05.05.2012

05.05.12 reportermag.com

WHEN STARS ERUPT predicting space weather

KODAK IN THE COLD WAR unveiling a hidden past 24 HOURS WITH THE RIT PLAYERS a creative marathon

THE JOURNEY 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 EDITOR 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 Nick Bovee, Danielle Delp, Kayla Emerson, William Hirsh, Nicole Howley, Nilan Lovelace, Cadence Schwartz, Amber Wilson-Daeschlein

ART ART DIRECTOR Lauren Bolger | art.director@reportermag.com SENIOR STAFF DESIGNER Simon Jones STAFF DESIGNERS Michelle Samuels, Emily Levine PHOTO EDITOR Juan Madrid | photo@reportermag.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Joshua Barber, Matthew Burkhartt, William Palmer, Rob Shook STAFF ILLUSTRATOR Jai Kamat

Each May, the RIT campus comes alive. Various groups, teams and organizations emerge from labs across campus to present projects unique, bizarre and fascinating in their own way. People with a wide array of talents contribute their blood, sweat and tears to work as part of something greater than themselves.

Here’s my view: This cross-disciplinary collaboration is fantastic, but we need more. Not only will it increase our likelihood of finding jobs, expanding our creative horizons will make us happier and more productive.

There is no shortage of opportunities to get involved. Imagine RIT is a fantastic, brilliant creation. The Institute’s Center for Student Innovation has led to some groundbreaking projects, some of which have garnered serious attention, and its quarterly research symposiums stand as testament to some genuinely fantastic research.

College is chaotic, messy and beautiful — though not in the way pop culture would have you believe. This includes the embarrassing mistakes, follies and opportunities for change we experience along the road.

These mistakes and decisions can affect us for the next 40 years. It’s a path I’m all too familiar with. During my second year I switched from Computer Science to New Media Publishing. In the years since, I haven’t looked back.

My journey was a long one. It began my first quarter here, when I realized that CS was not for me. Early on, however, I accepted it; I was too afraid to leave my comfort zone and explore my options. And while I eventually branched out and found my place, I wonder about others who have not had the same opportunities. I’m certain there are others like me, who are still unsure of their role in life.

Both Imagine RIT and the Center for Student Innovation are truly unique. However, their primary draw is to students already interested in getting involved — those who have likely discovered their passion and desire to achieve something with it. But how many of the Institute’s 15,000 students are taking part?

Recent Institute changes have worked to help create an environment for wider collaboration. Orientation groups, once separated by colleges, now feature students from across the Institute. Many newly-constructed spaces around campus facilitate teamwork. However, we’ve got a long road ahead of us. When faced with the unsure, the sort of innovation present at Imagine RIT is all the more necessary in the classroom.

Part of the onus is also on my fellow student leaders: I urge you to encourage students to expand their horizons and become involved in clubs or organizations.

Lastly, you, the reader, also have a responsibility: Live your life fearlessly As graduates, many of you will be entering a tough job market. And while RIT has done what it can to prepare you, the classroom is only half the battle. The more you’ve experienced beforehand, the better you will be able to adapt to the situations ahead.

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS Justine Raymond, Justyn Iannucci, Kayla Tucker, Amber Gartung CARTOONIST Emily DeVault

BUSINESS PUBLICITY MANAGER Anna Hazelwood AD MANAGER Julia Morrow

Alex Rogala EDITOR IN CHIEF

| ads@reportermag.com BUSINESS MANAGER Lia Hoffmann | business.manager@reportermag.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Nicholas Gawreluk | production.manager@reportermag.com ONLINE PRODUCTION MANAGER Jake DeBoer | webmaster@reportermag.com ADVISOR Rudy Pugliese PRINTING Printing Applications Lab CONTACT 1.800.970.5406

Please Recycle

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. “Are we allowed to call Abraham Lincoln that?” - E.W. 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

05.05.12 | VOLUME 61 | ISSUE 28

Kristen Wozniak, right, embraces Erin York, after the team’s win over Union College Saturday, April 28. | photograph by William Palmer NEWS

4. News Desk

14. B.o.B. at RIT Gets a Little Awkward

7. Legislation May Impact At-Risk Students

FEATURES

SG election results announced.

How changes may affect the Institute.

LEISURE

9. At Your Leisure Home sweet home.

R aB at RIT.

16. When Stars Erupt

Predicting space weather.

20. Kodak in the Cold War Unveiling a hidden past.

SPORTS

11. Reviews

22. Home on the Range

12. 24 Hours with RIT Players

22. Home on the Range

A pair of excellent albums.

A creative marathon.

Group finds a home off-campus.

Raising HIV awareness through soccer.

VIEWS

25. Lax Labor Laws

Are unpaid internships taking advantage of students?

28. Word on the Street

What would you like to see at Springfest?

31. Rings

Lose the pants.

cover by Jai Kamat

BEYOND THE BRICKS

by Kayla Emerson | illustration by Amber Gartung

DOMESTIC DRONE INFORMATION RELEASED Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a list of public and private organizations authorized to fly drones in the United States. The list includes government agencies, local law enforcement agencies, private companies and universities.

This list was made public after the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) brought a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the FAA in January. The EFF expressed concern that the surveillance capabilities of drones could infringe on the privacy of American citizens.

In a Thursday, April 19 report on their web site, the EFF reported that they were waiting for additional information to be released by the FAA. They hope to learn what model drones are to be flown, how many drones each organization will be authorized to fly, and what justification the FAA uses in rejecting applications for authorization.

Congress has taken note of the privacy concerns being raised by organizations such as the EFF. According to a Sunday, April 22 Telegraph article, some congressmen recently “wrote to the FAA demanding that it take into account privacy concerns before approving deployments.”

However, in February, Congress passed the FAA Modernization and Reform Act, which NPR states will expedite the authorization process. The result of pressure from organizations wanting to fly drones, the act could result in increased commercial drone use.

DEATH PENALTY VERDICT REVISED Convicted murderer Marcus Robinson is no longer on death row, CNN reported Saturday, April 21. Sentenced in 1994 for the murder of 17-year-old Erik Tornblom, Robison will now serve life without the possibility of parole.

The Cumberland County Court’s decision to downgrade Robinson’s sentence came as a result of North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act. Passed in 2009, the act allows appeals to be made on the basis of statistically probable racial bias during the time of the original trial. If sufficient evidence of bias is presented, the death penalty can be nixed. Robinson’s case is based on a Michigan State University study, which showed Robinson, who is black, could have been the victim of bias. The study found that North Carolina prosecutors struck black jurors from the list of potential jurors almost twice as often as white jurors during the time period when Robinson’s trial took place.

This case marks the first ruling under the Racial Justice Act, setting the precedent for the 156 other death row inmates in North Carolina with pending appeals under the law.

SCIENTISTS QUESTION DOLPHIN DEATHS Since February, nearly 900 dead dolphins have washed ashore in Peru.

While it is true that mass stranding is common in many areas, the magnitude and cause of these fatalities has gained attention from environmentalists and scientists.

