the
Q&A
October 14, 2010 | Issue #221
y o u r. i n d y @ g m a i l . c o m
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
editor-in-chief: Ri l ey Kenny s m ith
I’m a little bit terrified that it’s midterm week already, and I don’t even have any midterms! Time hasn’t been behaving normally lately, and I could swear that I was just writing an editor’s letter yesterday, but that was apparently an entire week ago. Where has all the time gone? It’s only going to get crazier around here. We have Fall Fest and Fall Ball and Halloween coming up, Thanksgiving break to deal with... before we know it, the campus is going to be covered in snow and we’ll be grumbling about our finals schedules. Maybe everything is going by faster for me because I have so much homework this semester, but it sounds like everyone I’ve talked to feels pretty similarly. My suggestion is that we all find ways to make each day seem a little different, to prevent that “wait, what on earth did I do yesterday?” feeling, and make some memories for when we’re old and retired and much less busy. There’s a lot of great things happening on campus, some sneak-previews of which you’ll find in Chris Vaughan’s article about our General Programming Coordinators (page 4), and activities like yoga and Zumba (pages 8–9) that are worth making some space in your schedule. If you happen upon some sort of awesome event, tucked away on campus or waiting to be discovered beyond our loop, go ahead and write a story about it! Use the Indy as a way to share it with the rest of Purchase. Technically we’re only a community when we work together, so I propose that we work together to keep each other entertained.
layout editor: Tar a C o nnel l y writers: Gaby F iore B ol a nd Adam B reid b a r t Van es sa C ava na g h Chr i s to p her Va u g han K imberl y W hitehead Madam e Q u er y copy editors: Er i c a B a s co Alex Pros cia print manager: Robyn Wil k ins cover photo by: K ate M cC o r m ick artwork by: Suz ann e B o na nno web editor: D ani ell e Lem p p
The Purchase Independent is a non-profit news magazine, paid for by the Mandatory Student Activity fee. We welcome and encourage submissions from readers. The Indy is a forum for campus issues and events, to give students the voice they deserve. Letters, articles, comics, ads, 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 case-bycase 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 to join.
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MUSIC
FALL FEST LINE-UP NOVEMBER 5TH @ THE STOOD
Raekwon Raekwon is a member of the hip-hop super group Wu-Tang Clan, and best known for his narrative style of rapping. check out: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Omar Souleyman Omar is a musician from Syria whose music is a combination of frantic sequenced beats, snaking synthesizer and electrified bouzoki. check out: Jazeera Nights
Fucked Up Fucked Up is a hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario known for their wildly energetic live performances that don’t let crowds stand still. Some students might remember them from Culture Shock 2008, where they played about 3 songs and then got shut down by the police. They’ll play longer this time and people will be able to go a lot crazier! check out: The Chemistry of Common Life
Death Death is a punk band formed by three brothers in Detroit, Michigan in 1971. In 1975 Death started recording for Columbia Records, but when pressured to adopt a more commercial name, the band refused and self-released their seven songs. In 2009 Drag City Records released Death’s 1975 sessions and the band began playing shows again. check out: …For The Whole World To See
BY ADAM BREIDBART
Ras G Ras G has been a part of the underground hip-hop scene in Los Angeles since the early 1990s, described by Poo-Bah Records as “music that people will be playing in the ghettos of Mars in the year 3014.” check out: Brotha From Another Planet other main stage acts:
The So So Glos Space Ghost Cowboys Hyena Piksel Dan Drake Ensemble Big Muff WPSR stage @ Whitson’s:
Great Dane Images Becky Sellinger Animal Names JF Coop Choral Pleasure Power Naps Albert Goold Dave Lewitt’s Hand Drumming Class Uzimon Paragraph Andrew Cedermark
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MEET YOUR GPCS
BY CHRISTOPHER VAUGHAN
On a non-particular weekday I arrive at Starbucks to meet the two General Programming Coordinators. Yes, there are two GPCs this year. Cameron Wisch and Elise Granata’s dual position is not the only change to event planning on campus. Like previous years, they will host a slew of bands at the Student Center and Co-op, but their aim is to broaden attendance at functions, to include students who might not be aware that the venues exist.
