September 2018 by Reporter Magazine

REPORTER MARCH 2018 reporter.rit.edu

ONE NIGHT ONLY!

DISTANT WORLDS: MUSIC FROM

FINAL ™ FANTASY TUE

SEPT 25 8 PM

KODAK HALL AT EASTMAN THEATRE

Arnie Roth, conductor Distant Worlds: Music From FINAL FANTASY™ returns to the world-renowned Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra welcomes—for one night only!—this global multimedia concert phenomenon featuring the beloved music of FINAL FANTASY™ with exclusive HD video content from legendary game developers SQUARE ENIX. Directed by the Grammy Award winning conductor Arnie Roth, FINAL FANTASY™ returns following sold-out performances in 2015. Don't miss this event! SEASON SPONSOR SPECIALS SPONSOR CONCERT SPONSORS MEDIA SPONSOR

RPO PERFORMANCES ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS WITH THE SUPPORT OF GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO AND THE NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE.

D SEATS! N A G IN IC R P T BES BUY NOW FOR

0 0 1 2 4 5 4 RPO.ORG | 2 September

Please Recycle

REPORTER EDITOR IN CHIEF Frankie Albin PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Cayla Keiser

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Kristin Grant COPY EDITOR Ramya Shankar NEWS EDITOR Kasey Mathews TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Joshua Maroney LEISURE EDITOR Olivia Lopatofsky FEATURES EDITOR Morgan LaMere SPORTS EDITOR Victoria Sebastian VIEWS EDITOR Taylor Synclair Goethe WRITERS Kristin Grant, Taylor Synclair Goethe, Kevin Zampieron, Efe Ozturkoglu, Olivia Lopatofsky, Kasey Mathews, Victoria Sebastian, Morgan LaMere, Shay McHale

ART ART DIRECTOR Alyssa Minko ONLINE ART DIRECTOR Monica Nguyen-Vo DESIGNERS Laura Knaflewski, Lily Garnaat, Kevin Zampieron, Kathy Liu, Kendra Murphy, Cynthia Muniz, Cassy Smithies, Justin Frohlich ILLUSTRATORS Unique Fair-Smith, Monica Nguyen-Vo, Kathy Liu, Stephanie Chan, Aria Dines, Lily Garnaat, Juho Choi, Cynthia Muniz

PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO EDITOR Catherine Rafferty PHOTOGRAPHERS Rebekah Hange,

EDITOR’S NOTE You’ve arrived — the pin on the map, your next destination. You arrived but a few weeks ago, or perhaps a few years ago. Maybe you have since settled in. Maybe you dove in and haven’t settled since. Throughout your college adventure, you will experience so many things that you neither planned nor expected. Each one of them will change you and shape who you become. Some will be exciting and fulfilling, some might break your spirit and some might be imprisoning and monotonous. You will learn from all of them. You will push yourself — to prepare for that job, to get into that graduate school, to be successful, to be happy. Issues in your life will come up. You may deal with them, you may not. You have real life to deal with after all, or so you thought. We all become enveloped in everyday life. Everyone and everything will pull you in every imaginable direction. And that’s okay, sometimes. But don’t let the work, the class, the meetings, the future, the people, the pressure, the errands, the snow, the whatever — don’t let it overwhelm you. You don’t have to be undercover. You don’t have to hide from it or ignore it. You will probably try to; you may not realize it. Take a break, have some fun, take in the view, go for a walk, grab a friend and go for a drive. Take some time for yourself, whatever form that manifests for you. Don’t face your problems alone, and don’t ignore them alone. Don’t be afraid to lean on your friends, to seek help or to just take some time for yourself. Sometimes you just need someone in your passenger seat while you take that drive. Clarity is necessary, and at the very heart of being a happy, healthy and functional human. Take some time to find it. Talk about and deal with the issues that you will inevitably face. Also, the people who will help you might not be who you thought — that’s okay. And yes, sometimes things won’t make sense. Thoughts, feelings, happenstance, life, whatever. Things won’t make sense. That’s life, that’s being human. You will make mistakes, it’s normal. There will always be monsters along the way, but it’s goodpain - something you have to endure in order to get to the good part. And sometimes your head or your heart will feel suddenly useless. It doesn’t matter, it’s okay — it’s normal. Don’t allow all of that to ruin your day. If you’ve got the blues, you’ll be okay. Take a step back, seek and find comfort in clarity — and remember that life doesn’t make sense sometimes. It’s normal. You’re learning. It’s okay.

Catherine Rafferty, Bridget Fetsko, Noah Winslow

BUSINESS BUSINESS MANAGER Sandy Wu AD / PR MANAGER Miguel Moran PRODUCTION MANAGER Ryan Menzie ONLINE

Frankie Albin Editor in Chief

SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR Adam Brodack WEB MANAGER Efe Ozturkoglu VIDEO EDITOR Danielle DeVries

Letters to the Editor should be sent to rpteic@rit.edu. No letters will be printed unless signed. All letters received become the property of REPORTER.

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Reporter Magazine is published monthly during the academic year by a staff comprised of students at Rochester Institute of Technology. Business, Editorial and Design facilities are located in Room A-730, in the lower level of the Campus Center. Our phone number is 1.585.475.2212. The Advertising Department can be reached at 1.585.475.2213. *throws bean bag over shoulder* “Ho ho ho merry fucking Christmas” - R.Y. The opinions expressed in Reporter do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute. Reporter is not responsible for materials presented in advertising areas. Copyright © 2016 Reporter Magazine. All rights reserved. No portion of this Magazine may be reproduced without prior written permission.

September 3

cover and TOC photography by Bridget Fetsko

NE WS 6

MYCOURSES POLICY CHANGE All faculty are now required to use MyCourses

T E CH 8

RESOURCES VS. RESOLVE: EXPANDING SOFA

LEISURE 10

SOFA students struggle with inadequate resources

@reportermag 4 September

A TASTE OF TIGER Appraisals of various RIT-themed food

A TALE OF TWO COLLEGES What do UR students think of RIT?

AYL: WHAT NOT TO PACK Students always overpack for college; spot the unnecessary items

FE AT URES 16

SURVIVING THE SEASONAL SOCIAL SHIFT How to stay active throughout the changing seasons

A LAUNDRY QUANDARY Tips for getting the best laundry experience possible

DISCOVER RIT’S COMMUNITY GARDEN Discover the community garden at RIT and the role it plays on and off campus

SPOR T S 24

IS A JUICE CLEANSE WORTH IT? Learn about the dangers of juice cleansing, and how to do one right

COMFORT IS NOT SAFETY: SEX ED IN AMERICA Schools need to talk about sex education

WORD ON THE STREET What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen on RIT’s campus?

