Soulstice
Vol. 2 Spring 2010
Soulstice
Table of Contents Breathe, Stretch, Relax...........................................................................................................................Page 2 Tips and tricks for reducing stress. Eastern State Penitentiary......................................................................................................................Page 3 A closer look at Philadelphia’s most horrifying landmark. Local Restuarants: Prim and Proper or Filthy and Foul?....................................................................Pages 4-5 What is really happening to your food? The Electric Turtle.................................................................................................................................Page 6 A proud grandfather commemorates his grandson.
The Miracle League: Young Athletes with Disabilities..............................................................Page 7 Helping special needs children enjoy baseball.
The Origin of CollegeHumor.com..........................................................................................................Page 8 How an Internet sensation is born. The Beauty of Her Hands.......................................................................................................................Page 9 More than just appendages of the human body. Freedom Inside Yourself.......................................................................................................................Page 10 Escaping from the pressures of society. You Will Find the Crown in Brooklyn..................................................................................................Page 11 Paying homage to his roots. Love or Lust?.................................................................................................................................Pages 12-13 A commentary on the pornography industry. The Art of Improv................................................................................................................................Page 14 More complicated than just acting without a script.
Vol. 2
From The Editor’s Desk
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t is my pleasure and honor to write this introductory letter for the second edition of Soulstice. In its original paper form, Soulstice was available exclusively to staff and students of Holy Family University. However, now with this digital, full-color version, the student voices expressed in the articles can be shared with the world. What began as a small project in Dr. Fran Pelham’s Magazine Writing class, is currently well on its way to becoming a strong voice in cyberspace You will find that the articles presented in this magazine are varied, with no two topics sounding alike. This broad expanse of topics, ranging from a local restaurant review to a critical commentary on the horrors of the pornography industry, allow Soulstice to break through the barriers of themed publications and to provide a publishing space for even the most unusual subjects. Whether you are sitting at your computer enjoying a cup of coffee, or quickly printing out the PDF file to read on your way to class, I hope that the words of these student voices truly resonate within you and speak to your soul. - Jennifer Gregory, Editor
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Soulstice
Breathe, Stretch, Relax
By Arielle Hontscharik ou have chapters to take on more and more responsibilities until it’s too read and outlines to much for them. If there are things in your environwrite for classes, projects ment that make you more anxious, change them if to research, and presenyou can. Activities like watching too much depresstations to prepare. You ing news or being caught in traffic that gets you tense wake up at seven a.m., are alterable. Turn off the television if it’s getting you hopefully have breakfast down and try taking a different route that doesn’t get and drive to class or to as backed up as your normal one. Keeping something work where you probably bottled up that’s bothering you is alterable as well. spend most of your day. If something or someone upsets you, address the All the while you may be situation when you’re ready and it will probably feel thinking about the launfreeing to get everything you were holding in out in dry that needs to be done or the floor that needs to the open. be vacuumed and what you’re going to have for dinThe best things you can do, however, are the things ner later that won’t take too long to cook. On top of that relax you. They could be something as simple this, that fight you had with your boyfriend last night as taking a walk, calling a friend, playing with a pet, still has you a little worried. Maybe you even have curling up with a good book, or listening to music. bills to pay that are getting close to being due. Does Jessica, a communications major, said that she likes all of this sound familiar? These are things people to take a bubble bath and listen to music. “Listening tackle on a day-to-day basis. Some handle them to calming music usually calms my mood and gets well and others tend to feel more overwhelmed and my mind off of things. It’s an almost mindless thing to stressed out by everything they have to do. do because I can concentrate on a single instrument Everyone reacts differently in stressful situations. or just the lyrics and distract myself from whatever Some people may not even realize how much stress is on my mind. After, it’s usually really easy to just they’re really under or the effect it has on them. Too fall asleep and go to bed relaxed and get really well much stress is never good for the body or the mind, rested.” and every now and then it’s better to take a step back, Alison is a mother and full time student, but still breathe, and let loose. It might be hard to walk away manages to take time out to have fun with her kids. from the work you brought home to finish, or the “With going to school full time and raising four kids homework that seems to be piling up by the minute I barely have time for myself, but I promised myself because there will never be more hours in the day; I would always spend time with my girls. So every but if you take time out of your busy schedule to night usually around 8:00 p.m. I stop what I’m dorelax, you’ll be glad you did later on. ing (even if I’m studying for a test the next day) and Too much stress can take a toll on your mind and I go upstairs, pop in a Disney movie and play with body, so here are some things you can do to reduce my babies until they’re ready to fall asleep. I know your stress level and become more in control of your this doesn’t sound relaxing but anyone who has kids life. Many experts recommend keeping a stress jourknows exactly what I mean!” nal; just jotting down the things that make you panic If it calms you and makes you feel ready to tackle or feel overwhelmed, how you react to these things, whatever life throws your way next, then it’s workand how you try to make yourself feel better. Knowing. In the long run your body will thank you for the ing what gets you most stressed is the first step in break from the tension and your mind will be more at managing it better. ease. As A.A Milne wrote “Don’t underestimate the Another suggestion is to avoid unnecessary stress. value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening Many people find it hard to say “no” and continually to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.”
