T PURCHASE H E INDEPENDENT
ISSUE 277 NOVEMBER 15, 2012
y o u r. i n d y @ g m a i l . c o m
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR editor-in-chief:
R 贸 i s铆n M c C ar ty layout editor:
M el issa Foster
This is our last issue before Thanksgiving break, and (hopefully, fingers crossed, please please please) the last issue senior staff writer: A l yc e Pel l eg r ino we have to just put online. After being put through Our printer should FINALLY be here by Thanksgiving. It only took a writers: trip or seventeen through the ringer to get it. After that, The Al ex a Dil l en bec k Indy will be back in full force, and better than ever, provided Dyl an Green Janet K atsn el son that no other existential disasters occur. C in dy M ac k Have a great break, and remember to start menNoel l e M oore tally preparing yourself for finals week! Car a Nuz zo M ike Rel uz c o
Tom my Roach Sabr ina Sim s Ste phan ie Spen c er R achel Weiss print manager:
Tom my Roach copy editor:
Ste ph anie Spencer 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. Any opinions expressed are those of the writers, not those of The Independent, its editors, or the PSGA. 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-by-case basis. Send all submissions and inquiries to your.indy@gmail.com. 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 are2held in the office every Monday night at 9:30; anyone is welcome.
artwork by:
M ark Zubrov ich cover photo by:
Jake Mur phy
web design by:
Tom my Roach C in dy Mack
In This issue: Cinemasai: “Wreck-It Ralph” written by Dylan Green
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One Direction’s “Take Me Home” Their sophomore album delivers written by Stephanie Spencer page 10
Bored of Dining Hall Food? Try these dinner combos written by Tommy Roach
page 12
Taylor Page and Ricky Deluca Fall Ball King 2012: pg 11
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Oh yeah, put your, UH, Carrot, in Me... BY MIKE RELUZCO PETA has done several outrageous things in the past-- they released Pokémon Black & Blue, they throw red paint at rallies, etc. I suppose it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise to me that their most recent ad was ludicrous. The advertisement itself depicts all sorts of men with large vegetables replacing their penises. Apparently vegans are better than meateaters in the sack. The concept is interesting, but I’m more interested in the large carrot dicks. In the past ten years, statistics show that there has been no particularly large change in interest in vegetable-based pleasure in any demographic. Maybe. So I now propose the question: Why did PETA think this ad would work? And now I propose an answer: Based on wild speculation, and the compiled works of several geneticists who probably don’t exist, I have concluded that this is not an advertisement promoting the sexual superiority of vegans. In fact, I propose that PETA is bioengineering men to have vegan-friendly penises. Upon first consideration, I thought this proposal ridiculous. Upon second consideration, I realized we are dealing with PETA, so all bets are pretty much off. This is the perfect ploy to veganize sex. Consider the function of the penis. Upon ejaculation, millions of little living beings are being murdered in various hostile environments. One could consider anybody who masturbates to have committed genocide, and PETA has concluded that the answer is vegetables. Entirely non-
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existent sources on the inside have also claimed that the engineering of flower-vaginas is also on its way. As of now, reports of this biological process are nonexistent. Still, be wary. PETA is nothing if not not-subtle. When you meet a man who refers to his penis as his “corncob,” or “carrot,” be aware of engaging him in sexual activity. He may have a vegetable waiting for you down there. Or he might just be kind really eccentric. Either way, keep an eye out.
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Climate change BY SABRINA SIMS Climate change is an issue that many people are not well educated about. It is a change to weather and temperature patterns that happens over a long time. The National Research Council, a US government supported organization, says that climate change is “very likely caused by human activities, and poses significant risks for a broad range of human and natural systems.” Some factors that contribute to climate change are natural occurrences like volcanic eruptions, how the ocean and air circulate, and how intense the sun is. Also, people can affect the climate by using burning fuel for electricity and other energy uses, producing greenhouse gases that keep global temperatures high. Greenhouse gasses also occur naturally. Compounds such as CO2 appear in the atmosphere, and trap heat from the sun to maintain life on the planet. Artificially created greenhouse gases throw off this balance and cause extremes in temperature. A related concept associated with this is global warming. Global warming is one facet of climate change. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, it is “the recent and ongoing rise in global average temperature near Earth’s surface. It is caused mostly by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Besides changing temperatures, climate change can influence weather. Consequently, the media has refocused on this phenomenon recently because of Hurricane Sandy. The conditions associated with the storm were strong, and in some cases, unprecedented.
