The Chronicle
March 13, 2012
The weekly student newspaper at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York
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Karene Marie Faul, a longtime faculty member in the art department, died Friday, March 2 in the Hospice Inn at St. Peter’s Hospital. Faul, along with Sr. Margaret O’Donnell and Patricia Clahassey, created the art department in 1970. After teaching screen printing, etching, two-dimensional design, relief printing and color theory for 15 years, she became the chairperson of the department in 1985, a position she would hold until her death. She was 77.
Volume LXXX Issue 25
Karene Faul (1935 – 2012)
Art Department Figure Karene Faul Dies By IAN BENJAMIN Executive Editor
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“She and a few of her stalwart colleagues built the art department into what it is today - one of the most outstanding art departments in higher education,” said President R. Mark Sullivan, in a letter of condolence. During her time as chairperson, Faul oversaw an increase in the art department’s enrollment and reputation. Faul’s colleagues attribute much of the recent success of the art department to her rigorous attention to detail. “Early on in my teaching at Saint Rose, I would hang freshContinued on page A4
Local Bar Cited for Overcrowding, Bartender Arrested By IAN BENJAMIN Executive Editor A local neighborhood bar was cited for overcrowding, while one of the bartenders was arrested for serving alcohol to underage patrons early Friday, March 2, according to Albany police department spokesperson James Miller. Located a block from campus, The Stone Crow Bar & Grill, at 492 Yates St., was found to be well over its 120 person capacity after officers were called to the premises on a report of assault. In the course of the inves-
News & Features
tigation, it was found that a bartender, Charles J. Dolnik, 27, of 1 Colatosti Place, had been serving alcohol to several underage patrons, Miller said. Albany police officers arrived at The Stone Crow at approximately 1:15 a.m. A man, standing before the bar, informed officers that, as he and his girlfriend entered the bar, he and the bouncer exchanged words. According to the man, the bouncer had proceeded to push the man to the ground and then hit him, before Continued on page A2
In Brief: A professor from Keene State College will be speaking about women in relation to the Fair Trade movement Tuesday. See page A2 Graduate Anne Hobday returns to Saint Rose to begin her career teaching graphic design. See page A5
NICOLE RAVETTO
Karene Faul leads a group of incoming freshmen through the 2011 Karene Faul Alumni Exhibition a few days before the beginning of the school year. The experience was part of the Arts Encounter segment of the Pathways program. The piece to which Faul points was created by Marilee Sousie in 2008.
Arts & Opinion
“There are evil villains, car chases, and wacky grandmothers!” Features Editor Sunshine Osella reviews The Lorax. See page B6 “With the rapid spread of information comes the equal opportunity for the spread of misinformation.” Zachary Olasvicky on Kony 2012. See page C13
Sports Men’s lacrosse inaugurates new program with a victory against Franklin Pierce. See page D15 Baseball: Golden Knights compete in Palm Beach Challenge, start off on rocky footing. See page D16
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News
In Brief Visiting Professor to Speak on Women in Fair Trade
By IAN BENJAMIN Executive Editor Tamara Stenn will be presenting “Unified and Empowered: The Indigenous Women of Fair Trade” on Tuesday, March 13 at 7 p.m. in the Carondelet Symposium, according to an announcement from Jenise DePinto, associate professor of history and political science. Stenn is an adjunct professor at Keene State College, an economist, and a business developer. Her studies have focused upon ethnographic research into women in the Fair Trade marketplace. This focus stemmed from her 15 years work in Bolivia with indigenous women helping to create natural, alpaca knitwear sweaters for export through Stenn’s Fair Trade company, KUSIKUY Clothing Co. (www.kusikuy. com). Fair Trade is a social and mar-
ket-centered movement aimed at helping businesses in developing countries produce sustainable business models with improved working conditions. The movement promotes providing “free technical assistance, education, training, and global market access for marginalized people,” according to DePinto. Although largely understood as “benefiting people through economic opportunity,” DePinto said, Fair Trade also creates an arena in which women can “meet, talk, share ideas, and feel supported and empowered.” However, Stenn will be focusing on how women in the Fair Trade marketplace struggle against “cultural restrictions, poverty, and fluctuating global demands for their products,” said DePinto. This discussion is part of Stenn’s broader aim to bring awareness to the plight of women in Fair Trade. Stenn’s efforts to bring aware-
Local House Parties
By IAN BENJAMIN Executive Editor For the sixth time since November, Albany police have broken up house parties in and around the vicinity of the Pine Hills neighborhood, according to James Miller, spokesperson for the Albany police department. At a party Sunday, March 4, Albany police responded to a call in regards to a large fight and found 300 people inside a first floor apartment at 547 Washington Ave. Although the fight had broken up, the party was still in full swing. The host, Yeaton Williams, 24, a resident of the house, had advertised the party on Facebook and was charging an en-
trance fee. Inside the apartment, there were several kegs of beer, and numerous underage drinkers, one who was found to be 15 years old, Miller said. Williams was arrested as he attempted to exit the front door and avoid officers. He was charged with unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree, a class A misdemeanor. Williams was arraigned in Albany City Court Sunday, March 4. At a separate party held several houses down from William’s another man, Adam Biron, 20, of 535 Washington Ave., had hosted a party in his apartment. Originally called because of noise complaints from as far as “two blocks away,” officers found that, in ad-
KUSIKUY.COM
TAMARA STENN ness also initiated her role in founding Ayllu, Inc., a non-profit organization which educates women about Fair Trade. She is currently completing an upcoming book, Fair Trade and Justice, to be released in 2013. The discussion is being presented by The College of Saint Rose Women and Gender Studies Program.
WILLIAMS
March 13, 2012
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Overcrowding, Bartender Arrested (cont.) Continued from page A1 allowing them to enter the premises. In the course of the investigation, the officers saw that the bar was overcrowded. The manager of the bar was informed that he was over capacity and would have to begin emptying the bar because of fire safety concerns. As people began filtering out, officers standing at the door found three people who were underage and drinking. The officers first noticed a woman, highly intoxicated and sitting at a table, who had put her drink down quickly upon seeing the officers. As the woman walked out the front door, the officers stopped her and asked the woman several questions. It was found that she was 18 years old and had entered the bar without identification. She proceeded to point out Dolnik, the bartender who had served her. Two men were also stopped at the door and interviewed. It was found that they, in addition to the woman, had entered the bar with fake licenses from Connecticut and Pennsylvania, were underage, and had been drinking, ac-
DOLNIK
FOSTER
WALSH
cording to Miller. Both pointed to Dolnik as the bartender who had served them. The men, Samuel Walsh, 19, of Garden City, NY, and Jordan Foster, 19, of Farmingville, NY, are both students at the University at Albany. They were each charged with one count of possession of a forged instrument in the third degree and were arraigned in Albany City Court the same day. Dolnik was charged with three counts of unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree. He was issued an appearance ticket and was later arraigned in Albany City Court the same day. The Stone Crow was referred to The New York State Liquor Authority for “over capacity and for serving underage patrons alcohol,” said Miller. The bar was also the location of a streetfight last month.
BIRON
dition to being in violation of the city’s noise ordinance, Biron was “providing beer and liquor to several underage people,” according to Miller. Biron was also charged with unnecessary and unusual noise as well as unlawfully dealing with a minor in the first degree. Biron was arrested and then arraigned in Albany City Court on Sunday, Feb. 26.
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The Stone Crow is near Centennial Hall.
IAN BENJAMIN
March 13, 2012
News
Volume 80 Issue 25
Crime Blotter (2/27 - 1/4) Aggravated Assault Near the intersection of Hamilton and Ontario streets
Burglary On Myrtle Ave. between Ridgefield St. and S. Main Ave
Aggravated Assault Near the intersection of N. Pine Ave. and State St.
Larceny Took place on Park Ave. near intersection with Ridgefield St.
Aggravated Assault On S Allen St. between Hudson Ave. and Madison Ave.
Burglary On Spring St. between W. Lawrence St. and N. Main Ave.
