Volume 121 Issue 12 Thursday, January 22, 2015
Staff writer Ariana Simpson examines the emotions and histoy behind the Civil Rights Movement in response to the new film ‘Selma.’ page 9
Page 2 • NEWS
Thursday, January 22, 2015 Leicester, England Brussels, Belgium
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Leicester, England British Mars lander Beagle2 was discovered on the surface of Mars nearly 12 years after losing contact with it. The robot was successfully launched in 2003 and was supposed to land on the neighboring planet on Christmas Day of the same year but contact was lost. It was only through satellite imaging that the robot was finally spotted this month. Pictures reveal that the robot did not fully deploy because of malfunctions in a solar panel, and data therefore cannot be collected from the $85 million piece of technology. Brussels, Belgium Following a series of anti-terror raids, Belgian police
have arrested five suspects and left two others dead. Those arrested are accused of having ties to Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, the brothers responsible for the Charlie Hebdo killings, and Amedy Coulibaly, who incited terror in a kosher market in Paris. Police in France and Germany also arrested suspects thought to have ties to terrorism. Evidence taken in on these raids, particularly in Germany, pointed to future attacks on European soil with the Berlin suspects having ties to extremist group ISIS, or Islamic State, in Syria.” Washington, D.C. British Prime Minister David Cameron and President Obama announced that the Unit-
ed Kingdom and United States would carry out “war game” cyber-attacks on each other as part of a new initiative to combat cyberterrorism. The two heads of state met in the nation’s capital to discuss cyber security and counterterrorism. The British government is seeking to have a greater exchange of information between the two countries and better preparedness in the face of the newer threat of cyber-attacks. The exercises will involve cooperation between “cyber cells” in the FBI and MI5, marking the first time the United Kingdom has carried out such a program with another nation. Beijing, China The smog levels in Chi-
na have once more soared to a dangerously unhealthy level, prompting outcry from public health organizations and action from the Chinese government. The World Health Organization recommends a maximum of 20 micrograms per cubic meter of particulate matter for optimum air quality. Levels in the Chinese capital city reached 568 mpc, causing local health authorities to advise residents to wear face masks and avoid outdoor activities. The Chinese government vowed to decrease air pollution after readings hit 886 mpc in 2013. After this most recent spike they have halted the construction of new cement, steel, oil-refining and thermal power plants.
France falls victim to terrorism Lauren Waymire Content Advisor
Cover Art Designed By: Kayla Powers ‘17
Despite what many may have hoped for, the New Year brought in tragedy before many could finish packing away their 2014 holiday decorations. The city of Paris, France, was thrown into fear and sadness after twelve people lost their lives and several others were injured at a French publication. Two masked gunman by the names of Chérif and Saïd Kouachi walked into the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a week-
ly satirical newspaper founded in 1970, and began shooting. They ultimately killed 12 and injured 11. They proclaimed after leaving the building that they had avenged Muhammad and “killed Charlie Hebdo.” The French publication had long been known for controversial depictions of the Prophet Muhammad as well as religious figures from other faiths. The brothers managed to escape the building and led police on a two-day manhunt that culminated in a hostage cri-
sis not far from the Charles de Gaulle Airport, France’s largest international airport, which resulted in the closure of two runways. Chérif and Saïd were killed after a lengthy standoff on January 9. Both had been on American no-fly lists as well as terrorism watch-lists for sending fighters to face U.S. forces in Iraq. On the same day that the Kouachi brothers were caught and killed, another terrorist took to a kosher market in Paris and gunned down four civilians. The three gunmen were all linked to
the Yemen branch of Al-Qaeda, which ultimately claimed responsibility for the attacks. The attacks did more than remind the Western world that religious extremism is still very present, but also instilled fear in traditionally Jewish enclaves in Europe; thousands of police were dispersed throughout France in the following weeks to Jewish neighborhoods, schools, and synagogues to ensure security and peace of mind for the group that had been simultaneously targeted on the terror spree.
Page 3 • OPINION
Thursday, January 22, 2015
MLK image sugarcoating radicalism? Staff writer Peter Ruiz shares his opinion on the need to decentralize the civil rights movement from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peter Ruiz Staff Writer Martin Luther King Jr. was a great man with a great vision. He sought to create an equitable world in which race was not a factor in human worth. But the real MLK is not the same one we learned about in school. He has become a white-washed and more palatable version of his true self. This historical figure was a socialist and more radical than history books love to portray. But we need to decenter from MLK, not only so that we can we get back to his radical roots, but to also spotlight other great civil rights leaders. If you were schooled in the United States, you heard tales of MLK, Rosa Parks, some Malcolm X, and possibly Stokely Carmichael. But how many folks have heard of James Baldwin? Not very many. He was a black, queer man who brought both novels and an intersectional approach to the Civil Rights Movement. How about Fred Hampton, a leading member of the Black Panthers? The list of unsung heroes of the civil rights movements goes on and on. The thing these leaders have in common is that the media cannot find a way to whitewash or pacify their images to make them more palatable to White America. The story of Rosa Parks is a perfect example of the pacification and reshaping of the Civil Rights Movement. The history we are taught in school is that she was an older woman who was tired after work and refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus. This story is incomplete; Rosa Parks was a trained activist. Rosa Parks was the secretary for the Montgomery Chapter of the NAACP. Before her defining act of defiance on a bus in Montgomery, she had attended the Highlander Folk School, a Tennessee center for training activists for workers’ rights and racial equality. This creates a different slant from what we know of Rosa Parks
based on history books. Dr. King’s story has also been changed. One of the major things to note about MLK was his anti-capitalist rhetoric. He read Marx and believed in dissolving the capitalist economic structure that the United States and the Western world has built up. He espoused the belief that capitalism was part of the violence of the system and was a tool in perpetuating racism. How much of that rhetoric is used when talking about MLK during celebrations of his life? Not much, if any. The changes to the radicalism of Dr. King make him a more palatable figure to White America, a community which has never truly been able to accept figures who seek to destroy inequality-perpetuating systems. The government has admitted, through a civil trial on behalf of Coretta Scott King, that they had King assassinated. They took their murder of King a step further by changing his legacy to fit their needs. King is now used as a champion of nonviolence and as a way to silence today’s modern, radical black activists. Just look at the way many media sources and government officials quoted King as a way of trying to quell the Ferguson protesters. In response to them, many activists pulled out this King quote: “A riot is the language of the unheard.” This is just one example of the MLK that the government and white supremacist structures do not want the people to listen to. Most of the need to decenter from MLK is actually to get back to what Dr. King was actually about. Media and this holiday has sought to pacify MLK, make him more palatable to white folks, and rewrite the history of the civil rights movements. By moving away from the Reverend’s image and speaking about the radicals of the Civil Rights Movement we can actually spotlight how radical he was; by moving away from MLK we can actually get back to him.
