February 27 by The Pace Press

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February 27, 2013

Volume 64 | Issue 13

THE PACE PRESS SERVING PACE UNIVERSITY’S MANHATTAN CAMPUS SINCE 1948

OLIVIA BETETA Arts Editor

One person dies every minute from armed violence. In that time, 15 new arms are manufactured. The not-so-startling reality of arms violence is an international issue that for the past decade has been swept under the rug. In an effort to enlighten students and create an open forum, the residential advisory staff from the Fulton St. Residence invited Control Arms for their “Know Your Right” event. Control Arms is a campaign involving over 100 organizations worldwide. The coalition includes well-known organizations such as Oxfam and Amnesty International. The battle began in 2001, when a non-legally binding program called “Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects” was developed at a UN conference. A few years later in 2003, The Control Arms coalition began. Nobel Peace Laureates in collaboration with civil society organizations worldwide worked together to create an arms trade treaty, known as ATT. Then, in 2006 Control Arms summited the “Million Faces” petition to

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NEWS Tensions rise with opposition on Bloomberg’s soda ban PAGE 4

then UN secretary Kofi Annan. In December of that same year, 153 governments voted to begin development on the ATT. Arms trade refers to the buying and selling of firearms or any other type of military weaponry and is classified in one of three levels: White, grey and black. The white market refers to the legal buying and selling of arms. It is the trade between two or more consenting countries with the understanding the weapons will not be used for the degradation of human rights. Grey markets fall in the area between the violations of international norms. Andrew Feinstein, a former member of the African National Congress, described the grey market as where “governments attempt to influence foreign policy covertly through the use of illegal dealers to undertake arms transactions on their behalf. A well-known example would be the Iran-Contra deal, perhaps the most cynical arms deal of all time.” Black market trading is vastly more difficult to define and equally difficult to

ARMS TRADE TREATY continued on PAGE 11

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February 27, 2013

Magnolia Bakery reopens after rodent infestation

Famed cupcake shop blames Hurricane Sandy for health code violations SHANNON MCMAHON News Assistant Magnolia Bakery, a famous NYC cupcake shop is blaming Hurricane Sandy for a major mouse infestation that led it to be temporarily shut down for health code violations last week. The popular shop in Manhattan’s West Village on Bleecker street was recently closed by the Health Department recently after an inspector found evidence of vermin life. Magnolia Bakery gained prominence after being featured on the successful HBO show, Sex and the City. The bakery was also featured in the movie “Prime,” which depicts a character hurling Magnolia Bakery pies vengefully at his ex-girlfriends, as well as the movie “The Devil Wears Prada,” and a “Saturday Night Live” digital short “Lazy Sunday.” The New York City Department of Health reported that it found mouse holes and mouse feces, in addition to evidence of live rats and flies. The department also found contaminated food in the building, and food that was not protected from further sources

“That is disgusting. I would be skeptical to go there now because that is gross - I could get sick.” -Radhika Doshi, Sophomore

of contamination. “The mice turned up after parts of the West Village neighborhood near the Hudson River flooded during the storm at the end of October,” bakery spokesperson Sarah Gramling said in a statement. Gramling also said that in addition to Hurricane Sandy, nearby construction and the fact that the location has many older buildings has led the mice to seek refuge in buildings in the area. “Because of the flooding, a lot of mice have moved inward, and that was the issue that was found in the basement,” explained Sarah Gramling. With the mice residing in the basement of the building, the bakery claims that the vermin did not come in contact with food preparation or service areas. Exterminators were in the bakery all day Feb. 15 as general manager Eric Larios hoped to reopen Saturday.The shop did in fact reopen Feb. 16 at 5:30 p.m. after addressing the numerous health code violations. “We worked hard and we want to thank the New York City Department of Health to ensure that their high standard and ours were exceeded. We will continue to work hard to maintain our A rating,” said Gramling. It is quite possible, however, that these events will take a toll on business for a long period after the incident as well. Sophomore Radhika Doshi, a fan of the cupcake shop, was surprised to hear about the infestation, and reluctant to believe that Hurricane Sandy was solely responsible for the

Sign outside Magnolia Bakery announcing their suspended business nydailynews.com

vermin problem. “That is disgusting. I would be skeptical to go there now because that is gross—I could get sick… There weren’t any rats washed right onto the streets after the hurricane \ so that is definitely not a good excuse.” When asked if she thought business would resume normally Doshi said she thinks things will go back to some form of normalcy, but not with individuals completely forgetting the incident. “Obviously they will get some customers, but people will, of course, be a little skeptical.” Junior Lauren Merced also discussed the controversy saying, “What boggles my mind is how you go from non-existent mice to infested. I work in the restaurant business and you never just go from zero to sixty.” Merced is not too surprised; however, to see the change in animal life in the city following the storm. “My cousin lived in an area that was really infested before, but after hurricane Irene the complete opposite of this happened. There was no sign of roaches or rats…they thought it was eerily calm.” When asked if she would eat at the popular cupcake shop again, Merced showed signs of reluctance, like many other university students. “I wouldn’t eat there again, but I think other people will,” Merced said. The shop is now cleared of all previous health code violations and has been open for business since Feb. 16. Whether or not the health issues will arise again in the future, however, remains to be seen.

Violence Against Women Act reauthorized by the Senate ANGELICKA RAZACK Staff Writer

This February, the Senate voted 78 to 22 to reauthorize the 1993 Violence Against Women Act. The new bill will grant funds to shelters and legal aid to abuse victims including, victims from the LBGTQ and Native American communities. Dating violence and stalking are now, “prioritized dangerous or potentially lethal cases,” but with “evidence-based indicators.” VAWA specifically calls for “Developing and promoting State, local or tribal legislation and policies that enhance best practices for responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.” Previous VAWA bills and provisions; however, have excluded the Native American community and LBGTQ community. According to the New York Times, last year the Republicanled House hindered the act’s renewal due to disagreements towards the new protections for LBGTQ, immigrant and Native American victims. The new bill now considers

