new and what services and programs are available for students and faculty is often less successful than desired. These two pieces will help spread the word.

As McVey explains, the Academic Commons combines an ongoing transformation of the physical facility (the library) with re-defined services and programs for students and faculty offered by the staff of the Information Resources division (Library, Scholarship Technology and Information Technology Services), and plans for additional academic support services to join the Center for Academic Excellence in the building. Creating the Academic Commons addresses President Veitch’s commitment to transform the library into “a dynamic intellectual commons in which the College’s primary commitments are made visible to all: bringing together advanced digital resources and the skills needed for using them effectively; supporting both the core curriculum and advanced undergraduate research; as well as innovative teaching, and the critical skills of writing and quantitative analysis.”

The word library evokes strong,

With a few minor improvements in attitude and increased student involvement, as well as more support from the administration, there is no reason Occidental cannot be the happiest school in America.

Alex Zeldin is a senior AHVA major. He can be reached at zeldin@oxy.edu

Mallory Ryan

LETTERS emotional connotations for many people. If the library is the focus of transformative change, reactions are often strong. When Spinuzzi writes, “… one might ask what was wrong with the library to begin with,” she echoes sentiments expressed by some who view change, particularly to things with iconic characteristics, as less attractive than the status quo. Others, however, might see such change as beneficial or while perhaps momentarily unsettling, necessary.

Historically, libraries have been at the forefront of significant change as they added new formats such as records, films, microfiche and digital resources. They were leaders in automation creating metadata about materials and replacing paper inventory systems with online catalogs. And while the move from locked monasteries to open stacks to the 24/5 operation at Oxy’s Academic Commons has happened over many, many years, all of those steps have transformed the relationship of patrons with the spaces, materials and services of the library.

We believe that the Academic Commons preserves the functions, stacks of books and even the smells of the classic library, while also bringing new types of study spaces, additional technology, access to varied materials, and more effective services and programs to the community. But perception is in the eye of the beholder, so we invite all of the Occidental community to attend the Academic Commons open house on September 29 from 11:30-2 and draw your own

need based financial aid.

Occidental College has a distinct advantage over other colleges when it comes to happiness. The weather is beautiful, the campus is aesthetically pleasing and the food is delicious relative to other schools. Students and the administration have the ability to make the changes necessary to catapault Occidental to the number one spot.

conclusions. We’ll even have flip charts throughout the building where you can record your comments and suggestions!

Thank you again for the coverage and for providing this opportunity to invite everyone to the Academic Commons Open House.

Robert Kieft, College Librarian

Malibu sauce in inventory. Over the past few years, the ‘Henry Special’ has captured hearts and stomachs alike and has become an underground Oxy tradition. Let’s not lose one of the few we have.

To my fellow fans of the ‘Henry Special,’ make your voices heard!

Keeping a stash of the sauce on hand is a small price to pay for maintaining an Oxy-tradition, however young it may be. Leave comments in the Cooler comment box and bring this sandwich back!

Marsha Schnirring, Associate Vice President, Scholarship Technology

Utsav Patwardhan Junior, Biochemistry

James Uhrich, Information Technology Services

Dear Editor,

Pam McQuesten, Vice President for Information Resources and CIO

Dear Editor, It saddened me upon my arrival last month to hear that the Cooler had done away with the glorious ‘Henry Special.’ I will fondly miss the deliciousness of a warm philly covered with bacon and mounds of cheese and then slathered with special sauce...a gastronomical delight but source of horror to the waistline. Not to mention what became my end to a relaxing evening session of yoga.

Anyone who walked into the Cooler probably noticed the signs explaining the demise of the wonderful sandwich. It was brutally cast aside, only to be replaced by burger toppings that pale in comparison due to the difficulty of keeping small amounts of

Sexual Violence Happens.

Any type of sexual violence is truly one of the most horrible crimes in our world today. Making the world a place where no type of sexual violence exists is a great goal. Starting at Occidental is a great place to begin this goal. None of that is being debated in the following statement.

The horrible fact is sexual violence happens everywhere. Yes. Everywhere. Asking questions like, “Why can’t Campus Safety drive a few feet off campus to protect people from being sexually assaulted?” is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. The people employed as Campus Safety officers are not angels and are not psychic. If there were a way for them to know every single attack that happened, they would try their

hardest to be there at that exact time to prevent that exact incident. Occidental is very lucky to be able to even employ the Campus Safety officers at all.

If Campus Safety (whose title implies CAMPUS) could protect every single one of our students everywhere, they would. Simply it is not humanly possible. If Campus Safety was allowed off campus, that leaves our campus more at risk for attacks. Students make the decision to leave campus knowing that. If that is a reasonable finger to point--then let’s all pay more for tuition to hire 200 Campus Safety officers to follow every student everywhere at any time no matter what they are doing.

Oh and make sure it is enough money for each of them to live on in today’s economy. Does anyone want to pay for that? Better question, can anyone pay for that?

I am a freshman and new to this campus. I was very saddened when I heard of the recent assault because it easily could have been me. However if I was employed as a Campus Safety officer it would hurt me even more because I “was supposed” to stop it, and I didn’t.

We have amazing organizations on campus trying to stop sexual violence. They cannot stop every single terrible occurrence. The only place that the blame can put squarely on is on the shoulders of those individuals (or in some cases groups) who commit these unspeakable crimes.

Laura Ann Zima First-year, Undeclared

6

THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY

- September 21, 2011

FEATURES

$10 Million, 70 Locations, 35 Years of Excavated Art History

Monumental collaboration ‘Pacific Standard Time’ highlights L.A. postwar art Haley Gray Two years ago, in his inaugural address to the student body, Occidental College President and native Angeleno Jonathan Veitch declared that “Los Angeles is a city of artistic ferment.” He pledged that the College would utilize that ferment by engaging the city’s “extraordinary writers, dancers, choreographers, painters, sculptors, composers, actors and directors.”

With the advent of “Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A., 1945-1980,” an unprecedented arts collaboration between Southern California’s major museums, realizing Veitch’s ambition to connect Occidental students to L.A. culture just got a little bit easier.