Motor Vehicle Larceny Vehicle located on Myrtle Ave. between S. Allen and W. Lawrence streets Theft from Building Building on Madison Ave. near intersection with W. Lawrence
This crime blotter is compiled using the City of Albany Police Department’s crime map. This map shows the incidents that happened in the past week, Monday through Sunday, within the boundaries of the Pine Hills Neighborhood limits as established by the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association. Not all crime shown is necessarily recorded. The map can be found at: http://www.albanyny.org/Government/Departments/Police/cmapping/maps.aspx
Weekly Safety Tip If you feel uncomfortable, remember the Emergency Blue Light Phone System. These phones are located on campus walkways and in parking lots and can be used to contact Campus Security. The weekly safety tips provided by Professor Rosemary Sheridan's Fall 2011 COM372 Campaigning class in collaboration with The College of Saint Rose Security Department. ADVERTISEMENT
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Calendar of Events Tuesday, March 13 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Resume Critique Week Career Center 3 p.m. Identity’s Guest Speaker Robyn Ochs Standish 4:30 p.m. SA Meeting Lally Carondelet Symposium 5 p.m. World Music Concert Massry 7 p.m. Knight Skills Moran Hall 7 p.m. SEB Meeting St. Joseph Hall 7 p.m. Identity’s Guest Speaker Robyn Ochs Standish 7 p.m. Adventure Club Lima Basement 7 p.m. Fair Trade and Indigenous Women in Bolivia Carondelet Symposium 8:30 p.m. Environmental Club Meeting Lima Basement Wednesday, March 14 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Resume Critique Week Career Center 2:30 p.m. Science Colloquium St. Joseph Hall 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Softball vs. Post 7 p.m. Coffeehouse with Tim BlaneMain Lounge 7 p.m. Rose Rock Committee Meeting Lima Basement 7 p.m. BASIC Meeting Hubbard Sanctuary 7:15 p.m. Puzzle Pieces Lally 304 Thursday, March 15 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Resume Critique Week Career Center 11 a.m. -7 p.m. Blood Drive St. Joseph Hall 12 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. Turning the Tables Discussion: The Judgment Zone – The Challenges of Cross Cultural Exchanges on a Cliquey Campus Lally, Touhey Forum 5 p.m. Red Flag Student Workshop Main Lounge 6 p.m. MAPS Meeting ALB 110 6:30 p.m. CREST Colloquium Presents “Considering the Unique Needs of AAVE Speakers in Urban School Strategic Planning: What is Involved” SCR A&B 7:15 p.m. MEISA Meeting CCIM Projection Room 7:30 p.m. Identity Meeting Lima Basement 7:30 P.M. An Evening of Jazz with The Ravi Coltrane Quartet Massry 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. Do It in the Dark Main Lounge Friday, March 16 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. LEAD Workshop Lally 254 7 p.m. BASIC Game Night Main Lounge 7 p.m. MEISA Event Jack’s Place 8 p.m. Free Viewing of Sherlock Holmes St. Joseph Hall Monday, March 19 6 p.m. English Club Meeting Library 6:30 p.m “If I Ever Hope to Leave this Place, I Must Tell You What I Know”: Witness and Survival in Mikal Gilmore’s Shot in the Heart Carondelet Symposium, Lally 7 p.m. Knight Skills Moran Hall 8 p.m. Outside the [BOX] ALB 211 If you have an upcoming event you would like to see in our weekly Calendar of Events please e-mail chronicle@strose.edu.
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Karene Faul (cont.)
Continued from page A1 men drawings in the hallways with the shredded paper still dangling from where the drawings had been torn out of the spiral bound pads. A few days later, though, I’d notice the ripped paper had been removed—only crisp, clean edges were visible,” said Deborah Zlotsky, a professor of painting and drawing. “Who would take the time to do this? Of course, it was Karene.” “She always wanted to put the art department in the best possible light, so people could recognize the caliber of our students’ work,” Zlotsky said. “Cleaning up the edges of the drawings was just one of the innumerable small and large things Karene did to make the program rigorous and successful.” In 1996, Faul initiated the creation of a bachelor of fine arts program, which would receive accreditation from the New York State Education Department. This was soon followed by the art department’s accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. “At a certain point in her career, Karene gave up her studio practice to focus on the depart-
ment,” said Zlotsky. “The department became her life’s work, and we--the art students and faculty-became part of her.” This devotion to the art department was evident even to those outside of Picotte Hall, the home of the art department. “I got the opportunity to get to know Karene in my time working in the dean’s office,” said Joseph Bellacosa, who works in the School of Arts and Humanities, said on The Karene Project Facebook page. “When I first started at Saint Rose, Karene came in to meet with the dean, and the first thing she said to me was, ‘This is where I come to fight.’ It was a privilege for me to witness, over the last three to four years, how hard she fought for her department, her faculty, her programs, her students.” A funeral was held over break, preceded by a wake at the Church of Saint Vincent de Paul on Wednesday, March 7. The waiting lines for the viewing were in excess of 90 minutes, and continued for four hours. Among the plethora of people Faul touched throughout her life, many have begun projects in her memory. On Facebook, The Karene Faul Project (facebook.
News
com/TheKareneProject) has been serving as a forum for the sharing of memories of Faul, whether in the form of stories, pictures, artwork, or video. Another of the commemorative efforts in honor of Faul is the brainchild of Zachary Higgins, a 2010 graduate who is currently employed as a graphic designer at Abercrombie & Fitch. He has created a typographic design which reads “Good art teachers can change the world,” underneath which reads “Karene Faul.” Ideas are in the works for using the design on mugs, prints, and shirts, the proceeds from which would go to the Karene Faul Scholarship Fund. Direct donations to this fund may be made through the office of institutional advancement. Faul once said, “Us art folks live on an island off the great continent of Saint Rose. It’s easy to forget about us,” according to Bellacosa. However, it is evident that the memory of Faul, as evidenced by the numerous projects already begun in commemoration of her, will persist long into the future. A memorial mass will be held at St. Vincent’s on Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m.
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Volume 80 Issue 25
DEREK SELEK/THE KARENE FAUL PROJECT
Faul in her office, from where she led the art department.
Faul and a student critiquing work.
Faul leads a group of incoming freshmen through the 2011 Karene Faul Alumni Exhibition.
NICOLE RAVETTO
Faul practicing her life’s passion--teaching.
GREG CHERIN
GREG CHERIN
March 13, 2012
Volume 80 Issue 25
News
The Chronicle
In the Limelight: Professor Hobday By LAUREN HALLIGAN Staff Writer The newest graphic design professor in Picotte, Anne Hobday, has come home to Saint Rose, her alma mater, after spending a decade in the field, to share her experience with her students. This being her first ever teaching position, Hobday commented, “I find it really rewarding watching people evolve even over the course of a semester,” adding, “watching them flourish is really rewarding.” After graduating from The College of Saint Rose’s graphic design program in 2001, Anne Hobday spent six years as a designer in the field, earned her Master of Fine Arts from the Tyler School at Temple University, and was nationally published. After all of this, Hobday is glad to return to a familiar setting, doing what she loves to do. What Hobday accurately described as “the most serendipitous half hour of [her] life” is exactly what landed her back in the Capital Region after graduate school, teaching at her alma mater. A story that Hobday reported “puts a smile on [her] face.” While getting coffee with a friend in Philadelphia, he asked Hobday if there was anything that would persuade her to move back to the Capital Region. To that she replied she would do so under one condition: “if Saint Rose had a full time teaching position available." Hobday said that within a halfhour, Kristine Herrick, founder of the graphic design program, called with news about a job opening. After applying to what Herrick confirmed was a national search, Hobday was chosen, and began teaching at Saint Rose the following semester. Originally from Scotia, Hobday was first employed as a visiting assistant professor of graphic design and was hired for the position in the fall semester of 2011, joining the ranks of the tenure track faculty. Hobday now lives
in downtown Albany permanently, in walking or biking distance (which she does) from Picotte Hall, where her office is located and where she teaches. This semester, her second as an assistant professor, Hobday is teaching advanced computer graphics, graphic design II, and two sections of senior portfolio. Hobday commented on returning to Saint Rose as a professor, that “the transition has been pretty smooth. My colleagues were my teachers 10 years ago,” Hobday said, appreciating the sense of comfort and familiarity with the school and her co-workers in Picotte. In regards to her work, Hobday genuinely said, “I love my job!” Adding, “anyone who knows me would say that too.” Her professors-turned-colleagues indeed had wonderful things to say about their newest addition to the art department.
Hobday’s work has been featured in many publications throughout her career. “She is wonderful to work with, very giving, and really does everything for her students. She is very student oriented,” said Karene Faul, art department chair. She described Hobday as extremely energetic and enthusiastic about her field. A student of Hobday’s, Talia Cass, who took a graphic design course during the summer of 2011, reported that Hobday “is very down to earth and inspiring. She is always helpful. She knows what she is doing, and is passionate about it.” As a Saint Rose student once herself, Hobday was hired at Spiral Design Studio in Albany
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during her junior year at Saint ing leans more towards thinking, day said proudly. This summer Rose as a student intern, and af- communication, concept devel- she is looking forward to hiking ter graduation, was offered a full opment, and the process of de- number 46 on her list, Mount time position with the company. sign. It’s important Haystack in Keene. She worked there for six years as for students A woman of a designer. many talents to understand Hobday’s work has been that the comand interests, featured in many publications puter Hobday has and throughout her career, such as software found herself is HOW and Graphic Design USA. merely a tool, a perfect fit in She also received six NORI or a means to returning to Awards during her time working express their Saint Rose. Alat Spiral. though this is ideas.” Most recently, her work from Hobday’s first Aside from graduate school was featured in graphic teaching job, deGraphis, an international journal sign, Hobday judging from of visual communication. She truly is an the remarks of received a gold medal as a new outdoors person. For the past 20 her colleagues and students, it is talent artist in 2011. years, she has been working on clear that she’s here to stay. As Hobday attended the Tyler the 46 high peaks of the Adiron- Herrick stated, “Everyone’s deSchool of Art at Temple Univer- dack Mountains hiking challenge. lighted to welcome her back to sity in Philadelphia, P.A. where “I’m at 45 [out of the 46],” Hob- Saint Rose.” she earned her master of fine arts in graphic and interactive design in 2010. She returned to school to earn her master’s degree and become a professor because, in her words, “I really love designing, but I really love people too,” adding that she missed the “face-time” while she was strictly designing. “I’m a people person,” Hobday said. Herrick, Hobday’s fellow professor of graphic design had only positive things to say about her new colleague. “We’re delighted to have [Hobday] with us. She brings a great professional background and experience, not to mention her youthful enthusiasm.” As a fellow graduate of the Tyler School, Herrick reported that she was certainly aware of Hobday’s progress at Tyler, and frequently received reports from faculty thanking Herrick for sending her. Hobday teaches on Mac computers in Picotte and uses Adobe Creative Suite software, but menLAUREN HALLIGAN tioned “a lot of my teach- Professor Anne Hobday, assistant professor and Saint Rose alumna.