“underserved populations” meaning, “populations who face barriers in accessing and using victim services, and includes populations underserved because of geographic location, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, underserved racial or ethnic populations, populations underserved because of special needs. The reauthorized VAWA bill strongly encourages state courts, as well as local courts to treat all victims fairly and reaffirms that no victim should be denied the appropriate service or funding for discriminatory reasons: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity… sexual orientation, or disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity funded in whole or in part with funds made available under the Violence Against Women Act of 1994…2005…2013” The Senate has also agreed to add human trafficking to the bill, which would

create harsher penalties for sex traffickers and increased protection for trafficking victims. University professor Bill Offut said, “The evidence since 1994 suggests a reduction in the incidence of domestic violence, and some of that reduction may be due to the variety of grants given out since VAWA became law. Other services, such as standardizing rape kits and how they are used, and institutionalizing procedures in a variety of jurisdictions on how to handle allegations of date rape (for example) and shielding prior sexual activity from cross-examination, have improved prosecutions.” According to the New York State Division of Criminal Services, there have been 28,911 reports of domestic violence; in all five burroughs of New York City. Also in 2011, a report published by the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence reported 201,904 domestic incidents outside of New York City. According to the New York Daily News, more than 1,000 women nationally are killed by domestic abusers. “Domestic violence is an issue that

takes a long time to impact. VAWA was designed to provide help in a number of different areas, the idea being that if you try enough different things, collectively there will be an impact, although it’s very hard to identify what did what in a clear cause-effect relationship,” said Offut. On the topic of the exclusion of Native American victims in the first bill, Offut stated, “This deals with longstanding issues regarding the sovereignty of Native American tribes which began in colonial and early national years. The Constitution and various court cases (such as dealing with the Cherokee removal in the 1830s) established that tribes have their own jurisdiction and legal authority within certain bounds.” “VAWA is probably the most important piece of legislation ever passed by Congress to address violence against women in the United States.,” says Professor Susan Herman, who teaches in the Criminal Justice Department, “The reauthorization was critical--to keep funding critical resources and enforcement activities, and to expand the reach of VAWA to previously neglected special populations.”

February 27, 2013

NEWS

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A screen shot from one of the original “Harlem Shake” videos. The video currently has over 20 million hits on Youtube. mashable.com

Harlem Shake video craze continues to sweep the nation Students pay consequences for taking part in viral YouTube sensation THATIANA DIAZ Features Assistant Students in innumerable U.S. universities and high schools are paying the consequences for participating in the “Harlem Shake” video craze that has surfaced during the last few weeks. Several athletes at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania, including some football players were kicked off their teams as punishment for participating in the viral video trend. The video was posted to YouTube and featured 11 student-athletes from the Pennsylvania college working out in a weight room. The participants are seen doing typical weight lifting activities for the first half of the video before joining in on the “Harlem Shake” for the final 15 seconds of the short clip. In the video, four of the athletes are paired into couples and simulate sex acts for the second half of the video. This

University junior Gigi Nguyen said, “It’s absurd! It’s an Internet trend, it’s their freedom of expression, and if they take that away, what else do we have?” Susquehanna University is not the only school punishing students. Students from Brownsville Area High School shot their Harlem Shake video during photography class and posted their version online Feb 20. The following day, all 12 students in the video and the student videographer were handed two-day suspensions from school. Brownsville School Board President Roy Brashear instated the punishment and called the video “very graphic and very vulgar”. In New Jersey, the Nyack-Tappan Zee Ice Hawks hockey team was forced to forfeit a major playoff match against the Lakeland-Panas Rebels after school administrators found their Harlem Shake video. Eleven players from the Ice Hawks, which is made up of students from Nyack and Tappan Zee High Schools, made their

“It’s absurd. It’s an Internet trend, it’s their freedom of speech and if they take that away, what else do we have?” -Gigi Nguyen, Junior

upset University officials and led to punishment. A spokesperson for Susquehanna University said, “We are disappointed by this behavior and the way in which these student-athletes represented our teams and the university. We hope that they learn from this experience, and that they will earn their way back to representing Susquehanna as members of their teams.” Many students felt that kicking the athletes off their teams was excessive punishment for participating in the video though the participants do have the potential to get reinstated.

video inside a locker room. About 40 students between 8th and 12th grade were suspended from Calvary Baptist Academy for their part in one of three videos with students performing the “Harlem Shake.” The videos feature members of the school’s baseball and wrestling teams, as well as a high school English class. Assistant Principal of the academy, Kevin Guerrero said his interest lies with protecting the church, and he hopes the suspension will stop other students from creating such videos.

The videos have become an easy moneymaker for the song’s creator, Baauer, and YouTube itself. Through a service called “Content ID”, YouTube automatically trawls its servers looking for copies of copyrighted materials that owners have asked to be protected. Users of the service can then have these copies removed from YouTube or have ads sold against the videos if they qualify for monetization. When Baauer’s label, Mad Decent, originally uploaded the full “Harlem Shake” song to YouTube in the summer of 2012, they were hoping it would prove successful. “We’ve, from the beginning, been very much a proponent of allowing everybody to do whatever they want with our stuff, as long we’re able to monetize it,” says Jasper Goggins, the manager of the label. Thanks to Content ID, Baauer was well positioned to immediately begin profiting when the Harlem Shake sensation took off at the start of February. Neither YouTube nor Mad Decent would confirm how much money has been generated from videos, but experts say it is expected to be a “considerable amount.” Past viral hits on YouTube have generated big pay for content owners. “Gangnam Style,” the viral sensation of 2012, earned Korean pop star Psy and his team a reported $870,000 from YouTube ad revenue alone. Along with this income, people are excited to pay for Harlem Shake one year later, as it’s topping the iTunes charts and recently debuting at No. 3 in the UK singles charts.

Did you make a “Harlem Shake” video? Tweet it to us @ThePacePress or @PopTV

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NEWS

February 27, 2013

Bloomberg’s proposed drink ban soon to go into effect

Tension rises with opposition as sugary drink restriction deadline approaches SHANNON MCMAHON News Assistant

NYC will soon implement a first-in-the-nation rule prohibiting restaurants, cafeterias and concession stands from selling soda and other calorie-rich drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces. Public health experts around the nation, as well as the restaurant and soft-drink industry, will be watching closely to see whether or not the new restrictions on large sugary drinks, adopted recently by the city’s Board of Health, leads to changes in New Yorkers’ health. NYC is the first U.S. city to try to combat the obesity epidemic by cutting down portion sizes at restaurants, but NYC officials said they are open to taking dramatic action as a means of getting the public to consider the idea that empty-calorie foods are a huge contributing factor to the obesity epidemic. Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently explained the restrictions on caloric soft drinks to banning lead paint, and pointed out the surge in young children being diagnosed with a type of diabetes more commonly found in overweight adults on the rise as an indication of the growing problem. As the ban approaches, it is clear that either New Yorkers will abide by the new legislation or obtain their next large soda purchases at the thousands of convenience stores and supermarkets that do not have to abide by the rule. Many see the restrictions as an infringement on personal liberty, and an action