RINGS Text or call (585) 672-4840

reporter.rit.edu September 5

MYCOURSES

POLICY CHANGE by Kristin Grant illustration by Unique Fair design by Laura Knaflewski

tarting this semester, there is a new policy change that will ensure students receive grade feedback in a timely and efficient manner. Titled D.05, the policy now requires that all faculty post grades to myCourses within two weeks of submission. A syllabus that provides a comprehensive grade breakdown is now a mandatory upload as well. Student Government President Bobby Moakley, a fourth year Environmental Science and International and Global Studies double major, is optimistic that this policy change will help bridge the gap that can exist between faculty and students. “We felt that utilizing a centralized system for everyone was only going to open up more channels of communication between students and faculty,” he said.

listed in a centralized system, they’re able to see it right in front of them on the computer. So those advising meetings are going to be much more efficient in future years.” A policy nearly three years in the making, D.05 met its fair share of resistance. However, Academic Affairs Committee Chair and chemistry professor Dr. Joseph Lanzafame never felt that the majority of the faculty opposed these changes. “I feel like there is a vocal minority that are making the rest of us look bad. It’s that group that is the challenge from the student perspective,” he recalled. “They were very effective in delaying any kind of implementation of this policy for three years by yelling the loudest and filibustering the vote.” Much like Moakley, Lanzafame felt that this policy change was not only in the best interests of the students, but the university as a whole. For one, it helps with the continuity of a class if something was to happen middle of the semester. “Twice since I’ve been here, I’ve been

RATIONALE According to Moakley, this policy change will help students receive the guidance they need while a course is still ongoing. “Advisors can only see grades that are posted in myCourses,” he explained. “With grades all

“If you’re having issues with your grades because the policy isn’t being followed, speak up about it.”

6 News

asked to step in for a colleague who in one case died in the middle of a semester and in the other case had a heart attack and had to be on medical leave. We didn’t miss a day only because those two people had everything on myCourses,” he said. Another issue can arise when students transfer in or out of the university. Occasionally, other schools will inquire to see a syllabus for a previous class. If those syllabi

"We felt that utilizing a centralized system for everyone was only going to open up more channels of communication."

aren’t readily available on myCourses, it can be challenging to obtain them. “If I don’t work here anymore, and the syllabus is on my computer or paper copy, it’s hard for the university to track me down,” Lanzafame said. Lanzafame also said that having past grade information readily available on myCourses can help students who stay at RIT as well. “It’s not unheard of for a student to come

back a year or two later to contest a grade. If you don’t have all of those pieces to calculate the grade, it’s hard to have a meaningful discussion,” he explained.

FORESEEABLE CHALLENGES Despite the positives, both Lanzafame and Moakley recognized that myCourses can be a little unwieldy to use. “There’s some courses like General Chemistry where there are 200 students and they [faculty] complained that they would have to sit there and implement all of these manual grades — and that was a very reasonable argument,” Moakley said. In order to mitigate that issue, Moakley worked extensively with the Innovative Learning Institute to figure out a plan. “I met with Neil Hair, who oversees all the backend technical stuff for myCourses. We were actually able to gather some resources for faculty so they were actually better able to use myCourses,” Moakley said. The primary resource the institute plans to implement is a series of educational programs that will help faculty better understand how to use myCourses. These programs will cover a variety of topics, including details on algorithms for weighted breakdowns and spreadsheet integration. Moakley also recognized that implementation of this policy might be a challenge. “Yes, we now have this

policy, but we have to make sure professors are following,” he said. “So I’m going to work with the deans so they can work with their department heads and respective faculty to make sure they’re staying on top of this.” Moakley emphasized that there are also steps students can take if their professors aren’t following through. “There is a procedure that is after the policy that says what to do if your professor isn’t returning your grades or posting them on myCourses,” he said. While bringing up this issue with faculty can be intimidating, Lanzafame said that in most cases professors are more than receptive to constructive feedback. “Most faculty want to know if there is something wrong — if there’s something simple they can do to make everyone’s life easier. They don’t always necessarily ask it because they just assume the student will raise it,” he said. “That’s why I always encourage more communication across the podium.” Moakley was in agreement. “The underlying thing behind all of this is that faculty and advisors all want to help students succeed, and it’s just as much on us as it is for them because we all need to communicate with each other,” he said. That being said, Moakley implored students to take their own initiative as well. “If you’re having issues with your grades because the policy isn’t being followed, speak up about it,” Moakley said. “It’s up to every student to stand up for their grade and utilize the resources we have so they can have the best academic career they can.”

News 7

RESOURCESvsRESOLVE: E X P A N D I N G 8 Technology

S O F A

by Taylor Synclair Goethe |illustration by Monica Nguyen-Vo | design by Lily Garnaat

SPACE AND FACULTY The average class size for SOFA is about 63 students, so workspaces are often tight. The main 3D animation lab is a shared space among art and design majors, causing students to constantly compete for computers. The HD lab is a SOFA priority lab that seats 24, but is shared by all of the Animation, Live Action and MPS majors. “SOFA is expecting a 33 percent increase in accepted freshman,” SOFA Administrative Chair Malcolm Spaull said. Starting this fall SOFA will accept 84 freshmen every year. The new addition of the Magic Spell Studios facility will alleviate SOFA’s population congestion, but won’t solve all of its problems. Spaull admitted that the biggest issue SOFA faces is a lack of faculty. Recent 2018 SOFA graduate and 3D animator Hannah Hackett said that she had to take supplementary classes in 3D Digital Design to learn visual effects programs. “SOFA doesn’t have enough teachers who are up to date with the programs,” Hackett said.

BUDGET AND EQUIPMENT SOFA has to make sure all of their equipment and software is “industry standard.” Magic Spell Studios, although completely built, will not start out fully equipped. SOFA was graced with the new building, but must conform to CAD administrative budgets, including the 20k rule. According to Spaull, this rule requires that all requested equipment be under $20,000. Next to equipment costs, the maintenance of software licenses is also a large expense and would need to be increased for the new facility. “Fortunately, the only software we pay out of pocket for, from our budget must be unique to SOFA,” Spaull said. Some of those SOFA exclusive licenses include sound editing software, such as ProTools, which is the industry standard. Lecturer Dave

Sluberski teaches all the sound classes in SOFA. His Basic Sound Recording class is required for second year SOFA students, but is competitive for space and resources. “My classes are getting bigger and overloaded ... I have 18 seats of ProTools but my classes have 25 to 30 students,” Sluberski said. The classroom isn’t the only area of congestion. Students required to do a final sound project often compete with sound editors working on films. With a limited amount of licenses, recording equipment and editing space, students often scramble to finish projects on time. This also impacts 3D animators whose limited lab space makes rendering difficult.

