February 16 by The Pace Press

Feb_16_February 16 2/17/11 10:57 AM Page 1

FebRuARy 16, 2011

Serving The Community Since 1948

VOLuMe LXV ISSue XII

The Pace Press Egyptian protests lead to revolution lynn rickert editor-in-chief

Dean for Students Marijo Russell-O’Grady, Provost Harriet R. Feldman, President Stephen J, Friedman, SGA President Lance Pacheco and Director of Athletics Joseph O’Donnell cut the ribbon to open the gym. ivonna thompson/the Pace Press

NYC Campus opens new Fitness Center at One Pace Plaza ivonna thomPson newS editor

the nYc campus held a grand opening for the new fitness center at one Pace Plaza on feb. 9. the Student Government Association (SGA) and the nYc dean for Students office sponsored the event. the fitness center is equipped with a glass-front exercise area, free weights, day lockers, cardio-theater, a converted stretching room with mats and exercise balls, treadmills and elliptical sets. the fitness center is also free and available to faculty, staff and students. to start off the ceremony, University director of Athletics Joseph o’donnell gave welcoming remarks.

following o’donnell’s address, nYc campus dean for Students Marijo russell-o’Grady made a speech in regards to the new fitness center. “the fitness center is a dream come true for many students who lobbied for improved gym and recreation facilities [over] the past few years,” dean o’Grady said. “it’s also an example of true student, faculty and staff collaboration – all in the name of giving our students the possible life experience, in addition to the best possible academic experience, here at Pace,” she continued. dean o’Grady also thanked everyone who helped including University President Stephen J. friedman,

Provost harriet r. feldman and administrative staff such as o’donnell, Bill McGrath, tobias Bisharat, Ken faron theresa cichetti and John Alexander of Alexander and wolf & Son. following dean o’Grady’s speech, SGA President Lance Pacheco thanked the University. to highlight the student, faculty and staff collaboration, he stated that SGA also helped lobby for the new fitness center. Pacheco also announced that the vote for the Game room in the Student Union vote had passed and the plans to design for the room will be made during the spring semester. After Pacheco’s speech, there was a ribbon cutting ceremony with Pres.

friedman, Provost feldman, dean o’Grady, University Athletics director o’donnell and Pacheco. The Pace Press caught up with Pres. friedman and asked how often he would be using the new fitness center. “i will be coming every day, just during secret hours,” Pres. friedman said. there was a zumba class in session led by Auxiliary Services director Birchchum wilkins held during the event. other events throughout the day included a yoga session, a faculty, staff and student volleyball game and relay games. “the zumba classes were interesting and fun because i’ve never done Continued on Page 3

former egyptian President hosni Mubarak stepped down feb. 11 after much confusion over whether or not he would stay in office. Vice President omar Suleiman announced that Mubarak was “‘waiving’ his office, and had handed over authority to the Supreme council of the armed forces,” according to Arab news channel Al Jazeera. this announcement was preceded by 18 days of protests in cairo’s tahrir Square and in different cities throughout the country, who celebrated the revolution they had been waiting for by “crying, cheering and embracing one another” after Mubarak officially stepped down, according to Al Jeezra. The New York Times reported that Mubarak left cairo soon after the announcement for his vacation home and is rumored to be suffering from medical problems that may have led to his departure from office. Mubarak had announced feb. 10 that he would “not bow to ‘foreign pressure’” by stepping down, according to Al Jazeera. he planned to wait until the September election to end his nearly 30 year reign when he would not run for office again. the same night of Mubarak’s televised address, egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq made the situation even more unclear as he told BBc that Mubarak might step down and reuters that “‘everything is still in the hands of the president,’” according to Al Jeezra. the next day, Mubarak cleared up the confusion as he explained that he would be stepping down immediately. Although the protesters have gotten what they wanted all along, there are still many repercussions remaining. Many egyptians have gone on labor strikes, which the current Continued on Page 2

live, love, laUGh event helD in schimmel on page 7 • meDitation may make yoU smarter on page 8

Find Us Online! Check out:

Visit our website at Pacepress.org!

Become a fan of The Pace Press on Facebook!

Feb_16_February 16 2/17/11 10:57 AM Page 2

NEWS

February 16, 2011

NYC laws “smoke out” smokers in all 1,700 parks of the ﬁve boroughs stePhanie hansen StAff writer

nYc banned smoking in all 1,700 public parks in all five boroughs feb. 4. According to the city hall press release, members of the city council voted feb. 2 to “greatly expand the city’s Smoke free Air Act which will include a ban on smoking on the city’s parks and beaches.” not only are parks and beaches banned, the ban includes pools, recreation centers and “all other property, equipment, buildings and facilities under the jurisdiction of the Parks department.” it also prohibits smoking in pedestrian plazas. the bill was passed to help reduce the risk of secondhand smoke. nYc council Speaker christine c.

