December 2013

DECEMBER 2013 reporter.rit.edu

EXPLORING SEXUAL ASSAULT AT RIT Each year several acts of rape and sexual misconduct occur on RIT's campus. Each case goes through a web of different people, pictured here. These people can include friends, family, Public Safety, the Center for Women and Gender, Student Conduct and many others. Reporter investigated how rape and sexual assault cases are handled on campus by each of the individuals involved in the reporting process.

Read more on page 6.

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Reporter Magazine is published monthly 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. “I think girls should be treated like princesses now because they later give birth and feel like crap.” L.N. The Advertising Department can be reached at 1.585.475.2213. The opinions expressed in Reporter do not necessarily ref lect those of the Institute. Letters to the Editor may also be sent to reporter@rit.edu. “For someone who doesn’t realy like what she’s doing... she does it.” K.E. 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 © 2013 Reporter Magazine. All rights reserved. No portion of this Magazine may be reproduced without prior written permission.

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Upcoming Information Sessions for Prospective Students M.S. in Sustainable Systems at RIT’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability Enhance your career and make a difference by applying your knowledge in areas such as Sustainable Manufacturing, Sustainable Mobility and Sustainable Energy Systems.

Thursday, December 12, 2013 • 1:00 p.m.

Monday, January 27, 2014 • 3:00 p.m.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014 • 1:00 p.m.

RIT Campus • Sustainability Hall • room 81–3140 Contact Paul Stiebitz (Paul.Stiebitz@rit.edu) for more information.

w w w. s u s t a i n a b i l i t y. r i t . e d u Golisano Institute for Sustainability

Education for a Sustainable World

explaining the reporting process

LEISURE

and speaking with sources

16 Rochester Bus-ted Connecting the community through transportation

20 The Not-So Hidden Paths

VIEWS

Demistifying past rumors,

FEATURES

6 Exploring Sexual Assault at RIT

DECEMBER 2013 | VOLUME 67 | ISSUE 34

Guide to RIT’s tunnels

10 At Your Leisure

Resipisence & Metabolistic Architecture

12 Reviews The return of alternative hip-hop & a hellish new fantasy book

SPORTS

NEWS

CONTENTS

27 Words on the Street What RIT students think of the TE3

28 ourCourses Instructors at RIT should be using myCourses in some capacity

30 Rings Monkeys have disposable thumbs.

22 3 Stars Alexa Martinez, Jamie Martinez and Jimmy Forbes

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14 The Modern Cocaine Dealer The chronicle of a cocaine

cover photography by Farrah Julin

salesman

NEWS

LEISURE

FEATURES SPORTS

VIEWS

Fighting Bike Theft

Weekly At Your Leisure

Transgender Profile of a Day of Rising Star: Remembrance Matt Giannino

The $40,000 Guinea Pig

Weekly Student Government Update

SleepBot App Review

The Creator’s Game 5

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EXPLORING SEXUAL ASSAULT AT RIT you wearing?

– Public

Safety

“What were you wearing?” – Public Safety.

This was a sign seen at the 2013 slut walk, hosted by the Center for Women and Gender.

The sign was made by students involved with the slut walk, including future members and founders of the feminist coalition Michelle Civil and Zakary Skinner.

According to Civil, a third year Visual Media major, and Skinner, a third year Biomedical Sciences major, a survivor of sexual assault had come to them before the slut walk telling of her unfavorable reporting process with Public Safety and stated that she was upset about the situation.

Reporter has met with Sarah, the survivor mentioned above, as well as another survivor to look into RIT’s reporting process for sexual assault and rape.

SURVIVING SEXUAL ASSAULT Sarah was assaulted at a party off campus by an older student that she had met a few weeks prior.

After being told by her roommate that she shouldn’t report the incident and should just forget it ever happened, Sarah confided in a friend that was a Room Advisor (RA). Under Title IX, the RA and Resident Coordinator who heard her story were required to report to Public Safety.

Sarah explained that she felt Public Safety was forcing her to report when she did not want to. She was also confused about the process of reporting sexual assault and repeatedly asked for an explanation but never received a detailed answer. Just as she was about to sign her statement she decided not to because she felt she needed some control of the situation.

6

News | December 2013

Sarah. “When you have all your power and control taken away from you, you grasp onto any control that you can get, and they would not give me anything. I didn’t know what was going to happen and there was no clear answer. I felt like they didn’t have an answer, and I wanted answers.”

Then, Sarah explained that the Public Safety officer assigned to her case began to question her motives. “…I remember this very clearly, I was sitting in a chair and he knelt down at eyelevel so he could see me and he looked at me and he says ‘are you sure this really happened? Or were you just upset with him about something?’”

She said that her taking back her statement seemed to cause the Public Safety officers and investigators to question her story and motives for turning in the perpetrator. She explained that the officers and investigators involved with her case seemed to take it less seriously after that and their demeanor changed toward her. In her follow up interview with a Public Safety investigator, Sarah said that the women asked her about her previous relationship with the accused and implied that Sarah was making the story up.

“So it was ‘your roommate said this; your roommate said that you had been thinking about sleeping with him, your roommate said this this this and this,’” said Sarah.

“And I was like ‘it doesn’t matter what my roommate said first of all, and it doesn’t matter that I had thought about sleeping with him or I had thought about starting a relationship with him, because when I said no I meant no.’”

Sally, another sexual assault survivor, had a different experience. She explained that her reporting process was as comfortable as it could have been, given the circumstances. “None of the questions were out of place and none of them made me feel uncomfortable or feel judged about the situation,” said Sally.

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been drinking.

The individual denied that he had ever assaulted her, but was eventually charged with a deferred suspension for one year.

She said everything was explained very well to her. She visited the Center for Women and Gender, where Darci Lane-Williams, director for the center and CARES advocate, listened to her story and urged her to report to Public Safety. Sally stated that Lane-Williams explained the process very thoroughly for her.

Another difference between Sally and Sarah’s case was the gender of the officers and CARES advocates, or members of the RIT faculty and staff who are present when students report sexual assaults to be an advocate for them. The CARES advocates ask any questions the students might have and make sure that Public Safety handles the case appropriately. In Sarah’s case, the investigator, the Public Safety officer and the CARES representative were all males. “I think there should be a women officer,” said Sarah. “I think if it’s a male investigator there should be a women officer. I think that the CARES representative should be a woman. I know that people are going to be upset about that comment, I know that people are going to say ‘well what if it’s a male?’ Okay well, that’s not what I’m saying. I think in my case, it shouldn’t have been an old man.”

Sarah explained that at the time that she reported she was not comfortable with strange males and felt that they could not relate to her.

When Sally reported, she had a female investigator and her CARES representative was Lane-Williams.

She was at ease with these individuals.

For these reasons and more, Sarah explained that she had an unpleasant experience with the reporting process and with Public Safety’s handling of her case. Although the accused individual admitted to the story and was sentenced with a deferred suspension, Sarah wished that the experience was different and that he could have received a harsher punishment.

