Volume 121 Issue 5 Thursday, October 9, 2014
A creeper in our midst Staff Writer Micah Bradley reports the latest updates concerning the “Suspicious Person of Interest,� who was first seen near the parking garage. page 7
Page 2 • NEWS News
Thursday, October 9, 2, 2014
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Compiled by Lauren Waymire Hong Kong, China Demonstrations continue on as thousands protest the current governance in Hong Kong. The masses flocking to the streets are protesting for a pro-democracy government. China blocked Hong Kong’s potential move to full democracy on August 31 of this year, sparking the protest movement. Talks were scheduled to take place between students and city officials but were interrupted by violence inflicted upon the protesters, including the dismantling of their tents and the physical assault of many. Amnesty International claimed that police looked on and did nothing as protesters were punched and kicked. A total of 19 arrests have been made so far. Iguala, Mexico A mass grave has been discovered near the town of Iguala
in the state of Guerrero in Southern Mexico. It was near this area that 43 students went missing on September 26 after travelling to the area to take part in a protest for teachers’ rights. 22 police of-
“
the pit. Islamabad, Pakistan Pakistan has hit a record for polio cases that has not been seen since the 90s. A total of 202 new cases, most of them occurring in
22 police officers are in custody after police opened fire on the student buses, killing six.
ficers are in custody after police opened fire on the student buses, killing six. The remaining survivors were then herded in police vans and have not been seen since. Authorities are currently trying to identify the bodies after an anonymous tip was called in to inform them of the location of
northwestern tribal areas, have been reported in 2014 so far. Militants in these areas have made it nearly impossible for medical personnel to vaccinate children as they claim they are spies and that many vaccine programs are actually part of a Western ploy to sterilize Muslims. Thanks to the
World Health Organization, all Pakistanis must carry and provide proof of vaccination before travelling abroad. Polio is currently only a pandemic in Pakistan, Nigeria, and Afghanistan. Seoul, South Korea During a surprise visit to South Korea to view the closing ceremony of the Asian games, North Korea’s top political officer Hwang Pyong-so, along with other top ranking officials from the nation, agreed to resume formal talks that had been suspended in February. It is unknown what was said specifically, and neither side has chosen to comment on the matter, but it comes at an odd time for North Korea after their leader, Kim Jong-Un, has missed several public appearances due to “discomfort,” which some have translated to be a myriad of illnesses.
Page 3 • OPINION
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Quest for the overhyped virginity Kaitlyn Alkass
Staff Writer
So, I was riding this massive penis in Minneapolis this past summer. I am not kidding, this thing was huge. And before you start rolling your eyes at my vulgarity (I mean, this is a sex column, have a bit more grace, you know?), the gargantuan penis in question was in fact a mechanized ride, placed in the center of Sex World for photo opportunities. It was while in reverse cowgirl atop this mechanical banana boat that something caught my eye—amidst the riding crops and handcuffs, a garish sign read: REVIRGINIZE YOURSELF TODAY! I leapt off my giant member with the precision of an Olympic athlete to learn more. I was a bit confused as to why this would have any appeal to someone unless you were a member of the Duggar family who went on a date sans chaperone. I firmly hold the belief that losing your virginity is not all that an enjoyable experience. Sure, it is meaningful and a milestone in your life, but why does it have to mean everything? Usually it is just an awkward mashing of genitals and an avoidance of eye contact at all costs. None of this Cruel Intentions drivel where Reese Witherspoon stares at
Ryan Phillippe, her puppy dog eyes filled with terror and admiration. But I digress. There it was in delicate silver packaging, advertising Artificial Hymen Kits that could spice up your married life, or perhaps perpetuate the social construct that virginity is synonymous with a woman’s self-worth. I will take this opportunity to debunk a few myths about the deflowering process: 1. Not every woman bleeds during initial intercourse. 2. The hymen can be torn from everyday activities (riding a bike, a pogo stick, inserting a tampon, etc). 3. A broken hymen does not indicate loss of virginity. Loss of virginity is traditionally considered to be initial penile penetration. Clearly these facts are not common knowledge if women in the United States are purchasing tiny packages filled with medical grade red dye and inserting them into their vaginas to experience losing their virginity all over again. Why this hysteria to feign “purity?” In actuality, most women will most likely break their hymens during a misguided gymnastics class or an overthe-jeans dry-humping session at their parents’ house when they are 15. I will confess, I was not
completely informed about this hymen jargon either. When girlfriends confided in me that upon losing their virginity they “failed” to bleed, I would proceed to panic with them about how they were now trapped in some sort of awkward, sexual limbo where they were only “half” a virgin. Here we were, intelligent young women, running around with a medieval concept of virginity, in an actual terror about our apparent ghost hymens. I bought a packet. I had to. For the exorbitant price of $21.95 I was going to experience losing my virginity all over again, because it was just so fantastic the first time around. I sent a photo of the kit to my man-friend, asking if he would be willing to embark on this endeavor for the sake of sexual journalism with me. He was not. I would have to go it alone, resigning myself to the idea that I would use the kit and go for a leisurely bike ride around the city, all the while knowing that my crotch was slowly being dyed the color of cherry Kool-Aid. After a bit of research, I learned that the leading provider of Artificial Hymen Kits is Hymenshop.com, which advertises that you can, “Kiss your deep dark secret goodbye and marry in confidence for only $29.95!”
