Red&Black (10-10-14)

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October 10, 2014

Red & Black

The Student Newspaper of Washington & Jefferson College

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT LIFE “Forty-two percent of kids each year are cyber-bullied in some way.”

ARTS “Who could have imagined that the man who country music purists decried as the biggest threat to tradition is now the man best positioned to save the genre?”

Aric Brown Wins GABC Scholarship

OPINIONS

“Vaccinations are so successful in controlling these disorders that the only conceivable way to acquire them in a firstworld country is to not vaccinate your child.”

THE SUPERBURGER “I am so excited to release this information to the public and give you enough time to protect yourselves before it is too late.”

INDEX: Campus-News ..... 1-5 Life ......................... 6-9 Arts .................... 10-13 Op-Ed ............... 14-17 Satire............... 18 Sports ................ 19-20 PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER

Photo by Ioseb Jorjoliani

Ioseb Jorjoliani Red&Black Staff Washington & Jefferson College sophomore Aric Brown has been named the inaugural winner of a scholarship from the

German American Business Circle of Pittsburgh (GABC/Pittsburgh). Brown will receive a $2,500 scholarship from the GABC.

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Freshman Spotlight Joseph Walker: A W&J Legend

Alex Wiggins Siddhanta Bista Red&Black Staff

When asked to use a word or description of Washington & Jefferson college, Alex Wiggins answered, “A school with many opportunities presented to its students”. Prior to attending W&J college, Wiggins came from a fairly large school in Washington DC by the name of Woodrow Wilson Highschool. After graduating from a class of 350 students, Wiggins was ready to move to a relatively smaller school to get his college degree. “One thing that I really want from my education here at W&J is to become an independent person, be able to asses risks and make decisions for myself,” he said. Wiggins has an interesting family background, as his father is American and his mother is Egyptian. Every summer, Wiggins spends his time in Cairo with members of his family. “It is definitely different in Egypt as compared to America. However, the best part of Egypt is the food, the weather and the people.” Wiggins first got a glimpse of W&J during his senior overnight. He was drawn in instantly, mainly because of

the campus surroundings and because he enjoyed the atmosphere of the school. Wiggins is delighted to attend a small, liberal arts school where professors are easy to reach and the people get to know each other on a one-on-one level. Wiggins’ primary reason for attending W&J all the way from DC was due to various opportunities that the college presents to students. “Magellan, Study Abroad, Internships, positions through alumni and the diversity of students are just a few notable points of W&J,” he says. Currently, Wiggins aspires to major in Business Administration, but is still exploring further options for his future. His favorite class this fall has been, ‘Intro to Entrepreneurship,’ as it teaches students to become independent and obtain reallife skills. In addition to academics, Wiggins is part of the soccer club, entrepreneur society and is also looking forward to becoming a member of the Student Government Association. Family is definitely important to Wiggins. “I am truly grateful to my parents, as they have helped me get to where I am today. I want to return the favor by striving and working to my potential.”

Catherine McAdoo Red&Black Contributor

In 1942, Joseph A. Walker graduated from Washington & Jefferson College. He majored in Engineering, and was known especially well by physics professor Dr. Bell, whom he often assisted. He wasn’t involved in Greek life nor was he a member of the student council, but he did know one thing: He loved airplanes. After briefly flying for the air force in Italy during WWII, Walker joined the newly formed National Aeronautic and Space Administration as a test pilot. At one point, he was superior to Neil Armstrong, who later walked on the moon. Walker, though, was always quick to point out that he was not an astronaut, he was an aviator. As a test pilot, he flew experimental planes, known as the X series, in order to gather information and data, that were used to developed more advanced aircraft and, later, the Mercury and Apollo series. One such test flight, one that brought Walker to fame, was a record-breaking flight on the X-15. The X-15 had two nicknames among the pilots. One was Black Beauty, chosen because of the plane’s deep, dark color chosen to

Courtesy nasa.gov

Above is Joe A Walker, a W&J graduate of 1942 who was test pilot for experimental planes during his time at NASA.

help regulate temperature as interaction with the Earth’s atmosphere caused intense heating. The X-15 was also known as “half-missile, half plane,” though it was never actually meant to enter Space, just come close. The goal of Walker’s flight in 1958 was to reach an altitude of 250,000 feet, a height that, at that time, no one had ever reached before. In Walker’s own words, “The record, however, was incidental. My main purpose: to explore speeds faster than a high-powered bullet and the problems of controlled reentry into the atmosphere.” He was sent to determine the effects of such heights and

re-entry on both the plane and the pilot himself, in order to better prepare for future planes that would be meant to go even higher. The mission was successful, though there were a few tense moments. G-forces prevented him from cutting the engines in time, causing the plane to go slightly off-course. This would have been disastrous were it not for the adrenaline coursing through Walker’s system. SEE JOE , Page 4 __________


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CAMPUS NEWS 3

SGA Brings Comedian Eric Andre to Campus

Courtesy serialoptimist.com

Josh Dewaine Red&Black Contributor The Student Government Association sponsored comedian Eric Andre Saturday night at Olin Fine Arts Center. The opening act was a close friend of Andre’s, who opened the crowd up to the vulgarity and immature jokes that would be the main topic of the night. From stem cell research to slavery, there was little depth in anything during the show.

“As these jokes might have been funny for some people, the audience he was trying to preform for just wasn’t connecting. I laughed because I thought it was what I was supposed to do, not because I truly thought it was funny,” said Shannon Adams ’17. The opening act started off vulgar and funny, but soon delved into vulgarity strictly for vulgarity's sake. The opening comedian seemed to be distracted and absent-minded as he delivered half-joke after

half-joke, occasionally checking his phone in-between while laughing at himself. There was little direction to any skit and the sporadic jumping around left the crowd simply confused for the majority of the show, leading to an awkward chuckle instead of whole-hearted laughter. Instead of coming in to clean up the mess, Andre simply added to the immaturity and vulgarity. His skits was incredibly hard to follow and was mostly filled with outra-

geous behavior and references that were too old for the audience to actually understand. The skits weren’t all horrendous, as listening to Andre talk about his technologically illiterate Haitian father ramble on about how wonderful Google is was pretty funny. On the other side of the spectrum, there were numerous jokes that were simply too old for the target audience and the constant barrage of audience members took away what little humor was in the

show. After the comedy skit ended, Andre showed a neverbefore-seen episode of yet-tobe-released season three of his show “The Eric Andre Show.” While the quality of the footage was barely better than a dial-up loaded gif, the show was even more difficult to follow than his stand up. The show jumped between 30-second interviews with random celebrities, destroying his set multiple times and random interviews with people on the street.


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Hispanic Heritage Month at W&J GABC Scholarship Winner Adrian Elizondo Red&Black Contributor El Mes de la Herencia Hispana tiene como fin promover la cultura Hispana en el campus de Washington & Jefferson. Hay varios eventos que se llevan acabo desde el 15 de septiembre hasta el 15 de octubre. Algunos dicen que se da acabo en estas fechas porque varias independencias de Latinoamérica se de dieron acabo entre estos días, otros dicen que Cristóbal Colon llegó a América en octubre. En estos días se dan acabo varios eventos para promover la cultura, los cuales son planeados y organizados por Esmeralda Patricio, la presidenta de Latino/a Culture Association, y Devan Carrington, el Asistan Director of Diversity Programs & Multicultural Affairs. En este mes se promueve la cultura hispaña de diferentes formas. Una de las formas es la educación a través de las películas en español. La primera película que vieron fue “Which Way Home,” un documental dirigido por la directora Rebecca Cammisa. El documental trata el tema de la inmigración ilegal de niños que vienen de Latinoamérica a Estados Unidos solos. Al igual se presento la película “Mi Familia” entre otras películas que se

mostraran en los siguientes días. Otra actividad que se dio acabo este mes fue una clase de cocina en el 1 de octubre. La clase fue dirigida por la Profesora Amparo Alpañés. En esta clase de cocina cocinaron Paella, el cual es un platillo originario de España. Este evento fue organizado por el Club de Español pero al igual es considerado como parte de los eventos que se llevan acabo en este mes. La actividad más grande que se organiza en este mes de la Cultura Hispana fue el Baile que se dio acabo el Viernes 26 de septiembre en el Ballroom. La banda que asistió al baile se llama “Machete Cismontano”. Ellos vienen de Pittsburgh y tocan música de estilo caribeño como salsa, merengue, bomba, plena etc. La banda fue contratada por Devan Carrington. Al evento fueron mas de 70 estudiantes de la universidad, en donde aprendieron a bailar con algunos de los integrantes de la banda. Al evento asistieron alumnos de diferentes nacionalidades. Había gente de Dinamarca, Brasil, Perú, México, España, China, Estados Unidos entre otros. Todos bailaron a los ritmos caribeños. El 16 de octubre se dará acabo la ultima actividad de este mes la cual es un altar de muertos. Los altares de muertos provienen de México y se dan acabo en el día de los muertos (o en ingles “Day of

