October 26

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October 26, 2011

Volume 63 | Issue 7

THE PACE PRESS Serving Pace University’s Manhattan Campus Since 1948

Halloween Facts and Myths ABBY BEATSON Staff Writer

With its costumes, candy and horror movies, Halloween is a holiday celebrated by all ages. However, Halloween is not always viewed as the safest holiday, with countless myths being told each year by parents to scare trick-or-treaters into being safe or toning down their partying. With so many myths being told each Halloween, it’s difficult to know which are true.

A Devil’s Holiday

Although the massive crowds on the subways on Halloween weekend may make it appear that everyone celebrates this holiday, there are some that feel it is the Devil’s Holiday and that it should be avoided at all costs. According to History.com, Halloween actually is rooted from Druid and Celtic rituals and both of these religions do not believe in Satan. The Druid and Celtic rituals Halloween is based on are actually celebrations for positive events like the yearly harvest. This myth is attributed to Christian fundamentalists who believe that the dark imagery used during Halloween is associated with death and evil.

Dangerous Candy

Eating absurd amounts of candy is always one of the best parts of Halloween, but the threat of strangers tampering with the candy is the most popular myth about the holiday. Before trickor-treaters are allowed to dive into their hard earned candy, parents always check the seals on each and every piece. According to Horrorbid. com, there has never been a documented incident of razor blades being hidden in candy.

This precautionary tale is likely told by parents to prevent their children from eating all their candy in one night.

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Dreadfully fun

NewYork City Halloween Activities KAITLYNN BLYTH Associate Editor

you’re following screams of W hether tourists at the annual parade or do-

ing the Monster Mash with some locals at a party, this Halloween season in NYC is bound to be to boo-tiful and spooktacular.

With many local attractions friendly for the family and frightful for those who claim to be fearless, there is something for everyone to enjoy this haunting holiday.

1. Annual New York Halloween Parade

2. Witches Brew Specials (21+)

3. Pumpkin Patches

4. NYC’s Only Corn Maze

5. Cider Donuts at the Ferry

6. Renowned Haunted Houses - NYC is filled with some of the country’s top

– It’s back yet again, 39 years running, as “the nation’s most wildly creative public participatory event in the greatest city of the world!” as described on their website. The parade starts at 6th Avenue South of Spring Street and North of Canal Street at 6:30 p.m.

– There are several pumpkin picking locations reminiscent of childhood throughout the five boroughs. Pick a pumpkin in the field at Decker Farm, located at 435 Richmond Hill Road in Staten Island.

– There’s nothing like some country cooking brought to the city side. Come to the Farmer’s Market at the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal on Tuesdays and Thursdays for some fall goodies.

7. Rocky Horror Picture Show

– The classic movie and combined character costume extravaganza is back again on Oct. 29. The extravaganza will have you feeling like you’re part of the original cast at Club 57 located at 311 W. 57th St.

– A little alcohol may calm the nerves after the scary happenings and people in NYC. Some bars are having sick specials, some of which are included in the NYC Official Halloween Bar Crawl for only $10. Get your tickets at halloweennyc.com

– Queens County Farm Museum in Floral Park leaves guests trying to find their way out within a 2 ½ acre field of the city’s only historic farmland.

rated horrifying haunted houses, including the #1 rated Nightmare: Fairy Tales on the Lower East Side. Be sure to take a friend or two to hold your hand on this terrifying journey!

8. Creepy Clubs – Are you ready to do some “Thriller?” Club Pacha in Midtown at 618 W. 46th St. is even having a sacred ceremony of drums and sorcery. Get your voodoo on!

HALLOWEEN MYTHS continued on PAGE 13

HALLOWEEN ACTIVITIES continued on PAGE 16

INSIDE Follow us Online !

NEWS The University remembers DJ Henry PAGE 3 Tweet us @thepacepress

ARTS CMJ Music Marathon in New York City PAGE 7-8

FEATURES Students are sticking to their smart phones PAGE 15

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NEWS

October 26, 2011

NBA lockout in fourth month leaves upcoming season at a standstill Mediator George Cohen exits talks with league players and owners to fans dismay Damien Morgan Staff Writer The NBA locked out players when their collective bargaining agreement expired and no one could come to a settlement about revenues on July 1. With the players refusing to play, the 2011-12 NBA season remains at a standstill, with a cancellation of the first two weeks of the season.

The employers and economy of the cities that provide services for NBA games will be out of millions of dollars if nothing is done before the season is scheduled to start.

How to share the money that is made off of the games between the owners of the teams and the actual players is the reason for the lockout.

Team owners that make money, would be allowed to share revenue with those that lost out, or all the league teams could pay less to the players. This division of revenues seemed to be the problem, but along with it is the salary cap system which was placed on teams and players as a way to also cut back spending.

A salary cap is the limit to which official NBA teams are allowed to pay their players. Just like the National Football League (NFL) and their recent hard salary cap, the NBA wants a way to keep the teams within means of not blowing off their spending limit on players.

Just as teams from other sports have done, if the team is given more money for their success or predicted success, then they will be able to have all of the best players.

“The players should be paid more based off of their skill, but the teams should have the same or almost the same pay [from the NBA],” junior Abbey Fouratt said.

“It’s not right to put all five star players on a single team.”

This would leave other teams with a big disadvantage during the season and is what the NBA is trying to avoid.

Some players on the other hand are afraid that having a hard cap on spending would destroy guaranteed contracts for athletes in the league.

To help settle the disagreement between players and the NBA, federal mediator George Cohen was brought in for a meeting on Oct. 17. Cohen is currently the Director of the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service (FMCS) and was appointed by President Barack Obama.

With the recent NFL lockout, Cohen was called in as the mediator, as well as resolving labor disputes that were hurting Major League Soccer and its players. Cohen wasn’t able to solve the major disagreements between players and league owners and left talks just three days later on Oct. 20.

“It is evident that the ongoing dispute will result in a serious impact, not only upon the parties directly

involved, but also, of major concern, on interstate commerce—i.e., the employers and working men and women who provide services related to the basketball games, and more generally, on the economy of every city in which those games are scheduled to be played,” Cohen stated in a statement released by the FMCS days before his exit according to USA Today.

Even a sit down with a non-personal mediator in a controlled environment wasn’t enough to help build bridges between the gaps to get the season closer to starting.

If spite of the current situation, some players have been keeping busy during this time off. Amar’e Stoudemire of the New York Knicks has been working alongside designer Rachel Roy, while others have gotten married, started interning at different kinds of companies or even playing street ball. Delonte West of the Boston Celtics even tweeted about filling out an application at Home Depot.

The union for these basketball players has suggested that players should have tried to pursue work in other places rather than give into the owners’ demands. Whether this tactic works or not the season is still in danger. Only time will tell if there will be a 2011-12 NBA season.

Tappan Zee Bridge to undergo $5.2 billion makeover Fotini sachpatzidis News Editor The Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project was chosen by President Barack Obama for federal funding Oct. 11.

The project, which hopes to remodel the deteriorating 56 year old bridge, plans to begin as soon as Spring 2013.

The project is estimated to cost $5.2 billion, but according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), a large amount of the cost, $3 billion, will be paid for through tolls and bonds.

The other $2.2 billion will be generated by the Transportation Infrastructure Act and pension funds.

This will eliminate the $100 million a year that the state has been paying in order to keep up with repairs. Safety is another reason why construction must begin soon. A high volume of accidents occur on the bridge in comparison to other New York Thruway sites and isn’t strong enough to combat earthquakes, severe storms and other natural events.

The bridge is an important means of transportation to many New Yorkers. As many as 140,000 cars travel each day on the bridge which connects Westchester and Rockland county over the Hudson River.

The main focal point is replacing the deck with a $296 million price tag. The proposed details for the bridge include two designs: a singlelevel and dual-level which both include four lanes of traffic, two bus lanes, two rail road tracks, and

bicycle and pedestrian path for use.

In addition to helping commuters and residents, the makeover will also create 33,000 “job years” meaning that one job will be held for one year by employees according to The New York Times.

After news broke that the bridge was chosen, many ideas began surfacing, such as allocating space for a pedestrian walk way similar to Manhattan’s High Line park. The man behind the notion, Paul Feiner, town supervisor for Greenburgh believes it will aid the community by increasing property values, tourism, and business.

Despite the many projected outcomes for the bridge’s construction, drivers may have to pay higher toll prices. Jeffrey M. Zupan, senior fellow for the Regional Plan Association, believes that toll prices will increase from their current $5 to a high of $10 reports The New York Times.

Talks continue to develop as plans emerge and city officials decide the proper direction to take.

Commuters and tax payers alike can hope that whatever the end goal may be, the cost will be worth it.

NEWS

October 26, 2011

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The University remembers DJ Henry at memorial on campus KIM BUI Editor-in-Chief On Oct. 17, a balloon rally was held at One Pace Plaza in commemoration of Danroy “DJ” Henry, organized by senior Lillian Lefkowitz with the aid of the Black Student Union and the Student Government.

“I wanted students to commemorate his death. Not a lot of people know about DJ’s death, so I wanted people to learn about it if they didn’t know, but for those who knew, I wanted them to have a platform to speak about it and to feel that they could do something about it,” Lefkowitz said.

“The Student Government Organization decided to back me on this whole project. I went to SGA meetings and a variety of their committees, so I owe SGA a huge thanks. A variety of their committees backed me and funded me and helped with the [promotion] and helped organize the entire thing and build morale.” Students gathered as they were handed balloons with DJ Henry’s name to be released at 5 p.m.

“What’s interesting is that I had never met DJ in the short term of his life and I sometimes think that’s really strange but really beautiful that someone I’ve never met become so important to me, in that I am very involved in the aftermath of his death even tough I never knew him. But I think that came from a sense of community I felt. I was really affected by his death on a personal note and as an activist. I was just really moved by it,” Lefkowitz said.

“Last fall semester I had a class I had to film a documentary [for], I decided to film it around DJ’s death. So filming it on DJ’s death, was sort of an idea, but I wanted to show how we rise up from a situation like his. …it’s hard for me to even articulate the pain that I witnessed of DJ’s friends, family and the [University] community. And how moved I was that everyone was organizing after his death. It ended up being a really inspiring sort of life changing process, filming this documentary.”

all photos by HILDA ADENIJI | The Pace Press

Taxi and Limousine Commission in talks for new taxicab light system joanna gonzalez Staff Writer The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) is considering changing the roof lighting system on taxicabs to decrease confusion amongst people. The final decision will not be made until 2013. However, for now the TLC has posted surveys on social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter to aid them in coming up with a final conclusion.

