the
February 16, 2012 | Issue #257
y o u r. i n d y @ g m a i l . c o m
editor-in-chief: Róisín McCarty layout editor: Tom Dauer writers: Alexa Dillenbeck Dylan Green Laura Meltzer Noelle Moore Josh Myer s Alyce Pelleg rino Tommy Roach Ste phanie Spencer Mark Vasey print manager: Tony Pontius cover photo by: Tyler Dawson copy editor: Rachel Margolin artwork by: Madeleine Bergman Nicolas Sienty web design by: Danielle Lempp The Purchase Independent is a nonprofit news magazine, paid for by the Mandatory Student Activity fee. We welcome and encourage submissions from readers. The Indy is a forum for campus issues and events, to give students the voice they deserve. Letters, articles, comics, ads, event photography and event listings are welcomed. The deadline for submissions is every Friday before midnight, and accepted pieces will be published the following Thursday. Publication of submissions is not guaranteed, but subject to the discretion of the editors. No anonymous submissions will be considered, but we will accept use of pseudonyms on a caseby-case basis. Send all submissions and inquiries to your.indy@gmail.com. Send questions to Madame Query at formspring. me/madamequery. Back page quotes can be submitted to formspring.me/ indybackpage or put in the Back Page Box that hangs on the office door. Our office is located on the first floor of Campus Center North, room 1011. Staff meetings are held in the office every Monday night at 9:30; anyone is welcome.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR How was everyone’s Valentine’s Day, or whatever? Good? Great! The Indy was my Valentine, and let me tell you, it was the best Valentine’s date I’ve had in my entire life. Speaking of The Indy, it’s getting a makeover next week! So, don’t be alarmed if the cover looks a little bit different. It’s still The Indy, just with a new haircut, and maybe a new makeup technique. (Because we all know it takes years to perfect that smoky eye.) Tom and I had to lay our pineapple, Ted, to rest this week, so we’ve been throwing all of our energy into fulfilling The Indy’s needs. It was our first born, after all, and it’s been here for us consistently throughout this trying time in our young lives. We were going to give everyone a sneak peek, but frankly, we enjoy scheming and keeping secrets way too much to pass up the chance to do so. If you ‘like’ us on Facebook, (facebook.com/purchaseindy), who knows, you may or may not (Spoiler alert: you may.) get to catch a glance of the new logo before the next issues comes out.
your.indy@gm ai l.com
MISSING: TAMPONS
BY ALYCE PELLEGRINO
How many times have you walked into a public bathroom and realized you forgot a pad or tampon? Not often, I presume, because we’ve all pretty much learned to always remember to bring our own. But we’d be lying if we said emergencies never occur. So what do you do? Why, you rush to that silver box on the wall and deposit your twenty-five cents, just to hold you over until you get back to your house or dorm. Well, I really hope this never happens to you on campus. We never pay attention to them when we don’t need them; we walk right past them day after day. But have any of you ever stopped to look at those silver saviors that hang in our campus’ restrooms? If you have, you’ve probably noticed that none of them ever have anything in them. To add insult to injury, some look like they lost a fight with a baseball bat before being hung up on the wall. My sophomore year is coming to an end, and without fail, every time I’ve used a bathroom here I’ve had a sarcastic remark about the fact that the machines are empty. The responses I get are usually an eye roll, and a, “yeah, I know right?” They are there for a reason, they’re important, and at this stage in the game it’s more than a little unacceptable that none of our tampon machines are ever stocked. What are we expected to do because our bathrooms are poorly cared for? Leave class? Shove toilet paper down our pants? How is this fair? This isn’t a convenience we’re asking for. This is an essential facility to any person who’s
“time of the month” decided it would be a-okay to show up a little bit early. “As a campus that prides itself on being familiar with relevant female issues, it’s is a little bit ridiculous that we can get free condoms but not have tampons in our bathrooms,” says Noelle Moore, a sophomore. “You’d think with the fees we pay for living on this campus we could, at least, get some individually wrapped tampons.” This is a problem all over campus. It affects our academic buildings, places of activity, and food stations all the same. Really, we’re not asking for the feminine products aisle in CVS. We’re asking for that stick or pad of cotton that will get us through class and back to our dorm before we ruin our clothes, and the campus’ chairs. And please, please, please, don’t get me started on the bathrooms that don’t have any tampon machines in them at all.