Transgender teen tragedy fuels change The suicide and story of transgender teen Leelah Alcorn has provided a platform for transgender individuals to share their story. Hannah Powell Writer This month has seen a flood of controversy, tragedy, and small victories regarding the transgender community and human rights at large. Society is still reeling from the suicide of a 17 year old transgender girl, born “Josh” Alcorn and self-christened Leelah Alcorn, who took her own life on December 28 by stepping into oncoming traffic. She left behind her blog, a suicide note, her hopes for the future, and an incredible legacy. In the weeks following Leelah’s suicide, the world has witnessed a shift in the discourse surrounding the transgender community and transgender youth in particular. While there remains a widespread plague of ignorance and intolerance surrounding the issue of LGBTQ+ rights, Leelah’s death has sparked international discussion and a climate of change, empathy, and compassion for the trans community that has never before existed on such a large scale. Much of the controversy surrounding Leelah’s death has settled upon the actions of her parents, who isolated her from social media and friends when she made the decision to come out as gay at her school and dismissed her when she made attempts to come out to them as transgender. A deeply Christian and conservative family, the Alcorns enrolled their daughter in conversion therapy to treat what they saw as an illness. In response to the criticism and condemnation the family has faced for their actions leading up to Leelah’s suicide, Julia Kurtz, a past teacher of Leelah’s, said in an interview with People magazine: “I don’t know that there are sides to be taken, other than the death of a child is just devastating.” The truth is, Leelah’s death should not be reduced to taking sides. Her decision to take her own life and the actions of her parents are not matters of good and evil, but of understanding, and a crucial lack of it. She certainly suffered emotional abuse and neglect at the hands of her conservative parents, but the root of the problem exists on an
infinitely larger scale. The truth is that the Alcorns’ persistent misgendering and dismissal of their daughter even after her death are not acts of intentional violence or malice, but bred of ignorance. “We don’t support that, religiously,” Alcorn’s mother shared in an interview with CNN, “[but] people need to know that I loved him. He was a good kid, a good boy.” The Alcorns are not monsters, nor is their refusal to accept the reality of their child’s transgender identity rare. However, every time Leelah’s parents discuss her death using male pronouns, they are inadvertently revealing a horrifying truth: they, along with many others, express a greater respect for their dead son than they ever did for their living transgender daughter. Leelah’s suicide was the result of a profoundly sick society that continues to breed intolerance and hatred, and her family’s beliefs and actions were a product of that intolerance. In the blog post serving as her last words, Leelah wrote, “My death needs to mean something. . . Fix society. Please.” Indeed, society owes the transgender community an insurmountable debt. A 2011 study by the National Center for Transgender Equality found that 41% of 6,450 responding transgender and gender nonconforming people had attempted suicide. Leelah’s story is just one of many, but it has provided a platform for the stories of other transgender individuals to be shared—stories that have long been ignored by the media. Too many transgender women and men have suffered incidences of isolation, rape, ridicule, murder, and suicide; regardless of how she felt at the time of her death, Leelah has never been alone. In honor of her memory, we must also never forget names like Islan Nettles, Alejandra Leos, Nizah Morris, Tiffany Edwards, Zoraida Reyes, Brandon Teena, and Yaz’min Shancez. The transgender community does not share a single race, socio-economic class, religion, gender, or ethnicity. It is a community composed of tragedies and hardship, and a com-
The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect those of The Sandspur, its staff or Rollins College.
munity defined by its beauty and perseverance against all odds. Leelah’s death has meant something; her identity and struggles as a transgender individual have inspired a tidal wave of action in her name: #LeelahAlcorn and #RIPLeelah, trending tags on Twitter, have cracked the internet wide open as a platform for the world to express their grief and support for the transgender community and for others like Leelah to share their stories. A California-based initiative called “The Leelah Project” works to provide transgender individuals with care packages to suit their identity when they may not have the money or the access to acquire the appropriate clothing or supplies themselves and has raised $13,496 in just 16 days. A multitude of petitions and initiatives have sprung up regarding “Leelah’s Law,” an effort to pass legislation banning transgender conversion therapy. Transparent, a digital network series about a transgendered woman coming out to her family and children in her later years, won the Golden Globe last week for “Best TV Comedy or Musical,” marking a huge victory for trans visibility in pop culture. In the creator Jill Soloway’s acceptance speech, she expressed her grief and love for the transgender community, and she dedicated the award to the memory of Leelah Alcorn. Soloway’s closing lines expressed the ardent hope that greater representation of transgender individuals, and the brave words of people like Leelah, had the capability to teach the world “something about authenticity, truth, and love.” Leelah’s life was not in vain, nor was she defined by her death. Leelah Alcorn was so much more than a martyr; she was a talented artist, a good student, and a stunning voice for the transgender community in life as well as in death. Leelah will not be forgotten, and no longer will the conversation revolving around trans rights be hushed or taboo. The world is changing, and I only wish that Leelah could see what her bravery and openness inspired. Rest In Power, Leelah.
