Student Organizes 1Billion Rising Event | 2/23/18

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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 a n d 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 F e b ru a ry 2 3 , 2 0 1 8

WHAT’S IN THIS WEEK’S PAPER...

LIFE “On Feb. 21, both students and staff members traveled to the state capital, Tallahassee, to talk to legislators about safety and gun control.” -P. 7

Student Organizes 1Billion Rising Event PAGE 5

CULTURE

“Overall, this is a very entertaining action and mystery thriller series that is worth a binge watch. I rate “Altered Carbon” with a 7.5 out of 10.” -P.13

OPINIONS “In order to keep sickness at bay and to stay healthy, there are five basic measure that can be taken every day, but especially during flu season.” -P.15

SPORTS

“Abdelhak enjoys many aspects of playing water polo at W&J. She loves her coach who is very knowledgeable and passionate about the sport. Most importantly, Abdelhak loves the girls she is in the water with.” -P.18

WJREDANDBLACK.COM

Courtesy Nicole Walters

2 CAMPUS NEWS

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23 february 2018

Psychology Professor Spotlight: Dr. Benjamin Seltzer Marcy Saldivar Red & Black Staff

Dr. Benjamin K. Seltzer is a psychology professor at Washington & Jefferson College.

He is originally from Reading and he attended undergraduate school at Vassar College in N.Y. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree, he received his Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at the University of Minnesota.

Throughout his six years teaching at W&J, Dr. Seltzer has taught a wide variety of classes.

He offers sections of Elementary Psychology (PSY 101 and 102) every year.

He divides the rest of his time among an introductory course in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (PSY 295), two advanced laboratories in Industrial and Organizational Psychology or Personality Psychology (PSY 495 and 435, respectively), a course in Political Psychology (PSY 390) and an FYS course on the Psychology of Heroes.

Dr. Seltzer chose to teach psychology because it always fascinated him.

He is deeply intrigued by the idea that thoughts, motions and behaviors could be analyzed and explained scientifically.

“I’m the kind of person to chat up strangers in the checkout line at the grocery store, and – like everyone else

– want to know why people behave the way that they do,” said Dr. Seltzer when asked how his passion for psychology emerged.

Dr. Seltzer took a different path teaching than most other Industrial and Organizational psychologists.

Most go on to do research at universities or consultation for large corporations or the government.

Dr. Seltzer prefers a work-life balance a less bit frantic than offered in those settings.

More importantly, he enjoys exposing a younger audience to the intricacies of psychology.

“There’s nothing quite as powerful as watching someone realize the potential of behaviorism for the very first time,” said Dr. Seltzer.

As a student, Dr. Seltzer was drawn to small, liberal arts colleges where student-professor interactions constituted the core of the institution.

He found his way to W&J because it resembled the experience he had during his undergraduate years.

“Now that I’m on the other side of the podium I find that my preferences haven’t changed a bit. I love interacting with students and challenging their preconceptions at every conceivable opportunity,” Dr. Seltzer said.

Aside from teaching, Dr. Seltzer works on a number of projects and committees associated with Assessment and Institutional research.

Many years ago, he even played in W&J’s pep band at football games.

He has sung professionally, plays a variety of instruments and has taken on a new hobby of reading a book a week, following the footsteps of one of his academic heroes, Paul Meehl.

“I adore visitors to my office! Since I’m usually working through the lunch hour I don’t wander through campus nearly as often as I’d like. Accordingly,

it’s the highlight of my day when folks stop by (Dieter-Porter, room 306C) to chat,” said Dr. Seltzer. Dr. Seltzer is en-

thusiastic about his job and having the opportunity to hear from and guide students.

Courtesy Marcy Saldivar

Dr. Seltzer has a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

23 february 2018

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CAMPUS NEWS 3

Junior Pre-Law Student Spotlight: Marina Sansom Marcy Saldivar Red & Black Staff

Marina Sansom ‘19 is a pre-law student who plans to major in business administration and minor in economics at Washington & Jefferson College.

She is originally from Denver, Colo.

In third grade, she moved to Bend, Ore. and then eventually moved to Cannonsburg for her junior and senior year of high school.

During the summer of 2016, Sansom traveled to Costa Rica with Presidents Without Borders for a medical missions trip.

The group of students volunteered at nursing homes, daycares and orphanages. They did regular checkups on the children and the doctors who

were with them conducted more professional procedures. As a whole, they helped the kids get the care that they were not receiving.

“It made me realize how privileged we are here in America and how much we take normal and small things for granted. When in Costa Rica, even dental care is seen as a luxury,” said Sansom.

The next summer, Sansom studied tobacco control and public health policy in Sydney, Australia.

She found that Australia is much more progressive than America in regards to their health.

They even have a plan to make their country smoke free by 2020.

For the upcoming summer, Sansom has applied to the Columbia University Summer Public Health Scholars Program where she will be interning

in public health law, taking course work and doing community-based outreach.

Sansom’s biggest involvement on campus is with her sorority, Delta Gamma.

In the past, she was the director of senior programming and the director of recruitment/COB. This year, she is the director of Anchor Splash, a fundraising event for the philanthropy Service For Sight.

All the fraternities and sororities participate in enjoyable events at Anchor Splash, like synchronized swimming and relay races. Last year, $1500 was raised at the event.

This year, Anchor Splash will occur April 7 at noon in Henry gymnasium.

Every other Thursday, Delta Gamma spends time at Walmart with the Washington County Blind Association

to help the visually impaired seniors shop for their groceries.

