Volume 67 Issue 4

November 5, 2015

Est. 1948

Volume 67 | Issue 4

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Study abroad spotlight: the Korean experience continued on PAGE 16

Photographer: Deina Ristic

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Angela Davis visits University to give a talk

Supergirl flies into the screen of every home

The Kickstarter fundraisers grow in popularity Page 14

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November 5, 2015

Angela Davis comes to University for talk ASIA LETLOW Contributor On Tuesday, Oct. 20, Dr.Angela Davis gave a lecture in the University’s Michael Schimmel Center. Attendees came from all over New York City, representing various organizations and universities. The event began with opening remarks made by Dr. Denise Belén Santiago, University professor of Anthropology. She gave a short anecdote of seeing Davis in her youth, recalling the magnitude of the opportunity, and larger-than-life presence she had on American society during the 1960s and 1970s radical movement, such as having to be protected by bullet-proof glass because of how much controversy her ideas had caused. Subsequently, Jonelle James and Raziyah Eure, the president and vice president of the Black Student Union, who organized the event, made opening remarks.

Facebook Davis is a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in History Consciousness and Feminist Studies. In October of 1970, she was placed on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted List for her involvement in a kidnapping and murder scheme, as well as assisting a hostage. She is the author of nine books; her most recent, a collection of essays titled The Meaning of Freedom. She is affiliated with Sisters Inside, an abolitionist organization in Queensland, Australia, among a myriad of other accomplishments.

The first half of the event commenced with Davis’ recollection of early life, the evolution of her education, and her experiences fighting for liberation abroad. She

quoted Herbert Marcuse’s 1937 essay “Philosophy and Criticism”; “The reflection cast by the truth of the future in the philosophy of the past provides indication of factors that point beyond today’s anachronistic conditions.” She then segued into discussing the importance of education, and how it should work in conjunction with giving back to the community, noting that both politics and academia intersect. Davis recounted the story of her mother’s education, and her role in instilling knowledge into her and her siblings at a young age. Imagination was a key element of fostering her budding knowledge, and her mother encouraged her and her siblings to use “imagination as a faculty that allowed us to question and escape a world that was always defined by segregation and racial hierarchies and pervasive repression.” Davis also recounted the racial struggles she endured, growing up in the 1940s and 1950s Alabama.

Davis subsequently remarked on the changing scene of activism, and how protesting today encompasses multiple leaders, not just one sole motivator. She commended the deviation from the old-fashioned male-leadership position that is part of the protesting landscape of today, citing the Black Lives Matter movement as an example. Other topics discussed relevant to this issue included the variation of race and gender in positions of leadership, as well as the evolution of the discipline of gender studies.

Davis is heavily invested in the reformation and eventual eradication of the penal system.

She made note of the “Ban the Box” movement, which focuses on the omission of the section on any major application that denotes whether one has been convicted of a crime. Davis posited that the presence of this section in an application has denied many people a chance to amend their past, and t felons would benefit from getting a chance to redeem themselves. She outlined the issues with the prison industrial complex. “This country is a prison nation,” she remarked firmly, having experienced its weight.

The second portion of Davis’s lecture included a question and answer session between her and the audience.

The Student Opportunity Grant, which is given through the Office of Student Development and Campus Activities, is given to students and organizations that want to plan an event to benefit the University community. James and Eure applied in the previous year, and were subsequently granted the award.

James insists that the impact made on professors from the event is just as important as that of students, stating, “They’re the ones [who] are teaching us, they’re the ones who are shaping our minds to a certain degree.”

Others cite that her approach to issues such as gender and race are quite relevant in today’s society. “I like that she takes it from a multifaceted kind of view, how she talks about race and gender, economics and capitalism. It’s all this connected, social thing,” said University sophomore Hayley Boden.

The event surely evoked and inspired individuals to become active in their community, through all generations.

That night, Davis concluded her lecture, stating, “This would be only the beginning of a long struggle to reimagine, reinvent, and recreate our societies.”

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November 5, 2015

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Texas tries to defund Planned Parenthood ASIA LETLOW Planned Parenthood’s practices have been under scrutiny for a variety of reasons, mostly under false claims relevant to the notion that fetal tissue supplied from abortions has been sold for profit. As of Monday, Oct. 25, Texas has defunded Medicaid money to Planned Parenthood because of an alleged violation of Medicaid policies. With this, many issues may arise, especially for those who have benefited from the multitude of benefits the program provides.

In an online statement, Planned Parenthood countered the claims stating, “The state raided Planned Parenthood’s health centers looking for an excuse to justify its politically motivated actions.” In a Tweet posted on Oct. 23, the organization declared that it “won’t stop fighting” while being ‘bullied’ by Texas ‘extremists’ under the hash tag “#StandWithTXWomen”.

The cause for the defunding of the organization in Texas stems mainly from the controversy stirred in regards to the donation of fetal tissue from abortions.

Rumors and edited videos from prolific organizations have surfaced to mass media and social networks, illustrating the claim that Planned Parenthood profits from selling fetal tissue; this has been rendered as a false accusation as it is an illegal practice. As per USA Today’s website, Governor of Texas Gregg Abbott declared, “Texas has stepped forward and shown unyielding commitment to both protecting life and providing women’s healthcare services.” He continues, “The gruesome harvesting of baby body parts by Planned

Parenthood will not be allowed in Texas,” he concluded, deeming the practice as barbaric.

State funding for Planned Parenthood has decreased by several millions of dollars. Statewide, 155 abortion clinics have closed. Lawmakers have subtracted seventy million dollars from the Family Planning Program, catalyzing the closings of such a big number of facilities. It has been very difficult to gain access to such a facility in the midst of the controversy over untrue practices and the shortage of available clinics. Sarah Wheat, a spokeswoman of a Texas Planned Parenthood, expressed remorse over the issue, mentioning that several of the closings have been attributed to negative political targeting of women and their rights.

As per Federal Law 42 U.S. Code 289-g-2, “It is unlawful for any person to knowingly acquire, receive, or otherwise transfer any human fetal tissue for valuable consideration if the transfer affects interstate commerce.” The law subsequently states that while the outright acquisition of fetal tissue through direct sale is illegal, reimbursement can be offered in a limited number of cases, as in those regarding donation of fetal tissue for other legal medical purposes.

Texas is not the only state battling with Planned Parenthood over falsely claimed practices. In Ohio, a “Right to Life” group has attempted to convince U.S. Speaker John Boehner to redirect funds given to Planned Parenthood to community health centers. The group also supports the defunding of facilities in the state, over the

same altered videos. However, a federal judge recently ordered Louisiana, and Republican Party presidential contender, Bobby Jindal to restore all funding to Planned Parenthood in his state, so there a possibility of political defeat of this issue.

Planned Parenthood offers a myriad of resources to those in need, extending far beyond the realm of women’s health. The mission statement, as per their website, notes they “are a trusted healthcare provider, an informed educator, a passionate advocate, and a global partner helping similar organizations around the world,” further noting that it also provides services worldwide to women, men, and young people. It is more than a venue for abortions, it offers humane, lifesaving services to those who are in financial hardships.

Governor Gregg Abbot of Texas has made it clear he is against Planned Parenthood

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Tennessee bans teaching religious doctrine over Islam NOAM SCHULDENREIN Contributor

Schools all over the state of Tennessee have recently instituted a legislative proposal to ban teaching about “religious doctrine” before the 10th grade. This has led to a lot of controversy.

Although some people do agree with this proposal, some people are more opposed to it. Governor Bill Haslam, for example, is raising questions about the proposal largely because he feels that it could have unexpected repercussions. An example of such a consequence is that it could prevent younger students from learning why the Pilgrims decided to leave Europe. Clearly, a lot of the reason for the Pilgrims fleeing Europe is religious persecution.

“I don’t know how you talk about the founding of America, and what became of the United States, without talking about religious doctrine,” said Haslam. “Now that’s very different from indoctrinating, or teaching that doctrine as truth.

The bill to ban teaching religious doctrine in Tennessee schools was generally sponsored by Republican State Representative Sheila Butt. It will require the Board of Education of Tennessee to look over any religion mentioned in a middle-school curriculum to ensure that it “does not amount to teaching any form

of religious doctrine to the students.” Additionally, it would require that all religions be focused on equally when teaching comparative religion in high school.

