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College Life
the Racquette
March 18, 2016
Tinder Diaries: Love at First Swipe? Rebecca Augustine Staff Writer
Tinder is just a “different venue” for dating for Potsdam students. As a resource for finding connections, Tinder is for anyone and everyone. According to its official website, the Tinder app is a service that “empowers users around the world to create new connections that otherwise might never have been possible.” At the same time, Tinder is notorious for contributing to the alleged “hookup culture.” “It kind of has the feeling that it was made for as a hookup app, because you’re basically judging someone based on just looking at somebody,” said Paul Halley, a senior at SUNY Potsdam. Halley said he found a relationship through Tinder with SUNY Canton freshman Ricky Oakes. Tinder is an app to be used on your iPod Touch or smartphone. Some features include uploading up to six photos onto one’s profile, linking to Facebook, a description box limited to 500 words or less, distance and age range limits and “swiping right” to indicate that you find someone’s profile interesting. Boredom is the common theme that leads students to download the app. “I was, you know, bored, at Thanksgiving...and like, alone, and my sisters were like both with their guys...and my family was with their family...so I was just
like, eh, Tinder’s a thing,” said Shawntel Courtney, who is in a one-month relationship with a boy she met on Tinder. Gender and sexuality differences are also experienced while on Tinder. A benefit Tinder gives for people that are gay, says Oakes, compared to physical dating venues like bars, is that “you’re not wondering if this person is [gay] or not. You just see someone’s profile and it actually says if they are. You can actually filter it for that result.” For straight men looking for a relationship, however, the trending problem seems to be women tiptoeing around rejecting a guy. “If you are a girl, basically, like, every person you swipe on, it’s going to be a match,” said student Max Matiash, who also said he found a relationship through Tinder with sophomore Carly Northup. “If you’re a guy, you’re lucky if you get a modest handful.” Halley said that there is some differences between relationship finding on Tinder for gay men and straight men. “I think it’s location of actually where you are in the world physically,” Halley said. “There are straight people wherever you go, but there are some areas that have more gay people than others, you know. I also think that it doesn’t have to do with Tinder, straight people, or gay people.” The best way to avoid miscommunication if you’re searching for a relationship through Tinder
is be sure to make it clear in your description box. “[If not], people will make assumptions and then you will receive things that you don’t want to receive,” said said Imani Snowden, a sophomore who also said that she is in a two month relationship with a boy she met on Tinder “So be careful with wording. Be clear.” If anything, Tinder is a lot of fun, Snowden said. “If you don’t mind running into rude people on occasion...you meet a lot of interesting people,” Snowden said. Courtney said she didn’t go on it originally for a relationship; she went on it just for fun. “And then, I met my boyfriend, and he’s really sweet,” Courtney said. Having one’s Facebook linked is a good way to make background checks on the complete strangers people meets on Tinder. “It shows if you have any mutual friends,” Courtney said, “you always have to consider that when you are talking to someone, that they could be someone they’re not. They could be a completely different person than you think you are talking to.” Northup said she let her friends know where she was going her first date with Matiash. Students responses varied when it came to letting their parents know where they found their relationships.
