Crescent Magazine October 2015 by UE Crescent Magazine

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MAGAZINE

A WORD THAT NEEDS TO DIE In State of Affairs, columnist Keziah Colleton says it is time to get rid of the n-word once and for all. | 14

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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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September 2015 | Crescent Magazine

Contents

EDITORIAL Writing Directors RYAN MURPHY MARISA PATWA

THIS MONTH

Writers JAMES BARTON KEZIAH COLLETON CHARLIE ERICSON ALEX GOULD CHRISTINE GRAVELLE JULES KENDALL LACI ROWE OLIVIA SHOUP MAGDA SOKALSKI AJAY SUNDARAM ERIN WILLER

When it comes to time management, new apps and techniques can help students get on track.

NEIL BROOKHOUSE TREVOR RICHARDSON

CREATIVE Creative Director

COVER | Mackenzie Bruce

OVERTIME | Mackenzie Bruce

Sophomore Genesis Miranda’s love for her native country of Puerto Rico and volleyball make a difference for the Aces.

DEPARTMENTS 3 OUR VIEWPOINT 4 IN THE NEWS 8 WITHIN FAITH 10 TRENDING TOPICS 12 FASCINATING PEOPLE

From the Troll dolls to Hey Arnold!, we love all things nostalgic. But what makes us so nostalgic for the things we loved in childhood, and is it good for us?

Editing Director Copy Editors

FEATURE | Marisa Patwa

Neuromarketing is an up-and-coming science that helps researchers discover what customers crave.

EDITING TOBY KUHNKE

INNOVATION | Ryan Murphy

Senior Lily Mast has helped develop a program that completes smartphone computer code more efficiently than ever.

Guest Writer MACKENZIE BRUCE

IN THE NEWS | Toby Kuhnke

A CLOSER LOOK | Toby Kuhnke

Young Kim travels all over the world to learn what makes political systems so diverse to share with his students.

TROY BURGER

14 STATE OF AFFAIRS 17 THROUGH THE LENS 21 DAYMOND JOHN 25 6 QUESTIONS 26 TENSION 27 CAMPUS CRIME 30 THE HOT CORNER 31

ATHLETES IN ACTION

32 BRAIN BOMB 33 WHO KNEW? 34 OFF THE WALL

Photographers KATE SARBER MAKAYLA SEIFERT

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MARKETING & SALES Circulation Assistant PATRICK ROQUE

Marketing Assistant MENGXUAN GAI

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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. © 2015 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.

October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

Crescent Magazine | October 2015

and Sydneys Voluptuous Buttocks. There’s even a cat from Louisville, Ky., named Limberbutt McCubbins running for the Democratic nomination. The FEC also reported that in July a candidate named Deez Nuts — whom the Washington Post reports is a 15 year old named Brady Olson — entered the race and is growing in popularity. A Public Policy Polling report stated that in a poll pitting Hillary Clinton against Trump, the teenager received 9 percent of the vote. Most of these candidates entered the race as a joke, but the people behind them are clearly trying to make the point that presidential elections are a gag and that the presidency is not being taken as seriously as it should be. Kanye West even announced at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards that he would run for president in 2020. Although most dismiss his announcement as a stunt, West would not be the strangest candidate America has ever seen. Even Taylor Swift joked on her Instagram account that she would consider running as West’s vice president. With some of the candidates showing a lack of concern for real issues, it makes sense that West might be considered — especially if media organizations spotlight his rantings like they have with Trump. Weirder things have happened, but the person we elect president will direct the country’s political course for the next four years. And that is nothing to joke about. Most enjoy a good laugh at the expense of a politician, but, like it or not, politicians wield a lot of power. It’s easy to dismiss joke candidates like Deez Nuts and Limberbutt McCubbins as harmless satire, but there are other candidates who do not seem to care about the important issues they will be forced to address if they are elected. Voting for a candidate who supports your personal views should be everyone’s first priority, but we should also consider which candidates will treat the issues at hand with a proper amount of professionalism. If eligible, everyone has the right to run for president, but it is not a stunt. It is a serious matter.

OUR VIEWPOINT

lthough there is still more than a year before the 2016 Presidential Election, interviews with potential candidates and debates are already filling the airwaves. With so many candidates fighting for one party’s ticket or the other, is it possible that the wrong people are getting the most attention? Voters should be concerned because candidates who do not give enough attention to the issues are, unfortunately, more prevalent than they should be. The presidency should never be taken lightly, but it is fine for presidents to have fun every now and then. President Barack Obama has appeared on numerous talk shows and tells jokes at White House Correspondents’ Dinners. While there is no reason that a president cannot have some fun, there is a difference between a president relieving stress and a presidential candidate who refuses to take the position and issues in a professional and serious manner. Donald Trump has been in the spotlight frequently because of his provocative, demeaning — and sometimes inaccurate — comments. But somehow, despite the absurdity of his remarks, he seems to be rising in popularity. Many media sources focus more on the candidates who make a mockery of the process and what needs to be done to successfully deal with many of America’s problems than they do on those committed to finding solutions to those issues. And the more the media pays attention to one candidate, the less people actually learn about the other potential candidates and their viewpoints. Americans should not be forced to waste their time on candidates who do not have real solutions for Amercia’s problems. And they should not be wasting their time paying attention to candidates who are clearly more concerned with personal gain than with the well-being of the nation. Trump is not the only candidate who has drawn the attention of the media by causing a scene. The Federal Election Commission reports other candidates who have filled out a candidacy form for the 2016 Presidential Election include Moose The Dog, Mickey Mouse

NEEDING

COMMITTED &

QUALIFIED

Anyone who is eligible can run for president, but are the potential candidates paying attention to issues voters really care about?

| 3

IN THE NEWS

TOBY KUHNKE

TIME TO

MANAGE IT

Knowing when to embrace technology and when to avoid it is vital.

or students, there never seem to be enough hours in the day. Everyone talks about managing their time better, but managing time has to do with more than being organized and planning your study times. Spending too much time with smartphones, tablets and other devices can create issues. Some people are having success with mindfulness, a method of meditation that’s changing how many people view technology and how they interact with it. Mindfulness is a state of open attention on the present. Created by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979, it is based on the principles of various disciplines, including psychology, modern medicine and Buddhist meditation. While it might not be easy for some, more than 22,000 people have attended Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program in an effort to stay in the moment with their hectic lives, which includes the overuse of technology. Jamie Adams-Kemper, health education and wellness coordinator, said she is a supporter of mindfulness and even uses some of its breathing techniques with her clients. “It’s not for everyone,” she said, “but it does seem to help in the moment, especially with stress.” Adams-Kemper said mindfulness can be helpful for people struggling with other problems too, including anxiety, depression and substance abuse. She said worrying about the past and the future is what makes people stressed, and mindfulness tries to put the focus back on the present. But for some, technology is so important that even thinking about removing it from their lives causes stress. Most of the time, people turn to technology to help them save time and to get ahead of the game. And as midterms approach and students become busier, anything that can help save time and relieve stress is appreciated. Incorporating technology can help.

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“Time management doesn’t have to be complicated,” Adams-Kemper said. “It’s all about finding balance.” Paula Heldt, Academic Services coordinator, said she is working with Academic Advising to help students by hosting workshops on time managment and study skills. Workshop times will be posted on AceLink and announced in AceNotes. As anyone with a smartphone knows, there are more to-do list apps than most know what to do with. Apps like Swipes, One List, Todoist and Do! are popular and effective tools for helping people organize their lives in simple ways. But often time management cannot be solved by a simple to-do list. Apps like Planner Plus and even the default Calendar app can help organize each day in order to meet deadlines and complete assignments. But what about finding ways to stay focused during the day in order to increase productivity? For people with this issue, there are apps out there to help. The goal of the 30/30 app is to divide the day into 30-minute segments. The app gives the user the information they need to stay on task and complete assignments quickly during the individual segments of the day. The app’s page on the Apple App Store said it can tell the user which task they should be working on and how much time they have left to complete it. This app is similar to The Pomodoro Technique. Outlined on pomodorotechnique.com, this method focuses on dividing tasks into manageable chunks. The process involves six steps and forces those who use this method to examine beforehand how much time a given task will take. All you need is a kitchen timer and a task to complete. Adams-Kemper said time management is simply about finding a balance between classes, studying and free time. Doing a self-assessment of how you spend your time is an important step toward managing it.

October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

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Crescent Magazine | October 2015

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| 5

INNOVATION & SCIENCE

RECONFIGURING photo by Kate Sarber

THE PUZZLE RYAN MURPHY

ost people curse their phones when autocorrect changes their texts into gibberish nonsense. And in an attempt to remove that headache from our daily lives, senior Lily Mast, a computer science major, joined a research team this summer to develop a tool that would keep this from happening. Mast worked on the project with Danny Dig, assistant professor of computer science, and his team at Oregon State, and like the autocomplete program that comes with most phones, the program they worked on will offer several choices for completing a line of code based on what was typed. Unlike with smartphones, it will base the suggestions it gives not only on the information that was typed, but also on patterns throughout the program. Mast and her peers began testing the program and compiling information for it by taking snapshots of code from an online project source called GitHub. They took a number of snapshots over multiple hours to capture the changes made to the programs.

