December 06, 2013

THE HILL NEWS e s t a b l i s h e d i n 1 9 1 1 at s t . l aw r e n c e u n i v e r s i t y

FRIDAY, December 6, 2013

VOLUME CXXVII, ISSUE 10

WWW.THEHILLNEWS.ORG

Inside Look at Safety on Campus

SLU NEWS Reflections: Fall Dance Concert This Friday and Saturday at 8pm is the bi-annual dance showcase, featuring jazz, modern and other student choreographed piece!

General admission is free.

By KAREN BLAKELOCK ‘16 GUEST WRITER

Girls gone wild

Friday, December 6th Join the Sinners for an evening of a capella in Sykes Formal Lounge at _____. The event is free, but donations are welcome to help with Typhoon relief in Philippines. (Rated PG.) This Day in History: In 1865 the 13th Admendment was ratified in the United States Constitution, effectively banning slavery in America.

SHOUTOUT The Laurentian Magazine released the fall semester’s issue this past Thursday, December 5th, at the Brush Art Gallery. The launch included readings of different genres by students.

Party for a Cause: The Black Student Union is throwing a fundrasier to benefit the Children of Guyana, in hopes to raise food (can goods), clothes and shoes (any size). The donation will go to the Joshua House Children Centre.

@thehillnews

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GRAPHIC BY AMY YAO

HOW DOES YOUR MAJOR STACK UP?

O

Cyber Virus Strikes SLU Campus

By CHLOE WINGERTER STAFF WRITER

There is a new virus affecting computers across the country, and its name is CryptoLocker ransomware. Although only one case has been reported at St. Lawrence University, this nasty virus is unlike any other; thus, precautions should be taken to ensure that no more cases are reported on campus. The CryptoLocker ransomware has been active for a couple years now, but until recently has it begun to gain a reputation and stamina in the world of computer viruses, According to James Mattice, Director of Infrastructure and Applications in the IT Department, this virus encrypts all your personal files including

Contents:

n any given weekday in Hepburn or Carnegie, your typical Economics class will have, on average, three men in the room for every woman.

SEE GENDER, PAGE 10

The majority of students at St. Lawrence will tell you that they have never felt unsafe on campus.

Perhaps this is a result of attending a small school in a small town, or perhaps it is a product of being a member of such a tightknit community. Either way, it’s not uncommon to see laptops left unattended for extended periods of time in both the library and Student Center. While we often take this luxury for granted, other small liberal arts colleges in upstate NY may not function on the same basis of honesty and trust that is so prevalent on SEE CRIME, PAGE 5

Opinions pg. 2 News pg. 4

Features pg. 6 A&E pg. 8 Sports pg. 11

your documents, P drive, T drive, images, spreadsheets, etc. However, the rest of your computer and software continues to work as normal. Here’s the tricky part. To gain back one’s personal files, within a time frame of about 72 hours, one must purchase a special key unique to your computer from the hackers. This key currently costs $300, and must be paid with MoneyPak or Bitcoins. The reasoning behind this extensive payment method is so that no trace of the money transaction can occur between the victim’s credit card to the bank of the hackers. Hence, it is extremely difficult to find the minds behind the CryptoLocker virus because to trace the money trail is nearly impossible.

So how do you know you’ve

weekend weather

today

35 25

CHRISTINA RUKKI/ PHOTO EDITOR

So far only one student has been affected by the virus that is encrypting and locking computers, forcing people to pay money to gain access. The computer owner has 72 hours to pay the fee, so beware SLU, update your anti-virus software and watch out for suspicious websites.

been targeted? Well first off, it has only been reported that this virus has affected PCs. Once the virus has infiltrated one’s computer, a screen appears informing the computer owner that

saturday sunday

29 17

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their personal files have been encrypted and locked. They must give payment for the key within a time frame, or else the key will be lost forever. Hence, SEE

RANSOM,

PAGE

In This Issue: Political Columns: Should We Continue Using Drones? page 3 The Story of the Bookstore, page 4 How Effective is J-Board? page 5 What’s Next in Life after Fall Sports?, page 6 Taking a Deeper Look at Bullying in the NFL, page 11

10

OPINIONS

2 | THE HILL NEWS

THE HILL NEWS St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York 13617 • hillnews@stlawu.edu • (315) 229-5139

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Amy Yao ‘14

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Chris Melville ‘14

DISTRIBUTION Brett Ford ‘14

MANAGING EDITORS Lexi Beckwith ‘14 Caitlin Matson-McDonald ‘14

FEATURES Amy Feiereisel ‘15 Connor Martin ‘15

CHIEF COPY EDITOR Emma Cummings-Krueger ‘16

EDITOR-AT-LARGE Conant Neville ‘14

SPORTS Joshua Cameron ‘15

NEWS Ally Friedman ‘15 Elle Lucas ‘16

PHOTOGRAPHY Christina Rukki ‘14

OPINIONS Russell King ‘14

BUSINESS MANAGER Haley Burrowes ‘14

COPY EDITORS Alex Gladwin ‘14 Hannah Kinsey ‘14 Michael Brewer ‘14 Emily Rebehn ‘14 Caroline Fleischauer ‘15 Andrew MacKinlay ‘15 Charlotte Crawford ‘16 Emily Harrington ‘16 Brenda Winn ‘17

EDITORIAL POLICY

LETTER SUBMISSIONS

The Hill News is published every Friday of the school year, except during holidays and examination periods, by the students of St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY 13617. Unsolicited manuscripts, articles, and letters to the editor must be typed and signed. Copy and advertisement deadlines are 12:00 p.m. on the Monday prior to publication. All materials submitted for publication are the property of The Hill News and are subject to revision.

The Hill News office is located on the third floor of the Student Center; our telephone number is (315) 2295139. We have the ability to receive e-mails at hillnews@ stlawu.edu. The comments and opinions of our readers are welcome.

Letters may be no more than 500 words in length. All letters must be typed, signed by the author, and include the author’s full name and telephone number. The name of the author may be withheld only for compelling reasons, and after discussion with the editorial board. The Hill News reserves the right to edit letters for space, clarity, style, and taste. The printing or omission of letters is entirely at the discretion of the editors and The Hill News. Any letter received after deadline will not be considered for publication in that week’s issue.

All copy, advertisements, letters to the editor, etc., must be submitted as hard copy or e-mail by the above listed deadlines unless other arrangements have previously been made. This policy is strictly enforced.

The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the newspaper, the staff, or St. Lawrence University.

COPYRIGHT 2013 — VOLUME CXXVII, ISSUE 8

Is Thelmo Democratic?

By HUGH NEVILLE ‘14 GUESTCOLUMNIST

As part of the comprehensive payment required to attend St. Lawrence, students are required to pay $315 as a student activities fee.

Unlike room and board fees that are easy to understand and follow, there is little transparency with the student activities funds, and few know where the money goes.

It goes into a large account managed directly by elected or appointed members of the Thelomathesian Society, according to Assistant Director of Student Activities and Leadership Meg Flaherty, who advises Thelmo. In accordance to the Thelmo constitution, the money is then allocated to student organizations’ budgets through an application and approval process.

That process is spearheaded by the Senate Budget and Finance Committee. These budget recommendations must be approved by the executive board and pass a senate majority vote before they are allocated.

After the budgeting allocation process for organizations is complete, the remaining money in the activities fund becomes what is called a contingency fund. According to the Thelmo website, “The SLUSAF Contingency Fund is a fund designed as a reserve account to help fund unforeseen expenses (such as a guest lecture, or special conference) for groups on campus.

The Contingency Fund is designed to be a last resort for funding when all other attempts at fundraising have been exhausted.” The remaining money in the contingency fund throughout the semester is regularly made available to the student body by the SLUSAF treasurers.

This system encourages student organizations to remain active and engaged with the student government and their members.

In theory, the budget allocation process is democratic—members of Thelmo who are supposed to represent the interests of their student peers conduct the budget allo-

cation in accordance to the constitutions. It should be a transparent and open process that invites the participation of students and organizations. In practice, however, only a small portion of the top budgeted organizations get a designated representative senator to advocate their cause, mission, or concerns. Smaller organizations are left at a comparative disadvantage in this process. These budgets are neither transparent nor explicitly participatory. If we’ve little influence over where our money is going, shouldn’t we at least have access to information on budgets for organizations?

Only the members of Thelmo’s Executive Board are actually elected by the student body. Senators are eligible for a position after receiving only 25 signatures from members of the student body. Granted, there is a “strict selection process,” according to the current executive board, but this process through which senators are vetted is largely unclear. As of November 2012 (the last time it was updated on the website), the constitution also states, “Each Senator will be appointed to represent a clearly defined group of students (known as a voting district or constituency).” Alas, there are no districts or constituencies, and even if there were, there is no record of how each senator voted, and thus no accountability.

Considering that the democratic mission of Thelmo is to represent and serve the student body, it would follow that one of the most important functions of the society, the management of the student activities fund, would be transparent and participatory. The lack of student participation and engagement in the allocation of the student activities fund, which mirrors a general lack of participation in the student government process, is telling of the level of democratic engagement and process on campus. Can a largely unparticipatory process on campus be considered truly democratic?

DECEMBER 6, 2013

Dear Dub: That Bitch Be Cray

Dear Dub, Why is it so acceptable for men to disregard women’s actions by stating they are simply crazy?

I am sure many of you have been in a circumstance where a female has been called out for being “crazy”.

“Why didn’t things work out with you and so-andso?” “Turns out she’s crazy. I just couldn’t handle it.”

Then they simply move on to the next relationship without pausing to reflect. Even females tend to label other females’ actions as being crazy, without much consideration for a more in depth reason for someone’s behavior. So why is it so acceptable to simply categorize a female as being crazy and neglect any further contemplation about her actions?

Ultimately, such a description of a female encapsulates what society has determined to be acceptable behavior for females. We have grown up with references to crazy and have accumulated a general idea of what a ‘crazy’ person is. In saying this, one must realize how broad the term actually is. Simply attempt to give a clearcut definition of crazy… not so simple. Therefore, it becomes extremely easy to disregard someone’s behavior as them being crazy since it does not conform to the idea of what a ‘normal’ person should act like.

By dismissing a woman’s behavior as crazy, we are merely making that person feel as though their emotions and reactions are irrational. This causes a

person to feel uncomfortable with herself and begin to doubt their own feelings. In the grand scheme of things, calling someone crazy is a way of controlling them. Women have been socialized to go along with what society has determined for how a female should act: a motherly figure whose feelings are obsolete.

If one would simply take the time to look past the initial blockage of defining a woman’s behavior as being crazy, they would most likely find a more rational explanation for that situation. It would provide one’s self with a better understanding of the circumstance and ultimately the world around them. By acknowledging a more legitimate reason behind a particular behavior, one is more likely to be able to adapt and deal with a similar situation in the future. Take the time to learn and better yourself.

Ironically, I came across a blog post that had addressed the very issue in this question. A male writer discusses his perception on labeling women “crazy”.

