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(04/19/16 5:35pm)
By Skyeler Sudia
A recent feud between Ice Cube and Gene Simmons has ignited some controversy as to whether or not hip-hop artists should be included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since rock and roll is an ever-evolving genre, excluding hip-hop artists from the hall of fame would be detrimental to the growth of music.
Both performers are members of the Hall of Fame. Simmons was inducted in 2014 as a member of Kiss and Ice Cube was inducted with N.W.A this past weekend. In recent years, Simmons has argued against the inclusion of hip-hop artists, such as N.W.A, Rolling Stone reported earlier this month. Ice Cube stands in solidarity with the hip-hop community, as well as those welcoming rap into the organization.
Hip-hop acts already inducted into the Hall of Fame include Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five (2007), Run-D.M.C. (2009), Beastie Boys (2012) and Public Enemy (2013).
When rock and roll is discussed, it cannot be limited to a stylistic idea. If that were the case, the Hall of Fame would only include artists who have made an impact on popular music between 1954 and 1963, prior to the Beatles arriving in the United States. Rock and roll as a genre includes Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Buddy Holly — there’s not much more, just a few chords and a simple backbeat.
Rock and roll as a feeling, however, is much more. It includes bands as successful as Led Zeppelin and bands that are unknown, such as the 13th Floor Elevators, and even recent bands, such as Courtney Barnett. There is no limit to rock and roll, since everyone has his or her own view of what it actually is.
Simmons is entitled to his opinion, just as Ice Cube is, though I stand with the N.W.A rapper. Rock and roll is a feeling, an energy and a force. It makes us dance, it makes us smash things, it makes us cry and it makes us fall in love. It’s about a message: maybe political, maybe romantic, maybe even nothing at all — but even nothing at all can be a message.
The bodies of work between the two artists reflect the time period they represent. Kiss was a commercially successful band due to the group’s untamed concerts involving fireworks and fiery showmanship, as well as a successful line of products ranging from lunch boxes to action figures. The music was simple, the energy was pure and the themes of their music mostly involved having a good time.
On the other side of the argument is N.W.A, a collective group of rappers from Compton, located in Los Angeles. Through the joined talent of Ice Cube and company (including Dr. Dre and Eazy-E), the group represented a radical shift in hip-hop, bringing politics and the issues of black Americans to the forefront of popular music. Similar to their predecessors in soul music (many of whom — Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly & the Family Stone and the Temptations, to name a few — are in the Hall of Fame and do not identify with the rock music label), they focused on poverty and racism, while bringing newer issues of gang violence and police brutality to their lyrics.
The spirit of rock and roll lives on in the music of both Kiss and N.W.A. While Kiss ultimately represents the corporatization of rock music, the band’s significance is felt profoundly in music history. People who aren’t fans of the group should also recognize its importance: Without stadium bands like Kiss, punk rock would have never been a reaction. N.W.A embodies the spirit of rock and roll just as much as Kiss does, if not more so. They were rebellious, they scared parents and they gave a voice to those who didn’t have one.
Each person has his or her own opinion of what rock and roll means. It is important to remember, however, that hip-hop embodies the spirit of rock and roll just as much as the any other genre (including rock music itself). Why else would Muddy Waters (blues), Johnny Cash (country), Metallica (heavy metal), Miles Davis (jazz), Michael Jackson (pop) and Otis Redding (soul) be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? It’s because they represent the spirit of rock and roll. As 1995 Hall of Fame inductee Neil Young once put it, “rock and roll can never die.” If enough people believe that’s true, it won’t.
Students share opinions around campus
Hip-hop in the R&R Hall of Fame?
“No, because its not rock and roll.”
“Absolutely, it’s a form of music.”
(04/19/16 5:34pm)
By Isabelle Tan and Tabiya Ahmed
Menstruation is not only a biological function, but also part of a larger ongoing social, political and economic debate. Oftentimes, the stigma of menstruation is accepted without consideration, but it is important to critically analyze these social norms and understand how they directly impact women.
Due to the detrimental social stigmas surrounding a woman’s period, women are often denied access to income equality across the globe, whether in the form of exclusion from schooling or marginalization in higher levels of leadership and economic power. This economic inequality is further worsened as menstruating women either completely lack access to or face higher prices and taxes for menstrual products throughout the world.
According to the Washington Post, 40 states in the U.S. tax menstrual products as a luxury good, which is designated for products deemed unnecessary or unessential. On the other hand, products such as Rogaine for Men are considered tax-exempt because they qualify as “medical supplies,” as described by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
This gender disparity in terms of lack of access to menstrual products is blatantly visible on the College’s campus through the absence of stocked menstrual product dispensers in the bathrooms. Most women have not seen them stocked in so long that they forget their existence as a resource. This is an issue that needs to be addressed by the College’s administration.
In addition, in regards to issues with access, individuals with a uterus are being charged higher prices for their periods, a natural process which they cannot control. This tax puts a disproportionate financial burden on women, especially women living in poverty.
As college students, a lot of us often take our menstrual products for granted. Imagine what it would be like if you could not afford these products. How would we complete everyday activities? Where would we find resources that could help us? This is an issue that women, especially homeless and low-income women, face every day across the world and even in the College’s neighboring city of Trenton, N.J., a city in which, according to the U.S. Census, has a high population of 28.4 percent of individuals living below the poverty line.
In order to promote gender equality and respect women’s bodies, it is important to de-stigmatize menstruation and increase the awareness about this natural process that about half of the world’s population undergoes.
We have to stop teaching girls to hide their menstrual products and instead focus on empowering them through education about menstrual hygiene. We need to shift our focus to combating systemic inequalities, such as the “tampon tax,” that were created under the governance of all-men politicians.
Women’s rights are human rights and the progression of society as a whole can only occur when all of its members are treated with dignity and equality.
Tan and Ahmed are members of the Women in Learning and Leadership/women’s and gender studies capstone class, which is advocating for the de-stigmatization of menstruation.
(04/19/16 4:04pm)
By Olivia Dauber
Correspondent
Students attending A Day to End Rape Culture, hosted by Anti-Violence Initiatives (AVI), on Tuesday, April 12, were immediately hit with positive energy, despite the sensitive subject matter of the expo-style event.
On the event’s Facebook page, AVI defines rape culture as “an environment in which rape is prevalent and sexual violence is normalized and excused in the media.”
The student-volunteers at the event aimed to change the narrative about sexual assault on college campuses and started the conversation through a series of short, interactive presentations that utilized visuals, narratives and humor to get students thinking seriously about a tough topic.
“The ultimate goal is to switch the idea of resistance from the victim to the perpetrator,” said junior psychology major Rachel Turan, who presented at the event.
The AVI volunteers managed to keep the environment humorous and hopeful, while attendees were educated on topics from the history of rape culture in society to school dress codes and media coverage of sexual assaults.
“A lot of people think that a rape is only considered legit if the victim is physically small and attacked very violently by a stranger,” AVI volunteer and freshman psychology major Gigi Garrity said. “But we’re learning that most rapes actually include people you know, (and) sometimes drugs… It’s so important that we listen to all survivors.”
