crescent March 2016 | University of Evansville | College Culture Upfront | issuu.com/uecrescent | $2.50
MAGAZINE
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POLITICAL
INCORRECTNESS From racial slurs to homophobic comments, words can hurt. But what does all the tiptoeing and self-censoring mean in the long run? | 14
GOTTA LOVE PIZZA
Pizza is so universally loved that it has become a cultural phenomenon. From crust to sauce, it’s all good. | 12
TH
OT
EXPERIENCE
Jezreel
THE
EXPEDITION
IMMERSIVE. EXPERIENTIAL. TRANSFORMATIONAL. University of Evansville’s Archaeological Expedition in the Jezreel Valley of Northern Israel. Experiences appropriate for students in every major. For more information, contact Marissa Mitchell in the Office of Education Abroad at mm353@evansville.edu
THE LITERARY CENTER @LiteracyCenter @literacycenter LITERACY_CENTER
The Literacy Center TUTOR The Literacy Center provides free tutoring to adults who want to improve their reading and writing skills. If you have good reading and writing skills and a desire to help
LITERACY LAB VOLUNTEER
Assist students in the literacy lab as they learn to read using computers. A minimum of one-hour per week is required. A friendly, patient individual is best for this position. Training is provided.
OFFICE SUPPORT VOLUNTEER
Answer phones, make appointments for students, assist with special projects such as making flashcards or photocopying. A minimum of two-hours per week is required. An
others enjoy the benefits
outgoing, helpful personality is best for this position.
of literacy, we hope you’ll
COMMITTEES / FUNDRAISING EVENT VOLUNTEER
considering becoming a volunteer. A minimum oneyear commitment is required. Qualifications include a desire to teach an adult, patience, perseverance, empathy and enthusiasm. Training is provided.
Join other volunteers in a small group to help organize successful events such as the Letters for Literacy Scrabble® Tournament and the Spell for Literacy Grown-up Spelling Bee. Time commitment is an hour or two per week for a period of two to three months.
MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT INTERN
The successful candidate will assist the staff with such duties as: marketing The Literacy Center with emphasis on website and social media, creative development of flyers and other promotional pieces, updating The Literacy Center promotional pieces and updating contacts for service counties.
The Literacy Center is a not-for-profit organization in Evansville. Our mission is to improve basic adult literacy in our community. Our volunteers provide a variety of services including confidential tutoring at no cost to those who seek to improve their reading and writing skills. (812) 429–1222 litcenter.org
The Literacy Center 3411A First Ave. Evansville, Ind. 47710
Contents
EDITORIAL Writing Directors MARISA PATWA RYAN MURPHY
Writers KEZIAH COLLETON CHARLIE ERICSON ALEX GOULD CHRISTINE GRAVELLE LACI ROWE OLIVIA SHOUP AJAY SUNDARAM ERIN WILLER
THIS MONTH 4
Since the water safety crisis in Flint, Mich., has sparked concerns, it’s time to take a look at Evansville’s water.
6
TOBY KUHNKE
12
14
24
MAKAYLA SEIFERT
OVERTIME | Marisa Patwa
Junior Chandra Parr is all over the softball field, able to fill any and all roles. She really can do anything she sets her mind to.
Creative Director Photo Editor
COVER | Laci Rowe & Ajay Sundaram
As people become more attune to marginalized groups of people, some have changed their words and actions to adhere to political correctness. But not everyone has.
CREATIVE TROY BURGER
FEATURE | Olivia Shoup & Charlie Ericson
It’s cheesy, it’s greasy and it’s craved by college students everywhere. Pizza has become America’s favorite food.
Copy Editors NEIL BROOKHOUSE TREVOR RICHARDSON
INNOVATION | Ryan Murphy
Senior Cameron Wickes worked with his father to find a way to pick out and remove drug-resistance genes in fungus.
EDITING Editing Director
IN THE NEWS | Ryan Murphy
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DEPARTMENTS 3 OUR VIEWPOINT 7 6 QUESTIONS 8 WITHIN FAITH 10 TRENDING TOPICS 17 THROUGH THE LENS 18 FASCINATING PEOPLE 20 STATE OF AFFAIRS 22 SEXUAL TENSION 23 CAMPUS CRIME 26 OFF THE WALL
A CLOSER LOOK | Marisa Patwa
Alan Kaiser, professor of archaeology, unearths the remnants of past civilizations in order to connect to today’s society.
Photographer KATE SARBER
Designers SYDNEY BLESSINGER LELIA DANT MAKAYLA SEIFERT ANNIE TAYLOR
MARKETING & SALES Circulation Assistant PATRICK ROQUE
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Find out what’s happening with Student Congress each Friday on the magazine’s Facebook page.
HOW TO CONTACT US
Ridgway University Center, University of Evansville, 1800 Lincoln Ave., Evansville, Ind. 47722 Editorial e-mail: crescentmagazine@evansville.edu • Phone: (812) 488–2846 • FAX: (812) 488–2224 Marketing & Sales: (812) 488–2221 & 488–2223 • crescentadvertising@evansville.edu
CRESCENT MAGAZINE is the University of Evansville’s student magazine. It is written, edited and designed by and for UE students and published six times during the academic year. Circulation is 1,700, and it is distributed to 18 campus locations and housed online at www.issuu.com. It is funded through advertising sales and a subscription fee paid on behalf of students by the Student Government Association. Printed by Mar-Kel Printing, Newburgh, Ind. © 2016 Student Publications, University of Evansville. | LETTER SUBMISSIONS: Crescent Magazine welcomes letters from UE students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni, but material the CMEB regards as libelous, malicious and/or obscene will not be published. Letters should not exceed 250 words. For verification, letters must include the author’s name, class standing or title and email address. Crescent Magazine does not print anonymous letters or those that cannot be verified. Letters will be edited as needed. Email letters to crescentmagazine@evansville.edu, with “letter” written in the subject line. | EDITORIAL POLICY: Commentary expressed in unsigned editorials represents a consensus opinion of the magazine’s Editorial Board. Other columns, reviews, articles and advertising are not necessarily the opinion of the CMEB or other members of staff.
March 2016 | Crescent Magazine
Crescent Magazine | March 2016
Some politicians have even declared war on political correctness, and they — most notably Donald Trump — have somehow gained supporters from it. But the effect of waging a war on this supposed oversensitivity does nothing more than create an excuse for these people to say every offensive thing that pops into their heads. If politicians cannot be bothered to respect the people they hope to represent, they should not be given leadership positions in the first place. Those who argue that political correctness poses a threat to freedom of speech seem to be missing the point of political correctness altogether. Its goal is not to pass laws that make certain words illegal; the goal is to establish the communal rules for how to behave and speak to each other in a civilized way. So why are some people so afraid of political correctness? Are they afraid they might accidentally be too polite to other people? Are they worried they might become conscientious or accidentally think about someone else’s feelings before their own? Some of the stubbornness stems from a resistance to change. Of course it can be difficult to change our language after we learn that something we have been saying our entire lives is actually hurtful to someone else. But in the end, it is really a small sacrifice to make for civilized discussion and respectful interaction. Before you call something “retarded” or use “gay” to mean stupid or repeat that offensive joke you heard from a friend, stop to think about whether that is something you want to come out of your mouth. To you, these words might seem harmless, but to the people who are the brunt of these kinds of jokes and words and phrases, they’re just reminders of the same hardships they face every day. If the politically incorrect words you are using do not bother you, it is probably because you have not taken the time to consider how the things you say affect others. There is something to be said about the lesson we were all taught as children: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
OUR VIEWPOINT
A
s younger generations become more aware of important social issues than ever before, the delicate parameters of political correctness seem to be shaping the speech of our generation. Every generation has its own way of talking. Slang and jargon can shape an entire culture, but some seem to equate the culture of political correctness with censorship. In this month’s cover story, we took a look at political correctness — or incorrectness — and how it affects our culture and speech. The research into the topic got us thinking about our own language and sensitivity. The importance of the freedom of speech cannot be overstated. But on the other hand, the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First Amendment does make some exceptions to when free speech should be protected by the law. While our Constitution does say that people can voice their opinions and say whatever they want, people should never be allowed to simply say whatever they want without facing the repercussions of it. The majority of the backlash against political correctness really stems from a fear of censorship. Some who oppose political correctness do so because they view it as an infringement on their free speech rights. But in reality, the goal of political correctness is not to take away freedom of speech but to protect certain groups of people from becoming the targets of hate speech. No, you will not have police banging at your door if you use an offensive slur, but you probably will not be viewed positively by the people you have just insulted. It’s simply a matter of respect and manners. People can say whatever they want. In fact they have the right to. But that does not necessarily mean every thought that pops into one’s heads is something that should be said out loud. The issue seems to be a sign of a generational divide. Many college students do not think twice about rejecting offensive language, but older generations often find it more of a challenge to kick old habits.
CENSORING OUR OWN
SPEECH
Political correctness is not just oversensitivity. It’s time to start thinking about what we say before we say it.
ON THE COVER: Crescent Magazine thanks seniors Joey Estes and Khadija Evans for posing for this month’s cover photo and cover story.