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“

Once they had the snapshots, they used an analysis system called Gumtree, running the snapshots through the system in order to find the changes made and the patterns made from these changes. What they found is, if the code was working to keep track of data on one subject and the developer deletes the function, the autocomplete would suggest changing the code, giving it the ability to keep track of data for many different subjects. “That program won’t run the same anymore,” Mast said, “but it will have more functionality.” In order to save developers hours of updating code, the program would also be able to apply changes to code that had already been altered. “A lot of developers make these changes over and over,” Mast said. The program could be applied to any form of code as long as it is formatted for the correct language. It will also be the first to manage code changes that affect the program’s function. Tools made before were for

refactoring — restructuring existing computer code that makes code faster, more efficient and more organized. “It’s a harder problem but not necessarily a bigger problem,” Mast said. Don Roberts, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, did the original research on the project. He said the same issues came up with the early refactoring tool he made. He also said programmers don’t understand how it works. “Programmers want to understand what’s about to happen,” he said, “and if they don’t, they won’t use it.” Not only will the tool save time, but it will also accomplish a more difficult task than refactoring does. While refactoring looks at the code and then finds ways to make the results come out more efficiently, this tool looks at the program results and then works to change the code to make the results come out differently, which humans couldn’t do at such a scale. “[It would be] like trying to unscramble eggs,” he said with a laugh.

“

it’s a harder problem but not necessarily a bigger problem.

October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

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| 7

WITHIN FAITH

JAMES BARTON

GROWING UP

WITH DOUBTS

Agnosticism is growing, but some still confuse it with atheism.

s more and more young people question organized religion, the agnostic population is booming, but not many people really know what agnosticism is. Where an atheist does not have any religious beliefs, an agnostic is a person who believes that the existence of a greater power, such as a god, cannot be proven or disproved. Both agnosticism and atheism have grown, with a 2015 Pew Research study finding that those who classified themselves as agnostic had increased by 3 percent in the last seven years, leaving one out of every 20 Americans questioning their religious beliefs. Agnosticism in the United States is nearly as common as all non-Christian faiths combined. Survey groups such as Gallup and the Barna Group combine the two practices into one category. And while the Pew Research Center does make a distinction between the two, agnosticism does not receive much recognition nor is it discussed much. “In general, the U.S. is a very religious country,” senior Alex Schmitt said. “Oftentimes, non-Christian beliefs aren’t completely understood. Growing up, I wasn’t presented with many other beliefs.” Schmitt was raised Catholic, but started having doubts about the church’s teachings in middle school. He believed in atheism while in high school, but changed his viewpoint during his sophomore year in college. Now he is agnostic. “Something from nothing doesn’t resonate with me,” he said. “As you become more informed, a lot of things religious fanatics say make less sense.” There are two types of agnosticism. “Weak” is when believers say they do not know if any god exists — what people normally think of when referring to agnosticism. “Strong” is when believers claim that no one can or does know if any gods exist. Both types are on the rise, but this growth does have a particular focus — young people, especially

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women. Men still make up a majority of atheists and agnostics, but women are becoming more skeptical. A 2015 Barna Group study found that the number of female agnostics and atheists had risen from 16 percent in 1993 to 42 percent in 2013. As increasing levels of education teach people it is OK to question their beliefs, agnosticism has increased too. The 2015 Pew Research Changing Religious Landscape Study showed that agnosticism has grown twice as fast among college graduates. “As people over time get more educated, as women get more educated, there’s more introspection,” sennior Grace Bush said. Bush grew up in a religious family and began questioning Catholicism early on, becoming an atheist in high school. “I was raised going to church all the time,” she said. “In middle school, I called myself an agnostic. [I stopped because] it felt like a lie. I can’t claim to believe something that I don’t.” With the accessibility of information easily gained from the Internet, more people are exposed to differing opinions. Bush believes the Internet lets people question their own faith and the faith of others by exposing them to new ideas early on, when most people are developing their beliefs. While a connection between the Internet and the growth of agnosticism is easy to make, Schmitt believes technology is making people more polarized because it has become easier to pick and choose where people get their online information. Regardless, skepticism remains the hallmark of agnosticism. What sets agnostics apart is whether they believe the existence of a god can ever be known. Senior Joey Estes began having doubts as a teenager. He has been agnostic since before starting college. “If young people disagree, at least for me, they feel they don’t fit,” he said. “That they don’t belong.”

October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

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TRENDING TOPICS

Our generation has a reputation for body modification, but what is more important: looking cool or finding a job?

THINK BEFORE YOU

TATTOO CHRISTINE GRAVELLE

ith a man bun pulled tight, gages larger than saucers, a labret centered below his lip and a sleeve of tattoos, a college-age Generation Y goes about life. While he gets into any party and fits in at every festival, at what point has his self-expression gone too far? I am all for self-expression, but I am wondering what is pushing us to take body modification to excess. Our you-only-live-once mentality is going to eventually bite us in the butt when faced with adult-world expectations, especially when we sport tattoos and piercings that are not accepted in the professional world. Our generation really needs to think before we ink — or make any sort of excessive permanent body modification for that matter. More and more millennials are finding themselves in a “Freaky Friday” situation. But as they prepare to move into the adult world, many find they are stuck in an unchangeable teen body. In a 2008 Pew Research Center study, more than one in three American young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 were inked. An additional 50 percent have either a tattoo, unnatural color or piercings somewhere other than their ear lobes. Although 40 percent of millennials have at least one tattoo, that does not mean Generation X and the baby-boomer generation — the primary employers in today’s workforce — like what they see. Rather than simple facial hair problems and requirements for business casual attire, employers are being hit face-first with disputes over tattoos and piercings.

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Brenda DeArmond, human resources manager at J.O.S. Staffing, one of the largest staffing and recruiting firms in the Tri-State, said she recommends people cover their tattoos when going on interviews, but it depends on the clients and what companies are looking for when hiring. “The same goes for piercings,” she said. “If they can take it out, take it out. We can’t decide for them, but again, it does even the playing field.” It’s easy to see how our generation got here. The media has had a drastic impact on Generation Y, social trends and the mainstreaming of tattoos. Shows like “LA Ink” and “Miami Ink” are hits. “LA Ink” reached more than 2.9 million viewers for its premiere, making it the highest-rated TLC series premiere for adults 18–34. Facebook and other social media outlets have also helped to spread the tattoo trend. With one click, people are connected to hundreds of common trends along with an endless portfolio of work and inspiration. Being connected to millions of people has its benefits, but it is easy to get caught up in a sea of trends and ideas. Considering our tendencies, many seem quick to jump on the bandwagon as they seek ways to individualize themselves. What better way to join others than to get a tattoo and still have the freedom to make it unique? So what will we be forced to do? Cover up or take out. With more millennials inking, 70 percent already say they try to hide their tattoos, according to a 2015 study conducted by the University of Tampa. This study discovered that 86 percent

of students who have visible tattoos believe they will have a harder time getting hired after they graduate. The same study found that 89 percent consider how the location of a tattoo would affect their job options. It was surprising to see such a high percentage of students concerned about tattoo placement, and it is understandable that companies are cracking down on visible tattoos and piercings. “If you walk into a boardroom and you have that baby girl tattoo on your neck, you may not get that job you want,” said Kristen Foltz, a University of Tampa assistant professor of speech. While our generation is struggling to find jobs, we may also be struggling to find a way to pay for the removal of these evidently not-so-well-thought-out decisions. Technology now exists that can help sew up holes and laser remove tattoos, but it comes at a price. Tattoo removal and other corrective surgeries have been on the rise for the last 20 years. A 2012 American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery study found that the number of people undertaking laser tattoo removal increased by 43 percent from 2011 to 2012. Not only do prices range from $500 to $10,000 — higher than the average price of a basic tattoo — but these surgeries are also known to be painful and problematic. Self-expression is something our generation is loud and proud of, but it’s time we think about these actions and the consequences they could bring. It is time we shift into the adult world, take the steps needed to get there and move past this trend.

