04.27.12 reportermag.com
Behind the Scene
The Lifestyles of Rochester’s
Punk Rock Community
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A SENSE OF BALANCE EDITOR IN CHIEF Alex Rogala | eic@reportermag.com MANAGING EDITOR Brendan Cahill | managing.editor@reportermag.com COPY EDITOR Nathaniel Mathews | copy.editor@reportermag.com NEWS EDITORS Vasia Ivanov Peter LoVerso | news@reportermag.com LEISURE EDITOR Evan Williams | leisure@reportermag.com FEATURES EDITORS Brendan Cahill Steven Markowitz | features@reportermag.com SPORTS/VIEWS EDITOR Brett Slabaugh | views@reportermag.com WRITERS Stephanie Beach, Nick Bovee, Kayla Emerson, William Hirsh, Vasia Ivanov, Nilan Lovelace, Cadence Schwartz, Evan Williams
ART ART DIRECTOR Lauren Bolger | art.director@reportermag.com SENIOR STAFF DESIGNER Jon Lavalley STAFF DESIGNERS Emily Levine, Natalie Talis PHOTO EDITOR Juan Madrid | photo@reportermag.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Joshua Barber, Matthew Burkhartt, Jonathan Foster, Katie Thompson
At the threshold of Week 7, I see my fellow students deeply focused on the RIT community. With final projects, Student Government Elections, and registration concerns, our attention is drawn inwards. Jon Schull, interim director of the Center for Student Innovation, is not. At 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, he will be presenting his vision for a bike path connecting RIT, the University of Rochester and Monroe County Community College. By connecting these three universities into what he calls a “multiversity,” Schull hopes to encourage exercise, innovation and economic growth. While Schull’s speech will be long finished by the time this magazine hits stands, it’s worth mentioning for one key reason: It’s a truly fantastic idea. By expanding our horizons, we can grow — both as a university and a community. As a freshman, I fell victim to the insular nature of college culture. I didn’t watch the news or read a paper; even at REPORTER, I wrote mostly reviews. College was a whirlwind of new experiences; between homework and friends, I felt content. During my sophomore year, I became the magazine’s Leisure Editor; in turn, I gradually began writing news pieces and features. I developed a desire to connect with — and to explore — the greater Rochester community. And as I began to make friends at other local colleges, I discovered what I had missed by remaining insulated. In my experience, exploration often leads to unexpected outcomes. There’s a risk, but there’s also an immense potential for reward. For example, take this week’s feature. Author Evan Williams ventured deep into the heart of the Flower City to uncover a vibrant musical subculture. His idea, as originally pitched, was to explore the culture of basement punk shows. While he did not discover what he originally expected to, he unearthed a powerful, emotional story involving a group of dedicated individuals. As an RIT student, this kind of exploration presents challenges. As much as I love RIT, it often feels far removed from its namesake. Without a car, it’s even worse. Recently, the Institute has taken measures to expand our transportation options. Earlier this year, SG introduced a pilot run of the Tiger East End Express (TE3), a Saturday night route which travels to Rochester’s East End. Regardless of the debates surrounding the bus’ use, it serves a key purpose: connecting RIT to a larger community. It’s an effort I applaud. If anything, the TE3 proved RIT isn’t so far from the outside world. Ultimately, U of R is a walkable trip — provided you’ve got a comfortable pair of shoes and some serious free time. With a bike trail, it could be an even more feasible. Improving this ease-of-access would encourage students to explore their surroundings. And There is a world beyond the Brick City. It’s high time we join it.
STAFF ILLUSTRATOR Adrian Yablin CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS Justine Raymond, Kayla Tucker, Shin Wakabayashi CARTOONIST Emily DeVault
Alex Rogala EDITOR IN CHIEF
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Reporter Magazine is published weekly during the academic year by a staff comprised of students at Rochester Institute of Technology. Business, Editorial and Design facilities are located in Room A-730, in the lower level of the Campus Center. Our phone number is 1.585.475.2212. The Advertising Department can be reached at 1.585.475.2213. The opinions expressed in Reporter do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute. Letters to the Editor may also be sent to reporter@rit.edu. Let’s run away and start a band! Reporter is not responsible for materials presented in advertising areas. No letters will be printed unless signed. All letters received become the property of Reporter. Reporter takes pride in its membership in the Associated Collegiate Press and American Civil Liberties Union. Copyright © 2012 Reporter Magazine. All rights reserved. No portion of this Magazine may be reproduced without prior written permission.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
04.27.12 | VOLUME 61 | ISSUE 27
Bucky Townsend, a second year Human Computer Interaction graduate student, burns his beard on a Friday night. Bucky periodically burns his beard. | photograph by Jonathan Foster NEWS
FEATURES
6. News Desk
16. Behind the Scene
The plus-minus grading system returns.
8. Student Loans Increasing
Economists, politicians express concerns. LEISURE
What would your RIT-themed gameshow be?
SPORTS
Naked bicycle gangs and hate mail.
23. Men’s Lacrosse Trumps Skidmore in Senior Game
11. At Your Leisure
A strong showing at a final game.
12. Reviews
25. Internet Service Deciders
15. Nostalgia Remix
27. Smart Glasses and Sly Trade-Offs
Enjoy some movies.
VIEWS Redefining a genre and reviving a style.
8-bit musical beauty.
28. Word on the Street
The lifestyles of Rochester’s punk rock community.
31. Rings
cover photograph by Katie Thompson
Is our privacy under attack?
Is technological convenience worth the risks?
5
BEYOND THE BRICKS by Kayla Emerson | illustration by Kayla Tucker
FIRST COMMERCIAL SPACE STATION TRIP PLANNED California-based Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) plans to send an unmanned freight flight to the International Space Station (ISS) later this month. Named Dragon, the capsule will be launched on the Falcon 9 rocket in a mission tentatively scheduled for Monday, April 30. While Dragon is slated for cargo use, the BBC reports it can also be modified to carry humans into space. The SpaceX expedition is considered a demonstration flight, since most of its systems and programs are not guaranteed to work. According to a NASA news release, the Falcon 9 has only been launched twice, and Dragon only once — but all successfully. If everything goes as planned, the capsule will be flung into orbit close to the ISS, and a robotic arm will pull it into the space station. Before returning to Earth, the capsule will transfer 1,200 pounds of cargo. This flight is one step towards NASA’s goal of replacing their own cargo flights — part of their now-defunct space shuttle program — with commercial flights. According to the BBC, a NASA program is currently funding the commercial development of these technologies. With the commercial development of short, near-Earth space flight, NASA’s resources are freed up for exploration farther out into the Solar System.