“Delta Gamma has been an amazing support system that has shaped me to be the person that I am today,” said Sansom.

Sansom took her LSAT at the beginning of the spring semester and she is eager to see where her career in law will go.

Courtesy Marcy Saldivar

Sansom is currently a junior at W&J.

Intersession Spotlight: Intro to Modern Arabic Language and Culture Marcy Saldivar Red & Black Staff

This Intersession, Collin Christensen ‘21 stayed on campus and took Intro Modern Arabic Language and Culture (AR 275) with Dr. Alsaffar.

Christensen is from Erie and he attended McDowell High School.

At Washington & Jefferson College, Christensen plans to major in accounting.

After, he plans to pursue degree in a variety of ways. He is considering careers in auditing, business advising, being a stockbroker and more.

“Simply, I like numbers. I always enjoyed math in high school and it has to come easy to me. I would like to apply my passion for math through-

out the rest of life,” Christensen said.

Christensen decided to take Arabic even though it is completely different from what he is majoring in.

Because he chose to attend a liberal arts college, he was eager to get the chance to explore many topics and subjects.

When he saw the Arabic course was offered over Intersession, he knew he had to take it.

Approximately 25 other students attended Dr. Alsaffar’s class. In class, they learned about Arabic-speaking countries and the Middle East.

They also learned about customs and basic culture differences.

Christensen’s favorite part of this class included the day when he learned common Middle Eastern beliefs and culture; he was truly able to realize that these people deal with problems drastically different than those problems

that people face in the United States.

On the last day of class, they took a field trip to a mosque in Carnegie and to a Middle Eastern restaurant in Pittsburgh.

Christensen thought the mosque was surprisingly quiet. He felt a sense of safety and comfort within the building. As a Christian, he appreciated seeing the how other people practice their religion.

The food at the restaurant intrigued Christensen as well.

He thought it was extremely tasty and it exceeded his expectations all the way around. He tried a kabob, rice and tea.

“It was very nice being able to try a different style of food. We don’t get to eat Middle Eastern food on an everyday basis in America. It was a refreshing change and I hope to eat it more often in the future,” said Christensen.

Christensen believes every student should take a class that offers insight into a different country’s culture.

He advises that everyone should keep an open mind when observing and learning about the differences around the world.

Courtesy Marcy Saldivar

Christensen took AR275 over intersession.

4 CAMPUS NEWS

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23 febrary 2018

SECURITY LOGS Incident report number: 2692 Date of report: Feb. 14 Classification: Suspicious Activity

Location: Grant Miller Library Narrative: W&J CPS is investigating a complaint from a student who observed a male (no other descriptors) who was masturbating outside the Library. CPS responded. No one found on scene. CPS is still investigating.

Incident report number: 2697

Date of report: Feb. 17 Classification: Alcohol possession by minors Location: 135 East Chestnut

Street Narrative: W&J CPS found two students in the residence who were intoxicated and in possession of alcohol. Both students were underage. CPS is investigating.

Incident report number: 2693 Date of report: Feb. 14 Classification: Theft from Auto Location: College Street Lot Narrative: W&J CPS is investigating a theft from automobile from the College Lot. The student indicated that the vehicle was locked. No damage to the vehicle, however, items were taken from the vehicle.

Incident report number: 2699 Date of report: Feb. 17 Classification: Alcohol possession by minors Location: Bica-Ross Narrative: W&J CPS found minors in possession of alcohol at this location. The students have been identified. CPS is investigating.

Incident report number: 2694 Date of report: Feb. 15 Classification: Criminal Mischief

Location: West Parking Lot Narrative: W&J CPS took a report of Criminal Mischief top a vehicle in the West Parking lot. A student’s vehicle was keyed. CPS is investigating.

Incident report number: 2695

Date of report: Feb. 16 Classification: Illegal drugs Location: 211 East Chestnut Street Narrative: W&J CPS discovered an odor of burnt marijuana on the third floor. A room has been identified. CPS is investigating.

Incident report number: 2696 Date of report: Feb. 17 Classification: Illegal Drugs

Location: 135 East Chestnut St. Narrative: W&J CPS discovered an odor of burn Marijuana on the third floor. A room has been identified and added to the report. CPS is investigating.

Incident report number: 2702 Date of report: Feb. 17 Classification: Criminal Mischief Location: Bica Ross Narrative: W&J CPS damage to a wall in Bica Ross. It appears that an unknown person knocked a hole into the drywall. CPS is investigating.

Incident report number: 2703 Date of report: Feb. 17 Classification: Alcohol Possession by Minors Location: Alexander Hall Narrative: W&J CPS discovered alcohol possession by minors inside Alexander Hall. The students have been identified. CPS is investigating.

Incident report number: 2704

Date of report: Feb. 17 Classification: Alcohol Possession by Minors Location: 125 East Chestnut Street Narrative: W&J CPS discovered alcohol possession by minors inside 125 East Chestnut Street. The student was identified. CPS is investigating.

Courtesy washjeff.edu

23 february 2018

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Campus News 5

1Billion Rising Raises Awareness about Sexual Assult Nicole Walters Red & Black Staff

On February 14, Hannah Cristofano ’19 held an event called 1Billion Rising in the media room from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to help spread awareness about sexual assault.

The 1Billion actually represents estimated the one billion women who will be sexually assaulted in 2018.

Cristofano created and ran the event as part of Community Engagement of the Domestic violence service team. Rachel Stalker, the community team outreach coordinator and grad-

Students unite for 1Billion Rising event.

uate assistant, talked about Cristofano with pride.

