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(04/29/14 8:26pm)
For Ellen Lupton, her love for graphic design began at a young age. As a child, she grew up reading Richard Scarry’s “Busytown,” learning how to associate the images that she saw on the page to words in the story.
“This formed my love of words and pictures going together and living in a word of labels,” Lupton said.
It was only when she went to art school at Coopers Union in New York City she learned what it truly meant to be a graphic designer and how much she enjoyed practicing the art form.
“Graphic design was exciting to me because it was something that people needed,” she said.
Lupton, author of “Thinking With Type” and “Graphic Designer: The New Basics,” visited the campus on Wednesday, April 23, to give a lecture on the evolution and constantly changing field of graphic design.
“We’re expected to work faster, often for less money,” Lupton said. “More temporary employment, less health insurance, more software updates, more ‘as you wait’ graphic design, more clients wanting to look over your shoulder.”
In this new world of technology, graphic designers have abandoned the myriad of tools that they have used in the past for computer software.
In this ever-changing field, Lupton aims to help students through her books and her advice during lectures.
“I dedicated a lot of my life to writing and creating books about design intended to be tools for designers,” she said.
Her lecture provided many graphic design students in the audience with useful advice on how to better their craft.
“I thought it was fantastic,” junior graphic design major Tim Grimscom said. “I began to reconsider things I’ve done in the past.”
Lupton’s often humorous presentation attracted students of all majors at the College who were interested in all aspects of graphic design.
“I thought it was very interesting. She made a lot of good jokes,” senior psychology major Marissa Bryant said about Lupton’s presentation.
(03/18/14 10:08pm)
Not a table was empty on Tuesday, March 4, as a trifecta of talented performers took to the stage at the Rathskeller, entertaining Rat-goers with a collection of high-energy performances.
First to take the stage for the night was the College’s local band, The Dundees. They primed up the audience with their acoustic guitar and soulful songs.
The Dundees only had two of their members, Matt Iayton and Dan Gibson, but their performance still felt like the complete experience. The band, who met each other their freshman year at the College, have been a common sight at Rat shows.
“We’ve been doing it together for two years. We have great chemistry,” said vocalist and guitarist Gibson.
According to Gibson and Iayton, The Dundees have performed at the venue over five times. Despite being such a recognizable fixture, they give every performance their all.
The second act of the night, NGHBRS, spiced things up with their new-age alternative grunge style. The Long Island natives’ powerful vocals sent shock waves of energy through the crowd. For lead singer Ian Kenny, playing to a packed house was a memorable experience.
“Sometimes we play college shows and no one shows — this is great,” Kenny said.
During the show, the band gave out a free download code to check out their newest album, “21 Rooms,” which came out last summer.
Next week the band will be heading to the South By Southwest music festival in Texas.
The headline performer, Jon Simmons, gave the crowd an intimate performance. He not only enticed the crowd with his original songs and covers, but also told personal anecdotes about this life on the road.
As Simmons explained, it’s not every night he opens up to the audience about his drunken adventures in New York City eating pizza and conversing with a random taxi cab driver.
“No,” said Simmons when asked if he usually gets personal on stage, “tonight was special. I felt comfortable.”
The crowd responded well to his performance, and many thought he did deliver the goods.
“I came here to see Jon Simmons, and I was surprised by how good he was,” sophomore communication studies major Dylan Short said.
Simmons, who is the lead singer for the band Balance and Composure, performed without the rest of his band.
“It was a lot of fun — they were really good acts,” freshman English major Brooke Schmidt said.
(03/18/14 10:06pm)
Ewing might be a long way from Nashville, Tenn., but that did not stop Mockingbird Sun and their opening act, Erik Dylan, on Thursday, March 6, from giving a performance straight from America’s Heartland.
Cub’s Country Music Showcase was a day-long music event that started Thursday afternoon.
Setting up shop in the Brower Student Center, Mockingbird Sun gave students an acoustic performance in the hopes of getting them ready for a night of country music.
That night, Room 202 of the Student Center was transformed into the country music center on campus, complete with a stage and cowboy outfits. Despite the meager turn-out, Mockingbird Sun and their opening act, Dylan, treated students to a more intimate performance.
Getting the mood going with his mid-western style songs, Dylan broke out his guitar. Much of the Kansas-born singer’s songs were inspired by life back home, growing up in a blue-collar family.
“I get inspired by things that have happened in my life,” Dylan said.
With his songs like “There’s a Beer for That” and “Show Me Where the Party’s At,” listeners got an insight into Dylan’s life. Dylan, who estimates that he writes at least 200 songs a year, was happy to have people to perform for.