So, for further reading on the topic visit: http://www. huffingtonpost.com/harris-oamalley/on-labelingwomen-crazy_b_4259779.html For more answers, e-mail us at sludeardub@stlawu.edu Sincerely, The DUBers

No Spitting: Family

By LUKE MATYS ‘15 COLUMNIST

In honor of the holiday season, I have taken it upon myself to write for you the most predictable of opinion articles. I hope you enjoy it.

It’s the holiday season, so that means most of the student body went home for a fantastic Thanksgiving Break filled with trans fat, turkey legs, bad jokes, carbohydrates, squash (the vegetable, not the sport, or maybe the sport if you’re into that type of thing), electrolytes, PIE, and, most importantly, family!

Oh, to be home! So many memories, so many feelings, and so many songs written about this particular location. It’s absolutely amazing. You are surrounded by family—the people who probably care the most about you (although that girl/guy you “met” last weekend was really cute and totally into you and I’m sure that will work out [please insert hair twirl/flip or fist bump]: I smell wedding bells!).

You arrive at the Thanksgiving family party you have been longing for; it’ll be fun to see the whole family. Then, if you are anything like me—and let’s hope you aren’t anything like me—you soon realize that your family isn’t like the ideal 1970’s sitcom family. Instead, you remember just how controlling your parents are around this time of year: clean this, carry that, go to the market, stop yelling at your little sister, don’t break furniture, stop talking like Batman, don’t eat that entire gallon container of jelly beans,

stop hitting yourself…blah, blah, rules, rules, rules. Then your aunt walks in and she immediately gives you a sloppy cheek kiss, which leaves your face grossly saturated. Your uncle arrives and tells you a really funny joke. It’s so incredibly funny, you will never speak of it again. It is so funny that you are sure that at this moment, what little part of your childhood that was still inside of you is most certainly dead, or is seeing a therapist to work out deep psychological problems caused by that really funny joke.

Then this old man walks in. You aren’t exactly sure how you are related to him; is he your mother’s uncle? Your dad’s fifth cousin? Your grandmother’s bingo partner at church? Perhaps, he’s your great aunt’s newest (I just learned this word and like abusing it) “slam-piece”? That thought makes you puke a little in your mouth. The other old man is your grandfather. He’s great, especially when his WWII side comes out and you learn a new racial slur.

YOUR VIRGIN EARS BLEED! You weren’t aware that there were people out there who still thought non-property owners shouldn’t vote (let alone women and nonwhites). Then there is your cousin, Kevin. He’s such a dick.

Thanksgiving Break. It’s such a fun time! Despite my hypothetical (but oh too real) story, being home with your family is something special. You don’t know how much you actually love your family until after all the family party bustle is over and you’re on your way back to SLU; then, you realize that those people make you feel normal.

No Spitting.

OPINIONS

DECEMBER 6, 2013

It Isn’t Easy Being Green

By LEIGHANNE O’MELIA ‘14 GUEST COLUMNIST It is that time of year again, when the work starts piling up and stress levels skyrocket. With the myriad papers, exams and group projects due just before the end of the semester, students are already cramming into the library in an attempt to survive the nightmare that is finals. For some students, however, their stress isn’t simply related to how they will perform on assignments. Instead, some students face the anxiety of swiping their St. Lawrence I.D. and watching their public printing statement increase with every page.

Admittedly, this stressed group is a severe minority of students: roughly 10 percent are likely to surpass their pay for print sheet allotment by the end of the year.

This subsection of the SLU campus, however, exemplifies potential imperfections within the public printing policy. Every student is allotted the same number of sheets per semester, despite the fact that students of differing majors have distinct demands for printing.

Students who do not utilize all of their sheets have no power over their leftover sheets.

While it is undeniable that the current public printing policy does ensure that SLU leaves a limited carbon footprint, the question remains: is there a more efficient way to accomplish the same environmental goal, without causing great stress for some students?

Perhaps, SLU should adopt a more Marxist public printing tradition, in which each student is allotted sheets based on demand – “to each according to his need.”

How? SLU could give out sheets based on major. Presumably,

students in the social sciences and humanities tend to require more printing than math and natural science students; therefore, the school could increase social science and humanities students’ pay for print limit, while simultaneously limiting the page allotment given to math and science majors.

Conversely, the SLU community could adopt a cap and trade system, which the government has used to reduce carbon emissions while limiting economic inefficiencies.

How? Like the current system, each student would be given a certain number of sheets at the beginning of the year. Unlike the current system, however, unused sheets could be traded—or donated—to students with a higher need for them.

Or perhaps the current system, despite some imperfections, is the best method for printing on campus.

It does ensure that SLU students will print an environmentally reasonable number of sheets, and such a minimal number of students struggle to comply with the allotment. So, it can’t be that bad—right?

If this interests you, maybe you are part of the 10 percent that has a high demand for printing, and are definitely losing in the current system – there are now two opportunities to join discussions regarding the validity of pay for print reform. On December 12, there will be a deliberative meeting at 10:30 am for students to discuss their opinions and possible solutions.

Similarly, there is a new Sakai site, entitled Public Print Reform, which is open to the public. Even if you don’t have an intense opinion yet, come to the deliberative meeting or join the site, it can help you figure out your stance. Look for more information to follow.

Letter to the Editor

Our Veterans’ Day poster was briefly mentioned in the “Are Veterans Celebrated at SLU?” article in the November 15, 2013 issue. However, we do not feel that it was accurately referenced. Our poster did not merely state “SLUpport our veterans.”

Rather it read, “take a moment to honor their sacrifices,” with our club name, “SLUpport Our Troops,” visible at the bottom of the poster. Although we agree that our service members rarely receive the recognition they deserve, we do not feel that the authors were warranted to characterize our poster as “ironic.”

It was not an ironic statement, but a genuine message made by those who honor and support our troops, not only once a year on a designated day, but all year long. It is unfortunate that more research was not done prior to writing this article; the authors would have found that there are several students at SLU who are dedicated to recognizing service members and their families. In

fact, we founded SLUpport Our Troops last year, after realizing the lack of support for the military on our campus. We participate in both the Cell Phones for Soldiers collection and the annual Holiday Mail for Heroes card signing event. Last year, we volunteered at the Canton Army Reserve Center’s Christmas party and helped organize games for their children. Our club is quite small; but it is the small acts of appreciation that make all the difference. Just taking the time to thank someone in the military for their service shows them that their sacrifices do not go unrecognized. Indeed, more should be done to honor veterans. Instead of rendering our efforts as ironic, they should be framed in a more positive manner. Instead of saying SLU students are not doing enough, let us encourage them to do more.

Ashleigh L. Lord ‘14, on behalf of SLUpport Our Troops Phone Number: 518-569-5034

THE HILL NEWS | 3

Saint: Blockading your town- Saint: house neighbors’ door with a big ol’ pile of NoCo snow.

Saint: Cluck Farkson this week-

Having no finals finals week, so you get to go home mad early-- or pass through Placid and ski the Face for a few days.

end! And always. Let’s go boys!

Purgatory: Returning Purgatory: You don’t have Purgatory: Your life savings from break and discovering that your artillery of ambiance-perfecting candles have disappeared.

Sinner: “I can’t wait to get

to Aspen, get drunk, and f*** b***es.”

exams finals week but you do have a s***load of final papers and projects due the week before to make up for it.

depleted after Black Friday. Better start making use of Bessette’s bottle return.

Sinner: Reading day, schmead-

Sinner: Every single formal

for everything ever on the same weekend.

ing day; where my beers at?

Political Op-Ed: Should the Use of Drones in War be Continued?

By MEGAN ZIEGLER ‘15 COLUMNIST

By RUSSELL KING ‘14 COLUMNIST

While the increased use of drones does have benefits in the newly formed concept of warfare, these benefits are far outweighed by the resulting costs. The U.S. government’s employment of drones is an inhumane use of force that negatively impacts the reputation of the United States, leading to an unnecessary amount of civilian causalities, and opening the door for an overly aggressive government. Therefore, the use of drones by any international actor is an unacceptable replacement for conventional warfare.

A recent investigation by Human Rights Watch revealed that six selected airstrikes in Yemen since 2009 resulted with at least 57 civilians’ deaths, out of the 82 total reported. This investigation, and the many others that have been released, reveal that as the frequency of drone use increases, the number of civilian deaths increases as well. This unbelievable lack of care from the U.S. can only work against the state regarding international reputation and support. According to WorldDenver, drone strikes administered on in the U.S.-Pakistani conflict have lead to the frustration of many of those who have remained neutral, whom in response have begun to support Pakistani militants. In addition, the complete violation of a country’s territorial sovereignty and national integrity caused by drone strikes is an obvious encroachment of the United Nation’s Charter, which the U.S. supposedly supports.

Not only are inaccurate drone strikes the cause of innocent civilian deaths and harm the international view of U.S. intentions, but the technological uncertainty makes it close to impossible for any one individual to be held accountable. This issue is seen in all of the reports released by the president and “reliable” media sources that offer extremely low estimates of the number of civilian deaths from drone strikes.

President Obama recently released a statement claiming that civilian causalities are incredibly low, possibly even in the “single digits”. But reports from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International offer significantly higher estimates that contradict most U.S. officials’ claims. President Obama’s low estimation of civilian deaths is a major problem, when the same president has the unchecked authority to issue drone strikes. This newly established unrestrained executive power can lead to an impulsive action that negatively reflects on U.S. decisions, and results in even more unnecessary causalities. In addition, if an issue regarding the effects of a drone strike were to be brought to the international court, the ambiguity of the technology complicates a search for justice.

No matter how convenient a weapon is, it should never result in the loss of innocent civilian lives. And because these civilian deaths are occurring outside our border, generally in regions that don’t entirely support U.S. goals, the reputation of the country is also at stake. Clearly, these consequences and the inhumanity of the use of drones are relevant enough to prove the ineffectiveness of the weapon as an alternative to conventional warfare.

There has been a lot of apprehension about the use of drones in warfare, but these fears are unwarranted. Drones, as unpleasant and terrifying as they are, are a necessary evil used to identify and terminate those who use terror against innocents at home and abroad. They are a more effective alternative than open warfare and occupation of a sovereign country to achieve these goals.

First among these concerns is that the use of drones in war is immoral as it kills innocents.

This is not a legitimate concern. War, too, kills innocents (or civilians; these terms will be used interchangeably). To paraphrase Hawkeye: this is what distinguishes war from hell; there are no innocent bystanders in hell. Let us not forget that we are at war. The military targets the bomb makers and the organizers of terrorist organizations that directly kill innocents while ignoring military targets.

How many innocents are killed? Using data from the London Bureau of Investigative Journalism (which provides the highest estimates), 13.5% of those killed since the advent of the drone program have been innocent. Compare this to our latest war in Iraq, which had (according to the most conservative estimates provided by the leaked Iraq War logs) a 60% civilian death rate.

All things considered, the drones have vastly less collateral damage than all-out war.