Currently, there are certain rules to the light system on taxicabs ranging from availability, non-availability and possible availability depending on the driver. All of these light system rules are displayed through the lights located on the roof of taxicabs.

When lights are turned on, it can mean both the taxicab is available and not, which has stumped and frustrated many tourists as well as New Yorkers.

Changing the lighting system could lessen exasperation and prevent arguments between taxicab drivers and prospective passengers that are sometimes dismissed by drivers who prefer other customers by choosing and picking their fares, which is believed to be illegal according to the Taxicab Rider Bill of Rights and Nyc.gov.

The single-light system displaying an illuminated roof would immediately show availability, making it easier for perspective passengers. According to NBC, the single lighting system has already been proven successful in London.

“I think they should change it, it’s common sense, simple, and natural, especially for tourists,” sophomore Heidy Sanchez said.

The one light system on taxicabs could produce a quicker and more efficient process for people trying to catch a taxicab. After all of the principal reasons for riding in a taxicab is for speed and time, so catching one should not be time consuming.

“This will significantly help the process of hailing a cab, because for me it literally takes almost 45 minutes to catch and get a cab to stop,” sophomore Brianna Gamble said.

online.wsj.com Some University students think that the TLC should leave the taxicabs just as they are. “They should just leave the lights the way they are, because people who have been working and living in this city for years are already used to it. Most have caught on to the system, it’ll take way too long for them to adapt,” sophomore Alex Antonio said.

Along with the lighting system on taxicabs, there tends to be issues with the actual drivers themselves.

Some people claim to have been rejected numerous times for rides due to certain destinations and the direction a driver is headed.

“It’s a great idea, but they should also have [a] color coding [system] on whether they’re going Uptown, Downtown, Brooklyn, Queens, etc.,” graduate student Pratik Shinde said.

During late night hours though, a feasible, uncomplicated lighting system could also help passengers outside of Manhattan hail a taxicab speedily.

“Despite the fact that there is a lack of cabs in the [outer] boroughs, the light would be a great addition for [taxicab] hailers because then we wouldn’t be missing subways due to waiting for a cab to be directly in front of us. We would see it from afar and know what easier and safer transportation to take,” freshman Janet Nebila said.

Old v.s. new lighting system All Lights Off: Passenger Inside Side Lights On:Vacant Cab All lights On: Off Duty

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October 26, 2011

NEWS

NEWS BRIEFS fotini sachpatzidis News Editor

Libyan leader dies

Earthquake in Turkey

Troops leave Iraq

Occupy Wall Street Update

Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi died in rebel crossfire as he tried to escape his hometown of Sirte Oct. 20, putting an end to his 42 year reign of the country.

His death comes just nine months after Libya’s rebellion.

The former leader was reportedly killed by 20-year-old Mohammed al-Bibi in a public execution while rebels gathered around him in the street.

It was confirmed on Oct. 23 that he died of bullet wound to the left-side of his head and an injury in the abdomen. His son, Mutassim, also died the same day during the rebel warfare.

His body was buried in an unmarked grave in the Libyan desert on Oct. 25. The Libyan people have since celebrated the fallen leader’s death. The country will no longer face any oppression.

Lubya continues to find a way to establish a stable government.

An earthquake struck Turkey killing 138 and injuring 350 people Oct. 23. It was reported to have a magnitude of 7.2 with 20 aftershocks occurring soon after.

As a result of the disaster, 25 apartment buildings, a student dormitory, part of a hospital and health services building collapsed in the town of Ercis according to CNN. The destruction also reached the town of Van where it damaged 10 buildings.

Local teams of volunteers have conducted search and rescue missions in hopes of discovering victims alive in the rubble. At least 500 volunteers are a part of the teams with a total of 29 rescue groups joining from neighboring cities.

The U.S. along with Israel have released statements extending their help and prayers to Turkey during this difficult time period. The country is slowly rebuilding and taking care of its casualties.

President Barack Obama announced Oct. 21 that U.S. troops will be leaving Iraq by the end of the year.

The news comes nearly nine years after their initial invasion of the country under former President George W. Bush, which has taken approximately 4,400 soldiers. Nearly 39,000 troops are scheduled to evacuate and head home under Pres. Obama’s plan.

Although American troops are leaving the country, Pres. Obama believes in maintaining a strong relationship between Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri Kamal alMaliki.

The idea of helping Iraq’s military is being tossed around by senior Pentagon officials. The plan may invite Iraqi officers to American military schools where they can train according to The New York Times. The news is a new chapter for U.S. and Iraqi relations.

An Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protester, Dylan Spoelstra, pushed the limits and climbed a large monument in Zucotti Park Oct. 22. He refused to climb down until “Mayor Bloomberg resigns” reports the New York Daily News.

The NYPD along with a hostage negotiation team secured the area making sure Spoelstra did not jump off the fortyfoot high structure.

After three hours of sitting on the monument, the protester agreed to come down. He was immediately loaded into an ambulance truck and handcuffed, with charges against him pending.

NEWS

October 26, 2011

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University Chemistry Club celebrates National Chemistry Week

Nazary nebeluk Circulation Manager Over the weekend, the University Chemistry Club descended onto the New York Hall of Science in Queens, along with representatives from many other local universities and several corporations. What sounds like an ominous comic book gathering had a much better goal­—promoting chemistry and scientific knowledge to young children.

The event was part of National Chemistry Week and which aims to show the children visiting that day to many common chemical principles all via simple experiments done on the premises. The event is annually held and sponsored by the American Chemical Society, which hopes to inspire new generations of chemists.

The University Chemistry Club, an ACS sponsored chapter, was on hand with a number of experiments that included a demonstration of the iron content in cereals and a station where participants could make their own Bath Salts to take home. Other city Universities such as Adelphi, Columbia and NYU were also in attendance with their demonstrations.

Big companies such as Pepsi Co. and International Flavors and Fragrances Inc. were also on hand. Pepsi has a booth where attendees could make their own Gatorade and IFF showed how small changes in a molecular structure could result in huge changes in the smell of a compound. Even Mr. Met appeared for a little fun, dressed in a lab coat.

“What makes this year’s event extra special is that it is also the International Year of Chemistry! A great time was had by all!” Organic Chemistry professor JaimeLee Rizzo said.

Photos by Elizabeth Valle, Maykhel Khilla and JaimeLee Rizzo Top, left: Members of the Pace Chemistry Club pose with their advisor JaimeLee Rizzo before the event starts Top, right: Chem Club member Maykhel Khilla poses with “Doctor” Met Bottom: Members of the Chemistry Club posing after the successful event

The extinction of gas stations on the horizon for New Yorkers fotini sachpatzidis News Editor Gas stations will soon become a rarity in Manhattan after years of closings. There are 835 locations throughout the five boroughs, with only 41 in Manhattan.

Some believe that real estate development is responsible for the drastic changes. As property values increase in areas such as Midtown and Downtown, so does the cost of delivering gasoline to stations in the neighborhood.

It has become cheaper to set up gas stations on the outskirts of the city compared to the inner surroundings although they may not be convenient to drivers.

The Uptown area of Manhattan has suffered the most with a mere 11 stations south of 96th St. The Downtown area, specifically East Houston Street, has become a mecca for refueling with a Mobil, BP and Gulf set up in the area.

Taxi drivers, who depend greatly on gasoline for

their jobs, will have to evaluate which stations to refuel at. During shift changes, lines of taxicabs can been seen waiting for their turn at the pump such as the Gulf location on East 1st St. and Second Avenue according to Crainsnewyork.com.

Cab drivers are constantly on the road...it would really hurt their business if more stations started closing.

-Samantha Braga,

Junior

“Cab drivers are constantly on the road. They depend on local gas stations to get by so it would really hurt their business if more stations started closing,” junior

Samantha Braga said.

The disappearance of gas stations will also impact customer pockets. As less gas options become more common, New Yorkers will have to pay more money to gas up their vehicles. The cost of gas in New York state is $3.718 a gallon according to Crainsnewyork.com. The cost increases by 11 cents in NYC. One alternative to the problem is seeking gas locations that offer the cheapest prices. Websites such as Gasbuddy.com allows users to search for inexpensive gasoline locations tailored to their zip code and city.

“People will be forced to use public transportation more often because now they won’t have the luxury of having so many gas stations nearby to fill up and plus it’s beneficial to the environment,” junior Johanna Rodriguez said.

The subway and bus system will always be available for travelers as gas prices continue to soar rapidly.

Customers can only hope that more gas stations don’t disappear.

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THE PACE PRESS Editorial Board Kim Bui Editor-in-Chief Kaitlynn Blyth Associate Editor Ivonna Thompson Managing Editor

October 26, 2011

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

Hilda Adeniji Creative Director Fotini Sachpatzidis News Editor Stephanie Hansen Arts Editor Craig Held Features Editor Kate Hamzik Copy Editor Leucepe Martinez Advertising Manager Brian Rentas Web Editor Nazary Nebeluk Circulation Manager Michael Oricchio Faculty Consultant

Staff Sarah Aires Abby Beatson Olivia Beteta Patrick deHahn Betty Fermin Joanna Gonzalez Mona Khaldi Erick Mancebo Anthony Mastroianni Nicole Morales Damien Morgan Julia Yeung

The Pace Press is the student newspaper of Pace University’s New York City Campus.

It is managed and operated entirely by members of the student body as it appears above.

The Pace Press welcomes guest editorials and letters from students, faculty, administration and staff.

The Pace Press reserves the right to not publish any submitted material, both solicited and unsolicited.

All submissions must include the author’s full name and contact information.

The Pace Press 41 Park Row, Rm. 902 New York, NY 10038 www.pacepress.org editor@pacepress.org Copyright 2011

HILDA ADENIJI | CREATIVE DIRECTOR

It’s not what you know!

It is often said--”It’s not what you know but who you know.” I hate that phrase! I understand that with a failing job market and tough economic situations, the popular outlook on any institution may be a little jaded. However, I feel too many people are using this and similar logic as a reason not to aim big and achieve their goals. Too many are just settling for what’s available.

While it is obvious that quite a few people use their connections as benefits, there is still a larger amount of people who have achieved their status without any connections. I believe that right now the most important thing to do is to aim higher.

The phrase needs to reworked to more towards -- “it’s what you know but how you use what you know.” I think in the past, we got used to the comfort of a system that seemed to work on a formula. We went through periods with rarely any

change. Now it’s time for everyone to get creative, be more ambitious and work harder to get where they want to be.