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Vol. 2
Eastern State Penitentiary
By Melissa Rosati arkness and silence are what define Philadelphia’s most haunting historic landmark. The Eastern State Penitentiary stands on the corner of 22nd and Fairmont Avenue. The prison was in use from 1829 until 1971. The way the Penitentiary is structured, is that there are seven cell blocks that all connect to a circle in the center so that the prisoners can be viewed at all times. Inside these walls, the most inhumane forms of punishments took place. From the looks of this prison, and the history of torture and living conditions, a person would assume that all of these prisoners were absolute hardcore prisoners and must have done the worst possible deeds. In reality many of these prisoners were serving time for less severe crimes like theft. One of the punishments included being hung on a wall drenched in ice water for the night. This was especially popular during winter because a layer of ice would form on the prisoners’ skin. Each cell is 8ft by 12ft. Every cell has a small skylight which prisoners called the “eye of god.” This skylight lets in very little light. Prisoners spent 23 hours of the day inside their cells and were not allowed to speak. On the ceiling of the prison’s synagogue, which is still in near-perfect condition, there is a quote from the Bible, that reads, “As you did shall be done to you...” Just as these words were burned into the minds of the inmates, they will continue to echo eerily in the minds of modern tourists for years to come.
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A Closer Look This picture was taken from the catwalk of Cellblock 7. It is said that the catwalk I was standing on is where most of the paranormal activity is reported. I read that a group of people touring the prison did a voice recording from this catwalk and when they played the tape back they heard angry voices telling them to leave and a voice that said “You don’t need to take that damn picture.”
Photo by Melissa Rosati Page 3
Soulstice Local Restaurants: Prim and proper or filthy and foul?
By Gia Malvestuto estaurants bring in was wonderful as the people were extremely nice and the money daily. They quick with the food deliverance. The restaurant itself prepare and serve food and was also kept very well and clean. drinks to customers, but Cosmos in Bensalem was the second restaurant that how well are they taken care I visited. As soon as I walked in I was seated and I of? Cleanliness, service, and started asking my waitress a few questions. She told dealing with people come me they are a very clean restaurant as they are always into play. Some restaurants on top of their cleaning priorities each and everyday. are dirty, and the employI asked what they do when a wrong order comes to ees do not keep up with the a table and she responded “we sometimes eat it and cleaning. Restaurants have will put a rush order on the correct meal.” She also even seen bugs and rodents told me “for people who are rude to us, we will go in before. Sanitation issues the back and talk about them, other than that we’re must be enforced. Millions not mean to people and don’t ever mess with their of people go to restaurants food.” I was shocked that the waitress actually told me everyday but are not aware of what goes on in the this; knowing that you should never talk about people back. The stories that are about to be told are good, in a job facility even if they are rude to you. Since you bad and somewhat ugly. As I visited each restaurant I never know who is listening to your conversation; let the interviewees know that this was for an article. this can cost you your career. A while back, I visited Cafe Longano a local Italian I have two friends who used to work at a restaurestaurant. As I was waiting to be seated I probed the rant chain when it first opened. They said “a lot of hostess for some information about the newly opened employees would not clean up after their tables and restaurant. She told me that it’s really clean in the some would even drop food on the ground and pick kitchen, and so far there were it up and still serve it to the no problems with rodents. customer.” It can be quite frightening She told me if a meal is not The harm that was being correct they will not serve to actually think about what done here is a disgrace. The it to another customer; they customer easily could get is really happening to your immediately throw it out and sick from the food being get them another meal as dropped. No one actually food. quickly as possible. I asked knows what has been on the how they deal with rude floor. And to think of all the customers and she responded, “We try to be as nice people who are walking on it whose shoes are by no as possible and accommodate them, but with people means clean. Sanitation problems could easily have who are extremely rude they take it further and go to arisen if someone did get sick. Also, dirty tables can the manager.” turn people away and if there is trash on the floor, it After I was seated and ready to order I figured I could make for a slippery fall which could then cause would order a wrong meal on purpose just to see how a major lawsuit. they would deal with it. When the waiter came out I decided to go to this restaurant chain. When I with my food, I told him that this was not what I had arrived, the hostess was very nice and she seated me ordered. With no bickering he told me he was very quickly. As soon as I sat down I noticed the fork and sorry and it must have been his fault because he was knife looked as if they were never cleaned, so I asked busy. He quickly brought the “wrong order” back and my waitress if she could get me new ones which she had my new meal out in minutes. My service here did. When my food finally came out it was cold and
