Spring 2 2013 A r l in gton Hei g h t s • B e ns e nv i l l e • C h i cag o • D u Pag e • E l g i n • La k e C o u n t y • O r la nd Par k • Peo r ia • Schaum bur g • Sp r ingf ield
How to acquire that perfect Internship pg. 3
Chicago prepares for Baseball Season pg. 4
Learn The Origins of April Fool's Day pg. 11 ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY
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THE NEWS The Art of Rap
With Local Artist Mike Treese of Mass Hysteria By Heather Alexander On February 28th, the final day of Black History Month, English Professor Jenny Jocks Stelzer hosted a much appreciated visitor. Mike Treese, rapper, DJ, producer, break dancer, and member of local rap group Mass Hysteria, paid a visit to RMU students to discuss the progression and decline of rap music. The viewing of the documentary, The Art of Rap, produced by iconic rapper Ice T, preceded the discussion that went further in depth about the true art of rap. The documentary identified how rap was started and also discussed the new genre, hip-hop, that it created. During the open discussion with Treese, students were intrigued to find
out his opinions about the drastic decline in the quality of rap music during the new millennium. “Corporate changes the true art of rap. Artists have specific schedules and deadlines to meet in order for them, Anybody can be a rapper. Everybody who does it will not get famous, or even moderately famous. Focus on the entire art instead of single hits. -Mike Treese Mass Hysteria and the companies that support them, to make any money.” Treese also felt that the inf luence of Corporate America in the rap world
Eagle Advisor
Content Team
Paul Gaszak PGaszak@robertmorris.edu
Lindsay Dahl [Editor-in-Chief ] Tyson Bosco [Executive Editor] Dan Ciaglia [Editor] Stacy Zamskaya [Editor] Adrian Saucedo [Writer] Heather Alexander [Writer]
Advisory Board David Pyle Mick McMahon
Campus Faculty
Design Team
David Belotti • Lake County DBelotti@robertmorris.edu
Blake Whitmore [Art Director] Tyson Bosco [Designer] Robert McMorris [Designer] Austin Huette [Designer] Kyle Ashley [Illustrator]
Beth Gainer • Bensonville BGainer@robertmorris.edu Nicole Hager • Springfield NHager@robertmorris.edu Gerard Wozek • Dupage GWozek@robertmorris.edu Jane Wendorff-Craps • Peoria JWendorffCraps@robertmorris.edu
heavily relies on endorsements and networking, it is how artists are able to make an abundance of money in a short amount of time. Overall, music in general is its own art form and not every artist is capable of creating a world-renowned masterpiece. However, those who choose to express themselves verbally and lyrically should do it as a way of showcasing their abilities and upholding everything the art represents, instead of using it as a “get rich quick scheme.” v
Send a Net, Save a Life By DeMarco White
The United Nations Association (UNAUSA) here at Robert Morris University is an organization that has been very active. With the vision to increase public awareness of the value and work of the United Nations, UNA-USA has produced such events like ”Call & Response”, “Books4Cause” Book Drive, Greater Chicago Food Drive, and most recently “When the night comes”. “[With an association with the] UNA-USA Greater Chicago College Consortium Chapter, UNA-USA at Robert Morris University has partnered up with the "Nothing but Net's" Campaign to raise awareness of the modern day Malaria epidemic happening to children and families in
Africa. "Nothing But Nets" is a global, grassroots campaign of the United Nations Foundation to raise awareness and funding to fight malaria, a leading cause of death among children in Africa. The campaign aims to prevent malaria deaths by purchasing, distributing and teaching the proper use of mosquito bed nets and end malaria deaths by 2015, in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals.” from www. nothingbutnets.net “When the night comes” which took place on February 27, 2013 in the Robert Morris University auditorium. With an audience of about fifty students
>>> Save a Life on pg. 3
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Cont. Save a Life as well as members of the outside community, guest speaker UNICEF Global Citizenship Fellow Mandy Sharp Eizenger presented on the facts of Malaria and how our students could take actions in addition to UNA-USA’s brief presentation on what they are doing as an organization to take action and build awareness. UNA-USA at Robert Morris University has set the goal of raising $2500.00 in funds, which is equivalent to two hundred and fifty lifesaving,
malaria-preventing nets. Each net cost $10.00. Over the course of the campaign, which will be ending May 8th, UNA-USA at Robert Morris University will be producing events as well as building awareness on the modern day epidemic known as Malaria. Interested in getting involved or donating? Contact unausa@ robertmorris.edu. As an organization UNA-USA at RMU encourages students to stand up and become part of a change. v
Calling All Former Eagles By Dan Ciaglia For universities around the country, some of the biggest strengths lie in their ability to keep thousands of alumni students constantly involved in networking with their alma mater. Just like other schools around the country, Robert Morris University places a lot of emphasis on keeping the former Eagles heavily involved in various school activities around the university in order to build a strong network from within. Currently, RMU is taking more steps to connect alumni with its current students, as seen through recent developments of alumni integration Liz Wheeler, the Dean of Graduate Success, currently leads the new alumni outreach initiative. Wheeler’s job is to contact alumni members and see where they currently work and how they would like to participate within RMU’s events. So far, the new alumni outreach plan has put several projects into effect. One of them is the initiative
New Steps Being Taken Toward Alumni Outreach