Not only is it what you know and who you know, it is what things—plural—that you know. It is not enough to be a master of one thing, but a jack of all trades. No one is “just” a title anymore. An artist, a musician, everyone is their own marketing department. From creating what you love to creating a brand for yourself, it is not enough to just sit back and hope the right person finds you, or that you find the right person, “the right one”—this is the working world, not a romantic comedy with Matthew McConaughey.

Young professionals, especially those who are trying to make a name for themselves in New York, become blinded by the lights of Times Square. After they rub their eyes, maybe then they can focus on working hard and hardly working.

NYC UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR T H U R S D A Y OCT 27

S A T U R D A Y OCT 29

“Democracy, Wall St. & Arab Spring: An Activist Teach-In” Student Union 3:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Social Media Workshop Multipurpose Room 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

T H U R S D A Y OCT 27

T U E S D A Y NOV 1

Halloween Party C-Level Gymnasium 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.

“Eat Your Heart Out” hosted by Sigma Delta Tau Student Union 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

F R I D A Y OCT 28

T H U R S D A Y NOV 3

Costume/Halloween Party Student Union 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.

P.A.C.E. Board Presents Amateur Night Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts 7:30 p.m.

Have any upcoming campus events? email digital@pacepress.org for a chance to have them listed here

October 26, 2011

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ARTS

the

creatorsproject KIM BUI Editor-in-Chief

From Oct. 15-16, the streets of DUMBO were flooded with music and art as The Creators Project celebrated its second annual event in the quaint Brooklyn neighborhood. In sponsorship with Vice and Intel, The Creators Project showcases innovative art, music and films that blur the line between the creative process and technology.

With showcases and exhibits scattered in close proximity throughout the neighborhood, the event was like an indie amusement park where one could jump between art and music showcases and grab food or drinks in between. Interactive exhibits tested the senses. “Soil” by Brazilian creators Cantoni and Crescenti featured aluminum panels that attendees were welcome to walk onto, testing their balance and calling for them to wander about, feeling the panels move and shift as others would create their own paths through the panels.

More sophistication than your childhood Lite-Brite, “Six-Forty By FourEighty” brought pixels to life. The light installation by Zigelbaum and Coelho featured brightly lit magnetic square tiles that changed color to the touch. Taking them off of the screen and bringing them to reality, people were allowed to color code, organize and create as they pleased with the larger than life pixels.

“Diskinect” by Team Diskinect features a hacked Kinect controller that people could stand and move in front of as a four-foot puppet in a marionette style mimiced the actions. The installation had patrons participating themselves, slowly lifting their arms or legs and watching as the puppet mirrored them. “Super Pong” by the Brazilian creative technology lab SuperUber received a large crowd, each waiting their turn to play the mash up game of foosball and the classic video game “Pong” on the giant screen table. A live Twitter feed was also projected, with attendees using the hash tag #creators to tweet photos that created a collage onto the wall.

One of the most breathtaking and popular art pieces was “Origin” by United Visual Artists. The 30-foot cube combined audio and visual, featuring music from Scanner as the metal beams and lights flashed between bright white and deep red.

Triggering the senses, viewers could not help but stop, stare and walk into the piece, looking up and not only admiring the work but the marriage of all of the elements.

With a handful of musical performers featured throughout The Creators Project, it was none other than English indie songstress Florence Welch, known more officially by the stage name Florence + The Machine, that closed off the Archway, the event’s biggest stage.

Since The Creators Project fell just a handful of weeks prior to the release of the group’s sophomore album, Ceremonials, due out Oct. 31, the free event served as a preview for the anticipated album. The crowd, consisting of 20-somethings and a plethora of plaid, were in for a treat as many of the songs played through the 11 song set list were from the upcoming album including the band’s newest singles, “What The Water Gave Me” and “Shake It Out.” Welch’s vocals were impeccably pristine; she can easily be classified as one of the best voices within current music and the hour-long set made this immediately apparent. It was certain songs of the set like “Shake It Out” and “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up),” that a level of exuberance and bliss was found within the vocals. The audience could hear that Welch was at peace in front of a crowd, sharing her talent with hundreds of those who wanted to experience it firsthand.

Legendary DJ duo Justice also performed that evening. The French electro team of Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Augé took to the stage in their signature leather jackets with a lit cigarette not far from their fingertips, as they began to spin to a packed outdoor room at the Tobacco Warehouse. With their latest album, Audio, Video, Disco out Oct. 25, the two provided a taste of the sounds that listeners can expect, but their set was cut short due to a curfew as reported by Stereogum. com. Even with the pleas of the crowd, Justice left the stage, leaving attendees’ ears ringing for more.

Films and panels also took place over the weekend, such as screenings of Spike Jonze’s Scenes From the Suburbs and the crowdsourced YouTube documentary, Life In A Day from director Kevin Macdonald.

Not only did The Creators Project highlight the amazing works of creatives, but attracted artists and creative alike, with sightings of comedian and actor Aziz Ansari and Project Runway designers Olivier Green and Viktor Luna seen exploring the exhibits.

With the next event, a massive, interactive boom box installation in Paris, France later this week. The Creators Project is traveling worldwide, showcasing the talents of artists and creatives who are pushing the boundary between the human relationship of art and technology. One can only wait to see what innovative works and pieces that The Creators Project, Vice and Intel have in store for next year’s event.

Top: An attendee participates in the interactive “Diskinect” exhibit.

Center: Crowds flock to “Origin,” walking in, out and around the extravagant outdoor piece Bottom: A live Twitter feed of the event had attendees tweeting their personal pictures using the hash tag #creators.

All photos by KIM BUI | The Pace Press

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arts

October 26, 2011 Giant headphones, festival badges and mapping out your nights of music filled showcases and open bars can only mean one thing: the College Music Journal (CMJ) Music Marathon & Film Festival has begun. The weeklong festival takes over the boroughs of NYC with music showcases, events and panels that people from all over flock to, to attend. Highlighting upcoming artists and bands to look out for to discussing the latest innovations and contributions to the music industry, CMJ features something for everyone. The Pace Press caught some of the panels and showcases of this year’s festival, with our eyes and ears open for more from the talent we saw this year.

The Wombats | KIM BUI A warehouse seems to be the perfect backdrop for a show by the synth infused band The Wombats, but Webster Hall was a positive alternative for the indie-rock band from Liverpool, England. The trio played to a full house on Oct. 19 as fans throughout the venue sang and danced along to the infectious sound and lyrics. With three albums to their name, The Wombats are a product of synthesizers, English accents and beats that have given them an irresistible sound that have made them successful in the U.S. The band alternated between songs off all three albums, with standout tracks such as “Jump Into The Fog,” “Anti-D” and the ever popular, “Moving To New York,” that had every attendee on their feet. With a false encore, there is no way the band could have left the venue without doing the dance floor favorite, “Let’s Dance To Joy Division.” The Wombats’ set was one of the most popular that night amongst CMJ showcases, leaving only more to be desired from fans. photo by KIM BUI | The Pace Press

Music Directors’ Summit

| HILDA ADENIJI

CMJ hosted a Music Directors’ Summit featuring largemarket college radio stations on Oct. 20. Among the group of student panelists was freshman Marissa Greenberg from the University radio station’s Pace University Broadcasting (WPUB).

The Summit served as a forum for college radio members to discuss and address common problems within college radio stations. Other college music directors on the panel included: Allan Benedict of Loyola University Chicago (WLUW), Maria Sherman of New York University (WNYU) and Erin Wolf of Milwaukee School of Engineering (WMSE).

The group was moderated by Greg Khaikin of The Planetary Group, a Los Angeles artist development firm.

The discussion covered topics such as digital servicing, promoter “bulling” and gaining listeners. One of the other significant topics addressed during the panel was the effect of Spotify, Pandora and similar programs the listenership radio station that affect the leadership of the radio stations.

The panelists unanimously agreed that the discovery and interactive dynamics to radio stations still make them valuable. Benedict even suggested that they could be seen more as “new tools” than competition to college radio.

Although a newcomer to college radio, Greenberg was very vocal within the panel. She shared her ideas against digitizing her studio library. “[I’m] going to try to keep as many physical copies around,” Greenberg said. She also shared her plans to work towards reinstating the mobile DJ unit at campus events.

To conclude the College Day events, CMJ held its annual College Radio Awards. This was Greenberg’s second time nominated for a CMJ College Radio Award.

Last year, she was in the running for “Best Use of Limited Resources” title. Greenberg was awarded for “Outstanding Leadership in College Radio.”

As WPUB grows this semester, they continue to look for interested members. The organization meets on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. in front of the station on the 9th floor of 41 Park Row. More information is also available online at Wpub.org

Greenberg accepts award for “Outstanding Leadership in College Radio” at CMJ. cmj.com

Max Silvestri | KIM BUI Every one can use a good laugh, as comedy and stand-up were present at this year’s CMJ with the likes of Mike Birbiglia, Max Silvestri and others performing. Silvestri may seem spacey at first and may talk a bit fast, but it is all a part of his comedic charm.

With more open-ended material, much of his stand-up derives from his personal stories, making his comedy an experience where it is more hilarious and relatable than just being a guy with a microphone poking fun at audience members.

The Pace Press (TPP): How did you come to play at this CMJ showcase?

Max Silvestri (MS): I’ve known Nick Thorburn of [the band] Islands for kind of for a long time, for years, through this website called Stereogum. I had thrown this weird rock-and-roll, comedy, bowling thing where it was a mixture of musicians and comedians

bowling together. And we were, I think, on opposing teams. We became friends and sort of hung out…Big Terrific, this show I do every week, did a Music Hall of Williamsburg show and Nick played that. So we had sort of been friends for a while…and then it was very boring [laughs]. His booking agent put together this show and I knew Nick so we always wanted an opportunity to play together.

TPP: Have you done past CMJ showcases?

MS: I’ve done CMJ stuff in the past. It’s always fun. There’s an interesting crowd of people that always seem to come to this kind of show. There’s always a very judge-y attitude towards everything in New York most of the time, like [to] new music or this or that, but [at] CMJ, people seem to come with an eagerness, you know? Whether they’re [from] out of town or not, it’s like, people are excited to get to see a lot of shows, and that attitude I appreciate.

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NEW ZEALAND MUSIC SHINES AT CMJ stephanie hansen Arts Editor

Le Poisson Rouge hosted The New Zealand @ CMJ showcase on Oct. 18 featuring seven bands all hailing from New Zealand. The showcase did not disappoint music fans, as each band had their own unique sound. The Pace Press got a chance to sit down with each of them to get to know a little more about their music.

THE GOLDEN AWESOME | rhythmic garage rock The Pace Press (TPP): What’s one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced?

