November 2021 by Reporter Magazine

NOVEMBER 2021 // REPORTER.RIT.EDU THE AMERICAN DREAM ISSUE

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EDITOR IN CHIEF Marilyn Wolbert PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Karina Le ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Jay Schading COPY EDITOR Mimi Lee NEWS EDITOR Alex Schneider TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Tommy Delp CULTURE EDITOR Tomas Rodrigo Mendez FEATURES EDITOR Erin Brache WELLNESS EDITOR Rylan Vanacore VIEWS EDITOR Patrick McCullough WRITERS Erin Brache, Emi Knape, Karina Le, Patrick McCullough, Jay Schading, Anjali Shiyamsaran, Rylan Vanacore, Marilyn Wolbert

ART ART DIRECTOR Rachel Kogut ONLINE ART MANAGER Quamae Newsome SENIOR DESIGNER Gabriella Licona DESIGNERS Grace Bukowski, K. Kelly, Rachel Kogut, Gabriella Licona, Mary Tannian, Sneha Yalgi ILLUSTRATORS Alice Benavides, TingYu Chang, Jess Edwards, Rachel Kogut, Sahana Maheswaran, Emma McCarthy, Maeghan McKenzie, Jessica Reed, Maggie Wehler

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EDITOR’S NOTE

REPORTER

rowing up, I too found myself enchanted by the promise of the ‘American Dream.’ White picket fence, income enough to put food on the table every night and take the family on extravagant vacations every summer. I pictured a job I loved and a spouse that cared about me more than anything. I thought if I worked hard enough, I wouldn’t have to face the same hardships I had growing up, that I could make enough here to be comfortable and that would make me happy. I grew up in an abusive family of addicts and poverty in a town that didn’t know the meaning of diversity or adversity. Every choice I made as a child and teen were small parts of a greater scheme to leave and never look back. I believed I was just in an unfortunate situation and that leaving this situation would automatically grant me this dream I had been looking for. I started to become desensitized to the ‘greatness’ of the United States when I studied abroad at 17. It is fascinating to look at our own country through the lens of governments unrelated to ours. We are not the heroes. The media we feed ourselves is skewed so consequently that even we cannot decipher between the truth and fiction. Outside of the country however, news is objective. I realized there are a few issues with my ideal ‘American Dream.’ For one, we all know that the LGBTQ+ community is not one that is granted the pass to this dream — at least not for free. I am also a woman, better yet, a woman in engineering. Nobody told me that in order to work in my field, I would be sexually harassed constantly — told there was nothing to be done by HR — and have to continue working harder than others to prove my performance. When I visualized my version of the ‘American Dream,’ I did not anticipate old white men to tell me what I can and cannot do with my body. I did not anticipate the vast majority of coworkers to be so condescending while I am perfectly capable of doing a job. My American Dream didn’t involve having to work at least three jobs during the school year to pay for necessities, or that I would struggle to buy food and tampons because every penny I made went to paying my tuition. I didn’t realize that every year I stayed in school, I would nearly double the amount I was paying out of pocket because the school I chose, continuously did not choose me. Let’s get one thing straight however, I am still white. I still have privileges that others do not; such as decent human rights and a justice system that is not actively working against me. I do not have family and children that are locked in cages at the borders of our country, whose stories have been covered up within the media and glanced over by an average scroller on Facebook. I have not had to seek refuge in this country from unsafe environments, just to be criminalized and demonized by American people who if given the chance, could not point out a single other country on a map. What is your idea of the American Dream?

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November 3

I N

T H I S

I S S U E

NEWS 6

SENSATIONALISM

T E C H

The big media conglomerate demands your attention, but at what cost?

A NUCLEAR FUTURE

How advancements in nuclear energy may have an impact on the future

C U LT U R E 10

HISTORY BY WHITE MEN, A RETROSPECTION

TOXIC MASCULINITY AND THE LONELINESS EPIDEMIC

Examining how education is white-centric, and how we can do better

The impact of toxic masculinity and gender roles on men

AYL: LADY LIBERTY’S SUPER FUN IMMIGRATION QUIZ

How many questions from an immigration test can you get right?

@REPORTERMAG 4 November

cover photo-illustration by Rachel Kogut and Jess Edwards TOC by Jess Edwards

F E A T U R E S 16

REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT IN ROCHESTER

As the United States withdraws from Afghanistan, Rochester works with refugees

FREEDOM RITCHIE: COLORING PAGE

Color in Ritchie to help him fight for the American Dream!

CONCERNING NTID SCHOLARSHIPS

Concerns have been circling NTID scholarships. We explore the truth to it

W E L L N E S S 24

UNDERSTANDING ABORTION LAWS

With Texas passing their abortion laws, we try to understand how it happened

V I E W S 26

WHAT IS ROTC?

How the military came to have a presence on college campuses

WORD ON THE STREET

What should America’s national bird be?

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POETRY BY RIT STUDENTS

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R E P O RT E R . R I T. E D U November 5

Sensationalism by Rylan Vanacore| illustration by Rachel Kogut | design by Grace Bukowski

6 News

“

ensationalism is a tactic used in an attempt to gain an audience’s attention. Media outlets resort to the use of shocking words, exaggeration and sometimes, blatant lies. Alison Dagnes, a professor of political science at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, described some of the ways sensationalism is used. “Amplifying language, trying to use very big words that are exacerbating,” Dagnes said. “Something that invokes like a whole lot of emotion.” This has been a topic of controversial debate for some time now and raises questions of whether the drive for sensationalism conflicts with a journalist’s duty for fair and honest reporting.

Sensationalism Tactics Sensationalism is used by journalists to attract readers to their articles. David Berube, a communications professor focusing on science and technology from North Carolina State University, provided some insight on sensationalism and the tactics used with it. “It goes everywhere from the teaser, which is an old trick ... it is done in print and broadcast media, all the way to outright lies,” Berube said. One of the biggest uses of sensationalism is headlines. When you are looking at a magazine or website and see the big bolded words, they attract your attention. News and media outlets know that headlines attract readers, so they use this to their advantage. Often times headlines feature an over-exaggerated display of events. With the right wording, the most mundane thing can be blown out of proportion. Fear-mongering is the act of intentionally playing with the fears of others to arouse fear or anger — another sensationalist tactic. Media outlets will prey on the fears of others in order for them to notice their content. Once you get someone’s attention, then you know you can weave your way through a very convoluted and probably implausible argument and make it appear more reasonable,” Berube said.

“

Once you get someone’s

attention, then you know you can weave your way

through a very convoluted and probably implausible argument and make it appear more reasonable.”

Sensationalism also raises concerns about the ethical conflicts it has with a journalist’s code of honor. The over-exaggerated nature of sensationalism conflicts with a journalist’s duty to be honest and fair. As a journalist, it is their duty to deliver facts to the public and not be deceptive with their stories. Sensationalism violates a lot of ethical guidelines in favor of these tactics. This becomes even more of a concern when journalists act without all the facts. An article published on The Single talked about instances where cases like this can cause serious problems. It brought up the “Covington Catholic Boys” incident, where students were doxxed and harassed because CNN falsely accused them of harassing Indigenous protesters in Washington D.C. They based this information on one video without doing any further information. The truth only came out when other news outlets found false information in the story. Instances like this are sensationalist, from misleading headlines to spreading harmful information. There are personal repercussions these types of articles have on people’s lives.