For example, New York City rarely receives hurricanes. This storm caused flooding and winds so forceful that the MTA suspended the subway system out of precaution, and most of lower Manhattan lost power. The rest of the tri-state area, the five boroughs and the rest of the East Coast were effected in ways that no one could have imagined. Although climate change did not cause the storm directly, storms like Sandy are evidence of a growing trend of severe weather. On a more direct level, climate change can affect people’s health. Warmer temperatures can cause more hot days and heat waves, which may lead to more deaths from heat related illness such as heat stroke and dehydration. Hot weather can also lead to an increased concentration of pollution in the air, since warm, stagnant air can encourage unsafe ozone to form. People can try to help lessen the effects of climate change by recycling, not wasting water, These actions save energy in different ways, and consequently use up less fuel, causing less greenhouse gases to form. Everyone has a role in how the planet’s climate is. Through your actions, you can make a choice about how you want it to be.
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CINEMASAI: “Wreck-It Ralph” BY DYLAN GREEN Nostalgia is a powerful and unpredictable tool, especially in relation to pop culture. Able to sweetly touch our memories from years past, it also has the potential to affect our collective objective view of the world. “Wreck It Ralph,” Disney’s latest addition to its animated classics canon never lets the fact that it’s a nostalgic trip through a video arcade overshadow the fact that it’s also a heartfelt parable about appreciation and acceptance in a world seemingly devoid of both. A pure digital delight on every level, “Wreck It Ralph” strikes a perfect balance between homage and quality film making that ranks it among Disney’s best. Our “hero” is Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Riley), the villain in a game headlined by title character Fix It Felix Jr. (Jack McBrayer). Ralph wrecks the building that Felix and his patrons live in, while the player controls Felix as he repairs the damage. After 30 years of Felix being rewarded with a medal for doing his job while Ralph is feared and neglected for doing his, Ralph decides to venture into the hub world of the arcade and find a medal of his own. Ralph’s adventures lead him to newly plugged-in game, “Hero’s Duty.” A gritty futuristic FPS led by no-nonsense Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch) and candy-coated kart racer Sugar Rush, he befriends glitchy character Vanellope Von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) in the midst of an arcade-wide crisis that Ralph’s adventures may have inadvertently caused. As much as Ralph and company may have personally pushed my video game loving buttons with its plethora of shout-outs and in-jokes (like 3D character models moving like 8-bit sprites and the
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characters meeting in a central space in the surge protector their games occupy) it doesn’t succeed just because it knows and panders to my specific demographic. It succeeds because of the fact that it translates the tried and true “be careful what you wish for” morality tale in a new and relatable context with three dimensional characters and a beautifully crafted universe within an inexplicably still standing video arcade. Through Ralph’s time in “Hero’s Duty,” the fact that a game villain of the 1980’s could possibly be the anti-hero in a modern shooter like “Gears of War” is played with to hilarious effect. Characters have programmed personalities, whether they be scrappy outsiders like Vanellope or lavishly flamboyant despots like King Candy. Bad Guys from across the arcade attend Bad Guys Anonymous meetings, led by orange ghost Clyde from Pac-Man. Director Rich Moore is a master at playing with animated conventions like these, having helmed his fair share of “The Simpsons” and “Futurama” episodes. With “Ralph,” he brings his flair for subversion with him, along with the littering of references that act as icing on the well crafted cake. “Wreck It Ralph” could have easily been a film that used its game-centric premise to veil a halfhearted effort, but Disney has thankfully become better than that. A pure delight that doesn’t let it’s lofty inspiration overshadow the great filmic qualities on display, “Wreck It Ralph” is a Disney classic for the digital age. The film was preceded by a serene short called Paperman, a hand-drawn/computer animated love story about paper airplanes and taking chances.