Page 4 • OPINION
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Branching away from breakup blues Columnist offers his thoughts and experience with learning to rediscover oneself in the wake of romantic failure. David Matteson
Editor-in-Chief
It was 46 degrees the night he left. And while many of you are returning from winter vacations in locations with temperatures far lower than that, 46 degrees is enough to freeze a native Floridian to the core. While the details of our breakup were many and complicated, the gist of the story was the same as any end to a relationship—we kept things from each other and we now needed to rediscover who we are as individuals. It has been over a month since he packed his things and left my home, taking with him our dog and the life we had once shared. After the difficult passing of this short amount of time, I am finally able to carefully write about the process of rediscovering myself in the wake of romantic failure. It is true that breaking up is never an easy thing to do, and while that clichéd mantra holds some form of validity there are ways I stifled the emotional pain of losing someone so close to me. Only a few weeks after the breakup, I found myself returning to a pattern I have consistently fallen into in past periods of singlehood—casual flings with dull and disastrous men, replacing meals with packs of cigarettes, and evening outings tainted with increased alcohol abuse. And as I returned to this pattern, I justified these habits by irrational calls of reclaiming my identity at a young and (stereotypically) tumultuous age. After all, isn’t 21 supposed to be absolutely fabulous? And while this return to past habits made me appear put to-
gether and confident on the outside, I knew that this was just an easy way of numbing the pain I felt on the inside. I watched from the sidelines as my former partner made the more difficult decision of choosing to rapidly change his lifestyle and pursue a healthier way of living. We had broken up on the grounds of hoping to change our individual lives—he set himself on a path to achieve this goal, while I continued to pursue the life I had always known. Though I may have failed to achieve a completely changed lifestyle, I am different in so many ways since the breakup. I have learned to celebrate the small changes and the subtle differences in life choices that will hopefully stimulate a larger transformation to come. So as you embark on a change in patterns and routine following a breakup, take these fragmented thoughts into account. Choose a date and way to say goodbye: While a breakup means saying goodbye to an actual person, it also entails saying goodbye to something much more difficult to shake: coupledom. So even after you have had your last physical embrace, you will also need to say goodbye to a past life—a process that you have to do on your own and without the guidance of your former partner. My way of saying goodbye entailed a pilgrimage. On a brisk day I travelled alone to Bok Tower Gardens located about an hour outside of Orlando. Over a year ago, when we were still in the early stage of romantic development, he and I had travelled there for a weekend away. Carved on a table located deep within the
gardens are our initials—a ro- while you should seek the love mantic gesture and clichéd totem and attention of your friends and of our love that I needed to redis- family, you should also recogcover and now lay to rest on my nize that they are not your emoown. I sat at this spot, reflecting tional crutch or life counselors. on our love and the life we forIn order to preserve the remerly shared. The gardens are lationships you have with those filled with natural beauty, and closest to you, it is important to for me this location holds even recognize that you should not greater personal significance— overly burden them with the ismy parents were married here sues you are facing on your own. and I find solace in their love and Seek advice, but do not expect commitment to one another. It them to orchestrate and plan was here that I made promises your new single life. There are to myself, and I finally was able on campus counseling resources to say goodbye to the comforting available to us as students, and safety of our these are the now past love. trained people Everyone you should says goodbye seek out as While I do admit in his or her you attempt own way. I that I have returned to make new know some life choices. to a pattern of who block his If one-on-one or her former nseling living indicative of ciso unot lover’s numyour ber or send my past single life, I thing, there him or her a are also local also recognize that groups such as final letter. Some simply change takes time. Codependents box away the Anonymous photographs who may help and memories you find comof a once shared life, or even fort along your quest for new, throw these totems away. While healthy, and loving relationthe methods may vary, the trick ships. is to let go once you have firmly Make your space your own said goodbye—clinging to a past again: For those of you who have life is in no way a healthy means shared a living space with your of existence. past partner, it is difficult to not Your friends and family are be overwhelmed by the emonot your therapists, but you will tional past housed within your need them: I am in no way sug- home. After he left, I needed to gesting that you should not turn leave my home for a period of to your friends and family fol- time in order to properly establowing heartbreak. Immediately lish new patterns of living. When after the breakup I needed my I did return, I set out the lofty best friends to care for me; I also goal of redecorating and orgareturned to my parent’s home for nizing the space tainted with the a few weeks of relaxing and re- memories of our past. membering my roots. However, I started with cleaning out
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The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect those of The Sandspur, its staff or Rollins College.
everything: scraping through the layers of material items that belonged to our life and storing them away. I re-evaluated everything I owned and worked on buying new items that would be mine and not his. My bedding, for example, had to go; I could not bear the memory of our past sex life. I also changed the artwork I displayed, choosing to surround myself with ideas that were inspiring to me. It was an effort to recommit my space, but it was also a comforting distraction to shop and redesign my living space—slowly I was beginning to forget him. Learn to lock your own doors: While I do admit that I have returned to a pattern of living indicative of my past single life, I also recognize that change takes time. After he left, I needed to form new routines and patterns. I took these changes day by day. It starts with small variances in habit: I had to learn to lock my own doors at night and wash my own dishes, two seemingly simple tasks I had designated to him for so long. And while you may be like me, falling back to old routines that are not necessarily healthy lifestyle choices, you should take comfort in the fact that these are your own decisions. Of course, these patterns are a way of stifling the pain, but eventually we all find new means of living on our own—and hopefully you reach a point where you choose a lifestyle that is both physically and emotionally healthy. I will always remember how cold it was the night he left. But as the brief Florida winter gives way to temperatures in the seventies, my heart is slowly starting to thaw.