Sensationalism in Politics Sensationalism has deep roots in politics and is a common tactic used by both politicians and news outlets to push their agenda. This can be seen in the earliest days of our country’s politics. “When John Quincy Adams was running against Jackson in the election it was just nasty as hell,” Berube said. “It was just full of exaggeration and sensationalism.” Sensationalism and the media have a direct impact on politics. Media actors will start using exaggerated words, and then politicians will pick up on them. An example of this would be when Trump picked up on the nickname “Crooked Hillary” to describe his opponent in the 2016 election. CBS News did an article during the election last year, talking about how Trump used fear and anxiety to motivate voters. Trump would say things like, “No one will be safe in Biden’s America.” These exaggerations and lies are what shaped the political climate from 2016 all the way through 2020. This raises concerns on whether sensationalism will become even more prominent in politics. “I think it’s getting worse,” Berube said regarding the topic. “But I think it was really bad in other terms of history, so I just think it’s because we’re cycling through one of those really awful periods.”

“

Media actors will start

using exaggerated words, and then politicians will pick up on them.” Sensationalism is Conflicting

The thing about sensationalism is that it actually works, according to psychology studies on the topic of “clickbait.” The term has been popularized to define content that is intentionally made to attract views and lure people into clicking a link. This type of content is a perfect example of sensationalism in the digital age. The article writes about the psychological aspect of clickbait and how people are drawn to it. The promise of something compelling activates a particular dopamine pathway. Once released, it creates an itch that is scratched by obtaining the information that was promised. I think the reason the journalist turns to sensationalism is that we readers are so attracted to the dramatic and sensational,” Berube said. “The Greeks discovered years ago people love drama and so it becomes the tool that they can use.” People are naturally attracted to the bold and daring; therefore, journalists feel the need to appeal to this. The companies that these journalists work for also take note of this and exploit readership. While readers may get annoyed when they open a sensationalized article, only to find that the contents inside lack any of the substance promised by the headline, in the end, this ultimately doesn’t affect the people who make these. The article will still get interaction, which leads to receiving more ad revenue since it is popular. The people writing the headlines know that if the article doesn’t get any viewership, the people involved are financially hurt. This motivates them to go with a sensational headline. “All journalistic outlets are money-making endeavors,” Dagnes said. “[Media outlets] have to pay their journalists, photographers and website developers.” The people writing the headlines know that if the article doesn’t get any viewership, the people involved are financially hurt. This motivates them to go with a sensational headline. Sensationalism will not be going anywhere — it is too engraved in our society. It will always have a complex relationship between the people consuming the content and the people producing it. Our best approach is to be cautious of this content and try to see through the lies that are being presented to us. News 7

A NUCLEAR

by Emi Knape | illustration by Alice Benavides | design by K. Kelly

uclear power: a concept often associated with the Cold War — specifically the Arms Race — between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1950s; an event resulting in the development of 65,000 nuclear weapons. Similarly, with stories of nuclear power plant meltdowns in countries such as Ukraine and Japan, many people are weary about the idea when brought up in relation to the U.S.

STARTING WITH SAFETY Throughout the 1950s, many of the advances in nuclear energy were focused on developing the safety precautions used within the reactors — primarily with the intent of anticipating and preventing accidents before they occur. Tom Wellock, historian for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), has a good understanding of how safety was viewed during the ‘50s and how it has further evolved and expanded throughout the continuous decades. “In the 1950s, the history of dealing with reactors started with production reactors, which made plutonium and gave [engineers] the basis for approaching safety,” Wellock said. “They took more of a hardware approach to anticipate what could go wrong.”

HELP FROM HUMANS As time progressed through the ‘60s and ‘70s, more emphasis was put on preventing acci-

8 Tech

dents that had never happened before, which couldn’t be determined with hardware alone. Technology wasn’t able to cope with unplanned events and accident management. Running a power plant requires a human element, so the training needed to be as advanced as the tech. “The simple focus on hardware needed to be supplemented with human beings and training. Seeing them as an essential role in pursuing safety was a more sophisticated approach,” Wellock explained.

“The simple focus on hardware needed to be supplemented with human beings and training.” With the human element of accident prevention solved, there were more conversations during the 1980s about building nuclear power plants and reactors with advanced technologies, such as “defense in depth.” This mechanical approach was designed to prevent accidents that could release radiation and other hazardous materials. Nuclear reactors built and operated with these new methods anticipated and prevented some of nuclear power’s largest issues, such as excursion and radiation leakage.

With potential issues constantly popping up over time, nuclear prevention technologies had to advance as well. For example, the industry put a sizable investment into “light water reactors,” which essentially use water as a cooling method for the reactors. The idea was simple, and seemingly effective, but many people still had concerns about the efficienc of this new technology. “The nuclear navy focused on the water reactors, so people turned to them.” Wellock stated. “However, some people for years have criticized it as a ‘wrong turn in technology,’ [the idea was too simple] and reactors with higher pressure may have been better in retrospect.” While water cooling technologies may have been a debatable way to go, it paved the way for what nuclear technology looks like today. Currently, there are lots of ideas based around improvements of different technologies, such as the light water reactors, that have been around for a long time.

ENVIRONMENTAL ALTERNATIVE Aside from improvements in safety, nuclear energy has also undergone lots of growth in terms of sustainability. For example, engineers and experts are constantly thinking of new ways to mine and manufacture uranium, thus reducing its impact on the environment. As an alternative to fossil fuels, which make up 84 percent of the world’s energy, nuclear has the potential to have a positive environ-

FUTURE mental effect and even possibly help prevent climate change. However, many controversies commonly arise in regards to cost and efficien . Eric Hittinger is a Public Policy professor at RIT where he teaches classes relating to decision analysis and climate change. With a background in energy and electrical systems as well, Hittinger is able to give insight into the practicality of nuclear energy compared to other types such as wind and solar. “Nuclear energy is the largest source of zero carbon electricity, but it’s not growing, [whereas] wind and solar are small but growing very rapidly. They are driven by government support and economics, so costs are going down,” Hittinger explained.

QUITE THE COST So, while nuclear energy is ideally the best way to reduce carbon emissions, the cost to make the switch is a significant issue. For one thing, building high-quality power plants is an expensive endeavor in of itself, and taking in employees and the cost of uranium, there really is no “fixed price” for this type of project. The biggest challenge is overcoming the uncertainty capital because nuclear reactors don’t have a set cost. According to Hittinger, when thinking about the construction of new power plants, the most common question asked by prospective plant managers is, “How much would I have to charge for this power plant just to break even?”

“We can’t seem to build a power plant in the West with a cost that seems to be acceptable,” Hittinger said. “We want cheap, clean electricity.”

A NUCLEAR FUTURE Despite the fact that nuclear energy is more costly and there is a lot of uncertainty, there are still many propositions for new nuclear technologies, such as small modular reactors. These would be built in factories as opposed to on-site, leading to lower costs and higher quality. While these reactors don’t exist yet and are in various stages of development and approval, it shows that there is still a potential future for the field Throughout history, nuclear energy has gone through many advances in safety and sustainability, making it an ideal energy source even today. While the costs are high and the technology is still questionable, the idea of a nuclear future is not entirely impossible. With constant and innovative advancements, there is still potential for nuclear energy to power the world!