Over the course of its six-month run, Pacific Standard Time will invite art aficionados worldwide to reexamine an age of art during a time when the world was nursing its wounds from World War II, wrestling Communist revolutionaries in the jungles of Asia and dipping its toes in alternative lifestyles of all sorts. The project pays respect to urban denizens across the nation who were pushing for new ways to understand the rapidly changing world around them through art.

The Getty Research Institute has invested $10 million to bring about the showcase of the underrated postWWII art scene in L.A. It is a small price to pay to lay claim to the largest undertaking of its kind and to give an important but largely forgotten epoch of L.A.’s art history its rightful due.

As a whole, the all-encompassing, six-month exhibition at over 70 prominent locations in Southern California is the most comprehensive visual presentation of the era in the region’s history.

Initial sketches for the Pacific Standard Time masterpiece were drawn in 2002, when the Getty Research Institute surveyed influential L.A. artwork created between 1945 and 1980, offering grants to institutions willing to preserve pieces for the project and make them accessible to the public.

Since then, the project has expanded while taking shape, culminating now in what the New York Times calls--in a fitting nod to L.A.-a “sprawling” affair.

The project’s official launch date is Oct. 1, but as of mid-September, 10 exhibits are already open, with the rest to follow between now and spring 2012.

The implications of the show are culturally significant for both Los Angeles and its unrecognized artists.

Pacific Standard Time is affording a momentous recognition for long-forgotten works of art.

Asco, for example, a little-known Chicano artist collective from East Hollywood, is featured in a retrospective exhibit at Los Angeles County Museum of Art. While the group made landmark performance art in the 1970s, their cultural relevance has always outstripped their recognition, and the group spent their career marginalized by museums and collectors.

For Asco, Pacific Standard Time is righting a longstanding wrong.

By putting hundreds of L.A. artists like Asco into the spotlight for the first time, Pacific Standard Time

is also forcing a reevaluation of the city’s place in modern art history.

In an overview of the collection for the New York Times, Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Holland Cotter suggested that because of Pacific Standard Time, the story of modern American art may no longer be limited to just New York.

“For contemporary art in the 1950s and ’60s, there was New York and that was it,” Cotter wrote on Aug. 19. “So the old story goes. But it’s wrong. If there’s one thing that recent globally minded art history has taught us, it’s that after World War II, new art, and lots of it, was turning up in cities every­where. Los Angeles was one, and in the late ’50s, almost to its own surprise, it had a big art moment.”

It is not just professional critics who see Pacific Standard Time as a sweeping reexamination of Los Angeles’s role in the postwar art movement. Occidental art history major Lauren Cooley (senior) was born and raised in Manhattan. She went to high school across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art on New York’s Upper East Side. “It’s validating L.A.,” she said of the project.

“So often, the discourse on American art during this period focuses on the New York School and what was going on in New York City during the period. When there are discussions about Los Angeles, they mainly focus on the Ferus Gallery and iconic figures like Andy Warhol and Walter Hopps,” Cooley said.

But thanks to the project, new places and new figures will enter discourses about L.A. art. “PST is able to bring to the public a new story about art in postwar Los Angeles,” Cooley said.

With installations in locations as varied as banks in Pasadena, coffee shops in West Hollywood and museums on Wilshire Blvd., it is a story that is hard to miss.

“It’s not just the big museums that are a part of this. It’s all of Southern California, which is really important because L.A. is really fragmented.

It has all of these microcosms of society, different cities within cities within L.A. and different demographics,” Cooley said. “It’s awesome to have something that’s so widespread where people can collaborate.”

As associate art history professor Amy Lyford put it, “Pacific Standard Time is creating the history of art in Los Angeles as we speak.”

To take full advantage of this hardto-pass-up opportunity, Professor Lyford is teaching a four-unit seminar this semester centered around Pacific Standard Time. The aptly-named course, “Art in Los Angeles: 19451980,” has attracted 15 students who will delve into the postwar period through readings, discussions, guest lecturers and field trips.

Lyford is thrilled about the class and the relevance of Pacific Standard Time to current art history students in Los Angeles like hers.

With an ear-to-ear grin, she effused about the project, especially the opportunity provided for her and her class to “focus on something that’s so vivid and present in a way that’s really alive and there.”

The workload of the class is substantial--one student likened it to a

Ruby Miller-Paiva Two museumgoers view a multimedia installation from Chicano artist collective Asco at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

pre-comps course--but the perks are plentiful: unique learning opportunities, a dynamic classroom setting and a passionate, attentive professor.

“She’s the kind of professor that really engages with her students and takes note of what they say,” art history major Hillary Holmes (junior), who has taken several of Lyford’s classes, said of the professor. “She really wants them to learn. Her classes are very discussion-based. She wants you to engage with the material.”

And engage they will. Lyford is known for encouraging independent ventures into the local museum scene.

Holmes reports that the professor begins class by listing current exhibits for students to check out. She provides public transportation directions for students without cars.

But even students without cars in Lyford’s class will get to see the exhibits up close. The course’s syllabus plans for no fewer than eight field trips by the end of the semester, and students are encouraged to make even more on their own.

For the class’s first field trip on Sept. 11, members trekked to the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach to view the exhibit “Mex/L.A.: Mexican Modernism(s) in Los Angeles, 1930-1985.”

Back on campus, the class will experience Pacific Standard Time through frequent guest lecturers. Holly Myers, an accomplished freelance writer and Los Angeles Times art critic, for example, will give a lecture on her own profession.

Later in the semester, students will have the chance to meet featured artists and visit their studios. By any measure, the extensive field experience students are getting in the art world in Los Angeles is incalculably beneficial.

Eventually, students will pick a specific topic that interests them to explore throughout the semester. The culmination of the seminar will be a 15-page research paper on their chosen topic.

Throughout the class, not only do students get to observe the history of

art in Los Angeles through a liberal arts lens, but they also get to develop an intimate understanding of the city around them.