Another concern is that drones turn public opinion against the United States. This aids in recruitment for militant organizations and thus the use of drones is counterproductive. Again, we are at war, so our only option is to respond to hostility with force so as to protect innocents at home and abroad. All the means of achieving this end involve an invasion of a sovereign country in some shape or form, as Pakistan and other countries certainly do not do an effective job themselves (and elements may even be sheltering militants). A negative opinion simply cannot be helped. If we can continue to kill the top members of the militant organizations, the effects of increased recruitment will not be felt. In short, it is better to be hated than dead.

Why drones are used in the first place must be addressed. Simply, they are a better choice than open warfare. They are precise – there is less collateral damage. They are less invasive – they don’t require the actual occupation of foreign territory. They are less expensive – instead of supplying troops (or secret operatives that would do the same job as drones), all that is required is fuel and ammunition. Most importantly, no American boots have to be on the ground. Even if drones and open warfare were identical in all areas of invasiveness and collateral damage, this would seal the deal for drones. While “civilian” and “innocent” are used interchangeably here, are our soldiers not innocents? Should they die in defense of our freedom if there is no need? Short of being against war (a noble and quixotic stance indeed!), drones are our best option in our war on terror.

4 | THE HILL NEWS

Security Blotter November 20, 10:04 a.m. Window and basement doors damaged in Reiff by a BB gun. Two male students responsible.

Weapons violation.

November 20, 2:30 a.m. Dining services employee cut finger.

Medical call, sign off.

November 21, 1:00 p.m. Hole in the wall in 78 Park.

November 21, 2:18 p.m. Odor of natural gas at 53 Park.

Contacted facilities, found small leak on top of stove, turned gas supply off.

November 21, 9:43 a.m. Bike theft from the Noble Center.

November 21, 9:38 p.m. Medical call, athletic injury at Appleton. Transported to Canton-Potsdam Hospital.

November 21, 10:24 p.m. Fire alarm at 58 Park, no smoke or fire.

November 22, 11:32 a.m. Two glass marijuana pipes found at 21 Romoda. Confiscated small baggies of weed and grinder.

November 22, 5:46 p.m. Confiscated half full bottle of vodka in Whitman.

November 22, 7:30 p.m. Dart board with sharp metal darts confiscated in townhouses.

November 22, 7:55 p.m. Adirondack chair removed from bedroom in 78 Park.

November 22, 7:55 p.m. Room in 78 Park found with marijuana roaches and a burnt candle.

November 22, 10:45 p.m. Three boxes of clay pigeons removed from sidelawn of 58 Park.

November 26, 1:34 p.m. CIIS reported that two non-SLU students breached Kenyan compound, caught by their security.

Nobody present, no property loss, no damage.

November 27, 10:33 p.m. Access control alarm at 54 Park.

Student ried to swipe in who didn’t live there. Later identified as student who does live there.

November 30, 4:08 p.m. Rounds officer found oven left on in Priest.

December 2, 2:45 p.m. Property damage on 40 E. Main.

December 2, 11:30 p.m. Problem with fire door on south end of Jencks, locked. Maintenance called, fixed.

December 3, 12:35 a.m. Broken window in multipurpose room in Newell Field House.

SEMESTER RUNNING TALLIES: Bike Thefts: 27 DWIs: 2 Open Containers: 40 Transports: 23

NEWS

Canton Aids Bookstore in Business Growth

By REBECCA DOSER & EMILY MULVIHILL STAFF WRITERS The St. Lawrence bookstore is one of the many iconic buildings on campus that attract prospective and current students alike.

While it is now conveniently located on Park Street, it wasn’t always in this location. Originally buried within the campus, the new location provides the bookstore a more visible presence in the eyes of the community.

Kevin Collen, the University Bookstore Director, says that compared to its old location, people have a much better sense that they can come here. He says that the layout also helps to bring in community members.

When you walk into the store, the more general products are located up front while the textbooks and SLU gear are located upstairs.

When deciding what products to stock, Kevin mentions that — since the store has been around for so long - there is an abundance of data history on what sells. Plus, there are many long-term employees who are “familiar with what works.”

Compared with other universities, the bookstore is unique in that its inventory is geared more toward the general public.

Many other universities’ bookstores are owned by outside corporations. He remarks that they often have a “sterile look” with limited selection, giving them a similar appearance to those of retail chains.

Collen comments that he sees the SLU bookstore almost like

Wednesday, December 4th Office Hours: President Taylor Castator, Tuesday & Thursday 3 to 4 p.m. Vice President of Senator Affairs, Kelly Appenzeller, Tuesday 3 to 4 p.m. & Sunday 7 to 8 p.m.

Contingency Requests: -Campus Entertainment Committee request for late night breakfast, to be held during finals week on Sunday, December 15th at 11pm. Passes pending second approval.

-Government 374 class request for experiment regarding increased student body participation, budget allocation, and deliberative democracy. Motion failed.

New Business: -Commons College to host concert for Little River School Friday evening.

-Hill News seeking business manager position replacement.

-Class of 2017 Polar Plunge to be held on Grasse River Saturday at 1pm.

a general store for the community, and that the “overall aura” of the bookstore sets it apart from many others.

Community members generate a substantial portion of the bookstore’s income, which strives to collaborate with the community as much as possible.

While serving SLU students the items they want such as textbooks and SLU gear, it’s in the bookstore’s best interest to serve the community. “When the community benefits, we benefit,” said Collen.

In addition, “We recently met with the Canton Chamber of Commerce to begin some casual marketing. We want to show Canton what the bookstore has to offer,” said Collen.

This marketing will happen directly through the Chamber of Commerce, online, and radio.

Thus far, responses have shown positive results from the Chamber of Commerce and the community.

How does the growing business and consumer influx of the bookstore influence other businesses along the small Main Street strip?

Owner Marilyn Mintener of the family-owned shop The Pear Tree strives daily to provide the best service possible to her customers. The boutique offers multiple services such as wedding registry, complimentary gift wrap-

Photo by Unversity Communicationser

ping, cooking classes, and floral arrangements for any occasion.

As her brothers and even granddaughter attended SLU, Mintener remarks that she is very supportive of the bookstore’s evergrowing success and adds to their consumer population herself during the holiday season when her grandchildren ask for SLU gear.

“Their [the bookstore’s] space is much greater and they are able to captivate an audience of students, faculty and the community. It is hard to compete with the hours they can stay open, but my shop is a lot different than the bookstore and I am not worried about the viability of my business in the community.”

After a successful business weekend, Mintener says that the holiday season brings prosperous turnouts for the store.

Canton’s holiday decorations brighten the town square, but more importantly attract potential customers to the area, thus creating the opportunity to build a stronger relationship with the SLU community.

This Week in the News

By LEXI BECKWITH ‘14 MANAGING EDITOR

What is Thelmo up to?

DECEMBER 6, 2013

ing with many injured.

North America: Federal judge says Detroit eligible for bankruptcy protection: The decision offers clarity to municipal bond investors, though retail investors may see it more skeptically; however, if the ruling is held up in appeals court, the city may move forward in creditor negotiations on restructuring debt, including personal pension liabilities.

Latin America: Honduras election results protested: With leftist presidential candidate, Xiomara Castro, wife of ousted former leader Manuel Zelaya, defeated by the ruling party candidate last week, peaceful protesters want a full recount of votes, as they say the election was fraudulent. The election tribunal is willing to review but has not mentioned a recount.

Europe: Police use tear gas to end protest in Ukraine: Citizens took to the capital, Kiev’s, Liberty Square to demand resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych after he blocked a trade deal with the EU that would have made the formerly-Soviet state closer to the Union, thus relieving various financial problems. More than 400 people and police wielding batons took to the streets, end-

Africa: Kenyan court denies bail to mall attack suspects: The four men accused of assisting gunmen in September’s Westgate shopping mall raid that killed 67 in the country’s capital Nairobi have been denied bail by the Chief Magistrate, citing the possible interference of the suspects with investigations, and remanded them to custody until their January 15 court date.

Middle East: Libya votes for Sharia law: The National Assembly decided to implement Islamic law, more loosely based on moral guidelines of the Quran, as the basis of legislation and state institutions, which could change banking, criminal, and financial laws in the country, which has been in transition for around two years since (with no new constitution) since the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi.

Asia: Shanghai rises to the top in global education survey: The report carried out by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development evaluates teenagers in 65 countries, examining their knowledge and skills, concluded that Asian countries overcome Western nations in math, science, and reading; children of Shanghai were on average 3 years above in schooling than the majority of countries surveyed.

NEWS

DECEMBER 6, 2013 CRIME FROM PAGE 1 the St. Lawrence campus.

St. Lawrence belongs to a consortium of schools called the New York Six. The members include small liberal arts schools in upstate New York: Colgate, Hamilton, Hobart and William Smith, Skidmore, St. Lawrence, and Union.

On a list of 360 towns in upstate New York, Canton is ranked as the 146th safest.

Our small town setting is juxtaposed next to Union’s home in Schenectady, which ranks 354th, finishing behind Syracuse and Albany.

According to the United States Census data Schenectady has approximately ten times the population of Canton.

Additionally, Hamilton, New York, where Colgate University is located, ranks 94th out of 360 and in 2012 was listed as one of Forbes Magazine’s friendliest towns in America.

Hobart and William Smith in Geneva ranked 265th while Saratoga, home of Skidmore College finished 194th.

Hamilton College, located in Clinton, New York, was not ranked.

Perhaps more applicable to

student life is the comparison of crime rate statistics reported by the schools belonging to the New York Six. From 2010 to 2012, SLU had no reported cases of aggravated assault either on or off campus.

HWS lists one report in 2009 and one in 2010, while Union has one reported case in the last three years.

Both SLU and HWS have zero reported cases of rape since 2010, in comparison to Union, which has recorded three cases of rape in the past three years and Hamilton which lists fifteen between 2009 and 2011.

St. Lawrence has zero reported cases of robbery while HWS has one and Union, two.

In 2011 alone, Union had one alcohol arrest whereas HWS and Hamilton reported none.

SLU boasts a whopping 39 liquor law violations in 2011. All numbers were taken from the official reports that are available on the security pages of universities’ websites.

When asked whether or not they would feel comfortable leaving their belongings unattended around campus, a Union student responded with a resounding “hell no,” whereas multiple HWS

students specified that they would only feel comfortable doing so if they weren’t going very far (such as the bathroom) or if they asked someone to watch it for them.

In contrast, one Hamilton student expressed how thankful they were to attend a school where the most someone would do was move your belongings so they could use the study space.

These responses do not appear to be reflective of school size —the CollegeBoard lists SLU as the third largest school behind Skidmore and Colgate, while Union is the second smallest college in the New York Six Consortium.

More likely, the responses students gave concerning their level of comfort leaving personal belongings around school is reflective of the towns in which they are located.

According to city-data.com, Geneva is more than three times as dangerous as Canton while Schenectady is more than five times as dangerous.

Next time you start complaining about going to school in the middle of nowhere, just think: you could be in Schenectady. Or worse, you could go to Clarkson.