“We can’t seem to build a power plant in the West with a cost that seems to be acceptable. We want cheap, clean electricity.”

Tech 9

HISTORY BY WHITE MEN, by Karina Le | illustration by Sahana Maheswaran | design by Gabriella Licona & Rachel Kogut

hen I got to college, some of my friends were talking about the books they had to read for English classes. I confessed that I actually liked a lot of my readings. “Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison and assorted works stood out in my memory. My friends were confused. They’ve never read a Toni Morrison book before, much less for class. For the most part, all they read and knew were works like Shakespeare and “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald — very white-centric novels written by men typically for men of the time. There was a distinct discrepancy in my education, being able to read a diversity of novels from diverse authors, in comparison to my friends and their white-centric education. At times, this focus is understandable. Many white authors hold great importance to the foundation of the perspective during their times, but is it really history if we only hear one version of it?

A ROOTED HISTORY Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, parents and teachers alike fought for the diversification of the literature curriculum. It was during the ‘culture wars’ of the late 1900s that the literary canon — a grouping of what would be considered the most influential pieces of literature or narratives during a specific period — that propelled these protests. An example of a part of literary canon would be Shakespeare. Despite the culture wars of the ‘90s, there is still a highly concentrated focus of white voices when discussing 1920s American literature, for instance. Again, works like “The Great Gatsby” are some of the most well

10 Culture

known from that time, but cultural figures like Langston Hughes for his anthologies of poetry have less focus within the main curriculum. Hughes’ work is fundamental for understanding the impact of the Harlem Renaissance, and has had lasting impacts to the poetry world — arguably as much as Fitzgerald had to the prose world. Amit Ray, an associate professor specializing in postcolonial literature at RIT, spoke in depth about some of these ‘lost authors’.

“When students demand change, asking for diversity in their curriculum, that’s how change gets made.” “They may be overlooked, but they still existed,” Ray noted. One of the biggest aspects of history is the recovery of historical artifacts. For literature, it’s finding the authors of the time that were lost due to reason and circumstance. Daniel Worden, an associate professor with the College of Art and Design for RIT’s Art History program, explained some questionable aspects of restoration efforts. “One of the first exhibitions of comics, ‘Masters of American Comics’, there [were] no women in the show … very few of the artists were artists of color back in 2005,” Worden explained.

Some reasons behind the loss of some artists was the occurrence of race conflicts in the past. “As African American artists, many of them couldn’t buy paper, since suppliers didn’t want black press in America,” Worden said. With the rise of diverse voices in modern times, however, it brings to question how schools are compensating for this increase of newer voices to the literary canon.

CHANGES IN EDUCATION History is written by those in power, and the people in power are cisgender, heterosexual white male voices. This is reflected by who and what is taught in our general curriculum. The question becomes, when we move to the modern era, how do we share the more diverse voices of our time? For some classics, however, they’re still readapted in our cultures and act as landmarks for the genre. “For Shakespeare, he serves as a central point and role in the Elizabethan language and history,” Ray said. “[He’s] still in demand, since his works are continuously adapted.” So long as we readapt tropes Shakespeare has made, he remains relevant to the current literary canon. For Ray, he believes that there have been big changes to the school curriculum since the culture wars of the late 1900s. “At my daughter’s high school, they give a broad spectrum of writers both as people of color and as non-heterosexual perspectives, but it really depends,” Ray said. The national school curriculum isn’t standardized. What someone learns in an advanced language class in New York may not be an opportunity given to a student in Wyoming. Even

down to city schools against suburban schools, especially in Rochester, there is such a discrepancy between what the school can afford to give their students. Even with the changes being made in secondary school, there is so much more we can do even for higher academia. Especially when colleges allow their students to freely explore subjects they do not have access to in secondary school.

DIVERSIFYING COLLEGES Often times, when talking about the lasting consequences of living in white society, there’s a feeling of helplessness that accompanies it. How does a single person, much less a student population, enact change against a system that has been in power for centuries? However, with colleges, students can and have a lot of power.

“Students have an immense power, an immense amount of say in their curriculum. RIT wants to be responsive to this change in culture, so they’re more receptive to [student needs],” Worden said. Ray offered a similar attitude in regard to curriculum changes. “When students demand change, asking for diversity in their curriculum, that’s how change gets made,” Ray said. There is a lot of criticism to RIT’s student platform, PawPrints, about whether or not they truly encourage change with student voices. However, Worden encourages students to take a step further and talk to your professors, your deans and other administrative heads to let them know your needs. “Tell your academic advisors, email your department chair — grassroots stuff works. I created courses because students asked me to,” Worden said.

As someone who has been with the RIT community for four years, the student population is not blind to some of the problems within our own societies. What is stopping anyone from getting a group of like-minded people, and demanding change outright?

“Tell your academic advisors, email your department chair - grassroots stuff works.”

RETROSPECTION Culture 11

TOXIC MASCULINITY AND THE LONELINESS EPIDEMIC by Anjali Shiyamsaran | illustration by TingYu Chang | design by Sneha Yalgi

hen personal issues arise, men are 36 percent less likely than women to share them with friends and family. The concept of “real men” has fueled toxic masculinity into an epidemic of loneliness, where the pressure to maintain a certain image distances many men.

ROOT OF TOXIC MASCULINITY Mental health therapist at the Counseling and Psychological Services and College of Science, Jaime Castillo, boiled down toxic masculinity to its core. “Toxic masculinity occurs when individuals, in this case men or those who identify as men, prevent themselves from being able to enjoy basic human needs that we need in order to live a meaningful life,” he explained. This mindset stems from being unable to be genuine to oneself and thus fearing to be genuine towards others without being seen as weak. Hegemonic masculinity, commonly associated with “macho” behavior in Western societies, can be showcased through aggression, physical strength, competitiveness and male dominance. In the face of adversity, one might seem almost stoic or invulnerable in an effort to exude strength or courage. This idealized set of norms typically stems from the refusal to acknowledge weakness or vulnerability, express emotions or seek help from others. For years, men have been criticized for partaking in acts that seem inherently gender-neutral: entering “unmanly” professions, such as nursing or teaching, playing the wrong kind of sports or carrying their own children. “You’re molded into that based on whatever culture that you’re growing up in that would put toxic masculinity as an important trait,” Castillo said.

12 Culture

Pressure to adhere to traditional male gender roles can promote an equally unhealthy image or stereotype of how men are perceived in terms of societal gender norms. Sean Su, a fifth year Chemical Engineering student at RIT, shared his experiences growing up alongside Chinese gender norms. “There’s always been this very ingrained expectation that you will have a son,” Su said. “It makes it harder to interact with [my parents] when I know that they’re inevitably going to start nagging me about finding a girl.

“Toxic masculinity occurs when ... men or those who identify as men, prevent themselves from being able to enjoy basic human needs.” Su also pointed out the differences he has noticed between Chinese and American gender roles. “[In American culture], there is this idea of the male head of house. The person in charge is the father,” Su said. “But the way that it extends over the extended family, I find in American culture, tends to be less gender-specific in terms of who’s in charge of a ‘clan.’”