SOFA is expecting a

33%

INCREASE

ccording to Animation Career Review, the College of Art and Design (CAD), formerly CIAS, School of Film and Animation (SOFA) was ranked 10th in the country for animation this year. The school is split into Animation, Live Action and Motion Picture Science (MPS) — all with their own specializations and focuses. Filmmaking and senior projects are mandatory, causing SOFA programs to be very equipment-heavy.

in accepted freshmen. 3D rendering is the process of converting 3D computer graphics and models into 2D images, often with realistic qualities such as lighting, textures and perspective. Rendering is a time consuming process that is often interfered with by ongoing classes or nonSOFA major students using lab space. Students can choose to either render directly on the computer, or if they’re an upperclassman, through a server called Render Farm.

TRAINING AND INSTRUCTION “[Render Farm had] a lot of glitches in renders that were sending Arnold [a rendering software] back with watermarks and black frames,” Hackett said. According to Hackett, a former Render Farm lab assistant, most students weren’t formally trained on how to use Render Farm and instead opt to computer-sit while their renders complete. Now, after so many glitches with the server, students no longer trust the system. David Long, the chair of MPS and the new head of Magic Spell Studios, insists that students utilize Render Farm. “We encourage students not to [render] 4k [or ultra HD]. It’s burdensome on the Render

Farm and it’s not really necessary,” Long said. Although MPS is the smallest class in SOFA with approximately 15 students per year, it has the most advanced equipment. They are also the only SOFA students who will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree because they train to become engineers instead of filmmakers. “We practice as research engineers ... who make hardware, software, equipment and products for companies or become experts in the field,” Long said. Although MPS students are trained to use high-end equipment such as motion capture systems, surround sound and 4k cameras, many of this isn’t used in SOFA films. This is an issue throughout all of SOFA; students rarely collaborate with each other and hardly venture outside their focus area. The lack of teamwork and training contributes to the lack of access. “There’s a big green screen and other equipment in the cage that the majority of students don’t know how to use and it goes to waste,” Hackett said. Despite issues with programs and equipment, SOFA students still graduate highly skilled in their respective fields. Emi Amao is a 2014 SOFA graduate and currently a freelance writer and script supervisor. Even though she trained in screenwriting, her hands-on experience in all parts of filmmaking made her a more competitive applicant and contributed to her career success. “Because of my time at SOFA, I was able to step in and help [with production] even though I wasn’t a grip or gaffer,” Amao said. Amao’s only hesitance was SOFA’s lack of preparation for freelance work. “I wish we were taught business experience as a freelancer, like how to do taxes or write an invoice,” Amao said. She makes the case that just one more class in pitching or marketing yourself as a brand would’ve eased her transition into the industry. Similar to Hackett’s concerns, many other students feel SOFA has the tools, but not the time, to teach. Spaull explained that one of his goals with Magic Spell Studios is to provide a better environment to expand SOFA, such as adding a collaborative game track to animation or creating a master’s degree program for MPS. The ideas are there, but the question is whether SOFA has the resources and manpower to bring them into fruition or not. “It’s a continual battle for SOFA. It has to be,” Sluberski said.

Technology 9

a TASTE of TIGER by Kevin Zampieron | photography by Rebekah Hange design by Kevin Zampieron

10 Leisure

But as it is named after our beloved Ritchie, I am compelled to talk about it.

hough we think of RIT as an institute of higher learning, it is first and foremost a brand. As important as our classes may be, where would we be without our Pantone 165 RIT Orange? Without our custom-made bricks? Without our beloved Ritchie? The university’s brand extends into our mouths through the specially-made, RIT-themed food and drink. But are these bespoke treats worth their weight in Dining Dollars? Reporter wanted to find out through an authoritative and scientific taste test. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the budget for that so this article will have to do.

Tiger Blood IPA The most recent addition to the pantheon of RIT-themed food and drink, Tiger Blood IPA is an India Pale Ale brewed with blood orange. I like a lot of what Rochester-based Three Heads Brewery produces. Their Kind IPA has fun notes of citrus and is extremely drinkable. And that just makes it more disappointing that the Tiger Blood IPA tastes more like soap than a fresh blood orange — not unpleasant soap, but still soap. Simultaneously not particularly flavorful or bitter, Tiger Blood is just kind of “there.” The beer has a low alcohol content, especially for an IPA. That’s good for drinking at a hockey game or a picnic, but it’s not much of a selling point. And an intense name like “Tiger Blood” doesn’t seem like a good match for such a light and summery beverage. The only thing the name evokes is Charlie Sheen’s 2011 “winning”infused meltdown — back when celebrity meltdowns were newsworthy. Overall, it’s not a bad choice of beverage, but not a great one either. It’s better than a Genny but then again, most beer is.

The Mascot

Tiger Tracks

The Mascot goes way back to the 80s and has become something of a staple on campus. Its staying power is a bit of a mystery to me — it’s nothing particularly special as aggressively unhealthy paninis go. It’s not even the best panini at RITz (I’m partial to the Yellow Card myself). But as it is named after our beloved Ritchie, I am compelled to talk about it. A Mascot is a panini composed of chicken fingers, cheese and Tiger Sauce. Tiger Sauce is the Mascot’s defining factor and is somehow more poorly named than Tiger Blood. Is Tiger Sauce like duck sauce, a sauce meant to go on fried tiger meat? Or is it a mysterious bodily fluid from within the tiger, distinct from its blood (which is of course hoppy and infused with blood orange)? I guess we’re lucky we changed our mascot to a tiger from the TechMen; I think Tech-Man Sauce is what they call the built up residue in Golisano’s computer labs. The exact proportions and ingredients in Tiger Sauce are a secret, although I don’t think you can call something a secret recipe if nobody is trying to figure it out. But sauce-espionage concerns aside, Tiger Sauce is apparently a sweetened cayenne. To its credit, the sandwich is both spicy and sweet — although a little too sweet for my taste. The aftermath of a Mascot is like waking up after a blackout — you’re sticky and filled with regret. On a campus full of unhealthy decisions, the Mascot distinguishes itself. All of that being said, I’m probably going to keep eating Mascots; there are right decisions and wrong decisions, but sometimes wrong decisions taste better.