Hymenshop ships almost everywhere in the world from Hong Kong, ensuring that “while the Hymenoplasty procedure, cosmetic surgery that restores the hymen, requires admission to a clinic and can cost thousands of dollars, the artificial hymen provides much cheaper and convenient way to become a virgin again!” Grammar mistakes were left as is. I brought my Artificial Hymen Kit back to my apartment, my mind an exotic cocktail swirling with enthusiastic curiosity mixed with intermittent thoughts of, “God, what am I doing with my life?” I opened the packet, revealing what I can only describe as a grotesque Listerine strip that had been pre-chewed, then dried, then folded back up in an attempt to be passed off as a new Listerine strip. I took a deep breath, and as I took the strip out of its packaging, it completely dissolved in my hands. Red dye was everywhere and I looked like an Easter egg gone horribly wrong. Hymenshop had warned me about artificial Artificial Hymen Kits (I sincerely hope this irony is not lost on you, dear reader). Competitors use an inferior red powder dye which is not realistic, warning that, “These inferior products might cause a very
negative situation when the male discovers he has been fooled to believe that his wife was faking her virginity.” So there I was, standing in my bathroom in what looked like the crime scene of a horrific murder of a small badger or possum. As I was scrubbing the bathroom tiles, however, I thought, “Isn’t this a fantastic metaphor for losing one’s virginity in general?” You have all of these preconceived notions about what it is going to be like, how you are going to feel about it, that you will know the exact moment it happens. As if it is this tangible item that you can tape into your journal later. That is awful imagery, but you know what I mean. The list goes on. But then, you have sex for the first time, feeling that you are completely ready, and afterwards you turn on your side and think: “That’s it?” Virginity is a social construct, hyped up to the point of hysteria through media, pop songs, movies, and religious beliefs. It should mean something, but it absolutely does not mean everything. Artificial Hymen Kits only confirm the fact that society is pressuring young women to define a huge part of themselves with something as insignificant as a Listerine strip that will dissolve in your hands.
