The Sandspur Volume 121 Issue 15 by The Sandspur

Volume 121 Issue 15 Thursday, February 12, 2015

Hashtag campaign dives into Rollins discrimination page 6

Page 2 • NEWS

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Established in 1894 with the following editorial:

EXECUTIVE STAFF David Matteson Editor-in-Chief Ali Perry Managing Editor

Marcela Oliveira Production Manager

Munich Germany Ottawa, Canada

CONTENT STAFF

Amman, Jordan

Lauren Waymire Head Content Editor Alexandra Mariano Head Copy Editor Nolan Brewer Webmaster Marta Lazowik Georyana Santos Web Assistants Kate Barnekow Sabrina Kent Copy Editors Micah Bradley Eric Hilton Raquel Leon Section Editor Nicholas D’Alessandro Staff Writers Matt Boggs Production Assistant

Taipei, Taiwan

DESIGN DEPARTMENT Shaayann Khalid Brooke Preston Designers

BUSINESS & FACULTY Greg Golden

Interim General Manager of Student Media

Dr. Emily Russell Associate Professor of English Taylor McCormack Business Manager

PUBLIC RELATIONS Diana Drprich Multimedia Manager Jordan Cole Public Relations Intern Irina Ryabikina Multimedia Manager

ADVERTISING

Contact: advertising@thesandspur.org

Cover Art By: Kayla Powers ‘17

Compiled by Lauren Waymire Amman, Jordan Jordanian King Abdullah II has vowed revenge and a total shutdown of extremist group ISIS after they released a video depicting the death of a Jordanian citizen. Moaz al-Kasasbeh, a pilot in the Jordanian Air Force, was captured after his plane was shot down near Raqqa, Syria, on a mission against ISIS in December. The video showed al-Kasasbeh standing inside a cage consumed by ﬁre, apparently burning to death. The video was posted on a Twitter account known to be used for the extremist group’s propaganda. The Jordanian government responded by sending F-16s to conduct air strikes on ISIS controlled territo-

ries in the following days. Taipei, Taiwan The horror of yet another plane crash was captured on film last week as TransAsia flight 235 crashed into the Keeluhng River in Taipei with 58 passengers and crew onboard. The turboprop allegedly lost power in both engines before crashing into the river and hitting a bridge on the way down. A total of 15 passengers survived and, while most of the victims have been recovered, a few still remain missing. The airline is now paying for family members of victims to fly into Taipei and has promised reimbursement for any booked tickets on the airline until Feb. 13. Munich, Germany

In her speech recently at the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Angela Merkel argued that the crisis in Ukraine should not be solved by military means but by the continuation of the current diplomatic mission and the implementation of peace agreements. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been accused by many, the United States government including, of agreeing to peace talks and simultaneously sending tanks into the Ukrainian countryside. The US government has proposed arming the Ukrainians, an idea that NATO’s top military commander General Breedlove of the US Air Force has showed deﬁnitive support for.

Ottawa, Canada Canada’s highest court has ruled that its citizens have the right to assisted suicide. Striking down a ban on physician assisted suicide, the country joins a handful of others—including Belgium, Colombia, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands to name a few. Certain rules and regulations apply, however. Those seeking to end their life must be adults, competent to understand and make the decision, subjected to “a grievous and irremediable medical condition . . . that causes endurable suﬀering that is intolerable,” and cannot compel any physician to aid them in suicide should they not wish it. The ruling will take eﬀect in 12 months.

Page 3 • OPINION

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Defending high school sweethearts Sexpert Georyana Santos shares her quest to find love and her response to those constantly questioning long term commitment in young couples. Georyana Santos

Columnist

“If you’ve never dated anyone else, how do you know if they’re even ‘the one?’” “Aren’t you afraid you’ll get sick and tired of each other?” “Do you honestly think your relationship will last?” Hooray! for the endless amount of intrusive questions that typical high school sweethearts are constantly bombarded with by their peers. For the typical hopeless romantic, the idea of finding your prince charming, or “the one,” can provoke restlessness and test impatience. I say this because I, a fairy tale enthusiast since my first viewing of Cinderella, have endured a long road of despondency due to the high expectations of love that Walt Disney animation films have placed upon me. Even though elementary or junior high school love may be perceived as childish, vague, and playful, those constructed ideals have left me feeling nothing but loneliness and desperation. Looking at my peers that had seemingly already found love, I grew increasingly anxious about the limited time I had left to find “the one,” which caused me to