Courtesy washjeff.edu

FROM COVER ___________

Photo by Professor H.J. Manzari

the dead”) el cual es el 31 de octubre. El propósito de un altar es recordar a algún ser querido que haya fallecido. El altar consiste en poner alguna fotos de el ser querido y varios objetos que el o ella uso en su vida y nos recuerde a esta persona. Uno de los candidatos que se esta tomando en cuenta para el altar es Tim McNerney, quien fue un estudiante de la universidad y un jugo fútbol americano para la misma, hasta cuando fue asesinado hace dos años el 4 de octubre. Los organizadores de estos eventos van a empezar a planear para las actividades de el siguiente año en la primavera del 2015 para tener más tiempo y obtener más financiamiento. Esto les dará mas libertad de expandir la escala y cantidad de eventos que se llevaran acabo en el siguiente año. Lo que se tiene planeado por ahora es introducir más actividades como el baile que se dio acabo el 26 de septiembre, entre otros eventos en el campus.

The partnership between the GABC and the Pittsburgh Rotary Club Foundation assists college students in Western Pennsylvania who exhibit exceptional academic abilities and a strong interest in German-American affairs. Brown has huge interest in German language. "I decided to learn German in my high school. “I was inspired by my four siblings who took German before me, so I thought ‘Okay, I will continue the trend,’ and then I completely fell in love with language." After high school, Brown’s teacher told him about the scholarship, he applied with recommendations from two assistant professors in the W&J Department of Modern Languages: Judith Atzler, Ph.D. and Guido Halder, Ph.D. Brown said, "I feel really thankful for my professors, because they keep inspiring me to learn more about the grammar concepts and the meaning of a word that has specific cultural conno-

tations." Brown declared a double major in German and cellular biology during his freshman year. “The more I take German, the more I like it,” said Brown. “I want to obtain my Ph.D in the U.S. “I would love to do my post doctorate in Germany and eventually, I would like to start up with research and then go to academia. “Whatever I do, I would love to start program with German researchers." To further his undergraduate studies in both majors, Brown plans to spend a semester abroad in the fall of 2015 through the program Pennsylvania Colleges in Cologne, Germany (PCIC). W&J is one of three Pennsylvania institutions that participate in this study-abroad program. Brown hopes that his semester in Cologne will allow him to become more immersed in German culture. “I hope to take German political classes, art classes and language classes, and I cannot wait to see my friends in Cologne, Germany,” said Brown. “They were exchange students last year and I miss them a lot!”


10 O ctober 2014

Red & Black

S E C U R I T Y LO G S Date: 10/4/2014 Incident: Drugs A resident assistant called the Security Office stating that she saw two people smoking in the gazebo as she walked past. She said that the smoke smelled like marijuana. An officer arrived on scene to see two males inhaling from a pipe. Upon seeing the officer, one student tried to hide the pipe by his left leg. When asked what they were smoking, one student said that it was marijuana. The pipe was taken and the students were asked to show identification. One student provided his ID. The other student did not reply when officer asked for his ID, stating that he didn’t have identification. The student was asked to stand up and was patted down. The officer found a cell phone and wallet with a student ID. The student was told to produce identification when asked for by an officer or official of the college. Date: 9/29/2014 Incident: Harassment A student came to the security office to report that someone had vandalized her car. The student showed security a picture with a maxi pad stuck to the windshield of her car with the words “not a parking spot ass witt.” The student stated that she had double-parked at the end of the row where slash marks are painted. Other than the maxi pad, there were no damages on the car. Date: 9/28/2014 Incident: Alcohol Security was called to a report of an unruly person. When officers arrived, they were informed that the unruly person had left. A male was seen staggering up the sidewalk and was stopped for questioning. The student refused to provide information and was taken into custody and transported to the Public Safety Office. One there, he gave officers all the information and was released to a friend. Date: 9/24/2014 Incident: Charges On Sept. 23, an officer was walking around Ross Field when he saw two males in a red dump truck throwing trash into a the dumpster in the parking lot of Ross Field. When asked why they were using W&J property, the two men stated that they work for a company that was working on the baseball field and that they had the owners permission to dump the items at that location. One of the males produced a cell phone and handed it to the officer, stating that it was his boss. The officer spoke to the man who also said that they were working on the ball field and that was his dumpster and they could throw the items into it. The officer said he would check with maintenance about the extra dumping. On Sept. 24, security received a call that there was trash in the parking lot of Ross Field. The officer said that he would get a photo of the rubbish and give a citation to the owner of the trash.

CAMPUS NEWS 5

Red & Black Established 1909

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Production Manager Business Manager Campus News Editor Life Editor Arts Editor Opinions Editor Sports Editor Photography Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Distribution Manager Adviser

Kyle Sossi Emily Bitting Bailey Murdick Amiti Sharma Lauryn halahurich Carley Adams Brittany Graft Emily Sterk Thomas Marcotte Caitlynn Gilles Mike Hornak Carolyn Tomlinson Gabriella Porazzi Dale Lolley

Courtesy xplanes.free.fr

_____________ FROM JOE , Page 4

This allowed him to think quickly enough to correct the course without causing damage to the plane that had yet to face the dangers of re-entry. In the end, the only disappointment was that the measuring instruments had been slightly off, causing the plane to come short of its intended height by a little over 3,0000 flight. Thankfully, 46,700 feet was still plenty enough to break the record. After completing several flights for the X-series and earning several awards, Walker came back to W&J

to reminisce and appear at a dinner to help gain funds. Dr. Briggs, his old physics mentor, was surprised that, even with is newfound fame, he was still the same person he had known for four years. In the words of Howard J. Burnett: “Joe Walker is a legend not only at W&J, but throughout our society. He had a great career and did things that no other human being had ever done. His dedication and courage set an example for all to emulate.” Walker died in his plane, the result of a collision during a publicity stunt for GE that was not actually authorized by his superiors. He was an aviator to the end, and will forever live on in the history of W&J.


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Ebola Hits U.S.

Dallas Hospital Treats First Ebola Patient Josh Dewaine Red&Black Contributor

NASA Battles Disease in Space Tom Marcotte Red&Black Editor

With the United States seemingly returning to manned spaceflights in the next few decades, NASA is taking a new approach at the task of keeping astronauts healthy in space. Spaceflight is a dangerous job requiring long, grueling periods of concentration, and astronauts must stay in peak physical shape in order to carry out their missions. Now, scientists are turning to bacteria to better understand how to keep astronauts in the trim. Space is often thought of as a sterile place but, in reality, manned spacecraft are havens for bacteria. Microbes can easily travel into space in food and water; as well as in the astronauts’ guts, and body fluids, like blood or saliva. The longer an astronaut stays in the enclosed

environment of the capsule or space station, relying on recycled air and water, the greater the chances that he or she will contract an infection. To make matters even more challenging, the weightless environment and high levels of radiation means that not only will the astronaut’s immune system be weakened, but the bacteria will become more virulent and easier to contract. However, recent experiments by the NASA health crew are making strides towards a better understanding of how diseases behave in space. Many of their findings have been surprising. For example, the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, which causes certain types of food poisoning, becomes benign in microgravity. On the other hand, the normally benign Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause illnesses due to the immune system being

weakened by the lack of gravity. Experiments in microgravity are allowing scientists an unparalleled look into how diseases change in new environments, which they hope will help create newer and better vaccines to benefit people here on Earth. The experiments have also uncovered new findings that suggest that bacteria may be the future for helping sustain human life in space. Colonies of helpful bacteria could be used in space stations to help recycle oxygen and waste matter. Specialized colonies could break down carbon dioxide into oxygen, purify water and even recycle human waste into edible food. Continued research is necessary, but the NASA health team’s experiments may hold the keys not just to fighting infections in space but also in putting bacteria to use sustaining the lives of those onboard.