Quinn said, “Statistics don’t lie; secondhand smoke kills.” the bill also states areas that smokers are allowed to smoke elsewhere. they can still smoke on the sidewalks outside of parks, “pedestrian route[s] through any park strip” and on walkways in parks. “i can understand the litter issue on the beaches, and that some people don’t like the smell of smoke, but smokers are being stripped of our rights,” junior ryan LaMarca said. “if cigarettes are so bad for the public, [they should] make them illegal. “they'll never do that. the tax revenue derived from tobacco is necessary for the country, so instead they'll institute bans, sin taxes and fine people who smoke in public. if they were to incorporate smoking

sections, or an area where people can smoke in parks, that would be fine,” he continued. Smokers who are in violation of the Smoke free Air Act will be fined $50 per violation. “i have mixed feelings [about

the situation,} senior Joey Gonzalez said. “i don’t agree with the idea of prohibition of any sort of drug, alcohol [or] cigarette for any reason, but in the case of smoking i’m definitely happy about the indoor ban. outside i’m not too sure about. that seems to be pushing a bit much.” “i support this legislation be“i’m definitely happy cause second hand smoke is a health about the indoor ban. problem for all new Yorkers, but outside i’m not too especially for families who have children with chronic asthma,” sure about. that council member Gail Brewer, who seems to be pushing it is the prime sponsor of the bill, said. “other cities have passed simia bit much. lar ordinances and cUnY [college -Joey Gonzalez, student University of new York] just banned smoking on its campuses citywide. this is common sense legislation and in the long run this will help new Yorkers become health-

ier,” she continued. the press release also quotes chair of the Parks and recreations committee Melissa Mark- Viverto. She said,å "our city's park users should be able to enjoy fresh air and recreation in a smoke-free environment […] i thank Mayor Bloomberg, Speaker Quinn and council Member Brewer for their leadership on this issue."

OPINION Have any strong opinions on the new smoking ban? Email your thoughts to editor@pacepress.org

NYS closes NYC public schools, with more to follow in upcoming months amanDa schiavo StAff writer

the new York State (nYS) Panel for educational Policy voted to close down 10 nYc public schools Jan. 26, with a plan to close approximately 15 more. nearly 3,000 people showed up at Brooklyn tech high School to oppose the schools closures feb. 1. for almost six hours the panel listened to the complaints of teachers and parents in their effort to save the schools. in the end the schools were shut down due to poor performance. “closing the schools was the wrong way to go. A big part of the problem [of] low performance [in] schools have is the overcrowding of classes. closing the schools will just force the students to go to schools that already have a lot of students,” senior rosalina Montilla said. “the teacher [to] student ratio is going to be horrible, causing more

schools to fail,” she continued. “i'm a student that went to one of these high schools they tried closing down. People on the outside take it as the students are doing badly on their own. they don't look into the staff, which is normally where the school needs changing.” newly appointed nYc Public School chancellor cathie Black led the panel. Black was less than well received, as people at the meeting shouted and booed Black until she was finally forced to yell, “i cannot speak if you are shouting.” the criterion for closing a nYc public school is that a school is closed down if it does not meet the standards of performance laid out by the chancellor of schools. A school is considered underperforming if the students do not do well on the standardized tests. “in a high school it could be the scores like the regents exams. in junior high schools and elementary

schools it really comes down to reading and math scores,” Staten island’s i.S. 61 Assistant Principal Patrick emery said. “there is a lot of weight attached to these tests and it is important to have the scores where every kid in the state takes the same test so you can compare and contrast who is doing well and who’s not, but they shouldn’t be the end all of scores,” emery added. the goal of the department of education (d.o.e.) is to close 25 public schools this year and open charter schools in their place. 25 is the largest number of schools to be shut down in one year. “A charter school is funded with public money and they are an alternative to regular public schools systems. A private group of people can submit and get approved a charter to run their own school. charter schools receive waivers from public school districts in exchange for promising

nyc Public school closures Brooklyn: • Metropolitan Corporate Academy High School • Paul Robeson High School

Bronx: • School for Community Research and Learning • Urban Assembly Academy for History and Citizenship for Young Men • New Day Academy • Monroe Academy for Business/Law High School

manhattan: • Academy of Environmental Science Secondary High School • I.S. 195 Roberto Clemente • KAPPA II • Academy of Collaborative Education

better academic results. charters are usually given for three to five years [and] an eye is kept on academic performance. if [academics lag] behind comparable public schools, then the ‘charter’ is pulled and the school is closed,” according to Publicschoolreview.com what it comes down to is that students will be promoted and a school will be considered to be doing well if the test scores are good. Some teachers believe that is unfair. Middle school teacher christine cusato told The Pace Press, “A lot of schools have been underperforming which means that their students have not been meeting at least a Level 2 [on the state tests] and Level 2 means approaching grade level. this is the system that has been in place since former chancellor [Joel] Klein was in office and a lot of people— including myself—disagree with it.” Montilla added, “i don't think the teachers should take the entire re-

sponsibility. they can only do so much. Parents should be aware of how their kids are doing and do the best to encourage them and provide them with as much help as they can.” Senior Jenielle Balkowski said, “teachers are to blame if they are given the right tools and class configuration to teach properly. But, parents are to blame as well. if they don't help by teaching and motivating at home, it is hard for teachers who see the students for a limited time to properly focus them on learning.” “the fact is these kids have to go somewhere and by shuffling them around you are pushing the problem on someone else,” emery said. “it’s a hard thing as an assistant principal to give a kid their report card at the end of the year and the kid has made merit or honor roll and you have to hand them a hold over notice because they didn’t get a good score on a standardized test.”