After you’ve washed down your Mascot with your Tiger’s Blood, you might be in the mood for dessert. Luckily for you, RIT has its own ice cream flavor: Tiger Tracks, made by Rochesterbased Perry’s Ice Cream. It’s vanilla ice cream infused with fudge and florescent orange pretzels. Because tigers are orange, you see. Tiger Tracks were ironically very hard to find — I scoured the local Wegmans and braved the dorm-side tunnels to visit Sol’s Underground. I didn’t look in Gracie’s because Reporter doesn’t pay me enough to go back in there. It seemed that Tiger Tracks — much like the actual Bengal tiger — is endangered. I unfortunately had to settle with Perry’s Panda Paws ice cream. I figured that another threatened Asiatic mammal-themed Perry’s ice cream was the closest I was going to get. I added pretzels, as to better emulate what Tiger Tracks would have tasted like. Perry’s ice cream is pretty great stuff. While I didn’t get to enjoy the actual flavor, I can imagine that Tiger Tracks ice cream is similarly great. Good job, probably. I’m not trying to shit on RIT’s dining service workers, who do their best to feed an enormous volume of peckish masses. It’s difficult to make everyone happy, especially on a campus whose main food import is chicken fingers. But for the love of god, just eat off-campus. See what the city of Rochester has to offer. Call your food Tiger Slaw or something if it makes you feel better about it.

Leisure 11

“Everybody is pretty much free to be whoever they wanna be here.”

A TALE OF TWO COLLEGES by Efe Öztürkoglu | photography references provided by Catherine Rafferty, Bridget Fetkso | design by Kathy Liu

hink back to when you were a young tiger fetus in high school, excited for the next chapter of your life. Looking at universities, taking campus tours, reading articles about them online, hearing advice from everyone you know — a lot of preparation went into the big college decision. What made you choose RIT? Did you ever consider the University of Rochester (UR)? Everyone wants something different out of their college experience, and wildly different reasons motivate students to decide on a university.

UR STUDENTS

JOSHUA

Joshua Bazirake, a third year Business major from Uganda, originally applied to various colleges across the country, especially on the west coast. He wanted a university with diverse student mindsets from which he could learn. “I wanted a place where I could talk to a biologist, computer scientist or anthropologist at the same table,” said Bazirake. He also wanted a flexible curriculum that would let him explore and discover. 12 Leisure

“I think I’ve changed my major like 3 or 4 times. It’s just like constant discovery,” said Bazirake. His only experience with RIT’s campus was when he attended Brickhack, RIT’s yearly hackathon. “It was the biggest hackathon I had seen in my life. Ours was much smaller,” he recounted.

JACKSON Jackson Ding, a fourth year Computer Science major from Oklahoma, had applied to other universities around the country with high rankings. Despite not knowing what he was looking for at the time, Ding thinks that he made the right choice with UR. He’s involved in a variety of clubs around campus, such as Trebellious (an acapella group), Computer Science Undergraduate Council and DandyHacks (UR’s annual hackathon). During his time at UR, Ding noticed that students don’t interact with each other much outside of their friend groups, and that academic clubs or parties were the best way to meet new people. “I kinda wish there were more ways to meet people in my own major,” said Ding.

Ding had visited the RIT campus previously as well. “My first impression was the Red Barn; I went rock climbing there and that was really cool because we don’t have rock climbing [at UR],” he said.

CAROLINA Carolina Lion He, a second year Computer Science major, chose to attend UR because she was looking for a university with a rigorous curriculum that focused on research. She also visited the campus and was delighted by the atmosphere and classical architecture, which is quite different from RIT’s brutalist brick city. “RIT’s residential community looks like an actual neighborhood; ours is more like a typical college,” she noted. She also attended WiCHacks, RIT’s allwomen hackathon, and noticed that the campus feels much larger than UR.

MATTHIEU Matthieu Sherwood, a fourth year Brain and Cognitive Sciences major, had a variety of goals in mind when making his college decision. He wanted a highly-

“This place will kick your ass and not apologize for it.”

ranked and mid-sized school with a strong curriculum that was still affordable. UR matched his criteria, especially with scholarships and low tuition rates for Rochester locals. He said the university met his expectations very well. “This place will kick your ass and not apologize for it,” said Sherwood. “It’s really busting my balls. Anyone that’s coming here looking to graduate with a good GPA in a department that’s rigorous is gonna lose a lot of sleep.” As for the future, Sherwood expressed interest in eventually pursuing a PhD in the medical field.

MUHAMMAD Muhammad Ahmad, a second year Computer Science major from Pakistan, was mainly looking for a research university during his college search and had a few friends who had gone to UR. He was also looking for a school with a large international student community. Ahmad spoke about UR’s requirement of clusters, which are similar to immersions at RIT. Clusters require 12 credits in a single discipline that is different from a student’s major. These categories are Natural Sciences and Engineering, Humanities, and Social Sciences. However, many majors require two clusters. “I like the idea [of clusters], but at the same time I’m not the biggest fan of it. I feel like you should have the opportunity to explore more

[rather than having to take several classes in the same area],” said Ahmad.

RIT STUDENTS

JEREMY Jeremy De La Cruz, a third year Software Engineering major from Brooklyn, transferred to RIT from Baruch College in New York City. He transferred here because he wanted to get away from New York City and he was interested in RIT’s Software Engineering program. “For activities, there’s like a million things to do. I tried out a bunch of things. I tried archery, Coffee Club [and] Society of Software Engineers,” he said. “If parties are your thing you can find it. If not, there are lots of people like you.” Consequently, De La Cruz said he likes RIT’s nerdy culture and how people are introverted, but also very friendly.

JORDAN Jordan Jock, a third year Computer Engineering major, said he came to RIT because it was close to home and he received good financial aid. He had applied to other schools such as Clarkson University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and SUNY Binghamton as well. Cooperative education was a big factor in Jock choosing RIT, as well as the plethora of clubs available. “I like to go to all the hockey games. There are lots of clubs for everyone; if

you’re into something, there’s probably a club here for you,” said Jock.

HANNAH Hannah Tennis, a third year Biomedical Engineering student from Pennsylvania, wanted to attend a medium to large-sized school with a tough academic program. Furthermore, she wanted to get away from home and enjoys cold weather. RIT’s cooperative education was an important factor for her while choosing colleges, along with the friendly culture. “[It’s] one of the nerdiest schools in the nation,” she said. “Everybody is pretty much free to be whoever they wanna be here.” Tennis is involved in numerous organizations on campus such as the National Society of Leadership and Success, Women in Engineering and Air Force ROTC.

CONCLUSION Both colleges offer a lot in terms of campus life, extracurricular activities and academic as well as career opportunities. Whether you’re interested in research and higher education or more interested in cooperative education, you can find many opportunities at both colleges. At the end of the day, we can all sit together, complain about our rigorous workloads and make memes about how our friends at other colleges party a lot more than we do.