The first patient to be diagnosed with Ebola on American soil was announced by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sept. 30. The patient arrived in the country from his homeland of Liberia, one of the West African countries hit hardest by the virus. Airliner protocol requires scans for fevers and other Ebola-related symptoms of everyone who leaves infected countries. However, the man was not showing any symptoms when he boarded the plane. Four to five days after arriving in America on Sept. 20, the man reportedly went to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas after contracting a fever and experiencing abdominal pain. The patient reported to the nurses and physician treating him that he had recently traveled from Liberia. Unfortunately, there was miscommunication and the patient was not quarantined immediately. Instead, he was released with painkillers and other medications. This allowed the patient to return to his home and potentially infect more people. Two days later, the patient’s symptoms worsened and he

called an ambulance to transport him to the hospital where he was finally quarantined to be screened for Ebola. The CDC reports that up to 48 other people had contact with the patient after he began to experience symptoms,. This includes the nurses and physician who first saw him, the EMTs that transported him to the hospital and the patient’s family members with whom he was staying. Most of the people believed to have had contact with the infected patient are being monitored, and four are currently quarantined. There are currently no other patients at the hospital confirmed to have contracted the Ebola virus. The virus is only contagious with direct contact of bodily fluids after patients begin to show symptoms. Thus, the passengers who were on the flight with the patient are most likely not at risk for becoming infected. Officials hope that this will keep the cases isolated to only one area, allowing for easier monitoring and control of the virus. Those who did come in contact with the patient after he was symptomatic will be monitored for 21 days and then released. If there are no additional cases of the virus confirmed within 21 days, it will most likely be confirmed that the virus was successfully contained.


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LIFE 7

Red & Black

Victim Confronts Cyberbully... 13 Years Later Brittany Graft Red&Black Editor

Forty-two percent of children are cyberbullied each year, and over 20 percent listen to their bullies' demands and contemplate suicide. Fortunately, this is not the case for an unnamed girl who confronted her cyberbully 13 years after the bullying took place. When the girl was 13 years old, she got into a fight with her best friend who then became her cyberbully for the following three years. The bully would hack into her e-mail account and delete everything except cruel notes that came from the unnamed girl’s own account. The bully also left her calendar remind-

ers periodically that told her to kill herself. The unnamed girl tried telling people, but did not tell an adult until she was almost 29 years old. Over 10 years later, the girl decided to confront her cyberbully. She did not want to hear her apologize; all she wanted to know was why she did it. She wondered how one bully could make her life a living hell for three years and not once apologize. The victim decided to contact her bully via Facebook. The girl described her former cyberbully as a fat suburban mom, yet she was still scared of her. The victim took weeks to work up the courage to finally message her. After a short period of time, the cyberbully replied. The bully had no recollection

of what she did. She did give some bland answers about some of the events, but she never confessed to doing them. The victim then switched her approach and asked questions like, "How do you think you would advise your kids if something like this happened to them when they were teens?" The cyberbully could barely answer because, according to the victim, she finally realized what she did. She began apologizing more and more even though she kept saying she could not recall any of it. The bully felt bad that she had ruined another woman’s life for quite a long period of time. The victim told her cyberbully how much she hurt her, and all the pain she went

through because of her. The cyberbully really had no idea how deep her actions hurt this woman throughout junior high. The victim did not want to pester her cyberbully anymore, nor did she want to cause any more arguments with this woman. Therefore, she left it alone. Even though there wasn’t any

evidence, the woman believes that there is no way her cyberbully could forget three years of telling someone to kill themselves. The woman who wrote the article very well could have shamed the woman and included her family name, but she did not. She grew up, and so did her cyberbully.

movie, or even their favorite singer. Every age group has a different variety of popular costumes. Many people are resorting to homemade costumes so that they can be something unique and not have to go as a ladybug or doctor. One of the biggest trends for this year is Frozen characters. Whether going as Olaf, Ana or Elsa, this is widely considered a very ‘cool’ costume idea. Elsa is by far the most popular costume idea

for this year, and you can find her in just about every Halloween costume store. Similarly to past years, superheroes are always a great choice. This year, however, Spider-man takes the lead in demand. Woman or man, anyone can dress up as Spider-man. Due to the recent release of the new movie, this one takes the second spot of these trendy costumes. A television character that every man wants to be is Rick Grimes from the popular AMC zombie show "The

Walking Dead." The costume is extremely simple. All you need is a grey police uniform with a sheriff hat, boots, badge, etc. If you aren’t into being Rick Grimes this year, try a zombie costume from "The Walking Dead" collection. Now onto the girl everyone loves to hate: Miley Cyrus. Even though she may be a bit crazy, any costume modeled after this iconic symbol is sure to be a hit. Her classic VMA mouse leotard or her "Wrecking Ball" attire are both great costume

ideas. If you are not into any of these suggestions, the usual ideas are solid too. Cops, firefighters, angels and devils are some classic Halloweenchoices. Spirit Halloween and Party City are two great places to get your costumes. Happy hunting!

Courtesy adelaidenow.com.au

Vampires, Zombies and Ghosts... Oh My! Cody Streussnig Red&Black Contributor

Halloween is quickly approaching, and everyone is looking for the perfect costume. The question every year is: What are the best costumes to wear this Halloween? Every year, it all depends on what happens in the media world and that is usually what the costume inspirations come from. People usually go as their favorite character in a

Courtesy thisnext.com


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Black Burger Baffles Americans The New American Family

Courtesy creativity-online.com

Shannon Adams Red&Black Staff

Burger King in Japan recently released a new item on their menu called the KURO Burger. The KURO Burger comes in two different types: the KURO Diamond burger and the KURO Pearl burger. These burgers sound interesting and unique to Americans... until they see what they look like. These burgers are on black buns topped with black cheese and covered with a black sauce. Suddenly, these burgers don’t sound as appealing as they did a few sentences ago. Food color plays significant tricks on our brains when we are deciding whether or not to eat something. This occurs for several reasons. The phenomenon can be studied from an evolutionary standpoint, psychological standpoint and from cultural standpoints. Color is an indicator that suggests the condition that our food is in before we eat it.

Our ancestors learned to stay away from spoiled meats by the color they turn to when they rot. That color was also associated with being sick and dying, and as a result, no one in the community would eat food of that color anymore. Our ancestors adapted and passed those skills on to their children so they would not make the same mistakes and get sick from the odd-colored foods. When someone hands his or her friend a red-colored drink, the person receiving that drink is going to expect something sweet that tastes like strawberry, cherry or fruit punch. Let’s say that the person who made the drink only put water in the glass and colored it with red food coloring. The person who receives the drink will still perceive a sweet taste if the maker does not tell him or her what it is. This is because our brains associate colors with tastes that we have already experienced. Our brains will associate: green foods with bitter tastes, blues with molding foods and red foods with sweet, sugary

things. Culture is also influential when deciphering the color of foods. In America, we associate the color black (the color of the new KURO Burger) with death, rotten food and bad tastes. This is the main reason why many Americans are tweeting about the new Burger King burger and commenting on how unappetizing it looks. In Japan, the Japanese have many foods that are black. They have seaweed, black bean paste, black walnut powder and squid ink that they use daily in their cuisine. With that in mind, the black KURO Burger does not appear unappetizing at all in Japan. The KURO Burger is only found in Japan, and it is on a normal bun with normal cheese and they are both colored with bamboo charcoal. The onions on the KURO Diamond are sautéed in a soy sauce to make them darker, and the sauce on both the KURO Diamond and the KURO Pearl is made of a garlic sauce with squid ink. Despite knowing the ingredients, many still have trouble understanding the appeal of this new burger.