Mubarak departs, revolution begins From Page 1 government has been struggling to stop, issuing a “communiqué [feb. 14] urging labor leaders to end the strikes,” according to the new York times. the egyptian people are still unsure of how the military with handle ruling the country for the next six months leading up to the election. it is unclear if and “how completely the military with deliver on its promises of a transition to a constitutional democracy,” according to the new York times. Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst, Marwan Bishara, reported the concern of many egyptians about “the military’s insistence to keep the Mubarak-appointed Ahmad Shafiq government for the transitional period” before the September

election. on the other hand, the new York times quoted two protest organizers, wael Ghonim and Amr Salama, who posted on facebook about their meeting with two military officials, Major General Mahmoud hijazi and Major General Abdel fattah. they reportedly said that the generals, who spoke with them and five other organizers about the revolution, did not use a patronizing tone, listened to the organizers and seemed to have “unprecedented respect for the right of young people to express their views,” according to the new York times. no matter whether the military is on the side of the protesters, Al Jazeera says, “it’s no picnic reversing decades of stagnation, corruption and nepotism.”

Feb_16_February 16 2/17/11 10:57 AM Page 3

February 16, 2011

NEWS

Students actively take on the Fitness Center with a “work out” plan From Page 1 a zumba class before,” SGA junior class Vice President Samantha Bassford said. “i think that Pace could definitely promote [the zumba classes] more. it’s a great way to have people exercising without them having to be technically trained.” Students, faculty and staff were also able to go to health fair tables in which they received health tips and pamphlets. Attendees who were interested also had their blood pressure, height, weight and body mass index (BMi) measured.

Plan your workout! Weekday hours: 8 a.m. to midnight Weekend hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. C-Level of One Pace Plaza (west side)

1. Students use treadmills at the new Fitness Center. Other workout machines offered include ellipticals and stationary bicycles. 2. SGA members pose with T-Bone, the University mascot at the gym’s grand opening event. 3. Zumba classes give gym attendees a workout — with rhythm. 4. T-Bone strikes a pose at the new gym.

4 ivonna thompson/the Pace Press

Feb_16_February 16 2/17/11 10:57 AM Page 4

February 16, 2011

ARTS

Stevenson headlines showcase and steals show Brian rentas ArtS editor

riotactmedia.com

don Giovanni records hosted its third annual label showcase in nYc over two nights this past week. featuring many of its signed artists, including Lemuria, Byrds of Paradise, Shell Shag and a few others, the second night of the showcase, hosted at the Music hall of williamsburg was a night of excellent music. though every band who performed were fantastic, it was local folk/pop band Laura Stevenson & the cans who stole the show. it was Stevenson’s extremely unique voice that made a great first impression upon the audience. Both shy and powerful, Stevenson’s voice is a force to be reckoned with, especially when Stevenson and her band blasted through numerous songs, some of which stemmed from their very anticipated new album, Sit Resist.

the first song to be released off of Sit Resist, “Master of Art,” came as a surprise to some fans of the band when it became available — though slightly different from songs featured on the band’s previous album, A Record, and eP, Holy Ghost!, its cheekiness and simplicity assured that Stevenson was behind the change of sound. Upon listening to it live, the audience immediately realized that this minor change of sound was for the better — Stevenson seemed absolutely ecstatic to perform it. while performing only a small sample of new songs, it was just the touch the band needed to get fans excited for Sit Resist. this does not mean, however, that fans were not in for a treat in terms of older songs. the live performance of “A Shine to it”’ was as swooning as it was beautiful, and the high notes of “Beets Untitled” were sung perfectly by Stevenson. closing off with “Landslide Song/the dig,”

the band was able to (ever so slightly) get the relatively docile crowd to move around and let out some energy. Stevenson’s quirky stage presence made many audience members develop a new love for her. though she, as well as the rest of the band, looked somewhat nervous to perform in front of a sold-out crowd, their performance was spot on. though there were a couple of stumbled words here and there, it is almost impossible to find a fault within the band’s able performance. Laura Stevenson & the cans’ performance solidified the excitement fans have over the release of Sit Resist. if anything, the album, which will be dropping on April 26, should be at the very top of your “Most Anticipated” lists — the band’s wholesome, folky sound will impress you, no matter what your music preference is.