In Peru, speculation and investigation have raised several potential causes of death. Viral infection is a possibility that biologists are continuing to investigate. According to a Fox News article, some environmentalist organizations — such as Peruvian group Orca — speculate that seismic exploration conducted by oil companies could be at fault.

In a Sunday, April 22 CNN article, Marine Biologist Sue Rocca stated that this many dolphin deaths could have been caused by a single traumatic event, such as acoustic trauma from human sonar, but emphasized the need for additional investigation.

The Peruvian government has so far ruled out food shortage, biotoxins and heavy metals as causes for the deaths.

SG UPDATE 4.27

by Nilan Lovelace

FORECAST

compiled by Cadence Schwartz

friday

OCASA SPLIT DISCUSSED

04

During the Friday, February 17 meeting of the Student Government (SG) Senate, discussed a standing proposal that the On Campus & Apartment Student Association (OCASA) be split into two organizations. OUTspoken President Tristan Sparrow and Director of Student Relations Sarah Thomas presented a proposal to include one group representing students living on-campus apartments — including the Province and Park Point — and a second group to speak for students in apartments off campus.

Senior Director for Campus Life Karey Pine explained that the new group would represent the estimated 4,000 students living off campus.

Temporarily formed as an “ad-hoc” group of students, it would be further reviewed or modified after three years. In this scenario, OCASA would represent the 3,500 students living on-campus in all non-dorm housing. Voting is on hold pending needed documentation changes and review.

So you want to practice rock climbing, but only if there is live music there too? Well, that’s no longer a problem!

Cost: Free.

TE3 EXPANSION PROPOSED SG discussed expansion of the Tiger East End Express (TE3), RIT’s late-night downtown shuttle. A SG survey of approximately 100 students illustrated interest in earlier run times for the bus, as well as more stops. In an attempt to engage students under 21, the TE3 will expand service next fall with new routes beginning at noon. After a straw vote, it was tentatively agreed that the bus would run from 12 to 6 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., cutting the 9 to 10 p.m. route. To minimize the number of stops on campus, the Barnes & Noble stop and the second University Commons stop will be removed. Further discussion regarding the schedule will occur at future meetings.

ELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCED Election Committee Chair Devan Musa announced the results of the 2012-13 SG election. Taylor Deer and Sarah Thomas won the presidential election with over 60 percent of the vote.

College of Science and Graduate Senator election results will be announced during the Friday, May 4 senate meeting.

For additional election results, visit http://vote.rit.edu.

Taylor Deer and Sarah Thomas Victor Santiago and Mark Leonardo

60.81 %

Batman (Write-In) Other

1707 votes

29.11 %

*2,807 total votes

817 votes

6.91 %

194 votes

3.17 % 89 votes

saturday

05

CAB Friday Night Presents: Rockin’ at the Red Barn Red Barn (RED, 80). 10 p.m. - 12 a.m.

CAB Late Night Presents: The Human Knot Contortionist Ingle Auditorium, SAU. 10 -11:30 p.m.

Witness the absolute limits of the human body as this Australian contortionist bends himself in ways you never thought possible.

Cost: Free.

sunday

06

RIT Color Run C Lot. 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

A casual 5K race in which colored powder will be thrown at runners. All proceeds go to the Trevor Project, which provides crisis-prevention services and support for LGBT youth.

Cost: $10 and a white T-shirt.

monday

07

Industrial Design Lighting Show SAU Lobby. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Think you know lighting? Come see these student designs and find out how far lighting products can be pushed.

Cost: Free.

tuesday

08

All-Local Stoner-Rock Night The Bug Jar. 219 Monroe Ave. Doors at 8 p.m. Music at 9 p.m.

Concerts are not just weekend activities. Blow off some Week 9 steam and see local bands Chillum, the Love Tunnels, the Ginger Faye Bakers and Pink Elephant perform. 18+ with ID. Cost: $5 over 21, $7 under 21.

wednesday

09

Pie a PA Day Outdoors, Tiger Statue. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Come pie members of the Physician Assistant Student Association who are willing to take a pie to the face in the name of charity.

Cost: $1

thursday

10

“Silent Laughter” Panara Theatre, Lyndon Baines Johnson Hall (LBJ, 60). 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.

This wordless comedy plays off the idea of the 1920s silent movie.

A hit on Broadway, ”Silent Laughter” will be performed for one weekend only. Cost: Students: $5, Others: $7

An RIT original showcasing RIT originals.

That’s Shop One2.

Shop One2 is a one-of-a-kind art and craft gallery that celebrates the arts in Rochester. Here, you’ll find original paintings, sculptures, jewelry, cards, and clothing—all available for purchase and handmade by artists in the Rochester and RIT communities. Each work of art has a professional feel and a personal touch, and each visit to the shop is sure to bring a new and exciting adventure.

Stop by and experience the most unique art and gift gallery in Rochester!

Open to the public. Free parking available.

For maps and more information, visit us online at www.rit.edu/shopone2, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shopone2, or give us a call at 585-475-2335

6 News | 05.05.12

y Da s ’ r he ! ot tion M a or adu f r ct fe nd G r Pe a

If you know the solution to this problem, then we have a fellowship for you...

Early one morning, you go to breakfast at the dining hall and put a single circular pancake on your plate.

You slice the pancake with a knife making a single straight cut. You do it again ... and again ... and again ... a total of 10 times. What is the most number of pieces of pancake on your plate?

Submit your answer to kmancuso@mathforamerica.org

by May 1st to enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card.

The Math for America Fellowship in New York City provides a stipend of $100,000 - in addition to a full-time teacher’s salary and a full-tuition scholarship for a master’s degree - to encourage recent college graduates to start teaching what you love (math) and stay in the profession.

t c a p m I y a M n o i t a l s i Leg ts

n e d u t S k s i At-R

by Danielle Delp

In a small series of offices above Ben and Jerry’s in the Student Alumni Union, Dawn Soufleris works each day to help students who are being eaten away at by troubles.

The causes vary from person to person; it could be stress from school, factors at home or even latent mental illness. If the student is overwhelmed and their problems go unnoticed, depression, violence and even suicide are very real possibilities.

As aassistant vice president for Student Affairs and chair of the Student Behavior Consultation Team, Soufleris is responsible for overseeing all student wellness and counseling services on campus. After a troubled student is identified and sent to counselors, she must decide, “Should that student stay at RIT? Or should they go get the help they need?”

If RIT’s counselors aren’t enough to help the person, they may ask the student to take a leave of absence until they receive professional care or the problem has been resolved. Due to a recent change of federal policy, however, her team may no longer be the ones who decide if a student needs to leave.

RIT may soon be forced to change its current policy to comply with changes to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Right now, Title II permits public universities to force students to take a leave of absence if they are displaying any type of behavior deemed a “direct threat to themselves or others.” The change removes the “harmful to themselves” portion of the law, meaning that such intervening action can only be taken if a student poses a threat to the people around them. It also requires that, in the event a student displays destructive behavior, their case be handled through the university’s judicial system — that is, through a behavioral conduct hearing.

