Students Compete in Chopped Competition | 3/11/2016 | Red & Black

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W&J Students Compete in Chopped Competition

by Christopher Frydryck Page 2

Courtesy Christopher Frydryck

LIFE: THE NEW VOICE OF GPS PAGE 9

OPINIONS: POLITICAL CORNER PAGE 18

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W&J Competes in Chopped Competition Christopher Frydryck Red&Black Staff

Popular Food Network game show, Chopped, made its way to W&J this weekend when eight teams battled to find the best culinary artist on campus. With two rounds and three judges, only one team could be victorious in this tasteful throw down.

A multitude of ingredients were provided to the teams.

From fruits and vegetables to red meat and tuna, there was a plethora of ingredients for the teams to utilize. The first round was the appetizer

round, which all eight teams would have the opportunity to impress the judges with their creativity, presentation and taste. While some teams had announced their rightful passage to “food town,” others had made catchy names and phrases for their appetizers.

All teams were given the mystery basket, which may include foods that are not complements of each other, but must be included in the dish.

For example, one may include pineapple, tortillas and strawberries, leaving many confused on how to

implement all of them into the dish. Of the eight teams, only four could continue to the final round, also known as the entrée round.

Given in the mystery basket, a particularly strange ingredient, Pop-Tarts, left the contestants questioning what to do with them. Some were shredding it up while others had methodically cut them into strips to implement them into their dish. At the end of every round, people were on the edge of their seats when they would be announced forward to hear the magic words, “you are safe, and will

Baierl. Baierl plans on taking advantage of everything that the college offers including the Magellan experience where she plans on doing something with the FBI/ State Department or studying lionfish in the Caribbean.

She has a demonstrable love of travel as she has already been to London, Paris, Rome, Assisi, Florence, the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico. It is apparent that the college is everything she had hoped for and even more when she stated, “I love all of the new friends that I have made, all of the opportunities I have been able to take advantage of and all of the leadership qualities I have gained since getting so involved.” She has gotten very involved on campus as

she is a sister of Pi Beta Phi, Secretary of Panhel, Secretary of Alpha Lambda Delta, and is a member of Alpha Pi Omega. Along with these extracurricular activities, she also holds a position at the Admissions House and works as a Student Ambassador.

Outside of school, Baierl loves doing adventurous activities, hanging out with friends and family, working out, being active and being involved in any way that she can. She is a certified scuba diver, loves to ski, has taken pilot lessons, gone sky diving, parasailing, zip lining, took karate, and is currently learning Arabic.

She is an overall well-rounded person, and someone everyone should get to know, especially if you are interested in crazy, exciting adventures.

continue to the next round.”

Some, however, were not so lucky.

As the competition reached closer to the final rounds, a substantial crowd had gathered around to watch the intensity of the chefs and their creations. Anxiously watching the judge’s responses to the dish, groups of people would cheer for their fellow classmates, friends and acquaintances.

W&J’s Chopped this year was quite the nail biter, and all four final teams won a prize of a gift card to local restaurants and food establishments. The

winners, Zeke Stroupe and Juliet DuBall of Team Black, walked away victorious.

In fact, Zeke had exclaimed, “[Juliet] was not my original partner…I had called up a friend and came through with the clutch.”

Considering the success of the event, perhaps SAIL (the sponsor) will host Chopped again in the upcoming years. While many congratulated Team Black on their accomplishments and winning, many agree when saying the real winners were the judges who got to eat an abundance of food.

Student Spotlight: Kira Baierl (Class of 2018) Jordan Toohey Red&Black Staff

Kira Baierl (class of 2018) from Irwin, PA, is an International Studies and Political Science major, with a minor in Business, and a concentration in Conflict and Resolution Studies and Middle Eastern Studies. In the future, she plans on possibly going to graduate school and becoming a State Trooper then going into the FBI or the State Department.

“I chose W&J because it has always felt like home to me. I have come here since I was young with my father and grandfather, who both went here, for homecomings.

I have always felt a connection with the college that I never found anywhere else,” said

Courtesy Jordan Toohey

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3 CAMPUS NEWS

GSA Hosts Drag Bingo Magellan Spotlight Red & Black

Erin Haughey Red&Black Staff

Rachel Belhy Red&Black Contributor

After a half hour of dealing with technical difficulties and letting the anticipation build, Lady Rose Amore and Emmagration made every second of Drag Bingo well-worth the wait. If you don’t know what Drag Bingo is, it is simply bingo hosted by drag queens.

This event was sponsored and run by the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), and this year the Gender and Women’s Studies department generously donated the decorations for this event. On top of that, there were numerous snacks and drinks offered for free, which to any college student is a dream come true.

Before the bingo began, though, the two hosts each put on a performance. Emmagration was up first and gave us quite the show, lip syncing and dancing to “It’s Raining Men” dressed to the nines in a pink, blue and purple frilly dress that moved right along with every hip shake and hair flip.

Right after came Lady Rose Amore perfectly dressed in a penguin-like costume. She put on a glorious performance to the “Happy Feet” version of “Boogie Wonderland.” This was Lady Rose Amore’s fourth year coming to our campus to host a bingo night, so she is very well aware that this was many students’ first time ever witnessing something like this. She succeeded at put-

Courtesy Rachel Belhy

ting everyone at ease right from the beginning when she said, “You’ve never seen a drag queen? Touch me I’m real.” Both Lady Rose Amore and Emmagration were cracking jokes all night long making the night enjoyable for everyone. Especially for all of the first timers, after speaking to Drag Bingo rookie, Taley Dunaway (class of 2018) who said, “It was interesting to say the least. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I ended up having a lot of fun.” This

seemed to be the general consensus amongst the other first timers, judging by the constant laughter and cheering throughout the night. It can be assumed that Lady Rose Amore, Emmagration and all the GSA helpers contributed to making the entire event a great success.

Drag bingo isn’t something found across every college campus, but next time it’s back I suggest you go and attend it at least for a little while simply for the experience.

Lila Thompson (class of 2018) embarked on an amazing four-week Magellan project in Hamburg, Germany this past summer. Thompson spent three weeks teaching English as a second language to children at a preschool and one week experiencing Sylte, an island of Germany. She chose the project because she has always loved children and traveling. She commented on this and said, “this was a great opportunity for me to be able to do both of the things I love at once.”

She studied German culture, but her main project was teaching English as a second language to which she admitted, “I learned that children are good teachers because while I was trying to teach them English they were teaching me German.” Thompson is an International Business major which requires a semester abroad. A Magellen is a great way to begin to understand how to travel on your own with limited resources.

Thompson believes this experience is a great way to have a hands-on learning experience of another culture, especially since it will prepare her for traveling as part of her career.

Adapting to a new culture is not easy, and being able to do it successfully makes you marketable considering that her major requires deep interactions with different cultures. Other than teaching,

Courtesy Erin Haughey

Thompson experienced the countryside with a bike tour near Hamburg and visited the Neuengamme Concentration Camp and other World War II Memorials. The Neuengamme Concentration Camp was operated by the Nazis from 1938 to 1945. It was established by the SS (Hitler’s most trusted soldiers) near the village of Neuengamme in the Bergedorf district of Hamburg, Germany. Thompson experienced some of the best assets Germany has to offer.

She said her favorite part of her trip was being able to eat Gouda cheese every day and picking up some of the German language. The Magellan Project, started by President Tori Haring-Smith, is a great opportunity at W&J for students to become immersed in a culture they are passionate about while learning how to survive and adapt in a completely different environment.

The experience teaches and improves language skills and gives the traveler an idea of what is it like to grow up in places outside of the United States. This allows for a better understanding of the world, its problems and how to solve them.

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New Water Filling Stations at W&J Bailey Mudrick Red&Black Editor-In-Chief

The new drinking waterfilling stations around W&J’s campus are giving ecoconscious students, staff and faculty another good reason to avoid purchasing commercial bottled water.

These new water-filling stations are located at the Swanson Wellness Center, the third floor of Old Main, the first floor of Burnett and by the mailroom by G&T’s.