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looked like it had been sitting back there for awhile. I asked if she could reheat it and she gave me an unnecessary dirty look and took it to the back. She brought my food back out in a few minutes and as soon as I was finished I realized my friends were right and I would never be going back there again. Uno Chicago Grill was another restaurant among the list visited. When I first walked in and was seated, my waitress came over to me quickly and got me a drink. She then came back and asked me what I would like to order and if I needed a refill. She was extremely nice and willing to get anything I needed. She smiled brightly. After she brought me my food I quickly asked her how clean the kitchen was and she responded, “We are extremely clean. Everyone has stuff to clean at the end of their shift and is checked by someone to see if it is done properly.” I then asked her how they deal with rude people who come in and she told me, “We have to calm the situation and figure out what’s wrong; if they’re being rude due to the service they’re receiving, they will most likely get the meal for free.” She told me the managers will do anything to get people to come back again. Lastly,
she told me if someone’s meal is mixed up, the server would just take it back to the kitchen and quickly have the chef prepare a new meal for them. You can tell from the moment you walk in the restaurant makes good money because they are always on top of things. The tables and surrounding areas are very clean. People look for that. Overall, it was a great experience to actually take the time and look into how each restaurant is really taken care of. It is good to know which ones are the best to go to, and now, which ones I will never go back to. It can be quite frightening to actually think about what is really happening to your food. If a restaurant is not well kept from the time you walk in, you could only imagine what is going on in the kitchen. You may now want to take a little time and do some investigation yourself the next time you eat out.
Restaurant Evaluation Checklist
Pay attention to these key factors when you visit a restaurant you are not familiar with.
aConsistent server interaction with customers. aTables and silverware are clean. aStress level of employees is evident. aSpeed at which food is being served.
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Soulstice
The Electric Turtle
By Carmen Mariano thought about all the something with one hand, the other hand would people I was honored do the same out of sympathy. The school wanted to to know, from famhold him back a year and it was decided that this was ily and friends and of all for the best. In the meantime, during the summer their accomplishments. I months he was at a park and got his leg caught on started of course with my the side rail of a sliding board, he broke the shin bone Mother, a single parent, in two places. By the time he was able to walk, more working and raising me than half of the new school year was gone. in a time when it truly A few years later my daughter gave Colton’s father was a man’s world, and visitation rights. My grandson was allowed to sleep the hardships she boldly over at his father’s house. His father owned a pit bull. faced. My mind wanOne night while my grandson was asleep, the dog dered to aunts, uncles and friends who have had a became agitated by Colton’s involuntary movements profound effect on my life. Then it dawned on me: and attacked the child as he slept. The Turtle. My grandson has had to overcome severe emotional Let me explain. The Electric Turtle is my first grand- problems: the constant changes in medication for his son. I nicknamed him that because when he was a ADD, anger-related outbursts, and insults and conbaby he would crawl around pushing off with his feet tinual ridicule by his peers. while looking up at the ceiling. We had rugs in the Today he struggles to keep up with his studies, but house so this made his hair stand up from the static. overall maintains a C+ average. He plays guitar for Hence the name, “The Electric Turtle”. Sunday services at his church, traveled to Louisiana, My daughter, who was supposed to be attending to help those who have been devastated by hurricane PSU Abington, met a young man and fell head over Katrina, and can recall stats from several players in heels for him. To me he was of questionable characvarious sports. His birthday was last week. He turned ter. But that’s another story. I was furious when my seventeen; he’s in 10th grade; and is holding his own, youngest daughter became