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OPEN MIC HYPE The first Literature Society Open Mic Night of the semester was this past Wednesday night. Around 80 people crammed themselves into Whitson’s at the Stood to listen as twenty writers read their work aloud. Sign-ups to read were on a first-come-first-serve basis beginning at eight o’clock, while the actual readings began an hour later. Whitson’s, being somewhat isolated from the regular hub-bub of the Stood, created a cozy atmosphere for both the readers and the listeners. Honestly, I don’t know where the society members managed to find so many chairs. Even with all of the seats occupied there was a generous amount of floor-space at the front, and standing room in the back. The semi-circle arrangement of chairs created a pleasant coffee-house vibe. One reader, Francine, recited a sestina, a very complex form of poetry, dedicated to her brother. Not only was the structure ambitious, but the poem itself was ripe with beautiful imagery and a melancholy, earthy tone that was both soothing and chilling. Anna, the Treasurer of the Literature Society, read a piece she was working on for her non-fiction class that focused on the aching, nostalgic, poignant longing of a girl thinking about her first love. Many of these readings were heartfelt and personal, dedicated to people who had passed on. Others were funny, brief, and theatrical. Ethan Roberts, a sophomore Creative Writing student read a comedic dialogue from the
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BY NOELLE MOORE
perspective of a Jewish rabbi on the phone with someone from the Kitty House Whorehouse. Ethan donned a mustache and a pair of glasses, and did his best impression of the character he was trying to convey. The readers were not afraid to be musical either! Leora Mandel crooned in her stunning, expressive, Regina Spektor-reminiscent voice through her song about the Greek figure Prometheus, all while accompanying herself on the ukulele. Stephanie Bartolome and Frank Virgintino, the Secretary and Co-President of the Literature Society have been attending for two years, and on some occasions, read themselves. They said that one of the best things about this event is the opportunity it gives to different people of diverse majors to mingle and come together. Open Mic night is the first Wednesday of every month, the next one falling on March 7th. If you want to perform, get there early for the sign-ups at eight o’clock, because the slots have been known to fill up faster than you could say “Open Mic Night” five times fast! If you just want to listen (which I encourage you to do), head over at nine, and get ready to have your mind blown.
ENTERTA I NM E NT
DON’T DRINK IT “Eight random Purchase students wake up one morning in the woods, without most of their clothes. And the entire series follows their lives with the underlined meaning of what happened that night,” says Dani Rose Culver, producer of Purchase College’s television series, “Don’t Drink It”, or “DDI” for short. Since the spring semester of 2011, Culver and Nathaniel Vidal have wanted to experiment with PTV and create a pre-recorded sitcom based on Purchase. “A lot of the characters in the show are pure Purchase stereotypes. So, there is a character that sells drugs out of a tent and it’s parked out on the great lawn,” says Emily Gilson, a senior who plays Andi, a cinema studies major on “DDI.” Not only is the show filled with colorful characters, it’s also filled with typical Purchase College controversies. “More than half of us have first hand experience with film kid vs. cinema studies debacle, but it’s definitely that with any conservatory,” says Culver. Gilson has used her four years of experience as a Theatre and Performance Major to create Andi. “She’s in this on and off fight with this character that’s in film studies. I’m sort of rationalizing it by associating it with the acting program,” Gilson says. The television series also features typical Purchase activities, such as Saturday night Nerf wars in the Humanities building.