Another key part of the controversy for this bill is that the Council on American-Islamic Relations has denounced the measure as being “fueled by rising hysteria over the false claim that middle schoolers are being subjected to ‘Islamic indoctrination.’”

In response to that, people have said that, although students may be learning the Five Pillars of Islam or reading from religious texts, the information learned by the students is used to provide a historical context about the influence the religion has had on different parts of the world.

“I think the whole thing is a bit transparently antiIslam. While I’m obviously against indoctrinating children, I think you need to be able to teach middle school students about religious doctrine in order for them to understand historical and even current events, “ said Tasha Gagnon, a junior at the University, “Christian doctrine has been taught in schools for ages and these people had nothing to say about it. I really think there’s a large difference between teaching religious doctrine to and indoctrinating students that isn’t being recognized by Butt.”

In the face of all of these criticisms, Butt is still insisting that her bill is “neutral on its face” and that its primary goal is to set an appropriate time to teach about religion. Additionally, she said that the Muslim organization is resorting to what she calls the “same old tired canards and accusations” to prevent a frank discussion.

This also is not the first time that Butt has been in conflict with the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations. Last February, Butt clashed with the council when the group urged state leaders to repudiate what they considered a racist Facebook post

by Butt where she wrote: “It is time for a Council on Christian Relations and an NAAWP in this Country.”

NAAWP was supposed to stand for “National Association for the Advancement of White People.” Since this generally implies white supremacy, many people considered this racist. Butt, who happens to be white, said that the W in NAAWP stands for the “Western” peoples.

Evan Strauss, a senior at the University, summed up the situation as, “So as far as I can tell, the governor is attempting to stop a bill from being passed that while is intended to help in not singling out people or religions, may hurt students as well.”

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November 5, 2015

Republicans smoke it up in Colorado Candidates continue debate series despite opposing rules and regulations

abc13.com JESSICA KOVAC Contributor This Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015 marked the third Republican Party presidential debate. The highest ranked presidential candidates gathered in Boulder, Colorado, and discussed the political issues they would tackle as President of the United States. Of course, no debate is complete without a little bit of drama, and this one is no exception. Donald Trump and Ben Carson, the frontrunners in the primary threatened to skip the debate if CNBC would not meet their demands for new formatting.

In a letter sent to the television channel, Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Cuddy detailed their demands. The frontrunners requested opening and closing statements as well as a two hour cap including commercials.

According to news website Politico, however, CNBC released a memo outlining that indicated the candidates had already agreed to them. Yet many continued to speak out, insisting there was a need for change. In addition to Trump and Carson, Senator Rand Paul and Governor Chris Christie joined the conversation.

The candidates motivation for opening and closing statements comes from wanting an opportunity to get their message out unchallenged. The meat of a debate is constant back and forth and arguing with opponents to prove which policy is better and why it will work better than another. Opening and closing statements are unbiased opportunities to get to know each individual.

Likewise, the request for a two-hour gap comes with the knowing fact that a debate can be draining. The constant jabs at one another leaves everyone visibly exhausted at the podium.

Julie Arconti, a senior at the University says, “The new formatting will positively impact the debate tonight.

It will delegate specific speaking time. #BCDC2016.”

A lot was covered within the two hour limit.

The moderators were firm on candidate’s time; subtly reminding everyone that there was, indeed a cap on the debate. CNBC stuck with the economy as the main topic.

Having a central theme gave viewers an opportunity to hear concrete policies, which deviates from the spectacle that has been associated with the Republican Party.

CNBC’s point of view, however derived from a media perspective . They believe a question and answer format encourages the most interaction between candidates. Carly Fiorina, in an interview with television host Megyn Kelly, agrees with the formatting. “Well, I think apparently they’re worried about answering questions for three hours. For heaven sakes, we have ten candidates on stage.

I don’t think three hours is a long time,” Fiorina argued.

“They also apparently asked for prepared statements. You know prepared statements are what politicians do. So honestly the two outsiders supposedly—Donald Trump and Ben Carson. They sound a lot like politicians to me.”

A conference call was held on Oct. 12 to discuss the terms. After 90 minutes of constant back and forth, a consensus was reached. The debate will last two hours and each candidate will have the opportunity to make a 30 second closing statement and an open-ended question would be posed at the start of the debate.

As the clock neared 8:00, everyone’s Twitter feed blew up. The anticipation was building. The Republican candidates made it clear how they felt a debate should be run.

CNBC had accepted all but one of their demands. The public was eager to see how, if at all it, would impact the scene.

The open-ended question set the mood in the

room. Many of the candidates are in the corporate realm, so the moderators decided to ask a common question in a job interview: “What is your biggest weakness?” The answers ranged from humorous to political, shedding light on the candidate’s motives.

A theme of media literacy and propaganda was prominent during the debate. Candidates took the opportunity to point out inconsistencies in the moderator’s questions to show the impact this issue has in the nation.

When it came time for closing statements, Trump specifically referenced the issues he had with this debate. He says, “Our country doesn’t win anymore. Let me give you one quick example. These folks, CNBC, they had it down at three, three and a half hours. I just read today in the New York Times, $250,000 for a 30 second ad. I went out and said, it’s ridiculous. We called Ben, he was with me 100%.

We called in, we said that’s it. We’re not doing it. They lost a lot of money, everybody said it couldn’t be done. I renegotiated it so we can get the hell out of here. Not bad.”

University alumni, active mentor and coach for the University’s Mock Trial team, Conrad Cantor, was critical of the candidates constant remarks about the media. “The candidates bashed the media— but they ignore the fact that they were asked provocative policy questions that required thoughtful answers.” A moderator for CNBC rebutted Trump’s comment, asking Senator Marco Rubio to confirm that the debate was always going to be two hours. The truth to this premise remains unclear, with both sides having significant evidence to their side of the story.

Yet as always, there is never a dull moment in the world of politics.

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November 5, 2015

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Patricia causes fear in the Pacific EMILY ROCHEFORT Contributor Hurricane Patricia, the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere, made landfall Oct. 23, only to dissipate the next day. Reaching a maximum of 200mph, the storm caused roughly $283 million, and quite possibly millions more, in damages throughout Mexico, parts of Central America and Southern Texas.

The 2015 hurricane season kicked off in May, and since has only produced two major hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean. However, in the Pacific, this season is a record high, tied with the 1992 season, with 10 major hurricanes. Since the beginning of the season there has been a total 15 hurricanes in the Pacific Ocean. Hurricane Patricia being the strongest thus far.

On Oct. 20, Hurricane Patricia formed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico as a seemingly harmless tropical depression.

Days later that same storm strengthened into what the National Hurricane Center called a “potentially catastrophic” Category 5 hurricane.

As Hurricane Patricia approached the Mexican shoreline, thousands of residents and tourists evacuated, while some were forced to wait out the storm. The Mexican government prepared for the worst, by driving through the Hurricane Patricia rocks through the Mexican Pacific coast streets with loud speakers, deploying planes and ground transportation for evacuation and opening over 1,200 shelters. Around 3,000 soldiers and 800 federal police officers were sent to the areas threatened to assist in the evacuation, according to the Mexican government.

Somehow, Mexico dodged the record-breaking bullet with damages including only wind damage, flooding and power outages. The damages are miniscule considering experts predicted the storm could completely destroy towns and villages. After making landfall in Mexico, Hurricane Patricia weakened rapidly leaving it to be only a tropical depression by the time it reached Texas. Southern Texas sustained significant damages, mostly flooding, which caused a 64-car train to derail 50 miles south of Dallas. Sinkholes

opened up throughout Texas causing vehicle accidents but fortunately no major injuries.

This year is an El Niño year, meaning that weather patterns will be disrupted and more storms like Hurricane Patricia are a possibility. El Niño is a climatic cycle that occurs every few years and causes the Pacific Ocean to be warmer than usual, this year being the strongest in decades. El Niño does not just affect the Pacific region, but causes weather disruptions around the planet. Scientists believe that Hurricane Patricia will not be the only storm of its kind this year. The El Niño patterns are leading scientists to confidently predict many more intense, Patricia-like hurricanes. As terrifying as El Niño is, it may bring relief to California, which is suffering from a four year drought.