NEW WORLD BANK PRESIDENT ELECTED
IRAN SEEKS RELAXED SANCTIONS
Since the World Bank was founded in 1944, its presidents have always been American. On Monday, April 16, this trend continued with the selection of president-elect Jim Yong Kim. However, unlike former presidents, Kim is a physician with no business or financial background. The presidents — who serve five-year, renewable terms — are elected by the bank’s board of directors. Kim won over Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former Colombian Finance Head Jose Antonio Ocampo. This race was the first ever where opponents challenged the U.S. candidacy pick. Kim begins his first term July 1. Kim is currently the president of Dartmouth College, but he has a strong background in improving healthcare in Third World countries, especially in regards to HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. His experience puts him right in line with the World Bank’s mission statement: reducing poverty.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi recently suggested that the country might resolve the West’s issues with its nuclear program, if only the West would ease up on their sanctions. However, neither the European Union nor the Obama administration plans to comply without seeing evidence of Iran’s compliance. Iran is currently working towards enriching uranium for reactor power, which requires 20 percent enrichment. While far from the 90 percent enrichment required for an atomic bomb, many of Iran’s neighbors — as well as the West — feel threatened by an Iran with nuclear capabilities at any level. Israel is especially insistent that Iran halt its nuclear enrichment, because of the continuing strained relationship between the two countries. In 2009, as a result of these concerns, the West proposed a deal to give Iran nuclear fuel already enriched to 20 percent in trade for low-grade fuel, Reuters reports. The deal fell through at the time, but is being discussed again. This would give Iran the fuel it wants for nuclear power without necessitating the development of technology to produce weapons-grade uranium. The next talk between the two parties is scheduled for Wednesday, May 23 in Baghdad.
6 News | 04.27.12
SG UPDATE: 4.20.12
by Cadence Schwartz with contributions by Alex Rogala
PLUS-MINUS GRADING TO BE IMPLEMENTED During the Friday, April 20, meeting of the Student Government (SG) Senate, Dr. Jeremy Haefner, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, discussed the Institute’s plans to transition to a plus-minus (A+, A, A-, etc.) grading system in fall 2013. Approved by Academic Senate and President Bill Destler in spring 2009, the system was originally intended to become active during the 2010-2011 academic year. After the Institute made the decision to transition to semesters in early 2010, implementation of the new grading system was postponed. Plus-minus grading will be optional to the professors, but in instances of classes with multiple sections, the choice will be given to the department. Under the plan, pre-requisites will be counted with a grade of C- or higher, though Haefner stated the weight of grades on the new rubric may be changed. A study year was decided on after concerns of how the new grading system will affect financial aid and GPA It will commence during the next school year with 10-15 faculty volunteers, mostly in engineering and technology fields, who will use both grading systems concurrently. Classes using the plus-minus grading system during the trial year will not affect student grades; that is, the equivalent letter grade will be reported for the purposes of calculating GPA, without pluses or minuses. Kate Gleason College Senator Richard Latham and Freshman Senator Paul Darragh expressed concerns that the study pool was too small, and should include more departments and students. Haefner responded that he would bring this concern back to faculty to evaluate the study parameters.
INTERSESSION CLASSES PROPOSED Haefner also discussed plans for intersession (to take place during winter break) and summer session classes to go along with the semester conversion. Currently, the planned goal of the sessions is to give students the ability to advance or catch up on their work, do distance learning, research partnerships and study abroad. The sessions will also be aimed at getting alumni re-engaged with the campus through various opportunities and retraining, and give nonRIT students a chance to earn transfer credits and college credits in high school. Intersession, which will be three weeks long, will consist of a student taking one letter grade course with time available for study sessions and office hours with professors. Intersession will have separate tuition, and will be priced to offset the lower amounts of available financial aid available for the session.
FORECAST compiled by Michael Roppolo CAB SPRING FESTIVAL PRESENTS: FOOD, MUSIC AND PUPPIES! Outside, Kodak Quad and Tiger Statue. 12 - 4 p.m. RIT is bringing man’s best friend back to campus to benefit Scottsville Veterinary Adoptions. Also enjoy barbecue and live music! Cost: $1.
CAB SPRING FESTIVAL PRESENTS: B.O.B Gordon Field House and Activities Center. 8 - 10 p.m. The long-awaited night is here: come out, dance and enjoy the hip-hop stylings of B.o.B! Cost: Students: $17, Faculty/Staff: $26, Others: $36.
CAR SHOW Lots G and H. 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Do you live for horsepower? Speed? Wind in your hair? Check out the RIT car club’s Car Show. Cost: Free to watch, $5 to show.
ANAD AWARENESS WEEK Lobby, Student Alumni Union. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Help support Delta Phi Epsilon and the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. Buy shirts, baked goods, crafts and CDs while learning something new! Cost: Free.
BEACH DAY SHIRT PRE-SALE Outside, Student Alumni Union. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. With Beach Day right around the corner, what better way to prepare to lie down on the Greek Lawn than by buying and tie-dying a t-shirt? Cost: $5.
CONABLE GLOBAL FILM SERIES: “INDIGENES/NATIVES” Max Lowenthal Hall, 2230 (LOW, 12). 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Join COLA faculty for a stimulating conversation about racism and colonialism. Pizza and refreshments will be served to all who attend. Cost: Free.
CAB THURSDAY NIGHT CINEMA PRESENTS: “SAVING PRIVATE RYAN”
CORRECTION The cover of REPORTER’s Friday, April 20 issue featured a photograph of several members of the RIT Gay Alliance (ritGA). There was no corresponding article in the magazine. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
Ingle Auditorium, Student Alumni Union (SAU, 04). 10 p.m. - 1 a.m. Starring Tom Hanks, this historically accurate movie follows one squad as they fight through the hard decisions of war. How far would you go to save one life? Cost: Free.