BY LAURA MELTZER
“The second episode of the series features the Nerf club on campus. One of the characters is really into nerf wars. It gets all Rambo. To me it was the highlight of the show,” says Culver. Tremendous amounts of effort amongst the cast and crew have been put into the creation of the show, whether it’s spending an entire Sunday shooting a scene, editing the episode, or writing one. “I’ve done camera work, and been an extra in an episode with a speaking part. I’m just a renaissance all-around guy of ‘DDI’,” says Tyler Usavich, sound designer, actor, and writer of “DDI.” Creating the sitcom has had its challenges. “If one person doesn’t do something it all falls apart. There is a lot of trust involved,” said Culver. Itt has also been filled with some great experiences. “I would say that usually three-quarters of the meeting is just fooling around and I think it’s because we’ve all become good friends. It really has helped the writer’s process. We have a really good vibe going.” says Culver. Be on the look out for DDI this semester!
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IF YOU WANT ROSES...
BY TOMMY ROACH
Let’s get this out there right now: I do not hate Valentine’s Day, I never really have, and I honestly do not intend to. My friends attribute this to the fact that, since the 9th grade, I’ve always had someone in my life to celebrate the day with. But fuck that, I’m single this year, and my spirit was never better. I don’t care about having a significant other! Valentine’s Day is also a fairly decent holiday to let people know you give a shit about them.
and get ready. I tell myself I’m wearing red to be ironic, but in reality I don’t even know the meaning of the word.
Let’s point out now that I mentioned my holiday spirit never being better. My actual day? It went a little something like this.
11:52 AM: I wish to myself that I had bought
10:30 AM: For the first time all semester, I ac-
tually show up to class on time. I sit in the back as per usual and read comics about romantic relationships. I draw a picture of a heart monster eating a faceless person, and wonder what Freud would say.
some cigarettes. That would have been nice. 11:54 AM: Nap-time until my next class. One
7:00 AM: My mom calls. “Happy Valentine’s
Day! I know you don’t have a girlfriend this year, so I figured I’d call you to let you know I love you! Have a great day!” I love you Mom, but do not call me at 7 AM on any day that isn’t a Friday.
of my ex-girlfriends decides to call, and wakes me up. I throw my phone. 12:24 PM: I realize I still haven’t found my
phone. I do, make sure it works, and then head to class.
7:03 AM: I hang up my phone, scratch my ass,
and attempt to go back to sleep.
6:10 PM: Done with class, I call my friend Mark.
8:00 AM: My actual alarm goes off.
We go to D-Hall, and brood about being lonely, together.
9:00 AM: Did you know RedTube has a Valen-
6:15 PM: I watch the mass of couples walk
tine’s Day theme? Classy.
around together. I think to myself “good for them” and angrily stab my fork into my plate of fries. I then stand up and say, “Let’s get the fuck out of here,” before leaving. Mark is confused and hungry, but follows anyway.
10:00 AM: I get out of bed and stretch. I realize
that my mom called me three hours ago, and then remember it is Valentine’s Day. After remembering that I have class all day, I brood in the shower
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VALENTINE’S DAY 6:17 PM: Fuck Tuesdays, I’m drinking anyway. 8:44 PM: I know something happened, but I
don’t know what. If you’re reading this and you were with me, please call me and tell me so I stop regretting things I probably didn’t even do. 9:32 PM: I realize that I’ve only had three beers,
and that I’m really not drunk anymore. I chug an energy drink. I again tell myself I’m drinking the red Amp from the Hub because it’s ironic, but I still do not know the meaning of the word. 9:45 PM: Energy drinks are gross and you should
not chug them. 10:00 PM: With nothing else left to do, I wander
back to my suite with Mark, and we watch “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” until we feel too pathetic to do so anymore. 2:45 AM: We call our friends and decide to go
on a hike through the woods. 8:32 AM: I wake up on the Great Lawn. My
shoes are gone.