At a nearby table, senior psychology major Maria Phillips asked students to pick out an article of clothing they would wear from an assortment on the table, ranging from sports gear to Halloween costumes to bikinis. She explained that wearing any item of clothing doesn’t give someone permission to treat you a certain way.
“Mind boggling, I know,” Phillips said.
Representatives from the Title IX office — a division of Student Affairs started at the College in November — were also present. While AVI would provide counseling and emotional support for a student who has been assaulted, the Title IX office would help a student report the crime to authorities if desired and provide academic accommodations, like changing class schedules.
“The victim of a sexual assault has already been through something tragic,” Title IX Coordinator Jordan Draper said. “We aim to help them feel safe on campus.”
Campus Police were also present to show their support and inform students about the services they offer, which include assistance in investigating sexual assault or sexual harassment cases.
“Today is really about starting a conversation,” AVI volunteer and sophomore psychology and women’s and gender studies double major Cat Janis said. “If we have the language to talk about it, we can fight for what we need to change. People know what’s right and wrong, they just don’t always know what to say. Ending rape culture is all about starting a conversation and learning the language.”
(04/19/16 3:51pm)
By Jamie Gerhartz
Correspondent
Five alumni returned to the College on Wednesday, April 13, in room 326 of the Social Sciences Building, to provide insight about finding a job after graduation to current sociology majors.
Four of the panelists spoke in person, while one gave advice via video chat. The panelists talked about their lives after graduating the College and gave students advice for finding a job and what life might be like after graduating with a sociology degree.
All of the panelists talked about how they came to get the jobs they currently have. The stories range from job hunting online to meeting someone with connections.
One of the speakers, Urban Planner at Burgis Associates, Inc. Dave Novak (’09), talked about how he landed his job in city planning.
“I got very lucky,” Novak said.
He said that during his time in graduate school, he struck up a conversation with a woman whose husband happened to own a planning firm. From that interaction, he got a part-time job, which eventually turned into his current full-time job.
“Just by being open and respectful and talking to people, I was able to get employment,” Novak said.
Research Analyst at Russell Market Research Amity Menard (’09) said that she got her job from monster.com and eventually progressed from just arranging data into tables to her current position at Russell Market Research. She talked about how she didn’t know anything about tabulations at the time, but by being open to learning, she was able to work her way up.
The panelists were also asked to give advice to the students about job interviews. The most common tip was to be confident and be yourself.
In a world of people fighting for highly-competitive jobs, it is important to stand out and not be afraid to put yourself out there, according to Elementary Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction at Middletown Township School District in New Jersey Natalie Franzi (’08).
Another important skill to acquire when searching for a job is the ability to network. All of the panelists mentioned networking as a way to broaden their searches and to get more job opportunities.
“When you hire me, you’re not just hiring me,” Franzi said. “You’re hiring all of the smart people that I’m connected to.”
Networking helps people get more job opportunities and makes people more desirable because they have a list of people who are willing to help them and vouch for them, according to Franzi.
Many students wanted to know how to answer tough interview questions.
“A common question in job interviews is, ‘What is your biggest weakness?’ What is the best way to answer that question?” junior early childhood education and sociology double major Alex Grcic asked.
According to Franzi, this is a trick.
When answering this question, the interviewee should respond with something that can be turned into a positive or something that you can easily fix, Franzi said.
“Say something that is a weakness, but also say how you are improving on it,” Franzi said.
Though the panel answered several questions on students’ minds, it also reaffirmed the importance of pursuing a degree in sociology. According to Novak, sociology teaches students about social and economic trends and how they affect people.
Beyond noticing societal trends, studying sociology gives students insight into others’ lives.
Menard said that sociology teaches students how to understand people that are not like them and how to interpret the thoughts and actions of different groups of people.
(04/19/16 3:40pm)
By Caleigh Carlson
Correspondent
The vibrant, pastel collared shirts of the TCNJ Jazz Ensemble were not the only elements bringing color to the stage of Kendall Hall on Friday, April 15. The tremendously talented jazz band did what they do best and put on a wonderful performance. The stage was full of friendly faces that encouraged one another like a family. An essential part of its production was the head of this family, conductor Gary Fienberg.
“If you haven’t heard this tune yet, you need to get a life,” Fienberg jokingly said as he introduced the well-known tune of “Fantasy,” by Maurice White, Verdine White and Eddie Del Barrio.
On a more serious note, Fienberg was able to give intellectual and historical background behind each piece the ensemble performed. His dedication to the TCNJ Jazz Ensemble and passion for the musical numbers were clearly reflected in the show. The students, energized by this enthusiasm, lit up the stage. The amount of hours they prepared for the show were evident.
Sophomore music education major and saxophonist Erik Johnson spoke further about this practice and preparation.
“I would say I put in, personally, five hours a week, but as a group, together, we put in much more than that,” Johnson said. “(The Music Department at the College) has definitely opened my eyes to new types of music and even genres that I have never played before.”
As a part of other ensembles on campus, including the wind ensemble, Johnson noted that the TCNJ Jazz Ensemble is very relaxed. This “relaxed” feeling can be attributed to Fienberg’s genuine interest in making sure the students have fun. With that being said, there is no doubt the students worked extremely hard each week and dedicated a majority of their time to their instruments. Their diligence is what allowed the performance to be such a huge success.
The night’s setlist was arranged to fully demonstrated the talent of the students. Each piece included at least one solo, which was then followed by a roar of applause from the audience. The energy in the room was contagious.
The final piece was “The Great Divide,” by Don Ellis. It was accompanied by creative choreography in which the ensemble left the stage to play in the audience. Filling up the theater’s aisles, the students performed next to audience members. The crowd was able to get an up close look at the incredible talent of the jazz ensemble.
The success of the evening can be attributed to both the conductor and musical director Fienberg, as well as the Music Department at the College.
“I am extremely impressed by the Music Department here daily. Everyone is so passionate about what they are doing,” freshman nursing major and saxophonist Alex Sneddon said. “The professors are excited to teach and the students are excited to learn.”
It is this very passion that shined through the ensemble and into the audience. If the power were to have gone out, the TCNJ Jazz Ensemble would still have lit the stage.
(04/19/16 3:39pm)
By Ashley Skowronek
Correspondent
The Department of Art and Art History welcomed a renowned art educator on Wednesday, April 13, as part of the 2015-2016 Visiting Scholar Series. The presentation guided viewers through empirical illumination by observing formal, thematic and contextual qualities palpable in works of art.
Artist Renee Sandell discussed the decoding and encoding of art by identifying how the work “is,” what the work is about and when, where, by whom and why the work was created or valued.
“It’s the connection between them that is really important,” Sandell said.
“The Great Wave Off Kanagawa,” by Katsushika Hokusai, remains an iconic piece in today’s culture through its innumerable reproductions in art, fashion and jewelry. But much more significance lies behind the Japanese illustration of massive, cresting ocean waves.
“I suggest we use FTC (form, theme and context) to get deeper into the meaning of the work and why it’s meaningful to us,” Sandell said.