Courtesy theatlantic.com

Sarah Peterson Red&Black Contributor

President Obama recently made noteworthy comments on the importance of the American Family. Obama is currently promoting the Student Loan Forgiveness Program for college graduates. The purpose of this program to make college affordable for all people, not just for the wealthy. One of the points that Obama made in support of the program was that students deep in debt are more likely to postpone settling down and getting married. It is true that marriages are on the decline, birthrates are down and divorce rates are high. Most couples are waiting until their thirties before they get married and have children, if they get married at all. Obama would like to see this change. He believes that earlier marriages will lead to better homes for children. He also believes that children need their fathers as

much as they need their mothers. Obama himself did not know his father in his lifetime, but he said that he makes a point to always be involved in his daughters’ lives. The value of family has been one of Obama’s top priorities since taking office in 2008. This is one of the reasons that his ObamaCare act includes the provision that women cannot be denied health insurance due to pregnancy. Throughout the last six years, The White House has tried to “appreciate the value of approaching economic and social issue through the lens of families,” according to The Atlantic. At a Summit for Working Families, Obama spoke from his personal experiences. “As the husband of a brilliant woman who struggled with work-life balance issues,” he said, “and as the father of two unbelievable young ladies… I want them to be able to be able to have families.” Obama said he hopes that Loan Forgiveness will help others feel the same way.


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'Once Upon a Time'...

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LIFE 9

Fans Meet 'Chilling' New Character Diana Ciarallo Red&Black Contributor

It’s very safe to say that the ABC fantasy-drama “Once Upon A Time” has been replete with twists and surprises during the last three seasons. However, one can be assured that the viewing audience was never expecting the shock that the received at the end of season three. They were given a cliffhanger glimpse of a “chilling” new character that looked suspiciously like Disney’s very own Queen Elsa. It was eventually confirmed by the producers that, yes, the characters Elsa and Anna from Disney's "Frozen" would indeed be playing key roles in the fourth season. The season immediately kicks off with the arrival of the formerly mentioned snow queen. She finds herself, confused and terrified, in a new world as she desperately searches for her beloved sister. The premiere episode titled “A Tale of Two Sisters” features the debut of Anna (Elizabeth Lail) and Elsa (Georgina Haig). Anna, the younger sister, giddily makes preparations for her wedding to Kristoff (Scott Michael Foster). The trolls from the movie are also featured when Elsa

finds a disturbing entry in her mother’s diary that causes her to fear that her powers may have played a role in their parents’ deaths. This prompts the “Frozen” storyline into action. In regards to this season’s new characters, Josh Dallas (David Nolan/Prince Charming) comments: “Elsa is mean, but she is misunderstood like most of the villains in ‘Once Upon a Time’. "Ultimately, I think that’s why these characters, particularly Elsa, fit so well into the ‘Once Upon A Time’ world.” Also, on an interesting note, the Frozen characters will not be undergoing the usual Once-twist. Instead, the actors’ portrayals of this lovable bunch will remain faithful to the point where there appears to be very little change from last year’s blockbuster flick. The character roles remain true to the spirit of the Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Sven that viewers know and love from the big screen. So, in conclusion, this is bound to be one 'cool' season as we all sit on the edges of our seats, watching in anticipation as the intricate trappings of this long-awaited storyline play out. Viewers are sure to be determined to discover the mystery of Elsa’s powers and Anna’s disappearance, while also keeping a look out for the dastardly Prince Hans.

Courtesy ign.com


10 ARTS

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Let’s Take a Selfie! German Film Series

Sarah Peterson Red&Black Contributor

The fall television shows are beginning to premiere, and one of them that has the most critics talking is “Selfie” which airs on ABC (Tuesdays at 8). Unlike most of the shows, it only is thirty minutes long instead of an hour. It is loosely based on the play “My Fair Lady.” The series follows the life of Eliza Dooley, a woman obsessed with becoming famous through the use of social media platforms (including the use of Instagram), until she realizes that she needs to actually find people that she can be friends with physically instead of “friend” them online. This prompts Eliza to hire Henry Higenbottom, a marketing self-image guru, that is left with the task of rebranding Dooley’s image in the hopes of showing her that there is more to life than playing Candy Crush Saga and connecting with a Facebook page. It is fun to watch the evolution of Dooley throughout the show, from

“make-under” for a wedding with her boss, to making “real” friends with people who will help her get ready. Dooley began to understand what she is missing in real life instead, as opposed to what is being posted on the internet. She does not have a boyfriend but soon realizes that she does need love in her life that is not on social media. “There is a difference between ‘being friended’ and having friends” is a main point the pilot episode tries to bring up. People might have 6,000 followers on twitter but how many of them are actually their friends? This is a question that people might ask in real life. In reality, I thought that the show was okay. Dooley’s backstory from high school brought back bad memories for me from high school and middle school, so I was sympathetic, but I believe that she became too obsessed with social media sites. I would have think that she would at least have some sympathy after her drastic makeover and could associate with people who were not as fortunate as her in popularity.

Ioseb Jorjoliani Red&Black Staff

The Department of Modern Languages starts out film series for the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Filming will take place in Yost Auditorium in Burnett Hall every Friday at 7 PM. The filming starts on Oct. 3 and will last until Nov. 9, which is the 25th anniversary of German Reunification, also known as the fall of The Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 and while the wall’s Berlin sections were the most famous, the wall marked the entire border between East and West. This divided not only the capital city’s citizens, but also Germany itself until Nov. 9, 1989 and was the symbol of the Cold War. It was the most visible piece of the Iron Curtain that divided the East and West, Communism and Capitalism. Pieces of the wall only exist today as monuments or museum exhibits all around the world. Judith K. Atzler, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of

German is the initiator of this project, “These films are great opportunity for students, especially for German majors, to learn more about German post-world war history. The films are in German but they all have English subtitles, so every student and faculty member would be able to watch and understand the films. We are going to start the film series on Oct. 3 and will end on Nov. 9, which marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall,” said Professor Atzler. German Program of The Department of Modern Languages is also hosting a 25th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall Essay Contest. Watching these films would be very helpful for those who consider to take part in the contest. “I think the German film series can provide some really good insight into Germany’s divide history, the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany. These films could be great source for those who plan to participate in the Essay Contest,” said sophomore Aric Brown, who recently won German American Business Circle Scholarship. The prizes are solid: three campus-wide

Courtesy cola.unh.edu

winners will be chosen by a jury of professors (in a blind review) and be awarded prizes in the form of Amazon gift cards: $250 for first prize, $150 for second prize and $50 for third prize. All participants will receive small gifts. The deadline for essays is Nov. 9, for more detailed information contact Judith K. Atzler, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of German.


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Garth Brooks Comes out of Retirement...Again Nathaniel Kanuch Red&Black Contributor Who could have imagined that the man whom country music purists decried as the biggest threat to tradition is now the man best positioned to save the genre? Garth Brooks, whose arena shows in the 1990s were full of lasers and stadium rock effects, announced he was coming out of retirement this summer. Brooks plans on releasing an all-new album on Nov. 11 and has already begun his three year world tour with stops in Chicago and Atlanta. His first single off the new album is titled “People Loving People,” and sounds nothing like the typical mainstream fare heard on country radio today. Brooks is now in the unique position of steering country music away from the motifs of constant partying and hip-hop induced sounds. While other

country music legends like Alan Jackson and Vince Gill have taken on critically acclaimed projects with no intention of appealing to mainstream Nashville, Brooks is not the man who intends to be out of the spotlight. He wants to be front and center, creating a buzz and getting the attention. He certainly got the attention in the 90s, setting records with album sales and legitimately rivaling both The Beatles and Elvis in popularity. His live concerts and cross-over appeal maybe took some of the focus away from his music, which is actually more traditional than many country purists are willing to admit. While the purists criticized his concerts as too rock-influenced (Brooks did, after all, fly onto the stage while suspended by wires), his music was mostly more in-line with traditional country than pop. Brooks’ first single “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old),” opened with a lonesome fiddle

and spelled out the theme of rodeo that many other Brooks’ songs would feature. Many of his albums were poignant, energetic and lonesome all on one disc. Little-known album cut “Cold Shoulder” is perhaps one of the loneliest sounding songs in country music history and would not sound out of place if sung by George Jones or Merle Haggard. So on one hand, there is Brooks, the traditionalist and the artist who openly admits that Jones and Haggard are the two biggest influences on his sound. On the other hand, however, is Brooks the entertainer. He paved the way for country concerts to use rock techniques, best exemplified today by artists like Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. Ironically, Brooks is positioned to bring more pure sounding country back to radio after being the one seen as turning country away from tradition and toward crossover pop. One thing is for certain: Garth Brooks will no doubt add some serious interest to country music once again.