known as the Distinguished Alumni Award, which is given to alumni who are working with great companies and are extremely successful in their respective careers. Other ways that Wheeler hopes to keep alumni involved is through maintaining a large and consistent flow of invitations for alumni to attend sporting events, performing arts shows, intercollegiate sports, admissions events, and classroom visits. Such events are aimed to keep alumni involved and aware of the events happening at RMU. More specifically, Wheeler is currently coordinating an Alumni Forum to be held in April. At this event, three former Eagles will return to campus and speak about leading diverse teams in the workplace. With just about every aspect of life, the best way to achieve growth and expansion is through a good foundation. With RMU’s new alumni outreach initiative, the university is poised to establish an even stronger groundwork than it already has. v
How to Acquire that Perfect Internship By Adrian Saucedo Internships are becoming more crucial in entering the working world. It is the opportunity for you to demonstrate what you have learned and gain relevant experience in the workplace before graduation comes. With an internship, you are one step closer to getting a good job after graduating, one that merits your hard work and years of preparation. According to career advisors at RMU, the best internships are the ones that students find themselves. The reason is that the more students are involved in finding an internship, the more likely they are to find something of their interest. Often times, career advisors offer students internships that are not what students are looking for, which can lead to negative experiences or lack of success. In order to be successful, it is important to first look at your areas of interest and also prepare some secondary choices in case you can’t get an internship in your field of interest. If you are planning to do a summer internship, the best time to apply for one is now. According to RMU career advisors, five weeks is not enough time to look and apply for an internship, especially if you are looking for a competitive or paid internship. Students should apply for competitive internships at least a quarter in advance. It is also important that you don’t limit the number of internships you apply to so as to keep your options open. Once you are granted an interview, you are halfway there in obtaining the internship. You should keep your resume up-to-date and have professional
documents available so that when the time comes for an interview, you are prepared. Before going on an interview you should explore and research the company because the key to a successful interview is preparation. It is important to dress appropriately, be enthusiastic and confident, sell yourself, ask questions and don’t forget to thank your interviewer. You should also be prepared to answer questions about your interest in the company, qualifications, expectations, and career goals. RMU career advisors argue that many times students have no expectations which shouldn’t be the case since the student should feel ownership about applying to an internship. Career advisers recommend the following websites to begin your internship search: indeed.com, npo.net, and craigslist. org. The majority of internships are obtained in two ways: Students are interested in a particular company and will visit their website or a company contacts RMU that they are in search of student interns. Regardless of whether or not you obtain a paid or unpaid internship, once you get an internship you should treat it like a real job. You should be on time, enthusiastic, responsible, dress well, avoid missing work, and get along with others. Make the most out of your experience and hopefully you will land your dream job. For more information about internships search for the Career Services link at the RMU website. Call or visit your career advisor at the Career Services office located at the basement of 401 South State Street, Chicago, IL 60605. Their phone number is (312) 935-4060. v
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SPORTS & HEALTH Chicago and a New Baseball Season By Dan Ciaglia
A majority of the Fall and Winter proved itself a difficult time to be a sports fan in the Windy City. Chicagoans watched the Bears go from a dominating 7-1 to practically irrelevant, hoped the Bulls could be better than mediocre while awaiting the return of Derrick Rose, and wondered whether or not they would see the Blackhawks take the ice in the Madhouse on Madison in 2012-13. However, behind the scenes of all these woes, Chicago’s boys of summer, the White Sox and Cubs, have been working hard and long in preparation for Major League Baseball’s Opening Day on April 1st. As each squad wraps up their Spring Training schedules, baseball fans around the city are pondering one thing: what is to be expected from each team’s 2013 campaigns? To answer that question in 2 simple words: not much. For starters, no major acquisitions were made by either front office. Neither team was expected to be sought after destinations for top free agents like Josh Hamilton (signed by the Angels), Zack Greinke (Angels), or B.J. Upton (Braves). In fact, there was almost
complete lack of any action in free agency from both Chicago teams, which doesn’t leave much hope for either team’s faithful fans. On the South Side, they were able to keep the always reliable Jake Peavy in the pitching rotation and added Jeff Keppinger, an infielder from the Rays, to fill a gaping hole in the lineup left by Kevin Youkilis (now with the Yankees) and fan favorite A.J. Pierzynski (Rangers). On the other hand, the Cubs were a little more active than the Sox, but none of their signings were considered “high profile” by most standards. Their biggest splash was signing pitcher Edwin Jackson from the Nationals to provide some veteran leadership in the pitching rotation. They also brought in Kyuji Fujikawa from Japan to bolster their bullpen and eventually have him challenge Carlos Marmol for the closer role. Nate Schierholtz, an outfielder from the Phillies, is also expected to add some more depth to their lineup. So, what is to be expected from each throughout the season? Well, last year the Sox had an unfulfilling method of live by the home run and die by the home