Page 5 • OPINION
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Freshman reveals ‘real’ rush Writer Sarajane explains her decision to join a sorority and describes her rush week experience. Sarajane Renfroe
Writer
I am not the kind of girl to join a sorority. My whole life has been a collage of refusing bras, turning my nose up at nail polish, walking around barefoot, and basking in sunshine and sweat. For these reasons, my decision to go through recruitment was made with hesitations. When my friends found out I was going through recruitment, they were speechless with surprise. Going through the process, I found out that the Rollins recruitment experience is far different than I expected. The first step was an information session, which I could not attend—so I messaged the Vice President of Recruitment. She agreed to meet with me. Our meeting was brief, taking less than an hour, during which she explained the process in simple, easy terms: comply with the dress code, do not talk about booze or boys, and keep an open mind. Cool. So far, so good; I was even surprised by the ease of our discussion and her helpfulness. This interaction was the first marker that perhaps my pursuit of Greek membership was not so far-fetched after all. The next step was a leap: Day One. Dress code: blue jeans and any shirt—we would be
changing into the recruitment long-sleeved shirt anyways. We convened in the Bush Auditorium and mingled in our respective Recruitment Groups until the fun began with the distribution of schedules. On the first day, each girl goes to each house to get a feel for the sorority which could be “home.” This was the exhausting part. Conversation upon conversation upon unending conversation with excited sorority girls all wondering why YOU decided to rush, who YOU are, what is YOUR life story? And yet, despite the exhaustive nature of these interactions, I began to feel an excitement brimming up inside of me. Giddily I traveled from house to house, laughing, smiling, cheeks aching but overall enjoying the process. Day Two: it got real(er). Dress code: “snappy casual” a.k.a. cute but not slutty. We met again in Bush Auditorium and this time received a schedule of only two to four houses to visit. The night before, we chose our top four, and our Day Two route depended on if those houses chose us back. Scary. Actually, it was not bad. Most girls were happy or at peace with their houses, and the pattern continued. Conversations. Chants. Dancing and singing—this night was “Skit Night,” so each house put on an approxi-
mately 15 minute skit for us. Day Three: we only walked the route to one or two houses. The day before we had chosen our top two; if they chose us in return, we went to those houses, otherwise we went to one or two on our “like list” (as opposed to our “love list”). We met, again, in Bush and received our schedules. This time, some girls left—no longer wishing to continue with the process of recruitment. This night was about ceremony; traditions in the sororities which were meant to give potential new members an idea of the depth of the sisterhoods and a chance to engage in meaningful conversation with one sorority woman. So far, my experience had been limited to surface interaction. I had had wonderful conversations, talking about majors and dreams and hobbies, but not until this night did I begin to feel a sense of home. Coming from a previous skeptic impression of the sorority experience, I was extremely surprised at my reaction. It developed from a shallow experience into a meaningful, genuine bond I felt with the women, the house, and the atmosphere. It was not until this night that I found the reason why so many other girls had chosen to join a Greek organization. Oh, I am sure many women came in
with the idea of ragers and opportunities to meet fraternity guys and hopes for heightened social standing, but on this last night I felt something so true that I was convinced of the beauty of such sisterhood. BID Day: made up of screaming and yelling and jumping up and down and sweatiness and meeting dozens of new women whose names I have yet to memorize, but who all welcomed me with open arms and hearts. I was at home among these people. I could have never imagined what I experienced. It was beautiful and exhausting, and it taught me much about myself and the ability of humans to love each other simply and truly because they can. I hope everyone
Daniel Martinez
has a chance to experience such trusting love—imagine a world in which we could all call each other sister, or brother, and decide to love completely. I know there will be much more to my sorority experience—perhaps even my views will eventually change—but I have found insight into the potential of people to love and will value it always.
Professor questions free speech restrictions Maurice O’Sullivan
Professor of English
After the attack on the Parisian offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, much of the world responded by declaring “Je suis Charlie” and “Nous sommes Charlie.” Few events have sparked as much outrage as this attack on what democracies see as a fundamental human right: freedom of speech. In a deliberately provocative piece, David Brooks, the New York Times columnist, argued that the only major American institutions which would proclaim “Je ne suis Charlie” or “Nous ne sommes pas Charlie” are our colleges and universities. Rather than celebrating free expression, Brooks argues, institutions of higher education have increasingly undermined it
over the past two decades with speech codes, anti-harassment regulations, bans on disruptive speech, and anti-discrimination policies. Instead of defending the right to even offensive speech, he contends, universities have done everything possible to squelch it. Brooks’ column raises two key questions. The first is whether he is correct. Do colleges like Rollins create a culture which restricts free speech? The second, of course, is should they? Let us start by recognizing that colleges, as private institutions, have the right to restrict what we say and do. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution only protects our individual freedoms from government interference. Private institutions (e.g., churches or schools) have always had the right to limit what we do or say. While
most of us can understand why a church might regulate what its clergy and members say or do—shouldn’t Pope Francis do something if a bishop argues that Jesus never existed?—should a liberal arts college like Rollins create similar restrictions? All of these issues and questions seem to revolve around a newly discovered right. Over the past few years, more and more college administrators and faculty have begun arguing that people and groups—at least certain people and groups—have the right not to be offended. That right has become more and more entrenched in academic culture. Can anyone imagine what would happen if The Sandspur had published one of Charlie’s truly offensive cartoons? Endless emails and letters would have bombarded the newspaper.
