March 2021 by Reporter Magazine

REPORTER REPORTER MARCH 2021 // REPORTER.RIT.EDU OCTOBER 2020 // REPORTER.RIT.EDU

EDITOR IN CHIEF Kasey Mathews PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Tyler English ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Victoria Sebastian COPY EDITOR Mimi Lee NEWS EDITOR Morgan LaMere TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Tommy Delp CULTURE EDITOR Kasey Mathews FEATURES EDITOR Karina Le WELLNESS EDITOR Brooke Wolfenbarger VIEWS EDITOR Marilyn Wolbert WRITERS Brooke Wolfenbarger, Karina Le, Kasey Mathews, Miles Hood, Tommy Delp, Morgan LaMere, Marilyn Wolbert, Tyler English

ART DIRECTOR Neil Williamson ONLINE ART MANAGER Sara Calhoun SENIOR DESIGNER Pallavi Singh DESIGNERS Nicholas Bober, Neil Williamson, Mikaela Barlow, Adrianna Petrus, Pallavi Singh ILLUSTRATORS TingYu Chang, Sahana Maheswaran, Emily O’Shea, Quamae Newsome, Maeghan McKenzie, Jess Edwards, Meya Goel, Sara Calhoun, Pallavi Singh

PHOTO EDITOR Diana Spencer PHOTOGRAPHERS Diana Spencer, Evie Linantud, Madi Watson, Georgia Pressley, Daniel Sarch, Jayden Schading

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EDITOR’S NOTE

REPORTER

how me one person who’s had a good semester. I’ll wait. Fall 2020 was always going to be difficult — we all were well aware of that when we jumped into it. But many of us didn’t have much of a choice. We could take the semester off, sure, but would it help? Spring 2021 will be much of the same, learning in a COVID-19 environment. Should students take a full year off from school? Is there any guarantee that the pandemic will significantly subside by fall 2021? Many of us can’t afford to take that large of a break. I personally am pursuing an MBA with a dual concentration. It’s taking two years already — I don’t want to delay that any further. At this rate, I need to get out and start my career. So here we are, stuck taking classes in a format we don’t want to take them, taught by professors who don’t want to teach right now, all in an environment that no one has experienced before. It’s a mess from start to finish. RIT’s given us leniency by allowing us to mark two of our classes as pass/ fail, avoiding any impact they would have on our GPA. But when you’re suffering equally in all your classes, the pass/fail option only goes so far. Yet, they can’t offer people the pass/fail option for every class they take, as that endangers their academic reputation. Professors are kind and considerate — or, at least, more so now than before. But they can only make so many exceptions before all rules go out the window. Many of us work on campus, take in-person classes and are otherwise required to interact with others on a regular basis. We’re putting our health on the line every day just to get by, and we can’t voluntarily say “no.” Meanwhile, this pandemic shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, now that the weather is getting colder, many experts are warning that increased activity indoors will only fuel the spread of the virus even more. And we’re already experiencing a nationwide spike in cases, including here on campus. If you’re looking for a point to all this — to this editor’s note that’s supposed to make some big revelation — there isn’t one. I’m suffering, you’re suffering, our professors and administrators are suffering. We don’t have the capacity to make a point or follow a well-planned argument. We get by day-to-day, take the blows as they come and if we’re lucky give a little back. We’re looking forward to each tiny break we get, whether it’s Winter Break, the weekend or just a day we decide we can’t take it anymore and skip classes. We’re broken and bruised. We’re defeated. Are we ready for round two?skip classes. We’re broken and bruised. We’re defeated. Are we ready for Round Two?

KASEY MATHEWS | EDITOR IN CHIEF Letters to the Editor should be sent to rpteic@rit.edu. No letters will be published unless signed. All letters received become the property of REPORTER.

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. The Advertising Department can be reached at +1 (585) 475–2213. “He’s still a fetus” -MP. The opinions expressed in Reporter do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute. Reporter is not responsible for materials presented in advertising areas. Copyright © 2020 Reporter Magazine. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without prior written permission.

February 3

IN T HIS IS SUE TECH

NEWS 6

FINDING THE BALANCE How to stay aware, but not let the news overwhelm you.

ETHICS IN TECH AND GOOGLE’S UNION

Google’s new union has put a spotlight on ethical dilemmas within Silicon Valley

SPACE DEBRIS COULD BE THE END

Space Debris is a daunting issue, yet why is nobody talking about it?

CULTURE 12

@R EP O R T ER M A G 4 February

ORGANIZED CARING: A LOOK AT NONPROFITS Nonprofits depend on community members for support. What can you do?

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FALSE PHYSICAL PERFECTION

Behind perfect selfies lie impossible beauty standards and distorted reality.

AYL: HOW AWARE OF YOU?

Are you an Apathetic Kevin? A Chill Sammy? Find out in this AYL Quiz!

R E P O R T E R.R IT.EDU

cover and TOC photo-illustration by Sahana Maheswaran and Madi Watson

FEATURES

WELLNESS

THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL ELECTIONS

MORE THAN JUST A PUZZLE PIECE

Local elections are often overshadowed, but they hold great importance.

SAVING THE CORAL REEFS Coral reefs are dying and we need to save them

CONTROVERSIAL CONTENT PREVAILS Why does controversial content seem to fill our feeds?

Awareness on the developmental disorder, autism.

LOST IN LIFE Domestic abuse feels isolating but help is out there.

W.O.T.S. What is something you think people should be more aware of

RINGS RIT’s only digital confessional. Text or call (585) 672 - 4840

February 5

FINDING THE BALANCE by Brooke Wolfenbarger | illustration by TinYu Chang | design by Mikaela Barlow

e find ourselves surrounded by news 24/7. This can be overwhelming at times, especially when it seems so negative all of the time.

Staying aware is important, but knowing when you should take a step back can be really helpful. News in and of itself isn’t bad, but you need to know when your body has had enough, and you need to know how to get news from the right places.

NEWS IS STRESSFUL You shouldn’t be losing sleep because of the news, because that can affect your physical and mental well being.

6 News

Watching too much news, especially when it’s negative can impact someone in different ways. You might start worrying more, it can cause you more stress and frustration, repeated stories could make someone feel unsafe, it can destroy productivity with other things going on in your life. Fake news — news that purposefully misinterprets — can make us feel deceived.

“Physical sensations I have in my body are what tip me off that I’m feeling a certain way such as anxiety.”

Tracy Shuhmacher, a food and drink reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, understands how news can negatively affect someone.

It’s important to know when to take a step back and set some boundaries if the news is causing too much anxiety or stress.

“It’s important to be aware of how emotions feel in your body,” Shuhmacher said.

When your eyes are glued to the television screen because of chaos, it can be hard to turn away. Seeing friends so invested in the news that they start losing sleep and aren’t able to focus on anything else can be scary.

“It’s even harder to separate when everything is on your phone.”

so it allows some peace of mind and the temptation isn’t as close. Also, read the news in the morning and not before you go to bed. Not stressing out the mind and getting a good night’s sleep is important.

There are people who enjoy the news, but even more importantly there are people out there that depend on the news. Being up to date with the news and legislation that is being passed affects some people’s day-to-day lives. The key is still to compartmentalize the emotions that are associated with news in a healthy way. People get so invested, but at the end of the day sometimes there’s only so much that you can do. “In the case of the presidential election and whether or not the votes were going to be counted I couldn’t do a darn thing about it, so what was the point of me getting all caught up in that?” Shuhmacher explained. Understanding your purpose and why you’re consuming the news is important, and can help you mentally.