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PFIZER RECALL Women using birth control distributed by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals faced a close call, and possibly an unnerving pregnancy test, when Pfizer Pharmaceuticals recalled 1 million birth control packages, because they were deemed ineffective. Pfizer announced on January 31 that a packaging error occurred during manufacturing, resulting in a mix-up between the birth control pills that are active hormones, and the package’s placebos. Birth control pills generally come in packs of 28. The first 21 pills regulate and reduce periods and, of course, prevent pregnancy, and the last seven pills are placebos. Unknowingly taking these placebo pills while engaging in what one believed was completely protected sex can turn anyone who has put all of their faith in a doctor who assured them they wouldn’t become pregnant off of birth control pills forever. How did a pharmaceutical company whose one job is to correctly put the right pills in the right package end up risking the futures of millions of female consumers? “To me it’s a bit of an insult to women’s health,” said Erica Basco, a senior double-majoring in Gender Studies and Literature. “It’s just that contraception is incredibly important and women’s health isn’t taken seriously.” This mind-boggling question led me to Pfizer’s Director of Global Media Relations, Grace Ann Arnold. “If you are a woman in the United States
BY STEPHANIE SPENCER
who has used Lo-Orval or Norgestrel pills over the last several months, you should consult with your physician and begin using non-hormonal methods immediately,” said Arnold. This should be taken very seriously. Many people don’t get the full story, or take some form of contraception, without having any real idea of how they work. Why don’t women our age take initiative with understanding their health? Why is it that so many women don’t even know the name of their birth control? If you’re going to put something in your body that will change its chemistry, when did the choice to not fully understand it become okay? I took a step back and thought logically about the country we live in, and how, up until the last century, medical textbooks only regarded the male anatomy as the “normal” basis of research for understanding the human body, leaving the female anatomy as an alteration. It’s only been recently, with events such as Roe vs. Wade, that women were given the right to choose contraception as a way to control pregnancy. Prior to this, what choices did women have over their own bodies? Not many. Young women are only now learning how to openly advocate for their own health, whereas in the past menstruation and puberty were things that happened in secret. It is vital for doctors treating the younger generation to understand that we need to know the good and bad consequences of the pills we are taking. The female body is a complicated and continued on page 11
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LIFE
THE STATE OF SPORTS BY MARK VASEY Did anyone miss the Super Bowl? It was a game featuring the head coach of the New York Giants, Tom Coughlin, who has recently been known for late-season choking that led to fans growing restless about the state of the team. Only a couple of months ago it looked like Tom Coughlin was going to be run out of town by the New York sports fans. Now Coughlin has reached the pinnacle of his profession for the second time in four years. Lockouts in both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL) occurred this past year, and yet both sports have survived. The NFL’s regular season was not effected. The NBA on the other hand has been forced to play a shortened season of 66 games. The current season also features the dreaded back-to-back-to-backs, in which a team plays three games in three nights. The baseball season was also eventful as well, with the Boston Red Sox having undergone one of the worst collapses in sports history. Stories ran amuck about the Red Sox collapse, including tales of players drinking in the clubhouse during the games. Terry Francona, who managed the Red Sox through two World Series championships, was run out of town, like Tom Coughlin might have been run out of town if the Giants had collapsed late in the season. In the world of tennis, Novak Djokovic has dominated everyone, surpassing Rafael Nadal
and Roger Federer as the best men’s singles tennis player in the world. Djokovic certainly played like a superhero this past year, amassing an astounding record of 70 matches won to only 6 matches lost, according to the Association of Tennis Professionals. Djokovic hasn’t slowed down either, defeating Nadal in the 2012 Australian Open men’s final, to capture his 5th Grand Slam title. Did any of us ever see this coming? Did we see the NY Giants winning the Super Bowl, the NBA and NFL lockouts, the Red Sox collapsing, and Djokovic becoming the best tennis player in the world? The state of the sports world is at least entertaining, and as unpredictable as ever.
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Thursday, February 16th Southside (CCS) at 7:30pm
Power in the Classroom
Monday, February 20th Commuter Lounge at 8pm
Anime Dubnight
Tuesday, February 21st The Stood at 9pm
Queer Open Mic Night
Thursday, February 9th Red Room at 7pm
Activist Toolkit for the 21st century
VISITING ARTIST Lecture Series: Eve Sussman
Wednesday, February 22nd Visual Arts Building 1016 at 6:30pm
Fri.-Sat., February 10th-18th Performing Arts Center at 8-11pm
Love’s Fire (Come watch the Junior Acting Company perform seven passionate love stories.)
