y o u r. i n d y @ g m a i l . c o m editor-in-chief:
Ró i sí n McCarty layout editor:
To m D au er
writers: Ste phanie Blum David Grimaldi Noelle Moore Jake Mur phy Josh Myer s Alyce Pelleg rino Madame Quer y Mike Reluzco Ste phanie Spencer print manager: Tony Pontius cover photo by: David Grimaldi copy editor: Rachel Margolin artwork by: Madeleine Bergman Nicolas Sienty web design by: Danielle Lempp special thanks to: Mark Zubrovich The Purchase Independent is a nonprofit news magazine, paid for by the Mandatory Student Activity fee. We welcome and encourage submissions from readers. The Independent is a forum for campus issues and events, to give students the voice they deserve. Letters, articles, event photography and event listings are welcomed. The deadline for submissions is every Friday before midnight, and accepted pieces will be published the following Thursday. Publication of submissions is not guaranteed, but subject to the discretion of the editors. No anonymous submissions will be considered, but we will accept use of pseudonyms on a caseby-case basis. Send all submissions and inquiries to your.indy@gmail.com. Send questions to Madame Query at formspring. me/madamequery. Back page quotes can be submitted to formspring.me/ indybackpage or put in the Back Page Box that hangs on the office door. Our office is located on the first floor of Campus Center North, room 1011. Staff meetings are held in the office every Monday night at 9:30; anyone is welcome.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR For those of you who missed the general interest meeting for the Naked Issue, here’s a quick recap of what we went over: You have two choices for shoots. We are going to have a day dedicated to studio work with a white backdrop (you can bring your own props), or you could also choose to work with one of our photographers privately to set up your own shoot that can be (within reason) anywhere you want! Our photographers are Tyler Dawson and Chloe Zetkov. They are both extremely talented, professional people who I am sure you will feel comfortable working with. You can contact Tyler at “tyler.dawson@purchase. edu,” and Chloe at “cheshurecat@gmail.com.” Keep an eye out for an exact date for the shoot. It will be published, posted on our Facebook page, and there will be posters hung up around campus. Enjoy the warm weather, and stay classy, Purchase College.
y o u r. i n d y @ g m a i l . c o m
CORRECTIONS Last week’s article titled “Trojan Women” review had several factual mistakes: Andromache is married to Hector, not Argamemnon, as stated.
interested in
Also in “Trojan Women” Review, the character ‘Maenethus’ is actually spelled “Menelaus.” Also in “Trojan Women” Review, the Conservatory of Theater Arts is incorrectly referred to as the “Acting and Theatre and Performance Conservatory.”
Last week’s event page stated that Laser Tag would be occuring on March 20 at 6 pm. Laser Tag will actually be taking place at 9 pm on Monday, April 9.
’s
7th annual naked issue?
Stay tuned for official times and dates, or contact: Tyler Dawson tyler.dawson@purchase.edu Chloe Zetkov chesurecat@gmail.com “Clever hook to get you to pose!” email us with questions,
your.indy@gmail.com
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MURDER BY SCOOTER GOES SERIAL BY Alyce Pellegrino Murder By Scoother kicked off The Food Co-Op’s opening season with an amazing show, opening up for Rotten Jazz Quartet and Coyote Campus. This Purchase College based band had the great honor of opening another show, but this time it was at The Chance Theatre in Poughkeepsie, opening for big time ska band The Pietasters. Catching up with the band during a final rehearsal on the eve of the performance was quite a sight. If there were any nerves building, they were hidden under the surface, as Sean Conway, Andrew Frey, Dan Poorman, Tom Maher, and Jess Carlisi jammed out one more time before the big night.
Being a fan myself, I’ve been to just about all of your on campus shows. I’ve seen the crowd roll in and roll back out again once your set is done. How does it feel to be able to fill a performance space and then empty it? S: I feel bad. D: People really should stick around for the headlin-
ing acts. A: I think a common thing we do is, we all stay to support the other bands. We’re always up there. S: I think it’s great to have a lot of people show up. J: It’s always awesome to see a lot of faces in the crowd.
So I wanted to start by saying that it’s great to see how much you guys have got-
I hear you have a big off campus show
ten done since the beginning of the semes-
coming up this Friday night. How pumped
ter. What has the experience and response
are you guys to open for The Pietasters at
been like on campus since your first show?