“This helps the environment because it reduces the consumption of plastic for bottles, and energy to transport water,” said Patrick Caffrey Ph.D., who is part of the Sustainability Committee. “It also reduces our greenhouse gas emissions, since it reduces the number of trips made by trucks. The water-filling stations have water filters to ensure that

the water is at least as safe as bottled water.

The consumption of disposable plastic water bottles has grown in popularity around the world, and particularly in the United States. A study done by the University of Michigan in 2012 estimated that more than 30 billion disposable water bottles are discarded each year in the United States alone, with the average American responsible for approximately 166 bottles per year. The Sustainability Committee at W&J helped with the installation of the water-filling stations to reduce the college’s environmental impact and to save money for the campus, but the members of the committee said it was really a student effort that helped make it all possible.

The water-filling station project began with the initiative of W&J alumna

Bianca Rajan (class of 2014), a former member of the Sustainability Committee.

“When I was a first year in 2010, I noticed immediately that many students buy large packets of plastic bottled water which they throw away (sometimes recycle) after each use,” recalled Rajan. “This was the main water supply for the four years on campus.

I thought that had got to be a lot of waste that can actually be avoided through a simple change of habit.”

When Rajan was a junior she started to pass out reusable water bottles through the Green Club, but soon realized they were rarely put to use.

“I started to wonder why our campus was not responding to an environmental initiative I saw happening in full swing outside of our college world,” said Rajan. “I began to do research on refilling stations and was impressed

by other colleges’ strides and campaigns against plastic water bottles. Some even banned plastic bottled water sales on campus.” Rajan then approached the Sustainability Committee about her idea and was supported by many of the faculty, staff and Parkhurst, to pursue the issue.

The Committee is composed of faculty, staff and students and has nine working groups to make W&J a more sustainable campus.

Once there was sufficient interest and funding, it made the progress easier to get the new water-filling stations. The PennsylvaniaAmerican Water Company graciously donated a fountain, and three others were purchased to install on campus. The Sustainability Committee hopes with the new renovations going on, that more water-filling stations will be installed. The

Sustainability Committee hopes to change students’ perspectives with the new instillation. “Each of the fountains has a digital meter on it and it tells you how many plastic water bottles you are eliminating from the waste stream, which is a great device because it is showing we are being proactive…People don’t realize how many water bottles they buy, and they end of in landfills so awareness is important” said Jim Miller, the Director of Campus Operations and Planning at W&J. The sustainability committee pointed out that when projects are presented and run by students it is more effective to have the college change their habits. “A lot of time it is student initiative and when all of a sudden there is student champion for a cause progress goes a lot faster,” said Jamie March, Associate Professor of Biology at W&J.

fix this problem, Coordinator of Sorority and Fraternity Life, Ashley Crews, and Vice President and Dean of Student Life, Eva Chatterjee-Sutton, came up with a new program called “Circles of Influence.”

Four representatives from each Greek Life organization, Crews and Dean Eva will make up this unique program.

Crews described it as, “Circles of Influence is a new program designed to identify and address issues that inhibit the growth and development

of the collective Greek community, as well as identify aspects of Greek Life that can be enhanced.”

“The intent is to develop strategies that will eventually lay the ground work for a strategic plan for Fraternity & Sorority Life moving forward.”

“This program was thought of through conversations about the current state of Greek Life not only on this campus but throughout the country,” said Crews. “It was also heavily student driven,

many students come to me with thoughts of positive change and there is no better way to make that change than through the power of everyone coming together.”

The goals of this new program are to strengthen Greek Life both on campus and in the Washington community, and to have better communication overall.

“We hope to create a strategic plan for the overall growth of Greek Life, some examples could include

standards or accreditation programs, new policies and procedures in relation to current issues and events, a stronger connection between the Greek community and the W&J community as well as the Washington community,” said Crews.

“I also believe that students from all Greek organization coming together to collaborate and communicate will enhance the community, which is just another plus side of this program.”

Greeks Participate in Circle of Influence Carolyn Wilson Red&Black Staff

Greek Life at every school is unique, that is, every person, organization and situation differs depending on the campus.

At W&J, about 50% of students are in Greek Life.

While this percentage is high, and W&J has many advocates to speak highly of Greek Life, there remains a negative connotation. To help

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W&J Alumni Investigates Boston Bombing Bailey Mudrick Red&Black Editor-In-Chief

The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon, but what happened on Mon April 15, 2013 changed the historic event forever. Around 2:50 p.m. two bombs went off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three spectators and wounding more than 260 other people. The following four days resulted in an intense hunt for who was responsible for the heinous act.

W&J Alumni David Bell visited this college this past week to talk about his involvement in the Boston Marathon Bombing.

Bell is part of the FBI and was involved in the investigation that found the two men – 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his older brother 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev – that were responsible for the bombing.

The 2013 marathon began in the end west of Boston, with some 23,000 participants.

The elite women runners started at 9:32 a.m., while the top male runners and a first wave of thousands of other runners followed at 10 a.m.

Additional waves of runners took off at 10:20 a.m. and 10:40 a.m. At approximately 2:50 p.m. that

afternoon, with more than 5,600 runners still in the race, two pressure-cooker bombs– packed with shrapnel, BB gun pellets and other materials— hidden in backpacks that were placed on the ground amidst crowds of marathonwatchers—exploded within 13 seconds of each other near the finish line along Boylston Street.

A day that was supposed to be filled with joy and accomplishment quickly turned into panic and chaos.

Bell said many people were put in, “difficult moral situations.”

People in the crowd either had to run away from the scene or to bravely help those around them that were injured.

Bell told a story about a doctor who already finished the 26.2-mile course went to his emergency room at the hospital he worked at to help the victims.

An investigation involving more than 1,000 federal, state and local law enforcement personnel was quickly launched as soon as the scene was cleared.

Bell explained that three types of evidence were collected: physical evidence, digital evidence and cellular telephone analysis. “People understandably dropped everything and ran,” said Bell, “tons of stuff like backpacks, strollers, and cellphones were left at the scene.”

Analysts had terabits of pictures to go through and

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watch hours of video footage to try and figure out what happened.

Finally an FBI analyst pinpointed one male suspect in a white hat that had left a backpack in a crowd on Boylston Street. The man was on the phone with someone, so it was assumed he was not working alone.

The FBI went back to the video footage to figure out where this man had come from.

When they did that, they found that the man in the white hat was with another man in a black hat.

Than after a lot of debate, the FBI released surveillancecamera images of the men, whose identities were then unknown, on the evening of April 18.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who had gone back to his college, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, saw his and his brother’s pictures on the news.

That night Sean Collier, a 27-year-old police officer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was shot dead in his patrol car on the school’s Cambridge campus.

Authorities later would link the murder to the Tsarnaev brothers, who allegedly attempted to steal the officer’s service weapon.

Soon after the police officer was killed, Tamerlan Tsarnaev allegedly carjacked a Mercedes SUV at gunpoint, taking the driver hostage and telling him he was one of the

Boston Marathon bombers.

The hostage was able to escape at a gas station and the authorities were able to locate the brothers.

When police approached the vehicle, the Tsarnaevs exchanged fire with the police and hurled explosive devices at them.

Police tackled Tamerlan Tsarnaev, while Dzhokhar Tsarnaev drove the stolen SUV straight at them, running over his brother before speeding away.

He abandoned the SUV nearby then fled on foot.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was taken to a hospital, but doctors were unable to resuscitate

him. Dzhokhar was found several hours later hiding in a backyard in a dry-docked boat.

Bell said without the advancement technology it would have been difficult to find the suspects.

What Bell wanted the college to keep in mind is that when the authorities did question the friends of the Tsarnaev brothers, nobody complied with the officers.

“It is so important to do something,” said Bell.

People knew what was going to happen at the Boston Marathon that day, and it would have only taken one person to tip the authorities.

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6 LIFE

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11 March 2016

Don’t Stress Out, You Will Lose Your Hair!

courtesy of asunow.asu.edu

Leah Segal Red&Black Staff

Whether you have a lot or a little, blonde, brown or black, one thing is for sure— everyone has experienced hair loss.