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THE TRUTH BEHIND; “WHAT WERE YOU WEARING?” “What were you wearing?” can be a loaded question that implies that the survivor was to blame for the sexual assault by dressing a certain way. Public Safety explained that this is not the case. “We will certainly ask, if there’s an accusation of a physical sexual assault, we will ask the victim what they were wearing because we’re trying to understand step by step what happened,” said Derooy. “So if someone was wearing tight zip up button jeans and they’re saying ‘he pulled my pants down,’ how did that physically happen, did he unbutton your jeans or did you unbutton your jeans? We’re not asking because we think that the accused was dressed inappropriately.”

The victims tended to agree that the question was harmless in this situation. “Everyone seems to focus on that question, and I know it’s a big question and I know it’s a loaded question sometimes,” said Sarah.

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“I think I became more upset about that question when other people started becoming upset about the question.”

Disclaimer: None of the individuals pictured in this article are the anonymous sources.They are anonymous individuals that are the subjects of the photo project Trigger Warning by Lydia Billings.

Trigger Warning is Billings’s project that depicts survivors of sexual assault and explores rape through photography. For more information on Trigger Warning readers are encouraged to check our website and read: Trigger Warning Article.

TITLE IX One of the major issues that Sarah had with her reporting process was with Title IX. Both the Center for Women and Gender and Public Safety agreed that the law can be difficult when dealing with sexual assault cases.

According to Lane-Williams, Title IX states that any faculty or staff at an education system is required to report all accounts of sexual assault or rape to a Title IX deputy. From there, the Title IX coordinator sends the information to Public Safety, after which Public Safety is required by law to investigate the case.

Lane-Williams explained this is hard for a lot of survivors who may need someone with whom they can talk about it with or simply need a few weeks of counseling before they are ready to go to Public Safety.

“It used to be if a student met with someone and talked about it and didn’t want to go any further, it didn’t because we had to respect the student’s wishes,” stated Lane-Williams.

“With Title IX it’s not just seen as an issue with that student, it’s seen as a potential danger for other students as well.”

According to Sarah, she did not know that the RA and RC she told her story to would be required to report under Title IX. Although she explained that she does not blame them for her experience, she wished that Public Safety would have slowed

down and considered her emotional needs before the need for a signed statement.

Although the survivor does have the right to opt out in the investigation in that they do not have to participate by going to the hearing, signing a statement, etc., Lane-Williams and Derooy warned that this may cause an unfavorable outcome in the investigation in the eyes of the survivor. For this reason, they encourage each individual to participate.

Lane-Williams said that the question was important to the investigation and had at times helped Public Safety prove that the accused was guilty of sexual misconduct due to a major inconsistency with the person’s story. Derooy explained that they also ask the accused individual what they were wearing.

A separate question that also seems to receive a lot of heat is “Were you drinking?”

This may blame the victim by suggesting that if they had not been intoxicated they would not have been assaulted. Public Safety stated that these questions are asked to get the most detailed version of the story.

“There’s never blame put on, because they could have been like ‘why did you decide to drink,’ which they did ask that in the hearing,” said Sally. “It all seemed fair. None of the questions were out of place and none of them made me feel uncomfortable or feel judged about the situation.”

“Both stories can be either so close to the line of violating or so far apart, so completely different, and because there aren’t witnesses and because maybe alcohol was involved

How you can report SEXUAL ASSAULT at RIT: Students can call CARES (Campus Advocacy Response and Support). Students may report an incident at any time by calling or texting the number (585) 295-3533. The CARES volunteers will meet with any student wishing to report and will act as an advocate for them through the process.

The Center for Women and Gender is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. in the Campus Center, 1760. Students may report any incident to the counselors of the center and may also continue visiting the center for follow-up counseling.

The Public Safety Office is located in Grace Watson Hall and can be reached for emergencies at (585) 475-3333. For general problems, students can call (585) 475-2853.

Any RIT faculty and staff that a student feels comfortable with can listen to their story and help them and explain to them their options.

In the case of an emergency, students should call 911 to report.

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there are circumstances where it might just really come down to what the hearing officers believe happened is more likely than not to have happened,” said Derooy. “So that’s why we collect as much evidence as possible, why we ask so many invasive questions about what the person is accusing, to try to understand can this physically have really happened, who said what when?”

All-in-all, there seemed to be a general consensus that the questions “What were you wearing?” and “Were you drinking?” are not offensive to the survivors of a sexual assault when asked in an appropriate manner.

STUDENT CONDUCT, REPERCUSSIONS AND SEXUAL ASSAULT Sarah’s perpetrator was in a fraternity at the time of the attack, and although his punishment prohibited him from being on campus except for classes, she felt that this wasn’t enough to make him understand that what he did was wrong. The individual lived off of campus at the time and was allowed to stay in his fraternity. For these reasons, Sarah felt that the decision was inadequate, especially considering that Public Safety can’t enforce that the student stay off campus.

“There’s no way to make sure that he follows the rules unless I see him and tell him he can’t be on campus, and I’m not going to do that,” said Sarah.“I have no more energy to do that.”

Derooy admitted that the punishment

is not enforceable. “It’s not enforced unless somebody sees them, unless their seen some place,” she explained. “It’s not like we can put ankle bracelets on them.”

The perpetrator in Sarah’s story was still allowed to stay in his fraternity because the fraternities and sororities on campus are part of national organizations with smaller chapters at RIT. Each has their own separate system when dealing with crime related activity.

Eric Pope, associate director for Greek life and departmental assessment, explained further. “If an individual were to join a fraternity or sorority…and something were to happen, we don’t have any influence on their [the fraternity or sororitie’s] decision to keep them or remove them from that organization,” said Pope. “Their practices are all their own.”

Pope stated that if RIT was asked by the fraternity or sorority’s individual headquarters about a the suspension or expulsion of a member, they would give them as much information as possible without violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which limits the amount of information a school can give to any individual about a student.

“It’s not a perfect system by any means whatsoever,” said Pope. “As a fraternity man, most organizations require you to take some oath where you agree to be an outstanding citizen and not break the law. Each organization has their own oath. In violating this you violate your oath.” Pope also stressed that there are often instances where individuals are punished by the fraternities for such actions.

Although the hearing process for RIT may not be able to affect the individual’s standing in their fraternity, Joe Johnston, director and

DEFINITION OF Rape & Consent According to Lane-Williams, sexual harassment is bothering someone in a sexual way, with comments that are of a sexual nature. “Generally, it makes you feel uncomfortable,” said Lane-Williams. “I always tell people that if your gut is talking to you it probably means it’s something that is wrong.”

At RIT, sexual misconduct is an umbrella term that includes rape. This includes anything from forcible touching to forcible rape.

At RIT, “Rape involves some sort of penetration in some sort of orifice,” explained Lane-Williams.

According to Lane-Williams, the legal definition of rape varies between states.

According to Article 130 of the New York Penal law, rape in the third degree is a class E felony. Rape in the third degree occurs when there is sexual intercourse with someone who is incapable of consent, either because one person is under 17 years old and another person is 21 years or older, or because the individual is incapable of consent for other reasons.

Rape in the second degree occurs when the person is 18 years or older and engages in sexual intercourse with someone younger than 15 years old, or when sexual intercourse occurs with someone who is mentally disabled or incapacitated. This is considered a class D felony in the state of New York.

Rape in the first degree is defined as a person that engages in sexual intercourse with another person by sexual compulsion, who is physically helpless, who is less than 11 years old or who is less than 13 years old and the actor is 18 years old at least. This is a class B felony in New York State.