“What I loved the most was having everyone listening,” Dylan said.
Headlining the night, Mockingbird Sun played a medley of their hit songs, including “Lucky Guy,” which recently debuted on CMT.
“It was a milestone for sure,” said keyboard player Truck Roley when asked how he felt seeing the music video for the first time on television.
The band takes their name from the mockingbird, which is a bird known for mimicking the sounds of other birds around it.
“Music is life — it is an analogy of what is around you,” Roley said.
When performing their song “Hometown,” the Nashville natives left the stage and got up close and personal with students.
“I enjoyed their enthusiasm despite the lack of crowd,” said junior special education and history dual major Diane Iannacone. “I thought they were great and I’m usually not a country fan.”
(03/04/14 11:18pm)
It is no secret college is getting more expensive every year. With student debt hitting higher levels, it is easy for college students to feel as if they are under a mountain of debt that will take years to pay off.
America Saves Week has tried to raise awareness among college students and those fresh out of college about the loan process and saving money for retirement since 2007. This year, the Department of Labor held a webinar about student loans and how to use credit wisely.
“The sooner you start saving, the longer your savings will grow,” Department of Labor member Patricia Humphlett said.
Humphlett highlighted the importance of saving as early as possible for retirement. For many college students, having to pay off loans after college is a horrifying thought.
“Absolutely,” junior mechanical engineer major John McGroarty said when asked if he was anxious about paying off loans. “Those types of loans can haunt you forever.”
The average college senior, according to the speaker Mjiba Frehiwot, averages about $24,000 to $26,000 when they leave school. When this far into debt, it is very attractive for students to use credit to make ends meat.
According to Frehiwot, half of the income is spent paying off debt. Keeping your credit score high could increase your chances of being hired by prospective employers.
“Nearly half of all prospective employers look at credit score to decide eligibility,” Frehiwot said.
But some believe this is an ineffective approach in gauging the job market.
“Basing employment on credit score, in my opinion, does not gauge your ability at all — only your financial capability to budget successfully,” sophomore history major Robert Wesner said.
While the webinar assisted in teaching students the ins and outs of the credit and loan system, its implications on their post-graudate careers are just as daunting.
(10/01/13 5:45am)
The atmosphere at the Rathskeller was electrifying on Friday, Sept. 27 as Northern Faces and Makeshift Prodigy gave two high-energy performances that dazzled listeners.
Northern Faces kicked off the show. The boys from Albany played songs from their recently released EP, “Southern Faces.” They gave students a sample with songs, such as “You Not Me,” “Under My Skin” and “Finding Hope.”
Their music draws inspiration from “everything from old-school bands like The Beatles to newer bands like The Black Keys and Band of Horses,” vocalist and guitarist Bryan Shortell said.
This was their first time playing at the College, but they enjoyed the positive attention and support they received from students.
“It was great. Everyone has been really cool to us,” Shortell said.
The headline band of the night, Makeshift Prodigy, performed at this year’s Lollapalooza.
“(The festival) was amazing,” said the band’s lead singer Anthony Bagnara, of the annual music festival. “Every year I was always telling myself and my friends, ‘You know next year we’re going to play,’ and finally this year we got to play it. It was a big honor for us.”
Even though the turnout was not enough to fill up the Rat, the band still treated the crowd to a show worthy of a full house. Their performance was laden with on-stage theatrics, as Bagnara climbed to the top of his piano mid-song to entertain the crowd.
“I liked the energy,” senior digital arts major Christine Austin said.
Most of the songs the band played came from their most recent studio album, “Mathematica,” and their previous EP “Illuminate.”
Throughout their six-year history, they have always looked to their love of making music for guidance.
“All of us are very passionate about music — that’s really been our driving force,” Bagnara said.
In the long run, their goal is to win one of the coveted awards in the music industry.
“End all be all is winning a Grammy,” said Bagnara, cracking a smile at the prospect.
“I think they put on a very good performance. Both bands really connected with the audience,” freshmen open options major Oliva Higbee said.
(09/24/13 5:21pm)
Russia and the United States have agreed to temporarily halt the prospect of western military intervention in Syria, according to BBC.
In a move that has changed the tide of the Syrian conflict, Syria has agreed to hand over its stockpile of chemical weapons to the international community, as reported by BBC. Russia is seen to have helped negotiate the peaceful resolution to counter a U.S. led intervention force in the region, according to BBC.
U.N. inspectors suggest that it would take at least a year to properly register and destroy Bashar Al-Assad’s chemical stockpile, according to BBC.