Tattooed students face daily stigmas Danielle Del Pico
Writer
“You would be so pretty if you didn’t have all those tattoos!” an older woman remarked to me at the store the other day. Her tone was solemn, as if I had been marked for an early death. The only thing that prompted this comment was the fact that I was knelt down reaching for the last spicy flavor Ramen noodle package. I was wearing a tank top, revealing my full sleeve and back piece. Clearly, she felt the need to voice her concern for my future well-being and blatant disregard for my health. Maybe she was worried about me being able to get a secure job. Or maybe she should have just minded her
own business. Tattooing is a tradition that stems back as far as 8,000 years. Peruvian mummies have been found with tattoos. Sailors got tattoos to commemorate their travels on the high seas. The most remarkable fact that I have found is that tattoos were considered avant garde in the Victorian age. Tattoos have exceeding popularity with younger generations, and studies have shown that on average 1 in 5 Americans have tattoos. How does getting artwork tattooed affect getting a job in the future or in your chosen career? There are many companies that have shown leniency to tattoos, allowing them to be shown freely. Other companies have
a policy that dictates that they should not be visible and must be covered with clothing. English Major Joe Antuono ’15 has seven tattoos and currently works at a screen-printing company in Orlando with plans to pursue a career in Journalism. He feels that tattoos are acceptable in modern times: “I don’t think tattoos, unless extremely sexual, violent, or racist, will affect anyone’s career nowadays. Tattoos are an art form like any other, and as long as you’re positive about what your putting on your body, and it doesn’t negatively affect anyone on a personal level (violent, racist, or sexual), it really isn’t anyone’s business except the one getting them.” English Major Emma Mi-
chael ’16 has five tattoos and would like to ultimately own a flower shop and write novels. She does not feel that the prejudices about tattoos will go away anytime soon: “I believe this stigma about tattoos stems from the morphed sense of control over the perception of the bodily figure. The thought that we must hide ourselves is foolish, and censorship of the human form has become distorted. In some societies it has become more acceptable to be tattooed as a whole. However, it is doubtful that until we erase the condemnation of the human body in society and media it won’t be fully accepted.” The real social argument is this: should your job determine
The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect those of The Sandspur, its staff or Rollins College.
what you have to look like? I feel that when it comes to art and your own personal tastes, a paycheck should not dictate how you want to present yourself to others, but if you wish to mark your body you should be able to have the freedom to do so. In Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man, a collection of short stories is told cleverly through a man’s tattoos, which live and move on his skin in the dark. A quote from that work sums up how I believe people see their own tattoos: “You can’t carry the Earth, or a man, in your pocket. I want a way to do that, carry things with me always so I can believe in them.” In this way, we carry the stories we want to recollect for the rest of our lives.
Page 4 • FEATURES
Thursday, October 9, 2014
‘TransFormation’ sheds light on transgender struggles Staff writer Ariana Simpson takes us behind the scenes into the Lucy Cross Centers’ one-actor show called “TransFormations.” Written by Martie van der Voort, the performance explores the life of transgendered people. Ariana Simpson
Staff Writer
“Transgender. Trans-cender. Gender bender. Gender-blender...” These jumbled terms are some of the many terms Mark communicated through spoken word at an open meeting for Gender Rebel Group last Thursday. He brought laughter, and sometimes provoked tears with his punching piques of peevery for people like him—transgender people. Mark’s presentation, however moving, was not really an open meeting. I was one of many scattered and diverse audience members eager to listen to Mark. Yet, I had never had a sense of belonging to such a performance. I am usually an outside viewer in a chair below the ‘stage,’ not a part of the story. Michelle Stecker, the director of the Lucy Cross Center for Women and Their Allies, warmly welcomed us to ‘TransFormations.’ ‘TransFormations’ is a one-actor show written and performed by Martie van der Voort that addresses several aspects in the life of a transgender person, a person in the process of transitioning, as well as the loved ones of someone who is transgendered or is undergoing that process. It was constructed as a dynamic forum, in which every character shared their story at a usual weekly meetings. They grieved over the injustices they faced, the family they lost, the new friends they gained, and everything in between. The audience was welcomed to fully engage in these discussions.