8

News | December 2013

In 1988, she reported her assault to the police.

When she told the officer that her rapist was her husband, he asked, "Why are you wasting my time?" and refused to pursue the report.

chief conduct officer for the Center for Student Conduct and Conflict Management, stated that they do their best to create the most fair outcome with the information that they are presented. RIT works on a preponderance of evidence, meaning that the hearing officers listen to the stories of the two individuals and make decisions based on what they believed is likely to have happened.

There is an appeals system set in place for the individuals involved in the process.

Individuals that are unhappy with the outcome of the hearing can choose to appeal

MYTHS of

Sexual Assault There needs to be physical marks and bruisers on the survivor’s body.

If the person was drunk and acting promisculously, then it’s not considered sexual assault.

If the person tends to sleep around, then it’s not sexual assault.

If the two individuals have slept together before, then it wasn’t sexual assault.

If the survivor did not say no or fight, then it wasn’t sexual assault.

within seven business days. The appeal is heard by the Institute Appeals Board, a body that is completely separate from the Student Conduct Office. If the student is still unhappy with the decision after appealing to the Institute Appeals Board, they can then appeal to the Senior Vice President for Student Affairs, currently Heath Boice-Pardee, who will make the final decision on the matter.

Sally’s perpetrator did decide to appeal after the original hearing with student conduct. She stated that this process was difficult on her because after the hearing she hoped to put the incident behind her, but she explained that everyone involved was supportive of her and did not require her to go to the second hearing. Nothing was changed after the appeals hearing.

RIT’S CRIME ALERTS In the 2011-12 school year, nine acts of sexual misconduct were reported to RIT. Public Safety sent two crime alert emails to alert the students of two of these crimes.

This means that seven acts of sexual misconduct at RIT went unreported to the RIT student body. Public Safety also explained that they do not have the jurisdiction to send out reports to the surrounding Henrietta area.

Public Safety explained that the reason for not sending emails every time an act of sexual misconduct occurs was to avoid desensitizing the RIT community. Derooy stated that Public Safety does not send out these crime alert emails when they believe that there is not a substantial benefit.

“I do see the value of notifying the campus every time, but we don’t most of the time because the person is known and it’s being handled,” said Derooy. “Putting a notification out won’t stop him.”

Some students felt that there needed to be more done. “There needs to be more discussion,” said Skinner. “There were several instances last year where sexual assaults occurred on campus and the most that we as a student body heard about it was a small email from RIT Message Center, which is important but there needs to be more; it needs to be a larger discussion.”

Amy Vorenberg, a survivor of a serial rapist that took place in Boston in 1971, is an advocate for open reporting between the public and college campuses. She is a law professor at University of New Hampshire School of Law. Vorenberg and 43 other girls were raped or the subject of an attempted rape between 1970 and 1973 in the Boston area. According to Vorenberg in her article in the Boston Globe, 18 of these rapes occurred near Harvard’s Radcliffe campus in Cambridge.

Vorenberg believes that if the Radcliffe campus had notified the surrounding community, assaults could have been prevented and the perpetrator would have been caught earlier. She’s an advocate for information sharing between campuses and the surrounding neighborhoods.

“There’s a difference between alerting the campus to danger and reporting every single offense,” said Vorenberg in a phone interview.

“The information should be easily accessible to the community…Law enforcement should be aware of repeat offenders.”

Vorenberg suggested a weekly or monthly

log that lists all of the criminal offenses and what their circumstances were. She agreed that desensitizing the community was a concern that they should keep in mind when deciding to report to the public. “Security should put out warnings for incidents, but they don’t want to desensitize the community,” said Vorenberg. “They need to regulate when they report to keep people vigilant.”

Sally felt that RIT should take an all or nothing approach when sending crime alerts to the campus. She explained that the fact that her case didn’t result in a crime alert made it seem less legitimate because a crime alert for a different sexual assault was emailed to the RIT students shortly after Sally’s assault occurred. “Each case is important,” Sally said. “I know I was a bit on edge when they did send that e-mail out because I thought it must have been horrible if they sent an e-mail out. But I believe that

even the “smallest” sexual misconduct case should be noticed. Especially with the ratio of male to female, these issues need to be taken especially seriously.”

Sarah disagreed; “I personally don’t feel like it is any of the other students business about what happened,” Sarah

explained. “We don’t get emails every time there is a break-in or someone is physically hurt on campus. There are many people who feel very different from me, and want there to be an email sent out every time a sexual assault is reported. But I think that if I had received an email that gave vague details about my personal experience, I would have been very upset.”

CONSENT AT RIT Lane-Williams, Skinner, and Civil all agreed that there needs to be an increased effort on the RIT campus of what consent means and why it is important.

“I would say the biggest solution is education,” explained Civil, feminist coalition member. “You can’t make a change unless you know something’s wrong and a lot of people unfortunately don’t realize the extent of their sexism, even if it’s calling someone a bitch. A simple thing like that, and consent education for the sexual part of it.”

Skinner agreed with Civil. “Especially for our freshmen coming in,” he added on. “We live in a very hyper sexualized culture, which is nice in some ways but also a lot of things aren’t revealed to us. I think there should be mandatory classes for people that are coming in because it affects every single student.”

Lane-Williams explained that drinking and intercourse becomes a grey area that students need to be more aware of. An individual that is intoxicated does not have the ability to give sexual consent. “If you find that the first time you’re having sex with someone, they’re drunk or you’re drunk, that right there might be a red flag that this is sexual assault,” she said.

For this reason, Lane-Williams explained that RIT’s campus needs to do more to educate people on what is okay and what is not. She also explained that people should be careful with the phrase ‘no means no,’ because there isn’t always a ‘no.’ Students that are impaired, frightened or bullied into having sexual intercourse are the subjects of sexual assault, whether or not there was a clear ‘no’ or struggle.

“We don’t have a campus full of rapists, we have an ignorant campus,” said Lane-Williams. “We have people who just don’t realize that a drunk girl can’t give you consent.”

PARTING WORDS OF WISDOM Lane-Williams explained that generally, survivors of the assaults tend to go to a close friend or a roommate before anyone else, and that the reaction of these people can make or break the will of a survivor to report.

“You’re never going to understand what they’re going through and they don’t expect you to understand,” said Sarah when asked what she would tell people who are being told about a sexual assault by friends. “They don’t expect you to say the right things all the time, but if you can just stay with them and make sure that they know you believe them.”

Students are encouraged to report sexual assaults and seek help if they believe that they have been the subject of a sexual assault.

“You have nothing to lose and everything to gain if you come forward,” said Sally.

Sarah said that reporting, despite the difficult and less than ideal process that it was, helped her in the long run.

“Stepping forward will be one of the hardest things you will ever do,” Sarah explained. “I’m not going to sugarcoat that, but it’s the first step towards working towards a new normal. It’s going to be hard, and there’s going to be people who leave you and there’s going to be people who don’t want deal with it because it makes them uncomfortable, but those people don’t matter. It’s the first step towards working towards a new normal, and as soon as you start making that step you start moving forward.”

Rorie, assaulted April 2010 on her college campus. Rapist found "not responsible" by her university's judicial system.

9

AYL At Your Leisure

by William Hirsh | designed by Autumn Wadsworth

Stream of Facts Word of the Month Resipiscence (noun): to have a change of heart.