Feb_16_February 16 2/17/11 10:57 AM Page 5

ARTS

February 16, 2011

Live. Laugh. Love. event features comedy, music and poetry ivonna thomPson newS editor

University Programming and campus entertainment (P.A.c.e.) Board hosted the event Live. Laugh. Love. at the Michael Schimmel center for the Arts feb. 10. the event featured comedians, poets, rappers, guitarists and r&B artists. the artists listed for the event included comedian Alec Sobel, spoken word, artist, poet and rapper Sciryl, spoken word poet Simply Kat and chief executive officer (ceo), producer, rapper, singer and songwriter ryan Leslie. University homecoming concert host Mike Barber also hosted this concert. during the performance intercessions dJ Spynfo kept the crowd going by playing old school and contemporary hip hop and r&B. Barber announced that Spynfo was just inducted to an elite group of deejays known as the Big dog Pitbulls of hot 97, the nYc hip hop and r&B radio station. to kick off the night Sobel performed a 10-minute stand-up comedy set. Unfortunately, his comedy received a less than warm reception from the audience due to what the audience seemed to feel were racist and homophobic jokes. Sobel also performed a “roast of hip hop” in which he made fun of well known rappers — particularly Snoop dogg. Again, the “roast of hip hop” did not re-

ceive the positive reception that he was looking for. following Sobel’s performance, Barber came on stage and said to give Sobel some credit for being able to get up on stage. the overall vibe in room, however, was that the crowd just wanted to move on to the next performer. After a short break, Sciryl performed. Sciryl is also a performer on Barber’s show on wednesday and has a wide variety of talents. he made sure to include the crowd by doing small acappella performances. Sciryl showed his confidence to the audience when he stated, “i write hooks and they’re fire.” on another note, when Sciryl tried to show how fast he could rap, some audience members were questioning how unique he was as the rapper twista has been widely known for his fast-paced rap style since the ‘90s. overall, the crowd did seem to like Sciryl and had a more positive outlook on his set than that of Sobel’s. After Sciryl’s performance, Simply Kat took the stage and won over the crowd pretty easily. immediately, she leveled with most of the women in the crowd with her poem of self-confidence in which she ended the last stanza with the statement, “You are beautifully human.” Simply Kat talked about her six-year-old daughter who has big dreams and said that she wanted to be the color purple. As a result of that discussion with her daughter, she wrote a poem entitled

“Purple.” “Purple” took the notion of the normal nine-to-five job and twisted it, showing that there are other options for a career. in one of the lines she stated, “forget trying to hire me for my character, hire me as a character.” After “Purple” Simply Kat stated, “college kids who want to dream, please never lose that. that’s what makes you different from the eight million other people in school.” After the concert Simply Kat sold and signed copies of her book “human” which had a collection of poems she had performed and written. following Simply Kat, headlining performer ryan Leslie made his way to the stage with his hit single “Got that Something.” immediately the crowd gave ryan Leslie a standing ovation and applause. he then performed another hit, “Addicted,” which still the crowd standing and singing along. other hit songs performed included “You’re not My Girl” and “Valentine.” he also performed covers of songs that he had produced such as “You Be Killin ‘em” by fabolous. Leslie stated that he will be releasing a new album, Les is More, on July 4. he also performed a new track off this album, “Beautiful Love.” Before his last song, Leslie stated, in regards to giving a liberal performance, “nYc, i really appreciate ya’ll ‘cause you’re letting me do what i want.”

courtesy of sDaca

to close out his performance he performed his biggest hits “diamond Girl” and “how it was Supposed to Be” which immediately had the crowd standing and dancing even after he left the stage.

despite the highs and lows of the Live. Laugh. Love. concert, P.A.c.e. Board put on a very organized and generally well received show that left attendees likely to come back for more next year.

Bright Eyes releases anticipated new album The People’s Key James ryDer StAff writer

instead of tip toeing around the positive aspects of Bright eyes' new album, The People's Key, the bottom line is that it will never be, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. forget that they are made by the same artist and perhaps you can appreciate The People's Key for what it is. Bright eyes is composed of lead singer, guitarist, lyri-

amazon.com

cist and songwriter conor oberst, producer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Mogis and trumpet and piano player nate walcott. the band also employs random individuals from oberst's hometown, omaha, neb. By comparison to his earlier works, oberst releases this album with a lot of newfound influence, or at least parallel evolution, from other indie rock bands like Arcade fire and Broken Social Scene, both of whom released albums in 2010. the songs on The People's Key are catchy, but remain alongside Cassadega in the level of production, with the tracks being clean and edited. Much of the album is filled with song introductions or conclusions, with voiceover monologues by oberst’s friend denny Brewer. the voice — deep, drawling and smokey — talks about aliens, the mysteries of life and "love," and may either thoroughly annoy you or absolutely entertain you — that is, if you haven't already read 60s and 70s flower-child literature. in the song "firewall," which begins with a tale of the roots of evil by Brewer, oberst employs slight multi-tracking, much like musician elliot Smith, to create vocal layers. the simple riff in the background is catchy and the loud, hard drums accompanying oberst's vocals make this one of the best tracks on the album. the track "Jejune Stars," is definitely the best on the album. from the start, it's catchy in a way that goes beyond the "just sit and listen" feel of the rest of the record. the track is actually danceable. the lyrics are juxtaposed to a