The Golden Awesome: We’ve lead a pretty charmed life so far with this band, it hasn’t been too hard. I mean even coming here is not so easy for a lot of bands at home but it all kind of held together relatively easy I guess cause we’ve been playing music in other bands for quite a while we sort of are aware of all the trappings first time bands might fall into.

We’ve kind of been there already so we know what to avoid.

STREET CHANT | tropical classic punk-rock TPP: What would you do if you weren’t musicians?

Emily Littler (EL): Billy went to art school, I like writing. Alex Brown: I reckon it’s kind of good not have a plan b if you’re doing something like this you don’t have anything to fall back on and that kind of motivates you more. Billie Rogers: My only kind of plan b I guess if someone said that was like I guess just studying or like learn something else I don’t know what, you know. EL: When we started this band like I hadn’t gone to university or anything and I wasn’t like mentally ready but now I’m like you know I do like my own studying reading about stuff in books and online so I think I would be more open to it cause after I left school I was like I didn’t want to learn anything.

ANDREW KEOGHAN | experimental new-wave pop

TPP: You have been exposed to opera, jazz and samba. How do you incorporate all these influences into your music?

Andrew: I guess you don’t incorporate the various influences consciously, they kind of just tend to come up and I don’t try and cram them all into one song. Different songs have a different sort of feel I guess to them and you kind of draw on different things by accident and then you think to yourself ‘oh I wonder if that had anything to do with that kind of period in my life that I was listening to that kind of music.’

PICKACHUNES | Chillwave pop TPP: What is the message you’re trying to send with your music?

Pikachunes: The music itself, like lyrically I try to be as honest as possible and so all of the stuff I talk about is stuff that’s happened to me or what happened to friends.

PRINCESS CHELSEA | Stoner pop TPP: Your music has a ’60s pop feel to it, how do you set yourself apart from other bands who are following similar trends?

Princess Chelsea: I do incorporate elements of like ’60s pop and girl groups and stuff like that but I use a lot of synthesizers and more modern instruments as well so you’ve got like I guess a richer element but then you’ve also got a crazy sound scaping modern element coming together. I feel that it’s a bit different than just replicating stuff from the past.

POPSTRANGERS | alternative surf rock TPP: Who or what are some of your biggest influences?

Popstrangers (Adam Page, Jimmy Mac & Joel Flyger) : All three of us kind of have different influences. We’ve all got different influences that kind of get put into the equation which I think is kind of good cause everything ends up sounding a bit different to one another. But um then we’ve got common influences like The Gordons are a big one [Sex Pistols] [….] we all like bands like the Pixies and stuff like that […] yeah alternative guitar bands to be honest it’s not like we have major influences that we draw from in terms of the songwriting it’s kind of like heavy sounds and certain places.

CAIRO KNIFE FIGHT | distortion rock TPP: What are your influences?

Nick Gaffaney (NG): All the majors Jimi, you know reel them off, Jimi, Radiohead [and] Michael Jackson. Aaron Tokona (AT): But to be fair it comes a lot from the shit we’ve done a long time [in the past]. I was like a jazz drummer exclusively for a long time and you know [Nick’s] had a whole other career.

TPP: What inspired you to be musicians?

NG: Well it’s just like um you know all of the sudden one day I started getting attention for it which motivates you to go ‘oh wow maybe I should practice harder’ all of the sudden you start getting really good at something […]. AT: And then the obsession takes over. NG: And then total obsession takes over and you lock yourself in a room for years and go aaaaaaahh.

all photos by HILDA ADENIJI | The Pace Press

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October 26, 2011

Johnny Cupcakes bakes up a batch of new products KIM BUI Editor-in-Chief Sometimes people are disappointed to find that Johnny Cupcakes is the biggest prankster in that his store does not sell freshly bake cupcakes, but in fact sells one of the largest brands in fashion and street culture today. Johnny Earle, aka “Johnny Cupcakes,” has been creating his brand for almost 10 years, starting in 2001 and now with stores in Boston, Los Angeles and even London.

Beginning with t-shirt designs and expanding over time, the brand has collaborated with some of the most influential names in pop culture, with his latest being limited edition releases with the kawaii feline Hello Kitty and Nickelodeon, featuring designs with characters from the classic ’90s cartoons such as “Ahh!!! Real Monsters,” “Ren & Stimpy” and others that many grew up with and still love today.

One of his latest releases is vinyl figures featuring the Johnny Cupcakes mascot, “Big Kid” and his classic cupcake and crossbones logo. The “Big Kid” figures vary in color ways; such as full color, gold, silver, white, black and a limited edition glow-inthe-dark figure, limited to 225 figures worldwide, an exclusive sold at the Johnny Cupcakes booth at this year’s New York Comic Con. The cupcake and crossbones figures are also available in 10 different colors; blind boxed, selected at random, and features scents that Earle was hesitant to give away. Earle shared about his excitement about the release, as well as his passion for his brand and what some of his favorite toys included growing up.

The Pace Press (TPP): So how did Johnny Cupcakes come to be at New York Comic Con this year?

Johnny Cupcakes (JC): I’ve always wanted to go to Comic Con and have a booth here. It’s an amazing place, amazing people. Everyone who appreciates all of the cool, little details, packaging and bits of pop culture references and goofiness that we all, as a team, put into our shirts. It’s a perfect place to showcase our brand and we just decided to do it, and it’s our first time here. So we packed up the van and drove here from Boston.

TPP: How has the reaction been towards the brand from all of the audiences here?

JC: It’s been awesome. A lot of great feedback, met a lot of new friends, new contacts, places where we could get some new products done at and it’s been cool.

TPP: And one of the newest releases you have are the vinyl toys. The last time we spoke I know you had the idea for the vinyl toy in the works, can you tell us a little more about that?

JC: We’ve been working on the vinyl toy for about a year and a half now. It’s finally coming out and we’re taking preorders right now and they’re going to be shipping really soon. We’ve got some smaller blind box crossbone toys that are scented, each different color smells like a different…”thing,” and then we have our classic “Big Kid” toy and that comes in some different color ways and whatnot. And the packaging is really, really cool.

TPP: So in this culture these aren’t just “toys,” they’re art, they’re collector’s items. What is it about that idea of a toy or keepsake that you have as a kid and as an adult?

JC: I feel like everybody, every human holds onto nostalgia. It’s just childhood memories, things that make us happy, and toys..it’s just a cute, fun, simple, sometimes

inspirational piece of art and everybody holds onto things from their childhood. I know so many people that keep their toys and their old blankets and all that stuff, and I think the nostalgic-ness is a key factor in toy collecting and whatnot.

TPP: And do you see yourself expanding in terms of more toys?

JC: Yeah, definitely. I’d like to eventually have just as many toys as we do t-shirts, but who knows how long it will take to get us to that point.

TPP: I know you previously did events like the Suitcase Tour and always have events planned, do you have any new ones in the works?

JC: We’ve got tons of ideas for events. We’re going to be doing a pop-up shop in Hawaii in January just for a day, and..I don’t want to give away too much, but yeah, we’ve got a lot of cool things planned. So just keep checking back on our website and we’ll keep everyone up to date with hints and whatnot.

TPP: And Johnny Cupcakes is obviously a brand baked with love, how do you feel like you’ve matured since the beginning until now?

JC: T-shirts are still our number one thing, but we definitely have been able to mature as a brand and come out with a variety of things instead of just t-shirts. But, with the t-shirts you now have the packaging, the secret messages, the giveaways…You know, you buy something on the website, you never know what’s gonna come in your package. It might be a toy, it might be a $20 bill, it might be a bag of sand, it might be a doll’s head, it might be a candy bar…but yeah, we’ve just been slowly growing in different, special obscure ways with the brand.

Creatives bring art to life in today’s emerging designer toy culture KIM BUI Editor-in-Chief Action figures, vinyl and plush; the art and culture of toys has grown and the value will go up if you keep it in the original packaging. With the popularity of buying and collecting art and toys, the demand has grown for more than just the standard figure with three accessories.

The toy and collector culture is no longer just for action figures or dolls. The art and appreciation for the field has expanded to so much more, combining all creative realms. From the stuffed animal you had as a child to the vinyl pieces from the likes of artist Brian Donnelly (KAWS) that sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars and have developed a cult following of their own, the personal attachment to these objects and pieces vary, but all involve the same passion for creation.

“Indie Toymaker Roundtable: Turning Characters Into Toys,” was a popular panel presented at this years’ New York Comic Con at the Jacob Javits Center from Oct. 13 to 16.

Moderated by Wendy Bryan of the cutely, creepy plush brand I Heart Guts, panelists included designer and artist Joshua Ben Longo of Longoland, Karen Brazell of Life with Tigers, Kris Schantz from the custom toy company Happy Worker, Director of Merchandising for Kidrobot, Nitin Bhargava, plush artist Phil Barbato, and “Shawnimals” and Ninjatown series creator Shawn Smith.

From reminiscing about their favorite toys to talking of how they came to be where they are today, panelists shared advice on how to bring creation ideas to tangible life. From one of a kind work to progressing to a larger scale, many discussed new and innovative ways to market and brand oneself while making their toy dreams into realities. Audience members asked questions as the panel ended with what else—free toys. The ideas and enthusiasm of the panelists and attendees were inspiring as techniques, creative strategies and words of advice were exchanged.

The Pace Press spoke to Kidrobot’s Director of Merchandising Nitin Bhargava about the culture of toys, Kidrobot’s influence in the culture and where it is headed.

The Pace Press (TPP): What do you think of the turnout for the panel?

Nitin Bhargava (NB): I’m glad so people came and were excited about it! It’s not just being into the whole scene of it. What’s interesting is the community aspect of it. People are willing to share their knowledge…it’s about sponsoring the community. The business isn’t so large that anybody thinks of anybody as competition—that’s not how it works. Frankly, if anyone of us does well, it means all of us are going to do better. [The industry] is so small, so the more exposure we get, the better it is for everyone.

TPP: Can you talk a little about how Kidrobot proceeds with products in terms of selecting a design, the colors ways, material type, etc.?

NB: What’s unusual about our business is that’s it’s not dialed in. So when you look at other toy companies, the way it works is that it’s like “Oh, we make action figures. So if new movie is coming out, I will make it into an action figure.” So it’s not generally content specific, and that’s how a lot of toy companies work…you know, you have to fit into these price points and at these sizes. What we do, which is different, and some other companies do this too, is that we look at content. What is this product? And what we do is take content and try to figure out how it’s best attuned or how the market will accept it. Sometimes we have some standard forms like the Dunny that we look at basic slotted price points, but even that varies dramatically. As we go through that process, it’s really looking at the content saying, “We want to make this thing.” Now, given that we want to make this thing, what size would this content be realized best in? And that’s something that’s a little unusual in comparison to other companies because people usually don’t think about how the content is best suited to product, it’s more, “This is the product type and how do we fit more content into it?” And we like trying new things, new materials, new methods, we like looking at everything we can possibly look at…so when you’re looking at all of these different ideas, that may spur it. It’s like those little pieces and those little details that make [it].