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WILL DISNEY BUY HASBRO?
BOY DIES IN PITTSBURG ZOO ACCIDENT
BY CINDY MACK
BY NOELLE MOORE
If you asked around, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of Disney. And when I say “hard pressed,” I mean it’s pretty much impossible. Disney has sunk its teeth into countless companies, and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. On October 30, Disney announced its most recent acquisition when the company bought Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion. Even though the company shelled out billions to acquire Lucasfilms and Marvel back in 2009, there is one thing through all these negotiations that Disney never received: the rights to make “Star Wars” and Marvel toys. Hasbro, one of the largest toy manufacturers in the world, is pegged to be the company’s next target because they own the rights to make “Star Wars” and Marvel related toys. Though Disney has an existing toy partner, Mattel, many of the Mattel toys manufactured for Disney relate to the princesses. By gaining Hasbro, Disney has a chance to increase its reach yet again, by appealing to the little boy demographic, rather than just the little girls who like princesses. (Which we all know is bullshit anyway.) All of this is fine and great for Disney, but what does it mean for these major franchises with huge fanbases? Concerns over the next “Star Wars” film, announced for a 2015 release, have already been voiced by many fans and though Disney is a powerhouse company, are films like this really something they should be involved in? In the end, Disney’s main goal is to make money, and they obviously are. But with the acquisition of all these new companies it could change the future of entertainment as we know it.
Tragedy struck in another zoo related incident when a toddler fell into an exhibit in Pittsburgh this month. Two-year-old Maddox Derkosh, who had been placed upon a railing at the viewing deck by his mother, fell more than ten feet into the enclosure of 11 African wild dogs. He reportedly bounced off the protective netting before the fall, and was subsequently mauled to death by the pack of dogs, while witnesses, including Maddox’s mother, watched in horror. The attack lasted only minutes, during which zoo officials corralled the dogs into their holding pen and used dummy tranquilizers to scare the remaining dogs off. The last dog, which behaved aggressively and territorially toward the body of the child, was shot and killed. Autopsy revealed the cause of the death to be the mauling and not the fall. The toddler’s was the first visitor death in the zoo’s 114-year history. The African wild dogs, or African painted dogs, were the subject of national attention in 2009 when the mother of a new litter died and a domestic dog was brought in to nurse the newborn pups. These rare German shepherd sized canines are an endangered species, with a population of less than 5,500 in existence today. Like wolves, they are pack animals and are known for the savagery of their attacks when hunting their natural prey such as antelope, wildebeest, and gazelle. This attack comes only about a month after the widely publicized but non-fatal incident of a man jumping into the tiger exhibit of the Bronx Zoo.
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BUT WHERE HAS THE HEAT GONE? BY RACHEL WEISS In the face of a frustrating and seemingly disorganized situation at Purchase, it’s always refreshing to be among people who are genuinely concerned and willing to help out. Two weeks ago, I wrote an article about my humorous account involving a hissing pipe in the common room of my humble Crossroads suite. This situation has nothing to do with the pickle I am currently in, however, the same maintenance team came by to help us with what has become an unnerving and confusing ordeal. To put it plainly, my suite does not have any heat. Simple enough problem, however even though the entire suite does not have heat, my room is the coldest out of the three. We have discovered recently that that may be due to our proximity to the common room, in which the window is constantly letting in huge wafts of cold air. My roommate and I have been pretty annoyed about this, to say the least, but so much can be said for those who have gone out of their way to help us. When it concerns something like a lack of heat, which can be looked at as either no big deal or a catastrophe of epic proportions depending on who you talk to, most people we’ve encountered have been more than generous. First of all, John Delate. You’ve probably heard of him, or you’ve seen his name pop up in your inbox from the “Campus Update” emails. He is the Director of Residence Life, and has been nothing but sympathetic, efficient, and unbelievably kind throughout this whole process. He will email me to check on the progress of getting heat in our room, and is doing everything he can to get people involved and repair it.