pregnant. Where did I go overall. wrong as a parent? I told her I was very disappointed I applaud him for his efforts and continued ability to and wanted nothing to do with this child. She was bounce back. He doesn’t know it, but he has been a living under my roof and as the time approached I true inspiration to me. When I grow up, I want to be softened my stance about how I felt. When she told just like him. me she was naming him after a soap opera star, I felt hurt. Why not let him be my namesake? But I got over it. She named the boy Colton, and he became the best thing in my life. As a baby, he would curl up on my chest and sleep for hours. As time went on, we realized that his skills were developing slower than other children his age, but we shrugged this off as no big deal. As Colton got older and began Pre-K and kindergarten, we were told by teachers that he was hard to control, and that we should get him checked for ADD. He was examined and was found to have neurological skill problems as well. For instance, if he did
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Vol. 2
The Miracle League: Young Athletes With Disabilities
By Tom McDevitt ing! The ball flies off which will allow individuals of all ages with special the bat into left center needs to take part in a variety of athletic competifield. Lawn mowers grind tions. Miracle League athletes want nothing more and sputter in the distance than to play ball on warm, summer days just like and the smell of freshly every other athlete. cut grass lingers in the air. According to Miracle League Board of Directors After a long winter, spring member Jay Abovitz, “Community involvement is has arrived, and baseball vital. I became involved because I know that my kids is on the minds of Americans across the country. greatly benefitted from participating in sports. And Some remember the joy they experienced when they I believe every child should have the same chance as played as a youth; others can’t wait to get back on my kids had to enjoy sports.” Success of the Miracle to the field; but for many, our national pastime may League of Northampton is dependent on continued be all but impossible to experience firsthand. Not community involvement. because they can’t, but because a disability restricts Abovitz added that, “Groundbreaking is real close them from participating on a traditional field. as the community and the businesses have been very A miracle is often considered an extraordinary event generous so far. We have raised 75% of the funds in human affairs. A league is an association of perneeded for the construction.” The construction and sons brought together by a common interest, goal, maintenance of the Miracle League fields will be paid or cause. So, by definition the Miracle League is an for through continual fundraising and donations. association of people brought together to take part in There are many different ways that an individual can extraordinary events in human affairs. This rationale become a part of this extraordinary endeavor. It can rings true when speaking of the Miracle League of be as simple as making a donation, or as ambitious as Northampton Township. planning a fundraising event. Naturally, the best way The Miracle League, a national organization started to get started is knowledge. in Rockdale, Georgia in 1998, is a nonprofit organizaTo learn more about the Miracle League, attend tion that provides individuals with special needs, the the next informational event scheduled at the site of opportunity to play sports, regardless of ability or the field in Northampton Township Municipal Park disability. on Saturday, April 24th. This “Stroll for a Miracle,” a The first field opened in April of 2000. Since then FREE community “friend raiser” hosted by Comcast, 100 fields have been completed across the United is planned to raise awareness, but donations will be States with 100 more currently under construcgraciously accepted. Pre-registration for the “Stroll” tion. The Miracle League of Northampton joined can be done on-line at www.miracleleaguenhpa.org, the national organization in 2007. In 2008, the or at the event at 8:00 a.m. The stroll begins at 9:00 Northampton Township Board of Supervisors autho- a.m., welcoming all walkers and wheelchair users. rized the construction of a Miracle League field at the Participants are welcomed to stay after the walk and Northampton Township Municipal Park in Churchwatch the Miracle League athletes play a game and ville, Pa. demonstrate how this project will enhance their lives. Miracle League fields have a custom designed rubThe Miracle League is an organization that thrives berized surface that easily accommodates wheelon and is dependent upon community involvement. chairs and other assistive devices while helping to The Miracle League of Northampton Township is prevent injuries. In Northampton, the field will be a 501C3 tax exempt organization and can be desiglocated near other baseball and softball fields used nated through your United Way contributions. For by the townships youth leagues, creating a feeling of more information or to make a donation, visit their inclusion. An additional multipurpose field is planned website at www.miracleleaguenhpa.org.