From rolling the windows down in the summer, you might spot a strand or two being thrown to the wind, find one tangled in a sweater or most commonly pulling locks out in the shower.

Although everyone is aware of this phenomena, there is little cause for concern

as “this process is always happening, and it’s totally normal for a person to lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day this way” according to an article published in The Atlantic.

And while some might find this number abnormally high, compared to the 90,000 to 150,000 hair follicles found on the average head— there is little to be concerned about.

However, if there is one thing to be worried about, it is the relationship between stress and hair loss.

Minimal hair loss is normal, but if you find yourself in a tense time, your mane will undoubtedly suffer. But before hair loss is

understood, growth of hair itself must be understood.

Keith Stenn, author of the new book Hair: A Human History describes the process in an article published by The Atlantic.

First, the hair follicle enters the growth phase, otherwise known as “anagen,” in which it can continue to grow for a period of two to six years.

Imagine how long a single strand can grow!

After the first phase, the hair follicle enters the second (very short) phase, catagen, and begins to shrink.

This phase lasts only a few days, and then the final parts of the process commences.

In telogen, the strand of hair

simply sits on the scalp, until exogen (the last phase) results in its falling out.

However, not all hair goes through these simple steps, which is where the stress steps in. During the growth process, when a normal hair follicle utilizes the body’s nutrients to thrive, the chemical cortisol (a stress hormone) interrupts and causes the premature exogen.

Although this may not seem a big deal, considering how many hairs are present on an average head, cortisol attacks 10 times as many hair follicles as the average amount naturally shed in one day. With that in mind, the likelihood of losing 500-1,000

locks per day is a definite and terrifying possibility. But before the mass panic and wig shopping commences, there is evidence as to the amount of stress and time it takes to affect the growth.

Researchers have discovered a period of three months is the average delay of stress to hair loss, with the stress being astronomically large such as something “physical, like surgery or trauma, or emotional, like a divorce or loss of a job,” according to Stenn.

So the next time you find yourself shedding like a dog, reflect back on past events to track down the stress culprit, and most importantly: relax.

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7 Life

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Snow Shortage Causing Difficulties

courtesy of whesjournalism.com

Erin Haughty Red&Black Staff

In January 1925, the children of a village called Nome were dying of diphtheria; they wheezed and gasped for air, and every day brought a new case of the lethal respiratory disease.

It was feared the disease would wipe out the small population of 1,400. A quarantine of those infected was ordered, but only antitoxin serum could ward off the fast-spreading disease.

However, the nearest medicine was over 1,000 miles south in Anchorage. Due to the iced-over harbor in Nome, sea transportation was not an option.

Sled dogs were the primary way for Alaskans at this time to deliver mail, so Governor Scott C. Bone recruited the best dogs and mushers to

make the transport. The first team consisted of 16 dogs and an experienced musher “Wild Bill” Shannon. Even

by Alaskan standards this particular winter was extra cold, with temperatures dropping to 60 below.

“Wild Bill” Shannon knew he had to keep his dogs under a controlled slower speed; if they ran too fast in the frigid temperatures their lungs would freeze and they would die of exposer. To keep up his own temperature up he ran beside the sled.

Even with the extra precautions he died of hypothermia and frostbite on the 52-mile leg to Tolovana before handing off the serum to the second dog team.

The dogs made it to the second team and on February 2 the serum was delivered to the village.

This began the tradition of Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, with the teams of brave mushers and dogs crossing the Alaskan tundra to deliver

a life-saving serum. With the rising temperatures in Alaska, due to the El Niño weather system, the race is having to make some drastic changes.

For the first time the organizers of the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race are being forced to ship in 350 cubic yards of snow from Fairbanks due to the unusual heat.

According to the National Weather Service, 27 inches of snow has fallen in the Anchorage area since July.

The area normally sees about 61 inches in that time.

The race will begin Saturday, March 5.

Unfortunately, it is expected to above freezing for the next week with only a 20% chance of precipitation; all of which will be rain.

Stan Hooley, Chief Executive Officer of the Iditarod Trail Committee told the Alaska Dispatch News that the ceremonial start may need to be shortened after days of higher temperatures further

eroded the minimal snow on area trails.

The slow pace jog through the city is a tradition that many Alaskans and tourists enjoy and will be disappointed to see change.

The 1000-mile start of the race will be held Sunday in Willow 50 miles north of Anchorage.

A musher and a team of 16 dogs will cross the incredibly long distance in nine to fifteen days. Last year the race had to be moved to Fairbanks, around 300 miles north of Anchorage.

This drastically changed the traditional route to Nome.

According to Tim Sullivan, the spokesperson for the Alaska Railroad and a resident of Anchorage, the company has been in conversation with Iditarod officials all season.

"It's been a warm and snowfree winter," Sullivan said. "It's been in the 40s all week." The railroad is attaching seven cars to the track filled with snow and no charge to the race. Of

course the first conclusion as to why the temperatures are rising is due to global warming.

However, research suggests that El Niño, an irregularly and complex weather system that effects the equatorial Pacific region is to blame; it is characterized by the unusual warm water in Northern Ecuador and Peru.

According the National Weather Forecast Service “higher frequency of storms move up the west side of the ridge into south central Alaska, generating as you can imagine warmer temperatures.”

These unfamiliar temperatures are having an affect on more than the environment. One of Alaska’s many forms of income is tourism.

The success of this industry replies on travelers being able to attend a famous race, like the Iditarod. Many of the mushers also rely on the thousands of dollars in prize money.

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11 March 2016

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Chernobyl’s Radioactive Reindeer

Above, Reindeer from the Chernobyl area eating lichens that are contaiminated by the radiation from the nuclear disaster.

Christopher Frydryck Red&Black Staff Nearly 30 years ago, one of the largest nuclear disasters on the planet had occurred.

Located in the Ukrainian town of Pripyat, nuclear reactor number four had burst without water-cooling safety procedures enabled; exposing lethal doses of radiation in what used to be a town of 50,000 civilians.

400 more times nuclear than the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during WWII, over 100,000 km2 had been covered by nuclear fallout particles, primarily in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Ground zero of the explosion has an estimated half-life between 180320 years, but other areas throughout Europe had a half-life much less than this.

Norway, a country 1225.5 miles (1972.26 km) from Ukraine was even affected from this devastating level seven event calculated by the International Nuclear Event Scale.

Accredited to the vast spread of cesium 137, Norway’s radioactivity level has a half-life of 30 years, which will be reached any day now. However, the half-life is still harmful to the lifestyle of the indigenous Sami people in Norway. Although most people in Norway were free of radioactive activity, reindeer of Norway were not so lucky.

Both lichen and gypsy mushrooms act as a natural filtration system when radioactive particles are nearby, thus filtering out the cesium 137. Unfortunately, these are both prominent in the diet of reindeer during the winter months, thus

transferring the radioactivity to the reindeer.

Particularly an issue this season, Lavrans Skuterud, a scientist at the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority said: “This year, there has been extreme amounts of [mushrooms]…

In addition, the mushroom season has lasted for a long time. And the mushroom has grown very high up on the mountains.”

The Sami people rely on the well-being of the reindeer and typically will harvest the animals for their meat in order to survive. This however, has posed an issue for the indigenous tribe. Although the radioactivity has met its half-life, the amount still left is alarming. A measurement of radioactivity uses a unit known as Becquerel per kilogram (also known as: Bq/ kg). This measures the activity

of a quantity of radioactive in one nucleus that decays per second.

Norway has a limit of 3000 Bq/kg, but the European Union has a limit of only 600 Bq/kg.

A recent study had shown the highest in one Sami herd was 2100 Bq/kg.

If any break the Norwegian limit, they are released to the wild, and are harmful for consumption.

The Sami tribes of the Arctic Europe rely heavily on the liveliness of the reindeer, and can sell their fur for typically $400 alone, while they rely on the meat for their survival.

Native Sami member Kjell Joran Jama had spoken briefly about this epidemic. “We have nothing else to live off.

If the reindeer don’t sell, we are left to ourselves,” said Jama. To this day, Chernobyl

courtesy of theatlantic.com

is still recognized as one of the most radioactive places on earth.