“I’m a big advocate of using Los Angeles, what we have here. That’s what drew me to this school,” Holmes said.

She praised the course’s applicability for students with future work aspirations involving art. “I think there are going to be a lot of things in the future that are going to help people who do want to work in museums or do art history research,” Holmes said.

Cooley, also enrolled in the course, is excited about the opportunities it provides to witness the process of archiving, critiquing and curating art.

“A subject like art history really does require hands-on experience,” Cooley said. “A large part of the reason why I came even to Oxy in the first place is because I wanted to study art history, and I wanted to study it in a place where I could en-

September 21, 2011 -

THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY gage with the community and engage with it through my studies. I’ve definitely gotten to do that here.”

Cooley also recognizes the unique opportunity the class gives students to make valuable connections in the art world.

“Going out and being introduced to these types of people in the industry is really important. You can always ask one of them for a business card,” Cooley said.

“Art in Los Angeles” is not Professor Lyford’s first class to use the surrounding city as a vast canvas.

Last year, students participated in a walking tour of Pasadena as part of her class on Los Angeles architecture.

For next semester, Lyford is preparing a two-unit class that will be taught by the curator of “Under The Big Black Sun,” a Pacific Standard Time exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art. It is just one small part of a push to encourage collaboration between L.A. art museum bigwigs and Occidental.

“We want to move forward in this direction with either courses taught

by Oxy faculty or by visiting curators and critics to help students engage with the city,” Lyford said.

The bridge that Lyford is building between Los Angeles and Occidental is something President Veitch has sought from the beginning of his time at the college.

In his inaugural address, Veitch stated, “Occidental does not exist in ‘splendid isolation’ like so many of its sister institutions. Rather, it is located in a city that is fashioning the future.”

To capitalize on this location, Veitch argued that as a college, “We have a responsibility to engage the city.”

But long before President Veitch, Occidental was considering its relationship with the surrounding metropolis.

Associated Dean for Curriculum and Student Issues John Swift recalls a time when Occidental actually thought of itself as a pastoral school, unrelated to the city next door.

“When I first came to Oxy 30 years ago, we tended to act as though the city wasn’t here,” he said. “We don’t do that any more.”

Swift said a paradigm shift began in the late 1980s, when the school hired faculty with expertise in their fields and in the study of Los Angeles.

In that era, Occidental was far from alone in trying to bridge the town-gown divide. Colleges nationwide pursued ways to include their urban neighbors in their mission.

“Higher education in general began to understand itself as having a clearer social mission and social purpose,” he said. “Cities are an advantageous place to be to think about the complexity of human experience,” he said.

With that view, Occidental started to develop coursework that incorporated the academic study of Los Angeles.

In 2001, the opening of the Center for Community-Based Learning marked a new high point in the relationship between the college and the city.

And this year, the brand-new California Immigration Semester, offered to first-years as part of the Core program, gives 36 students and three faculty the chance to examine the timely topic of immigration in L.A. through trips to nearby museums, historic immigrant communities and schools.

All around, professors are now increasingly urged to put their courses in an Angeleno context.

To help them do this, Dean Swift administers a fund aimed at supporting professors who wish to get students into the city for academic purposes.

“It’s something faculty have been doing formally and informally for quite a long time now, and it’s something that the college increasingly encourages,” he said.

Even with so many courses centered around the city, some students still feel that Occidental could do a better job incorporating L.A. into campus life.

“Oxy does O.K. with it,” Cooley said. “As you mature with your experience here and as an upperclassman, you get opportunities to take classes like this, but they could definitely do better. I think that there should be a mandatory kind of class for underclassmen to take on L.A. Or something about L.A. should be a core requirement. There’s no point in living here if you’re just going be in Eagle Rock and Oxy.” Holmes agreed that the Occidental community should put more into exploring Los Angeles, and she has taken it upon herself to help students stuck in the bubble do so. To highlight under-the-radar and affordable spots worth checking out in the city, Holmes is hosting a CatAlist segment called “At Home She’s a Tourist,” which premieres next Monday.

“The show will have a lot of variety. Coming from Tennessee, I feel like L.A. is my adopted city, and by spending the summer here I have discovered places I’d love to share with peers,” she said. She hopes that through the show, viewers will get to add their own piece of L.A. to the puzzle.

But despite helpful projects like Holmes’s, it can still be enormously difficult to get outside of Eagle Rock, let alone embark on a trip to a local museum. It is a predicament that is painfully apparent when opportunities to get to know L.A., such as Pacific Standard Time, come up.

One bright spot is that Dean Swift and Assistant Dean of Students for Residential Education and Housing Services Tim Chang have recently come together to make it a little easier for students to get off-campus.

The two discovered they had spare change in their budgets and wanted to use it in a way that would help Occidental students get out of Eagle Rock for cultural enrichment.

The solution they reached seems obvious now: free Metro day-passes.

The program is only two weeks old and still being finalized, but the plan so far is for professors to request passes for academic purposes and for

students to e-mail Dean Chang to request them for recreational purposes.

Pacific Standard Time encourages viewers to take advantage of the unique, diverse culture that Los Angeles has to offer. As they do, students may be reminded that for their four years here, they are not just Occidental Tigers but Angelenos too.

Classes like “Art in Los Angeles” and programs like the Metro day-pass system are helpful tools available to

explore Los Angeles as Angelenos.

In the process of exploring, students may find that they disagree with Woody Allen, who famously quipped that he would never live in Los Angeles, where “the only cultural advantage is that you can turn right on a red light.”

Check out the A&E section throughout the semester for profiles on Pacific Standard Time exhibits.

7

Upcoming

Exhibits LACMA 5905 Wilshire Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90036 Student admission: $10; free admission on the second Tuesday of every month --Asco: Elite of the Obscure, A Retrospective, 1972-1987 (through Dec. 4) --Maria Nordan Filmroom: Smoke, 1967-Present (through Dec. 4) --Edward Keinholz, Five Car Stud 1969-1972, Revisited (through Dec. 4) --Mural Remix: Sandra de la Loza (Oct. 15 - Jan. 22) Norton Simon Museum 411 W. Colorado Blvd.