“I think it will go through, but as always, people will cheat the system.” -Rachel Windishin, Sophomore

being taken that does not realistically correlate to solving the obesity issue. Sophomore Caroline Ford shared her thoughts on the ban, saying, “I am definitely not for it. I don’t think this is going to stop obesity, since sodas and other sugary drinks are not the only causes of obesity. People are out there eating McDonalds and other fast foods numerous times a day, and yet Bloomberg thinks cutting down their drink size is going really going to help significantly?” The regulations apply to any establishment with a food-service license, which includes delis, theaters, concession stands and pizzerias, among others. Angered by Bloomberg’s crackdown, a coalition of groups with a lawsuit against the large sugary drink ban took to court recently hoping to delay the ban. Lawyers representing the coalition argued in Manhattan State Supreme Court that it should be delayed until the judge rules on the lawsuit, instead of beginning on March 12. Sophomore Rachel Wandishin is doubtful that the coalition will succeed in blocking the ban. “I think it will go through, but as always, people will cheat the system. So no matter if it goes into effect or not, it won’t make people more healthy. Soda has addictive qualities, and like illegal drug addicts, soda addicts will still find ways to drink it in excess.” The coalition against the ban includes multiple groups, such as the American Beverage Association, which represents beverage manufacturers like Pepsi, the Korean Grocers Association of New York, and Teamsters 812, which represent workers in the bottling and delivery industries. In total the coalition represents hundreds of thousands of businesses, which employ hundreds of thousands of individuals. A key part of the argument against the ban is in favor of the stores overseen by the Department of Health. These are establishments that mainly serve food and are marked by letter grades in their front windows. Under the ban, these locations will have to comply with the new procedure, while grocery stores and other businesses will not. This leaves many food establishments at a loss because customers will choose to buy their drinks at grocery stores or convenience stores such as Duane Reade or CVS, according to a representative for the coalition. After doing so, some may also buy food from these places instead of the letter-graded businesses, which will cause damage to their revenue stream. Complying might prove complicated for some establishments, and health officials said they would set up a process for restaurants to hand in recipes if there was confusion about what drinks were covered. Meanwhile, large chains like Starbucks are trying to figure out whether they will be barred from selling Frappuccinos in the 24-ounce size. The drink has a considerable amount of calories, but is also made with a significant amount of milk. The new rule would exempt products that are at least 50 percent milk. Restaurants with self-serve soda fountains will also be prohibited from giving out cups larger than 16 ounces, even for diet sodas, but people will still be allowed refills. In addition, pitchers of non-diet soda will be banned as well, even if they are being shared by many diners. Barring any court action, the measure will take effect March 12.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg discussing proposed soda ban guardian.co.uk

Health board approves Bloomberg’s soda plan nytimes.com

February 27, 2013

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OPINION AND EDITORIALS

THE PACE PRESS

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 of arising out of use or relevance to any information contained in this section.

Fotini Sachpatzidis Editor-In-Chief

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Interested in writing for the Pace Press? Come take a story or two! Write for one of our four sections: News, Arts, Features, and if you’re feeling very opinionated about the University then the Op-Ed! Or if writing is not your style, then come and help out with layout! Work with InDesign and PhotoShop to create an awesome spread for each issue or go out and take creative photos to help us tell a story! Meetings are on Mondays @ 12:20pm in 902 Park Row or Email us at editor@pacepress.org

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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 New York, NY 10038 www.pacepress.org editor@pacepress.org Copyright 2013

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February 27, 2013

ARTS

Female Entertainers Test Decency Rules at Grammys

JLo, Kelly Rowland and Katy Perry all made statements with their dresses at this year’s Grammys. CAITLIN MCNAMARA Staff Writer The Grammy Awards have always been notorious for risqué wardrobe choices. Nearly naked celebs have graced the red carpet and the stage alike. Remember that sparkly thong-leotard-shoulder outfit Lady Gaga wore during her performance in 2010? She was close to showing off her little monster. With outfits like these in mind, CBS, this year’s network host of the Ceremony, felt the need to dish out “decency rules” to all attending and performing. Some felt the rules were pointless, while others did not seem to mind. Either way the network felt the need to remind artists to keep in mind it’s family viewers.

Perhaps CBS still feels the infamous “Janet Jackson Wardrobe Malfunction” that took place at Superbowl XXXVIII looming over their heads, and they would rather avoid another fine from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In a statement dated Feb. 5th, 2013, CBS made this request: “CBS Program Practices advises that all talent appearing on camera please adhere to Network policy concerning wardrobe.” CBS continued, “Please be sure that buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered. Thong type costumes are problematic. Please avoid exposing bare, fleshy under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack. Bare sides or under curvature of the breasts is also problematic. Please avoid sheer see-through clothing

marieclaire.co.uk that could possibly expose female breast nipples. Please be sure the genital region is adequately covered so that there is no visible “puffy” bare skin exposure...Obscenity or partially seen obscenity on wadrobe is unacceptable for broadcast.” Though most celebs questioned about the rules felt that they were warranted, others appeared to have taken them as a personal challenge. Singers like Rihanna, Kelly Rowland, and Alicia Keys wore sheer gowns like it was their jobs. Miss Rowland’s was by far the cheekiest, with sheer cutouts strategically placed on her Georges Chakra dress. Rihanna’s red gown by Alaïa also made a clever use of sheer, yet it was Alicia Keys who dared to display underbreasts when she performed with Maroon 5. Jennifer Lopez opted to show off some leg, draped

in a black, gam-bearing gown by Anthony Vaccarello, Jennifer even joked about the rules while presenting. The songstress quipped, “As you can see, I read the memo.” To which her co presenter, Pit Bull, replied, “You inspired the memo!” Though most of the rules were geared towards the ladies (I guess man boobs were a go?), most gladly adhered to rules and the boys of the night took a turn toward the trend. The boys of fun. wore tailored suits with skinny pants and skinny ties. Chris Brown wore an all white suit, while MC for the night LL Cool J opted just for the white jacket. Miguel added to the fun with simple black pants topped with a black and white stripped jacket. So the real question is, were the decency rules necessary. The Grammys have always been a more creative platform than, say, the Oscars. Some of the wackiest/best outfits have been witnessed at Grammys past. This year, attendees, at least the women, appeared busier challenging the rules than opting for something memorable. Compared to the Versace dress, Jennifer Lopez’s Vaccarello dress is forgettable. Katy Perry looked washed out in the mint green Gucci she wore, and more preoccupied with just showing some cleavage. This is not to say there weren’t some amazing dresses (Florence Welch’s Givenchy), just not the most exciting. And with stars like Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj missing from the red carpet, the fashion of this year’s Grammys was just…decent.