First, we were introduced to Anita, a sex worker and transwoman. Anita is very spunky and holds an air of growing assurance that is easily admired partnered with her humor. Anita’s character addressed the perils of what it is like to be a transgendered sex worker. With there already being an apparent stigma placed over sex workers whose sex is synonymous with their gender, Anita’s story was that and more. The dangers of the job and the secret world of men who tapped into this world were uncommon to many of us. Her story shed light on many angles, not only her own, but for those who hid participation in acts such as sleeping with a “shemale” (as she jokingly referred to herself at one point, due to not yet having the ‘bottom’ surgery to remove her penis, but having the breasts and outward appearance of a woman). She described simply playing a girlfriend for some, generally older men, and having to deal with some discriminations and ridicule due to her body type in the industry that was classified as ‘fat,’ when in another light it would have been termed curvy or round. Anita was evidently just like many of us, only older and a sex worker. Struggling with relationships was also something she faced; that aspect of a transgendered person’s life was strongly well portrayed in the story of Phil, who is in the process of transitioning from Leslie. Phil’s relationship is in a flux, as Voort quotes of her character, and he is also in therapy. Phil’s story addressed a disparity within the LGBTQ+ community, in that as
Leslie she was a lesbian in a devout and long-term relationship. Leslie was a lesbian and her girlfriend, Beth, was a lesbian. But what happens when Leslie becomes Phil? Is Beth straight now and no longer a lesbian despite her firmness in stating so? The perils of their relationship straining their immense love for one another toppled with the soonto-come questions and nagging of Phil’s parents. Mondays were filled with therapy of all kinds from couples therapy to therapy that almost seemed to result in nothing except incessantly writing letters. Mark, our slam poet from earlier, is an activist with his words and transmasculinity. Betty is a transwoman who is undertaking the jeopardies of losing immediate family with her father not speaking to her and mother very slowly keeping in contact as long as dad does not know. However, she has a very accepting daughter who later came out as lesbian when away from home (they joked of going onto Jerry Springer as a “father”-daughter lesbian couple) and wife. Her father only being proud of her three times she recalls, and two of those being when she was married and had a child (as a man) before transitioning—which debunked dad’s initial doubts of a strange and gay son. Funny how this story worked out, dad. There is also Marie, a trans-woman who lost her job in the army and family along with it, who started off very young cross-dressing, now maturing into the woman she is today and holding the role of an activist. Synonymous to Marie’s story,
but on the other side, we had a wife dealing with her husband’s female to male transitioning who was trying to be accepting but felt alone and confused with her own sexuality at points because it was still the same man, the same high school sweetheart she fell in love with, but just a flirty woman now—right? There is also the son of a transfeminine father who was a part of the group battling with no longer having what he believed was a father figure to guide him or escape to when he wanted to get away from the women (mom and two sisters) in the house. Dad was physically gone from the house, and to him just plain gone. Richard is an older transman who ranted on the pain and hurt that boiled inside of him on Trans-Day of Remembrance (every November 20). Maurice was our failed drag queen, Dinah Lafta, and gay cross dresser who had an even harder time trying to find his place in the community he thought he could call home within the LGBTQ+. He just could not find his letter in the alphabet. And then there is Graciela, who led the group and was not transgender herself, but rather a mother of a transman and, in a sense, a mother to everyone in the group as well with her comforting anecdotes and tranquilizing, accented tone. I address all of these characters presently as if they are real because their stories are just that. They are not fictitiously made up or aggrandized, but rather based off of truths and happenings that occur each and every day. Aside from Voort’s amazing distinction in both voice, accent, posture, and body language of each char-
acter, she made them all so individual in how the interacted with one another. The transitions were smooth, the scarves and purses or sweater changes quickly became just what they were while she was on stage, just accessories. There was no question to whom she was playing, or what role was being conveyed. Everything was done so accurately and smoothly that it has set a new bar for one-actor shows. The show also stood out simply because it did not stay central on one idea or issue that transgendered people may face; it was broad and did not just focus on transgendered people, but children, parents and partners. The show in its entirety was compelling and effective. Voort herself has been publicly performing since the age of seven and acting since age ten. For two years at Ohio University she furthered this palette and expanded more of the arts by focusing on music. Currently, “she acts in community theatre, film and video, and has written and is currently producing and performing,” inclusive of her original ‘TransFormations’ that premiered in the Winter Park Plaza. The program was sponsored by the Lucy Cross Center; the Thomas P. Johnson Distinguished Visiting Scholar and Artist Program; Sexuality, Women’s and Gender Studies; PRISM; the Master’s in Mental Health Counseling Program; the Center for Inclusion and Campus Involvement; Spectrum; Equality Florida; The Center and the Zebra Coalition; and also thanks to Michael Farmer, who is the development director at Equality Florida.