BALANCING IT OUT BECOMING AWARE One reason people can get overwhelmed by news is how easily accessible it is, all the time. “I can look back at even 9/11 or Princess Diana dying or other news events where you are just consumed by things,” Shuhmacher said. “I think it’s even harder to separate when everything is on your phone.” With technology being so available, it can be a blessing and a curse. Shuhmacher gave some advice on how people can combat this feeling.

Having a balance in the news that is being consumed can be positive and educational, so digging deeper to find those uplifting stories can be really important. Shuhmacher saw this first hand in her own reporting experiences. “When Covid was happening, I recognized very quickly that people were going to need positive stories to maintain a balance.” What came out of this was an uptick in more positive stories being broadcasted to give people hope. “It kind of has become a big part of what I do is looking for those positive stories and the lighter stories and the stories that can provide that balance,” Shuhmacher stated.

“It’s a good idea to set some limits on your phone and when those notices come up that you’re at the time you’ve allocated to really ask yourself why you want to be spending that much time on your phone.”

One of the reasons why it can be hard to balance out the news that people are consuming is because of the platforms that are used to gather information.

Some other ways you can set limits are removing your phone from your nightstand,

Social media is a big outlet for news for people and this can lead to negativity and misinformation. Using social media for

gathering news can again put people at risk for more anxiety or being in a worse mood. Being aware of where and how much news is just as important as balance. “It seems like the most shrill voices are the ones that are amplified on social media, when I say shrill I mean shrill on all sides, the freaking-out-in-all-ways are what you tend to see,” Shuhmacher said. Luckily, Shuhmacher explains there are other places other than social media that she uses that people can access news that can have multiple benefits. “If you look at that publication [New York Times], you’ll see that there’s such a wide range of content and definitely in a medium that started as newspapers you’ll find that the writing is much more in depth and much more contextual and you get the why and the how,” Shuhmacher states. She continued by saying that, “I would really urge [young] people to pick some newspapers to dive into and if it costs you a few bucks a month you’re probably spending that on Netflix or something like that anyway and maybe it’s just a good investment.” Establishing good habits when it comes to getting your news and being more aware can take less strain off and people could be more well informed. News doesn’t have to be a stressful and anxiety-inducing thing. The news has so many positive benefits. “The blessing of the last four years is its lead to a very engaged citizenship. You know people are paying a lot of attention to things that they probably weren’t paying attention to before,” Shuhmacher said.

"The blessing of the last four years is its lead to a very engaged citizenship" News 7

Ethics in

TECH

hen does Google’s slogan of “Don’t Be Evil” need to be sidelined for the sake of the company? Over 700 Alphabet employees have joined the Alphabet Workers Union (AWU). Most well-known for their largest subsidiary, Google, Alphabet is one of the five largest companies in the world, according to Statista. It’s unknown whether this union will produce major changes within Google itself. One thing is certain though — Silicon Valley is now faced with a major dilemma on how to balance ethics and profits.

GOOGLE’S GROUNDBREAKING GUILD Unions are large groups of workers that use their collective power to gain better wages and benefits. Most unions are “majority unions,” meaning they represent more than 50 percent of the workforce and have to be recognized by the National Labor Relations Board. The AWU is a “minority union” though, which means that they can exist as an organization without going through the formal legal process. In fact, currently, not even one percent of Alphabet employees have joined the AWU. In order to become a majority union, they would need over 65,000 more workers to join and possibly put their jobs in jeopardy. A n o t h e r factor that sets the AWU apart, as a minority

union, is that temp workers and contractors can join, not just full-time employees All of this information may leave you wondering, if this is a union with less than one percent of the workforce, and some of them don’t even work at the company full-time, what do they wish to accomplish? Sam Harnett is a reporter for KQED, a public news outlet based in San Francisco, and has been covering Silicon Valley for a decade. “I think it really was a signal that there are a lot of people at companies like Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, who are unhappy with the lack of control over what their companies do and what their companies make,” H a r n e t t said. Because the AWU is a minority union, they cannot force higher ups at Google to discuss demands they wish to make, but the publicity generated from this union may be influential enough.

I N F A C T, C U R R E N T LY, N O T EVEN ONE PERCENT OF ALPHABET EMPLOYE E S H AV E J O I N E D

8 February

By Erin Brache | Illustration by Meya Goel | Design by Gabriella Licona

“If you get a job at Google and you aren’t happy with the fact that you have no say over what the company is doing, you can know that there are a lot of other people in the company who feel the same way,” Harnett said. Silicon Valley was once seen as a hopeful look into the future, but as big business and money crept in, that view has faded, especially for most low-level

employees. Simply put, for a lot of people, tech just isn’t what it used to be.

DO ETHICS GET IN THE WAY OF BUSINESS? The technology sector is in a state of constant expansion, which is forcing companies within it to grapple with a difficult question. When do earnings overturn ethics? This is where Google’s Dragonfly project comes in. The concept is simple, a search engine that complies with all of China’s censorship regulations. China’s heavy censorship has been thoroughly documented. Information on the Tiananmen Square protests, specific religions, LGBTQ relationships, as well as many negative actions taken by the Chinese Government, are all not available to Chinese citizens online. Plans for Dragonfly were leaked in August of 2018 to The Intercept, detailing an Android app that had already been demonstrated to the Chinese government. In December 2018, Google reported that Dragonfly had “effectively ended,” while secretly keeping over 100 workers dedicated to the project. Dragonfly did not fully cease production until July 2019 due to overwhelming criticism from not only the public, but from employees direct-

ly involved in the creation of the search engine. This is just one example of a large tech company making a decision most would consider unethical based on the potential of profit. So the question for many employees remains, where is the line? Sandra Rothenberg, the department chair for the Department of Public Policy, under the College of Liberal Arts, had some insight into how companies make these decisions. “I am of the opinion that there is no directive to maximize profits. This idea that shareholders come above everyone else and that you have to maximize shareholder wealth is not true,” Rothenberg said. While money is usually the assumed purpose, especially by those without insider experience, it is not always the intended one. Rothenberg continues, “The research, again and again, has shown, in general, being socially responsible does not hurt your bottom line.” After all, companies have multiple images to upkeep. Stakeholders are important, but a business couldn’t thrive without customers supporting their products. “Companies who maybe don’t have oth-

“THE RESEARCH, AGAIN AND AGAIN, HAS SHOWN, IN GENERAL, BEING SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE DOES NOT HURT YOUR BOTTOM L I N E .”

er ways to differentiate themselves, either through innovative technologies or services, can use social performance as a way to differentiate themselves,” Rothenberg said. Ben & Jerry’s is a well-known example of a successful company that has made being socially aware part of their image. From educating about systemic racism, publicly denouncing Super PAC’s, taking action against climate change, and more, fans of the ice cream company are drawn to their outspoken nature. Not everyone is as convinced that being ethically responsible can help business, however. “From what I’ve seen reporting in Silicon Valley over the past ten years, there isn’t much of a balance. It’s profits,” Harnett stated. For now at least, all of these companies are run by humans, and every human’s moral code exists on a spectrum. Where some would say too far, others would say not far enough. During the writing of this article, the AWU put out a statement to the press, including Reporter, stating that Google had fired two of their top AI ethicists, one of which was an active union member. The AWU maintains it is “committed to supporting [their] members when they face harassment, retaliation, and discrimination.”

“ F R O M W H AT I ’ V E SEEN REPORTING I N S I L I C O N VA L L E Y OVER THE PA S T TEN YEARS, THERE ISN’T MUCH OF A BALANCE. IT’S P R O F I T S .”