“You can tell she has a lot of passion for this project, it shows with how well everything was planned and set up for [on the night of the event],” said Stalker.

The colorful and informative displays, the eye catching decorations and the interactive games that were played throughout the event encouraged Washington & Jefferson College community members to participate.

There were booths for the Domestic Violence services that were handing out free pins, stickers, bracelets and information on how to be involved and how to help.

The O is their symbol and it represented the O in NO MORE, encouraging people to bring an end to sexual assault and rape. The SSTARS care

center also had a booth, this center works with sexually assault victims and works to help them cope.

On the tables where students could sit were little wrapped candies that had statistics about sexual assult taped to them.

The knowledge on these statistics were later tested when all the event attendees played to see who accurately knew the statistics using the online game generator Kahoot.

Some of the most startling facts were that nine out of 10 women know their assailant, 18% of girls experienced sexual assault their freshmen year of college, 75% of rapes happen when the person is too intoxicated to give consent and, possibly the most startling of all, in 994 of 1000 cases, the rape perpetrator will walk free. These facts, once revealed, left the room in a

very somber tone as the reality of how important this cause is sunk into the hearts of everyone.

It was great to see both male and female students coming in and checking out the information, especially the male students since they are statistically proven to be more physically apt at stopping a rape or sexual assault from happening.

Cristofano was very grateful to the students who came to her event.

“I would like to thank all the students who came out tonight, especially the APO students. This cause is really important to me, and I am glad that other students came, showing it is important to them too,” said Cristofano.

Overall the night was very impressive and helped to spread important information about sexual assult to W&J students.

Courtesy Nicole Walters

6 CAMPUS NEWS

23 february 2018

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Speak Out:

What plans do you have for spring break?

“I plan to spend my spring break by the beach with my bff and Grammie.”

- Sam Fields ‘19 Courtesy gopresidents.com

“I plan on spending time in Panama City with my friends!”

- Taley Dunaway ‘18 Courtesy gopresidents.com

“I plan on lying out on the beach and building sand castles in Florida.”

- Julie Halula ‘19 Courtesy gopresidents.com

“I plan on emerging myself in the Irish culture in Dublin.”

- Jillian Bartman ‘18 Courtesy gopresidents.com

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life

23 February 2018

LIFE 7

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Survivors of Florida School Shooting Demand Action

Courtesy Flickr

Survivors of a shooting in a Florida high school are demanding that gun control laws are put in place to prevent future incidents.

Hannah Kail Red & Black editor

In a tragic event that has become increasingly common, a 19 year old boy walked into a school and took the lives of 17 students and staff members of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. However, what sets this situation apart from

the others is the way survivors have responded. They have joined forces and are actively advocating for more gun control to prevent future tragedies from happening.

This action has helped vocalize the cause and make more people aware of the issues surrounding gun control.

On Feb. 21, both students and staff members traveled to the state capital, Tallahassee, to talk to legislators about safety and gun control. They have also scheduled walkouts and a CNN town hall and, on March 24, the survivors

and many other teenagers and adults will go to Washington, D.C. for a March for Our Lives demonstration to demand action.

The organizers emphasize that this is not a political event and that the goal is to get both Democrats and Republicans in Congress to take notice and commit to a plan.

Hollywood has also started to join the cause. George and Amal Clooney recently donated $500,000 to the cause and George committed to joining the students on their march. “It’s encour-

aging to see something positive come out of something so horrible and hopefully there will be a real change,” said Monica Park ‘19.

Gun violence has become something that affects more and more Americans every day and no matter the action taken to alleviate the issue, the most important message is that something must be done. Many Americans believe inaction has not produced any results and they are no longer accepting the status quo as an option.

8 Life

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23 february 2018

Trump Proposes Food Delivery Program to Replace Stamp Foods

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Under President Trump’s budget proposal, people receiving food stamps would instead receive half of their benefits through monthly deliveries of dietary essentials.

Sofia Carrasco Red & Black Contributor

The Trump administration recently announced their new budget proposal, with one of the most striking features being the cutting of food stamps. Currently food stamps, known formally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Plan (SNAP), feeds an average of 42.7 million Americans every year through the assistance of the Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA distributes benefits to the families in the forms of paper cou-

pons of virtual disbursements on an Electronic Benefit Transfer card. Presently, the families receiving benefits can use the allotments of the USDA to purchase food items of their choice, just like grocery shopping.

The change the Trump administration is proposing includes both a change to the method of reception of the benefits and the money put into the program.

This new plan, dubbed by the USDA as “America’s Harvest Box” proposes that “all households receiving more than $90 per month in benefits—81 percent of SNAP households overall—would begin receiving about half their benefits in the form of government-purchased, nonperishable food items” according to the Washington Post. These items would include

juice, grains, pasta, beans, peanut butter, shelf-stable milk and canned fruits and vegetables. Because the government would be purchasing these items at wholesale prices for distribution, it would save money, as the recipients would no longer be paying retail-price for the items. In fact, the administration plans to cut food stamps by $17 billion in 2019 and more than $213 billion over the next ten years.

These budget cuts and changes would affect 16.4 million households. The government is likening this change to the Blue Apron program, a service that delivers grocery items to people’s doors.

The only difference is that Blue Apron customers choose exactly what food they want, and when they will receive it. This makes it simple to pre-

pare a meal and receive the necessary ingredients. America’s Harvest Box, is not quite this convenient, and New York Times writer Bryce Covert said, “Under Trump’s plan, the government decides what you get and when you get it.” While this plan may seem foolproof, there are skeptics.