TPP: Kidrobot is always coming up with new ideas and new products, is there anything new for people to look forward to?

NB: There always is. This year we released like 120 different products. And that ranges in price points from things that like the 4-foot Dunnies that cost thousands to $2 products. We vary pretty extraordinarily with the enamel, key chains and all of that. When we’re looking forward, we are always looking at both new price points and figuring out how we can make things more cost achievable, but also try new things. We want to constantly be doing both things in the production methods we have and really pushing the artists that we work with to do stuff they’ve never done before. Anything we can really get our hands on that could be interesting, we want to see what it is, but it’s about lining up that content with the right material. We want to constantly be doing new stuff so we can continue to be interesting to people who are looking at us and then also be interesting to new people that come into the fold.

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Toy culture takes over continued from PAGE 10

TPP: Can you talk about how toys in general developed from comics and actions figures with the integration of art and street culture to what it is today?

NB: What’s really interesting about toys in the past is that—and this is what designer toys really changed, is that we don’t take media properties and make them into toys—and that’s how most toys are made. They’re major content properties like Avatar or G.I Joe or whatever, and made into toys. And what big changes were being made when all of these cartoons started coming out, they started making content [that] translated into toys. What we do is basically establish that content that’s probably lesser known in the toy world…I think that’s where it gets really interesting. Where people get establishing new properties and content through the form of toy versus through a T.V. show or through music, or something along those lines.

What I think what happens is that you get this intersection, it’s almost like smaller media outlets, so that can be any of these things. It can be street art, it can be character art, it can be plush toys people make by hand…and it’s all of those things and taking that and elevating it into product. It’s not mass media content…and that’s what makes it such an interesting kind of dynamic. You never know what you’ll see next.

TPP: With the approach of toys through marketing aside, what is it about toys that you think attract people?

NB: We use the term “toys,” but I think it’s kind of flawed terminology, although it’s useful. We don’t sell things that people play with, what we do is create decorative objects and we create keepsakes that are meant to stay forever. It’s taking something that was unachievable before and making something that people can take into their homes that are at an affordable and achievable price. That’s not always true, things do get expensive, but it’s nowhere near in comparison to what a custom, hand painted piece will cost.

And that’s really where that change happens… it is not a toy, it may be out in that space because there’s no other word for it, but really, it’s this designer object that happens to be taking character form.

TPP: Kidrobot has developed quite a following, merging realms like cute plush with street art, can you talk about how you think the company has achieved such audiences?

NB: I think we’ve been remarkably fortunate, and I think that’s one of the keys. We started in this industry at a very specific time, which was awesome. What happens is that, we do quite a lot of stuff, but at the same time. When we do something, we try to do it as well as we can and to really make it as if, if we were into that, would we like it? That is the question more than anything else. We’re very, very fortunate and very lucky that people like the stuff that we make [and] that we’ve been successful with a lot of different product lines when we put them out there, because…a lot of the stuff is chancey and we go, “I’m kind of glad that worked,” [laughs] But when we do it, we walk into something, and we’re saying, “If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it in a way that we really like” and then that means not compromising on those key elements that will really get that person who we’re aiming this at, excited. That’s what we try to do more than anything else, stay true to what we’re actually trying to make. We just try to do everything as well as we can and I think that has a lot of power to it, and I think people just dig that.

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Hello Dark Prince: An interview with Luke Rathborne

Luke Rathborne plays at South by Southwest music festival. nicole Morales Staff Writer With a slew of new and promising musical acts making their debut in 2011, singer-songwriter Luke Rathborne doesn’t just join the ranks; he stands out from the crowd as an impressive, fresh and young indie pop-rock artist. Though his pop-folk sound is reminiscent of artists who influence him such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Big Star, Rathborne has created a style that is very much his own.

Rathborne’s well received double sided EP, Dog Years/I Can Be One, was released this past March. The EP includes songs written during a transitional phase in his life, when at 19-years-old he moved from his familiar hometown of Brunswick, Maine to NYC for a new beginning.

Rathborne described his transition from Brunswick to NYC. “I moved into a theatre kind of place. They were out of business or something. They just had these set walls and they rented it out so they wouldn’t lose their theatre. It was creepy. There was a bunch of cats there. They would be all in your space. They would piss on everything,” Rathborne said.

It was during this time that he penned the songs on the I Can Be One side of the EP. The songs, written when he was 21-years-old, were originally featured on an album entitled Hello Dark Prince, which has yet to be released for one reason or another.

The Dog Years side differs greatly from I Can Be One in its mood and harmony. Upon its release, fans were encouraged to give each side a separate listen because they represent different times, influences and sides of Rathborne.

Rathborne stated however, “It wasn’t planned to be that way. There was [sic] four of these songs and four of these.

I wanted the I Can Be One stuff to come out. It’s hard to put [out] slower music; sometimes it’s harder to convince people.”

While his debut EP may have been an equal split between mellow and upbeat, Rathborne’s current work in progress for his untitled first full length album will have a different sound, more along the lines of music that influenced him growing up. “I loved listening to music in the ’90s. The ideas are kinda like what I would listen to,” Rathborne said.

While his debut EP had a more mellow tone, Rathborne explains that it will be different for his next album.

“It’s kinda weird it has synthesizers,” Rathborne said.

“Its kinda psychedelic….and it’s kind of loud too. I’m excited for it.”

Even though the sound takes a turn from the EP, it showcases yet another side of him, the side that shows that not only is he a fan of Cohen, but also a fan of The Church and The Cure, whose influence can be heard on the new album.

“There is that kind of ’80s sound coming back. I like that stuff,” Rathborne said. “I put something on the record the other day; I said, ‘Oh awesome this sorta sounds like The Church or something, or The Cure…”

The fusion that he is working with on the new album is a reflection of the music that has had a strong influence on him throughout his adolescence.

“There’s one [The Cure] record [Close To Me]…it’s amazing. I actually wish I heard that when I was 16. That’s

Photo by Kyle Dean Reinford

the best time to listen to music because you experience it in a way that’s really, really personal. People at that age are the most into what they’re doing; they’re the most dedicated and submitted. It’s like their life,” Rathborne said.

In Rathborne’s case, the music in which he was most dedicated to was punk. “I started out playing punk music, then I got interested in other things,” Rathborne said.

While he became interested in other genres, he never fully abandoned his love for punk. This past September, Rathborne released a single for a school themed cover album entitled , Cool for School: For the Benefit of The Lunchbox Fund. All album proceeds go to The Lunchbox Fund charity, benefiting students in South Africa who do not have the resources to regularly have meals to eat.

For the project, Rathborne was assigned punk group Redd Kross’ song “I Hate My School.”

This gave him an opportunity to go back to his punk roots. “They gave me Red Kross which I thought was awesome. I got to go back and be like ‘Whoa,’” Rathborne said. He continued, “It was hard to find those words. I had to find punk [themes] from like way back because there’s no lyrics. He just babbles for some of the song. I just figured it out. I recorded it in my apartment on an old tape machine.

That’s actually for a good cause.”

The album features artists like Bright Eyes, First Aid Kit, Albert Hammond Jr., and Jenny O. among others and was put together by Papercranes singer Rain Phoenix.

Phoenix and Jenny O., both of whom are friends with Rathborne, appear on his upcoming album which has already been recorded and will likely not come out until next year.

“I bet you it’ll come out in the spring. I wanted it to come out in the summer, but for one reason or another it didn’t,” Rathborne said. “…we did it in five days, if it was up to me, on the sixth day we would release it. But it’s like you know, not in your hands…,” he continued.

Although seemingly disappointed at first, Rathborne doesn’t see it as a setback, but instead as an opportunity to perfect his album. “… It’s actually a good thing. It’s like a blessing in disguise. I sat back and looked at it and I was like I just wanted to feel like 100 percent …awesome. It made me cut some stuff and bring in some new stuff. I guess it always takes longer,” Rathborne said.

Part of the extended production process for his new album is having producers review and edit his music, a process Rathborne surprisingly prefers.

“I don’t know if I would want to produce stuff…because I like the different perspective of somebody to get me out of my own,” Rathborne said. While these intricate details of an album’s production are beneficial in the end result, they may sometimes interfere with an artist’s scheduling.

This year, Rathborne was slated to play at CMJ, however, due to “logistical reasons” he was forced to reschedule. Although he will not be attending CMJ, Rathborne said, “I’d go see Grand Rapids. [That’s] my friend’s band.” Sacrificing this year’s CMJ is bittersweet. Although fans will not be able to relish in his performances this year, he will definitely be the one to look out for as the standout artist at next year’s festival.

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Max Silvestri continued from PAGE 8 TPP: Can you talk a little more about Big Terrific and your shows in the city?

MS: We’ve [Silvestri, Gabe Liedman and Jenny Slate] been doing it for a little over three years now. I think it mostly does well because it’s stuck around. I like our taste in comedy and I think we put on a fun thing that’s free but also our main [goal] for the show is that we want everyone to feel welcome. I think a lot of people have this bad image of stand-up, which I think is unfair, like “Oh, I’m going to get picked on,” or there’s mean comics, it’s racist, or it’s this or that. We just wanted a show where everyone felt very welcome and it’s a very friendly atmosphere. And hope that’s what people have picked up on so they keep coming to it.

TPP: Can you describe your material and approach to stand-up?

MS: Someone I guess described my style as “faux flustered,” in that I pretend to be losing my place and getting distracted, and I guess that’s sort of true. I have not tried to write down a description of my style before, but…my brain works in weird ways. There’s a lot of connections and weird tangents and things. That’s how I am conversationally so it’s sort of grown from that— and not everyone is into that. I did a show recently, opening for sort of a bigger name and looked for

October 26, 2011

reviews of his show on Twitter and someone said “The opening act was very disappointing, he talked much too fast and went off topic way too much,” which literally describes my style. I talk too fast and go off topic, so it’s not for him, but that’s kind of what I guess it is. Its stories about normal observation stuff about other people and things, but then it ultimately always becomes about me and my own weird psychosis or whatever.

TPP: Well there’s always those stories where you hear it and go “yeah, me too!” and things like that where you can relate.