The soil will still be contaminated for at least the next 20,000 years and other places will still be contaminated from what happened 30 years ago for many years to come.

On the contrary to the downfall of the Sami tribe’s reindeer, animals in the exclusion zone have been thriving since human evacuation had ensued in 1986.

The Sami tribe will forever be lingering in the shadows of the explosion at Chernobyl, and one can only wish for a solution to the tribe’s issues.

Ukraine is currently in production of a second barrier that acts as a sarcophagus to reactor number four, and has plans to finish the project within the near future.

11 March 2016

9 Life

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Feel Good Corner

Brain Cancer and A Single Wish Leah Segal RED&BLACK STAFF

of desiring a trip to Disney World, or an “all-expenses paid” shopping trip, Meyer simply asked to clean up trash in her local park. “It doesn’t

it can get animals sick,” said Meyer.

Coming from a small child that is sick herself, Amelia is showing the world she is

according to her mother, Jill Meyer. “She’s always been that kid I cannot get inside,” said Jill Meyer. Once news spread around of Amelia’s

crowd turned out to be a mass of helpers, including: Helzberg Diamonds, The Kansas City Missouri Parks and Recreation Department, In our current state the Kansas City Fire of political mudslinging, Department, the Kansas debates over national City Police Department, debt and global warming, and hundreds of a heartwarming story volunteers. that can restore people’s Meyer herself was faith in humanity is astonished as she much needed—and a responded to the local young girl from Kansas news station. “I thought City, Mo., is giving the there was just going to world just that. be some people, not this Eight year old much,” said Meyer.

Amelia Meyer was In the end, Meyer’s recently diagnosed own wish ended up with brain cancer and being a priceless gift for is courageously fighting the community park. her negative prognosis And in return for with fire and spirit. her act of kindness, However, when her Mayor Sly James named local Children’s Hospital February 27, 2016 gave her the opportunity “Amelia Meyer’s Take to do anything her Care Of The World Day.” heart desired, with her Amelia’s big heart own personal Make-Aproves that, even in courtesy of today.com Wish, Meyer surprisedAbove, Amelia Meyer (left) and her family on February 27 after cleaning up her local park as her Make-A-Wish gift. times of trouble, we can everyone with her all lend a helping hand. response— exposing The next time you are her compassionate heart and look nice and another reason far wiser than her age. Even selfless act— others came outside, keep Amelia in mind proving everyone can give is because it can stay dirty and so, she still has the spirit to help. What young Meyer and pick up some trash as you something back. Instead of an ordinary kid at heart believed would be a small walk by.

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And the Oscar Goes To . . . Racial Controversy Ben Langdon Red&Black Staff Chris Rock wasted no time at the 88th Academy Awards addressing the elephant in the room.

Arriving center stage in his white tux, Rock welcomed the audience to the “White People’s Choice Awards.”

The jabs did not end there, however, as Rock’s monologue pulled no punches and continued an onslaught of jokes at the expense of the Hollywood elites.

Rock’s monologue was sharp, even-handed and— most importantly—very funny.

Rock effectively completed the balancing act of engaging with the controversy, while not ignoring all sides of it.

For example, Rock noted that it was interesting that many people chose this year to protest the Oscars. Black actors had been omitted in the past, according to Rock.

The assault on Hollywood did not end with the

monologue. Rock made sure to keep race as the central theme throughout the entirety of the show.

Although not all jokes hit well, (Stacey Dash’s appearance as the new “minority outreach” official for the Academy was not well received by the Hollywood crowd and many viewers at home), Rock was able to combine a scathing critique of Hollywood diversity with his own self-deprecating nature to produce a solid hosting performance.

Aside from Chris Rock’s performance as host, the rest of the 88th Academy Awards happened in much the same way it does every year: three and a half long hours of wading through thank you speeches and Mad Max: Fury Road Oscar wins (this film won six Oscars, the most of the night) until the big awards are handed out.

The biggest surprise win of the night had to be Mark Rylance, taking home a best supporting actor

Courtesy kpbs.org

Oscar for his role as the spy Rudolf Abel in “Bridge of Spies,” beating out the frontrunner, Sylvester Stallone.

The rest of the acting awards went just as expected: Alicia Vikander won best supporting actress for her work in “The Danish Girl,” Brie Larson took home best lead actress for “Room,” and Leonardo DiCaprio, for his

very first Oscar, won best lead actor for “The Revenant.”

DiCaprio talked about his role in the snowy revenge film and stressed the fact climate change is very real.

“Let us not take this planet for granted,” he said at the end of his speech. “I do not take tonight for granted.

Thank you so very much.”

When all was said and

done, it was “Spotlight,” the gripping film about the investigative journalists who uncovered the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandal, who took home best picture.

It is only fitting that the 88th Academy Awards, which was marred by controversy, would end with a film about a different controversy taking the top prize.

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Go Wild with Disney's "Zootopia" Mario Tiberie Red&Black Staff

Prepare yourself for another soon-to-be Disney classic: “Zootopia.”

Set in an animated world full of anthropomorphic animals who live together in peace and harmony, “Zootopia” focuses on Judy Hopps (played by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (played by Jason Bateman) as they work together to solve a case that could change the fabric of life

in Zootopia. After becoming the first rabbit cop in the city of Zootopia, Hopps takes on a case involving several missing citizens of the city.

Along the way she encounters a clever fox, Wilde, who happens to be a small-time con artist.

As the two investigate the case throughout the many suburbs of Zootopia (such as Sahara Square, Tundra Town, Rainforest District), they come across a variety of characters and stumble upon the age-old concept of predator versus prey. Besides the incorporation of clever puns throughout the entire film

(such as “Gazelle,” a gazelle pop star voiced by Shakira), “Zootopia” uses a variety of humor that entertains both young and old alike.

The creativity and imagination of the filmmakers are present throughout the entire experience with the use of lively characters and great world-building.

While the film is definitely aimed towards younger audiences, all ages can enjoy and reflect upon its many themes such as prejudice, stereotypes and diversity, all major topics in today’s society.

“Zootopia” is able to merge these complex ideas into a

Clavius suddenly finds himself undergoing an urgent mission.

Deeply shaken to the core by some of the discoveries that have been made, Clavius soon realizes that none of his experiences could have ever prepared him for the impossible events that he sees right before his own eyes.

After all, how can a man reconcile what he has believed his whole life with the sight of dead man, whom he had executed himself, alive again?

We all know the account of Jesus rising from the dead: how he was crucified, how his tomb was found empty and how his disciples witnessed his ascension into heaven.

But, as producer, Rich Peluso put it, there just had to be more to the story than that,

“we have to think about the fact that when Jesus rose, the grave was empty.

There were Romans that where there to guard it. What on earth was happening on the other side of the room that we’re not paying attention to?”

Amidst desperately dug up corpses, interrogating witnesses and intense pressure to maintain order before the arrival of the emperor, the movie “Risen” is not your typical faith-based film.

Commonly shown from the eyes of Jesus himself or one of his disciples, “Risen” changes the game and tells the story of the death and resurrection of Christ from the perspective of a skeptic, who “encounters these believers and who is thrust into the most important event in history.”

dramatic tale that is able to both entertain children and allow them to start thinking about real-world issues.

Josh Whitted (class of 2019) praised the film’s messages, and said, “While at times they seemed a little forced, the themes were complex and generally mixed into the film in a way that isn’t overwhelming for children.”

Aside from themes, the voice cast did an outstanding job and provided a ton of life to the animated characters.

From tiny rodent gang leaders to sloth DMV workers, the world of “Zootopia” is filled with imaginative, life-

like, and comical characters that reflect our society today.

Some may choose not to see this film due to it being a ‘children’s’ movie, but I urge you to check it out if you have some free time coming up.

Although the film is geared towards little ones, it has a something for everyone, from thought-provoking messages and a complex story to hysterical jokes and clever characters. This Disney film can appeal to all audiences.

Don’t be too quick to judge “Zootopia,” and besides . . . who doesn’t enjoy a good Disney movie? I give “Zootopia” a 9 out of 10.