Sentence: Originally obstinate on the idea of sharing the TV with her roommates, Suzie felt resipiscence and decided to bring the TV into the living room.

While impossible to see with the naked eye, the human body is actually bioluminescent. Incredibly weak photon energy releases through changes in

metabolism

our energy and the “brightness� varies at different times of the day.

There was an architectural movement in Japan in the 1960s called

Metabolism.

It was

showcased as the future of urban planning in which the architects believed that buildings were constantly changing entities rather than static structures. The buildings created in this style were based on a spindle

design, with interchangeable parts that could be

Haiku Cold and dreary days wondering how far I should go without a coat.

replaced as the structure aged.

A

design for a back bike wheel that can turn a

regular bike into an electric bike was created by the company FlyKly Bikes. It can fit into most non-electric bikes and can propel you as fast as 20 miles per hour for a 30 mile distance on a single

charge.

Quartz has a unique property in that when it is

charge. It works electrical charge is applied,

bent, it will produce an electrical both ways — if an it will bend itself.

Rowan Atkinson was an

Electrical Engineering

student in a Ph.D. program before he switched to acting. Acting proved to be a critical aid in overcoming his mild stutter.

10

Leisure | December 2013

Quote

Comic

by Emily DeVault

“The beginning in every task is the chief thing.” - Plato

Reporter Recommends Media Monkey In Windows 8, there are few good reason to use the Metro interface, which is usually devoid of useful apps. While browsing the store, I stumbled upon an app that seemed both interesting and useful: a music player for the Metro called Media Monkey.

Media Monkey is a free app that, despite a few minor kinks, works much better than other music players, such as iTunes.

Originally used for its FLAC player functionality, Media Monkey proved to be a well-rounded player for most other music file types as well, like mp3, m4a or ogg.

Despite a boring and bland interface, Media Monkey works as advertised. Playback quality is nice, especially for FLAC files and is generally consistent. At times, there is the occasional hiccup with the audio whenever a file was downloading.

The app also works well with mp3 files, especially when you just want to shuffle through your music library. In iTunes, when a file isn’t recognized the music stops entirely, forcing the user to find a new song to shuffle again. With Media Monkey, this process is seamless and doesn’t stop the music, which is great for those times I need music continually playing to keep me motivated.

Overall, it’s a decent player that may have some of its minor issues rectified in future updates. Rejoice, audiophiles!

11 11

REVIEWS “FLYING COLOURS”

BY SHAD

ALT. HIP-HOP

by Nick Bovee | design by Melissa Cavallaro

W ell

into his 30s, musician Shad

Shad opens “Flying Colours” with the

developing on themes he started exploring

continues to produce quality hip-hop,

creatively named track “Intro: Lost,” reversing

on that album. For “Flying Colours,” he

providing thoughtful insight through

the name of the previous album: “TSOL.” Likely

repeats the phrase “remember to remember”

his rap as well as exceptionally good

the most powerful track on the album, Shad

through a few of the songs. Then in the

production for an initially underground

shines in his prime. He’s introspective and

track “Remember to Remember,” he reminds

artist. Rising to fame by winning

humble but completely aware of his present

himself and his listeners to remember where

the Rhythm of the Future talent

success. Lines like “This is real pride in my

they came from, and who they want to be.

contest, Shad put all his winnings into

eyes, it’s not a cocky act” demonstrate that

“Love Means” is another slight departure from

producing his first album, “When This

Shad is happy with his success, just over eight

the predominantly upbeat album. Stylistically

is Over,” which along with his second

years from his debut. The self-depreciation is

more similar to beat poetry, it dives into the

album “The Old Prince” gave him an

still there, but now more introspective rather

fluid and unpredictable nature of love.

established name in underground hip-

than a sharp critique. He jokes that the album

With “Flying Colours,” Shad takes care

hop. A truly self-made artist, much

should be called “Food Court,” “[Be]cause I

to show reverence to rap culture itself,

of his initial popularity was a result

only talk about food, justice and hoop scores.”

despite his deviation from common styles

of

self-depreciating

Lyrically, the album is radiant, upbeat and

and subject matter. He drops lines that

lyrical style. His fourth album, “Flying

colorful, a big turnaround from many of the

reference the genre’s greats like Run DMC,

Colours,” is a further evolution of this

dour tracks on past albums.

Drake, Jay-Z, Common, Ice Cube, Biggie

his

extremely

style and message and by no means

These dark critiques are still present

and more. Whether or not he’s stylistically

slacks — unlike the mid-career albums

on tracks like “Progress,” a twisting of

similar to them, Shad shows a lot of respect

of many artists.

“American Pie” by Don McLean. Like the song

by mentioning competing artists in a

it takes inspiration from, “Progress” is about the day

Occasionally,

for the current generation.

reaching too far for a reference to another

In this case, series of events

artist. The biggest complaint is that the

like the mortgage crisis and

album shifts its tone too much, especially

World Trade Center attacks

with “Progress.” Previous albums from Shad

are held as defining points in

were much more cohesive, often to a fault.

the death of music. The song

“Flying Colours” strikes a balance between

also critiques current pop

Shad’s old styles and the new tone he takes

music, accusing musicians

as an established artist.

Shad

sounds

like

he’s

over four minutes and the

FOR FANS OF:

youth for not having the

k-os, Common Market, Blue Scholars, Binary

attention span for anything

Star, CYNE

longer.

Despite stylistic differences from “TSOL,” Shad continues

Leisure | December 2013

There aren’t many flaws in the album.

the music died, but retold

of never making anything

12

positive light.

“THE HOUSE OF HADES”

BY RICK RIORDAN

FANTASY

by Nilan Lovelace | design by Melissa Cavallaro

W here would a half-blood son of Poseidon

Doors of Death before the Earth Mother,

and his Athena-born girlfriend go after

Gaea, awakens and ends the world. Just

so fast that important details and events

falling off a cliff? Hell.

when the group is beginning to think that

are overlooked. The major benefit of the

aren’t any drawn out encounters but not

That wasn’t a punch line, but the synopsis

Gaea may prevail, daughter of Pluto, Hazel,

pacing is character development. Although

of Rick Riordan’s fourth installment in the

is summoned to take on a task that may just

traveling Tartarus is an experience that

Heroes of Olympus Series, “The House of

save Olympus.

changes Percy and Annabeth in ways they

Hades.” The book begins with five Roman

Worlds below, we find Annabeth, a

may never understand, changes in other

and Greek demigods carrying the newly

daughter of Athena, picking up from the

major characters are even more dynamic and

discovered Athena Parthenon back to

very literal cliffhanger that the previous

immediate.

Greece, where they hope to close the

novel “The Mark of Athena” left off on,

Fans of the series may be pleased to find

falling to her doom with

that the point of view shifts between some

the hellish pit, Tartarus,

of their favorite characters, including Percy

quickly approaching below

and Annabeth. As the story is told by all of

her. With the help of the

the seven demigods sent on the quest, the

son

reader gets to see from the perspective of a

of

Poseidon,

Percy,

they manage to land in the

few characters, such as Piper, who have not

River of Lamentation which

contributed since the first book.

proves to be one of their

Perhaps the most disappointing character

first and safest obstacles in

absence of all is Nico di Angelo, son of

the journey.