feel unworthy of love. Looking back at my youth, I realize how naïve I truly was. With time I have come to grasp the extent to which my innocence, constructed ideals of love and timing consumed me. My puerile outbursts deprived me from enjoying my youth and its perks. I found myself in an eternal search of the happiness that comes from feeling wanted and worthy of love. Soon enough, I began to understand that love has no timing. It can come at any time, at any place, and sometimes at the most unexpected moments. People will constantly walk in and out of your life, but when the person you are meant to be with comes along, the universe will find a way to make your paths cross. Once that special someone finally arrives, there will be an unavoidable group of people seemingly aiming to burst your bubble of happy dreams. I welcome you to the inevitable world of high school sweethearts: couples who endure 5, 10, or even 50 years of constant and agonizing criticism from others regarding their commitment to each other. In an effort to debunk this criticism, here is a comprehensive list of reasons why high school sweethearts have the right idea

when it comes to love. “You’re only (insert age here). Don’t you want to look around to see if there’s someone better than him/her?” While I understand youth has a strong influence on your outlook, I am still a firm believer in the idea that maturity is not controlled by age. Being blinded by your first innocent love is one thing, but knowing what you want to make out of your life and whom you want to spend it with for the right reasons is another. These constructed societal rules of when you should decide on whom you want to spend forever with are simply boundaries. The purpose of seeking any type of monogamy should be to find the one person that makes you feel completely comfortable when you are with him or her. While everyone has a different model of the picture-perfect man or woman they desire to be with, why is there a need to continuously ‘look around’ for someone better if you have the individual you desire right in front of you? “Enjoy your adolescent years, that’s what it’s about! Date around, have fun, travel, and party!” Apparently, you cannot be granted the privilege to have “fun” if you are still in a rela-

tionship with your high school sweetheart. That is simply not allowed. Obviously, being in a relationship should not limit your choice of social interactions. What it should restrain, of course, are the types of social interactions you and your significant other are allowed to have with other people—some options may defy the morals and ethics of the relationship. But contrary to this criticism, there is nothing wrong with wanting to accomplish everything on your college bucket list with your partner. “You two won’t last very long because you’ll get sick of one another.” Best friends may irritate each other on a daily basis, but they are also powerful enough to endure those moments of annoyance. Dynamic couples are the ones that make it through everything even when all of the odds are against them. Being headover-heels invested in someone is something that takes courage, strength and commitment. Just like every other couple, regardless of when they first met, there will be times when you need your psychological space away from your partner. It is normal. It does not mean that the correct thing to do is to break things off.

The opinions on this page do not necessarily reﬂect those of The Sandspur, its staff or Rollins College.

High school sweethearts can last just as long as any other couple, even longer. “You honestly believe in soulmates?” Why yes, I do. And as cliché as this sounds, I am also a firm believer that there is someone out there that could potentially know you better than you know yourself. Soulmates come around once in a lifetime, and if you are lucky enough to come across yours, why let that chance go? “Aren’t you going to be tempted to look at other girls/ guys?” If the temptation is bigger than the affection for the other person, inevitably the impulse will win. That is not to say that high school sweethearts are psychologically restrained from potentially looking at other attractive people, but if there is trust, loyalty and maturity in the relationship, then the temptations will be defied. It is possible to have found that once-in-a-lifetime connection inside the halls of high school. Despite all of the criticism and constant questioning from others, soulmates do exist, and the greatest test for high school sweethearts to defy is time and sometimes distance.

Page 4 • FEATURES

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Sapphire

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Sapphire is best known for her novels, Push— made into the movie Precious—and The Kid. She also has several collections of poetry and does performance poetry.

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Natasha Trethewey

Natasha Trethewey is a former US Poet Laureate; she also won the Pulitzer Prize for her poetry collection Native Guard. Her most recent collection of poetry is thrall.

Katie Farris

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Katie Farris is a poet and translator, known for her book of short stories boysgirls. She also translates the works of Guy Jean; her most recent compilation of translations is Mourning Ploughs the Winter.

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Malena Morling

Malena Morling is a poet and translator, known for her collections Ocean Avenue and Astoria, and her translations of Swedish poetry. The Star by My Head is her most recent collection.