The Chance in Poughkeepsie?
Dan: Surprising.
S: I’m gonna pee myself.
Sean: Yeah, I would say that.
J: I’m gonna poo myself next to Sean peeing him-
Andrew: I would say it’s cool that people are able to distinguish us now. D: It’s cool to see how many people are dancing in the crowd. Jess: It’s cool to see the number of people who show up to every show. Tom: It’s hard for me to see the crowd from the drums, but I think our last show was bigger than the one before it. A: It’s awesome to get support from other campus bands too. There are a lot of bands who want to get together to play shows.
self. D: I’m gonna vomit next to both of them. S: Getting this show is very honoring A: We’re very grateful to Julie Podpora and Gina Mingione who got us the gig. D: It’s an honor to play for one of the biggest ska bands in the scene.
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music As The Chance’s MC introduced the band, and colored slights illuminated the stage, the raw energy floating around the theatre was electrifying. The band’s set list included fan favorites such as, “Simple Machines,” “Mr. Obsessed,” “The Come Song,” and two new songs that were premiered the previous weekend: “The Cop Song,” and “Where We Used to Live.” With a bar in the back, and two levels of standing space in front of the stage, the audience had plenty of room to dance and enjoy the show. Afterward, I got to sit down with Dan, the bassist, and ask a few more questions.
He told me about how many bands he’s seen play at The Chance, and I know of some of my favorite bands that have played there. And to play on the same stage as them was incredible. We were also so happy with how many of our friends came out to see us. And, as a side note, it was great to have people off campus tell us how good we sound. These are people who go to shows at The Chance, who are big Ska fans, telling us we’re doing something good. Do you think you’ll be aiming to play more off campus shows in the future or are your sights set in the studio for now?
First, I have to ask, did you guys get to
D: Um, for right now, speaking in terms of the next
meet The Pietasters?
few weeks to a month, we are going to be in the studio focusing on our EP. But we do want to see if there is an opportunity to play more off campus shows. We sold enough tickets, and brought in a big enough crowd that The Chance might invite us back in the future. We’ll still be playing on campus, just not as freakishly much. We really do want to play more shows, but the EP is our main priority at the moment. Anyone who’s come to a show generally wants the music online or on CD so that’s what we want to get done. We’re going to be in the studio with Joe Yonkers, and we don’t have a date yet, but we hope to have it done by the end of the semester.
D: Yeah, um, Sean got to meet all of them. But, a
bunch of us stuck around to talk to them because they came out to the bar afterward. Sean and Andrew talked at great length to the singer, Stephen Jackson, and I personally talked to the guitarist, Toby Hansen which was great. It was just really cool to talk to him. He was really humble and talked about how he was young once too and playing in college bands. We told him we were really honored and frightened to play with them, you know, we’re a college band who’s been playing for two months around campus. And he wanted to know why. He said we’re all musicians here. I’m pretty sure that was the best show I’ve been to in a long time. What was it like being up there, not on a campus stage, opening for a band that big?
For more updates, don’t forget to like the Murder By Scooter Facebook page, and keep your ears open for news on their EP, which will be completed soon.
D: Man, I would have to say, surreal I guess. I’ve
played shows in similar bar/theatre settings with my band back at home, but being with Murder By Scooter, with The Pieasters, it was incredible. Someone came up to me afterwards and started talking to me about the bass and how long I’ve been playing.
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KONY CAMPAIGNER CAUGHT CHOKING CHICKEN BY jake murphy A new sensation has been sweeping the world via the Internet. Joseph Kony, an infamous guerrilla fighter notable for his war crimes in Africa (especially in the Ugandan area) was widely exposed on the Internet through a YouTube video named “KONY 2012”, uploaded by the nonprofit organization Invisible Children Inc. The group devoted their work to combat the crimes committed by the militant group The Lord’s Resistance Army, which has been causing havoc and committing crimes against humanity in east Africa. After the video went viral, everything seemed to be working out for the founders of Invisible Children. A lot of turbulence and skepticism has grown against them, with the release of their financial statements showing that their money, instead of going to their cause, was going to creating videos, and also went toward their worker’s salaries. The group denied these allegations and rebuffed critics, assuring them that most of the money went towards their “mission,” and the rest went to administration. As of today, however, this group can’t seem to catch a break from criticism. Jason Russell, a co-founder and the narrator/director of the KONY 2012 video was detained by the San Diego Police on Friday, March 16 for nudity and public masturbation. Russell was reported to be vandalizing vehicles and making sexual gestures when he was arrested. He was described as being under the influence, and needing medical care. A statement released by the Invisible Children charity said that he suffered from
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exhaustion and dehydration, along with severe personal and emotional issues. Jason Russell has been widely appraised as being a leader of social activism in today’s world, and an activist who has brought a wake-up call to something that is quite serious. No information has been given detailing whether or not this will change the Invisible Children’s plans for April 20th, when supporters of the KONY 2012 movement will promote the cause by putting up posters and gaining notoriety for Joseph Kony. As of now, it seems that Jason Russell is taking a short leave of absence for his health, and as for this April, everything will go according to plan.