And G O O G L E ’ S

UNION February 9

SPACE DEBRIS COULD BE

THE END by Marilyn Wolbert | photography by SPEX Astrodynamics | illustration by Lisa Zhou | designed by Nick Bober

hough often neglected, space debris is becoming ever more prominent as we continue improving, exploring and launching past our atmosphere. There is an immense amount of material whipping around the planet at insane speeds — causing danger to both current and future satellite operations. According to multiple sources, such as the European Space Agency (ESA), a total of about 4,600 launches had occurred before 2008 placing nearly 6,000 satellites into orbit. Of these spacecraft, only 800 are still operational today. This means that 85 percent of the bodies sent up into orbit do not even serve a function to us anymore here on Earth. Debris larger than four inches tally about 22,000, those between 0.4 and four inches number 500,000 and those below 0.4 inches are well into the millions. Just to give you an idea, in LEO (Low Earth Orbit) these objects can reach 21,600 miles per hour. Something as small as a paint chip could cause quarter sized holes in functioning satellites, space stations and other orbital debris. Thomas Hall, a fifth year Computer Science student, spoke on the dangers of this debris and why something needs to be done to stop it. “Think like a ball bearing, you can hold it in the palm of your hand, it might not seem dangerous,” Hall said. “A ball bearing traveling at orbital speeds, possesses about the same energy as an SUV going 70 mph [on Earth].”

10 February

“A ball bearing traveling at orbital speeds, possesses about the same energy as an SUV going 70 mph [on Earth].” WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? Many may be thinking that something so far away couldn’t affect the average person. Does something over 2,000 kilometers above the surface of the Earth matter? In short — yes. Many do not realize the giant web of modern day necessities that satellites and spacecraft provide and have provided for years now. From television and internet, to GPS and weather reports, manmade satellites provide an intense amount of luxuries that most would be lost without. Satellites are the reason we are able to communicate globally and instantly today. They are used to monitor the climate, which is how we can predict hurricanes, earthquakes and many other natural disasters. They are even used heavily in the military.

Evan Putnam, a recent graduate of Computer Science at RIT and current employee at Raytheon Intelligence and Space, speaks on the importance of public knowledge. “You see hundreds, if not thousands, of satellites being launched into orbit each year and people seem to rarely speak out about the issues associated with putting this much stuff up there,” Putnam said. Hall was on the same page, emphasizing that the public relies a lot more on space technology than we may think. “You and me and everyone else, our lives are enabled by the infrastructure that we have in space,” Hall said. Without this infrastructure, we would be a lot more in the dark.

e n o ry b e v e d d e n l ea b m a d n n a e u “ Yo re e a s w e v i t l r a u th else, o e r u t c tr u s a r f n i e h t c e." a p s n i hav e COLLISIONS The big worry with the amount of orbital debris being hurled around our atmosphere is the increasing possibility of collisions. With millions of pieces of debris, the probability is extremely high. In fact, it happens all of the time. Astronauts have stated that they hear items hit the International Space Station quite often — and it’s terrifying. Currently, these impacts are almost always from small fragments of debris. This being said, larger collisions do occur. A prime example of one of these larger collisions was on Jan. 11, 2007 when China destroyed one of its old, futile weather satellites with a ballistic missile. This singular antisatellite missile test caused clouds of over 3,000 traceable fragments of detritus, and many more untrackable debris that increased that amount by 25 percent. On Feb. 10, 2009, a commercial and Russian military satellite collided due to tracking issues causing another detrimental amount of debris. There is fear that instances such as these could cause a catastrophic chain of collisions that could render the space around our Earth, unescapable, unstoppable and incredibly dangerous. This theory is known as the Kessler Syndrome, where the density of objects in LEO is high enough that there will be an uncontrollable chain reaction of destruction of all man-made objects in that orbit. Kind of like the movie Gravity, but a little less sci-fi… and without George Clooney. “One could calculate the amount of debris it would take to start a chain reaction… they could turn a whole orbit unusable and potentially alter our ability to launch spacecraft,” Hall said.

HOW ARE WE FIXING THIS? Many startups have taken on the challenge of removing space debris from orbit. Companies like Astroscale, which is one of the larger known startups, has created a satellite to help remove currently dead satellites. These forms of post-operational removal are known as Active Debris Removal (ADR) systems and target tracked satellites or debris that no longer serve a purpose. “I remember reading about one student at another university, by the name of Amber Yang,” Putnam said, “who was working on machine learning models to try and predict potential collisions that might occur with existing debris, so that they could be targeted for removal.” Alongside these startups and individuals, the ESA have started their own ADR initiatives which include ideas such as a harpoon and a large net to capture debris. Companies are also implementing End of Life services to new spacecraft and satellites. This means that these objects must have a plan for deorbit. In some cases, this includes incorporating enough fuel to push itself into a graveyard orbit, for others it’s launching into the inner circles of LEO so that the craft can burn up in the atmosphere much sooner.

Still, as we continue working together and as the access to space increases, so does the detritus. Starlink, which intends to send up 12,000 satellites (double the amount that have ever been sent into space), is a prime example of this. This endeavor as well as others such as Project Kuiper by Amazon, are huge causes for concern. Who knows what an additional 15,000 satellites in our LEO could do ... perhaps we are a lot closer to cataclysm than we may think.

February 11

by Tommy Delp | illustration by Emily O’Shea | design by Pallavi Singh

ife is full of ups and downs. Sadly, the ratio between the two isn’t always even for everyone. When people need support or a helping hand, they often turn to various nonprofit organizations within their community. Giving to these organizations is an important way for us to stay in tune with those less fortunate.

FINDING A CAUSE

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are over 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the United States. Obviously, that’s a large number, and there are most likely tons of causes that appeal to each and every one of us. Not every charitable organization is created equal though. Luckily, there are various sources to compare and contrast the effectiveness of nonprofits. Kellie Shaw is a senior relationship manager for United Way of Greater Rochester (UWGR), and as an RIT alum, she is also heavily involved with RIT’s United Way Campaign. If you’re interested in how a charity ranks, you can look at the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or Charity Navigator. These sites break down and answer questions like ... how much of a dollar given actually goes towards programming,” she said. According to the BBB’s Standards for Charity Accountability, 65 cents of every dollar should go towards a charity’s activities for it to pass that standard. This is only one of 20 standards that the BBB checks for when examining a nonprofit.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

12 News

While it’s important to examine a nonprofit’s efficacy and background, it is also just as worthwhile to simply look at the real-life impact it has on your area. Matt Ryan is a fifth year Industrial Systems and Engineering major. He’s also a former RA and current coordinator for RIT FoodShare. “One of the most humbling things you can do is actually spend time talking to people and humanizing the struggle that comes with food insecurity,” he said. Along with seeing how these struggles affect people in your community, learning a little about your local charity’s day-to-day operations can also be extremely helpful, as it gives you a better idea of what they need to thrive. “[RIT FoodShare] is really championed by Residence Life. It was started almost six years ago as an on-campus initiative to help reduce food waste,” Ryan said. Before expanding its operations, the main goal of RIT FoodShare was to connect those who are food insecure with the abundance of waste left behind by on-campus events. This took place through the, still active, RIT FoodShare Facebook group. Today, RIT FoodShare operates the RIT FoodShare Center. Located in Riverknoll, in pre-COVID-19 times, any member of the RIT community would be able to walk in, no questions asked. “They get to choose a certain number of items, and the choices they make are pretty much up to them. We want it to feel like the grocery store,” Ryan said. Currently, the RIT FoodShare Center is operating on a bag pickup model. Members of the community send in an online request with their food preferences and select a time slot

ORGANIZED CARING:

for pickup. From there, those requests are packed by RIT FoodShare team members.RIT FoodShare, like most other nonprofits, operates fully through donations.