OMISSION:
In the February issue, the last part of Innovation & Science was unreadable because of a font default sometime during the printing preparation process. Crescent Magazine apologizes for the error. The following is the last paragraph of the story: “Our next study, we’re hoping to focus on a social worker sample,” senior Emily Denne said. “We kind of hypothesize that social workers get desensitized to the neglect the children go through.”
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IN THE NEWS
RYAN MURPHY
WHAT’S WITH
THE WATER?
The Flint, Mich., crisis is raising questions about the water in other cities.
I
n the aftermath of the drinking water crisis in Flint, Mich., people across the country are worrying about the quality of their own city’s water and what might be in it. Evansville residents have likewise taken an interest in the quality of Evansville water. When Flint switched its source of drinking water in April 2014 from the treated water of Detroit’s Huron River to the nearby Flint River, claims that the river water was dangerous for the people drinking it were quickly denied by the city. Flint officials reported to state regulators that tests at Flint’s water treatment plant showed that there was no lead present and some tests even found that the lead content was at acceptably low levels. In response to these claims, a study led by Marc Edwards, a professor of engineering at Virginia Tech, set off to examine the water supply of Flint and found that the water was highly corrosive and contained significant amounts of lead. Some households even had levels at 13,200 ppb, which is significantly higher than the federal maximum standard of 15 ppb. The study helped to affirm the concerns that the people of Flint had brought forward and made the government realize that there was lead and other contaminants in the water. “All levels of government failed the people of Flint,” Gov. Rick Snyder said last month. “This crisis should never have happened, but we are making progress each day to meet the needs of residents.” Officials continued to monitor the levels of lead in the water and finished their work in January when they fully believed that Flint water was on its way to being completely safe. Edwards stayed in Flint to oversee the city’s water testing efforts. Concern spiked again when word got out that Edwards’ study had also found an increased level of bacteria known to cause Legionnaires’ disease. Documents obtained by The Flint Journal found that
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treatment plant officials knew about the outbreak of Legionnaires’ but neglected to inform anyone. Elevated levels of lead were even found to be in the water systems of other cities in Michigan, in places like Detroit and Adrian. And because the lead and other chemicals in the water were a direct result of lead in the piping carrying the water, President Barack Obama approved an $80 million loan to Michigan to deal with infrastructure repairs. And the Department of Agriculture extended its services to Flint children suffering from lead poisoning. With so many children at risk for lead poisoning and the possibility that contaminated water can carry deadly diseases, it is no surprise that there was a rush of suspicion and fear. Many began to question if similar types of contamination could be happening with their own drinking water, including some in Evansville since the water comes from the Ohio River. Timothy Hall, water quality manager at the Evansville Drinking Water Filter Plant, said the plant is thorough when testing for lead and other contaminants, making sure the piping is safe and the water does not have any corrosive run-off from the pipes. He said he has assured worried callers that water throughout Evansville is safe and drinkable. “We are in no way anything like Flint,” Hall said. “We have very different practices.” One of the things plant workers do is make sure to keep the water from being acidic so it will not corrode any of the pipes. He said the costs of filtering and treating water can vary greatly based on the amount of solids in the water that call for higher quantities of more expensive chemicals as well as the quality of the water from the source. “It’s caustic water [in Flint] because they didn’t keep the pH where it should be,” Hall said.
March 2016 | Crescent Magazine
The pH of drinking water, by federal standards, has to be kept between 6.5 and 8.5. Hall said the water in Evansville is kept well within this range in order to prevent corrosion of the metallic water pipes. The main chemical, chloride, used to pull out solid contaminants from the water is allowed in water at a maximum level of 250mg/L, and the plant makes sure that it never exceeds that level. Some people complain about the taste of Evansville water or the fact that it comes from a polluted river, but Hall said that the taste is either from the process of removing contaminants or simply from the fact that some people are more susceptible to the tastes that come from the chemicals in the water. He said the treatment plant is always working to update its processes so the water runs cleanly throughout Evansville. Chemicals and processes used make sure the solids and other contaminants are removed. Even more care is taken with removing the chemicals from the water. Hall said those that remain are not harmful to people. Rain-washed sediment and trash from the ground all flow back to the river eventually, but the plant is prepared to take care of any situation if needed in order to ensure that the water is clean and free of major contaminants. The water that comes to campus likewise comes directly from the treatment plant. University officials trust the people at the treatment plant to keep the water clean and drinkable so it is not filtered anymore once it reaches campus. The exception is the water coming from the recently installed water bottle fountains, which have their own specific filters. “There’s some ensurance that whatever quality of water comes from the city is on a direct line to us,” said Chad Miller, director of facilities management. Hall said officials in charge of the water treatment plant are diligent in making sure Evansville water is clean and healthy for everyone. He said workers having been trying to let people know that the Flint crisis is as much an issue about management of the processes as it is with the water treatment itself. Management at the Evansville plant are serious about the work they do at the plant and make sure the water always meets state and federal regulations. “We are very proud of the quality of water in Evansville,” Hall said. “The Flint water crisis was the result of people cutting corners to save a little money.”
IT ALL STARTS
HERE
Priority deadline for spring 2017 is March 7. Applications are available online. Office of Education Abroad | SOBA 263 | studyabroad@evansville.edu
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| 5
INNOVATION & SCIENCE
FOILING
photo by MaKayla Seifert
A NASTY FUNGUS RYAN MURPHY
W
hen most people think of working on a summer project with their dad, they might think of rebuilding an old car or something similar. Senior Cameron Wickes had something different in mind. Wickes, a biology major, worked with his father, Brian Wickes, professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio, to sequence the genomes of a strain of fungus that became drug resistant. Wickes has been interested in biology since childhood. His father often took him in to the lab where he was working. “I actually had been bringing him to the laboratory for years,” Brian Wickes said. “I’d be babysitting or going into the office over the weekend, and I’d bring him with me.” These experiences were what got Wickes interested in biology, and he jumped at the chance to help out with the project with his dad. Wickes was also a familar face at the San Antonio lab. For the past several years, he
“
has been working on smaller projects as a part of larger teams. The sequencing of the genomes of a strain of fungus project was the first one he led. “On this, it was really cool because they’re doing real research,” he said. “It was a cool feeling to use my own creativity to reach the ends we were trying to meet.” The fungus, a yeast strain called candida glabrata, causes infections in the blood streams of hospital patients, especially those recovering from surgery, and the number of cases has been rising for the past 10 years. While medicine made it easier to keep patients alive, it also increased their time in hospitals and their chance of infection. “They can be kept alive by a variety of different methods,” Brian Wickes said, “but that would subject them to the risk of being infected.” The fungi also became resistant to drugs. For bacteria this was no big deal; there are thousands of antibacterial drugs. For fungus there are only three major options. The scientists decided to find the genes
that caused drug resistance. Cameron and his father took hundreds of samples and subjected them to different levels of UV light in order to make them mutate. Then they added anti-fungal drugs to the samples in order to see which ones were resistant. Once those were discerned, the Wickes sequenced the genome of those samples and looked for consistent mutations to find the genes that caused drug resistant. As expected, they found the genes that likely caused the resistance. Not only is there now the chance to get around the drug resistance when treating infections caused by this fungus, but the process has also been proven to work effectively. Other labs can use the same process with the samples of whatever microbe they’re testing to find out what causes it to be resistant to treatment. On top of making a significant discovery, Wickes was happy to get to work with his dad as an equal. “My whole life I’ve looked up to my dad,” he said. “It’s a pretty cool feeling to work on something [we] both have a passion for.”
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It’s a pretty cool feeling to work on something [we] both have a passion for.
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March 2016 | Crescent Magazine
Q&A
Questions Students had to walk around the work zone, wondering what was going on, but then the Bower-Suhrheinrich Library reopened and there were new things to celebrate. STEVEN MUSSETT Interim University Librarian
photo by MaKayla Seifert
ing at technology. When the Bower-Suhrheinrich Library was built in 1986, no one would be coming into a library with a device. When this library opened, the circulation of material was done on cards. The renovation has accommodated the way students study [and use technology] today and provides the space for the library staff to work efficiently.
Q: We’ve heard a few complaints
Q: Since the Bower-Suhrheinrich Library is now fully opened and restored, what sort of feedback have you gotten? A: Mostly positive and mostly informal. Someone will tell me they really like it or mention it to a member of the staff. We get feedback on our Facebook page. At this stage, it’s too early for us to have done a formal survey or anything really. We’re just glad that the doors are open and all the floors are accessible.
Q: The library looks nice, but you told Crescent Magazine when school started that a lot of the renovations were more functional. A: We knew that both the students and the library staff would benefit from look-
Crescent Magazine | March 2016
about the library being so noisy that the noise reaches the third floor. A: The third floor has doors that can be closed, and we might have to consider having the doors closed to stop stairway sounds. That’s something we can address. And perhaps some students don’t remember that was the quiet floor. We always felt students did a good job of respecting one another and respecting that space. I think it may just be a matter of getting the word out to take care of that.
Q: One of the significant changes is the addition of nighttime card swipe access to the library. A: The reason we can do that [now] is all the deliveries of books from the storage company, all the boxes, have been removed. That enabled them to hang the door on the receiving entrance, so that’s a secure door. We’re ready to try this experiment.