Pattern, rhythm and the contrast of positive and negative spaces can be used to interpret art conceived during this time in Japanese culture. The piece delves into the “big idea” of nature overpowering man and other themes that mark water as a major force humans must overcome.
Hokusai’s art can be directly related to thematic plots in films, such as “Jaws,” “The Perfect Storm” and “Life of Pi,” as well as literary works, like “Moby Dick,” “The Odyssey” and “The Old Man and the Sea.” Similar to “The Great Wave,” these contemporary stories incorporate ways of intensifying our cognizance of the power of nature.
While the contextual elements in the piece are related to environmental disasters, global warming and political crises, the art also symbolizes passion for unremitting problem solving and letting go.
Sandell made the comparison of looking at art to eating an artichoke. One cannot simply pick up an artichoke and eat it. However, through perseverance, you ultimately will get past the hard outer layers and reach the soft, palatable heart.
That is the true essence of the piece, according to Sandell.
“The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes — in seeing the universe through the eyes of another, one hundred others — in seeing the hundred universes that each of them sees,” Sandell said, referencing prose from French novelist Marcel Proust. This ideology encompassed the collective motif of the presentation.
“Use FTC to make meaningful connections, not separate them,” Sandell said.
Sandell’s illustrious career includes serving as a professor of art education at George Mason University and Maryland Institute College of Art, co-authoring two books based on gender issues present in art education and receiving the 2013 National Art Educator of the Year Award through the National Art Educator Association.
(04/12/16 4:28pm)
By Melissa Reed
Correspondent
Students sat eagerly waiting for transgender writer, speaker and media personality Tyler Ford to grace the Library Auditorium stage on Thursday, April 7. Ford’s visit to the College was part of PRISM’s annual Trans Awareness Week, which is designed to educate the College’s student body on trans identities and issues.
“We saw the opportunity to bring Tyler and jumped on it,” sophomore chemistry major and Education Advocacy Chair for PRISM Max Nazario said. “Tyler is a major figure in today’s social-media-centered world and they’re working hard to further the conversation on gender to include talk of nonbinary and gender-nonconforming identities. We saw bringing them to campus as a great way to bring that conversation to the student body at TCNJ.”
Ford, who is best known for starring on “The Glee Project” and collaborating with Miley Cyrus on a clothing line, identifies as an agender person and prefers to be identified using the pronouns they, their and they’re, rather than be restricted by traditional gender pronouns.
“It has been incredibly important for me in contextualizing myself and my life,” Ford said. “As a kid, I knew that gender and my experience as gender was out of my grasp. I couldn’t define it. I couldn’t talk about it and no one else was talking about it.”
Ford identifies as a queer, non-binary, trans and asexual person. As a child, they grew up questioning their identity and had a hard time trying to figure out who they were.
“I spent a lot of my childhood really, really confused,” Ford said. “No one was talking about gender, but everyone seemed to be able to get by and defined it for themselves.”
At the age of 12, Ford opened up to their mom about their sexual identity and their desire to wear girls’ clothes. Astonished by their mom’s approval, they began shopping at places like Abercrombie & Fitch and Sephora.
“I started making up my face and wearing really short miny skirts and hot pink bras,” Ford said. “I tried to make myself into something that I thought would make me feel like a women. If I can do X,Y and Z, which are characteristics of a women, then I would feel like a woman and be a woman.”
Although they experienced a transition throughout middle school that made them feel comfortable, they experienced an extreme amount of discomfort in high school. No longer able to identify with womanhood, Ford looked for other terms to identify with and questioned both their gender and sexuality.
“I decided that I had to live the questions in order to answer them,” Ford said. “There was no other way to find answers. This wasn’t one of the things I could Google because there were no results that came up when I searched for anything about this.”
It wasn’t until Ford came across the term agender on Tumblr that they decided that this was the word they had been searching for. Since then, Ford has come to take pride in their identity as an agender, asexual and non-binary person.
“(I’ve) been out as agender for two years now,” Ford said. “Being non-binary in this world is difficult. I’m always trying to find space for myself or make space for myself, and space that does not exist. I am constantly having to explain my rights to anything.”
The event opened the floor for a conversation on campus surrounding contemporary gender roles and issues. Ford encouraged audience members to leave the lecture with an open mind and to be respectful toward any and everyone in the LGBTQ+ community.
“(It) takes a lot of unlearning,” Ford said. “The key is just to be really conscious of how you are referring to people and how you are perceiving people. For instance, I use gender neutral pronouns to refer to people because I would want someone to do the same for me.”
According to Nazario, Trans Awareness Week on the College’s campus is an important mechanism for informing students about the different identities within and outside of the LGBTQ+ spectrum.
“We are trying to build understanding and we are trying to make people aware that trans people do exist,” Nazario said. “We are trying to get people to understand who trans people are, what they’re feelings really mean, what makes them trans as opposed to just putting this label on them that does not necessarily have a meaning for people and we’re trying to contextualize the word.”
(04/12/16 4:28pm)
By Dorian Armstrong
Correspondent
The College’s sixth-annual Mardi Gras Masquerade kicked off another night of fun, food and fabulous music on Wednesday, April 6. The event celebrated the culture of New Orleans and brought a touch of the Louisiana city to the College. Organized by the Alternative Break Club (ABC), with a little help from Beck’s Cajun Cafe and the Bon Temps Brass Band, the free event drew a large crowd of students, including both long-time ABC volunteers and first-time attendees, to the Lions Den.
Senior art education major and ABC historian Amanda Intili made sure to note that the festivities were all for a good cause.
“We’re here to spread awareness about Hurricane Katrina and how ABC is going down (to New Orleans) and helping to rebuild,” Intili said. “There’s still over 6,000 families trying to return to their homes. The main city’s up and running now, but a lot of the outskirts are still abandoned. Families want to come back, but can’t afford to do that, so we want to try rebuilding houses and lowering labor costs and doing what we can for them.”
As their name suggests, ABC goes to New Orleans three times each year — during the winter, spring and summer breaks — to restore the city damaged by Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. In addition to their community service, the group is able to explore the vibrant city.
“The community of New Orleans is really positive and lively, and it’s really refreshing to see that,” Intili said.
The Mardi Gras Masquerade not only raised awareness for the club’s cause, but also showcased the New Orleans culture through live performances and authentic food.
The Bon Temp Brass Band brought seven members to the College to share the best of New Orleans. Aside from the viewing of an educational video and a short intermission for dinner, the band performed for two hours straight.
Soon after the show’s start, members of the College’s Swing Club showed off their dancing skills and offered an open invitation to all in the audience to join them on the dance floor — an invitation which proved irresistible to many students at the event.
ABC made sure to include a wide variety of zesty Cajun food at the event. To honor the traditional flavors of New Orleans, they served chicken and ham jambalaya, fried balls of macaroni and cheese and “gator gumbo” — a stew made from the meat of an alligator’s tail. Beverages available included three flavors of daiquiri. A scrumptious dish of bread pudding in whiskey cream sauce was put out for dessert. The food and festivities at the Mardi Gras Masquerade proved to be a real hit among students.