October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

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| 11

photo by Kate Sarber

FASCINATING PEOPLE

PAVING HER MUSICAL WAY MARISA PATWA

enior Bethany Boeglin released her first CD when she was a junior in high school. Oddly enough, she was discovered by a singer-songwriter who just happened to be visiting her English class and helped her find a local producer. And that producer just happened to be best friends with Taylor Swift’s producer. “I started writing my own songs when I was in fifth grade,” she said. “Music has always been the biggest part of my life. It’s dictated my entire life.” Now, she is hoping to release a second CD — this time with a folksy edge. Boeglin said she writes songs that are relatable, adding that she wrote a lot of songs last spring while she was studying at Harlaxton, so they are based more on historical events. “There’s just something about living in a castle that inspires you,” she said. Boeglin’s first album, Walking on Water, featured mostly piano and vocals, but it is special for another reason. “The first track on the album is called ‘Look Into the Water,’” she said. “It was dedicated to my cousin, Paul, who was 9 at the time and [dying from] brain cancer, and other kids with cancer. It was supposed to be inspirational.” In her spare time, Boeglin can be found singing in coffee shops and has

“

performed twice at the Ferdinand (Ind.) Folk Fest. She also works with the charity Will Read and Sing For Food, where people pay a donation to get into the charity’s events to listen to music and watch comedy. “It’s like a two-hour spoken-word, but for a different charity each time,” she said. Over the years, the visual communications major has taught herself to play a number of instruments, including guitar, piano, trumpet and ukulele. A native of Nashville, Tenn., who grew up in Ferdinand, Boeglin hopes to attend graduate school to earn a degree in visual communications and also design album covers along the way. “I was born in Nashville, which means I kind of have to make music,” she joked. And while Boeglin doesn’t care about becoming a celebrity, she wants to get her foot in the door and make a name for herself. And as she waits for her big break, people can listen to her music on YouTube, plus there are still copies of her first CD for sale. “I’m not going for the fame,” Boeglin said. “I don’t care to be famous. I just want to get my music out, and if people don’t like it, then that’s OK with me. Whatever happens, happens.”

“

i just want to get my music out.

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October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

TWINS WITH VIOLINS

MARISA PATWA

photo by Kate Sarber

rom the moment sophomores Majd and Mohamad Soufan, both computer science majors, stepped onto campus last year, they got involved in as much as they could. They joined Lambda Chi Alpha, presented at I-House and served rice and beans at the International Bazaar. The Damascus, Syria, natives also spend a lot of time participating in intramurals and this year are the managers for the tennis team. But it doesn’t stop there. Both are also members of the String Ensemble — Mohamad plays piano and both play the violin — and they both are math tutors.

Everyone has to make adjustments when starting college, and for international students, there are always added adjustments. “Adjusting was a little hard,” Mohamad said. “[Americans] do a lot of stuff differently.” For Mohamad, who is older by three minutes, simply getting a drink was different. “We don’t have water fountains,” Mohamad said. “So back home we use our hands and get it all over our faces.” As for this year, both will stay involved. They hope to perform Syrian songs at the Bazaar next month and continue their involvement in the activities they so far have enjoyed.

LEARNING ABOUT BEHAVIOR

ot many can say their final course project is one of the first few results of a Google search, but senior Charlie Matias can. It started out last spring as his final project for Neuroscience 457, “Advanced Neuroscience.” But it turned into the Wikipedia page for quantal neurotransmitter release and was a chance for the neuroscience major to spread his knowledge of the subject. “Instead of doing a normal project, [Lora Becker, associate professor of psychology] wanted us to be proactive,” Matias said. He noticed there was a lack of Internet information about quantal neurotransmitter release. But instead of giving up, he created the page for others to find. “I had to get it approved with Wikipe-

Crescent Magazine | October 2015

dia,” Matias said. “They have very strict limits.” But now that the page has gone through Wikipedia’s surprisingly rigorous approval process, anyone who wants to learn can access it. He said he always had a passion for learning about behavior, which is why he chose to study neuroscience. Although his focus is more in behavioral neuroscience, he is passionate about the topic he chose for his final project, even though most people can hardly pronounce it. As Matias continues to research and explore other areas of neuroscience, it is clear he has a strong desire to share scientific knowledge. “You can guarantee you’re the best one writing it if you’re the only one writing it,” he said.

photo by Kate Sarber

TOBY KUHNKE

| 13

STATE OF AFFAIRS

There’s no excuse. No one should be using the n-word. It is time to get rid of it once and for all.

A WORD THAT NEEDS

TO DIE KEZIAH COLLETON

he New York City Council banned its use in 2007 because of its offensive connotation. The NAACP even staged a mock burial for it. But the n-word stayed neither dead nor buried. The n-word has become a commonplace noun in the vocabulary of our generation. The word is heard in rap music, movies and is even uttered in conversation by whites and blacks alike. And there is a belief that, if you are black, you have a certain ownership of the word. If you’re black you are able to say it whenever you please without being offensive. White people, on the other hand, can barely position their mouths to say it before they are quickly labeled racist. But if only some are allowed to say it, then nobody should be allowed to say it. Data from Topsy.com, the social media analytics website, showed the n-word, when spelled with an “a” at the end, had been tweeted more than 5.5 million times between Aug. 23 and Sept. 21. That is between 100,000 and 250,000 times per day. I believe the n-word should be completely removed from the English vocabulary. That is not to say there are not other derogatory words or slurs that should be revoked, but for now the n-word has the floor. I am aware everyone’s experiences are different, and I’m not judging those who use the n-word because our vocabulary is cultivated by the language of our environment. For those who come from an environment where this word is used regularly, I can see why it would be used. But just because I understand it, does not mean I agree with it. Many white people question why black

14 |

people are socially allowed to say the n-word but they are not. And the most common answer black people give is: “Because we’re black and you are not. We are allowed to say it.” But that does not change the fact that it is a cruel word that no one should use. Historically, the word is derived from the Latin word for the color black, “nigrum,” but the n-word developed its derogatory meaning over time. Slave drivers used it in the 17th and 18th centuries as a way to refer to their slaves, who they considered property, and to differentiate them from white people with the same names. After slavery was abolished, the word became a derogatory term used by whites to refer to blacks and to their inferiority at the time. Unfortunately, it has held a place in the English vocabulary for centuries. And there is still debate about the use of the word. At the root of this debate is the issue of context. Many argue that it is OK to say it if you are black, but the argument that the word should be removed is still out there. In fact, journalist and TV personality Piers Morgan called it a “stain on the English language” in an article for the Daily Mail UK. Rapper Jay-Z wrote in his autobiography “Decoded” that the n-word is “just a word, a word whose power is owned by the user and his or her intention,” stressing that, in his opinion, banning the word is not helpful because censorship does not change anything and words derive their power from the people who use them. To the blacks and whites of our generation, the n-word is often seen as a term of endearment. Randall Kennedy, professor of law

at Harvard Law School, in his book about the n-word, explains how the spelling can determine its meaning. He said when the n-word is spelled classically, ending in “er,” it is derogatory. But if it is spelled with an “a,” it is a term of endearment used by black people to refer to other black people. The current, so-called “endearing” use of the n-word is crossing lines, and it gives the impression that the word is a part of our culture. We must also consider how this affects our social interactions on a global scale. When Coleman Collins was playing professional basketball in the Ukraine in 2013, three adolescent boys — who were very excited to see a black person face-to-face — called out to him excitedly. They jovially included a “my ni**a” after their initial greeting. There is a difference in the meaning of the n-word between generations. To blacks born years before our generation, the n-word brings up feelings of anger coupled with reminders of oppression, disenfranchisement, violence and brutality. They are reminded of a time when there were schools, bathrooms, churches and restaurants for “colored” people — when the shade of your skin was an indication of your intelligence. The n-word today has been reconstructed to have a meaning devoid of history. It carries with it no pain or sorrow. Its meaning has been overshadowed by its prevalent use in pop culture. This is a problem. Your race should not issue you a hall-pass for use of the n-word. There are more than a million words in the English language. Let’s find a better word to use.

October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

Attention December Graduates

COMMENCEMENT CENTRAL

Your one-stop shopping for everything concerning graduation!

11 a.m.–2 p.m. •

thursday, oct.

ridgway university center OFFICE OF ALUMNI & PARENT RELATIONS Stay Connected...

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BE MORE THAN A BYSTANDER

OAK HILL PHARMACY officially closed Sept. 21. All student prescriptions were transferred to Walgreens, located at the southeast corner of North Green River and Lynch roads. Walgreens will continue

delivering student prescriptions Monday through Friday to UE’s Health Center. For more information, contact Walgreens at (812) 475–9541 or the Health Center at (812) 488–2033.

New Year.

New Time.

#NeuDirections.

Pick up your copy of the

2015 LINC

freshtackled, after being Seifert in the snow OK. | MaKayla finds herself see if she is freshman Mara Huber over to When senior Micklo stumbles own ammunition,Williams | Taylor with her man Connor herself Pederson. to arm Brittany a chance she has pummels freshman Before Eveslage Marlaina

Oct. 6 & 28

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Crescent Magazine | October 2015

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ABROAD

THROUGH THE LENS

MAKAYLA SEIFERT

Taking on London.

If you werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t getting lost in the Tube, you were getting lost on the busy sidewalks. Those attending Harlaxton werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t prepared for what London had to offer. Students planned to do everything but sleep, and most students stood out like typical American tourists. Everyone seemed to pull out their cameras or phones on every other street corner; others were able to blend in like regular Londoners. After an early morning, most retreated to the familiar smells of Starbucks rather than Costa, the English equivalent. From pubcrawls and drinks to double-decker bus tours and museums, London was a weekend to remember.