While El Niño being the possible end to the drought is exciting. with that comes the negative, with the possibility of major hurricanes hitting California. Tanner Lorenzi, a sophomore at the University, who is from California, believes it is a winlose situation. “It’s kind of worth it because it will help us a lot,” Lorenzi said, “However, it’s unfortunate that so many people in Southern California will experience a lot of damages to their properties.”

The Atlantic hurricane season has so far been calm, which can be worrisome because a massive hurricane is always a possibility. Oct. 29 marks the three year anniversary Hurricane chicagotribune.com of Sandy destroying most of the East Coast. Some of Downtown Manhattan, mostly the South Street Seaport, had to be completely rebuilt after the damages, while other areas in the city are still lingering in the effects. Thankfully, New York City and the rest of the East Coast has better prepared themselves for this kind of storm. “It could always happen,” Tony Corsitto, an advisor for the CAP Program, said.

“But we seem prepared enough to handle it.”

Hurricane Patricia is a wakeup call to how dangerous this hurricane season can be.

The Red Cross is accepting donations to help aid in the reconstruction of places damaged

by Hurricane Patricia.

Christie boycotts Cuba flights in Newark

NOAM SCHULDENREIN Contributor

Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey, wants to stop all flights from Newark, New Jersey, to Havana, Cuba. This is mainly due to the fact that Assata Shakur is a fugitive in Cuba and has not returned to the United States yet.

Assata Shakur is an activist and former member of the Black Panther Party. Shakur, formerly known as JoAnne Chesimard, was convicted of killing a New Jersey State Trooper in 1973 during a shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike. Since then, Shakur has been convicted of several crimes and has spent time in and out of prison throughout the 1970s. In 1979, she had successfully escaped prison and fled to Cuba in 1984.

She has lived in Cuba as a fugitive since then and has received political asylum from the Cuban government.

Christie sent a letter to the Port Authority station in New York and to New Jersey Chairman John Degnan, strongly urging Degnan use his authority and power to disallow any flights that leave out of Newark Liberty International Airport and land in Havana until Shakur is

extradited.

Despite Christie being very adamant about wanting to prohibit flights from Newark to Cuba, United Airlines has recently put in requests for their planes to travel from Newark to Cuba. This is mainly due to the fact that the United States has been loosening travel restrictions.

“We remain very interested in serving Cuba as soon as we are able to do so, and believe United’s service would benefit the airport and region,” said United Airlines spokesman Rahsaan Johnson.

Additionally, Degnan said in an interview that United Airlines had applied with federal officials for permission to begin service to Cuba and that the agency had provided a letter in support of its application after being asked by the carrier.

Degnan also said that the request from United did not come before the agency’s board of commissioners, and was instead dealt within internally by the agency’s aviation department.

Christie has been extremely vocal about his opposition to President Barack Obama’s administration to remove Cuba from the terrorist backlist for the U.S. and to strengthen relations with Cuba. He even said that

Obama’s decision to open a Cuban Embassy was “dead wrong.” Additionally, he said in his letter to Degnan that he feels that allowing flights from New Jersey to Cuba would be “rewarding the Cuban government for continuing to harbor a fugitive.” Christie has always been a very vocal critic of President Obama’s efforts to fix the relationship between the United States and Cuba.

Christie also wrote in his letter to Degnan that he “understands that the Port Authority is considering a request to open regular flights between Cuba and Newark Liberty International Airport” and that it is “unacceptable to have any flights between New Jersey and Cuba until, and unless, convicted cop-killer and escaped fugitive Joanne Chesimard is returned to New Jersey to face justice.” Christie’s office declined to comment on the letter.

Daniel Besedovsky, a junior at the University, commented on the issue, saying that, “It’s possible to understand why Christie thinks so but he is probably too stubborn in his position and doesn’t take into account that such restriction can negatively influence the US economy and the US recent political rapprochement with Cuba. Therefore, his proposal has little chance to

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EDITORIAL BOARD Christian Gomez Editor-In-Chief Maximilliano Onofre Executive Editor Ashley Spencer Advertising Manager Chase Ballas News Editor Sarah Hartzell Arts Editor Natalie Carolina Condrillo Features Editor Deniah Cagara Graphic Design Traci Ann Thomas Social Media Dr. Stephanie Hsu Faculty Consultant

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.

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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.thepacepress.org editor@pacepress.org Copyright 2014

Kate’s Law causes controversy in Senate NATALIE CONDRILLO Features Editor This month in Washington D.C., Senate Democrats blocked a Republican-sponsored bill named Kate’s Law. This law would defund sanctuary cities if they didn’t abide by federal immigration laws. The law would have also entailed a mandatory minimum sentence on criminal undocumented felons who are caught in the U.S. after previous deportation.

Kate’s Law was written and sponsored by Ted Cruz, a conservative presidential candidate.

Sanctuary cities are ones that follow certain procedures that shelter undocumented immigrants. An undocumented immigrant, who was taking sanctuary in the city of San Francisco, murdered 32 year old resident Kate Steinle. Francisco Sanchez, a 42-year old felon, was staying in an immigrant shelter, confessed to the murder of Steinle. Sanchez was released from jail earlier this year, due to the local authorities failure to honor the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer request. It is known as an official request to another law enforcement agency, such as a state or local jail, which is notified prior to releasing an individual from local custody so that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement can arrange to take over custody. Sanchez had later claimed the life of Kate Steinle, hence, Kate’s Law, whilst he was free from authorities.

Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly and other conservatives are outraged and insulted that Kate’s Law didn’t pass through Congress. He had much to comment on about the issues surrounding Kate’s Law during his television show, The O’Reilly Factor. As usual, he puts blame on liberals and President Obama about the deterioration of the country’s justice system. He calls city officials

such as the mayor, supervisors, and the police force cowards and a disgrace. O’Reilly stated, “Kate Steinle is collateral damage to the insane far-left politics that have long corrupted San Francisco.”

O’Reilly’s argument is understandable to the point where undocumented immigrants who are convicted felons, and who have been deported on more than one occasion, should face the consequences of their actions.

But he wants to see any undocumented immigrant jailed for a minimum five years after coming back into the US after being deported one previous time. However, Sanchez is not the face of undocumented immigrants in this country. Other hard-working and citizenshippursuing undocumented immigrants in the United States should not have to face repercussions due to one felon’s actions. We don’t see much of Bill O’Reilly’s passion for justice when thousands of innocent lives of black Americans are murdered by other American police officers, but when one ‘illegal alien’ murders an innocent white female, there needs to be laws passed in her honor. His controversial right-wing talk show discusses with Ted Cruz about the failed bill as well.

The Republican presidential candidate from Texas stated, “If we’re going to get this passed into law, the only way I believe to do so is to attach it to must-pass legislation, that’s what I urged Republican leadership to do.”

O’Reilly continues to shout about whether or not the U.S. wants to protect its own citizens, or side with aggravated revengeful foreign felons. He states that liberals will “hide behind their own theories” as to why they believe sanctuary cities are beneficial.

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.

November 5, 2015

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ARTS

Great Scott! Back to the Future Day (finally) arrives

New York Post ANNA YESILEVSKIY Staff Writer Turns out where they went, we do still need roads.

In “Back to the Future: Part Two,” Marty McFly travelled to the future on Oct. 21, 2015, a day that has recently occurred and has been dubbed as Back to the Future Day. Though the future that they anticipated in the movie is quite different from our present, there are some inventions that the movie got right. In honor of this day, Universal Pictures released a pre-recorded message from Christopher Lloyd (the actor who played Doc Brown), the Wall Street Journal listed several ways to celebrate the day, and companies that were featured in the movie have released limited editions of the products that appeared in the classic science fiction movie.

“Back to the Future” correctly predicted several inventions. Such include flying drones capable of video recording, 3-D holograms, flat-screen TVs, video conferencing and hands-free video games such as the Xbox Kinect. At the same time, however, flying cars and hoverboards haven’t been invented yet. In addition to that, our shoes don’t tie themselves and our clothes don’t blow dry themselves. Unfortunately for Chicago baseball fans, the Cubs did not win the World Series as was predicted in the sci-fi movie.

Companies that were featured in the movie are also honoring this day in different ways. Pepsi released “Pepsi Perfect,” the same type of Pepsi bottle that McFly orders when he enters the fictional restaurant named, ‘Café 80s’ in the movie. The bottle was available for

Jared Mecham

purchase starting on Oct. 21 and only 6,500 bottles will be released online in the United States. Also, the first two hundred people dressed as Marty McFly who arrived at the Pepsi Perfect booth at New York Comic Con received the bottle as a free giveaway.