Federal lawmakers agreed to the change after reports that some universities were using the bill to avoid counseling students who showed mild self-harming or suicidal tendencies. Instead, the students would be sent home immediately to remove the possibility of danger resulting from the student’s continued presence on campus.

As a private university, RIT is not required to comply with most changes to Title II. The university can be forced to change its practices

only if the Department of Justice decides that the change extends to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 — an act which deals with discrimination against persons with disabilities. This specifically includes private institutions which receive federal funding. RIT does receive funding from the government, and NTID in particular is federally funded for $65 million of its $89 million annual budget.

RIT hasn’t received any orders yet, however, so it remains to be seen whether or not any changes will actually be made. In anticipation of an order, Soufleris speculates that some universities will start implementing changes anyway. It would not be the first time such an order was made; as early as last year, RIT was forced to modify its practices in accordance with changes to federal laws regarding how universities handle cases of sexual assault.

Soufleris agrees that there isn’t one perfect system to solve everyone’s problems, but she does not feel that the recent policy change will improve the existing system. The new conduct hearing requirement means that a person who would once be asked to leave as a patient with a mental health referal may be forced to leave with a disciplinary record.

Soufleris stresses that no change to RIT has yet been made, and nothing may be needed. In her words, however, “One person can affect 100,” and providing help to one person in need of help can keep others safe and healthy. Until they are directed otherwise, her office will continue doing what they always have: Helping students whose friends and family notice something that isn’t quite right with the person they care about.

13

8 News | 05.05.12

reviews

05.05.12 “The Night the Sun Came Up”

“Delirium”

by The Memorials

by Dev

Album | Rock | 59 mins

Album | Dance-Pop | 45 mins

by Nick Bovee

by Nilan Lovelace

for fans of:

for fans of:

We Were Promised Jetpacks, Silversun Pickups, The Airborne Toxic Event

Cher Lloyd, The Cataracs, Ke$ha

Founded in 2009 by drummer Thomas Pridgen after a stint with the Mars Volta, the Memorials features a trio of former Berklee College of Music students. Pridgen is joined by Nick Brewer on guitar and Viveca Hawkins as a vocalist. Their first album, self-titled “The Memorials”, was released in 2011, and brought in enough fans to warrant a tour.

Their second album, “Delirium” is due for release in June.

While self-proclaimed as hard rock, “Delirium” borrows elements from multiple genres. At times the guitars sound fuzzy, and there’s enough distortion on Viveca’s voice to be reminiscent of dream pop or shoegaze music. “Daisies” and the title track “Delirium” are great examples of this. Although mellow guitars with slightly subdued vocals are characteristic of shoegaze, the Memorials bring a faster pace than you’d expect to those songs. With “Fluorescent’s Unforgiving,” the tone becomes rougher, more metal and punk, pulling on the echoing stadium rock sound. Despite Pridgen’s experience, the rest of the band’s versatility is unexpected, but welcome.

The Memorials have some work to do on their execution of different sounds. Standard rock is clearly their strong suit, but the more experimental they get, the more each song sounds unintentionally rough. “Fluorescent’s Unforgiving” is the best example of this; while obviously intended to clash with itself, it happens too much. The vocals are grating, and for some reason a lone jazz trumpet appears halfway through and completely throws the song off.

That’s just a single song though, and it’s better just to ignore it in favor of the similar, but better “Mr. Entitled.” The stadium sound is there; the vocals are clearer and much less repetitive. The song even ends similarly, tailing off into lighter, prog rock tones. Because of this genre spanning, the Memorials aren’t a band you need to try and like — it comes naturally.

In 2010, Far East Movement released the single, “Like a G6.” The popular chorus of the song was influenced and sampled from “Booty Bounce” by artist Dev. Since that summer, fans have been anxiously awaiting the release of her debut album, “The Night the Sun Came Up.” While a European album was released in the fall of 2011, Dev postponed her American debut more than twice to add newly recorded tracks for her U.S. and Canadian releases.

Fans expecting to hear an album similar to her previous tracks “Bass Down Low,” “Fireball” and “Booty Bounce” will be a bit disappointed.

“This is my chance to let everybody know who I was, because the public only knows me from ‘Bass Down Low’ and ‘G6’…”” says Dev in a 2011 interview with Fenuxe Magazine. While Dev’s expected techno-pop vibe isn’t completely absent, the album does a great job at expressing who the artist is. With songs such as “Perfect Match” and “Me”, listeners learn that the Portuguese-Mexican artist is more than the wild, outgoing partygoer that she appears to be.

The album makes use of many live instruments, including violin and drums, however the overall sound is a bit off-putting at first listen.

Many songs begin with odd beats that don’t quite mesh with the better half of any of the songs and are completely absent in more traditionally “Dev” songs including “In My Trunk” and “In the Dark.” Though Dev wanted to trade in some of the tracks released in Europe with newly recorded songs, it is well worth looking into obtaining copies of the bonus tracks released in the U.K., seeing as there has been no mention of releasing the incredibly well sung and produced tracks stateside. The bonus tracks will provide a bang well worth the buck.

9

10 Leisure | 05.05.12

at your leisure

by Evan Williams | comic by Emily DeVault

Reporter Recommends PADMAPPER For those of you graduating this spring, finding a place to live in your new town, or just getting out of your mom’s basement, is paramount.

But apartment hunting is a miserable, timeconsuming process dreaded by young professionals the world over. Enter PadMapper, the ingenious product of one young man sick of struggling to find the right digs.

Powered by Google Maps, PadMapper Rapper Coolio, most famous for his song Growelery n. - A place to “growl” in; highlights all the major cities in the U.S. and jocularly applied to a person’s private sitting “Gangsta’s Paradise”, was robbed during a U.K. and lets the user scroll around checking Wednesday, February 25 performance at room. for available rentals. It features a number of Britain’s Staffordshire University. After the After his poor test performance Grayson snuck filters that let you adjust the price range you’re rapper flattened a girl in the audience after off to his growlery, the third floor bathroom in looking for, as well as number of bedrooms attempting a stage dive, the crowd attacked him, the Science Building. and baths, and the type of rental agreement. stealing his bandanna, shoes and jewelry before Definition taken from http://oed.com/ You can get email alerts when new ads are he was rescued by SECURITY. posted, search with keywords (female, pets, SECURITY was pretty lax for the micronation laundry, etc.), and even get mapped overlays of San Marino’s lone prisoner. For a brief A snake is hidden in this grid. Each number of crime statistics, mass transit routes, Walk period in 2011, out of the 30,000 people represents how many consecutive squares of the Scores and Yelp reviews showing how close in the tiny nation, only one was in prison. snake are filled in that direction. The amount of you are to restaurants, bars, attractions, etc.