February 27, 2013

ARTS

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James Franco and Sam Raimi discuss new “Oz” movie

MICHAEL “TJ” WILLIAMS Arts Assistant On Mar. 8, 2013, the highly-anticipated “Oz the Great and Powerful” will hit theatres. The film features an all-star cast including James Franco as “Oz”, Michelle Williams as “Glinda”, Rachel Weisz as “Evanora” and Mila Kunis as “Theodora.” Additionally, Sam Raimi, who has previously worked with Franco on the ‘Spider-Man’ trilogy, directed this film. “Oz the Great and Powerful” tells the famous story of Oz, but instead of Dorothy’s point of view (“The Wizard of Oz”) or the witch’s point of view (“Wicked”), this time the story was being told by the man who became known as the great wizard. The movie focuses on a magician who is brought to the magical land of Oz accidentally by a hot-air balloon, and then must make the ultimate choice: to become a good man or a great one. In a recent conference call with both director Sam Raimi and actor James Franco, these two entertainers went into detail about the making of “Oz the Great and Powerful” and their thoughts on this newest Oz interpretation. Sam Raimi first talked about casting and described how it was different for this movie than previous ones. “I wasn’t looking for, necessarily the very best actor or actress in the world. I was looking for that actor or actress that had the qualities of the character they’re going to portray.” Mila Kunis plays the character of “Theodora,” who begins as a very innocent character yet ends up becoming tempted by the wicked side as the film progresses. Raimi saw the potential of Mila Kunis with the two contrasting characters she played in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Black Swan” that he felt demonstrated the qualities for this complex role. For the character of “Glinda,” Raimi was searching for an actress who had a source of pure goodness, which he jokingly said, “ruled about 90 percent of the actresses in Hollywood.” When in the casting stages, Raimi discovered Michelle Williams. He described, “She puts out a very sweet aura. And I consider her to be with a very good soul..” When developing his vision for the world of Oz, Raimi was inspired by Frank Baum’s original books, the original illustrator of these books and of course, Victor Fleming’s “The Wizard of Oz” in 1932. The best part of working on this film for Raimi was hearing the score Danny Elfman put together to go with the complete movie, which Raimi called the “secret sauce.” However, the most challenging part of working on this film was figuring out what to withhold from the movie such as to include a backstory for this character or to not. “What part should I cut out? What part should I give the audience? And what part would be most effective if I let the audience use their own imagination to fill in the blanks?” Raimi ended the conference call with some advice for aspiring directors: “Writing a-a script or a scene, every weekend, every Saturday, you should be shooting on video

a scene from the script you’ve been writing. Around Sunday you should be cutting the thing, and on Monday you should be showing it to a, to a university audience. And they won’t like your damn little picture. So you’re going to have to take it back and recut it and make it better, and rewrite it on Friday, reshoot it on Saturday, recut it on Sunday, put some music on it, and show it to them again on Monday.” James Franco, who plays the character of “Oz,” also joined the conference call. Recently, Franco has been involved with more serious movies including Interior. Leather Bar. as well as the upcoming Spring Breakers film starring Selena Gomez. He has taken time out of his busy schedule to do this film that took six months to shoot, which is a very long time to shoot a movie. James Franco explained there were several factors that made him want to do this film such as being a fan of the Baum books since he was a boy, previously having worked with director Sam Raimi and that this role was something he felt he could have a lot of fun with. One aspect of the film that Franco was a little worried about though, is that he did not want to turn into a “male version of Dorothy.” Once he was signed on, Franco prepared for this role of “Oz” both physically and mentally. He began to carry himself as a magician and started to learn how to do convincing magic tricks, which were needed in the beginning movie scenes. Lance Burton, a magician from Las Vegas, was hired to help Franco learn to do such convincing magic tricks. Having previously worked Raimi on the “Spider-Man” triology, Franco explains how he got less love from Raimi because this director always connects and identifies with his main character. “I felt like, um, I got a little less love than, than Tobey McGuire on those films, uh, just because of the, what the character was doing. And now that I’m the protagonist in Oz, um, Sam is identifying with my character. And so, uh, I felt a lot more of Sam’s love on this film.” Although director Sam Raimi and actor James Franco show high enthusiasm for this upcoming film, it is yet to be determined if it will be a box-office hit, or a box-office flop. Students at the university have mixed reviews about “Oz the Great and Powerful.” University freshman, Sarah Staulo stated, “I am looking forward to see it just because James Franco’s in it. That’s about it. I feel that the cast was chosen merely based on fame rather than on actual acting ability.” Veronica Giolli disagress and explained, “It’s going to be epic. I am obsessed with Mila Kunis, love James Franco, and love the Wizard of Oz! The cast is simply perfect. All of them!” “Oz the Great and Powerful” hits theatres on Mar. 8. Return to the world of Oz again, but this time through the eyes of not just a good man, but a great one.

imdb.com

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ARTS

February 27, 2013

New album, tour and doc make 2013 Beyoncé’s year

fanpop.com

ERICK MANCEBO Features Editor

She appears—to much fanfare—at the Super Bowl. She’s in your living room, sitting on a couch opposite Oprah. (Well, after you’ve spent the ten minutes googling “What channel is OWN?” that is.) You finish an episode of HBO’s “Girls” and she manifests once again, this time in her own documentary. And you’ve almost got her out of your mind, when—sneak attack: Twenty Beyoncés are smirking down at you from the fiveby-four display of Vogues at the newsstand where you get your morning bagel. Beyoncé is everywhere. It started innocently enough—whisperings on social media of a Super Bowl performance here, a stray picture on the gossip blogs there. But it didn’t take long for it all to add up to a Pepsi-sponsored avalanche of booty-popping, C Major scale-riffing goodness. Such is the kind of balls-to-the-wall media blitz that a superstar performer like Beyoncé can concoct. And some argue that it’s the only kind of promotional campaign that will get through to the 140 character-attention span generation. Newer artists struggle to think of ways to get the attention of their audience—Lady Gaga dripping with blood onstage comes to mind—but it is the challenge of the more matured artist to keep it. The task becomes even more challenging when the artist is fiercely private. You won’t find Beyoncé tweeting at all, or instagramming her recreational activities (Hi Rihanna). The Knowles-Carter clan has an annoyingly coy and squeaky-clean public image. And it’s all calculated. Because while she definitely wants the world’s eyes on her, Beyoncé is different from other stars in that she demands on telling us where to look. Try as she might to direct the lens, however, Beyoncé is not immune to our evercritical media. She is still subject to the unflattering articles, blogs posts and party-pooper Marine Corps Band informants. But the irony is that these things only make her more popular. While her performance at the inauguration was praised for general excellence—