LONELINESS AND BEING TRUE TO YOURSELF The act of expressing love or personal feelings with friends or family is oftentimes deemed emasculated or feminine, allowing for missed connections in potentially close relationships. “From an interpersonal perspective, if you cannot communicate your emotions in any kind of relationship, it’s going to collapse,” Su explained. Difficult to foster meaningful relationships with new people can lead to isolation and feelings of loneliness and insecurity. If one is not able to be vulnerable, empathetic or compassionate to themselves, they most likely will not be able to do that for others around them. “You’re going to find yourself not being able to have deep and meaningful conversations or relationships with other people … and when you really need support, you don’t get it because there’s nobody there,” Castillo said. On the other hand, if support is needed, one may not know how to ask for it out of fear of being viewed as even more weak or non-masculine.

FEELING IS BELIEVING In order to overcome such an unhealthy mindset, Su underscored the importance of self-determination as students decide what they want to be in life. “Honestly, that can be anything. So don’t let somebody else bog it down,” Su stated. When considering masculinity, it is important to understand that identifying male strengths can be more beneficial than simply focusing on what seem like problematic behaviors. Such strengths include use of empathy, male relationships focused on shared activities, generative fatherhood and more. For those struggling with toxic masculinity and adhering to gender norms, it can be especially helpful to take time to simply be with themselves.

“Just ask yourself, ‘How am I doing today? Who is important in my life right now? Who do I care about today right now?’” Castillo suggested. Oftentimes, people think they are spending alone time while scrolling through social media, which unfortunately does more to raise their anxiety. Perspective and mindfulness, on the other hand, can help to keep one’s relationships with oneself and others healthy. Castillo recommended some activities to help promote healthy expression of emotion, such as journaling. “No life is easy. Don’t take the relationships you have for granted. Relationships with other people [are] so important to your well-being across your lifespan,” Castillo said.

Lastly, self-perception and self-awareness can be key to noticing potentially harmful behaviors and redefining one’s individuality in a healthy way. “Find somebody who you trust the most — who you feel most comfortable with — and ask them how they perceive you,” Castillo recommended. “You want to be able to have that conversation with somebody to understand how the world sees [you].” Openly discussing one’s emotions with close friends and family without fear of criticism or judgement can help to break down exaggerated masculine traits — and as a result, break down the detrimental patterns of thinking known as toxic masculinity.

“Don’t take the relationships you have for granted. Relationships with other people [are] so important to your wellbeing.”

Culture 13

AYL

Lady Liberty’s Super Fun Immigration Quiz

by Erin Brache | illustration by Jessica Reed | design by Grace Bukowski

Would you be able to pass? These civics questions are taken word for word out of the Naturalization Test used by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). If someone is applying to become a citizen, a civics test like this, as well as an English test, are commonly administrated. The USCIS office conducting the test can ask any 10 out of the 100 possible questions. A six out of ten or higher is required in order to pass. The national pass rate as of June 2021 is 91 percent. Do you think you can pass?

1) We elect a U.S. senator for how many years?

2) Who is chief justice of the United States now?

3) When was the Constitution written?

4) When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms? 5) The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?

6) What is the economic system in the United States? 7) The House of Representatives has how many voting members? 8) If both the president and the vice president can no longer serve, who becomes president?

9) Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.

So, how did you do?

ANSWERS: 1) Six years, 2) John G. Roberts, Jr. (as of October 5th, 2021), 3) 1787, 4) April 15th, 5) “We the People”, 6) “capitalist economy” or “market economy”, 7) 435, 8) The Speaker of the House, 9) Missouri River or Mississippi River, 10) Woodrow Wilson, BONUS: The acceptable answers are: “Everyone must follow the law,” “Leaders must obey the law,” “Government must obey the law,” and “No one is above the law.” 14 Culture

10) Who was President during World War I?

BONUS: What is the “rule of law”?

M O R

STORIES O N L I N E

REPORTER.RIT.EDU

REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT IN ROCHESTER 16 Features

Sadiya Omar Vice President and Co-Founder of Refugees Helping Refugees Rochester, NY Sadiya is a refugee from Somalia, here she is pictured in her offic

by Patrick McCullough photography by Travis LaCoss design by K. Kelly

ochester is one of many cities taking in Afghan refugees following the U.S.’s rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan. Shortly after troops from the U.S.-led coalition began leaving the country, the Taliban swept into Afghanistan’s capital city, Kabul. The government collapsed, putting an end to the U.S.’s campaign to remake the country.

SETTING THE STAGE

On Aug. 30, 2021, the last U.S. planes disappeared into the skies over Afghanistan. After 20 years overseas Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of the U.S. Central Command, announced the completion of America’s longest war. On Feb. 29, 2020, chief negotiators from the United States and the Taliban penned the Doha Agreement, officiall titled the “Agreement for Bringing Peace in Afghanistan.” Under the agreement, the United States committed to withdraw all of its military forces, the forces of its allies and Coalition partners and all associated personnel within 14 months of the agreement.

A complete pullout was contingent on the Taliban meeting their own commitment to prevent terrorism from their own forces, including a specific obligation to prevent its members or any other groups from using Afghan soil to plot attacks against the United States and its allies. The Doha Agreement was unanimously endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. The agreement paved the way for a ceasefire and peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, despite being signed without participation from the Afghan government. The Trump administration kept to their pact to reduce U.S. troop levels in the region, despite increasing Taliban attacks against Afghan forces in the weeks following the Doha Agreement. Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told reporters that while the Taliban had held to their agreement to not mount attacks against the U.S.-led coalition forces, the militants’ level of violence was “not conducive to a diplomatic solution.” After months of delay, Taliban-Afghan government negotiations opened in Qatar. Discussions lingered over several months, and petered out with no progress towards lasting peace — the Afghan government refused proposals for a unity government and the Taliban balked at a cease-fire with the government

A NEW ADMINISTRATION COMMITS

At the start of Joe Biden’s presidency in 2021, 2,500 U.S. troops remained in Afghanistan. According to the administration, the United States was preparing to end its presence in the country. It had met its objective 10 years ago with the assassination of Taliban leader Osama bin Laden. “Our reasons for staying have become increasingly unclear,” President Biden explained. In a speech from the White House, Biden claimed he had inherited a diplomatic agreement to pull American forces out of the region by May 1, 2021. The administration announced its intent to begin pulling forces out on that day, and to conclude the withdrawal by Sept. 11, 2021. On July 8, the White House revised its time-table for withdrawal. In a statement saying “speed is safety,” the administration announced an expedited date for withdrawal — Aug. 31, 2021. In the same statement, Biden assured Americans that, “the likelihood there’s going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely.” On Aug. 6, 2021, the Taliban seized control of the capital of Nimroz, the first provincial capital since the U.S. began its withdrawal.

Unidentified woman walking down hallw y of the Blessed Sacrament Church School building, where the office for Refugees Helping Refugees office located in Rochester, NY.

Nine days later, Taliban militias swept into Afghanistan’s capital city, Kabul. Within hours, Afghanistan’s America-backed president had fled the country and U.S. diplomats were airlifted from the embassy.