The U.N. has confirmed that the deadly chemical attack, which occurred in a suburb of the capital, Damascus, last August, was sarin gas. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 502 citizens were killed in the attack. U.S. officials have placed the number of dead civilians at 1,429.
While the United States, Britain and France are accusing government forces of this attack, Syria and its allies are claiming it was the rebels.
A draft of the resolution to facilitate the handover of Assad’s chemical weapons stockpile is set to be voted on by the U.N. The United States is taking a more aggressive stance on the proceedings, wanting to add a stipulation where any refusal by the Syrian government would result in military action.
“We need everyone’s help to see the Security Council lives up to its founding values and passes a binding resolution that codifies the strongest possible mechanism to achieve the goal and achieve it rapidly,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told BBC.
The conflict over Syria has worsened already, deteriorating relations between the United States and Russia. On Wednesday, Sept. 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin openly criticized the United States in a New York Times op-ed article. In his article, Putin said that military involvement would “increase violence and unleash a new wave of terrorism.”
In response, Arizona Senator John McCain posted an article on the Russian website Pravda. McCain shot back at Putin.
“By refusing to consider the massacre of innocents, the plight of millions of refugees, the growing prospect of a conflagration that engulfs other countries in its flames an appropriate subject for the world’s attention,” he wrote.
There have been over 100,000 people killed in the Syrian civil war, as well as over two million people displaced.
(09/10/13 5:00am)
Does Obama really care about intervening in Syria? Well, if he did, he would have done so way before the death toll ticked over 100,000. At this point, Obama has to save face after he said chemical weapons would be a “red line,” and those responsible would be punished. I mean, it was an honest mistake. How was he supposed to know that a government willing to use machine guns, tanks and air strikes against its own people would use saran gas? It was completely unforeseeable.
Now I believe Obama is a smart man. After all, he went to Harvard. I trust he has the common sense to know that bombing the crap out of an authoritarian regime does not end in rainbows and sunshine, but instead blood and vengeance. Essentially, a military solution to the Syria crisis would cause further animosity toward the West. Russia, China and Iran are completely against any kind of military action in the region and would much rather see Assad stay in power.
When it comes to allies, not too many other powers are seriously willing to back us up. Britain — who with France helped to lift the European Union arms embargo to Syria — has recently backed out. Last month, parliament voted to not use military force on Syria by a vote of 272 to 285, despite British Primeminister David Cameron’s backing of military intervention.
The only country that seems willing to assist us is France. President François Hollande stated he is willing to support a U.S. led military intervention.
So with eroding allies, strong international opposition by two members of the UN Security Council — not to mention coming out of two wars in a similar region of the world — why should we send in troops?
In reality, this is Washington political football at its finest. The President could, if he really wanted to, order strikes through executive order. He has done so already in Libya and Pakistan. Why ask Congress now for permission to launch military strikes against a sovereign nation? It almost seems irresponsible to trust something of this caliber to a branch of government more fit to name post offices than declare war.
So now it’s up to Congress to act, taking some of the pressure off Obama. If Congress approves, then it will share some of the blame for the horrible aftermath. If it refuses to send military aid, then Obama could go around blaming Congress for not letting him send troops to end the conflict.
So right now it’s fourth and long for western intervention in Syria, and Obama just threw Congress a Hail Mary.
(09/03/13 7:38pm)
The Rathskeller came alive Friday night as a slew of performers took the stage, playing to a packed house. The lineup of musicians included campus talents such as Tom Ciccone, Brandon Schiff and Julia Malak.
Ciccone played a batch of his own songs, which varied from deeply personal to political. His last song, “Lay it on the Line,” was one of his more controversial performances. The song told the story of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African-American boy who was shot last year in Florida by George Zimmerman, and the ensuing media attention it garnered.
The audience was further entertained by senior mechanical engineering major Brandon Schiff’s blend of comedy and guitar.
“I feel like you have to put on a show,” Schiff said.
Schiff serenaded listeners with his mesmerizing guitar playing and soulful voice. Despite being a songwriter himself, he mostly covered songs from other bands such as Death Cab for Cutie, Dragonforce and The Killers.
Although he originally played drums in elementary school, Schiff took up guitar six years ago. For him, hearing the applause of the crowd was the best part of his performance.
“I love entertaining,” Schiff said. “If people are entertained, I enjoy it.”
The final performer of the night was sophomore communication studies major Julie Malak. Her heartfelt lyrics gave listeners an insight into her personal life.
Her songs, such as “Head Over Heels” and “Pavement,” chronicled her experiences with love and how she felt at the time. Malak’s honest, down-to-earth musical style was reminiscent of an early Taylor Swift, who is not coincidentally her musical inspiration.