Pasadena, CA 91105 Student admission: free --Proof: The Rise of Printmaking in Southern California (Oct. 1- April 2) --The Original Print: An Introduction to Printmaking in the Postwar Period (Oct. 1 - April 2) Ben Maltz Gallery of Otis College of Art and Design 9045 Lincoln Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90045 Student admission: free --Doin’ It in Public: Feminism and Art at the Woman’s Building (Oct. 1 - Jan. 28) ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives 909 W. Adams Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90007 Student admission: free (suggested $5 donation) --Cruising the Archive: Queer Art and Culture in Los Angeles, 1945-1980: Rare Looks (Oct. 1 - May 31) Fowler Museum at UCLA 405 Hilgard Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90095 Mapping Another L.A.: The Chicano Art Movement (Oct. 16-Feb. 26)

Ruby Miller-Paiva As performance art, Asco donned outrageous outfits like this one on display at LACMA.

Ruby Miller-Paiva “Take your friends, take advantage,” Lyford said. “Pacific Standard Time is an amazing opportunity for the people of Los Angeles to learn about the history of art in their city.”

8

THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY

- September 21, 2011

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Dance Team Aims For More On-Campus Exposure

Group looks to new coach, new members to build on last year’s success

Chris Ellis The recently nationally ranked Occidental Dance Team debuted their new routines at the Involvement Fair on Sept. 8. The team will be performing locally more often to build a strong fan base.

from

Front Page

new members in addition to new coach Rosenthal to create the largest dance team at Occidental in recent history with a roster now boasting 14.

After maintaining most of last year’s team, the girls looked to the first-year class to expand. What they found were four first-years, Morgan Carnes, Anna Haflich, Eleni Duret and Maya Herzig, all of whom bring in new sets of skills to the squad.

“Our new dance team members bring a range of talents to the team, and everyone is extremely cohesive,” returning member Courtney Smurdon (senior) said about the new additions. “Even after the first

week of practice, it felt like we had already been dancing together for a long time. Everyone brings their own strengths, and we really balance each other out.”

The team enters the new year with the bar set high, given their solid performances last season. They made a stellar appearance at last year’s Nationals in Orlando, Florida, where they ranked 16th in the nation for Hip Hop and 18th for Jazz.

“We decided we are going to try some new competitions on the West Coast to decrease costs as well as foster a fan base that can come support us when we perform,” said Chelsea Duncan (senior) about this year’s competitions.

In November, the team will head to the Southern California Championship in San Diego before moving

on to Universal City’s West Coast Dance Championships in March.

In addition to their statewide competitions, the dance team will be performing on campus at various campus-wide events including football games, basketball games and events like last week’s Involvement Fair. Performances like these are part of the team’s goal to not only gain more exposure but also make the dance team an integral to part of the student community.

“We hope to get fans excited and active in sporting events and activities but also have a positive presence on campus,” Smurdon said. “We want to represent Occidental and share what we love to do, dance, with our peers.”

As a fresh face to the dance team, Rosenthal adds to the team’s

goal of expansion and increased exposure. She brings to the team not only a passion for coaching and for dance, but also a wide range of experience from her work with Hip Hop International and Debbie Reynold’s Dance Studio. She hopes to become an integral part of the team’s success as well.

At the recent dance team carwash at Rantz Auto this past Sunday, Rosenthal scrubbed alongside the rest of the girls, showing that she does not view her role as simply an advisor. “Dana Rosenthal is not only an incredibly inspiring dancer but also a driven choreographer and coach,” Duncan said. “She pushes each of us to constantly try our best, making each of us the best dancer we can be.”

Duncan, unsurprisingly, was not

the only one singing Rosenthal’s praises. “I am also very optimistic that with a coach, we can focus a lot more on performance, school spirit and competitions, which should be our priority rather than the nitty-gritty details . . . which have plagued us in the past,” Dayna Chikamoto (senior) said. “Really, at the end of the day, it comes down to the fact that we love dancing, Oxy and each other, and that’s what makes us the team that we are.”

With a lot of promising additions this season, dance team hopes to have another remarkable year.

With a new selection of competitions closer to campus, the group can cultivate a growing fan base around campus and cement the dance team into Occidental’s growing artistic repertoire.

Blue Hen Serves Up Organic, Vietnamese, Farm-Fresh Cuisine Kate Bustamante The Zagat-rated Blue Hen Vietnamese Kitchen, located midway up Colorado, offers delicious Vietnamese cuisine made with ingredients that come from organic or local farmers and suppliers.

Established in 2004, Blue Hen makes their food entirely from scratch, uses no MSG and only buys from farms with environmentally sustainable farming principles. The owners’ slogan, “Eat. Drink. Organic.,” encapsulates their entrepreneurial ethos and results in fresh, flavorful and filling meals.

The Hen’s owner, Que Dang, says her restaurant is organic because of the values she derived from cooking for her two children. “When I thought about opening a restaurant, I thought, ‘Why should I serve different food than I serve at home?’” she said. “It was an obvious connection.”

Blue Hen is not just getting by on its principles alone, however. It makes

great food too. The fresh spring rolls, which includes tempura shrimp instead of the organic chicken or tofu like in the appetizer, is an ideal first course to share. The side of homemade Vietnamese dipping sauce only enhanced the rolls’ light, and flavorful filling. The shrimp gave the rolls an added crunch while the fried seafood flavor complemented the crisp vegetables inside.

The fresh, made-from-scratch ingredients make Blue Hen’s traditional Vietnamese noodle soup, Phở, especially memorable. A staple in many Vietnamese restaurants and similar in taste to most Phở, it is made with a light, chicken or beef, onion-infused broth and Vietnamese rice noodles.

The homemade hoisin and the sriracha sauces are great additions that make the soup really pop. Be warned, the Sriracha is very spicy. A moderate dosage of both, however, will send you to Phở heaven.