Walking Among Us Rey Rodriguez
By Dan Ciaglia When it comes to baseball, the past couple decades have seen an exponential growth in the amount of talent that comes out of Latin America. More recently, it has become common for international players to play their college ball in the United States in hope of garnering more attention from Major League scouts. Last year, Robert Morris’s baseball program was introduced to Reinaldo (Rey for short) Rodriguez – a left-handed pitcher hailing from Valencia, Venezuela. Like the thousands of players who have come before him, Rey’s dream is to make it to the big leagues and must attract the attention of the scouts in order
to do so. Well, he is most definitely on the fast track to the next level; Rey is 1 of 17 players around the country from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to be named to the 2013 preseason All-America team. The selection comes as no surprise because Rey’s 2012 statistics are nothing short of outstanding. He posted a perfect 10-0 record with a 1.33 Earned Run Average and 87 strikeouts, 17 of which were in 1 game, a career high for the southpaw. He led the entire country in ERA, Opponent Batting Average, and Hits Allowed per game, such an astounding performance that was enough to earn him the 2012 CCAC Pitcher of the Year recognition as well as 1st Team All-American honors. On the 2013 All-America Team, he’s just 1 of 3 players from the 2012 team, unofficially being dubbed on the NAIA’s website as part of the “headlining trio” for this year’s team.
run. Unless their aging lineup can find a way to score without providing souvenirs, expect their offensive production to be about the same as last year – mixtures of hot and cold bats. On a positive note, look for a healthy John Danks to make the rotation better, and keep your eye on Chris Sale, the young lefty that should solidify his role as the ace of the pitching staff and emerge as one of the top arms in the league. Unfortunately for the Sox, the top dog of the Central, the Tigers, had a World Series caliber roster that only got better by signing outfielder Torii Hunter and keeping Anibal Sanchez on arguably one of the top pitching staffs in the league. Come October, expect the Tigers to repeat as AL Central Champions. However, I still have the Sox in the postseason as the 2nd AL Wildcard team, but it’s difficult to match them against the top dogs down the stretch. On the North Side, Theo Epstein’s master plan of putting together a long-awaited (105 years to be exact) championship team is still in its developing stages, so don’t expect many headlines to come out of Wrigley. Although it is Rey came to the United States 4 years ago, mostly attributing the move to playing baseball. “It was tough at the beginning since I did not speak English at all, but I am glad I took the opportunity and came here,” said Rey. Now a 23-year old senior majoring in Business Administration, Rey hopes to continue his successful career and has set the bar high for this year’s Eagles. He said, “My goal for the team is to win conference and go to the [NAIA] World Series. We have an awesome team and we will do our best to make it happen.” Rey is certainly doing what he can to help the Eagles reach that goal; in his season debut against North Central on March 1st, he surrendered just 2 hits and struck out 9, earning the win in a 13-0 blowout. Many people have come to the United States seeking opportunity, and that is exactly what Rey Rodriguez has set himself up for – an opportunity. He is racked up all the top accolades and statistics a pitcher could and has without a doubt proven his ability to get to the next level. Robert Morris University is proud to have such an accomplished student-athlete like Rodriguez. One thing, for sure, is that the future is bright for this young man. v
expected to be a down year, keep an eye on first baseman Anthony Rizzo as he starts his first full season, and Wellington Castillo as he is expected to be the permanent catcher for the future. Much like the AL, the NL Central’s best team, the Reds, only got better via a trade for the Indians’ outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. The Cubs should be a little improved on last year, but the Reds are expected to cruise through the Central and repeat as champs. As for the rest of the MLB, my predictions for playoff teams are as follows: joining the Tigers (Central) and White Sox (Wildcard #2) will be the Blue Jays (East), Angels (West), and Yankees (Wildcard #1) from the American League. From the National League, I’ll take the Nationals (East), Dodgers (West), Giants (Wildcard #1), and Braves (Wildcard #2) to compete with the Reds (Central). In the end, I am seeing the Angels taking on the Reds in the World Series with the Angels coming out on top. v
Spring 2013 Sports Report
Men’s Sports March 19, 2013- Sam Milligan Selected to the ACHA Division III All-America First Team March 24, 2013- Top Ranked Eagles Win NAIA Men's Bowling National Invitational For First Time in Program History
Women’s Sports March 14, 2013- Four Eagles Selected to ACHA Women's Hockey All-America Teams March 24, 2013- Eagles Finish in Third Place of NAIA Women's Bowling National Invitational Tournament March 24, 2013- Fourth Ranked Eagles Clinch NWLL West Conference Regular Season Championship & Berth to NWLL National Tournament
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THEEAGLE
CONTENT TEAM
DO YOU WANT TO: MAKE EXTRA MONEY? BECOME A PUBLISHED WRITER? BECOME A WRITER FOR THE EAGLE! CONTACT PAUL GASZAK FOR DETAILS: eagleeditor@robertmorris.edu.