Junior elementary education and art double major Erika Ungar attended the Mardi Gras celebration and spoke highly of the ABC program.
“I first heard about it freshman year, since one of my friends was in the club and had been to New Orleans,” Ungar said. “I’ve been on three trips of my own now and I’ve loved it. Hopefully, we can raise some money for this since there is still so much damage down there.”
(04/12/16 4:27pm)
By Alyssa Apuzzio
Staff Writer
The Don Evans Black Box Theater in Kendall Hall was bursting with laughter during four nights of the comedy “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” which was performed by All College Theatre (ACT). The theater was filled with students of the College, faculty and members of the public.
Brought to life by a small cast consisting of only six actors, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” ran from Wednesday, April 6, to Saturday, April 9. The skilled theater group was excellent in creating the comical, dramatic and serious atmospheres that the script required.
The comedy play, written by renounded playwright Christopher Durang, focuses on the relationships of three middle-aged siblings, Vanya, Sonia and Masha. Vanya and Sonia live together in their childhood home and Masha is an actress who rarely visits her siblings. The play takes place during a visit from Masha and her boy toy, Spike, and shows the three siblings conversing about their lives and their emotions. And of course, as most siblings do, they argue with one another.
“To bring the script to life, the actors needed to find the real person in these characters,” show director and College alumnus Steve Gaissert ’85 said. “Everyone needed to believe that the characters they embodied were real, three-dimensional, living, breathing people — flawed, but with real feelings and doubts, but who always loved themselves for who they are.”
ACT President and senior computer science and interactive multimedia double major Matthew Steurer, who played Vanya in the production, said the biggest challenge of the role was trying to embody the age of the character.
“I am clearly not 57 like Vanya, so trying to find specific things to try and make myself appear older was probably the biggest struggle during the entire process,” Steurer said.
For some actors, age wasn’t as difficult to portray as the character’s personalities were. Freshman communication studies major Sam Franz, who played Sonia, felt that the hardest part about Sonia is playing a character that is depressed for a significant amount of time.
Franz did have a scene that excites her and made her enjoy her role the most.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever smashed a cup on the ground, but it’s one of the most fun things to do and I get to do it twice a show. It’s so much fun,” Franz said.
Vanya, Sonia and Masha all have their own set of problems and they reveal them throughout the play. In one scene, Sonia and Masha are both crying very loudly and dramatically over their negative thoughts about their lives.
“I think people were most surprised by how convincing the actors playing the three siblings were in their depiction of characters who are more than twice their actual ages,” Gaissert said. “We worked very hard on this aspect from day one, and I am proud to declare that they met this goal even better than I expected.”
The setting of the play is in Bucks County, Pa., where Vanya and Sonia live. The set was the living room of Vanya and Sonia’s house, with a patterned couch, a coffee table and a bookshelf to add to the home atmosphere. There was also a staircase leading to an upstairs balcony that overlooked the living room. The set remained the same throughout the play, with only the minor changes of moving the coffee table or some of the chairs.
While six actors covered the stage, the production team consisted of 46 members.
“The amazing set was designed, built and dressed by countless people, including the actors themselves, and it, too, exceeded my expectations,” Gaissert said. “This is true, too, for the lighting and sound crew and designers. Everything they created seemed truly real.”
The entire cast and crew worked hard to put on the production. Freshman math major Rebecca Conn, who played the neighbor Nina, said that the cast initially rehearsed four days a week, which then became five days per week as the show date grew closer.
“This small cast has been amazing,” Conn said. “We have gotten so close during this process. It makes me so happy.”
Senior history and secondary education dual major Rachel Friedman, who played Cassandra, was more than glad to be a part of the cast, as well. Cassandra is quirky and cleans Vanya and Sonia’s house once a week. Friedman saw the production when it was on Broadway a few years ago and remembers it fondly.
“This is my last production with ACT before graduation and I knew I wanted to be involved in some capacity, simply because I love the show so much,” Friedman said.
Gaissert expected the students would not be able to dedicate 60 hours for the play, with wavering expectations for the play’s outcome.
“I quickly learned, however, just how truly dedicated everyone involved in the production was,” Gaissert said. “Since not every actor attended every rehearsal, it varies, but I can happily state that it topped out at over 80 hours for some of them.”
The play originally premiered in 2012 at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, N.J., and then made its Broadway debut in 2013, winning the Tony Award for best play and the Drama Desk Award for outstanding play the same year.
“I hope the audience takes away the importance of family. For this play especially, family is defined in so many different ways,” Friedman said. “That and the importance of staying positive and hopeful in the face of trials and difficult times with family.”
Gaissert is very satisfied and proud of how the play was produced and performed.
“The result for the entire production was that we were able to present a play with fully-believable characters, so that audiences did not have to willingly suspend their disbelief that a 20 year old was pretending to be a 57 year old, thus taking away from their overall experience with absorbing the meaning of the play,” Gaissert said.
(04/12/16 4:25pm)
This week, WTSR Assistant Music Director Nelson Kelly, highlights some of the best new albums that the College’s own radio station, 91.3 FM WTSR, puts into its weekly rotation.
Band Name: Parquet Courts
Album Name: Human Performance
Hailing From: New York City, N.Y.
Genre: Garage Stoner Punk
Label: Rough Trade
Parquet Courts’s follow-up to last year’s experimental noise orgy album, “Monastic Living,” is a much welcomed return to form for the band. While it may not deliver on the same level as their 2012 opus, “Light Up Gold,” this new album is a very solid collection of songs. Stoned and starving as ever, Parquet Courts deliver its witty social comments and anxieties through its trademark, stripped-down style, complemented by vocalist Andrew Savage’s angry yet monotone droning. Rife with the usual feedback-drenched solos over a tight, upbeat rhythm section, “Human Performance” is the perfect album for fans who were worried about the bands direction over the past year. Though this album features tracks much longer than Parquet Courts standard one- to two-minute punk jams (“Dust” and the title track clock in at around four minutes each), shorter songs, like “Captive of the Sun” and “Outside,” are sure to please longtime fans and new listeners alike.
Must Hear: “Dust,” “Human Performance,” “Outside,” “Paraphrased,” “Steady On My Mind” and “Captive of the Sun”
Band Name: Tacocat
Album Name: Lost Time
Hailing From: Seattle, Wash.
Genre: Surfy Punk
Label: Hardly Art
The members of Tacocat describe themselves as feminists who like to have fun. Between its sweet palindrome of a name and these poppin’ tunes, I feel that vibe from them. “Lost Time” finds the girls (and one boy) in Tacocat as fun and bubbly as ever, with song topics ranging from “The X-Files” to the Internet, with a few break-up songs thrown in for good measure. As for its sound, think All Dogs but less snowy and more surfy. A solid rhythm section keeps the beat under crashing guitars and Emily Nokes’s totally tubular vocals. This album is fun and carefree from front to back.
Must Hear: “Dana Katherine Scully,” “I Love Seattle,” “The Internet” and “Talk”
(04/12/16 4:25pm)
By Danielle Silvia
Staff Writer
The 17th season of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is currently underway and has seen many twists and turns throughout its episodes. As this season prepares to come to a close, so much can be taken away from this season and thought about in anticipation for the next one.