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The Origin of CollegeHumor.com By George Dziedzina first heard of College“entrepreneur boot camp”, to start their careers. Humor.com when I was “All we did the entire time in San Diego was work. browsing videos one day Breakfast, lunch, dinner. … It was fun, actually,” on the video streaming Abramson said. website Youtube. I came “We weren’t making a huge amount of money, but across College Humor’s we all agreed we’d rather make very little money user channel and saw that and work for ourselves ... than make a little bit more they had many sketches money and work for someone else and not get to do and short films in their what we want,” Abramson said. video section. After “We thought College Humor might just be a means watching some of these to an end, something that would allow us to launch videos I decided to visit into another Web company,” Abramson said. But big their website. Their website contained videos writprofits from advertising made them decide to stick ten and produced by the College Humor staff like the with the original dream. ones that I had seen along with videos, articles, and After Zach Klein had graduated, the four-man group pictures submitted by the online community. I was decided to take their business to the “Big Apple,” New very intrigued to find out more information about York City. They chose to rent a four-bedroom aparthow this website came to be so successful. ment, in Tribeca. This apartment became their new The website known as CollegeHumor.com was business headquarters. launched in 1999 by two college-freshman Josh The website currently receives a vast amount of hits Abramson and Ricky Van Veen. Abramson took on everyday from people all over the world. The viewers the job of being a business manager and Veen took on and readers are one of the big reasons college humor the position as editor of the site’s content. These two has become the success that it is. The company has gentlemen spent the time that they had outside of the to thank its readers for its success. According to Van classroom negotiating advertisement deals, keeping Veen, about 70 percent of the site’s content is usertheir website up-to-date, and getting the word out generated. Some say relying on user-generated conabout their new exciting venture. tent isn’t a bad thing, and could pay off big time in the Abramson and Van Veen wanted to start this site end. The videos that are made by the staff average to share all of the funny things floating around their over 17 million views per month on the site. These college networks. “We wanted to start an advertiseCollege Humor videos can also be seen on their ment-based business,” Abramson said, “because at the YouTube Channel, which currently has over 500,000 time the advertising market was pretty hot and we’d subscribers. seen other people develop Web sites that were popu“Sites like College Humor, that are viral and have lar making a lot of money.” a fragmented audience, and can do well for a short In 2001, Jackob Lodwick and Zach Klein came on period of time. It’s always a question if the next genboard with Josh and Ricky as programmers of the eration will glom onto the content.” Abramson thinks site. Since Abramson, Lodwick, and Veen were though, they have targeted the right demographic. bringing in enough to support themselves by the time “They try to attract the range of readers spanning of their graduation in 2003 they decided to take the from high school kids who are looking forward to risk of becoming full-time entrepreneurs. college to graduates who spend their days reminiscThe three graduates decided that since they could ing about college,” Abramson said. “I think the most work from absolutely anywhere they wished, they important thing that we do, and what any Web commight as well work in a place that has great weather. pany can do, is really focus on the users’ experiences So they traveled to San Diego, for what they called and listen to users.”
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The Beauty of Her Hands By Brynne Whalen
Photo by Brynne Whalen
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hese hands are beautiful. They held me as a baby. They wiped away tears that flowed from my 5-year-old eyes when I woke from a haunting nightmare. They fed me every morning, noon and night. They have high-fived me when I came home from school, proudly displaying my first “A” on an English paper. They taught me right from wrong, and demonstrated the love and care in which I should treat my fellow man. They strengthen my faith in God, and inspire me to be a better person. These hands have molded me into the woman that I am today, and they are who I strive to be in the future. These hands are beautiful. They are hard-working, loyal, compassionate, determined, faith-filled, kind, gentle and comforting. They have been hard, and disapproving—but only when necessary. They have shown unconditional love time and time again. These hands have been through it all, love, joy, heartbreak, sorrow, achievements, and disappointments. These hands have never been idle; they have never given up or have thrown in the towel. They have touched many people’s hearts, and changed many lives. These hands are absolutely beautiful, and so is the woman attached to them: my mother. Page 9
Soulstice
Freedom Inside Yourself
By Linda Piecyk e live in a world ally care…” (Allsop). This is absolutely accurate in my where we are conopinion because believe it or not, most people are stantly bombarded by busy worrying about themselves and how they look the media telling us how and act, instead of you. to look, what to buy, and The second step to freedom from worrying about ultimately how to live. what others think is by using your confidence! Self“Looking at our current confidence is so important to end the paranoia about state of affairs, it would what others think of you. Banish your insecurities seem that the culture we and walk, talk and act with assurance of your worth humans have created for and you will have nothing to fear. Here is an example ourselves is driven by the from the blog, “The Secret to Not Caring What tension between the dePeople Think”: sire for approval and the fear of disapproval.” (Helgi). If you are wearing yellow shoes and are clearly We cannot escape the media or other people, ununcomfortable in your choice then people are less we decide to live in a cabin in the woods like the going to target you because they can see that and famous writer