one commenter on Twitter compared her taking off her in-ear to Luke Skywalker turning off the targeting system in the Death Star trench—the reveal that she lip-synced set off an unprecedented firestorm of comments, tweets and poignant Vulture.com articles. But she emerged largely unscathed, starting her first press conference since the incident with an a capella performance of the National Anthem. “I’m a perfectionist,” she explained unnecessarily after being asked why she didn’t risk singing live at President Obama’s inauguration. Indeed she is. Soon after, she famously asked that unflattering screen captures of her Super Bowl performance be removed from Google image search results. It’s hard for anyone to pull that off without sounding insane. Indeed, the woman is either an egomaniac, the result of the 21st century mediascape—a meticulous curator of her personhood—or both. Beyoncé’s first two months of 2013 have no doubt been busy. But she’s just warming up. Her documentary, “Life Is But A Dream,” which she wrote, directed, and executive produced, premiered on HBO this month to record numbers—becoming HBO’s mostwatched feature in almost ten years, according to the Daily News. Her interview with Oprah, meanwhile, gave the fledging Oprah Winfrey Network a ratings boost, with 1.3 million viewers tuning in for the intimate conversation between the two women. Beyoncé will also be releasing her fifth album this April, as reported in GQ. And if all of that Beyoncé isn’t enough, a world tour is on the way. Shortly after the Super Bowl, Beyoncé announced her worldwide “Mrs. Carter” tour. The show is nearly impossible to get tickets to, with the Ticketmaster website nearly crashing as fans purchased tickets at record speed, selling out all of her U.K. dates. Fans who weren’t able to get tickets in time can catch her on a select few as-of-yet-unsold dates on her three-leg tour. So while Chinese-New Yorkers celebrated the beginning of the year of the Snake, judging by the record-breaking television appearances, sold out shows and album rumors, we can most certainly rest assured that 2013 will in fact the year of the Bey.

NYC 1993 bring the dream of the ‘90s to New York CHRISTIAN GOMEZ Arts Assistant

The New Museum’s brings the dream of the ‘90s to the city with the newest exhibit that encompasses the art of New York a decade ago. “NYC 1993: Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star”, is a glimpse in a bygone time of the early ‘90’s, specifically 1993 in New York during a time full of change socially with the AIDS crisis, health care, gun control and gay rights topics all in the media making it a perfect parallel to our society today. Many of the young artists on exhibit came into their own during 1993, and offer a large range of artists both iconic of the time and lesser known who made statements during this major year in New York art world. Sonic Youth, the New York rock, gives the exhibition its subtitle in the form of their 1993 album Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star that captures the mood of the 1993 music scene where underground and mainstream culture began to cross streams which began to define the

art of the time. “It’s a pretty cool idea for an art show. It’s weird but interesting way to look at what was going on the year before I was born and what was going on during the early part of that decade,” said freshman John Rustemian. NYC 1993 is non-discriminatory against non-native New York artists but has a broader view of art and artists of the time, focusing on artists who had some of their big openings or monumental exhibits in the city during 1993. Connecting the big names of the art world with smaller artists who have only had their pieces seen in small or private shows gives NYC 1993 a sense of diversity not seen in other period theme galleries which tend to focus on the biggest and most important artists of a time period. Date aside, the exhibit does not pander to any one specific fan or art or theme, but views 1993 in a time capsule, with familiar and forgotten art work. They are references in the art that does not paint a picture of the early 90’s but gives a very finite look into this year and the things that inspired the art being shown. With such a

specific time period NYC 1993 is able to focus on artist who made statements that may have been forgotten on topics of race, gender, globalization and party politics and brings them back to be re-examined and compared against the problems of today that the new generations of young artist are tackling with whatever medium is at hand. Of the pieces on exhibit, many share artists who only recently have become prominent and influential, allowing a look back on how many of them started and showing how far artists such as Peter Halley or Jack Pierson have come in twenty years. With eighty two artists offering their pieces from 1993, it is no surprise that the New Museum has decided on using its entire five story building to breathe life into this moment in American history. A fully illustrated catalogue will be offered at the New Museum, showing off and giving some more information on the pieces on display. New Museum is offering a time machine on all five floors to bring back 1993 from Feb. 13th through May 26th.

ARTS

February 27, 2013

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DIY Light Fixtures are kewl and expect this sunday OLIVIA BETETA Arts Editor

all images from indulgey.com

It can be nearly impossible to have a post-modern fully furnished apartment on a college budget. The only way is to either have wealthy patrons, whether it be parent, significant others, random strangers, no judgment or to DIY. The best way to make a home hipper than that of David Bowie is to make some basic furnishings by hand. Something every home needs is lightfixtures. Quite simply the lighting of a room sets the mood. Lighting change a otherwise bare room appear funky and cool or romantic and everything in between. A problem with this is that light fixtures can become really expensive really fast. However, fear not, there is no reason to blow a whole budget on a flew lamps, some of the most interesting lighting can be created with stuff most people either already have or is inexpensive to buy. That strand of Christmas lights can do more than create seasonal cheer. The white lights are especially versatile and can be used for a number of projects. The easiest be far is to take the wine bottle from Saturday night a strand of lights and a camera so everyone on instagram can see the savant who created the work of art. Wash the bottle thoroughly, any residue will not only begin to smell but can also be cooked by the lights. Once the bottle is washed and dried the hard part is over. Slowly, or quickly whichever is preferred, push the lights in through the top of the bottle. For those who are comfortable with a drill, very slowly so as not to break the glass drill a hole in the back of the bottle. This eliminates the need to string the lights through the top and creates a cleaner look. Once done feel free to decorate the bottle, painting it bright colors or gluing colored glass create a particularly remarkable piece. However there is a certain beauty in the simple bottle that should be

appreciated. Another really easy and moderately priced way to spice up a room is to take those Christmas lights and add mirrors to them. Mirrors are a very popular commodity when it comes to home decorating, maybe because people are vain and love looking at themselves or more likely because they make a room look bigger. At the nearest Michael’s or local crafting store there is bound to be a bin where they keep all the mirror fragments. Buy a bunch of these in varying sizes some fishing wire and plywood. Try to get thinner plywood that’s at least three feet long. Drape the lights on the plywood. Using a hot glue gun glue the fragments onto strand of fishing wire about the same length as each light wave. Tie the fishing wire to the plywood and mount it on the wall. To add some color paint the plywood and individual mirrors. Some people can’t craft and that’s perfectly fine. Adding Christmas as a border against the wall or around a picture can be an interesting way to draw attention to a specific section of the room. Another solution is to buy paper lanterns. These can range in prices from super cheap to mildly pricey however they are easy to put up and add dynamism to a room. There is the basic globe shape or more intricate stars and diamond shaped. Some of paper lanterns come with a design already printed on them and others are plain white. Creating a personal design on the plain lanterns is a great way to show off artistry. Paper lanterns can be found in little shops throughout Chinatown and some craft stores. These are just a few very basic light creations. The most important thing to remember is that a lot of the most intriguing fixtures can be made by hand.