pretty catchy, though unoriginal, super up-tempo collage of drums and guitars that begins the song and divides it throughout in spurts of six or seven seconds. "Approximate Sunlight" is one of the most relaxed songs on the album, but has an almost arrogant chill to it. it's a song that could be heard live in some dive-y, dark café on the Lower east Side. A lot of oberst's songs on the album employ heavier, louder drums than many of his previous albums. don't be disappointed though, if you're a long-time Bright eyes' fan and are wondering if this album has the token down-tempo, "emo" song that all of his albums have. oberst pulls out the piano, however, for the truly "emo" track on the album, "Ladder Song." Some of the lyrics, for those of you unconvinced, include, "don't it just make you want to cry/Precious friend of mine/will i know when it's finally done/this whole life's a hallucination." no one should be terribly disappointed with this album. even the most hardcore Bright eyes fan can get into how catchy the tracks are after a while, and even Brewer's voiceover grows on the audience after a certain point. the new listener, if they already enjoy the new trend of background type indie music, will be able to easily add this album to their itunes playlist and find it fits well with late 2010 and early 2011 albums in the same genre. oberst and his colleagues get four stars for their efforts on The People's Key.

Feb_16_February 16 2/17/11 10:57 AM Page 6

NEWS

February 16, 2011

CCAR holds information session on the importance of gun control nazary neBelUk diStriBUtion MAnAGer

the center for community Action and research (ccAr) hosted an event focusing on gun control laws feb. 2 on the first floor of one Pace Plaza. the event called for reforms in gun control law, focusing on laws regarding background checks. the event discussed fixgunchecks.com, an online petition that joins local mayors in appealing to congress to reform gun laws and keep illegal guns off of the streets. According to the website, the petition’s goals are to “get all the names of people who should be prohibited from buying guns into the background check system” and “require a background check for every gun sale in America.” ccAr hoped to shine a light on the issue for the University community and to advocate for the petition. the petition supports the claim that while it may be everyone’s right to own a gun, the country needs sensible gun con-

trol laws. it’s main priority is to keep guns out of the hands of irresponsible owners and users. ccAr Program coordinator Jessica Anderson said guns belong in the hands of those “people who are legal[ly allowed] to own guns and of the right age.” A major problem spotlighted in a video shown at the event, from the Brady campaign, was that people are able to buy guns, including .40 mm Glocks, from gun shows without showing an id. this would mean that someone with a mental disorder, a minor or even a convicted and violent criminal, could buy a gun at a gun show with no problem. the event was meant to spotlight the issue, which is much bigger than what was shown. it hoped to engage students from the University community, especially in nYc, where guns are not as much a part of everyday life as they may be in other states, especially those with a large hunting population. the United States has the most guns per capita – 88.8 guns

per 100 residents, the second largest gun per capita rate is in Yemen with 54.8 guns per 100 residents. More than 400,000 Americans have been murdered with guns since 1968 and today 34 are killed with a gun daily. the issue is seen as an internal problem in our nation. "there needs to be so much more gun control than there is [currently],” sophomore Spencer cammarano said. “Sure, the Second Amendment gives every American the right to bear arms but when that was written, [an inordinate amount of] Americans weren't dying yearly. it is frightening to think that in certain places i could walk in a get a gun without a proper background check or license." while every American citizen has the right to own a gun, the petition hopes to close loopholes that allowed both the Virginia tech and tucson shooters to buy guns, despite health records that should have barred them from doing so. "Guns should be limited to the

following: you should have to take (and pass) a licensed gun safety course and submit to either a background check or a psychological review,” freshman Sierra chandler said. “if we had cars back [when the constitution was written] then the law would be ‘the right to drive cars’ [and would take] into account that cars had gotten much more complicated and dangerous. Same story for guns. Guns have evolved and their practical uses have become recreational.” She continued to explain, “on a personal note i think it is irresponsible and senseless to even consider whether a citizen should be allowed to buy machine guns. Smaller, simpler guns i understand, but machine guns? really?” Anderson said that the event interested several gun owners who came over to discuss their rights and particulars of the issue. the event attracted a wide variety of people, very few of which had attended previous ccAr events. freshman hassin Ahmed who

was working at the event said that it was “a good way to let people know about the issue.” ccAr is constantly trying to relate to students and create events relevant to their interests. their new offices are going to be in room Y21 and they encourage all students to drop by and talk about the issues that they feel strongly about. "Guns should be available for only one reason: hunting for sustenance,” freshman Patrick Prybil said. “i myself own over 20 guns, [which are] all used for [the] hunting of animals which someone always eats. normally my family will make the food — bird, deer, whatever — and donate it to a food shelter.”