Many fans were shocked to learn that Nick Amaro, played by Danny Pino, would not return for this season. His role, however, was soon replaced by a young, in-training detective named Dominick Carisi, Jr. But as he always reminds people, you can “call (him) Sonny.” Carisi’s role as a fresh, inexperienced member of the Special Victims Unit (SVU) soon evolved into a much more active and rounded character. Carisi has led many of the investigations, even nabbing some of the perpetrators himself. In one episode, he spends two weeks undercover in a halfway house trying to figure out which resident was secretly a rapist. He had to defend himself multiple times, as many people thought he was a criminal, but he eventually ended up finding the culprit and saving many others from attacks. Carisi has thus become a full-fledged member of the SVU team through his development as a character this season.
Meanwhile, Detective Amanda Rollins, played by Kelli Giddish, recently gave birth to a daughter, which creates many concerns for the audience. There was confusion as to whom the father of her child was, as many suspected it was former SVU member Amaro. It turns out, however, to be Lt. Declan Murphy, someone with whom Rollins previously had romantic relations, although he is stationed in an entirely different base. Many fans wonder if Carisi and Rollins could wind up together since the show brings them closer during her pregnancy, as Carisi supports her. Only the rest of the season will reveal if they will end up together or if they will just stay friends.
In this season, head Detective Olivia Benson, commonly known as “Liv” to fans, has been promoted to lieutenant of the squad. Benson, portrayed by Mariska Hargitay, has been one of the most prominent figures in the series since season one and has experienced her fair share of drama, too. After finalizing the adoption of her son, she learns that the father is one of the team’s most sought-after rapists and that her baby’s biological mother is dead. This plot element created a lot of anguish and confusion for Benson, especially since she was involved in the case and did not know that her son was related. Benson grows from this situation and many other ups and downs, like having to momentarily retire because Capt. Ed Tucker — her lover and a fellow member of the squad — was on the case with her. Luckily, this issue blows over after an episode, but whether she and Tucker are still involved is unknown.
This season has been a wild ride so far with a new, intriguing character, a pregnancy mystery and Benson’s conflicts of work and love. “Law & Order: SVU” will definitely continue to step up the excitement until the season finale, leaving many wondering what will happen next.
(04/12/16 4:21pm)
By Pat McCarthy
Correspondent
After two years at the College, Sharon Beverly has stepped down as athletic director and vice president for Student Affairs. Beverly was the fourth athletic director at the College and the first female to hold the position. She arrived on the campus after spending 10 years at Vassar College, where she held the same position, according to information provided by the College’s Athletic Department.
The campus community was notified that Beverly was stepping down from her position via an email sent out on Thursday, March 31, by Vice President for Student Affairs Amy Hecht. Hecht highlighted Beverly’s achievements and thanked her for all she has done for the College, while wishing her luck in the future on behalf of the campus community.
In the same email, Beverly expressed her gratitude for the College.
“After two memorable years in Athletics, I have been weighing some wonderful opportunities to teach, which I’ve wanted to do since completing my Ph.D. I know to successfully make this transition will take a full-time effort on my part,” Beverly said. “As of March 31, 2016, I will no longer be overseeing the day-to-day in Athletics and thank Dr. Hecht and Dr. Gitenstein for the chance to be a part of the TCNJ Athletics program.”
Beverly’s decisions during her time at the College contributed to the success of the athletic teams, including the hiring of full-time strength and conditioning coach Addison Savela.
She also purchased Jon Gordon’s “The Energy Bus,” a novel focusing on an athlete’s ability to remain positive and focused at times of adversity, for all freshman athletes in Fall 2015. Beverly also brought in high profile speakers, such as former NCAA All-American, international-level distance runner and World Masters Champion John Underwood, to speak with all the athletes on the importance of recovery and nutrition in February 2016.
Hank Harvey, a junior computer science major and captain of the College’s football team, is grateful for Beverly’s impact on the College.
“Thank you, Dr. Beverly,” Harvey said. “The athletic program has significantly changed for the better in your time here. I wish you the best in your future endeavors.”
The College saw success under Beverly, including multiple national championships at both the individual and team levels. Beverly’s first national championship came early in her tenure at the College, with a group of swimmers bringing a national championship to the College in March 2015. Beverly’s only team national title came in Fall 2014 when the field hockey team won the field hockey Division III National Championship.
Matt Facas, a senior health and exercise science major and member of the baseball team, said that Beverly pushed the athletes to reach their full potential.
“Since Dr. Beverly took over two years ago, there was definitely an increased emphasis and effort placed on improving our athletic ability, both as individuals and as a team, along with representing ourselves, our teams and TCNJ athletics in a positive manner, both on and off the field,” Facas said.
According to the email sent out by Hecht announcing Beverly’s resignation, she will take over as the interim director of athletics until the position is filled, since the College does not yet know when a replacement for Beverly will be found.
(04/12/16 4:18pm)
By Zahra Memon
Correspondent
On Sunday, April 3, Azerbaijan and Armenia, neighboring countries located in the South Asian subcontinent, agreed on a cease-fire after feuding for decades. In the four days prior to the cease-fire, fighting between the two escalated, CNN reported. The Armenian separatists and Azeri defense ministry publicized the cease-fire, calling an end to the war.
However, according to CNN, after the cease-fire, the Armenian News Agency reported that Azerbaijan continued to attack the Armenians. Martakert, a region in Nagorno-Karabakh, has been the reason for dispute and is currently occupied by Armenian forces, but claimed by Azerbaijan.
This dispute has been brutal for Christian Armenians and the Muslim Azeris. Between Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3, the Azeris lost 16 troop members within two days of the conflict, according to BBC. The Armenian-Azeri conflict has been the root cause of instability in Azerbaijan, which is a country known for its vast amount of oil and gas exportation. As a result of the this ongoing conflict, approximately 1 million people have been displaced and 30,000 have died in Azerbaijan, BBC reported.
Armenia lost 20 troops and were missing 26 other troops, MediaMax News reported, according to BBC.
Armenia’s main allies have primarily been Russia, while Turkey has been actively supporting Azerbaijan in the war. However, Turkey and Russia have been in a recent stalemate due to the treacherous conflicts in Syria.
The war began more than two decades ago when Soviet republics were fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. BBC reported that these mountainous regions comprise 1,700 square miles of land and an adjacent territory in Azerbaijan.
In 1991, Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Union after claiming sovereignty in 1988, according to CNN. The mountainous regions of Azerbaijan have been controlled by the Armenians since the 1990s. The land has been incessantly in a state of dispute because of the Armenian separatists. A cease-fire took place in 1994, but recently was broken. According to CNN, both countries blame each other. Armenia maintains that Azerbaijan provoked the fighting, but Azerbaijan believes that Armenian troops were attacking their civilians first.
According to BBC, the United States Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have been deeply concerned about the situation in Azerbaijan and Armenia and have explicitly stated that the war should come to an end.