Q: Another change was to make media in the library better known to students. A: They have more access than they used to because we’ve put all the cases out so you can browse yourself. All you do is bring the box for the item you want to the information desk, and we get the disk for you. That collection was almost unknown, and now people can see what we have. We’re hoping that creates a greater awareness in the university’s investment in music. We also have a reservation system on the library’s webpage that allows you to schedule a room yourself, and now there’s a reservation system on our website [uelibrary. bookedscheduler.com]. It’s an experiment, but I know people are using it.
Q: The library has a good number of volumes, but some say it also seems kind of limited. Has there been work done to increase the number of resources? A: We are serving an undergraduate community. In comparison to an institution serving a large number of graduate students, we’re not going to have as many resources. One way to address that is to subscribe to online services that are essentially databases of journals or e-books. We would like to do more, but these are subscriptions items. We have to work within our budget to be as efficient as we can to provide the most resources.
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WITHIN FAITH
RYAN MURPHY
FINDING
RELIGION
Some lose their faith early in life. But finding faith isn’t as common.
R
eligion plays a major role in the lives of most people, but many who maintain their religion into adulthood were reared in religious families. These children are taught to believe a certain way and usually keep those teachings throughout their lives. But not everyone is brought up in the church. Some discover their faith later in life. While becoming religious is rare, it’s not unheard of. A number of people who attend Methodist Temple share this background. Members focus on showing the presence of God in the people they help, hoping to get them through rough times. “They say, ‘I appreciate that you love me,’” associate pastor Andrew Payton said. He said he appreciates when those who don’t have faith come to him because he can work to show them a new way to see things. “I think the difference there is teachability,” Payton said. “When we’ve been raised in a religious context, we have an idea about what the answers should be.” Because many converts don’t have religiously grounded preconceptions of what the answers of life and the universe might be, Payton and other pastors can bring those finding faith into knowing God and can prepare them for baptism, what Payton said is an important step in embracing faith. There are also those who break off from the beliefs they were taught as children and they find their faith through other belief systems. For most, there has been at least one point at which they have questioned their beliefs. A 2014 Pew Research Center study found that many people leave their religion to join another. Roughly 12.9 percent of Catholics, 13 percent of Protestant Christians and 10.4 percent of other Christians leave their faith when they grow older. That same study also showed that, while there are many people who leave the theistic belief system, there are also a significant number of people who gain
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faith. About 9 percent of the respondents were not affiliated with any religion and about 4 percent found their faith later in life. Some people who are unsure about their road in life come together in Unitarian Universalist churches, which are based on discovering what individuals believe. They emphasize the exploration of different avenues of belief — religious, philosophical or even scientific — as well as to cooperate in promoting social justice. Crystal Folz, a Unitarian Universalist member, found her association with the church quite by accident. She was a substitute pianist one week, but later joined the congregation because of their approach to social justice. “We just let everyone in,” she said. “If you’re prepared to be kind to one another, you’re in the right place. For people who are looking for their faith or just for an accepting community, the UU is a good place to start.” Some people don’t make a huge leap between religions. Some just need small changes, like 2015 alumna Katie Ziebell. After losing faith in the Lutheran teachings of her childhood, she took a different route. Instead of discarding religion like the 18 percent of people raised in a religious setting, she converted into Catholicism. “I was nervous,” she said, “but after a while, something just clicked for me.” After months of classes, homework and going to mass, Ziebell was approved to convert to Catholicism. While her father was not immediately supportive of the change, he soon joined the rest of her family and friends in being happy that she made the switch to what she truly believed in. Belief is something that can help to define people, and it does so when it is their choice — their own journey — that brought them to that decision.
March 2016 | Crescent Magazine
Support BETH Csukas Csukas is a former standout UE women’s soccer and softball player and now a firefighter with the Evansville Fire Department. She was injured in a devastating car accident in mid-January that left her in a coma and with bleeding and swelling in her brain.
HELP BETH AND HER FAMILY BY DONATING TO THE BETH CSUKAS MEDICAL BILL FUND gofundme.com/bethcsukas Learn about her condition updates at facebook.com/supportforcsukas
Tri-State Alliance presents
PRIDE
Prom
Saturday, April 9 7 p.m.–midnight
Evansville Airport Holiday Inn 7101 U.S. 41, Evansville, Ind. 47725
$
10
TO ATTEND
Security Provided 8 p.m. Appetizers 9 p.m. King, Queen & Inbetween Crownings
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(812) 480-0204 • www. tsagl.org • facebook.com/tristatealliance • #tsaglbt Crescent Magazine | March 2016
| 9
TRENDING TOPICS
Society’s idea of beauty is being put in a box. It’s way past time for beauty to be redefined.
RETHINKING YOUR
MAKEUP CHRISTINE GRAVELLE
A
night out on the town for women usually means a few things — a killer outfit, the perfect pair of shoes, a flawless hairdo and that trendy pointed cat-eye eyeliner. Minutes, even hours, can be spent in front of the mirror, trying to obtain those smoky eyes and smudgeless red lips, but the only person I’m doing it for is me. No one else. One of the biggest misconceptions about women who wear makeup and take the time to get dolled up on a daily basis is that they do it to impress the opposite sex. But in reality, most men prefer women without makeup. A survey conducted by Unilever in 2014 on behalf of St. Ives beauty products found that wearing too much makeup was the top turnoff for 45 percent of men. That was followed by 33 percent disliking fake tans, 5 percent disliking bright red lipstick and 4 percent being turned off by false eyelashes or thick eyebrows. But makeup is a part of something much more important than partner selection: self-expression. Personally, I choose specific shades of red lipstick not because I have a negative self-image but because I enjoy putting on makeup. The transformation is fun. And the idea of women needing makeup to feel beautiful seems so unrealistic to me. It’s the exact opposite. Makeup has become an accessory for most women today and an extension of their fashion. When I get the chance to walk through aisles of Sephora products, I’m in my happy place. I enjoy reading fashion and beauty blogs and keeping up with current trends because I like to develop the idea that make-
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up is an addition to my look. The right lip color and eye shadow can completely enhance an outfit. By using this to intensify my style, I’m not giving in to the social pressure to look good for men. Let’s look at putting on makeup itself. Makeup is an art form, and faces are canvases. Assuming that women wear makeup only to attract the attention of a man is like assuming an artist only creates paintings to gain the attention of one person. When we imply that women are only reaching for their makeup because they are self-conscious, we undermine women. This simply gives in to media messages and the idea that we don’t have the ability to think for ourselves. It implies that we are incapable of standing up to societal pressures and have succumbed to the standards of Hollywood, New York and Paris. Women are above that. We have reached an age of independence and self-expression. And that’s what it really comes down to: a choice. Wearing or not wearing makeup is no one’s choice but his or her own. Although it’s undeniable that the media has had an influence on our ideas of what beauty is and isn’t, that does not mean we are being forced to darken our eyes or color our faces for the sake of beauty. It may be hard for some people to understand, but some of us actually enjoy the process of putting on makeup. With a perfectly shaped eyebrow and a touch of blush, it feels like you can take on just about anything — whether that’s a presentation at work, an assignment due at the end of the day or simply a trip to the grocery store.
Angeles University Foundation, located in the Philippines, did a study in 2014 that gained information on why women wear makeup. About 17 percent of respondents said they wore makeup for reasons of attraction, while 63 percent wore makeup for personal reasons and their own self-esteem. So what do we do about these naysayers? Stop listening. As we enter a time of personal expression and individualism, why are we paying attention to people who put boundaries on beauty? It’s time to stand up and stop listening to the opinions of others. Before we look any further on this issue, it’s important to step back and look at where makeup came from. For thousands of years, makeup has been an artistic aspect of culture. When we look back far enough, we see that makeup has pretty much always been a part of women’s lives. When thinking about the origin of face painting, Egypt is the first place that comes to mind. Many Egyptian tombs contained makeup canisters and kits. Even Cleopatra used all kinds of products. Her lipstick was tinted from ground carmine beetles while other women used clay and water. Kohl, one of the most popular products used by both men and women, was a paste made with the combination of burnt almonds, oxidized copper, different-colored coppers ores, lead, ash, and ochre to create an almond shape to the eye. Women even carried cosmetics to parties in makeup boxes and kept them under their chairs. Ancient Greeks and Romans also painted their faces with powders made of ground minerals and stones, but as history con-
March 2016 | Crescent Magazine
tinued, makeup became less colorful. From the Middle Ages until the end of the 19th century, pale skin was the fashion. But as the 20th century dawned, products that we recognize today — like lipstick, mascara and nail polish — began to emerge, along with a shift in the purpose of makeup. With rapidly improving products and makeup ideas, marketing efforts shifted the world of makeup for women. Women were sold on makeup, and we haven’t looked back. But when did makeup become such a problem for our society? In the late ‘60s and ‘70s, a wave of feminism swept across the U.S., urging women to discard anything that men could potentially use to objectify them. As time went on, this argument didn’t go as well as some feminists had hoped. And it remains a popular sentiment that a socially appropriate appearance, including makeup, is important for the workplace. We shouldn’t tell women to stop wearing makeup. It is up to the woman to find her creative outlet and how she wants to express herself. I encourage women to wear makeup if that’s what makes them happy. To the women who haven’t tried makeup before, give it a shot. You’ll be surprised what items might appeal to you. Take a stand for yourself. Find what makes you happy and define beauty in your own way.
