Theta Takes Gold | 4/28/2017

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The Free

s t u d e n t n e w s pa p e r o f w a s h i n g t o n & j e f f e r s o n c o l l e g e w j r e da n d b l ac k . c o m w a s h i n g t o n , p e n n s y lva n i a April 28, 2017

WHAT’S IN THIS WEEK’S PAPER...

LIFE

“My four years at W&J have flown by very quickly, and this college will forever hold a special place within my heart. I intend on keeping in touch with those who have made such a positive influence on my life.”

-P. 6

CULTURE “While each artist’s show consisted of different mediums and different inspirations, their vast variations demonstrated the importance of relationship and cultural influences to an artist’s work.” -P. 9

OPINIONS

“The whole point of volunteering is for both sides to receive. The charity gains aid, whether it be financial, physical labor or through advertising, and, in turn, the volunteer receives satisfaction of using his or her time for a greater purpose.” -P. 14

SPORTS “In these games they will look to put the finishing touches on their game in hopes of bringing home another conference title when playoff games come around.” -P. 18

Theta Takes the Gold

PAGE 2 Courtesy Hope Butterfield

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2 CAMPUS NEWS

28 April 2017

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This Week in Photos: Greek Week 2017

Courtesy Abbey Brewer

Above, the sisters of Delta Gamma in Captain America themed attire.

Courtesy Hope Butterfield

Kappa Alpha Theta, the overall Greek Week champions.

Courtesy India March

Sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma practice their dance moves before their firstplace performance on the night of Greek Sing.

Courtesy Katherine Campbell

The sisters of Pi Beta Phi play bubble soccer against Theta.

Courtesy Marlon Brown

The brothers of Fiji perform at Greek Sing.

28 april 2017

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3 CAMPUS NEWS

‘This Kind of Hate’ : A Play by Ty Greenwood Ioseb Jorjoliani Red&Black Contributor

“This Kind of Hate” is a play written, produced and directed by Ty Greenwood ‘17.

The play is part of Greenwood’s honors project.

The play narrates the events leading up to and following the shooting of an

African-American teenager and the controversies surrounding it. This will be the first time a student will take on a project of this nature.

The inspiration for the play was sparked by the various news stories focused on police brutality, such as the Trayvon Martin case.

While studying abroad in London, Greenwood took a course on playwriting which, as he describes, “really got me going” on the project. Greenwood first used “This Kind of Hate” as his capstone project in the fall of his senior year, which eventually led him to pursue a production of it for his honors project.

Through the production, Greenwood hopes to ignite conversations amongst students, faculty and administration about the controversial issues discussed in the play via talkbacks that will be held after the production.

Greenwood said, “I hope that people will start to talk about these hard issues. I’ve always thought of art as a way to bring people together to talk about difficult things that we don’t normally talk about in typical settings.”

Another goal that Greenwood aims to achieve, as the first person to follow through with a project of this caliber, is to create a model for future students looking to pursue a similar project to emulate, as well as develop an environment to do so.

Greenwood said, “I want people in the future who want do it to have a nice template and be able to have this platform.” “This Kind of Hate” will premiere in Olin Fine Arts Theatre in Black Box Theatre (Olin 102) on May 3 at 5:30 p.m. with two additional performances on May 4 and 5 at 6:00 p.m., followed by talkbacks with the audience.

Courtesy Lauryn Halahurich

Greenwood ‘17, director and producer of “This Kind of Hate.” The play, which is inspired by various news stories focused on police brutality, is part of Greenwood’s honors project. The play will premiere on May 3 at 5:30 p.m.

Alpha Phi Omega Food Delivery Service Lauren Markish Red&Black Contributor

The W&J chapter of Alpha Phi Omega (APO), a national service organization, worked hard over the weekend of April 22 to fulfill students’ Monti’s delivery needs.

For only $1 an item, students could choose to have milkshakes, pizza rolls, pretzels and more delivered right to their room. The program ran on

Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, from the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Receiving the food was as simple as sending a text with your name, order and location to the phone number on the flyer.

For myself, I ordered pizza rolls and a milkshake. They responded to my order within five minutes, and I had my food and shake only 10 minutes after that response.

I personally found it to be an excellent idea for a fundraiser, and I saw many people excited about the experience. Richard Habgood ‘19 is an active participant in APO, and he talked about his experience as a delivery boy

on Friday night from 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. He found the fundraiser to be very effective.

Habgood said, “I feel that there was a demand for it, and we filled that need.”

There was also some added fun for customers, since they realized they were able to request specific delivery people if you knew that they were working at that specific time.

Since Habgood is a brother of Delta Tau Delta, many of his brothers and their friends enjoyed spending money in order to make him go back and forth and get food for them. He told me his experience “was interesting, because I

delivered mostly to friends who knew I was working and personally requested me to deliver their food.”

Eventually, he personally received so many requests that he had no choice but to recruit some help from his other APO delivery friends.

It made the fundraiser a comical and memorable event for the people ordering, as well as the APO students that worked the event.

With the wide range of students that the program seems to have reached, and the overall positive response from participants, I hope this is a fundraiser that APO will manage and successfully continue for years to come.

4 CAMPUS NEWS

28 April 2017

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Speak Out: What was the most rewarding part of the semester?

“School wise it would have to be today when I just accepted officially a job with Shelby county schools teaching special education.

Greek wise it was winning Greek Week and being lavaliered to Delt on the same day.”

-Hope Butterfield ‘17 Courtesy Hope Butterfield

Red & Black

“Being able to finish my major and use it to

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do something I love.”

-Ian Iuliucci ‘17

Courtesy Ian Iuliucci

“There’s nothing quite like channeling some of your spare time into creative writing only to hear later that it was accepted for national publication. And now, it’s happened twice in the same semester.”