“She brings a great professional background and experience, not to mention her youthful enthusiasm.” Kristine Herrick
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News
Traditional Art Remains Foundation for Albany Kitsch Painter
COURTESY OF NATHAN J. STONE
Albany kitsch painter Nina Stanley at a First Friday event for the Upstate Artists Guild. By NATHAN J. STONE Contributing Writer Walking past the Upstate Artists Guild gallery located at 247 Lark St., one might not even know that it is there; it does not exude flash, nor does it draw undo attention to itself, and inside the walls are lined with the paintings and photography of several of Albany’s artists who might not have a forum for their work otherwise. Nina Stanley knows all too well the need for community. A native of southern California, she was a co-founder of the UAG seven years ago upon coming to the Capital Region, in part to have a fellowship of artists to share work and ideas with, and also to give creatives a chance to showcase their work in a safe environment for purposes of critique. “The good thing about the gallery is even if we’re not running a class, by having a show, having people submit their work and be critiqued or juried, having it framed and ready to hang... they’re getting their art out of the closet,” Stanley said. “That’s a
good thing.” “It was important for me to keep my art going alive. I had a [similar] group in San Francisco, which was a lot easier, but you’re a tiny fish in a small sea...[after coming to Albany] I got to know a few people and we started talking about doing an ‘art’ thing.” And so, she and fellow artists Robyn Diaz, Rebecca Schoonmaker and a select group of others started meeting at Stanley’s Center Square brownstone, eventually moving to 4 Central Ave., for classes in figure drawing and other painting classes. “We called it ‘Art4Central.’ It was the address, seemed simple enough!” Stanley said. “It was a lot of fun. We got a lot of people coming...I knew we needed a business direction.” The site was difficult to find for patrons, and it prompted the group to search for a new location, which eventually opened up at where the UAG is headquartered today on Lark St. Stanley maintains that the gallery and the events it hosts are strictly non-for-profit, and every-
one who volunteers there are just that--volunteers. The UAG relies solely on this, membership fees, and their flagship event, First Friday, which starts at the gallery and spans throughout Albany. “We couldn’t keep up the rent, but First Friday pays for itself. It’s the only thing making any money because they get all the sponsorships,” said Stanley. “It would be hard to continue without a home base.” The inaugural event that opened the UAG in 2006 was an art exhibit by the Student Art League of The College of Saint Rose. Stanley is a traditional artist; she uses the medium of canvas and watercolors, as well as charcoal and pencil, and has many students in her personal studio located at 95 Grove Ave. in Albany, as well as countless others where she teaches at The School of Digital Media Arts at Mildred Elley and The Art Institute online. She has studied domestically and abroad with the likes of John Nava, Martha Erlebacher, and the Norwegian figurative painter
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Odd Nerdum. So what brought her to the Capital Region? “A headhunter,” Stanley said. Headhunters for the Menandsbased Vicarious Visions, a video game software company whose credits include the Tony Hawk and Guitar Hero franchises. Game design? The lineage of a traditional artist becoming part of a game design team is not as abstract as it may seem. As an undergrad receiving her B.F.A. in painting and drawing and before her M.A. in 1993 in fine arts, Stanley merged the academic and vocational worlds when she was recruited by Electronic Arts, another designer of computer gaming software to assist in development and conceptualization of video games. “The reason I got my first job with EA was because I had a master’s degree in fine arts and a portfolio of paintings,” Stanley said, adding that “the guy who hired me—I can’t even remember his name—said ‘You have an M.A. so that shows you can finish something.’” He then added a key bit of philosophy that Stanley has incorporated into every aspect of her career as artist, teacher, and mentor. “You can paint and draw,” he said. “I can teach an artist how to use a computer much better than I can teach a computer designer how to be an artist.”
teams of 50+ designers. However, she was beginning to feel the call to do “real art” again, a call that helped refine her view of her purpose. “We have a broad term for artists. The worst thing you can be called is an ‘illustrator’—it’s a slap in the face, because you’re an artist, but a commercial artist.” “I’m a kitsch painter...which is someone who paints for the popular culture. I love painting for popular culture while maintaining my artistic integrity.” Stanley left game design altogether to focus on her current passion: teaching, something she does full-time both at colleges and at her home studio. She has remained in concert with her traditional art roots, and her love of the craft, which she felt a personal responsibility to pass on to other artists. Nate DeBell, a former student at the SDMA recalls some advice Stanley shared with him before he went to work on contact over at Vicarious Visions after leaving school early. “‘You can work for a company and make a lot of money, but not really do what you want to do, or you can do what you want to and not make a lot of money,’” DeBell said. “I liked this advice because it gave me some realistic expectations. I knew I wasn’t going to walk in with a million dollar idea...I’d be working on [and] realizing someone else’s vision.” “I think that she is still a great mentor to me on the occasions that I still do see her,” he added. Stanley attributes her drive towards education and her desire to instruct others to her mother. “It was [her] assumption that I would go to school...you are of above average intelligence, and you owe it to humanity to give something back,” she said. Stanley struggles with the ‘academics’ of the collegiate system, while counterbalancing that with her love of mentoring. “I don’t like to grade students. I love to teach, help them learn, help them see--because drawing is all about seeing--and I have a lot of resistance because people just want to
“She is a torch bearer, and I think that is why she gives so freely of herself. I wish to aspire to that level someday.” Ryan Carll Stanley took the job as a means to an end, but it was more than just a bread-winner. “All I ever wanted to do was paint the human figure, so this was a departure for me. It was important for me to try a number of different things. But when I got the job at EA, it pretty much became a career.” Her ‘career’ in game design saw her with stints at Capcom USA, The 3DO Company, and 1st Playable in Troy, at times leading
Continued on page A7
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Continued from page A6
rently has about a half dozen students in private instruction, and is always willing to accommodate more, as her pupils seem to be on a rotating schedule. “Some come back, some move on,” she said. “I will accept any students. I can teach anyone to draw. I have no problems teaching someone who has never held a pencil in their hand, as long as they accept the fact that they might encounter a lot of frustration and resistance in themselves [to be] worked through” Stanley likens art to any other discipline. “It’s like being an athlete, or a musician—anything that requires practice. And practice isn’t always interesting,” she said, but added that discipline and practice create the artist, not just ‘natural talent.’ Tough words from a gifted artist and teacher, but they do not seem to have deterred her more devoted students. “I believe that Nina’s passion is supplemented only by her desire to carry on the craft, to keep it going,” Carll said. “She is a torch bearer, and I think that is why she gives so freely of herself. I wish to aspire to that level someday.” “She is a torch bearer, and I think that is why she gives so freely of herself. I wish to aspire to that level someday.” Nina Stanley can be contacted at her website, http://www.ninastanley.com/, and the UAG info can be located at http://upstateart-
go right to the computer and start drawing. I force them to draw their ideas out. There’s too many bells and whistles that you can get lost,” she said. Ryan Carll, a former private pupil at her Grove St. studio and both a traditional and digital artist, seconds this philosophy, one that he learned from Stanley. “She always stressed and taught me that drawing from life is about pure vision, and requires a great amount of dedication,” he said. “I didn’t understand the value of drawing from life until Nina explained it to me. Now, I use it every time I sit down to do anything, whether traditional or computerized. It has become part of my toolset.” Carll still remembers what attracted him to Stanley’s work to seek out private instruction. “Her work is very chiaroscuro,” which translated literally means both ‘light’ and ‘dark’, “... it is about bringing contrast to her artwork and depth. I find it fascinating. Her work, again, is masterful, especially in the area of oil painting. I consider her a full mentor. I really do admire and look up to her.” Stanley still remains a dedicated instructor, sometimes bartering trade for instruction, a system that she is quite comfortable with, as she readily admits to wishing she didn’t have to charge even for supplies sometimes. She cur-
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The Chronicle
Something Sour, Something Sweet
ThankYou for Smoking (2005) By RACHEL BOLTON Staff Writer Rating- Sweet I can argue that this movie is good for your health, and you would not be able to prove me otherwise, thus I end up being right. Thank You for Smoking is about the nature of arguing and twisting words to fit your needs. It’s an entertaining black comedy which will have the viewer cheering for the people they least expect. Thank You for Smoking is the tale of Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), a tobacco lobbyist who says, “Michael Jordan plays ball. Charles Manson kills people. I talk. Everyone has a talent.” He is prepared to say anything and everything in the defense of smoking. You would think that would be hard to do, but Nick is manipulation hidden behind a façade of charm. The opening scene involves him cheering on the survival of a “Cancer Boy” because “If this young man dies, we lose a valued customer.” The audience may hate the idea of liking a man who promotes cigarettes, but Nick Naylor is a three dimensional character. Most of his development comes from his relationship with his young son, Joey. Nick does struggle with reconciling what he does with being a good parent. In the end, he teaches Joey to come out of his shell, and Joey helps his father out of a depression he falls into. The film has a large number of strange and hilarious secondary characters. Nick’s boss BR (J.K. Simmons) is a loudmouth Vietnam vet who steals Nick’s ideas. He is known only by his nickname. Everyone who knows what it means died in Vietnam. Nick’s only friends are two other lobbyists, Polly and Bobby, who represent alcohol and firearms, respectively. The three friends call themselves the M.O.D. Squad,
short for Merchants of Death. They meet for lunch weekly to complain about the people who bug them about their work. The central plot of the film is driven by Nick’s boss, telling him to try to get smoking back into the movies. He travels to L.A. and meets with a popular (and Japanese loving) film producer played by Rob Lowe. This gets the attention of Birkenstock-wearing-environmentalist senator from Vermont named Ortolan Finistirre (William H. Macy).