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Crescent Magazine | March 2016
What tips do you have on being a good mentee?
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Arielle Piper Junior Coal City, Ill. Applied Biology INTERESTING NOTE: The best advice that my mentor gave me was that it is OK that I am taking a year off after graduation in May. There is so much pressure to know what you want to do with your life when first getting to college, but I didn’t figure it out until half way through my junior year. I appreciate my mentor taking the time to calm my nerves and help me develop a plan for next year.
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| 11
FEATURE
a t t o G
Pizza LOVE
Pizza became popular because, let’s face it, Americans love anything covered in cheese and grease. CHARLIE ERICSON & OLIVIA SHOUP
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March 2016 | Crescent Magazine
A
thin, crispy disk of dough shows surprising strength as it supports a substantial splatter of tomato sauce and a generous layer of creamy mozzarella. This timeless crust has held everything from pepperoni to kimchi to pineapple. Pizza has literally traveled the world and gathered adoring fans with its cheesy goodness. But pizza was not always the foodie-culture rock star it is today. Before the turn of the 20th century, the upper classes turned up their noses at pizza because they considered it to be the food of the commoners. Pretty much everyone believes pizza became popular for one reason, and it all centers on a visit the king and queen of Italy made to Naples in 1889. Legend has it that Queen Margherita was sick of the French cuisine she ate in her court and wanted to try what was thought of as the food of the people. A “pizzaiolo” — or pizza maker — was summoned to the royal palace, where he made three pizzas. The queen liked the pizza with mozzarella, tomato and basil the best, so the pizzaiolo named it after her. Et voila — the margherita pizza was born. Because royalty had given pizza their seal of approval, the upper classes could finally admit how much they loved the cheesy delight. But there was a tiny problem. Zachary Nowak, a doctoral student at Harvard, and associate director for the Food and Sustainability Studies Program at the Umbra Institute in Perugia, Italy, said the story is nothing more than a myth. He thought there was something strange about claiming the queen’s favorite pizza happened to be red, white and green — the colors of the Italian flag. “It was just too perfect,” he said. Nowak condemned the story in the March 2014 issue of “Food, Culture & Society,” as he found at least one detail couldn’t be true. The queen was known to praise French cuisine and had written off pizza as mere peasant fodder. The original story behind pizza’s super-powered popularity was bogus. There is no one person or place that we can thank for the saucy delicacy. Pizza’s ancestor, flatbread with olive oil and spices, was first seen in the 10th century in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Pizza today is a staple for people on the go, and at its origin flatbreads were convenient for the busy working class. People even wanted fast-food a thousand years ago.
Crescent Magazine | March 2016
The saucy slice America knows and loves first appeared in 16th century Naples. Imagine street vendors selling scrumptious flatbreads oozing with toppings such as cheese, oil, anchovies and garlic. The beckoning aroma was different from the one that calls to us today, since tomato sauce did not become a common topping until the late 17th century, when tomatoes were brought to Italy from the Americas. But pizza was uncommon even in Naples until the 19th century, when pizzerias started opening by the dozens. Many of these original locations remain standing to this day. Believe it or not, the first attempts to introduce pizza outside of Naples failed miserably. The hordes of tourists who crowd pizzerias today were not yet scrambling to get their hands on this Italian treat way back when. And no one could have realized the magical relationship that would take place between grease and cheese. Pizza finally gained the worldwide audience it deserved when Italians immigrated to America. Neapolitans opened pizzerias in American cities, and the heavenly scent of cheese and tomato drew crowds. New York City, home to many early Italian immigrants, was one of the first places to develop its own style of pizza. Trying to recapture the dream of the Neapolitan pie, New Yorkers created a thin-crust foldable slice. The pizza was easy to eat while walking, permitting even busy people to indulge in the classic slice. Freshman Shawn Leedy said he ate his most memorable pizza in New York City, but it wasn’t the average New York style pie. He ate a pizza cone, where cheese, sauce and toppings were piled into a cone of dough and baked. Chicago added more pizzazz to its pizza. Thick, fluffy dough cooked in a deep dish with inches of cheese and sauce over the top characterizes this icon of Chicagoan cuisine. The opposite end of the spectrum is found in St. Louis with a thin, crackery crust, a light layer of sweet sauce and a unique threecheese blend called “provel.” Whether the disk is baked in Naples or New York, Chicago or St. Louis, each pizza has a unique character. Students and experts alike take on a dreamy tone when describing their love affairs with pizza. Nowak, who lived in Italy for 12 years, said he can’t resist a pizza with buffalo milk mozzarella and “salame piccante,” an Italian form of pepperoni.
Freshman Alex Russo has also had authentic Italian pizza. His earliest memory of pizza comes from a family vacation to Rome. There, he said he ate the best pizza he has ever had — thin crust with mushroom, pepperoni and light cheese. At home, he eats pizza with his family every couple of weeks. His father, who is from Italy, makes pizza from scratch. “It brings the family together,” he said. Senior Dalton Bosze said he favors an authentic Neapolitan restaurant in Canfield, Ohio, called Bella Napoli. He said pizza’s popularity comes from how easy it is to appreciate. Senior Madison Ralph said she loves supreme pizza with as many toppings as possible. She prefers Domino’s Pizza for their good deals. She said pizza is popular because of the wide variety. “You can customize it in so many ways that can appeal to anyone,” she said. Dan Nix, co-owner of the local Pizza King chain, said his restaurants’ most popular pie is topped with crumbled pepperoni. He said there were a lot of reasons behind pizza’s popularity, ranging from the social tradition of having a beer with a slice of pizza to the pie’s status as a comfort food. Nix said between different crusts, cheeses, sauces and toppings, no two pizzas were ever exactly alike. That is why people love to go to new places and try new pizzas. As a restaurant owner, he said pizza has a wide spectrum of flavors, and that keeps it popular. “You see other trends come and go,” Nix said, “but I think pizza will always be strong.” Pizza is so universal that people have started to experiment with new ways to eat it. This has spawned new forms of pizza with many eccentric toppings, which are loved by some but seen as monstrosities by others. Nowak said part of the charm of pizza is it can be modified to fit into any culture. He said the English language has this quality as well. We expect English to change so we don’t have to speak like Beowulf. In the same way, pizza has adapted to the times. Over hundreds of years, pizza has been topped with everything from buffalo milk mozzarella to pineapple to kimchi, and that is part of why it has lasting popularity. A lot of people think traditional foods are the foods that do not change, but Nowak said foods are traditional because they are flexible. “You can either accept that, or you can talk like Beowulf,” he said.
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COVER STORY
r e il sh a tr tra -
faggot
POLITICAL
LACI ROWE & AJAY SUNDARAM
INCORRECTNESS
Bible thum per
O
n a warm spring day, three friends take a walk to Ridgway Center. On the Ridgway lawn, a group is throwing around a Frisbee, acting foolish as they toss the disk. Noticing this, the friends laugh and half-heartedly consider joining. “Frisbee is so gay,” one friend says without giving the word a second thought or noticing that her friends do not respond in agreement. In fact, one of her friends is gay, and after the comment, he no longer feels comfortable around her. Though no harm is meant by phrases like “That’s so gay,” popular phrases are not victimless. Such a phrase equates the word “gay” to “stupid,” affecting the people who label themselves as gay. Because of this negative impact, the phrase and others like it have become known as politically incorrect. Educator Herbert Kohl wrote in a 1992 ar-
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ra ch et
s ’ t a th ay so g
gro ap w air
Language has never been so vibrant or off-color. The political correctness debate is really over the right to express versus the right way to express. ticle for “The Lion and the Unicorn,” a journal dedicated to children’s literature, that the term “politically correct” initially referred to radical supporters of communism who created a toxic political environment. But today the phrase means something more — much more. Political correctness is now a gauntlet of society’s sensitivities — a society that is increasingly aware of the mistreatment of fringe groups. Regardless of how political correctness is defined, questions of political correctness run all along today’s news ticker: when 2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump referred to Mexicans as rapists; when Westboro Baptist Church held protests at military funerals; when TV’s “South Park” showed Buddha snorting cocaine and when Charlie Hebdo was depicted kissing Prophet Muhammad are just a few examples. These instances have left audiences divid-
ed. Some decided these were exercises in free speech; others were hurt by the irreverence. Lisa Kretz, assistant professor of philosophy, sees the cause for this divide. She describes a rule for political correctness. “It’s standing up against oppression, insisting people treat others with respect,” she said. “Having these conversations is very important. I have a hard time imagining a society that’s too thoughtful. I’d love to see things pushed even further.” The definition of political correctness is not static but changes depending on the person. LaNeeca Williams, diversity and equity officer, believes political correctness has as much to do with body language as words themselves. “[Political correctness is] not just saying things that are offensive but how we behave and the subtle things that we do to put people off,” she said.