Lady Antebellum Releases Sixth Album: "747" Sarah Peterson Red&Black Contributor

I was somewhat shocked to hear that Lady Antebellum had released a new album, as I have not heard any of the new music from them. The band released a new album entitled 747 last week. This is the sixth album from the group, made up of Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood and Charles Kelly. The lead single “Bartender” has risen on the charts and has become the bands ninth number-one single. “It talks about a girl in a post breakup who wants to go out partying and make new memories instead of crying by herself. The content sounds similar to "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum from a few years ago but the sound is much different,” according to Radio.com. Lead singer Scott spoke about the title of the new album, “The track itself has this pushing, driving spirit about it that sums up out attitude right now. We are pushing ourselves as a band and as songwriters…taking ourselves out of our comfort zone and not taking ourselves too seriously. There is urgency and energy to it that we have never released before." Lady Antebellum’s new album is produced by Nathan Chapman, who has worked with other country singers such as Taylor Swift. The evolution of the band is evident, as it shows a more mature band since the band mates are getting married and having babies. Gone are the hate-filled breakup songs. After listening to the new album, I like Lady Antebel-

Courtesy crypticrock.com

lum’s new evolving sound. “Bartender” is an upbeat fun song that any girl can sing and dance to on a Friday night. I have previously thought of Lady Antebellum as a band who likes slow ballads about relationships like “Need You Now” or “I Run to You.” When I think of country music to dance to, I think of the Band Perry or Taylor Swift. I find that I cannot listen to some of Lady Antebellum's music because it’s overplayed or has countless variations sung by other people. But the fun dancing music that any girl would want to have fun to is really appealing. All in all, I enjoy "747."


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Critics Divide on“The Equalizer” The Return of “Reign” Ioseb Jorjoliani Red&Black Staff

Sarah Peterson Red&Black Contributor

At the beginning of the movie, Robert (Denzel Washington) seems a like a fair guy who works at a Boston Home Mart. He cuts plywood and helps customers. He’s been training Ralphie, a fellow Home Mart employee, to lose a little weight so that he can apply for a security guard position. When Robert cannot sleep (which happens every night), he heads on down to the local diner and reads. He exchanges a friendly word with the other people in the diner. There is always a girl in the diner wearing revealing getups, including super-short shorts, cleavagebaring tops and tight dresses. Her name is Tami. Tami’s a call girl, probably underage. She asks Robert about the book he’s reading; he questions her eating habits. She’d like to be a singer and sugar can be murder on the vocal chords. They barely know each other. On one dark evening, sporting a fresh bruise on her cheek, Tami sits down beside Robert at his table and hands him a CD. It is a collection of songs she recorded. Her real name is Alina, she tells him. And in the space of a minute, without saying much of anything, she somehow spills out her hopelessness and her sorrow over what her life has been. Robert tries to inspire the girl and tells her that she can

Fall is here and the returning television shows are beginning their new seasons. This week, fans saw the return of many shows including “Greys Anatomy,” “Scandal,” “Reign” and “The Vampire Diaries.” After talking to many friends, I found that most people have never heard of “Reign” on the CW Network. It returned Thursday at 9 p.m. after “The Vampire Diaries.” The show takes place in Medieval France and centers on Mary the Queen of Scots as she is about to be married to the Crown Prince of France, Prince Francis. Palace life, drama, boys and alliances dominate the show. “Reign” is not a true account of the life of Mary the Queen of Scots. History books claim she married Francis, who died about a year later. They had no children together and Mary ended going back to Scotland to rule Scotland and battle the English, who want control of Scotland. The character of Sebastian, the illegitimate son of King Henry the second, does not appear in the textbooks, and it appears that Francis will live longer than a year after they had married. The love triangle between Mary, Sebastian and Francis also never happened in real life. Other characters that support the show are Henry

Courtesy screenrant.com

be everything she wants and they take a walk in the street. A block or two away, an SUV pulls in front of them. A man gets out, grabs Tami and hits her, forcing her into the vehicle. He looks at Robert and, mistaking him for a John, says Tami is “no good.” He has one of his henchmen give Robert a card—advertising Russian prostitutes—and tells him to give the number a jingle to get someone better. The next time Robert sees Tami, she’s in the hospital.Her face looks beaten. He doesn’t say hello; she’s half unconscious anyway. But in that moment, Robert decides to pay a visit to Slavi, her violent pimp. He hopes the meeting will be just a simple business transaction. But if things turn ugly, Robert knows he can be particularly persuasive when he wants to. Before Home Mart, Robert killed for a living. He could make it quick or excruciating, using a gun or a knife or a hose or a blowtorch. He can transform into a bear or a wildfire. And he’s about to make Slavi an offer that the man

really, really shouldn’t refuse. First, a normal guy, he later says that he laid down his weapons and brutal methods out of respect for his dead wife and he never planned to pick them up again. But when he sees such a grave injustice, and when he knows he can do something about it, he begins to feel like he has to act. “The Equalizer” is based on a television show that aired in the 1980s. And while the original show wasn’t exactly showing some violence, this film took things to a new, disturbing level. While Robert in the early version might want to keep his adversaries alive and simply chastened, the movie seems to show the high degree of pain he inflicts. There are heavy doses of sadism - a desire to see these villains not just eradicated, but made to suffer in extreme ways as they die. The movie is directed by Antoine Fuqua who also oversaw “Training Day,” the cop thriller that earned Washington his Oscar for best actor. “The Equalizer” may just prove another success for the director-actor combo.

Courtesy wbnx.com

the second, Mary’s ladies in waiting and Queen Catherine. The new season brought more changes to France; the outbreak of the plague predicted at the end of the first season and the death of King Henry left Francis as king. Mary is suffering with the pressures of all of this as Francis is outside the palace. The other characters are personally dealing with the plague, with a few of them already exposed to it. The next episode will tell if anyone will die from the plague. Overall, the show is addicting and fun; perfect for a girl who likes dramas like “Gossip Girl,” the show does not have to be watched as a historical show. The new season has given more questions than answers and the questions will hopefully be answered as the drama unfolds.


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"A Game Of Thrones" Where the Hit Show Really Came From Carley Adams Red&Black Editor

Today’s array of popular films and television shows is peppered with adaptations of great novels and stories that disappointed the vast majority of critics. “The DaVinci Code,” NBC’s “Grimm,” “The Great Gatsby,” etc. The bright side of this kind of situation is that viewers and critics are drawn to the original source material and are thus exposed to universally loved literature. On the other hand, in the case of a critically acclaimed series such as HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” the show is so compelling that many overlook the original source material. For “Game of Thrones,” this is George R. R. Martin’s five-part book series “A Song of Ice and Fire” (sixth and seventh parts forthcoming). The first in-

stallment of this book series, entitled “A Game of Thrones,” is enough to prove to anyone who reads it that these books are as brilliantly crafted as the episodes of the TV series. Each chapter of “A Game of Thrones” is written in the third person limited point of view of a different character. A risky move; authors who jump from character to character within the same novel are notorious for appearing amateurish in their writing (e.g. Stephenie Meyer’s “Breaking Dawn”). Martin, however, remains consistent in his writing style while simultaneously creating completely different mental atmospheres for each character. The shift from character to character also creates a gripping sense of dramatic irony for the audience. One chapter ends with a cliffhanger revelation for one character, and the subsequent chapter begins with another character in blissful ignorance of the former’s discovery. This method of building suspense

is enough to carry hungry readers cover-to-cover in a matter of days. His style is rich in detail and offers readers a deliciously vivid alternate reality, but he does not let his dedication to description muddy his story; a complex web of mystery, sexuality and moral ambiguity that, if muddied, could easily try readers’ patience and cause them to disengage. Martin’s writing is so beautifully balanced, though, that this intricate web captures readers within the novel’s first few sentences and keeps them begging to find out how this political puzzle will be solved and how many casualties will compound along the way. While the TV series deserves every bit of acclaim it has received, this should not deter fans from sinking their teeth into Martin’s book series. If anything, hearing the thoughts and innermost fears of each of Martin’s unique characters is sure to enhance the experience of watching their stories unfold on-screen.