With new things to discover around every corner, senior Kelly McKnight stops to take a quick picture of the London skyline. | MaKayla Seifert

Crescent Magazine | October 2015

Seen as more than just vandalism, sophomore Allie Whitacre admires East End London street art on a walking tour. | MaKayla Seifert

Would you like a cup of tea? How about Starbucks? USI sophomore Emily Searcy and juniors Heather Gregory and Hannah Nilsen make a quick coffee stop before hitting the streets. | MaKayla Seifert

| 17

FEATURE

With a little help from science and consumer behavior, GAP students look into why people purchase the products they do. MARISA PATWA

WHY WE

BUY BUY WHAT WE

18 |

October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

CHEETLE. It’s that orange, powdery residue

“

left on your fingers after eating Cheetos, those cheese-flavored, puffed cornmeal snacks most people have tried at least once in their lives. The cheetle doesn’t bother a lot of people — they see it as a part of eating the beloved snack. Most simply rub their fingers together to make it disappear. But in 2008, Frito-Lay discovered that there were consumers who strongly disliked the leftover dust. The snack food company proceeded to release an ad campaign called “The Orange Underground,” based on data it received from neuromarketing. The ads included several TV commercials with Chester Cheetah, the Cheetos mascot, being mischievous and encouraging people to pull cheese-tastic pranks. The campaign was wildly successful and made Chester a pseudo-celebrity in his own right. Through the research, Frito-Lay learned that adults consumed about 60 percent of all Cheetos. And it was Goodby Silverstein, the firm Frito-Lay had previously hired to learn how consumers viewed Doritos, that used neuromarketing techniques to find out what consumers thought about Cheetos. Since Goodby Silverstein had been successful with its “got milk” campaign in the mid 1990s and more recently with Twitter, Shutterfly and eBay all directed toward adults, Frito-Lay knew its marketing for Cheetos needed to influence and relate to adults too. Ultimately, the message to consumers was that “Cheetos feeds your inner child and your desire to be a tad bit naughty.” It worked, and Frito-Lay attributed the success partially to neuromarketing. Simply put, neuromarketing is the study of how the brain responds to marketing stimuli. This helps marketers understand the underlying reasons as to why consumers make the purchasing decisions they do. Neuromarketing has been around for years, but it took a while for those in the academic world to acknowledge and begin researching the various neuroscience-based techniques used to evaluate consumer behavior utilized for more than a decade by marketers. Roger Dooley, a well-known neuromarketing author and proponent of combining neuroscience and marketing, wrote in Forbes earlier this year that after some recent studies evaluating the correlation between neuroscience data

GAP is magic. It teaches you to solve problems on a global nature, work with people and address things you don’t think you know the answers too.”

Crescent Magazine | October 2015

and ad performance, it was found that consumer neuroscience actually works — and marketers and those in academia are now accepting how the two relate. Atefeh Yazdanparast, assistant professor of marketing, said consumers often may not know what they want or how to articulate it, and neuromarketing works to help solve that problem. “So we ask them to answer questions about which products they like and why, and then use techniques to read their biological responses,” she said. “For instance, if a consumer gets excited, there is a psychological response. With the techniques, we can detect those responses and link them to reasons why.” With UE’s newly opened Neuromarketing Research Center, Global Assistance Program students now have the opportunity to study this field of science using state-of-the-art technology. The program allows students in various majors to work together to consult with businesses. And although the course was offered last spring, it was a $22,000 Ball Brothers Foundation Venture Grant that allowed those involved with the program to open the center and purchase various types of equipment — including one that tracks eye movement — to begin researching consumer behavior this semester. “The beauty of it is how portable it is,” said sophomore Annie Stenftenagel, a neuroscience major who is enrolled in the GAP course. “People used to be nervous when they had to wear an EEG with all the wires on their head, with gel in their hair, hooked up to a scary machine, especially kids. But now the technology is nothing more than a headband and a little Band-Aid.” She said the idea for this GAP course came from Erica Loesche, a 2015 graduate who majored in psychology, because she was worried about what job she was going to be qualified for after graduation. “She said she was interested in business and something with neuroscience,” said Lora Becker, associate professor of psychology. “I had just learned about neuromarketing from Don Jones, [vice president for marketing and communications], and here I had a student saying she wanted to do just that. She just didn’t know it.” Juniors Kay Sheets and Alyssa Murphy did research during the summer for Project Escallade, a sports marketing company, about which designs would look best on tennis rackets.

| 19

Sheets, a psychology major with a neuroscience minor, said she hopes they can test the paddles — some are flashy while others are not — on the tennis team. “It’s beneficial to both of us,” she said. “We are working to help market [Project Escalade] better and it is also [a way for us] to figure out the science behind how to market better.” Becker and Yazdanparast had the chance this summer to conduct neuromarketing research for two weeks in Shanghai. While they have not completed analyzing their data, their goal is to find out why Chinese citizens choose to have plastic surgery. Yazdanparast had conducted a similar study as part of her doctoral dissertation that focused on Americans. “We wanted to see how different cultures might influence the reasons behind why people chose to get elective cosmetic surgery,” Yazdanparast said. She said the decision to undergo plastic surgery is one of the fastest growing medical procedures in the United States, while eyelid surgery is popular in China. The pair used eye trackers on about 50 men and women to detect their movements and tell whether they were happy or sad when they looked at attractive fashion photos in relation to their respective genders. “The eye tracker tests where the consumer is looking, they are calibrated to follow the eye movement of each person,” Yazdanparast said. Those in the course will also be brainstorming ideas this semester about how UE can work to solve its marketing woes. The group is also hoping to work with students from the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corp. to see what kind of materials 16–18 year olds respond to. “Neuromarketing has been growing in popularity for the past 10 years but not in the Midwest,” Becker said. “But it is a buzzword here now because we are bringing some innovation to UE.” Stenftenagel said she never thought she would study neuromarketing because she thought business was boring. She now understands and likes how it brings science and humanities together. “I’ve worked with people I never thought I would work with,” she said. “And by the end of the semester, we will have finished a [course], but also have had what feels like three years of experience, work and connections.” Becker said she hopes more students will become interested in neuromarketing and the GAP program in general. “GAP is magic,” she said. “It teaches you to solve problems on a global nature, work with people and address things you don’t think you know the answers too.”

20 |

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October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

BIG SHARK, LITTLE CITY

ith only $40 in his pocket, he started selling wool caps in 1989 on street corners in his hometown of Hollis, Queens, N.Y., earning $800 the first day. Now the self-made millionaire is worth more than $250 million. That was the beginning of Daymond John’s illustrious career as an entrepreneur, and over the last 20 years, he has become one of the most successful fashion icons of his generation. His FUBU brand became popular after LL Cool J wore a FUBU T-shirt for a promotional campaign and eventually a FUBU hat in a TV advertising spot for the Gap. His success as an entrepreneur is what “An Evening with Daymond John” will be about when he presents at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at Victory Theatre, 600 Main St. A partnership between Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana and UE’s Snyder Lecture Series, the lecture is free. Theo Boots, JA president, said her organization educates students on entrepreneurship and financial literacy, and John was a unanimous choice to talk to members about those topics. The hype about John is not unfounded. The story goes that when he was 6, he discovered a way to make money off the other boys in his class by selling them pencils with the names of the girls they liked etched onto them. But mostly he is known as a judge on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” one of six investors who can make or break people’s dreams. Joining the show in 2009, John was initially skeptical about joining the cast. He was concerned with investing his own money in inexperienced business people and unimpressive inventors. John said in an interview with Jetset Magazine that it was the Kardashian sisters who encouraged him to take the risk, and he has since become one of the show’s most popular celebrity investors. John also started the Daymond John Academy, and with John’s Game Changer Meetings, young entrepreneurs can meet with experts in different fields to help launch businesses and brand their ideas. President Tom Kazee said UE capitalizes on the “anything is possible” idea, and John’s own personal success story might give students the encouragement they need in order to go after their dreams. John will also be meeting with a select group of students before the lecture for an informal session where they can ask him for advice about their business futures.

Crescent Magazine | O ctober 2015

| 21

COVER STORY

Nostalgia has always been a major part of our lives, from hanging old photos to #throwbackthursdays. But is it good to get so caught up in the past?

BLAST from the PAST

MACKENZIE BRUCE

rowing up in the ‘90s, it was all about Saturday morning cartoons. Whether it was “Hey Arnold!,” “Pokémon” or “The Powerpuff Girls,” kids got up, grabbed a bowl of their favorite cereal and camped out in front of the TV. Nowadays, there is still nothing better to the ‘90s kid than binge watching a favorite childhood show. They long for those shows to appear on Netflix, complain about the quality of today’s TV shows and are overjoyed at the hint of an all ‘90s cartoon channel. In a way, this looking back almost borders on obsession and is not just centered on television shows — it encompasses everything from music and clothes to food and games.