VISIT To visit CCAR and speak to them about this and more issues, visit them in room Y21 in One Pace Plaza

Pforzheimer Honors College shows moving documentary in Schimmel

The Human experience leaves students questioning career pursuits katie James contriBUtor

the Pforzheimer honors college hosted a viewing of the documentary The Human Experience produced by A Grassroots Productions at the Michael Schimmel center for the Arts feb. 7. The Human Experience is a documentary based on four guys, Jeffrey (Jeff) Azize, cliff Azize, Michael campo and Matthew Sanchez, who traveled to three different places in the world to experience life through someone else’s eyes. Beginning their journey in nYc, brothers Jeff and cliff, lived outside on nYc streets for a week to experience the life of the homeless. the day to day struggle they faced in finding food, a place to sleep and warmth truly allowed the men to gain a firsthand experience of what it is to be homeless. they learned that each homeless person has a unique story and take on life and how most people who do have homes take these simple necessities for granted. After leaving nYc, they headed south to Peru, where they worked with an organization called “Surf for the cause.” Surfers from california raise money for underprivileged children living in hospitals and spend a week helping and caring for them, then another week surfing

and hear their stories of how they live with the disease. the most striking encounter during this trip was a visit to the Leper colony, which initially the team was hesitant to visit. the Leper colony is a community composed of people who were exiled from their families due to physically damaging disease. to their surprise, they found the members of the colony to be as “The Human close as any other family and shared a sense of connection with Experience embodies one another due to their illness. the truth that is often the men learned that they were left out of the movies people like any other; their ailments did not exclude them from we see today. loving each other for who they the relationships they were. make and the people “The Human Experience emthey encounter in the bodies the truth that is often left out of the movies we see today. journey are the experiences we lack in the relationships they make and the people they encounter in the this modern day journey are the experiences we concrete jungle. lack in this modern day concrete jungle,” junior Krupa Patel said. Perhaps the underling meaning -Krupa Patel, student of the film was not the guys’ adventures in Peru or Ghana, but the After the trip to Peru, the team lessons they learned along the ventured to a place they would way. never imagine, Ghana. they were “it was not like other films. it immersed in culture, seeing a wasn’t in your face; it just put country that prides itself on the things into perspective. The love they share between one an- Human Experience is the human other. they were able to speak connection,” freshman nikki with several members of the com- wood said. munity suffering from hiV/AidS the waves of South America. once they were there, the team worked with children who have been abused or face several medical disabilities that their families cannot support. they learned how even in the worst conditions imaginable, the kids still managed to maintain an optimistic and positive attitude about life.

grassrootsfilms.blogspot.com

Feb_16_February 16 2/17/11 10:57 AM Page 7

February 16, 2011

OPINION AND EDITORIALS Disclaimer: These opinions are expressed by contributors (students, faculty, administration, and staff) to The Pace Press.These opinions are solely those of the individual writers and do not reflect the opinions of The Pace Press, the members of The Pace Press staff, or Pace University. The Pace Press is not responsible and expressly disclaims all liability for damages of any kind arising out of use or relevance to any information contained in this section.

RONIT KAPOOR

sources [office] on the [nYc] campus on numerous occasions during my time at Pace. i feel as though it is a safe environment to express concerns and a place to seek guidance.” chavez further describes how he feels about the help and guidance he has received from this program. “Shannon haick has been my academic advisor and she has been very understanding and supportive.” carrie Longo, a senior who graduated last december and majored in Liberal Studies, also discusses her experiences with this program. “Academic resources helped me in many ways, especially when it was time to choose a major. Shannon would [provide] worksheets for me for all different majors and helped me de-

editorial Board lynn rickert Editor-In-Chief natalie Gavilanes Executive Editor

CONTRIBUTOR

Students praise the office of Academic Resources Many of us would associate 41 Park row with the campus bookstore.the building is also home, however, to another important resource: Academic resources, located on the second floor. Shannon haick, Associate director of Academic resources on the nYc campus, explains the purpose of this program. “Academic Advisement is for all students who are exploring, deciding or undecided about their major. Also students who are in transition – meaning, they are contemplating a change of major.” Students who have utilized these services have much to say about their experiences. roberto chavez, a sophomore and a history major, explains, “i have accessed the Academic re-

the pace press

cide what was the best one for me.” Longo goes on to describe other ways in which Shannon haick had assisted and guided her. “i would meet with her before every semester started and she advised me on what classes to take for the following semester. this kept me up to date with my credits and made it much easier when it came time to make my schedule. Also when i had a question about a certain class and the course material she would give me her opinion and the advantages and disadvantages of taking that particular course.” Alixandra corridon, a second – year communications student also highlights how Shannon haick has helped her. “Shannon, as well as Academic resources as a whole, has