MS: Yeah. I wanted to start with this seed of something like, “have you ever noticed this?” and it’s “yes, we all do,” but then make it very personal even if it’s not a personal story.

TPP: And if you could be stuck on an island with three other comedians, who would they be any why?

MS: That is a really tricky question! Stuck on an island, forever perhaps? Well, two of my best friends are comedians, Gabe Liedman and Jenny Slate; we do the show [Big Terrific] together. So them just because we get along so well so we would not fight, we’ve never had a fight, and then Gabe Delahaye, another comedian that I’m friends with is really…he’s very good at fighting.

He does Jiu Jitsu, so if something were to come up, he’d be able to defend us. Like, he’s a grownup and can actually fight people off while we just made dumb dick jokes or whatever [laughs].

Cairo Knife Fight at NZ@CMJ continued from PAGE 9

TPP: How would you describe your sound?

NG: It’s kind of like Pink Floyd meets The Mars Volta and they both go out to dinner with Jimi Hendrix and they all go and get wasted with Led Zeppelin.

TPP: Who was your favorite band to play with?

AT: I like the Them Crooked Vultures, we did Queens [of the Stone Age] and Foo Fighters as well but John Paul Jones was there you know so game over. And they were great too we played two gigs in New Zealand and they weren’t the greatest venues, they were kind of like massive big barn kind of things but um they just sounded great.

[The] most surprising part was that they did hang out with us […].

NG: We didn’t think actually real rock stars hung out you know, but they do, they did, especially Josh, I mean he was off the hook.

TPP: How did you come up with the name Cairo Knife Fight?

AT: I met a guy at an airport. It sounds like bullshit but it’s true. I met a guy in an airport and his name was Mr. Blitz it sounds bullshit but, maybe he was lying to me, he was wearing like a blue blazer […] and he was telling me about how, we got talking and, the flight was delayed, we got talking and he was telling me how in the second World War he was a smuggler, like for the allies basically his job was to grab Nazi shit and fly it out of Europe. He was in Cairo uh about to take a transport around midnight with all this stuff and he was sitting there drinking and this fight breaks out and um he turns to me and he says you know and I said to myself ‘Blitzy I’m not gonna die in a Cairo knife fight’ and fucking got out of there and I just said that’s great.

TPP: What’s the craziest thing that’s happened while on tour?

NG: Well we arrived in L.A. with our managers went out to a bar, had a few quiet ones and they were pretty quiet.

[Our] manager got really, really wasted punched his wife in the nose […] their relationship over. We arrive in N.Y. [with] no money, no place to stay, no manager. AT: Two days ago this happened like on the [Oct.] 15th and so we just we’re in the middle of our own spinal tap story.

KIM BUI | The Pace Press

CMJ’s panels facilitates discussion about industry Brian rentas Web Editor CMJ is primarily known for the thousands of performances during a music-packed week, but it is always its panels that bring about a wealth of information for those who attend.

This year was no different—with around 70 panels going on during the week, attendees were invited to listen, question and discuss various subjects related to the music industry.

Whether it was the use of social media within marketing campaigns, developing strategies to book a music-packed event or producing and filming a music video with a very small budget, each panel was an informative experience, moderated and discussed by some of the biggest names within the current music industry.

One of the many panels available to CMJ attendees was “The New World of PR,” a panel discussing the ever changing world of music public relations and explaining what exactly a publicist does for his or her clients.

The panel featured Alexandra Dunne, the inhouse publicist for Glassnote Records which is the label of Mumford & Sons, Two Door Cinema Club, Phoenix as well as others, Senior Publicist of Shore Fire Media Elizabeth Lutz who represents artists like Zac Brown Brand and Elvis Costello, President of Jaybird Communications Laurie Jackobson and Josh Burnstein, the Marketing Director of Music Division at Future US. The panel was moderated by Michael Kauffman, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications & Content at RightsFlow, who provided great topic points for those who participated.

Among the many topics brought about by the panel, it was interesting to hear each person’s opinion on music blogs— though most of the time they are not affiliated with legitimate music publications.

Each person expressed that they are both a vital way to discover music and cannot be

ignored by publicity teams or marketers.

The panel also showed the amount of opportunities a budding writer may have.

If a writer wants to start writing more about music they enjoy, it is quite easy in this day and age to start a blog or even buy hosting for a website. The mere fact of taking the initiative shows a genuine level of interest and can later show a great level of writing skill.

Social media use was a huge topic of discussion in the panel, “New Generation of Digital Marketing Executives.” In terms of marketing attempts, the use of social media is one of the few rare platforms that are completely free to use, and as such, should be used by all marketers or those who are attempting to go into marketing in the future.

Since the nature of social media allows users to interact with each other like never before, it can be used by marketers to give avid users chances they may have never had before. For example, one panelist explained how their campaign consisted of a contest that when a winner was selected, they were able to have a private Skype section with one of their music clients.

While also talking about the benefits of using a free product, many of the panelists, including Samantha Sichel, Senior Manager of Digital Marketing Solutions for Live Nation and Glenn Miller, Digital Marketing Executive for Creative Artists Agency, discussed how vital technologies for digital strategy are available for free use as well.

One buzz product was Google Analytics, the popular service used to track dozens of user statistics for websites—with the free service available to anyone who has a Google account. It is quite easy for even a non-expert to pick up the product, attach it to their website, or even their personal Tumblr blog, and familiarize themselves with a product that they will be using extensively in the future.

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to harass the arresting officer, who was Jewish, by saying, “The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.”

Gibson’s acting career has stalled in recent years, arguably as a direct result of fallout from the incident. The same can be said for Michael Richards, of “Seinfeld” fame, who went into a racist tirade against black audience members who heckled him during a live stand up show at The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles. Richards issued several apologies and made attempts to meet with civil rights leaders and activists, but was forced to retire from stand up comedy in 2007.

When Tracy Morgan, from NBC’s “30 Rock,” went into a similar tirade, this time against gay people, nothing really happened to him. Morgan was quoted as saying, “Gays need to quit being pussies and not be whining about something as insignificant as bullying.” Statistics show however, that school-age children who are even perceived to be homosexual suffer much more bullying than their perceived-heterosexual counterparts.

In Aug. 2010, a Riverside, N.Y. man beat a 17-monthold boy for “acting like a girl.” The incident received national media coverage due to the sheer brutality and senselessness of the attack. ABC News quoted the attacker Pedro Jones telling police that he “was trying to make him act like a boy instead of a little girl.” The baby boy was beaten so severely that by the time authorities arrived to help, he had gone into cardiac arrest. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died of his injuries.

It is clear that anti-gay sentiments are extremely dangerous, and it is even clearer that there is a correlation between the careless use of gay slurs and attacks against the lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community.

Another notable example of a celebrity’s anti-gay remarks is Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant.

This past April, Bryant lashed out at a referee who called a technical foul on him during a game. He issued an apology stating, “What I said… should not be taken literally. My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game.” Bryant, unlike Morgan, paid for his comments. He was fined $100,000 by the National Basketball Association (NBA).

According to University English Professor Dr. Stephanie Hsu, the situation with Bryant is an example that we can all learn from. “Kobe Bryant provided us with a great example of this problem, he said that he intended LGBTQ people no offense—he probably even has LGBTQ people in his life—but that he was angry and spoke without thinking. Individuals like him need to put in an effort to rewire their brains, and that might involve thinking positive thoughts about LGBTQ culture more of the time,” Dr. Hsu said.

Dr. Hsu, like the people behind the Thinkb4youspeak. com campaign, thinks the most effective way to address the issue is on case-by-case basis, in a non-confrontational way. “I think that the most important thing we can do is to ask people who use gay slurs casually or in an unexamined way—as synonyms for words like “stupid,” for instance— to consciously change their speech habits,” Dr. Hsu said.

Agramonte for her part continues to have a positive outlook on the situation and hopes that like in the struggle for civil rights, things will soon change for members of the LGBTQ community. “With time I think it’ll change…

One day our children are going to be asking, ‘Wait, gay people couldn’t get married one day?’ So I feel like that’s how I think our kids are going to be. And we’re going to be like, ‘Yeah! One day, they couldn’t even get married!’

And I want them to be shocked and dumbfounded by that statement,” Agramonte said.

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The double standard surrounding homosexual slurs erick MANCEBO Staff Writer

“When you say, ‘that’s so gay,’ do you realize what you say? Knock it off.” That’s the message Thinkb4youspeak. com’s campaign is trying to send to young Americans these days. The campaign speaks out against the use of gay slurs through television advertisements featuring celebrities like Hilary Duff and Wanda Sykes.

In one ad, Duff overhears a group of girls describe an undesirable piece of clothing as “gay.” After hearing this, Duff tells the girls that there are less offensive ways of expressing their emotions.

Even with all of the campaign’s hard efforts to educate the public, the use of gay slurs is still widespread. As Thinkb4youspeak.com states, “These slurs are often unintentional and a common part of teens’ vernacular.

Most do not recognize the consequences, but the casual use of this language often carries over into more overt harassment.”

So it should be no surprise that when high profile celebrities use gay slurs, they hardly ever suffer for their offensive remarks. Freshman Brianda Agramonte said she’s all too familiar with celebrities using gay slurs.

“Tyler, the Creator in his music. …I think they [artists] should be considerate of the people that are listening. I mean they are publicizing their music and their fans aren’t the only ones that hear [it] in this world of mass media.”

Agramonte also said she isn’t comfortable listening to artists who use gay slurs, “They’re not empathetic towards anyone,” she added.

There is definitely a double standard as Mel Gibson’s reputation has been severely damaged by his highly publicized anti-Semitic and racist remarks. In 2006, he was pulled over for driving under the influence and proceeded

Halloween Myths continued from PAGE 1

Parents are also probably a bigger threat than strangers. There have only been two documented cases of children being poisoned

by Halloween candy and Livescience.com reports that these incidents were actually premeditated by the victims’ parents and that no poisoned candy was handed out to strangers.

Still, many parents worry about the safety of their children’s candy. “My parents would take all my candy as soon as we got home and check every single piece. I would have to sit there and wait for what seemed like hours just to eat one candy bar,” sophomore Bethany Rosen said.

Realistic Decorations

Another common Halloween myth warns that some of the bodies hanging in haunted houses are actually real. This one seems too absurd to be true. “I don’t believe that this is true. It would have been a bigger deal in the news and everyone would worry more every year,” sophomore Will Hirsch said.

Believe it or not, this myth is actually based in fact. According to Horrorbid.com, in the late ’90s there were several hanging suicides that went unreported by the people who saw them because they assumed that the victims were Halloween decorations. After this occurred, some cities decided to ban any Halloween decorations that resembled a human body to prevent this from happening again.