IN THE WAKE OF WITHDRAWAL

The takeover of Kabul came as the United States continued to draw down its forces. Taliban offensives accelerated across the country, with militia members claiming victory upon victory in dozens of key cities, until they finally seized the country’s capital. Crowds flooded Kabul’s main airport as the Taliban enforced their rule over the capital city. Some were so desperate to escape Taliban rule that they fell to their deaths clinging to the side of a military jet as the plane took off. Hundreds of people remained, trapped between American forces trying to push them out of the airport and Taliban forces trying to keep them in according to witnesses. Tensions continued to swell after two suicide bombers affiliate with the Islamic State Khorasan, or ISIS-K, attacked Kabul’s airport on Aug. 26, killing at least 60 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops. The drone strike the U.S. issued three days later was initially reported to have killed an Islamic State suicide bomber who posed an imminent threat to U.S.-led troops at the airport. On Sept. 10, 2021, a New York Times visual investigation revealed that the 20-pound Hell-

fire missile delivered via drone had instead been dropped on Zamarai Ahmadi, an Afghan aid worker who was among the 10 civilians killed in what the U.S. military would admit to being a “tragic mistake.” Amidst the chaos, the Taliban promised a new era of peace in Afghanistan, but Afghans remained skeptical of the insurgents’ claims. According to the AP News’ reporting, many Afghans fear the Taliban will roll back the rights of women and minorities now that they have returned to power. Since taking power, the Taliban has promised to uphold women’s rights within the norms of Islamic law. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has also said the Taliban wanted private media to remain independent, but stressed that journalists “should not work against national values.” Their fears are not entirely unfounded. Since that statement, Afghan women have been banned from playing sports. Dozens of women’s shelters and safe houses have also shut down for fear of once again being outlawed. The Taliban’s all-male government has also implemented education reforms. Women in Afghanistan can continue to study in universities, but classrooms are to be segregated by gender and Islamic dress is compulsory. In the month following the fall of Kabul and the takeover of Afghanistan, female activists have staged demonstrations across the country. At one gathering in Kabul, participants were routed with tear gas and rifle butts As the situation continues to evolve in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, refugees continue to flee to surrounding countries and the U.S. Afghan refugee applications from a family member already in the Rochester area. Family member of Mohammed Sami, not in picture.

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“In Afghanistan, for people who were working with the American Military ... It’s not safe.” STATESIDE

As many as 1,143 Afghan nationals could settle in New York communities in the coming months, according to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Mohammad Sami is one such person, who came to America on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) — special visa applications that are available to people who have worked with the U.S. government in Afghanistan. “In Afghanistan, for people who were working with the American Military ... It’s not safe. I’m so happy now that I’m here, and not in Afghanistan,” Sami said. Parts of the immigration process are handled by organizations like Refugees Helping Refugees — a Rochester-based non-profit that helps refugees navigate the bureaucratic process and provides access to meal programs, youth education and even a sewing circle. The application process for an SIV can take time, and the paperwork is not available to everyone. Even though Sami has made it into the country, members of his family remain in Afghanistan. “I’m just coming with myself ... Only me,” Sami explained. “My mom, my dad, my brother, my sister, my wife ... Last week, my wife’s papers were done. I am just waiting.” Haji Yuldash worked as a cultural advisor and translator for the United States military in Afghanistan before coming to America on an SIV. Today, Yuldash works as a youth navigator for Refugees Helping Refugees. “We are expecting more than 500 individuals as far as we know from the Afghan community,” Yuldash explained. “We don’t have a timeline, I can’t say the exact date, but we are expecting them soon.”

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Marie Kirchgessner (L) Mindy Doro (R) Volunteers at Saint’s Place in Pittsford, NY

The figure of 500 Afghan refugees moving into Rochester doesn’t account for family — parents, siblings, children and spouses who could still remain in Afghanistan after the withdrawal. On July 22, 2021, Congress passed bipartisan legislation to boost the number of SIVs by 8,000. The bill, dubbed the ‘Allies Act,’ also removed bureaucratic application requirements that slow down the SIV process. Expanding the SIV process was not enough to account for everyone fleeing Afghanistan. As a part of Operation Allies Refuge, the Biden administration also intends to resettle as many as 50,000 Afghans through a program known as ‘humanitarian parole.’

Both are in the Director’s office preparing mailers Marie has worked as a volunteer there for about 20 years, Mindy has been there for 2 years.

Afghans who are likely to be at risk under the Taliban-led government and who haven’t requested, or may not qualify for, an SIV may be evacuated under humanitarian parole. Many of the families of SIV holders hope to enter the country through this process, but it can be an expensive journey. Organizations like Refugees Helping Refugees have turned to community crowdfunding to cover the $575 application fee each person must pay. Under Operation Allies Refuge, Afghan parolees are granted protection from deportation for two years and are eligible for work authorization in the United States. Unlike refugees and SIV holders, humanitarian parolees do not typically receive federally funded benefits, and the resettlement agencies supporting these people are funded largely through private donations. On Sept. 30, 2021, Congress passed a resolution that included $6.3 billion in supplemental funding for Afghan resettlement, as well as some benefits for parolees who were not covered under previous programs.

LOCAL ACTION

Part of the Rochester resettlement program operates out of the Catholic Family Center, a non-profit human services organization Michele Quinn Associate Director of Saint’s Place, Pittsford, NY Michele gives a tour of the Saint’s Place warehouse, which has been so overwhelmed with donations that they have to fill every available space, including the bathtub.

“I can’t tell you how heartwarming it is to see the community rally around organizations like ourselves that want to help the refugees.” Michele Quinn Associate Director of Saint’s Place Pittsford, NY

Michele shows how Saint’s Place packages and bag a complete set of home goods for an incoming refugee or family. This includes bedding, kitchenware, bath towels, rugs and even art to hang on the wall. The goal is to have the goods in the apartment before the refugees even get there. Saint’s Place even offers them clothing at their Clothing Closet.

where Lisa Hoyt works as the Director of Refugee and Immigration Services. “Initially, flights were diverted to military bases that weren’t in America,” Hoyt explained. “There’s also about 35,000 of mixed SIVs and evacuees in military bases in the United states right now. They have been there for a month, and they’ve just started to leave military bases this week.” Michele Quinn is the Associate Director at Saint’s Place, a charity organization that works alongside the Catholic Family Center to provide for refugees in the Rochester area. “We got notice that we were going to be receiving so many of these refugees, and the outpouring of generosity from the Rochester community has been amazing,” Quinn said. Saint’s Place collects and stores donations of clothing, cutlery, toys, furniture and anything else needed to furnish a home from the local community. “The refugees aren’t in Rochester yet, and when they do come we’re more than ready for them,” Quinn explained. “But while we’re waiting we’ve run out of space. We’ve maxed out every storage area we have.” Most of the refugees fleeing Afghanistan since the United States’ withdrawal have not been resettled into the country yet. Military bases continue to vet and process people, but the number making their way into the Rochester community remains a trickle at the time of writing.

Since Aug. 1, 2021, the Catholic Family Center has resettled 33 SIV clients and has assured — or promised to take in — 28 evacuees. When refugees finally arrive in Rochester, the organization works with local charities like Saint’s Place to coordinate supply deliveries, provide newcomers with clothing and furnish houses. There are also a number of programs that provide a different kind of support. Saint’s Place runs tutoring programs and educational initiatives that provide students with scholarships and school supplies. The Catholic Family Center also provides educational opportunities, as well as job training, mental health services and residential programs for people battling addiction. These organizations, and many others, are working hard to provide goods, services and support to the people fleeing the situation the United States left behind in Afghanistan. “We used to, years ago, partner with RIT and do sign language classes here one night a week,” Hoyt said, discussing the Catholic Family Center’s past work. “We had some volunteers from the school who would come and teach. We’re always interested in young, energetic volunteers.”