CHESS AND FOOD NIGHT
Wednesday, February 22nd Commuter Lounge at 8pm
NYSIR FUNERAL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION PLANNING Wednesday, February 22nd CCN Room 0014 at 5:30pm
HOOPING FOR A NATURAL HIGH
Thursday, February 23nd Southside (CCS) at 6pm
Thurdsay, February 23rd STUDENT ACTION MEETING Wednesday, February 22nd
The Stood at 8pm
FORTH’S BIRTHDAY PARTY
Southside (CCS) at 7pm
Thursday, February 23rd
PHILOSOPHY SOCIETY PRESENTS: Sam Galloway Wednesday, February 22nd Clearview Lounge at 6:15pm
Wednesday, February 22nd Southside (CCS) at 8pm
SEX IN THE LOBBY
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Co-Op at 7pm
GREEN TEAM MOVIE SCREENING: L ast M ountain
Saturday, February 18th Whitsons at 8:30pm
• • • •
NATURAL CHILD HABIBI WEIRD KOREA COMMODORE KOKO
EVENTS Thursdays Gamers United: G-Street Lounge at 6pm AMG: Witsons at 6:30pm RPGA: Hub Basement at 8pm Green Team: Co-Op at 7pm PEMS: Southside at 8pm Trans*Action: LGBTQU at 10pm
Mondays FORTH meeting: Southside at 8pm The Indy: CCN 1011 at 9:30pm Brick Meeting: Red Room at 10pm
Tuesdays Anthropology: SPARC room at 8:00pm PUSH: Hub basement at 9pm Complexuality: Hub basement at 10pm
continued from page 8
sensitive machine that can react badly to a variety of different things. Doctors need to encourage us to speak up if something doesn’t feel right with what we’re taking. Ultimately, this is much larger than a screw up by Pfizer. This is a wake up call to women that nothing is “99.9%” a sure thing, and that it’s critical to stay on top of your health. The truth is, our age doesn’t make us invincible, so let’s not hold off on going to the doctor if we’re not feeling well, or if we’re overdue for a gynecological visit. We need to end the idea that keeping quiet will resolve our health problems. The quieter we stay, the more Pfizer incidents there will be, because, hell, who will be saying anything, right?
Wednesdays Hillel: Hub basement at noon Purchase Comics United: Commuter Lounge at 2 Senate: Southside at 12:30pm Gamers United: G-Street Lounge at 7pm Chess Club: Commuters Lounge at 8pm Anime: Commuter lounge at 8pm Nerf: Humanites at 10 pm WPSR: WPSR Office at 10pm PTV: Hub Basement at10pm LGBTQU: Red Room at 10pm
HOLDING AN EVENT? Email us the information at YOUR.INDY@GMAIL.COM
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FEMINISM 101 Students submitted these questions to FORTH for use on a student/FORTH-member student pane. The answers were given at the February 6th meeting. These are not verbatim, but a summary of the panelists’ responses. Some of these questions and answers could be triggering.
BY ALEXA DILLENBECK
or hate of women, directed toward trans women. Examples include using the words “tranny,” “shemale,” “ladyboy,” etc. or how trans women of color have the highest murder rate. Can women rape? Can a woman rape a woman or a man?
So, do you shave your armpits & legs?
Yes, women can rape. Women can rape anyone.
Why are feminists hairy?
Some feminists do not find the need to shave their armpits, legs, pubic hair, or anything for many reasons. One reason is because feminists promote choosing what you want to do with your body and its hair and questioning why things like choosing not to shave carries such a stigma.
Can women have a sex addiction?
Some people believe that calling a woman’s sexual appetite an addiction ties into slut shaming or needing a diagnosis (see: hysteria) so it could be a problem. Other people say that some people do get addicted to sex, but sometimes the term can be thrown around too easily.
When talking about pronoun preference, which is less offensive to say: “she/he/
I’m interested in feminism, but don’t
her/him/they”
know where to start!
or
“male/female”
or
“masculine/feminine?”