This singer/songwriter draws on her life experiences to provide inspiration for her songs. To capture what she’s feeling in a song, she writes her lyrics immediately after something happens to her. And when it comes to performing in front of a live audience, she feels completely at home.
“I love it,”Malak said. “That’s my home.”
(04/23/13 4:21pm)
It was a rainy Florida evening when George Zimmerman, a volunteer at the neighborhood watch, noticed Trayvon Martin walking to the house of his father’s fiancé. Martin was unarmed, but Zimmerman phoned police anyway.
“This guy looks like he’s up to no good, or he’s on drugs or something,” he said. What happened next would go on to make national news headlines.
After a reported confrontation with Martin, Zimmerman fatally shot the 17-year-old high school student in the chest. Zimmerman would say later that he didn’t suspect Martin to be that young, but rather the same age as him.
To Zimmerman, Martin was not a boy, but an adult, an adult who was not given the same benefit of doubt given to other children.
Cassandra Jackson, English professor at the College, spoke to students at the fo
urth annual Gloria Harper Dickinson Memorial Lecture on Wednesday, April 17. Jackson’s presentation centered on the lack of racial divide that society ascribed to white and black youths.
After the Martin shooting, Jackson wrote an essay for the Huffington Post which discussed the double standard that exists in society.
In New York City, police officers are able to search anyone they deem as looking suspicious under the Stop-and-Frisk policy.
Tyquan Brenon, a high school student from New York City, was searched 60 times before his 18th birthday. The vast majority of people who are pulled over by police are of African American or Hispanic origin. Eighty-eight percent of stop-and-frisk victims are not arrested or ticketed.
“Tyquan was not Tyquan, but rather a powerful idea. A phantom. A phantom criminal that could appear anywhere at any time,” Jackson said.
Such is the case with the Central Park Five, a group of four black teens and one Hispanic teen, who were accused of beating and raping a jogger in Central Park on April 19, 1989. The police had forced a confession out of the boys and they were later convicted.
In 2002, the case was overturned when Matias Reyes confessed to the crime. Officers later identified his DNA as being at the scene of the crime.
“These boys were left to navigate the same waters that had been so treacherous for black men without the benefit of time, experience or wisdom,” Jackson said about black boys who so often get lumped in the same group as black men.
“There’s innocence,” said Steve Demorcy, senior math and secondary education double major, about growing up in Haiti. “You have an area where you’re allowed to be innocent. You’re allowed to make mistakes and not be looked upon as if you’re a black male and it’s expected of you. It’s like you’re a male and it’s expected of you.
(04/09/13 4:00pm)
By Mike Nunes
Staff Writer
It has been over three months since the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, which sparked a national uproar over gun control.
Nationwide, gun control advocates and Second Amendment defenders have debated back and forth over whether or not there should be restrictions on certain types of guns.
Professor John Jacobi of Seton Hall Law School visited the College to talk about the reality and the legality of gun control.
In 2011, 32,163 people died in the United States due to guns, almost topping the 34,677 people killed that same year by cars.
In the controversial 2008 case, D.C. v. Heller, the Supreme Court upheld the right to bear arms with the stipulation that there has to be some kind of regulation.
The Obama administration has been in favor of universal background checks as well as a ban on assault style weapons. The federal government has the ability, under the commerce clause in the constitution, to regulate the sale and distribution of hand guns.
“The United States could, if the United States wanted to, assert the power to assert all of these provisions,” Jacobi said.
The political repercussions of a move like this, however, would be brutal. The safer route, politically, is to run these regulations through Congress.
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed into law last week a bill that would ban the sale of assault rifles and large capacity magazines. Universal background checks are also in the new law, regulating the practice of private gun sales.
“I think assault riffles should be highly regulated. I think people have the right to hand guns and shot guns because it’s used for protection and for hunting, but I don’t see how assault weapons can be used for sport,” said senior international studies major Lucas Pifano.
At the federal level, on the other hand, the momentum for gun control has been subsiding.
“It appears that the United States Congress is less eager to enact gun legislation than it was right after the New Town shooting,” Jacobi said. “I think this is one of those issues where the country is sharply divided and I think that the problem of gun violence is more than one problem.”
Among the 32,163 victims of gun related deaths, over 19,000 are attributed to suicide and 11,101 are attributed to homicide. The majority of the 11,101 homicides, over 6,000, are committed using hand guns.
“Simply saying ‘I want to engage in extensive regulation in order to protect people’ isn’t a good enough argument unless you can show that the specific regulations that you’re advocating will protect people,” Jacobi said.