news
THE RETURN OF PURCHASE LATE NIGHT BY STEPHANIE SPENCER Purchase Late Night is very excited to be premiering their first episode of the semester next week, with all new writers and sketch ideas paving the way for comic genius to return to PTV! Mike Cronin and his team are back and funnier than ever with fresh material set to hit the screen this season. One of their recent prerecorded projects includes an ‘Inside the Writer’s Room’ sketch, written by new writer Kevin Redding. The skit brings the audience into the behind-the-scenes clashing of creative minds when Cronin is automatically out-casted from the rest of the writers the moment he realizes they want to take a dramatically different route with the show by turning it into a drama. “We had wanted to do a writer’s room sketch, and I had actually written that during class,” said Redding, 20. “I just wanted that idea that the writers weren’t interested in the show and Mike has to kind of rally them up.” The skit, shot in the style of “The Office,” was a prime example of how well the writers work together in real life. Jokes made between takes only encouraged the crew to improv, which resulted in even funnier scenes. Kaela Brundage, a sophomore double majoring in Creative Writing and Journalism, was a fan of Purchase Late Night, then through talks with Cronin, eventually became a permanent fixture on the show. She is committed to working P.R. and on top of doing advertising for the show, she describes the team’s dynamic as family-like. “I feel like we all understand what we’re
going for comedically for the show,” said Brundage. This comes as a breath of fresh air to Cronin, 20, who has had a difficult time finding writers that he worked well with ever since the show’s conception. “I didn’t know how it was done,” said Cronin.“So it was like ‘here, go home and write this’ and that’s not a good way to do it.” With more writers than ever before involved in Purchase Late Night, including old-timer Scott Interrante, a team has finally been developed who are just as enthusiastic about producing a quality show as Cronin is. Viewers can look forward to a number of new characters and skits that will reveal each new writer’s personal comedic style. P.J. Grisar, a junior majoring in Dramatic Writing, is introducing a new character, Joey Legs-Legoto, a singer who performs at wakes. “He tailor-makes the songs to put the name of the deceased into the lyrics to make it a little more personal,” explains Grisar. Other characters are also in the pipeline for this season, and they will all embody the goofy, dry humor of the Purchase Late Night staff. One thing Cronin makes it a point to do always, no matter how successful the show gets, is keep a leveled head. “That’s the other thing, I just can’t get cocky with this group,” laughs Cronin. “We keep him modest,” continues Brundage. “That’s for sure.”