Using “male/female” is problematic because those terms are rooted in sex (sex is biological assignment at birth, gender is a social construct that people choose, feel, reject, etc.). It is a good idea to use “she/he/her/him/they” because instead of intersecting gender and pronoun preference, you just say what you would like to be called.
Reading suggestions: Feminism is for Everybody by bell hooks, Full Frontal Feminism by Jessica Valenti. Internet suggestions: Feministing.com, Autostraddle.com, Tumblr blogs. (Look around to other sources when using the Internet. We all know that relying on it can cause problems.) Other suggestions: Come to FORTH and talk to members. Sharing ideas and stories can help shape your own opinions!
What is institutionalized sexism/racism?
Institutionalized sexism and racism are systems of inequality that we experience in daily life. What is trans misogyny?
Are you an active feminist? If so, how?
Trans misogyny is a specific form of misogyny,
Being an active feminist does not have to include
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FEMINISM political action like marches or protests. Being an active feminist can mean just stating that you are a feminist and learning more about it.
culture and what we have held inside, not knowing it is sexist. Gender roles and stereotyping, slut shaming, body negativity, believing men are stronger than women, for example.
What is anti-choice or pro-life?
People who believe abortion should be illegal. Can you be pro-life and a feminist?
Some people do not think so, but others believe that setting strong standards for believing in equality is difficult. It is important to remember that just because you believe in something, it is the only way to think about things politically. You can be against abortion for yourself and still be pro-choice if you don’t want to stifle other people’s access to abortion and contraception!
Can I be a male-gendered feminist?
Of course! Gender stereotypes and expectations hurt men and women, so it’s great to have men stand in solidarity with women! Just a few tips: Women don’t need your “saving.” Be sure to check your privilege. Try to make sure you word your thoughts properly. People of all genders can have internalized sexism. Is there such a thing as female privilege?
Why do you encourage the use of con-
Question from a man: do we hold the
doms?
door open or not?
Safer sex! Using condoms can prevent pregnancy, many STIs, and can encourage communication between partners. Using condoms for oral sex and anal sex is also important to stop the spread of STIs.
Examples of female privilege include: maternity leave and being able to be around children. Having doors held open won’t be included as female privilege because many forms of chivalry can be for all genders if they are included under good manners or they can be shown as subtle ways to show dominance over a woman.
I’m more of an “equalist.” Isn’t the object to achieve gender equality, not glorify one over the other?
How do I talk to my parents about my
Feminism is about achieving gender equality! You may label yourself as you want, but if you believe in equal rights for the genders, others may very well label you as a feminist. If you want to call yourself an equalist for yourself, you should avoid placing the man-hating stigma on feminist thought.
choice to be a feminist? (Breaking into sex-positive, keeping a last name, activism, etc.)
If you feel as though your parents will have a problem, ease them into it. If you think they’ll be cool with it, teach them what you have learned! Education is really important and they can make their own lives much better.
What is internalized sexism/misogyny?
Internalized sexism is what we were taught by our
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3D MOVIES Cinema sure has seen its share of advancements over the past 120 years, hasn’t it? Black and white silent films were replaced by Technicolor talkies, and eventually fully digital projection with high definition picture and sound. As used to the marvels of digital rendering as we are today, it may come as a surprise that most of society originally saw these now industry standards as nothing more than mere gimmicks, unnecessary additions that the studios would use to line their pockets with the dough of the people. Now that 3D technology isn’t simply restricting itself to amusement park rides and educational IMAX films at the Liberty Science Center, it now stands on the same plateau as the aforementioned cinematic advancements. This is the witch trial of RealD 3D technology. Notice how I didn’t include IMAX 3D in that last sentence? That particular technology has been in use since the 1970’s, and even though there may only be about 528 IMAX screens across the globe, the public adores it. So, IMAX is off the hook this time. I’m here to talk about RealD 3D, or Disney Digital 3D, or Desperate Studio Cash-Grab 3D, or whatever the hell you’d like to call it. You’ve undoubtedly seen it everywhere. Most multiplexes nowadays have had up to half of their screens converted to 3D technology, but why? Why must I now pay an additional $5 for my ticket and wear uncomfortable plastic glasses? Why must the 3D glasses come with 20% less light visibility and 20% more headaches?