-Ben Rozzi ‘17 Courtesy Ben Rozzi

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Social Media Chair Campus News Editor Life Editor Culture Editor Opinions Editor Sports Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Business Manager Distribution Manager Adviser

Emily Sterk Katherine Campbell Leah Segal Tiffany Dittrich Shannon Adams Kayla Marasia Christopher Frydryck Karli-Ann Sanders Abigail Pipcho Lauren Virgin Siddhanta Bista Macie Sowers John Santa

life

28 April 2017

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5 LIFE

2014 Discovery Confirmed as a Planet Samara Wendel Red & Black Staff

As exploration in space continues, scientists have found hints of a new planet in the sky.

The new planet was actually discovered in 2014 when an observatory was studying the changing brightness of the stars. There was evidence there was a dimming on the starlight from a red dwarf. This data was thought to be a mistake and the scientists originally discarded it.

About a year later, a scientist named Jason Dittman was working with brand new technology to observe the stars. While he was searching for some sort of lead, his technology was able to detect a signal.

Marina Koren, a writer for The Atlantic, said “The source of the signal turned out to be a ‘super-Earth,’ an exoplanet slightly larger than ours but with a mass seven times greater, orbiting in the habitable zone of LHS 1140, a red dwarf star in the constellation of Cetus.” This planet is named LHS 1140b. Many believe that it could be

Planet LHS 1140b is 39 light years away and is considered a “super-Earth.”

the next version of Earth and is sometimes referred to as a “super-Earth.”

It has properties similar to Earth, but it has one side permanently facing the star closest to it. The planet has liquid water, iron and rocky materials.

Dittman was able to receive technology from the European South Observatory’s La Silla facility called HARPS. Koren said, “Using HARPS and more

detections from Earth, the scientists were able to estimate the mystery object’s orbital period, mass and density.

It was only months later that scientists discovered seven more planets.

The LHS 1140b planet is about thirty-nine light years away from Earth.

Dittman’s discovery of the new planet lead to the next step in his career.

He now works for the Massachusetts

Courtesy YouTube.com

Institute of Technology and observes NASA’s research efforts.

The discovery of a new planet could be the next option for mankind.

Astrologists are working to find alternative planets where humanity can thrive.

The discovery of LHS 1140b could be a catalyst to the discovery of many more potentially sustainable planets.

6 Life

A Senior’s Goodbye Noah Alter Red & Black Contributor

As I look back upon my four academic years as a student at Washington & Jefferson College, I consider myself very blessed. I have received such an outstanding education, created life long friendships with friends, faculty and staff and have had irreplaceable positive experiences that I will inevitably take with me throughout my life no matter where I end up relocating to in our beautiful world.

As a German and French major, I am blessed to have had brilliant experiences within all of my classes -- with the materials, professors, my peers and more.

My professors have always encouraged me by helping me to reach my study abroad experiences. They encouraged my dreams of becoming a polyglot, moving on in to a future in translation and teaching English as a second language.

Before continuing on, I would like to take a moment to recognize those faculty and staff members that I have made an everlasting impression on in my career here at the college.

As I near graduation, I am certain that Dr. Katrine Pflanze, Dr. Susan Crampton-Frenchik, Dr. Judith Atzler, Dr. Guido Halder, Dr. Michael Shaughnessy, Professor Cathy Altmeyer, Dr. Susan Vdovichenko and Arlene Shaw (House Manager at Olin Theatre) have helped me to become the individual that I am today academically

28 April 2017

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and mentally. In addition to the positive impression that my dear friends in the Modern Language Department and in the Olin Theatre have made, I would also like to include the brilliant opportunities that I have had been able to embark on during my career here.

With the wonderful and loving support of Ms. Sara Kochuba in the Office of Study Abroad, I have been blessed to perform two semesters abroad at die Universität Köln and l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.

In addition to my global learning experiences at the two universities mentioned above, I was honored to have taken part in the Magellan Project. With the Magellan Project, I spent nearly a month in Kuwait City in the State of Kuwait while immersing myself into the Arabic language and culture and studying the beautiful religion of Islam, the private business sectors and government.

My four years at W&J have flown by very quickly, and this college will forever hold a special place within my heart.

I intend on keeping in touch with those who have made such a positive influence on my life.

Lastly, I would like to thank those who have helped me through the easy moments and the most difficult moments.

If it wasn’t for my God, my family, friends and professors, I would have not been able to do it; I thank them all very much for supporting me spiritually, mentally, financially and just for putting up with my eccentric personality.

Upon graduation, I will be attending the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England for a MA in Applied Translation Studies.

Life Advice Life advice given to you from the mouths of the Red & Black Editorial Staff.

What is the best finals week distraction?

“Watching ‘Stranger Things’ on Netflix.”

-Christopher Frydryrck, Opinions Editor

“I always read books for recreation during finals week. It reminds me what it feels like to actually finish a book.”

-Shannon Adams, Life Editor

28 April 2017

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7 LIFE

Snapchat Introduces 3D Features Samara Wendel Red & Black Staff

The company Snapchat has been rapidly expanding since its launch of Spectacles.

Now, Snapchat is trying to stay ahead of its competitors.

They recently released 3D features in its snap filters.

The 3D options are included with the filters when users swap the camera so that it is facing front.

According to Katie Benner from the New York Times, “The technology is similar to the augmented reality used with PokemonGo, a Nintendo game for mobile devices that overlays digital images on the physical world.

Snap’s new technology, a 3-D lens, can also change and shift in response to physical objects.”

Snapchat users have had a positive reaction to the 3D lenses on the app.

Snapchat will continue to use the filters feature because of its increasing popularity. The company hopes that the 3D features will make it even more popular.

