Thursday, 22 January 2014
PA C I F I C U N I O N C O L L E G E
CAMPUS CHRONICLE
ISSUE 9 VOLUME XCI
Campus Chronicle
2
no.9
Letter From The Editor — Dark Web Edition According to a popular myth, humans only use 10 percent of their cerebral capacity. We struggle to quantify our brain’s usage because we are not the architects of our minds. However, since the invention of the computer in the 1930s by Alan Turing, we have had unlimited access to brains made out of wire, steel and silicon. Now we use these man-made brains mostly to browse the Internet; however, that is where human minds and mechanical minds have similarities in their perceived limitations. It has been estimated that typical computer user accesses only 4 percent of the Internet — this is the “normal” Internet where Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia operate. The other 96 percent of the Internet is comprised of what is called the Deep Web, the portion of the Internet not “browsable” on normal search engines. However, even further down in the Deep Web lies a portion of the Internet where some of the world’s most wanted criminals operate — the Dark Web. The Dark Web is the home of the most prominent types of cybercrime. The Dark Web requires users to be anonymous through the use of the privacy software such as TOR. TOR, or the onion router, is free to download and makes its users anonymous and able to access any website online without their activity being traced back to them. TOR does this
by using a system of online tunnels where a user’s activity is routed through several computers before reaching its destination, essentially making it impossible to track the user’s location. The TOR browser has become popular after Edward Snowden’s revelations about the U.S. government’s controversial surveillance operations. The FBI and CIA have been rapidly trying to infiltrate the Dark Web where individuals, under the cloak of anonymity, have constructed some of the largest cybercrime circuits in the world—the most famous of these being the several versions of Silk Road. The Silk Road was launched in 2011 by Ross Ulbricht as an anonymous online black market that used the electronic and untraceable currency known as BitCoin. Silk Road sold everything from illegal drugs, weapons and its most controversial item for sale — murder-forhire. Ulbricht, who went by the screen name “Dread Pirate Roberts,” was arrested in 2013 and Silk Road was subsequently shut down by the FBI. However, the arrest of Ulbricht did not discourage hackers from continuing to visit the online black market. In late 2013 after Ulbricht’s arrest, Silk Road 2.0 was launched by other users of the original Silk Road. There are currently several versions
By David O'Hair
of Silk Road operating, but the prevalence of cybercrime may be reaching its breaking point since the FBI has dedicated a number of task forces to cracking the Dark Web. Never think the Internet is as simple as portrayed. There are real-world effects for everything done online — as can be seen by Ulbricht’s fate who was convicted of seven charges which included money laundering, computer hacking, narcotics trafficking and criminal enterprise. Ulbricht now faces 30 years to life in prison for a website that he states started as an “economics experiment.” Be careful on the Internet and remember that the Internet may not last forever, but what one writes online is floating around in cyberspace and it is virtually impossible to erase.
Questions or comments? Email dcohair@puc.edu Editor-in-Chief David O’Hair
News Editor Tara Hattendorf
Assistant Editor Nic Miller
Sports Editor Trent Broeckel
Layout Editor Taylor Smith
Opinion Editor Carlo Pean
Features Editor Taylor Pittenger
Backpage Editor Amanda Navarrete
Copy Editors Emily Mathe Jayson Paw Jessica Winters Laura Helms Pascale Pean Faculty Advisers Lynne Thew Michelle Rai
vol. xci
March 2015
3
The 5 Things You’re Missing on Social Media By Michelle Rai, Chair of Communcation Department You’ve been a great student all these years and now you’re ready to apply for a job or graduate school. Congratulations! There’s just one problem. No one ever warned you to clean up your Facebook page. And Instagram. And Twitter. Your Tumblr looks pretty bad, too. According to Jobvite’s 2014 Social Recruiting Survey, 93 percent of hiring managers will look at your social profile before making a hiring decision. And nearly 55 percent have reconsidered a candidate based on what they find. That’s a lot of reconsidering! Here are my top five things you need to consider now—before you head out into the real world:
how many of you have those available to the public. Seriously. Check your settings. You might be one of the biggest offenders without even knowing it. 4. Liking: What do you like? Who do you follow? What do you retweet? These things say a lot about who you are. Do you have a potty mouth? Do you laugh at inappropriate jokes? People take notice and remember. If you don’t know what is inappropriate, think of it this way: Before liking or retweeting something, imagine the Three P’s: your pastor, parent or professor. Would you be embarrassed if any of the Three P’s saw it? If so, then abort mission.