Amy Bloom

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Amy Bloom is the New York Times bestselling author of the novel Lucky Us and short story collection Where the God of Love Hangs Out. She also wrote a nonfiction book called Normal.

Page 5 • FEATURES

Thursday, February 12, 2015 Micah Bradley

Staff Writer

Last week Sapphire, author of bestselling novels Push and The Kid, came to Rollins as part of Winter With the Writers. On Feb. 4 she attended a reception at the Enzian theatre where there was a screening of Push’s adapted ﬁlm: Precious. On Feb. 5 she held a master class in Bush Auditorium as well as a reading, Q&A, and book signing. Sapphire is known for her performance poetry. When she read from The Kid, it sounded like she was reading poetry instead of prose. She read sections from throughout the book, so the audience heard Abdul grow up from an abandoned nine-yearold boy to an adult. “The reverence she has for her craft shows in how she talks about it—that her characters are real people and not just characters in a story, and that the stories have a depth that needs to be shared with everyone. She is a very wise and intelligent woman who treats writing like the art it is,” said Winter With the Writers intern Anna Keeler ’16. This week Natasha Trethewey, former US Poet Laureate and current Poet Laureate of Mississippi, will be visiting. She has published several books of poetry, and her collection Native Guard (2006) won the Pulitzer Prize. Her most recent collection of poetry is thrall (2012). Both of these books delve into the issues of race and family using history, art, and personal stories. At 4 p.m. on Feb. 12, Trethewey will be holding a Q&A on craft instead of a master class. She will also perform a reading and oﬀer a book-signing beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Bush Auditorium.

INTER with the writers

Page 6 • FEATURES

Thursday, February 12, 2015

#RollinsCares tackles unspoken issues The #RollinsCares movement advocates for active change against discrimination. Students envision a more inclusive campus. you that a professor called them a tr*nny in class as a joke” (Ruiz). Ruiz even received a physical threat accompanied with a derogatory slur in his Rollins mailbox. If there is one common denominator between these incidences of hate pervading the Rollins campus, it is that they always occur under the pretext of anonymity. This makes it difficult to punish the individual and necessary to address the root of the problem: to require that students and staff step out of their privilege and address Rollins as an institution pervaded by discrimination. Indeed, the administration has begun to make efforts toward creating a more inclusive environment on campus in response to the most recent Campus Climate Survey. Michele Meyer, the Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs, shared her opinion on Rollins’ responsibility to address these issues: “We need to continue to educate our entire community on diversity and inclusion—faculty, staff, and students. There is

no place at Rollins for individuals or groups that intentionally undermine, attack, or harm other individuals, groups, or our campus community.” Meyer and the Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) have been working to back up these grand visions of change through the implementation of internal efforts like the #RollinsHeardYou campaign and the #downvotehate hashtag, which were designed to foster the growth of “a campus where [students] can participate in civil discussions” with the ability to change popular attitudes and behavior. The truth is, issues of hate speech and harassment—particularly those dealing in racism, homophobia, classism, ableism, etc.—are issues that require more than surface-level community discussion to be eradicated. Reddick proposes that action needs to happen on an even larger scale if true change is to occur, suggesting that “the goal is to make it a larger conversation, not just within our institution but in institutions of higher learning in general.”

The fact is that we all play a part in making this happen, and initiatives like #RollinsCares are the first step in implementing change in our community. Whether it be at the personal level, such as confronting your peers and being an advocate against hate and prejudice on campus, or at the institutional level, in addressing racism, homophobia, classism and other systems of oppression at large, conversation and criticism has to happen within our campus if we want to see any significant change. It is not a matter of condemning Rollins—in the last moments of my interview with Ruiz and Matthews, they left me with a profound expression of hope for the future: “We know Rollins can do better, be better, for everybody. No institution is perfect, by any means.” Change can only happen if we work together as students, staff, and administration united. The first step requires speaking out against and sharing experiences of discrimination and hate; it is up to you.