Ever since Snapchat went public, their stock has dropped.

Their competitors have used an idea that was originally created by Snapchat.

Benner also said, “Facebook and its many brands have copied the features that once made Snapchat unique.

Instagram, Facebook Messenger and

WhatsApp all now have a feature that mimics Snapchat Stories, which lets people string together their images in an ongoing story that disappears after 24 hours.”

The “stories” feature has been added to many forms of social media in attempts to go along with the trends.

Some individuals think that the “stories” feature is becoming too wide spread.

Advertisers are trying to target the younger generation.

Many also notice that Facebook and Instagram are introducing features closely related to Snapchat.

They both have the camera feature incorporated in the app along with stories and the ability to send messages that disappear.

Despite the odds, Instagram has users that use their “stories” feature daily.

Apparently 200 million people use “stories” on Instagram.

Snapchat has been working hard to come up with new features to their app.

The addition of the 3D features will keep them going, but their competitors that have been in the business for longer are catching up.

Shannon Adams ‘17 said, “I love using the 3D features when I am in the Red&Black Office. It keeps me entertained and makes us all laugh on layout days. My favorite one is the Bitmoji 3d feature where I can place my Bitmoji in the virtual environment and she moves around with my picture. I can’t wait to see what else Snapchat does with this option.”

With shares dropping, Snapchat needs to continue to come up with innovative ideas to keep the popular app on the market.

Courtesy Shannon Adams

Snapchat now offers a wide variety of characters to place in the user’s virtual environment.

Courtesy Shannon Adams

Snapchat also has interactive 3D features. This one allows the user to plant seeds and watch flowers bloom.

8 Life

28 April 2017

Red & Black

‘13 Reasons Why’ Faces Backlash

“13 Reasons Why” has received positive and negative reviews, which is expected considering the topic and nature of the TV show.

Macie Sowers Red & Black Contributor

On March 31, Netflix released its series “13 Reasons Why,” based on the 2007 novel by Jay Asher with the same name. The show received a mixed reaction. It has been praised for its story, direction and characterization, especially in regards to the character Hannah Baker. On the other hand, it has been criticized for its graphic depiction of suicide and rape, as well as the glorification of suicide.

The show follows the aftermath of Hannah Baker’s suicide through thirteen tapes recorded prior to her death,

each of which deals with a specific person who contributed to her suicide.

The show additionally uses flashbacks to tell the story of Hannah’s life. The episodes start out with the bullying Hannah faced, but later feature two rapes, both shown explicitly on screen, and Hannah’s suicide itself. The backlash comes in part from the choice to show the graphic suicide on screen.

While it is commendable the show did not shy away from the subject, the portrayal of the suicide in its entirety could be either triggering or instructive. The show’s portrayal of the suicide, though intended to show the graphic reality of it, could also inspire those who are considering committing suicide to go through with their thoughts. Hannah’s suicide causes the remaining characters to reflect on how they treated her, and for the most part,

they regret their actions. Leading the backlash is a star of another Netflix series, Shannon Purser, from “Stranger Things.”

On April 17, Purser tweeted a string of tweets advising against watching the show if “you currently struggle with suicidal thoughts or self-harm or have undergone sexual assault.”

One student disagrees with what the critics have to say about TV show.

Ty Greenwood ‘17 said, “I feel people need to realize the show was a drama/ fiction. For me, what is most important is that the show presented a serious issue that needs attention. It definitely made me think about the importance of checking on those who are close to me. At the end of the day, it accomplished its goal. It got people talking.”

Another student has mixed feelings about the show in general. Shannon

Courtesy Metro

Adams ’17 said, “While the show’s directors took a great leap in drama to graphically show the pain and struggle of someone going through depression and suicidal ideation, the show itself can become a trigger for those who are also suffering from depression, suicidal thought or sexual assault. I am not saying this is necessarily a bad thing to bring these subjects to light, but those who watch the show need to be better warned of what it is about. It is a good way to begin the conversation.”

Though the show is good in its own right, the portrayal of depression, suicide and sexual assault can be too much for a viewer struggling with those issues. The show does put a warning on episode thirteen regarding the content; however, it may be a good idea for Netflix to add additional warnings for the entire series.

28 April 2017

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Culture 9

culture Olin Art Gallery Debuts 2017 Senior Shows Nathan Repine Red&Black Staff

On Friday, April 21, the Olin Art Gallery hosted its annual senior show for graduating art majors.

This year, four students were featured in the senior show: Julia Nadovich ‘17, Nayeli Aguilar ‘17, Felix Nicol ‘17 and Seth Rimdzius ‘17. The four graduating art majors touched on a variety of subjects like culture, relationships and childhood illness.

Nadovich’s show “Creeps” was a vivid representation of the struggles of diabetes. She recreated drawings of what children thought this disease would look like as a monster. She obtained these drawings from her time as a camp counselor for people with diabetes. For her show, she made the drawings into paper-mache creatures.

Nadovich said, “‘Creeps’ is inspired by my personal struggle with diabetes, as well as the children who have attended American Diabetes Association: Camp Freedom.”

Nayeli Aguilar’s “Mexican Influence” touched on her heritage as well as her study abroad experience in Italy and how it influenced her work.

Her series was a collage of people who she felt influenced her life and had a combination of several countries’ influence. Aguilar said in her artist statement, “Culture and heritage is an important aspect of life. It allows people

Courtesy Nathan Repine

Felix Nicol’s “Foundations in Memory” (shown above) explores relationships important to Nicol. He used oil pastels to color pieces of a rock-climbing wall from his childhood. Each of the seniors shows demonstrates the importance of memory in art.

to live among individuals with common interests and practice personal customs, arts, and beliefs.”