“I thought the shows last year weren’t very diverse. I hate that there is just a ‘Stood crowd,’ I want to expand and get more people out to shows,” -Elise Granata
This year the Purchase Student Government Association has allotted $6,000 specifically for non-musical activities. “Doing non musical events forces you to become more creative with planning,” said Music Composition
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major Wisch. This will serve as a reminder for both Wisch and Granata to explore the fringes of the GPC’s comfort zone. “We found that many students like to see acts other than just bands, and so this fund has helped establish a more diverse set of shows that the students will be seeing this year,” said Student Activities Coordinator, Taylor Gesel. Though, with a budget of $3, 5000 these new GPCs are still able to invite bandsand already have with great success. The Co-op has been packed on at least two occasions this semester; a rare occurrence. The floor-stomping hardcore outfit Touche Amore and soft spoken folkie Paul Baribeau filled the tiny room with very different groups of music lovers on two such nights. Throughout our conversation, Wisch and Granata raise their voices above the dozen or so students scattered around our table inside Starbucks. Even when they are not shouting, though, both maintain the same enthusiasm discussing their many ideas about activities that will attract more than the usual Stood-goers. I quickly notice they are not just giving me dates, times and places. They are collaborating as we speak. They play off each other’s concepts of haunted Halloween trails, classical performances in the library and free haircut days. As they elaborate on specific details, I see this year’s student calendar unfold. “I think it’s a good idea to constantly be examining current programs and modeling and making sure they are still working correctly
CAMPUS and are successful,” said Coordinator of Student Life, Melissa Thornburg, who works closely with Wisch and Granata to approve activities. “Just because something worked last year doesn’t mean it will work this year.” One of their projects has already been put into motion, hosting secret shows around campus. The first was on September 24th. Students gathered at the Hub and were led to the undisclosed location—this time, the lounge in the Olde. Campus bands Weird Korea and Sirs were accompanied by Cake Life affiliates Black Churches, Quiltary and Chalk Talk, who played to a confused yet excited crowd. The second secret show, the GPCs say, will be a bit more ambitious. One band has been announced on Facebook so far: the prolific noise-rock duo Lightning Bolt will appear somewhere at Purchase at midnight on October 17th. “As we all know, Purchase is a very musically diverse campus and many students take pride in the fact that we are a hub for many up-and-coming artists as well as established artists,” said Gesel. With no other secrets revealed, many questions have already been raised on the “SUNY Purchase Events Brigade” page, a Facebook group for students to keep informed about upcoming shows as well as make their own suggestions. Both Granata and Wisch are promoting this open forum for students to get involved in the creation of campus happenings. “It’s cool to see students take this into their own hands. They can take ownership of these shows and craft their own bill,” said Granata, who began booking performances at Purchase last year with bands like Gospel and Giraffes? Giraffes!. There is also a desire to bring more hip-hop acts to the school. Wisch said this is
something which has consistently been omitted from the GPC’s itinerary.
“We would like to add bands that will draw more people into the show. The goal is to book bigger headliners while having affordable supporting acts.” -Cameron Wisch
To reduce spending, cater to an assorted crowd and feature the school’s own music community, Cameron and Elise have been booking Purchase bands like Sex God Idols, the Dan Drake Ensemble and Zona Mexicana rather than paying for pricey opening acts that in the past didn’t draw a large fan base and played to almost-empty rooms. “We have been saving money so that we can have bigger events,” said sophomore Granata. After coffees are finished and most sleepdeprived caffeine-seekers have retreated to their dorms, I ask a few remaining questions, thank both of them and begin to leave. As I walk away, Wisch takes out his computer and they plan the next week’s events.