The traditional argument in favor of absolute freedom of speech (i.e., the right to say anything that does not create unnecessary panic such as, in Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes words, “falsely shouting ‘Fire’ in a crowded theater”) is that the only way to reach the truth is in an unrestricted marketplace of ideas. We can only challenge a stupid, racist, or sexist idea if people are allowed to express it. Then we can start the dialogue to help folks realize why the idea is stupid, racist, or sexist. Free speech advocates often argue that discouraging anyone from offering unpopular opinions simply allows those ideas to flourish by making the people who hold them feel like victims and discouraging them from challenging themselves or seek-
The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect those of The Sandspur, its staff or Rollins College.
ing the truth. Doesn’t encouraging and enabling free speech often hurt people’s feelings? Of course. But should our goal as an educational institution be to protect people from being offended by satire and jokes, insults, and stupidity or to teach students—and some faculty and administrators as well—how to deal with and respond to what they find offensive? While I admire some of my colleagues in their quest to create a utopia where everyone will feel completely safe from even the slightest microaggression, I am not sure that they are doing our students much of a favor. The world outside Rollins is, after all, a challenging place. Wouldn’t we do better to prepare students to deal with those challenges?
Page 6 • FEATURES
Thursday, January 22, 2014
(Above): (Right, To Courtesy Switzerlan
David M
(Top): Kara Walker Exodus of Confederates from Atlanta, from Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated), 2005 Offset lithography and silkscreen, The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Rollins College, 2013.38.03. © 2015 Kara Walker (Above): Kara Walker Alabama Loyalists Greeting the Federal Gun-Boats, from Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated), 2005 Offset lithography and silkscreen, The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Rollins College, 2013.38.09. © 2015 Kara Walker (Right): Kara Walker Scene of McPherson’s Death, from Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated), 2005 Offset lithography and silkscreen, The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Rollins College, 2013.38.01. © 2015 Kara Walker
Mix contemp Walker’ Fine Ar rial Hist dialogu tions in In provoca artist, a hibit is student part of dents w Galpin ecute th print po “La
Page 7 • FEATURES
Thursday, January 22, 2014
: Tobi Kahn, AKH-ITIM II, 2014, Acrylic on canvas over wood, 50 x 38 x 2 in. Courtesy of the artist Top): Peter Schreyer, Passenger Train Stop at Night, Pieterlen, Switzerland, 2013, Gelatin silver print, of the artist (Right, Bottom): Peter Schreyer, Town Center with Historic Schoolhouse, Pieterlen, nd, 2013, Gelatin silver print, Courtesy of the artist
Winter exhibition opens at CFAM
Matteson
Featuring the work of Kara Walker, Tobi Kahn and Peter Schreyer, the museum hosted their preview of the new exhibition on January 16 Editor-in-Chief
xing historic imagery with porary commentary, Kara ’s new exhibit at the Cornell rts Museum, Harper’s Pictotory of the Civil War, offers a ue on the nature of race relan the US. addition to featuring the ative work of this notable an exciting facet of this exthat it is curated by Rollins ts from the class of 2018. As their RCC experience, stuworked with Curator Amy and Dr. Kim Dennis to exhe details of exhibiting this ortfolio. ast semester my RCC class
and I discussed paint colors and the placing of artwork around the room. We wanted to make our exhibit as aesthetically pleasing as possible while providing essential background information on Walker’s pieces,” Kelsey Ortwein ‘18 said. Known for her use of silhouettes of characters from the Antebellum South, Walker is a contemporary artist of great esteem. By juxtaposing the silkscreened silhouettes over the lithograph reproductions of drawn images from the Civil War, Walker orchestrates a narrative that displays the violence and turmoil experienced by African Americans throughout this period. While the lithographs pull the viewer into the Civil War
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Her bold confromtation with history... challenges the viewer in a very unique way.
era, Walker’s drawing style, which is based heavily on black stereotypes, and use of screen printing as a medium extends her dialogue into the context of contemporary society. “Her bold confrontation with history as we know it, specifically pertaining to the Civil War era,
challenges the viewer in a very unique way. She makes the viewer think about the abominable situations that African Americans were in during this time period that often get left out of the history books,” Hannah Porter ‘18 said. Neither Ortwein nor Porter knew of Walker’s work prior to their RCC. “I was shocked at how graphic her artwork was compared to other modern art. I am glad I had the opportunity to study her prints in great detail,” Ortwein said. In addition to Walker’s work, the winter exhibition features contemporary artist Tobi Kahn’s recent sculptures and paintings. Viewing his work opens a dialogue surrounding the nature of tradi-
tion, spirituality and ritual. Kahn’s modern, abstract aesthetic and understanding of scale engages the viewer’s attention. The final gallery of new work exhibits the photography of locally based artist Peter Schreyer. His recent series, entitled Returning Home, are images taken on a return visit to his homeland, Switzerland. The beauty of this imagery as well as Shreyer’s attention to formal qualities such as line, make this exhibition an inviting experience for any viewer. The winter exhibition runs through April 5. On Jan. 30, Kahn will offer a lecture on his work at 2 pm. For more information on the exhibit and programming for the season visit: rollins.edu/cfam.