“The audience may hate the idea of liking a man who promotes cigarettes, but Nick Naylor is a three dimensional character.” The senator is trying to promote putting a skull and cross bone symbol on all cigarette packaging and he despises Nick for getting in his way. Nick also starts having an affair with a reporter (Katie Holmes) who is doing an investigative story on him. If things weren’t already complicated for him, someone starts sending him death threats. I enjoyed Thank You for Smoking. The dialogue is sneakily funny and Nick’s interrupting narration breaks the fourth wall well. The film never takes a stance on whether or not smoking is good or bad; it’s more about how and why we argue different points. (No one is seen smoking in the film). It is a good examination of black and gray morality and both Nick and the so called “good guys” can be interpreted as being heroic or villainous. The ending wraps up the plot lines well and the movie kept me laughing during the whole film. Next Week: I will be reviewing another black comedy, Four Lions. I promise this time.
Arts
March 13, 2012
Volume 80 Issue 25
Nostalgia and Modern Adaptation in Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (3D)
By SUNSHINE OSELLA Managing Editor An animated film based on a childhood story, from the creators of Despicable Me (2010), and starring Zac Efron, Danny DeVito, and Betty White creates high expectations. The movie meets these expectations in some areas and falls flat in others. The Lorax follows the story of a young boy named Ted (Zac Efron) who lives in ThneedVille, a synthetic town with fake trees and unclean air. Ted goes in search of a real Truffula tree in order to impress a girl, Audrey (Taylor Swift). Ted’s journey brings him to the Once-ler (Ed Helms) who tells the story of how the trees became extinct despite the best efforts of the Lorax (Danny DeVito). Ted, with the help of his grandmother (Betty White), work against the villain Mr. O’Hare (Rob Riggle) to save the Truffula trees. I am normally unimpressed with 3D movies and avoid them because of the sky high prices, but the visual effects in The Lorax were impressive. The 3D qualities of the movie emphasized the contrast between the world the Once-ler remembers and the world Ted grew up in. For 86 minutes, I felt like I was a part of Dr. Seuss’ world. Walking among the Truffula trees and petting adorable, cuddly bears. The movie stays true to the cotton-like Truffula trees straight from Seuss’ imagination. The furry, mustached Lorax is also reminiscent of the 1971 book, especially when he says the recurring phrase, “I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.” Yet, besides those two things, there are very few elements of this movie that stay true to Seuss’ original story. This film creates plot and new characters, probably for the sole purpose of making it a lengthy enough story for a full length film. There are evil villains, car
SUNSHINE OSELLA
Managing Editor Sunshine Osella after seeing the new big screen adaptation of the classic Dr. Seuss book The Lorax. chases, and wacky grandmothers who were definitely not part of the original story! The environmentalist theme of the movie comes across as preachy and loud. The movie accomplishes this by huge, obnoxious musical numbers. I am a fan of all things musical, but most of the numbers in this film did not work.
“...There are very few elements of this movie that stay true to Seuss’ original story.” There was one climatic musical number at the end of the film that deserves recognition. The cast launches into a song called, “Let It Grow.” This number is fun and makes the viewer want to get up and join in. I was not expecting such a musical movie but, in the least, it entertains the very young children. Directors Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda take a heartfelt story
about preserving nature and turn it into a head spinning adventure story. I cannot deny that this was entertaining, but it was also disappointing. Meaning and value were sacrificed for entertainment and humor. The film loses sight of the essence of the story. I have always considered The Lorax to be one of the original, respectful, environmentally conscious books. The film takes this story and makes it pushy. The movie repeatedly jabs a needle in the arm of the viewer saying, “You are killing the environment, fix it!” Despite the film’s many flaws in correctly conveying the environmental theme, it was entertaining. Sometimes it is appropriate to step back and accept a movie for what it is. This movie was a roaring, musical, 3D adventure meant to visually impress and entertain--and that is just what it did. It had elements that could be found pleasing to young and old alike. Yet, a word of caution, nonmusical lovers should stay away.
March 13, 2012
Volume 80 Issue 25
Arts
The Chronicle
Meet Travis Sprague: Saint Rose Student Bringing the Music to Albany By LAUREN HALLIGAN Staff Writer Anyone who’s visited the Saint Rose website this year has probably seen Travis Sprague striking a pose with his trombone on the school’s homepage. While many on campus know his face, what they may not know is that Sprague, senior and music industry major, runs his own talent booking company called Til The End Management, and brings artists from all over the country to perform in Albany. Sprague, 22, is founder of Til The End, which he’s been managing for the past year and a half, having booked over two dozen shows in that time. His tasks at the company include discovering, booking, financing, and promoting bands, as well as negotiating with venues and organizing the shows. Sprague’s beginnings as a booking agent trace back to his sophomore year Record Engineering Class at Saint Rose in which he was assigned to record three songs by any local artist. While he knew there was a lot of talent on campus, Sprague wanted his project to have a different edge, so he decided to search “outside the Saint Rose community.” His search led him to Albany metal/hardcore band Restless Streets. After recording the band for the project, Sprague built a personal relationship with the guys and reported that in no time he was booking them a five day tour, and was soon asked to work as their manager. Sprague still continues to work with Restless Streets, booking shows and helping them flourish as a local band breaking out regionally. Sprague said that he learned the process of booking shows through trial and error. He was certain, however that after booking his first show, a tour kickoff show at Valentine’s on New Scotland Ave. for Restless Streets in August 2010, that he absolutely “loved it.”