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I have also communicated with Sherryan Francis, who is the Residence Coordinator of Crossroads. She has been giving me straight and valuable answers, even when I don’t want to hear them. By that, I mean she has given us the option to move out, which neither my roommate nor I want to do. However, she has still given us plenty of other options for what our next step will be. And lastly, a HUGE thank you can be given on behalf of everyone in my suite to the wonderful maintenance crew who has continuously come back to our dorm and try to help us. These four men have been here lengthy amounts of time, doing whatever they can, and sometimes it does improve a little bit. The actual problem is most likely inside of a wall or vent, which could take a few days to repair. They are always in good spirits when they have been here, and never fail to put smiles on our faces, even in this unsettling predicament. As the snow not-so-gracefully falls onto our already freezing campus, it is possible that my roommate and I may never have heat in our dorms. Our lovely maintenance crew will be examining our dorm once again over Thanksgiving break. We have quite a few options in order to obtain warmth in our room until then, so there isn’t anything to worry about, but this problem definitely could have been handled worse. I’m really thankful for how it has been taken care of. Heat or no heat, Purchase is a great place to live simply because of the people.
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PSGA UPDATE 10/14/12 BY CARA NUZZO In executive reports today at the PSGA meeting, President Christina Blankenship spoke about her dinner with President Schwarz, where they discussed the priorities and changing needs of students. The PCA granted $150,000 for student scholarships and internship assistance. Christina has also been working with the director of Parking and Transportation, Donna Salter, to control the overflow in parking lots E4 and E5 and to send signed Christmas cards to troops overseas. The Chair of Senate, Teddy O’Rourke, spoke about the dance master classes. The PSGA will pay the initial $1,200 and will get the money back from the students as they sign up. With the sign up cost at three dollars per student, the PSGA will be paying for half of the class. Student Activities Coordinator, Stephanie Blum, announced that there will be skating at the Stood on Nov. 30, and that there will be a birthday party for the Stood sometime after winter break. Coordinator of Public Affairs, John Fallot, spoke about the Port Chester Loop flyers that can be found outside the PSGA office. Also interactive Google Maps for the White Plains Loop (which is up and running) and the Port Chester Loop (which is still being developed). The disposal of the water damaged Mac monitors in the PSGA office was approved. The disposal of a broken desk in the Indy Office was approved. The appointment of General Programming Committee Bylaws was approved. Teddy O’Rourke discussed changing the re-election process for Resident Senators during
the Elections Discussion. “It was created for personal use instead of for a broader purpose,” said O’Rourke. Instead of Residential Senators that were elected midyear going up for re-election, O’Rourke proposed only using the re-election process if half of the seats were empty, otherwise the current Residential Senators will fill out a full term. In New Business, the Holiday Express Proposal was approved. On Nov. 30 the SRA’s of each residence hall are putting on a program for students to celebrate the holidays in the mezzanine level of D-Hall. “[The Holiday Express] opens up the opportunity for collaboration, we are really excited about that,” said Blankenship. Activities at the Holiday Express include stations where students can play games, win prizes, and learn about different holiday celebrations. The Culture Shock main stage was also discussed in New Business this week. It was proposed to have the main stage for Culture Shock inside of the Student Center, this would save money on renting a stage and allow more money to be spent on the acts. However, this brought up issues of crowd control and maximum capacity of the Stood. “With bigger acts come bigger crowds so it seems counter productive,” said Rebecca Snyder-Halligan. Students would have to be turned away from the Stood once the maximum capacity of 970 was reached. The members of the PSGA were given two weeks to think on their decision.