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MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU THIS ELECTION SEASON BY MIKE RELUZCO Looking at the front page of any news source brings horrifying facts to light. Let’s just think about this past week. Mitt Romney doesn’t know enough to take a stand on Afghanistan. Rick Santorum is convinced that the economy is not an issue in the presidential election. The director of the short Kony documentary was found drunk and naked in the street. Windows 8 is coming. George Clooney and several congressmen were arrested outside of the Sudanese embassy for peaceful protest. Let’s face it, when George Clooney gets arrested, there are sinister forces at work indeed. At this point there is just one question that must have penetrated every Earthly mind: what the fuck is going on? The world is in total pandemonium, and after careful study of Occam’s razor, star charts, scientific journals, and Thomas Schwarz’s palmistry readings to find the answer, and surely enough everything started to fit together. You may want to sit down for this one. Sith Lords (dark Jedi) have infiltrated the United States’ elite, and they are looking to topple the country. They have taken the minds of the weak-of-heart, and the presence of dark side of The Force is quickly spreading over America. If you have resisted thus far, congratulations, The Force is strong with you. “But who,” you cry, “who could possibly be so evil, and so cruel as to ensure the doom of our country?” Luckily, thanks to the palm of Thomas Schwarz, I have located a few of the Sith Lords,
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of whom you should be weary. Newt Gingrich has fooled us all. He may be losing the race for the GOP nomination, but he’s taking his competitors down with him. He’s wiped Mitt Romney’s mind of all the health care reform he’s accomplished in Massachusetts, as well as any memory he had of the war in Afghanistan. Furthermore, he seems to have wiped the country’s economic troubles (as well as any semblance of couth) from the mind of Rick Santorum. He pushed Rick Perry, Herman Cain and all of his other competitors from the race, with Ron Paul as his only exception. Ron Paul was the mastermind of his own undoing. Next, you will find Tim Cook, the Sith Padawan, and new CEO of Apple aiding in the fight to destroy America. This week, he revealed Apple’s secret cash hoard, consisting of $100 billion, along with revealing his vile plan to spend it. Cook intends to buy back an enormous amount of the company’s stock, leaving them with very few shareholders to cater to. This, of course, will replenish the cash hoard. It doesn’t stop there. This ludicrous amount of money can be pumped through Apple’s R&D department, pushing their growing market presence through the roof with all sorts of insane gadgets. The worst is yet to come, though, because as we are all distracted playing Angry Birds, Tim Cook will be manufacturing battle droids in order to take over the country proper. There is one more Sith whom I have discovered amongst us, but I doubt this will come as any
info surprise. Fred Phelps, leader of the Phelps family (better known as the Westboro Baptist Church) is the Emperor of the Sith. The most powerful Sith of them all. Even those of us strong in The Force have a hard time resisting him. He has captured the minds of almost the entire country, not turning them into thralls, but instead inciting their hatred. Phelps tours the country with his family, protesting at soldiers’ funerals, toting their “God Hates Fags” signs everywhere they go. They’ve brought the entire country into an uproar against them. But why would such a powerful Emperor do such a thing? The answer is simple. We fear their mentality, and Phelps knows very well what that means. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hatred. Hatred is the path to the Dark Side. So now I urge you. Please join the fight. Visit your local Jedi recruiter, and after training your mind and body, you may be granted your lightsaber, and help us win this war on mind-control and evil. Some of you may not be so strong in the force, but we can equip you with blasters and tauntauns, and the rebel alliance may be born again. Good luck in resisting these dangerous men, and may the force be with you.
TRIGGER WARNING: TRANSPHOBIA BY JOSH MYERS Clothing store Urban Outfitters recently came under fire by multiple LGBT organizations after selling a greeting card on their UK website that they deemed both homophobic and transphobic. The card features a poem that plays on the “Jack and Jill” nursery rhyme. “Jack and Jill, Went up the hill, So Jack could see Jill’s fanny, But Jack got a shock, And an eyeful of cock, Because Jill was a closet tranny.” Towleroad (towleroad.com) published a blog post on March 19th to bring awareness to what UO claims is a “charming” card. User comments varied, and reflected both sides of the issue. “The card is n ot offensive, at least not to anyone with a sense of humor. It’s been known for years that the owner is ultra-conservative, which is more offensive for me,” said user Mike. But other comments are opposed to Urban Outfitters. “Yes, please get the word out about how the seemingly trendy Urban Outfitters actually supports hateful, regressive political causes. They are NOT friends of the gay community or of women’s rights,” said user Caliban. Following the backlash from the card, Urban Outfitters has listed the card as “sold out” and is no longer for sale on the website.
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ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT PARTY
Thursday, March 22nd Stood Cinema at 8pm
SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR JAPAN: film screening Thursday, March 22nd Humanities Room 1072
THE THREE WORLDS:
Earth/Sky/Under world and the Work of Kiki Smith Friday, March 23rd The Neuberger Museum at 7pm
Friday, March 23rd VA Basement at 8pm
BFA Senior Photography Show
BFA A Senior Dance Project Friday, March 23rd Dance Lab 0029 at 8pm
Friday, March 23rd Southside at 9pm
O.A.P.I.A’s pajama party
Saturday, March 24th Whitsons at 8pm
• • • •
starscream Yakuza Heart Attack GHOST BLOOD Pygmy Guru YOUR FAVORITE NOVEMBER
Saturday, March 24th
The Stood Main Stage at 8pm
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Sunday, March 25th The Stood (matinee show) at 4pm
• • • •
RUMMAGE SALE GHOST MICE WOOD SPIDER Pygmy Guru
Sunday, March 25th Whitsons at 8pm
• Jenny Owen Youngs • Gregory and the Hawk • Swear and Shake • The Act of Estimating as Worthless • Maggie and the Hat
Monday, March 26th The Stood Cinema at 4:30/6:45pm
You Are What You Eat! The Dirty Picture: The Media Society and the Arts Club and Anthropology Club!