The cost or method of transportation for the government-delivered food items has still not been decided, and accommodations for people needing a particular diet, such as diabetics, has still not been touched upon. This proposal is also not likely to sit well with food retailers as they stand to lose billions if the benefits are cut. Furthermore, the Food Marketing Institute, a trade association for grocers, criticized the new proposal, calling it expensive and inefficient.

23 february 2018

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LIFE 9

Scientists Use Genes to Pinpoint Time of Death

Courtesy Pixabay

Scientists’ discovery of how to use genes to pinpoint time of death to within nine minutes will have major benefits for the accuracy of criminal investigations.

Catherine McAdoo Red & Black contributor

From a biological standpoint, death is simple. A common, inaccurate belief is that once the brain shuts off, the rest of the body simply stops. While signals from the brain are necessary for muscle and organ control, cells themselves are able to function more or less independently, at least for a short time period.

This means that even after complete brain death, portions of DNA continue to be transcribed into RNA, a process which gradually slows to a halt as stored fuel and materials run out.

A team of scientists from the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona

collected tissues from 500 recently deceased donors in an attempt to study just how gene expression in living and nonliving cells differ. In the process, they accidentally revolutionized time of death estimation for criminal investigations.

They discovered that gene expression slows at differing rates depending on the tissues involved. “Just four tissues, taken together, could give a reliable time of death: subcutaneous fat, lung, thyroid and skin exposed to the sun,” said a sciencenews.org article reporting on the study.

The scientists then developed an algorithm that can use information from these tissues to determine time of death within approximately nine minutes. This is much more precise than existing methods such as body tem-

perature and rigor mortis, and it will be able to give investigators more confidence in directing their focus, especially in the crucial first days after the crime has taken place. This algorithm is still being put through tests, and it will likely not be applied for some time to come.

It also may not always be able to narrow the time frame quite to that extent, as “Everything from the temperature where a body is found to the deceased’s age could potentially affect how many and which genes are active after death,” said sciencenews.com.

Much of the testing for this algorithm will be focused on eliminating as many as these factors as possible.

Environmental temperature, body temperature, age and illness will all need to be taken into account when

determining to what extent the fat, lung, thyroid and skin tissues’ genes have slowed after death. Determining time of death from gene expression will be most accurate when done within hours of the victim’s death.

After a few days, all genes have shut down, and the information is no longer particularly useful. Another avenue of research, bacterial activity, could serve to fill in that gap. The bacteria found throughout the human body is even more independently run than the individual cells, so much so that for 24 hours after death it remains relatively unchanged.

This means that, whether a crime took place seven hours or seven days ago, medical examiners will be able to determine time of death with a precision unimaginable only a decade ago.

Culture 10

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23 FEBRUARY 2018

culture Puppeteer Behind the Pyeongchang Puppets Catherine McAdoo Red & Black Contributor

People all over the world watched the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Over a period of two hours, the ceremony told the story of two young children who learned about peace and morality through the culture of their ancestors.

This story began with a breathtaking display of over 85 larger-than-life puppets. The designs for this show were first born in the form of pencil drawings created by Korean artists.

These drawings were then handed over to professional puppet designers in America, including Nicholas Mahon.

His job was to take these two-dimensional drawings and turn them into three-dimensional moving figures that still accurately represented the original idea as well as the culture behind it.

He had five years to do it. With more than a decade of experience crafting puppets to be used in larger and larger shows, Mahon was ready to take up the challenge.

“What I love about puppets is that it’s about being a great sculptor, but you’re also a painter, and you need to

Courtesy Artnet News

Puppeteer Nicholas Mahon had five years to complete the piece for the Opening Ceremony in South Korea.

be able to sew, and to know about mechanics and materials and even, ideally, you’re also kind of an actor, and you think about story,” said Mahon.

This idea of bringing together all aspects of visual art in order to tell a single story led Mahon to focus on the cultural aspects of his work.

These puppets needed to portray Korean culture to both the live audience and the world, despite the fact that at no point were traditional puppet shows performed using figures made of aluminum frames with padded foam. Mahon’s solution was to spend countless hours studying the

depiction of tigers, cranes and other figures in traditional paintings. He took the foam cladding, or covering, and mimicked the styles of brush strokes he found in the paintings.

The overall effect was that ancient characters were brought to life.

Korean ancestor traditionally told stories and legends using bears, tigers, cranes and dragons. Artists at the time sought to inspire more people by depicting these characters using ink and paint. Now, hundreds of years later, these same characters were given the best of modern artistic technology to inspire people once again, whether in

person or thousands of miles away.

From Korean-drawn paper design to America-based engineering and finally to a factory in Malaysia, years of effort and countless hands went into creating the puppets.

That is to say nothing of the hundreds of volunteers and choreographers involved in putting on the show itself. The puppets themselves will likely never again perform in such a show. Many will be shut in a closet or perhaps displayed in a museum.

Mahon will have only the video to look back on as he moves on to telling his next story.

23 FEBRUARY 2018

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Culture 11

Jackson Pollock’s Other Artistic Talent Leah Segal Red & Black Staff

The name Jackson Pollock quickly brings to mind splatters of spontaneous color and chaotic canvases full of life.

Although his most iconic pieces often feature his trademark bursts of paint, it is quite shocking to discover that this artistic genius preferred a different medium: sculpture.

From his first piece to his last, Pollock’s love for sculpting significantly outweighed his love of painting.

A fact known by very few, Pollock’s artistic career actually began with sculpture, all thanks to a high school art class. This clay modeling course

introduced the young artist to a world full of form and texture that he soon fell in love with and that would influence his own pieces.