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One DirectioN DELIVERS AGAIN BY STEPHANIE SPENCER Allow me to preface this piece by saying that I am 23 years old, and shamelessly obsessed with One Direction. Whether or not you actually know this brilliantly assembled, pre-packaged boy band or not, you’ve probably heard their song “What Makes You Beautiful.” What X Factor mastermind Simon Cowell has created is the perfect post-puberty recipe to make teenage girl’s hormones go into overdrive. Each member brings their own cute, overly sophisticated personality to the group- allowing each girl the opportunity to swoon over the personification of their high school fantasy come to life. Mixing distinctly different personalities and good looks together, then putting them in crisply fitted blazers and three-piece suits, and you have something you haven’t seen since the Backstreet Boys or N*Sync. Let’s take Harry Styles for instance- not only is he the youngest, but he is also the “playboy” of the group. With a wide, charmingly slanted smile, and curly hair that is perfect to, um… pull, Harry Styles has quickly become 2012’s Justin Timberlake or Nick Carter. They’re likely better than either bands being that they’re from Europe and do, in fact, dress like members of the royal family. To add to the hysteria, now they’ve released their sophomore album “Take Me Home,” which hit stores this Tuesday. A perfect blend of sugary pop with wannabe rock undertones, One Direction’s new album brings the band into slightly more mature territory (as mature as a group of teenagers can be, of course). Girls are likely to eat
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up the cheeky sexual insinuations the group spurts out during the songs, while at the same time shed a hormonal tear at the bands romantic ballots. Perhaps this is all too general, therefore, allow me to break down this album with some of the best tracks: With “Live While We’re Young” right off the bat, “Take Me Home” starts by ripping off the Clashes “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” and you know what? No one really cares! It’s catchy, it’s fun, and the music video makes you wish you were a wealthy Brit who could spend a fun-filled weekend dancing with One Direction on a camping trip. This is a perfect single to get fans excited for the album. The cheeky lines come in with “Kiss You.” Fast-paced, the boys make a little more than mature suggestion by saying, “If you don’t wanna take things slow, and you just wanna take me home, then baby say yeah yeah yeah, and let me kiss you.” Sure, guys, all we’re going to do is kiss if I choose to take you home (insert eye-rolling here), but it’s perfect for the pre-teen girl who likely hasn’t even had her first kiss yet. This song is pretty much begging to be a single. One of my favorite songs on the album, “They Don’t Know About Us,” you can hear the high school desperation as the boys exclaim that people don’t really know about the girl they love. Never mind the fact that the relationship will likely end in two months- YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT LOVE! Finally, there’s “Summer Love,” which is
entertainment my favorite song on the album, and probably my favorite One Direction song period. A dramatic ending to the album, this is the most mature song about a summer love cut short that makes you feel like you’re in a Freddie Prince Jr. movie. It may even make you feel, beautiful, perhaps? Ultimately, One Direction lived up to the hype that their second album created, particularly considering that their first album, “Up All Night,” was such a global success. “Take Me Home” stays loyal to the traditional boy band pop fans love, while adding more unique rhythms that will make teenage girls feel like their listen to something that is more than just fun bubble gum pop.
RICKY DELUCA CROWNED FALL BALL KING BY ALYCE PELLEGRINO We have a lot of events here at Purchase that you will find nowhere else. All have been integrated into our culture as Purchase students, but arguably none more than Fall Ball. Paid for by your MSAF and held in the Stood, LGBTQU hosts a night of performances by drag queens and drag kings competing to be crowned the year’s reigning royalty. This year, show hosts Fifi Dubois, Myles Long, and Lady Testie crowned Tresemme Dahling and Ricky Deluca 2013s LGBTQU King and Queen. “My Freshman year of college I went to Fall Ball, and I absolutely fell in love with the performances and the drag queens and drag kings,” said Deluca. “And I knew from that moment that I wanted to win Fall Ball.” With that dream now a reality, Deluca hopes to see more kings step up to try and win the throne. “I’m hoping that my performances, since a lot of Kings don’t really dance during their performances and don’t really do big choreographed numbers, I hope that mine will show people that kings can actually dance like the queens do and do fun performances and that we get more of them next year.” The winners of Fall Ball are not only crowned, but have the honor of hosting Fall Ball the following year. Next November, along with Dahling, Deluca will be hosting and introducing returning and new kings and queens hoping to get their hands on the title. “I am so excited about hosting Fall Ball next year,” said Deluca, “I’m already planning.”