Page 8 • FEATURES
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Intersession class exposes poverty Bonner Leaders and Alfond Scholars visited Tallahassee to witness first-hand issues of hunger and poverty. Carmen Cheng
Writer
It had never occurred to me just how many shadows were cast within these dimly lit four walls. Fairy lights were strewn across the walls like sinewy grapevines, painting an Edenlike atmosphere with suspicious colors. With my back against the fridge, I scrutinized the dark corners of my room that stayed untouched by the light, a part of the wall that stayed cold and virgin. These were the places that we failed to pay attention to, just like the percentage of the American population that we never noticed—the invisible working poor. We (a mixture of 17 Bonner Leaders and Alfond Scholars) were instructed to have read The Working Poor by David Shipler before journeying to the much-colder Floridian capital, Tallahassee. Our intercession involved studying hunger and
homelessness in America, and I had spent my 27-hour flight back to Orlando with my nose buried deep in the book. However, it was not until we had arrived at our first of three centers, Big Bend Homeless Coalition, that the gravity of the social issue had truly sunk in. As we headed to Capital City Youth Services (CCYS) for the rest of the day and to the Tallahassee Leon Shelter the next, the strength of the force only grew stronger. In retrospect, the experience was much more sobering than it was surprising. After reading Shipler’s book, convening daily for group discussions and making nightly reflections via Blackboard, it dawned on me that poverty had a face—a multi-faceted visage that looked ugly from all angles. Nonetheless, within the short amount of time we had spent working in Tallahassee, there existed a plethora of moments proving that even in bouts of misery and doubts, happiness
still prevailed. I recall playing with the children at Big Bend; they danced and sang with so much enthusiasm and innocent joy that I almost forgot where we were. A girl no younger than 5 rode her pink bicycle (no training wheels, mind you) circled around the lawn speedily, her mouth widened into an excited grin as she yelled for SJ and I to chase after her. As we settled down for a rest, she divulged with a sweet smile that people usually called her ‘Ladybug.’ At CCYS, we played Taboo with the kids who resided there. They were barely any younger than us, ranging from ages 11 to 17, and it made the experience all the more surreal. Nonetheless, despite the immense difference between our lives, one similarity starkly stood out amongst the sea of disparity—we were once teenagers, and we had felt the bane of being one before. We forged surprising friendships through this
form of mutual understanding; it definitely caused the thick, tangible air of hostility to slowly dissipate as the evening rolled by. I will never forget the way in which Curel, one of the CCYS kids, looked to Caleb with respect as they knowingly shared a competitiveness while playing rounds of Taboo. I will never forget the moment when Shelby and Mariam sang the Star Spangled Banner, only to have the rest of the group chime in altogether. I will never forget the ease in which the guys had fallen into friendship when playing basketball, and I certainly will never forget the difference between the CCYS kids’ attitudes before we arrived and when we left. I will never forget their faces. Our longest and hardest day was spent helping out at The Shelter; some of us moved bags into and out of sheds, and the rest of us were involved in cleaning up the area. Armed with obnoxiously large rakes and shov-
els, we began piling leaves upon leaves into multiple garbage bags. We spent more than half the day scraping and sweeping, finally cleaning the leaves-filled cage into a spotless space for the residents to spend their leisure time. Perhaps it was not the satisfaction of completing such an immense job that rendered us joyful, but instead the warmth and gratitude of the people at The Shelter. As we left, a woman said, “Get home safe!” Until today, the irony of her kindness still hovers over my head. In light of everything I had read, seen, heard, and felt, I have concluded that I am not even close to comprehending the idea of poverty and homelessness. The gravity of the issue cannot be fathomed in any way—not unless one has experienced it. As I sit here in a fully-furnished dorm with the opportunity of receiving a top-notch education at Rollins, I wonder what the kids at CCYS are doing right now.
Students revisit childhood with writing class ple, in one article the class read, Maurice Sendak, author of picture books including Where the Writing Books for Children, Wild Things Are, says it usually taught by Dr. Forsythe, was one takes him around two years to of the few intersession classes fo- write and edit the text for one of cused solely on creative writing. his picture books. Though compressed into a week, Each day of the intersession each student in the class pro- class consisted of writing time, duced a working draft of either reading time, watching short a picture book videos, time or the first chapreviewing ter of a middle homework, grade or young and writing adult novel, i n s t r u ction Though which was pretime. compressed into sented to the One of the other students best parts of a week, each on the last day the class was of class. the nostalgia student in the Writing associated class produced a with reading picture books is more difficult working draft of a some of the than one would picture books. picture book imagine. Since Some favormost picture ites were Click books are short Clack Moo: and use more Cows That Type basic vocabuby Doreen lary, it is easy to think that any- Cronin, The Cat in the Hat by Dr. one could write one. The text of Seuss, Jumanji by Chris Van Allpicture book is usually around sburg, and Alexander and the Ter300-1000 words; for compari- rible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad son, an article in The Sandspur Day by Judith Viorst. Though is between 300 and 700 words. these short works were nostalBecause of this short length, ev- gia attached, it was beneficial to ery word needs to count, which look at them through the lens of requires a lot of work. For exam- a writer.
Staff Writer
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Page 9 • FEATURES
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Field study explores ‘Selma,’ history of Civil Rights Movement Staff Writer Ariana Simpson examines the emotions of the Civil Rights Movement and how well ‘Selma’ was able to capture these. Ariana Simpson
Staff Writer
It was 50 years ago; determined and empowered activists marched 54 miles from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery to ignite change. Recognizing the disenfranchisement working against them and their lawful and natural right to vote, roughly 600 African Americans led by Reverend Hosea Williams and John Lewis began their march to Montgomery. They were determined to affect change and prepared to come up against adversaries. It was six blocks in, however, crossing on the now “infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge over the Alabama River” (Dreams March On), where the group was first halted and barbarically vanquished by “Sheriff Jimmy Clark’s deputies and state troopers dispatched by Gov. Wallace [who] attacked the group with nightsticks and tear gas, injuring dozens” (Dreams March On). Fueled by power and determination, this became merely the marchers’ first attempt; inhumane violence to match their peace did not keep
them silent, nor did it end them. This soon became known as “Bloody Sunday.” Two weeks later, with the protection of National Guardsmen, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led thousands on the same path to the state capital. In March 1965, covering those 54 miles in four days, 25,000 African Americans, whites, and clergy-
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25,000 African Americans, whites, and clergymen stood in solidarity with Dr. King
men stood in solidarity with Dr. King. Revolutionaries reached the capital on March 25 and followed it with a Stars of Freedom Rally at the city of St. Jude. Although the 14th Amendment granted equal rights and protection to former slaves and the 15th Amendment granted
equal voting rights to African American men, African Americans were still highly discriminated against when it came to voting. Bigotry based on the usage of poll taxes, literacy tests, and other micro-aggressive means are just some examples of tactics utilized by Southern law to limit African Americans’ ability to vote. The signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibited these racial discriminations. Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson at the pinnacle of the Civil Rights Movement, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was then amended intermittently in the following years, allowing the power to put a complete stop to this behavior. Unfortunately, the previous federal anti-discrimination laws were not efficient enough to dismember the prejudice taking place. Having gotten together to see the movie Selma, students participating in the upcoming Selma field study gained a heightened perspective for the upcoming trip. Filmed in Selma and casted notably, an overwhelming sense of realness was expelled from the screen; it elicited anger and sick-
ness in response to the terror that was the lives of African Americans during that era. Selma is “a chronicle of Martin Luther King’s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965” (IMDB). The film takes viewers from the depths of an unsolicited and cinematically startling attack against an African American church, sending four young girls to their deaths prematurely. It simultaneously conveys the turmoil faced along the way in personal relationships, friendships, failures, and King’s preserving plea to President Johnson. Shepherded by professor Matthew Nichter, an intimate group of Rollins students will participate in revisiting Selma in its 50th anniversary through a spring break field study titled “Selma: The Struggle for Racial Equality, Past and Present.” Throughout this field study, Rollins students will visit Selma
Daniel Martinez
to “gain a deeper understanding of the civil rights movement and the people who made it” while simultaneously exploring a variety of ongoing problems in regards to “poverty, discrimination, and disenfranchisement.” The group will take part in various events around the major cities and locations surrounding the events of the march. To take part in celebrating, recognizing, and remembering what changed the lives of many today, the Rollins field study to Selma is sure to be a great eye-opening experience.