Felix Nicol, in his show “Foundations in Memory,” created an array of wooden humanoid pitcher plants with legs, representing different groups and people in his life.

One of his pieces was a visual representation of his sense of brotherhood in his fraternity on campus, Alpha Tau Omega (ATO).

In his artist statement he said, “‘Foundations in Memories’ is a se-

ries of abstract portraits that capture memories and moments in my past . . .

I dedicate this show to the memory of my grandfather Jim Montgomery, the first man to show me a pitcher plant.”

Rimdzius’s “Relationships” examined relationships and the deep aspects and preciousness of them.

With four different shades of perler beads ranging from black to white, Rimdzius created life-sized pieces of family and friends to explore the value in close personal relationships. He said, “It’s important to see the real

value in all of our relationships and to truly cherish them. I encourage viewers to spend time thinking about their own relationships just as I did during the creation of these portraits.”

While each artist’s show consisted of different mediums and different inspirations, their vast variations demonstrated the importance of relationship and cultural influences to an artist’s work.

The seniors’ work will be on display in the Olin Fine Art Gallery until Sunday, May 7.

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Netflix Film Blends Crime, Thriller and Comedy Lauren Markish Red&Black Contributor

While most Netflix Original shows and movies are advertised all over the top of the Netflix browsing page, one of its newer films, “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore,” was not given as much attention. Because of this, a cinematic gem was missed by

many Netflix subscribers. “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore” was the directorial debut of Macon Blair, who also wrote the film.

It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2017.

Starring Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood, the film centers around the female protagonist Ruth, played by Lynskey, and her eventual partner-incrime Tony, played by Wood.

The pair become friends through justice-seeking escapades after Ruth’s house is robbed at the beginning of the film. She discovers that the burglar

stole her laptop, her grandmother’s silverware and her anti-anxiety and anti-depression medications.

She was already having problems finding the good in the world before this incident occurred. Ruth makes it her mission to find the criminal and hold him responsible.

The rest of the film follows Ruth and Tony in their adventures, which become increasingly more dangerous and funny as the film progresses.

Ruth’s vengeful rampage demonstrates what happens when the world pushes someone too far. The burglary

Courtesy Aceshowbiz­

The Netflix original film “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore” debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2017 and on Netflix in February 2017. The film is a comedy crime thriller and was directed by Macon Blair. It stars Elijah Wood and Melanie Lynskey, shown above.

and the consequent adventures that Ruth and Tony experience push Ruth past her breaking point.

However, in the process, she ultimately discovers more about her own sense of identity.

Instead of remaining the passive, considerate neighbor that she was for most of her life, she eventually takes her life into her own hands.

“I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore” has been rated highly amongst critics, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a “90% Fresh” rating.

Their critical consensus said, “‘I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore’ transcends its unwieldy title to offer timely, intoxicatingly dark observations on gender dynamics and social norms in modern America.”

While most students have not heard of the film, those that have seen it seem to agree with the critical reviews.

Alex Christy ’19 said, “It was an interesting movie. [The film] really encapsulates the sense of helplessness through the arc of the story that parallels Ruth’s troubles with her mental disorder.”

While it may seem like the plot of this film focuses on the bad in the world, it ultimately turns out to be a hopeful movie, but without an overly cheery ending.

The film is a thoughtful commentary on personal redemption after the world pushes a person beyond their breaking point.

It is a film that anyone can relate to, even if their homes have never been robbed and they have never gone on a vengeful rampage.

To anyone looking for a funny, but real, film to watch, “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore” is worth a try.

28 April 2017

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Culture 11

‘Beauty and the Beast’ Still Enchants Audiences Samara Wendel Red&Black Staff

After the release of the Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast” in March, people have not been able to stop talking about it.

Disney has once again gone above and beyond with special effects, casting and directing with the remake of this classic film.

Many know the general plot: there is a girl named Belle who lives in a small village.

A young prince who is arrogant and cold-hearted meets a beautiful enchantress who casts a spell on him for his selfish, superficial nature and turns him into a beast.

In order to lift the curse that the enchantress placed on him, the Beast must have someone fall in love with him before the last petal on an enchanted rose falls.

The story of how the Belle and the Beast meet is a timeless classic and has recaptured the hearts of millions in the newest live-action remake.

The recent remake has amazing special effects that are very entertaining for everyone from those in childhood to old age.

Disney also made a smart choice by having Emma Watson play Belle in the film. Watson gained popularity through her Harry Potter films and through other various roles, but her performance in this film demonstrated how much she has grown beyond the well-known magical franchise.

Her feminist rendition of Belle’s character provided an excellent role model for young girls and women.

Courtesy The Disney Blog

Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” debuted in March 2017, and it has become the highest-grossing live-action musical of all time. The enchanted objects, including Cogsworth and Lumiere (shown above), add much of the magic to the film.

With her insistence on wearing pants beneath her dress and on being a skilled inventor alongside her father, the new Belle provides a strong female character that was not as present in many early Disney films.

Watson has a huge fan base, but her ability to capture Belle’s idealism, kind heart and witty sense of humor is ultimately what got her the role.

The filmography and the acting were phenomenal. Kayla Marasia ‘19 said, “I loved feminist Belle, the addition of Belle’s mother’s background and the openly gay LeFou. The film remained true to the original story, but the directors made some key changes that helped keep the story alive.” Film

critic Tim Robey said, “It’s the music that makes it particularly special, and appreciating the music is entirely the point of the live-action remake.”

In the musical, Disney was able to portray the scenes almost exactly like the animation, but with a renewed sense of life.

The replicated scene of “Be Our Guest” was probably one of the most entertaining scenes of the movie. The use of special effects and costume design made the entire movie an enjoyable experience.