March 2016 | Crescent Magazine
People of faith often encounter stares on the street, at airports and even at restaurants if they are wearing religious garb. Non-heterosexuals also face awkward behavior when they are with their significant others in public. Something as subtle as shifting away or avoiding eye contact can make someone uncomfortable.
CENSORING The fear among experts is that political correctness culture is going to — and some believe it already has — put a cap on free speech. People are deemed out-of-bounds of correctness when they step on the toes of a specific demographic — knowingly or not. “I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct,” Trump said during the first Republican debate last fall. “I don’t, frankly, have time for total political correctness.” Some people believe there may be worth in the belligerent politician’s words. Pew Research reports 67 percent of 18- to 87-year-old Americans believe people should be able to say whatever they want, no matter how offensive. While 40 percent of millennials surveyed believe the government should regulate speech. This has led many to believe that society today is too emotionally sensitive. Words such as “ghetto” and “retarded” are politically incorrect as people acknowledge that they are insensitive to entire groups of people. The word “ghetto,” although used to refer to an impoverished area, has negative racial connotations. As for “retarded,” the use of this word to mean “stupid” is disparaging to those who suffer from mental disabilities. For some members of PRIDE, words used by those who do not think before they speak can be harmful because they bring back demeaning and violent memories. “Hearing those [words], I have a super strong negative reaction,” freshman Ethan Krouse said. “If you’re told something is offensive, don’t use it.” At the same time, some people who use the words are a part of the group the words insult, believing that using the words within the group is the only exception. While a group of women might not mind calling each other sluts, the moment someone outside of the group uses the term, it is no longer OK. “If there’s a word that makes you uncomfortable when someone that does not look like you uses it, then you shouldn’t use it,” Wil-
Crescent Magazine | March 2016
liams said. “There are people who’ve tried to reclaim words to reduce the effect and make it a different word.” But not everyone agrees that words should be limited for use only by certain people. The fear is that the words will not only be rejected by society but they will be completely censored. “It is fair to say there are scattered, overzealous, well meaning groups of people who try to regulate speech,” said Chair Robert Dion, associate professor of political science. “They are misinformed about the Constitution. They are a fringe doomed to failure.” While Dion said the notion of an attack on free speech exists, those who are afraid that their free speech rights are being trampled are just misinformed. Dion believes under the Constitution this could never happen. Therefore, people’s fears are seemingly invalid. Many websites and professors actually employ the use of trigger warnings to preserve free speech while treating difficult issues such as sexual violence with caution.
TRIGGER WARNINGS Because of political correctness culture itself, some professors have begun to censor themselves and their lessons, sometimes offering warnings in case of information that could trigger victims in the course. While such warnings are often treated as coddling, political correctness supporters believe they are necessarily respectful. After a student approached Kretz expressing how distressed the sexual violence part of her lesson plan had made her feel, Kretz began warning students about the lesson ahead of time. “Statistically, there are students in class who have gone through some [trauma],” she said. “Everyone should feel welcome. It’s a basic human right.” In a national survey conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 47 percent of 12to 17-year-old adolescents have witnessed or experienced some type of violence in their lifetime — a statistic that gives trigger warnings logistical backing. While junior Michaela Kent supports being politically correct, she also believes a university environment is valuable because of how tolerant it is and that people should not feel restricted in what they talk about. She uses her platform as an Orientation Leader to influence new students to think about what they say before they say it and how they treat others.
“We want to educate people about how it’s not about constricting freedom,” she said. “It’s about expressing your values without insulting everyone else’s.” Dion agrees that campuses are the best place to have tough discussions and also enforces that people cannot be too sensitive about what is said to them. “You can’t be so delicate that you just crumble when you hear something you don’t feel good about,” he said.
CULTURAL APPROPRIATION Words are not the only things that supporters of political correctness find harmful. Cultural appropriation has recently become a much more talked about problem, with people more often noticing the adoption and misrepresentation of cultures. This is especially true after the Washington Redskins controversy rekindled in 2013. Several Native American groups have deemed the football team’s mascot offensive, and the controversy continues today. Even pressure from President Barack Obama was not enough to convince the team’s owner to change the mascot to something other than what many believed to be a racial slur. There are other instances of appropriation, such as blackface and yellowface, in which entertainers dress themselves up as a person from a different ethnic group for the sake of entertainment. Though not about speech so much as action, these types of appropriation are still seen as politically incorrect because of how they affect people. “[It’s] completely inappropriate,” Williams said. “People don’t know about the history and it makes people feel invisible, like they don’t matter.” In order to respect cultures and the historical contexts they come from, Williams suggests simply not using words we feel uncomfortable with.
COMEDY Comedians like Bill Burr and Louis C.K. have for a long time used derogatory words in their sets, and George Carlin went to great pains to use every word he was asked not to and then explained the stupidity of those words. When asked, these master articulators back their use of the words with their brand of wild logic. Comedians are not known for their boundaries when it comes to their jokes, and so any-
| 15
thing from their own lives to those of an unrepresented minority could be on the stand for ridicule. But with stronger waves of political correctness, some comedians are losing support. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is outraged by strict political correctness rules, claiming last year that they hurt comedy by being so strict and sensitive. “[Students] just want to use these words: ‘That’s racist’; ‘That’s sexist’; ‘That’s prejudice,’” Seinfeld said during an interview on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” podcast last year. “They don’t know what they’re talking about.” Seinfeld makes a point to specifically single out college campuses as grounds where political correctness is prevalent, but students are not the only ones enforcing it. Williams also believes that politically incorrect humor — whether joking about stereotypes such as a Spanish maid or a flaming homosexual — is unacceptable. “These are lives of people and it’s not a joke,” she said. “Age, sexual discrimination, sexual orientation — to make jokes about that is not funny at all.” But the fact that people are rejecting such jokes shows a growth in society. Dion is also glad that this growth has caused a move away from slurs, believing that more inclusivity has not hurt comedy. “Political correctness is an imaginary threat in the mind of conservative critics,” he said. “It boils down to complaints that you can’t say despicable things out loud.”
THE FUTURE Most people have had experiences where they’ve had to walk the tightrope of political correctness or, worse, have been at the jagged end of someone’s tongue. The best antidote is usually simple communication. Williams thinks of it as a teaching moment when someone offends her. She said people don’t intend harm when they use certain words; they aren’t being callous or insensitive. It’s her experience that they have never been sensitized to other cultures. “People aren’t intentional when they make these comments,” she said. “It’s something they learn when they’re young.” Williams said these conversations need to keep happening in the future. “You have to be flexible,” she said. “Something acceptable for the current generation of people may be, 10 years from now, offensive to people.” For others, free speech is coupled with the responsibility of political correctness. “Uncomfortable, awkward conversations are the resolution to the political correctness issue,” Dion said, “which isn’t a big issue to begin with.”
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March 2016 | Crescent Magazine
SCREAM It’s fun to be a fan.
THROUGH THE LENS
MAKAYLA SEIFERT
It was a packed house Jan. 30 as the Aces took on Wichita State at Ford Center. Leading up to the game, students rushed the Carson Center ticket office to make sure they got a seat. And there was no shortage of fans, with a recordbreaking 10,034 people in attendance. The Aces may have fallen short in the end, but that didn’t dull students’ spirit. They kept the center in a constant rumble, silencing only when a UE player stepped up to the free throw line, then bursting into applause when he made the shot. Whether you were singing along to the tunes of the Aces Brass or stripping down in the student section, it was a great afternoon to be a fan.
As booing rises in the Ford Center student section, junior Mary Whelan is one of many who disagree with the referee’s call. | Kate Sarber
Crescent Magazine | March 2016
Competing with two others during a quick timeout, senior Dalton Bosze rocks out on the court by shredding on his best air guitar. | Kate Sarber
Trying to distract a Wichita State free throw, sophomores Prescott Marcy, Gabriel James, Everett Plocek and Brendan Ninneman and junior Nick Riffel strip down to their Speedos. | MaKayla Seifert
| 17
photo by MaKayla Seifert
FASCINATING PEOPLE
TOGETHER THROUGH EVERYTHING OLIVIA SHOUP
T
hey finish each other’s sentences, make plans together and talk about everything imaginable. Ever since they became friends during Welcome Week four years ago, seniors Ashley Leroy and Cherese Butler have pretty much been inseparable. They grew up in vastly different environments — Leroy lives in Clarksville, Tenn., while Butler is from San Diego. But they have a lot in common, as they found out after a trip to Red Robin their freshman year. Both had been struggling to adjust to college, but they became fast friends after spending time together. “We would’ve thought we’d known each other for years,” Leroy said. While each is a communication major, Butler’s emphasis is in multimedia production and Leroy has a variety of emphases — advertising and public relations, multimedia production and organizational communication. It goes without saying that they have worked on projects together — everything from in-class projects to WUEV shows and AcesTV videos. “We bring different things to the table,” Butler said. “If we see a weakness, we tell each other.” They also have a lot in common personally. Both said they love to watch and discuss YouTube videos and movies,
“
and they enjoy all facets of pop culture. “We’re like a walking ‘TMZ’ mixed with ‘The View,’” Leroy said. They also happened to go to Harlaxton together in spring 2014, where they visited Dublin and London. Butler said they want to travel again after graduating, and they look forward to visiting Central and South America. The duo also took a trip to Selma, Ala., last spring with Black Student Union for the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march. Visitors commemorated the infamous event, in which civil rights protesters were brutally attacked by police. They heard speeches by several of the movement’s figures and President Barack Obama. Leroy said she and Butler have been fortunate to celebrate many of their college achievements together. They believe their friendship works because their personalities contrast — Leroy is outspoken while Butler is laid-back. “She says what she wants, and she means what she says,” Butler said. “She’s challenged me to be more assertive and speak up for myself.” And Leroy said her friendship with Butler has helped validate her presence as a black woman at UE. “Having her as my best friend, I know I’m not alone,” she said.