MICHAEL CRENETI

helped me solve many problems and answer many questions regarding my academic life…i would and have recommended Academic resources to many of my peers.” if you would like to access the services that this department provides or you would like to learn more about Academic resources, you can access the department’s website at Pace.edu/undecidedmajor. You can also call 212-346-1798 or email Shannon haick at shaick@pace.edu to make an appointment. haick provides one last piece of advice to all students. “Be true to your authentic self so that you can always shine from the inside out.”

kim Bui Associate Editor kaitlynn Blyth Managing Editor ivonna thompson News Editor katherine riley Features Editor Brian rentas Arts Editor kate hamzik Copy Editor hilda adeniji Digital Illustrator leucepe martinez Business & Ads Manager DJ mcerlean-hopson Web Editor nazary nebeluk Distribution Manager

CONTRIBUTOR

mark mcsherry Faculty Consultant

How to avoid (or deal with) hickeys Alarm rings, you roll out of bed; head to the mirror, and to your surprise you have an unexpected guest glaring back at you; a hickey. right on the side of your neck, in plain view, you have this huge, dark blob stained there. You rub it hard, hoping that it’s just some dirt or smudge that will wash away; but no luck. that hickey is there and it is there to stay. So now what? You can’t rewind time and stop that special someone from making a vampire feast of your neck. So, how do you deal with a hickey? first, let’s figure out what a hickey actually is. According to wisegeek.com, a hickey is really a bruise that is created by someone sucking the skin into their mouth. the red or brown round mark is created by breakage of the blood vessels in the neck. Also, it only takes 30 seconds to give someone a hickey. So the only way to completely avoid getting hickeys is to push edward cullen off your neck and stop letting people suck the blood out of it. But we all know that sometimes we get caught up in the moment and things happen. So there are simple tricks to avoid being marked. first, try aiming below the collar bone if you are going to be sucking one another’s skin. this makes it so much easier to hide the marks without having to overdress or put a lot of energy into hiding your hickeys. Another trick is to move around a lot, so that you don’t focus on one specific area. this makes it a lot harder to receive or give a hickey. But in case it happens, here’s what you can do. Mahalo.com has a step-by-step

guide to deal with hickeys. first, put ice on the area for about 10 minutes, in order to reduce the swelling and blood flow. the next day, apply heat to the area for about 10-15 minutes. this will help blood recycle faster and help speed up the healing process. while doing this, place ice on the hickey after the heat to avoid the heat making the hickey swell. other tips include rubbing it with a cold spoon, massaging it with the bristles on a brush and using a nub of a pen to massage the area in a circular motion. Unfortunately, these things will only help speed up healing, which takes time, so we need to hide our marks until they heal. during the winter, it is much easier to disguise yourself with turtlenecks, scarfs and jackets. in the spring, heavy clothes will look a bit awkward and probably cause you some discomfort. So if you intend to be getting a lot of hickeys, i would invest in some make-up. A hickey is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed by. if you want to show off your hickey to the world and not worry about hiding it, more power to you. A hickey is a sign of affection, something many of us look for. And although this may contradict the point of this article, a hickey should never make you feel you need to hide. if someone ever gives you a hard time about having one, and calls you something cruel, ignore them. Because when you got that hickey, you were having a good time and you were happy. that happiness shouldn’t go away just because there is a slight blemish on your neck.

staff Mel Bailey Joanna Gonzalez Stephanie Hansen Craig Held Jessica LaRosa Bethany O’Grady Jessica Owens James Ryder Amanda Schiavo Vibha Solanki Ruveena Virk Quinn Wasson Julia Yeung

The Pace Press is the student newspaper of Pace University’s New York City Campus. It is managed and operated entirely by members of the student body as it appears above. The Pace Press welcomes guest editorials and letters from students, faculty, administration and staff. The Pace Press reserves the right to not publish any submitted material, both solicited and unsolicited. All submissions must include the author’s full name and contact information. The Pace Press 41 Park Row, Rm. 902 NewYork, NY 10038 www.pacepress.org editor@pacepress.org Copyright 2011