Photo Courtesy of Whiteface Mountain

Whiteface Opens Two Weeks Early Local businesses, students benefit

By GARTH CURTIS GUEST WRITER State-owned Whiteface Mountain opened the ski trails two weeks early this year in an effort to increase the value of their season passes.

Whiteface normally opens its ski and snowboard trails on the day after Thanksgiving, however, thanks to new technology at the mountain, they were able to open before the regular season this year.

“We have been investing in new technology that allows us to make more snow in mild weather,” said Whiteface

general manager Aaron Kellat.

“The weather this year hasn’t been much different than the past; our new technology is allowing us to do more,” he added.

Whiteface extended its discounted rate for the season pass two extra days through Sunday. Kellat felt that this extended window would convince those on the fence to purchase their passes early.

Rob Hash ‘16 took advantage of the early season.

“It’s great to have a longer season. It felt like spring skiing, which is great for midNovember.” Hash was happy

to get the extended ski season since the season passes cost over two hundred dollars.

While the skiers and snowboarders are pleased with the extended season, local businesses surrounding the mountain benefit as well.

“We certainly see an increase in business as the winter season starts,” said Mike of Lake Placid’s Caffé Rustica, “I won’t say we rely on them for business, but we certainly get a boost when they’re in season.”

College students can now purchase their Ski 3 season passes for $505.

THE HILL NEWS | 5

J-Board on Trial: How effective is SLU’s disciplinary policy?

By MAUREEN PELLERIN STAFF WRITER Members of St. Lawrence University’s Student Judiciary Board claim that the judicial system is effective in holding students responsible for infractions.

Associate Dean of Student Life Rance Davis said that the Student Judiciary Board is “very effective” and able to “catch students’ attention who violate the code of conduct.”

Compared to other universities, Davis said SLU’s judicial system is “relatively lenient.” While other colleges and universities often give out stricter punishments for violations of the code of conduct, such as probation or being expelled, J-Board mostly uses fines or community service hours as sanctions.

“We hold students accountable for their actions, but no one has lost their education or ability to be here,” Davis said.

According to Davis, the Board formerly disciplined students with social probation, but now he sees service hours as a better way to hold students accountable for their actions.

Davis said he sees personal development as more effective than strict punishment. “It can help students find more useful things to do with their time, and catch a passion for things they can do differently,” he said.

Vice Chief Justice Jacob Hurlbut ‘15 agreed. “We aren’t out to punish students.

Instead we try to educate students about how they can be better citizens on our campus and in the community, and we try to remedy any problems a student may be having by issuing constructive sanctions which are designed to prevent the problem from occurring again.”

“Contrary to popular belief,” Davis said, “We want students to have fun on campus, but we want it to be safe.”

In order to increase safety, Davis said he hopes students will act responsibly as young leaders on campus.

He said that he wants students to “act in a way that is responsible to themselves and the community.”

While Davis said there has not been an increase in infractions or increased punishments this semester, he has seen some changes to the types of cases the Student Judiciary Board has been seeing. According to Davis, there have been more cases of vandalism and disrespect of authority than in past semesters.

Hurlbut elaborated on this point saying, “While there has not been an uptake in the volume of cases as far as I can tell, there has been a clear shift in the types of cases we’re seeing this year.

There have been quite a few more cases involving vandalism, as well as cases where students are being disrespectful towards our security officers or towards CAs.” While both Davis and Hurlbut asserted that the types of punishments given out by J-Board have not been different than any other year, students generally have been feeling that J-Board has been ineffective and stricter this year than in the past.

One junior said, “I think they have been harsher this semester. In the past, most run-ins with security usually resulted in a confiscation and a slap on the wrist. This semester you can almost count on getting that referral letter in the mail.”

However, Hurlbut said he thinks that this perception among students can be attributed to misinformation about what the Student Judiciary Board does.

He said, “I think that there is clearly a lot of misinformation out there about exactly what the Student Judiciary Board does, and how we hear cases, and which cases we hear.

“Many cases that I’ve heard students express frustration over recently have not even been heard by the Student Judiciary Board.

“Instead, they’ve been taken care of in Deans’ hearings due to the severity or the complexity of the cases.

Some cases are far too complex for the Student Judiciary Board to handle in a reasonable amount of time, or require immediate action in order to ensure the safety of all students on our campus.”

6 | THE HILL NEWS

features

DECEMBER 6, 2013

NYC Semester:

Starving for Artists

By ASHLEY RICHARDSON STAFF WRITER

Photo by Noah Fitch and Andrés Balboa Livis

Moustache Ride for Movember

By CONANT NEVILLE MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Bikes, blades, and long boards took over campus for an hour the Thursday before break, as Mustache Ride participants took the school by storm. This year, they were raising awareness and donations for a cause: Movember.

November at St. Lawrence is a time rich with tradition, the most obvious being the annual Mustache Ride and Mustachio Bashio organized by the Outing Club. While these well-attended events are fun outlets for students bogged down by heavy workloads and approaching exams, this year, they rallied behind a cause.

Movember, not to be confused with No Shave November, is a charity organization that seeks to raise awareness for men’s health issues worldwide. According to their website, since they started in 2003, Movember ‘Mo Bros’ and ‘Mo Sistas’ around the globe have raised over $446 million for men’s health. While their primary focus is raising awareness for prostate and testicular cancer, Movember also helps fund research in other efforts, including men’s mental health and helping those living with and beyond cancer.

This year, the SLU Outing Club has built a page on Movember, through which donations will go to the cause. In addition to

donating the $300 that would normally cover the costs of renting out the Tick Tock for the Mustachio Bashio, the Outing Club plans to donate over $1000 in proceeds from mustache hats that were sold on campus.

Sam Hecklau ‘14, of the Outing Club and one of the chief organizers of the Mustache Ride, explains exactly why the event is so important. “We’ve all gathered here because we’ve all got one thing in common, that’s a prostate. The males have prostates and the women are thoughtful of men’s prostates.”

He says the goal of the Mustache Ride is to tell people that there is indeed a significant threat to men’s health posed by prostate cancer and to use the prominent and masculine mustache as a symbol and rallying point for the cause, as well as the donations they hope to raise.

Doug Prusoff, who heads up college engagement for Los Angeles-based Movember, says that colleges, campuses and “young people in general, have played quite a huge role in the campaign so far.” He adds that so far this month, colleges and campuses raised over $450,000 for the cause. Prusoff stresses the importance of Movember as a flagship campaign to raise awareness for men’s health issues because it serves as one

of the only charities focused specifically on men.

“Women have done great things with campaigns like the pink Breast Cancer Awareness month in October, but this is the first real effort to do something for men.”

Raising awareness and money for men’s health is important to many students on campus who participated in the campuswide Mustache Ride last week.

Brendan Collins ‘16 says he’s excited for the potential that the Outing Club’s online Movember team represents. “You can make a profile and post pictures of your mustache and as it progresses you can ask people to donate towards the growth of your mustache. All the money received is donated right to prostate cancer research.”

The mustache is alive and well at SLU. Many men on campus sported hairy upper lips through November and have continued into this month. Not all of them are beautiful, but for many, it’s the thought that counts. Rather, it’s the thought behind the mustache that counts. As Doug Prusoff says, new mustache growth is all about starting a conversation, a conversation that will create a dialogue about men’s health issues. They might not be beautiful, but their mission is.

“When I tell people I went abroad to New York City, they look at me funny and go: that’s not abroad; you were, like, 300 miles away,” says Finance major, Joshua Ciolek ’14. “But what I really have to say to those people is: when you’re in New York City you can essentially go and experience any culture you want. There’s Little Italy, Upper East Side, Upper West Side. There are different cultures everywhere.”

The idea behind the New York City semester is that it is an opportunity for students to explore career options and to learn about the culture of one of the most dynamic cities on the planet, explains Associate Director of Internship Development Katrina Johnson.

According to the Associate Dean of International Studies Karl Schonberg, the program was intended to be equally interesting to students in both finance and the arts. However, the program has only attracted one arts applicant for the Spring 2014 semester.

Johnson points out that finance students are very career driven and in some cases art students may be a little more focused on the creative process itself. Art and Art History major Madeline Schumacher ‘15 feels the same way: “The intense artists that are here at St. Lawrence, they want to hone their skills more than they want to hone the business side of the art world,” she says. “I think the NYC semester is competing with the Cortona program where the focus is on actual skills, like sculpting.”

Schonberg believes the lack of art majors participating in the New York City Semester might be that “it may not be

as obvious to students who are majoring in the arts, just how beneficial this semester can be for them.” In finance, an internship is assumed to be the next step that you take, explains Schonberg.

Economics and Mathematics major, Vasileios Prassas, developed an interest in finance early on in his career at SLU. “I saw [participating in the NYC Semester] as a natural continuation of that interest,” he says.

Associate Professor of Art and Art History Melissa Schulenberg sees the importance of the New York City semester for art majors as well. “I think the best thing about the NYC semester are the internships because I think for art students it will open up a lot of opportunities that they can consider, and not just being an artist,” says Schulenberg.

She points out that if you want to be a successful artist you have to know a little bit of business; you have to promote yourself. Multi-filed major Matthew Hunziker, who also participated in the New York City Semester Fall 2012 says, “If you’re very creative and artistically ambitious, this is a great program to show you how artistic vision and effort are structured in the real world, as opposed to sort of just concepts and ideas, and how much the arts really are a business.”

When Josh Ciolek applied for the NYC Semester, he wanted to go abroad and still be able to have a working experience.

I think the semester really gave me the best exposure to the real world,” he says. “You get an even greater sense of independence while you’re in the city, you’re doing an internship three days a week, and you’re right there: you’re

How to Stay Sane During Finals Purgatory

By OLIVIA WHITE STAFF WRITER Well, it’s officially finals purgatory here at St. Lawrence Universitythat awful period between the end of Thanksgiving break and finals week. It isn’t quite finals hell, but it’s pretty close. Gone are the days of half-assed annotated bibliographies and rough drafts.

Now all the real, polished work is due and it’s stressful and we all

complain about it to each other because complaining about work is the best way to avoid it.

And for us naïve freshman, this can be slightly overwhelming.

Here is some completely valid advice on staying sane from a fellow freshman that is just as inexperienced at this process as anyone: -Go to the gym: seriously.

Even if you just get friendly with a treadmill for a half hour.

Exercising releases endorphins

in your brain, which make you happy and happiness may become a rare commodity as frustration begins to set in. I know that eight minute walk from Rebert to the gym is absolutely killer, but you’ll be happy you made the trek.

-Eat stuff that makes you feel good. All that delicious pub comfort food may be making you feel sluggish. And when you feel sluggish, you feel lazy and unmotivated- so eat an

apple, detox, and bang out that fourteen page essay like a champ!

-Give yourself time at some point in the day to read a magazine that you like, catch up on that episode (or three or five) of How I Met Your Mother you missed, listen to Christmas music, and veg out. It’s not procrastinating. It’s just… taking a brief hiatus. For sanity’s sake.

-Let off some steam by jeering at the Clarkson men’s

hockey team tomorrow night.

Sometimes yelling profanities at your rivals with fellow students is the best way to relieve stress.