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October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

But whether it is driven by the media or by memory, nostalgia is a distinctly human experience, one that everyone indulges in every once in a while. The question is not whether humans are nostalgic or not; it is whether 20-somethings indulge in too much nostalgia — and why some people are so caught up in the past. Students’ wistfulness for the carefree days of cartoons and campy movies isn’t surprising under the weight of balancing coursework, jobs and a social life. Nor is it shocking when 20-somethings succumb to binge watching cartoons under a blanket fort of their own design or that they frequently favor childish meals like macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets. As it turns out, 20- and 30-somethings are more likely than other generations to indulge in bouts of nostalgia. Moving to college, taking on new life challenges and being in charge of their own futures is enough to make anyone miss the simplicity of childhood. After all, spending a Tuesday night watching Netflix always sounds better than finishing that paper due first thing Friday. Having moved far and wide, and after spending many years around college-age students, Danny Gahan, professor of history, said he has noticed varying levels of nostalgia in people with different life experiences. “The people that grow up and move away to a different state or country are more nostalgic for things,” he said. “I’ve talked with friends that still live [in Ireland] and are not

Crescent Magazine | October 2015

as nostalgic as I am.” This might be one reason nostalgia was considered a serious medical condition from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Although soldiers and domestic servants did not have Netflix back then, they did experience depression when away from home and expressed those emotions through songs and poetry. Back then, voicing emotions many times led to harsh treatments like leeching, bullying and being buried alive, as one article from The Atlantic reported. Thankfully, this isn’t the case anymore. But even though nostalgia is more widely accepted, some are still worried about its consequences. Writer Damian Barr voiced his concerns in a BBC News story, saying this generation of 20-somethings might want to take advantage of escaping the pressures of adulthood because most of them grew up in a time of simplicity but are falling into a rut because of today’s economic and political state. But anyone can fall into the trap of reminiscing too much. Both Gahan and Derek Jones, assistant professor of philosophy, realized that having children made them more nostalgic, whether it was in comparing their own youths to those of their children or in looking back to their children at younger ages. “I have kids who are 27 and 30 now, but I am longing for the days when they were 7,” Gahan said. “This generation of parents has more video of their kids than ever before. And I can’t even watch them because I just want to reach into the television and grab them.” Watching home videos and looking back

at old pictures could easily become more bitter than sweet, which is why specialists like Barr worry. Others, like author Simon Reynolds, believe the abundant access inhibits, among other things, imagination and creativity. Reynolds calls it “retromania” and worries that continuously recycling nostalgia-driven products will stunt society’s growth. He argues people used to think of the future with possibilities of innovation but are now too concentrated on older romances and fantasy stories. It is no secret that period dramas like “Mad Men” are successful. And the reason for that popularity is the same reason 20-somethings of today love the music of the ‘80s and movies like “The Breakfast Club” and “Back to the Future.” Nostalgic trends like these are passed down from parent to child, so children of the ‘90s grew up listening and watching what their parents loved when they were teenagers. Older generations often look back, not only to the time of their adolescence, but also to the time just before they were born. The New Yorker calls this the 40-year-Itch: those who produce and control the media are often 40-somethings, and their products reflect on times that represent the familiarity of their own childhoods. For senior Jessica Newell, that meant a childhood infused with a fascination for history, especially that of the 1950s. With newer technology, even the more distant past is accessible to those like Newell who look to the past as a means of expression. And with a mom whose goal was to decorate their house to resemble the one from “A Christ-

| 23

COVER STORY

“

Everyone’s

You know, I’m gonna say graduation. The culmination of everything we do is on graduation day.” Becky Simpson, administrative assistant to President Tom Kazee

NOSTALGIC “

I remember driving to my interview here, listening to ‘No Myth’ by Sean Penn’s brother, Michael Penn. I was really excited, and whenever I hear that song, it takes me back.” Chair David Dwyer, professor of mathematics

“

When I was in drafting class in junior high in Grand Rapids, Mich., we’d listen to the radio everyday, and there are certain songs like ‘Stairway to Heaven’ by Led Zeppelin, songs by Eric Clapton or the Moody Blues I can vividly remember myself listening to. Certain songs can just connect you to a place.”

“

I feel a great attachment to a bundle of memories from my childhood to teenage years living in the Irish countryside like fishing and hunting, farming.” Danny Gahan, professor of history

“

Being in good enough shape to go to Philmont (N.M.) Scout Ranch — young enough and in good enough shape. You do a 10-day backpacking expedition. It’s beautiful.” Dean Phil Gerhart, College of Engineering and Computer Science

mas Story,” it makes sense that she finds comfort in the fashion and music of that time. “It used to be your grandma collected records, but now it’s cool,” Newell said. “[When you buy] something old, it has character already, so you get all that energy.” What Reynolds does not like is that this familiarity of past generations’ fads is everywhere — in music, TV shows and movies. Even social media has made use of the idea that nostalgia sells. The Atlantic points out in “How the Internet Uses Nostalgia” that trends like #throwbackthursday, Timehop and year-in-review have permeated social media feeds. Even Spotify and Buzzfeed use this tactic with playlists categorized by decades and quizzes like “Can We Guess What ‘90s Snack Matches Your Personality?” and “Which Fictional ‘90s Heartthrob is Your Soulmate?” Social media may feed into everyone’s daily lives, but through these features, it has also made nostalgia interactive. The past is now personalized and relatable, allowing one generation to connect and allowing different generations to experience a time before their own. Nostalgia is characterized by an emotional state rather than a specific memory. The feeling evokes a yearning for an idealized past, some-

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Chair Mark Shifflet, associate professor of communication

“

Growing up in Boonville (Ind.), what I remember most was having friends over and swinging on the front porch swing [of our house]. It’s something that was soothing and relaxing.” Amy Clutter, senior administrative assistant, Center for Student Engagement

“

I guess UE makes me nostalgic. I bleed purple.” Debbie Kassenbrock, associate registrar, Academic Advising director,

thing almost not reality. And frequently, nostalgia inspires warm and fuzzy memories rather than memories of despair or depression. Since being downgraded from a disorder, more research has been done that proves the worth of an occasional fit of nostalgia. Not only is it a universal emotion that allows people across continents and generations to connect, it also acts as a personal boost. A New York Times article said nostalgia can offset loneliness through the possibility of connection and gives that person a feeling of continuity. There are ways to manipulate nostalgia to help get through the tough patches of life. Focusing on past achievements can be motivation to fight for future goals. Maintaining traditions and reminiscing with friends or family can feed the memory bank for the future. They say you can’t have too much of a good thing. And for 20-somethings who seek reruns of ‘90s cartoons or share Buzzfeed quizzes with their friends, building up a community and a stash of happy childhood memories might just help them get through the day. “It’s nice to have some things in our memory banks to make us happy,” Jones said. “It makes your life matter a little bit more to you.” — with Ryan Murphy and Marisa Patwa

Welcome to our

SISTERHOOD Bailey Alka Rachel Barkalow Bailey Brandvold Tara Dawson Macy Dimmett Madi Elpers Kate Hannon Paige Hignite Jana Jackson Emilee Johnson Madi Jones Abby Kassing Jules Kendall Alyssa Koberstein McKenna Lewis Anna Mundy Miranda Pepe Shannon Pins Darby Ray Kasey Rein Bridget Sheridan Savannah Todd Allie Wink Kianna Wong

We love our new cutie Hooties!

CHI OMEGA October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

Q&A

Questions One of the best kept secrets on campus is the Writing Center, but it shouldn’t be a secret. So why don’t more students know about it and utilize its services? GAIL VIGNOLA Director, Writing Center things they maybe haven’t learned in their home countries — mostly to get them comfortable with the idea that they’re not alone. Other students struggle with writing.

photo by Kate Sarber

Q: What won’t the Writing Center do?

Q: What does the Writing Center actually provide to students? A: We focus on the writer, not the paper. What we try to promote self-efficacy and confidence. We encourage students to make corrections themselves. We do that by asking questions and trying to elicit knowledge that students might already have and had forgotten, or help them construct new knowledge about everything. We do one-on-one sessions for 50 minutes, and we actually have students do the writing themselves, or if they’re on a computer, the students have the keyboard under their control. Most of all we want them to improve as writers. About 50 percent of our students are international. We do have training at the beginning of each semester —

Crescent Magazine | October 2015

a report from the tutor, specifically targeting what happened during the session, and what the problem areas were, what the suggestions were. As far as the workshops, we just report back who came.

A: Tutors won’t say “this is good” or “this is bad.” Tutors help students find ways to improve the area that needs work, but they don’t evaluate. Evaluation is the professor’s job. We don’t appropriate student papers. We will not change a student’s voice or try to rewrite it for him or her, because then it becomes the tutor’s paper, not the student’s paper. We’re not a fix-it shop. Students cannot just drop their papers off and have us go through them with a red pen.

Q: What happens at the workshops? A: Each workshop deals with a specific

Q: How do students go about getting

it. You have to be willing to sit down oneon-one with a fellow student and want to help. And they have to interview with me and present a paper that they’ve written that has full citations. This is so I can see they’ve succeeded in writing an academic paper. I try to get the tutors involved in what they do regarding their major to help out. We have engineering students. We have philosophy, cognitive science, nursing, creative writing and music education majors. We have a whole gambit of people who want to work here. Regardless of the student’s major, writing is writing, and good English is good English.

help from the Writing Center? A: We have an online system and anyone who needs help setting up an account can come in and we’ll show them how to do it. It’s not a stigma to come to the Writing Center; it’s actually really useful.