"Risen": Christ's Story from a Skeptic's Eyes Diana Ciarallo Red&Black Staff

“The Nazarene, did you find him different?”

“I found him dead.”

Traveling through a desolate desert, a lone figure in a worn cloak finds shelter in a hut.

Noticing the ring that this stranger wears on his finger, the owner of the hut asks him if he has come far.

As a Roman tribune, Clavius (Joseph Fiennes) has seen many battles and is well acquainted with the brutalities that have been committed for the sake of the Roman Empire, for the sake of assuring that there will be no other gods but their own.

After the brutal public executions of three criminals,

Courtesy youtube.com

Cinematic and engaging, the film unfolds like a police procedural drama as Clavius, haunted by the image of Christ on the cross, finds himself thrown into fearful doubt as everything he has ever known is challenged.

Can he continue to place his faith in the false gods whom he prays to for strength?

How can he continue to fight

against the religious zealots whose beliefs may have more validity than he once gave them credit for?

What should he believe in and, more importantly, how will his life be changed by everything he has seen?

At the prompting of, “What are you afraid of?” he soberly replies, “Being wrong. Wagering an eternity on it.”

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11 M arch 2016

J.K. Rowling Announces New Film Trilogy Jordan Toohey Red&Black Staff

J.K. Rowling is a famous author known for the Harry Potter book series that were gradually and carefully transformed into eight movies.

Since the last movie, fans have been anxiously waiting to see what was next for the author and her beloved characters.

Currently, fans are going crazy as they await the new play, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” which will be the 8th story (but first play) in the Potter universe. It focuses

on Harry in his adult life after his years at Hogwarts. Harry Potter is alive once again!

The children who grew up watching and reading this series are now also around their twenties and thirties, but that does not mean that the amazing journey is over for themselves or Harry as this next installment is released.

Harry Potter became a huge part of people’s lives, therefore when the fans heard that Rowling confirmed “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will be a trilogy, they understandably rejoiced.

These films will be fantasy adventure films that are inspired by the book of the same name. Rowling intends

for them to be a spinoff/ prequel to the Harry Potter series that fans will get to add to their collections.

Although Fantastic Beasts will not be specifically about Harry Potter, it takes place in the same magical universe that Rowling created in the saga.

Fantastic Beasts stars a magizoologist and a textbook writer, Newt Scamander, who wrote the textbook Harry reads, 70 years later at Hogwarts.

Inside the book, there are several notes that were supposedly handwritten by Harry, Ron, and Hermione that detail their own experiences with some of the

Courtesy variety.com

beasts described therein. This book is used as a required textbook for their first year at Hogwarts, where it is used as an encyclopedia to learn about the dark creatures they study in their Defense

Against the Dark Arts classes.

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is scheduled for release on Nov 18, 2016, with the second following on Nov 16, 2018 and the third on Nov 20, 2020.

A Taste of Theatre: Tim Blair Jr.’s “Members Only” This is an excerpt from Timothy Blair Jr.’s play, Members Only. This piece touches upon the strain that the protagonist, Dominic, faces between defending the family’s honor within the mafia and taking care of his ailing mother, Mrs. Leotardo.

DOMINIC: No ma, Chili’s. I took you to Chili’s, a restaurant. They’re sayin’ Chile, that’s another country... I’m gonna go check out the kitchen, see what you got today...Let’s see what we got in the ol’ fridge here . . . HELLO MOTHER, why is there processed meats in the fridge?

MRS. LEOTARDO: Wait hold on, I’m comin’...Ahhhh DOMINIC: Ma what the hell are you doin’?! What is that thing for?

MRS. LEOTARDO: It’s a crucifixDOMINIC: Yeah, I know what it is, why the hell are you running in here with it, yellin’ n’ stuff?

MRS. LEOTARDO: You said there was possessed meats in the fridgeDOMINIC: Ma . . . PROCESSED, not possessed like demon crap, PROCESSED, like Salami and Capicola, the kinda stuff your doctor specifically told you to stay away from. This stuff is filled with carcinogens and preservatives.

MRS. LEOTARDO: Oh get outta’ here, I can eat whatever I want, they don’t know what they’re talkin’ about. I’ve been eatin’ it my whole life.

DOMINIC: Yeah, and as a result, you got stomach problems that I gotta worry about now.

MRS. LEOTARDO: Alright, alright, fine, anything for my boy, Now come on in the other room and watch some TV with your mother before dinners ready.

DOMINIC: Sounds great to me.

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Poetry Corner Winter Tales: A Series of “From the Nest” Diana Ciarallo Red&Black Staff A house High in the branches She watches Witness Own apprentices A protected berth Pupils pass below Wanderers From the buildings Mixing and thronging Secure their worms A fact of life

"Blossoming" Matthew Lewis Red&Black Contributor Thin, pale strokes of cloudy gray Against a backdrop of ivory winter.

Delicate, frail, swaying in the wind And yet new buds begin to blossom.

Through fall's chill and Winter's icy will, The roots drink the ground Like a draught of whiskey, Giving life and warmth to the Sun-kissed blooms.

Student-Written Plays Carolyn Wilson Red&Black Staff

Last weekend, W&J presented their annual Winter Tales: a series of eight, one-act plays.

This is the 14th year that W&J has performed this event, and this year’s submissions continued the tradition of creative, witty and sometimes dark plays.

Winter Tales consists of original plays written from W&J students, faculty, administration and staff. This year, there were eight students whose plays were selected, one of them being Bailey Mudrick (class of 2016).

She commented, “the idea for my play kind of just came to me. I started writing it over intersession and once I began writing, I never stopped.”

She stated that her play was, “about a father who is driving his son to college for the first time. The son accuses his dad of cheating on his mother and they try and understand each other situations. I wanted my play to be something that students could relate, too.”

Along with playwrights, the performers were W&J students, too. Because there are eight plays, it was not a typical theater show.

This type of performance is called a concert reading because all of the performers read from the script and focused on the words being

Courtesy washjeff.edu

said instead of the actions of the plays. This made the audience focus on the dialogue and stage directions, picturing the plays in their own minds.

“It was really cool,” said Abigail Pipcho (class of 2018).

“The actors portrayed their roles very well and used their voices effectively and effortlessly to capture the audience’s attention.”

The director of Winter Tales was Mr. T. Scott Frank, Professor of Communication Arts at W&J. While Winter Tales is a highly entertaining event, it is also a chance for young playwrights to showcase their talents and hard work.

“Playwrights see the world from a personal perspective, not a corporate one.

Their outside stories fire the imagination and enable people to see the world as it is rather than as they might wish it to be,” said Frank. “As the corporate inside continues to expand, the artist’s outside continues to shrink, along

with our capacity to imagine.

The corporate story requires no imagination.

The outside story can only exist through it, as all art must.

So young playwrights exercise their imaginations so that we might exercise ours. That’s why [young playwrights] are important, because the imagination is the only thing that can save us.”

Although playwriting is a long process, even for a ten minute one-act play, Mudrick agreed that the process was well worth it, “this is the first play I have ever written and it was a very rewarding process.

I love reading plays by playwrights like Tennessee Williams and Henrik Ibsen because their plays are captivating and provoking. I wanted my work to reflect the same characteristics.

Watching my play performed during Winter Tales was exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. It was definitely a satisfying experience.”

14 Opinions ...Common Core has left America with a misguided mosh pit...

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11 March 2016

OPINIONS

All of the talk from Republicans about building a wall is problematic...

P. 17

Do Away With the Diaper and Tampon Tax Abby Pipcho Red&Black Contributor

Most of today’s taxes are on nonessential items. Decided by state governments, products such as cigarettes, clothing, guns and gas are taxed to in order to generate revenue.

A majority of states choose not to tax the necessities such as food, power, water and prescription drugs.

41 US States, however, place a sales tax on some rather necessary items: diapers, tampons and sanitary pads.

Pennsylvania (along with Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New Jersey) is one of the five states who actively chose not to tax these

items due to their “necessity” status.