“Be Our Guest” is a dinner performance put on by the enchanted objects of the castle, and this film’s version of the number was a colorful, vibrant

medley of special effects and lively musical performance.

Another feature of the movie that was prominent was the plotline.

Robey also said, “But the core of the story is blissfully intact. It’s fitting, for a tale about gradually discovering inner beauty that the Beast is tricky to know at first: withheld from our sympathy, hard to recognize as Stevens through the digital fur. Scene by scene, the film takes its time with him, and we get the hang of the character at the same pace that Belle does.”

The movie is definitely a family movie, but its incredible special effects and musical performances will please both children and adults alike.

12 Culture

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Poetry Corner “Shakespeare’s Death Mask”

“Life Always Has a Bigger Picture”

Diana Ciarallo Red & Black Staff

Genea Richardson Red & Black Staff

“Dear soapstone masks, kissing their igloo brows had to suffice before the nails were sunk and the black glacier of each funeral pushed away.” – Seamus Heaney, “Funeral Rites”

You are light and also night.

You are everything that makes life feel right.

Keep your head high Like the sun in the sky Because you are the joy in somebody’s day, A constant reminder of: “Trouble don’t last always.”

Like sleeping beauty Kissed by her prince Warm lips brushing against cold She lays there Sleeping like the dead I press my own To those of the cold effigy Hoping that I might Breathe life into you As God did with Adam Or inhale your dying breath Preserved in this mold of eternity And take a bit of your artistry into myself “The Earring” Diana Ciarallo Red & Black Staff A tiny, glittering gemGleams in the moonlight Winks in the shadows From its spot on the table Outside, abandoned, careless Easy prey for passersby The mortal and the bizarre, Queer little sprites and goblins Avid collectors of little trinkets Amidst the tree branches at night Watching

“Fountain in Pittsburgh” Maggie Smith Red & Black Contributor Luminescent blue oasis of color and sound, captured in movement.

Liquid spring and minty hue twist the light as it pierces the surface, shaft of summer.

I remember your bright laugh echoing across the blue as if you tasted August like a cocktail.

My wedding band lies still in the aquamarine, encased in bell jar dreams.

28 APril 2017

13 Opinions

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opinions The Importance of Involved LINK Mentors Nour Al Shishani Red & Black Staff

The Spire page of the LINK Mentor program says, “The primary goal of the program is to assist the new students in adjusting to the academic and social transition between high school and college, and to begin preparing them to achieve educational, personal and career goals.”

It is crucial to find support once new year students embark on their journey of knowledge. Not only do in-

ternational students need mentors, but so do all students.

There are many resources and benefits that come from having a mentor.

Mentors provide an inside look to how the campus is actually functioning.

They are able to provide new students with detailed industry and personal information for references.

They are able to guide the students to the resources and offices they need to approach in different situations.

For instance, my mentor helped me through my academic progress and, when I was in need, she was able to guide me to the right office for academic needs.

My mentor was Ashley Phillips ‘17, and I could not be more grateful for her.

Phillips influenced my advancement in my skills. Furthermore, Phillips was able to show me patience and thoughtfulness. She helped me

in learning how to solve problems.

She also taught me a lot about using the school resources such as Spire and how to register for courses.

Another one of her students, Mahek Gandhi ‘20, said, “She keeps checking back on us to see if we are fine. She keeps us posted. For example,

It is crucial to find support once new year students embark on their journey of knowledge. she touched base with us as soon as the registration doors opened and housing selection started.”

Mentors can also become a student’s best friend. As there are monthly meetings between freshmen and their

E ditorial P olicy The Red & Black is the official, registered student-produced newspaper of Washington & Jefferson College. It is published Fridays with the exception of exams and break periods.

Editorials are based upon the opinion of the respective writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper, the

College or its students, faculty, or administration.

The Red & Black welcomes all reader contributions, but reserves the right to reject letters of pure promotional nature, as well as letters which do not meet its standard of integrity, accuracy and decency.

The Red & Black also reserves the right to edit submissions.

Letters are due on the Monday before publication and may not exceed 600 words. All letters must include the author’s name, campus box and telephone number.

Names may be withheld upon request under certain conditions on rare occasions. All letters may be submitted to redandblackstaff@jay. washjeff.edu.

mentors, spending quality time will reinforce a supportive environment and allow connections and fun time.

Mentors ensure their mentees a safe place to go to for comfort and always provide guidance.

The emotional support is especially needed when a student is far away from home.

Many college students struggle staying away from home, whereas others are excited to meet new people.

A LINK mentor can help with both.

Although some are not as efficient and hardworking as others, the feedback that I collected from my LINK mentor was mostly positive.

Again, this is not a perfect program with a perfect performance since some workers are not as organized or as available for help as frequently.

My experience with my LINK mentor was definitely the best I could have had.

C ontac t Telephone: FAX: E-mail: Mailing Address:

(724) 223-6049 (724) 503-1049 redandblackstaff@jay. washjeff.edu Red & Black 60 S. Lincoln St. Washington, PA 15301

14 Opinions

28 April 2017

Red & Black

Don’t Force Charity Apple’s Design Delay Leah Segal Red & Black Staff

Washington & Jefferson College’s helping hands have greatly impacted the community at large as charities across Washington County are receiving the necessary aid to make a difference.

From PetSearch to tutoring children at the Citizens Library, the effectiveness of such work cannot be contested, and the feeling of helping those in need remains unparalleled.

Some have suggested that W&J should have mandatory service hours for all students. However, as much as the college prides itself in its good deed’s timesheet, service hours should not be mandatory.

To begin, W&J often flaunts the statistic of harboring over 3,000 service hours yearly for the students of the school.