“We urge the sides to show restraint, avoid further escalation and strictly adhere to the cease-fire,” the U.S. State Department said. “We reiterate that there is no military solution to the conflict,” CNN reported. Additionally, the United Nations has clearly stated their support for the Azeris to keep their land while the Armenians should withdraw all their troops and weapons, according to BBC.
(04/12/16 4:17pm)
By Catherine Herbert
Staff Writer
Of the roughly 45 million people on food stamps in America, hundreds of thousands could be cut off as states begin to reintroduce time limits and work requirements that were previously deferred due to the nation’s high unemployment rates in recent years, according to the New York Times.
Those most affected are expected to be childless adults with lower incomes and the cuts could start as early as this month. The New York Times reported that the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities predicted that anywhere between 500,000 to 1 million people will lose benefits seen from the food stamp program, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as it is now called.
In order for adults ages 18 to 49 with no dependents or disabilities to maintain their eligibility to SNAP, they must meet time sensitive requirements that haven’t been used since the 2009 recession. The reinstated rule requires these particular people to get a job where they work at least 20 hours a week, within three months of enrolling in the food stamp program to continue to be a part of it. Otherwise, they will only be able to utilize the program for three months in any given three-year period. This mandate had been repealed as a response to the high unemployment rates seen in the years following the 2009 recession and has remained suspended until now, as the nation is seeing more jobs return, the Washington Post reported.
This mandate was reinstated in multiple states at the beginning of this year, with the three-month period for finding a job being disabled on Friday, April 1, according to the Washington Post.
Most states have not reintroduced the policy since the recession, with just 17 reinstating it in recent years, but as of this month, 22 more states, including New York, Florida and Maryland, are going to be seeing the repercussions of the mandate being reenacted. The Washington Post reported that even in states where unemployment rates still remain relatively high, a few governors have welcomed the reinstatement of the mandate, citing it as a means to motivate those eligible for SNAP to join the workforce.
On Friday, April 10, it was reported by the Labor Department that the nation’s unemployment rate is at 5 percent, which is about half of what the rate was after the 2009 recession. Dorothy Rosenbaum, who works at The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities as a food expert, said, “Although the overall jobless rate has been slowly falling, other labor market data indicate that many people who want to work still cannot find jobs. Cutting off food assistance does not enable them to find employment or secure more hours of work,” according to the New York Times.
Critics of the decision to reinstate this controversial mandate are wary of how this will play out. Kevin Concannon, the under secretary in charge of food assistance programs, said that it is not a good idea for states to reimpose this law where adults who are seeking jobs cannot find them due to economic conditions, according to the New York Times.
(04/12/16 4:15pm)
By Maxine Lopez
Correspondent
Students and faculty laughed, listened to each other’s stories and spoke about the things they loved and hated under the guidance of Chief Operating Officer (COO) of The Total Solutions Group, Director of Collegiate Empowerment and alum Joe Urbanski (’03), who hosted a lecture on “Preventing a Miserable Career” in the Library Auditorium on Wednesday, April 6.
Urbanski promised a high-energy program that would “not be like a normal lecture.” He did not disappoint the crowd as he asked the audience to participate in small activities and conversations to share their own insights on what was necessary to avoid what he calls a “D life.”
In an attempt to demonstrate the severity of being in a miserable job, Urbanski offered the statistic that one-third of our lives is spent at work. Failing to pick the best career would thus be failing one-third of life, or getting a 67 percent on a life test — a “D.”
Urbanski spoke bluntly about the pits people fall into when doing a job that isn’t within the scope of their passion or abilities.
Junior accounting major Ed Guippone applied this advice to his own life.
“It actually forced me to think about (my future),” Guippone said. “My passions are not only technical. My passions are also creative and what I got out of this was how I could apply creativity to my technical job. I’m feeling happy about being able to do that.”
Sophomore sociology major Olguine Paul appreciated Urbanski’s straightforward advice.
“He speaks the truth about what life is and what to expect,” Paul said.
Urbanski spent much of the presentation redefining GPA: Collegiate Empowerment’s acronym that stands for genius, passion and achievement. This is was what Urbanski called “the real GPA.”
He defines genius as what one is better at than anyone else he or she knows. Passion is “the energy to do your best,” while achievement is more than just success, it’s the act of trying and planning along the way.
A major theme of the lecture was the importance of getting out there and experiencing things.
“If you don’t know what you are passionate about, then you haven’t done it yet,” Urbanski said.
Whether it was a story, statistic, comparison or personal revelation, the audience followed along with enthusiasm. They jumped up to participate in some conversations and listened silently as he lectured, answering with an enthusiastic “Oh yeah” when Urbanski asked if they were still there.
In addition to rethinking the concept of “real GPA,” among the advice he offered students was to go to the Career Center, talk to the advisers, listen to what people say they are good at and focus on planning the next four years of college.
Guippone said that the strategy of creating four-year goals was his favorite advice of the lecture and he plans to do it in the future.
During the program, Urbanski emphasized that work shouldn’t feel like work. He stressed that students should find a job that they are excited to go to every day, both “a privilege and an obligation.”
“It doesn’t feel like anything because it’s your thing. It doesn’t feel like effort,” Urbanski said.
After the lecture, Paul said she felt even more driven to pursue her career goals, which is to become an English as a Second Language teacher. Both Guippone and Paul expressed their desires to find reassurance and guidance for their career aspirations through the lecture.
Urbanski spoke about his experiences at the College being defined by his involvement in clubs, specifically with the Leadership Development Program. Urbanski said it was through this program that he was able to find what he was meant to do in life. He expressed a love for public speaking and helping others, which led him to the position he is in today.
“If college taught what it was supposed to teach, I wouldn’t be here,” Urbanski said. “But I’m not complaining because if they did, I wouldn’t have a job.”
(04/12/16 4:12pm)
By Andrea Janiszewski
Correspondent
The College’s campus was recently filled with prospective students looking to find out if the College is the right fit for them. Accepted Students Day, which took place on Saturday, April 9, brought in admitted students and their families beginning at 9 a.m.
Upon arrival, guests walked into Loser Hall and were greeted by the College’s ambassadors. They then proceeded to registration and were able to take tours of the campus and attend interest sessions, despite the rain.
“The fact that I still loved TCNJ despite this crummy weather really says a lot about how amazing this campus is,” said already-committed student Julia Pontebbi from Staten Island, N.Y. “Accepted Students Day was so much fun.”
The cold weather on Saturday did not prevent prospective students from visiting, nor did it stop the campus community from showcasing what the College has to offer.
“To be honest, we were concerned that the poor weather conditions might discourage students and their families from coming to the campus,” Assistant Director of Admissions Kevin Fay said. “But the traffic entering campus Saturday morning seemed to indicate otherwise.”
According to Fay, the College expected approximately 1,800 students and their guests to attend Accepted Students Day, a “60 percent increase over last year’s pre-registration total.”
Guests had the opportunity to attend various programs throughout the day, including information sessions on their major, Residential Education and Housing, financial assistance and the Center for Global Engagement.
In addition to attending programs throughout the day, guests had the option to dine in Eickhoff Hall and attend an activities fair in the Recreation Center, where they were able to explore the various clubs and organizations the College has to offer.