5. Branding: Have you ever thought of 1. Communication skills: How’z ur spelling? yourself as a brand? You are! Cultivate the kind R u 2 cool to spell out words? Or when you of image on social media that you want others do, are they spelled incorrectly—e.g. “Your” to know about you. I’ve heard the Internet welcome instead of “you’re welcome”? If so, is written in stone, not pencil. That means you might be one of the 55 percent who’ll be reconsidered for a job. Mind your grammar and, if you’re unsure, a quick Google search will tell you how to spell or use a word correctly.
anything you post stays there forever. So make your mark with intention. Some students say, “Well, I’m safe. I don’t use my real name.” However, you might have a mutual friend in common who will retweet or like something you thought was hidden from the public. Trust me—I’ve seen it firsthand! How do you think I saw those boxer caroling pics? Remember, social media is like being on a first date. You want to put your best foot forward. You’re not going to sit there in your pajamas and talk about all the problems you had with your ex-girlfriend (or boyfriend), are you? Of course not. You’re going to dress up like the hipster you are and impress your date with your knowledge of current events, foreign policy and fine cuisine. Or, at the very least, your ability to correctly spell “you’re welcome.” You’re welcome.
2. TMI: Otherwise known as “Too Much Information.” Students love to complain about everything on social media—the weather, their classes/professors, sometimes their significant others. The problem is when you cultivate a negative tone that doesn’t understand boundaries, employers will see you as a loose emotional cannon on whom they’d rather not take a chance. Learn to complain in the right words, at the right time, to the right person— and especially in the right medium. 3. TMS: What I call “Too Much Skin.” Do you really want your future boss to see your boxer caroling days? Or that sexy selfie in your room? Keep those pictures in a secure folder for your close friends only. You’d be surprised *according to Jobvite's 2014 Social Recruiting Survey
Campus Chronicle
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Online News Sources Today’s fast-paced world can make it difficult to keep up with the news. College students focused on studying, reading and writing papers have even less time to read or watch the news. Online media outlets of all types — professional news sites, social media websites and mobile news applications — allow people to find the news they want. Although each outlet reports different types of news, the one thing they all have in common is that they are quick to read and easy to understand. Headlines and three-words-or-less worldwide trends give a fast overview of the latest news.
Facebook and Twitter These websites might have started as social media for people to see what their friends are up to, but they have become more about the trends of the moment and the latest news. Facebook now has a sidebar dedicated to trending news stories, and Twitter’s new “Discover” page shows popular tweets and articles based on who each user follows. That, coupled with the classic trends sidebar, allows users to see the dominant conversations happening around the world. Following the Twitter accounts of official news services can provide a more comprehensive outlook on world or local news, depending on the source. Such tweets are usually accompanied by a link to the appropriate article for anyone who wants further information. Google News Google News is a news aggregator, which pulls news content and headlines from hundreds of sources and displays them for the user like a digital, constantly updating newspaper. Sections can be personalized and rearranged on the screen, and custom sections can be made by typing in a keyword or searching through the
no.9
By Tara Hattendorf
sections directory. Connecting to Google’s other services, Google News can also provide a list of suggested articles based on your search activity. Google News is centered around the headlines, with multiple sources on the same topic below it. This allows users to learn the different perspectives from different news sources or read articles from sites they trust the most. Huffington Post and Slate In contrast to Google News, which redirects users to other websites, the Huffington Post and Slate have original content on a variety of topics. Huffington Post has content on almost every subject imaginable, but particularly focuses on human rights issues and lifestyle articles. Slate is generally politically oriented but in recent years has included more popular content geared toward mainstream audiences. These two websites focus more on editorial pieces rather than objective news, so anyone searching for just the facts about an event should start elsewhere. Mobile news applications For breaking news updates throughout the day, news applications do the job. News apps run by the Associated Press, CNN, ABC and others utilize mobile notifications to give headlines to users as news happens. To read the full story, which often is still in development as breaking news happens, users must click the notification to open the app. While news apps are generally not specialized for users they provide the latest important news happening in the United States and around the world. Local news apps provide more area-specific content; however, these apps do not always possess as many features as other large news apps, and may not have mobile notifications.