According to a February 2011 Telegraph Snake By Numbers numbers next to a column or row represent how and a commute calculator to time your trip article, the prisoner had access to a gym,A snake is hidden in this grid. Each number represents how many separate sections of its body there are in to your new job, your boyfriend’s place, your television room, and meals from a nearby many consecutive sqares are filled in it’s respective direction. respective column Anyorpart the gym or whatever. And of course, there are Thethat amount of numbers next or to arow. column rowof represent restaurant. The 30-year-old man, serving a howsnake’s many separate sections there areother in thatpart respective body cannot touch any of its iPhone and Android apps. sentence for domestic violence, was alone column or row. Any part of the snake’s body cannot touch body, nor can it cross itself.

Playing around on PadMapper isn’t just for about a month before until another man any other part of its body, nor can it cross itself. easy; it can be downright fun. You can find joined.

1 1 1 1 1 yourself cruising through cities you have no 3 1 1 1 1 2 4 3 For almost 30 years, the National Oceanic 4 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 6 intention of moving to, just to scope them and Atmospheric Administration and the out. The site is constantly rolling out new 21 University of North Carolina Wilmington have ideas to improve the experience, and is in the 16 operated an underwater laboratory off the coast running for a Webby award, the internet’s of the Florida Keys. According to its web site, 11 equivalent of the Oscar. And it deserves to the 81-ton Aquarius lab has hot water, a shower 26 win. PadMapper is the best way to get to and toilet, a refrigerator, microwave and six know everything about your new city before 11 bunk beds to make researchers feel at HOME. you sign the lease on your first grown-up 231 The Belgrade Zoo in Serbia is HOME to the apartment. Happy hunting. memorial of Gabi the German Sheppard, a 1111 Check PadMapper out at http://padmapper.com. security dog that fought an escaped jaguar 1 3 1 1 in 1987. According to a city guide produced 33

by In Your Pocket, she managed to handle the much larger beast long enough for police “I’m sick of following my dreams. I’m to arrive, keeping it from getting loose and hurting anyone. beast long enough for police

Stream of Facts

Word of the Week

Snake By Numbers

Quote

Haiku

just going to ask them where they’re goin’, and hook up with them later.”

– Mitch Hedberg

to arrive, keeping it from getting loose and hurting anyone.

“You Only Live Once” Should be more of a warning Than encouragement.

11

24 hours RIT Players with the

by Evan Williams photographs by Matthew Burkhartt

The production and execution of the RIT Players’ 24 Hour Show is part theatrical marathon and part creative sprint. The goal of the most recent incarnation was to cast, write, direct, rehearse and perform a series of original skits between 8 p.m. on Friday, April 27, and 10 p.m.

Saturday, April 28. (Yes, that’s 26 hours, but who’s counting?) It was an exercise in artistic teamwork, one that required directors, writers, actors, tech supervisors and artistic directors to work in relative (and in one case literal) harmony to put on a cohesive show.

Over the course of the day-long creative process, REPORTER checked in on the production to witness how so many minds could come together to juggle such a task. And how would it all come together?

8:06 p.m.

Fireside Lounge The buzzing of excited conversation fills the open air of the Fireside Lounge as a growing group of young actors socializes and familiarizes themselves with the short audition scripts they’ll be performing to secure their spots in the 24 Hour Show. Everyone who auditions gets a part, even though none of the parts have been written yet.

Artistic Director and fourth year Applied Mathematics major Joe Plock explains that when evaluating actors during auditions, he and his assistant artistic directors ask themselves, “What can they do in a scene? Are they big, flexible actors? Can they project?” He adds, “They’re things you’d look for in a normal actor, just without having a part in mind already.” The fact that no one knows what the roles are yet makes the evaluation of talent slightly different from the normal audition process. “Instead of casting for certain roles, we just cast and give the roles out after we’ve written them. It’s kind of a reverse

12 Leisure | 05.05.12 04.20.12

process.”

Fifth year Computer Science major Erik Corwin has been a part of RIT Players for two years, but this was his first chance to act in the 24 Hour Show. Corwin prefers playing comedic roles and sees them as an extension of his personality. “I prefer silly. I’m a pretty happy person.

I would have a harder time playing a role that didn’t go along with my personality,” he said. “I have absolutely no shame. How crazy can I get, how much fun can I put into it?”

For his audition, Corwin performed an animated skit about an encounter with a larger–than-average spider with fourth year Advertising and Public Relations and Psychology double major Brittany Remington, who echoed his enthusiasm. “I’m really passionate about this club. I love these people,” says Remington, the group’s vice president and PR coordinator. “It’s our entire lives.”

do as a director is run up and show an actor how to do something by acting it out yourself,” Gray says. “Then the actor doesn’t have any freedom or way to do their own thing.”

“Highway,” the story of a man who gains the ability to “transcend” and travel through time, yet fails to keep the love of his life from leaving him, features both experienced and novice actors.

12:07 a.m.

Campus Center

Peter Kratz, left, and Jeremy Sickels pass the time backstage before their performance at the RIT Players' 24 Hour Show at Ingle Auditorium.

12:16 a.m.

Fireside Lounge The chatter has died down, and the actors have left for the night.

The remaining bodies in Fireside belong to the writers penning the scripts for the morning’s rehearsals. Each 24 Hour Show has a theme picked from the numerous suggestions presented by Twitter followers, strangers on the Quarter Mile and even President Bill Destler, who of course suggested something banjo-related. They ended up going with “Turn Back the Clock,” setting the tone for the evening’s scripts. Writers work together or alone, brainstorming and bouncing ideas off of each other, and the best scripts will be selected by the artistic director.

The writing process goes on until early in the morning and is not without its fair share of headaches. Fourth year film and Animation major Shawn Gray is both writing and directing this year. “This being my last show, I really wanted to write something good,” Gray says. ”That was a big stress on my brain. I couldn’t think of anything until literally one in the morning when I had two hours left to write it and refine it.” Things came right down to the wire, yet Gray ironically managed to bust out the final four pages of his script “Time’s Up” with 15 minutes left until the 3 a.m. deadline.

The majority of the audience has dispersed out of Ingle Auditorium, while a few cast and crew members tear down the set, collect props and costumes and say their goodbyes. Brittany Remington lies out exhausted on a couch in the hallway. “I’m dead,” she jokes. Erik Corwin has headed home to prep for the after party. Shawn Gray, who waits for a friend in his sleek “director’s suit”, reflects on the final performance.

“We had a few technical problems,” he says. The group wasn’t able to get the proper time to prepare in the previously occupied Ingle before the show. “Everything else flowed pretty smoothly.”

Corwin and Remington starred in Gray’s play “Time’s Up” as a “time lord” and a genie battling for attention. “It worked out really well; I was happy with how it came out,” Gray says. The performance allowed Corwin to let loose, delivering perhaps the funniest and most overthe-top showing of the evening.

The rest of the show featured the “Fourth Wall Protection Agency,” a crotchety Abe Lincoln, Justin Timberlake on “The Hunger Games,” multiple attempts to kill Hitler and even a Humans versus Zombies musical. Characters made surprise cameos throughout other plays, alarm clocks were used as currency and Queen Elizabeth was very nearly deflowered.