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PURPLE MEANS SPIRIT BY VANESSA CAVANAGH
In September, Tyler Clementi posted a message on his facebook that read “Jumping off the gw bridge sorry.” The following week, authorities identified his body just north of the George Washington bridge in the Hudson River. Clementi was a freshman at Rutgers University, and a talented violinist. Unfortunately, he was one of many gay young adults who recently ended their lives as a result of bullying. October 20th marks a day of recognition for the 6 young men who took their lives—labeled “Spirit Day,” those participating are to wear purple, the color that represents spirit on the LGBTQ flag. The other five boys and countless others who couldn’t live with the torment over the years are to be remembered and celebrated. Seth Walsh, a 13 year old from California, hanged himself from a tree in his backyard just days before Clementi ended his life. Asher Brown, also 13, shot himself in the head that same week, after what his parents said was constant harassment from students at school for being gay. Billy Lucas, 15, was found dead after he reportedly hanged himself in a barn at his grandmother’s home. Raymond Chase, 19, an openly gay culinary student, hanged himself in his dorm room. Justin Aaberg, 15, also hanged himself after the harassment following a break-up with a boyfriend. Statistically speaking, there has been no recent increase in the number of teen suicides. Some argue that it’s not really an epidemic but just an increase in media coverage, which may
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be true. So be it. If it means bringing attention to a negative issue that impacts hundreds, thousands, it’s bringing controversy to every family’s living room each night. Bullying is a generational occurrence, but our generation is the first to have to deal with the added baggage of the internet, which undoubtly played a role in the unnecessary and tragic deaths of the six young adults. The two involved with Clementi’s death, his roommate Dharun Ravi, and Molly Wei, a hallmate, allegedly video streamed Clementi’s sexual encounter with another man from his dorm room without his knowledge. Ravi posted on his Twitter after the first encounter, “Anyone with iChat, I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 and 12. Yes it’s happening again.” This raises a lot of questions. Why would two people do this to someone? Ever? Why would anyone harass someone else on the basis of their sexual preference? Unfortunately, in 21st century America, these questions still need to be asked. The two involved in the Clementi case are undoubtedly cruel and idiotic for plotting such a scheme. But the real tragedy is that people like this are not uncommon in colleges throughout the nation. Our media-saturated culture is based on voyeurism and a constant invasion of privacy. Public discourse of people’s most intimate secrets is no longer shameful—it’s profitable! It’s the kind of toxic bullshit we’ve been raised on, and are raising our children on—the reality
your.indy@gm ai l.com shows on VH1 and MTV. If the dipshits on Jersey Shore don’t have a problem exposing their most offensive qualities in the name of 15 minutes of fame, what’s stopping two college students from exploiting their gay roommate for the purpose of internet stardom? The ‘It Gets Better’ campaign, created by Perez Hilton, is a reminder that suicide is not a way make things better. While the concept itself is heartfelt, this should be screaming irony in big, sparkly rainbow letters. Perez Hilton is ‘crushed’ by the recent suicides and has taken his stance against bullying, but Hilton is the internet’s most famous cyber bully—he has built his career on publicly humiliating those who he personally feels deserve it. Quoted as saying “If I have to drag some people screaming out of the closet, I will,” he has spent the past few years making himself rich off of Miley Cyrus crotch shots—this kind of shameless douchery is the same kind that makes the two involved with Clementi think their exploitative behavior is okay. It’s not! The LGBTQ community needs not only positive role models, but outlets that remind them that they are not wrong and that they don’t need to be ashamed for simply existing. For many, hearing ‘it gets better’ is not reassuring because it may not get better. For those gay teens growing up in the middle of the country, those bad feelings may not subside if communities don’t change. Here at Purchase College, gays are not only accepted, but celebrated. (I, for one, cannot wait for Fall Ball.) But it’s important that we realize our campus is blessed in its attitudes, and that not all universities are like ours. We need to take a step back and appreciate that we
have the ability to “think wide open,” because it’s been made quite clear that lots of people are incapable of doing just that. Even if we may not have any solutions or concrete answers, what’s important, especially on a national level, is to ask the right questions. These suicides are bringing the issue of intolerance to a larger number of people, so that the doors to resolution could be more widely opened. Don’t forget to wear purple on October 20th to recognize and take a stand against the struggle of queer youth.
There are many resources for those harassed for their sexuality or considering suicide as the result of any kind of bullying. They include: • The Trevor Hotline: 24-hour toll free suicide prevention line aimed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youths. 1-866-4-U-TREVOR • Hello Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks and Other Outlaws by Kate Bornstein: this book is available at most major bookstores and at amazon.com, but is also available in a still-highly-effective mini format on Kate’s website. www.hellocruelworld.net
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YOGA
BY GABY FIORE BOLAND