West Hills Symphonic Band Delta Omicron

On Oct.12, professor of music Kyle Simpson will try to emulate one of the alltime great trumpeters, Harry James, during a featured soloist performance. The performance will be part of a concert from the West Hills Symphonic Band. They will not only be featuring Simpson as a guest soloist, but will also be playing one of his own compositions. The West Hills symphonic band is a community band made up of musicians from the Greater Pittsburgh region. The band currently has 80 members and rehearses Sunday afternoons giving concerts, which are free to the public, every October, December, March and May. Many musicians in the band are retired professional musicians and music educators, so the quality and musicality of the band is very high for a community band. On their website, the mission statement of the band is “offering musicians of varying ages and ability levels a challenging means of developing and expressing their musical skills.” This particular concert will consist of popular music from the twentieth century, giving musical tributes to not only James but to cinema and pops music like that of Rogers and Hammerstein. James was also an actor in the 1930’s and 40’s, but is best known for leading his own big band as a trumpeter. In musical academia, he is unique for his astonishing technical proficiency as well as his superior tone. Notably, his band was

Courtesy whsb.org

the first to employ Frank Sinatra as a vocalist in 1939. Sinatra would eventually give the eulogy at James’ funeral in 1983. One of his most famous hits, “You Made Me Love You,” made it into the top ten during the week of Dec. 7, 1941, the day of Pearl Harbor. When Simpson was asked about his playing imitating of James he said, “It is going to be very difficult to really get the amount of vibrato that James used and my lips are going to exhausted at end of the show.” As for the piece Simpson has composed for the concert, it will be a blend of new ideas inspired by mostly cinematic composers like Ennio Morricone, John Williams and, especially, Bernard Hermann, who composed the scores for Hitchcock movies like Psycho and Vertigo. “The piece really would fit well with the types of music that movies love to use,” said Simpson. “I have composed film score style music before and I have found that listeners find it almost as interesting as classic pieces from great composers.” Simpson teaches a course on Film Music which will be offered in this upcoming intersession in January of 2015.


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Where Exactly is ourTuition Money Going? Shannon Adams Red&Black Staff Every college student on campus is paying $50,000 a year to go here and get an education. Considering that we are paying so much for our education, why do we still have to dish out money to replace certain things and where is our tuition money going in the first place? If you are like me, then you have lost your swipe on many occasions. Another common “swipe problem” is when one of the Commons or G&T’s workers have swiped your swipe with a bit too much enthusiasm. Now you are either down a swipe or you are now a proud owner of a broken swipe. Here on campus, your swipe is your lifeline. You need

it to get into your dorm, to eat food and you need it to swipe into Beau to do your laundry because the only washer and dryer in your building is either taken or broken. This means you have to go to the business office during business hours, which is a challenge in itself, because you can barely find time to eat on the weekdays. But hey, you don’t have a working swipe anyways so it doesn’t matter! Once you make it to the business office, you have to show them your pathetic or nonexistent swipe; shed a few tears and maybe they will print you a new one. Then they will charge you a $15 replacement fee. It doesn’t matter that the squirrels on campus stole your swipe, you still owe $15! Now, I am not saying

Courtesy watchdog.org

W&J has recently made some questionable purchases, including new TVs and furniture for several buildings.

that our tuition money goes towards unnecessary things on campus; but why do we need TV’s mounted on the wall in almost every building on campus. You know that our tuition was used for those. The college could not have received a grant specifically

E ditorial P olicy The Red & Black is the official, registered student-produced newspaper of Washington & Jefferson College. It is published Thursdays with the exception of exams and break periods. Editorials are based upon the opinion of the respective writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper, the

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

Letters are due on the Monday before publication and may not exceed 600 words. All letters must include the author’s name, campus box and telephone number. Names may be withheld upon request under certain conditions on rare occasions. All letters may be submitted to redandblackstaff@jay. washjeff.edu.

for providing every wall in every building on campus with a nice TV. So next time you are in Burnett or Swanson say “hello!” to the TV’s that your college tuition paid for. You are paying for TV’s to sit on walls and do nothing. I have

never seen any of those TV’s turned on. Ever. And we paid for them. Instead of saying that I pay so much money a year to look at empty TV’s, and well fed squirrels, I am going to believe that I am paying for a one of a kind education and call it a 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


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Red & Black

The Great Animal Farming Bait-and-Switch

Courtesy theguardian.com

Some vegetarians claim that animal agriculture is a big contributor to climate change.

Thomas Marcotte Red&Black Editor Sometimes I get asked why I don’t write about environmental issues a lot. Normally my reply is just to say that if I thought that climate change, endangered species and world hunger were solvable problems; I would talk about them more. But these are all very complex issues that are interrelated with a lot of other political and economic concerns, none of which I would expect the “all we have are hammers therefore this problem is a nail” bureaucracy of the government to be able to solve. I’m perfectly content to recycle, donate to the Audubon Society and make sure the local lake isn’t being overfished,

but that’s about as far as it goes. Part of it is also that getting more “environmentally aware” would put me in the company of a bunch of people whose self-hating mentality and weird lifestyles I just plain detest. Non-GMO diets, swearing off toilet paper and living in a house the size of a shed? Not for me, I’m afraid. I already have a God I beg forgiveness from, and I’m not really in the market for another one. But, by far, my biggest problem with environmentalists is that they’ve turned a pretty straightforward and admirable cause into just another kooky subculture, a way to signal their own moral superiority. We see this most often with vegans and vegetar-

ians, who, despite their frantic protests to the contrary; love to push their personal dietary choices on other people through social shaming whenever they think they can get away with it. Case in point: a recent Huffington Post article about the dangers animal farming poses to the environment; written by an author who’s been a vegan for 28 years. As you would expect, his solution to the problem is for us to stop farming animals. In the interest of fairness, let’s point out that the statistics in the article are both true and startling. The greenhouse gasses released by livestock contribute up to 18% of the total emissions warming the planet. Animal agriculture is also ex-

tremely wasteful of water and arable land, pollutes the water with toxic wastes and leads to a lot of serious health problems. It seems pretty indisputable that raising animals for food does cause a lot of problems. But let’s dig deeper. Two thoughts come to mind: 1. Why not genetically modify our farm animals to have more efficient digestive systems that release fewer greenhouse gases? We could cut those emissions and keep enjoying all that tasty, tasty meat. 2. Even better, why not build more nuclear reactors? They produce next to no carbon dioxide, are very efficient, and have a far better safety record than petroleum. People complain about ac-

cidents, but really, three accidents in 60 years versus a serious oil spill every five years is a no-brainer. Two perfectly viable solutions for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by a significant amount, and yet we all know that this author would reject them out of hand. Why? Because so much of environmentalism is less about being responsible stewards of nature and more about signaling how much more caring and enlightened you are than those brutish redstaters. This is just another example of the modern West’s psychosis: the more you hate yourself, the more morally righteous you are. If that’s what going green means, then count me out.


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Parents Raise Concern Over Safety of Vaccinations Joshua Dewaine Red&Black Contributor

Parental choice of vaccinating their children has been a topic of debate since the discovery of the polio vaccine in 1952 by Jonas Salk. Vaccinations immunize children against a barrage of life-threatening illnesses: such as hepatitis A & B, influenza, measles, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and human papillomavirus (HPV). Vaccinations are so successful in controlling these disorders that the only conceivable way to acquire them in a first-world country is to not vaccinate your child.