HELP IS KEY

“A lot of the time, if you can donate financially, that’s better than going to the store and buying beans with your own money. We have the connections to get much better prices for the food that we need the most,” Ryan said. As college students with little expendable income, this may be a tough pill to swallow, but it’s also important to change how you look at monetary donations. “People think they have to give 100 dollars to make a difference, but at the United Way we emphasize the power of collective giving. Even if you only give a dollar a week or give up one coffee a month, you’re still making an impact,” Shaw said. According to FoodLink, a food bank that operates throughout the Greater

“Even if you only give a dollar a week or give up one coffee a month, you’re still making an impact.”

Rochester and Finger Lakes region, one dollar is equal to three meals. That dollar a week or cup of coffee will end up creating 12 meals, which may feel small on the surface but will feel extremely meaningful to those who are supported by them. If donating money really isn’t an option though, think about ways you can provide your time and talent to an organization. Most people think of volunteering as a oneoff thing, but often, nonprofits are looking for repeat volunteers who can help them run their day-to-day operations. These people are usually able to understand the organization better and more efficiently and effectively complete tasks. Organizations also often need people skilled in areas such as finance, marketing, web development, photography and various other fields to complete special tasks that need done infrequently. “That can be stuff that’s really expensive for nonprofit organizations to pay for, and a lot of people don’t think to volunteer their talent in

that way,” Shaw said. UWGR runs multiple programs to make giving, both donations, through ROC the Day, and volunteering, through Volunteer United, easier for individual nonprofits and their donors. Organizing fundraisers and volunteers are both very time-consuming endeavors, so by providing these services, UWGR makes it easier for nonprofits to focus on their charitable activities. While we often believe that nonprofits are the ones that do all the giving, it’s important to note that they would be nothing without the community members that support them. So if you’re on the up and up, think about what you can do to help them, and by extension, the people and causes they support, achieve their goals. A little caring can go a long way.An example of an aquarium that is directing more funding to research is the Shedd aquarium in Chicago. They are working with researchers in the Bahamas to search for ways to save coral reefs. Being able to spread the word about these places that are being affected by the dying coral population is another step that we can take. Joining back into the Paris Agreement and working with other leaders in other countries and making new policies. There are even organizations and nonprofits that individuals can look into if they want to make an impact. “A very good nonprofit that deals with marine issues in general is called oceana.org. They are a nonprofit that focuses on education and the effect in policy decisions,” Weber said.

News 13

“

beauty

The standards that I had in my head from looking at those photos were just completely

IMPOSSIBLE to attain

by Anjali Shiyamsaran | photography by Madi Watson | design by Adrianna

hin nose, defined jawline, flawless skin, and an hourglass figure. The combination of all of these features is currently what embodies “perfection,” at least in the eyes of today’s beauty standards. Although beauty standards change constantly over time, one fact remains constant: these standards can take a heavy toll on one’s self-perceived body image. With the rise of social media influencers over the past decade, there’s an increased use of various photo editing applications to further edit and retouch selfies online. These edited portraits create false and unrealistic physical appearances that can leave dangerous effects on a generation of social media users.

NORMALIZATION OF FILTERS AND FACETUNE

Almost any self-perceived physical flaw can be perfected through popular photo-editing apps like Facetune. From simple retouches to brighten under-eye circles, to image distortion to warp one’s body shape, photo-editing apps have a wide range of uses. While such apps don’t function much differently from other apps like Photoshop, the most prominent differences are increased accessibility and convenience for users of all ages and skill levels. Similarly, beautifying filters on social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat can allow users to easily lighten or darken their skin tone in selfies, airbrush acne to exhibit clear skin or add defined features such as cheekbones. Although extreme photo edits can be obvious, some edits can appear so subtle that viewers may not recognize that a photo was even altered. Particularly to a young and impres14 News

sionable audience, such cases may slowly begin to cause a disconnect between one’s own body image and the perfected characteristics they regularly see on social media. For Mackenzie Rhody, a third year Computer Science major, this issue is very personal. “I suffered from a really bad eating disorder all throughout high school … The beauty standards that I had in my head from looking at those photos were just completely impossible to attain, because those people didn’t even look like that,” she said.

BEAUTY STANDARDS AND SELF-PERCEPTION

Photo-edited selfies on social media tend to make a habit of painting common physical features as flaws. Not only does this hinder the innate diversity and uniqueness of people, but it can also elicit symptoms similar to those of body dysmorphic disorder, in which individuals are unable to stop focusing on self-perceived flaws that appear minor or can’t be seen by others in reality. Likewise, cosmetic doctors coined the term “Snapchat Dysmorphia” after the rise in desired plastic surgeries and fillers that corresponded with the — often unrealistic — features that Snapchat and Instagram filters help to achieve. After posting a selfie Facetuned to make herself appear thinner, Rhody shared the guilt and resentment she felt as a result. “I was really guilty, because people were complimenting me and saying I looked so good, and I knew that that’s not what I looked like, and that made me even more insecure,” she said.

”

For many years, modern standards of beauty have also implicitly revolved around Eurocentric features. The constant and sole use of these physical traits to define beauty can have a damaging effect, especially on people of color. As a result, a lack of ethnic representation on social media can further promote colorism and racism amongst online audiences as well. Tomicka Wagstaff is the Assistant Vice President for Student Access and Success in the Division of Diversity and Inclusion, and led a self-esteem building bootcamp for young students called “Body Positivity; Reject Negative Marketing Images and Create Your Own Advertising.” “You should be able to see and reflect and connect to the images you see on social media — not just because of the way they look or the way that they make you perceive that you should look, but because that’s really reality,” Wagstaff said.

WAYS TO MINIMIZE SOCIAL MEDIA’S IMPACT ON BODY IMAGE

The significant impact that social media has on body image is right on the nose about the vast majority of self-worth that society places in appearance and specific definitions of beauty. Consequently, this leaves little to no room for crucial ideals like diversity and body positivity. “Our genetics are all different, all of those things play a part in your body type and your body build, and so it’s really hard to look at someone else and say, ‘well, that’s what I want to look like,’ or ‘that’s what I should look like,’ Wagstaff said. “[With] the young girls that

I was working with in bootcamp, [the takeaways were] to focus more on yourself and being confident in the skin that you’re in, and knowing that regardless, you’re beautiful.” As more and more photo-editing secrets come to light in regards to social media selfies, a variety of helpful resources have become dedicated to uncovering those truths to the general public. One example of these resources is the Instagram account Beauty.false. This account aims to raise awareness to digitally altered selfies that may seem misleading to online followers. By comparing photos before and after they were edited, the account further demonstrates that not everything on social media can be tak-

en at face value. While in recovery from her eating disorder, Rhody shared how differently she now approaches social media, and underscored the importance of following body positive communities online. “It just makes a world of difference if you, rather than seeing these people who you’re always comparing yourself to ... have your feed be filled with people who have very realistic bodies.” Although many media campaigns have progressed over time in terms of inclusivity and body positivity, Wagstaff explained that a healthy body image must come from within as well.

“I also think it’s just important for us to remember and to remind each other ... that it’s okay to be different,” she said. The seemingly perfect images online may continue to distract from the truth at times. “Always remember to bring it back and be able to look at yourself in the mirror and know, ‘I’m happy with this person,’ “ Wagstaff added. Social media’s promise of unlimited accessibility can often bring with it a false sense of reality, and leave followers chasing after a distorted and impossible persona. But to look inwards and unconditionally love one’s own body and self — that is true perfection everyone can achieve.