Careers in Arts Panel Honors Successful Graduates Q & A with Alumni meant to inspire current students aiming for Arts careers CHRISTIAN GOMEZ Arts Assistant Every semester the art department holds the Careers in the Arts Panel with the intent on giving students a view into the many diverse careers in the art world. With no necessarily clear path to a career with the arts, the panel focuses on the stories of panelists, typically recent university graduates, and how they made it in their specific careers using their creativity, connections and lessons learned while attending the university. The theme of the Career in the Arts Panel changes semester to semester and always tries to show off the careers in the arts that are not typically well known. This semester’s panel will focus on fashion design but not in the typical cliché of women’s fashion, in its place are men’s wear, hip hop and designer eyeglass. When asked how the panelists are chosen, moderator Jane Dickson said, “I like having students exposed to possible jobs and careers that many students hadn’t heard of”. All panelists are alumni at the university and many are recent graduates who have very quickly been able to make a name for themselves in their respective career paths. Moderating the panel as always was Jane Dickson, who is Artist in Residence for the university and has gathered these former students to offer their expertise and advice to current students looking for guidance in the uncertain world of the arts. Dickson believes having former students who are still young is a vital part of the panels, “..It would be useful for students to talk to people in their 20’s who have found ways into their industries while they were young.” Among the panelists is recent graduate Laurence Chandler who has a growing clothing line partnered with another university graduate, and Jane believes both of them will offer a great deal of knowledge for current students. “Laurence and his partner have a very successful clothing line and another company that is doing well, both of them weren’t art majors but have been able to break into a non traditional career where

they can use their creative skills,” said Dickson. Art has changed and no longer is the cliché idea of someone alone creating pieces in a studio and waiting for them to be sold or noticed. The art world has changed and is far more open and reliable with careers allowing people to be creative yet still self sufficient. There is far less risk than in the past and the panel stands to show students on the fence of what they want to do as a career that they have options that allow for creativity. The panel with its theme and a panelist is, for as Jane puts, “Pace students that are interested in starting their own business that connects business and the arts. Even if students are not interested in the fashion part the business running aspect will be very informative.” The panel also is encouraging for those who have always had a lingering desire for arts but due to pressure from parents never pursued it farther than one class. Many young people are interested in the arts but parents discourage it with the worry that it is too difficult to life off of art. But art has changed and those who show creative imitative have options today” Future panels are in the works and there is a possibility for panels on the topics typically overlooked in the art world, such as art critics and careers in video and film production. The Career in the Arts Panel is open to ideas and suggestions, allowing for anyone with talent or experience that has graduated to return and offer their story of making it in their respective industry. Keeping a connection to the graduates and paying them their respects as they become successful is also a factor of the Career in the Arts Panel that believes more of a connection to alumni is needed as many have gone on to do extraordinary things after graduation. The Career in the Arts Panel will be hosted Tuesday, Mar. 5th at 6:00pm in One Pace Plaza. All university students are welcome to attend and a dinner will follow the panel for students interested in further speaking with panelists. The dinner is also free to art students.

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FEATURES

February 27, 2013

2013 Grammy Awards mostly a miss with students

Performances from Rihanna and Elton John overshadowed by newcomer Miguel THATIANA DIAZ Features Assistant With awards season well underway, the 55th annual Grammy Awards took place on Feb. 10. The Grammys honor popular music in various categories, such as Best New Artist, Best in Genre, Album of the Year and many more. The Grammys are also notorious for showcasing popular musicians’ various antics. The antics were plentiful this year, beginning with Taylor Swift’s opening performance. She sang her hit song “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” poking fun at her most recent ex-boyfriend, One Direction’s Harry Styles, by mimicking a British accent in her song. Following her performance, host LL Cool J gave his opening monologue followed by Ed Sheeran and Elton John who took to the stage to sing Sheeran’s hit “The A-Team.” Other knockout performances included The Black Keys—who cleaned up this year, taking home Best Rock Album, Rock Performance, and Rock Song— teaming up with Dr. John to sing Best Rock Song winner “Lonely Boy.” There was a tribute performance to The Band’s Levon Helm, which was a collaboration between Elton John, Mumford & Sons, Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, Zac Brown, Mavis Staples, and T-Bone Burnett. There was also a surprise appearance by Prince who was channeling a vampire look by coming out dressed in all black with sunglasses and a cane. Unfortunately, to the audience’s disappointment, Prince uttered few words and did not perform. The Grammys also sent rumors flying when the cameras turned to Chris Brown and Rihanna sitting next to each other. While they did not arrive or walk on the red carpet together, the controversial on-and-off couple were not shy to pose for the cameras. Shortly afterward, Rihanna returned to the stage, where she was joined by Nashville native Mikky Ekko for a duet of “Stay,” a surprisingly

more intimate performance than the rest of the jam-packed Grammy lineup, and certainly tamer than what fans are usually expect from the controversial pop star. Rihanna, dressed in a black slip and surrounded by pillars, crooned along to the tune and received a standing ovation from Chris Brown at the end. Spikes in Twitter traffic took place during Rihanna’s solo performance with 114,800 tweets per minute. Rihanna took the prize of mosttalked-about-celebrity on Twitter, with tweets mentioning her performance. The most popular performance for the university community however seems to be Miguel’s. Wiz Khalifa joined the 27-year-old singer on stage while performing “Adorn.” Justin Timberlake and Jay Z on their “Suit and Tie” game. Junior Safisha Harris said, “My favorite part of the Grammys was the two minutes that Miguel was on, other than that the show was whack.” Sophomore Jace Ross added, “The Miguel performance was a good job.” Anticipated artists such as Lady Gaga were a no show—as she was having hip surgery following the cancellation of her tour—and it is a wonder if that is the reason behind the Grammys audience declining from 39.9 million viewers to 28.37 million viewers this year. Another big winner of the night was Frank Ocean, who sang his popular song “Forrest Gump” against a grand video background. Ocean also won Best Rap/Song Collaboration with Jay-Z and Kanye for ‘No Church in the Wild’ and independently won Best Urban Contemporary album of the year. In another talked-about moment, viewers were quick to point out that upon Frank Ocean winning, Chris Brown was the only one in the audience not to give Ocean a standing ovation because of the feud they had over a parking lot brawl last month. The highlight of the night, nonetheless, was the long awaited return of Justin Timberlake, who sang his new songs Rihanna performing “Stay” with Mykki Ekko “Suit and Tie” and “Pusher Love Girl.” Images from popsugar.com