-Enjoy the little things- like a great cup of tea or an awesome pair of pajamas. Life’s simple joys keep us grounded when we feel like our heads are going to explode and we just kind of want to curl up in a ball and sob a little.

Best of luck to everyone in the upcoming weeks. It gets better.

features

DECEMBER 6, 2013

Construction Effects on Local Businesses

By NICK SCALIA GUEST WRITER The construction on Main Street in Canton is finally winding down, and businesses along the street are looking forward to its completion.

Construction began in June of 2012 and since then the area has been transformed. It’s old sidewalks and frost-heaved road are gone, replaced by a modern downtown with new sidewalks, fresh asphalt and sharp lanes. For some stores, the experience has had little impact on their levels of business, while others saw significant negative effects.

Sergi’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria at 31 Main Street, Canton, is one restaurant in the downtown area that hasn’t felt an economic strain from the construction. This most likely has to do with the store’s hours; The restaurant is closed for lunch hours.

Jennifer O’Brien, a waitress at Sergi’s, feels that if they were open during lunch there would be a positive impact on business, not a negative one, during construction’s busiest time. “There would be an

increase in business here if we were open for lunch because the construction workers would come here to eat,” said O’Brien. However, her only complaint about the construction was that it took longer than expected, but she is happy with the town’s new look.

Hot Tamale, a fast food burrito restaurant on Main Street, was not as fortunate as Sergi’s. Josh Richie, an employee of Hot Tamale, said, “last year was horrible for business.”

Richie said that the most significant impacts to the business were caused

“Hopefully the new and improved downtown Canton will bring more business to the town” by the increased time it took for customers to get to and from the restaurant.

Richie also mentioned that the construction had a negative impact

on the delivery portion of the business. Hot Tamale’s deliverymen were often forced to wait in standstill traffic or use back roads in order to avoid the construction all together.

According to Richie, this slowed down delivery time significantly. If it takes 45 minutes for your burrito to arrive, it is safe to say you won’t be inclined to tip much, or to order again in the near future.

The slow progress has also affected Hot Tamale. “The construction has taken much longer than we wanted,” Richie said. The longer the construction continues, the more business they lose.

One thing that Richie and O’Brien both agree on is that the construction was an improvement to the town. It may have cost Hot Tamale some business over the past year, but “It was a necessary improvement to the town, especially because the water and sewer lines were in such bad shape,” said Richie.

Hopefully, the new and improved downtown Canton will now bring more business to the town and venues like Hot Tamale.

Introducing the Alumni Council

By ERICA BARTHOLOMEW GUEST WRITER

Fellow Laurentians, we take great pleasure in introducing ourselves to you. Our names are Erica Bartholomew ’15, Kerri Honan ’14, Evan Koncewicz ’15, and Danielle McBride ’14, and we are the Student Delegates to the Alumni Executive Council. We are excited to serve as liaisons between the council and the student body for the rest of the academic year!

The Alumni Executive Council is a passionate group of alumni who have maintained a relationship with St. Lawrence years after graduation. This group facilitates contact between the University, all other alumni, current students,

and prospective students. The purpose of the council is to “be of service to the University; to maintain and stimulate interest in the University; and to assist in raising funds for the University.” It is a goal of the council to establish a connection between all members of the SLU community, and to remind everyone what it means to be a “Laurentian for Life.”

In partnership with The Hill News, we as Student Delegates are excited to announce the start of a new weekly column featuring a member of the Alumni Executive Council. This will provide not only current students, but also alumni, with the opportunity to contact and network with any of our featured council members. Lastly, be sure to

Alumni Council Spotlight:

Stephen Todd

keep your eye out for our Delegate newsletter, the Laurentian Learner, if you’d like to learn more about all of the great things that the Alumni Council is doing on campus! It will be distributed in conjunction with Thelmo’s Hannon Herald.

Please feel free to contact any of us with any questions, comments, or concerns that you may have. We look forward to the remainder of this semester and the next one!

Erica Bartholomew, elbart11@ stlawu.edu Kerri Honan, kehona10@ stlawu.edu Evan Koncewicz, efkonc11@ stlawu.edu Danielle McBride, dmmcbr10@ stlawu.edu

Where is your current region of residence?

North Country (Hannawa Falls, NY) What is your occupation?

Regional school administrator What is your favorite memory of St. Lawrence?

Candlelight Services in the Chapel during the holiday season Why do you love St. Lawrence?

St. Lawrence people have a community that is built upon staying connected to one another and looking out for one another throughout our lives What organizations and/or extra-curricular activities were you involved in during your time at St.

Lawrence?

Laurentian Singers, Thelmo, class officer (treasurer), Chapel Choir, Circle K, ODK, Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Sigma Alpha (Govt. honorary society), Phi Alpha Theta (History honorary society); Ives Society (Music honorary society) What do you find most rewarding about being involved with the council?

The opportunity to meet Laurentians from various generations and build lifelong friendships with them May students contact you via email if they are interested in connecting with you?

Yes, please contact me! stodd@sllboces.org

THE HILL NEWS|7

Eight Ways to Cure your Holiday Woes

By CONNOR MARTIN CO-FEATURES EDITOR Happy Holidays, SLUdents— You may be asking yourselves, now that fall athletics have ended, what can you devote your precious pre-gaming time to? I mean, sure, you COULD study for exams, or go watch our hockey teams thrash their opponents, but just in case neither of those do it for you, we’ve cooked up a few alternatives for the next week of collegiate, pre-exam hell: 1. You may have noticed that the looming grey colossus occupying half the quad now has a roof, and you know what that means, right? It’s time to move in! Sure, there probably isn’t plumbing yet, but what could be more fun than sneaking in afterhours and pretending to use the sink that hasn’t been installed yet?

2. Throw pebbles at the Beta house, just to make sure humans actually live inside it.

3. Purchase enough SLU athletic wear to blend in with every fall sports team as they go on bender week, although pulling off both cross-country and football might require packing on, or losing, several pounds very quickly.

Photo by Connor Martin

4. Don’t own a car to drive to the ski slopes? Not a problem.

Snag enough Sysco products from the Pub to build a makeshift mountain and give it a thin layer of snow! It may be wasteful, but for all of 4 seconds, it’ll feel JUST like Whiteface.

5. Save the entire campus from a case of frostbite by finding a way to line Bean boots and Sperrys with something a little warmer than leather.

6. Need a place to sleep in Dean Eaton? Just looking to freshen up? Head over to Josh Cameron’s room and punch in 23-5-4-1. We haven’t run this by him, but we’re sure he won’t mind.

7. Celebrate SLU CrossCountry champ, Amy Cymerman, the top Liberty League finisher at the NCAA championships by building a snowman in her very image. Or, if you’re feeling less ambitious, just give her a congratulatory high-five.

8. Attend the Hill News’ Town Hall meeting on Monday Dec. 9 (hint, hint).

Alternatively, if none of these positively brilliant ideas appeal to you, you could go for the old mainstay: a healthy diet of Netflix, Buzzfeed, Reddit, and fried food from the Pub. It’ll probably be just as fun.

8 | THE HILL NEWS

Arts & Entertainment

DECEMBER 6, 2013

Moving in Stereo Talks Study Music

By WILL STANDISH COLUMNIST If your priorities are anything like mine (not that this is necessarily a good thing), the moment you return from Thanksgiving break, you find yourself presented with a question that has plagued small liberal arts school student-kind since the dawn of time. “What,” you ponder “should I listen to while I attempt to get through this monstrous pile of work?”

Finding the right music to keep you motivated and energetic can be an art form. And if you find that your usual playlist of study jams just isn’t cutting it anymore, the answer may lie in finding something new. In that case, The Bones of What You Believe by Scottish indie-pop band CHVRCHES might be just what you’re looking for.

Released in September, The Bones of What you Believe is a tight 48 minutes of immensely catchy, hyper-energetic synth pop that lends itself well to keeping your spirits up when you find yourself stuck in the library until one in the morning for the third day in a row. From the light and airy opening, “The Mother We Share,” onward, CHVRCHES maintain a rolling energy that continues for the rest of the album.

The band finds success in mining 80s pop for its best elements and updating them with modern sensibilities. Think a John Hughes movie soundtrack as reimagined by millenials. I guess what I’m saying is that this music is pretty much ideal for a studying montage, and, be honest: who doesn’t love a good studying montage?

Don’t let the bright tinge of the tracks here fool you, though. Beyond the surface of sunny synthesizers lie some dark, satisfyingly complex lyrical content. “We Sink”, depicts the other side of a love song, chronicling the ways couples can hurt each other. “I’ll be the thorn in your side for all time” perfectly encapsulated the less-Hallmark side of romance that couples face in a way that is refreshingly real. “Lies” portrays a parasitic, manipulative relationship underneath it’s

sheen of keyboards. “I can sell you lies/ you can’t get enough” work as a refrain of a relationship that has trudged on far beyond its expiration date. The lyrical content often works because of its vagueness. The listener teases out the details of the situations being depicted by the abstractions in the lyrics. Even at its darkest, the lyrics are never overbearing and never clash against the music.

While the album on a whole is rife with distinctive, excellent tracks, a handful or tracks stand out above the rest. “Recover” is about as strong as singles come. Released originally on the band’s debut EP, it’s perhaps one of the bands most well-known songs, and with good reason. It’s anthemic pre-chorus gives way to a satisfying chorus that might just convince you that, yeah, you probably can write that ten-page paper in a day, guy. You got this. The previously mentioned “We Sink” is another stand-out. These tracks lend themselves to multiple replays without getting old. The tracks here show the versatility of synth-pop, while there is uniformity in a lot of the instrumentation; CHVRCHES utilize their sound in a multitude of ways so that the tracks never get repetitive.

I’m a pretty big fan of mysterious, haunting last tracks, and “The Bones” definitely delivers on that front. Ideally, a last track sticks with you and leaves you pondering the album. “You Caught the Light”, one of the two tracks not sung by lead singer Lauren Mayberry, sounds like it was recorded in a cathedral, the vocals taking on a distant echoing quality at odds with Mayberry’s more immediate vocals. The sleepy, grainy synths help bring the album, and with it the energy that defines the album to a definitive, slumbering close.

The Bones of What you Believe is a vibrant and streamlined listening experience ideal for helping you endure long days and longer nights writing and studying. Like a mopey Scottish study aide, CHVRCHES provide an excellent soundtrack to the last, frantic weeks of the semester.

This Week at ACE:

The Mortal Instruments (2013) When her mother disappears, Clary Fray learns that she descends from a line of warriors who protect our world from demons. She joins forces with others like her and heads into a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld (IMDb).

ACE is ending on a staggeringly high note here, with... this... movie. Perhaps unsurprisingly, actually, I really have very little to say. It’s a movie. Finals week is looming. Maybe you want to see a movie. Meh. Reviews were largely negative of this film, perhaps unsurprisingly. I’ve heard from ANONYMOUS sources, that the books were likable, but this movie was given the Twilight treatment, which is quite the shame. At any rate, though, ACE’s fall lineup was pretty enjoyable. Just imagine next semester and all the Oscar movies they’ll probably show.