Regarding the incentive to release this limited edition of Pepsi, Lou Arbetter, who is the senior director of marketing at the company stated, “Pepsi fans asked and we heard them loud and clear. The ‘Back to the Future’ trilogy was as big a moment in pop culture history then as it is now, thirty years later.”

Nike, in celebration of the arrival of the future, produced a limited number of Marty McFly’s self-lacing sneakers. The first pair was given to Michael J. Fox, naturally, and all other pairs will be auctioned in 2016. The money will go towards Fox’s Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Universal Studios has also decided to honor the day.

The film studio has released a fake trailer for “Jaws: 19”, a movie for which McFly sees a 3-D hologram when he first arrives in the future.

Universal Pictures has also released a pre-recorded video of Christopher Lloyd talking from the driver’s seat in the DeLorean to fans of the movie. In this video, Lloyd states, “Great Scott! If my calculations are correct it is now precisely Oct. 21, 2015.” The actor then follows by stating, “Yes, it is different than we all thought, but don’t worry, it just means your future hasn’t been written yet.

No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one.”

When asked on what she thought of Back to the Future Day finally arriving, University sophomore Alexandra Arnaiz said, “I think it’s very exciting for fans

of the movie like myself to witness it.” Furthermore, Arnaiz said that she wished a real hoverboard had been invented by now.

“I think our ideas on what’s going to happen are a little inflated,” said University senior Tyler Toto, regarding the differences between what was predicted in the movie and what has actually been invented. He also said that he wished that the time-travelling DeLorean had been invented.

University freshman Krys Gutu also gave her opinion on what she wishes would be used more in our current day.

Gutu said, “I remember the shark hologram and I guess it’d be cool if holograms were used more to advertise.”

In regards to what she thinks of Back to the Future Day, University sophomore Sabrina Boyle said, “It’s really cool that we’re a part of a moment in cinema history.” To celebrate the day, Boyle said that she’s going to start saving for a real hoverboard.

Wall Street Journal has also listed several ways to celebrate the day. These include saving for a real hoverboard, drinking a Pepsi Perfect, wearing your pockets inside out, playing Wild Gunman and rooting for the Cubs. University students were asked what they planned on doing to celebrate the day and most said that they would start saving for a real hoverboard.

Oct. 21, 2015 was an iconic date as it was the day that Marty McFly arrived when travelling in time. Though many of our current products are similar to the ones in the movie, our present is bit different from the future that was anticipated in Back to the Future. However as Christopher Lloyd stated in his pre-recorded message, “Don’t worry, your future hasn’t been written yet and it is whatever you make it, so make it a good one.”

ARTS

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November 5, 2015

“Supergirl” soars into TV history

Melissa Benoist stars as first leading female superhero in 40 years SARAH HARTZELL Arts Editor It’s about damn time.

That seems to be the general sentiment surrounding CBS’s “Supergirl,” the first female-led superhero show—or movie for that matter—since Lynda Carter iconically graced tv screens as Wonder Woman in the 1970s. And while Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers (nee Zor-El) is hardly Lynda Carter’s Diana Prince, she certainly deserves the place in pop culture history that comes with portraying such a culturally significant character.

“Supergirl” is based on the premise that when Kal-El (aka Clark Kent aka Superman) was sent to Earth from Krypton as an infant, his cousin, Kara Zor-El, was sent to protect him. But Kara’s ship did not make it to Earth when Kal-El’s did; she was instead stuck in the Phantom Zone for twenty-four years before finally making it to Earth. This clunky exposition is the low point of “Supergirl”’s pilot and probably could have been handled more gracefully and comprehensibly. At the very least, it could easily be summarized as, “Kara Danvers is basically Clark Kent but younger and a woman.” But, understandably, comic book canon must be respected and the effort is commendable on the part of the writers.

From there, “Supergirl” quickly picks up the pace and almost instantaneously endears the audience to its protagonist, the Devil Wears Prada-esque bumbling millennial Kara Danvers who just wants to fit in on Earth, change the world, and either not live in the shadow of her cousin or be just like her cousin (that much is never entirely clear). It is almost comically obvious that CBS did not get the rights to the words “Superman” or “Clark Kent,” and the writers deserve major kudos for finding creative ways to constantly reference the man without using any of his names or ever showing his face. That being said, the ghost-like

omnipresence of the Man of Steel in the pilot quickly became tiresome and hopefully Kara will be allowed to stand on her own as the season progresses.

That odd quirk aside, “Supergirl” has not let the weight of its cultural significance weigh it down. It will be interesting to see how the show’s tone develops over the course of the season given the tastes of different styles the pilot experimented with. There were certainly elements of romantic comedy—whether or not that is sexist you can decide for yourself— and a love triangle is definitely on the horizon, but the dramatic moments were just as successful as the comedic ones.

The obligatory costume-design montage was particularly memorable and hopefully reflects future things to come for “Supergirl.” Kara and her man Friday with a slightly annoying crush, Winn

CBS

(Jeremy Jordan), work out the kinks of Supergirl’s crime fighting gear—to cape or not to cape, no midriff allowed—set to Carl Carlton’s disco classic “She’s a Bad Mamma Jamma” while Supergirl goes on her first few fights. It is the perfect blend of empowerment, humor, and plot advancement that a comic book show should have.

It is, perhaps unfortunately, near impossible not to to think of Kara in terms of her womanhood; anything she or her show does is inherently entrenched in gender politics. “Supergirl” handles this responsibility surprisingly gracefully. Kara’s, or rather Supergirl’s, story is served as an analogy for that of women around the world in male-dominated environments. Kara is constantly told, or at least made to believe, that she must keep her powers hidden, keep her head down, and fit in among humans. All the while, her cousin— essentially the male equivalent of herself— is considered a hero for being his true self.

The sentiment is one seen in the daily lives of women everywhere: being anything other than submissive, docile, and quietly hardworking is, at best, frowned upon and, at worst, potentially life-threatening. The analogy could become even more meta when applied to “Supergirl” itself. Male superheroes have become a dime a dozen in film and on tv, whether they are objectively good or not. Female heroes are made to feel lucky to be supporting characters, no matter the richness of their character or their favor among fans. “Supergirl” is by no means a perfect show, but it is far better than many shows currently bringing in twice its audience. There is no denying it is held to a higher standard; it has to be twice as good to get half as far, not to mention the fact that there are likely a number of similar projects waiting to be greenlit based on “Supergirl”’s success. Plenty of people have been waiting for a show like this, but plenty of others have been waiting for one to fail.

“Supergirl” cleverly captures these anxieties in Kara’s “why not me” attitude. Despite being minimized at every turn by her superiors and even her family, she does not let anyone stop her from doing what she knows is her rightful duty. Viewers need not look further than the evergrowing field of presidential candidates for how powerful women are treated by men and those in power. While speaking at the College of Southern Nevada, Jeb Bush said, apropos of nothing, that Supergirl looked, “pretty hot.” Because a woman’s appearance is always her most notable quality, not her power of flight, superstrength, or laser vision. Women are forced to kindly accepted these socalled compliments every day for fear of being labled difficult or ungrateful if they call attention to how degrading and disrespectful such comments can be.

If we look to television and film for people who do things we can’t, then Supergirl has hit the nail on the head. There is an aspirational but relatable quality to Kara Danvers that makes her more intriguing and more fun to watch than her contemporaries. Yes, this is in part because of her gender, but to ignore gender completely in this instance would be a disservice to a pop culture that desperately needs to wake up to the sociopolitical landscape of 2015. Far less has changed in the 40 years since Lynda Carter twirled her way into TV history than we like to think sometimes, but that doesn’t mean that half of Earth’s population isn’t due for a new representative. They are due for far one more than just one, but until that day comes, let Supergirl be that representative. It’s about damn time.

ARTS

November 5, 2015

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Checking in or out?

“American Horror Story” premieres controversial fifth season TANNER JOHNSON Contributor

Halloween means different things to different people.

For young children, it means dressing up and traveling door to door in search of the biggest candy bar. For adults, it is a time to take lots of pictures of said children and brag via Facebook about how much they paid for their daughter to be Elsa for a day. However, for the young adults immersed in today’s pop culture, it means something entirely different: tuning in to FX every Wednesday to live tweet “American Horror Story.”