Despite the sheer number of moving parts involved, the hiccups along the way and the lack of sleep, the production could easily be regarded as a success. Not bad for a day’s work.

4:33 p.m.

Liberal Arts Hall (LBR 06), Room A205 This auditorium-style classroom under LBR serves to best mimic what the performance will be like in Ingle Auditorium later that night. Each of the selected scripts rehearses in different classrooms throughout the building, and then takes a turn in A205 to tweak their blocking and vocal projections. Currently Joe Plock and Shawn Gray are going over “Highway,” the scene that Gray will be directing. It is also the only serious play of the evening. Gray details his directing experience.

“You have to know how to talk to people to evoke a response. Just because you say ‘I want you to be angry’ doesn’t mean they’re going to be angry,” Gray explains. Gray says that directing requires confidence, communication and people skills. “One of the worst things you can

Lauren Held, a Biomedical Photographic Communications major, and Nick Giordano perform in a skit titled, "HvZ: The Musical" during the RIT Players' 24 Hour Show in Ingle Auditorium.

On opposite page: Brittany Remington, a fourth year Advertising and Public relations and Psychology major, Jessica Van Giesen and Stephanie Mattio perform on stage in a skit titled, "Time's Up!", during the RIT Players' 24 Hour Show.

13

B.o.B. at RIT Gets a Little Awkward

by Nicole Howley | photographs by Joshua Barber

14 Leisure | 05.05.12

oing into this, I knew B.o.B. was a rapper. I even knew that he made “Airplanes,” the song I had my first slow dance to. It was an awkward dance — partially because it’s not a very appropriate slow dancing song and partially because I kept stepping on the guy’s feet. Nonetheless, I have good memories attached to that song.

The major artist at this year’s SpringFest, B.o.B. performed at Gordon Field House Saturday, April 28 to a lukewarm reception.

My friends and I arrived 40 minutes before they opened the doors, and we waited in the chilly weather with about 50 other people. Time went by slowly as our extremities gradually froze.

Once the door opened, there was an aura of excitement. For the next hour and a half, the crowd hummed quietly with a few conversations amongst those taking a break from checking Facebook on their phones.

Eventually the preshow began with performer Playboy Tre, a member of B.o.B.’s production/rap group Ham Squad. Playboy Tre, who has been featured in some of B.o.B.’s songs, including “Bet I,” performed some of his own work and attempted to get the crowd’s energy up. He flirted with a girl in the front row between songs and at one point he did a short cover of LMFAO’s “Shots,” which drew a positive reaction from the crowd. By the end of his performance, he managed to garner a bit of enthusiasm from the audience.

Five minutes later, DJs, backup singers, guitarists and a drummer began to file on stage. Finally, after a great deal of cheering and applause, B.o.B. arrived in a baseball cap and baggy pants. He captured the crowd’s attention within seconds, dancing around the stage.

He was joined on stage on multiple occasions by scantily clad dancers in bejeweled bras. He also made sure to display his wide range of musical talent by playing the guitar and the keyboard during a few different songs such as “Don’t Let Me Fall” and “I’ll be in the Sky.” However, despite these attempts at making the show exciting, the audience quickly lost interest.

By that time, B.o.B. had already performed “Magic” and “Beautiful Girls,” two of the songs that the majority of the audience actually knew.

In addition to the slightly repetitive lyrics, the DJ kept reminding the audience that B.o.B.’s new album “Strange Clouds” was coming out Tuesday, May 1 after every song.

Despite the DJ’s comments on what a wonderful audience we were for our half-hearted cheers, the crowd had lost its enthusiasm. B.o.B. also was losing enthusiasm and stopped dancing around the stage with the same energy he had shown at the beginning. At the show’s lowest point, B.o.B. expected the audience to know some of the lyrics to one of his lesser-known songs and to sing along; instead, he was met with silence.

Then, what seemed to be just in the nick of time, he performed “Airplanes.” It was so widely anticipated that the audience gave a roaring response at the opening piano chords.

B.o.B. then performed one more song and left the stage. The audience seemed to be taken aback by his sudden, exit and it took a few minutes for them to start chanting for an encore. Despite the crowd’s delay, B.o.B. seemed to have an encore already planned. After

a quick performance of “Strange Clouds” and another reminder about the album, B.o.B. made a swift exit. The audience quickly followed suit.

As my friends and I left the Field House feeling slightly disappointed, we saw an empty couch positioned outside one of the windows of the Field House looking in. Looking back, it seems like whoever sat there had the better idea.

15

WHEN STARS

ERUPT

PREDICTING SPACE WEATHER SPACE WEATHER. To some, it might sound cosmically boring.

To others, it is wonderfully celestial. To you, it should be something to pay attention to.

16 Features | 05.05.12

D

R. ROGER DUBE,

research professor at the Center for Imaging Science and director of RIT’s Space Exploration Program, is paying attention. He and the eight students working with him are using information gathered from telescopes, antennas and other sources to predict space weather patterns. By analyzing this data he hopes to be able to give advanced warning of anything that might affect us here on Earth.

Back in the mid 1800s, the use of electricity was slowly gaining popularity. The streets were lit by kerosene lanterns and more and more mail was being sent by the latest invention, the telegraph. The telegraph was the first electrical technology used by many people. Big cities were connected with telegraph lines allowing people to communicate much farther and more efficiently than was ever thought possible.

In 1858, a one-inch-diameter telegraph cable was laid across the Atlantic Ocean. Known as the trans-Atlantic cable, it spanned thousands of miles from North America to Europe, allowing the first ever overseas instant message to be sent in Morse code.

In September 1859, a British astronomer noticed a large group of sunspots followed by an intensely bright light emerging from the sun. Shortly after that, the sky erupted in a swirl of red and green colors so bright that miners in Colorado thought it was morning and got up to make breakfast.

These astonishing colors lasted for around three days, lighting up the sky and inducing large electrical currents in the ground. This caused the telegraph wires to conduct massive amounts of electricity, inducing sparks “so big they would set the [telegraph] paper tape on fire,” according to Dube, and the Transatlantic cable to be completely melted. Disconnecting the batteries had no effect since the current was coming from outer space; however, that was not discovered until later.

The phenomena that melted an inch-thick wire at the bottom of the ocean is called a solar storm. This happens when, according to Dube, a coronal mass ejection “launches a large and high speed charged quantity of matter into the interplanetary region and if that happens to strike a planet, it experiences space weather.”

Space Definitions SPACE WEATHER: The conditions and phenomena in space and specifically in the near-Earth environment that may affect space assets or space operations. Space weather may impact spacecraft and ground-based systems. Space weather is influenced by phenomena such as solar flare activity, ionospheric variability, energetic particle events, and geophysical events.

CORONAL MASS EJECTION: A very large emission of plasma from the sun that disrupts the flow of the solar wind, sometimes interfering with the operation of artificial satellites, electronic communications and electric power transmission on the Earth.