Til The End has organized two regional tours so far, and has booked numerous local shows in venues such as Valentine’s, Bogie’s on Ontario St., and Red Square in downtown Albany, as well as Anthony’s Pizza in Johnstown and Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs. After graduating this upcoming December, Sprague plans to “stay in the area and continue to promote shows.” He reported that, “Things are picking up a lot lately,” for Til The End, to the point where he is actually having to turn down tour packages. Recently, the company even began receiving offers from labelsigned bands such as It Prevails, from Portland, Oregon, signed to Mediaskare Records, and No Bragging Rights, a hardcore band from California, on Pure Noise Records, which also houses bands such as Man Overboard and Transit. Originally from Walton, NY, Travis came to Saint Rose in 2008 as an exploratory freshman because he “wanted to put [himself] in a bigger city.” By his second semester, Sprague knew he wanted to study music industry, and has been fascinated with the field and the city ever since, staying in Albany even during summer and winter breaks to run his business. After playing shows in a total of three bands during his freshman and sophomore years, A Kick Of Crimson, The Turn On–in which he formerly was a guitarist–and 9 Pin, a ska band in which he played the trombone, Sprague realized that he is more interested in being “focused on the business side.” Through Saint Rose, Sprague has done two notable internships. The first was at Merchnow, an Albany-based music merchandising web store, at which Sprague worked in the marketing and promotion department focusing on social networking. His second internship was during a summer spent living in New York City working at Red Distribution, a
company owned by Sony, where Sprague helped with online publicity. During his summer in New York, Sprague continued booking and promoting shows, even working for a bigger company based out of Michigan called Active State. Working for the Michigan-based company, which was in addition to his internship, helped him network for Til The End and gain new artists for his portfolio. Intrigued by the notion of traveling with a band, regarding his ultimate career goal, Sprague said that, “I would think at some point in my life I want to be a tour manager.” He also said he would like to work as a booking agent, or possibly a venue manager or talent promoter. Keeping his career options open, Sprague said “Any of these things” would please him, since he truly has a passion for the music industry. Sprague recalls the first concert he ever went to with his family. On vacation in Nashville, Tennessee, a younger Sprague saw The Temptations one night, and then ZZ Top the next. Although his musical styles have evolved over the years, Sprague still remembers the two performances as what sparked his interest in music and live performance. Another pivotal moment in Sprague’s career choice was during an A Day To Remember concert which he attended as a freshman in college at Northern Lights. The show was put on by Step Up Presents, one of Albany’s largest booking companies. Sprague remembers being inspired by the sold out show, and it has positively affected his career goals ever since. Sprague discussed that his inspiration comes from helping underground artists to no longer be classified as underground. “Some of the bands I work with would never otherwise get opportunities in Albany,” Sprague said, reporting that “some have now gone on to do big things, just months later.” A perfect example is hard-
Travis Sprague, a man of many talents. core band Letlive, who is now represented by Epitaph Records. Other labels that Til The End has worked with over its estimated 18 months of business are Rise Records and Victory Records. Sprague’s favorite bands as of late, confirmed by the “Recently Played” playlist on his iPod, are pop-punk group The Story So Far, post-hardcore band Vanna, and on-the-rise female artist Lana Del Rey. Aside from being featured on the school’s website, and in the viewed-by-all orientation day video, Sprague’s other involvements on campus include playing intramural basketball and giving campus tours, as well as a prominent involvement with The Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association. “Saint Rose gave me opportunities with MEISA to connect with some people at the Nation Music Conferences in three different cities (Boston, Miami, and Los Angeles)” something that Sprague attests has really “opened up doors” for him and his company. Til The End Management will be hosting a show featuring poppunkers I Call Fives, as well as The American Scene, Forever Came Calling, and The City Nev-
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LAUREN HALLIGAN
er Sleeps at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20, part of the Pure Noise Records Tour. Local opening acts will include The Growing Pains, featuring Saint Rose student Tony Potente, and I Was A Hero from Schenectady. The concert will be held at Bogie's at 297 Ontario St. Tickets bought in advance to this event from Sprague or any band members will cost $10 or can be purchased at the door for $12. Those who have worked with Sprague, such as Derek DiScanio, lead singer of Albany pop-punk group State Champs, have wonderful things to say about the professional and effective manner in which Sprague runs Til The End. “Travis is definitely a solid person to work with all around,” DiScanio said. “He’s a good friend of mine, and when it comes down to booking shows for my band, he always knows how to stay on task with getting the word out locally, keeping things together during the show, and making sure all bands and fans have smiles on their faces in the end.” Sprague invites everyone to attend the concert next week and to like the Til The End Mgmt page on Facebook, and follow his twitter account @tiltheendmgmt to receive updates about more upcoming shows!
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The Chronicle
Arts
The Audience Wins in This MeansWar
By CHRIS SURPRENANT Arts Editor Isn’t it funny when a totally impossible romantic comedy is more entertaining than films that attempt to emulate “real life”? The answer is yes. This Means War is an absurd, laugh-filled thrill ride set against the backdrop of the oldest, most awkward love triangle, with a unique spin. Firstly, This Means War is not about just a girl and a boy kept apart by the blasé, “tragedies” of life that often riddle romantic comedies. Rather, it’s about a girl, and two boys who can’t have the girl because of their dangerous CIA jobs involving foreign criminals and weapons of mass destruction. That’s a bit of a different angle, wouldn’t you say? Agents Tuck and FDR (Yes, FDR. I thought it was weird too), played by Tom Hardy and Chris Pine, respectively, begin the film on a difficult note: crashing a swanky party in order to intercept criminals Heinrich and Jonas, in which Jonas is killed. What’s an international criminal to do? Swear revenge of course. Throughout the film, which is mostly goodhearted fun, Heinrich rears his ugly head in hopes of getting even with Tuck and FDR. Revenge aside, we come to the lovey-dovey side of the film, or something like it. Tuck, now divorced, decides to try online dating, where he meets the spunky yet loveless Lauren (Reese Witherspoon). They hit it off, and things seem like they’ll work out between them. That’s the case until lady’s man FDR tries to pick up Lauren in a video-rental store in one of the film’s cleverest
scenes. Reese Witherspoon is at her feistiest, taking down Pine’s lothario FDR with ease. This apparent love-triangle wouldn’t be such a big deal if it weren’t for Tuck and FDR’s hilarious bromance. Initially partners in defeating crime, the duo works well together and busts chops like
“Firstly, This Means War is not about just a girl and a boy kept apart by the blasé, ‘tragedies’ of life that often riddle romantic comedies.” any friends would. Of course, when Lauren becomes the object of both their affections, things go awry. Though they promise not to let a woman breakup their friendship, a split is inevitable. While on dates with Lauren, each of the potential boyfriends sabotages the other one in hopes of making himself look better. Being in the CIA, they have convenient access to drones and tranquilizer darts, and use them to their full advantage. Helping Lauren choose her new suitor is married best friend Trish, played by the brilliantly brash Chelsea Handler. Though her part might have been solely included for laughs, the usually crass Handler adds a just a touch of sentimentality to a woman who drinks White Russians at a child’s playland. She has Lauren’s best interests in mind, even though she creates Lauren’s flatteringly unflattering dating profile. When she’s not commenting on FDR’s
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tiny hands, Trish spouts little pearls of wisdom, such as, “Don't choose the better man. Choose the man who makes you a better woman.” Who knew Handler had a soft side? Though Handler may get a lot of the laughs, the three leads have to be commended on their chemistry and comedic ability. Hardy plays Tuck as very straight-laced and gentlemanly, whereas Pine’s FDR is always scheming on how to make a better impression. Witherspoon’s natural charm infuses the film, allowing Lauren to be cutely confused, yet strongly determined to find the right guy. Together, Hardy, Pine, and Witherspoon are able to simultaneously bring out the best and worst in each other. Some may find this film to be a bit far-fetched. To that, I say farfetched is just what the movies are for. If the CIA aspect of the film had been taken out, it would have been another hokey, good guy versus bad guy to win the girl story, and it would be easily forgotten. I’m not saying that this movie will go down in history, but it’s certainly a memorable, fun experience. No one loses in This Means War, except for career criminals. The plot is clever, the actors have fun, and the writing is witty. For a little entertainment, no one can ask much more. Come date night, this is a battle that both parties will win.
March 13, 2012
Volume 80 Issue 25
Arts: In Brief Saint Rose Camerata Season Concludes By CHRIS SURPRENANT Arts Editor The Saint Rose Camerata will give their final performance of the season, performing works by contemporary American composers in the Massry Center for the Arts on Friday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m. The Camerata is made up of Saint Rose faculty members in the music department. This performance will include works by Jan Bach, Andrew Nor-
man, Michael White, and Saint Rose’s own Bruce Craig Roter. The pieces incorporate a variety of instruments, including: flute, viola, cello, piano, and a variety of brass instruments. One of Roter’s two featured pieces, “Soundings for Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello” will be making its world premiere at the concert. Don’t miss the concluding performance of the acclaimed Saint Rose Camerata. The concert is free and open to the public.
Frequency North to Present Poet Educators By IAN BENJAMIN Executive Editor The 2011-12 “Frequency North” visiting writers reading series will be drawing to a close late this month with two poet educators, Georgia A. Popoff and Quraysh Ali Lansana. On March 29, at 7:30 p.m. in Saint Joseph Hall Auditorium, Popoff and Lansana will be discussing their guide(s) to poetry in the classroom and the community. The visit from the poets is in support of their most recent book, With Our Difficult Sunlight: A Guide to Poetry, Literacy, and Social Justice in Classroom and ADVERTISEMENT
Community, which explores poetry as a vehicle for social justice. Popoff is a managing editor at Comstock Review, the author of two collections of poetry, a teaching artist, and has been a poetn-residence in numerous school districts. Lansana has been the editor of seven anthologies, authored five poetry books, and a children’s book. Currently a professor of English and creative writing at Chicago State University, he has been a curriculum developer for two decades. The program is free and open to the public.