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“If you love Rollins,” said Peter Ruiz ’15, “critique it. In my opinion, critique is an act of love itself.” Ruiz, Olivia Matthews ’15, Jamaica Reddick ’15 and I were sitting in the warm comfort of Smart Coffee discussing the recent #RollinsCares trend that emerged on Facebook in late December. Indeed, Ruiz’s words spoke about a four-year-long personal history with this particular act of love. He and many other students involved had never been shy about sharing their critical opinions of Rollins policy and presence, nor should they be. Accompanying the hashtag phenomenon that has swept both the Rollins student body and the nation, these past few months have seen a poignant student-led effort to enact change and raise consciousness as well as a schoolwide administrative response to issues regarding diversity and inclusion within Rollins. The #RollinsCares hashtag was originally started by Reddick, a senior theater major and a voice for student activism, who initially hoped for her and her peers’ voices to be heard and acknowledged. The tag’s original purpose was to serve as a platform for students to share their experiences of classism, racism, homophobia, sexism, anti-semitism, and street/online harassment within the Rollins community and bring these issues to the attention of students, faculty, staff, and administration. “It spread faster than any of us were expecting,” observed Matthews, another senior theater major, and one of the first voices to jump in on the #RollinsCares trend. Her aspiration for the crusade was not just to attract the attention of the Rollins community, but to engage her peers in challenging the affliction of hate speech and the lack of truly safe spaces on campus. “We need more people to care. We need more people to want to understand, and we need more advocates on campus. Not just people who care, but who actively care. The goal of the hashtag is to get people to actively intervene. It seems as if it’s always up to the same people to speak up, but true support involves being vocal,” said Matthews.

Of course, it is possible that these incidences of prejudice and verbal violence may be isolated to a small minority of students operating under the guise of anonymity, but even if that is the case, the truth is that any endeavor made by the larger student body to condemn or even recognize these issues remains to be seen. The current state of affairs on campus evokes the old Desmond Tutu adage: “If you are neutral in the face of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Too many students as well as staff members on the Rollins campus are not speaking up about the discrimination and harassment that happens on this campus on an almost daily basis; the #RollinsCares hashtag has served many purposes, but most notably it has opened up a Pandora’s Box of hellish tales of the frequent microaggressions and blatant hostilities experienced by minority students. Peers on Facebook used the #RollinsCares tag along with #JustPWIThings (the acronym meaning Privileged White Institution) to share personal experiences of racism, fat shaming, homophobia, hate speech, and slurs within the Rollins community both shared online and shouted from vehicles and windows. For those of you who have yet to see any of the #RollinsCares posts, here are just a few powerful examples: “Students of color—specifically black students making up 2-3% of Rollins’ population—are heavily featured on posters advertising our ‘diversity.’ Meanwhile, Rollins has yet to make a statement about the hate speech directed at black protestors, during #blacklivesmatter protests” (Reddick). “Walking down the street with your roommate and having students scream out f*ggot at you” (Ruiz). “‘Can someone please tell RIP these fat girls aren’t funny?’ Having someone anonymously attempt to diminish my craft and talent by calling out my size on Rollins Confessions” (Cailin Dornbush ’15). “Being told that the only reason you were successful or got something was because you’re a ‘minority,’ not because you’re smart, talented, hardworking, etc. . .” (Matthews ‘15). “Having a friend relay to

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Page 7 • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Thursday, February 12, 2015

TALK

illustration by Daniel Martinez

Deciphering the appeal of Katy Perry

Chris Sarafian Columnist From a gargantuan chrome lion to a gyrating shark, Katy Perry’s halftime show was nothing short of a visual feast. In true K.P. fashion, the spectacle included a fantasia of colors, props, and costumes. The halftime show’s aesthetics roared loud enough to establish dominance over post-Super Bowl conversation topics. For instance, much of the talk surrounding Perry’s set has revolved around her finned backup dancers (“left shark” has already made his way onto t-shirts and into meme-dom). Katy Perry herself seems to have fallen by the wayside in contrast to her candy-colored sets and paraphernalia. Not

much has been said with regards their eyes not so much their ears. With a color pallet reministo Perry’s actual performance or even her vocals; however, this cent of various flavors of Trix overshadowyogurt and set designs like ing is nothing new to her casomething out of Pewee Herreer. While Katy Perry man or Dr. SeKaty is a visual artist, uss, Katy Perry may not be the appeals to the and unlike most talented artist sense of sight. fellow pop stars such as in the game, she is She ropes the consumer in Beyoncé or Lady Gaga, certainly one of the via skittle colored wigs and her success most interesting, relies more on cotton candy scented alvisuals than captivating and bums. music. That likable is not to say With a cutesy combithat her catalogue lacks nation of Hello quality—her songs are perhaps Kitty, Justice, and Haribo, Katy some of the catchiest tunes on Perry embodies something irremainstream radio; however, she sistible. Her confidence, personcaters to the masses by targeting ality, and physical appearance,