Economists, Politicians Express Concern by Stephanie Beach with contributions by Amanda Imperial | illustration by Adrian Yablin
Student loan debt has reached record highs of over $1 trillion, and it continues to grow. Each year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), about 19.7 million high school students graduate and move on to a college education. Over two million of these students will graduate and move on into the world, finding careers. However, the average cost of the college education they have acquired is piling up. The cost of tuition for a four-year public school is around $12,000, while at a private school, the average cost is around $32,000. In 2010, the average student loan debt for a person pursuing higher education was $25,250, which is 5 percent higher than in 2009, according to a study by the Project for Student Debt. 8 News | 04.27.12
Recently, debt in the U.S. has come to the forefront as a major economic problem — it was exacerbated by the recession in 2008. At RIT alone, over 75 percent of the students have accepted federal aid. For anyone who can’t pay for college out of pocket, this college path, and the debt that accompanies it, is unavoidable. However, in the face of potential increases in interest rates and proposed legislation, the student loan market may soon be undergoing a sea change.
A SECOND CHANCE The government currently has no policies controlling student loan debt, unlike many other kinds of debt. Right now, the current bankruptcy laws do not forgive student loan debts; if a person files for bankruptcy, they are still required to pay off all of their student loans. However, this may be changing soon: U.S. Representative Hansen Clarke (D-Mich.) proposed a bill that will cut student loan debt after 10 years. This Student Loan Forgiveness Act will forgive student debt of those who have paid 10 percent of their income towards their loans over a period of 10 years. It also caps the interest rate on federal student loans at 3.4 percent. In the interest of professions which are statistically lower paid — but are deemed to provide a public good — those who are pursuing careers in teaching, public service or practicing medicine in under-served areas may have their loans forgiven after only five years. If this act is passed, students all across the country, including those from RIT, may be saved thousands of dollars of debt. According to the Huffington Post, the bill will forgive students for up to $45,520, equal to the cost of a four-year degree at an average public university. In an attempt to help this act pass, an online petition has been established; at the moment, the petition has over 870,000 signatures. Clarke has been encouraging students and all those affected by this bill to get involved.
R ISING COSTS Adding onto the current financial burden is the continuous inflation of tuition rates add to this financial burden. College tuition increases between six and nine percent annually, far greater than the dollar’s average inflation rate of three percent. Pairing this with a proposed increase in student loan interest rates, the price of education is rising faster than the value of the dollar would dictate. Current student loan interest rates are capped at 3.4 percent, but starting on July 1 this year, the interest rates on federally subsidized Stafford Loans are set to double from 3.4 to 6.8 percent. This will affect all college students nationwide who have these loans. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) visited RIT recently to talk about a bill he proposed, which would lock the interest rate at 3.4 percent, preventing the increase. He was introduced by President Bill Destler, who spoke of how he too believes that college costs are getting too high. At the presentation, Schumer explained how the bill will work and his reasons for backing the change. “When a student cannot afford a college they deserve to go to because the cost is too high, and they don’t have the back-up to go, they lose,” said Schumer. He promised to continue to press this matter forward until some change is made. The current cap of 3.4 percent on interest rates was set up by Congress in 2007. Senator Jack Reed recently introduced a bill that would extend the cap for another year. If the interest rate is increased, it is expected that
the average student who receives four years of subsidized Stafford Loans will have to pay an extra $3,798 more over a 10 year repayment term. According to Schumer’s web site, this would directly affect over 8,000 RIT students, who may have to resort to acquiring private loans instead.
“If this act is passed, students all across the country, including those from RIT, may be saved thousands of dollars of debt.
”
A CHANGING MAR KET The private loan market has also been shifting recently, as JPMorgan Chase & Co. recently announced that it is pulling out of the student loan market. Representatives from the company stated that they will start to only extend student loans to customers with an existing financial relationship with Chase. The date for this change, according to a Tuesday, April 10 Huffington Post article, is July 1 — the same date that the federal loans would increase their rates. The article also states Chase is following the actions of the U.S. Bancorp, a Minneapolis-based bank which stopped accepting student loan applications from nonmembers in late March. This change comes as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau increases its scrutiny of private student loan lenders. According to a Department of Education study, the percentage of student loan borrowers who have defaulted on their loans by the second year of repayment them has doubled since the reported 8.8 percent in 2007. This increase in defaults means the student loan industry is more risky, but also more profitable. With the new legislation and policies that are currently in the works, the student loan industry is clearly a field of the finance world that may soon look very different from how it does now. As certain acts pass in the government, the industry will shift in profitability, which will cause the companies offering private loans to shift their policy. There is no way to predict the ultimate result of this industry activity, but it will affect each and every one of the millions of people who have borrowed money to pay for education. Where this will lead, only time will tell.
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10 Leisure | 04.27.12
Find us on facebook (CABatRIT) and twitter (@ritcab)
QUOTE
FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS
“In America,
Sex is an obsession. In other parts of the world,
by Evan Williams
It is a fact.”
– German Actress Marlene Dietrich
STREAM OF FACTS
REPORTER RECOMMENDS
Sao Paulo, Brazil became the world’s first major city to outlaw public advertisements. Billboards, building ads, taxi and bus signs were banned by Mayor Gilberto Kassabs’ Clean City Laws. The law was passed to combat what people described as “Visual Pollution.” According to a study by psychologists at the Royal College of Scientists in Ireland, approximately one fifth of young people aged 11 to 13 years experience auditory hallucinations, more commonly referred to as “hearing voices.” They also found that 80 percent of those kids had a diagnosable psychological problem, such as depression. To combat the depression of being executed by firing squad, convicted murderer James W. Rodgers made a grim joke on his last day. When asked for his last request he replied, “a bulletproof vest,” according to a March 30, 1961 article in the SpokesmanReview. According to articles in the Telegraph and China Daily, there is a trend in China of young people who request tattoos in English. It is a reversal of the trend that saw Americans getting Chinese tattoos in Chinese that were either incorrect or meaningless.
bmovies.com “Bruce Lee Fights Back From the Grave,” “Santa Conquers the Martians,” “Blood Splattered Bride,” “The Black Godfather,” “Driller Killer,” “Dear Dead Delilah,” “The Rats are Coming, The Werewolves are Here!” It’s hard to find a collection of crazier titles, or crazier films, all in one place and for free online than bmovies.com. What makes these camp-tastic masterpieces so charming, besides the terrible production a nd over-t he-top ac t i ng , is t hei r pu re unpredictability. In the days of cookie-cutter Hollywood scripts, pure WTF moments are hard to come by. These throwbacks from the 50s through the 80s supply them in spades. The site is divided into the five main B movie food groups: Horror, Sci-Fi, Western, Kung Fu and Indie. The films load impressively fast, and there are hundreds of features to choose from. It also provides you the chance to see a number of stars like Bruce Lee, John Wayne, Charles Bronson and Sonny Chiba in roles I’m sure they’d rather forget. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get back to those poor defenseless coeds in “Satan’s School for Girls.”