Club assembles students for prayer and reflection The Canterbury Club offers short services at the Knowles Chapel. Established last year, the organization is open to both Christian and non-Christian students. Micah Bradley
Staff Writer
Around half a dozen people meet in Knowles Chapel on Thursday nights to chant and worship by candlelight. Canterbury Club, a club with Episcopalian roots, holds the service, called Compline. The club was originally created at the beginning of last year, after InterVarsity lost their recognition as a student group, which left a lack of Christian clubs on campus. The club is LGBT friendly and welcomes people of all backgrounds and religions. “While there are lots of ways of being spiritual, this seemed
like a good fit for a bunch of stressed out students,” Dr. Erik Kenyon said about Compline. He is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy and is the faculty advisor for the club. “It’s a short service: roughly 20 minutes. It’s relatively simple, and beautiful in its presentation and environment,” Alexander Earl ’14, who founded Canterbury Club and is a student at Yale Divinity School, said. “My hope was that it would be a way to engage students in something other than a Bible study, a place where both Christians and non-Christians could come to appreciate its beauty and the time of quiet reflection
and prayer,” Earl ’14 said. Compline is done in many other colleges in the United
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The club is LGBT friendly and welcomes people of all backgrounds and religions
States and Britain. Some college’s services are so popular that they have full choirs, though Rollins’ service uses just a piano
and student voices. St. Benedict, who (among other things) is the patron saint of students, started Compline in the sixth century. It was used as the last service of the day in monastic communities. It is a very laid back and meditative service, and it can be lead by anyone. It usually consists of chanting, speaking, and a hymn. The service at Rollins is held at 8 p.m. After Compline, there is usually a discussion accompanied by dessert in the chapel lounge. “They tend to start from the bit of scripture we read that night or a historical figure who we remembered in the liturgical
calendar, but they usually end up somewhere else entirely,” Kenyon said. Father José Rodríguez is a Rollins alumnus who works with Canterbury Club. He is a priest at the Church of the Incarnation in Oviedo and is the Episcopal Chaplain at the University of Central Florida. “I serve Canterbury Club as a priest of the Church at the invitation of the student leaders of the club. My presence isn’t required, as the students are more than capable and able to lead this group. At Rollins, students can lead each other in prayers, teach each other, and be the church,” Rodríguez said.
Page 10 • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Pathé
‘Selma’ Brings MLK’s Journey to Life
With director Ava DuVernay’s vision and the aid of a strong cast, ‘Selma’ presents the issues of the Civil Rights Movement in a relatable but poignant light. Nicholas D’Alessandro
Staff Writer
Right in the heart of Oscar season, a crazy thing happens. The flashy explosion-based world of cinema that makes up the summer box office is slowly replaced with quiet, beautiful, and powerful biographical dramas. Currently in theaters, there are at least seven such films (including Unbroken, The Theory of Everything, Foxcatcher, American Sniper, Big Eyes, and The Imitation Game). There is one I am missing, and that is Selma. Selma is the first time a biopic about Martin Luther King Jr.
has ever been made for theatrical release. The story chronicles MLK’s marches and protests in preparation for his famous march from Selma to Montgomery to allow African Americans the right to vote in the South. David Oyelowo effortlessly plays MLK as a fierce and kind man, but not without his faults. Ava DuVernay directs with the passion of one who wants to portray the truth. This is her fourth feature film and she handles the medium perfectly. It is also incredibly refreshing to see a female director attached to such a big release. DuVernay tells so much
in only two hours. However, the strongest part of MLK as a character is not his long moving speeches, but his faults. His pride prevents him from working with Malcolm X. His wariness stops him from joining the march on the first day. His guilt leaves him silent (for an uncomfortable length of time) when his wife questions him on the affairs he may or may not have had. These faults allow us to connect with King on a more personal level, more than just the historical figure we know him as. At times, the film’s pace stumbles and slows down drastically. It is, nonetheless, filled with emotion and life.
Even when the three act structure loses its way at various points, you struggle to really complain because you give up traditional structure for powerful moments of dialogue and impressive speeches delivered by Oyelowo. The cast overflows with talent. Seriously, the cast list is too long: Carmen Ejogo, Tim Roth, Lorraine Toussaint, Oprah Winfrey, Giovanni Ribisi, Common, Wendell Pierce, Tessa Thompson, Stephen Root, Cuba Gooding Jr., Martin Sheen, and Tom Winkinson as President Lyndon B. Johnson, just to name a few. Another complaint I have is that the insane amount of big names
leaves you wanting more from them. The characters feel so packed at times. Yet the film remains a joy to watch. Seeing someone who so perfectly knows how to use the medium such as DuVernay is a pleasure. She honors King’s legacy, keeps it truthful by leaving in the issues, and tells the story visually as much as she did through dialogue. It has been nominated for Best Picture. In my honest opinion, the biggest snub at the Oscars was the lack of nominations for Oyelowo and DuVernay in their respective categories. However, that is an article for another time.