As it stands today, with the exception of sororities, fraternities and some organizations, any donation of time comes exclusively out of the goodness of students hearts.

However, if service hours were to become mandatory, the passion would disappear and the purpose of volunteering would be misplaced.

As Katie Prinkey ‘19 said, “Service hours should not be mandatory; all of the enthusiasm to contribute to the

community would disappear.” While some students would volunteer, required or not, many students would only donate charity hours to fulfill the requirement which is morally wrong.

The whole point of volunteering is for both sides to receive. The charity gains aid, whether it be financial, physical labor or through advertising, and, in turn, the volunteer receives satisfaction of using his or her time for a greater purpose.

W&J’s current requirements, too, serve as another main reason to ensure service hours should not be mandatory.

Students across all majors and minors have a plethora of classes they must complete.

Paired with school activities and homework, the majority of students do not have the spare time to fulfill required charity work.

For example, Sharon Wanjiku ‘19 said, “The classes are already rigorous enough. For science students especially, there are already so many objectives to complete.”

Finally, required service hours would artificially increase the amount of good deeds the college records.

While it is undisputable that W&J would rack up many more hours and help many people, it is claiming to be out of the goodness of students’ hearts when in fact it is another item to check off a graduation list.

Overall, as famous painter Claude Monet once stated “What is done in love is done well.” This phrase should ring in the ears of W&J if they are ever tempted to make service hours mandatory.

No matter how much charitable work is completed, if it is not done with compassion, it will never be done well.

Samara Wendel Red & Black Staff

As Apple continues to amaze the public with their updated features on each iPhone, they may have made a mistake by releasing the newest feature.

Ever since they got rid of the headphone jack, iPhone users need to either purchase Bluetooth headphones or buy the converter to use their regular headphones. This major step received a lot of backlash from users.

With the iPhone 8, Apple could have made a mistake by creating an external fingerprint dongle.

This new feature may be the downfall for Apple products.

The fingerprint dongle is similar to the converter that replaces the headphone jack. Verge article author Thomas Ricker said, “Apple’s said to be struggling to perfect the technology such that it can be mass produced at iPhone scale — a non-trivial task, to be sure.”

The dongle seems to be what is causing the delay with the iPhone 8.

Ricker also believes that Apple has always “led from behind.”

He states examples of how Apple has never invented a piece of technol-

ogy, but they have created their own simplistic form of technology.

Apple has introduced many new features of Apple products including the MacBook touch bar, Air Pods and the iWatch.

Ricker also said, “Needless to say, I have my doubts that Apple will find an elegant fingerprint solution in time.”

Despite the past successes with the new features, there is some doubt that the fingerprint dongle will make it in the business.

I personally think that the fingerprint dongle will not make it in the Apple market.

I see where Apple thought that this would be a good idea because they are trying to minimize the buttons on the screen.

I think that if Apple wants to have a phone that is completely touchscreen, then they should completely get rid of the fingerprint feature altogether.

I see that Apple is trying to transition to wireless features, but they are doing it slowly.

The various converters and devices that come with the iPhone 7 and beyond are getting a bit ridiculous.

Apple should either reconsider their design, or move the process along of going wireless completely.

Courtesy BGR.com

Leaks of the iPhone 8 design hit the public this past week.

28 April 2017

Red & Black

15 opinions

Marijuana is Mainstream Leah Segal Red&Black Staff

The Washington Post has just released numbers stating that of the 321 million inhabitants of the United States, a little over 35 million use marijuana on a regular basis, with a total of 55 million Americans admitting to trying the substance.

When comparing such a statistic with the amount of cigarette smokers in the US, 59 million, it seems only logical to question the recent nature of the “marijuana takeover.”

Between the legalization of the substance in a handful of states and its portrayal by the media’s rich and famous, it is safe to say marijuana has become mainstream, and without government approval.

To begin, with 8 states allowing recreational use of the substance and 18 others allowing it to be used for medical purposes, there is no doubt marijuana is a big topic in politics.

Nevertheless, the remaining states strictly view the substance as illegal in any form, causing users to be prose-

cuted to the highest extent of the law.

However, it is through these few states that have legalized that the mainstream of “Mary Jane” has exploded.

To youths and older folks alike, the mindset that marijuana is legal in other states helps to justify their own usage.

Additionally, access to polls helps to create the mirage that the “majority” wants to legalize marijuana as “Public opinion surveys consistently show that support for marijuana legalization hovers around 60 percent. But most of those surveys don't ask respondents what, exactly, legal marijuana means to them — they just ask whether marijuana should be legal or not.”

And for those in possession, the American sentiment seems to take precedent over governmental law.

Another even more important aspect involves media’s kings and queens who carry much more influence than government officials.

In a world where marijuana is used explicitly in film, TV. and music and is the “drug of choice” in Hollywood for celebrities such as Wiz Khalifa, Megan Fox and the Chainsmokers, there is no wonder star struck civilians have indulged in the substance.

A recent poll has even discovered a whopping 56% of Americans view smoking as “socially acceptable.”

And its mainstream growth exposes itself through the very lies that are conveyed to the government.

For example, in a result found by the Marist Poll, those who were questioned in person by government officials were less likely to admit marijuana usage than those who were asked on the phone.

And as the Washington Post states, “Considering marijuana remains fully illegal at the federal level, people may simply be more comfortable admit-

ting their use to a voice at the end of a phone line than a representative of the federal government.” Social influence is more important than ever in drug usage.

Overall, whether you argue for the legalization or the continued ban

of marijuana, there is no denying its presence in mainstream American life without the influence of the government.

And as more states begin to legalize and cultural figures indulge, the rates of usage will continue to grow.