Feb_16_February 16 2/17/11 10:57 AM Page 8

February 16, 2011

FEATURES

New Yorkers protest against possible NYC location of megastore nazary neBelUk diStriBUtion MAnAGer

walmart is zeroing in on a new store in nYc as it remains the last major urban center in the United States without one after chicago built two stores last year. nYc has been a tough market for walmart to tap in to. Many major unions reacted negatively to initial plans to bring a store into the city. the reason being is the company does not allow for unionization of workers. walmart however has recently made an ally of the construction unions, by promising to use their workers to build the store, in the hope of using their political leverage against the other unions. the company has long been accused of unfair labor practices, such as paying their workers low wages and race discrimination. walmartwatch.com was set up to specifically monitor walmart’s transgressions. A nYc city council meeting was held feb. 3 to ask company representatives about these practices and drew hundreds of protesters, but no company executives. “walmart is a self-righteous, fascist company,” freshman Patrick Prybil said. “it destroys small businesses and puts many out of work. its only justification

dnainfo.com

is that it offers cheap goods to many who normally could not afford them. in new York, it isn’t justified. Prices will be steeper than most places and it could put potentially hundreds of small shops out of business.” walmart plans to open a store in the lower-income area between the Belt Parkway and the Spring creek towers in Brooklyn, which is the largest federally subsidized housing project in the country. the area has traditionally low-income and working class families

and walmart is trying to make comparisons to its chicago stores, which they claim helped elevate the burden of people in the “food desert” – areas that are miles from fresh produce and supermarkets. A website created by walmart, walmartnyc.com, collects thousands of testimonies from new Yorkers who drive to other states to shop in walmart stores. the website states, “After walmart open[ed] in chicago’s 37th ward, 22 businesses opened nearby, responsible for generating thou-

sands of new jobs.” A study published in January by hunter college’s center for community Planning, however, contends the opposite. the study showed that the U.S.’s biggest discounter may actually make neighborhoods poorer. the college’s report found that walmart kills jobs, drives down wages and is a tax burden because it doesn’t provide health and other benefits to many part-time employees. this puts a strain on Medicaid and other public health programs.

walmart does not seem to be concerned with what the nYc city council rules on. they have begun a new print and radio campaign, “You don’t ask the special interests or the political insiders for permission to use the bathroom, so why should they decide where you’re allowed to shop?” it’s an odd strategy, especially considering to build their chicago stores they recruited the help of the city’s mayor in their campaign. Mayor Michael Bloomberg currently supports the opening of a new store, while not necessarily supporting walmart itself saying that government shouldn’t decide where people can shop, using the Soviet Union as an example of when this has turned out badly. “i am not a fan of walmart. where i live, there is one about a half hour away and i dread going anytime the idea is brought up. i understand that it is more economical than the independently owned stores but it is also growing into a massive monopoly and is putting a lot of other stores out of business. this may sound pretentious, but i do not want one in nYc. this city thrives on uniqueness and culture and there is nothing less classy than a walmart,” sophomore Spencer cammarano said.

Meditation proven to improve brain power, reduce stress katherine riley feAtUreS editor

A study was published in the Jan. 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging led by a team of Massachusetts General hospital (MGh) researchers that concluded meditation may have the potential to change parts of the brain associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress. “i personally have never seriously practiced meditation, but i know people who have and i definitely believe in the positive affects it has on those who do,” sophomore Aliyah Gruberg-revty said. Meditation is associated with gaining a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation that may also provide cognitive and psychological benefits that last.

therapeutic interventions that incorporate training in mindfulness medication have become a popular psychiatry technique. Mindfulness-Based Stress reduction (MBSr) is one of the most common mindfulness training programs that produce positive effects on one’s psychological well being. Participating researchers of MGh reported a controlled study to examine pre- and post-meditation changes of the brain’s gray-matter concentration, which helps control our emotions and memory. Anatomical Magnetic resonance (Mr) images from 16 healthy people, who were considered “meditation-naïve participants,” were gathered before and after the eightweek meditation regimen. the changes in gray-matter

density were investigated using Voxel-based morphometry, an imaging analysis technique that measures the volume of the brain by drawing images from brain scanning and calculating the volume enclosed. the brain scans taken before and after the participants’ meditation regimen found increased gray-matter in the hippocampus, a key area of the brain for learning and memory. images also displayed a reduction of gray matter in the amygdale, a region associated with stress and anxiety. there was also a control group that did not practice any meditation and showed no changes in brain chemistry. Mindfulness meditation became prevalent in the United States in the late ‘70s, tracing its roots back to an-

cient Buddhist techniques. for this particular study, group participants spent an average of 27 minutes a day practicing mindfulness exercises that focused on nonjudgmental awareness of sensations, feelings and a state of mind. the group had audio recordings for guided meditation practice and kept close track of how long they practiced each day. “More studies on more people must be done for actual proof that meditation changes one’s brain structure. the evidence in this recent study is pretty convincing; it does not surprise me that letting go and flushing one’s stress out of their body a on a daily basis can be nothing but good for a person’s well-being,” alumna Anneliese Blommestein said. According to The New York Times, previous studies

have also shown that there are differences between the brain structure of people who mediate and those who do not. in a 2008 study published in the journal PloS One, researchers discovered that when mediators’ heard the sounds of people suffering, they had keener activation levels in their temporal parietal junctures, a part of the brain associated with empathy, than people who did not regularly meditate. therefore, mediators may be more compassionate and willing to help if someone is in need. So take time before going to sleep or starting your daily routine, a few minutes of mind clarification may help you in the long run.

healthjockey.com