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BY DYLAN GREEN 3D films are not as young as you might think, having actually started around the 1950’s, complete with the retro cardboard glasses with blue and red lenses, as a way for movie houses to compete with television, a very young and hip technology in this day, and were supposed to startle the audience with the illusion of things flying at them, a sort of half way point to immerse the audience. It resurfaced in regular multiplexes around the 1980’s before being restricted to IMAX venues and amusement parks. Then, in 2004, when Disney (is there anything they can’t do?) decided to release a CGI version of Chicken Little, The RealD company suggested that Papa Walt’s company be the first to try out the new digital 3D technology on this new release. It was a box office success, and the rest is now standing before our eyes at the ticket line. With this newer digital 3D, filmmakers desire the illusion of depth, trying to make the images look like they’re surrounding you and, theoretically, immersing you even more into the experience. Now, before you ask for that “Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace” RealD ticket we’ll take the time to weigh the pros and cons of the technology as seen today. To its credit, when RealD is done the right way, as in a film shot with 3D cameras and NOT post-converted from standard cameras, the desired illusion of depth can be very involving. While 3D isn’t an inherently bad idea for
REVIEWS the future of film, most filmmakers and studios are lazy, and post-convert their films so that the illusion of depth isn’t even prevalent, and they end up relying on the gimmick of pop-outs such as hands pointing at the camera, objects being thrown, which doesn’t help plead the seriousness of the format. Because of this laziness, the images look more or less the same that they always do, except 20% darker, which is coincidentally the second drawback to RealD technology: the glasses reduce the light absorbed by your eyes by about 20%, which is pretty damn noticeable when you watch “The Adventures of Tintin” and a car chase taking place in the afternoon looks like it’s happening just before dusk. If a film utilizes saccharine colors, fluffy looking computer generated animals, and the screen is dark, a bit of immersion is lost some-
where in the mix, never mind the fact that the glasses themselves are also uncomfortable to wear. So, is RealD 3D worth the extra $5 and possible trip to the pharmacy for Advil and will it truly the next innovation in cinema? Let’s say that I’m approaching 3D with a 5 foot poll for the moment. When done well, the illusion of depth can be quite the thing to look at, unless it is postconverted 3D and simply an excuse to remake a movie that was already a disappointment, such as “The Phantom Menace.” As time goes on, all we can do is hope that the pros will eventually outweigh the cons, or multiplexes are going to have some empty space in their venues and their wallets.
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IT’S TOO DAMN HOTBY JOSH MYERS “It’s a fucking sauna in here. This is complete bullshit.” These are my thoughts almost every time I walk into Fort Awesome. It can be nine in the morning, midnight, or three in the afternoon. It doesn’t matter. It feels like it’s always 150 degrees. When I get up to my room the temperature hasn’t changed at all. Four floors up, it is still nauseatingly hot. I open both my windows as far as they can go, which is never enough, and turn on the little box fan I have sitting on my window ledge. It doesn’t do much, but it’s better than nothing. Sometimes I just lay right in front of the fan. Okay, most of the time I just lay in front of the fan, and I don’t care who knows it. I’m that guy. The one that lays in front of a fan. Sue me. Anyway, back to the story. It’s still a balmy 85 degrees in my room, and this time it’s actually 85 degrees. This temperature would be acceptable if it was, say, ten below zero outside, but even that would be pushing it. Lately it hasn’t been much colder than 35 degrees, so the fact that the whole building is heated this much is ridiculous. The temperature hasn’t just been rising in Fort Awesome, though. Big Haus and Crossroads are having problems with the heat as well. Emily Grigsby, a freshman who lives in Big Haus, says, “I almost always have my window open at least a crack, and like half open at night.