“American Horror Story” has not only developed a cult following over the last four years, but it has also managed to redefine the way society views modern television.

Creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk— also responsible for the recent hit “Scream Queens” and “Glee”— have designed a show in which every season takes on a new plot, starring the same cast portraying different characters. The innovative idea became a success in 2011 when the first season, revolving around the concept of a “murder house” aired, but even more so in 2012 with the premiere of season two, “Asylum.” The anthology format has since been applied in shows like “True Detective” and the upcoming “American Crime Story.”

However, with the departure of series matriarch Jessica Lange and the arrival of Lady Gaga as her replacement, the new season received mixed reviews from fans, with a seemingly mutual consensus that while Gaga was the best thing to happen to the show, the content exceeded expectations in graphic and sometimes

disturbing ways. For example, the first episode, which itself was accompanied by an impressively large amount of blood and a tangled storyline, featured an extended rape scene in the first half of the episode. The debate among viewers has been divided between the idea that this is what to expect from an episode of American Horror Story and that the inclusion of such material was unsuitable for television.

According to a statement made by the Parents Television Council president Tim Winter in October’s issue of Vanity Fair, the season contains, “the most vile and shocking content I’ve ever seen on TV. Ever.”

However, FX does present a “Viewer Discretion Advised” warning before each episode and the target audience for the series is intended to be teenagers and young adults.

University freshman Veronica Weinstein said, “I think the concept [of the season] so far is super interesting and much better than ‘Freak Show,’ but they’re taking it a little too far with the blood and gore. Overall, I think

it’s going to be a really good season, and I’ll definitely be watching it all the way through.”

Like Weinstein, other students have expressed intent to put up with the content in order to enjoy what the season as a whole has to offer.

“Although, I do like it better, it’s super graphic,” said freshman Morgan Rabadi. “Personally, I’m not a fan of blood so I get a little freaked out. Also, some of it gets pretty twisted, but at the same time, I can’t seem to stop watching it; it’s addictive. It [builds] suspense well and Lady Gaga is a freaking QUEEN. I can’t wait to see what happens.”

However, not all fans are so forgiving.

University student Owen Benefield expressed his concern that this season’s content might be exceeding limits.

“This season has seemed to [contain] more gore just for the sake of it compared to the previous seasons,” Benefield said. “It lacks a central plot and doesn’t feel cohesive or wellplanned out. Unfortunately, I’ll watch it anyway.”

Despite whether the content of American Horror TechTimes Story: Hotel has pushed its limits with what it portrays or if it is all fair in the minds of Murphy and Falchuk, the show has rightfully earned a “mature” rating and a fan base that will potentially allow it to be renewed for season six. Rumors have also been spread of Lady Gaga signing on to be a part of the potential new season. Regardless, the Hotel Cortez has vacancies for any curious viewers looking to check in every Wednesday night. As controversy spreads, Lady Gaga will drink more blood and everyone will continue to look fantastic, but the public should be informed that viewer discretion is indeed advised if looking for an entertaining way to spend Wednesday night on the couch.

“Goosebumps” brings back memories MAX ONOFRE Executive Editor As old shows are re-vamped left and right, some of our well-known childhood books are being re-written for the big screen as well. A classic for the 90’s kids, “Goosebumps” is now a full-fledged film after years of being a book, spin-off series, and TV series. However, the film was not the biggest hit at the box office, as it competed with the growth of its original fans.

The film was made in a PG format, not adequately suited for the adults who had read the original books as children. Because of this, it lacked the appeal for most of the original viewers and readers. Nevertheless, many still went to the movies, alone or with kids to share the spooky mysteries of the books.

The film begins with a story line of R.L. Stein’s (played by Jack Black) real life, where his family, composed of him and his daughter, are forced to move often to protect the family secret. The secret: his original manuscripts hold the monsters of his stories captive and if opened, the monsters will escape.

Of course, when dealing with the need for a scary plot and mischievous teenagers are involved, things are bound to get loose.

When Stein discovers his monsters have been let free in his small town, he has to find a way to keep them reigned in, but not without the difficult task

of keeping his most terrifying creation, Slappy, from causing damage. Slappy serves as the driving force in this horror-comedy filled with corny jokes, not-sosubtle product placement, and every monster of the “Goosebumps” series.

Students at the University saw the film and had many varying opinions.

Some who never read the books were lost, but understood the commonly used storyline with its many plot twists.

“I didn’t read any of the books and the movie didn’t want to make me read them,” said junior Taylor Gorruso. While she enjoyed the antics, she believed that, “the movie was too cliché.”

“I didn’t read [the books] or care to after the film,” said junior Ariel Ottey.

She said that she could not understand some of the film’s character choices, because they lacked the right looks for this film. “Jack Black is cool but I had serious [trouble] taking him seriously.,” Ottey said. “The girl was too young.

Nothing made sense. And if I was by myself, I would’ve stopped watching it.

However, I think the kids liked it.”

Rebecca Cueva, a senior, had previously enjoyed the books, and found something to enjoy in the movie as well. She found the film to be uninteresting to adults but still a fun cheesy watch. She said, “I thought it was trash and really enjoyed commenting on everything wrong with it while watching it. Would probably watch again.”

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ARTS

November 5, 2015

Beloved shows find second life online TRACI THOMAS Director of Social Media

“Everywhere you look,” an oldie or cult favorite gets a second life on the internet these days. Recently, Netflix announced their order of four 90-minute episodes of “Gilmore Girls”. Since the announcement, there has been an outpour of praise, anticipation, and speculation on social media. “Gilmore Girls” follows suit to an ongoing trend of reviving

1987

abandoned and beloved programs. These “Second-life shows” fall under one or more of the three main categories: “Cult favorites”, “Unsatisfied Endings”, and “The Nostalgia Effect”. Here’s a rundown of shows who have or are in the process of finding a second life on the internet:

Full House is one of the essential 90’s kids’ shows. The 1987 sitcom that unknowingly began the Olsen infants’ rise to preteen idolatry has consistently found success in syndication 20 years after it series finale.

2016

After almost a year of speculation, Netflix is producing “Fuller House”, esxpected to premiere in early 2016. The spin-off will focus on the eldest Tanner daughter, DJ Tanner-Fuller (Candace Cameron-Bure).

Cryptically following suit of her father, Danny (played by Bob Saget), DJ has to face single-mother life after the death of her husband. The series will bring back the original cast, sans the Olsen Twins, to help DJ raise her three boys in San Francisco.

2001

2003

Gilmore Girls is the third and most recent pickup by Netflix. The company has given back the reins to creator Amy Sherman-Palladino after she and her husband, Daniel, were unable to negotiate a fair renewal contract with the studio. Although fans were given a series finale, they were left unsatisfied with the seventh and final season’s rushed conclusions; leading to a seven-year long outcry for a “Gilmore Girls” movie.

After one trending reunion during the summer and a growing fan base, thanks to Netflix’s streaming of the entire original series, the service is now in charge of the reboot. That means possible closure for old and new diehard fans on some of the series’ most crucial plotlines and new character structures; specifically, the absence of Edward Herrmann’s character Richard Gilmore, after Herrmann’s untimely death in 2014.

Arrested Development; Fox’s unsung golden child of the early 2000’s, was cancelled after only 3 seasons. Although the original show garnered consistent critical acclaim and multiple awards, including 7 Emmy’s nominations and 5 wins, the show did not survive due to low ratings.

2016

2013

Leaving too soon from airwaves, the original seasons gained popularity on Netflix; prompting the company to order a fourth season back in 2013.

With the entire original cast and new narration format, the Netflix reboot garnered positive reviews and multiple award nominations. A 17-episode fifth season will be produced in 2016, with the possibility of a movie and a sixth season.

2009

Community was always the odd one out on NBC’s Thursday night lineup.

The Dan Harmon meta-comedy about the ins and outs of community college life was always up for question as to if it would be picked up again after every season finale. Whilst on air, the show managed to obtain an impressive amount of fans; but after five seasons, Community had finally been given the boot by NBC. After a few months of speculation and urgency from fans for Hulu to pick up the sixth season, it was Yahoo who obtained the rights, using the show as their flagship promotion for their new “Yahoo Screen”.