Tuesday, March 27th
Social Sciences 1002 at 6:30pm
TOWN HALL JAMBOREE
Monday, March 27th
The Stood Cinema at 8pm
Watch Mike Cronin on PTV with special guests: THE INDY EDITORS, YOGI’s, THE BELLEGARDS
Tuesday, March 27th PTV Channel 69 at 11:35pm
events
cover show line-up BY david grimaldi Thursdays Open Swim: Gym 1021 at 12-2pm Fencing Club: Gym 0003 at 2:15-4pm AMG: Witsons at 6:30pm RPGA: Hub Basement at 8pm Green Team: Co-Op at 7pm PEMS: Southside at 8pm Trans*Action: LGBTQU at 10pm
Mondays FORTH meeting: Southside at 8pm The Indy: CCN 1011 at 9:30pm Brick Meeting: Red Room at 10pm
Tuesdays Anthropology: SPARC room at 8:00pm PUSH: Hub basement at 9pm Complexuality: Hub basement at 10pm GRIOT: Fort Awesome 0136 at 9pm
It is already that time of the semester again. Time for the annual cover show. Happening March 23rd in the Stood, starting at 8PM. The sets will alternate between Whitson’s and Sweet’s. The line up is as follows: BLINK-182 NIRVANA GREEN DAY ARCTIC MONKEYS MINOR THREAT PAVEMENT LE TIGRE BIKINI KILL BUILT TO SPILL SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN MOTLEY CRUE
Wednesdays Hillel: Hub basement at noon Purchase Comics United: Commuter Lounge at 2 Senate: Southside at 12:30pm Chess Club: Commuters Lounge at 8pm Anime: Commuter lounge at 8pm Nerf: Humanites at 10 pm WPSR: WPSR Office at 10pm PTV: Hub Basement at10pm LGBTQU: Red Room at 10pm
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Let “the Hunger Games” Begin BY noelle moore At midnight tonight, hundreds of people will file into their local movie theater. We’ve seen this before with highly anticipated films such as “Harry Potter,” “Star Wars,” and “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” Now, the torch for the next book-turned-film phenomenon has been passed to the adaptation of “The Hunger Games.” “The Hunger Games” is a futuristic dystopian trilogy written by Suzanne Collins, narrated by the protagonist 16-year old Katniss Everdeen. The book and subsequent film revolve around these “Hunger Games,” in which twenty-four “Tributes” aged from twelve to eighteen from twelve districts must fight to the death in a televised, government ordained event. Katniss Everdeen, who is portrayed by Academy Ward nominee Jennifer Lawrence, is the heroine of the series, is one of these Tributes. Peeta Mellark, who is played by Josh Hutcherson, is one of the two male leads of the series, and her fellow Tribute. The star studded cast includes Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, Purchase alumni Stanley Tucci as the effervescent television personality, Caesar Flickerman, Lenny Kravitz as the team stylist and confidante of Katniss, and Donald Sutherland as the despicable President Snow. With such beloved characters, it’s only expected that many were hesitant and others downright outraged at the casting choices. “When they first announced who they cast for the main characters,” said sophomore Josh Myers, “I was a little disappointed but I’m glad that they cast who they did.”
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One of the commercialized draws of this series is the so-called love triangle between Peeta, Katniss, and Gale. If you’re looking for a gooey love triangle a-la Twilight, this is not the film for you. While there is indeed romantic tension between the three central characters, that is not what this story is about. This is about the corruption of a society that forces children to slaughter each other, and the subsequent rebellion against that tyranny. “I took away that, over time, we’re just becoming so desensitized to death. Humanity is becoming dulled to itself,” said star, Jennifer Lawrence. “We can watch people die on TV; we can watch a snowboarder fall off a mountain and die. We watch it as entertainment. The world is obsessed with reality television, and in a world where history repeats itself, it’s plausible, really, that our world could get there.”. Early response by reviewers has been largely positive, and critics have been quick to quell the concerns of readers by citing the film as faithful to Collins’ fiction. “’The Hunger Games’ as a novel has been dissected, expanded and retooled into something intelligent, immersive and powerfully current,” said Olly Richards, of Empire, a British film magazine. He goes on to call the movie “the best of the big-gun literary series” adaptation. The vast majority of critics praise Lawrence’s portrayal of Katniss, calling her “outstanding” and “a pure movie star performance”. May the odds be ever in your favor.