Page 5 • FEATURES
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Page 6 • FEATURES
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Breaking the norms: redefining queer Perhaps blurring the line between our conventions a little further would help to promote a more homogenous feel to words like ‘humanity’ and ‘equality’. I don’t think it would be wise within the gay rights movement to start telling people who can and cannot consider themselves true ‘members’ of the ‘club’. (I’m pretty sure that’s our beef with some club we aren’t in.) Queer has been a wandering term for as long as it’s existed. There is no reason we could not
shift to understand it as a way of thinking and detach its reference to non-normative sexuality. But it isn’t just that we could think of queer as the rejection of a certain normative standard, rather I would say we should. The whole point of any movement seeking to undo oppression is to prove how everyone is the same beyond our surface level understandings of one and other. We are just people, who get taught in certain ways, and we’re always getting untaught
those same ways too. Queer theory seeks to teach and un-teach, to point fingers at what we’ve mostly assumed being a dimorphic species must mean for us at the level of the individual. I think anyone brave enough to take on the word, and in an effort to promote one’s own agenda, definitely deserves to use it as a label. It’s actually a rather hopeful thought knowing there are people outside of the LGBTQ+ community who have willingly done so.
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In the academic arena of a liberal arts campus, there is nothing more provocative – at the very least, in my opinion – than an argument in class, particularly the type that leaves you dwelling long after the fact. But certain arguments cannot simply be…dismissed – with class. There are some things that we say that we’ll always want to elaborate on. For the sake of this particular space, I want to take a closer look at the word ‘queer’ – one with an ever-changing definition, a word originally meant only as weird. Today I think we hear the word and understand it mostly as in a homosexual context. As the umbrella term used to encompass the always-increasing number of subgroups within a contemporary gay rights movement, we apply it rather strictly to a connotation of sexuality. However, the word also serves as the title for an entire school of thought: queer theory. Not everyone who gets involved in any way with queer theory and politics practices or identifies their sexuality as different from the world’s majority of a hetero-normative model. In fact, I would not be surprised if it wasn’t a rather even mix these days. So the word, its definition, and the people it refers to came up as a topic of discussion in one of my classes last week. My professor had explained that she’d known some women belonging to the feminist movement back in the nineties who had referred to themselves as queer in identifying with a rejection of the hetero-normative, monogamous
model society follows. A student in the room objected to the notion as offensive to the LGBTQ+ community. We went on to debate as to who gets to call themselves queer and who cannot. I don’t think we landed at a consensus. I sided with the notion that queer has never been a word of limitation. We’ve used it in reference to gender, sexuality, and oppression. It has been a derogatory slur and a radically re-appropriated proud brand name. I most closely identify with the label gender queer, in a connotation of the term as performance plasticity, and in sporting an androgyny symbol on my wrist. Gender is not always related to sexuality…though mine does happen to correlate. Yet a label, such as lesbian, that applies strictly to my sexual practice fails for me as a full identity. Does it really matter who I do or don’t sleep with? That is all the word lesbian will ever tell people. At NYC Gay Pride this past summer, I chose the word queer to write on my belly. I truly believe that the word speaks to far more than just sex. I passionately believe that what I stand for, as involved with the gay rights movement, speaks to so much more than just sex. An association to queer theory supports more than just sex…it seeks to revolutionize our gender binary. To undo something as repetitively engrained in us as conventional gender roles are, the world would have to get on board with a queer mentality and thought. This is only to say that there are very serious still existing in our world, which revolve around a discrepancy between two genders – one male and one female.