Q: How does the Writing Center work with professors? A: A professor might give students points for having their papers looked at by the Writing Center as part of their grade. Every professor whose students come to the Writing Center will get, within 24 hours,

area of writing needs. For example, writing conclusions, citation, MLA, all the different things students come up against when they do academic writing. They’re once a week on Wednesday, and they’re free. And they’re at 5 p.m., and they’re 40 minutes long, and they’re to-the-point.

Q: How do students become tutors? A: First of all, they have to want to do

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SEXUAL TENSION

MARISA PATWA

TELLING IT

JUST LIKE IT IS

It’s time again to debunk more sexual folklore for everyone’s well-being.

exual Tension covered a few sex myths last year, and now we are talking about even more — from catching sexually transmitted infections to women being able to orgasm from sex only. Some people still believe these schoolyard tales, so it’s time to give them a clear answer. And no, if you don’t use it you won’t lose it. It’s impossible for a woman to get pregnant while on her period. — Kathryn Lever, associate professor of nursing, said some people believe a woman will not become pregnant if they have sex while she’s on her period. But that is not true. It is true that women cannot ovulate during their periods, meaning they cannot release an egg that could be fertilized by sperm. The American Pregnancy Association reports that because sperm can live in the body for up to five days after sex, a woman could indeed get pregnant from intercourse while on her period. Lever said if a woman releases an egg right after her period, the sperm she has inside her could still impregnate her. “It’s really the overlap time they are at risk for,” she said, “because your body always wants to get pregnant. And the sperm is always lurking.” Women aren’t attracted to gay or bisexual men. — Most are aware that men enjoy the thought of watching two busty blondes making out. But more women are becoming sexually excited by the idea of men having sexual encounters with each other. Some of these women even refer to themselves as “girlfags.” A 2015 Cosmopolitan article reported that gay porn was the most viewed category in 2014 on PornHub for females. And on FanFiction.net, there are thousands of stories written by women about Dean and Castiel, characters from the TV show “Supernatural,” getting hot and heavy in a 1967 Chevy Impala. Senior Marketa Trousilova said more women like the idea of being with both of the guys they find at-

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tractive. “With [women],” she said, “they watch two hot guys on ‘Suits’ and then start to think, ‘Oh, I want to be in the middle of them, maybe making out a bit,’ and then it turns into wanting to watch them make out.” Sexually transmitted infections can be spread by a toilet seat. — Although the average truck stop bathroom may seem like a death trap, it’s unlikely you will acquire an STI just by using the toilet. In “Don’t Cross Your Eyes…They’ll Get Stuck That Way and 75 Other Health Myths Debunked,” Drs. Aaron E. Carroll and Rachel C. Vreeman report the germs that cause STIs do not survive for long in the open and dry out once they have contact with air. Lever said someone is more likely to contract hepatitis B than HIV from a toilet seat because it lives longer. “Usually you contract it from something more intimate,” she said. “Like an open lesion or from mucus. But some infections like Chlamydia are hard to contract because they have to be inside a cell.” Whatever your bathroom habits are, you are most likely safe from catching any STD from the toilet. Woman only orgasm when having penetrative sex. — For any men who have trouble pleasing their ladies, here’s a little tip: women rarely orgasm just from penetrative sex alone. Lever said that men need to pay extra attention to a women’s clitoris. “The clitoris is the woman’s external organ and that needs to be stimulated for an orgasm,” she said. “Different positions and angles also help.” Trousilova said she believes when it comes to having sex, a lot of women need an emotional attachment to reach an orgasm, even if the sex is good. “She is waiting for her Prince Charming, riding the white horse on the beach to come,” she said. “And at least in my experience, it can take a couple months for a woman to be open and comfortable enough with her partner to reach one.”

October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

campus crime

The following information was compiled from criminal offense reports filed Aug. 23–Sept. 21 in Safety & Security.

Sept. 21 – A flag was stolen from the Tau Kappa Epsilon house. Loss reported at $30. — A bike was stolen from the bike rack located near Hyde Hall. Loss not reported. Sept. 15 – Student found intoxicated when entering Brentano Hall. Referred to the vice president for student affairs for disciplinary action. — Two students and a USI student found intoxicated on Morton Hall first floor. USI student left campus on her own. Others referred to the vice president for student affairs for disciplinary action. — Student reported drinking alcohol at the Sigma Phi Epsilon house and accused someone of putting another substance in her cup. Referred to the vice president for student affairs for disciplinary action. — An unknown female entered a Schroeder Hall second floor room. When the resident woke up, the person left the room. Sept. 14 – Professor reported receiving harassing comments from a student on his social media. Student referred to the vice president for student affairs for disciplinary action. Aug. 30 – Intoxicated nonstudent, who had previously been banned from campus, found lying on the basketball court near J-lot. Evansville Police notified, and man escorted from campus. — Student found intoxicated and sleeping in a vehicle in Q-lot. Referred to the vice president for student affairs for disciplinary action. Aug. 27 – A UE smokefree sign stolen from a pole located at the entrance of Hale Hall drive. Aug. 23 – Student found intoxicated in a Moore Hall first floor bathroom. Referred to the vice president for student affairs for disciplinary action.

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OVERTIME

Passion for her team, her country and her family sets this athlete’s goals soaring high above the net.

PASSION FOR

THE GAME MAKES

FOR SUCCESS MACKENZIE BRUCE

tarting freshman year is one thing, but attending college as an athlete where English isn’t your native language is a challenge of its own. Luckily for sophomore Genesis Miranda, a native of Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, her passion for volleyball surpasses even that, leaving her with the confidence to be a record-breaking leader for the Aces. Her teammates and coach describe her as intense yet humble, and recognize that her ability to remain calm on the court and mentor both younger and older players stems from years of experience. “She has grown into a good player,” coach Manolo Concepcion said, “but it took her to get through her growth spurt to get there.” Miranda started playing what many call Puerto Rico’s national sport at age 6. A friend’s dad pointed out her height, and the now 6-foot-1-inch outside hitter hasn’t left the court since. Volleyball isn’t just Miranda’s favorite sport, it’s a part of her country’s culture. “Everyone plays volleyball, literally, and everyone loves to watch it,” she said. “Back home, it’s in the culture. [You] have to watch it, play it, do something.” Miranda wants to carry the tradition as

“

far as she can and takes advantage of any chance to do so. Before her collegiate career, she played for all three Puerto Rican national teams — going on to compete in the World Grand Prix as a part of Puerto Rico’s national team over the summer. And despite differences in the style of play between the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Miranda proved her ability and was selected as one of this season’s four team captains — but not before some seriously hard work. After the 2014 season, where she nailed 328 kills, she landed on the all-freshman MVC team. Miranda also had to take over the setter’s position the last few matches of the season because of injuries to teammates. “It’s very different because here they play fast,” she said, “it’s a different style, but I learn a lot of techniques here. It’s like learning volleyball again.” Other Puerto Rican teammates helped Miranda adapt to the U.S. and its different style of play. But she still misses certain things from home — especially chuleta, or pork chops, often served with rice and beans — followed closely by her family. “It’s very sad,” she said, “all my teammates, their parents come to watch the games, but my mom only comes once a year.”

And though teammates have seen more photos of Miranda’s 2-year-old nephew than they can count, having a coach from her hometown and six other players from Puerto Rico makes the team feel just as close. She knows teammates look up to her, and she strives to be the example. “She’s been there in that moment so many times that she knows how to adjust to that big moment,” Concepcion said. Even then, Miranda is never one to brag. Libero Kim Deprez recalled a time when Miranda was recognized for her success, but Miranda didn’t appear to notice — she just kept fighting for her team. “She knows what it takes to get that far,” Deprez said. “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. She brings it to the team. Once she reaches [a goal], then she keeps going up. The goals never end.” Miranda’s dream is to play professionally for Puerto Rico, especially if she can help the team qualify for the Olympics. Until then, Miranda wants to help the Aces make it to the MVC tournament. “What really defines her is that humbleness,” Concepcion said. “She has that and is like that for everything. Because she has that kind of patience, she’s going to get where she wants to go.”

“

what really defines her is that humbleness.

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October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

photo by Kate Sarber

Crescent Magazine | October 2015

| 29

THE HOT CORNER

Most baseball teams will sell an arm and a leg for a player if it means winning a World Series.