Whether or not these myths have any truth behind them, they are still a major part of the Halloween season and only add to mystery of the holiday. Freshman Cam MacNeil said that no matter how many times he hears the myths they do not affect his love of Halloween. “I don’t believe in them. I grew up in a suburb which is full of creeps apparently, so my mom always said don’t eat anything that isn’t clearly from a store,” MacNeil said. Even if these myths are difficult to believe, it is always best to be cautious and safe on Halloween.

Mainstream majority rejects hipster culture Olivia beteta Staff Writer “The hipster” seems to be the fascination of people all over the world. From books to blogs, hipsters are taking the spotlight in mainstream culture and it isn’t that ironic. The influence of hipsters can be seen and heard everywhere, spawning comics, clothes and even handbooks.

What is even more interesting about the sudden surge of hipster interest is that most of it is followed by an over all feeling of animosity towards them and their indie cred. Maybe it’s the skinny jeans or the white v-neck t-shirts, but whatever it is certainly has the masses miffed. The general attitude towards hipsters is that of loathing and sometimes even disgust, but the reason for this distaste lies deeper than just their clothes.

Hipsters can be found in coffee shops discussing literature and fashion, while sipping soy lattes in and around Brooklyn, specifically Williamsburg, which seems to have become a makeshift Mecca for them. The typical hipster rides a fixed gear bike and shops organically in order to be more environmentally conscience.

They also buy from the corner thrift store, where there are more vintage t-shirts than any one hipster knows what to do with. They are also usually a fan of independent thinking, progressive politics and satirical writing, not to mention a list of bands that the average person has probably never heard of.

In the heart of Brooklyn, you can find businesses run by hipsters. These businesses are not only professional but most are eco-friendly and work to support the community. They help to keep Brooklyn more of a neighborhood versus a commercial area.

All those things alone would appear to make a rather interesting person, yet somewhere between the L train and Urban Outfitters, they seem to have gotten a bad reputation. “It probably has to do with the fact that they’re rich and act like they’re poor and they pretend to know everything when in

reality they know nothing,” junior Jessica Devins said.

It is a common belief that hipsters are the modern day hippies. Much like their historical counterparts they seem to be scoffed at by society in general. Their styles, beliefs, fashions and all around way of living is a big joke to the rest of the world. Instead of being the cool kids and activists, hipsters have become the butt of every joke. The trouble is no one can really seem to figure out why.

“Hipsters just walk around with this superiority vibe and that stuff gets old fast. They are just so lame, if they don’t want to admit to being one then why even bother,” sophomore Yasmine Miller said.

The general theme seems to be that hipsters have moved from caring about the world to caring about themselves and their outward appearance.

University English Professor Dr. Stephanie Hsu blames the hipster hate on them. “Hipsters seem self-indulgent and in our society being so into yourself seems impolite,” Dr. Hsu said.

There is this idea that hipsters are all 20-somethings that have their parents pay their rent. To anyone who is not so lucky to have rich parents to pay the bills it is obvious that a little jealously might bubble up. Junior Allie Fletcher agrees, “Hipsters’ represent the rich kids everyone knew in high school, anyone who isn’t one of them is obviously not going to like them, but at the same time want to be them.”

It is natural to be envious of anyone who has more than them but it seems as if hipsters seem to flaunt their luck. With wardrobes supplied by pricey stores like Urban Outfitters and Topshop, it is hard to sympathize with someone with so much money to blow.

The best way to deal with the hordes of hipsters populating NYC is to relax and not take them so seriously, just because they are so into themselves, doesn’t mean everyone else has to be.

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Starbucks continues to grow despite public misconceptions amanda pena Contributor

When one thinks of Starbucks, an immediate image of demanding customers and overpriced lattes comes to mind.

What some fail to realize is that behind closed doors, there is an innovative company consistently coming up with new ways to uphold and improve the image of Starbucks.

Starbucks began as a small, traditional coffee café only selling brewed coffee in 1971. The three owners, Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegel and Gordon Bowker felt that coffee should be a product derived from the heart of the home. When Howard Schultz joined them 11 years later and introduced the concept of espresso beverages and other extensive ideas, they felt that he was ruining their business.

After Schultz’s idea was rejected, he sought other opportunities, and in 1987 after having enough financial means to generously contribute to Starbucks, he bought the company from the three men and history was made.

The latte and cappuccino, Italian coffee specialities, were brought to the U.S. by Schultz when he visited Milan, Italy in an attempt to find something new to bring to Starbucks. After introducing his new discoveries, sales came rushing in and the public was quite impressed. From

there came a whirlwind of new coffee and tea options.

The caramel macchiato, the classic latte, full leaf tea bags, breakfast sandwiches, pastries and the iced summer favorite frappuccinos were all developed.

Each and every one of these products has strengthened the Starbucks brand. Although the company is changing at a rapid rate, some feel that it might be growing just a bit too quickly. Perhaps Schultz underestimated just how well the public would adapt to his growth.

Now customers have the option to make a drink “skinny,” giving them the opportunity to decrease the amount of sugar and calories. One can also add soy; have their own preference to the amount of espresso shots they would like and the ability to add whipped cream to any drink. It is quite a hassle to come up with just one specific drink because of the unlimited amount of possibilities.

Schultz however did not intend to create such a difficult process when ordering. Perhaps he took this concept of extending the coffee menu to an extreme and did not realize the repercussions. Starbucks simply began as a small café that brewed only the freshest coffee. With the addition of so many diverse drinks, Schultz may have ruined a good thing.

State University of New York (SUNY) New Paltz

America shifts from reality to scripted T.V. Nicole Morales Staff Writer With all of the ads for new original television series featured in subway corridors and MTA buses, it looks like television may be shifting away from the reality show trend of the last few years and gearing audiences back towards scripted series.

Last year, “American Idol” topped the list as the most viewed show of the 2010-11 television season with shows like “Dancing with the Stars” and “Survivor” trailing close behind. With the high volume of newly scripted shows that have debuted this fall, it seems that the results may prove to be different this time around.

Since 2000, reality shows have ruled the ratings because of the popularity of its predecessors like “The Real World” and “Cops.” Communications Studies Department Chair and professor Dr. Barry Morris said, “Reality shows are popular with networks, obviously, because they cost so much less to produce than scripted shows.”

Since this realization, reality shows have grown in number and evolved into a slew of subgenres like competition reality, documentary style reality, renovation reality and celeb-reality. The idea was to stimulate audiences into relating with the characters portrayed.

Stemming from everyday people, networks like VH1 and MTV began to pride themselves on starting the subgenre of celeb-reality in response to the high interest in celebrity culture.

Shows like “The Osbournes” inspired similar shows, such as “The Surreal Life.” The celeb-reality was a marketing platform for “washed up” celebrities to reinvent themselves with the changing times. It allowed celebrities like Vanilla Ice and Adrienne Curry to stay relevant and regain another 15 minutes of fame.

The celebrity obsession leaked over into other reality subgenres like competition shows. “Dancing with the Stars” and “Celebrity Fit Club” lured audiences with both large and small scale celebrities, keeping audiences tuned in with the hopes of being able to catch mishaps and scandals of the featured celebrities.

Soon the demand was set high for all types of reality shows, causing networks to mirror each other’s reality show ideas.

However, somewhere along the lines of “Jersey Shore” and “The Amazing Race,” reality TV seems to have lost some of its zeal. With the “True Blood” and “Boardwalk Empire” craze, reality T.V. has perhaps temporarily taken a spot on the back burner. Freshmen Brianda Agramonte chalks the decline to her belief that, “People started realizing that reality T.V. wasn’t real.

Sitcoms became more relatable.”

Such became the trend with new sitcoms like “Two Broke Girls,” a recession themed sitcom in which one of the characters suffers in the recession as the daughter of someone who lost everything after a scandal mirroring the Lehman Brothers situation in 2008.

While audiences may want a reality of sorts, networks seem to believe that viewers cannot live without the presence of celebrities in all forms of entertainment.

Such may be the reason that networks have begun to try to attract well known actors and comedians to their sitcoms and series.

Premium cable networks have always featured high profile actors, but it seems that suddenly non-cable networks are trying to do the same.

Among the 23 television shows that film in NYC, at least 10 feature high profile actors. Among them are “Two Broke Girls” (CBS), “Pan Am” (ABC), and “Person of Interest” (CBS), all of which feature major Hollywood actors like Kat Dennings, Christina Ricci and production teams that include J.J. Abrams and Christopher Nolan.

One may wonder why networks are attempting to gear audiences away from reality shows by attracting viewers to sitcoms featuring noteworthy actors.

“First, like anything else that survives on shock appeal, the premises have to keep getting more and more bizarre. Second, the broadcast networks are getting hammered in the awards arena by AMC, HBO and other cable offerings. They can’t compete on a level playing field as long as FCC restrictions that don’t apply to cable limit their adult content, so they depend on their sitcoms and ‘family’ shows—both of which, though comedies especially, depend on excellent writing,” Dr. Morris said.

That may be the reason why expected hit shows for this television season are not only reality T.V. shows like “The X Factor,” but sitcoms like “New Girl” with Zooey Deschanel, “Whitney” with comedian Whitney Cummings and “Up All Night” with Will Arnett and Christina Applegate are expected to be hits with audiences. The true test will be at the end of the 2011-12 T.V. season though. Once the ratings come in, one will be able to tell whether or not the shift from reality T.V. into scripted shows is truly occurring.

There are a number of theories of why reality T.V. seems to be drifting down the ratings chart. The answer is not clear however but it seems to mirror society’s current transitional phase.

As the economy continues to lag behind and protestors continue to demand change, writers have tried to identify with these transitions. Television, as always, is meant to provide audiences with likenesses to their own and perhaps the shift away from reality T.V. is just what relates to the public at this moment.

student Antonija Pjetri said, “I never frequent Starbucks, but the times that I have been there, I get so confused over the enormous amount of drinks…It’s like just when I think I’ve got an idea of what to order, I get side tracked by the newest latte.”

Some may assume that Starbucks has destroyed the simplicity of coffee. The limited ingredients of freshly brewed coffee, sugar and milk are not so present in Starbucks. However, what some don’t understand is the impact Schultz has made on coffee production worldwide.

Yes, he has somewhat removed himself from the traditional black coffee and sugar, but has branched his ideas off of that and created an empire, a status and a symbol of class.

Schultz is always improving his company and although some of his ideas have not been as successful as predicted, he still manages to keep up with the reputation that Starbucks has. “Carrying around the cup just makes me feel good,” sophomore Rebecca Paganini said.