Leisure 13

AYL AT YOUR YOUR LEISURE LEISURE AT

Spot the Difference: Things You Didn’t Actually Need For College by Olivia Lopatofsky | illustration by Stephanie Chan | design by Kathy Liu

acking for freshman year is a hassle. You likely spent hours shopping for those “must-have” items, like giant storage containers and foldable saucer chairs. Next, you packed up your entire wardrobe, including every single pair of shoes, and crammed everything into the trunk and back seats of your car. The worst part is that the long hours of shopping and packing are probably worthless given that you really only need the essentials when it comes to college. Trust me, you don’t need eight pairs of jeans — you’ll probably end up wearing sweatpants to class anyway. Try to spot the missing items in the picture below.

Answers: basketball, calendar, headphones, weights, shirt on bed post, pillow, hat, printer, fish, excessive plates, toaster, clothes on ground, mirror, spoon on fridge, teddy bear

14 Leisure

R PA KP OIN TD R

ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

· Walk or bike to class · Co-op leasing available

JOH

N ST

· On the RIT shuttle bus route with sheltered bus stops

PERKINS RD

· Fully furnished with leather-style furniture · 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness center with strength equipment, cardio machines and free weights · 24 hour Academic Success Center with iMacs and free printing

ANDREWS MEMORIAL DR

You’ve never lived like this.

JEFFERSON RD

· Individual liability leases and roommate matching available

PROUD SUPPORTER OF RIT HOCKEY

Amenities are subject to change. See time officeonly. for details. subject to change. Limited See office for details.

Apply today at AmericanCampus.com/Rochester

SURVIVING THE SEASONAL SOCIAL SHIFT by Kasey Mathews | illustration by Monica Nguyen-Vo | design by Laura Knaflewski and Alyssa Minko

ochester can experience a myriad of extremes. Our weather ranges from bright and sunny in the warmer months to borderline arctic in the cold. Predictably, this can lead to social “dry spells,” with campus appearing barren and dull. Yet even in the most socially-desolate times, there is still plenty to do around campus.

Fall

When students first arrive in August and September, the campus is bustling with activity. Games and events are everyday occurrences and a walk down the quarter mile is sometimes like a walk through a circus. This is the perfect time to get involved and find your niche. Clubs and organizations across campus are always searching for new members, and this is especially true during these warmer months. Because of this, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and find the right fit for your passions and hobbies. “I’ve always been involved in things outside of classes, staying involved in extracurricular activities. RIT has over 300 clubs under the Center for Campus Life,” explained Dimple Joseph, a recent RIT graduate from the Industrial Engineering program and former director of the College Activities Board (CAB). “So, when you’re here in the fall ... try out things that interest you even a little bit, and you’ll eventually find the one or two things you could really stick to for the four or five years that you’re here.” Joseph went on to give a personal experience. “For me, it was joining professional organizations within my major. I also wanted an on-campus job and I just happened to walk into CAB, and it has

16 Features

completely changed my life,” she said. Joseph went on to further recommend that students explore the new and unique opportunities RIT presents. By joining clubs early on, students are able to take full advantage of the time spent with them. If a club turns out to not be the right fit, you can always drop it and find another. The first year at RIT is a time for exploration and experimentation, whether it be your freshman year or your first year as a transfer student. Try as many new things as possible and you can slowly narrow down where you find yourself fitting in, excelling and having fun. While the Center for Campus Life oversees most of the clubs and organizations on campus, there are also a large number of clubs not directly under the Center’s leadership, instead operating under a specific college or department. With the vast number of clubs available, there are plenty of ways to get involved. Joining clubs and organizations certainly isn’t the only way to stay socially active, however. There are many events and activities throughout the year geared towards students.

From various DIY events such as Christmas ornament-making to therapeutic events like Bow-Wow Wellness, there are a wide variety of activities always happening, regardless of weather or workload. CAB especially hosts a number of events throughout the academic year, keeping students happy and entertained across the seasons.

Winter

As anyone who has lived in Rochester for a long (or short) time knows, getting out and about in the cold winter months is much easier said than done. As one of the snowiest cities in America, stepping outside can often feel like an expedition through the Antarctic. Luckily, RIT has plenty of space indoors for times just like this. Whether in the Golisano Atrium, the SAU, Fireside Lounge or someplace else, events will continue on through the winter. “CAB offers a variety of indoor events through our CAB cinema division and our signature events division,” explained Kalie Lazarou, a fifth year Industrial Engineering major and the current director of CAB. Rain or shine — or bitter cold, for that matter — events are always happening. “The signature events are usually on campus and, weather permitting, are outdoors,” she said. “But, we end up with a lot of our events indoors, like game shows and DIY events and things like that, just to get people out of their dorms and involved in the community.”

Lazarou discussed how these events are heavily focused on taking opportunities one might find in the Rochester area and bringing them to campus. That way, those students without a means to get off campus can still enjoy themselves on campus and experience the fun. It’s a great way to connect with other students and form new friendships. Finding students with similar interests is much easier when you explore those interests and take the leap by joining clubs or getting involved with activities. “Campus is still alive, even if people aren’t outside,” said Lazarou.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Extreme temperatures have a tendency to sap people of their energy, psychology professor John Edlund explained. This makes it much more difficult to get out during the bitter cold winter Rochester is so known for. On top of this, scientists theorize that a lack of UV light from the sun can lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), otherwise known as seasonal depression. “So definitely getting exposure to sunlight when you can is a good thing,” Edlund said,

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encouraging students to get out of their dorms as much as possible. “When there are breaks in the weather, get outside!” Another way to combat SAD is to stay socially active. Interacting with others, whether they be friends, neighbors or classmates, can dramatically improve one’s mood. “Maintain your social networks,” said Edlund. Edlund also noted that some people reported success in combating SAD by use of UV lamps in their living spaces to mimic sunlight. Whether this is was a proven remedy or more of a placebo effect, no one is certain.

Getting Off Campus

Another key to combating SAD and staying socially active is to find new things to do — new places to explore. There are a number of ways to get off campus and explore the city. Into the ROC, a student-run division under the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, organizes excursions into Rochester, connecting RIT students to the various attractions, landmarks and other sights found within the city. Transportation is always provided and there is often food involved. Into the ROC offers a litany of destinations, such as local plays and comedy shows. Additionally, students often work with nonprofits in the city. If you’re looking for a shopping trip, buses also make the drive to Marketplace Mall. While bus tickets are typically $1, it’s often well worth it to get out and get some shopping done. There are events organized by CAB, as well, that take students off campus, as noted by Lazarou. “We also have our ... Recreational Travel Division, and they do off-campus trips even in the cold, rainy weather,” Lazarou said. “They do things like going to different museums, or planetariums or even celebrating those colder months and doing one or two winter-themed events like snow tubing or skiing.”