BIG BUCKS & WINNING

THE PENNANT ALEX GOULD

aseball at the major league level has transformed a game of inches into a game of money. Forbes Magazine writer Mike Ozanian said teams are now worth an average of $1.2 billion, and Major League Baseball as an industry is worth roughly $36 billion. Player salaries are even more surprising. Sportswriter Ronald Blum of AP Yahoo Sports said at the beginning of the season that the average player’s salary is about $4 million. It seems, with salaries in the millions of dollars, teams can practically buy their way to the championship. Or can they? Forbes reports the Yankees are baseball’s richest club, worth an estimated $3.2 billion. With the second largest payroll at $218 million, they fall way behind the Dodgers, whose payroll is $307 million. Teams with a lot of money are able to acquire players through free agency or negotiating trades, and if they have the funds, they can take on players’ sizable salaries. New York has won 27 World Series since 1921, putting them first for the most pennants. But even though they have the second highest payroll, they have not won a World Series since 2009. They won five pennant titles since 1996, but they might not have if they hadn’t been in the position to pay some extremely large salaries. While the Yankees have not won a pennant recently, their fan base remains high, and they are contenders in their division. Having one of the largest payrolls has paid off. Unlike many other teams, they trade away minor league prospects who have potential for players who are great now.

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Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote last fall that the Giants should be considered a dynasty after winning the Series last year. They are another team that has enjoyed a great deal of success over the past five seasons, winning three titles. With players like catcher Buster Posey and pitcher Madison Bumgarner coming up through their farm system, the Giants handle their acquisitions differently. They have the third highest payroll and are worth $185 million, but they draft their players, do minimal trading and offer huge salaries. They go about their business quietly, even though they have loads of cash. The Giants could buy players like the Yankees do, but they give large contracts to players already in their organization who they know can produce. Rightfielder Hunter Pence is one of the few players they actually got in a trade, and he was a major player in the Giants’ 2014 World Series win. Money has clearly helped San Francisco win, even though it may seem like they fly under the radar because they have less money to spend. The Dodgers have always been one of the richest teams, but after the Guggenheim Corp. bought the team three years ago, LA went from the 10th richest team to the second richest with the largest payroll in Los Angeles sports, the International Business Times reported. Between 2004 and 2014, the Dodgers went to the playoffs six times and arguably have the best two pitchers in baseball — Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. They gave Kershaw the largest pitching contract

in baseball history last year, worth $215 million over seven years. I believe Kershaw is worth every penny for what he brings to the team, but even that contract has not brought the Dodgers a World Series ring. In fact, the Dodgers haven’t been to the World Series since 1988. Money has bought the Dodgers success in the regular season, but it clearly hasn’t been enough to win a pennant. They have seen the Giants — their bitter rival — win three of the last five with a payroll that is $246 million more than the Marlins, the team with the lowest payroll in all of MLB at roughly $61 million. It may not seem fair that certain teams like the Dodgers have the luxury of spending more than the Marlins, but the Marlins have won two World Series since 1997. Teams should be allowed to spend whatever they want — or trade away any player they want — in order to win in the future. Winning is the name of the game, and if spending as much as possible gets an organization a championship, why should they be restricted on what they can pay a player? While the Yankees and Giants have found success with their huge payrolls, the Dodgers have not. The Marlins have found success in spending low to find hidden talent. Why not pay a player like Kershaw an incredible amount? Without top-notch players, teams are nothing. Owners are responsible to the fans who pay to watch and pay good dollars to do so. Teams are the beneficiaries of the billions of dollars owners make. Kershaw made $31 million this year. That is essentially chump change compared to the $2.4 billion the Dodgers are worth.

October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

ATHLETES IN ACTION

KATE SARBER

BLOCK IT

Or bump it, set it, smack it down. With six freshmen and four sophomores joining the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s five seniors, the Aces hope to perform better in MVC play this season, which started Sept. 28 against Drake. Libero Kim Deprez leads the conference in digs per set, and outside hitter Genesis Miranda leads the MVC in kills and points. UE is currently at the end of a four-game homestand, facing Southern Illinois at 6 p.m. Oct. 10 at Carson Center. Exciting news for the Aces came with the start of the MVC season as all games are now being televised live on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app. If fans cannot be in the stands, they can view the games on just about any device.

Outside hitter Stephanie Cerrino guides the ball away from JSU outside hitter Markayisha Masani and middle blocker Kianna Shelton. | Kate Sarber

Crescent Magazine | October 2015

With a precise tap of the ball, middle blocker Rocio Fortuny tips the scale of the game and sends the ball in the opposite direction of Jackson State middle blocker Kianna Shelton. | Kate Sarber

Eyes always on the ball, libero Kim Deprez focuses as she gives it the perfect bump in a game against Northern Kentucky. | Natalie Christy

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BRAIN BOMB

A SPIN ON SPICES Pouring hot sauce on a meal is one way to liven things up, but there are some chefs with skill enough to use more than heat to wow the senses. Cooks of all kinds will invent their own distinct twist on well-known dishes by sprinkling here or adding there to flavor food with herbs and spices. When people decided to go further and take spices outside of the kitchen, the results were intriguing. Garlic does leave your breath smelly, but the high levels of allicin found in garlic also improves blood flow to your sexual organs. Hmm....

Cinnamon is a certain type of tree bark that’s been ground up. Less fun fact: the human body can’t break down the cellulose in the bark. So before you take the cinnamon challenge, find a way to keep it out of your lungs.

Swallowing multiple tablespoons of nutmeg can make a person start to hallucinate. But people having fun with this trick don’t often try it again once they find out about the two-day hangover. Basil is good for food and all, but the oil on the leaves will also keep mosquitoes away if you rub it on your body.

Fenugreek is advertised as an aid in milk production for pregnant women, but some believe it’s a hoax. Sources agree on one thing — after adding substantial fenugreek to your diet, your sweat and urine begin to smell like maple syrup.

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Beans, beans, the magical fruit; the more you eat, the more you might consider adding epazote to your next batch. It aids in digestion, cutting down one’s gas-related incidents.

A bit of ginger can help a queasy stomach, but it heightens circulation and keeps blood from clotting easily. Careful getting scratches! October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

WHO KNEW?

WHO PICKED THAT BEE TO BE QUEEN? The truth is, there is no bee incubating in the hive chosen to become queen. She just gets picked randomly from a number of fertilized eggs placed in cells and nursed with a “royal jelly” that makes them mature more quickly. Nursing all those eggs creates the problem of picking which one of them will become queen, but the answer comes swiftly and decisively. The first potential queen to emerge attacks the cells — killing all her sisters — and mates with as many drones as she can, who die shortly afterward.

ARE DOGS REALLY COLORBLIND? Most humans have three types of cones built into their eyes that help them to visualize colors, but dogs only have two. Missing one cone means that dogs can still see a number of colors, but according to dogtime.com, red things become a dark brown or black, orange, green and yellow all end up looking yellow, and

WHY DO ROOSTERS CROW AT DAWN? Turns out they have internal clocks. When tested in a lab with nights of 23.8 hours in length, roosters still crowed before “daybreak.”

WHAT’S WITH THOSE STORM NAMES? People will move out of the way of a storm with a name. Names encourage action and help people follow news. A tropical storm earns its name and the title “hurricane” by producing constant winds of at least 74 mph.

Crescent Magazine | October 2015

some purple things look blue. But eyes are not built of cones alone. Rods are a second part that specialize in motion detection, and dogs have plenty of those — even more than humans. Since dogs have extra rods, they can play fetch all day and into the night for as long as their human is willing to throw that frisbee.

SO, WHAT IS IT REALLY? Yes, a tomato is a fruit. Yes, it’s a vegetable. But why? Cooks say the savory flavor of tomatoes makes them veggies, but botanists insist the seeds inside tomatoes make them fruit. You decide.

WHAT MAKES A CAN OF DIET COKE FLOAT? Floating occurs because floating objects displace, or push aside, a certain amount of liquid. If an object displaces more than its weight in liquid, it floats; otherwise it sinks. Seems the sugar in regular Coke makes it dense enough to sink. We’re guessing the artificial sweetener in the diet version is less dense, allowing those cans to float.

| 33

OFF THE WALL

DOTM

JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

#hello — helping you stay charged Say hello to the latest new fashion trend — textile electronics. #Hello jeans, created by Joe’s Jeans, is a line of women’s slim jeans that allow the wearer to charge her iPhone whenever she wants. The jeans boast a new pocket situated just above the traditional back pocket as well as a hidden pocket sewn in along the waist. Using these additions, a woman can fit a slim battery into one pocket, place her iPhone in the other, connect the two with a small cord and tap a button to begin the charging. Critics point out the technology is merely added pockets that house already-developed charging equipment, but there is no denying how useful the extra pocket space could be. The jeans cost $189, but the $49 battery is sold separately. While they aren’t

cheap, the phone-charging potential of #Hello jeans may just pay off. Joe’s Jeans is not the first to work on adding technology to the jeans industry, though. Microsoft asked designer A. Sauvage in 2014 to combine its Nokia wireless phone-charging plate with clothing. Sauvage placed the technology in one of the front pockets and took care to manage the heating of the electric components. Function was not permitted to compromise fashion. At the affordable price once estimated at more than $340, these jeans could have been yours if they had been funded for any more time than the three months they existed on Amazon.com. Now that Sauvage’s jeans have come and gone, all we can do is say hello to something new.

really awful pick up lines

TIDBIT

> Girl, I love you like SPONGEBOB loves his job, like Sandy loves karate and like Mr. Krabs loves money. > I was reading the book of “Numbers” last night, and I REALIZED I don’t have yours. > I find breathing BORING. It’s a good thing you take my breath away. > Are you a CHICKEN? Because you’re impeccable. > If I were an enzyme, I’d be a DNA helicase so I could UNZIP your genes. > Do you believe in love at first sight or should I WALK past you again? > Are you my appendix? Because I don’t really know what you do, but I have this odd feeling in my STOMACH that makes me want to take you out.