That awkward moment when the spinning rainbow pinwheel of death pops up on the library Mac right as you decided to risk clicking on those sexy pictures of Emma Watson. Yes, fellow library-goers, it’s exactly what it looks like.
OVERSEEN & OVERHEARD “Drinking non-alcoholic beer is like
making out with your sister. It tastes the same, but it’s just wrong.” – World’s worst brother
HAIKU
Good Samaritan
Lets drunk friend sleep in your bed.
Repaid in vomit. COMIC
by Emily DeVault
WORD OF THE WEEK
Edacious
adj.
Of or relating to gluttonous eating Definition taken from http://merriam-webster.com.
After a twelve rack of PBR and a pan of hash brownies, the arrival of his five Black and Blue Zonies revealed Tito’s edacious nature.
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4. 27. 2012 “Might I Suggest The Satin Chaps”
“Enamorado De Ti”
The Satin Chaps
Selena
Album | 35 mins. | Soul/Classic Pop
Album | 36 mins. | Pop Latino
by Nick Bovee
by Nilan Lovelace
TRY INSTEAD: INGFRIED HOFFMAN, GERT WILDEN, LEFTIES SOUL CONNECTION
FOR FANS OF: CAMILA, KUMBIA KINGS, AND GLORIA TREVI
The Satin Chaps are a self defined soul band, created in 2010 by the ‘core’ members of Luke Strahota, Eric Hedford, and Peter Dean. With music reminiscent of 60’s dance music, the Chaps certainly succeed in creating and maintaining a vintage look, looking decidedly retro in matching suits and neckerchiefs. The Chaps carry the retro aspect over to their recording, using as much vintage equipment as possible to get closer to that old school sound. Musically, ‘Might I Suggest’ is well rooted in its soul/go-go genre, heavy on the horns and bass guitar, with drums and organ mixed in, although a little tonally low. The most disagreeable part of this album is its near complete lack of lyrics. For a lot of genres that can be a good choice, allowing the instrumentals to create emotions and feelings in the listener, but it just doesn’t seems a good choice for the Satin Chaps. While nothing is flawed in their playing or composition, nothing resonates from the purely instrumental tracks. In fact, the most memorable song from the album “Pigtail Park” has nonsense vocals throughout the duration, but is much more memorable because of the range a female singer adds. She compensates well for the emphasis on the deeper notes, and brings a solid balance to the song. The other massive issue with this album: it sounds safe. The songs aren’t interesting, they create no pull and no desire for a repeat listen. Nothing catches in my mind. While the old school look and feel is definitely authentic, that doesn’t mean anything when I don’t want to listen to it. This sounds harsh, but the thing to remember is that the early 20’s crowd isn’t exactly the audience this album is made for.
On March 31, 1995 Tejano, Pop Latino and Cumbia Mexicana singer, Selena Quintanilla-Perez, known simply as Selena, was shot in killed in a Corpus Christi hotel. After news struck of her death, the hearts of many created a sullen blanket that laid upon the country. The singer released her first, self-titled album in 1989, was known for mixing authentic Mexican Mariachi and Tejano with pop undertones, much like her hit “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.” In her latest posthumous album, “Enamorado de Ti,” some of Selena’s biggest hits feature some of Latin music’s best artists as well as a few remixed songs. “Enamorado de Ti [Merengue Mix]” adds a lively, tropical tone to the original slow tempo love song. Though enjoyable, the song seems awkwardly paired when it comes to collaborating artists, who often clash with Selena’s voice and the overall sound, as much like in the album’s version of “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” featuring Selena Gomez. It is obvious that Spanish isn’t Gomez’s first language, and comes in a distant second. Gomez’s odd voice — which becomes much higher and very squeaky when speaking Spanish — doesn’t match the rest of the song and momentarily brings everything to a halt. Speaking of ill-chosen artists, “Como la Flor” could also stand a collaborator different than Cristian Castro. If you’re new to Spanishspeaking music, you’ll enjoy the mixes. If not, avoid them at all cost. Besides those three, every other song on the Spanish-English album is excellent. It includes several songs, unchanged, by Selena, and a few select songs with a catchy and appropriate 2012-spin. One of two collaborations done right, “Amor Prohibido” featuring Samo, is an album favorite and sounds like the type of music that the singer would be making today.
12 Leisure | 04.27.12 04.20.12
Skullgirls Video Game
“The Cabin in the Woods” Film
Xbox 360 | PS3 | $15
Horror-Comedy | 95 mins.
by Nick Bovee
by Vasia Ivanov
FOR FANS OF: MARVEL VS CAPCOM 2, BLAZBLUE, GUILTY GEAR
FOR FANS OF: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, SCREAM, THE EVIL DEAD
Fighting games are an exclusive genre, requiring weeks of practice to learn the fundamentals of game mechanics. As such, they often fall under the average gamer’s radar. Similarly, indie games often get overlooked for more blockbuster titles. “Skullgirls” falls in both these categories. The product of an indie studio and a 2-D fighting game in the style of “Marvel vs. Capcom 2,” it’s gained major traction in the fighting game community due to the experience of lead designer Mike Zaimont. A well-known tournament gamer, Zaimont focused on eliminating many of the issues players see with current fighting game engines, like infinite combos, unblockable attacks and the “sameness” present in many of more popular fighters’ character designs. Only eight characters currently exist, but each one has a completely unique play style and move set, borrowing nothing from other characters. Zaimont also made sure that netcode for online play was airtight, considering recent issue with “Streetfighter x Tekken”. Alex Ahad spearheaded the other side of “Skullgirls,” designing the game’s characters and setting. Loosely art-deco in theme, the game features sentient hairstyles, violent muscled hats, a Lovecraftian monster and even a character based entirely around cartoon violence. Unlike all current popular fighters, “Skullgirls” sticks to hand drawn frames, translated into high definition 2-D sprites. Just as appealing as the artwork is the musical score composed by Michiru Yamane, best known for her work on the Castlevania game series. While stunning even in comparison to big name studios, “Skullgirls” is missing out on a few things that a team with a larger budget could have included. Although planned as free downloadable content (DLC), the move list for characters is not included — nor are controllable dummies in training mode. Also, although not egregious, the sexualization of a few characters may alienate some players. “Skullgirls” has a paltry eight characters, but three additional ones are confirmed for DLC release and many more could be possible with the success of the game. With a better engine, art and score than any other game on the market, and a fraction of the costs, it’s well worth your money.