Scan to view a time-lapse of the editing process

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Always remember to bring it back and be able to look at yourself in the mirror and know,

‘I’m happy with this person.’ News 15

AYL [ AT YOUR LEISURE ]

HOW AWARE ARE YOU?

By Karina Le | Illustration by Jess Edwards | Design by Gabriella Licona

1.) Your favorite content creator just got called out for something. You ... A. Research a bit about the situation but you still watch their content. It feels awkward though. B. If their response feels genuine, you’ll probably still watch their content. If their vibes are off though, you move on. C. You just pick up something else, no biggie. D. You’ve been craving for some internet drama, so you sit down for a ride. 2.) On your way to get a snack, our family is blasting the news in the living room. You … A. You don’t really have the energy to start a conversation so you grab your snack and look it up later. B. Think about how messed up it is as you go back to your room. C. Immediately interject and comment about how messed up the new is. D. Eh, you’ll forget about it by tomorrow.

5.) Your friends are having a major fight right now, and the group chat is getting SUPER awkward. You … A. Try to be a mediator between your two friends. It’s not that serious of a fight, but you want them to talk it out at least. B. You send the chat some funny videos to lighten the mood. It’ll probably tide over. C. You agonize over what to say and end up muting the group chat. D. You check up on your friends, but you really don’t know how to go about the situation. 6.) You have some time on your hands, so you scour some documentaries to pick up. You watch ... A. A documentary about the unsolved murders of nuns in a catholic school (The Keeper, Netflix). B. A documentary following the drama between big cat conversationalists and big cat collectors (Tiger King, Netflix). C. A documentary exploring the universe and advanced technology. It gives you endless existential crises, but at least it’s beautiful (The Universe, Netflix). D. A documentary following exploring alternative ways of sustainability (Down to Earth with Zac Efron).

3.) You’ve had an exhausting day, so when you get home, you ... A. Get on your computer and start studying for your classes. B. Pop open some comfort food or drink and melt into your floor. C. Lie down on your bed and stare at your ceiling for a couple of hours. D. You’ll stream some new Netflix shows. 4.) You find some puppies at the side of the road, you’re not so sure your apartment allows pets so you ... A. You can’t risk it, but you call a nearby shelter. B. You walk away, it’s none of your business, and you can’t take them anyway. C. You immediately contact everybody you know if they can house some of them. You WILL find these puppies a home. D. You take them home and you’re not really equipped to take care of them, but better with you than outside!

If you got mostly A's, you’re a … Serious Jaime! You try your best to be aware of things, and that’s alright. Maybe connect with the communities that are being impacted, and get to know them. If you got mostly B’s, you’re an ... Apathetic Kevin! Aren’t you sick of being negative about the world? Don’t you just wanna care about other people? If you got mostly C’s, you’re a ... Nervous Nellie! Dude your anxiety is through the ROOF. You’re super aware of what’s going on. Take a break. There’s a lot going on in the world, but you’re still alive and that’s worth celebrating. If you got mostly D’s, you’re a ... Chill Sammy! It’s cool that you’re living your best life out there. Maybe check up on your friends and see how they’re doing. We’re in this together.

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The Importance of Local Elections by Kasey Mathews | photography by Daniel Sarch | design by Rachel Kogut

he past few months have been tumultuous at best. But if one thing has become abundantly clear, it’s that our nation relies upon its voting population. Regardless of who you vote for, these elected officials are going to be ensuring our government continues operation. However, turning on the TV or even scrolling through social media, a typical voter will usually only see presidential and senatorial candidates; but what of those representatives that govern a little closer to home?

WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

With the mainstream conversation surrounding national candidates, local elections often get swept to the wayside. Yet, as Monroe County Legislator Yversha Roman explained, local officials hold a huge importance in a person’s daily life. “All of the quality of life issues that most people complain about are discussed and handled at the local level,” said Roman. “Childcare, our roads, our parks, policing ... are [all] things that local lawmakers directly impact.” Roman currently serves as the Minority

Leader in the Democratic Caucus within the Monroe County Legislature. Much of her work has consisted of increasing the transparency of governance within the county, as well as advocating on behalf of the communities she serves in the 26th district, including Gates, Greece and parts of Rochester. Whereas national officials such as the President can affect policy on a large scale, the daily impacts can often be minimal on an individual basis. Local officials are those who oversee city and county budgets and resolve local problems a resident would experience more often. Alex Tubridy, a civic engagement coordinator at RIT’s Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, further explained that it’s unrealistic to vote for a national representative with the hopes of them coming to your community to resolve local issues. “This is something that will happen as a result of your local government — specifically strategic budget planning and a willingness to update local infrastructure,” he explained. Tubridy described a recent report run by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Through the report, much of the state’s

infrastructure was assessed, including roads, bridges and sewers. From this, the comptroller was able to make recommendations for repair and future maintenance; however, it was up to local elected officials to fund and complete these improvements. Thus, if you’re passionate about local infrastructure — or any other local issue — you need to work to elect a local representative that shares that passion. Or follow in Roman’s footsteps and run for the office yourself.

I’M JUST A STUDENT

While it’s easy to say “voting is important,” it can often be more difficult to follow through. Much of the RIT community is made up of students; many from outside the Rochester area. For those students, voting is a bit more complicated than just driving down the road and filling out a ballot. There are resources available, however, to help students through the voting process if they are away from home. Tubridy is the current chairperson for the ROAR the Vote committee at RIT. As he described, ROAR the Vote was started in 2016 as part of an initiative by RIT administrators to

“All of the quality of life issues that most people complain about are discussed and handled at the local level.”

18 News

increase voter turnout amongst RIT students, which had at the time been significantly below the national average for four-year universities. The initiative is there to help students regardless of their political affiliation. ROAR the Vote’s purpose is “to focus on increasing [RIT’s] outreach efforts to students surrounding voter registration, obtaining absentee ballots or just learning more about the voting process,” Tubridy explained. However, as Roman pointed out, finding information on local candidates can often be a task of its own. “Unfortunately, it’s a system that is built to be confusing,” Roman said. “But it’s still vitally important to try and seek out that information.” She recommended looking into the board of elections website for your district. If you’re a member of a certain political party, you could look at the local party website as well, such as the Monroe County Democratic Party website or Republican Party website. It’s also a good idea to look at an individual candidate’s website, if one exists. Tubridy had a few other recommendations especially for local candidates, including simply Googling a candidate’s name or looking the candidate up on Ballotpedia. “If the candidates have webpages or a Wikipedia page even — any other resource — usually you can find a link [on Ballotpedia] and read up more on what they stand for there,” Tubridy said.

WHY SHOULD I CARE?

It’s no big secret that an individual vote in a general election is one among millions. On a local level, though, that isn’t the case. Because local elections already see lower turnout rates than general and midterm elections, the total

number of votes are much smaller. Additionally, you’re voting only within your community and the surrounding area — further increasing the importance of your one vote. The decisions local officials make will determine how much funding your public school system will receive, your local tax rates, policing and so much more. If there’s anything in your community that you feel should be improved or changed — or perhaps you enjoy it as is, and want to ensure it stays that way — then you should vote for candidates who feel the same. If you still feel voting isn’t enough or isn’t worth it on its own, there’s always more you can do as well. “There’s ways to be involved with politics beyond just voting,” Tubridy explained. “If you feel particularly passionate about a candidate or their platform … you can always reach out to their office directly.” Reach out to your local candidates and see if they need help. Volunteer as a community organizer or attend community meetings. If there’s a particular issue you care about, consider working with local nonprofits who are fighting these issues. Learn more about the voting process and registration at rit.edu/elections.