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ARTS & CULTURE The 85th
Academy Awards Recap
www.businessinsider.com
By Adrian Saucedo The 85th Academy Awards were held on February 24th, hosted by the controversial voice actor, animator, and comedian, Seth MacFarlane. As expected, there were no big surprises in terms of award winners, only slight confusion for audiences at home on whether they were watching the Oscars or the Tonys, due to numerous musical performances throughout the three and a half hour show. This year’s Oscars were the first to feature a theme, with this year’s relating to movie music. To avoid excessively long speeches, this year’s winning actors were hurried off stage to the theme song of Jaws. Seth Macfarlane, mostly known as the creator of Family Guy and the movie Ted, received mixed reviews about his performance as this year’s host. Some critics praised his work, stating he was fearless, while others
criticized MacFarlane for being sexist, racist, and inappropriate. The first movie criticized was Argo, which won awards for Best Picture, Film Editing, and Adapted Screenplay. MacFarlane poked fun at Ben Affleck for not being nominated as best director, saying the movie, based on true events about a CIA operation to rescue American hostages in Iran, was so top secret that no one knew its director. Argo is the first movie since 1989 to win Best Picture, but not nominated for Best Director. Although Affleck was upset at not being nominated for Best Director, he took home the most coveted award and the honor of receiving it from Academy Award winner, Jack Nicholson, and the First Lady, Michelle Obama, who was the surprise presenter of the evening, appearing from the White House through streaming video. The biggest Oscar winner this year was
Life of Pi, which won four awards, including Best Director and Visual Effects. Perhaps one of the major surprises, or upsets for some, was that Steven Spielberg did not win best director for Lincoln, as he was the favorite contender to win. Lincoln did however win best production design and Daniel Day-Lewis won the Best Actor award for his great work in portraying Abraham Lincoln. This was Day-Lewis’ third Oscar, making him one of three actors to hold this honor. To no surprise, Christoph Waltz won his second Oscar for his supporting role in Django Unchained. The film also won Best Original Screenplay. Les Miserables was awarded three Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress. Anne Hathaway received the award with incredulity, stating that her dream as an actress has finally come true. Les Miserables also won awards for Best Makeup and Hair
and Sound Mixing. The Best Actress award was given to Jennifer Lawrence for her role in Silver Linings Playbook. On the way to receive the award, she tripped on the stairs and credited her fall for the standing ovation she received. Skyfall 007 was also a major winner receiving the Best Music award, written by British musician, Adele, who performed the winning song at the show. Skyfall also tied with Zero Dark Thirty for best sound editing. Searching for Sugar Man won for best feature documentary, while Inocente won best short documentary. Amour won the award for Best Foreign Film. Curfew won Best Short Film, while Paperman won Best Animated Short Film. The film Anna Karenina won for best costume design. Brave won the Best Animated Film award, beating ParaNorman, Frankenweenie, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, and Wreck-It Ralph. v
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New Artist
Artist to Know: Wavves By Stacy Zamskaya As the snow continues to melt and the sun begins to come out, the notion of summer slowly creeps into our minds. We become lost in daydreams of beaches, warm weather, and Wavves. Few others are able to capture the essence of careless summer nights mixed with teenage boredom within skate-punk chillwave tunes quite like the San Diego based rockers. Nathan Williams began Wavves as a solo recording project in 2008, releasing various 7” LPs and even a cassette, which paved the way for his first album release, Wavves. Williams began to tour the US with drummer, Ryan Ulsh, gaining attention from various music media sources, including Pitchfork.