In his first sculpture, “Untitled,” Pollock carved an organic piece from black basalt that featured the crude and spontaneous outline of a male face.

While this work is different from later pieces that would bring him fame, many scholars believe there are quite a few similarities, as his sculptures and canvases contain an ephemeral spirit with a focus on choreographed chaos.

Over time, Pollock’s interest in this physical art form began to turn into a passion. He often explained this in letters to his family.

“Cutting in stone holds my interest deeply. I like it better than painting,” Pollock said in a letter to his father.

Such a shocking confession held true

Many of Pollock’s sculptures were influenced by nature.

Courtesy Artsy

Pollock’s first sculpture, “Untitled,” was carved in black basalt.

as Pollock enrolled in more sculptural art classes and studied under the keen eye of renowned figural sculptor Robert Laurent.

With such great tutelage and endless inspiration, it was during this time that Pollock created some of his best sculptural pieces, including a work that features a mass of nude forms intertwined and carved into an 18-inch relief.

While Pollock began to dig deeper into the world of sculpture, he did not soon forget about his paintbrush.

He returned to his second love in the 1940s. “Painting is dying,” Pollock once said of the art form.

He strove to rectify what he called “the problems of modern painting . . . too much reliance on the easel, on idleness, on tradition,” Pollock said.

This disposition would result in the creation of his signature drip paint style that pushed him into worldwide fame, as well as a decade-long hiatus on sculpture.

Later in his life, Pollock returned to sculpture by moving to the Hamp-

Courtesy Artsy

tons and seeking out nature to guide his art, as he wanted to carve a massive sculpture from one of the many 50-ton boulders near his property.

In the last few weeks before his death, Pollock even sought the help of a sculptor by the name of Smith who specialized in sand casting, a process by which plaster is poured over molded sand.

While his love for sculpting became a large part of his life again, Pollock passed away suddenly in a car crash soon afterwards.

Although Pollock is best known for his contribution to the Abstract Expressionist movement in the painting scene, it is important to remember his talent and passion for sculpting.

Without his initial interest in the physical art, he may have never been led to the paintbrush, robbing humanity of artistic genius.

And while sculpture was not the forefront of his professional accomplishments, it is important to study and respect the art that Jackson Pollock loved so dearly.

12 Culture

23 FEBRUARY 2018

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‘15:17 to Paris’ Makes Bold Decisions but Disappoints Alexander Benner Red & Black Staff

issues for the film to contend with. The main reason is that the three men were known to be lifelong friends. However, throughout every scene in the film, they had zero chemistry and every scene felt extremely awkward.

Additionally, the only genuinely interesting and exciting moments they had in the film were the ten minutes in which the terrorist attack actually occurred.

For an action thriller, captivating moments are important, and this film had very few of them.

This last point leads into another possible explanation as to why the film was not very good. Because the film was based on three men who did not seem very interesting beyond thwart-

ing a terrorist attack, there was not much material with which to create a good film. This made filling the time quite difficult outside of portraying the event itself.

Their civilian friend, Anthony, had only one goal as a character, and that was to announce and then take a selfie at every place the group visited in Europe.

A quarter to a third of the film was merely a showcase of Italy, where Anthony took selfies and candid photos with everything he could find.

Eastwood also took the liberty of placing advertisements for other films into this one. There was a poster of “Letters from Iwo Jima” on one of the kids’ walls, and another of the boys

wore a t-shirt from the film “The Outlaw Josey Wales.”

While this is not necessarily positive or negative, it seemed out of place for this story.

The problem may not only have been the acting.

The film was also not written well, and there was not enough interesting material in the event to create an hour and a half long film that could hold an audience’s attention.

Audiences expect movies of over two hours to have slow moments, but if that happens in an hour and a half long -film, it probably is not very compelling.

I rate “15:17 to Paris” with a 3.5 out of 10.

“15:17 to Paris” from director Clint Eastwood focuses on the true story of three Americans that thwarted a terrorist attempt on a train headed to Paris on Aug. 21, 2015.

The three men were childhood friends who went on to join the air force, national guard and civilian life and were traveling through Europe when the event occurred.

The film centers on the three friends’ lives, starting as children and continuing until shortly after the attack.

Rather than casting actors to play the different roles, Eastwood made the bold decision to use the actual people involved in the event.

This decision was most likely made in order to provide the most realistic portrayal of the event on screen.

There were mixed opinions on the men’s acting abilities.

The fact that the real heroes play themselves drew a lot of fan appeal, and anything with Eastwood’s name attached typically draws a crowd.

Many people thought this film would be a hit, but many were disappointed.

However, the film still earned $12.5 million in its debut weekend.

Creating an interesting film about real heroes should have been easy, but there were too many other issues present.

Now that many people have seen “15:17 to Paris,” viewers seem to agree that the decision to use the actual people involved in the event was a bold but bad decision. This created many other Clint Eastwood directed this film based on actual events that starred the heroes as themselves.

Courtesy wikimedia

23 February 2018

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Culture 13

‘Altered Carbon’ Shows a World Without Permanent Death Alexander Benner Red & Black Staff

The brand-new Netflix original series “Altered Carbon” is based on the 2002 novel by the same name, and it is set in a future in which technology has advanced so that death is no longer permanent.

A person’s body is called a sleeve, which is replaceable, and a person’s entire conscience is transferred onto a cortical disk, implanted in the back of a person’s neck at the age of one.