The Arts Annex --- Presents ---

Singer/Songwriter Competition Thursday, December 5th, 7:30pm at Pub 56

Prizes include: Cash, musical instruments, glory Top three musicians win a recording session with KSLU! Contact: Luke Matys at lpmaty11@stlawu.edu

Fall Dance Showcase

By JOHN BALDERSTON GUEST WRITER

At the start of each semester, dance classes and student choreographed groups are filled to the brim, packing dozens of Larries into a small studio. Here, you find students who are interested in or passionate about dance, and even those who are there solely because of an unfortunate run-in with APR. Often, the majority of the group begins without prior dance experience, making the occupied studio appear somewhat comical in nature. However, the group continually improves throughout the semester with the extensive help of dedicated choreographers, and spends weeks perfecting each dance that will be showcased. The end result is something spectacular.

Look forward to Reflections, the Fall Dance Showcase, in Gulick Theater. Shows start at 8pm on Friday, December 6th and Saturday, December 7th. Free admission, tickets required. If you can’t make it, come to our Preview at 8pm on Thursday, December 5th. See you there!

DECEMBER 6, 2013

Arts & Entertainment

Light Reading for Finals Week

By ALEX GLADWIN COLUMNIST They approach. The fell beasts of college studies: final exams, term papers, lab practicals, and whatever people in the PCA department do.

And here you are, about to enjoy the weekend and then the last week before these foul creatures devour your time and sanity. You need this time to steel yourself for what is to come, to enjoy whatever free time you have before it is sapped away like the scraggly remnants of your joy.

So how about some for-all-ages fantasy novels to help you relax and enjoy yourself?

The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle The Plot: In a land where magic and faith dwindle, a unicorn overhears that she is the last of her kind. Distraught by this, she goes on an adventure to see if the rumor is true, making friends along the way. She must seek out King Haggard and avoid a horrible monster, the Red Bell, in an effort to hopefully find—and maybe even save—the rest of her species.

Who doesn’t love a good adventure story?

A magical creature in a new land discovering strange places, interesting characters, and beautiful realities that could never exist in our world…I mean, what could better take your mind off of studying for that Advanced Theoretical Complexities course you’re freaking out about? Well, sadly, the promise of exploration and adventure in The Last Unicorn is dispelled almost instantly. The first half of the book sees the titular last unicorn being captured and stuck in one place or another, and rarely are the places all that interesting.

The Last Unicorn is a damn clever book, but I can’t say that it’s equally exciting. There are a lot of post-modern winks—several allusions to the nature and structure of fairy tales—and they’re rather smart. But for all the winking and invitations to analyze, I didn’t ever feel enraptured by the story. Maybe it would better interest a young child, or someone who is intensely familiar with the genre and wants to see it deconstructed, but outside of those groups, there just isn’t enough to keep a reader going.

There’s little world exploration and little sense of wonder that permeates better fantasy books aimed at younger audiences like The Neverending Story or classics like The Hobbit.

The story picks up about halfway through, but not enough. The antagonists become more immediate, and when the unicorn goes through an integral change, Beagle finally unleashes interesting and accessible character development. The unicorn’s transformation from a cold, heartless creature to one aware of empathy is fascinating and finally brings the nonpost-modern goals of the story into focus, but they’re not sufficient to make up for what could have been a story with fun to match the wit.

Howl’s Moving Castle (1986) by Diana Wynne Jones The Plot: Sophie Hatter is a young woman living in a fantasy world wherein all the old tropes and legends from fairy tales are considered true.

Thus, because Sophie is the oldest of three sisters, everyone knows she will not be successful. A cruel woman, the Witch of the Waste, mistakes the mild-mannered Sophie for one of her sisters and curses her by putting her into the body of an old woman. Sophie goes out into the world to find work and ultimately takes up a job as housekeeper for the infamous Wizard Howl, whose land-roaming castle has earned him quite the negative reputation.

Oddly enough, by taking place in a smaller world, Howl’s Moving Castle has a much greater sense of adventure than The Last Unicorn. Jones gives us time to understand who Sophie is, and thus when she goes out to explore the kingdom of Ingary, we are both scared and excited to see what lies beyond her home. The characters are also a lot more interesting; they both represent certain character types—especially notable in the three sisters—and exist as their own people.

I cared a lot more about every single person in this book than in The Last Unicorn because they each felt real, and I wanted to see how they grew and changed.

Also, can I just take a second to say how refreshing it is to have a diverse cast of realistic female characters? Young-adult fantasy—if Howl’s Moving Castle fits into that genre— can really be hit or miss with solid characters, and fictional works in general rarely have enough complex female characters. Jones creates characters from all walks of life, and each sister—even when they reflect a fairy tale character type—has her own voice, desires, ambitions, and goals. I’m sad that having human characters of more than one gender makes a book stand out, but considering the state of popular fiction, the lack of solid female characters is all too common. Those of you who like the well-written characters of Tamora Pierce’s books might find yourselves at home here.

Howl’s Moving Castle actually has its own share of genre consideration, but to me succeeds more than The Last Unicorn because it also has an interesting story. This book is fairly short, extremely interesting, and well written.

Moreover, one of the many fantastic messages embedded in the story—that, bollocks to the rules, or people’s judgments of you or your looks, you can be you and should be allowed to do what makes you happy—might give you the hoorah you need to take on your finals. If you’re looking for something to let you escape from the academic madness to come, or just something to fill in study breaks with a bit of whimsy and pageturning fun, then Howl’s Moving Castle might be the treasure that you seek.

THE HILL NEWS | 9

Second Breakfast:

Breaking into Oscar Season with Captain Phillips

By CHRIS MELVILLE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Captain Phillips (2013) The Plot: Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) is an ordinary American and captain of a civilian freighter transporting goods around the Horn of Africa. Of course, his route takes him right past the Land of Pirates (Somalia, sadly, not Treasure Island), and before too long he becomes the target of a group of pirates, led by Captain Muse (Barkhad Abdi). Phillips and his crew engage in an intense game of wits with the pirates, first to keep them off the ship and then, once that fails, to keep everyone alive. This plotline remains calculated and cerebral until Phillips alone is taken hostage and held on a lifeboat, and that is when people start acting from emotional/moral positions, and we really get a chance to view their human psyches.

This film is BASED ON A TRUE STORY, which means that nothing I say in this review is a spoiler, because most of it happened in REAL LIFE, and if you don’t already know it you can look it up on the INTERNET. So, while the “based on a true story” tag is a nice little boost for the Oscar run and drags people to the movies a bit more, it also puts a little extra burden on the director (Paul Greengrass of the Bourne series and United 93), the writer (Billy Ray of The Hunger Games), and the actors (aforementioned). Not only do they owe a lot of respect to the actual people involved in the story, who in this case are still alive and well (mostly), but they also have to try to create a taut, suspenseful, emotionally draining thriller even though everyone in the audience already knows what happens and how it goes down. They also have to avoid the pitfall of becoming a history report. When you go see Captain Phillips, you want something that you can’t get from picking up a newspaper.

And now, I imagine, dear reader(s), you’re at home in comfort, perhaps wrapped up in a blanket and sipping a cup of tea, hoping to enjoy the latest post from what is undoubtedly your favorite film review site, but suddenly you feel your day has been thrown off. You finished the last paragraph there and you’re wondering two things: first, did Greengrass manage to solve all those problems? And second, why is this jerk of a writer teasing me with another superfluous paragraph? I can answer one of those questions for you.

Captain Phillips is an incredibly gripping and intense film, despite what we know about how the situation turns out. How is this created? There are a few ways. First, gotta give props to the script. Ray took a look at the characters (and the book Phillips wrote about what happened) and divided the story into two distinct halves. Initially, there’s a good deal of buildup. He takes time to introduce us to Phillips, Muse, and other characters, and he tours us around the ship. We see all the pieces as they’re set up on the proverbial board. Because we know the game, we know the moves that each piece is capable of making, and we know how each player is going to want to achieve his victory. Once the pirates get aboard the ship, things get very interesting. Every character does the exact smartest thing for him to do at any given moment. This means Phillips, his crew, and, most importantly, the pirates; are all trying to outwit everyone else. Of course, very few of these undeniably smart decisions complement each other, so despite how clever everyone’s being, things just keep getting more difficult and suspenseful.

The second thing Ray’s script excels at is exploring human characters. Obviously, Phillips is a familiar American everyman set in an extraordinary situation of extreme duress, and Tom Hanks is really at his best in performing this role. I know that saying Tom Hanks gave a good performance is sort of moot at this point, but I was just really impressed by him. He’ll get nominated for the Oscar and I wouldn’t be shocked if he won.

Muse, though, is the more intriguing character in many ways, at least in terms of how the screenplay treats him. Ray doesn’t approach the subject with any pretense. The pirates are the bad guys. There’s no doubt about that. They’re humanized, but not overly sympathetic. A lot of critics felt that the pirates weren’t sympathetic enough, but I think they’re viewing the film through the lens of White Guilt (which is just a contemporary reordering of the White Man’s Burden). They don’t want to condemn the pirates; they want to coddle them and teach them how to be peaceful and happy. Phillips, the character, wants this, too. He makes several attempts to reach out to his captors, but of course, he fails.

My favorite moment in the film is a brief two-line exchange in which Phillips addresses Muse, saying, “There must be more to life than fishing and kidnapping people,” and Muse just responds, “Maybe in America.” That’s all the development we really need. Phillips, like many Westerners, wants to treat Muse as an American, but at first fails to see that, oddly enough, America and Somalia are different countries. Barkhad Abdi as Muse gives an incredible performance, especially considering that this is his first ever role and he’s had no training whatsoever. He acts on Hanks’ level.

Overall, Captain Phillips is an excellent film. There are things to criticize and a lot of elements worth mentioning that I really can’t get into. Greengrass’ direction, which is similar to the Bourne movies, though considerably easier to watch, nicely serves the story, but the truly noteworthy aspects are the screenplay and the expert performances from Hanks and Abdi. I’ve decided that Prisoners came out too early to get the Oscar attention it deserves, but it’ll be interesting to see how Captain Phillips fares against Gravity. Maybe someday 12 Years a Slave will come to a theater near me and I can review that. Otherwise, we wait patiently for Her, American Hustle, Inside Llewyn Davis, Saving Mr. Banks, and, oh yeah, Martin Scorsese has another movie coming out. Maybe Leo will get a nomination this year.

NEWS

10 | THE HILL NEWS

Photo by Raging Wire via Creative Commons

NY Voters Approve Casino Expansion

By BEN WOODBURY STAFF WRITER New York voters approved a constitutional amendment to expand casino gambling in New York State.

The bill authorized up to seven Las

Vegas-style casinos in upstate New York as a way to boost the economy in weaker economic areas.

The state currently has slot machines, but table casinos are only on Native American reservations.

With the expansion, table casi-

nos will be authorized statewide.