Although gaining high viewership online and positive reviews, the series was once again put on permanent hiatus. But that doesn’t mean fans have to stop chanting “#sixseansonsandamovie”…

2015

2012

The Mindy Project is Mindy Kaling’s personal magnum opus, which aired on Fox for three seasons and garnered a cult following for those who love a quick-witted, cast-driven weekly romantic comedy.

“Mindy’s” struggle with ratings and constant character changes created the will-they-won’t-they conversation with critics on Fox’s tumultuous relationship with the program.

The show has had the fastest revival process out of everyone on this list; being canceled by Fox back in April, and Hulu’s fourth season premiered on September 15th. Only halfway through the season, “The Mindy Project” is already finding its creative groove on the website; with a loyal fan base who quickly and easily transitioned to online streaming.

2015

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November 5, 2015

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Adele had us at “Hello”

The Mirror AMOREENA CRISPINO Contributor

Adele’s haters best believe that the songstress is back in the music scene and, quite frankly, she is better than ever. Her new single “Hello” has become a hit all over the world and quickly made it to the top of the iTunes Singles Chart. It has been four years since Adele has put music out into the world, but maybe the four years were worth the wait.

The anticipation for her new album, “25”, is growing and the uproar over the first single has been huge.

In the past, many people bashed Adele for her appearance, her voice, or any of her life choices, but this new music will show everyone what she is made of and how much she has improved and grown. There have been tweets circulating on Twitter saying things like, “Adele’s songs make you think about that guy you saw on the subway 7 years ago,” and equally relatable experiences. Although these tweets may be very accurate, there is clearly no reason to bash Adele and her music anymore.

Many fans have admitted to tearing up when they first heard this new single. During an interview with Adele, the interviewer also admitted to tearing up at the first listen of the beautiful, powerful song. The interviewer also recalled that Adele’s new hit single “broke the internet,” as all things viral seem to do these days.

Adele said to the interview that the song is about hurting someone’s feelings, but also about trying to stay in touch with yourself and reaching out to the other side of yourself. “Hello” is also about the desire to go home and wanting people who you have

hurt to know how sorry you are. When talking about how much she misses England when she’s away, she mentions, “Everyone thinks I live in f------ America, I don’t.” Her anger certainly shines through in such a powerful song.

The name of the upcoming album, “25,” follows Adele’s pattern of naming her albums after her age. Adele’s last album was supposedly a break-up album, so naturally, her new album is a make-up album. The album “25” contains numerous songs about the turning point in Adele’s life and events that happened that helped her become the person she is today. University freshman Averi Thummel says, “My friend never realized that Adele’s albums were named after her age, but I always kind of just figured that was true.

I think it’s interesting that Adele does that because the audience gets a glimpse of what was going on in her life at that point in time.”

There have been perspectives of Adele’s new single “Hello” all around the world, especially young people in school who have been around Adele’s music for a while. A freshman at Temple University, Erica Israel, says that, “Adele’s new song makes me feel like I should be running through the woods, crying and trying to push branches out of my way, but in the best way possible.”

“25” will be released on Nov. 20, 2015. If people had any doubts about Adele before, they should get ready to change their minds. This new album is, of course, still filled with Adele’s passion and emotions about the male species, but it seems to be more focused on finding yourself after you get lost in the roller coaster that is life, for lack of a better cliche.

Family friendly prisons CHRISTIAN GOMEZ Editor-In-Chief

Steam Greenlight is a program within the Steam video game marketplace where independent and mainstream video game developers can release early builds of games to fans for a small fee. This practice allows fans to help in the creation of games with companies offering consistent updates and eventually a full retail game. Steam Greenlight has given a platform for games that break the modern mold of what games should be: graphically intensive, but mechanically bare games.

“Prison Architect” has recently left its long time alpha stage and has been released in its full form. Prison Architect is a product of Introversion Software, the same creators of the critically acclaimed “Darwinia”. It is a cartoony and light hearted builder game; inspired by the tycoon franchises that came before it but far deeper and fully developed than it initially appears.

While the private prison industry is a topic worth diving

into it exists nothing more than theme for the game.

Mechanics trump all other aspects of the game and truly is one of the best designs decisions made by Introversion.

Upon first impressions, “Prison Architect” disappoints visually but this allows the game to run better on all types of computers. The theme is less than traditional but allows for interesting game play mechanics; balancing administration of a prison, with prisoner satisfaction, guard morale, and construction crews. The emphasis on the actual game part of “Prison Architect” is a refreshing change of pace from the modern video game formula and even the typical Steam-Greenlit game.

Taking a quick look through the top Greenlight games it is easy to see the continued dominance of the survival game attempting to cash in on the popularity of both “Minecraft” and “Day-Z”. Builder games have been an underrepresented genre as of late with city builders like “City’s Skylines” and “Sim City” dominating the market. Seeing non-traditional builders like “Prison

Architect” brings back and capitalizes on the nostalgia of the discontinued tycoon games which some of the few popular games builder games that played with fun and exciting themes. Looking back, the Tycoon games were designed for children and it is extremely noticeable when digging into the mechanics of the game that ultimately limit what the player can do to design.

“Prison Architect” breaths a breath of fresh air into an underappreciated genre of game which has fans that have grown up and are hungry for more in-depth game play and consequences. Prisoners will riot when players fail to do their duty as the head of the prison, which lead to loss of money resources and guards all of which set players back and offer real consequence for actions that also appropriately fit the theme. “Prison Architect” is a welcome addition to Steam and its jump from Greenlight to full retail release is a great accomplishment for the small developers. The game is currently on sale for $30.00 or your regional equivalent.

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November 5, 2015

Dyson College gets a voice ANNA YESILEVSKIY Staff Writer

The Dyson Advisory Council, was recently created as a leadership program that works on improving vital and ongoing student issues that occur within the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences. The leadership program meets every Wednesday during common hour in room E322, during which there is an open forum where council members voice concerns and issues that persist throughout the school and then develop strategies to improve these issues. Throughout the year, each council member will be working on a project that will be focused on improving a specific student issue.

Junior Marc Rinosa, who is the president of Dyson Advisory Council and who created the leadership program explained why he started the Dyson Advisory Council and what he hopes to achieve through it. Rinosa said that he started DAC because he wanted to improve conditions within the Dyson College. More specifically, he stated, “In my opinion, I think we are an excellent substitute to other ‘brand-name’ colleges as we provide an equally rigorous education and have some of the most diverse student bodies I have ever encountered. I used that as a platform for the development of DAC, seeing that many of the things we can accomplish as an organization can address in what way we market ourselves as a University, thereby retaining and attracting fantastic students.”

“My hope is for council members to work on specific projects that target student issues while also building key leadership, communication, and project management skills working with key stakeholders and leadership at the University,” Rinosa said, regarding what he hopes to accomplish through the Dyson Advisory Council.

When asked if he believes Dyson Advisory Council will help improve certain student issues, Rinosa stated, “I’m confident that it will improve the school by working with faculty, stakeholders, and leadership at Pace, allowing students to have direct effects on issues they see as most important to their community.”

Furthermore, he stated that DAC is also planning a Dyson Spring Gala, which will be an event for Dyson students. Regarding the gala, Rinosa said, “It will incorporate the presentation of student artwork, research, and performances culminating in a dinner reception. We will also incorporate alumni and industry representatives in the event to provide emphasis on the professional development of Dyson students.”

Other university students who have joined the Dyson Advisory Council and are council members have also discussed the program, their reason for joining, and what they hope to accomplish through this program.When asked why he joined DAC, senior Nicholas Mucerino said, “I joined DAC because I wanted to see and take part in creating tangible change within Dyson. As a senior, I want my underclassmen students to have an exceptional experience at Pace without the amounts of confusion and misdirection I had in my undergrad years.”

Mucerino also said that he believes DAC has the potential to improve the Dyson experience because, “It gives Dyson a collective voice in improving students’ time at Pace.” If our actions remain thoughtful and consistent, DAC is bound to attract attention to the widespread shortcomings that can impact a student’s whole academic experience,” said Mucerino when asked if he thinks DAC will help improve the school.

Junior Deja Cox said she joined the Dyson Advisory Council because she is all about sustainable development and she believes that DAC has the potential to be powerful and straightforward in the practice of bringing growth to Pace.