Hades. Although Nico has unofficially joined

Riordan is notorious for

the quest, the perspective of this veteran

spending a copious amount

character has not appeared once in the

of time retelling major events

entire series.

from other books in the series.

Overall, “The House of Hades” wonderfully

In “The House of Hades,” he

prepares readers for the fifth and final

has finally found the right

installment, “The Blood of Olympus”, to be

balance between what we

released next fall.

need to know and what we should already know. This

FOR FANS OF:

balance allows more focus on

“The Kane Chronicles,” “Oh.My.Gods.,” and

the well-described details of

“Throne of Glass.”

Tartarus and the previously unexplained phenomena of the supernatural veil between humans and the gods.

For the most part, the story follows a moderate pace; fast enough that there

13

THE MODERN COCAINE COCAINE COCAINE DEALER

by Gino Fanelli | design by Akshara Chopra

Disclaimer: Some names and locations were changed to protect anonymity.

table. On it, amidst a trifecta of overflowing ashtrays, half empty Styrofoam take-out containers and empty

It’s an alien concept to most: a drug dealer in modern society who is glamorized

plastic liquor bottles, he places small amounts of off-

in film, television and music. One who, when mentioned, brings to mind Studio

white cocaine clumps onto a digital scale. He breaks up

54 disco fever and gold adorned hip-hop stardom. More often, the drug dealer is

the clumps into a fine powder using a box cutter blade,

painted as an outlaw, violent and committed to a life of crime outside his chosen

mixes it with a small amount of powdered vitamins

profession. He is frightening: a menace to society that exists only to disturb the

and drops the final measurement into a small plastic

system and destroy society.

button-bag. All the while, he intermittently dips the end of a house key into the powder mixture and takes a small snort.

At its core it is a lifestyle that is less remarkable than it is repetitive and more often than not ripe with depression.

But the reality is far less tantalizing or dramatic. In fact, the life of the average drug dealer is one that can be described as more tedious than enthralling. More monotonous than tumultuous. At its core, it is a lifestyle that is less remarkable than it is repetitive and, more often than not, ripe with depression.

In a small studio apartment on Monroe Avenue in Rochester, 20 year-old Andrew Barrett sits on a worn beige couch, leaning intensely over a glass coffee

14

Leisure | December 2013

“Read this shit,” Barrett said, holding up a pre-paid cellphone, dubbed a “burner” for its ease of disposal, “This fucker, he’s been texting me all day telling me he’s about to come give me a ride. Look at that, 10 a.m. It’s 5 O’-fucking-clock.”

They see other people around selling dope and they see it for what it is. Easy money.

A black- and- white- marked pit bull hops up on the couch. Barrett turns and snaps his fingers frantically in his direction.

“Hey, hey, hey, beat it,” Barrett says. The dog circles for several seconds before laying down on the cushion. “Asshole.”

“Yo,” he exclaimed, “you should’ve seen this shit. My dude up there, he’s like 50. As I’m walking out, this girl, couldn’t of been older than 17, comes walking in. We just, like, make eye contact and I’m like ‘I’m ... getting the fuck out of here.’” He takes a long drag, “What a piece of shit.”

A native to the Rochester suburb of Brighton, Barrett got his first taste of the drug trade selling small amounts of marijuana alongside cooking jobs. But upon being fired from a long-time position, he found himself broke and in dire need. Through a family connection, he was able to begin selling small amounts of cocaine alongside his part-time work. Soon, violent outbursts at the work place and heightened drug use resulted in cocaine becoming his sole source of income.

This is a common stream of events according to Officer Chris Kaltenbach of the Rochester Police Department, who works in the

Don’t get me wrong, I do my fair share of yay. But he comes over here and I just have to watch him get all zooted. I’m scared for him, really.

heavily drug-trafficked neighborhood of Lyell Avenue.

“Often times, it becomes the only choice for people in bad situations,” said Kaltenbach, “They see other people around selling dope and they see it for what it is. Easy money.”

In a segment of the city in which murders in the pursuit of drug territory are status quo, Kaltenbach has learned to pity the drug dealer, rather than treat him as an enemy.

Despite his occupation, Barrett shows concern. Perhaps it is being surrounded by cocaine and seeing its negative effects, or perhaps it is guilt that causes him to worry about the fellow users he contacts.

He gripes about a friend, an addict whom Barrett fears is on a deadly path.

“I just don’t want to see him go overboard,” Barrett said, “yeah, don’t

“It becomes difficult, it’s a self-perpetuating problem. You can’t

get me wrong, I do my fair share of yay. But he comes over here and I

really blame the people for selling drugs. It’s easy and the law is so

just have to watch him get all zooted. I’m scared for him, really. Kids

damn lenient that the same people keep ending up back on the street.

coming gonna hurt himself.”

What they don’t realize is, it always ends in one of two ways, and neither of them are good.”

A blue Alero picks up Barrett, whisking him off to the depths of

Barrett’s monologue is cut short by the buzzing of his cell phone. He quickly reads a text message.

“Don’t say anything, he’s coming by to grab a half-gram,” Barrett said.

Avenue D, a high-crime inner city street. A man named Dan dressed

Officer Kaltenbach cruises down Santee St, an off-shoot of Lyell. On

in a torn black T-Shirt and cargo shorts pulls the car into the parking

the sides of the road, a dimly illuminated memorial, made up of glass

lot of an unassuming apartment complex. Barrett hops out of the car,

encased candles marked with the Virgin Mary, sits on the fronts steps

turning and tapping on the window.

of a home.

“I’ll be right back, you guys, just hold ... it ... down,” he motions sarcastically

“There [was] a drug murder, right in front of his house,” said

with his hands. Several minutes pass before he returns to the car, hopping in

Kaltenbach. “Things aren’t going to change. Maybe they don’t

aggressively with a half-smoked cigarette resting between his lips.

understand how damaging what they’re doing is, or maybe they do and the money is just more important. But either way, we just don’t have enough cops to change anything. Not enough enforcement, not

You can’t really blame the people for selling drugs. It’s easy and the law is so damn lenient that the same people keep ending up back on the street.

enough education and certainly not enough motivation to get these people to change.”

In front of a static-screened television, Barrett lies back on his couch. He lights a cigarette, smoking it calmly and quietly for a moment before prematurely snuffing it out. The room grows a heavy quiet for a moment, shattered soon after by the vibration of a cell phone on the glass table. Barrett lets out a long sigh.

“God damn it.”

ROCHESTER NY

POLICE DEPT

RPD 15

ROCHESTER BUS-TED

by Nick Bovee | photography by Joe Philipson |design by Mariah Lamb

Rochester’s old train station used to be breathtaking. Described like a

student body and many others in the area.

Rochester’s current infrastructure makes it

subway and other transportation issues on

miniature Grand Central Station, it was

difficult to walk or bike around the city and

RochesterSubway.com in 2009. Since then,

demolished over 40 years ago and replaced

this barrier to simpler and less expensive

dissatisfied citizens have written in about

by a parking lot. Other beautiful and historic

modes of transportation tends to push the

transportation and city improvements of

buildings such as the Genesee Brew House

younger generation away.

all kinds. Guest articles propose ideas such

and the RKO Palace Theater have also met this fate in the name of cheap parking space.