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Scrabbleplayers.org cites “caziques” as the highest-scoring word played in a tournament using the CSW dictionary. It earned Karl Khoshnaw 392 points.

autumn manhattan

Need a cold drink to cozy up with this fall? The Autumn Manhattan is a fall-themed twist on the classic Manhattan. This sweet drink is filled with the fall flavor of apples and as colorful as the changing trees. According to BARNONEDRINKS.COM, you should combine the ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake gently until the shaker gets cold and serve in a martini glass. You can garnish your drink with some cherries or an apple slice to give it some extra special fall flair.

ingredients: 2 oz. bourbon | 1 oz.

sweet vermouth | 1 oz. Applejack | 2 dash orange bitters

heard it here “Sometimes you just gotta be dropkicked out of the nest.”

October’s full moon was named the “Hunter’s Moon” because recently harvested fields draw hungry animals that make for easy targets.

– actor Robert Downey Jr.

Trying to bring every Shakespearean bird into America, Eugene Schieffelin imported 60 European starlings in 1980. We now have 200 million.

October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

people tweet the damndest things If Miley Cyrus really wanted to shock us at the VMAs, she’d show up in a burka covered in a snowsuit and slowly add more clothing each hour.

@WarrenHolstein Nobody is as conflicted as a Jewish zombie about to eat Kevin Bacon.

@SuperRandomish Patiently explaining to a 5 year old that night lights only mean you will see the monster as it rips you apart. That sometimes not knowing is better.

@Tormny_Pickeals 169 I have $50, less than an hour and a ton of cocaine. Let’s make a commercial!...every furniture store owner.

@KevinFarzad 124 Somewhere in a parallel universe I hope there’s a giant dog with a tiny woman in her purse.

@i_love_fudge Leonardo DiCaprio actively courts the #Oscar again, only to be clock blocked by the guitarist from Mad Max.

Things that make us Crazy A GRAND SHOWING

NOT AN EXIT — FALSE

Open House, and you know what that means. Time to hurry on down to Cafe Court. Try the delectable dessert and other fantastic food available on these grand days. Pile your plate high, and show prospectives the generosity Sodexo treats you to throughout the year. Ha! We all know that once those prospectives leave, the food returns to nothing like what we get during those recruitment affairs.

The doors in the center of Ridgway Center’s first floor read “alarm will sound,” but you don’t hear any sirens blaring when students exit through them. An alert does go off in Safety & Security since it’s a fire exit, but they’ve been told it’s not a big deal. Can we please just take the plaque down?

OOPS… SPOILERS! No, “oops” doesn’t cut it. People watch for the unexpected plot twist. It’s why people view seasons instead of single episodes. Call it a gimmick if you like, but a good twist means a writer worked hard to make it that way. Be kind to your friends. Be kind to the writer.

MERRILY DOWN THE STREET Walking around campus can be peaceful, and it’s possible to get into a nice running rhythm if the weather’s right. Lincoln and Weinbach are admittedly not quiet, but there is a certain amount of noise that is just unnecessary. Whether it’s a friendly whoop, a curse or a “run, Forrest, run!” — can it stop? It would be nice to just have peace and quiet.

@MellindaK 119

REMEMBER WHEN... …the most fashionable way to listen to music was from a tiny plastic device? HIT CLIPS were at the cutting edge of wearable technology in the early 2000s. The miniature boom boxes could clip right onto the belt loop of your pants, making them the perfect handsfree music devices for blasting one-minute clips of your favorite tunes on the way to class. Although new technology has made them obsolete, you can find them online for about the same as their original price.

still

…there was no snack that could beat DUNKAROOS? Introduced in the late ‘80s and popular in the ‘90s, this sugar-laden treat was a staple of any cool kid’s lunch box. And the best part was always the icing. They may be hard to find nowadays, but rumor has it you can still buy them in Canada. …the greatest actors of our generation got their starts on ALL THAT? Nickelodeon’s very own variety show had everything you could ask for — from comedy sketches to musical guests. The show has also gotten recognition for having a surprisingly diverse cast. …everyone wanted to get their hands — or wrists — on a SLAP BRACELET? These dangerous, and often banned, bracelets were easy to use and fun to play with. You can still buy them today, but their popularity has decreased probably because of the red wrists that accompanied them. …every member of a boy band had to have FROSTED TIPS in their hair? Notably sported by celebrities like Justin Timberlake and Lance Bass, this style, along with gobs of gel and spiked hair, was a signature look of the ‘90s.

Elephants mourn their dead. One named Tarra mourned the loss of her dog friend, Bella, and is thought to have carried her body to safety.

Crescent Magazine | October 2015

There is in fact a word that rhymes with purple: hirple. The word hirple either means to limp or, as a noun, refers to the limp itself.

Two people can never see the same rainbow simultaneously. Light reflected off raindrops appears differently based on the angle of observation.

M&Ms rake in the highest profit in the candy world; their company, Mars, adopted a policy to not advertise to children 12 or younger.

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A CLOSER LOOK

photo by Kate Sarber

A PASSION FOR POLITICS TOBY KUHNKE

ost would agree that the best way to learn about other places is to travel to those places, and Young Kim, associate professor of political science and director of the International Studies Program, does plenty of traveling. In fact, he said he has visited almost every state in the country and has visited more than 35 countries. The flip side of Kim is the world of politics, a world that scares many people because they do not really understand it. But Kim readily embraces it. Although he teaches a variety of political science courses, he said he particularly likes teaching courses on comparative politics. “Comparison is the best way to understand your own government,” Kim said. “That’s the beauty of comparative politics.” He said he has done a lot of research in this area, especially when comparing political systems in East Asian countries like Japan, North Korea, South Korea and China. Even though he was born and raised in

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South Korea, there is another element of East Asian political systems that appeals to Kim. “These countries have very similar cultural and ethnic backgrounds,” he said, “but their politics are so different.” And through comparitive research, Kim tries to find out what led to these differences. “We are living in a small world,” he said. “If we do not travel, we will be very limited people.” After Kim finished his South Korean military service in 1990, he decided to backpack through Southeast Asia. “That experience changed my life,” he said. “I realized, ‘the world is bigger than I thought.’” It is evident that Kim loves to travel, and he loves it when his students can travel with him. Seniors Brad Belrose and Claire Webb had the chance to travel to South Korea this summer to take a Korean studies course Kim taught with several other professors. Webb said she knew she wanted to go as soon as Kim mentioned the opportunity in

a class last spring. For a month, she and Belrose traveled the country and did as much sightseeing as they could. Kim’s travels have left him with a passion for the intricacies of politics and the cultures influenced by them. And whether it is gathering with students in his office or traveling to international destinations, Kim is attentive to his students’ academic needs. “Whenever I need to talk to him, he will drop everything and talk to me,” senior Meg Reinsch said. “I’ve never seen him not excited about what he’s doing.” Webb said there was a time when she was struggling with learning a second language and Kim was able to help her because he had had trouble learning English. It is clear the reason he teaches is not just to pass on information, but to spread an appreciation for the politics of different cultures and how they interact. “Political science is not all about law and politics,” he said. “It’s about relationships between human beings.”

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that experience changed my life. i realized, ‘the world is bigger than i thought.’

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October 2015 | Crescent Magazine

TRI-STATE ALLIANCE INVITES YOU TO ITS ANNUAL

Saturday, OCT. 31 7 p.m. to midnight Holiday Inn 7101 U.S. Highway 41N Evansville

ZOMBIE

Evansville’s largest Halloween Dance Party

Prom

at the door | appetizers at 8 p.m. | COSTUME CONTEST | security provided Who’s wearing the Best Zombie, Sexiest Zombie, Sexiest Outfit and Best Costume?

EVERYONE IS WELCOME! TSAGL.org | For more information, email wallypaynter@icloud.com or call 812.480.0204 | Facebook.com/TriStateAlliance

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. EST Indiana Convention Center 100 S. Capitol Ave. Indianapolis

More than

• Both full-time and internship/co-op positions available. • Students in all class levels encouraged to attend. • Register through UE JobLink. • Bus transportation provided. Contact the Center for Career Development at 812–488–1083 to reserve a seat. • Contact career@ evansville.edu for more information. • For a full list of employers visit: https://cccc-in. experience.com/stu/ cf_details?fhnd=6739

Specifically for business students and alumni across Indiana. If you are seeking a career in business or a business-related industry, this event will provide you with access to recruiters from top companies from Indiana and beyond.

recruiters from top companies from Indiana and beyond.

SPONSORED BY Ridgway University Center • (812) 488–1083 • evansville.edu/careercenter