Some movies don’t care about rules. Some, in fact, throw them out entirely. Yet to say that “The Cabin in the Woods” has done this is a complete understatement, and does not give co-writers Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon enough credit for what they’ve truly done. “The Cabin in the Woods” has rewritten the rules. Spoiling anything about the film would be a sin, but in its barest form, it is about five friends who take a holiday to the titular location. Their secluded vacation soon turns into what can only be described as a brutal skewering of horror conventions, with no trope left unharmed. But in addition to Goddard and Whedon’s hilarious, unpredictable genre rewriting, they also manage to create a captivating and touching horror film — an absolute rarity by today’s standards. Considering the players involved, it is no surprise that the film works as well as it does. Whedon, the creator of the genre-defying and generation-defining television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” adds his signature touches to the script, including his highly lauded witty quips. Goddard, in his directorial debut, proves himself a strong storyteller with an inventive visual mind. And Fran Kranz, as the lovable stoner Marty, is a revelation of comedic timing, easily standing out among a cast that includes a pair of Oscar nominees and a Marvel superhero. If you’re tired of the uninventive, boring horror movies coming out nowadays, good. Instead of laughing at the torture-porn perils abundant in the recent trend of horror films, go see “The Cabin in the Woods” — it’s among the most honest and inventive films you’ll see this year.
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14 Leisure | 04.27.12
A I G L A T NOS REMIX by Cadence Schwartz
Screaming fans gather in a dark room in anticipation. As lights begin to flash, a musician takes the stage in front of a giant television screen. When the music starts pumping it’s not the twang of a guitar that hits you, or even the scratches of a record, but rather the gritty electronic sound of an old Game Boy. Chiptune is a young music genre that manipulates the sound chips in children’s toys into musical instruments and it’s making noise right here in Rochester. hiptunes originated from 8-bit video game nostalgia. Outdated gaming platforms, such as the Game Boy and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), were used to create remixes of popular game music. Since then, chiptune has developed to be less about remembering the past and more about pushing the outdated systems as far as possible. The result is more raw and fresh than the common polished sounds of newer machines. “I always liked it,” says Nick Maynard, a member of Rochester Chip, a local chiptune community. He had begun by making electronic music, and had ended up using the same sounds as chiptune. When he first heard Anamanaguchi, a chiptune band, “[He was} blown away. It was like, ‘oh my god it’s all I want to do’”. Since then, he has been an active member of the community, including helping host a screening of the chiptune documentary “Reformat the Planet” on campus on Friday, April 13, which delved deep into the inner workings of the scene. Afterward, he led a lecture on how to program chiptune music on a Game Boy. Here’s how it works.
C
THE NEW NEW WAVE Due to the restrictive nature of the platforms, the music has to be very efficient. The chips in Game Boys, for example, only have four channels to draw sound from: Pulse One and Two, which give off square audio waves,
Wave, which can switch between different types of waves, and Noise, which is basically a white noise channel. In order to get full and complex sounding music, each channel has to be pushed to its capacity; even the Noise channel can be manipulated into resembling snare and bass drums. Besides selecting individuals notes, sound sets can be ripped from popular games such as “Castlevania,” “Mega Man” and “A Boy and His Blob,” and mixed into the music. There are various programs that can manipulate the notes. Though usually used for techno music, the computer program “FruityLoops” can be used to compose chiptune songs. Because it can be used on a computer, some artists from “Reformat the planet” feel that it is easier to use than working directly on a Game Boy. The program “Little Sound DJ” can be used on both a Game Boy with an EMS cartridge (a programmable game cartridge which can connect to a computer via USB) or on an emulator. “LSDJ” has two modes: Sony, which plays sections of notes in a listed order, and Live, which allows the user to pick when music comes in for improvisational performances. It also has a feature that allows the user to hand draw the sound wave they want to create. As chiptune artist Nullsleep explains in “Reformat the planet”, “It basically turns your Game Boy into a synthesizer and a sequencer.” For hardware that does not take an EMS cartridge, such as the NES, a chip can be programmed with a song and soldered into
a game cartridge to be played on the console, a favored method of Anamanaguchi. Another way to create chiptune music is to hardwire various switch and plug connections straight to the motherboard and warp the sounds by hand, the preferred technique of artist Notendo.
HOMETOWN HARDWIRED
The Rochester chiptune community is also extremely united. Maynard stated, “I love everyone I meet setting up shows. It takes a specific kind of person to want to learn this pseudo code.” The local community Rochester Chip, which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary in November, meets every month with various shows and screenings. While most shows are at the Bug Jar, they also happen on various campuses and in basements. Local bands include Chip’s Challenge and Faking Amnesia (both from RIT), BC Likes You, and Danimal Cannon. Rochester Chip’s next official show will be on May 17th at the Bug Jar and includes the bands Revengineers, Danimal Cannon, and Balto. In the closing remarks of “Reformat the planet,” artist Glomag attests to the value of local scenes. “The community itself is it’s own reward.” For more information on Rochester Chip, as well as some song samples, check out rochesterchip.org.