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THE MAGIC OF D-HALL BY TOMMY ROACH The Main Dining Hall. D-Hall. That place in the middle of the quad that we can eat at. No matter what you call it, if you’re a Purchase student, you’ve probably eaten there at least once. In my time at Purchase, I have, in all honesty, heard far more bad things about D-hall than good. To me, that doesn’t make much sense. In my opinion, D-hall is not “bad” per-se, it just isn’t complete. I should probably provide some sort of explanation as to what that means. D-hall food is, for the most part, relatively basic in construction. Yes, the dinner dishes aren’t that adjustable, but almost everything else there can be combined with other things available to make fantastic “D-hall innovations,” as I like to call them. These d-hall innovations are relatively easy to make, and will absolutely make your dining experience on campus better (at least every once in awhile). Before I go into the list, I should also mention that most of these ideas are available all day every day at d-hall, save for the bacon, which is only available in the morning and on weekends. Fries
D-hall always has fries. The even have sweet potato fries. Which, mind you, are also delicious. But fries get boring. Want to make them more fun? Grab a plate full of them (mix the sweet potato with the regular, it’s delicious), cover said plate of fries with cheddar cheese from the salad bar and bacon (when available), then heat them up
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in the microwave for about 45 seconds, or until the cheese is all melty. Top with ranch dressing, and hot sauce if you like. This can be an entire meal, or just something you bring to the table and surprise your friends with! Drinks
Mountain Dew is a most versatile fruit. It can be combined with several different beverages, and the effects are always delicious. The best ratio is to fill your cup about a quarter of the way with whatever isn’t Mountain Dew, and the rest with Mountain Dew. Drinks that mix extremely well with Dew as far as I’ve tried are: Raspberry iced tea (my favorite, which has been dubbed “DewRazz” by Dylan Green), orange soda, that blue stuff in the juice machine, and cranberry juice. There are probably other combinations, so don’t hesitate to try whatever you think of ! Waffles
Waffles are one of the most wonderful things in the world. D-hall has Belgian waffles available every single day all day. In specific, I do two very delicious things with Belgian waffles that I feel I should share, but the options available are pretty ridiculous, so you should absolutely play around with them on your own. Apple Waffles In this order: Waffle. Peanut
butter (can be removed for allergies). Powdered sugar. Apples. Whipped cream. Maple syrup. This is delicious, and is honestly one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had.
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Ice cream Every Friday, D-hall has Sundae
Friday. Make a waffle, cover it in peanut butter. Top it with your favorite flavor of ice cream, and anything else. The peanut butter honestly makes this one, but waffles and ice cream are still delicious. Just don’t do what I did and try to eat seven scoops of ice cream on top of a waffle covered in peanut butter, topped with whipped cream. It will hurt. For hours. Breakfast
When D-hall has either hash browns, little waffles, or french toast, grab two. Grab a lot of bacon. Get two pieces of cheese. Mash it together. Boom. Delicious. (The best one is the hash brown sandwich, trust me)
cious, there is a little trick you can do to make it ten times better. Make sure you use teriyaki sauce and not sweet and sour. Once you get your food, put Sriracha sauce in it (to taste) and then add peanut butter (not too much or it won’t but good, but enough to coat the entire dish very very lightly). Boom. Thai food. Seriously, it tastes like thai food. Try it. The options I listed above are absolutely not all that can be done in D-hall. They’re just the ones that I do frequently. But I hope that, after reading this, you can approach food at D-hall in a new light, and maybe discover a few innovations for yourself. Happy eating! For more information on the dining hall, check out:
Cookies
dineoncampus.com/purchase
Put peanut butter in between two cookies and call me in the morning. Sandwiches
A little known fact about D-hall is that there is the option of making sandwiches, ranging from a cheeseburger to a tuna melt. Play around with any ideas you get, and remember that you can always go for a wonderful bacon cheeseburger (try it with munster). Brownies
When brownies are available, heat them up in the microwave for about 10 seconds and put some whipped cream on top. And maybe chocolate syrup. I’m starting to get really hungry. Stir-Fry
Every Thursday, dinner at D-hall features stir fry. And while that in and of itself is absolutely deli-