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Spring

As the weather warms up, it becomes much easier to find fun things to do around campus. After the long winter months, spring is always given a warm welcome as students flood out of their dorms and into the sun. Clubs and organizations across the spectrum host outdoor events and the entire campus is bustling with activity. During this time, RIT will often host food trucks. Greek Life can also be seen grilling and offering food to passersby. After months in the cold, there’s something invigorating in seeing the windows opening and fountains running again.

Annual Events

Throughout the year, RIT is host to a number of annual events that students should be sure to attend. October features Brick City Homecoming, a celebration of alumni, students, family, staff, faculty and community members. Typical activities include a night of RIT hockey, a 5k run, an entertainer of some kind and more. FreezeFest is an annual event in February, featuring another entertainer such as a comedian or a concert. It also hosts a number of other activities such as the Rail Jam and Winter Warrior — a skiing and snowboarding competition and an obstacle course run, respectively. Ushering in the warmer weather is SpringFest, set in April. SpringFest features yet another entertainer, as well as events of its own. Imagine RIT closes out the year with a showcase of students’ talents. Many clubs and organizations set up exhibits to display their work and show off their amazing endeavors. Here, students get the chance to feature their research and class projects. Some students even feature entrepreneurial ventures unrelated to class assignments.

This event attracts community members across the nation, as parents, family and friends of students come to see their work.

Stay Active

Whether warm weather or cold, blue skies or grey, there is always something to do around campus. As Lazarou noted, even if the campus looks empty, it certainly isn’t. It’s always bustling with activity and full of unique and fun ways to stay active. So, despite Rochester being home to extreme weather conditions, the university is dedicated to ensuring students always have some way to stay moving and maintain their social lives. Joseph noted, “To stay active, I’d say to find things that continue to move you, regardless of what the weather is.”

When there are breaks in the weather, get outside!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Campus is still alive, even if people arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t outside.

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A LAUNDRY

QUANDARY by Victoria Sebastian illustration by Aria Dines design by Kendra Murphy

t’s no secret that laundry isn’t really anyone’s favorite activity. Some of us will put it off until we’ve worn our last clean pair of socks, and others will have a weekly time set for getting it done. No matter when you choose to do your laundry, eventually you’ll find yourself making the journey down to the tunnels and to your dorm’s laundry room. It is essential to know your way around the laundry rooms and the etiquette you should abide by, as it might just prevent you from getting your laundry stolen.

The Layout

Sometimes when you walk into the laundry room, it will look like an old time western movie. A ball of lint will roll across the floor, like tumbleweed, with no one in sight. Other times, you will be greeted by a crowd of people and not one open machine. You can walk around to see if anyone is almost finished, but ultimately you might have to make your way to another laundry room or postpone your laundry attempts.

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From time to time, you might hear an eerie sound coming from the washing machines. There are always one or two in each room that will rattle like someone is pounding it with a baseball bat. Though they create frightening noises, most are perfectly fine to use. The RIT laundry rooms don’t look great at first glance, but you have to remember that the use of these machines is free. Many other colleges require students to pay each time, costing them close to $200 or $300 a year. So, before you shriek in fear at the laundry rooms, think about the money you will save.

The Dangers

Although the laundry rooms come free to use, they do not come free of occasional theft. As stated earlier, laundry rooms can be packed with people, creating a high demand for open machines. When this time comes, people do not hesitate to take others’ laundry out of the machine. In the best case scenario, people will either leave your clothes be or take them out and place them on top of the machine. If your clothes do get taken out, you can most likely find them lying near the machine you were using. This is not always the case, though. Sometimes, people will take the clothes out or see a pile of clothes that have been left alone for a while and feel the need to take them. Becky Reich, a second year Computer Engineering major, experienced clothing theft last year. She was up late doing laundry and happened to fall asleep in her room waiting for her loads to finish. “I woke up the next morning around 11 a.m. in a panic for leaving them overnight,” Reich said. “I figured someone threw them on the side per usual, but nevertheless rushed down to grab them. To my horror, everything was gone.” Reich talked to her RA, roommates and even

“WE RECOMMEND AND ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO

Public Safety, all in hopes of finding them. Although Public Safety did not have her missing clothes, they attempted to review the security camera footage from the laundry room. This proved to be another dead end, as the camera wasn’t working. “The camera that would likely [have] caught who stole my laundry was down and had been that entire week,” said Reich. Even if the camera happened to be working, it is still unlikely a suspect would have been obtained. Gary Moxely, the director of RIT Public Safety, stated, “Public Safety has had success in recovering stolen items once we identify who actually stole them. At times this can prove to be difficult because we can see the clothes being stolen, but cannot always ID the person who is stealing them.” This event left Reich feeling devastated, as she never saw her clothes again. “Not only had I lost a huge investment in my apparel, but I also lost a decent chunk of my savings trying to rebuild it,” she said. She felt as though she had not only lost her clothes and money, but also a part of who she was. “Dramatic, maybe, but I personalize a lot of my clothes, and a lot of pieces are very distinct to me,” she said. “To have all that time and work gone in a flash — it wasn’t fun.”

Helpful Tips

NEVER LEAVE THEIR ITEMS

UNATTENDED”

To avoid having a bad laundry experience, it is important to follow some simple etiquette. These tips will not only be helpful to you, but to everyone who uses the laundry rooms. “We recommend and encourage students to never leave their items unattended because cameras are not fail proof, nor do they solve every case,” said Moxely If you have to leave the laundry room while

your clothes wash or dry, set a timer on your phone. Also, make sure to give yourself enough time to get back down to the laundry rooms when your timer goes off. For instance, if your machine says 40 minutes, set your timer for 35 minutes. Make sure to take care of your space. If you spill some detergent, clean it up. Take any lint out of the trap before and after you put the clothes in the dryer and also make sure to throw any lint or used dryer sheets in the trashcan. By picking up your own mess, the laundry rooms can stay clean and tidy for everyone. Lastly, if you can, avoid the crowded days and times. Picking a time to do laundry when the rooms are empty can help relieve the stress of finding a working machine, and lessen the chance of having your clothes stolen. Reich suggested, “Usually odd hours are prime, such as mornings on weekends when most students are still asleep, or midday on weekdays when most are at classes.” If you follow these simple tips, hopefully, you won’t have a horror story like Reich’s to share.

“BY PICKING UP

YOUR OWN MESS, THE LAUNDRY ROOMS CAN STAY CLEAN AND TIDY

FOR EVERYONE.”