Cox said, “Totally, it [DAC] will have a domino effect from the root of Pace administration to students about things that the students not only care about but need in order to succeed at Pace.”

Freshman Emilia Cadden is another council member in the Dyson Advisory Council. When asked why she joined the leadership program, Cadden stated, “I want to be part of a positive change within my school community and I enjoy leadership positions. I also have some great ideas of my own.” Cadden has a similar opinion to the other council members as she also believes that DAC will be able to improve issues within Dyson College she stated, “We already have some amazing ideas, it is just about taking action.”

Dyson Advisory Council will continue to work on fixing student issues within the Dyson College. Furthermore, it will be working on developing and organizing the Dyson Spring Gala, which is planned for the spring semester and to which all Dyson students are invited.

FEATURES

November 5, 2015

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Yeezus graces us on SoundCloud

sterogum.com DENIAH CAGARA Lead of Design Visionary Vanguard Winner Kanye West releases two tracks on the popular streaming service SoundCloud under a monkier account. Although it’s yet to be confirmed from Kanye or SoundCloud if it is indeed the official Kanye West SoundCloud account, it has been making its rounds around the hip-hop community. The two tracks under Kanye’s SoundCloud account are not “new” tracks, but are completely built on the Late Registration artist.

“Say You Will”, the first track seen on the unofficial SoundCloud account, is a rework on West’s first song from his 2008 album, “808s & Heartbreak”, featuring Pulitzer Prize-Winner Caroline Shaw. The 2015 version conserves same auto-tune voice and lyrics and a similar beat off the original “Say You Will” track. The five minute song is also accompanied by voices from an angelic choir and strings, with Shaw’s monologue

played alongside West’s verses.

“When You See It” follows the “Say You Will” remix, using a beat that will sound very familiar to those who are fans of the Weeknd. “When You See It” sample from The Weeknd’s “Tell Your Friends” from his recent album, “The Beauty Behind the Madness”.

West originally produced the track for The Weeknd, hence the track’s production quality and Kanye West-esque sound. Although it’s only two minutes long, Kanye wrote & sung his own lyrics off the “Beauty Behind the Madness” track.

Kanye has been hinting that an upcoming album is currently in the works, releasing single after single. It is not confirmed when the upcoming album will be released, however the College Dropout star still manages to make buzz in the music community.

Fellow collaborator & rising artist Travi$ Scott, however, shares a link to the SoundCloud account on his Instagram with the cryptic & vague caption: “It Starts.” What else does Yeezus have in store for us?

Pikachu comes to Build-A-Bear Workshop NATALIE CAROLINA CONDRILLO Features Editor The Pokémon Company and Build-A-Bear Workshop recently announced their plans for launching a stuffed Pikachu friend for customers set to begin early next year. For lovers of all things Pokémon and stuffed animals, the merging of these two brands only made sense. Other characters from the cartoon saga will be joining Pikachu post debut throughout the year 2016. Build-A-Bear Workshop will also be coming out with a new line of merchandise for Pikachu, and for other stuffed friends as well. A limitededition trading card comes with the plush Pikachu as a memento, as well as the option to give him a voice box to bring him to life, saying his name and pika-gibberish. Build-A-Bear will also release a Poké ball hoodie accessory. Rumors speculated that the company would also come out with an additional Charizard character costume. Pokémon fanatics from around the world are excitedly anticipating Pikachu’s arrival. Build-ABear Workshop has been famously known not only for their teddy bears, but also their assortment of movie and television character friends, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Minions, Star Wars, and My Little Pony.

FEATURES

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November 5, 2015

The rise of crowdfunding

CHRISTIAN GOMEZ Editor-In-Chief Kickstarter is by far the most popular crowd funding website. With nearly 100,000 successfully funded projects, the website boasts the highest crowd funding revenue with a total $2,047,550,344 pledged to Kickstarter projects. For the un-initiated audience, “crowd funding” is the buzz term that is commonly heard when referring to an in development project that needs either a little more money to be complete. An entire budget may not be able to find a single wealthy backer thus resorting to one of the now many crowd funding websites and communities attempting to sell themselves to groups of people that want the project to be finished.

The diversity of projects is wide: ranging from an everyday odd ball inventionlike programs that help dads perfect their golf swing with just a webcam; to a niche product that feeds a small but enthusiastic fan base, like the self-rolling roleplaying dice. The absurd projects even makes appearances like the $960 funded “feed and watch” quail habitat. Anything and everything can be crowd funded. While most Kickstarters fail, with only a 36.69% success rate. According to Kickstarter’s internal stats, there have been a good amount of surprisingly great crowdfunded products come from the site.

One of the first most successful Kickstarter project was the words first real introduction to the modern smart watch, “The Pebble”, which reached above its set goal hitting $10,266,845. The project launched its parent company, Pebble Technology, from small time California start up to Silicon Valley underdog that’s competing with the likes of Apple in the wearable tech industry. With every success there is always failure, and while no money is lost when a product does not reach its funding goal, it is strange how certain products are able to meet goals but then are also able to ask for more money from its funders.

Video games are massive money pits; developers spend millions to create a single video game typically across several years. This increasingly difficult development process has turned off many developers from investing in games that break the established model of a profitable game. Many big and small developers have begun looking at Kickstarter as a place to help them fund games that are either unable to be made in the traditional big budget process. Smaller developers, like the makers of “Shovel Knight”-- an indie retro platformer with the visuals and gameplay of classic

NES games--are just looking to get their independent game off the ground.

“Shovel Knight”, developed by Yacht Club Games, has been able to not only exist because of its Kickstarter campaign, but it has since been adapted for the PlayStation, PS Vita, Xbox; and has gone full circle being available on the brand of console that inspired its creation, Nintendo’s Wii U and 3DS. For small independent developers like Yacht Club games’, Kickstarter helped it get off the ground and turned the dream of a small studio to life on the cheap. The game was completed on time and hit well above its goal with only $311,502. Since the little guy has been able to profit so heavily not larger game studios like Sony Computer Entertainment have begun creating Kickstarters.

The current record breaker for fasted funded campaign currently sits with “Shenmue 3”, a sequel to the formerly canceled “Shenmue” series. For those who were too young to remember “Shenmue” was the most expensive game back at the turn of the century. Coming out for the unsuccessful Sega Dreamcast, the game receiving mixed feelings from critics and fans. But the fan base is loyal, vocal, and has oddly enough returned to support the game after its nearly 15 year hiatus. The game is currently in development after reaching its goal and beyond in nearly three days. Hitting just over six million dollars well above the $2 million initial goal. But the games developer, Y’s Net, is planning on returning to kickstarter for more money, less than 4 months since it received its $6 million. Y’s Net’s creative director states that $10 million more will truly allow the game to be what he always intended. As of now, it is unclear if fans will again spend so much on a game that has no guarantee of being finished with such lofty goals.

Here now lies the problem with Kickstarter…with the introduction of the bigger guys of game development what is to stop major film companies to even major car companies doing the same. Companies that could make products on their own, but know that the public is now willing to throw money towards their ideas rather than the finished products. This process could and has lead to an abuse of trust between manufacturer and consumer. After the initial investment reaches its goal, it is a Kickstarter that asks for more money to almost guarantee a better product or a timelier product that holds consumers hostage. It may be annoying for video gamers, but who is to say other companies won’t follow suit. These are simply hypothetical situations, but it is no stretch from reality that a company can save money of producing something with the assistance of consumers.

FEATURES

November 5, 2015

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A Detroit florist’s vision comes to life Disheleved and abandoned home in Michigan transformed into art installation NATALIE CAROLINA CONDRILLO Features Editor The unfortunate poverty and crime rates are no secret in Detroit, Michigan, and its’ surrounding suburbia. Abandoned homes either become a haven for drug users, or just fall apart, staying untouched and unkempt for decades. The “Flower House” used to be just that, before Detroitbased florist Lisa Waud took it under her wing. The house was purchased at an auction for a total price of 250$. Although structurally speaking, the Flower House is a complete wreck; the point was to bring beauty, prosperity, and art to this empty canvas. The house previously contained over twelve thousand pounds of garbage; a deceased dog, jammed toilets, broken bottles, and long left behind drug paraphernalia.

Waud and dozens of other florists collaborated to transform the once dark and depressing atmosphere into beautifully bright floral art installation. Her idea was inspired by a Christian Dior fashion show, which was held in a Parisian mansion in France, covered in flowers from floor to ceiling during the summer 2012 season.