AURORA BOREALIS: The aurora seen around the North Pole Also called northern lights.

SOLAR FLARES: A sudden eruption of magnetic energy released on or near the surface of the sun, usually associated with sunspots and accompanied by bursts of electromagnetic radiation and particles. Ultraviolet and x-ray radiation from solar flares often induce electromagnetic disturbances in the earth’s atmosphere.

CORRELATION COEFFICIENT: A measure of the interdependence of two random variables that ranges in value from -1 to +1, indicating perfect negative correlation at -1, absence of correlation at zero, and perfect positive correlation at +1. Also called coefficient of correlation.

Definitions taken from http://thefreedictionary.com.

17

1

8

sizes

1

4

sizes

great for clubs discounts available online advertising

reporterads@mail.rit.edu with questions & inquiries

Unlike the weather one might experience in Rochester — snow, rain and more snow — space weather has nothing to do with precipitation and water formation. This type of weather is an “electrical phenomenon” that causes particles to pass over the earth moving very quickly. Large amounts of current passing over a planet will induce charges in the ground.

A mild form of space weather will cause aurora borealis.

However, when a more severe form of space weather hits the Earth, it becomes an electrical storm. “[These storms are] much, much worse than any lightning strike,” explains Dube.

When a severe enough storm is sent towards earth, it sends currents through every wire in the area it hits, causing varying ranges of electrical damage. Recently, an area in Canada was hit with a minor storm, and as a result six million people lost power for a day.

If a storm is much worse, it can melt wires and create sparks that would do irreversible damage.

According to the National Academy of Scientists, if we got hit by a severe storm today, it would take an estimated 10 years for society to recover.

Ten years without electricity means we would have no central air and heating. It means that the local Wegmans would lose much of its food because the freezers and refrigerators to keep it cold would not work. It means that there would be no way to contact a loved one or friend because all cell and home phones are useless.

Dube’s research investigates how we could predict space weather patterns and be forewarned of impending storms, so we can be ready. It starts with the information received from telescopes in space whose sole job is to monitor the activity on the surface of the sun. These telescopes look at the sun’s coronasphere, or upper atmosphere, and track the solar flares.

“

18 Features | 05.05.12

Another way of gathering information is through antennas that are placed on buildings to “monitor what’s happening electrically in the upper atmosphere.” There are three antennas here at RIT. One is on top of Engineering Hall (ENG 17), which can be seen if you go to the glass walkway on the second floor and look up towards the top of the building. The other two are on top of the RIT Inn and Racquet Club.

Data from the telescopes and antennas, as well as historical data is then feed into a neural network computer algorithm that is “designed to mimic how the human mind learns,” with the advantage of being much faster than any person. This computer looks for patterns in the events that happen before a storm so that we can have an indicator of when a storm is about to strike.

Right now the correlation coefficient is 0.95; however, the computer doesn’t have any data from before the 1980s because the technology to measure space weather patterns had not been invented yet. “Right now that gives us about three days warning,” says Dube. “But that’s not good enough.” His goal for the future is to have the information about a week in advance so that society can adequately prepare. As of now, there are no plans for what may be similar to a post-apocalyptic world without electricity, or even a plan of what to do if we receive advanced warning of a solar storm.

Solar flares operate on cycles of peaks that occur every eleven years. The next is predicted to occur in July 2013.

While severe space weather isn’t necessarily anticipated, Dube says that it is important to be ready because of the unpredictable nature of electric storms. While space weather is a nerve-wracking reality, the work of Dube and other scientists can help prepare us for the worst.

Right now that gives us about three days warning.

But that’s not good enough

”

19

KODAK KODAK IN IN THE THE

COLD COLD WAR WAR

by Steven Markowitz | illustration by Justine Raymond

When the iron curtain descended over the world, pitting capitalist versus communist, secrecy became a necessity to survive and intelligence a weapon to thrive. As Americans adopted the mindset of inevitable nuclear war — building bombs shelters, teaching nuclear emergency protocols in school and weeding out potential spies — the government worked to protect the nation at all costs.

To defeat the Soviet Union, the U.S. and its allies needed to know what threat their enemies posed. This meant using any advantage necessary to see what the enemy was doing and stay ahead of both the technological and militaristic trends. The first step in the process: Chart the grounds the enemy stands on.

In the early 1960s the government contacted Kodak and its employees, nestled in the heart of Rochester, to work on classified imaging systems.

Intended for spy satellites, these systems would document the actions of the Soviet Union. Throughout the Cold War, Kodak would continue to analyze the threat posed by the Russians, and also develop the cameras used in the space race.

The oath of secrecy meant that for the last 50 years, employees could not tell their loved ones what they were working on, only that it was for the good of the nation.

“Although it was exciting and, we all agreed, important, it was very hard on the families, we couldn’t talk about what we were doing, we couldn’t even tell out spouses. My wife … feels it hampered our social interaction,” said Ed Cattron, a former Kodak system engineer, in a documentary on the “Black Gambit” project.

On September 30, 2011, according to the Democrat and Chronicle, a private event at the George Eastman House was held to honor the contributions of those who worked on the projects.

Looking Down on Earth On May 1, 1960, an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over Russia, and photographs of secret military bases were recovered from the pilot, according to the Cold War Museum. The incident forced the U.S. government to reveal the plane’s purpose as a covert surveillance vehicle and strained relationships between the already hostile nations.

One year later, the government contracted Kodak to design and produce cameras capable of photographing territory from satellites in space. A team in Rochester would work on the Gambit, Gambit 3 and Hexagon satellite programs, which ran from the 1960s to the 1980s, with over 120 combined launches.

The project was classified until September 17, 2011, when its details were declassified as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

According to a letter sent from Arthur Simmons of Kodak to Joseph Charyk of the Air Force at the Pentagon, the operation was known only by a select few at Kodak as “Blanket,” and its goal was to create a “recoverable reconnaissance system.”

Also outlined in the letter is a camera system which would produce finer ground resolution shots, known as “Sunset Strip.” To this day, the exact resolution of the photographs remains classified.

To the more than 1,000 Kodak employees involved on the project, all of whom were sworn to secrecy for the past 50 years, the challenges of developing such a complex camera system were numerous. Engineers and designers had to account for extreme weather shifts, a violent launch and film recovery methods.

The Hexagon satellite in particular carried 60 million feet of film, so engineers had to ensure that the capsule’s parachute would deploy and remain intact for the recovery team.

Once the camera was in space, engineers at Kodak would manually calibrate angle, exposure and focus, and then individually shoot targets: no small feat when the satellite is moving at four miles per second.

According to guidelines released by the NRO, these targets remain classified.

Other information that remains classified includes “management data related to sensitive budgetary details and trends, classified contracting methodologies and measures, identities of individuals under cover, or still-sensitive relationships and facilities.”

Kodak’s work helped turn the tide in negotiations with the Soviet Union in America’s favor since the photographs proved that a missile gap did exist. America had more missiles than Russia, and it was now fact.