March 13, 2012
Volume 80 Issue 25
Opinion
On College, Santorum Again Misses the Mark By ZACHARY OLSAVICKY Staff Writer The silly season never ends in politics, but the GOP primary has taken insouciance to a new level. Instead of offering valid criticisms of President Obama’s job performance, the Republican candidates use half-truths and weasel words in attempts to undermine the President’s credibility. Whether it be Mitt Romney accusing the president of partaking in “an assault on religion” or Newt Gingrich’s perniciously racist “food stamp president” moniker, GOP candidates take desperate measures to undermine President Obama’s record. But the prize folly may belong to Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator and current top alternative to Romney in the GOP field. In an address on February 25, Santorum accused the president of being a “snob” for wanting Americans to go to college, also claiming that college professors “indoctrinate” students with a liberal ideology. The implication that the president is trying to indoctrinate students to his political leanings is without factual basis. Although there are links between liberal political leanings and higher education—a recent study found college professors self-identified as liberals at 72 percent and as conservatives at 15 percent—there is no evidence that suggests professors indoctrinated students. As for the President encouraging Americans to attend college, he has a simple reason for it: economic prosperity at both the individual and societal levels. Attending college can be an economic boon for individuals; the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that workers holding bachelor's degrees earn an average of $412 more per week than those with only a high school degree. A college degree is simply the best path to earning a higher salary in America, and in an economy where all options
for improvement must be considered, all politicians—the president chief among them—have an obligation to encourage college attendance. This is not to say college is without significant drawbacks. Rising costs are making it more and more difficult for students to attend college, and it affects the economy at large. Tuition and room and board costs increased 5.4% at public universities and 4.3% at private universities in 2011. Even Saint Rose is not immune to cost increases, with tu-
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that workers holding bachelor’s degrees earn an average of $412 more per week than those with only a high school degree. ition increasing between 4.5 and 5%, as reported in The Chronicle in January. All rate increases are higher than the United States’ GDP growth in 2011, which was 1.5%. When considering attempts to cut Pell Grants in Congress as part of budget cuts, it becomes clear that college is becoming less affordable for an ever-increasing number of people. For graduates, the outlook is also grim. Average student loan debt topped $25,000 for undergraduates in the class of 2011 and the total amount of outstanding student loan debt tops $1 trillion in the United States. This siphons economic growth because recent graduates are paying off debt instead of spending more of their income and bolstering the economy. Amongst the candidates in the 2012 election, only one offers any
solutions to the problem. President Obama recently introduced revisions to a Congressional plan to lower debt from loans backed by the federal government allowing student debt to be forgiven in 20 years instead of 25 and offering a consolidation plan that could lower interest rates by up to 0.5%. Between Santorum and Romney, neither offer any plans to address the student debt crisis. Adding to the concerns is that the anti-intellectual message promoted by Santorum does not erode his support. Following months of meandering poll numbers during the lead-up to the Iowa caucus, a surge of support carried Santorum to victory in that and other Midwestern states and the unofficial title of main challenger to the favorite Romney. While he is still a long shot for the nomination, his support is tempered by the presence of other socially conservative candidates in the primary race, notably Newt Gingrich, whose insistence in remaining in the race draw support from Santorum’s base. It is not difficult to imagine a scenario where Santorum would be the frontrunner. In Michigan alone, Romney could have easily been overcome by the Santorum surge if it were not for Gingrich's refusal to pull out. There is a clear need for solutions to the problem of rising college costs, but Santorum and other GOP candidates provide no relief for the ailment. Outside of voting in the upcoming elections, students and recent graduates should put pressure on colleges to innovate and find more cost-effective services in order to reduce tuition costs—otherwise, the economic well-being of future graduates will be undermined. As for the GOP, candidates need to focus on policy, not personality. Santorum’s thoughts on college are another example of the GOP taking a valid issue and completely missing the mark by trying to assault the President’s character.
The Chronicle
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The View from Venus A DifferentWorld Cannot Be Built By Indifferent People
By EMILY PEREZ Women’s Initiative Things are changing. Women, and like-minded men, have finally had it. Rush Limbaugh’s tirade last week, slurs meant to ridicule and shame a Georgetown Law student for being a woman, was the tipping point. His nonsensical rant, and specifically his use of the word “slut,” has woken many people up and urged them to activism. With more despicable babbling polluting the minds of listeners than ever before, an outand-out war of words has been declared against women in this country. The aim now is learning how best to defend ourselves and launch our own offensive against the forces of hatred and ignorance. If anyone is in need of a quick summary of the past few weeks alone: Think back to Congressman Issa's all-male panel discussing women's reproductive rights. We heard the proposal of aspirin between the knees as an effective form of birth control, before observing the tragic farce in Virginia, where those who support a bill that would make it legal to penetrate abortion-seeking women against their wills by requiring a medically unnecessary transvaginal ultrasound—a procedure that would actually count as rape under state law, are insanely somehow being permitted to deliberate. Republican lawmakers have defended this by noting that women in need of abortions were “vaginally penetrated when they got pregnant.” Apparently once women have initially allowed this there are obviously going to be more to follow, consent notwithstanding. The outrageous three ring circus that our country has morphed into has its most vulnerable victims in the daughters of America. The media and popular culture have an enormously powerful sway on young girls' aspirations, desires and well-being. Every
hateful phrase uttered lends itself to the restrictive and damaging mold which shapes the development of self-esteem. The war of words has been carefully crafted to communicate that having confidence is unattractive in order to repress the development of budding leaders. The war of words defines young women and girls in terms of their sexual prowess, judged by their appearance and their reproductive potential alone. The war of words blithely shrugs and paints women and girls as deserving of, and even to blame for acts of oppression and violence. Do we really need to sit around and speculate as to why women are so far from achieving parity in society, and increasingly being physically and emotionally brutalized at tragically young ages? It is the media and its message hard at work. Faced with this rising tide of bitter vitriol and fear, one may feel incapable of enacting positive change. However, the most powerful way to seize autonomy is to simply be well aware of what is being said and how it is being said. Upon gaining this insight, seek immediately to educate those around you. Knowledge of how the game is being played allows you to distance yourself from the insidious reach of those aiming to reduce and ridicule women. To that end, the Women’s Initiative is hosting a screening of the documentary film Miss Representation, which explores how mainstream media lends itself directly to the under-representation of women in leadership roles by portraying them in demeaning and highly sexualized ways. The screening will take place on March 26th at 7pm in the Sanctuary as part of Social Justice Week, with a discussion and reflection to follow. The reality is that women make up 51% of the United States yet only 17% of seats in the House of Representatives. Come to the screening and learn what you can do to change this.
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Opinion
The Chronicle
March 13, 2012
Volume 80 Issue 25
How NOLA Changed My Life By GIGI DIFFENBACK Contributing Writer Margret Mead once said “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” This past week, sophomore Natish Davis and I had the pleasure to lead a group of 11 students to New Orleans, Louisiana for Alternative Spring Break. The week was spent working in the Lower Ninth Ward with an organization called lowernine.org. We worked on roof tops, worked in gardens, painted on extension ladders, tore down walls, and helped rebuild a community. When we first arrived, I did not know what to expect. It being my second time in New Orleans, I wondered if anything had changed. I hoped that I would see more houses, more children playing in the street and more people around in general. I was disappointed to find out it looks practically the same as it did last year, with the exception of a few new foundations being put up. I knew we were going to have a busy week ahead of us. We took on many projects during our time with lowernine.org.
One project was going to two different farms in the Lower Ninth called “Lamanche Community Farm” and “Blair Grocer.” We rotated going to the farms throughout the week and performed various projects. Community Service Director Ken Scott got really into at Lamanche; he weed-wacked all week long! The farms are a great thing to have in the Lower Ninth community because there are no fresh grocery stores there. The produce grown at the farms are sold at farmers markets around the community. Another project was working on two houses. One belonged to
I hoped that I would see more houses, more children playing in the street and more people in general. I was disappointed. a man named Conrad and another belonged to a woman named Brenda. The students that worked on Conrad’s house, with beloved lowernine.org volunteer Darren, were determined to finish their projects of redoing the roof and
tearing doing the siding of the house. I was so proud of their progress throughout the week. They were pros at climbing ladders, hammering, and using crowbars by the end of the week. The roofers worked hard, too. If you ever need to get your roof redone, our 2012 NOLA team will know how to do it. I had the pleasure to work on Ms. Brenda’s house along with 7 other participants. Ms. Brenda had raised her children in the Lower Ninth. After losing her husband in late 2004, Ms. Brenda lost everything else in Hurricane Katrina eight months later. After being traumatized by the event and leaving, she decided to come back to the Lower Ninth when the Saints won the Superbowl. She told us that she missed having the football parties at her house and needed to come back. Unfortunately, her attempt at coming back home was halted when an unscrupulous contractor took about $125,000 from Ms. Brenda after breaking ground on her new home and never returning. Lowernine.org heard of Ms. Brenda’s story and took over construction using grant money. St. Rose volunteers helped put up siding and
KAYLA GERMAIN
Gigi Diffenback (bottom left) with Ms. Brenda and some volunteers of lowernine.org.
paint the house from top to bottom. At the end of the week, St. Rose volunteers presented Ms. Brenda and Lamanche Farm with a flowering shrub as a token of
They were pros at climbing ladders, hammering, and using crowbars by the end of the week... If you ever need to get your roof re-done, our 2012 NOLA team will know how to do it. our love for them. We were also given a tour of the Lowe Ninth Ward from Darren, who lived there all his life. It was very eyeopening to see the damage that is still present in the Lower Ninth Ward. Did you know that there is only one school in the Lower Ninth and it is a charter school, so not every child can get in? The trip was not all work, though. We were able to experience true New Orleans culture by hitting up Frenchmen Street to see some authentic New Orleans jazz, trying alligator and crawfish, and roaming the French
Quarter to complete a scavenger hunt. All in all, a good time was had by everyone. It is hard to express the emotions felt on the trip while writing this. I cannot capture the feelings everyone went through, so I will just say that it was life changing for everyone. There is so much destruction in our world that people do not see. It is not only New Orleans, but the path of the recent tornadoes, earthquakes that have devastated different places, and of course, hurricane damage. So as I sit here still trying to get the various colors of paint out of my hair, I hope for only one thing: that people do not forget about New Orleans, Indiana, Missouri, Prattsville, Middleburg, Japan, Haiti, and everywhere in between that has seen devastation. Just because a significant amount of time has passed does not mean these places have recovered. It may not be on the news or in any media, but there is still devastation in many parts of the world. The 2012 Alternative Spring Break trip to New Orleans is just one reminder that we thoughtful, committed citizens can change our world because frankly, it is the only thing that has.