The situation in Afghanistan is one that could have only been initiated on a federal level, but the consequences of that decision are things that anyone can help solve. Most charitable organizations rely on volunteers and donations to function, and in times like these anything and everything helps.

Sadiya Omar Vice President and Co-Founder of Refugees Helping Refugees Rochester, NY Sadiya in the Refugees Helping Refugees office checking emails for the day.

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ES CHARITIESCHARITIES CHARITIES Refugees Helping Refugees 259 Rutgers Street Rochester, NY 14607 rhrroc.org | (585) 563-7747

“RHR seeks to foster the growth, self-determination, and self-reliance of Rochester’s refugee community by making them agents of their own advancement. It seeks to become a comprehensive community center providing a full range of services to its own community while also welcoming people from all cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds.”

“The Asperger/Autism Network (AANE) helps people with Asperger’s or similar autism spectrum and neurodiverse profil s build meaningful, connected lives. We provide individuals, families, and professionals with information, education, community, support, and advocacy — all in an inclusive atmosphere of validation and respect.”

Asperger/Autism Network

Global Health and Development Fund Centre for Effective Altriusm USA 2443 Fillmore Street, #380-16662 San Francisco, CA 94115 https://funds.effectivealtruism.org/ funds/global-development “StrongMinds is a social enterprise founded in 2013 that provides life-changing mental health services to impoverished African women. By providing group talk therapy delivered by community health workers, StrongMinds is the only organization scaling a cost-effective solution to the depression epidemic in Africa.”

Animal Welfare Institute 900 Pennsylvania Avenue SE Washington, DC 20003 awionline.org | (202) 337-2332

51 Water Street, Suite 206 Watertown, MA 02472 aane.org | (617) 393-3824

“The Global Health and Development Fund aims to improve the health or economic empowerment of people around the world as effectively as possible.”

StrongMinds

515 Valley Street, Suite 200 Maplewood, NJ 07040 strongminds.org | (973) 313-3166

“Since 1951, the Animal Welfare Institute has been dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people. We seek better treatment of animals everywhere — in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild.”

ES CHARITIESCHARITIES CHARITIES

IES FREEDOM RITCHIE

IES

COLORING PAGE Color in Ritchie to help him fight for the American Dream!

illustration by Jess Edwards | design by Gabriella Licona

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CONCER NING NTID SCHOLARSHIPS by Marilyn Wolbert | illustration by Emma McCarthy | design by Sneha Yalgi

spoke on how NTID responded to questions about the restrictions. “[Housing’s] response was just like … ‘oh you just have great leadership skills,’ and we were like: what does that have to do with our housing situation?” he said. It seems as though NTID students are being targeted specifically when compared to all of the other students on campus. No other scholarships require its students to stay on campus in order to continue using it.

FREE MONEY? WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

There have been consistent complaints from students receiving NTID scholarships in regards to the required living situation, in which one must stay on campus for a total of three years while receiving these funds. Students have pushed back on this requirement for years. A simple Google search gives you a plethora of Reddit posts to choose from, breaking down the cost efficienc of the scholarship versus dorms, tearing down the social walls that being stuck on campus can build in front of you. The bottom line is, though many students benefit from these restrictions, ma y more suffer. One of the Reddit posts went into detail about how NTID’s reasoning behind this requirement is that the Deaf students are ‘good role-models,’ but if this were true, why wouldn’t the honors students be required to remain on campus? What about those from RIT with Presidential Scholarships? Dylan Simmons, a second year Production Student in the School of Film and Animation,

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“It’s a stigma for Deaf people to be infantilized,” Simmons said. He went on to explain that even in classes at NTID, professors feel more like helicopter parents than teachers at times. Flavio Medina, a second year Computer Information Technology student recounted similar experiences within his friend group. “[My friends] were saying it’s not fair, they want to be treated like all of the other second years on campus, they are stuck here,” Medina signed.

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COST ANALYSIS

There are social implications that come with being stuck on campus for more than half of your college experience, but that is just a piece of the issue at hand. Based on a cost breakdown sheet provided by RIT and NTID, NTID students pay about half the amount of RIT’s regular tuition. In this case, deaf, hard-of-hearing and interpreting students have a tuition of about $33,488 per year compared to RIT’s $67,188. These costs also include room, board and extra fees — all before financial aid and loans are applied. Of these amounts, about $13,000-14,000 comes from living in dorms, which requires a meal plan on top of that. Polling the averages of off-campus rent RIT students pay, we get a range of about $3,500$4,500 per year. Tacking on an average of fifty dollars in groceries per student per week, we end up with a total of $5,500-6,500 per year. This calculation does not take into account extremes on both ends; however, the difference is already astonishing. In comparison, the maximum amount of aid NTID scholarships can provide is about $4,000 each or up to $12,000 per year, with multiple scholarships. This $12,000 would not even cover the amount required to pay for room and board for those who are required to stay in dorms for their first two years, and most students are not receiving the maximum scholarship allowable.

Yeah it sucks… but it helps a lot, it's really bittersweet.

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ollege is expensive, and in most cases, every little bit counts when it comes to paying tuition. The National Technical Institute of the Deaf (NTID) provides scholarships that are given to NTID students to assist with their tuition during their time at the university. On average, 160 out of 235 new students are awarded the NTID Scholarships which require them to stay on campus for three years after receiving them. This restriction however, may put students in a worse place than where they started off.

If a student were to receive the maximum scholarships and move off campus their second year, they would save an estimated total of $12,500. This calculation assumes they are in dorms their first year, and that the total cost of living in on campus apartments averages $11,500 per year. This is a substantial amount of money which could be applied to textbooks, tuition, activity fees and many other college-related expenses. So if the benefits of removing the housing restrictions are obvious, why hasn’t NTID done so?

WHAT IS THE HOLD UP? Rick Postl, the Interim Director of NTID Admissions, explained in great detail the alleged reasoning behind the requirement. “As I understand it, the reasons are that NTID receives federal money, and some of that federal funding goes to the dorms,” Postl signed. “More specifically to Ellingson, Peterson and Residence Hall C.” NTID is a federally funded institution — meaning that even if NTID Admissions did not believe that the dorm requirement had a hand in student success, they must still give consideration to the federal government when making that decision. All in all, NTID Admissions adheres to guidance provided by RIT/NTID administrations, which are believed to be in the best interest of deaf and hard-of-hearing students. There is another theory floating around that holds that the student retention rate is much better when they are living and surrounded by accessible environments. When students are living in dorms, they are closer to necessary resources: tutoring, support services, student life and accessibility. NTID believes that if you spend your first two or three years on campus, you will be more likely to follow through with your degree.

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We are mandated for success. We have money that comes from the federal government to NTID, and we need to be successful with it.

There is also an expectation that as NTID students stay on campus, they are closer to these helpful resources, and therefore the performance of the students as well as the school itself improves. “We are mandated for success. We have money that comes from the federal government to NTID, and we need to be successful with it,” Postl signed. RIT does not have these same expectations as a private school. In this case, the RIT administration can make its own financial decisions and requirements for students, whereas NTID has a greater commitment to the taxpayers and federal government. Therefore, if the government asked NTID administration to hold its scholars on campus to improve performance, the administration must make its decision based on the best interests of both the students and the taxpayers.