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Dawn Carter, the garden coordinator, weeds a raised bed of herbs in the the RIT Community Garden in Henrietta, N.Y. on May 23, 2018.

by Morgan LaMere | photography by Bridget Fetsko| design by Kevin Zampieron

hen homework and classes become too much, there is no better way to refocus than by taking a break. Rather than bury your nose in your phone to check out the latest in your social media feed, you can refresh yourself in a natural and healthy way — and you don’t have to go very far. Behind the tennis courts on RIT’s own campus sits a beautiful community garden just waiting for you to explore. “The garden is a space bequeathed in 2009, open to faculty, staff, students, alumni etc., to grow food and flowers,” described Dawn Carter, the founder of the garden and a biology professor at RIT. The garden was designed with inclusivity in mind and has added amenities to ensure that everyone on campus can enjoy it. Originally communal, plots are now given out to individuals and clubs based on first come first serve, on a yearly basis. The garden has improved since its foundation in 2009, from an initial allotment of land by the RIT administration. Since then, the garden has

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thrived with new ideas and fresh hands to work at the soil, in addition to help from numerous sources funding these improvements. Clubs have a big role, be it simply holding a plot or having held a part in how it grew. These clubs include Engineers for a Sustainable World, SEAL, the Bee Club, Recover Rochester and the House of General Science. In the future, Carter also hopes to inspire the creation of a student gardening club. The garden not only hosts interested potential growers, but also classes. It is used to teach Science in the Garden, Introduction to Biology and Biology of Plants.

How Gardening Can Benefit You Working side by side with Carter, Jennifer Horak is a vital founding member who has helped with the community flowers project and in public relations. “It just is good to have your hands in the earth. Science is now proving that if you connect to the earth, you will feel better.

There are the rewards of harvesting foods you produced yourself — you are enriched by the process,” said Horak when describing how the garden benefits students. In addition to being a relief from school work, the garden is also personally satisfying, a good experience and gives back to the community. While having no true mission statement, their efforts are clear. “Our goal, if we have one, is for wellness in eating food you grew. It is therapeutic, exercise, education, community building and we’ve been able to provide a lot of food to various food resources,” said Horak. The benefits of the garden go far beyond the campus alone, also spreading into the city beyond.

Food Share and Recover Rochester It is easy to see how busy students might not always be able to harvest their plot or how they might simply want to donate their efforts. In this case, the food goes to Recover Rochester (RR).

The greenhouse at the RIT Community Garden in Henrietta, N.Y.

“Since most of the garden is perishable, RR asks food centers if they need those sorts of food. If there is no need, we take them to Food Share. We try to make sure as little as possible goes to waste,” said Maryah Glover, a third year Biology student and the vice president for the organization. Glover has her own plot in the garden and has experienced its value first hand. “The most important thing is introducing students to the idea of gardening. A lot of people come from cities or places where it is too cold. They don’t realize how easy it is. They get to experience the reward from physical labor. The garden is ... teaching life skills that are important for the future,” she stated. Even if you are busy with school, the garden only requires an hour a week and a request to give back to the community — not too much to ask for such an enriching experience.

Dawn Carter, the garden coordinator, poses for a portrait at the RIT Community Garden in Henrietta, N.Y. on May 23, 2018.

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n a e l c e c i u j a Is by Morgan LaMere | illustration and design by Lily Garnaat

here are few places you can go to without noticing the new health fad of the week. Various advertisements revealing how a celebrity in Hollywood managed to lose X number of pounds in Y number of weeks are everywhere. Sound familiar? One option if you’re looking for a moderately cheap and quick cleanse of the body — if you do it correctly — is juice cleansing.

THE BASICS To begin, it would help to know what exactly this particular method is. After all, the sheer number of options for getting healthier or losing weight can often be overwhelming to sift through. Mary Anne McQuay, a registered dietician for RIT, explained what juice cleansing is. “Fruits or vegetables made with a juicer, commercially made or locally ... that is 100 percent ... pure juice,” she said. “Basically, limiting your intake to fresh juices, either vegetable or fruit juices, from a day or so to weeks.” Though it sounds simple, it turns out that juice cleansing has faced a complex evolution since its creation, one that’s often criticized by experts.

ROOTS AND EVOLUTION Cleansing is not a new concept, despite what ads would have you believe. It held and still holds quite the number of avid supporters from before its popularization. “Some ancient medicines ritualize cleansing. The movement has been heading

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west from Asia and is used to get rid of excess fat in the spring. People swear by those practices for enlightenment and becoming in tune with oneself,” said McQuay, when asked about its origin. According to McQuay, there has been very little science to juice cleanses, neither for nor against. “We have these centuries of history and for them it worked,” she said. Being such an ancient practice, you might assume it would be safe. However, it’s not these ancient forms of medicine consumers should worry about. Health expert and Associate Director of the Student Health Center, Timothy Keady, said, “If you look at history, that’s very different from what is going on today. From a practical standpoint, juice cleanses are frowned upon. Having been advertised by famous people, making promises is where the issue comes in.” Keady suggested that in the rush to monetize something and to make it a sellable product, something is lost in the process. In this case, what is lost is what makes it healthy in the first place when additional items such as sugar and caffeine are added. “A couple of things concern me, one being the additives in cleanses. Most often they contain something they shouldn’t. In most cases, large amounts of caffeine,” Keady continued. “If someone wants to make their own juices, then that is fine. The problem comes in when people lose weight or try to change their body.”

IS IT NECESSARY? “They are not necessary. In the end, people spend a lot of money for something that is just not needed. People want ... to do something that loses a lot of weight, but it just doesn’t happen,” answered Keady. McQuay agreed with this assessment, noting that the initial weight loss observed by many is generally just water loss. As soon as people start eating again, it returns. “When one restricts low calorizers, it changes your metabolism. When you start eating again, you will start to gain weight, as your metabolism is slower,” said McQuay. However, this is not to say juice cleansing is bad. In fact, if you stick to the core ideal of a juice cleanse — a natural tool used over a short period of time that cleanses toxins from the body — it can be quite healthy. “Just be very cautious ... If you make your own juice or buy simple juices, it shouldn’t a have negative affect,” said Keady. “Focus more on eating whole, fresh food, whole grain, produce, nuts and seeds,” McQuay suggested. Don’t go for a juice cleanse during the semester. Consult a physician or dietician to make sure you are healthy. Prepare a few days in ahead, get supplies, prepare your calendar and get the right environment. And only do it for a short amount of time.” In short? If it’s done right, cleansing is an effective short-term tool, but as with all quick fads, read up, know what you’re putting into your mouth and consult an expert.