Henry David Thoreau. Freedom is they probably want to feel good about themone of the most desirable traits people want and truly selves. However, if you can wear the shoes with need, particularly free will. Yet, even though people pride and confidence, whilst clearly not caring think they have it, there are many social restrictions what other people think then you’ll notice the we place on ourselves in a civilization, therefore denegative reactions to be very small if any (Allpleting that sense of autonomy. sop). I want to focus on defeating the social limitations we It is entirely possible to act or dress beyond the sotend to create inside our heads, barring us from docial norms with that little surreptitious quality called ing something outside of the norm. I want to silence confidence. Why should you care what other people that inner voice inside your head that is constantly have to say about you? You are the only person who inhibiting you, by saying you cannot do this or that needs to decide whether you approve of yourself, or because of fear of rejection or disapproval. not. “If you are constantly judging yourself then there “The insatiable nature of the ego and its constant will be no doubt to the fact that you’ll judge what feeling of insecurity then dictates that it is always other people think of you. The main cause for this trying to secure itself by attempting to gain approval” is often self-limiting beliefs or society has made you (Helgi). Gaining the approval of others in everything think there is something wrong with you…” (Allsop). is literally an impossible goal, so why not just aim for The first step is to simplify your thoughts. Over your own approval and be confident about it? Give thinking is a cause for overwhelming anxiety when yourself approval to satiate that ego of yours and start it comes to caring too deeply about what others feeling secure! Confidence just takes practice; the think about you. “The reason we care what people more you display it, the easier it will become and the think is because we base our identity on their judghappier you will feel. ments of us, positive or negative” (Allsop). We all All it takes is two steps. “As time goes by and you crave approval or acknowledgement for our actions realize how unimportant the things you thought were to see how we measure up to the competition. But, actually are, things get easier and your level of caring when we over think and go too deeply into someone’s plummets rapidly” (Allsop). I will leave you with this words or actions, it creates a crisis that is not there. quote by Wayne Dyer, “what you think of me is none “It is probably in the majority of occasions that you of my business.” think you are being judged where people don’t actu-
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Bibliography Glen Allsop. “The Secret to Not Caring What People Think.” 16 March 2010 <http://www.pluginid.com/ Helgi. “What Do You Care What Other People Think?” 16 March 2010 <http://www.everydaywonderland.com/
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You Will Find the Crown in Brooklyn By Valery Cadet eminiscing about toilet is filled with hundreds of losing lottery tickets. when I was a Further along the streets are old buildings filled with young boy watching graffiti pieces, illuminated by raw lights streaming Cheers on late nights, through window frames without glass. Other buildI always remembered ings like those on Crown Street Pier are filled with the lyrics to the theme artistic glass blowers. song. One specific This is the only street in Brooklyn I am compelled part of those lyrics to visit over and over. I have walked along these always puts a smile on aging sidewalks countless times and taken many my face. It reads: pictures with friends and family that probably could “Sometimes you tell so many stories. Those are just really good times want to go where evI would give anything to relive again. I’m guessing erybody knows your in a couple of years the buildings will be completely name, and they’re different. Many things must be changed in Brooklyn, always glad you came. and Crown Street is no exception. A sea of parking You want to go where everybody knows your name.” lots, a new Mega-dollar store, and crowds of shopWhat place do you go where everybody knows your pers are soon scheduled to replace the old buildings name? Well for me, that place is Crown Heights, and that abandoned hotel. One of my friends told me Brooklyn. that buildings are being sold and torn down. As much That’s where it all started. I learned many things as I would like these streets to remain the same, I there. I learned how to ride a bike. It’s where I had understand that change must happen for the future my first fights with a couple of bullies and where I of this neighborhood to progress. I just hope that the learned my first curse words (Ones I could never cobblestones on the streets will remain. write down on paper). It’s where I met my best friend My view of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, will always and my first girlfriend in junior high school. remain embedded within my memories, no matter When I recall the landscape of Crown Heights the what changes may take place in the future. Rememstreet named Crown Street is the first thing I remem- bering my high school yearbook, there was a quotaber. Crown Street is only a few blocks long and is tion about Brooklyn that I will never forget. It said paved in rough cobblestones. The Street is so uneven “All roads lead to Brooklyn.” This quote is very true that cars and buses bounce almost out of control to me because I always felt that it doesn’t matter how when driving down the block. Crown Street can seem far I go in life or how long the road may be because like the most elegant street in Brooklyn until you it’s going to lead me back to the Crown of Brooklyn: come across Crown Street and Albany Avenue. Here Home Sweet Home. you will find a series of empty lots and buildings including this abandoned hotel that the old timers told me was built probably in the early 1940s. All these buildings are waiting to be rescued from their wreckage of time. Anything can happen along Crown Street. I have been confronted by a pack of wild dogs and, I’ve never been so scared in my life. Every week new lifesized poster figures are posted along the buildings brick walls. You never know what might appear on Crown Street. One day a table is set; another day a
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Soulstice
Love or Lust?