“If you’re passionate about local infrastructure — or any other local issue — you need to work to elect a local representative that shares that passion.”

News 19

by Brooke Wolfenbarger | illustration and design by Pallavi Singh

n places like Rochester, New York, coral reefs might not be a present issue in most people’s mind. Realizing the benefits that coral reefs bring to everyone, not just those cruising the Bahamas, is vital to keeping them alive. It’s time to take an in-depth look at the importance that coral reefs have all over the world, how they are being affected and what we can do, big or small, to try and save them. Even if coral doesn’t affect us directly, it does indirectly.

IMPORTANCE OF CORAL REEFS Coral reefs have many important roles that they play, whether it is locally in communities, or globally in an economic sense. Ariana Huffmyer, a Postdoctoral Researcher with the University of Rhode Island, gave some insight into why coral reefs are so important in a local sense. “Coral reefs are a buffer protecting its [island] coastal regions and protecting those communities,” Huffmyer said. This especially affects low standing islands like the Marshall islands who don’t have a lot of high protection from storms and high tides. Coral reefs are the barriers that islands need, especially with the rise in storms and harsher weather due to climate change. “Coral reefs are a source of tourism, jobs, food and therefore money from harvesting fish and organisms,” Huffmyer explained.

it’s harder for the coral to build their shell, and when they can’t build it anymore, they die. By the year 2050 the water might be too acidic for coral to survive, but coral bleaching is a much more time sensitive process. “A change in water temperature upsets the polyps enough that it no longer wants to support algae,” Weber said. Coral contain polyps that allow the photosynthesis process to occur. When water temperature rises, the algae disappears and this is when the bleaching in the coral occurs, which means they start starving and in some cases the coral will die. . If water temperature cools down enough, the algae can return to the coral and the process of photosynthesis can start again. This process can take up to months or even years, but the algae needs to return quickly in order to salvage the coral. Another impact that is affecting coral reefs is overfishing. Overfishing harms coral more indirectly because it affects the ecosystem that the coral live in. Liam Megraw, a fifth year Environmental Science major had some insight on the effects of overfishing . “What can happen is if you have predator fish that are no longer there, coral predators

IMPACTs ON CORAL REEFS There are a lot of different challenges that coral reefs face, and one of the biggest is climate change. There are two different effects that happen to coral during climate change, which are bleaching and . the increase in water acidity. Tom Weber, an Assistant Professor in the department of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Rochester explained these two effects. “As the sea water takes up CO2, it becomes acidic, and the more acidic it gets, the harder it is to build up a calcium carbonate shell,” Weber explained. Coral constantly lose their shell, and when they lose it they have to build it back. Once the water starts to get more acidic because of CO2, 20 News

A change in water temperature upsets the polyps enough that it no longer wants to support algae

SAVING THE CORAL REEFS

can grow in abundance, and if there are fewer grazers for the algae, algae will grow in abundance and basically choke out coral,” Megraw explained. Overfishing can hurt the ecosystem the coral live in, which can create an overabundance of harmful algae that the coral can’t fight off. “Most recently the great barrier reef has gone through some very severe bleaching events in the last few years and they’ve seen extensive mortality in areas, they’ve seen reproduction drop in a lot of areas,” Huffmyer stated. Even places in the Caribbean, Hawaii and other regions around the world are experiencing a decline in their coral reefs.

EDUCATION AND CHANGE Education and awareness of what’s going on in the world is the first step. The next step is taking action in any way possible. Netflix released a documentary in 2017 called Chasing Coral, which is a great resource to check out to learn more about what is happening to this species. The documentary allows a first hand look at what researchers around the world are seeing when it comes to disappearing coral reefs. “A lot of aquariums are now directing some of their funding to research programs,” Huffmyer stated. An example of an aquarium that is directing more funding to research is the Shedd aquarium in Chicago. They are working with researchers in the Bahamas to search for ways to save coral reefs. Being able to spread the word about these places that are being affected by the dying coral population is another step that we can take. Joining back into the Paris Agreement and working with other leaders in other countries and making new policies. There are even organizations and nonprofits that individuals can look into if they want to make an impact. “A very good nonprofit that deals with marine issues in general is called oceana.org. They are a nonprofit that focuses on education and the effect in policy decisions,” Weber said.

If we don’t solve climate change nothing else that we do matters Coral reefs disappearing are hurting the communities around them, and in most cases these communities are not the ones responsible, but still get hurt the most. “Climate change impacts, including impacts on reefs in coastal and island locations, disproportionately affect low income communities that are the least responsible for causing climate change through emissions,” Huffmyer said. “Therefore, mitigating the impacts of climate change are closely and directly tied to addressing inequities in our society.” In the grand scheme of things, the biggest issue when it comes to coral is fixing climate change. “If we don’t solve climate change nothing else that we do matters, because the climate stress will become so severe that even if we bred resilient corals or outplant nursery corals there is still a limit that they can handle,” Huffmyer stated.

News 21

CONTROVERSIAL CONTENT

S L I A V E R P by Victoria Sebastian| illustration by Quamae Newsome | design by Neil Williamson

s technology gets better and pandemics get worse, we rush to the internet for a sense of connectedness that we lack in the real world. We go online to talk to others, laugh, argue or mindlessly scroll through the endless amount of content. With the recent presidential election of Joe Biden, it seems many of us can’t escape political content in particular. For instance, in late January 2021, our feeds were filled with the Bernie Sanders meme where he sits at the inauguration with his mittens and crossed legs. Former President Donald Trump also seemed to “dabble” in viral content. He is known for many controversial tweets that ended up getting him banned from Twitter in early January 2021, according to CNN. CNN quoted Twitter, “After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence." Some think this ban infringes on Trump's First Amendment right to free speech. RIT associate professor of Political Science, Benjamin Banta, begs to differ. He thinks this ban is the step in the right direction of curbing the amount of extreme content that seems to gain traction online. “To me, that [the Twitter ban] is not a First Amendment issue. It’s clearly not a censorship issue. It’s a community standards issue ... it’s a group of people deciding what’s appropriate or what’s not,” Banta said. The more years we spend with the internet, the more we come to realize it can be quite a toxic place. What were once feeds solely filled with Nyan Cat and the Annoying Orange are now feeds also filled with extreme content.

WHAT IS EXTREME CONTENT? Extreme content can be anything from political propaganda, fake news, abusive content, conspiracy theories and more.

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John Sohrawardi is a third year Ph.D. student in the Department of Computing and Information Sciences who has done a great amount of research on extreme content online. In particular, he focuses on fake news and “deep fakes.” “I primarily work with journalists on the new detection of deep fakes and how they verify fake news ... they [journalists] are like the first line of defense against fake news because they are the ones that verify and publish it,” Sohrawardi said. However, Sohrawardi explained that this first line of defense is having a tough time in battle. “Deep fake technology has grown to levels where nobody with a normal observation can be able to tell whether it’s fake or real,” he continued. This means that information that goes viral is not always factual, yet people will still continue to share and believe in it. As Sohrawardi explained, people want to believe in things that support their bias. This means overlooking credibility to promote their viewpoint. Yet, why are we now seeing so much more of this extreme content?