The series follows Takeshi Kovacs, a former United Nations soldier and

the last of the Envoys, who is “spun back up” after 250 years. Envoys were an elite group of soldiers that could drop into any sleeve on any planet and be ready for combat within minutes, making them extremely deadly.

Before he died, Kovacs was convicted of treason; his sleeve was destroyed, but his disk was put on ice to store for later.

An elite member of society named Laurens Bancroft then leases Kovac’s stack and has it placed into a sleeve with serious military training.

He offers Kovacs a full pardon, a fortune and an upgraded stack. Kovacs distrusts this generosity and asks why Bancroft brought him back.

He learns that Bancroft wants him to solve a murder, and the victim is

Bancroft himself. As stated earlier, death is no longer permanent unless someone destroys your stack.

This can happen by blunt force trauma to the head or neck region or by someone shooting your stack directly.

Luckily, Bancroft is rich enough to back up his stack from a satellite, so even though he was shot directly in the stack, he was able to be placed into another sleeve. However, he now wants justice. The season follows Kovacs as he searches for Bancroft’s killer while also solving smaller crimes of his own.

He meets several people that help him along the way, including Kristin Ortega, a police officer looking to investigate Bancroft, Vernon Elliot, a former solider that proves to be a help-

ful sidekick, and Poe, an AI hotel proprietor whose sole goal is to serve his guests’ needs, even to the death.

Like many Netflix original shows, “Altered Carbon” consists of 10 onehour episodes that are short, quick and action-packed.

Imagine a futuristic, colorful world, much like that of “Blade Runner,” in which the rich run the world and most of the world models Japan.

The show includes many flashbacks to when Kovacs was a part of the Envoys and also was in a different sleeve; until you watch enough episodes, this can be confusing.

Overall, this is a very entertaining action and mystery thriller series that is worth a binge watch. I rate “Altered Carbon” with a 7.5 out of 10.

Courtesy wikimedia

Joel Kinnaman stars in the Netflix show ‘Altered Carbon.’

14 Opinions

23 February 2018

Red & Black

opinions

The Importance of Black History Month

Courtesy Lisa Huff

Group picture from the first Inagural Black Legends Ball on February 10.

Kelsey Julien Red & Black Contributor

Black History Month takes place during the month of February and is a time to celebrate black excellence and achievements throughout history. It is

important that we recognize the tremendous progress black leaders have had on our lives.

This is especially important at Washington & Jefferson College because we can often forget that life could have been much different if it had not been for outspoken black individuals. Our campus demographics

show that about 83% of the student body is white, and only about 5% of students are black.

Regardless of the smaller amount of black students on campus, the Black Student Union (BSU) has organized several events during February to celebrate and honor the accomplishments of African Americans.

BSU has invited all students to not only celebrate black accomplishments, but also to learn and grow together as a campus.

Richard Delprato ’20 values this idea. “Black History Month recognizes the progress black Americans have made, and we need to showcase this as much as we can at W&J,” said Delprato.

On Feb. 10, BSU hosted its first annual Black Legends Ball, where both black alumni and current W&J students were awarded on their stellar achievements.

It is important that we continue to acknowledge the history that black W&J Presidents make on campus.

C ontac t

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.

They serve as role models for other students with their hard work and leadership. The Black Legends Ball had a great impact on all students who attended. All W&J students were invited to attend the ball.

Carolina Velasco ’20 had a wonderful experience at the event. “Nothing like this has ever happened on campus before, and it was great to be a part of it. I would definitely come again next year,” said Velasco.

Black history is American history, and we must not neglect the actions of those that have helped shaped the world we are in today. Doing so would not be fair to all of those who have been historically unrepresented throughout history. We need to appreciate our role models for they are the base.

It is a little difficult to imagine the world the way it was in the 1960s, before Martin Luther King Jr. stood up for not only for the equality of blacks but for the equality of everyone, but the change from that time should be remembered.

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.

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

23 FEBRUARY 2018

Red & Black

opinions 15

Fighting The Flu: 5 Ways to Avoid The Sick Day

Courtesy Washjeff.edu

Health Services is located in the same building as the New Residence hall.

Leah Segal Red & Black Staff

Although the winter months are nearing their end, flu season is still upon us and is hitting the US with a vengeance.

According to ABC News, there have been a total of 53 pediatric deaths alone as a result from the flu. These are numbers that havebeen seen in a nearly a decade since the breakout of the swine flu.

In order to keep sickness at bay and to stay healthy, there are five basic measure that can be taken

every day, but especially during flu season. The first of these is to wash your hands frequently.

While this may seem quite obvious, washing your hands after going to the restroom and touching everyday public objects will greatly reduce the risk of getting the flu and spreading germs.

The number of hands that touch surfaces breeds unwelcome bacteria and harbors the threat of the flu.

Also, be sure not to touch your eyes or mouth.

Touching dirty objects and touching your eyes, mouth or nose quickly introduces the flu into the body and causes the aches, fever and lethargy with which it is asso-

ciated. This tip especially applies to nail-biters, whose hands are constantly in their mouths.

Another tip is not to share things like food and makeup.

While it is quite tempting to take a bite of a friend’s cookie or share a bright lip gloss color, it is better to prevent the spread of germs by avoiding unnecessary contact with the mouth.

Germs are easily picked up through sharing food and makeup, as they are prime suspects for bacterial breeding.

Be sure not to forget to practice self care.

Sleep deprivation, stress and poor eating habits are all ways in which people become susceptible

to the flu virus. By simply getting an adequate amount of sleep and staying hydrated, your immune system will become stronger and fight off the threat of illness.