However, for many Kodak employees, the secretive nature of the work was exhausting and stressful on their relationships. Members of the project had to often fly to the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, where the satellites were launched, to check on production. On these trips, employees were not allowed to tell anyone where or why they were going or who they worked for.

Looking Up at the Moon By the mid-60s, as the government was launching Gambit satellites into orbit, the space race had exploded and captured the world’s attention.

Before the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) could start sending astronauts into space, it needed to know every detail of the moon and prepare a way of documenting mankind’s voyage into space.

Kodak was involved in many of the significant breakthroughs of putting a man on the moon. A Kodak-developed cameras were used to record the reactions of John Glenn, the first man to orbit the Earth, and to document the Apollo 11 mission.

In preparation for the lunar mission, NASA launched five lunar orbit shuttles to photograph the surface of the moon. The missions successfully photographed 99 percent of the moon.

According to the Kodak history archives, the camera was designed to take photographs, process the film, convert it to a continuous video signal and transmit the feed to Kodak servers. In addition to the low resolution topography shots, the camera also took high resolution images, through which one could see an object the size of a card table from the distance of the space shuttle.

Years later, when man first landed on the moon, they brought Kodak cameras. The company’s archives describe the specially crafted stereoscopic color camera as the size and shape of a shoebox, with a trigger on an extended handle for easy use with the limited mobility of the space suits.

The camera was capable of photographing extreme close-ups of rocks, dust and other minute details of the moon’s surface. In particular, photographs taken of lunar soil, by Neil Armstrong himself, allowed scientists to study soil patches smaller than two one-thousandths of an inch in size, says the archives.

Today, Kodak continues to provide resources to the exploration and understanding of space. Their imaging systems were used on the Sojourner Rover that traveled the surface of Mars in 1997. Kodak also supplied precision optics for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope.

At a time when the future of the world seemed uncertain, and the threat of nuclear war was on the mind of every household in America, information became an invaluable asset. From allowing the government to see behind the iron curtain to helping show the world America’s dominance as they reached the moon, Kodak’s imaging systems and cameras provided key information that helped to change the face of the Cold War. And now, after 50 years, the company can finally brag about it.

For declassified documents pertaining to the projects discussed, visit http:// nro.gov/foia/declass/GAMBHEX.html.

21

HOME ON THE RANGE photographs by Rob Shook On Sunday, April 22, the Rochester Area Collegiate Firearms Club (RACFC) held a practical rifle match at Rochester Brooks shooting range. Formerly known as the RIT Firearms Community, the club is unaffiliated with the Institute, though RIT students make up a substantial portion of its 150 members. Sunday's match involved two courses that required the participant to fire more than 36 rounds. Accuracy and speed were both essential. Adding to the intensity were generous prizes donated by local businesses, including a free Defensive Rifle Class.

While the RACFC initially tried to be an official club at RIT, they were unable to receive recognition because of administration concerns surrounding firearms. Since then, the group has expanded dramatically even without the ability to recruit on campus, and many members feel they are just as well off. The group continues to hold both popular events and weekly practices.

For more information on the organization and its initial bid to become a club, see "A Firearms Community; RIT gun club denied" in the Friday, February 18, 2011 issue of REPORTER.

1 Mike Stewart, a fifth Year Physical Therapy student at Nazareth

4 Two AR-15s lay on the sidelines between runs.

5 A casing is ejected from Ian Scofield’s gun while he shoots from

College, shoots from a stop in the course.

2 Peter Simon, a Business Administration graduate student, ad-

mires his shooting while Stephen Bagley, a fifth year Mechanical Engineering Technology major, records his scores.

3 Brian Benson, a representative of sponsor VRI Tactical, prepares to run the course.

the last post in a run.

6 Matthew Antonio, a KCGOE almuni, discusses his scoring with Bagley.

2

3

4

5

6

23

Anthony Morales of team Faber Homes scores on the Women’s Club Soccer team during the Global Union Grassroots Soccer Tournament.

A Grassroots Effort RAISING HIV AWARENESS THROUGH SOCCER

by William Hirsh | photographs by Joshua Barber

Starting around 10 a.m. Saturday, April 28, teams from RIT and the Rochester area arrived at the varsity practice fields for the annual Grassroots Soccer 3 versus 3 Tournament. Warming up on the 20- by 30-yard micro fields arranged for the tourney, each team had different motives for entering. Some only vied for the $300 cash prize awarded to the victor; others registered for the challenge and opportunity to face off against players of a higher skill level. With these goals in mind, the teams stretched and practiced, waiting for the tournament to begin.

Global Union, RIT’s Major Student Organization for international students, has planned and organized the Grassroots Soccer Tournament for the past three years, according to Director of Programming Christina Basileo. A fourth year International Business and Marketing major, Basileo said that the event has been in the planning stages since winter quarter.

“We started planning in February,” said Basileo. “We’ve been contacting sponsors for the past three months to help donate to the event.”

After warming up, each team headed to one of the tournament’s nine miniature fields to begin playing. The games, which lasted 15 minutes each, were separated into three separate types of play, starting with three preliminary rounds. These were followed by a two-match quarterfinal, with the tournament wrapping up in a climactic final match. Any of the top four teams were eligible to go to the Challenge Sports 3 versus 3 National Championship held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, at Walt Disney World Resort, this August.

Stepping onto the field for their first game, the Women’s Club Soccer team was matched up with last year’s defending champions, team Off In A Corner. Many teams were having difficulty adjusting to the smaller space. “It’s a small field and it’s difficult to keep in control” said third year International Studies student and Women’s Club player, Kate Macken.

Macken and her fellow teammates were not shaken by the loss. “We just came here to have fun and represent Women’s Soccer,” said Macken. “We’re having fun and that’s all that matters.” Although the team had not heard of the tournament previously, Macken said it was “an interesting organization with a good cause.”

Although a majority of the teams were from the RIT community, the tournament was open to everyone, including team Faber Homes.

Sponsored by a local funeral home of the same name, the youth team regularly plays in the Flower City Soccer league. Coach Anthony Morales, an electrician from the Henrietta area, found out about the tournament while working on campus. “I came to work in one of these buildings on Monday and saw a flier,” said Morales.

On the team were two of Morales’ sons, Steven and Anthony Morales.

Steven, a high school junior, was glad to have had the chance to play in the tournament. “It’s a chance to get better and play some college people,” he said. Although many teams that day were struggling with the enclosed

nature of the fields, Steven said that the team usually played indoor soccer and did not have too many problems playing.

Anthony Morales, a high school senior who hopes to play soccer at the college level next year, also relished the opportunity to compete against college players. The team was rounded out by Larsen Lindor, a first year student at MCC. This tournament was his first time playing on the Faber Homes team, having been practicing with the team for the past two months.

After hours of competition, the final match began. An incredibly close match, team Habeteen was able to make a winning goal in the last five minutes of the game, winning against the Cunning Stunts 3-2.