Courtesy Herald Tribune

Illinois is one of the many states to legalize medical marijuana.

16 Opinions

28 April 2017

Red & Black

The Convenience of Food Delivery

Courtesy Bembu.com

Food delivery solutions outside of the respective food esablishment tend to face challenges with convenience and success in the market.

Nour Al Shishani Red&Black Staff

Although it is a time consuming process, many students would benefit from the service of food delivery.

Currently, Washington & Jefferson College has no means of food delivery on campus.

Multiple students on campus would be willing to work as delivery specialists, especially if it is on campus and does not require the complicated means of transportation. Hence, it will be beneficial to start a delivery business to students’ dorms. As students

look at their busy calendars, some do not have the chance to eat until later in the day.

However, if W&J had a delivery service, the students might be able to accommodate ordering food when in their rooms, making it faster and more efficient to save meal time for other involvements.

In some occasions, the schedule is not what hinders the student’s ability to eat comfortably, but rather the social anxiety. This anxiety that some suffer from might be settled when students take a break from eating in public.

Although delivery will help with social anxiety, it should have a limit to not increase symptoms of social anxiety.

Exposure to social situations can be healthy as well.

Therefore, there should be a balance between how many times a week a student can order food. In addition to the benefits of being in public, some

exercise is better than staying in the room all of the time. Furthermore, the delivery business has been successful throughout many restaurant businesses.

There are also multiple financial options to satisfy the customers.

As some people express their opinions on food delivery on Quora, Jonathan Brodsky, an early employee at Campus food, said, “Companies that provide food gifts... produce their own food, and deliver it to customers... enable delivery restaurants to receive electronic orders…add new types of delivery services to existing restaurants.”

Therefore, W&J is capable of following multiple delivery plans.

The number of trips offered can be collected in reward of one’s accomplishment or participation in an event.

There can also be delivery only from Commons, the Barista and George & Tom’s. Some student workers can

also receive orders from other restaurants off campus, yet this delivery plan might need more means of transportation, more time and more money.

The final plan can be to participate in a plan with other businesses and companies, and allow the students to have an expanded range of options.

On the other hand, the delivery business is also criticized.

Author Aditya Somani predicts of the failure of the business.

The author wrote “The Beginning of The End of Food Delivery Startups” and said on YourStory, “Food delivery startups face similar challenges of unknown location of demand origination and demand completion, as well as the inability to influence external circumstances.”

Nevertheless, experience and experiment would give the most accurate results because of a variety of circumstances. Hence, a test week would not be a bad idea.

28 April 2017

sports Red & Black

17 Sports

Student Athlete Spotlight: Santino Platt Brianna Floryshak Red&Black Staff

Santino Platt ‘19 is a pitcher for the Washington & Jefferson College baseball team. He attended Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School. While he is at W&J, he plans on majoring in economics. Platt began his baseball career at just 4 years old when he started playing T-ball. Throughout his life

to me and I don’t know what I would do without them.”

The team is all very close and the good chemistry helps them on the field as well.

Currently, the team is 23-7 overall and 16-2 in conference play.

Platt expects the team to go very far this year because they have a deep pitching staff and they call their lineup “dangerous.” Over the weekend of April 22, the team was able to sweep

“The best part is the team itself. The guys on the team have become family to me and I don’t know what I would do without them.”

- Santino Platt he has played other positions in the infield, but now his sole focus is on pitching.

When asked why he likes being a pitcher, he said, “Being a pitcher is great because the pace of the game revolves around you.”

However, with that comes a lot of pressure to deliver the ball with correct pace and pristine accuracy. Platt believes the most challenging part of being a pitcher is perfecting each one of your pitches.

Platt chose W&J because the baseball program has a record of being very successful, along with the school’s well-known academic reputation.

When asked about the team, he said, “The best part is the team itself. The guys on the team have become family

Geneva in a two game series by scores of 13-1 and 12-0. This keeps W&J ranked No. 19 and atop their conference.

During this season, Platt got his first collegiate win against Case Western. He says that win is his favorite memory from W&J. Since then, Platt has added another win to his tally in his game against Point Park. In the Point Park game, he pitched three perfect innings with three strikeouts.

As a sophomore and being a part of a roster that is so deep in regards to their pitching staff, it is very impressive for Platt to have had the opportunity to have had six pitching appearances and gained wins in two of them.

The team’s next home game is Sunday, April 30 against St. Vincent.

Courtesy gopresidents.com

Santino Platt is a sophomore pitcher on the W&J Baseball team.

18 Sports

Red & Black

28 APril 2017

Women’s Lacrosse Senior Day Victory

Courtesy gopresidents.com

W&J Women’s Lacrosse brings home a big win against Franklin with a score of 15-5 on their senior day.

Brianna Floryshak Red&Black Staff

On Saturday, April 22, the Washington & Jefferson College’s women’s lacrosse team hosted their senior night game against Franklin.

They were able to insistently win by a score of 15-5.

Caroline Kallos ‘17 and Monica Ewansik ‘17 had very monumental moments in their senior night.

Kallos and Ewansik started the scoring by each getting a goal and an assist to give the Presidents an early 2-0 lead.

With Kallos’s second goal of the game to put the Presidents ahead 5-0, she reached her 200 career points

mark. Kallos finished the game with four goals and one assist. Ewansik was able to add two more goals to her tally,

six goals, setting a new W&J record with nine points in one game. Kallos was also a presence on the defensive

“Knowing that this was going to be one of the last games I would play with my team made me play with so much heart. I wanted to play not only for my team, but for my fellow seniors especially. This team is a family and I want to relish every second playing with them.”

— Monica Ewansik giving the Presidents a 9-2 lead heading into halftime.