The tax on tampons and sanitary pads is bottom line discriminatory against women. In her lifetime, the

and spend roughly $2,809.

The average sales tax in the United States is 8% so over her lifetime, a woman will give $224 worth of sales tax to her state government over time.

Courtesy of blog.babyplanet.pk

average woman will have approximately 516 periods.

Correctly using tampons, she will use 14,448 tampons

This is $224 worth of necessity.

A woman should not be out $224 because she is in fact a woman, and has a period

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

along with the other millions of women in the United States who have periods.

The product is a necessity because it allows women to function normally in society,

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.

just as food, power, water and prescription drugs do.

Without tampons or sanitary pads, women could not

participate in today’s world, attend work or be comfortable in public or private settings.

This goes along with diapers. Today’s society’s norm is disposable diapers as they are easier to use and more sanitary. These diapers are never wasted and only are used as they are needed.

Caregivers buy and use diapers economically.

In all, these are completely necessary for the health and normal functioning of a baby.

If diapers were not a necessity, then every baby would not be wearing one 24/7 of their infancy.

They, however, are and babies are entirely dependent on their existence.

Since we don’t tax other necessary items, why should 41 states tax the necessary tampons, sanitary pads and diapers women and babies use every day?

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

11 March 2016

15 Opinions

Red & Black

Is Amazon Echo the Newest Innovation?

It seems that while technology is becoming smaller and more efficient, it also is including alternatives to preexisting abilities. The Amazon Echo is no exception to the rule, and here’s why.

It seems that over the years the word “innovation” has been ruined by tech companies around the world.

Loosely throwing the word around has desensitized the public to what real innovation is.

Introducing the World Wide Web, packet switching and digital imaging was innovative; there was nothing like it before. Amazon Echo on the other hand? Well, it is up to the eye of the beholder.

Amazon Echo was introduced in 2014 under a limited run of the product line, and by 2015 was available to the mass public. It is a personal cylindrical assistant that utilizes Bluetooth to do everything from setting an alarm to telling you the weather, playing news podcasts, audio books, and music, including volume adjustments, all under voice control.

It is Siri or Google Voice, but capable of performing more everyday activities. On paper, it sounds wonderful, but let’s dive a little deeper

into what it truly is. Amazon classifies it as a “#1 in home automation controllers,” and, while that may be true, Amazon has made these classifications so specific that what many would consider another home automation controller, Nest, is not recognized as such. Instead, they are considered “#1 in home remote monitoring systems,” which is so specific, that they may as well make another category called, “#1 in audio headphones excluding earbuds and noise cancelling, but maintains a crisp sound quality with a little bass boost and flamboyant color options,” and give that award to any Beats by Dr. Dre products.

Now, the reason that this topic has recently come up was because of Amazon’s new announcement for an echo lineup: the Amazon Tap and Echo Dot, both of which are Amazon’s substitutes to the whopping $180 Amazon Echo.

The Amazon Tap is a similarly sized Amazon Echo while the Echo Dot is a hockey puck sized Echo. Both of which intend to be cheaper and a prominent alternative to the Echo, but there is another issue with the entire lineup.

Extreme Tech had exclaimed for the Amazon

lineup: “The appeal of the Echo and Echo Dot is that they can be controlled handsfree.” This, however, may be an issue for a few people.

For starters, if someone in your life has the name Alexa, you may be purchasing unneeded objects from Amazon and having your Echo go off quite frequently.

This is because Amazon has decided to have the voice activation keyword: “Alexa.”

Other voice activated services tend to avoid common words or words that may sound like others in common practice, but Amazon threw that out the window. So next time you tell your friend, girlfriend,

wife, life partner etc. “Alexa, don’t forget to buy more Tide,” you may get more than one.

One from the Alexa in your life, and one from Amazon two days later.

The other issue with the Amazon Touch in particular is that Amazon wants to sell the idea of portability and durability to carry it around all day. And for an object that is half a foot tall, three inches wide and an obscure cylindrical size, it isn’t the most portable or friendly on a daily commute. Other services on a mobile telephone are much more convenient since they are already built into the firmware of the device. So, is

Amazon’s new Echo lineup innovative or going to be a success? In my opinion, no and yes.

Innovative is thrown around loosely to the point of de-sensitivity and creates a blurred line between what is new and what is going to change the world as we know it. Amazon Echo to everyone’s knowledge was a decent success, but it may have been masked well within its, #1 ranking in “home automation controllers.” The new Amazon Echo lineup should be released by March 31, 2016, and will be quite interesting if it is the success that many expect it to be.

Courtesy gazettereview.com

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The Mess That We Call Common Core Leah Segal Red&Black Staff As college students, we have luckily slipped through Common Core’s ugly grasp, leaving us unmarred by the program’s twisted and confusing mathematical processes and even more absurd strategies of achieving an answer. However, for younger generations—they are not so lucky.

So what exactly is Common Core? It began in 2008 as the brainchild of Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano who worked with the National Governors Association and felt that the lack of success in the American education system (compared to other nations) needed to be changed.

However, instead of allowing each individual state to construct changes to their sub-par educational systems, Governor Napolitano took it upon herself and “created a task force – composed of commissioners of education, governors, corporate chief executive officers and recognized experts in higher education” with the goal of creating a revamped

educational system along with new standards-- now known as Common Core Curriculum.

While I agree the educational system in other countries has far surpassed the United States, this is not the fault of the current curriculum.

In other countries such as France or Germany, the typical student is much more academically focused compared to a U.S. student who may be involved in multiple school functions and after school activities (that do not exist in European schools).

Nevertheless, Common Core (specifically mathematics) continues to plow forward— leaving behind a wreckage of confused teachers and students alike— due to the insanity of such “improvements.”

In essence, “The Common Core is informed by the highest, most effective standards from states across the United States and countries around the world”— a statement directly taken from their website.

While pulling aspects of other nations has the capability of helping to improve our own

nation, it sadly doesn’t work that way— and in turn it further destroys our already fragile system.

For example, the importance of Algebra is nonnegotiable. Therefore, it would make sense to implement the class as early as possible— beginning in middle school.

However, for Governor Napolitano and others like her, they disagree.

In an interview with former U.S. Department of Education official Ze’ev Wurman published in The Pioneer, Wurman states “the standards do not expect Algebra I to be taught in grade 8, reversing the most significant change in mathematics education in America in the last decade, and contrary to the practice of the highest-achieving nations.”

That being said, by attempting to copy other nation’s educational standards, Common Core has left America with a misguided mosh pit of mathematical standards as well as confusing programs that will ultimately set us farther back on the track of success—hopefully there will be a turnaround before other nation’s lap us.

Courtesy theblaze.com

11 March 2016

Overdosing Causing Doctors to be Charged with Murder Abby Pipcho Red&Black Contributor

In today’s society, prescription drug overdoses are increasingly becoming a problem. The CDC recorded approximately 30,000 deaths in 2014 due to overdose on prescription painkillers alone.

The first case has recently emerged in the United States’ legal system trying a doctor for murder. Dr. Hsiu-Ying Tseng has been tried and convicted for murder in terms of prescribing pain killers to three patients who later overdosed and died. She was recently sentenced from 30 years to life in prison for the deaths. This conviction of murder is completely unfair to both doctors and their patients.

The patient to doctor relationship is complex in all cases, but ultimately lies on trust and communication.

If a patient has a surgery or particular condition, the doctor is likely to prescribe painkillers to the patient. This prescription is given only after the doctor fully evaluates the status of the patient and risks are discussed. The patient must then take the physical prescription to their pharmacy where it will be filled. This important measure

is taken in order to decrease the chances of the prescription getting into the wrong hands and being misused.

After the prescription is filled, however, the responsibility lies in the patient’s hands. With the painkillers comes a pamphlet with strict instructions, risks and side effects. Included in this information is a warning about the addictive quality of painkillers. The patient must take responsibility for their own actions and use the prescription properly.

From there, follow-up visits with the physician are likely where the patient will communicate honestly their medication regimen and use.

If in this situation the patient complains still of pain and requests a refill, the doctor’s main focus is to comply with the patient’s needs and keep them pain free. It is impossible for the doctor to know if the patient is requesting a refill because they are still in pain, or if they have developed an addiction.