While many students have listed their complaints with the fund, there are always benefits to scholarships, even with the drawbacks. For some, the costs may outweigh the scholarship benefits for the first few years, but overtime those benefits accrue, not to mention the community you can build along the way. “Yeah it sucks … but it helps a lot, it’s really bittersweet,” Simmons said. All in all, NTID is aware of the concerns of their students. For now however, there doesn’t seem to be any change on the horizon.

A SCHOLARSHIP IS A SCHOLARSHIP

When asked whether there is a possibility of ever reverting from the three year requirement back to two years, Postl signed that it was up to the NTID President. “I am aware the students have already talked with him, I am assuming that that dialogue will be going on for a long time,” he signed. “At least as long as we have that three year requirement.”

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UNDERSTANDING ABORTION LAWS by Jay Schading | illustration by Maeghan McKenzie | design by Gabriella Licona

exas has implemented new restrictions on abortions. Abortion has always been a heavy topic to discuss, especially when it can be difficul to understand what exactly abortions entail and the behind-the-scenes legal work of them.

TEXAS LAW On May 19, 2021, Texas signed the “Heartbeat Act” into law. The legislation also went by Senate Bill 8, and restricted abortions of any kind six weeks after the initial conception. Contradictory to this, individuals with uteri often don’t know they are pregnant within the first six weeks after conception Shannon Najmabadi is a Texas Tribune journalist, who covered the new legislation in detail. The new law bans abortions whenever an ultrasound device can detect what lawmakers defined as a “fetal heartbeat,” which can appear as early as six weeks into the pregnancy. “Medical and legal experts say the term is misleading because embryos don’t possess a heart at that developmental stage,” Najmabadi wrote. This decision is at odds with Supreme Court precedent, which prohibits states from banning abortion before the fetus is viable. The new ban does not make exceptions for cases of rape and incest, and the pregnant person will be penalized if they get an abortion. The law does include an exception for medical emergencies.

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“Instead of having the government enforce the law, the bill turns the reins over to private citizens — who are newly empowered to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps someone get an abortion,” Najmabadi explained. This section allows Texas lawmakers to sidestep legal criticisms of the new law. Since citizens are enforcing the law instead of the government, it does not technically violate Roe v. Wayde — which restricted the state’s ability to put limits on abortions.

“[Physicians] didn’t want midwives competing with them.” Since the established procedure for challenging a state law is to sue official charged with enforcing it, the Texas legislature has been able to insulate itself from legal action that could result from the enforcement of their new law. At the time of writing, the Supreme Court has refused to block the Texas law, with three Trump-appointed justices joining the other two conservative judges in a 5-4 majority.

HISTORY OF ABORTIONS Abortions have existed for centuries — the practice was legal in the British Colonies during the American colonial period, and the procedure was often performed with the help of other women in the community. The practice didn’t become a controversial topic until the first abortion laws began to appear on the books in 1821. Tamar Carroll is an associate professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and a department chair in history at RIT. “[Physicians] didn’t want midwives competing with them,” Carroll explained. States began legislating abortions around the turn of the 19th century. These restrictions were more targeted towards providers, not the women, in order to avoid injury to the woman and fetus. The initial intent was not to prosecute women who sought an abortion.

“There was a whole movement against not only abortions but birth control at that period of time,” Carroll explained. Women wanted birth control methods in the early 1900s because of how much they were suffering from childbearing, while also working at home. Women at this time were unaware of the contraceptives they should have been allowed to know of. Besides that, women wanted to expand beyond their so-called duties of a wife — like childbearing — all because the men didn’t want to. Women decided to work towards “voluntary motherhood” as a form of regulating what they wanted their bodies to do.

ABORTION LEGALIZATION The case of Roe vs. Wade cemented abortion rights into law in 1971. The case legalized abortions in the United States in the first and second trimester of pregnancy and state-level bans on abortion were made illegal.

The court ruled that the fundamental “right to privacy,” guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment, covered a pregnant women’s choice to have an abortion. This right was balanced against the government’s interest in protecting the “potentiality of human life.” A new case arose in Pennsylvania in the early 1990s when Robert Casey, the governor of Pennsylvania at the time, tried to implement abortion regulations on Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides sexual health services — including access to abortions. Casey made access to abortion very difficul for women, stating that they needed either a spousal signature — or parental signature for a minor — before being placed on a 24-hour waiting period.

Planned Parenthood v. Casey ended with a decision that stated asking for a spousal signature was unconstitutional, deeming it an undue burden. In return, however, the ask for a parental signature in the case of a minor and the 24 hour waiting period were not considered as such, and were allowed to remain in place.

LOCAL RULES New York’s own abortion law states that abortions are legal up until viability. Viability is defined as the ability to survive and live successfully. For a pregnancy, in the eyes of N. Y., that is roughly 24 weeks. Exceptions to this rule are only allowed in the case of a medical emergency. Lindsey Phillips, the medical director at RIT’s Health Center, discussed the different options people can pursue in the case of a pregnancy. “[The options] fall into three categories,” Phillips noted. “One is continuing the pregnancy with the intention of parenting the child yourself. Another is continuing the pregnancy with the intention of having the child adopted and the third is abortion.” There are two types of abortions: medical and surgical. Medical abortions are abortions that lead to a miscarriage and are often done at home, allowing the person to have their privacy compared to a surgery.

“Medical abortions can be accomplished through taking pills up to about nine weeks gestation,” Phillips explained. “The more typical surgical abortion, called the ‘D&C,’ is the more common out-patient uterine procedure.”

A few abortion providers in the Rochester community, like Planned Parenthood and the University of Rochester’s Women’s Group, often provide services to those from the RIT community who need them. RIT provides all forms of contraceptives in the Health Center, such as the birth control pill, the morning after pill, depo provera shot, access to a NuvaRing and an IUD. They do not, however, provide resources for medical abortions.

Even in heavily restricted areas, help will always be reachable for anyone who endures a pregnancy. From mental support to medical support, anyone can find the best form of help they can receive in their area while also being directed to the next best source.

“There was a whole movement against not only abortions but birth control at that period of time.” Wellness 25

WHAT IS ROTC?

by Erin Brache | illustration by Maggie Wehler | design by Sneha Yalgi

mong many American colleges, a common sight is seeing students dressed in military outfits running across campus before dawn. These students — or ‘cadets’ — are a part of the Reserve Officers Training Corps, more commonly known as ROTC. Many students know that ROTC has something to do with the army, but never learn more about what ROTC cadets do or what they are specifically t aining for.

HISTORY OF ROTC

The Reserve Officers Training Corps is a training program that puts students on track to become an office for the United States Navy, Army or Air Force. The origins of ROTC can be traced back to 1819, with the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy – now known today as Norwich University. Fittingly, the school’s mascot is currently the ‘cadets.’ The school allowed students to integrate military training into their curriculum. If there was ever an emergency that required soldiers, the students would be available to serve in the Army. Other universities started adopting this idea, with an increase during the Civil War with the Morrill Act of 1862. The law created colleges that would teach “agriculture and the mechanic arts” from available federal land, with the idea of teaching “military tactics” being mentioned in passing.