Unfortunately, parents are still given the choice to opt out of vaccinating their children; whether for religious reasons or out of sheer ignorance. There are a number of reasons that parents choose to opt out of the vaccinations. Many people have heard of the research that claimed to have found a link between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination and autism. According to the World Health Organization, this study was found to be incredibly flawed and the work was later retracted. The researcher named Andrew Wakefield manipulated evidence, had numerous conflicts of interest

and had broken ethical codes. His research was retracted and found to be statistically inaccurate only six years after it was published. The WHO reports today that there is absolutely no evidence to support a link between the MMR vaccination and autism or autistic disorder. Another reason that parents opt out of vaccinating their children is for religious reasons. Some religious fundamentalists believe that it is unnecessary because their child is divinely protected. While this is wonderful for the children that are under the umbrella of protection, the lack of vaccination of

their children allows for those that aren’t divinely protected to become infected with potentially life-threatening illnesses. Parents who do choose to opt out of vaccinating their children expose their children to a number of truly horrible conditions. Children who are infected with the polio virus can become crippled and physically deformed for the rest of their lives while those exposed to the tetanus bacterium experience incredible muscle pain and paralysis. Female children with HPV have extremely high odds of contracting cervical cancer throughout their lifetime. It’s

inconceivable to most people that a parent who truly cares about their child would want to increase the odds of their child contracting one of these disorders by not vaccinating them. The choice to vaccinate needs to become a standard in order to finally wipe these horrible diseases off the planet. While the choice to vaccinate makes parents feel more comfortable, we cannot allow their ignorance to give these diseases more fuel. The fire is almost contained; it just requires a minor amount of effort from all parents. Vaccination is safe, affordable, logical and intelligent.

say that the only country that is teaching students correctly for real-world applicable jobs is Germany because their model of education is stronger. The German model of education consists of a so-called dual system of education and training. The education system combines several weekdays of classroom instruction at vocational schools and on-the-job apprenticeships that are designed to prepare graduates for full-time jobs once they graduate. Apprenticeships also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulated profession. Some

colleges in the United States consider themselves part of the greatest, higher-education system in the world, but that is because they are importing the German model of career and technical education to their programs. I believe the German model is better, and other countries, including America; can learn something from them. Even at Washington & Jefferson College, we can see the German education system influencing our education to some degree. We are encouraged to take jobs and internship opportunities in our field to further our experiences beyond schooling, and

sometimes it can count toward college credit. Advisors urge students to get internships during the school year and during the summer. Jobs today don’t necessarily care where you went to college, but do care about realworld work experience from internships. Hands-on learning can be just as valuable as an education. The Obama administration also is on-board for advancing American education. There are community colleges and industries that are changing their systems by allowing students to get academic credit for apprenticeships. The United

States, however, would have to add 2.5 million apprenticeships to their college curriculums to equal that of Germany. The education system is evolving quickly; it is no longer about just getting a degree, but rather receiving experience in a future career. Many people believe that America is best country in the world; but the truth is, we are behind in terms of education, among other things. I expect schools within the United States will soon be converting to similar models such as Germany’s if they want to catch up to many of the European nations in educational standards.

What is the Best Way to Model Education in the U.S.? Bailey Mudrick Red&Black Editor Is college actually preparing us for the real world? Some businesses don’t think so. Companies like William Lamkin, a fast-growing electrical contracting company, believe hiring American college students right after graduation might be a waste of money. It is not because the students are not smart but, William Lamkin states, that “training takes [an additional] two years to teach new hires of American universities with four-year degrees “the tricks of the trade.” Lamkin officials


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Red & Black

Hong Kong Students Protest Against NPCSC Cody Streussnig Red&Black Contributor

The Hong Kong protests, which started in September, began when anti-government advocates started protesting outside of government buildings and occupying several intersections. These people were protesting because of the proposed electoral election reform by the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress (NPCSC). Instead of allow-

ing civil nominations where anyone can run, the NPCSC (which controls Hong Kong for China) would elect up to three candidates for the public to vote on after a selection process. Most of Hong Kong’s history includes having been under English rule but, in 1984, the United Kingdom and China agreed that control over Hong Kong would revert back to the Chinese. Under the principle of one country/two systems, Hong Kong would enjoy a high degree of autonomy. Many protesters are mostly from the Hong Kong Fed-

eration of students (which are mainly college students) and Scholars. Hong Kong Federation of Students and Scholars mobilized students to boycott classes, with tertiary students commencing a one-week boycott from September 22nd. At the same time, Scholars organized a demonstration outside of the Central Government Offices barricade on Sept. 13th 2014. Protesters wore yellow ribbons and were blindfolded with red cloth in order to declare a class-boycott on September 26th in response to the wider, class-boycott movement. On Sept. 28th, the

protesters marched onto Harcourt Road and proceeded to occupy Queensway blocking both east and west arterial routes located within northern Hong Kong Island. After a several hour standoff, police attempted to disperse the protesters with pepper spray, tear gas and water guns. As of October 2014, the government has set a 'deadline day' in which officials say they will clear the streets of protestors. Protestors have stated that they are up for negotiations, but there has been no comment about conceding to the

government. An article written in the Chinese Communist Party’s newspaper, the People's Daily, by the deputy director of China's National People's Congress Internal and Judicial Affairs Committee, Li Shenming; stated, "In today's China, engaging in an election system of one-manone-vote is bound to quickly lead to turmoil, unrest and even a situation of civil war.” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, "The United States supports universal suffrage in Hong Kong in accordance with the Basic Law and we support the aspirations of the Hong Kong people.”

Cost of Air Strikes Against ISIS Nears $1 Billion Joshua Dewaine Red&Black Contributor

The United States began a campaign against the radical group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS. The campaign involves collation with numerous other countries: such as Turkey, Australia, Britain and Canada. ISIS has been poking the sleeping dragon lately, airing numerous videos showing prisoners of war and captured

journalists from the United States and Britain being decapitated in the desert after reading statements claiming the United States government was the reason they were about to die. ISIS has also carried out numerous horrific acts: executing thousands of people at a time, crucifixions, gang rape and brutal torture. The United States responded by doing the only logical thing; launching a massive air strike campaign against the radical Islamic terrorist group. There are reportedly up to 30,000 fighters that support

the radical group across Iraq and Syria. The group has been moving across the Eastern world for almost six months; in a total-war style, burning and destroying everything behind them. There have been numerous historical landmarks completely wiped off the map; such as the holy site of Jonah’s tomb in Mosul. The goal of the group is to unite the Eastern world under one ruler. The air strikes began on Sept. 23rd according to a press release by the Pentagon. The

United States confirmed more than 14 air strikes in Syria targeting the organizations mainframes with, at least, an additional 14 more to be carried out in the future. The United States stated that any country that harbored these individuals were potentially planning terroristic acts themselves. The air strikes were joined by Great Britain on October 1st and will be joined by the Australian Air Force as soon as they receive support from Iraq. Although ISIS is widely considered a plague on soci-

ety, the air strike campaign has reportedly killed roughly 35 radical members of the terrorist group according to CNN. The total cost of these air strikes hover over $1billion. At approximately $30 mill per causality, it’s hard to proclaim that the campaign has been extremely successful so far. With the United States leading the way into a war against the radical group, other countries such as Australia and Turkey will hopefully take some of the financial weight off the United States’ shoulders.


18 The SUPERBURGER “Calm Down, It’s Just a Joke”

Red & Black

10 O ctober 2014

BREAKING NEWS: Burnett Statue’s True Purpose Revealed Shannen Adams Red&Black Staff Overnight, a mysterious lollipop-shaped rainbow monument appeared on the Burnett lawn and everyone on campus is curious as to what its purpose is. However, we at the Superburger have discovered the answer. Someone delivered to me, during the dead of night, the secret to the moment via a note around a squirrel’s neck. The note was addressed solely to me and left no hint or clue as to who I could thank for this present. I am so excited to release this information to the public and give you enough time to protect yourselves before it is too late. The secret squirrel note said that the monument, once

unveiled, will begin to spin and send out signals into the sky around Washington and Jefferson College. The signals that are being released hold something that is similar to computer software once it enters our brains. These signals will worm themselves into your cranium and lay dormant until the mastermind behind the atrocity wills the software to become active. This software will give us the instincts of a squirrel, and since the colder weather is setting in, a squirrels’ main priority is to collect acorns so they can survive the winter and hibernate. This means that the software will turn us all into human squirrels and scavenge the campus of

all acorns possible. Once all the human squirrels have collected a mouthful of acorns, they must return to the monument to bury their nuts. Once a large cache of nuts has been collected and buried by the students, the Squirrel Overlord will appear out of the monument and graciously thank his sons and daughters for carrying out this tedious task for him and his squirrel brethren. After the ceremony of the nuts, the Squirrel Overlord will grade the performance of every human squirrel. If they did satisfactory, then they will be released from their hold and have no memory of the event. If the human squirrel did a poor job

Courtesy staticflickr.com

Artist’s impression of the Squirrel Overlord in all his unholy glory. Note the unnatural hellfire that follows in his wake and his bloodred eyes that glow with the fury of a thousand angry suns.

collecting nuts, they will be hereby sentenced to live the rest of their days as a squirrelhuman on campus. Now, the note that was delivered to me gave one solution to protecting your brain from being infected.