A NEED FOR CHANGE

Over the years, Rochester has systematically

Governale

began

writing

about

the

as a downtown ‘SUNY Rochester’ or discuss the evils of drive-throughs. Other articles bring great ideas up for discussion, like

built itself as a commuter city. This trend began

Mike Governale, RIT alumnus and founder

transforming the Rochester Subway into

around the late 1960s when plans for the

of Reconnect Rochester, first discovered these

an underground pedestrian area, like the

Rochester Inner Loop were first announced.

problems with pedestrian transportation

Montreal Underground. Still more people

It was built to manage the anticipated traffic

while researching the defunct Rochester

bring decrepit parks of Rochester to light in

demands of the future.

Subway for a graphic design piece. He quickly

order to get the attention the city needs for

realized that change was needed.

renovation to occur.

Now, well over half the city is parking space for commuters. This is convenient for

Growing up outside of Rochester, he has

the residents of the city and surrounding

fond memories of the public transit around

beyond RochesterSubway.com too. In 2010,

area who have cars, but makes town

his hometown. “It was freedom,” Governale

Govendale founded a nonprofit organization

extremely inaccessible for those without

reminisced, “Even as a kid, I could travel to

called Reconnect Rochester. The group’s

vehicles, including 50 percent of RIT’s

see friends out of state by jumping on a train.”

goal is to improve Rochester’s network of

16

Features | December 2013

These

cries

for

change

have

gone

The Rochester Subway was originally operated from 1927 to 1956. Today it is in disrepair and a home to the homeless. Partly filled in, the city and the public are in talks to renovate this space.

transportation, both for sustainability and the community. They have sponsored two ROC Transit Days to advocate for increased use

IMPROVEMENTS Recently,

after

viewing

repair and maintain the Inner Loop for the next twenty years is more than it will cost an

extensive

to fill it in and bring it up to street level and

of public transit and better bus routes, and

benefit-cost analysis, the city of Rochester

they were also approached to help redesign

has approved funding to fill in the eastern

“By restoring the street grid, the city will

the bus schedules for downtown. These

section of the Inner Loop. The project even

be reconnecting downtown with the East

events and inclusions may sound relatively

received a Federal grant for nearly 18 million

End neighborhoods” Governale continued.

small, but Reconnect Rochester serves as

dollars. In the document requesting federal

Opening this land up once more could play

an organizer and amplifier for pedestrian

aid, the loop is referred to as a “physical and

a role in the revitalization of the downtown

concerns that might otherwise go unnoticed

psychological barrier” that acts like a weight

area. Land will be reclaimed for shops, and

and unaddressed.

on the neighborhoods surrounding it. “It

cyclists and pedestrians will be able reach

looks impenetrable,” said Governale.

downtown without searching for one of the

Governale also gave a talk at TEDXRochester focusing on the issues of transportation in the

Built as a ring road with 6 lanes and

city. According to him, the overall reaction to

multiple service roads, the amount of traffic

Reconnect Rochester and his talk have been

on the Inner Loop has declined by one

very positive. “I wasn’t saying anything that

third: a drop proportional to the decrease in

groundbreaking,” Governale mused, “but a lot

Rochester’s population since its construction.

of people did come forward and say ‘well, now

Rather than repair or revitalize, the plan is

that you’ve pointed out how many parking

to fill in the “moat,” restoring the street grid

lots there are, now I really notice that.’”

and freeing space. “The amount of money to

remove the extra lanes,” said Goverale.

few connecting bridges.

The city of Rochester has also recently been awarded a large grant for a new Amtrak station and construction is scheduled to start next year. An improved station is something that Reconnect Rochester had been advocating for a long time. Governale said, “I use Amtrak quite a bit, and that station is

17

Rochester’s Inner Loop at the corner of East Broad Street and Pitkin Street. The city plans to fill in part of the inner loop in an attempt to reconnect the downtown to the neighborhoods

just depressing… If we had half the station Albany head, we’d be in really good shape.”

This transit center will help the city by providing bus transportation downtown and a space to stay out of the elements.

For people averse to travelling all the way downtown to take a connection bus, crosstown routes are being implemented. Bus fares have also decreased from what they were in the 1990s, down to a dollar per ride according to Governale.

COMPARING CITIES In the late 1960s, Rochester’s construction plans reflected the American Dream of suburban living. In a time when the use of cars was booming, the majority of its infrastructure was built. Families wanted a house and a yard, something that just could

18

Features | December 2013

not be found in the city. These ideals made commuting the way to reach work in the city and left the fledgling subway system in disuse. A higher demand for parking led to an increase in parking lot construction in place of older buildings.

The vogue now tends to hold the urban lifestyle as the ideal. Members of the younger generations are seeing less reason to settle down into the suburbs and to take on the responsibilities that come with the life style, such as a house, yard and car. There is significantly more travel time to reach the city and a far greater cost of gas than other generations have experienced.

Aside from the convenience of living in the sprawl, it turns out that city living is far better for the environment. Despite the photographs of smog covered cities and concrete jungles, cities are the best option available when they

have strong infrastructure.

Because of the density of the highrises and bustle, cities end up being more efficient with the electricity, water, land and other resources than areas that are more spread out. Cities also show lower birth rates, addressing another of the problems the environment is facing: human population growth. Cities do require extensive support structures for food, but even those save on emissions, compared to areas in suburban sprawl.

FOR THE FUTURE OF ROCHESTER AND RIT Even the areas in Rochester that are intended to be walkable or urban are built around parking lots rather than people. This

holds back the progress Rochester could be

staying in Rochester and becoming active

Student Government (SG) heads Phil Amsler

making, especially since so many people are

in asking for improvements.

and Greg Pollock, was introduced two years

moving back to urban centers.

“If we could get more students involved, to

ago. This year, the service must undergo

“Give people a solid choice,” Governale

talk about issues and come up with ideas to

some changes in order to continue operating.

said. “Right now, you either choose to drive or

bring to the transit authority,” said Governale,

The TE3’s contract is renewed yearly and the

brave the bus system. Make it easier to get to

“I think it’s going to open up a world of

main change occurring this year is the new

the points that people really want to get to.”

possibilities. I really do.” Adaption is a slow

fare. Paul Darragh, current SG President,

But in order for people to be given a choice,

process for a city, and citizens abandoning

spoke on why the fare is being implemented.

they need to ask for one. In order to gather a

Rochester means officials are even less likely

larger collective voice, one of the next steps

to hear the right input.

“[Phil and Greg] knew up front that it wasn’t always going to be free,” said Darragh.

for Reconnect Rochester is reaching out to

Students can also influence the transportation

“[The TE3] costs about 50,000 dollars per

the college community. Rochester’s lack of

decisions being made at RIT especially since RIT’s

year to run.” This year, they will be charging

walkable areas and downtown community

transportation continues to evolve with student

students one dollar per ride. Students will be

is a reason for the exodus of young adults

demand. Currently, transportation for students

able to pay with cash or a ride pass that is

who stay in the city for their college

who want to reach the city and those commuting

being developed.

years. Slowly, more graduating students

from nearby is undergoing adjustments.