New Music By Kyle Ashley
In the 1970’s Sound City Studios in Los Angeles, California began to reach it’s height of fame. It was the legendary soundboard within the studio that drew in highly renowned artists and brought others into fame. It was in this studio that Mick Fleetwood first met and began recording with Stevie Nicks on Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors”. Neil Young's “After the Gold Rush”, Rick Springfield’s “Working Class Dog”, Metallica’s “Death Magnetic”, and of course Nirvana’s breakthrough album “Nevermind” were also products of Sound City. Tom Petty recorded multiple albums there as well. Many others beyond musicians have also recorded in the studio. This
Williams recorded his second album, Wavvves, at his parents’ house in 2009, embarking on a worldwide tour. This time around though, the media attention Wavves received was not as pleasant as the year before. Williams gained a Lindsay Lohan level reputation in the music world; as he experienced various public breakdowns at concerts, he eventually cancelled the tour after a disastrous show in Barcelona. Taking all of his experiences of living a true rock-and-roll lifestyle, Williams recorded King of the Beach in 2010, which was voted one of the best albums of the year by SPIN, Pitchfork, and other music sources. Tracks such as “King of the Beach” and “Post Acid” became summer anthems for teenagers lost in the bliss of youthful recklessness. The album captured the real
essence of California with its colorful punk attitude, showing the true growth of Williams as a musician. This past December, Wavves released a music video for the single “Sail to the Sun”, announcing the release of a new album entitled Afraid of Heights. Williams and Stephen Pope worked on the album for almost an entire year with producer John Hill, who has worked with artists like M.I.A., Rihanna, and Santigold. Williams describes Afraid of Heights as a much more honest and bigger sounding record. Whereas Wavvves and King of the Beach follow the theme of endless youth, the new record will capture more mature motifs, specifically focusing on “the realness of life”. The two released singles, “Sail to the Sun” and
“Demon to Lean On”, show the sound that Wavves is most known for, as Williams gently whines and plays heavy guitar riffs. At the same time, the tracks portray a new pop side intertwined with masterfully masked depressing lyrics, such as “The truth is that it hurts and what’s it really worth? No hope and no future”. The new album brings listeners closer to reality than Wavves’ previous albums, showing that Williams is growing up, just as summer has to eventually turn into fall. Afraid of Heights will be released March 26 on Mom + Pop Records. Find the album at your local record shop and catch Wavves on tour with Fidlar at Subterranean on April 1st. v
Sound City: Real to Reel includes the likes of Evil Knievel, Bill Cosby, and oddly enough Charles Manson. Two years ago, the studio was shut down due to financial issues and inability to keep up with modern recording technology. After hearing this, Nirvana drummer and lead singer/guitarist of the Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl, managed to buy the soundboard from the owners. He believed that the studio and its board were, in some sense, responsible for his success. He also believed that his experience at Sound City Studios had changed his life. He used the soundboard, which utilizes old analog tape reels for recording, to make the Foo Fighters’ last album, “Wasting Light”. Grohl believed the imperfections of analog recording drew from the essence of the human element, and that the perfection of digital recordings felt too synthetic. After the success of “Wasting Light” the Foo Fighters decided to call for a break last summer. Dave Grohl began to create a documentary on the studio and many of the artists who had recorded there. In doing this, Grohl began collab-
orating with other artists in order to create a soundtrack for his film. This became Sound City – Real to Reel. The result, as far as can be told by the limited number of tracks currently released, is amazing. There have been three tracks re-
The result, as far as can be told... is amazing. leased from the album so far: “Cut Me Some Slack” with Sir Paul McCartney and the remaining members of Nirvana; “From Can to Can’t” with Slipknot/Stone Sour front-man Corey Taylor, Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielson, and Dave Grohl; and “You Can’t Fix This” with Stevie Nicks, the Wallflowers’ Rami Jaffee, and the Foo Fighters. “Cut Me Some Slack” is a heavy classic sounding rock song. McCartney sings and plays an instrument, which he refers to as a “Cig Fiddle”, and the Nirvana members play in their original instrumen-