Sick of brick? Walking into Purchase’s yoga room is a breath of fresh air. Christmas lights are strung above the windows and the heavy smell of incense saturates the air. Soothing sounds of chimes and flutes play off a small stereo in the corner and a banner of poses hangs from the wall with the “Om” symbol prominent in the center. Here, students unroll their yoga mats and let their stress fall away through complex stretches. Yoga classes and meditation sessions are offered Monday through Wednesday every week. The Wellness Center website calls it “yoga for a natural high,” which will make any Purchase student smirk. They are offered during the day instead of evenings, which tend to be filled with club meetings and other activities. Certified instructors with years of training lead the classes, which vary in difficulty. Some act as a nice refresher from your day-to-day, while others will leave you drenched in sweat. The one similarity is that each yoga session ends with a meditation, which turns into a kindergarten-style naptime during midterm week. Regina Abdou, director of the Wellness Center, says the center shifted focus to holistic healing in 2007 when they moved to the thenabandoned third floor of Campus Center South. “We began to experiment with creating a Yoga Room and a Wellness Center. Prior to that, Wellness was called the Office of Substance Abuse Services and located in the basement,” said Abdou. They originally intended for it to
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be an alternative way to treat substance abuse, a proven benefit of yoga and meditation. Since then, students have flocked to the classes. And why shouldn’t they? Yoga is a super healthy practice, and Abdou said students surveyed were “overwhelmingly positive” about yoga’s impact on their grades, sense of wellbeing, self-confidence, ability to manage stress and decreased use of alcohol and other drugs. What collegiate would turn down that kind of mood boost? Hillary Costigan, a junior Psychology major who transferred from SUNY Stonybrook, was enthusiastic about the classes. She said, “It’s fun. At Stonybrook things like this were too late at night. It makes me relaxed.” Other students are feeling the same natural high. During one Tuesday class, twenty people squeezed into the tiny room with their mats jammed together like a game of Tetris and one student participated from the hallway! Class sizes average between 10 to 20 students. “We would love a larger space but right now we can’t accommodate all the students,” says Abdou. “Faculty and staff who are also interested have to be turned away. With space needs on campus, we are actually hoping to hold onto the space we have and that the college commits to keeping a Wellness Center on campus.” When asked about whether the success of the Wellness Center’s yoga classes was more unique to Purchase, Abdou admitted, “I don’t think students were as Wellness-oriented or as knowledgeable of the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of yoga and meditation as they are now.” This article is published courtesy of Her Campus. http://hercampus.com/purchase
HER CAMPUS
ZUMBA
BY KIMBERLY WHITEHEAD
If the Purchase Phys Ed requirement gives you flashbacks of running the mile in high school, fear no more: Zumba is on its way. This spring the worldwide fitness program, which uses Latin and international dance music to create the most fun workout of your life, will be offered as a Phys Ed course for credit. Right now Purchase offers four weekly Zumba classes, in the aerobics studio on the second floor of the gym. Suzi Myers Tipa teaches the weekly sessions, and will join Purchase’s payroll in the spring as what she likes to call “the Professor of Zumba.” She has been involved with Purchase’s summer acting program since 2001, and her long history in international dance, co-founding of the World Dance Theater, and her past year with the Zumba company, assure that she will be a positive influence here. “Everyone can dance,” says Tipa, with a contagious smile that can keep a room of 30+ Purchase students happy and shaking it for a straight hour of serious cardio. If you’re self-conscious because someone told you that you can’t dance, one Zumba class will prove that nothing could be further from the truth. Zumba provides a “no inhibitions zone” where gratification comes from the enjoyment of challenging yourself. Ernie Palmieri, Purchase’s Director of Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics, is always looking to expand the gym’s Recreation Program. When money for an instructor became available, Zumba became part of the
curriculum. “It’s an opportunity to enjoy a dance form combined with aerobic conditioning, which contributes to the health and wellness of our students, faculty and staff,” says Palmieri. “A healthy community is one of my major goals for Purchase’s curriculum and recreation programs.” Freshman Brielle Schiavone may be new to Purchase, but she’s no beginner when it comes to Zumba. Four years of attending the classes offered near her home in New Jersey has her “totally and completely hooked.” She intends to take the spring class and is on the path to becoming a certified instructor. “Zumba gives me the opportunity to push my limits and gets me motivated,” Schiavone says. She looks forward to Zumba twice a week, every week, and like many other enthusiasts, constantly convinces her friends to join. Zumba class attendance grows each week, and despite the concentrated faces of the students trying to keep up with the fast-paced, challenging routines, every song ends with hoots and hollers, smiles and clapping, and a palpably intense sense of accomplishment. Who wouldn’t be proud of those last four minutes? Whether it’s a Zumba original like salsa/reggaeton “Zumbalicious,” or the popular Hindi song from Slumdog Millionaire, “Jai Ho,” the audio selection boosts the international feel and invigorating atmosphere. “Drumming is in our blood,” Tipa says of the music. “Music of every culture has percussion.” Tipa really embodies the Zumba motto, “Ditch the workout, join the party!” She keeps the music in her classes up-beat and the routines fresh, with repetitious steps so everyone is comfortable and having fun. This article is published courtesy of Her Campus. http://hercampus.com/purchase
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MADAME QUERY
HAS YOUR REMEDY
I find myself to tired too cry myself to sleep at night over my lack of a girlfriend due to my heavy workload. All my friends are partying and have girlfriends. I feel so lonely, I think about switching majors but can’t imagine what I would dream to do.