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THE RIGHT THING AT THE RIGHT TIME: CITY YEAR BY JANET KATSNELSON Regardless of what chapter in your life you’re at, you do not have to follow the assumed next step. Do it if it is right for you. If it’s not, throw the idea of what you’re “supposed” to do away. I did before coming to Purchase, and it was the greatest decision of my life. I did a corps year with City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley, an education based non-profit that aims to remedy the drop out crisis in the country. Before coming to City Year, I had no experience with education other than hating it. I worked at an elementary school. During the day I specialized in behavior and attendance, developing new initiatives and working with students, parents, and administrators to solve issues. I tutored 12 second and fifth graders in literacy, and ran an after school program for first graders. Moreover, I was affected more than I ever thought I’d be. To quote President Obama when discussing his early work in Chicago; “those communities changed me more than I did them.” City Year is just one of several AmeriCorps programs. AmeriCorps is a federal government program that began during the Clinton administration. It gives Americans the opportunity to contribute to their country through different forms of service. One of the wonderful things about AmeriCorps programs is that they appreciate diversity over everything else. My high school transcript wasn’t even looked at. During the interview process, they were more interested in my passions, leadership style, and aspirations. There are so many benefits to serving. I received $200 dollars in food stamps, optional in-
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surance, and a government stipend which helped me settle in California on my own. In most cases, you can fore bare your loans during service. You are given a $5,000 Segal award that you can put towards educational expenses. With City Year specifically, you are given a lot of opportunities for continuing your education after your service. Thanks to the Give A Year partnership, anyone that completes their service is eligible to get money off from certain universities in different ways. Some match the education award while others provide scholarships (starting at 25%). If you’re remotely confused about whether or not you’re doing the right thing, I genuinely suggest you consider taking a year off to serve.
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Facebook friends, POLITICAL ENEMIES
ALT CLINIC TIP OF THE WEEK: THE MENSTRUAL PRODUCT FOR YOU
BY CINDY MACK
BY ALEXA DILLENBECK
Facebook is a horrible place. There’s incessant fighting, the relentless requests to play a mediocre point and click game, and politics. Facebook is the breeding ground of tons of overly dramatic political debate in the universe. In an age where “Facebook stalking” is considered a hobby, this creates countless numbers of problems. Recently, a friend of mine posted a Facebook status stating that she would be using people’s politically oriented updates to clean out her friends list. This seemed bizarre at first, but it may have turned out to be the easiest jump start to spring cleaning ever created. Using this politically charged time to find people you don’t want to talk to becomes pretty simple because, for some reason, the people that tend to show up on your newsfeed the most are the people you care about the least. I’m not suggesting that every time someone makes a comment on politics you delete them right away, but keep in mind that ignoring someone is an alternative to arguing on a status update with a person you would otherwise not be talking to. Then, if the political Facebook war continues, you can simply “unfriend” them. And just like that your friend count starts to go from 700 people you barely know, and probably don’t like that much, to 200 of your “closest” acquaintances.
By now, I’m sure most people have either had a period, or heard of someone with one. This is a guide to what’s available to deal with them. First, the disposable pad: If you are looking for pads, look for organic 100% cotton brands. There’s a lot of synthetic materials used in the cheap, disposable options. These are good for heavy flows or overnight use. Reusable pads: These are more than what you would expect to pay initially, but pay off. They can be made with different kinds of material, and I’ve personally seen flannel and cotton. Some have inserts and most usually have snaps that close around your underwear (even thongs)! Tampons: These are good for swimming but not so good for heavy flows, the vagina’s pH balance, or people with hymens that are staying put. It’s really important to change these very often because they can cause Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) which can cause medical problems and even death. Many tampons contain rayon fibers and bleach too, so be careful and try to choose 100% cotton tampons. Sea Sponges: These you insert when you need them, take them out when you gotta switch it up, and then you clean it and re-insert. You can get them in health food stores, or online. They are recyclable and natural, and it helps if you feel uncomfortable with tampons but need an internal way to stop your flow. Finally, menstrual cups: these are cups that sit inside the vagina. They pose no risk for TSS and are super cool. Love, The Alternative Clinic
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