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If I don’t, it gets too stuffy in my room, and then I feel sick because the air is so dry.” Sophomore Leslie Carol says, ”It’s like a sauna, the heater literally burns my roommate at night. It’s so ridiculous.” Freshman Cindy Mack agrees with Carol. “It’s super hot all the time. Living in a suite the bedrooms get really hot but the rest of the suite is ok. The heat doesn’t need to be turned all the way up all the time, it’s just not comfortable.” Kelly Ryan, a freshman resident of Crossroads also complains, “Well, it’s February and I sleep with my window open because I’m usually overheating.” All in all, the heat seems to be a problem for most people. We understand that it’s winter outside. We get it. It still doesn’t need to be consistently above 80 degrees in our rooms. Sophomore Kaitlyn Power has a different problem than most people in Fort Awesome. “[The heat] sucks and only works when it wants to, which is barely. We pay for the heat to work but I am usually just shivering in my room.” I’ve talked to my RA on several occasions about the heat, and apparently there’s nothing we can do. The maintenance workers don’t know what’s wrong, so they can’t fix it. But until the heat in Fort Awesome gets fixed, I guess I’ll be sleeping uncomfortably, with my window open and a fan in it.
Created by Nicolas Sienty
MADAME QUERY
HAS YOUR REMEDY
Dear Madame, I am a well endowed,
Madame, what do you do in your free
attractive, well dressed female. With all
time? How do you wait for the next party
these things going for me in life, why doesn’t
to get started?
anything else fall into place?
Madame would like to start off by saying, if you go to Purchase you should never wait for a party to get started. The best nights are unexpected. Too many nights have gone to waste because of too much anticipation, planning, hype, etc. See what your real friends are doing and be in the presence of their company. That is perhaps the greatest party that life has to offer. Until of course you’re with your friends, it’s eleven and one of you gets word of a random party that has started, then you get over there and you’re like “woah,” or you could be like, “this is dumb, lets go back to the room and watch some more Cartoon Network.” Never plan on being surprised, because then you won’t be, well, erm, surprised. As for what I do in my free time leading up to a weekend night? If I have free time, I sleep, attempt some homework and watch “Teen Mom.” One of the best gifts on campus housing offers is cable. I highly suggest doing your work though, because there is a big difference between going hard with work accomplished and going hard without anything done. The difference being a happy drunk, and a sad drunk.
This is not a hard one for Madame to solve. You can be attractive and not have good grades. And if you have good grades that is most likely you overcompensating for the fact that you don’t have good looks. It’s as simple as a famous phrase, “you can’t always get what you want.” You can’t have it all, Missy, so stop trying! Beside all you need in this world is good looks isn’t it? That is what gives you an edge in the real world when you’re scouting out that perfect job. Or hey, let’s be more realistic, that perfect husband. Let it be, and keep letting your tight ass bounce in the wind, for everyone to take notice. OKAY. Now here is what Madame really means. No, you cannot always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might get what you need. So please try this: Stop looking at yourself as just a pretty face. If you keep thinking that’s the only thing you have going on in your life, then that’s seriously all that you will have. Open yourself up, and don’t be afraid to be ugly. I don’t really know what you mean by “everything else falling into place.” I don’t understand what the everything else is? Like literally everything? So, you’re a beautiful girl thrown into an ugly world. I think if you take a look around you might realize that you have a full life ahead of you, and you’ve impacted people more than with just a pretty face.
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AD Q &VAI C E Dear Madame, I think my best friend is cheating on me with a enemy of mine? How can I get her to stop fraternizing with the evil?
Madame has been in this position before. The position that you’re putting your friend in, that is. Don’t be that bossy, bitchy friend who tries to control every person your friend wants to hang out with. Unless there is a real issue here as to why this person is an enemy, then express your feelings to your friend. But if this is anything like the experience Madame has had with people just being plain petty, then leave it alone. Take a chill pill. Relax. If you really get frustrated with your BFF’s new friend, then just don’t hang out with her when they’re hanging out. It’s as simple as that! Don’t make your BFF all anxiety ridden because of the passive aggressive faces you make while you try to hold back from actually expressing the disdain you have for this person.
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TO MADAME QUERY
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