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Behind the
scene
THE LIFESTYLES OF ROCHESTER’S PUNK ROCK COMMUNITY by Evan Williams
Bathed in the honest glow of a bare light bulb, I sat cross-legged on the concrete floor of an empty basement, surrounded by a half-dozen young people decked out in leather jackets, patched-up jeans and grimy sneakers. They were hungrily passing around a bag of jalapeño Cheetos and swapping cigarettes, joking as our eardrums rang from the heavy metal concert we’d just attended. What began as an investigation of rumors about some kids who threw punk rock shows in a basement they called “The Meatgrinder” had landed me in the company of a group of fascinating individuals, and in turn, introduced me to a true American counterculture. The current company consists of young punk and experimental musicians who had forgone steady jobs and “comfortable” lifestyles. Instead, they commit to their passion of making highly marginalized music. The lifestyle adopted by these young musicians is one that runs in almost direct contradiction to that of most college students, myself included. Instead of preparing for specialized careers through specific schooling, they’ve opted for a life of relative uncertainty and financial stress for the freedom to pursue their passions and cultivate a widely unacknowledged musical community. It’s not music that will make you rich or famous, but the sense of community developed and the importance of the music they create so deeply stirs the hearts of those associated that it must be made. It’s simply too loud to ignore. 16 Features | 04.27.12
“I don’t think there’s anything more punk than noise. It’s the primitive expression of what the Sex Pistols and the Ramones were trying to get across,”
Dissonance is a weapon. It’s a sonic device that can be wielded with precision or abandon, often times to the same effect. Sean Largey, front man for noise band Waves Crashing Piano Chords and drummer for grindcore (a genre of extreme metal) act Beard Without A Mustache, has found that a harshness of sound can express his appreciation for the rawness he associates with punk rock.“I don’t think there’s anything more punk than noise. It’s the primitive expression of what the Sex Pistols and the Ramones were trying to get across,” Largey explains. “They were like ‘Fuck you. Destroy music.’ But I don’t think that’s really what it sounded like, as much as I like them. They were more just blues-oriented rock’n’roll with a great image.” Largey performed guest vocals for a nine-minute noise set with synth-noise band Foot and Mouth Disease (FAMD) on Record Store Day at the House of Guitars on Saturday, April 21. The performance seemed to exhibit the rawness of sound he was looking for. Backed by his friends Lawrence Patti and David Voelkl of FAMD as they generated feedback with homemade synthesizers, he began a series of screams, both viscous and vulnerable at the same time. He intertwined chants of lyrics that he had written the night before. “You disgust me! Soul mate!” His body began to thrash and stomp uncontrollably as he channeled everything he could seem to muster. There were no pre-rehearsed dance moves or choreographed head banging here, only motion for motion’s sake. At one point, Largey even bashed himself in the head with his mic. But the instant the feedback ceased, it was as if a switch had been flipped and his charming, humorous personality returned almost instantly. I pointed out the fresh bruise blossoming on his bashed scalp, and he laughed it off. “That was a pretty tame performance compared to Wave shows,” he would joke later. This type of on/off fury was also evident when front man Adam Kramer’s experimental hardcore band Endanger Youth performed after Largey’s. Kramer’s performance almost appeared as a challenge
to what little crowd meandered around the band. The previously mildmannered 25-year-old would stand mere inches from others’ faces, barking his strained vocals until he was red in the face. It was the kind of performance that most casual concert goers would never stand for, and most steered clear. He explained the shift in attitude when performing. “For the most part I am a pretty chill dude,” he said. “But I guess you could say I have some demons and I try to use music as an outlet for the things that frustrate me or make me sad.” To watch Largey and Kramer perform is to witness first-hand a noticeable juxtaposition that runs through the scene; the image of incredibly friendly people making incredibly aggressive music. More than one person I met admitted to having anger management issues, yet they were all remarkably kind-hearted, especially to a stranger who wanted to write about them. Endangered Youth bassist John Kiss offered his thoughts on why nice people would be attracted to such an aggressive style of music. “I think what attracts people to it is the sincerity of it. Our music is very moody, up and down,” says Kiss. “And that is because we are human, and have a lot of different moods, emotions and frustrations that we want to express in our music.” This was interesting to hear from Kiss, who is incredibly upbeat and charismatic. If you had to sum up the 25-yearold, “spunky” might be a good word to use. “For me personally, there’s something about his kind of music that makes me feel like a rebellious, nihilistic 16-18 year old who is pissed off at the world.”
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When first meeting Collin Bourne, my attempt at a handshake was rejected in exchange for an unexpected embrace. “C’mon man, we hug here,” he explains. The 23-year-old Maryland transplant and drummer for garage rockers the Results is about as jovial a young man as you’ll hope to meet, and indeed, most greetings and farewells between these friends were marked with hugs. Perhaps the best example of the power of this kind of closeness was during Endangered Youth’s set when about eight young men huddled, arm-in-arm around Kramer and his microphone as they bounced in anticipation for the chorus of “So I’ve Been Told” to kick back in. They were an island unto themselves crammed in an aisle between Eddie Murphy and Bell Biv Devoe albums. When the song exploded back into action, the group exploded with it, like a gang of twentysomething bulls in a record shop. “It makes you feel not so alone,” Bourne says, explaining how valuable that sense of community was to him personally. Kiss agreed. “What keeps me motivated is the music, the live shows and the people you meet along the way,” he says. And the strength of the scene extends beyond the customary hugs. It’s not uncommon for musicians to hop in and out of each other’s projects as guest performers. Largey had been asked to play with
FAMD just the night before. As mutual admirers of each other’s work, Patti had attended Largey’s show with Beard Without a Mustache and asked him to sing for FAMD the next morning. Even though the Results weren’t playing Record Store Day, Bourne found himself part of the action as he hopped behind the drums to play with costumed experimental rock band Godzilla. The decision was made with no more than 15 minutes before the performance, but Bourne, who has been playing in bands since he was 13, seemed right at home. With the short life spans of most bands and guys like Largey and Kiss pulling double duty, there seems to be a great fluidity to the way bands and performances come together. But things aren’t always that hospitable. “I was like ‘You’ll probably hate what I’m about to do,’” Largey recalls telling the crowd at the first Waves Crashing Piano Chords show in 2008, where he was the only noise act in an all metal show. “And they did, and they broke my leg. A local metalcore singer … pushed me off stage and I tore all the ligaments in my knee,” he said. Yet despite the seemingly brutal story, he laughed during the entire telling of the tale and even directed me to a YouTube video of the incident. “It was the best show ever, because I got my point across.”
“When I was growing up people always told me never settle for less in life. Well in this case, having more money and more materialistic things would be settling for less; a lot less.”