The Regional Transport Service (RTS) is also

and young adults are moving to cities like

The Tiger East End Express (TE3), a weekend

working on bringing better transportation to

Boston and San Francisco, rather than

bus service planned and achieved by previous

the campus. This year, RTS has introduced the new route 68 intended to serve commuter

According to the Association for Commuter Engagement, 33 percent of RIT students commute. RIT’s roadways are designed much like Rochester's Inner loop.

students by connecting RIT to Westbrook, Benington

Hills, Bailey

and

East

River,

Crittenden and Crittenden Way and Market Place Mall. Currently, the route only runs in the morning and afternoon, and most riders are on the late afternoon bus. “We’d like to continue to see that [route] expand, that’s our goal,” explained Randy Vercauteren, director of

parking,

transportation

and

building

services. Starting in January, RTA plans to expand the bus schedule to include night scheduling as well. This route is meant to help students who live close to campus, but not within the range of the on campus route.

Hopefully, it will continue to expand to other off campus locations as well.

Parking and Transportation Services is also working on is a bus locator app. The “Where’s My Bus” service is useful for getting a quick High Falls Garage at 240 State St. in Rochester. One of dozens of parking structures and parking lots that compose much of the downtown landscape.

These empty areas reduce population density and decrease the city’s walkability.

schedule update, said Vercauteren, “so you can get a little bit more information, and not just wonder ‘Where the heck is that bus?’”

They are also trying to get Rochester Genesee Regional Transit Authority to implement this bus locator app region wide, although Vercauteren says “they want to pilot it at RIT.” If students are looking to get involved, SG is always open to suggestions and Reconnect Rochester has expressed interest in recruiting local college students too. The city is losing its younger professionals to cities that are implementing the changes necessary to make urban life attractive. If Rochester hopes to become more relevant as an urban hub for this audience, the opinions of students will matter the most.

19

The Not-So Hidden Paths: GUIDE TO

RIT’S TUNNELS

by Juan Lachapelle | design by Kathryn Eble

INB

SAN

VIG

ENT BOO

GOL

ENG

GLE

ORN COS

USC CSI

Depending on your starting point, it takes about six to eight minutes to track across the majority of the academic side of campus. Although the travel time is short, when the journey involves harsh winds, treacherous snow and drive-by skateboarders the trip can be anywhere from bothersome to daunting.

But many of these inconveniences can be avoided if students learn the layout of an underutilized system on campus: the underground tunnels.

20 24 Features | December 2013

Most students are aware of the tunnel system on the dorm side of campus but few know of the system of tunnels connecting much of the academic side. Not all academic buildings have tunnels but through some clever maneuvering, it’s possible to get almost anywhere on campus without spending more than a minute outside.

It is even possible to get from the Wallace Library all the way to Global Village without leaving a single building. Walking the full

GAN RIA EAS

CLK LBR

MON WAL

CPC

SAU tunnel

first floor second floor

path the first few times can be confusing as you alternate between the tunnels and the first/second floors of various buildings. The entire path takes about 8 and a half minutes; about three and a half minutes longer than taking the trip outside.

People walking from the residential side can enter the tunnel system through the Campus Center and use the outside walkway to get to Wallace.

Even though the campus is not completely connected by tunnels, you can use the ones we have to make the trip to class a bit more convenient. Meet fellow tunnel spelunkers, explore unknown sites, escape the sun, wind or cold and start populating the tunnels today.

21 21

3 STARS

22

Sports | December 2013

ALEXA AND JAMIE MARTINEZ

by Juan Lachapelle | photograph by Josh Barber | design by Kathryn Eble

Twins Alexa and Jamie Martinez made their

Division III tournament; it was the first time

debut at RIT four years ago on an accepted

the Women’s Soccer team was selected. This

students day where they impressed the

is remembered as a historical moment for

upperclassmen

and

the team, which made it into the bracket

endurance on the soccer field. Needing no

again this year. Liz Masterson, coach for the

time to adjust to college level play, they played

Women’s Soccer team, cites Alexa and Jamie

side by side as defensive center midfielders

as reasons for the team’s success.

with

their

vigor

their freshman year. The fourth year New

Masterson has enjoyed seeing Alexa and

Media Design majors are now co-captains of

Jamie’s growth, as she has been with them

the Women’s Soccer team.

since she started coaching. She said the two

Alexa and Jamie have participated in the

have a wealth of great qualities and balance

same soccer teams since the age of five.

each other very well on and off the field.

The decision to play at RIT only seemed

“Alexa is really carefree. She is incredibly

natural, though they were not focused on

positive. She thinks that everyone has the

soccer while looking for schools. “We actually

best

throughout the search process only focused

“Jamie is more serious. I think she reads

on academics, and then soccer was going to

people really well, she can relate easier to

be a plus for us,” Jamie said. “Coming to RIT it

other people.”

ended up working out very well.”

intentions.”

Masterson

continues:

When asked how it feels to be on the same

The life of a student athlete is not without

team as their sister, the two laughed because

hurdles. Alexa couldn’t have imagined going to

the arrangement is so natural to them. “I

school without continuing her athletic career,

don’t know anything else, you know?” said

though she finds balancing school and sports

Alexa. Their experiences together give them

stressful. “I have a lot of all-nighters with my

great synergy on the field, helping them

major,” said Alexa. “I’m always up doing work

determine what’s going to happen next,

and there’s no time to mess around.” Jamie

where to pass and where they are needed.

shares the same belief but says she found the

“We definitely push each other competitively

right balance freshman year after developing

but in a way that makes soccer a whole much

her time management skills.

more enjoyable experience,” said Jamie.

This season, the two were selected to be in

After graduation, the two hope to find

the 2013 Capital One Academic All-District III

job offers in a design firm on the west coast

Women’s Soccer team, for the second time.

(Alexa prefers somewhere in San Francisco)

Unfortunately, this season ended early for

and wish to work alongside each other. They

Alexa because of a knee injury. The twins have

plan to stay involved in soccer, whether it be

finished the four years they are eligible to

supporting the team in their last year at RIT

play soccer, according to NCAA rules, despite

or participating in a local league.

having a year and a half left before graduation.

“I don’t know what else to say about them,

While at RIT, one of the twins’ most

I just think they are the two most amazing

memorable moments happened off the field.

people I have ever known,” said Masterson.

They recall the excitement as their team

“As a coach, I feel lucky to have seen them

was called at the NCAA selection show last

through their four years and to have worked

year and chosen to participate in the NCAA

with them.”

23 23

24

Sports | December 2013

JIMMY FORBES

by Kayla Emerson | photograph by Josh Barber | design by Kathryn Eble

Jimmy Forbes is a fourth year Mechanical Engineering major, student in the Honors Program and three-year captain of the RIT Men’s Soccer team. Forbes accomplished the rare feat of being chosen as a captain after only one year on the team once his coaches identified his leadership potential. Men’s Soccer Head Coach Bill Garno said he chose Forbes as a captain because of his work ethic and commitment to the team’s success.

Over the past four years, RIT’s defense has let in less than one goal per game, on average.

Forbes made this possible with solid play as a starting defender in most of those games – with the exception of a few games this year, due to injury.

Besides being a part of the defense, Forbes has scored eight career goals – quite a feat for a defender. Garno spoke highly of Forbes’ ball skills, his physical and mental playing ability and especially his work ethic. When defending his team’s net, “Jimmy did that with every ounce of energy in his body,” said Garno.