According to the plan, one new casino will be established hear Binghamton, two in the Catskills and Mid-Hudson Valley region and another in the Saratoga Springs-Albany region.

Approximately seven years after the plan goes into effect, up to three casinos will be established in New York City and its suburbs.

While the economic benefits are difficult to forecast SLU economics professor, Steve Horowitz said, “the casinos can’t do much harm, but the benefits will vary.” He fears that these casinos may divert consumer spending away from other industries such as horse racing.

“If entertainment dollars are allocated elsewhere, some established entertainment industries would suffer the effects,” he said.

Drew Grennon, an economics major and gambling enthusiast disagrees with Horowitz.

“Even if incoming cash flow from the people of New York doesn’t

DECEMBER 6, 2013 increase, the enhanced number of out of state tourists will yield extra state revenue,” he said.

New York, which is known for having some of the best horse racing venues in the country, strives to continue a strong tradition of horse racing and expand that attitude into the casinos. Erin Higgins of the New York State Gaming Commission is skeptical. “I hope the casino expansion will not harm the horse racing industry, but I think it could go either way,” she said.

With many effects in question, the president of St. Lawrence’s Investment Club, Andy Chan is optimistic about the expansion.

“The participation of casinos in the property market in New York City may prop up prices of real estate. Additionally, it may further diversify the tourism base of New York City,” he said.

Chan is also optimistic that increased tax revenue could supplement New York’s education system.

RANSOM, FROM PAGE 1 the personal files on the computer may be lost forever as well.

Don’t fear though. Although it may seem like an extremely annoying and expensive virus to decimate on your computer, there are precautions that you can do to prevent the CryptoLocker ransomware from affecting your computer. Simple steps like updating your anti-virus software, keeping regular backups of your files, and keeping your security information in check. However, most importantly be cautious of the links you choose to click on. Many times there are email attachments with crafty and legitimate looking links, yet they turn into harmful viruses that can affect your computer. So be cautious of those skeptical looking emails declaring that you can make $100 in an hour because it most likely isn’t the case!

‘Tis the Formal Season

By LEXI BECKWITH & ELLE LUCAS MANAGING EDITOR & NEWS EDITOR

With formal season in full swing, students have taken to employing ever more clever ways to invite their dates to formal, such as this young chap (or miss) who propositioned their sweetheart using the winter favorite, snowmen.

Whether your sorority or fraternity offers personal and house invites, your theme house uses the age-old go-to of the random-date-from-the-StudentCenter strategy, you’re hosting a Sadie Hawkins, or simply inviting every ugly sweater-wearingindividualtocomeone,comeall,thisseasonisfullofopportunity to head over to one of the many local destinations (or Ottawa and Montreal) to sip from a pitcher of Natty Ice, enjoy the finger foods provided, or dance your butt off to 90s classics, all while basking in the glow of bowties and heels.

GENDER, FROM PAGE 1 A quick foray into a French or Spanish classroom will present you with four times more female students than male students.

Biology lectures approach nearly a 3:1 female-to-male ratio, though if you walk up just a few Johnson stairs, you’ll find that Biochemistry and Chemistry classes often are evenly split between the sexes.

What accounts for this gender discrepancy – or lack thereof – among the popular majors and departments on campus?

St. Lawrence often prides itself, and rightly so, on being a forward-thinking institution that favors innovation and progress, though a quick glance at the most male or female-dominated fields of study suggests that many students are still sticking with “traditional” gender roles.

According to data from the 20092013 academic years, compiled

by Shawn Golley of the Office of Institutional Research, the departments most overrepresented by men (greater than 65%) include Economics and all of its associated combined majors: Computer Science, Geology, Music, and Physics. The departments that are largely comprised of female students, on the other hand, include Anthropology, Art and Art History, Biology, English, Spanish, French, Psychology, and Sociology.

It is no mere coincidence that four of the five male-dominated majors are natural, or “hard” sciences, while all but one of the female-dominated majors are fields in the humanities or language. Even though SLU has exhibited a 45-55 male-female ratio on campus for the last few years, the vastly contrasting percentages go beyond that simple difference in enrollment. Women began to outnumber men in college in the late 1970s, and the ratio has steadily risen in favor of women since then, with the national average for private institutions topping at about 59% female and 41% male. Reports show that there are actually slightly more college-aged (18-24) males (51%) than females (49%) in the United States, which makes the gender discrepancy in higher education enrollment all the more compelling.

Courtney Fogarty ’14, an English and Sociology double major, isn’t surprised by the data that indicate most of the humanities departments are female-dominated. “This probably has something to do with the fact that humanities are undervalued in a capitalist society,” she says. “The ‘results’ are harder to commodify than, say, economics.”

Alex Gladwin ’14, a fellow English major, suggests that there is “less of an entrenched ‘boys’ club’ attitude [in the humanities] as there are in a lot of sciences, which could be because English analysis as an academic field of study is less-

Photo by Elle Lucas

established.” He personally has been positively affected by the gender disparity, feeling “more comfortable in the female-dominated spaces of English classes for some reason.”

The perception of certain majors being “male” or “female” is certainly prevalent across a wide variety of departments. According to Francis Stripp ’14, a Geology major, “the blanket idea of Geology is that of big rocks, rugged terrains, blasting volcanoes, oily messes, et cetera, and all of these things are what society has given the label of ‘manly.’”

Indeed, the Geology majors at SLU are 67% male, though Stripp notes that the female majors were “willing to break the stereotypes and seek out an area they are interested in.”

One such female Geology major, Stephanie Shorb ’14, has certainly noticed the gender discrepancy, but hasn’t been personally affected by the difference. In fact, she reports that “the department and professors are excited to have more female Geology majors.

The department used to be all male professors, but we have two new [faculty members] this year – both female who replaced two male professors we had.” Other students shared her sentiments, praising their departments for not exhibiting any kind of gender bias, one way or the other.

The Economics department, for example, which encompasses the Math-Economics and

Environmental StudiesEconomics combined majors, is overwhelmingly male-dominated, but the female students generally speak highly of their experiences within their field. “I had heard that there were more male Economics majors,” says Christina Robichaud ’14, an Economics major, “but I personally have never felt like I was treated differently by professors or noticed a large number of guys in my classes that made me feel uncomfortable.” She went on to say, “if anything, I think it’s to my advantage at times that I have proven that I can work hard, be organized, and be female – which is completely arbitrary – and all my professors take me seriously.”

Haley Burrowes ’14, a fellow female Economics major, offers an additional point of view on the benefit of a male-dominated department. “I think I’ve gotten the opportunity to understand things in a different light because I have worked with so many men in my classes,” she says. “That being said, this semester I am the only girl in my SYE class and it has been a little more challenging to find common ground with the other students.”

Interestingly, she goes on to say that “the way things have worked, I have gotten close with the other girls in the economics department.” On the flip side of the coin, Kyle Benzing ’14, a Math and Economics double major, hasn’t noticed the gender

discrepancy, and said, “the only time I realized there were more guys was in Macroeconomics.”

The preferences of men or women to pursue their fields of study might not only be limited to academic reasoning. According to Jeremiah Bunton ’15, “if you look up ‘computer scientist,’ you will most likely see a man. Because [computer science] is associated with geeks, women relate it to gaming, which is also not something many girls do compared to men.” The future careers that majors can ultimately lead to, moreover, can also play an important role. “Biology, I suppose, leads largely to medical/ healthcare jobs,” Courtney says, “which are based in interpersonal/ community topics – ‘soft skills’ which women learn from socialization trends in school.”

Overall, however, students generally notice the gender distribution in their departments, but their studies haven’t been altered in any way. “The only effect [I’ve experienced] is who I see more often and do work with,” says Aaron Costello ’15, an Anthropology major. On a campus as rich in thought and diverse interests as SLU, it seems that students feel the gender makeup of their classrooms doesn’t have as significant of an impact as do the content of the classes themselves – which, of course, is the best that can be hoped for.

Saints Sports

NATIONAL RESULTS

12/01 Broncos v. Chiefs, W 35-28 12/01 Redskins v. Giants , L 17-24 12/03 Penguins v. Islanders, W 3-2 12/03 Nuggets v. Nets, W 111-87

WWW.STLAWU.EDU/ATHLETICS

Week 13 Fantasy Football Results

By BRANDON DI PERNO STAFF WRITER

Leaders: Eric Decker: Peyton Manning and Eric Decker played off each other perfectly, as they throttled the Chiefs. Decker had 174 receiving yards as well as 4 touchdowns. Decker is but one of the Broncos capable Wide Receivers, so it’s impossible to determine if he will be targeted to the same extent this weekend.

KOBE BRYANT

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LA TIMES

The Mamba is Coming

By BRANDON DI PERNO STAFF WRITER The month of November was devastating for the sport of basketball. In a cruel twist of fate Derrick Rose fell victim to yet another knee injury, Marc Gasol sprained his MCL, and Andre Iguodala strained his hamstring.

In the last week alone JJ Redick, Paul Pierce, and Anthony Davis have all fractured their hands.

However, in the wake of these injuries one silver lining has emerged-the return of the “Black Mamba”, Kobe Bryant.

The sociopathic superstar is set to make his return to the Lakers starting lineup Friday, December 6th versus the Sacramento Kings.

Bryant has been noticeably absent from the league since April, after tearing his achilles tendon in a contest against the Golden State Warriors. A well documented rehabilitation process demonstrated Kobe’s insane work ethic, which is

the reason why he’s set to take the court very soon. It’s this unparalleled drive that has allowed Kobe to win five NBA championships during his tenure in the NBA. Despite the fact Kobe has continuously defied Father Time (at thirty-five years of age Bryant delivered an impressive stat line of 27.3 points, along with 4.8 assists, and 5.3 rebounds), and returned stronger from nearly every gruesome injury that’s befallen him, the doubters’ yells are louder than ever.

Nevertheless, that’s exactly how Kobe Bryant wants things to be. In an interview with Yahoo! Sports, when asked how the doubters’ affect him and how he’ll return, Bryant explained: “Personally? I’m going to be the way I’ve always been.

Maybe a little better. It’s always interesting, it’s motivating to hear people doubt me. The same guys put the nail in my coffin six years ago. They’re

still trying.”

As ridiculous as it sounds, it’s completely plausible that Kobe Bryant returns to the NBA better than he’s ever been.

While his play may lack the explosiveness of his earlier

“I’m going to be the way I’ve always been.

Maybe a little better.”

-Kobe Bryant

years, it’s critical that one realizes that Bryant has been re-inventing his style of play every year since he first took to the NBA hardwood at 18 years-old. To doubt Kobe Bryant is nonsensical. His love of competition and that ever- elusive sixth title have spawned a hunger that will never be mitigated. It’s possible that he’s inhuman, and it may be too early to tell. Hopefully we’ll get our answer, tomorrow night against the Raptors, to the essential question: How much venom does he have left?

Josh Gordon: “Flash” Gordon, as he’s now called, was spectacular with 261 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. Expect this trend to continue.