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Tucked away in a residential neighborhood west of the South Wedge district, Kiss, Kramer and Largey share a large, weathered house, the basement of which houses the Meatgrinder. The wood paneled back room hosts monthly punk, hardcore and experimental shows. “We made a couple of mistakes,” Kiss recalls when discussing the early days of the Meatgrinder approximately a year ago. “I remember one time we didn’t really talk about who we were booking and when we were booking, and we ending having a show every night for a week.” This didn’t sit so well with the neighbors, resulting in the agreement to make shows monthly, and now the fairly laid-back neighbors are alerted weeks in advance. Kiss doesn’t reveal the address on the various Facebook events over privacy concerns, and asks that anyone interested message the bands privately for details. With all the effort put into doing their part for this bustling musical community, their adopted lifestyle presents its own set of obstacles. “Yay! I get to eat dinner tomorrow!” Largey’s enthusiasm after selling a $10 Beard Without a Mustache t-shirt after his show was only half for laughs. “Going more broke every day,” he would laugh the next day. “Not making a penny off of this,” he said about his struggles to finance the production of a split record with FAMD and a set of 20 Waves Crashing Piano Chords 8-track tape recordings to put up for sale. It’s a tough sell and he knows it. “[My friend] Eric is the only one I know who even has an 8-track player,” he explains. But he’s hoping the novelty and uniqueness will help the selling point. He joked of the long outdated format, “I’m hoping people will have to buy it no matter how we sound.” He’s currently searching for work, but admits he doesn’t want to. The tribulations of starving artists extend to Bourne and Kiss as well. Bourne supports himself by working in an Irondequoit pizza shop and going out to Buffalo to help his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-stricken father with his home remodeling business. “I love my dad, so I do what I can to help him out,” Bourne explains. “And I enjoy the work.” Kiss knows the struggles of the working world as well. “In my budget I’ve got $15 for groceries.” His guitarist, “Freaky,” who is a bit older and more financially established, misunderstood. “A day?” “A week,” Kiss corrected him. But it wasn’t a complaint; just a statement.
Kiss currently works assisting a man with muscular dystrophy to do household errands. The Long Island native came up to Chili to study religion and philosophy at Roberts Wesleyan College, but decided he’d had enough of institutional learning and left after three years. “I hate school. Always did, always will,” Kiss said. It was a brazen move. I’m sure for many young people there are passions they’d rather be pursuing than the one they study in college, but the risk of not having a steady career doesn’t outweigh the reward of committing to our passions. Kiss doesn’t see it that way. “I’ve always loved music. I can’t live without it,” he explains. “When I was growing up people always told me never settle for less in life. Well in this case, having more money and more materialistic things would be settling for less; a lot less.” His band mate Kramer shares his sentiment. “Music is my passion. As far as a career outside of music, I just want to pay my bills. I’m not looking to get rich or become a rock star,” he says. “I want to get married and someday have kids, but that will happen when it happens.” This attitude was the defining characteristic of the young musicians I met. In a world where many of us will work ourselves into the ground to earn a paycheck, they spend hours hand-burning and packaging CDs, putting together shows and supporting each other any way they can. They offer up couches to crash on, long hugs and impassioned conversations to those who share in their pursuits. It’s the carpe diem styling that we only see on bumper stickers and in movies. It is impressive and admirable. Talented and unique. You could call it a sacrifice, or you could call it a waste. But Kramer thinks you’d be wrong. “I guess when you love something as much as I love music, it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice to make things happen.”
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CAB.RIT.EDU
From the Archives September,17, 1971
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N I O J THE N O I T U L O REV REPORTER
RIT's Taylor Wisman shields the ball from Skidmore defenseman Clark Demos during RIT's 19-10 win in their last home game of the regular season, Saturday April 2.
MEN’S LACROSSE TRUMPS SKIDMORE IN SENIOR GAME // t may be that the only ones who enjoyed the weather on Sunday, April 18 were the ducks who kept f lying low over the lacrosse field. The rain and wind didn’t let up at all during the game, but neither did the Tigers. RIT squared off against the Skidmore Thoroughbreds for their final home game of the season. The weather was miserable, but the Tigers’ level of play was excellent. Said Lou Spiotti, RIT’s Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, “We were concerned that Skidmore was going to be a handful, because they’ve played everybody competitively this year — they’re a good team; a young team. I think we took care of business today.” The direction of the game became perfectly clear during the first quarter. Fourth year Industrial Design major A.J. Tingle scored the first goal for RIT four minutes into the game. This was promptly answered with two Skidmore goals in the next minute: by second year Richie Davis and by third year Mike Perlow. Skidmore’s lead lasted all of one minute, when first year Civil Engineering major Brendan MacDonald put in the tying goal. The Tigers’ momentum picked up as four consecutive goals were scored. The Thoroughbreds began to close the score gap with two goals before the quarter ended, but the Tigers scored again with a minute left. The final score after the first quarter was RIT 7, Skidmore 4. The Tigers started the second quarter hard and fast, with second year Environmental Management major P.J. Hart scoring only eight seconds in. Players from both teams were on the ground trying to gain possession of the ball after the next face-off, ultimately ending in a
by Kayla Emerson photograph by Joshua Barber
penalty for Skidmore. RIT held Skidmore to one goal that quarter, while scoring five themselves. At the halftime break, RIT had 12 goals, Skidmore, 5. “We were firing on all cylinders offensively,” observed Spiotti. The Tigers’ offensive rigor had other benefits besides a handy win, as Spiotti noted. “It was nice, the fact that with the differential in the score, we got to play some of the players that haven’t had a chance to play much this year,” he said. This change in lineup could not shake the Tigers, who were leading by ten points by the end of the third period. “They played like I thought they would play,” said Spiotti. “Defensively, we are very, very tough.” This strong defense included six saves in the third period alone by RIT goaltender Anthony DeLeo, a second year Industrial and Systems Engineering major. His legs were covered in mud from the effort. There were no penalties during the fourth quarter, though neither team gave up aggressively pursuing the ball. The Thoroughbreds racked up 12 turnovers over the quarter, but managed to maintain possession long enough to make four shots on goal. They scored on all four. The Tigers also scored three goals in the final quarter. RIT finished with 19 goals over Skidmore’s 10. This leaves the Tigers with a record of 11-2 overall. “I’m excited about this team; we’ve had a fine season,” said Spiotti. “The bittersweet part is, [for] the 12 seniors, this is their last home game.” Some family members handed roses to their players after the game. The team will play one more away game at St. Lawrence before moving on to tournaments in May.