Waud fell in love with the idea and put her imagination to work. She told New York Times, “It was stunning, and I knew

immediately that I wanted to do that — but living in Detroit, I pictured it in an abandoned house,” she said. “I’m trying to rebrand abandoned houses as a resource.”

While spending very little on the left-fordead house, the American-grown flowers she needed in order to see her vision come alive, it would have cost 150,000$.

Preparing her project, she contacted volunteers and the other florists to be involved. Waud created a budget, then planned to purchase flowers from her usual whole-sale providers for her own floral design business, Pot & Box, California Cut Flower Commission, Mayesh, and Nordlie.

To her surprise, they all willingly and generously donated flowers. The thirtysix other floral designers and volunteers involved graciously contributed as well, eager to bring color and happiness to the decrepit space.

The overall concept of the house is interesting.The individuals working on the installation want it to have a “postapocalyptic spooky” feel, as if the world had ended. For the house, it technically did, and now nature is taking it back. The Halloween season-appropriate idea is one that caught the attention of over 2,000 visitors and many other florists across the nation wanting to be a part of it.

However, the Flower House was

only available to visitors during the third weekend of October. The structure has been completely deconstructed since the 18th of October by a demolition team, leaving it an empty lot. The scraps left behind were sustainable materials, some of which that are not even produced anymore, will be reused and recycled.

Although the art installation had a short lifespan, it was an eyeopening experience for both the visitors and florists. It was a better way to shed light and beauty on this empty canvas than to just knock it down and dispose of all the components of the structure. It was brought back to life for a short while; perhaps in the future more florists will transform these broken homes into works of art before they are taken down.

Sanders gains popularity CHASE BALLAS News Editor “Saturday Night Live” has made a legacy of making over-the-top, yet unsettlingly accurate, impressions of celebrities and politicians. For the Oct. 17 opening skit, the stage was set to recreate highlights from the first Democratic debate from earlier in the week. The cast included SNL regulars Kate Mckinnon, Kyle Mooney, Taran Killam and Jon Rudnitsky as Hilary Clinton, Lincoln Chafee, Martin O’Malley and Anderson Cooper. However, it was the unannounced, surprise appearances of Alec Baldwin, as Jim Webb, and Larry David, as Bernie Sanders, that caused the most uproar.

The skit satirized the candidates, from their personalities to their flaws. During their “opening statements”, Mckinnon remarked that the audience would, “like the Hilary Clinton that my team and I have created for this debate,” which highlighted the criticism about Clinton changing her agenda and personality to cater to voters. Baldwin mocked Jim Webb’s constant interruption, and battle with Anderson Cooper, over not having time to speak, while also not answering the question, he was asked about his support of anti-gun control and antiAffirmative Action legislation.

But, it was David’s exaggerated, larger than life, impression of Bernie Sanders, complete with flaring arms, criticism of everything in modern American society (from emails to Superpacs) and strong voice, who won the “debate.” If anything, Larry David’s impression showcases how Sanders is beginning to pick up support in popularity in the Democratic race. Another example was his recent interview with Ellen DeGeneres, in which he showcased his more relaxed side, including dancing to “Disco Inferno” by The Trammps (which has the chorus: “burn baby burn” a la his unofficial campaign slogan: “feel the

Bern”) and answering questions, like “boxers or briefs?” and “who has better air, you or Donald Trump?” He is also gaining noteworthy supporters, most notably “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane, who spoke and performed at one of his rallies.

Sanders may have a tough road to the White House, however, there has been an wDemocratic Party, there still remains the possibility of Sanders coming through.

SNL

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November 5, 2015

FEATURES

Study abroad spotlight: the Korean experience

Photographer: Deina Ristic privilege of visiting the Demilitarized Zone and seeing North Korea in the horizon. I attended the Busan Film Festival where I spoke with well-known directors and

actors. I photographed hundreds of fashionistas at Seoul As Westerners, we’ve always looked towards Fashion Week, participated in a traditional temple stay, the East with wonder, enchanted by the thought of the tried the infamous Korean bathhouse, Jjimjilbang, seemingly forbidden and mystic lands on the other side of attended Korean Church, and even harvested salt from the the world. It was a year ago when I embarked on a journey salt farms on Sinui Island. to explore that very land, something I had only dreamt of South Korea was everything I dreamt it would be since my first day in college. and more. Seoul, the city where I was based, amazed me Throughout my adolescence, I had developed a with how artistic and unique it was. The city itself was passion for Asian culture designed to be modern, through novels and clean and organized, film, which ended up and completely being a passion that integrated with only grew as I got older. technology. From the Now, in college, I am fashion, architecture, a Global Asian Studies metro, and cosmetics, Major at Pace, studying everyone & everything Japanese, Asian Art & had a purpose with Asian History. While an attention to detail. studying at Pace, I The largest skyscraper still only saw the was as interesting Eastern world through and distinctive as the television screens and smallest phone case. in the pages of books.

Everything in Seoul It was in that moment, was about moving during Professor Harriet forward and being Walker’s Asian Art faster; something lecture, that I decided: Koreans called the ‘bali Photographer: Deina Ristic I’m going to go. bali’ movement. All I began making these creative factors arrangements to travel gave energy to the overseas in my sophomore year. I tried my hardest to massive youth culture in South Korea. make my dream a reality. My hard work truly paid off In New York, I only focused on my studies, rarely when I was awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship ever wandering my own city. When I arrived in Korea, in 2014. Without that, my family and I would not have I didn’t want to miss out on anything that Seoul had to been able to afford the trip to South Korea. offer. The youth culture included the nightlife, concerts, I landed in Seoul, South Korea, the capital city, in karaoke rooms or Noraebangs, and even the pet cafes.

August of that year. During the entire eighteen-hour flight Every aspect of this culture and lifestyle was exciting and I was so ecstatic that I couldn’t sleep. When I stepped new. The street vendors were also an exotic experience, out into the arriving gate at Incheon Airport, I knew my since foods like sundae or blood sausage, octopi, and adventure had officially begun. I had finally made it to the tteokbokki, which were rice cakes, were served. The Land of Morning Calm. cuisine in Korea was extremely different than New York The first few months were a whirlwind, exploring City, let alone the US. It consisted mostly of eggs, noodles, South Korea’s different provinces and cities. I had the stews and vegetables. Seaweed was a breakfast staple, and

DEINA RISTIC Contribtor

I found myself enjoying it as well. I drank either water or milk. My body felt healthier only days after my arrival.

It was a stark contrast to the dormitories, where I was surrounded by burgers, soda and even forks.

For the first few months I lived in the Yonsei University dorm where I was able to mainly speak in English. The great thing about dorm life was that, it too, was a foreign concept to me. Yonsei had incorporated nature into its grounds, making it one of the most beautiful campuses I’ve ever seen. The best part about interacting with other students was being able to discuss our mutual passion and love for Asian culture.

Korea is a society built on the Laws of Confucius, where respect is the most vital part of the Korean mindset.

It is rooted in both their society and language. Bowing was the way to express respect, which I had to learn and adapt to do. Bowing and other mannerisms and gestures upheld the hierarchy between individuals. I did interact with many native Koreans and even made two wonderful Korean friends: Hyokyeong, an adventurous girl who could probably run a cartel, and Chang Han, a relatively shy boy dedicated to his dream of becoming a flight attendant. I later moved in with a Korean homestay family during the spring semester.

The Ju’s were a nuclear family: a mother, a father, two sons, and a young girl, whom I bonded with quickly.

It was by far the most enlightening part of my entire trip, as the Ju family exposed me to more than I’d anticipated.

Although I had grown a fondness for the university life, youth culture, and city, I had realized that I understood more about the values and lifestyles of Koreans because of the Ju family.

But what made the biggest impact on me was that even though I was a working-class college student from Far Rockaway, Queens, I still could accomplish my dream of traveling to Asia. I can easily say that I loved South Korea and its people. Living in their world of architecture, art, fashion and history, made it all seem like a dream.

It’s because of this, I believe, no other country really embodies the juxtaposition of modern and traditional like South Korea does. I will always remember the friends I made along the way (some of whom live in America) and the family I grew to love and laugh with. But I will always remember that time because it was also the time that I spent re-discovering myself.

Photographer: Deina Ristic