Alshon Jeffery: Chicago’s Wide Receiver is meshing with quarterback Josh McCown, as he had 249 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Peyton Manning: As per usual, Manning was inhuman. He threw for 403 yards and 5 touchdowns. Manning is likely to continue this through the coming weeks.

Russel Wilson: Wilson is proving to be elite, as he threw for 310 yards and 3 touchdowns. Wilson has been playing amazingly lately, don’t expect that to change.

Busts: Andrew Luck: Luck was dreadful this week. He did not throw a single touchdown and added to the misery with an interception.

This is not his typical play. Expect him to bounce back next week.

Marshon Lynch: Lynch was terrible this week as he rushed for just 45 yards and no touchdowns. Lynch will bounce back, he’s been good too consistently.

Steve Smith: Despite remaining Cam Newton’s favorite target, Smith hasn’t found the end-zone since week 7. It’s impossible to think Smith will return to form at this point in the season. If you have him, you should have dropped him weeks ago; if not, do so now.

Desean Jackson: Jackson was abysmal, gaining only 36 receiving yards and no touchdowns. Don’t fret though, he’ll most likely return to form against the Lions.

“Incognito” No More: Analyzing the NFL Bullying Issue

By WILLIAM MESINGER STAFF WRITER The Jonathon Martin, Richard Incognito story is essentially speculation at this point, which is why it would be unfair to prematurely blame either party. So far, what we know is that Martin left the Miami Dolphins in the middle of the season, claiming that he had been bullied.

An “abusive” voicemail from Incognito was found on Martin’s phone after an investigation was carried out. Incognito claims that the voicemail came from a place of love. He said that, a week before the voicemail was left, Martin jokingly texted him claiming that

he was going to kill his entire family. According to CNN, he went on to say that despite “…how bad or how vulgar it sounds, that’s how we communicate, that’s how our friendship was. Those are the facts and that’s what I’m accountable for.”

I’m not going to use this article to say that bullying is immoral, and I’m not going to say that it’s the best way to build character. The issue of “bullying” rests heavily on context, so a sweeping generalization about the issue would not accomplish anything. The most I’ll say about it is this: don’t be a dick.

The story brings to light some questionable aspects of

professional sports culture, specifically the lack of preemptive player-safety policies.

The Martin story has been receiving headlines all over the internet. As a result, teams will likely make an active effort to reduce bullying in their locker rooms. Of course, these efforts come after an organization receives scrutiny, and they are highly publicized efforts.

It’s hard to imagine that the coaches were oblivious to the fact that such behavior was occurring. After all, NFL players are coming out in defense of Incognito, claiming that this kind of behavior is just the way the league operates. Anyone who has participated in athletics knows that this is what cre-

ates solidarity between teammates. Therefore, it is likely

“...that’s how we communicate, that’s how our friendship was. Those are the facts and that’s what I’m accountable for.”

-Jonathan Martin that NFL coaches knew about these locker room issues, but remained silent until their organization came under fire.

This leads us to believe that any policies created to curb locker room “bullying” are business decisions masquerad-

ing as a push for morality.

I understand that professional sports leagues are businesses. But must they be businesses that operate without a higher degree of morality?

Coaches and league employees are all ready to keep the statusquo, until an event occurs that motivates them to keep up their public image.

It’s not hard to imagine that the new NFL rules instituted to prevent concussions were accepted because the NFL saw an opportunity to avoid lawsuits and to improve their public image. If player safety was the league’s true motivation behind these investigations, they would have been carried out years ago.

Saints Sports

LATEST RESULTS

11/22 Men’s Basketball v. Oswego, L 84-90 11/23 Men’s Squash v. Hobart, W 9-0 11/23 Williams Smith, W 9-0 11/29 Men’s Ice Hockey @ N. Dakota, W 5-2

WWW.STLAWU.EDU/ATHLETICS

Q&A with Katherine Figueroa

By EMILY HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER Name: Katherine Figueroa Age: 21 Hometown: Norfolk, MA Major: Economics Position: Flat and Fences Rider

Fall Riding Recap

CHRISTINA RUKKI / PHOTO EDITOR

By JANE EIFERT STAFF WRITER The St. Lawrence Equestrian Team rode strong this fall season and head into the offseason with a huge advantage. They are currently the two-time National Champions, and it seems they are already well on their way to another successful season. With a team of about thirty members, SLU excels in every event.

Assistant Coach Mary Drueding stated: “I am really pleased how quickly our first year riders are coming together and working with our upperclassmen. Our team’s signature is to move up in the standings in the spring as the team comes together as a whole so this much of a lead early in the season is way ahead of our curve.”

Junior Emily D’Alessandro commented: “I think I can speak for the whole team by saying that our greatest achievement is having a 47 point lead in the region.” At this time last year, the team was second in the region, behind by 13 points, with a lot of pressure to do well in the spring. This year, with five first place finishes and one second place finish, it is clear that the team dominated, and their success stems from a great amount of dedication to the team.

Senior captain Jessie Lewis noted, “most everyone is at the barn... for multiple hours a day to put in the work on their riding skills.”

The results from the fall season include six other teams. SLU started the season on top at the October 26th show, hosted by Geneseo (SLU 43; Cazenovia 32; Geneseo 31). They placed first at Geneseo the next day (SLU 39; Cazenovia 36; Geneseo 33), second at the November 9th show at Geneseo (Cazenovia 41; SLU 37; Geneseo 35), first place at Cazenovia on November 10th (SLU 39; Geneseo 34; Ottawa 32; Cazenovia; Syracuse 31), and first place in both shows hosted here at SLU on November 16th (SLU 49; Cazenovia 33; Oswego 28) and 17th (SLU 47; Cazenovia 38; Guelph 35).

Several members of the team shined at several shows. Drueding mentioned D’Alessandro as having a strong start to the season, “as she has been named high point rider twice and reserve high point rider once. This should give her a strong head start for the Cacchione Cup standings.”

D’Alessandro was the high point rider at Geneseo on October 27th and at SLU on November 16th, as well as the reserve high point rider at Geneseo on November 9th; Sarah Buck ‘16 was the reserve high point rider at the St. Lawrence show on November 16th; Annie Lufkin ‘16 was the reserve high point rider at the St. Lawrence show on November 17th.

Throughout the fall, everyone

had a hand in the team’s success.

D’Alessandro spoke highly of the team: “Without a doubt at shows, we stand out... we are there for each other getting ready and congratulating each other when we finish. I also think that something has to be said for the attitude of the girls on the team and how we have done the last two years.” She added, “when you are on the riding team here at SLU there is a sense of togetherness and comfort that all of us feel.”

Lewis made a similar comment when asked what her favorite part about being on the riding team was: “Most of all I think it comes down to the team chemistry.

We’re really close, and it’s fun to be with people that share the same drive and passion for the sport.”

The team’s big goal for the spring is to maintain their lead during the regular season, win the region, and advance to zones.

The ultimate hope is to qualify for Nationals, where they will have the potential for their third consecutive championship. The biggest challenge for the team this spring will be to beat Cazenovia at their home show, but the team is working hard to prepare, and is looking for another win.

Cazenovia is the one team SLU fell to at the November 9th show, and the team they trailed last season, but the team’s motivation will benefit them in the upcoming shows.

Men’s Basketball Edge Out Bears

By MACKENZIE CONDON STAFF WRITERS The St. Lawrence men’s basketball team faced SUNY Potsdam on Tuesday night, December 3rd at 7 pm. The Saints had lost their previous three games, so this game came at just the right time and proved

SCHEDULE

to be a morale booster.

Three men put up double figures for SLU, including Brady Condlin, a junior, and two first-years, Kyle Kobis and Kyle Edwards. SLU outplayed SUNY Potsdam during the entire first half, which allowed them to build on their initial lead. The Saints’ kept their lead

Friday, 12/06 Men’s Hockey @ Clarkson Cheel Arena, 7:00 p.m.

throughout the 3rd quarter.

The final minutes of the game were extremely suspenseful for each team, as both continued to score against one another.

Although the basketball team only scored on 37% of their shots they were able to pull out a fantastic win over the Bears, 69-67.

How long have you been riding ?

My riding career began at a very young age. When I was just 18 months old, my mom had me up on a horse.

What got you started?

My mom, having grown up with horses and an avid rider herself, CHRISTINA RUKKI /PHOTO EDITOR was eager to start my passion early.

Luckily, my mom’s horse was very obedient and trustworthy, even for a toddler! By age four or five, I was taking lessons and competing in local horse shows.

What is your favorite memory of riding at SLU? After one particular practice this fall, one of our coaches let my lesson group ride outside. It was a gorgeous day and so memorable to take the horses out into the large fields near the barn. We don’t get too much outdoor-riding weather, so having the chance to ride outside that day was really special.

Have you ever done any other types of competitive horseback riding?

Did you play any other sports before committing to equestrian?

Although riding has always been a huge part of my life, in high school, I participated in other sports as well. I played varsity field hockey for two years, but then opted to focus more heavily on riding. In addition, I danced at Boston Ballet for eight years. Surprisingly, ballet and riding were complementary. Ballet enhanced my balance, which is obviously a very important aspect of riding. Here at SLU, our horse shows involve two phases – jumping and flat. We are judged on our equitation and ability to perform well on a random horse. This adds a new dimension to competitions. The morning of each horse show, a horse is arbitrarily assigned to each rider. We are not allowed any practice or preparation time on the horse. In essence, this “evens the playing field” and tests the skills of a rider on a horse they may not know well, or know at all. Although I have always jumped, for six years I focused primarily on a completely different discipline of riding; dressage. Dressage is often described as ballet for horses.

Who is your biggest fan (why)?

My mom is my biggest fan. From the first day she introduced me to horses, she has been my greatest supporter. When I was young, she would wake up at four in the morning to drive the horse trailer to horse shows. She still comes to almost all of our SLU riding shows.

For those readers who aren’t familiar with equestrian showing, can you name one tip for becoming a SLU Riding fan ?

Unlike most college sports events, yelling and chanting is not condoned at horse shows. Although horses are big, powerful animals, they get scared very easily! If you are at a horse show, the louder you cheer, the harder it is for the rider to stay on their horse!

What is your favorite event, and why?

My favorite aspect of horse showing is the flat phase. My background with dressage has helped me tremendously in this part of showing. I enjoy getting on an unfamiliar horse and experimenting with what makes each horse “tick.”

Do you have any big plans for this year - bucket list fulfillments, etc?

In the four years I have been at SLU, the riding team has had amazing success. Four years ago, we placed second at nationals and the past two years, we have won. Returning to nationals this year and bringing home another title is my biggest goal for the season.

What is your favorite thing to order from the pub?

Tomato pesto soup and grilled cheese!

Do you have any advice for student athletes?

I think any student athlete would agree that one of the biggest challenges is juggling schoolwork with team commitments. Time management is a must. Whether it is working ahead in classes, or just budgeting your time well, staying on top of both our student and athletic obligations is important.

Saturday, 12/07 Men’s Hockey v. Clarkson Appleton Arena, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, 12/07 M&W Swimming and Diving Liberty Leagues in Schenectedy, NY