By Kurt Hibner he booming business people who are addicted often never speak to anyof pornography is not one about it because it is such a personal matter. discussed in many of our Mary Anne Layden, PhD, a psychologist at the Unisocial mediums. It can versity of Pennsylvania, was one of the witnesses at be a stimulant with huge the Senate hearing on pornography addiction. She consequences that could says the same criteria used to diagnose problems affect your job, priorities, like pathological gambling and substance abuse can and relationships. be applied to problematic porn use. One of the key When first putting tofeatures of addiction, she says, is the development gether this research, the of a tolerance to the addictive substance. In the way first important step was that drug addicts need increasingly larger doses to to find out if pornography get high, she thinks porn addicts need to see more could be classified as an addiction and to dissect the and more extreme material to feel the same level of addictive process that follows. The following data that excitement they first experienced. was discovered was startling. “Most of the addicts will say, well, here’s the stuff I In November 2004, a panel of experts testified would never look at, it’s so disgusting I would never before a Senate subcommittee that a product which look at it, whatever that is -- sex with kids, sex with millions of Americans consume is dangerously adanimals, sex involving feces,” she says. “At some dictive. They were talking about pornography.The point they often cross over.” effects of porn on the brain were called “toxic” and The following is just one of many stories how compared to cocaine. One psychologist claimed “pro- a normal family man became a criminal after a longed exposure to pornography stimulates a preferserious porn addiction. A day-care director, now ence for depictions of group sex, sadomasochistic serving three years for three counts of first-degree practices, and sexual contact with animals.”It used to sexual assault, confessed the he had “started pickbe that if you wanted to see pornography, you had ing up pornographic materials occasionally, goto go out and buy a magazine or rent a video. Store ing to bookstores … no one knew, not even my hours and available space under the mattress placed wife … now I do recognize fully the shocking facts some limits on people’s porn habits. about pornography and how it will draw you into There are now an estimated 420 million adult web its clutches away from God into sinful fantasies.” pages online. “For the person who has difficulty stopMultiple incidents like the above graphically illusping, more is only one click away,” says sex therapist trate how the $8 billion-per-year porn industry has Louanne Cole Weston, PhD. There is no question carved inroads into the lives of many Americans. that many people’s porn addiction can put them in a The numbers are startling. Pornography is a huge downward spiral known to cause sleep deprivation, business that is rarely talked about. Nearly 900 debt, and to neglect responsibilites. theaters show X-rated films and more than 15,000 Erick Janssen, PhD, a researcher at the Kinsey “adult” bookstores and video stores offer pornoInstitute, criticizes the use of the term addiction graphic material, outnumbering McDonald’s reswhen talking about porn because he says it merely taurants in the U.S. by a margin of at least three to describes certain people’s behavior as being addicone. Each year, nearly 100 full-length pornographic tion-like, but treating them as addicts may not help films provide estimated annual box office sales of them. Many people may diagnose themselves as porn $50 million. Approximately 70% of the pornographaddicts after reading popular books on the subject, ic magazines sold eventually end up in the hands he says. But mental health professionals have no of minors. About 1.2 million children are annually standard criteria to diagnose porn addiction. Many exploited through child pornography and prostitu-
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tion. Through the Internet sexual psychopaths are able to exploit the sexual atmosphere on the Internet. Sex education that stops with “just say no,” without honestly and openly addressing human sexuality in all its dimensions invites people, especially young people, to do their own exploring. Pamela Paul wrote a book on how pornography is changing our culture (everyone’s doing it). Paul details how the widespread use of pornography is changing American culture and relationships. Paul expected to find pornography use mainly in the realm of “losers who couldn’t get a date” when she started researching the book. Instead, she found that it was mainstream, bridging religious, ethnic, educational, and socio-economic barriers. She was even more surprised, however, by how often pornography use ruins relationships, increases sexual dysfunction, and changes what men expect from women. She went through many of the same type of research questions and also came up short with answers until digging a little deeper. One story she recalled was: “There was one woman who said to me, “I’m totally fine with porn. I think it’s fun. I look at it; my boyfriend looks at it.” Paul then added, “half an hour into our phone conversation, she tells me that her boyfriend and she do not have good sex, that this is the first time she’s had a bad sexual relationship, that he looks at porn all the time, and that now she’s considering getting breast implants. This is someone who seemed very bright and cheery about pornography, but if you scratch beneath the surface, you find out that’s not at all the case.” In conducting my informal sutdy, I learned that it is important to read the answers and really see how much is being left out and not discussed, for whatever reason. Paul also found that the Internet has changed not only the business of porn but the time users spend watching it. “The casual user has gone from someone who looks at a magazine on occasion or rents a video when he travels for business to someone who now spends half an hour or 45 minutes online a day.” It was interesting to learn that women are now playing a huge role in watching pornography not just being objects of desire. A segment on Oprah explored this issue. “Not so long ago, many people treated pornography like a dirty little secret. Adult movies were kept in video stores’ back rooms or sold in seedy sex shops. Erotic books, magazines and toys were created with men in mind, and women were largely ignored…