Created by Nick Sienty
INVISIBLE CHILDREN BY STEPHANIE SPENCER Outrage and grief erupted around the world when Jason Russell’s “Kony 2012” documentary went viral this March, depicting warlord’s Joseph Kony’s grotesque acts of mutilation and murder in Uganda, Africa. The film, originally created by Russell’s organization Invisible Children Inc. in 2011, begins with a wide shot of Earth; a visual indication that while our planet is vast, it is still shared by everyone no matter their background. This message is verbally brought home when he uses Facebook as an example to express an interwoven connection, saying that we are all each other’s responsibility because of this new-found connection. Russell’s trip to Uganda, where he met young local Jacob who was once captured by the Lord’s Resistance Movement and forced to watch his brother’s throat slashed by Kony’s militia, is where his journey initially begins. In an interview, Jacob describes scenes of child abduction, murder, and total corruption on the part of Kony’s rebel group Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Abducting young Ugandan children from their homes, Kony forced these children to murder their parents in addition to becoming child soldiers. Many of the young girls abducted were forced into sex slavery. When asked by Russell if he would rather die than stay on this Earth, Jacob answered emphatically yes, saying, “It is better when you kill us, and if possible you can kill us, you kill us. For us, we don’t want now to stay.” Kony’s rise to power began 26 years
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ago after the Milton Obote presidency. Violence broke out in central Africa, resulting in the formation of multiple groups designed to fight against the Obote administration. Yoweri Museven overthrew the Obote government in 1986. According to Invisible Children, The Holy Spirit Movement (HSM), started by Acholi tribe member Alice Lakwena, planned on using their military to enter the capital Kampala in efforts to free northern Africa from oppression. Lakwena’s movement was never able to gain national support, which resulted in her expulsion as leader of the group. Kony, who claimed to be a distant cousin of Lakwena, took control of the resistance and changed the name to the Lord’s Resistance Army. Gradually, Kony began organizing multiple village invasions that involved theft and kidnapping. According to Invisible Children, child abductions became so common that children would “night commute,” walking miles to city centers where they could avoid capture by Kony’s regime. It has been estimated that as many as 30,000 children have been taken from their families since Kony’s rise to power. Government-run camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) were created in 1996 for those looking to take refuge from Kony’s army. Cramped quarters, however, caused violence and illness to spread, making the camp no safer than the villages they escaped. Gruesome images of mangled Ugandan villager’s, some missing limbs, others burned be-
activism yond recognition, has been the fuel that ignited Invisible Children’s mission to “make Kony famous,” and in turn bring him to justice. Posters, bracelets, t-shirts, and other accessories have been made by the organization to spread Kony’s face and reputation around the world. After first failing to get Washington to take the issues in Uganda seriously, Invisible Children took advantage of social networking sites to get young people passionate about the cause. Celebrities such as Bono, Rihanna, and George Clooney also spoke out in favor of Invisible Children. This pressure put on Washington by Invisible Children, and their supporters, swayed the opinion of officials, and 100 military advisers were deployed into Uganda because of public demand. “What we’ve done is we’ve provided these advisers, they are not going to be in a situation where they are called upon to hunt down the Lord’s Resistance Army or actively fire on them, but they will be in a position to protect themselves,” said President Obama. “What they can do is provide the logistical support that is needed, the advice, the training and the logistical support that hopefully will allow this kind of stuff to stop.” There have, however, been multiple groups bashing Invisible Children, questioning their motives even as contributions made to the organization have helped re-build schools and create jobs in the villages. According to CNN, Visible Children, an opposition blog, has condemned Invisible Children’s association with Sudan’s People’s Liberation Army saying, “The group is in favor of direct military intervention, and their money supports the Ugandan government’s army and carious other military forces. Both the Ugandan army and Sudan People’s Liberation Army are riddled
with accusations of rape and looting, but Invisible Children defends them.” Donations from National Christian Foundation, a group who had campaigned against same-sex marriage, left many skeptical of Invisible Children. The group is said to have given Invisible Children as much as $350,000 in 2007 and $414,000 in 2008, putting Invisible Children’s financial ethics into question. According to Mail Online, Invisible Children has spoken out about the concerns and said that their charity has spoken out against homophobic legislation and argued that “hate in any form is counterproductive to our mission.” Critics also say that much of what is shown in the thirty-minute documentary is not representative of the current state of Uganda. According to the Daily News, during a screening in a Ugandan village, many were disappointed to not only see a lack of footage depicting Ugandan life, but that the narrator was a white American and therefore unable to truly reflect their troubles. “For many people here, the video is simply puzzling,” said Al Jazeera reporter, Malcolm Webb. “It contains footage of an American man, his son, and it documents events that happened here, in northern Uganda, years ago!” According to the film, on April 20th, the organization plans on “blanketing” each city with Kony posters meant to raise awareness, an act that some Ugandans who suffered at the hands of Kony’s army find insulting. In an interview with the Daily News, a Ugandan who was once captured by Kony’s army said, “If people in those countries care about us, they will not wear t-shirts with pictures of Joseph Kony for any reason. That would celebrate our suffering.”