I no longer have lust to ‘yank my yardstick’ anymore. I’m not sure what this means. I get back to my room after a long day of classes and want to do my homework and go to bed. I no longer find the opposite sex as attractive. How can I light my fire?
Wait, do you want to change your major for a girlfriend? Or for partying? Because I hope its because you actually really don’t like the major. I can’t tell you what major you should change to. I will say that you can change it to almost anything and you will still find something wrong with any of them. School gets like that sometimes. You wanna party? You wanna drink hot shots and hook up with bangin’ biddies? You don’t need a girlfriend, you need a companion. Friends will always be your companion, maybe you can’t make out with them (well, for the most part), but they’ll take the loneliness away. I will tell you that the best thing you can do is torture yourself with homework throughout the week, keep up with the workload and reward yourself on a Friday night. Switching majors isn’t going to make you feel less lonely, but spending time with friends will. Get out and give yourself a treat for working so hard. You don’t need to know right away what your dream is, but sometime on a Friday between chugging a 40oz and pouncing on a chick on G Street, it will click.
So you’re too tired to wag the tail? It seems like you’ll never have the time nor the energy to perk yourself up? Wrong, you totally will. In fact I’m surprised that after a long day you don’t want to get one out. Maybe right now you’re so tired, you can’t think about anything else but work, but pretty soon you’re going to want to release that flood. Try taking five minutes out of your day and just imagine your favorite scenario. — Okay, Madame is done with continuing this answer. What she will say is it’ll probably take you more than five minutes.. Well, actually if it’s been a while, maybe more like five seconds. No matter what, eventually, your fire will be lit again, but don’t force anything. You don’t want to rub one out and get burned (like gross carpet burn only the carpet is your hand), but rather, feel fiery burning passion when the time is right. Don’t worry, YouPorn is always there when you need it.
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS
TO MADAME QUERY http://www.formspring.me/madamequery
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A DV I C E A few months ago, I got the courage to ask a close friend of mine out. She said yes. A week later, she said she just wanted to be friends. We are now friends and hang out a lot. The problem is, I can’t stop caring about her as more than a friend.
Madame Query has been in that embarrassing situation of unrequited friendshiplove. There are no special benefits to a friend, so don’t even think about proposing that idea. I know it sucks, you’re looking at your friend and thinking, “Wow, I really want to be with her and treat her a goddess,” or whatever other thoughts cross your mind. Can Madame just say something because she loves you, and has been you so many times? You are pathetic! Let’s dissect your question. You said you asked her out “a few months ago” and then a “week later” she broke up with you. So not only was it not really a relationship, but you were in this pseudorelationship months ago. You can’t stop crushing because you never actually got fulfillment or closure with her. Sure, you called her your “girlfriend” for a few days, but she never went from mademoiselle to madame. Snap out of it! She doesn’t want to be more than friends, she figured that out within a week of “dating” you. Your problem is that this crush phase made all the friendship lines blurry. I hope you stay friends, but as long as you’re friends you’ll care about her in some way. I suggest a kind of detox. Don’t feel like you have to completely cut this girl out of your life, she is your friend you can still be comfortable around her. Just try not to be alone with her. If you hang out, bring a mutual friend. If the feelings don’t go away, talk to her. Eventually you’ll realize she’s just a friend. And definitely not as attractive as the next girl you’ll meet.
TERROR TRAIL CASTING – THIS WEEK: Do you want to scare your fellow students to death? Thursday, October 14th at 10 p.m. the lobby of the Humanities building We are holding an open call for Ghouls, Zombies and Ghastly Figures to participate in the first Purchase College Terror Trail. The Terror Trail event will happen Halloween Weekend. We need as many people as possible to populate the woodsy running trail, participate in improvised horror scenes, and pop out of the dark and make spooky sounds. We also need hosts to tell scary stories and lead groups unknowingly into danger. If you are an actor, you can act to your heart’s content. You will be trained by experienced haunted trail workers, and learn extremely valuable life skills. Questions? Can’t make the meeting? email Bryan Korn: bryan.korn@purchase.edu
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*some quotes have been rewritten for legibility or to preserve the anonymity of the submitter
ILLUSTRATION BY: SUZANNE BONANNO
SUBMIT BACK PAGE QUOTES VIA THE BOX OUTSIDE CCN 1011 OR ON THE WEB AT: HTTP://FORMSPRING.ME/INDYBACKPAGE
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