“I told her [my mom] that we met at the movies and he gave me his number because it sounded cute and old fashioned and ideal, but really, it was Tinder,” Northup said. Some of them tiptoed around disclosing the information. For others, the information just spilled out like a common occurrence that happens every day. However, it was almost unanimously agreed that the children of the future will be using much more complex technology. “They’ll probably be using, like, brain implanted cyberspace, neuro-mansner algorithms to
SUNY Potsdam student Paul Halley and SUNY Canton student Ricky Oakes met on Tinder and are now in a relationship. Rebecca Augustine
Creative Writing
Fools and Poets Ellen Ricks Staff Writer
April is National Poetry Month, and Potsdam is kicking off this month of creativity with the “Fools and Poets” poetry reading and open mic on April 1 from 6-8:30 p.m. at Jernabi Coffeehouse, located on 11 Maple St. in Potsdam. The St. Lawrence Area Poets, or SLAP, and the Potsdam Poetry Club, or PPC, have teamed up to form this event to celebrate poetry month and April Fool’s Day by coming together to read and listen to great poetry. “Poetry is a way we celebrate our humanness,” said Jeanna Matthews, a SUNY Potsdam student and member of SLAP. “I love it when I read something and I think: ‘I felt just like that, but I couldn’t say it as well as you do. And I think there is something really profound about it, and something very foolish and crazy about it. I like that mix and celebrate on April Fool’s Day, which is the beginning of national poetry month. Just seemed somehow so perfect.” Poets who are set to read are John Berbrich, Jack Rafter and Olivera Stankovic, as well as SUNY Potsdam’s own Donald McNutt; Chair of the Department
of English and Communication, Kayla French; Extended Education Instructional Staff member, Kuukua Yomekpu; EOP counselor , Eudora Watson; adjunct instructor of the School of Education and Professional Studies and Matthews. There will also be an open mic to follow. If you would like to be a part of this list of fabulous poets, there’s still time! Sign-ups are still being held to join the official list of poets on the schedule, as well as read at open mic. Anyone is welcomed to read, from undergraduates to faculty. “We would really love to have folks from the local colleges come and read,” Matthews said. Matthews is “really excited” about the event, looking forward to the many poets and different styles of poetry to be read. “People will come and bring things that will make us laugh, cry, all that good stuff,” Matthews said. If you would like to join the schedule, email jnm@clarkson.edu.
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Email your writing to racquette@potsdam.edu
He said that he has seen a majority of Muslim students that have come and gone on this campus, and although he noticed a gradual growth in Muslim identification, he said that he feels there is still work to be done on their end. “A part of the organization is to promote and preserve a harmonious atmosphere that unifies muslims and non-muslims, while also promoting scholars to let other students interact with and reduce prejudices of the Islamic faith,” Islam said. These students are meant to be role models for the campus community and other underrepresented groups to influence positive change and diverse progression, Islam said. Islam also said that he believes that the inception of this group is necessary and consistent with what President Esterberg has been trying to achieve with her time here — Inclusion. “My vision for SUNY Potsdam is to make our College an institution that thrives on inclusion, where every single person feels radically, fundamentally at home — no matter their background, their history, their identity, or their beliefs,” said SUNY Potsdam President Dr. Kristin Esterberg at the CFD ribbon cutting ceremony. Most classrooms across colleges seem to base our introduc-
We want to showcase your creativity! The Racquette is looking for creative writing of all kinds, from all students! We are looking for, poetry Flash Fiction and Prose Send in your submissions today! Submissions must include your name, phone number, and email for contact purposes. Space is limited. Get writing! All writing is welcome!
match them with someone,” Matiash said. “Tinder will probably seem really archaic.” Additionally, no one is ‘slut shaming’ the hookup culture of Tinder. It could be thought that the hookup culture and finding a relationship on Tinder cannot co-exist. “I think that you should make it known if I sleep with you, I want to at least see if it’s going to go somewhere or I want to get to know you before I just go out and meet you for a half a day and never see you again,” Oakes said.
tory knowledge on those historical accomplishments of the Western world with the likes of Aristotle and Galileo, Islam said, often forgetting the philosophical and cultural innovations of the Eastern world. “We must try to expand our knowledge somehow on Eastern thought, where ignorance and bigotry do not limit ideas to just the Greeks,” Islam said. His hopes are that this group will be a catalyst for disseminating knowledge of the Islamic faith amongst the community, as well is for the state and the nation. The Ummah in Potsdam hopes to dispel many of the misconceptions and stigmatic behavior that have people fearful of a religion that is faithfully practiced by over 1 billion people across the world. “Our goal is that you learn to appreciate and understand the perspectives that Muslims’ have on matters and not be so swayed upon what the media would say or current government and economic circumstances,” Attia said. The Ummah in Potsdam has open membership meetings for the Potsdam community on Sundays at 4 p.m. in Room 219 of the Barrington Student Union. They will also be holding their first mixer Wednesday, March 23 at 6 p.m. in the Sisson Lounge.