You must become resistant! This means you have to eat acorns with every meal and drink acorn tea before bed. This is the only way to protect yourselves! You must take action against the Squirrel Overlord now!

Mole People of Old Main Up to Their Old Tricks Julia Price Red&Black Staff Just recently, the Department of Sociology claims to have discovered a race of mole people living in the basement of Old Main. While the department had no comment on this discovery, many students have taken an investigation into their own hands. Here is what we know so far: This new species seems to be surviving the cold Wash PA weather by burning old textbooks that students abandon when unable to sell them back to the bookstore. It also appears that they are

sneaking into the Commons and stealing all the “good” food before the students are able to get to it. The English majors have begun attempting to teach the mole people proper English and grammar, though at this point it is not yielding results. Art majors, however, have shown some success in teaching the mole people how to finger paint. The colony discovered beneath Old Main numbers nearly 50,000 and it appears that they have a very mischievous nature. The mole people have been caught gnawing on

Internet cables and damaging heating regulators for various buildings. It is also believed that they are behind drying out all the Expo whiteboard markers on campus, as well as, stealing the blueprints for the Tech Center third floor. They have a network of elaborate underground passageways spanning campus, with entrances into numerous buildings and dorms. They have set up a sort of headquarters below Old Main, which has proven to be a suitable habitat thanks to its dark, damp space and quiet undisturbed location.

The mole people appear to have developed a language of growls and squeaks and have also been caught playing children’s games such as freeze tag, though they are quite irritable in temperament and often show signs of aggression when stressed. The mole people seem to have an obsession with gathering antiques, and it is believed that they sneak into the President’s house during the night to gather more antiques to decorate their underground hideouts. Conspirators believe that the large rainbow wheel in front of Burnett was made as

a repellent in order to keep the mole people away from the house by reflecting light into their sensitive eyes and blinding them. One source suggests the mole people may actually be alumni that are unable to pay off their debt and are plotting revenge by coming up with ways to bring misery to the school and its students. College leaders have collaborated with the artist behind the rainbow sculpture in an attempt to force the mole people back into hiding beneath Old Main, but only time will tell if this deterrent proves successful.


10 O ctober 2014

Upcoming W&J Home Games Thomas Marcotte Red&Black Editor

Saturday, Oct. 10 Alex Stadium, 1 p.m. Women's Soccer vs. Geneva Alex Stadium, 3 p.m. Men's Soccer vs. Geneva Sunday, Oct. 11 Henry Gymnasium, 10 a.m. Men's Water Polo vs. Penn St.Behrend Tuesday, Oct. 14 Henry Gymnasium, 7 p.m. Volleyball vs. Thiel

SPORTS 19

Red & Black

The Steelers So Far: An Analysis

Wednesday, Oct. 15 Swanson Courts, 3:30 p.m. Women's Tennis vs. Grove City Thursday, Oct. 16 Henry Gymnasium, 7:30 p.m. Volleyball vs. Chatham

Joshua Makepeace Red&Black Contributor The first quarter of the NFL regular season has officially come to a close, and the Pittsburgh Steelers stand just as they have been for the past two seasons; average. What is new, however, is the roller coaster of events that have transpired to culminate in their mediocrity. During the first half of their week one game against the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers looked like a team poised to content for a world championship; outscoring their opponent 27-3 before halftime. This notion was quickly and thoroughly dispelled during the second half of action, in which the Browns rallied to tie the game at 27 in the fourth quarter, only to have Ben Roethlisberger and company drive down the field and secure a field goal to win the game as time expired. This close call left Steelers fans unsure to be certain, the next week’s game against the

division-rival Baltimore Ravens would more than justify these insecurities. The Steelers would get embarrassed in their second game of the season, falling to the Ravens 26-6 and showing little sign of the team that began the season on a 27-3 run. It seemed as though the Steelers were again going to fall short of the high expectations placed upon them each year as they traveled to Charlotte to play the Carolina Panthers, a team that had won eight consecutive regular season games at home. Contrary to expectations, however, the Steelers were again able to flash signs of a playoff-caliber team, racking up 37 total points and recording their first game to have two 100-yard rushers since 1986. Despite suffering three key injuries in the week, excitement once again stirred in Steelers Nation; the Steelers had proven their ability to blow-out a team as respectable as the Panthers. Following their game against the Tam-

Courtesy townnews.com

pa Bay Buccaneers, during which the painfully average quarterback Mike Glennon orchestrated a fourth quarter comeback last Sunday to defeat the Steelers, it is unclear how Steeler Nation should feel about the still-young season. There have been several bright spots, none brighter the LeVeon Bell; he has begun the season as one of the NFL’s leading backs. Unfortunately, there have also been many glaring blemishes, concluding in wild inconsistencies that have led to a 2-2 start. As a result, the Steelers are the one team in the NFL with the most control over their destiny. If they can somehow gain some semblance of consistency, then an easy schedule could easily translate into a run deep into the AFC playoffs. Without this stability, the Steelers will again be described with a word that the fans of this record-setting franchise have become all too accustomed to: average.


10 O ctober 2014

SPORTS 20

Red & Black

A Look at Professional Athletes Caught Smoking

Courtesy gamedayr.com

Former basketball superstar Michael Jordan smoking a cigar, of which he considers himself a connoseur. A surprising number of high-profile professional athletes have been caught smoking tobacco, either occasionally or semi-regularly.

Siddhanta Bista Red&Black Staff When the word athlete is said, normally people conjecture or vision someone who is extremely healthy. This preconception can often be misleading when making judgments or taking part in things that would negatively impact a person. The 10 athletes listed above are known smokers, however people do not realize the training and effort they went through to become who they are today. Athletes are professionals who have sacrificed everything in their lives to be among the best in their own

fields. The road to greatness that they have taken is a difficult task that has been filled with blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice. Before making it as prominent figures, athletes do not even get to lead normal lives. They are not allowed to stay up late and hang out with friends, due to early morning practice. Their dietary plan is different than others because eating certain things can slow them down in their games. They refrain from parties because their careers depends on their physical condition. Oftentimes, the stress of the constant pressure to perform, as well as the desire to

break away from some of the constraints of life in professional sports, has lead many pro athletes to take up unhealthy habits like smoking tobacco as a kind of stress relief. Smoking has hazardous effects on health as it has an effect on the amount of available oxygen in the body. The nicotine decreases the amount of oxygen that can enter the lung, along with that it constricts the blood vessels, decreasing the amount of blood flow within the lungs; leading to rising of blood pressure and adding an extra load on the heart. Additionally, the irritation of the tar and smoke can leave an athlete coughing and

short of breath. Thus, athletes who smoke become fatigued faster than those who do not. It is important to realize that even though some iconic figures, such as the ones listed above, do indulge in smoking, it can have serious impacts on the body. People also need to understand that as an athlete one simply cannot afford to take things like their health lightly or make poor choices when it comes to taking care of their bodies. All the names listed to the right got to the stage they are in today because of their hard work and dedication to the game, despite their dangerous tobacco-smoking habit. These

ten high-profile professional athletes have all been caught smoking: 1. Alex Rodriguez (Baseball) 2. Gianluigi Buffon (Soccer Player) 3. Jack Wilshere (Soccer Player) 4. Zinedine Zidane (Soccer Player) 5. John Daly (Golfer) 6. Mario Balotelli (Soccer Player) 7. Anna Kournikova (Tennis Player) 8. Randy Moss (Football Player) 9. Wayne Rooney (Soccer Player) 10. Michael Jordan (Basketball Player)


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