tal places. The track can be compared to a sound mixture that crosses between “Helter Skelter” and “American Woman”. “From Can to Can’t” has more of a modern, alternative sound and very much resembles a Stone Sour track. Nielson plays guitar in such a way that allows a perfect fit to the sound. Dave Grohl plays rhythm guitar, bass, and drums effortlessly to create a great rhythm section. Corey Taylor delivers a large vocal range and a great transition in emotion from quiet sorrow to loud redemption. “You Can’t Fix This” is a ballad to Fleetwood Mac’s Godson. It tells a story of how musicians deal with the temptation of drugs and trying to stay away from them. Nicks sings in a reserved voice, while Jaffee plays keyboard, Grohl plays guitar, and the rest of the Foo Fighters play in place. These tracks are great and can only raise the anticipation for the rest of the album’s release. Sound City Real to Reel releases March 12, 2013, and will likely be a must own for any generation that enjoys rock music as it is supposed to be made. v
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CUISINE
Lady Love By Tyson Bosco
With all the really terribly named drinks out there, it’s difficult to find something classy to order. There are many times in my life where I’ve seen drinks on a menu that sounded absolutely wonderful, only to find out saying the name of the drink would make me feel as dirty as used mattress in a dumpster (terrible, imagery, I know). Enter the Lady Love. Some might call this a girl’s drink because of the name and it’s sweet and fruity taste, but I would beg to differ. The sensuousness of this drink is the reason for it’s name, not the fact that it is for women. Also, I would rather order a drink with the words “Lady” or “Love” in it any day over most drink names out there. Ingredients: ~1 part Bacardi Razz ~1 part Absolute Peach ~1 part Liquor 43 ~2 parts Coke
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The Ultimate
Muffin
By Lindsey Dahl
Directions:
This easy to make hummus recipe can be prepared the night before serving to fully chill in the fridge. No pots and pans needed to prepare, just a food processor and a convection or toaster oven. Tahini can be found in many grocery or health food stores in the Middle Eastern section.
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 6-cup muffin tin.
Ingredients: ~1 cup all purpose flour ~1 tsp sugar ~1/2 tsp baking powder ~1/2 tsp salt ~1/2 tsp pepper ~1 cup cottage cheese ~1/4 cup sour cream ~4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cool ~1 large eggs ~4 soft boiled eggs, peeled (recommend a 5 to 6 minute easy boil) ~1 scallion, minced ~1/4 cup diced ham
2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper together in large bowl. In separate bowl whisk cottage cheese, sour cream, melted butter, eggs, scallions and ham together. Gently fold wet mixture into dry until just combined (do not overmix). 3. Fill muffin tin halfway with batter and then lay the peeled soft-boiled eggs in and cover with remaining batter to cover. Bake until golden brown, about 25 to 35 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through. 4. Let them cool in the tin for about 5 minutes and then remove from the tin and serve.
Potato & Leek Soup By Lindsey Dahl
Ingredients: ~3 potatoes, diced ~Water for boiling ~3 leeks ~1 cup mushrooms, sliced ~2 tbsp butter or margarine
~1/2 cup vegetable broth ~Salt and pepper to taste Directions: 1. Boil the potatoes in water until cooked, about 15 minutes. Drain well. 2. In a large skillet, sautĂŠ the leeks and mushrooms in the margarine
until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and the potatoes and cook for a few more minutes. 3. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. 4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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COMMENTARY He Says // She Says Keystone XL Pipeline
Adrian Saucedo On February 17, protesters gathered in Washington D.C. to stand against TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline project, a plan that if approved, would carry oil from Canada to Texas. There have been demonstrations here in Chicago as well. Protesters believe the energy decisions of today will have negative long term consequences and urge President Obama to block the Keystone XL pipeline project before it’s too late. The major concern for protesters is global warming. Although it is believed that humankind is mostly responsible for climate change, there is no evidence that stopping construction of the Keystone XL pipeline will have any impact on global climate change. The United States has been carrying Canadian oil for a long time, and it is becoming our primary source of energy. The less we rely on the Middle East and Venezuela for oil, the better it is for America. Stopping the Keystone XL pipeline will neither stop global warming nor America’s oil consumption. The less money goes to the Middle East, the better our nation will be in terms of national security and foreign policy. Projects such as the Keystone XL pipeline offer opportunities for the American economy to grow. If we are not going to stop our oil consumption, then why not have it more accessible to us instead of sending millions and millions of dollars to the enemy nations?