Ameen Almoqhim, a Networking and Systems Administration graduate student, was a member of team Habeteen. Almoqhim said that the team began the tournament with only two players, with their third player late and their captain missing from the whole tournament. “He was at a party last night and overslept,” said Almoqhim. It wasn’t until 2 p.m. that the team received a call from the captain, explaining the situation.

Habeteen player Ali Alghamdi, a student at RIT’s English Language Center, was late for similar reasons but quickly made up for it, helping propel the team into the finals and finally into the winner’s circle. Having studied English for the past six months, Alghamdi is planning to enroll in the Computer Science program later this year.

In the end, the real winners were Grassroots Soccer and the Global Union staff who planned the tournament. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Grassroots Soccer Organization. Founded in 2002, the charity focuses on raising HIV awareness by using soccer as a motivational tool. By using professional soccer players and peer mentors as role models, the organization has educated youth between the ages of 12 and 18 about HIV. They have programs in the U.S., South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Fourth year Management Information Systems student Darshan Doshi, vice president of Global Union, said that the main goal of the event was to let players who had a passion for soccer help to spread awareness of HIV by supporting Grassroots Soccer. “The main reason [HIV] is spreading is because [people] don’t know about it,” said Doshi. “It’s really difficult to [raise awareness] as a person, but when you come together, it’s easy.”

Teams compete during the first round of the Global Union’s Grassroots Soccer Tournament. Sixteen teams played simultaneously during the first three rounds of competition.

The winning team of (left to right) Ameen Almoqhim, Hamdi Alotaibi, and Ali Alghamdi, poses with their championship trophy.

25

R

REPORTER

NOW HIRING, APPLY TODAY!

585.672.4840

http://reportermag.com

http://facebook.com/reportermag

@reportermag

lax labor laws

by Nick Bovee | illustration

by Justyn Iannucci

W

e’ve all heard the term “gofer”. Seeing interns being used to “go for coffee”, or used for other meaningless tasks, has rapidly become a stereotype in modern situations and office humor. Stephen Colbert ran gags about internships, comparing them to slave labor and calling it an American tradition. So for all the mocking we subject interns to, why are we also still being told that these are good positions for us enhance our resumes?

According to Ross Perlin’s “Intern Nation”, unpaid internships in the United States are growing at an exponential rate. Framed as a way for students to get a leg up on the job market over their peers, these positions claim to offer invaluable experience in lieu of pay. We at RIT have been lucky to have a co-op program steering us away from these “jobs”. They’re often advertised as great learning experiences, and a way to get companies on your resume without competing for one of a few open jobs or co-ops. But in reality, most unpaid internships are downright illegal.

For an internship to be both unpaid and legal, there are six criteria that it must pass. Most of these are relatively simple, like the intern being aware of the position being unpaid, or the internship being for the intern’s benefit (when wouldn’t it?). One of these conditions is particularly tricky, because it calls into question why unpaid internships would even exist in the first place.

The fourth listed criteria for unpaid internships, according to U.S. Department of Labor documents, states that, “The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern.” Obviously, this exists to make sure that interns aren’t being used to do work actually important to the company for free, but that’s exactly what happens. Companies gain nothing from handing out experience, so they try to game these jobs in their favor.

If you don’t get anything besides light experience, they shouldn’t get much out of it either. But what’s that experience worth if nothing done there helped anything? What company is going to invent trivial work for you to do, and them to never use? It seems more detrimental to the company to create menial work for interns than to just pay them a small wage. Or, easier on the company still, give you work they actually need done, and not pay you a dime for it.

Here’s where everything you’ve ever heard about these internships fall apart. The only thing that it proves you can do is handle irrelevant, meaningless tasks. Sure, it shows that you’re good enough to hold down a job for a few months. But that’s only a small part of the problem: Apart from the immediate detriments to us, these positions give many companies the impression that they’ve no need to pay for entry level labor.

On top of all this, these “opportunities” are incredibly restricted.

When these jobs do manage to offer any advantage to a student, the advantages are only really present for students from wealthier families.

Not many of us have the means to work a quarter or more with no income, without falling back onto our families. The cost of moving and housing alone practically eliminates even the thought of a middle or lower class student taking an unpaid position.

Any skill we bring to the table has a value, and companies should not be taking advantage of inexperience to further their own profits. These companies won’t change by themselves, so it’s something we need to take into our own hands. If you’ve worked one and not been paid, have a talk with that employer. If you ever get offered one, remember that your labor is worth something, no matter what you’re told.

While we are slightly insulated from the surge of unpaid internships here at RIT, it’s my hope that the trend dies down, and quickly. Our co-op office has done a good job of enabling us to get paid experience, and it’d be a terrible thing to see unpaid positions worm their way into RIT. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of REPORTER.

27

word on the street

photographs by Juan Madrid

What would you like to see at SpringFest?

(left) Melissa Orioli Third Year Illustration

“Kittenfest 2013.

It’s happening.” (right) Tom Hart Third year Enviromental Science

“The sun.”

Brandon McAlcees First year New Media Interactive Development

“Some kind of tournament, maybe some kind of sport that’s popular. Free to enter, with a small prize.”

Andres Becker Second year Illustration

“Tiramisu.”

28 Views | 05.05.12

Victoria Savka

Nate Lemoi

First year Fine Art Studio

Second year New Media Interactive Design

“Bring Nirvana to campus, bring Kurt Cobain back.

“More orange.”

Nick Talal Third year Visual Media

“A campus-wide paintball game.”

29

RINGS

585 672 4840 All calls 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 | illustration by Simon Jones

Monday, 10:11 a.m. (FROM TEXT)

SURE... NICE WEATHER TODAY, BUT DAMN! LOOK AT DEM

PALE LEGS.

Monday, 12:43 p.m. (FROM VOICEMAIL)

Overheard in the Infinity Quad:

“I’m still not sure if I have to wear pants to class.”

Monday 2:02 p.m. (FROM TEXT)

FIRST FLOOR, GUYS’ ROOM, GOLISANO TOILET. This thing’s so low it FEEL LIKE I’M SQUATTING IN THE WOODS. IF ONLY I HAD

Friday, 2:35 p.m. (FROM TEXT)

4/20? More like 1/5. Stupid stoners forgot to reduce their fractions.

Wednesday, 2:03 p.m. (FROM TEXT)

Spring is here and love is in the air ... I am suddenly very

aware of my single status.

Friday, 10:09 p.m.(FROM TEXT)

I just drove all the way to the gym to take a [SLAM DUNK] because I didn’t want to use my own toilet paper. Raise my tuition one more time and see where it goes next.

SOME LEAVES...

Thursday 8:49 p.m. (FROM TEXT)

SIGHTED: Man riding bike in Global Village CLAD IN GRANNY GARB COMPLETE WITH GRANNY MASK. ONLY AT RIT. Friday 11:55 p.m. (FROM TEXT)

I watched my friend burn his beard off...

I GUESS YOU COULD SAY HE HAS GOOD SIDE BURNS NOW. 30 Views | 05.05.12

STUDENT LIVING

31