This is where the patient comes into play. As an adult, they must be held accountable for the proper use of their own medication. It is in no way just to charge a doctor with murder for simply prescribing a medication they thought was helping the patient in proper use. In these situations, misuse falls entirely on the patient.

11 March 2016

Red & Black

The Political Corner

Illegal Immigration in the Upcoming Political Election Ben Langdon Red&Black Staff

Donald Trump is right about one thing: he has caused immigration to become a key issue this election cycle, but it is for all the wrong reasons.

As the Right argues over who would come down harder on undocumented families and the Left ignores the issue unless they are campaigning in a southwestern state, it is important to remember the reasons that immigration and—more importantly—immigration reform is crucial to America’s well-being.

Immigration matters because immigrants make up a significant portion of America’s workforce.

According to Pew Research, unauthorized immigrants, alone, make up around 5.1% of the U.S. labor force.

This coupled with the fact that a majority of unauthorized immigrants cannot apply for most government benefits (for example, it is illegal for unauthorized immigrants to receive food stamps) goes against the Republican claim that unauthorized immigrants are a drag on the system.

On the contrary, most unauthorized immigrants contribute to this country with their tax dollars, but are not granted the opportunity to enjoy benefits that most U.S. citizens have.

The question of how to stop the flow of illegal immigration has led to

the Right’s reembrace of the creation of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump, the Republican front-runner, is particularly fond of building a wall, and defends his view by comparing it to another famous wall. “You know the Great Wall of China, built a long time ago, is 13,000 miles. I mean, you're talking about big stuff. We're talking about peanuts, by comparison, to that,” said Trump. It should be noted that the Great Wall of China did nothing to effectively prevent a Manchurian invasion in the 17th century.

All of the talk from Republicans about building a wall is problematic not only because it wouldn’t work, but because it ignores actual solutions to the illegal immigration problem.

There is a reason that no politician in their right mind would call for border wall along the U.S.-Canada border (I’m looking at you, Scott Walker).

Canada is a thriving economic state and nobody is fleeing Canada for the prospects of a better life in America.

If we want to reduce illegal immigration, then it should be the goal of the United States to improve the economic well-being of the countries that are sending the most undocumented immigrants to the United States. If we make it a priority to tackle poverty, political disenfranchisement and civil rights violations in Central and South America, then the immigration problem will solve itself. The way to solve illegal immigration is not by making it harder to live in America, but by making it easier to live in one’s country of origin.

17 Opinions

The Cost of Bringing Jobs Back Nathan Kanuch Red&Black Contributor

Partnership. On the Republican side, Donald Trump has promised significant tariffs on Chinese goods with guarantees to bring back Growing up in Western Pennsylvania, American manufacturing jobs. just outside of Pittsburgh, has provided Sanders, Clinton and Trump are me with a great microcosm of how the missing the key point. Manufacturing rest of the country is feeling. jobs are not coming back. Period, Western Pennsylvania has point-blank. Furthermore, we do not everything: liberals in the city, middle want those manufacturing jobs to to upper class come flowing back. families living in the Instead of holding on suburbs and rural to the Instead of holding on dangerously farmers scattered past, we must look several minutes forward to the future, dangerously to the from the three rivers. in a way Pittsburgh past, we must look Pittsburgh also has has successfully done. given the rest of forward to the future, Do we want to pay industrial America an even higher price a model of how to in a way Pittsburgh has for an iPhone? Do we grow into the 21st want to pay $20 for a successfully done.

Century without plain white t-shirt? losing a highly How about $10 for a specific culture. gallon of milk?

While cities like By refusing to Detroit, Youngstown innovate and seek and others across the Rust Belt deal new jobs, we will feel the cost in with high unemployment and crime, our wallets. Trade is not an object Pittsburgh has innovated and moved that we feel tangibly and obviously. firmly into the new century after When tariffs and trade barriers exist, experiencing its own downturn in however, the costs are immediately the 1980. It has fully embraced a felt. globalized economy and moved from An influx of tariffs and getting into industry to things like health care and trade wars with countries like China other services, which brings us to the will not help the Rust Belt. In fact, if point of this editorial. industrial towns and anti-free traders In recent debates, candidates for get their way, the Rust Belt and former president have denounced trade deals manufacturing capitals will always be like NAFTA and TPP. crumbling into the ground. Pittsburgh Bernie Sanders in particular has was aware of this fact. Thus while the demonized trade, and Hillary Clinton city has moved into the new century has disavowed her previous support with both feet, it has kept its culture. for one of President Obama’s key If cities fail to adapt, both their culture accomplishments, the Trans-Pacific and their entire way of life will be lost.

18 Sports

SPORTS NEWS Red & Black

11 M arch 2016

FIFA Elects New President Athlete Spotlight: Sonnieboy Blanco Sue Tran Red&Black Staff

The international governing body for soccer, FIFA, has chosen a new president to head the organization nine months after the resignation of former president, Sepp Blatter.

To all those who have not heard of the scandal brewing over FIFA, the organization is still recovering from a major corruption probe that exposed many of the top FIFA officials.

Many of the top officials and corporate executives have been charged for counts of corruption, racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.

FIFA oversees the World Cup, the biggest soccer championship match that occurs every four years; this event means big business for broadcasters and sponsors.

Many people speculate that the officials took bribes in order to secure locations for future World Cups. With the 2022 Quatar World Cup in mind, many people question why a vigorous outdoor sport would be played in a country known to have sweltering summer temperatures that can sometimes reach up to 120 degrees. Luckily, Gianni Infantino has entered the picture.

Gianni Infantino, the secretary of the Union of Euro-

pean Football Associations, was elected last week to be the president of FIFA until his term ends in 2019. Infantino, received 115 votes in last week’s second round voting’s, more than the required majority vote of 104 from the 207 members The newly elected Swiss graciously opened his acceptance speech by patting his right hand over his heart and exclaiming, “We will restore the image of FIFA and the respect of FIFA. And everyone in the world will applaud us," referring to bribery and corruption investigations that have rocked soccer's governing body. "I want to be the president of all of you ... It is time to return to football.

FIFA has gone through hard times, crisis times. These times are over ... We have to win back the respect, and focus on this wonderful game that is football."

Earlier before the elections, FIFA’s congress overwhelmingly passed numerous reforms intended to make the organization transparent, professional and accountable.

These reforms mean that Infantino will face closer scrutiny than Blatter ever did along with less influence to day-to-day management of FIFA’s business affairs.

Top officials will also have term limits as well as the responsibility to report earnings.

Tyler Phillips Red&Black Staff

Sonnieboy Blanco ’17 of Burlington, N.J., has made his junior year at W&J quite an eventful and busy one.

He is a wrestler who has continued to win matches and break records for both the school and his personal goals as an athlete.

Blanco ended the fall semester with a victory at the 50th Rochester Institute of Technology Invitational.

At the tournament he was awarded Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Overall, the wrestling team placed 10th in the invitational.

Over Intersession, Blanco continued his success with tournament wins at Washington & Lee University on January 9 and at the Will Abele Invitational at Ursinus College on January 16.

However, his biggest achievement thus far was his recent win at Lycoming College in the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Tournament. He is now advancing to the national championship in Cedar Rapids, Iowa which will take place March 11th.

Blanco has been wrestling since he was in the fifth grade, but he wasn’t always focused on it. “I didn’t really have the drive or the support until high school when it started to be

serious,” said Blanco. It was during his sophomore year of high school that his coaches told him about the opportunity of wrestling in college.

That was when he took interest in attending college as a student athlete and focused on his academics while continuing to improve his wrestling abilities.

W&J was not his top choice either; after many other college visits, our campus was one of his last stops.

Blanco visited one day and felt like he was at home already despite the long distance. “When I came onto campus, I fell in love with the environment,” said Blanco.

He felt that it was the best choice among other colleges to continue his education and athletic career.

Blanco currently wrestles in the 174 class and does everything he can to stay at his top performance by sticking to a regular diet, keeping track of his weight and giving 100% effort at practice and workouts.