The turmeric French fries, a mixture of russets and Japanese sweet potatoes,

are a delicious side as well. Perfectly crispy and topped with turmeric salts, they are cooked to a golden brown and served with a traditional fish sauce.

The ambiance of the dining room only adds to the gormandizing experience. Blue Hen’s design is eye-catching, and contemporary, making the restaurant feel more spacious. Sticking to its namesake, the walls are painted blue, and the tables and chairs are modern.

Asian accents, such as the glass light fixtures resembling traditional paper lanterns, top off the design. The simple presentation of the entrees on plain white dishes contrasts well with the vivid brightness of the blue walls. It is also very college-student friendly, since none of the dishes are priced over $10.

For Dang, her restaurant is where people from the community can mingle.

“It’s very small, [with a] neighborhoodfeel,” she said. “I would like it to be reasonably priced . . . and just a place you can take your date, your parents or just hang out with your friends.”

Courtesy of Flickr Commons

Blue Hen’s signature Phở is complemented by homemade hoisin and sriracha.

Dang maintains a commitment to personal customer connections as well.

She waits on customers herself, and is exceptionally friendly and attentive while doing so. The pleasant atmosphere filled with music ranging from Norah Jones to Led Zeppelin makes the wait seem short, if there is one.

Located at 1743 Colorado Blvd., Blue Hen distinguishes itself from the usual fare as a community-based, family-friendly ethnic alternative with inexpensive, organic and incredibly tasty Vietnamese food. “It’s a place I would go out, if I would go out to eat,” Dang said.

THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY

September 21, 2011 -

9

CaCao Mexicatessen Declared Oxy’s Favorite Taqueria Señor Fish is beat out by six votes for the title of Occidental’s preferred taco

Rachel Silver At the Taco Taste-Off on Sept.

13, three taquerias, all within a five-minute drive from campus, submitted their tacos for the students of Occidental to taste, vote on and ultimately choose a winning taco. This time around, CaCao Mexicatessen took the crown, 3630 over Señor Fish. Both, however, smashed Taco Spot, which received a sorry seven votes.

The Tiger Cooler was filled as an estimated 120 students wrapped around the interior of Samuelson Pavilion’s main room for free tacos and first-year senate debates.

Choosing between a vegetarian or carne asada option, the students received one taco from each taqueria.

A dry-erase board at the end of the tables collected tallied votes from greasy-fingered students.

CaCao’s inimitable cheesy flavor gave their tacos the edge they needed to secure victory. “I would say the thing that stood out to me about [CaCao’s] tacos was the unique cheese. It seemed a little saltier but was really good, and the meat had a nice barbecue flavor,” said Mikayla Branz (first-year).

Their soft, almost-buttery tortillas contrasted with Señor Fish’s thick tortillas and tangy flavored tacos. Both stayed moist, though, unlike the dryness of Taco Spot’s.

Austin Nelson (junior) was one of the few Taco Spot supporters. He did not hesitate when asked what made the third-place tacos stand out to him. “Guacamole!” he said.

While one election was held,

Chris Ellis Local taquerias CaCao Mexicatessen, Señor Fish and Taco Spot, served up their taco specialties for the first Occidental Taste Off of the school year in the Cooler on Sept. 13.

another approached. First-year candidates for the ASOC senate debated at the Cooler during the Taco Taste-Off. First-years Martha Abbott and Ben Poor organized this pre-election debate, which is not a regular Occidental event.

They e-mailed the candidates, put up posters and wrote debate questions. “We actually came up with the idea [for the debate] this morning. And as we were talking to

people, they were like, ‘Oh, well, [we’re] already doing free tacos,’” Abbott said.

The purpose of these events always goes beyond free food, though. “We show what’s around Eagle Rock, to get students to step outside the Oxy bubble so that Eagle Rock is happy to have our college here, and so that the students are happy to be in Eagle Rock,” Rachel Lapidus (sophomore) said.

Previous taste-offs have been held for donuts and Thai food, and Lapidus chose another ubiquitously popular food for the first taste-off of the school year.

Although some items in the past have been donated to the taste-off, all three restaurants sold their food to OSL at a discounted rate. The discount came with the assumption that the Taco Taste-Off will increase business for the top restau-

rants, in this case, CaCao and Señor Fish. While each taqueria found its share of supporters, only the winner will receive a plaque made by Lapidus. Affirming its status as Occidental’s favorite spot for tacos, CaCao took home the personalized plaque. With such an impressive turnout for the first taste-off of the year, one can only expect bigger and better things for future tasteoffs.

AGC Installation Honors Longtime Exemplary Service experienced a 222 percent increase in applications and a significant increase in the quality and diversity of admitted students. The bronze plaque commemorating Tingley resides in the center of the display and bears his name and contribution to the school.

Paule served as executive secretary to then-President Arthur G. Coons and his successor Richard Gillman for 36 years. Today, she works as the volunteer archivist for the College, a job that she has held since 1996.

“One of the most common sayings on campus is, ‘Ask Jean. She’ll know,’” Veitch said.

Her bronze plaque resides on the

far right corner of the display. Paule’s plaque is in the shape of an open book. On the left page is her name and a quill, and on the right page is a list of her services to the school. According to President Veitch in Tranquada’s press release, “[Paule] is truly an Occidental institution, whose record of service is unmatched, and whose work ethic, integrity and professional skills continue to benefit the College today.”

The frieze was designed in a modernist style to reflect the modern architecture of the Administrative Center.

It was forged, laid out and assembled last May after the academic year concluded.

Jai Levin Plaques for Tingley & Paule, the inaugural recipients of the award, were installed next to the AGC last May (pictured above).

Hillary Alexander On June 6, Bill Tingley, who retired last January from his position of 12 years as Vice President of Admission and Financial Aid, and archivist for the College Jean Paule, who has held numerous administrative positions since 1950, became the first recipients of the newly created Presidential Medal for Distinguished Service to the College. In order to

commemorate this honor, President Veitch commissioned Highland Park blacksmith Heather McLarty to create the modern 10 foot by 25 foot copper frieze currently outside of the Arthur G. Coons Administrative Center.