The term ROTC was first used in the National Defense Act of 1916, which was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson. In addition to creating ROTC, this law focused heavily on the National Guard; doubled the amount of drills required, tripled their amount of training per year and put payment for these changes in the hands of the federal government. Within 12 years, ROTC was established in 225 colleges. That number grew over time, and today 1,100 colleges and universities in the United States offer ROTC programs. This is due in part to the passage of the Solomon Amendment of 1996, which can deny federal funding to colleges and universities if they do not provide ROTC training. In addition to denying federal funding, the Solomon Amendment allows grants military recruiters access to students’ private information such as address, date of birth or any information regarding academic status, to name a few.

WHAT IS ROTC NOW?

ROTC has changed a lot over the years from its inception.

“War isn’t the only thing we can be useful for.”

Lieutenants Colonel Eric Harrison, assistant professor of Military Science at RIT, and Jacob Jendrey — RIT’s ROTC commander — described the ROTC program as taking additional military preparation, such as physical training, in addition to being a full time student. Harrison described ROTC as a student-run program where cadets are directing and teaching a lot of what ROTC does. “If we do physical training tomorrow morning for our workout, it’s the cadets, the students that are planning and teaching,” Harrison said. “This is a four year … leadership development program.” Landon Nolta, a fourth year Business Management major and cadet in ROTC has noticed the effects of the leadership training ROTC offers. “The leadership training I’ve gotten has directly translated to business management,” Nolta said. “It’s a people-focused program first. It trains individuals how to lead other individuals.” ROTC offers a financial incentive to students as well. According to Jendrey, the program pays around $100,000 per cadet. The money goes towards education, room and board, book fees and a monthly stipend. ROTC also help students creating lasting friendships through adversity. Overcoming a challenge with other people creates a connection, and that’s what ROTC looks to accomplish. “If you’re up at six o’clock in the morning and you’re doing pushups in the wet grass next to someone who’s doing the same, you start to build trust and friendships very quickly,” Jendrey said.

CRITICISMS OF ROTC

Complaints regarding ROTC and the military as a whole are nothing new. During the Vietnam War and before the passage of the Solomon Amendment, many

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“If you’re up at six o’clock in the morning and colleges stopped providing ROTC training as unfavorability of the war grew including Harvard, which to this day does not have it’s own ROTC program. The students of the University of Michigan in 1968 held a sit-in protesting ROTC and the military’s involvement on the campus. Protests on college campuses became so popular that cadets were instructed to not wear their uniforms while on school grounds. ROTC does more than ‘boots on the ground’ wartime work. Harrison and Jendrey mentioned how there are Army soldiers aiding in humanitarian relief in Haiti, supporting economic development in South America. Some are even helping with the COVID-19 response here in the United States. “War isn’t the only thing we can be useful for,” Harrison said. Another major criticism of ROTC and the United States Army as a whole is a lack of diversity. The overrepresentation of white men in the Army is no secret. It’s so prevalent in fact that Lieutenant Colonel Nicole R. Spears of the United States Army War College, located in Carlisle, Penn., wrote a report calling for the recruitment of more diverse cadets in ROTC programs. The Army itself even highlighted a talk given by Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning about how diversity is the key to the success of the Army.

you’re doing pushups in the wet grass next to someone who’s doing the same, you start to build trust and friendships very quickly.” The military has a history of discrimination of diverse citizens, from Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell — a law that banned openly gay military members from service from 1994 to 2011, to the number of sexual assaults reported in the military. There is also a lack of non-white officers throughout the entire military. Combined all of these aspects, people from marginalized communities may not see any benefit to joining the Arm . “The Army is supposed to be a reflection of the country that we support, right? And we’re a very diverse country, whether it be gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation,” Jendrey said. “Our country should see themselves reflected in [the Army’s] composition.” RIT’s ROTC program has made an effort to expand into more diverse demographics. Harrison describes how 40 percent of ROTC’s first term students are women “I wish we could say we’re hitting home runs on this. It’s hard, but we are making an effort,” Jendrey said. The ROTC program has been a staple of universities for over 100 years, and that idea isn’t changing anytime soon. ROTC will continue to train leaders of whatever field cadets decide to join, and help them make friends along the way.

W.O.T.S.

Opinions expressed are solely of the students and do not reflect the views of REPORTER.

WO R D O N T H E S T R E E T

What should America’s national bird be? photography by Noah Bossler design by Gabriella Licona

“Okay, I have always grown up with the bald eagle being the national bird, and personally I couldn’t think of any better candidate. It’s just sort of become an icon for like, the American people. People look at the eagle and think, ‘Oh, y’know, that’s America,’ I’d have to go with that as my choice.” Brent Porter First Year Electrical Engineering major

“National bird? I think a blue heron. [No reason] in particular to be honest, I don’t really know much about birds, I don’t really know anything about like, what each bird represents, but for me it’s my personal favorite bird. So that’s what I answered with, and it’s mainly because just the calmness and how ominous is it too, when you see it around.” Phil Ricciuti First Year 3D Design major

“[It] would be pretty funny if [the national bird] stays ... because we already have [so much] associated with it, so changing it would be a complicated big thing ... because a lot of people use the eagle as like a bravery thing.” Kyle Baptiste Third Year in The School of Individualized Study

“[First] thing that came to mind was seahawk. Or penguin. Penguin would be funny. Penguins are just cool.” Valerie Henal First Year Animation major

“The national bird … that’s a good question. I would honestly go for the albatross. Just cause I like how big their wingspan is. I think they’re really cool birds, they can fly for a while as well.” Hayden Quinn First Year Mechanical Engineering major

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RINGS

compiled by Patrick McCullough illustration by Emma McCarthy design by Mary Tannian

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P O E T R Y

When We Wilt Sometimes we wilt, Hanging by barely a thread. Some days we see the sun, But our leaves are still dry. Then comes a rainy day, But it’ll feel like the weight of a storm has carried us down. Remember that even flowers stuck in the mud Can rise by the next day. So wither your pain out, And you shall bloom again. Gabriella Licona second year Communications major

BY RIT STUDENTS

design by Gabriella Licona

grief— it comes suddenly.

“ You’re a good person” I woke up one morning to a dead fly in my fridg and I said “It’s a fly morgue and laughed because I had been there before. It was so cold and you were telling me how to hate you but I couldn’t because I was waiting for you to look at me and say “I am so sorry, Mackenzie.” Sometimes if I chew on ice it doesn’t shatter but dissolves slowly into soft matter. It’s easier between my teeth, and I grind my teeth to feel the softness. You were spelling out the words so I thought this must have been my fault—right? I understand I had put myself there, like the fl , who might have still been alive, and chewing the ice slowly. How else did I end up in the fridge? Kenzie Vanacore fourth year English major

From a misplaced photograph; A stray email; a note you’ve never sent— A love letter sealed in a bottle. From an object time forgot; it breathes again. No matter how many days have passed, how comfortable the absence has become, there is a grief that lingers— a lock rusting over. Karina Le fourth year Psychology major

And Still, I am Burning The sun bleeds into the horizon like a red hot knife slicing through butter, and I’m all the better for it. Cracked skin leaks the tears of a thousand stars as I hold on, tighter and ever more desperately, to the things that I know to be true, and to the things that I wish to be true, and to the things that I know that I wish to be true but can never speak aloud. The sun turns its eyes on me, and it never blinks, never even for a moment. I long for the cool air on my face, and the familiar hum of a fan, whirring, somewhere, stirring up the clouds I remember from my youth but can’t grasp any longer. River Starliper second year Environmental Science major

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