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town hall meeting
LASER TAG
BY david grimaldi
BY stephanie blum
On Tuesday, March 27th, the first Purchase Student Government (PSGA) Town Hall Meeting will come to session. It will be an all-encompassing event to educate the student body about the PSGA, who’s in it, how to get involved, and what’s planned for the future. It will start off at 8PM in the Stood, and feature a State Of The Union address from current President, Brittany Mayes. You will be able to meet and talk to other PSGA representatives as well, such as Matthew Sekellick (Chair of Senate), Harley Aussoleil (Coordinator of Clubs, Organizations, and Services), Marianna Grady (Coordinator of Student Activities), Adrien Behn (Coordinator of Public Relations), and many more. This meeting will also feature a club fair in the Stood, where you can get general information about clubs on campus, and inquire about positions on the PSGA for next year. The PSGA will also be launching their brand new website, and will be explaining how it works, as well as encouraging students to sign up and use it. At 10 PM, there will finally be the Culture Shock Line-up Announcement. All of the artists will be announced, as there will be free mix tapes featuring the artists, plus free Indian food. You do not want to miss this!
The second Laser Tag event will be held at 9pm on Monday, April 9, in the Stood.For one night only, the Stood will be transformed into a Laser Tag arena with barriers and darkness. Student Activities Coordinator Marianna Grady spearheaded the event last year, as her Senator Initiative. “When I worked at the Student Center last year, I always thought that Laser Tag would be a great idea,” said Marianna, “but the Stood’s budget didn’t have enough money. Alex Stark (Coordinator of Finance for the PSGA 2010-2011) told me that logistically I could get the money together if I pull it from different places, so I looked into it. I figured it would be a good Senator Initiative, because most of the campus community would enjoy it.” This year Derek Gaskill (Senator of Liberal Arts and Sciences) and I, Stephanie Blum, (Senator of Alumni Village) got involved and took it on as our initiative. “I’m very excited for laser tag night,” Tyler Usavich, a Junior, Cinema Studies major said, “Now all they need to do is put a bowling alley with a bar in the stood.” Fort Awesome Resident Assistants Harry Gonzalez, Taylor Edelmann, and Joelle Covers will be helping us with the program. We’d like to extend a special thank you George Eversmann Nick Corbo, and the Senate, and the PSGA Executive Board for helping us out. P Please bring your more cards. We will be checking them while we handing out equipment.
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news
IS WENDY THE NEW KING?
you are what you eat
BY JOSH MYERS
BY david grimaldi
On March 19th, it was announced that Wendy’s beat Burger King in terms of U.S. sales volume for the first time since 1969. The figures for the article, written by Candice Choi of the Associated Press, are based on estimates of sales at both franchise and company-owned restaurants. Although Wendy’s beat Burger King in the United States, Burger King is still the worldwide leader in number of restaurants, and is still the second biggest hamburger chain behind McDonald’s. When you think about fast food chains, how quickly do you think of Wendy’s? I asked sophomore Christina Sanderson to name three fast food chains, and she didn’t think of Wendy’s at all. She said, “McDonalds, Taco Bell, and KFC.” “Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s,” said freshman Cindy Mack’s. “I guess it’s kind of surprising because if you were to ask someone to name three fast food chains, Wendy’s probably would be last,” predicted junior Brittany Houlihan. The fact that Wendy’s beat Burger King in terms of sales in the United States is a shock to me, however many students weren’t as surprised. “Wendy’s is always better than Burger King. Burger King is shit, chunky ass burgers. Ick,” said Sanderson. Sophomore Hashim Wright had a similar response. “Without a doubt yes. Wendy’s is a gift from the fast food gods.”