The award, created by President Veitch, recognizes administrators who have had a major impact on or have given extraordinary service to the College. “Jean Paule has taken care of our past, and Bill Tingley has taken care of our future,” President Veitch said.

Tingley’s colleagues reiterate his influential role in the Admissions and Financial Aid offices. “[Tingley] planted seeds with every class that was admitted,” Occidental Director of Communications Jim Tranquada said, “[seeds] that have grown since freshman year.”

Tranquada quoted President Veitch in a press release concerning the award for the Occidental website. President Veitch stated that under Tingley’s leadership, the school

Jai Levin Paule’s plaque (pictured) commemorates her 60 years of service at the College.

THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY

10 - September 21, 2011

SPORTS

Chapman Enters SCIAC Ready to Compete

Panthers admitted as ninth member of Occidental’s division on July 1

Riley Kimball On July 1, Chapman University was officially accepted as the ninth and newest member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) after SCIAC officials voted unanimously to add the Panthers to the conference. Previously unaffiliated with any athletic conference, the Panthers competed with various Division III schools but had no consistent schedule.

Their new standing in SCIAC will allow them to develop an official ranking and offers the other SCIAC teams a new opponent to deepen rivalries.

Occidental Athletic Director Jaime Hoffman explained the background of the decision to admit Chapman to the SCIAC, stressing

the scrutiny that a school goes under in order to join an athletic conference.

“We, as a conference, take pride in being mindful of academic demands while providing a quality and competitive scholar-athlete experience,” Hoffman said.

The SCIAC committee considered everything from Chapman’s sports sponsorships to financial aid to athletic facilities, and they were able to make an informed decision accordingly.

Under the terms of their acceptance, Chapman’s athletic teams will be ineligible for championships for two to three years.

Additionally, the Panthers will be required to add a number of sports they currently do not offer. Women’s lacrosse and men’s swimming and diving currently ex-

ist as club sports at Chapman and will join men’s track and field and women’s golf as full Panther varsity teams by the 2015-2016 academic year.

The first new SCIAC entry in 20 years, Chapman has already started the fall season and has had a number of encounters with Occidental athletics.

Chapman has so far fared well in its competitions with Occidental.

While Occidental volleyball beat Chapman, both women’s and men’s soccer fell to the Panthers. Nevertheless, women’s soccer coach Colm McFeely feels that Chapman’s contribution to SCIAC is positive.

“Last year we played them and beat them, and this year they beat us. The presidents and athletic representatives of SCIAC have given

this thing a really solid look, so I don’t think we’ll have any problems with upsets in balance of competition,” McFeely said.

Many Occidental athletes are also excited about playing Chapman on a more frequent and official basis.

Women’s cross country captain Anna Dalton (senior) thinks that welcoming Chapman into the SCIAC will make for enhanced competition.

“We’ve been competing against Chapman in invites as long as I’ve been a runner here,” Dalton said.

“So adding them to SCIAC competition won’t be such a big change but will add greater depth to the SCIAC field.”

Chapman will look to immediately contribute to the SCIAC and have success against key compo-

nents, namely Occidental, who has rivaled Chapman in recent years.

Tiger athletic teams will next face Chapman in women’s volleyball on Sept. 24 and men’s water polo on Sept. 25. All of Occidental’s athletic teams look forward to facing Chapman in the new context that will slate the Panthers as a true SCIAC opponent.

Menlo Oaks Overpower Tigers at First Home Game of the Semester From Front Page down with 7:38 minutes left in the third quarter off of a 10 yard pass from quarterback Matt Pelasasa (junior) to Adan, extending the lead to 27-10. Pelasasa passed for 155 yards and rushed for one touchdown in the game.

Menlo scored two touchdowns in their explosive fourth quarter.

Pelasasa rushed for a 22-yard run with 8:02 minutes left in the game

to push the Oaks’ lead to 34-10.

Running back Jake Fohn (firstyear) scored off a four yard run with 4:52 minutes left in the game, which gave Menlo a commanding 41-10 lead.

The Tigers had the final say as Collis, who capped his night with 235 yards and two touchdowns, and Rodriguez hooked up for a 14-yard touchdown. It was to no avail, however, as the Tigers fell to the Oaks by a final count of 41-17.

Occidental wide receiver Matt

Tuckness (junior) stressed the team’s mentality to consistently improve in league play. “As a team we are always looking to improve every day,” Tuckness said.

“We have to continually get better throughout the year if we want to achieve our goal of winning SCIAC.” Collis echoes Tuckness’ comments and, as a captain of the team, Collis embraces his leadership role.

“Our goal is to win the SCIAC. The way that I can help is to be a leader

Evan Carter

Tiger defenders failed to contain Menlo College as running back Jake Fohn (first-year), who scored in the second quarter.

and mentor to the younger guys.

They need to be brought along to realize what is at stake for the program and for the seniors,” he said.

Coach Widolff accentuated the need for team unity and illustrated his expectations for the more talented players. “We like to call [the seniors] servant leaders because it’s not a privilege, but a responsibility, to mentor our younger players on and off the field,” Widolff said.

He went on to say that the Tigers are working to overcome their

lack of depth and experience this season. “One of our challenges for this year is depth,” Widolff said.

“Our squad size is much smaller, so we need our young guys to improve at a rapid rate.”

Despite the loss to Menlo, the team continues to work hard, motivated by last season’s 4-5 record and failure to make the playoffs.

The Tigers will look to avenge the loss to Menlo in their next game at Whittier College on Oct. 1 at 7:00 p.m.

THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY

September 21, 2011 - 11

Occidental Students React to Farmers Field Proposal

Anschutz Entertainment Group pushes to break ground by summer 2012

Mirin Fader Farmers Field, Anschutz Entertainment Group’s (AEG) newly proposed $1.3 billion stadium at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, has generated a diversity of responses among sports fans around the nation.

The idea that one of the current National Football League (NFL) franchises might call Farmers Field home by 2015 has come as even more of a shock.