“Jimmy’s been one of the cornerstones of our program since he got here four years ago,” said Garno. He’s not just referring to Forbes’ on-field performance: “Jimmy cares about his teammates and his team and tries to do everything he can to help us be successful.

That’s just [who he is].”

The success that Forbes remembers most fondly is when his team made it to the Liberty League Championship in 2011, their first year as a part of the Liberty League. He explained that the team surpassed everyone’s expectations and proved that they deserved to be part of the league.

For Forbes, soccer serves as a break from work. “Soccer is the release, [where I am] putting behind social life and school life and everything else and just enjoying myself,” said Forbes.

Between taking every leadership class RIT offers and representing the Men’s Soccer team in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Forbes has developed visible leadership abilities. “Jimmy’s not afraid to lead people, whether it be vocally, through his play or an awful lot of things he did off the field with our community [events],” said Garno. “We’ll have to find somebody else to try and step in, but it’ll be hard to impossible to replace him.”

25 25

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WORD ON THE STREET photography by William J. Ingalls | design by Mariah Jade Cole

The opinions expressed are solely those of the students and do not reflect the views of Reporter.

What do you think about SG charging a dollar for the bus?

“I don’t want to pay a dollar to get on it’s a hassle.

How would I get home if I loose my money?”

"It's unnecessary and possibly bad for riders. Do you know the difference between a $1 bill and a $20 bill if you've had too much to drink?"

April Meier, fourth year Biology and Abs Chordia, fourth year Marketing

Alicia Matherson, fourth year Biomedical Sciences and Shane Date, fourth year Information Technology

What’s you most memorable experience on the bus?

“Missing the damn bus and standing out in the fucking cold!”

From Left: Kelly Aiezza David Elling, fourth year International Hospitality and Service Management, Bryan Curneen, fifth year Civil Engineering Technology and Brittany Griffin, fourth year Industrial Engineering.

“Singing ‘O Canada’ and meeting new people” Kim Schlattman, alumna ‘13 and Ariane Yokoyama, alumna ‘13

27 27

by Nathan J. Lichtenstein and Joan McDonough | illustration by Andrew Philpott | design by Akshara Chopra

It’s fair to say that the RIT community is technologically inclined. Almost all the information a student could need is online, from finances to housing to the cornerstone of course management: the Desire2Learn myCourses system. While this system is not unique to RIT, it is an integral part of the education organizational process and we believe that all faculty members at RIT should be using myCourses in some capacity.

A challenge that some professors face with the myCourses system is the practicality of its implementation. Yet with the variety of features offered by myCourses, professors have the ability to choose between functions to find the right balance of online supplementation for their specific classes.

28

Views | December 2013

Assistant Professor Jobby Jacob is an excellent example of a

For every proponent of myCourses there are going to be nay-sayers.

professor who uses myCourses as a supplement to the classroom

However, just because a professor may not be technologically inclined

environment. A member of the School of Mathematical Sciences,

should not mean that he can abandon technology altogether.

Jacob is primarily teaching calculus and linear algebra this semester.

“It’s a browser plus a couple buttons,” Riordan said. “To me it’s not

As a mathematics instructor, he says that many of the features that

acceptable that [professors] wouldn’t be able to at least integrate the

myCourses offers are not always practical for his use. However some

parts that are relevant to the course.”

features that he uses regularly are the grade book and content.

However, Glen Hintz, 30-year RIT veteran and professor of Medical

Jacob uses the content section to post homework and homework

Illustration, holds an opposite opinion to Riordan regarding the

solutions. This is convenient for the instructor and student alike,

usability of myCourses. While Hintz said he uses myCourses for

since it provides a central place where students can find all of their

“everything,” he does not regard himself as a great user of the system.

assignments. For the professor, it also reduces the hassle of handling

He said he finds myCourses difficult to use and the functionality of

physical paperwork. Jacob also posts course grades so students can

the features to be confusing and counterintuitive.

keep track of their standing in class.

While Hintz does a great job of loading myCourses with class

With the tools that are available, we truly believe that professors

content, he has yet to discover how to properly organize all of the

should do all they can to ensure each student’s success. Posting grades

content he prepares for his students. This is due in part to a lack of

online is a key part of that. If a student knows where she stands in a

thorough training and documentation on the myCourses system. This is especially unfortunate for a professor like Hintz who does so much to incorporate technology into his classroom yet seems to fall short when it comes to myCourses organization.

The current Student Government president and vice president mentioned requiring professors to use myCourses when they were interviewed by Reporter in the April 26 issue. We do not agree that

With the tools that are available,

administration should force professors to use myCourses. Instead, we would encourage the administration to further train faculty members

we truly believe that professors

in myCourses use. Hopefully this extra attention given to hesitant instructors would open their eyes to the potential.

should do all they can to

Professors, we plead with you to use myCourses. Whether you see its impact or not, many of us get a great deal of use out of the

ensure each student’s success.

system and would benefit so much from your cooperation, even if it’s something as simple as posting grades.

class, she will be able to seek out help earlier. Professors who do not

“To me it’s not acceptable

post students’ grades online are doing their students an injustice.

As if these reasons were not enough, myCourses is a technology

that [professors] wouldn’t

recommended by the RIT administration. According to Michael Riordan, a lecturer in the School of Media Sciences who uses many of

be able to at least integrate

the features of myCourses in his classes, “It’s from the provost so of course we should [use myCourses].”

the parts that are relevant

The system is already implemented institute-wide. Students and faculty alike are familiar with myCourses and, whether an instructor chooses to use the system or not, he is already plugged into it. Although Riordan is in favor of myCourses, he said he

to the course.”

Riordan

understood that other systems exist and conceded that they may very well be better.

“If it’s not myCourses, it better be something that’s comparable so the information transfer is there,” said Riordan. “But if they have a better system for distributing documents or something else, then by all means [use it].”

29

RINGS

compiled by Brett Slabaugh | design by Mariah Jade Cole

The opinions expressed are solely those of the students and do not reflect the views of Reporter.

On the fourth floor of library looking at the music section. Couple shelves on Rap and Hip Hop. Right between “Who Shot Ya” and “Beatz” somebody put “Perspectives on Computer Software and Programming, Volume 4.” Been looking for that...

11:57 p.m.

Things not to do: watch Family Guy in the silent section of the library.

11:44 a.m.

That awkward moment when your roommate admits to have woken up to his own fart.

12:49 p.m.

My roommates and I recently established two rules: Burger King Thursday and anytime we leave the apartment after 11 p.m. it must be in a robe. These rules usually coincide.

People slowdancing to Apocalyptica in front of the tiger statue by moonlight. I’m home, Rings.

9:56 p.m.

If they made a bed / shower combo I’d never leave the house.

11:30 p.m.

Here’s the thing about Halloween, Rings.

I never know if it’s ok to compliment someone’s costume because at RIT it might just be a regular outfit. Gotta love it here!

3:23 p.m.

I tried to get addicted to caffeine once because I thought it would be cool. It didn’t work.

4:56 p.m.

“You can either open the fan or turn the window on if you want.”

11:23 p.m.

My friend’s girlfriend just told me that monkeys have ‘’disposable thumbs.” Oh yeah, she’s a keeper.

6:25 p.m.

12:34 p.m.

Is there anyone else who hates the new library entrance? It’s ugly and sterile and it freaks me out.

9:01 a.m.

30

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