Schultz has not only created a perfect cup of coffee, but he has helped invent a lifestyle that many have become accustomed to and will continue to follow as long as Schultz is there to keep coming out with the next big idea.

The science of singing Claudia Matos Contributor William Hung really thought he had the chance to be the next “American Idol” in 2004. He did make decent money in the months after, but it can’t be certain that he knew he would be America’s biggest over paid failure.

There are certain aspects that make singers good. In the science of singing, the anatomy plays a huge role as well as other components.

Singing can be said to be a natural talent. If you were born with a good voice, you are a good singer. In order for your voice to remain that way, there are certain measures that need to be taken to maintain a good singing voice.

“Sleeping enough, being hydrated, staying away from cigarettes and practicing,” musical theater major Bethany Jeffery said about how she maintains her singing voice.

Anatomy plays an important role in singing as well because singers are using their bodies to create the sound that they want to project. Musical theater major David Wiens calls singing a “whole body experience” where you have to be able to “configure the muscles in the right setting to make the right noise.”

Vocal technique instructor Karyn O’Connor, creator of Singwise.com, goes into great depth on how to use the diaphragm rather than your throat to sing. According to O’Connor, “As the diaphragm depresses, it creates a vacuum in the lungs and air rushes in to fill that vacuum. During exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes and rises and lung volume decreases, creating a positive pressure difference and air rushes out.” Singing from the diaphragm really gives a good projection of a voice while singing from the throat causes vocal chord strain and gives off a shriek instead of a song.

Both Jeffery and Wiens agree that there are indeed good and bad singers. Jeffery suggests that some people just can’t hear pitch or know how to decipher notes while Wiens suggests that “you can’t start from zero” and that some people just weren’t born with a voice that can be considered good for singing.

There is a belief of people being tone-deaf and how it really interferes with their singing. Wiens explained it as a physical thing, “You can fix it with surgery, because it has to do with having a misshapen ear.”

Yet, great artists aren’t always the most conventionally great singers. University alumnus and current vocal artist Adam LaGreca stated, “It sounds cliché—but it’s the [Bob] Dylan syndrome. He kind of changed things to where sounding honest was the most important thing…if you care about what you’re doing you’ll reach a point of honest self-expression.”

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15

Students remain loyal to smartphones despite problems

The battle between iPhone, Android, and Blackberry rages on campus erick mancebo Staff Writer Talk to any technology savvy person and they would agree—the recent explosion of the smartphone market has been unprecedented in many ways. Five years ago, a consumer’s most expensive purchase of the year may have been a laptop or a home entertainment device such as a video game console or music player.

Today, the most expensive purchase of the year for consumers is most likely a cell phone, and increasingly, customers are forced to make the decision between an iPhone, BlackBerry or an Android phone.

Freshman Jada Yan said she loves the iPhone 4’s simplicity, “I went from like a regular flip phone to the iPhone. The iPhone is just really really convenient. I feel like… you can’t mess up—there’s one button on it. You can’t go wrong with anything, [and] it’s very user-friendly for everyone. So I thought it was just convenient and with the Internet you can use it anywhere,” Yan said.

Apple released its newest iPhone model, the iPhone 4S on Oct. 14. The upgraded model which boasts a faster chip, redesigned antennae and a revamped voice control system managed to sell four million units in three days—a new industry record according to International Business Times.

In an ironic twist however, the same week that Apple released its new iPhone and new iPhone operating system iOS 5, the company behind BlackBerry, Research In Motion (RIM), suffered from severe data outages in the U.S. and internationally, leaving millions of users without internet service on their devices.

BlackBerries at one time were the world’s most popular smartphone, but it has been a long time since any BlackBerry model has been able to claim the title of best-selling smartphone, thanks to Apple’s entrance into the smartphone business in 2007. Since then, the company has been criticized repeatedly for its inability to keep up with the competition posed by Apple and to innovate and create new devices that don’t stagnate in the genetics of its predecessors.

Freshman Kelly Willis said she would have kept her BlackBerry if they had a more developed app store, “I used to have a BlackBerry but when I came to New York I wanted the apps and stuff, so I got the iPhone…

“

because they have like the subway [Metropolitan Transit Authority map app].”

As International Business Times puts it, “In terms of mobile phone sales in the U.S., Apple ranks no. 4 behind ...smartphone makers like Samsung, LG, and Motorola.” These phone manufacturers are ranked so highly because they all run Google’s popular Android operating system. Android is easily installed on a large number of phones because the software can be optimized or scaled down for use across a number of different devices, whereas Apple’s operating system is unyielding in its demands for fast processor speeds and memory usage. In short, Apple makes its operating system so that it is customized exclusively for iPhone use. “To be honest, I say once you go iPhone you never go back,” Yan said.

To be honest, I say once you go iPhone, you never go back.

-Jada Yan, Freshman

Yan may be more in touch with reality than most industry analysts, especially with the iPhone cutting in to some of BlackBerry’s most profitable customers— corporations. This past January, Deutsche Bank announced that it would replace BlackBerry as the official smartphone of corporate employees with the iPhone.

An article published in the technology blog Engadget.com states, “For years, suit-and-tie circles have bowed down to BlackBerry as the king of corporate communication, but iOS has been creeping in on enterprise territory, calling into question RIM’s sovereignty in the boardroom.”

AT&T’s Senior Executive Vice President of Executive Operations, Ronald Spears, stated to Engadget.com that four out of every 10 iPhones sold from AT&T were for enterprise or corporate customers.

Willis thinks the corporations have got the right idea

stating, “Well, a lot of people are getting iPhones, I feel like… because they’re taking over. In my opinion I feel that it is better than BlackBerry.”

In the debate over which smartphone is better though, even Willis has some reservations. When asked if she would ever consider going back to using a BlackBerry, lack of apps notwithstanding she replied, “I kind of liked my BlackBerry. I liked BBM, so I think I would. BBM was cool.” For now though, Willis says she’s fine with keeping her iPhone. “I will say the only thing I miss about my BlackBerry is the keyboard. I don’t like the touch screen, I’m one of those people that likes to put three y’s at the end of ‘hey,’ so it would auto-correct it. I miss buttons.”

Yan stated she would be more prone to stick with Apple products, not just the iPhone, because of the way Apple markets its products as entire families. “It’s also great how everything… goes together more or less, you plug [your iPhone] into your laptop and you have [the information from] your phone go straight to your laptop.”

According to Yan, the interactions between all of her Apple products are seamless, especially with the new wireless syncing across all devices—if she were to update a text file on an iPad, a moment later she could reach for an iPhone or MacBook and without plugging anything in or syncing devices, see and work with the updated text file from any other Apple product. Yan also says it’s easier than ever to get hooked on Apple products today. “Once you have the student thing [Apple’s college student promotion]—you buy the laptop and you get a free printer, [and] before you know it, everything in your house [are] Apple products.”

FOLLOW-UP

Which smartphone do you own?

Check out our upcoming issues for a review of the new Blackberry Bold and Blackberry Playbook.

”

Blackberry

iPhone

I don’t own a smartphone.

Android

-Alina Rizvi, Junior

-Brittany Manners, Freshman

-Rebecca Mendez, Junior

-Kelly Herbert, LGBTQA Center Coordinator

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October 26, 2011

Features

Dreadfully fun

NewYork City Halloween Activities Continued from PAGE 1

9. Apple Picking – Just outside of the city in Westchester, come

back on the train with some delicious reds from Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard, located at 134 Hardscrabble Rd. in North Salem, N.Y.

10. Costume Contests – Many local venues are decking out their locations and giving away prizes for those with the best costumes. After you “do the time warp again” at Pacha, be sure to enter its costume contest for a chance to win $5000.

11. Haunted Hay Rides – Tip top your way into the woods on a wagon trail where there’s no turning back. Voted as the “World’s Best Haunted Hayride”, Headless Horseman Hayrides in Ulster Park is definitely worth the short drive or train ride out of Manhattan.

12. Monsterous Museums – The eerie and really creepy do exist in the historical setting. Check out

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum located in Times Square for some really outrageous things or Madame Tussauds Wax Museum for their haunted house.

13. Spooky Restaurants – Jekyll & Hyde locations are great for a spook all year round, but at Halloween time, they really get into the spirit. Their main location is at 1409 Avenue of the Americas.

Formerly Leisure Time Bowl

The truth of photographic memory mona khaldi Staff Writer The term photographic memory has been thrown around for years but its existence is highly contested. Photographic memory, or as it is now called eidetic memory, is the ability to remember an image with unique accuracy, but not perfection, shortly after seeing it.

In an article from Slate.com, it is described as, “Essentially a vivid afterimage that lingers in the mind’s eye for up to a few minutes before fading away. Children with eidetic memory never have anything close to perfect recall and they typically aren’t able to visualize anything as detailed as a body of text.”

Less than 1,000 people claim to have eidetic memory. If they do, it drastically fades over time. Children for example, seem to have better eidetic memory because they lack ‘mental clutter.” The skill lies in their ability to remember, but not necessarily visual images. “I have a photo in my mind therefore it exists,” senior Andrew Theori said.

“I think it exists just on many different levels,” senior Mary Catherine Reed said.

Testing people who supposedly have this ability has not been too successful. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish whether a person remembers, or if they are using their common sense to fill in the blanks. Most subjects are shown an image that is highly detailed and are allowed to study it for 40 minutes and are then are then asked to recall it. Scientists are also unsure about where and how eidetic memory is developed.

Some famous people who supposedly had eidetic memory are Kim Peek for whom the film Rain Man was based on and Mozart. Author Kaavya Viswanathan used eidetic memory as an excuse for plagiarizing in her book, How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life. Others include musician George Harrison with his song, “My Sweet Lord” that copied Chiffons “He’s So Fine.” Even Helen Keller used the excuse when she wrote The Frost King from Margaret Canby’s The Frost Fairies.

Psychologists call this accidental appropriation, cryptomnesia, which has actually been studied. Subjects were asked to make a list of words after playing the game Boggle and as expected, words that were revealed in the game they could not help but to write down. Some other mental disorders that coincide with eidetic memory are Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

For example, in Rain Man, Dustin Hoffman character was able to recollect images and details with perfect accuracy. Senior Sam Freeman stated that he knows someone who is believed to have eidetic memory.” He has Aspergers Syndrome and just remembers everything and I don’t know how to explain it, he’s just the smartest guy I know,” Freeman said.

Many claim that proof of eidetic memory lies in studying autism There are many questions left unanswered about this ability as psychologists have yet to discover if it really exists. Then again, maybe people are out there that have simply not come forth with it.