“
i just want to get my music out.
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March 2016 | Crescent Magazine
BEHAVIOR IN PROGRESS CHARLIE ERICSON be able to work with people,” said Geoff Edwards, assistant dean of students and Congress advisor, adding that compromise is an important quality in an aspiring politician. Lundberg, a senior political science major, has been planning for years to go into politics. He even dreams of someday becoming president of the United States. He said his political interests developed the summer after he finished eighth grade. He played President Harry Truman in a reenactment of the Berlin Airlift, which took place in the late ‘40s, at the Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Mo. “My teacher came up to me after and said, ‘When am I going to see your name on the ballot?’” Lundberg said, “and that just got me hooked.”
photo by MaKayla Seifert
S
erious topics need serious people to handle them. That’s exactly how SGA President Matt Lundberg is approaching the proposed campus alcohol policy. When it was previously suggested by Student Congress that the campus go from dry to wet, the board of trustees was apprehensive. Lundberg decided to deal with the problem in a new way. “My intention was to grab the hands of the trustees and walk them through it,” he said. Lundberg wanted to compromise with UE officials and the board to make sure that the most important things from the student side of the argument meshed well with the values the trustees considered most important. “He has that mindset that you have to
photo by MaKayla Seifert
LEADING WITH SPIRIT LACI ROWE
A
freshman’s first few days on campus can be nerve-racking, but a smile and hug from someone who has been through it all before, someone as enthusiastic and extroverted as junior Megan King, can make the new environment less daunting. King starts every day with this energy and optimism, no matter the situation. And she does not let the future scare her. She said she gets excited about it, and she encourages others to feel the same way. King also opens up to strangers and welcomes them without pretense the moment
Crescent Magazine | March 2016
she meets them. And it makes perfect sense. “She has this thing she says: ‘You’re doing exactly what you need to be doing at this moment in your life,’” senior Hannah Richardson said. King has been an Orientation Leader for two years and is now co-chair of the organization. She also leads Leadership Academy and is Chi Omega’s new member educator. And although she is double majoring in international studies and French, she seems to make time for everything that is important to her. “[Leading] is something I love and want
to do, so I’m motivated to do it,” King said. “When you are passionate about something, you find a way to balance.” King looks forward to having the chance to watch her new Chi O sisters flourish as the semester continues, and even though her schedule is hectic, her friends appreciate the time they are able to spend with her. “Megan helped me realize it’s possible to have friends you can tell everything to and open up to completely,” senior Meg Reinsch said. “And she’ll always be in charge of people because she’s such a good person to look up to.”
| 19
STATE OF AFFAIRS
Is there racism in Tinseltown? It is 2016, but the integration of Hollywood seems to be at a stalemate.
HOLLYWOOD
WHITEOUT KEZIAH COLLETON
R
ecent events have brought light on the casting patterns of Hollywood. Although the amount of diversity in television and movies has increased drastically in the U.S. since the genesis of the motion picture industry, integration in casting seems to have hit a wall. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently had its 88th Oscars ceremony and featured its second-whitest nominee list of the past two years. Much like last year, African-American members of the Hollywood community were up in arms. Their response to the situation this year was not so much anger as it was disappointment that the #OscarsSoWhite issue had yet to be resolved. Ironically, Chris Rock hosted the ceremony but amidst the backlash rewrote his speech to address the controversy surrounding the event. Black members of Hollywood chimed in on the matter. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, along with noted film director Spike Lee, boycotted the ceremony. Whoopi Goldberg didn’t blame the academy for snubbing votes. She blamed the lack of diversity in films as a whole. David Oyelowo, star of 2013’s “12 Years a Slave,” stressed the importance of the event in an actor’s career and called the academy’s second year of an all-white nominees list unforgiveable. Rapper Ice Cube said that the diversity debate surrounding the Oscars was like “crying about not having enough icing on your cake.” He pointed out that, as actors, they create movies for viewers and not the industry, deeming a trophy unnecessary.
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White members of the creative community had their own opinions on the matter. Some were supportive, while others took offense to the black community’s response to the news. In an interview with a French radio station, nominee Charlotte Rampling said boycotting the Oscars would be “racist to white people.” In another interview, Danny DeVito blamed the nominations as a manifestation of systematic discrimination and racism present in the U.S. today. In response to the backlash, the academy issued a letter to its members saying that by 2020, the new rules purport to double the number of minorities and women so there can be more diversity in nominees. Since the inception of the ceremony, only 44 black actors have been nominated for an Oscar. Only 12 have won. This begs the question, are there not enough black actors, or are they just not being cast? After its start in the late 1940s, TV was predominately white. During its first three decades, blacks were cast in stereotypical roles. The 1960s were somewhat of a golden age for blacks on TV, a point of integration of sorts. This could be attributed to the ratification of the 1962 Voting Rights Act. This sparked an outpouring of series featuring blacks as stars, co-stars or continuing characters. Unfortunately, shows with black leads struggled to gain success. But popular shows of the ‘60s, like “I Spy” and “Star Trek,” were groundbreaking, featuring a level of integration in casting unlike any other shows at the time. Movies had a more promising start, featuring black actors in films as early as 1915.
Despite this, blacks in Hollywood still struggle to break out of stereotypical roles and making it onto the A-List. It seems white actors can play whomever they want while blacks have to start their career being typecast before moving on to more diverse roles. In an interview with the Center for Asian American Media, “Divergent” star Mekhi Phifer said the only power an actor of color has to avoid being typecast is to turn down the role. A study conducted by researchers at UCLA analyzed 700 top grossing films from 2007 to 2014, excluding 2011. They found that out of 30,000 characters, whites portrayed the majority. And out of the 100 top films in 2014 only 12.5 percent of the actors were black, while whites made up a whopping 73.1 percent. The findings of this study show how stalled Hollywood is with diversity. It is the 21st century, and for almost a decade, practically no effort has been made to create ethnically diverse films. This is a problem. The situation is not great for blacks in Hollywood, but it is not rainbows and butterflies for Asians, Hispanics or other minorities either. Despite the lack of diversity on the screen, according to the Motion Picture Association of America, minorities comprise 44 percent of theatergoers, and blacks purchase 11 percent of all movie tickets. The 2015 Hollywood Diversity Report noted that, in 2013, films with diverse casts earned the highest median global box office receipts and return on investment. If this is true, you would think film studios would
March 2016 | Crescent Magazine
move mountains to have more diverse casts. When studios have cast blacks in white roles they have received backlash from the public — most recently when Michael B. Jordan was cast as the Human Torch in the 2015 remake of “Fantastic Four.” Its lackluster performance in the box office could be attributed to the drama surrounding the choice for the role. Although disappointing, I do not feel that this backlash represents all American sentiment towards non-traditional casting. On the other hand, Hollywood has a reputation for casting whites in roles where African Americans should be. On many occasions, whites have been cast in biopics where the real-life protagonist is black. I’m not saying to do away with creative license. But really, how hard would it have been to cast black actors in the roles of real-life people? There seems to be a proper time and place for race-revised casting, and real-life people should be off-limits. Black actors’ talents extend beyond roles of the sassy best friend, sage with southern roots, comic relief, slave or servant. TV or film without diversity is like a chocolate chip cookie without the chips — pointless. It is misrepresentation of the diversity present in society today and can promote inequality and stereotypes. Consider shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Mindy Project,” “Empire” and “Jane the Virgin.” All top-rated. All gripping. And all with diverse casts. More importantly, diversity makes for a better viewing experience. “I think when everybody’s story is told, then that makes for better art,” President Barack Obama said. “So I think, as a whole, the industry should do what every other industry should do, which is to look for talent, provide opportunity to everybody.” I could not have said it better myself.