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals under fire IRENE SCHULTZ Features Assistant PETA is an organization known for their prevalent anti-animal abuse campaigns across the country. With extensive and expensive advertising campaigns like the “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” ads that feature nude celebrities, PETA has used its infamy to build itself up as a frontline soldier in the fight against animal abuse. However, documents obtained by the Virginia Department of Agriculture report that 95 percent of animals killed by PETA are those that are “rescued” by the group less than twenty-four hours before. PETA has at times picked up dogs and cats from traditional animal shelters and killed them within days, or even hours. Many people bring their beloved family pets to PETA rather than a shelter with the belief that PETA will take better care of them and find them loving a home. However, certain PETA shelters find that they

are unable to handle the influx, and—unlike a standard animal shelter—put down the extra pets within hours of arriving. With revenues exceeding $30 million annually, PETA never attempts to find homes for some of the animals it puts down. Shelters save over 90 percent of animals that come through their doors, the same amount that PETA kills. Although PETA is registered as a shelter, not all have adoption hours, adoption sites, or a room where one can meet the animals. In the last decade, 27,751 animals were put down by the organization. Until now, former PETA employees have been too afraid to step up and speak out about the truth because they fear that PETA will take it out on their own animals. PETA’s co-founder, Alex Pacheco, left the group because of its outrageous feline kill rates. In a 2005 interview, Center for Consumer Freedom Director of Research David Martosko took a shot at the organization, saying, “PETA raked in nearly $29 million last year alone, but apparently it couldn’t spare

any money to care for the flesh-and-blood animals entrusted to its employees.”

Activists protest PETA’s ad campaigns themichaelshowpodcast.com

FEATURES

February 27, 2013

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New Yorkers become “freegans” to diffuse food waste IRENE SCHULTZ Features Assistant

With one of the highest per-square-foot concentration of humans in the U.S., it’s hardly a surprise that New York City accounts for a particularly large amount of food waste. It’s hard to fathom, but according to the NYC Bureau of Waste Prevention, the city produces hundreds of thousands of tons of waste every year in schools alone, with each person generating a half a pound of food waste each day. Interestingly, a few environmentally conscious students have adopted a new and striking way of life. “Freeganism” is the practice of reclaiming and eating discarded food. While attending the “midnight breakfast” that Café 101 hosted earlier this winter, freshman Liz Canney admitted, “I feel guilty being able to eat as much as I want for free when there are people who have nothing at all to eat.” Canney continued, saying, “There are people worse off in this world. That midnight breakfast thing was such a waste of food. They should’ve taken donations to give the homeless food, or offer to trade your free meal and give it to a homeless person.” A frequent customer of the university’s dining facilities, freshman Heather Brown said “At all the food stations in Café 101, except the salad bar, the workers give you your food. You don’t control what you get and they give you too much food so I end up throwing the leftovers out. The portion size is too big. Unless there was a way for students to control the amount of food put on their plate, it is difficult to control to amount of food wasted.” Currently in NYC, commercial establishments such as restaurants and universities are not permitted to use food waste disposers, or garbage grinders. Excluding the university, there are several places in the city that are not as guilty of wasting food. Businesses such as Panera Bread and Starbucks retrieve food that

Self-described freegans dumpster diving

gustavus.edu restaurants do not use and donate it. City Harvest, an organization that “rescues food for New York’s hungry,” accepts both cash and food donations. According to the association, each dollar donated can help provide four pounds of good food to those who are hungry. City Harvest alone rescues more than 115,000 pounds of food each day. According to the organization, “1.5 million New Yorkers currently live in poverty, struggling to afford basic necessities…and put food on their tables.” Universities across the nation are taking steps toward reducing their amount of cafeteria food waste. Dining facilities on campuses are working together with students to donate food to the community. Operating on a food management system, the University of Kansas runs on a 24-hour system. During this time food must be consumed, composted, or properly discarded. They also use a cycle menu management system in which each menu’s worth of food is determined based on previous historical data and calculations, in an attempt to not end above the predicted level, helping to keep waste low.

endthelie.com

Fulton St. residence advisors host Control Arms event continued from PAGE 1 identify and police. Currently there are no international laws that deal with the global arms trade, hence the need for the ATT. A common misconception concerning the arms trade is that the major players are terrorist groups and countries known to be especially violent—North Korea, Syria, etc. But the arms trade happens everywhere and involves an array of governments. These governments and states are the primary exporters and importers of the arms industry. Currently, 74 percent of arms exports come from only six countries. The biggest producer is the United States with 12.2 billion dollars generated from trading, followed by Russia (5.2 bill), Germany (2.6 bill) and the U.K. (2.3 bill). All four are part of the Security Council, which will mandate the ATT. There are still non-state actors within arms trade. This is where terrorists and cartels get involved. They deal with significantly less trade, buying and selling in smaller amounts. They are also the brokers in an arms deal. In some cases, such as that of Viktot Bout, the brokers can major players in the industry. Most arms trading goes on without a hitch because there are no requirements to report small arms or legal arms trade. There are major regulations, for instance, on the sale of an AK47, yet there are none regarding the sale of the parts and the manual of the assault rifle. The obvious fact is the arms trade is a lucrative business, so it should come as

no surprise that the process of approval for the ATT has been slow. The total value of arms trading globally is 85.3 billion dollars and military spending comes in at 1.7 trillion dollars. The discrepancy between the two numbers comes mainly from the dual use items such as helicopters and submarines. The original intent of the item may not

want the United States not necessarily ratify and sign the treaty but at least support it’s existence. At the time of the 2012 conference the U.S. found many of the regulations impractical and thought it would be difficult to implement them. There is no visible opposition presently, but there will be a lengthy debate over the treaty as it currently stands. There will

controlarms.org have been for artillery but with a few adjustments they can be turned into weapons, like the addition of missiles to a submarine. Back in July of 2012, a diplomatic conference was held for the ATT. The end result was a drafted treaty, but at the time a few governments—including the U.S. and Russia—requested more time. The final conference will take place from March 18 to 28. At that time, other countries will be looking at the actions of the U.S. Many

be little to no regulation on the contracts signed before the treaty goes into action. There have also been more than a few obstacles for Control Arms and the ATT. In pervious years, the arms trade was not a widely discussed topic, and while some knew what was going on many more were unaware. This has changed drastically in recent months as acts of gun violence have been more prevalent on the news and in the media. This attention will add to the pressure on governments to re-think previous resistance to the ATT.