Instead, attention should be diverted in how to be more fuel efficient, so that we don’t need to rely on projects such as the Keystone XL project. People should be better educated in how to save energy and adopt more eco-friendly habits. But if we are not doing that, what is wrong with using the resources immediately available to us? Thousands of jobs will be created with this project and although the majority of the job openings will be temporary, in this economic crisis temporary jobs are highly valued. It is also worth mentioning that Canada is our ally and partnering with them in this project is of the nation’s interest both economically and diplomatically. If environmental safety is the biggest concern for protesters, they should know that TransCanada has taken the necessary steps to ensure environmental safety. As they have pointed out before, they abide by the regulations for environmental safety. Just as environmentalists fight to protect the environment, it is also in the best interest of the government and companies such as TransCanada to ensure safe environmental practices because it yields them more money. By properly managing energy resources and infrastructure, the companies make more money by gaining the trust of their customers, the government, and the general public. If the Keystone XL pipeline project will encourage our independence from Middle Eastern oil, promote our nation’s economy, favor our foreign policy and energy security by partnering with our neighbor and ally, why oppose the project? While it is true that more efforts should be put forward to reduce our reliance on oil for energy, it is also true that we cannot do all at once. Global warming is an important subject that needs to be addressed as a priority. But the Keystone XL pipeline project will not have a significant impact on global warming. Instead of investing our energy to oppose this project, environmentalists should propose alternative sources of energy and allow the Keystone XL pipeline project because for now, it is in the nation’s interest to invest in the project that although temporarily will bring some economic relief to thousands of Americans. v
Stacy Zamskaya The controversial Keystone XL Pipeline has been at the forefront of debate among environmentalists and labor supporters for the past four years. The 1,700 mile pipeline is seen as both a pathway towards North American energy independence and a dangerous step in increasing global warming. TransCanada’s Keystone XL plans to carry up to 830,000 barrels per day of tar sands oil – one of the most polluting and carbon-intensive fuels in the world – from Alberta, Canada to the US Gulf Coast refineries, located more than two thousand miles away. The pipeline, which would cross six U.S. states, would force the U.S. to promote the consumption of dirty fuels and increase oil mining operations in Canada. The existence of this pipeline would increase the use of tar sands crude oil and contribute to an environmental disaster in both the domestic and international climates. The Keystone XL Pipeline is argued to create a decrease in the US dependence on foreign oil, but that is not the case. The main use of the pipeline will be to transport Canadian oil to U.S. refineries, with the end product being sent for export in overseas markets. The Gulf Coast will refine the crude oil into diesel and other products to export to Europe and Latin America, with the majority of the refined oil never reaching U.S. drivers’ gas tanks. In order to improve American energy efficiency, the focus should be placed on reducing the demand for oil through fuel efficient standards, not through the building of a new pipeline. At the same time, it is important to re-
alize that the Keystone XL Pipeline will further increase the gas prices for U.S. consumers. The pipeline will drain the Midwestern refineries of cheap Canadian crude oil into the exporting refineries, thus reducing the current oversupply of Canadian crude oil and removing its price discounting. Keystone XL will cause the current price of heavy crude to increase to that of imported crude oil. Canadian profits are expected to rise from the current $2 billion to $3.9 billion with the building of the pipeline. As a result, this resource price increase will cause an increase in per-gallon prices of around 20 cents in the Midwest. Another matter to take into consideration pertains to the danger of the Keystone XL Pipeline for the environment of the Midwest. Recalling the infamous BP oil spill, many skeptics ask what would happen if a spill of similar scale occurred within the American heartland. The pipeline would cross through areas such as the Missouri and Niobrara Rivers, walleye fisheries, and much of the U.S. farmland. The U.S. Pipeline Safety Administration has not concluded the safety properties of tar sands on such areas, bringing concern for the safety of the American people and wildlife. Finally, it is important to note on the impacts of the pipeline on the American environment. The Keystone XL Pipeline would contribute to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, considering the fact that the extraction and refinement of oil sands produce a higher quantity of greenhouse gases than conventional oil. The EPA estimates that throughout the pipeline’s estimated fifty year lifetime, the project could yield up to 1.15 billion tons of greenhouse gases. The Keystone XL Pipeline project poses many threats to the American public, as well as our already damaged climate. The focus should be turned towards developing more efficient fuel systems, such as green energy. Renewable, sustainable, and clean energy sources will prevent many of the consequences that come with the construction of new pipelines. It is time for politicians to decide whether the safety of its people and environment outweigh the marginal profits of a climate-destroying crude oil highway. v
11
Is There Anybody Out There?