Lastly, be aware of your symptoms. If you do start to feel ill, do not push yourself and put others at risk.

Stock up on some vitamin C, fluids and plenty of rest. Monitor your symptoms and be sure to visit the doctor if necessary.

While these tips are greatly effective during the flu season, they are also useful throughout the entire year.

After all, maintaining your health is an important aspect of a happy, long life.

16 Opinions

Red & Black

23 February 2018

What Do You Think About Cardi B’s Music Career?

Courtesy Amazon.com

Cardi B has exploded onto the scene with her most widely known song “Bodak Yellow” influenced heavily by the current rap atmosphere she tries to remain real to all.

Carolina Velazco Red & Black Contributor

Former stripper, rapper, songwriter and social media personality, Belcalis Almanzar, also known as Cardi B, became the first person of Dominican descent to reach number one in the history of the Hot 100 since 1958. Car-

di B was born and raised in The Bronx and is of Dominican and Trinidadian descent.

In 2017, her most famous single to date, “Bodak Yellow,” was an instant hit and climbed to the top spot of the Billboard 100 in late September.

Jasmine Campuzano ’20 finds Cardi B’s rise to fame inspiring. “Her personality is definitely refreshing when she performs or even talks in a talk show. As an artist, I support her and will continue to listen to her music. I think she plays a great role in empowering girls and future generations,” said Campuzano. Having a female rap-

per like Cardi B in the music industry serves as a great influence for younger generations.

Although she is criticized for her unfiltered personality, vulgar language and lack of professionalism, there are many things that make her shine as the star she is.

Cardi B serves as a role model to many girls and aspiring female rappers. As a person that grew up in The Bronx, she represents the determination and ambition of both Latinos and blacks.

“A lot of girls, they cannot afford red bottoms, a lot of girls they can-

not afford foreign cars . . . but I know that every girl has beef with a girl . . .

I know that every girl don’t like some girl, and it’s like, ‘That’s what I wanna rap about,’” said Cardi B about her music.

Samuel Dudley ’18 is a fan of Cardi B and her music. “I think she is killing it in the music industry. Her weirdness attracts me to her songs, and her songs always go hard,” said Dudley. I think she is a “hood chick” who is not afraid to be “hood,” no matter the setting.

That is why she resonates with people, and the same energy comes out in her music.

23 February 2018

Red & Black

Opinions 17

Why We Need A New System for Organ Donations

Courtesy Pixabay.com

In the United States, organ donation is usually an opt-in program that is included when you are getting your driver’s liscence at the DMV.

Leah Segal Red & Black Staff

From infants to the elderly, countless people are faced with the reality of failing organs and deteriorating health.

These people have no other option other than a transplant to survive.

While being put on a transplant list is the first step to recovery, patients often pass away before receiving their chance to live.

Recent studies have shown that 21 people die daily as a result of waiting for an organ transplant, and with only 45% of the United States population signed up as organ donors, there is a desperate need for a solution.

With that in mind, I think that organ donation should be an “opt-out”

program rather than an “opt-in” one.

While this may sound quite odd, opting out of donation would result in dramatically higher donation rates as everyone would be signed up for the program and would only be removed at their request.

Such a system would open up the organ pool and drastically lower the amount of deaths attributed to sitting on the waiting list. For example, when patiently waiting for an organ, it is not as simple as taking any organ.

If an individual is in need of a liver, they are first ranked and placed on a list; the more critical a patient’s condition, the higher they are placed on the list.

Once on the list, they must also find an organ that will be compatible with the patient’s body to reduce the chances of rejection. With all of these obstacles, it is difficult to find an organ donor that matches a patient’s body. With

the small number of donors, many patients face an uncertain future.

An opt-out system would ensure greater success rates for individuals in need of a certain organ. This new system would also solve the organ shortage.

According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, there is a severe shortage of the amount of available organs for patients in need, as over 115,000 people are currently in need of a transplant. 74,000 if these are on the waiting list, standing by for a donor to come forward.

An “opt-out” system would solve this issue, as one donor can save up to eight lives. With nearly 7,000 deaths each day in the United States, a large amount of those people would be able to grant someone the gift of life.

While this system would work extraordinarily well, there are still shortcomings that must be addressed, such

as health and morality. By signing up everyone in the country for organ donation, those who are unable to donate viable organs due to disease or age must opt out or run the risk of donating bad organs that will not be used.

This wastes the time of hospitals and ruins the hopes of possible recipients.

Additionally, a nationwide organ donation would contradict some religious and personal morals. Some people strongly believe in bodily integrity upon death, which would prevent the donation of their organs.

All in all, organ donation is an issue that must be discussed, as countless people lose their health battles waiting for a miracle.

An opt-out system would ensure many of those waiting a surefire shot at life. However, until a new system in put in place, it is vital that everyone opt-in to an organ donation program.

18 Sports

sports Red & Black

23 February 2018

Student Spotlight: Aliya Abdelhak ’18 Marcy Saldivar Red & Black Staff

Aliya Abdelhak ’18 is a psychology major and a neuroscience and Spanish double minor at Washington & Jefferson College.

Abdelhak is from Evanston, Ill. and attended Evanston Township High School.

Right now, all of Abdelhak’s attention is towards water polo as she

side wing. She is left handed, which is very unique and beneficial in water polo, so she has always played this position.

With her position comes many challenges and advantages.

“The most challenging part of my position is definitely the angle at which I am forced to shoot at. I play weak side wing and am left handed so it is a better angle than if I was right handed, but it is certainly not a position in front of the cage with many shooting options,” said Abdelhak.