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Internet Service
Deciders by Nick Bovee
nline privacy has been in heaps of trouble this past year. SOPA and PIPA were the highest profile attacks, but they weren’t the first and certainly weren’t the last. Mere days after SOPA failed, anti-piracy advocates in America switched support to the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, intended to cut down on electronic threats to copyright and the government. Just as SOPA, though, it was worded so that anything that is considered a “cyber threat” is also grounds for the government, tech firms and other security companies to share customer information. What’s more, these companies wouldn’t even have to let you know this is happening. While the intentions are good, the phrasing is ambiguous and well suited to abuse. On top of that, the Recording Industry Association of America is rolling out a partnership with various internet providers this summer to track peer-to-peer networks and cripple the internet connections of pirates (with no legal process involved). What this all seems to point toward is that companies are making their play to control the internet as much as they can. While the intent is to protect copyright, we have a court system to prosecute lawbreakers, and it doesn’t seem like companies need to take matters into their own hands. Despite all the support the SOPA protests received, it seems that our own providers are more than willing to comply with unreasonable laws and store our private information for years. They would restrict our use of the internet to what they (or their partners) deem appropriate. This is not what we signed up for. They are service providers, not service deciders. Their job is to provide internet access, nothing more or less. Storage of our personal data goes beyond what providers are required — or even obligated — to do. With Verizon handing data over to the FBI without warrant, and AT&T illegally opening their network to the NSA (which was retroactively made legal), there isn’t any particularly moral
precedent for ISPs to base their information policy on. Because these are government agencies, companies seem to automatically comply with whatever they want, despite these actions undermining consumer trust. However, it seems there’s still one company on our side. In 2004, Nicholas Merrill, founder of Calyx Internet Access, was asked by the FBI to give up private information on customers. Merrill took initiative and fought the order, fighting in a case that he wasn’t able to publicly talk about until 2010. Merrill currently plans to start a brand new ISP — one that would be technologically incapable of accessing its users’ information through encryption. This is a loophole in the laws that have been set up to get user information from service providers. Currently, a company is not required to have backdoors into their own system. If the company is incapable of accessing client data, outside agencies have no methods of access either. Merrill’s current plan is to reinvent Calyx and provide the service within the year. From what I’ve seen, this is the first time an ISP has acknowledged that data is private. As previously stated, companies prefer compliance to defense of their customers, and that shows no real signs of stopping. ISPs are naturally monopolistic, as running redundant lines to the same location is extremely cost prohibitive. Unlike with SOPA, it is difficult to protest what is often our only option of accessing the internet. For new and consumer-concerned companies like Calyx, a lot of capital is required to compete with the already entrenched internet provider. In these situations, our only real option is to provide what support we can to the companies that keep our privacy their first priority. Merrill has looked into crowd-sourced funding for Calyx to prove that people want to see this project succeed, and invites supporters to donate to Calyx’s contribution page on http://IndieGoGo. com. Now it’s time for us to put our money where our mouths are and show that we’re ready for an internet that respects our privacy.
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of REPORTER.
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smart glasses
& SlY Trade-offs
Trade-offs By William Hirsh | illustration by Shin Wakabayashi
The year is 2013. You are walking down the sidewalk when you receive a text message from a friend. Unlike the year before, you don’t immediately go pocket hunting for your phone. Instead, the text seems to float in front of you and you send a reply with your voice. But before you get the chance, that crazy stalker you’ve been trying to avoid tackles you — they’ve tracked you down from the location data your device emitted.
On Wednesday, April 4, Google released a concept video detailing what the company sees as the next generation of communication devices: smart glasses. Running on a version of the Android operating system, the portable yet chic specs are somewhat similar to today’s smartphone technology. Dubbed “Project Glass,” the glasses sport an array of apps that blend online convenience into daily life. A showcase video demonstrates a number of features, including directions from Google Maps and video chat with real-time view-sharing via the embedded camera. But with these various features comes a haunting trade-off: More of your personal privacy is lost. One of the most conceded user rights in recent years, many of the technological advances of today have eaten away at our basic privacy protections. Facebook has been notorious for not only flip-flopping privacy options but also for collecting massive amounts of user data in order to drive up its profits from would-be advertisers. Google has also gained a reputation for collecting data in order to individualize the search engine experience, as well as personalize ads in mid-search. With Google’s smart glasses utilizing location data due to the on-board Google Latitude software, you can consider your privacy compromised. With that in mind, imagine what would happen if the recently proposed Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act were passed. Allowing the government to ask for user data from companies, it creates an almost Orwellian atmosphere. Now the government can legally survey where you are and where you’ve been in the past. This breach of privacy is a detail that we should be keenly aware of. Another topic to consider is the potential harm these smart glasses could do to the health and safety of consumers. According to a 2011 estimate by the National Security Council, 1.2 million car accidents were the result of drivers distracted by speaking on their cellphones. Now, with the advent of wearable computing devices, how much of a distraction will they create for drivers? While the usage of voice commands almost ensures that drivers will not be looking anywhere besides the road, the overlay display on the lenses of the glasses creates an entirely new and dangerous diversion. Lastly, the niche that smart glasses could potentially fill is already overflowing in a world of smart devices. From a study conducted by the Gartner marketing firm, 491.4 million smart devices were sold in the fourth quarter of 2011. Along with that, the market is currently dominated by a multitude of Android devices, with the Google brand consistently holding around 50 percent of the quarterly market share. Although Google reigns supreme with its OS available on more devices than the competition, they create a saturated market. This may hurt Google’s chances at finding a substantial market base for its brand of smart glasses. Needless to say, Google’s “Project Glass” was a powder keg that took the world by storm. While it may be too early to predict the exact impact smart glasses will have on today’s increasingly connected societies, one should be aware of the possible trade-offs involved in this advancement. Just as the popularity of Facebook has created a less private user climate, the prevalence of smart glasses may spell a new era for humankind: a world where we may be uplinked with the internet everywhere and anywhere. In the end we, not only as consumers but as another generation, must dictate the technological advances that affect our lives. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of REPORTER.
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RINGS
All calls are subject to editing and truncation. Not all calls will be run. REPORTER reserves the right to publish all calls in any format. compiled by Michelle Spoto
Sunday, 10:35 A.M. (from text)
Rings, I got so [fooled] when I
saw the Colbert ad in the April Fool’s Reporter. I was trolled to the highest degree. Kudos, [bros]. Tuesday, 10:40 A.M. (from text)
My professor has a folder on his desktop entitled hate mail... So many questions. Thursday, 11:16 P.M. (from text)
I just had a “bicycle gang” ride past me. The leader was completely naked. Strip poker on bikes, maybe? Tuesday, 9:23 A.M. (from text) I don’t always walk through windows, but when I do it’s in Erdle. 30 Views | 04.27.12
Tuesday, 2:08 P.M. (from text) My dress won’t fit anymore if I wear a wine bra. There’s no way this plan will work.
Tuesday, 7:04 P.M. (from text) Dear Rings, to the owner of the swings in the Infinity Quad, thanks for the ride ;-)
Saturday, 5:59 P.M. (from text) Rings, you’re such a big fat liar, I think you caught liabetes.
Monday, 6:26 P.M. (from text)
Someone ought to tell the guys in the future bio/med building to step up their game. The sustainability guys are winning.
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