Meet Your 2015/16 SA Team President Nic Miller
Executive Vice President Taleah Tyrell
Financial Vice President Michael Lawrence
PR/Marketing Vice President Jordan Delarmente
Religious Vice President Robell Nyirendah
Social Vice President Madison Bishop
Video Producer Sarah Martinez
Diogenes Lanter Editor Sierra Driver
Camous Chronicle Editor Tara Hattendorf
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vol. xci
March 2015
5
In Touch: American Presidents and Social Media By Conor Russell Whether you love him or hate him, President Barack Obama remains the focal point of a massive amount of publicity, particularly in ways that previous American presidents never thought possible. President Obama’s Twitter followers number around 55 million and he regularly references pop culture on CNN (see his White House Correspondents speech—funny stuff). He most recently appeared in a Buzzfeed video stating, “Thanks, Obama,” as he tried to dunk an over-large cookie in milk. All of these examples add up to an extremely media-savvy president. But why is Obama’s ability to make us laugh and show our friends his latest shenanigans a valuable talent? For starters, Obama’s recognition of the importance social media holds in his 2008 presidential win. His use of Facebook and the development of Change.gov helped him raise millions of dollars, prevent smear campaigns and beat both Hillary Clinton and John McCain’s attempts for the Oval Office seven years ago. More importantly, he remained capable of reaching the millions of American citizens who voted him into office with the press of a button—a connectivity that only increases exponentially as years pass and technology improves. The most important question regarding President Obama’s social media mastery is this: Is he the first president to use social media deftly or just one in a long trend? The quick answer is: no, he is not the first one to do it, and he probably will not be the last. Previous presidents used contemporary forms of media to reach their voters and citizens, improving their abilities to speak to the nation as technological possibilities grew. In America’s formative years, a presidential-elect required a majority support out of 2.5 million people, a number over 100 times smaller than the U.S. Census Bureau expects by the end of 2015. Presidents gave speeches, bickered with their opponents and did everything humanly possible to convince the U.S. population that they were the best pick for the job. However, they were limited in means of both transportation and communication in ways to reach their voters and citizens. Fortunately, times changed, and the presidency changed with them. The development of the train in the 20th century enabled presidents to conduct “whistle-stop tours,” or brief stops in multiple towns over a short period of time in order to better reach potential voters. Political cartoons also played a pivotal role in this period, beginning a trend of satirizing political opponents in order to smear, support or otherwise tease the men lobbying for the White House. By the turn of the 20th century, Americans came to expect even more from their presidential candidates and the presidents themselves. In
1924, President Calvin Coolidge filmed the first White House recording with sound, providing Americans with a visual (if somewhat boring) representation of their leader. Ten years later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt guided his nation through the terrors of the Great Depression with the “Fireside Chats,” a series of radio programs FDR used to reassure a troubled public while reinforcing his reasons for the New Deal reforms. This usage of media (radio was the only reliable form of media back then: shocking, I know!) served the double purpose of building FDR’s credibility and hiding his polio. Finally, the first presidential candidate to fully understand the value of television and image was President John F. Kennedy. In front of the American public, a fit, young and tanned JFK won voters away from a sweaty, “old” and unattractive Richard Nixon, proving the value of media during the 1960s. So, is Obama the first president to use social media to his advantage in multiple ways? Absolutely not. Has he managed to do so in a way that is engaging, humorous and effective for his different legislative goals throughout the eight years of his presidency? Of course he has. For those reasons, I would like to say: #ThanksObama.
Campus Chronicle
6
Intern Tips
no.9
By Maddy Miller
Many students, especially seniors facing the impending doom of real life, ought to consider internships as a springboard. Not only does it boost a résumé, but you will learn something from the experience. While it may feel like a drag as you fill out the paperwork in a professor’s office and obtain the obligatory supervisor’s signature, you can actually have fun learning how to be a productive member of society and contributing to an organization in your anticipated field. One particularly crucial component of an internship is the interview. These nasty buggers can be nerve-wracking and overwhelming if not handled with care. A few tips will help you as you prepare and spice up the normally bland Q&A session that determines your internship fate. Write emails professionally According to professor of psychology and social work and director of PUC’s service learning program, Alisa Jacobo, “This is often the first form of contact and this is [the company’s] first impression of you…addressing them by their full name or title in your greeting, keeping your emails to the point with proper punctuation and grammar – these simple things go a long way.” Maintain confident posture Jacobo also mentions, “Being aware of your body language and doing a ‘power stance’ before can give you just enough confidence to nail the interview and get your dream internship.” Included in this is the mantra “dress to impress.” You don’t need to look like you’re red-carpet ready, but dress for the job you want to have. If you’re looking for something in a construction company, you most likely don’t need to wear a suit and tie (go for nice jeans and dress shoes), but a sales or marketing job would be a little more upscale. Be honest with what you want to get from the internship Compare your long-term goals with what you want to get from today. Is it paying off school loans, gaining a certain kind of experience, learning a specific task or just having a good time? This will help both you and the interviewer know if you’re the right fit for their organization. Know your weaknesses, and know how to frame them well Brittnie Sigamoney, an instructor in the communication department and internship coordinator, recognizes the importance of this. She claims that getting asked your weakness is one of the most common questions in an interview. This means looking more at how you cope with your shortcomings, rather than just the areas where you may suffer. If you’re a perfectionist, detail how you deal with the problem. This gives the impression (whether correct or otherwise) that you’ve learned how to work within an environment that just needs you to get over it. Ask questions Do research on the organization before you go into the interview, and remember that you’re making a vocational match here – it’s not just “Could I survive here?” but “Could I thrive here?” Ask the interviewer what they love about the organization or what challenges they face. How does the organization evaluate performance? How can you exceed expectations? Asking questions is almost more important than answering them – it shows that you care, you’ve researched and you’re motivated to learn more.