Abdelhak chose to play at W&J because she loves the sport and could not

continue to work together and progress.

Abdelhak enjoys many aspects of playing water polo at W&J. She loves her coach who is very knowledgeable and passionate about the sport.

Most importantly, Abdelhak loves the girls she is in the water with.

The team has good humor and are there not just to learn, but to also have fun.

She shared some of her fondest memories with the team. “My favorite

memory is when Sarah Latzo caught the ball with this creepy looking hand, and we always throw up weird hands to catch the ball during practice, it’s our quirky inside joke, but I laugh every time,” Abdelhak said.

Abdelhak is anxious to continue the season and see how the team comes together.

She is very glad she made the decision to make a comeback for her senior year.

The women’s water polo team will pick back up on March 3 in Indiana.

“I play weak side wing and am left handed so it is a better angle than if I was right handed, but it is certainly not a position in front of the cage with many shooting options.”

- Aliya Abdelhak ‘18 begins her last season. She started playing water polo her freshman year of high school. She fell in love with the sport and played all through high school.

She played her freshman year here at W&J, but made a tough decision to take a couple years off.

She is back for her senior season, and she is very eager to see what this year will bring. Since the time she began, Abdelhak has played as a weak

imagine her life without it. She is very excited to be back on the team this year.

The water polo team’s season just began and they already are having successes.

Although the first game did not go as planned because they were missing crucial parts of their team, they still put on a talented performance with all things considered. Abdelhak believes the team has good chemistry and will

Courtesy Marcy Saldivar

Aliya is a senior here at Washington & Jefferson College.

23 February 2018

Red & Black

sports 19

How to Avoid the Freshman Fifteen Brieanna Sutherland Red & Black Contributor

College is not the easiest place to stay in shape.

Buffet style dining, bad sleeping habits and stress are problematic.

Everyone jokes about gaining weight as a freshman, but forgets to mention that you are exposed to those negative aspects for four years. It is

port on Harvard University’s Medical School page.

Replacing the bad foods with good foods helps manage hunger and add control to weight gain.

Another great way to help avoid the “freshman fifteen” is to get in twenty or more minutes of exercise a day.

Doing yoga, jogging, playing a pick up game or even walking are all positive choices that you can make to avoid weight gain.

It is hard to make time for the gym, but taking a twenty minute walk as a study break is better for you than sitting on your phone.

Physical exercise can also help with your stress levels.

Exercise is good for your mind and your body. “Exercise can be incredibly

It is hard to make time for the gym, but taking a

Replacing the bad foods with good foods helps manage hunger.

Courtesy pixnio

twenty minute walk as a study break is better for you than sitting on your phone. hard to avoid some of the situations.

However, there are ways to ease them and keep away the weight gain.

Just beginning your day well gives you an advantage. Having protein such as eggs or chicken helps keep you full longer; eating it for breakfast makes it a good start to the day.

Eating large amounts of sugar or carb-filled foods will lead to hunger sooner. The end result of this is consuming more carbs.

Cutting carbs down can be beneficial. “One of the advantages of eating more protein-rich foods is that people who do it also tend to eliminate overly processed carbohydrates,” said a re-

beneficial in your overall health, lowering your risk of diabetes, cancer and other chronic diseases,” said a report on popsugar.com.

All it takes is twenty minutes to better yourself.

The stress of college can be a challenge to your health. Starting your day with a protein based breakfast can boost your day and your physical health.

It will keep you full and focused longer.

Following up your day with some light exercises will help you not only feel healthier, but also chase off the freshman fifteen.

Exercise is extremely important when in a college enivronment.

Courtesy pixabay

20 sports

Red & Black

23 February 2018

Last Week’s Scores This One Time...

Feb. 14 Women’s Basketball v. Waynesburg 86-73 Win Men’s Basketball v. Waynesburg 66-62 Win

Feb. 16 Women’s Water Polo v. Virginia Military Institute 3-22 Loss Men’s Swimming v. PAC Championships 4th of 5 Women’s Swimming v. PAC Championships 5th of 6

Feb. 17 Women’s Basketball v. Thomas More 42-92 Loss Men’s Basketball v. Thomas More 70-92 Loss Men’s Lacrosse v. Kenyon 1-18 Loss Men’s Tennis v. Ohio Northern 3-6 Loss

Courtesy gopresidents.com

Next Week’s Games Feb. 23

Wrestling v. NCAA Central Regional (A)- 11am Men’s Tennis v. Mt. Aloysiusrack v. Baldwin Wallace (H)- 5pm Women’s Basketball v. PAC Semifinal (A)- 6pm

Feb. 24

Men’s Lacrosse v. Ohio Northern (A)- 1pm Men’s Tennis v. Baldwin Wallace (H)- 5pm

Feb. 28

Men’s Lacrosse v. La Roche (A)- 4pm

Mar. 1

Track v. ECAC Indoor Championships Women’s Lacrosse v. Frostburg State (H)- 6pm

Courtesy gopresidents.com

“This one time the baseball team made it to the D3 World Series. Well, because it was such a big event there were tons of cameras documenting the whole thing. The camera was constantly panning to show the dugout. Every single time that it would feature the bench we were all going crazy. Basically making fools out of ourselves on camera. This was displayed on all the local stations. It was also funny because we had an Alien Roger doll thing that sat on the bench with us and the announcers would always talk about it. That world series had some of the best experiences and funniest memories of my entire baseball career here.

Anyone who saw us on TV probably thought we were insane. It was definitely one for the books.”

-Santino Platt ‘19 Baseball