“I think the day (went) pretty well,” ambassador and senior special education and Spanish double major Lauren Lagriola said. “The weather could be a little bit better, but we’re all happy to be here and it looks like the accepted students are happy as well.”
For Pontebbi, Accepted Students Day gave her the ability to learn about what exactly the College has to offer.
“I liked that I was able to go into the lab and see what I would be exposed to in the upcoming year,” Pontebbi said. “I am less overwhelmed by the fear of going away (to college) now and actually can’t wait to be a part of this campus.”
(04/12/16 3:36am)
By Gerard Freda
In August 2015, notable social psychologist Robert Epstein published three studies highlighting the search engine manipulation effect (SEME) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The series of studies examined how search engines can manipulate voters. In one study, Epstein and his team showed participants’ biased search results. They found that 99.5 percent of people were unaware that the search results that they were shown were altered. These results were based off of the 2014 election of the Lok Sabha, the lower-house of the Indian Parliament.
Based on these results, Epstein used the “vote manipulation power” (VMP), a measurement that reflects the extent to which alterations in search engine results influence voting behavior, to show how much search engines can manipulate voters. The results showed that the SEME could increase a person’s likelihood to vote for a candidate by 13 percent for people who are not familiar with the candidates. Even people who were familiar with the candidates showed a 10 percent VMP. The research also distinguished people labeled as “Internet-fluent,” people who are well-versed in how to use the Internet, and showed that 91.4 percent of this group displayed no awareness of search engine manipulation. The studies showed across the board that most people were unaware of the presence of biased search engine results.
These results only matter if you happen to have a passing interest in democracy. The research on SEME concluded that, if spread out across a population, the SEME could shift undecided voters by 25 percent or more for or against a candidate. The study conservatively estimated that the SEME could account for a shift in 2 percent of the total popular vote for a given election. According to the 2012 exit polls, roughly 10 percent of U.S. voters were undecided up until the final days of the election.
Does Google have the ability to implement the SEME? Globally, with over 5 billion searches a day and almost 2 trillion a year, according to statisticbrain.com, a statistic gathering website, Google is the world’s largest search engine, according to Net Marketshare, an Internet data collecting Website. With its Analytics, Maps, Adsense and YouTube, Google has the ability to provide the world with a treasure trove of data. In fact, in capitalistic fashion, its ability to serve the world was evident when the company surpassed Apple as the most valuable company in the world, according to a CNBC article from Tuesday, Feb. 2.
As a society, we are so dependent on Google that it has become second nature to our technologically-aided development of thought. Our dependence is not learned through human language, but from computer language.
If we know something, we don’t Google it. If we don’t know it, we Google it. It has become habitual. We all do little things without knowing all the time. Micro-actions like this can be harmless, but when applied to a search engine and aggregated together, they form a social dependence and leave the door wide open to search engine manipulation. This combination has toxic potential, especially when Google has a covert political agenda.
During the 2012 election, search engine manipulation was used on a very basic level. The Obama campaign used a tool called “Optimizer,” which matched targeted voters to data about what television programs those voters tended to watch. The Obama campaign could then buy advertising time during programs on smaller cable channels such as TV Land, whose advertising rates were cheaper according to a New York Times article from Nov. 12, 2012.
What is even odder is that one day after the biggest primary election-day of this year — Tuesday, March 1, also known as Super Tuesday — when 13 states voted in the Republican primary, Google’s Chairman Eric Schmidt, a self-admitting politically-partisan man, was hired by the Pentagon as the head of the Defense Innovation Advisory Board. This was done in common private-sector public-sector revolving door fashion according to a CNN Money article from Wednesday, March 2. Only this time, the politically-partisan chairman of the most powerful and wealthiest corporation in the world is on both sides of the door at the same time, armed with the empirically-proven ability to manipulate an election.
As musican Bob Dylan said, “the times they are a changin.” No democracy is ever a perfect reflection of the people’s preferences, as Kenneth Arrow has proven with his Impossibility Theorem.
Democracy and elections are always going to be manipulated to fit the self interests of the times. Regardless of the extent of corporate influence, power, potential, freedom or whatever positive or negative word you may call it, for the first time in humanity, an entity, such as a political campaign, has the power through the SEME to directly affect the outcome of an election by “tailoring your search results to your needs.” As Epstein concluded, “unregulated election-related search rankings could pose a significant threat to the democratic system of government.” For the first time in the electoral history of the United States, an entity, Google, has found the Golden Ticket to U.S. elections.
Students share opinions around campus
Does Google have political sway?
“You can look up any information if you do your research... (Google) can definitely help (sway the results).”
“(Google) definitely plays a significant role... I don’t think that it’s going to be the primary (indicator) to decide the election.”
(04/06/16 3:19pm)
By Luke Hertzel
Blogger
As an active student of politics in the United States, Social Media Chair of College Republicans, and the Engagement Director for the TCNJ Political Union, I would like to express my feelings on the state of political polarization that we currently see. Although I am a proud Republican, I do not share the viewpoint with some fellow Republicans that Democrats or opposing viewpoints are my enemy. In a country that was built on compromise, we must welcome peaceful and healthy debates and recognize that we have a common goal: solving the issues we face as a country. While there are many polarizing figures in politics today—from TV show hosts to the politicians themselves— the best advice I can give to people is to stay engaged and stay in the debate, but remain level headed and remind yourself that the person you are debating deserves respect. They, too, have had their own life experiences which have lead them to have their respective ideologies.
Far too often, when discussing politics with my friends, they bow out from the conversation in order to “avoid confrontation.” Government in the United States requires the involvement of the people and not just every two years in an election. To quote Frederick Douglass, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” This wisdom is pertinent to this topic because yes, sometimes we may not see eye to eye and sometimes we may, but what is most important is that we are in this together. We go through struggle and success as a nation, not as political parties. Whoever wins the election this November will be our President come January. A Democrat will still be the President to Republicans and a Republican will be the President of Democrats. We should welcome opposing viewpoints as they give us a prospective other than our own. Instead of trying to silence our opposition, we should gather our facts and contribute to a larger debate with a common goal of bettering our country and its future.
Remembering what is at stake is necessary for our success as a country. The nation which endured a Civil War, helped to free Europe from fascism, landed on the moon, and helped tear down a wall must now focus on ending the stark political polarization which continues to divide us. We must come together as one American people to solve our problems.
Luke Hertzel is a junior political science major and involved in TCNJ Political Union as well as TCNJ College Republicans.
(04/05/16 5:36pm)
By Zahra Memon
On Tuesday, March 22, the city of Brussels was reduced to shambles. While the news about Belgium was being broadcast worldwide, every station was discussing the attacks. Every news anchor gave his or her reflections and prayers and the entire world was in a state shock and grief. No one was able to fathom what had just happened.