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| 21
SEXUAL TENSION
ERIN WILLER
TRUTH ABOUT
MONOGAMY W It’s time to get decide whether humans are meant to be monogamous.
hen they were seniors, their relationship was just as solid as it was when they first began dating as freshmen. They were both comfortable with each other sexually and knew what the other liked in bed. But even though he loved his girlfriend, there was just something so exciting about the idea of having sex with someone new. One night he couldn’t stop himself, and he risked the relationship with the woman he really wanted for a one-night stand. The societal expectation is that people are only supposed to be attracted to and have feelings for one person at a time. But are people meant to be monogamous for life? Psychology Today reported in 2014 that about 25 percent of men and 15 percent of women have admitted to having an affair while involved in what they saw as a monogamous relationship. As couples devote themselves to each other, some may ask if they can remain monogamous, especially for their entire lives. “Monogamy is a tendency to want to commit yourself to one person,” said senior Kirstin Ethridge, who is engaged to her partner of a year and half. “It’s a challenge. It’s a conscious choice. I don’t think it is a natural tendency for everyone. I think society puts pressure on everyone to be monogamous.” Lora Becker, associate professor of psychology, said some people are born with the ability to be monogamous, and the body’s levels of oxytocin may have something to do with it. Others believe monogamy has to do with the way a person is raised and how they perceive their parents’ relationship. But Becker believes you cannot untangle the brain chemistry from personal experiences because the two interact. “Monogamy isn’t easy; it’s a lot of work,” she said. “It’s worth the work because you have a close human to rely on and support.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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reports the average American male has about six sexual partners during his lifetime and the average female has about four. Based on these figures, it appears serial monogamy is more prevalent than strict monogamy. While monogamy may be the norm, Kelly Campbell, associate professor of psychology at California State, said in a 2014 Psychology Today article that about 40 percent of people have cheated on their partners. She said people do not remain monogamous for a variety of reasons, including not having the personality traits necessary to remain so, dissatisfaction with the partner and conflict in the relationship. While serial monogamy is when a person has a number of monogamous relationships over time, open relationships result when a person has multiple sexual relationships with various partners at the same time. But new data states that people in open relationships have greater satisfaction, less jealousy and communicate better. Big Think, an online knowledge forum, reports that people in open relationships tend to be more satisfied and honest and appear to be better communicators. Senior Tyler Thompson, who has been in a monogamous relationship for six years, said the pressure can make it difficult if a person suddenly develops an attraction to someone who is not his or her partner. “Cheating, on both genders’ part, doesn’t mean that you don’t care about your partner,” he said. “We like to imagine monogamy as a lifelong bond, but it doesn’t need to be that way.” While research shows that people in open relationships tend to be more satisfied, less jealous and better at communicating, some do not believe open relationships are for everyone. “It’s very hard to say that we will ever be able to say that humans are biologically meant to be monogamous,” Becker said. “[But] we can take a moral and ethical stance on our beliefs about monogamy.”
March 2016 | Crescent Magazine
campus crime
The following information was compiled from criminal offense reports filed Jan. 23–Feb. 17 in Safety & Security.
Feb. 17 – WFF supplies tampered with in a McCutchan Stadium closet. No loss reported. Feb. 12 – Three students found with marijuana on Hughes Hall first floor. Two students admitted to smoking, but the other student said he was not. All referred to the vice president for Student Affairs for disciplinary action. Feb. 9 – Urine either poured or a person urinated on a Schroeder Hall first floor door. No loss reported. Feb. 8 – Student found with marijuana on
Schroeder Hall third floor. Referred to the vice president for Student Affairs for disciplinary action. Feb. 4 – Graffiti found on the south side of Ramona Apartments. No loss reported. Jan. 31 – Alcohol found in a student’s vehicle parked in O-lot. Referred to the vice president for Student Affairs for disciplinary action. — Sign post and attached sign damaged in G-lot. No loss reported. Jan. 30 – Two students found intoxicated
Pick up your copy of the
2015 LINC
March 16th
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outside of Schroeder Hall. Both referred to the vice president for Student Affairs for disciplinary action. Jan. 29 – Wallet stolen from Koch Center, Room 202. Loss reported at $0. Jan. 28 – Two students found with marijuana and drug paraphernalia in a Schroeder Hall first floor room. Both referred to the vice president for Student Affairs for disciplinary action. — Student reportedly forged six professor’s signatures on two separate drop/add forms in order to enroll in spring courses. Referred to the vice president for Student Affairs for disciplinary action. Jan. 26 – WFF closet in McCutchan Stadium vandalized. No loss reported. Jan. 23 – Student found smoking marijuana in F-lot. Referred to the vice president for Student Affairs for disciplinary action. — Student found intoxicated and vomiting outside of Hale Hall. Referred to the vice president for Student Affairs for disciplinary action.
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AT RISK FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT UE students would... • Ask if the person is OK • Try to find the person’s friends • Offer to walk the person home BE MORE THAN A BYSTANDER Show your pledged commitment to helping stop sexual assault.
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albionfellowsbacon.org
| 23
OVERTIME
Playing a number of positions seems to be a cakewalk for outfielder Chandra Parr.
DIFFERENT
SHADES OF
CHANDRA MARISA PATWA
T
omboyish and tough — these are words most people think of when describing the average softball player. But junior Chandra Parr is no ordinary player. With her flawless makeup, polished nails and highlighted hair perfectly coifed, she looks more like a model than a woman ready to get dirty in the dugout. But looks can be misleading. Parr was named to the all-MVC first team following the 2013–14 season after hitting 10 home runs with 30 runs batted in. Then, for the 2014–15 season, she led the team in at-bats (148), runs scored (37), hits (44) and doubles (10). And with the 2015– 16 season just starting a month ago, it is clear she is going to help make this season another home run. To her teammates, she is “Chan,” but to Aces fans, she is number 23 — the player who can do it all. She is somewhat like a chameleon, but instead of changing shades to blend in, she plays different positions on the field and stands out. The team has gone through a lot of changes in the past few years. With the rotating in of transfer players, second-year coach Mat Mundell knew Parr had the versatility to fill various positions, which she has done without hesitation.
“
“She is the type of player you can move around the diamond,” he said. “She’s comfortable with wherever we put her.” Most players stick with and become experts in one position during their careers, but since the start of her freshman year in 2013, Parr has had to master a whopping six positions. Playing so many positions is no easy feat, and excelling at them is even harder. It’s a good thing Parr has been preparing for this her whole life. She started playing tee-ball in her hometown of Buncombe, Ill., when she was 5 and, with the encouragement of her softball-obsessed grandpa, learned to master every position on the field. Parr said she does not mind playing so many positions because she just wants to give her all to her team. “I love the feeling when you are up on the plate and do come through for the team,” she said. “It’s a high I can’t explain.” While her athletic prowess has included soccer, basketball and track, softball is her passion. Parr said she loves softball because in softball, the player is always moving. Although Parr eats, sleeps and breathes softball, the accounting major still makes time to focus on her grades. She received a 2015 MVC student-athlete honorable men-
tion and has consistently made the dean’s list. Parr said her academic success is in part because of her parents, who instilled in her a flair for time management. She even has three calendars to keep her on task. Infielder Alex Latoria, who serves as Parr’s speed and conditioning and hitting partner, said even though Parr is incredibly busy, she is always willing to help her teammates and others. “She’s genuinely there to help you,” Latoria said. “She’s a great leader to the team and a very positive influence.” Although Parr has had an incredible run at UE, she plans on laying down her bat when she graduates to focus on her career. As someone who loves numbers and analyzing, she plans to take the certified public accounting exam in hopes of becoming a certified accountant. For now, Parr said she will continue to cherish being a part of such a close team — a team that gets hyped-up in the locker room before games, a team that lovingly teases Parr for being so in love with her cat, Versace, and a team that looks up to her not only as a seasoned and talented player but as a true and valuable friend. She is a chameleon who actually shows off talent — in more ways than one.
“
She’s comfortable with wherever we put her.
24 |
March 2016 | Crescent Magazine
photo by MaKayla Seifert
Crescent Magazine | March 2016
| 25
OFF THE WALL
DOTM
JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
tattoo trends — a different kind of look Many students first think about getting a tattoo while they’re in college and some get one before they graduate. Just like anything else, trends play a part in what type of tattoo we get. INKED MAGAZINE reports that trends change as techniques and artists improve, and they reshape our idea of what a tattoo can be. There are a variety of tattoo trends right now, including double exposure, hyper vibrant and cityscape. But four of the most popular are minimalistic, single line, cubism and geometric. INKED reported that it has seen a surge in minimalistic tattoos over the past few years. These tattoos are popular because they appeal to those who have never before stepped into a tattoo parlor. Minimalistic are smaller tattoos that many times have a raised effect on the skin.
Single line tattoos are just that — one continuous line designs, usually in a single ink but not always. One reason they are so popular is because they are perfect for lettering and also have a minimalist look. Cubism may be a painting style that was created by Pablo Picasso in the early 20th century, but it is a tattoo design trend today. The technique uses blocks of color to sometimes shape pretty pictures of animals and flowers, and are becoming increasing popular with women. INKED believes it is likely that in 2016 cubism will only grow in popularity. Finally, geometric tattoo designs have grown because of social media — the designs are being showcased worldwide. Geometric allows artists to create unique patterns that can be executed into both small-scale pieces and full-body designs.
really awful pick up lines
TIDBIT
> I say your picture in the dictionary today, it was under KABAAM! > Girl, you’ve got more CURVES than a back-country road! > Hey, I just noticed you looking at me from across the room. I’ll give you a minute to catch your BREATH! > Oh, baby, you must be a light SWITCH because every time I see you, you turn me on! > I was sitting here holding this DRINK and I realized I’d rather be holding you. > Excuse me, do fries come with that SHAKE? > Hi, my name is “MILK.” I’ll do your body good.