? t i h t r o w nse 1/4 lemon peel

GINGER ZINGER JUICE: 5 peeled carrots

1/2 inch fresh ginger

2 medium apples

s t n e i d e ec the ingr

Just jui ! e n o d d n a

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COMFORT IS NOT SAFETY:

SEX ED IN AMERICA by Shay McHale |illustration by Stephanie Chan |design by Cassy Smithies

SEX ED CONTROVERSIES

ex is an uncomfortable topic. In nearly every scenario, talking about sexual issues and topics is considered taboo, especially in classroom situations. Sex education gets vital information to kids that they otherwise might not learn about. There’s also the risk of getting all kinds of mixed up information from their friends, the internet and even “the talk” with their parents. In modern America, sex education is a touchy topic because there is a great deal of struggling in order to find a consensus on who should be teaching kids, when they should learn it and what should be taught. Most of the time, the arguments against sex education in schools center around how parents should teach their kids the information themselves. In an ideal world, parents would teach their kids all they need to know and when they need to know about sex, but this is rarely the case. In states with no mandated sex education, there are more teenage pregnancies. Even in states that do have mandated sex education, it tends to follow an abstinence-based model, which has been proven ineffective. Furthermore, there is still a wide range of protests against sex education, such as the

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#SEXEDSITOUT movement, which protests the “graphic, gender bending sex education” that schools are teaching. Many of the protests are against the “sexualization” of kids in the classrooms. They argue that they are teaching behaviors that are dangerous, promiscuous and a “health risk.”

LIMITATIONS IN EDUCATION

Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and their excellent resources on sexual education, which include nearly every topic that the Sit Out is demanding, it is an effective tactic of these protests to derail the focus of reasonable sex education to the sexualization of children. It is certainly an issue in society, but much of sex education is focused more on giving resources and information to kids, not encouraging them to go out and have sex using these newfangled “condoms.” The importance comes more from the fact that having sex education in schools means that all the kids will get useful knowledge on these topics instead of solely depending on parents, whose information can be biased or misinformed. This is not to say that schools are infallible sources of this information. Much of mandated sex education in America is

abstinence-based, which tends to be a mix of scare tactics regarding STD’s sprinkled in with some information on how bodies work. In the meantime, many places from Planned Parenthood to the CDC and even RIT’s own Center for Women and Gender recognize this lack of information and teach more topics covering what is often not taught, like LGBT issues, sexual assault and contraceptive information, none of which were covered in any of the four sex educations programs I researched.

IN STATES WITH

NO MANDATED SEX ED THERE ARE

MORE TEENAGE PREGNANCIES Planned Parenthood has been another source of cultural dissent. Their sex education is teaching “immoral” behaviors

such as healthy understandings of sexuality and gender and offering alternative options for unwanted pregnancy, such as contraceptives or abortion. Even if these things could be considered immoral to some, it is still relevant information that may become useful later on in life. It is similar to arguments against physics, because although it may seem unnecessary to make students deal with that many integrals, some of those students may one-day encounter physics in real life, or in their jobs, and have to deal with it. Sex ed also deepens understandings of relationships, in regards to consent and sexual assault, because abstinence-based curriculum does not prevent any kind of sexual assault. It also doesn’t properly teach consent because you should just never consent to sex unless you are married to the person asking, and then you always consent. Sexual assault is often not covered because of its violent and sexual nature, both of which are things that are frowned upon. But in reality, 1 in 4 women experience sexual assault during college. Now with the rising movement for awareness and support for sexual assault victims such as the #MeToo movement, sexual assault cannot be ignored or avoided, in education or real life.

1 IN 4 WOMEN WILL EXPERIENCE

SEXUAL ASSAULT DURING COLLEGE

SEX ED AT RIT

Colleges like RIT then have to make up the difference for students’ gaps in sexual education, and their support is largely hit or miss. RIT has been a source of mixed success regarding these topics, because while they took a lot of heat for the ROO fiasco, the Center for Women and Gender has resources for all aspects of sex ed, both online and in person. Their program CARES, the Campus

Advocacy Response and Support, provides sexual assault support resources and support for victims through a 24/7 hotline and through in-person meetings. RIT also offers events that deal with specific aspects of sex education, like women’s sexual health, safe sex for LGBT students and healthy relationships. Overall, sex education is never going to be a comfortable topic in schools, no matter how much humor is added or how many times it is gone over. Even so, schools should cover it in such a way that kids have at least a firm base of knowledge that is not solely about abstinence. It should have to cover topics like sexual assault and issues for all people, regardless of gender identity or sexuality, because whether parents like it or not, some of their kids will need that information someday. Sex education is also something that should be covered early on because kids learn about sex at all sorts of different times in their lives, and it is important that they have some sort of knowledge on how to be safe and deal with issues that may arise.

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

WOTS word on the street

photography by Noah Winslow illustration by Juho Choi design by Justin Frohlich

“8th floor of Ellingson, this kid wandered around all day with a pink dildo. It matched his hair.” - Cheyenne Daily, second year Computer Engineering

“Someone was lobbying for an uncensored centaur mural with accurate genitalia in the dorm tunnels; they were campaigning to different floors.” - Emma Junga, second year Mechanical Engineering

“Some really edgy person moved the Christianity books to the Fiction section in the library.” - Nikolas Nguyen, third year Computer Science

What’s the Weirdest Thing You’ve Seen on Campus? 28 Views

“These guys were trick-or-treating on our dorm floor and his costume was Iron Man and he was literally holding an iron. We gave him our whole bag of candy corn.”

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

- Abigail Merino, second year Computer Science

“I would say a T-Rex fight. I was just walking out of class and saw T-Rexes battling it out in the Infinity Quad.” - Scott Semler, third year Advertising Photography

“The Buttercream Gang. They write all these different saying with chalk all around campus. It’s just a very odd thing to do. I like it, but it’s weird.” - Luke Laffey, fourth year Physics

“During the wind storm last year someone took a bedsheet and made a sail and was sailing through the wind on his skateboard.” - Kellie Mullaney, third year ASL Interpreting Education Views 29

RINGS

compiled by Taylor Synclair Goethe | illustration and design by Cynthia Muniz

Dang girl, are you my appendix? Because I don’t know how you work but I got this feeling in my stomach that makes me want to take you out. Apr 2, 2018, 2:14 PM

Hey tiger, is that a mirror in your pocket? Because I could see me in your pants ;) Apr 2, 2018, 4:28 PM

Do you go to RIT? Cause you just turned my dick into a brick Apr 2, 2018, 6:02 PM

Are you helicase? Because I want you to unzip my genes Apr 2, 2018, 7:06 PM

Are you an an antiques dealer? Because I have some junk that hasn’t been touched in a while [smirk emoji] Apr 2, 2018, 10:16 PM

Hey baby, you’re hotter than the bottom of my laptop Apr 6, 2018, 10:47 PM

Hey girl, are you sugar? Cause I’m craving you. Apr 10, 2018, 4:04 PM

Alone at night? Text or call RINGS at 585-672-4840. We don’t judge. The opinions expressed are solely those of the students and do not reflect the views of REPORTER. 30 Views

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