One way for students to get involved is through social media. Lorey Campese, a humanitarian campaigner with OXFAM and Control Arms thinks social activism has a huge impact. Campese said, “The biggest thing—and I think students are the best at this—is social media. They get the online campaign, which reaches so many more people than you can by standing on a street corner passing out pamphlets. Literally we have reached tens of millions of people through Facebook and Twitter. “ In the past Control Arms has relied on the media and people looking to get involved on the ground. According to Campese, there are a lot of “stunts” in which students can get involved. “There are different stunts that will be happening probably during the global week of actions, and then we have stunts throughout conference time we are looking for people for public actions.” “In July,” continued Campese, “we had done two stunts…we had people lay in suit bags so it looked like body bags and put masks on them. We do it in a public place, it attracts attention, attracts people that stop and say, ‘Hey, what are they doing?’ It also attracts media. The picture of… that public action with the people with the masks on in the body bags was chosen as Time’s photo of the week. It got coverage [on] CNN, BBC [and] Al Jazeera.” Regardless of political affiliations or personal beliefs there is an evident problem with the arms trade industry. Involvement can be as little as a tweet to a congressman or an informative status update. As the conference approaches, expect more updates from Control Arms.

February 27, 2013

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Vintage Disney Channel movies still student favorites MICHAEL TJ WILLIAMS Arts Assistant

When asked about their childhoods, most University students think fondly back to sitting around after school watching the Disney Channel. From popular television programs like “Lizzie McGuire,” “That’s So Raven” and “Kim Possible” to more cult hits like “The Famous Jett Jackson” and “Even Stevens,” most students would agree that the channel was a mecca for pre-teen entertainment. The holy grail of that mecca, however, were the monthly Disney Channel Original Movies. The earliest movies, launched shortly after the channel premiered on April 18, 1983, were classified as “Disney Channel Premiere Films,” and then were renamed “Premears.” However, all television films since 1997 have been called Disney Channel Original Movies, or DCOMs, which remain the main category for Disney Channel’s television films today. Some family movies made for television that comprised the “Disney Channel Premiere Films” include the network’s first-ever television film “Tiger Town” (1983), “Rock ‘N’ Roll Mom” (1988), “Heidi” (1993), “Escape to Witch Mountain” (1995) and three additional spin-off movies of “The Parent Trap.” However, it’s the Disney Channel Original Movies of the late nineties to early two thousands’ that have the capability to produce the nostalgic feeling amongst the university’s students. From “Under Wraps” focusing on a mummy in love, to the “Zenon” trilogy about a “Supernova Girl’s” adventures in space (“Cetus-Lapedus!”), to “Cadet Kelly” starring the very lovable Hilary Duff. Other great television films were “Brink!” “Smart House,” “The Color of Friendship,” “Phantom of the Megaplex,” “The Luck of the Irish,” “Pixel Perfect,” “You Wish!” and the “Halloweentown” installments. Although these Disney Channel Original Movies were innovatively scripted, there were several other factors that contributed to their success. One of the main aspects of these movies was the actors and actresses involved—in many cases the stars were Disney Channel programming regulars, giving the channel a pre-“30 Rock” style of vertical integration when it came to it’s brand. One trend for sure was the “Lawrence Brother” trend. Andy Lawrence and Joey Lawrence as well as Matthew Lawrence all had their fair screen time for the Disney Channel cable network. Andy Lawrence starred in three Disney Channel Original Movies back-toback: “Horse Sense” with brother Joey Lawrence in 1999, “The Other Me” in 2000 and “Jumping Ship” in 2001, which featured all of the Lawrence brothers. Andy Lawrence also returned to the network in 2004 for another television film: “Going to the Mat.” The Disney Channel audience loved the Lawrence brother blood, and it shows with their high involvement in these Disney Channel Original Movies. Brenda Song, most commonly known for her role as London Tipton on the hit Disney program “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” and “The Suite Life on Deck,” has appeared in the most Disney Channel Original Movies. Song’s first television film for the cable network was the Santa/Time Machine/ Love Story that was “The Ultimate Christmas Present” in 2000. Other Disney Channel Original Movies Song starred in include 2002’s “Get a Clue” with Lindsay Lohan, along with 2004’s “Stuck in the Suburbs,” 2006’s “Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior” and most recently, “The Suite Life Movie” in 2011. With the exception of “The Suite Life Movie,” Brenda Song escaped Disney Channel Original Movies right as they were going downhill in 2006. Since then, the additions to the ranks of Disney Channel Original Movies don’t seem to hold a candle to the hits that defined our childhoods. As silly as it sounds, it seems that the nail in the coffin of the traditional Disney Channel Original Movie was one singular 2006 film. “High School Musical,” university freshman Chandler Grills said definitively. From “High School Musical” on, Disney Channel Original Movies transformed, and not for the better. Releasing one musical television movie resulted in many more to come, including a second installment of “High School Musical” (the third was released in theaters), the “Camp Rock” series and the “Cheetah Girls” trilogy, which, for the purpose of respecting the shining star that is Raven Symone, we will give a “pass” to since Cheetah Sisters are for life. Unfortunately, it appears Disney Channel will be unable to recover from this trend as it is scheduled to release “Teen Beach Musical” this upcoming summer starring Ross Lynch (of “Austin and Ally” fame). But it wasn’t just the musical trend that marked the decline of the Disney Channel Original Movie. From 2007 onward, fewer movies were being released each year, and the

Images courtesy of Disney

Right, Stills from “Zenon Girl of the 21st

scripts were losing the creativity they once embraced. This could simply be a change in the times, where the film industry has become significantly more competitive and expensive. If so, it seems that Disney Channel Original Movies were unfortunately unable to survive with the fittest cable networks in regards to television films. University freshman Julian Hollinger explained, “Although I used to say I’d never stop watching Disney Channel, our generation has grown up and Disney Channel is no longer trying to appeal to us, but to its new target audience, which is the younger generation.” Rhejass White, also a university freshman, elaborated, “Disney Channel lost its touch around 2006-2007. The movies that were produced in these years as well as the movies that followed were too structured, too strict, too boring and too cheesy. Simply put, Disney Channel lost its creativity.” Whatever students think, however, the new Disney is commercially viable. The highest rated Disney Channel Original Movie premieres consist of “High School Musical 2” with 17.2 million viewers, “Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie” with 11.4 million viewers and “Camp Rock” with 8.9 million viewers. The only old-school Disney Channel Original Movie to rank on the ‘Top 10 Highest Rated Premieres’ was “Cadet Kelly,” which ranked number 8 and garnered 7.8 million viewers. Freshman Chandler Grills remarked, “The network is too focused on the business side of things. For example, when a new movie comes out, so do numerous products. Disney Channel only wants to make money nowadays rather than quality television films. This may unfortunately just be a result of the changing times though.”

Film reel if.org.uk