By Tyson Bosco I have noticed a few things about going to Robert Morris University that have finally become something I am finally comfortable talking about. This refers to an almost left out feeling I get. I would first like to state that I am not looking to start a witch hunt; the last thing in the world I feel like doing is pointing the finger at someone or other and throwing all my blame and hatred on them. All I want to do is raise a point and possibly attempt the first steps to getting the problem solved. Sometimes I feel like I am going to school at a secret government agency. Most of the activities that go on I only hear
from word of mouth. Is there a reason for all this secrecy? I know there is a website that has some (a good portion but I feel there is a bit missing) information about some of the activities around this school, but it seems as though it does not seem to be enough. There is more out there than what is on the web, and in my opinion, it seems to be placed on the website just to say that it is there. I feel like it totally defeats the purpose of trying to get people into clubs if the information is limited and difficult to cultivate interest in. People are brought into things by pretty pictures and contrasting imagery, rather than blocks of text with equally depressing headlines. I would like to point out that I am not
A Day to Be Foolish
By Tyson Bosco
April fool’s day has always been quite a mystery to me in the idea that there is an actual holiday bent around messing with people. Whether it is putting salt in one’s drink, drastically changing the time on someone’s alarm clock, or just a basic trip line in the hallway, it seems as though a holiday such as this belongs in a Dr. Seuss story rather than actually occurring in the real world. It is true though; this holiday totally exists. One thing I always get on about is how it came to be. I guess I just cannot seem to picture a man in the Middle Ages pranking his boss with a can of those worms that jump out. One could
get their head lopped off for something like that. So then, when did people start celebrating April Fools Day, and why? Iranians, it has been said, have been known to play jokes on each other on the 13th day of the Persian New Year, which falls on April 1st or April 2nd. Because this tradition has been celebrated since as far back as 536 BC, it has been speculated that Sizdah Bedar, known as the oldest prank-tradition in the world, is speculated to having been the origins to April Fools’ Day. Believe it or not, this is one of the many that claims to be the start to the holiday. Another possible origin comes from the changing of the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. In 1582, Pope
trying to attack the school’s website. I think that it is a great place to get information about this school, as well as it is a great place for people to gain an understanding of things if they have never been to Robert Morris. With that being said, I feel there needs to be something stronger out there to let people know about more current developments, such as the addition of the Winter Color Guard (which is not, as I found out, a group of people hired to make sure no one steals the color from our spectrum). There are clubs and new additions every day that we don’t even know about. I feel like we should be given a stronger opportunity to gain information about them. I would also have to say, though, that the
source of our information is not the only group that could be stepping it up. I feel that partially the reason we do not have a more current publication is because a great portion of the people in this school simply do not care what additions there are. Robert Morris could go all out in letting everyone know what is current and what is in need of members, but none of that makes any difference in the world if the only people that care are the people that are already involved. We need to more support in our establishment because, as the phrase goes, “you don’t bite the hand that feeds, you tell all your friends how great it is”. That’s not at all the phrase; I totally made that up. v
Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar with new dates and such. Based on where it is on the calendar we use today, April 1st was the original New Years, but because of the calendar change, January 1st became the new first day of the year. What happened from here is that many people, whether to be stubborn or out of actual unawareness of the change, still celebrated their New Years Day on April 1st. These people were then made fun of in access. There has been quite an evolution in pranking since the start to this ridiculous holiday’s start. In Scotland, April Fool’s Day used to be known as Hunt-the Gowk Day (gowk obviously meaning foolish person). The traditional prank was to have someone deliver a sealed message asking for help of some sort. The prank, though, was that the message actually reads “Dinna laugh, dinna smile. Hunt the gowk another mile.” Upon reading the message, the recipient would explain that he could only help if another person was contacted first. The message sent to that person would be
the exact same message. Therefore, the person delivering the message would spend all day running back and forth for nothing. Another big April 1st tradition, this one also coming from Italy, France, Belgium and French-speaking Canada includes the poisson d’avril (which literally translates to April’s fish). This prank consisted of secretly placing a paper fish on an unsuspecting persons back and shouting “April’s Fish” at them until they figured out they were the butt of a joke. It is funny how much a holiday can change in a few hundred years. It is also pretty hilarious to know that people have been messing with each other for a very long time. When I was younger, it seemed like the pranks were so much more cruel and genuine. Now days, it seems like I the world has been utterly prank-less. Unless of course the fact that every year I have thousands of paper fish stuck to my back. And to think, I thought it was all just a coincidence. v
12
PUZZLES
Difficult
Beginner
Sudoku
INSTRUCTIONS Fill in the grid with numbers so each row, column, and 3x3 block has every number from 1 to 9.
WordScramble
INSTRUCTIONS Unscramble the letters to make meaningful words and write them in the space given at the bottom. Use the letters entered in the circles, as well as the hint provided, to unscramble the answer phrase.
ntpirnshie iaunlm L B B S eaal
__________ ______ ________
plinpeei oalliprsFo H ssyaairtmse
________ __________ ____________
sosrca
______
ee k l
f imun f
______
momccatin g niu _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Hint: A time to Relax
____