On Ewansik’s first goal in the second half, she reached her 100 career points mark.

This milestone put her name on a pristine list with only eight other players in the program’s history. Ewansik ended the game with three assists and

end where she caused four turnovers, as did Katherine Hooper ‘19. Katelynn Linthicum ‘17 pitched in and added three forced turnovers. In the net, Michaela Mulokey ‘17 earned the win for the Presidents by making eight saves throughout the game.

Ewansik said, “Knowing that this was going to be one of the last games

I would play with my team made me play with so much heart. I wanted to play not only for my team, but for my fellow seniors especially. This team is a family and I want to relish every second playing with them.”

The following day the team was able to gain another win of 15-5 against Mount St. Joseph.

This clinched the Presidents as top seed for the Ohio River Lacrosse Conference Tournament.

For the second-straight year they will be hosting the tournament which will be May 5-6.

With these two wins this weekend, the team improves to 9-4 overall.

The Presidents will conclude their regular season as they face Franciscan and Thiel.

In these games they will look to put the finishing touches on their game in hopes of bringing home another conference title when playoff games come around.

28 April 2017

Red & Black

19 sports

Aaron Hernandez Commits Suicide

Courtesy creativecommons.org

Courtesy Boston Herald

On April 19, Aaron Hernandez committed suicide after being in prison for two years of his life sentence.

Brianna Floryshak Red&Black Staff

In 2013, former New England Patriots tight end, Aaron Hernandez, was convicted for first-degree murder of Odin Lloyd.

In April of 2015, he was sentenced to prison for life after being found guilty. Almost two years later, a drastic discovery was found. With what

seemed to be out of nowhere for the family and legal team, Hernandez was found hanged in his prison cell in the early morning hours of Wednesday, April 19.

It just so happens that, later that day, his former teammates were scheduled to visit the White House as the most recent Super Bowl champions.

This day of celebration for the Patriots was therefore darkened by Hernandez’s suicide.

After his body was discovered, he was transported to UMass Leominister Hospital where numerous lifesaving techniques were performed in a desperate attempt to save his live.

However, they were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at 4:07 a.m. He was allegedly alone in his cell,

with an attempted blockade in front of the door when found. This comes as a shock because last Friday, April 14 he was found not guilty on two counts of murder of which he had been convicted.

This cleared him of two 2014 charges in the deaths of Safiro Furtado and Daniel de Abreu. Things seemed to be looking better for Hernandez as this should have come as a huge weight off his shoulders.

After finally being cleared from the charges of crimes he himself did not commit, one would have expected a shorter sentence.

The family has asked an attorney of Hernandez’s to further investigate his death in hopes of finding some clarity and peace of mind. Recent investiga-

tions have reported finding a few suicide notes left to important people in his life, like his fiancé and daughter.

His plan seemed to be well thought out and planned since police officers also found soap smeared on his cell floor under the window he hanged himself from.

They believe this was so he would be unable to change his mind and land on the floor at the last second of his attempt.

In the wake of his death, Hernandez’s lawyers are still trying to get his charges dropped to at least clear his memory.

Hernandez’s family and friends held a private funeral for him this past Monday in his hometown in Connecticut.

20 sports

Red & Black

Pirates Player Suspended

28 April 2017

This One Time...

Courtesy creativecommons.org

Starling Marte is suspended for 80 games because of a failed drug test.

Brianna Floryshak Red&Black Staff

Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Starling Marte has tested positive for performance-enhancing drug use.

The Major League Baseball Association announced they will be suspending Marte for 80 games, effective immediately. He tested positive for using Nandrolone.

After hearing he tested positive, he stated he was unaware and wanted to apologize and ask for forgiveness following his return after his suspension ends.

Pirates President does not believe this set back will hold them back as they pursue their fight for the division title.

The president looks forward to getting Marte back following the all-star break.

Although his overall presence will be missed, the Pirates will have to make do with the remaining players on the roster.

Marte is considered a threat on both the offensive and defensive front of the game. This season, however, he was

off to a slow offensive start with only averaging a .241 batting average and two home runs in the first 13 games of the 2017 season. On his resume he is a two-time Gold Glove winner and was selected for the 2016 All-Star team.

During his time of suspension, Marte will not be allowed to practice with the team nor will he be paid.

Another repercussion that could have an impact on the Pirates is, even though he is eligible to return for regular season after the All-Star Game, Marte will be unable to participate in the Pirates’ postseason.

Marte will have to train independently for the time being, and when his suspension comes to a close, he will be permitted to play in some minor-league games to prepare him.

In Marte’s future MLB career, he will have to take more random drug tests and, should he get test positive for a second time, he will have a 162-game suspension.

The Pirates will have to figure out what will be their next move regarding their decision on who will play center field in Marte’s absence.

Their choice is between Andrew McCutchen and Gregory Polanco.

Prior to the Pirates adding Marte to their roster, McCutchen played center field. Polanco also plays center field for his international team, the Dominican Republic.

Courtesy gopresidents.com

“We were at a meet in Maryland. The night before our meet, as we were going into our hotel rooms, we saw a playground set. Since we’re cross country guys and that means we do dumb things, we decided to play Grounder, a game like tag where you have to stay off the ground and the person who is ‘it’ is blindfolded. So, yes, its pretty dangerous. We start playing probably at around 10 p.m. People started seeing us and we had an audience of 15-20 people watching us and cheering us on as we played. Eventually, it got late enough that we felt guilty for spending the night before a meet climbing and sprinting around and went to bed, with no harm down. It is definitely one of my favorite memories!”

- Harley Moyer ‘19, Cross Country/Track & Field If you have a favorite memory or funny experience dealing with your sport, email redandblackstaff@jay.washjeff.edu to be featured in the newspaper.