On-campus Resources
{
Laura Gore, Career and Counseling Center — lgore@puc.edu Brittnie Sigamoney, Communication — bsigamoney@puc.edu Doug Houghton, Business — dhoughton@puc.edu Alisa Jacobo, Psych and Social Work — ajacobo@puc.edu
March 2015
vol. xci
Finding A Balance
7
By Carlo Pean
Almost without fail, every Friday night at vespers students collectively vent about the stress of the previous week and how glad we are that the hard tests, papers and studies are behind us. Whenever I hear this I can’t help but think, why do we need to wait for Friday to reach the spiritual rest for which we are so desperate? As a Christian school, one of the benefits beaten to death is that we live on a campus where our spirituality is remembered — no, where it is central. But is it, though? Do our academics get in the way of our spirituality? Of course, we have prayers before tests and a biblical reference or two may come up in class, but after a while it’s just another class. Is PUC offering us help in our spiritual lives as well as preparing us for the “real world”? Well, to be fair, if there is any spiritual drought, it can’t be from lack of trying. With nearly one dorm worship every day of the week and so many Bible studies that our emails are constantly flooded with invitations, finding a group or a place to find spiritual release should not be that hard. Maybe it’s a question of timing. Classes and work crowd our days,
Dorm Room Exercises
not to mention trying to find that sweet spot of trying to have a social life, getting good grades and getting enough sleep. Is it even possible to have a healthy spiritual life and to excel in school? It has been done before, but how? I think that it can only be found in holism. Balancing and organizing our time will always be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be as much of a challenge as it seems. If we think of learning as a holistic part of our lives and seeking God as a holistic part of our lives instead of just sections of our lives, then they don't need to be tended to independently. When we live our lives always trying to learn, always looking for God in everything, then we stop trying to make sure that we’ve met a quota of spirituality and we start to see spirituality everywhere. Similarly, we stop thinking of education as classes and start to see learning in all things everywhere. This takes time, patience and discipline, but, hey, what else is college for? None of us is there yet, but we don’t need to exhaust ourselves trying to fit everything into our lives.
By Jessica Winters
Planks: Great for abs, back and core. Challenge yourself to hold a plank each day and watch your time go up. You can also mix things up with one-handed side planks, taking turns on either side. Building your core will help you with other moves and workouts. Squats: Target your thighs and butt, but also work the hamstrings and lower back. You can find different variations of squat challenges online to hold yourself accountable. Yoga: This is a great way to either start your day or unwind after class or a long day at work. Basic moves and classes can be found online and a lot of classes are free! Even if you’re super short on time and just want to fit in some movement in between classes, just pick five or six poses to do during lunch or other breaks. Once you get those down, add a few others to your list to cycle through and build a practice that is all your own. Push-ups: You can do them on just about any surface. Try a wall pushup: Face a wall in your room, place your hands next to one another and lean in. Then push yourself away from the wall, similar to the motion of a standard push-up.
Campus Chronicle
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no.9
Three Sites to Help You Network Expires 3/18/15
By Amanda Navarrete Whether you're a freshman or graduating senior, it's never too early to start networking with helpful connections and finding future job opportunities in your area of interest. With social media, it is easier now more than ever. Here are a few websites that can make the sometimes-intimidating process of networking a little easier: LinkedIn Described as a "business-oriented social networking service," LinkedIn is the easiest way to put yourself out there for potential employers to get a sense of your best professional identity. There is a free version or a premium option — though the free option is still quite useful, especially if you still have a while before you enter the job market. The site not only lets you make connections to include in your network, but also find jobs best suited to your interests. Meetup Though it is not solely for professional use, Meetup is a great tool to use to network with locals that share your interests. There are a variety of groups, including groups for photography or even mountain climbing. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, Meetup also makes it easy to start your own group. Twitter While some people use it to vent about their day or follow their favorite celebrities, Twitter is actually a powerful networking tool that you can use to expand your networking circle. Twitter gives you a chance to follow influential individuals who know the job market, and frequently post useful tips that you can use in your own job search. Potential employers have been known to check social media accounts, including Twitter, so make sure you don't post anything that would come back to haunt you later.
May 17, 2015