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Page 7 • FEATURES
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Students “SAE” yes to new fraternity Diana Drpich
Public Relations Intern
On September 25, the Rollins community received news that Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, Florida Omicron chapter became officially recognized by the Rollins Interfraternity Council (IFC). While the Florida Omicron chapter was nationally recognized as a colony in 2010 and then received its charter in the spring of 2013, it was not recognized as a fraternity at Rollins until now. Since their colonization, curiosity and concern regarding SAE and their chapter operations has been a reoccurring topic within the administration as well as the fraternity and sorority community. However, this past spring is when the men of IFC took the initiative to open up the conversation about changing this situation, and, as a result, the possibility of expansion became an option. Aubrey Frazier, the Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, initiated the expansion process by starting and facilitating communication between SAE’s national headquarters, the chapter, the administration, and the FSL community. The first step was creating the expansion committee that would be responsible for making the final recommendation to Dr. Mamta Accapadi, the Vice President of Student Affairs. The committee was composted of a collegiate from each fraternity, an esteemed faculty member, and a representative from the Offices of Residential Life, Community Standards and Responsibility, Athletics, and the Community Alignment. The next step was the campus-wide expansion presentation, which allowed the chapter and their national headquarters to make their case about the positives of recognizing the chapter and also offered members of the Rollins community to ask questions. After the presentation, the Center for Inclusion and Campus Involvement (CICI) provided an online survey to attendees and also posted the survey link on their Facebook page to get feedback from anyone who wanted to share their opinion. Overall, 72% of respondents said they believed that SAE should be granted recognition. The chapter then was required to remove any members who had below a 2.3 GPA and were on
community probation with the college in order to remain eligible for expansion. Following the survey, on September 4, SAE met with the Director of Community Standards and Responsibility, members of the Student Affairs senior leadership team, members on the Student Life Committee, a few Academic Deans, David Lorde (the chair of the Board of Trustees), the extension committee, and the IFC executive board. Even before SAE had an answer of recognition, half of their members attended the new member institute that all recognized FSL new members had to attend. Following the completion of the necessary steps for expansion, the expansion committee worked tirelessly to weigh the pros and cons of expanding to SAE, as well as the potential outcomes of each case, which lead them to their decision. The expansion committee decided to recommend that SAE be recognized, which then left Dr. Mamta Accapadi responsible for making the final decision. Aubrey Frazier said, “Overall, the committee decided to recommend we grant SAE recognition because they felt compelled to act because the college needed to provide a high level of support and the tools necessary for these men to be a successful contributing member of the Rollins community.” After much deliberation, Dr. Accapadi notified the community on September 25 that she supported the committee’s recommendation and that SAE was now officially recognized with IFC at Rollins College. President of SAE Matt McGuffee ’16 said, “We are beyond excited to officially be a part of FSL and we look forward to making a positive impact on the Rollins community.” With much anticipation, the chapter members, their national headquarters staff, and the FSL advisors have been working to assimilate the chapter’s operations in order to function properly and successfully as a recognized fraternity. The FSL community expressed their utmost excitement and support for the 35 men of SAE and look forward to seeing the chapter and community continue to grow and strengthen. On top of the addition of SAE, the FSL community will grow again in spring 2015 when Panhellenic welcomes a new sorority to the campus and community.
He’s climbing in your windows
Daniel Martinez (staff illustrator) Illustrator continues his story on campus theft. For the first panel see Issue 2 at thesandspur.org.
Parking garage stalker disturbs Rollins Micah Bradley Staff Writer A strange man followed a girl outside the parking garage a little before six o’clock on September 9. “Once I passed he began to follow me. I quickly crossed the street and he followed behind. Once I crossed he told me he ‘had been following me for a long time now,’” described Reagan Campbell ’18. She called Campus Safety and told them she was being followed. Due to a miscommunication, the two officers dispatched did not see the man or the girl, so they left. “The Dispatch Officer failed to connect the responding officers with the female student, which would have initiated an incident report, follow up care, and, after further investigation, a notice to the campus community. Because this connection was not made, we were unable to investigate further or provide useful communication,” said Ken Miller, Director of Campus Safety. Because the report was nev-
er filed, the Rollins community was not given a Timely Notification Bulletin or any other warnings about the man. There was also not an official report filed originally. “When I called Campus Safety, there was no immediate action taken and they did not follow up with me on my well being. I was later told that an incident report was never filed, which is against protocol,” said Campbell ’18. Several weeks later, on Sept. 24, a local news agency ran a story on the incident, and that is when students were first made aware of the situation. WFTV reported that there were actually several women who reported being followed. After wide campus concern following the television report, Vice President of Student Affairs Mamta Accapadi sent an email with updates regarding what she called a “suspicious person on campus.” However, this notification occurred nearly a week after the WFTV report and almost three weeks after the incident. This
was the first information that was sent to the entire campus community about the “suspicious man.” Another update was provided on Oct. 3, this time directly from Campus Safety. They reported that four women had come forward with stories of men following them around the parking garage. Although Accapadi originally indicated there was only one individual, Campus Safety’s email included descriptions of four different men. To help students feel safer, part-time Campus Safety staff is being used to offer more escorts around campus since wait times in the evenings have increased. Escorts are also now available to students concerned about safety during the day. Miller would also like to renew a suggestion made last year that SGA and other groups help with providing escorts during some of the busiest hours. As a result of the incident, all Campus Safety officers have recently been retrained on properly writing reports.