On Sept. 9, the California Assembly passed Senate Bill (SB) 292, a bill proposed to both make Farmers Field an environmentally friendly stadium and also to protect future employees of the stadium from frivolous lawsuits, by a 59-13 vote. This bill is poised to help supporters of Farmers Field move forward in their quest to break ground by the summer of 2012.

Many Occidental student-athletes stay informed on the Farmers Field discussion and have plenty of their own opinions about the prospect of a new Los Angeles team.

The preliminary topic of the debate is which NFL team would relocate to Los Angeles. Currently, the San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams and the Minnesota Vikings are the five teams that have been named as possible candidates.

Matt Tuckness (junior), a member of Occidental’s football team, believes both the Raiders and the Chargers could potentially succeed

in Los Angeles because of their ability to draw a broad fan base.

“I think the Raiders would be the best fit because they already have a fan base from their previous years that would ease the transition back to L.A.,” Tuckness said.

“I also think the Chargers would be a good fit because they are a good, exciting team that could easily attract a lot of fans,” he said.

The Chargers, Raiders and Rams all share a history in Los Angeles. The Rams had the longest tenure out of the three, playing in Los Angeles from 1946-1994. The Chargers were originally established in Los Angeles in 1960, but relocated to San Diego in 1961.

The Oakland Raiders moved to Los Angeles in 1982 but returned to Oakland in 1994, largely as a result of poor attendance.

Attendance plays a crucial role of debate in the Farmers Field conversation. Los Angeles already hosts two major collegiate athletic programs in the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), as well as professional teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Los Angeles Kings. Because of this, many fans are skeptical of the need or space for an NFL team, claiming that said team might struggle to garner fan support in the competitive southern California sports market.

Luke Collis (senior), a captain of Occidental’s football team, af-

firms that the proposed NFL team will struggle with attendance, losing potential fans to collegiate football games.

“With UCLA and USC football already established it is difficult to find the football fans to fill the NFL stadium,” Collis said, “Take into account that most people in L.A. already have hometown loyalties somewhere else and the fan base for a new team declines dramatically.”

Drew Dockweiler (sophomore), a member of the men’s basketball team, asserts that the abundance of professional sports teams in Los Angeles undermines the necessity for a professional football team.

“I don’t want to see an NFL team in L.A. because it would just be too much. The Clippers and the Lakers are the main teams. It would be a waste to build a new stadium because a football team just isn’t something we need,” Dockweiler said.

Other Occidental athletes feel differently—that perhaps an NFL team in L.A. could co-exist alongside the existing professional and collegiate sports teams.

These individuals bring up the interesting notion that the Los Angeles is so large that it could never be over-saturated with sports coverage and that different sports will undoubtedly draw their own unique crowds.

Deshun McCoy (junior), a member of the men’s basketball team, believes an NFL team in Los Angeles would serve as an addition

to the already thriving sports city.

“An NFL team would be a great addition to Socal,” he said, “It would liven up Los Angeles even more.”

Madyson Cassidy (sophomore), a member of the women’s volleyball team, also suggests that an NFL team would contribute to the vibrant sports culture of L.A. by attracting many fans.

“I think a pro football team would fit in great and would only expand the amount of fans around and give us another thing to watch and root for,” Cassidy said.

Pedro Aldape (junior), member of Occidental’s baseball team, asserts that an NFL team would easily fit in Los Angeles, a mecca of sports and entertainment.

“Football in L.A. would flourish because L.A. is the center of entertainment,” Aldape said, “People would definitely go to football games for the simple fact that there is a huge football fan base in L.A.” Because a team’s livelihood, revenue and attendance are subject to change based on a team’s record, many fans are ambivalent about the arrival of a team in L.A. While an NFL team may integrate well in Los Angeles, it may struggle with winning games, another concern raised by sports fans.

Sam Stapleton (junior), member of the men’s basketball team, stresses the importance of bringing a competitive team to Los Angeles in drawing fans. “Attendance will come down to how competitive the team is. If the team is competitive I can’t see why people wouldn’t go

to the games,” Stapleton said.

McCoy is from Los Angeles and is one such person who suggests winning should be a long-term expectation for the new team rather than a short-term goal.

“Winning is a part of every franchise. That’s just the expectation,” he said. “But it takes time. You can’t win overnight.”

Regardless of the new team’s record, however, Los Angeles fans are excited about the possibility of a new franchise moving to the area.

“I grew up loving the San Francisco 49ers,” he said. “Then I got older and asked myself, how can I represent a team 3,000 miles away?

I’m an L.A. native. That’s where I’m from. L.A. is where I’d like to be able to represent a team.”

While the rumor mills continue to swirl with much debate over Farmers Field, it is difficult to not get excited about the possibility of having an NFL team so close to Occidental for the first time in almost two decades.

It will be interesting to follow the developments from L.A. Live to see if Farmers Field will actually come to fruition in the near future.

With the 2011 NFL season underway, many sports fans at Occidental and beyond are anticipating which franchise will turn into the most sensible candidate to move the west coast.

As for the stadium itself, individuals from AEG continue to iron out the intricate details and move ever closer to the construction of Farmers Field.

Donated Alumni Gym Video Games Draw Skepticism

Jai Leven Two students compete head-to-head on the RXBoards in the Alumni Gym.

Jake Steele Along the entrance wall of the Alumni gym are two Trixter bikes, two XRBoards, a bioDensity machine, and a Power Plate. The addition of this newfangled equipment raised a concern among students, especially athletes, that the athletic department would spend money on these machines instead of giving more funds to the sports teams.

However, it turns out that these machines were donated by Lee Hilman, father of baseball player Matt

Hilman (sophomore) and CEO of Performance Health Systems. Hilman believes that the new machines will improve performance, maintain health and prevent injuries.

These donations were accepted by the Athletic Department to help students, faculty and other gym users to have a well rounded workout.

No money was taken away from the athletic budget to obtain the new equipment.