Blanco is a communications arts major and plans to enter the marketing field after graduation.

He volunteers regularly in events that he finds on W&J Weekly and is also the host of the SonnieSideUp Show on 91.7 WNJR, a radio show Blanco cohosts with Dominic Percell ’19 and showcases music with a different guest ev-

ery Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. On the show, the hosts and guest stream their favorite songs and explore different genres of music.

Dance routines work their way into the show from time to time along with the occasional musical performance by the guest.

Fashion is one of Blanco’s biggest interests and he is known on campus for his outfits that set him apart from others.

He says that he feels inspired by fashion and wants to inspire others with what he wears.

He thanks his wrestling coaches Tommy Prairie and Jeff Breese for all of their help throughout his wrestling career and says that he looks up to them for their professionalism in running W&J’s wrestling program. “Thank you for always believing me, always pushing me when I don’t want to wrestle, and always letting me know that academics come first,” said Blanco to his coaches.

Blanco respects his coaches for acknowledging academics first – a quality that he says is not found in every coach.

He also thanks his teammates for pushing him to work harder and growing together as a team.

Blanco will advance to the National Championship with Jacob Spearman ’16. Pipe it up!

11 MARCH 2016

19 SPORTS

Student Athlete Spotlight: Lexi Hilzendeger Erin Haughey Red&Black Staff

Lexi Hilzendeger, a starting 5’10’’ outside hitter for W&J’s volleyball team, unfortunately, had her season cut short due a knee injury in the first tournament of the year at La Roche College.

Hilzendeger tore her ACL as she landed after what she calls “One of the best kills of her life.”

Her recovery process has been long and exhausting.

She spends hours a day in the training room and gym doing

Red & Black

rehab in the hopes she will be able to return for her senior year.

This kind of dedication is not seen in every athlete.

Hilzendeger has a special bond with the game.

She has been playing for nine years and says her favorite part of the sport is the fast pace and the team effort that is involved. She particularly enjoys W&J volleyball because of her teammates. “This past year especially, I realized how lucky I am to have the girls on my team that I do. I've come to figure out that I play this sport for teammates, not

myself. The bonds I've made with them are indescribable, and I couldn't imagine my college career without each and every one of them in it,” said Hilzendeger.

Not being able to play this season made her realize her true love of the game.

“Not playing this season was without a doubt one of the toughest things I've ever had to deal with, mentally and physically.

Although it sucked, I can say that it made me grow as a person and realize how passionate I am about the game. I'm looking forward

to seeing where next season takes me after my recovery,” said Hilzendeger.

Any athlete knows that your sport impacts your life on and off the court or field. It becomes a way of life. “I think volleyball has given me many life skills that have helped me and will continue to help me in my future - the importance of teamwork, leadership, time management, determination, and adaptability.

Volleyball has also given me some of the best friendships I have ever had,” said Hilzendeger. Hilzendeger

is one of those teammates that have such a large impact on her team. She has an amazing presence and leads by example.

She is always boosting her team’s confidence with her positive attitude even if she is not able to play. One of Hilzendeger’s best qualities is her sense of humor and ability to cheer her teammates up no matter the situation.

Hilzendeger’s teammates and coaches are anxious to have her back on the court and very optimistic that she will return better than ever her senior year.

and he spent the last 365 days trying to right that wrong.

It will be his first trip to NCAAs and we expect him to be an All American,” said Prairie. “This is Spearman’s third trip to NCAAs. He has lost twice in the All American Round and is eager to get back.

He is better focused and wrestling at a higher level than he ever has in his career. We expect him to make a run at the National Title this year.”

Despite previous setbacks in their wrestling careers, Prairie is sure that Blanco and Spearman will come out of the Championships in good standing. “Both Spearman and Blanco are offensive wrestlers that like to score points and that is the way you need to wrestle if you want to be an All American. I am confident that when they leave Cedar Rapids they will

both be All Americans,” said Prairie.

Spearman aims to be on top of the podium during the NCAAs and to finish out his senior year without any regrets. “Making it to nationals feels rewarding, especially after all the hard work and time I have invested into living the lifestyle and doing all the right things to get

to this point,” said Spearman.

“The main goal is to be on top of the podium next weekend, and being my last season, I am just trying to soak up every moment and enjoy the ride with no regrets looking back.” While Blanco is excited for this opportunity to show his hard work, he also knows that this is just his start.

“I'm grateful for the

opportunity I have been given to participate in the NCAAs and to be able to represent W&J College at Nationals.

However, this is just the beginning for me,” said Blanco. If you would like to watch Blanco and Spearman compete, the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships will take place Mar 11-12 in Cedar Rapids, OH.

Presidents Appear on the National Wrestling Championships Carolyn Wilson

Red&Black Copy Editor

This year, W&J will be sending at least two if its wrestlers, Sonnieboy Blanco (class of 2017) and Jacob Spearman (class of 2016), to the NCAA Division III Wrestling Champions for the fourth year in a row after both placing third in the Mideast Regional.

As a team, W&J earned 37 points, 15.50 coming from Spearman and 12.50 coming from Blanco, and placed 12th overall out of 18 teams.

Wrestling Head Coach Thomas Prairie is proud of Blanco and Spearman’s tenacity and determination to make it to the NCAAs. “Sonnieboy has had a great year and is currently 28-2. He lost by 1 point last year in his match to qualify for NCAAs

Courtesy gopresidents.com

11 M arch 2016

20 sports

19 Presidents named to PAC All-Conference Red & Black

Courtesy gopresidents.com

Bailey Mudrick Red&Black editor-in-chief 19 of W&J’s men’s and women’s swimmers and divers were named to All-Presidents’ Conference teams.

One of them, swimmer Kevin Dunigan ‘16, was named to the PAC’s first team.

Dunigan said it was an honor to be named first team. “Being honored with All-Conference is a testament to how hard this team and myself have worked throughout this season. We pushed each other to new heights and faster times that most of us never thought possible,” said Dunigan.

Dunigan contributed independently by taking third

place in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:56.78.

Then Dunigan, along with Nicholas Willison 17’, Matt Noel 18’ and Gordy Schroeder 19’, placed third in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:26.64.

Dunigan had a lot to be proud of this season. “This season was the best of my collegiate career,” said Dunigan.

“The team finished as PAC runner-up, which is the best finish we have had not only in the four years I have been here, but since we last won the title back in 2000. Individually, it was also very successful!

I went personal bests in every event I swam.”

Diver Josh Vasko ‘17 was also named to PAC’s first

team. Vasko said that all the months of training and practicing really paid off in end of the season, and being the top of the conference is very satisfying.

Vasko became the first to capture men’s Diver of the Year honors at three-straight championship meets. He won the 11-dive, one-meter event and he also earned the league championship in the 11-dive, three-meter event.

His effort on the one-meter board qualified him for the NCAA Division III Regional Diving Championships.

Vasko said this season was very different from his pervious one, but he has seen in improvement in himself and in the team. “Compared to

last season, only having 3 divers, this year was much different,” said Vasko. “The team doubled. Haley (Ashner 17’) and I had to step up to assist the freshman when coach had his hands full.

Giving them advice, cheering each other on, and friendly competition within the team helps us all to achieve our potential. Individually, I think this season was okay.

The judging seemed a bit tougher than years before but scoring aside I believe my diving definitely improved from previous years.”

Diving coach Vic Galati was recognized as the PAC Men’s Diving Coach of the Year for the sixth year in a row. It marks the 12th over-

all time he has won a diving coach of the year award from the PAC. “This recognition means a great deal to me especially knowing that it is voted upon by the PAC coaches,” said Coach Galati.

“I have been blessed to have had the best divers, male and female, in our conference over the past several years.

I could not have gotten the award without them.”

The other eight male swimmers and divers named to AllPresidents’ Conference teams and captured Second-Team recognitions included: Isaac Penascino 19’, Jack King 19’, Zach Lauer 19’, Matt Noel 18’, Nick Willison 17’, Tyler Willison 19’, Jordan Hosfelt 19’ and Jeremy Glasner 19’.