GIGI DIFFENBACK
Ms. Brenda’s house after the Alternative Spring Break. Volunteers painted it a dark blue.
March 13, 2012
Volume 80 Issue 25
Opinion
Stop Kony, But Under Different Leadership By ZACHARY OLSAVICKY Staff Writer The advents of high-speed Internet and user-generated content websites like Facebook and YouTube have dramatically changed the way information is disseminated. Acquiring some 40 million hits in three days, ‘Kony 2012’ is a prime example of the power individuals have in creating viral sensations using these tools. But unlike other overnight hits with trite meaning and little value, this video has true social purpose: a call for the arrest of Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Central Africa. But with the rapid spread of information comes the equal opportunity for the spread of misinformation, and Invisible Children, the nonprofit group that produced the video, have significant organizational flaws that bring into question their capacity to advance the cause they so vocally support. Look beyond the polished video to the core operations of the organization and it becomes increasingly difficult to see them as fit to lead this cause. Invisible Children’s self-described approach to defeating the LRA is flawed—they divvy their funding equally in three areas: filming the Lord’s Resistance Army and “touring these films around the world,” creating advocacy campaigns, and providing direct aid programs in “LRA-affected areas.” By directing only one-third of funds to direct aid, they undermine support for the very issues they seek to solve. While the organization has limited financial resources compared to groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, it does not justify their questionable spending habits. Additionally, some of the attitudes displayed by the group’s leaders raise questions about their level of focus in the movement. This is perhaps summarized best with a photograph of Invisible Children’s leaders posing with
weapons belonging to the Sudan People’s Liberation Front. On their website, founder Jason Russell describes it as a “joke photo” intended for family and friends and implicitly defends it by asserting Kony’s continued interest in killing. The founders can at the very least be culpable of poor taste, but the nonchalant attitude towards making a joke about their preferred method of action brings into question the degree to which they are focused on making change.
Raising awareness is a key component of fostering social change, but the way in which the organization presents solutions to the problem underestimate the challenges involved. One of Invisible Children’s primary missteps is in its support of the Ugandan People’s Defense Force. The organization insists that Uganda’s army is “better equipped than…the other affected countries” to fight the LRA. If this assessment is true, than the struggle to defeat the LRA is more difficult than presented. Foreign Affairs describes the Ugandan government’s response as “shocking,” which included the relocation of residents in Northern Uganda to “what were essentially concentration camps.” The magazine also criticized the Ugandan army for aggressive strategies that “have not prioritized civilian protection,” which undermines their insistence upon direct military intervention. In the video, an ac-
tivist asserts that the primary goal should be to arrest Kony, and to then address problems as they arose. This strategy was utilized against Saddam Hussein in the War in Iraq, and while Invisible Children does not lie in order to advance their cause, this plan of action is ineffective and creates a breadth of problems in its own right. To defeat the LRA requires a comprehensive policy broad set of services—security, health care, education, food security, and government stability—that Invisible Children cannot accomplish on its own. But by partnering with other organizations, such as Africare, Human Rights Watch, and Somaly Mam, these problems can be overcome—much in the same way the group promotes the collective power of individuals. But with that great number of people comes the risk of great inactivity. By their nature as a media-centric organization, Invisible Children engages in a pernicious form of social activism where very simple activities constitute an appropriate level of participation. Raising awareness is a key component of fostering social change, but the way in which the organization presents solutions to the problem underestimate the challenges involved. Relief work is not a popularity contest. It cannot be achieved through sharing a video, changing your profile picture on Facebook or “re-tweeting” someone with the promise of a charitable donation or buying an “action kit.” This armchair activism only drains precious resources needed to fight Joseph Kony and similar forces of evil around the world. In order to defeat the LRA and create stability in the areas it has ravaged, activists will need to find organizations with plans of action that will create feasible, sustainable change. Invisible Children is not one of those organizations, and while it is commendable for raising awareness, its current state prevents that support from extending any further.
The Chronicle
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The Positivity Corner The Secret Eater
By REGINA IANNIZZOTTO Opinion Editor
According to naturalwellnesscare.com: • 80% of Americans stated that the economy is a significant cause of stress. • 62% of Americans say work has a significant impact on their stress levels. • One in four workers has taken a mental health day off from work to cope with stress. • 48% reported overeating or eating unhealthy foods to manage stress, while one in four skipped a meal in the last month because of stress. Another major effect of stress can be holding secrets and feelings within you and building them up inside of you. One of the worst things a person can do is keep things hidden within them. One obvious way to relieve the stress for pent up feelings and secrets is to tell someone. A friend, family member, therapist, etc. For those who feel uncomfortable verbally revealing whatever is holding you down, Outside the [Box] has come up with a solution. The Secret Eater is a great way to anonymously say what is on your mind. You can put in anything you would like. It could be something silly, like “I love chocolate cookies.” It could be
something a little more serious. It is completely up to you and how you feel at the moment. The Secret Eater has been at numerous events and will be showing its face again at the Outside the [Box] Carnival on March 26 in Saint Joseph Hall Auditorium. Here are some of the secrets that the secret eater ate at the table outside of Camelot. These are completely anonymous. --I <3 my BIFFA O.5. --Ke$ha is my homeboy :) --I love hanging things in Massry! --I killed Greg Hunt. --I have no life. --I want to marry my bf. --I like chocolate milk in my cereal. --I have a crush on my boss. --I hate my mother and I feel guilty about it --I know what you did last night... and I DON'T approve. --I'm so forgetful :( --John MacDonald is the most creative person I know. I envy him. --Maggie Moran loves puppies and bikes with horns. I hope you can join us at the carnival and relieve some stress. Remember that Outside the [Box] meetings are Mondays at 8 in Albertus 211. We are always looking for new members.
COURTESY OF SARAH ABELSON
The Secret Eater is rather cute, don’t you think?
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The Chronicle
Opinion
March 13, 2012
Volume 80 Issue 25
A Lookback at Strose
Girl in Dorm: “For some reason, I keep thinking no one sees me behind these glasses.” Girl in Dorm: “Imagine if I were trilingual? I’d speak Italian, Spanish and American.” Friend: “You mean English?” Girl: “Yeah, that one.” Girl in Dining Hall: “Us Americans procrastinate so much, we’re already a day behind Australia.” Girl in Dining Hall: “I’m my own best audience.”
Girl in Dorm: “We’re going to London. We’re going to boogie on Big Ben.”
Girl in Dining Hall: “And you wonder why people stare at you.” SAINT ROSE ARCHIVES
The Rambler was the student publication prior to an actual student newspaper. It did have a bit of news, but had more literary works, such as poems, short stories, artwork (all by students). Regardless, it is considered the “student newspaper” from 1928 to 1935. In 1936 The Rambler was joined by The Arrow, the first true student newspaper, in format and function. continued on until 1973. (Information courtesy of Reference Librarian Maria Kessler McShane)
A Look Back at Strose... The Chronicle began “A Look Back at Strose”. If you have any pictures of Albany or Saint Rose that you would like published from ten years ago or before, send them (with the location and date) to chronicle@strose.edu!
Girl in Dining Hall: “You can never go wrong with packaged cookies.”
Girl in CCIM: “She likes my status and people see it, like my great aunt Lois from Ohio.” Guy in Dining Hall: “I want elevator shoes to come back.” Girl: “Why do we let him speak?”