Within a few moments of the attacks, my phone was blowing up with CNN notifications of the constant reports of the number of injured, as these numbers were steadily increasing. A couple of hours later, ISIS took full responsibility for the suicide bombs they had plotted, according to a New York Times article from Tuesday, March 22. Facebook and Twitter newsfeeds were inundated with pictures of Belgium and hashtags such as #PrayforBrussels and #PrayforBelgium were trending all over the internet. Facebook even created a tool to set up a temporary profile picture to show solidarity with countries going through hardships — but did Facebook create one for Turkey? I did not see it.
Two days before the Brussels attack, ISIS took responsibility for a suicide bomb that went off in the streets of Istanbul. Prior to that, a Kurdish militant group detonated an car bomb on Sunday, March 13, in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, leaving 37 dead and approximately 100 civilians injured, according to a mic.com article from Tuesday, March 22.
Why didn’t the world show solidarity for Turkey? We changed our profile pictures for the people of Paris and we posted our prayers and condolences on social media to the people of Belgium. We all mourned the losses in both of these countries, but what about Turkey? The media did little to cover the attacks in Turkey and we just sat here and dismissed the news or we grieved for some time and moved on with our lives.
The media has a tendency to not cover events that we should know about. It is a shame to see that stories about Europe are easily accessible to read — every social media platform has a trending hashtag, but a country such as Syria gets zero attention, despite the fact that the nation faces tumultuous circumstances all the time. When the explosions occurred in Turkey, I did not see a trending hashtag. Every day, Syria and Iraq are combating their own battles. People’s lives are taken away on a daily basis in the Middle East, but how much have we actually heard about the struggles these brave individuals are trying to overcome on the homepage of Fox News or CNN?
We should all take a moment to pray — not only for Belgium, but for the world.
(04/05/16 5:31pm)
By Paul Mulholland
Bernie Sanders is right on some issues, but on the issues that he is wrong, he is very wrong. His proposed economic policies are so outrageous that no thinking person should take him seriously. A $15 federal minimum wage would dramatically reduce the demand for labor, particularly for poor people and the youth. His hostility to international trade undermines his own goal of reducing inequality.
On Wednesday, March 2, a blog post was published on The Signal’s website entitled “We the Campus: Trump, Sanders and Framing the Right Message,” by Jonathan Taylor. It claims Bernie is above appealing to fear, despite his many appeals to anti-corporate hysteria. Taylor makes the thoughtful argument that Trump and Sanders are “polar opposites” for no apparent reason other than the fact that the author clearly likes Sanders and dislikes Trump (this would indeed make them opposites). When you listen to Bernie “with a critical ear,” as the author encourages, you will hear a message very similar to Trump’s.
I will offer some brief notes on what makes Sanders a decent candidate. He is very good on civil liberties and opposes unconstitutional domestic spying. He also endorses the legalization of recreational marijuana. He is right when he said that illegal immigrants should have an opportunity to be Americans. He takes the bold position that police who murder people should be imprisoned. He also could offer Hillary Clinton some ideas on foreign policy, as I wrote about in an earlier opinion piece on Tuesday, Feb. 23.
It really is a shame that Bernienomics is complete garbage. There is perhaps a short list of high-wage cities that could cope with a $15 minimum wage, although none that are likely to benefit from it. The nation as a whole would certainly suffer from it. It is true that modest increases in the minimum wage rarely lead to significant job losses. However, a $15 minimum wage is not a modest increase. Sanders would roughly double the minimum wage in most states. And since it is a federal minimum wage, it would apply to all businesses in the country engaging in interstate or international trade, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The first common argument against increases in the minimum wage is that it will increase prices for consumers. According to The Economist, the poor are disproportionately vulnerable to expensive consumer goods because they spend more of their income on them. The second argument is that it will lead to layoffs and delayed hiring of low-wage workers. In other words, a $15 minimum wage will hurt the people it is meant to help. Businesses will not readily lower their profits, so in response to such a dramatic increase in labor costs, they will take other measures to reduce costs, such as automating labor-intensive jobs (labor-saving machines improve the lives of most people, but not for those who are replaced by them) or businesses will raise prices. Either of these would harm poor Americans in particular.
The sheer size of this increase will make labor effectively impossible to pay in some parts of the U.S. because many businesses will not be able to afford the new legal wage. When this happens, the infamous black market argument begins to apply to poor wage-laborers. Many workers will be paid below the $15 mark, off the books, and will lose all their legal labor protections as a result. A minimum wage this high would outlaw an entire economic class of Americans.
What America needs in order to increase wages is more competition in the market. If this were to happen, employers would have to compete with one another for employees and bid up wages, and they couldn’t readily increase prices to counter this because they would also have to compete against one another for consumers. A $15 minimum wage would ruin competition in the market because only large businesses could even hope to comply with it, driving small businesses out of the economy.
This point on competition also helps to explain why Sanders is wrong on international trade. According to his Website, Sanders has historically opposed all free trade agreements, especially the larger ones such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. He claims, like Donald Trump, that various Asian and Latin American countries are taking advantage of free trade to take our jobs. Most of the evidence is to the contrary. Free trade makes all those nasty corporations compete against foreign businesses, forcing them to raise wages or risk losing their trained workers, and maintain affordable pricing or risk losing market share. If Toyota wants to hire Americans (they currently employ over 30,000 Americans), and sell quality cars to them, why shouldn’t they be allowed to? Trade also allows Americans to buy cheaper and more diverse goods from abroad, and when goods are cheaper, Americans are effectively richer.
Bernie also offers a new order of fear mongering and corporatophobia. Every issue from global warming to poverty can be blamed on money in politics according to Sanders. He, like Trump, claim to be immune to special interests. Their crazy ideas are entirely their own. Trump and Sanders both peddle the same anti-modern drivel and target the same audience. According to the Washington Post, both are wildly popular with blue collar workers and white men. According to BBC News similar dynamic exists in France, where the Socialists and the neo-Fascist National Front party compete for the same voters. If Trump and Sanders are “polar opposites,” as Taylor suggests, why do the same demographics support them? Don’t let all Bernie’s free gifts and undeliverable promises cloud your good judgment. He is a lunatic in lunatic’s skin.
On top of not knowing how to manage the economy, Sanders presided over arguably the largest scandal in the history of the Veterans Association’s (VA) health system. According to The Daily Beast, dozens of Veterans died waiting for care at Phoenix Veterans Health Administration, and over 100,000 waited for over nine months for care, all on Bernie’s watch. Instead of looking for a solution, he stood up for the VA claiming in a May 2014 interview with Nation Magazine claiming that the VA provides quality care, and that the whole scandal, like all the nation’s problems, was created by the Koch brothers and “money interests.”
And this is to say nothing of Bernie’s plan to tax the U.S. to death and expand a Social Security program which, according to its own trustees, is already running a deficit and will be insolvent by 2035. Like Taylor said, “It is vital that the public take a long, hard look at what their candidate is really saying before casting their ballots.” Expect for most Americans to get significantly poorer under a Sanders Presidency. But that’s another thing he has in common with Trump: he will never be president.
Students share opinions around campus
Are you feeling the Bern?
“I don’t really (follow) politics... (But) I do believe that he’s for the people and he’s the lesser evil (of all the candidates).”
“I’m a fan... I think that he genuinely stands for his beliefs compared to (Hillary Clinton).”