Starting next Monday, the 26th, the Cinema in the Stood will be screening films. It is part of a Monday movie series that Environmental Studies student, Melissa Spafford, has started. She is involved with the Green Team, and would like to eventually create a food sector of the organization. This film series will focus on movies that have to do with the well being of our environment, mostly focusing on the production of food, agriculture, and diets. On Monday, there will be two screenings of the film, which is a 2011 documentary focusing on diet and nutrition. One will be screened at 4:30, and the other at 6:45. To make it even more awesome, there will be FREE vegetarian sushi to eat while watching the film! Future installments will have food such as organic popcorn, hummus wraps, rice and beans, fair trade brownies, and much more. Be sure to come out to the first installment of this series and have a good time! Warning: this movie could save your life.
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MADAME QUERY
HAS YOUR REMEDY
Dear Madame, I have been lusting over a
Madame, I have lately been in a funk
boy who has not spoken to me in a month.
where I just don’t see myself as that great
Do you think things will turn around?
of a person. I have friends, I do well in
Madame cannot tell you for certain, but she will say as far as the boy is concerned no, they will not. Do not put yourself in this pathetic mind frame that all of the sudden he will just appear out of nowhere. Do you want to be a Bella or a Hermione? I would certainly hope any reader of this column is not a Bella fan. There are other important things in life that need to be done. Do them not only to distract yourself away from this crush, but to also make you realize what is truly important in life. There are people who want to talk to you everyday, not once a month. Maybe these people are not love interests, but they are the ones you can always count on. If you do not take Madame’s advice you will be stuck not only single, but alone. It is okay to be single, but being alone is a crime. I don’t want to sound like that book I read too many times, that was then turned into a movie starring that adorable little Ginnefer Goodwin, but “He’s Just Not That Into You.” Let your love life come to you, don’t go chasing after it because that is how people end up in bitter relationships.
school, I just don’t know what else I have
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to offer the world.
It sounds as though you may be going through a midterm breakdown. The stress of school and the fact that time has flown by so fast does not put anyone at ease. Madame went through a good cry not too long ago about something very similar. Trust her when she says that once you feel better, you feel stupid for crying. But at the same time, never actually feel stupid for crying. I don’t want you laying in bed crying all day, when you yourself just said you have friends and you do well in school. It sounds like you do have something to offer. You might not know what that is, but even if you’re doing something like being a good friend or helping someone in a class, then you’re already impacting the world. Keep yourself busy. Think of the most mindless activity that you love to do. Okay, now do that in your free time and it will make you feel a lot better. Be a part of something that you’re passionate about. Everyone has something to offer the world, whether it is as a civil rights activist, or finger painting artist. Some of the lamest people offer something to the world and I am sure you can too.
advice
Madame, I work so much harder than any of these little twats on campus who just smoke pot all day and protest on Tumblr, so why are they known around campus, but I’m not?
Quit your job and obtain better weed. It is that simple. No one is going to know who you are on this campus if you just keep staying off of it, trying to make a living for yourself. The way to be social and show people what a butterfly you are is by starting multiple social networking accounts. Get a Tumblr and post the same redundant, pointless photo having to do with the Occupy movement, and friends will start flooding in. Okay, okay, so Madame kids. Madame also gets sour at these types as well. We might be a little jealous because they have all this free time to do what we believe is stupid shit. If Madame had an abundance of time she would sleep, go to the gym and write in her diary. Some would say all of that is a waste of time. We do what pleases us. Don’t care about why others are “known.” This is a very small speck on a very big world. Who we are here does not really much matter.
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS
TO MADAME QUERY http://www.formspring.me/madamequery
CARTOONS CIGARETTES EAT FUCK IGUANAS PEE PONIES TARDIS TUMBLR
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