Many students enjoy the benefits of the new additions to the Alumni Gym. Drew Dockweiler (sophomore) likes the Trixter bikes, which combine exercise and video games.

“As a gamer and an athlete, being able to play video games while I work out brings together two things that I love,” he said. “Playing the game makes you forget that you are working out.”

The RXBoards are skateboardtype boards stuck to the machine that are allowed to swivel and pop, simulating the movements of snowboarding. This game does not improve strength or cardiovascular abilities. Instead, the game focuses on coordination, a necessary skill for athletes to maintain and improve. It provides a small break from intense exercise while inside the gym.

Clayton Hume (junior) questions the effectiveness of the RXBoards.

“I snowboard and the game is very fun,” he said. “But compared to real snowboarding or any of the other machines at the gym, you just don’t do work.”

Another donation is the bioDensity machine, which shows users their maximum output after they push on the machine with all their

might. Before the addition of the bioDensity machine, a gym-goer would have to keep adding more and more free weights to find out their One Rep Max. With this machine, people can now easily track their weight training over a period of time. It also allows people to measure their maximum strength without the risk of straining or pulling muscles.

“Before I did not know exactly how much force I have, but now it’s easy to tell,” says Leo Haroon (junior).

The final donation is a small pedestal called The Power Plate, a piece of equipment that vibrates 25 to 50 times per second depending on the setting. The manufacturers claim that 10 minutes of exercises such as squats or push-ups on the plate is

equivalent to 60 minutes of exercise without it.

The new, donated equipment in the Alumni Gym creates a variety of different workout experiences for gym users. The devices will continue to provide many Occidental students and faculty members with unique alternatives to traditional physical activities and athletic conditioning programs.

Jai Leven The new donated video game equipment in Alumni Gym provides students with unique and safe workout opportunities.

THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY

September 21, 2011 - 12

SPORTS IN BRIEF

Oliver Field

Courtesy of Occidental Athletics Kellee Murayama (senior) leaps up for a header against Chapman on Sept. 17.

Women’s Soccer (0-4 overall, 0-1 SCIAC) The women’s soccer team is still searching for their first win after falling short in their most recent games against Chapman University on Sept. 14 and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) on Sept. 17. Despite a Tiger comeback in which Elissa Minamishin’s (sophomore) had two second-half goals, Chapman was able to hold on for a 3-2 victory. In addition to Minamishin’s success, Alexandra Nicholson (junior) got involved in the attack by hitting four

Football (1-1 overall, 0-0 SCIAC)

Volleyball (7-2 overall, 0-0 SCIAC)

Men’s Soccer (1-3 overall, 1-1 SCIAC)

On Sept. 17, the Menlo Oaks stunned Occidental who came out of the game on the wrong side of a highscoring affair, losing 41-17. Despite being able to march the ball down the field, amassing 21 first downs, four turnovers proved to be the difference and ultimately led to their demise. Occidental quarterback Luke Collis (senior) had a solid passing game, throwing over 235 yards, and wide receiver Ryan Rodriguez (junior) stood out with 11 receptions and a touchdown. It was Occidental’s defense that had trouble stopping the Menlo College ground game.

Menlo’s Thomas Reynolds ran for 137 yards on 18 carries, and his team outran the Tigers 203 yards to Occidental’s 48.

The Tigers now have a break and are looking to open SCIAC play with a win at Whittier on Oct. 1.

The Tigers stormed into Texas at the Trinity National Invitational eager to boost their win column and did just that as they knocked off some top-ranked opponents. On Friday, the girls beat the hosts and number 23 ranked Trinity University before sweeping Texas Lutheran 3-0 the very same day. Logan Boyer-Hase (junior) led the team in kills with 28 on that day, 16 against Trinity and 12 against Texas Lutheran.

Meanwhile Jesse Altman (sophomore) registered 36 assists. The team took on two more games Saturday, beating 10th ranked Southwestern, then narrowly losing to seventh ranked St. Thomas from Minnesota. They continue their SCIAC play on Friday, Sept. 23 at Pomona-Pitzer and take on Chapman and Caltech on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 1:00 and 6:00, respectively.

The Tigers stormed into their SCIAC opener against the Cal Tech Beavers on Sept. 14 and came out victorious by a score of 4-0. Marcus Brandford (sophomore) got the Tigers on the board just 10 minutes into the contest. Traylor White (first-year) added an Occidental goal before a Beaver own goal gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead going into halftime.

Tyler Eng (first-year), added the final Tiger goal on a strike from 30 yards.

Then, on Sept. 17, the Tigers traveled to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) and lost 2-1. They fell behind the Stags 2-0 shortly after the half. Brandford responded for the Tigers by scoring his second goal of the season in the waning minutes of the game. Occidental will now shift their focus to their SCIAC home opener against La Verne on Sept.

21 at 7 p.m.

shots, two of them on goal. The team had a positive outlook on their secondhalf play and looked to head into the SCIAC competition hungry for a win.

However, the story was very much the same against CMS as the Tigers conceded a goal on either side of the halftime whistle to go down 2-0. The deficit was enough to stop the Tigers who were outshot 13-7 on that day. The Tigers will extend their search for a win on the road on Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.

Cross Country Eric Kleinsasser (senior) led the cross country team to a second-place finish at the UC Riverside Invitational.

His victory over a field of 139 runners was another great accomplishment for the senior. Colin Smith (first-year) was next for Occidental, finishing 11th overall, followed by Sebi Devlin-Foltz (senior) who finished 23rd and Will Hol-

lingsworth (senior) who finished 26th.

For the women, Megan Lang (junior) finished first for Occidental, 38th overall, with a time of 18:46. Anna Dalton (senior) finished not far behind Lang with a time of 18:55. This was Lang’s second race as Occidental’s first-place runner. Both teams will run again at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational on Oct. 1.

Y Y L X O EEK M O W .C

Courtesy of Occidental Athletics

Hitters Katie Wiese (first-year) and Alyssa Mort (sophomore) go up for a block against Southwestern Texas on Sept. 17.

ON THE WEB THROUGHOUT THE WEEK

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