WHY IS EXTREME CONTENT PREVALENT? Social media algorithms are partially to blame in the rise of extreme content. Social media platforms are profit driven — they want to keep their users engaged. These algorithms will track their users through clicks and hovers in order to guide them to new content that aligns with their tastes. Sometimes these algorithms are harmless and will lead you to more of those cat videos you love. However, Banta explained it’s usually content that angers and riles us up that we end

“It’s the extreme, angering stuff that keeps people online.”

up interacting with. “It’s the extreme, angering stuff that keeps people online,” Banta stated. This means our emotions and outlook on life can also be to blame. It is the content that most people are more likely to watch , so it’s the content that is produced the most. As Banta said bluntly, “The media empire has been successful purveyors of bullshit ... they cooperated in closing themselves into one single narrative.” However, it’s important to note that the media is not this evil giant trying to feed us more and more extreme content. As Banta explained, this is a naturally occurring process. It’s a give and take between viewers and the media. Sometimes these viewers are simply bots and trolls on the internet trying to make a buck by sharing extreme content. Banta recalled back to an article he read after the 2016 election. The Washington Post found purveyors of fake news and discovered that they purposefully shared false information. They were throwing extreme propaganda online in hopes to gain traction and money. “Fake news is just this phenomenon of people trying to make money off of fake articles,” Banta explained. With there being so many ignitors of extreme content, it doesn’t seem likely that change will occur. As Sohrawardi said, “You have to just get used to this new age of information.” Luckily, not all hope is lost quite yet.

A GLEAM ON OUR SCREENS Sohrawardi noted that many platforms are trying to restrict the amount of extreme content by using technology and humans side by side. This new duo monitors and tracks content on their platforms, and ciphers out anything they deem unacceptable. As Banta explained, at the end of the day these platforms care about their image. They will lose customers if their platform seems too hateful.

Younger generations are also becoming more tech savvy and strong willed. They are less likely to stand to extreme content, especially that which is hateful. “I grew up in the ‘90s where we were all fat and happy and stupid. There was nothing like what we’re facing today,” Banta recalled. So extreme content may even die down naturally as this generation comes to rise. For now, all we can do is stay alert to what we give fire to online.

"It's a community standards issue ... it's a group of people deciding what's appropriate or what's not."

News 23

MORE THAN JUST A

PUZZLE PIECE By Karina Le | Illustration by Neil Williamson | Design by Gabriella Licona

ikTok has been a platform to host many forms of entertainment. From the United States to the Philippines, people are getting connected to each other like never before in this technological age. Though TikTok was initially made for entertainment, content similar to the lost Vine, some creators have used their platforms to educate their audiences. Some creators, such as Paige Layle, have spent a considerable amount of time using their platforms to educate people on being aware of marginalized communities. For Layle specifically, she uses her platform in order to raise awareness of people who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Awareness to the developmental disorder: Autism In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded an estimate of about 1 in 54 children being identified with

needs are different.” Rather than think of autism as a straight line where someone falls on one end or another in terms of “high-functioning” (not needing much support) versus “low-functioning” (needing more support), think of it as a color wheel. Some autistic individuals may have symptoms where their social skills may cause them difficulties in interacting with others. Other individuals with autism may not need that much support on social skills, but may need help in their organization and scheduling. Each aspect to an autistic individual is very unique to themselves, and even down to how they identify themselves, it’s best to understand that person first and foremost.

autism spectrum disorder. That’s a significant amount of the population, especially considering that autism itself is a lifelong disorder. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or simply autism, is a developmental disorder. It is not a mental illness in the same way depression or anxiety is. Autism is a disorder which is lifelong, and impacts the individual distinctly and uniquely as they grow up. Person-First; Identity-First “It impacts every single aspect of who I am and what I do,” Layle said in regards to her Language autism. A common misconception about autism is that there is a distinct way a person acts or apThere’s a lot of stigma in regards to autism pears that immediately tells someone that the and the people who have it. There’s a lot of person is autistic. However, that is absolutely misconceptions about autism, but the most imnot the case. There is a specific reason why auportant thing to understand is that autism is tism is labeled as a spectrum. not something someone turns on and off. It’s Natalie Boice-Pardwith the person forevee, a Spectrum Sup- “YOU CANNOT GENERALIZE. er, and something inport Coach (SSP) with THERE ARE COMMONALI- tegral to how they inRIT, explains the TIES, BUT EVERY SINGLE STU- teract with the world. uniqueness of each DENT IS DIFFERENT, THEIR “I don’t have austudent. tism that I carry NEEDS ARE DIFFERENT.” “If you know somearound me, I am auone with autism, you tistic, I embody my know one person,” said Boice-Pardee. “You autism,” Layle said, when explaining why she cannot generalize. There are commonalities, uses identity-first language. but every single student is different, their Identity-first language is the concept that

when identifying an autistic person, you idenevery week and set autism is through Autify their disorder first. It’s about empowergoals for myself. It’s “IT’S SOMETHING EVERY tism Speaks. Though at ment, and to instill the idea that having autism a very good support PERSON FEELS DIFFERENT- first it looks like anothisn’t a lesser quality. system,” Matthews LY ABOUT, AND IT’S UP TO er site looking to eduOn the other side, there’s person-first lansaid. EACH PERSON TO RESPECT cate people on autism, guage, a person with autism. The concept of To apply for assis- SOMEONE’S VIEWS ABOUT many people of the that is recognizing that you are talking to or tance through SSP, HOW THEY WANT TO BE PER- autistic community about a person with feelings and emotions one simply has to fill CEIVED AND IDENTIFIED.” are completely against first and foremost. Their disorder doesn’t deout an application reAutism Speaks. fine them. quest form through One of the red flags However, different autistic people identify student affairs. for Autism Speaks is how they split their buddifferently. The reason why the distinction is “RIT is very diverse and accepting … I don’t get. Only 1% of their actual donations goes to a big debate in the community is that different feel out of place,” Matthews said. help autistic people and their families. autistic people idenHowever, helping Though there is about 27% of their money tify with different the autism community going to research, most of that research is to EACH ASPECT TO AN AUTISTIC things. isn’t just about giving eliminate autism, or detecting autism in the INDIVIDUAL IS VERY UNIQUE Take Elizabeth accommodations to womb. Essentially, they’re funding eugenics. TO THEMSELVES, AND EVEN Matthews, a third the people in need, but This goes to show that even when it’s the first DOWN TO HOW THEY IDENyear Biomedical Enalso to spread correct google result, you have to be aware about the TIFY THEMSELVES, IT’S BEST gineering major, who information out to the intent the organization has towards the people TO UNDERSTAND THAT PERwas diagnosed with general public. they’re proclaiming to help. So when you see SON FIRST AND FOREMOST. autism at a young a donation box with a blue puzzle piece, make age. They identify sure to turn tail and walk away. primarily with person-first language, a person with autism. “It feels more [comfortable] to me … I’ve been exposed to that a bit more,” Matthews explained. With autism, there are a lot In the end, it ultimately depends on the auof misunderstandings about tistic person on what they prefer, and it’s best the disorder. Oftentimes, auto simply ask in regards to their autism. tism itself is treated as a dirty “It’s something every person feels differentword. Even some clinicians are ly about, and it’s up to each person to respect wary to even diagnose someone someone’s views about how they want to be with autism due to the stigma perceived and identified,” Boice-Pardee said. around it. This is why it’s important to make sure when learning about autism, people must RIT offers a program specialized to assist be critical of students with autism. Each student is given a the informacoach to meet with each week, and the time altion being lotted differs for each person’s needs. delivered to “It’s so individualized and specialized to the them, and person … it’s not just academic, it’s holistic,” whether or not Boice-Pardee said. One of the first Despite their small full-time staff of six results you get members and some graduate students, the when you look up SSP works with the autistic student as a whole, giving them an ad“I DON’T HAVE AUTISM ditional support I CARRY AROUND system for their THAT ME, I AM AUSTISTIC, I college career. EMBODY MY AUTISM.” “I have meetings with them

Autism Speaks

Spectrum Support Program

DISCOVERING A WAY OUT by Tyler English | illustration by Jay Schading | design by Mikaela Barlow

buse in any sense of the word is not okay, period. When in an abusive situation it can be hard to see a way out, or even imagine a world without the abuse. Speaking from personal experience, it is hard to see a way out of abuse when it is coming from someone close to you.