“

help her bridge the gap between innocent and sexy—sugar and spice—“Firework” and “I Kissed a Girl.” The pinwheel of sparkles and colors charm girls and boys alike, while the sexy/sweet demeanor may resonate with adults who share a similar duality or those who revel in such a concept. While Gaga and Beyoncé are able to support their careers with choreography, vocals, and image, Katy falls flat in two of the three categories. Her vocals are mediocre at best (especially under pressure), forcing her to lipsync from time to time—recently on a French television show, she was stopped mid-song and asked to start over again singing live. She is not much of a dancer; the brunt of her performance choreography is left to the backup dancers. And, although catchy,

her music is not exactly sophisticated in theme or composition. What Katy lacks in vocal and dance ability, she makes up for in creativity, character, and visual aesthetic. Her recent Super Bowl performance played up visuals rather than audio, and that is okay. See, while Katy Perry may not be the most talented artist in the game, she is certainly one of the most interesting, captivating and likeable. Her songs are simple, and sometimes silly, but still enjoyable. Like candy, her music is delectable, although not exactly nutritious. We need a Katy Perry to balance out the protein and vitamins we receive from the rest of our musical diet. Katy’s halftime show succeeded because she focused on visuals that the masses eat up.

Page 8 • ARTS FEATURES & ENTERTAINMENT

Thursday, Thursday,February January 27, 12, 2015

TGO rocks the House of Blues The Groove Orient celebrates their first full-length album ‘Generation Y’ with energetic show. Jonny Scoblionko

Columnist

As the searing psychedelic echo subsided and the house lights illuminated, the House of Blues erupted in a joyous cheer. The Groove Orient had just concluded one of the most monumental sets of music that they have played to date as they thanked the electric audience and left the stage. It was Jan. 30, and Rollins College’s favorite face-melting fivesome had just celebrated the release of their first full-length album, Generation Y. Their short but energy-filled set showcased the band’s multiple dimensions and their undeniable showmanship. The celebration began with “Mother Mary,” one of the tracks from the new album. The heartfelt tune featured elements of soul and gospel and provided an uplifting starting point. Next, “Bananas” allowed the band to really heat up and as guitarist Chuck Magid’s notes sliced through the rhythm like a razor, the energy in the room was palpable. The climax of the song evoked an audience-wide dance party as the entirety of the crowd was on their feet. Later in the show, “Fatima’s Sensation,” another track from Generation Y, slowed things

down and exemplified the band’s jazz roots. After a brief calming down, Deep Purple’s “Highway Star” raised the energy once again. The classic rock anthem culminated in one of the most intense melodic peaks of the evening and was arguably one of the best renditions of the cover that the band has ever played. With time almost out, the band quickly segued into “Generation Y,” the namesake of the new album. Building off of the high energy, the deliciously dark track showcased the eviler side this powerful five-headed monster and transcended the audience into another world. Harry Ong’s soulful voice blended perfectly with Tommy Shugart’s keystones and Magid’s atmospheric psychedelia as well as the rhythm’s strong percussive foundation established by David Venagas and Paul Terry. Overall, the only downside of the show was that it did not last twice as long. Musically, the band was tight and pristine and clearly having the time of their lives, which of course translated to the music. The roller coaster rock show was a melodic odyssey spanning through many genres. With this show, the Groove Orient secured themselves as one of the Orlando-area’s premier live acts.

Upcoming Shows E) Tuesdays from 10:30 p.m.-2 a.m. (FRE

The Groove Orient

Feb. 12 - The Groove Orient opening for George Porter

@ Backbooth

d Feb. 12 - Yonder Mountain String Ban

@ Tanquerays Bar

Jr.

@ The Social

Feb. 20 - Rusted Root and The Wailers

@ House of Blues

itive Feb. 28 - Shpongle and Phutureprim

@ The Plaza Live

March 6-8 - AURA Music and Arts Festival

@ Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park

April 11 - Fox Fest

@ Mills Lawn

all photos/Jonny Scoblionko