unless they were nude.” (Lisa Ling) Ling reported that Americans spend up to $10 billion dollars a year on porn and that it’s not just the men. Pornography has often been given an added Public Relations boost from once pornstar now public icon Jenna Jameson. She’s the mom of twin boys, an entrepreneur and the author of a New York Times best-seller. Jenna Jameson did it all without coming anywhere near corporate America. Jameson made her fortune in the sex industry. In closing, I found the results of this research to be shocking, and in some cases horrifying. It was important to find the issues of pornography, the addiction and harm it can cause, and to know that pornography has branched out to both men and women. Love or lust? Uphold the sanctity of relationships; pornography can be addictive and harmful to both partners. Bibliography Chris Diggins. “A great article on the effects of porn.” Because I said so. 5 Oct. 2008. Web. 18 Oct. 2009. <http://mrclm.blogspot.com/2008/10/great-article-on-effects-of-porn.html>. Editorial Staff. “The Documented Effects of Pornography — The Forerunner.” The Forerunner — Home. Nov. 1991. Web. 18 Oct. 2009. <http://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0388_Effects_of_Pornograp. html>. “Effects Of Porn Addiction.” Life Challenges - AllAboutLifeChallenges.org. Web. 18 Oct. 2009. <http:// www.allaboutlifechallenges.org/effects-of-porn-addiction-faq.htm>. Martin F. Downs. “Is Pornography Addictive?” WebMD Men’s Health Center - Find men’s health topics and information. Web. 18 Oct. 2009. <http://men.webmd.com/guide/is-pornography-addictive>. Masterson, Cal. “Pornography - research, attitudes, effects, snuff films, sexual predators, statistics, Internet porn.” CyberCollege Index Page for Free TV Production and Mass Media Course. Web. 18 Oct. 2009. <http://www.cybercollege.com/sexrsh-2.htm>. Oprah. “The Negative Effects of Porn - Oprah.com.” Oprah.com - Live Your Best Life - Oprah.com. Web. 18 Oct. 2009. <http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahradio/sboteach/sboteach_20080229>. Oprah Winfrey Show. “Jenna Jameson- The worlds most famous pornstar.” 2009. Web. 20 Nov. 2009.
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Soulstice
The Art of Improv
By George Dziedzina hat is improvisato a scene in an attempt to be “active” and not “pastion? You may not sive.” An improviser asking “non-assumptive” quesrealize it but improvisations -- ones that offer no information about him or tion is something that we the other character - can cripple his partner because do every day with little to such questions do not further a scene. A player who no effort. When we have asks, “What’s that?” doesn’t give his partner anything conversations amongst with which to work; On the other hand, a question our friends, family, et like, “Aren’t you ever going to take out the garbage?” cetera we listen to what implies both that the two know each other and that they tell us, we observe they have a particular conflict. how they say it, and then Improvisers also observe their own body language, we communicate ourand trust that it will suggest ideas to them. “It is response, verbally or non-verbally. In contradiction possible to get a clue from your body as to what kind to the every day conversation, improvisation can be of character you might be,” explained Del Close, an made into a form of art. early member of Second City, a theater company in Improvisational acting is the spontaneous creation Chicago. Standing pigeon-toed, for instance, with and performance head bowed, might of drama. Improv suggest to the imdevelops commuproviser that he is nication, listening, a passive, submisself-confidence, sive character. If he teamwork and overall thrusts his chest out, vitality. however, and holds Modern improvisahis head high, that tion began around might suggest he is a the year 1955 in Ilpowerful figure. linois when students Using your physical from the University and emotional self of Chicago started is crucial in improperforming improvisation because vised skits from their the improviser is own scenarios. often playing a thinly Taking a chance disguised version of is one of the most himself. You might important elements be playing a pair of of improvisational work. But the risk is somewhat doctors and you don’t know much about doctors. less than it might seem to the audience because the What’s more important is that you’re two individuals improviser is guided by training and by discipline who happen to be doctors. The scene should not be learned and developed through a series of perforabout medicine but about how two people react – mance games. realistically – to a life and death situation. Trust is key in improvisation. An improviser trusts “Improv is mutual discovery, mutual support,” that their partner will help train them to trust the first noted Close, “it is the adventure of finding out what response to a suggestion by the audience, or an idea it is we’re doing while we’re doing it. All you know by colleagues. Improv is also about making assump- is where you’ve been. You don’t know where you’re tions. An improviser always tries to add information going.” Page 14
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