26 |
The first business founded by Bill Gates was Traff-O-Data. The company created machines that recorded the number of cars passing a given point on a road.
captain creamsicle
It’s still a little chilly outside, but as everyone knows, it’s never too cold for ice cream. 1001COCKTAILS.COM offers a drink where you don’t just get ice-cream but you get to add your favorite sherbet — in this case orange — to make a yummy drink. This cocktail is easy to make — just add Captain Morgan to a blender, throw in equal parts vanilla ice-cream and orange sherbet and blend well. Pour over ice in a medium glass and enjoy.
ingredients: 2 oz Captain Morgan1 rum | 2 oz. vanilla ice-cream | 2 oz. orange sherbet | Note: orange juice can be substituted for sherbet .
heard it here “I wear a necklace cause I wanna know when I’m upside down.”
The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female actually initiates sex by ripping the male’s head off.
– comedian Mitch Hedberg
The phrase “rule of thumb” is derived from an old English law that stated a man couldn’t beat his wife with anything wider than his thumb.
March 2016 | Crescent Magazine
people tweet the damndest things The next time you are in a group and everyone is on their phones except you, go ahead and treat yourself to a fart. You earned it!
@aparnapkin If you imagine that all of Adele’s songs are about a cheeseburger, it changes things drastically.
@BigPlanetEarth Prepping for the first day of school after a long holiday break. Currently watching YouTube videos to re-learn how to put on pants.
@badbanana Still haven’t forgiven my parents for not being rich.
@jenstatsky Yeah, America is the so called “land of the free,” but you try to bring a monkey on board a plane and suddenly everyone’s all about rules.
@existentialcoms I can’t believe they still have commercials for phone sex. What kind of sick maniac enjoys talking on the phone?
@TuffyNyC
Things that make us Crazy CROSSWALK CRUSHERS There are a lot of us who have to cross Walnut as we head to Carson Center, residences, H-lot and beyond. Irritating thing is, drivers fly down Walnut like its the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, driving through the crosswalks as we stand there, putting our lives on the line as we try to cross. Flashing lights, signs and crosswalk markings that tell drivers that we have the right of way should be clues. Slow the hell down and allow us to cross!
and not in part of what could be mine. This might mean you have to actually back up and pull in again.
WATCH WHERE YOU’RE GOING Ever notice how people don’t watch where they’re going when walking anymore? It’s usually because they’re trying to walk and text at the same time. If you can’t do both, how about sticking with one? Honestly, the rest of us are tried of having to get out of your way.
NO NEED TO BE RUDE
LAZY PARKERS People complain all the time that there aren’t enough parking spots on campus. So maybe those of you who can’t seem to place your vehicle directly between the lines in a parking spot might help out the rest of us. Stop talking to your riders or get off your phone and take the time needed to park directly in your spot
You may not want something offered to you by a member of a student group, but instead of ignoring the offer, how about saying a simple “No, thank you?” Those three words won’t kill you to utter and besides, it’s rude not to respond to something someone offers you. Or better yet, accept the offer with a “thank you.”
REMEMBER WHEN... … the best way to annoy your parents was by putting your fingers into a wet tub of FLARP NOISE PUTTY? This delightfully noisy goo made a sound that closely resembled fart noises. It came in a variety of bright colors, stuck to everything and had a peculiar plastic smell. Flarp was all good fun. … a secret love note to your crush was never legitimate unless you wrote it with a MULTICOLOR RETRACTABLE PEN? These pens were the most fashionable way to decorate your notes, but choosing the right color was often a hard decision, and there was always the temptation to try to push down two colors at once. … the most relatable and diverse book series was THE BEACON STREET GIRLS? Maeve, Katani, Isabel, Charlotte and Avery dealt with some serious issues that other children’s books wouldn’t touch, like bullying, divorce, weight loss and drinking. But worst of all, they had to deal with the “Queens of Mean” — Anna, Kiki and Joline. … the noisiest candy was a WHISTLE POP, the sugary lollipop that doubled as a whistle? All you had to do was blow into the hole at the top, and it would whistle away. These delicious noisemakers are still available, but they have a different name — Melody Pops. … the tastiest treat-within-a-treat was a WONDER BALL? This candy sphere was more than meets the eye — beneath the chocolate surface were tiny candy figurines of characters from your favorite shows, like SpongeBob SquarePants and Pokemon. Wonder Balls were discontinued. Rumor had it that someone choked on the candy inside.
When the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers play football at home, the stadium becomes the state’s third largest city.
Crescent Magazine | March 2016
The custom of people saying “bless you” when you sneeze is because when you sneeze, your heart stops for a millisecond.
About 23 percent of all photocopier breakdowns worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts.
There are only four words in the English language that end in “dous:” tremendous, horrendous, stupendous and hazardous.
| 27
A CLOSER LOOK
photo by MaKayla Seifert
THE TALKING DEAD MARISA PATWA
W
hile vacationing near the beautiful ruins of Pompeii, Italy, in the summer 2003, Alan Kaiser, professor of archaeology, discovered something profound: he learned that ancient Italians loved to draw phallic symbols on everything. He said that although Pompeii once had the biggest brothel in the world, the symbols were actually meant to bring good luck. “You would put it on pottery and give that cup to your grandma because you wanted her to live a long life,” Kaiser said. And that is just one thing he loves about archeology. Not the penis sketches themselves, but the reasoning behind them. It is all about getting an appreciation and understanding of the past. His love for archaeology started when he was in junior high. While most boys his age might have been outside roughhousing, Kaiser was excavating the grounds of a house that burned down in the ‘30s in his neighborhood of New Richmond, Wis.
28 |
“
With the help of “The Amateur Archaeologist’s Handbook,” he dated the artifacts and tried to piece together the history of a forgotten home. Now a seasoned archaeologist himself who has conducted fieldwork in Greece, Spain and Israel, Kaiser feels a huge responsibility to train the next generation of archaeologists. “I pushed the technology beyond what my teachers taught me,” he said, “and I want to push my students to be the best they can be.” To him, that means getting to teach them in the real world, which he was able to do on the Jezreel Expedition, a dig in northern Israel where students have the opportunity to study and experience a large-scale excavation during the summer. “It’s one thing to talk about it in a class with students,” Kaiser said, “but when you’re standing in front of a Roman mosque, studying together, emptying buckets of dirt together and eating together, it is a whole new adventure.” Although he thinks the Jezreel Expedition
is a wonderful opportunity for students, he realized not all students would be able to go on the trip during their time at UE and wanted to find a site nearby where students could dig and get the experience they needed. That is when he literally found Tin City. Tin City is a site right outside of Krannert Hall and Neu Chapel, where student World War II veterans and their families lived. The barracks were destroyed in 1961, but their history lives on. During UE’s centennial anniversary in 2004, Kaiser contributed to the celebration with the idea of excavating Tin City and turning it into a course for archeology and art history students to explore. Now, 12 years later, the course is still as strong as ever, and students continue to find artifacts that shed light on the people who lived there. When it comes to archaeology, finding a artifact or discovering something new about the past is what keeps Kaiser so excited about his profession and his passion. “When you find something, it’s like getting to talk to a dead person,” he said.
“
When you find something, it’s like getting to talk to a dead person.
March 2016 | Crescent Magazine
DONATE to the Tri-State Alliance’s Art Auction & Reception
proceeds benefit TSA’s Youth Group and TSA’s Young Adult Group
To donate artwork or an auction item, please contact: z z z z z z
Mark Fox • markgfox@yahoo.com Glenda Guess • 270-823-3360 • glenda.guess39@gmail.com Alex Lewis • ar230@evansville.edu Matt Kissel • 812-598-7337 • kisselkiss@aol.com Wally Paynter • 812-480-0204 • wallypaynter@icloud.com Luke Sokel • newforestpath@yahoo.com
DONATIONS REQUESTED BY APRIL 3
To learn more about auction sponsorships, contact wallypaynter@icloud.com
ART AUCTION & RECEPTION featuring a live auction, a silent auction and a reception
3-5 p.m. Sunday, April 10 Evansville Holiday Inn 7101 U.S. Highway 41 North
$25 Students: $5 with a valid school ID Cost:
(812) 480-0204 • www. tsagl.org • facebook.com/tristatealliance • #tsaglbt
TRI-STATE ALLIANCE
Serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities of the Tri-State since 1980
crescent FRESH CONTENT. 7 1 6 1 20 NEW LOOK.
Providing Academic Credit Experiences for UE Students since 2002.
October 2015 | University of Evansville | College Culture Upfront | issuu.com/uecrescent | $2.50
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A WORD THAT NEEDS TO DIE
COLUMNIST
In State of Affairs, columnist Keziah Colleton says it is time to get rid of the n-word once and for all. | 14
WHY WE BUY WHAT WE BUY
8
Take a look at the science behind marketing through the GAP program’s neuromarketing course. | 18
crescent magazine is hiring columnists for 2016–17, LOVIN’ NOSTALGIA along with reporters, designers, copy editors , event planners, sales representatives & social media assistants.
BLAST , . PAST
writers linc yearbook is hiring from the
photographers and a copy editor
Rose-colored memories of childhood affect the identity of today’s 20-something generation. And it seems as if nostalgia for the ‘90s has always been a part of our lives. | 22
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The LinC CRESCENT MAGAZINE