Girl in Dining Hall about snow: “It’s like Narnia out there!” Girl in Dining Hall: “What year was Google invented?” Guy: “I don’t know. Google it.” Girl in Library: “I’m a gargoyle!” *climbs on chairs*
March 13, 2012
Sports
Volume 80 Issue 25
The Chronicle
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Golden Knights Makes Comeback to Defeat Franklin Pierce By JACKSON WANG Sports Editor The Saint Rose men’s lacrosse team was tested early on this season facing two nationally ranked opponents, #6 Le Moyne and runner-up of the 2011 national championship Adelphi who is ranked second. After falling behind early 5-0 after the first quarter against Le Moyne, the Golden Knights couldn’t make the comeback. Against Adelphi, the Golden Knights were down 6-1 after the first quarter but rallied to make it a game. Yet, the Golden Knights comeback wasn’t enough to put off the upset against Adelphi. On Friday, the Golden Knights found themselves in a similar position after the first quarter being down 5-1, but this time the outcome would be different. The Golden Knights were
COURTESY OF SAINT ROSE SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE
Senior midfielder Joe Pompo scored two goals against the Ravens. down 7-1 in the second quarter before beginning their tremendous comeback to upend NE-10 opponent Franklin Pierce 10-9 to get the program’s first victory. Freshman attack Kevin Fleming struck first for the Golden
Knights six minutes into the game to lead 1-0. Franklin Pierce would not go away early. The Ravens went on to score the next seven goals before senior midfielder Joe Pompo scored the second goal of the game for the Golden Knights
Any Takers for Manning? By JOSHUA NATOLI Staff Writer A saddened Peyton Manning on the brink of tears approached the podium at the Indianapolis Colts press conference Wednesday to address what everyone had been skeptical of for months. The Colts and owner Jim Irsay decided to release their Super Bowl champion quarterback after fourteen seasons, including last year’s 2-14 debacle without Manning. As Manning spoke, you could tell he was not the same man. With broken speech and glossy eyes, Manning expressed the joy he has had playing with the Colts for so many years. “Nobody loves their job more than I do. Nobody loves playing quarterback more than I do. I still want to play. But there is no other team I wanted to play for,” said Manning. If Manning wants to continue to play football, it will have to be with another team. The release had nothing to do with the $28 million bonus the Colts owed
Manning, but more of the rebuilding process Indianapolis hopes to undergo. Being the recipient of the first overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, the Colts are given the choice between two fresh-outof-college quarterbacks: Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and Baylor Quarterback Robert Griffin III. The release allows Manning to begin talks and sign with any team immediately, without having to wait for the next free agent period. Many teams will be chomping at the bit to make offers to the soon to be 36 year old, even though Manning is coming off of numerous neck surgeries. The biggest players in the Manning sweepstakes seem to be the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, and the New York Jets. The Miami Dolphins would seem like a good spot for Manning to land with a team on the rise with great receivers. Colts
wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who will become an unrestricted free agent Tuesday, has even spoken about Manning and himself joining current Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall in Miami.
Many teams will be chomping at the bit to make offers to the soon to be 36 year old, even though Manning is coming off of numerous neck surgeries. At first glimpse, the Dolphins seem like a good spot for Manning to land a lot of salary cap room and good receiving are signs of that, but the Dolphins already have a solid quarterback in Matt Moore. If the comeback during the second half of last season is any indication of how the Dolphins will fair in years to come, I
with nine minutes to go in the second quarter. Pompo’s goal would start a second quarter rally that ignited five consecutive goals by the Golden Knights to make the score 7-6 at halftime. Franklin Pierce would strike first in the third quarter with a goal by Jack Corts to make the score 8-6. Five minutes later, the Golden Knights would answer back with an unassisted goal by freshman attack Even Helming to bring the Golden Knights within one. Franklin Pierce would cushion the lead with another goal with just under six minutes to play in the third quarter, but the Golden Knights were determined to stay in this game. With just under two minutes to go in the third quarter, the Golden Knights tied the game at 9-9 with goals scored by freshmen midfielder Kris Miller and
Fleming. In the fourth quarter, the Golden Knights took their first lead of the game with a goal by sophomore attack Brett McAuliffe with an assist by Miller to lead 10-9 with just under 12 minutes to play. The Golden Knights would go on to play great defense for the next 12 minutes to hold on for the 10-9 win. A big part of the strong defense was because of sophomore goalie Nick Longo. Longo recorded 15 saves, nine of those saves came in the second half where the Ravens only scored twice. The Saint Rose men’s lacrosse team will be in Worcester, MA this Wednesday to take on Assumption at 7:00 p.m. On Tuesday March 20, the Golden Knights will host their inaugural game at Sullivan Field against Dominican College at 5:00 p.m.
would say leave Manning. The Arizona Cardinals are another team looking to get back to the top with Manning’s help. Looking to get back to the Super Bowl, the Cardinals hope Manning will be the veteran quarterback to lead their team, much like Kurt Warner did in 2009. The Cardinals already have one of the best receivers the NFL has to offer in Larry Fitzgerald, but the quarterback spot is already owned to Kevin Kolb. The lack of cap space also makes Arizona a tight fit. The Washington Redskins could also use some help at quarterback. In the past few weeks, the Redskins were looking to trade up for the St. Louis Ram’s second pick in the draft. With Manning now a free agent, that does not seem to be the plan. With a lot of cap room and a solid tight end in Fred Davis, the Redskins are primed to make Manning an offer. The Seattle Seahawks have been looking for a solid quarterback ever since they experimented with Tavaris Jackson. Although the Seahawks have had defensive end and free agent Ma-
rio Williams on their radar, they would rather have the upgrade at the quarterback slot. With Marshawn Lynch running the ball, having Manning in Seattle would develop quite an offensive presence. Talks about Manning heading to the Jets last year seemed so far-fetched. Now that Manning is a free agent those talks have now become reality, and also Manning’s best destination. Manning could bring the Jets the offense they desperately need, while giving current quarterback Mark Sanchez much needed development and mentoring. The Jets’ defense is in no need of help without question. Add Manning to the offensive scheme and the Jets will be firing on all cylinders. A good veteran quarterback like Manning is all this team needs to finally make Rex Ryan’s Super Bowl promises a reality. There is no doubt that Manning’s legacy will be seen in a Colts helmet. Although Manning did not want it to end this way, he will be strapping on a new helmet next season, it is just a matter of what logo is on it.
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Sports
The Chronicle
March 13, 2012
Volume 80 Issue 25
Golden Knights Express Optimism Following Florida Series The team had a 0-2 start, but ended above .500 and stole 20 bases
By ZACHARY OLSAVICKY Staff Writer Spring Break is a time when most students unwind and enjoy a few days off. Traveling south remains a prime choice for students, with the allure of Florida beaches, theme parks, spring training, and a break from the chill of winter. For the Saint Rose baseball team, spring training was the event of choice, but not for the purpose of relaxing. “Pretty much a business trip” was how first-year head coach Chris Francis described the team’s week over spring break as they played in the Palm Beach Challenge in Southern Florida. The team finished with a 6-5 record over the seven day, elevengame tournament, which served as the first games played by the team this season and a warm-up to the start of the regular season the following week. The tournament started out on a sour note with a pair of losses to #25 Nova Southeastern, already in the midst of its regular season. However, the team followed up with a string of five wins over the next four days, outscoring their opponents by a combined score
of 37 to 25. The team did falter towards the end of the tournament with three losses in their last four games, including a pair of losses on the final day of the tournament. Francis cited the long week as the source
Francis cited the long week as the source of the team’s late struggles, saying, that fatigue “got the better of us.” of the team’s late struggles, saying, that fatigue “got the better of us.” Except for a light workout on the Friday that the team arrived in Florida, the team spent the bulk of their time playing games, with “not a lot of time for sightseeing” in the words of Francis. Still, Francis called the week “outstanding” overall, saying that he was pleased with the team’s ability to come back from the 0-2 start and finish above .500. Out-
side of a veteran rotation, many of the team’s starters are new to everyday roles, and Francis was pleased with how they were able to come back. When asked about the team’s biggest improvements, Francis focused on the big picture, saying the tournament helped the team learn to “grind out a nine-inning ballgame” and secure wins in late innings. The team’s pitchers earned high praise from both Francis and position players. Senior centerfielder Nikko Wahl described the pitching as “really good,” and Francis said one of the keys to their turnaround was some “strong pitching.” Mack Naughton, a right-handed sophomore, said it felt “really good to get back on the mound and chase hitters.” Naughton’s week began with an unexpected spot start as a teammate fell ill, but he expressed satisfaction with his week, finishing with a win, loss, and save. Francis did look to closing out innings as one area for improvement for pitchers, saying that the team gave out “a lot of two-out walks” and needed to “continue to attack the strike zone” late in
innings to alleviate the problem. One facet that earned high praise from Francis was the team’s “extreme hustle.” He gave high marks to the team for its ability to “run around and create some havoc,” as the team stole 20 bases in the tournament.
[Francis] gave high marks to the team for its ability to “run around and create some havoc,” as the team stole 20 bases in the tournament. “That’s how we’re going to have to do it. We’ve got to force the issue and be aggressive,” said Francis, adding that it helps make the offense “more dynamic.” He added, “we can’t just sit around and wait for a three-run home run,” saying that the team would “stay aggressive on the bases” as a catalyst for the offense. Players were keen to point out
a strong defensive performance by the team, with Naughton described the defense as “100 times better” than it was during the tournament last year, and Wahl said the defense was “there” when it needed to be. Heading into their first regular season games against Post and Nyack this week, Francis described the start to the season as a “very strong test” but expressed confidence in the team’s ability to compete, saying that they would continue to “build loyalty” and develop character. Players also expressed confidence heading into the week. Wahl felt the team was “probably one of the better squads” to play for Saint Rose in recent years, and that they “feel like (they) have a really good chance” at competing. Naughton described himself as “excited” and “pretty confident” heading into the regular season. Left fielder Caleb Gleason was hopeful that the losses at the end of the week “won’t hurt (their) confidence in future games,” saying that the team “can’t wait to get back on the field.”
Athletic Events for the Week Wednesday: Softball vs. Post at 2:30 p.m.
Thursday: Baseball at Post at 3 p.m.
Men’s Lacrosse at Assumption at 7 p.m.
Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving NCAA Championships in Mansfield, TX March 14, 15, 16, and 17