WHAT IS DOMESTIC ABUSE?

According to the United Nations domestic abuse is defined as, “a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power or control over an intimate partner.”

A pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power or control over an intimate partner.

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This abuse can vary between relationships but is commonly seen as physical, verbal, sexual, emotional and financial abuse. These behaviors are used to frighten, intimidate and manipulate someone. It can happen between married couples, people living together, couples who are dating as well as within families.

I experienced a variety of domestic abuse during my first relationship. My abuser made me think that I had to act and look a certain way, basically turning me into his personal project – and then later his play thing. While I experienced abuse during my first year of college, domestic violence can occur regardless of age, race, gender and sexual orientation. The victim is also not the only one who suffers in an abusive situation. If the victim has children, other close relatives or other individual living in the household where the abuse is occurring, they too can be affected.

GETTING HELP

The first step in seeking safety from abuse is recognizing the abuse, according to the National Domestic Abuse Hotline. For me this was the hardest step and it wasn’t until my close friends stepped in and told me they had lost the person I was when I first met them.

Warning signs of abuse should not go unnoticed and the National Domestic Abuse Hotline explains some that may be obvious and others that can go unrecognized. These include but are not limited to, insulting or shaming you while in front of others and intimidation through looks, actions or use of weapons. Other warning signs may appear as the simple ‘redflags’ or a new relationship. However, abusive people appear to be ideal partners in early stages of the relationship.

For example, jealousy may appear to be a ‘redflag’ but it can escalate quickly as the abuser may begin to pull the victim away from friends and family. The National Domestic Violence Hotline recommends identifying the abuse, documenting it and working with professionals to create a safety plan.

AVAILABLE RESOURCES

The Hotline offers live chatting services as well as a safe phone number to call to start the process. However, if you find yourself in immediate danger or if you or someone else’s life is in danger, call 911. offers live chatting services as well as a safe phone number to call to start the process. However, if you find yourself in immediate danger or if you or someone else’s life is in danger, call 911. offers live chatting services as well as a safe phone number to call to start the process. However, if you find yourself in immediate danger or if you or someone else’s life is in danger, call 911.

There are also local resources in Rochester that help those struggling with domestic abuse. Willow Domestic Violence Center offers free and confidential services for those who need them. Willow center is the only New York State certified domestic violence service provider in Monroe County. Willow center offers support of victims of abuse, their children and other family members if needed. They provide a hotline that is open 24/7, an emergency shelter, safety planning and counseling.

With Rochester being home to a large Deaf community, Willow’s Deaf IGNITE program is designed to help deaf individuals. It is staffed by people who are deaf and fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). There is also the Rochester/Monroe County Domestic Violence Consortium, which coordinates efforts to protect, support and heal victims of domestic abuse. They also hold offenders accountable to their actions. One of the main focuses for domestic violence centers is the safety of the victims and their families. Support centers and professional care are vital to escaping domestic abuse. There are instances where seeking help can actually lead to increased violence or result in little to no changes. For these individuals there are safe houses that have an undisclosed location to the public so victims can find sanctuary. The Hotline also offers confidential services so that victims can find safety without the abuser knowing.

SUPPORT NETWORKS

With professional group counseling, such as the sessions provided by Willow Center, victims of domestic abuse can share their stories and know that they are not alone. With sessions held at a secure location and provided child care if needed, group counseling can be a healthy outlet for victims. When I was suffering in my abuse, I felt as if I was the only person in the world who would understand what I was going through and what my life was like. Feeling as if I was walking on glass with every step I took, every word I spoke was analyzed and every move I made was watched, I felt small, weak, fragile and caged. When I first broke out of my abusive relationship, it was my friends who snapped me out of my fog and showed me what was really going on. I leaned on them during my time of need and with their support and my family behind me I was able to make it through. Others may find strength and support

in strangers or within themselves. Abuse can happen to anyone, it is not limited to men or to women. Domestic abuse is expressed in different ways that attempt to control the actions and thoughts of another. Seeking help may seem impossible but taking the first step is the hardest yet most important part of the process. If you find yourself in a situation where you suspect you are the victim of abuse, identify the behaviors and remember it is not your fault. If you feel scared and frightened it is okay, listen to those feelings as they are there for a reason. When you feel it is time to look for help make sure you do it safely. Remember you are not alone.

“

Abuse can happen to anyone. It is not limited to men or women.

HOTLINE NUMBER: 1-800-799-7233

TAKING ACTION by Marilyn Wolbert illustration by Maeghan McKenzie design by Adrianna Petrus

United Way of Greater Rochester United Way of Greater Rochester’s Community Impact Fund supports over 80 local programs aimed at improving health, education, and economic mobility for people throughout the community.

The Okra Project The Okra Project addresses the crisis that black trans individual face by providing them healthy and culturally specific meals and resources as needed.

RIT FoodShare RIT FoodShare addresses food insecurity among members of the RIT community and strives to decrease food waste through giving.

The Coral Reef Alliance The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) is an environmental NGO that is on a mission to save the world’s coral reefs.

The Bail Project The Bail Project provides bail assistance to low income individuals who are legally presumed innocent and are eligible for release with granted bail.

The ASPCA and Local Animal Shelters The ASPCA The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® works to save animals from dogfighting, puppy mills, hoarding and other cruelty situations.

The Open Door Mission The Open Door Mission was founded to provide for the needs of the impoverished and homeless men, women and children of Rochester, NY by restoring hope and changing lives.

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Please scan for more information and links to these charities

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W.O.T.S. photography by Jack Connolly | llustration by Jess Edwards | design by Rachel Kogut

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What is something you think people should be more aware of? “The cause I think deserves more attention is called pinkification and it’s basically gender stereotyping of kids toys. It impacts the career path they go into in the future. It’s something that needs more attention because nobody really knows the cause.”

Alycia Wachtel Visual Media ‘24

Emi Nape Media Arts ‘24

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Dylan Simmons Film Production ‘24

Dylan Sherman Advertising Photo ‘22

The opinions expressed are solely those of the students and do not reflect the views of REPORTER. News 29

compiled by Marilyn Wolbert illustration by Emily O'Shea design by Nick Bober "Even Samsung S5's can be beautiful" All calls and texts may be subject to editing. Statements do not reflect the views of the REPORTER.

I kill god I will “Every day my dog wakes up andI want"When “Yes to show getsick my degree, chooses violence. Aren't you

him the same mercy he yes I want to drop out, has shown me" you want to be kind you piece of we exist” of going ape shit all the time? Don’t sh*t.”

Sun, Dec 20, 2020, 4:18 PM

Thu, Jan 7, 12:54 PM

Mon, Nov 23, 2020,

“Stop, get out of my oven.” 5:41 PM Fri, Dec 18, 2020, 11:02 PM

“I look like a Samsung S5” Wed, Jul 22, 2020, 10:40 PM

“Im going to run after you like a lowland gorilla and show you why god fears the devil.” Thu, Jan 14, 12:56 PM

“What’s a squash doing on the ground.” Mon, Dec 7, 2020, 11:30 PM

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“My mom said I could be anything I wanted when I grew up. So I became a failure.” Fri, Dec 4, 2020, 8:23 PM

“Yes I want to get my degree, yes I want to drop out, we exist” Mon, Nov 23, 2020, 5:41 PM