Page 11 • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Thursday, January 22, 2015
wish there was a hero like me
Daniel Martinez
TALK
Chris Sarafian
Columnist
Chris Pratt’s rapid physical transformation reminds one of the scene from The Princess Diaries in which Anne Hathaway’s old photographs break juxtaposition to reveal a post-makeover version of the same girl. Pratt went from playing average bodied goofball on NBC’s Parks and Recreations to Guardians of the Galaxy’s muscular leading man. The body transformation began whilst filming Zero Dark Thirty. After the film’s release, the actor returned to both Parks and Rec. and his more recognizable shape. Soon enough, the first trailer for Guardians emerged, showcasing the actor’s six-pack. With the film’s box office success, Pratt became a household name and
a staple in late night interviews and magazine spreads. Currently, he’s set to star in the fourth installment of Jurassic Park. While female body standards are constantly under pop-culture and media manipulation, it is not impossible to skim past the subtly stated male expectations. The chain between masculinity, heroism, and physical strength is vivid when viewed through a celebrity lens. Pratt’s career insists that an actor’s success is proportional to his muscle mass; he was able to make the leap from a supporting role in a TV comedy to a leading man in film once he dropped weight and toned his body. Likewise, 2002’s Spiderman depicts Peter Parker, one day after receiving the radioactive spider bite, flexing in the mirror and rel-
Be a man: with all the force of a body standard ishing a sudden gain in muscle. That same day, he discovers the superpowers that will help him transform from nerdy outcast to web slinging crime fighter. The CW’s new series Flash includes a similar moment. Having recently awoken from a coma induced by a faulty particle accelerator, the main character points out that he somehow managed to develop a six-pack during his years of unconsciousness. He soon learns that the accelerator’s energy is responsible for his “improvements”—super speed and, apparently, abs. Although a superhero requires physical prowess to “save the day,” these films insist that strength is purely physical and that muscle makes a man into a hero. Unfortunately, these ideals are hard to live up to. A leading
man’s diet and exercise routine is typically grueling, expensive, time consuming, and, sometimes, dangerous. In fact, a 2007 Harvard Study reported a 40% increase in body dysmorphic and eating disorders amongst males. But the chase for muscle does not stop at brown rice and lifting. “There is an easier way to go from flabby wimp to sinewy screen predator,” says Logan Hill in his Men’s Journal article ‘Building a Better Action Hero.’ “Sometimes a superhero’s journey begins with the needle prick of a syringe full of human growth hormone (HGH), testosterone, or steroids.” With this avalanche of comic book movies burying male self-esteem, a refreshing change of scenery comes courtesy of the Mouse. Enter 2014’s Big Hero 6,
an animated Disney film based on a Marvel comic. The movie thematically insists that a hero is made, not from physical appearance or capability, but from his good deeds and actions. Hopefully subsequent blockbusters will follow Big Hero 6’s example and revise the ridiculous physical and masculine standard. Until then, remember that you do not need to look like Chris Hemsworth to be considered a hero, a man. You do not need to look like [current] Chris Pratt to be considered sexy. In fact, he and his wife Anna Faris were married way before he ever sprouted a six-pack. She even prefers the Parks and Recs. version of her husband. According to Pratt, “she wants to keep me locked in the bedroom eating KFC.” Kinky.
Page 12 • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Thursday, January 22, 2015
all photos: Jonny Scoblionko
Four night show rocks in the New Year Jonny Scoblionko Columnist
Welcome back, music lovers! During Winter Break, jamrock legends Phish hosted a four-night New Year bonanza in Miami (December 31 through January 3). I was lucky enough to attend all four shows and can, without a doubt, say that there is simply no better band to see live right now than this phearsome phoursome. The American Airlines Arena was packed, and the energy was palpable every night. The run
featured new hits, old classics, and numerous classic rock and roll covers. My personal opinion is that second set of New Year’s Eve was the highlight. The set featured intricate high-energy experimental improvisation that transcended the arena to outer space. It concluded with a particularly appropriate “Martian Monster,” the song’s first rendition since its debut this past Halloween. Each night was filled with emotional peaks, face-melting guitar, and booty-thumping bass bombs. The final show featured
one last hurrah as the second set emphasized outstanding melodic precision and impeccable energy. The run ultimately concluded with a heartfelt cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times.” As the band left the stage and the house lights illuminated, hugs were shared and tears of happiness were shed; it was truly a magical phamily reunion. In order to help readers keep up with current live music, refer to the chart for shows I would highly recommend for any music lover.
- The Tuesdays from 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. (FREE)
January 23 - Keller Williams (experimental acoustic; dance
Funk) January 28 - Galactic (New Orleans
@ The Plaza
January 30 - The Groove Orient album release party
ing February 12 - The Groove Orient open
for George Porter Jr
@ House of Blues
February 20 - The Wailers and Rusted Root (reggae; jam-rock)
@ House of Blues
trance) February 28 - Shpongle (psychedelic
@ The Plaza
March 6 - 8 (SPRING BREAK!) AURA Music & Arts Festiv al
@ Suwannee Music Park
Visit rollins.alphadeltapi.org for more information. R GB / .ai
/RollinsADPi
music)
@ House of Blues
Alpha Delta Pi is coming to Rollins College! Colony Recruitment Week January 26th - 29th @RollinsADPi
@ Tanquerays Bar
@ The Plaza
ΑΔΠ
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Groove Orient (jazz, soul)
@RollinsADPi