Page 8 • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Exhibit challenges, engages the narrative David Matteson
Reading is a video display of an
Editor-in-Chief artist book handling concepts
Now through Jan. 4, CFAM is presenting a vast array of stimulating contemporary artworks in a show thematically entitled, Fractured Narratives: A Strategy to Engage. Each work, whether created by an established or emerging artist, attempts to challenge the viewer by seeking response to an array of political, cultural, and psychological issues. Those familiar with the museum will be taken aback by the transformation the space underwent in order to properly house the collection—which is the first to be exhibited in the museum from the Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art. Added structures are video pieces by William Kentridge and Alfredo Jaar. This extensive effort reflects the need to accomodate the will of contemporary artists—whose effect is established not only through the work itself, but also in its display. Kentridge’s Second Hand
of race and identity. As the narrative develops through the animation, the work engages the viewer by asking him or her to actively participate in the artistic development of Kentridge’s vission. Other established artists in this collection include Jenny Holzer and Maya Lin. Holzer’s Plate 4 directly relates to the show’s theme. The work stems from Holzer’s engagment with declassified U.S. Army documents. In this piece, the only words left from the document are: “These techniques are... water-board.” From this “fractured narrative,” we are left to imagine the connotation and context of this piece— certainly proof that the contemporary visual arts resist direct interpretation. The collection reflects many of the ideas and topics discussed within a liberal arts setting, and as such proves to be an asset to Rollins students searching to develop, define, and respond to their own unique narratives.
Cornell Fine Arts Museum An-My Lê (b. 1960, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), Small Wars (Rescue), 1999-2002, Gelatin silver print, 26.5 x 38 x 1.25 inches, Courtesy of the artist and Murray Guy, New York, The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art at Rollins College, Gift of Barbara ‘68 and Theodore ‘68 Alfond, Cornell Fine Arts Museum
Southern eatery herds crowds downtown Rebecca Finer
Writer
Thornton Park has a brandnew eatery called Soco, opened on September 17. Soco has a beautiful patio area where we were initially seated, but it was too muggy to really be enjoyable. It will be perfect when fall comes around, though. After beginning to sweat almost immediately, we moved into the dining room. Once seated in the very pleasant dining room, decorated in a contemporarily southern manner (real candlelight at each table, vintage light bulbs in the overhead light fixtures, and a gorgeous exhibition-style kitchen), our server Dareile, pronounced like Ariel with a “d,” greeted us warmly. Our gracious server suggested the watermelon cooler drink when I inquired as to the best cocktail to order. The watermelon cooler is made with fresh watermelon infused vodka, lime, ginger, pink peppercorns, and mint. When my drink arrived I was initially hesitant to try it. I knew I had to make my $12 drink last (all of Soco’s cocktails are $12). After what felt like forever, but was probably only about three minutes, I tasted the concoction.
I was shocked to find it was so delectable that it could almost have been worth $12, and if you have a disposable income you might easily find it to be worth every penny! It did not have a strong vodka taste, but I could feel that it had quite a kick. Refreshing would be the best way to describe this drink; it was the perfect companion to our meal. For food we ordered the Lake Meadow Naturals Korean-Style fried chicken with a side of baked squash and watermelon rind casserole, completed with country ham. When you are inside the restaurant, it smells so good that even if you were not hungry at all when you entered, you feel as though you are starving within about 15 minutes. Our food arrived in a timely manner and we could not have been happier. We dug in immediately. As is to be expected for southern-style cuisine, the portions were generous. The food was just as good as, if not better, than my drink. The fried chicken had the comforting feel one expects from southern fried chicken, but with a unique twist to it. The casserole was a five star dish as well. I cannot wait to taste their other offerings. Treat yourself; you are worth it!
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT, GREG & HOLLY! Love Always, Your Sandspur Family