Reporter Online | Views

Extending the Aid

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

LGBTQ identifiers should be considered to qualify for affirmative action aid.

by Nick Bovee

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of REPORTER.


James LeCarpentier

Affirmative action is a well-known - and often criticized and misinterpreted - policy to provide minority groups with help in underrepresented areas. What usually qualifies people for consideration under affirmative action is matters of birth; “race, color, religion, sex or national origin.” These are all basic, unchangeable human traits. Affirmative action is designed to help minorities who encounter hardship in their lives because of these unchangeable facts. So why limit the assistance from those who identify with LGBTQ groups?

The reasoning behind the current form of affirmative action is obvious. It acts as a counterbalance to the persisting socioeconomic impact from past exploitation of minorities. Discrimination and racism against blacks has been rampant in the United States from the start and hardly began diminishing until the 1960s and the forced dissolution of segregation. Mistreating minorities for so long forced poor circumstance onto families and the effects still persist to this day.

Similar circumstances were forced on women in the past. Women’s property rights were only just protected by the end of the 19th century and the 19th amendment, giving women the right to vote, was only passed in 1920. Even today, reproductive rights are still highly debated. The traditional role of housewife raises girls to be nothing more than caretakers and the destruction of that stereotype is still incomplete. For both women and blacks, it’s a slow process to equal representation.

So why doesn’t this yet apply to LGBTQ identifiers? The discrimination involved is similar, restricting the rights that people require. Destructive stereotypes still persist and hate crimes, harassment and bullying are constantly occurring. Same-sex relations were considered illegal until 2003 and many states still have not removed associated laws. The only real difference that could be nitpicked upon is that sexual orientation is not a physical difference. In no way does that make the hardships of discrimination any less affecting.

Unfortunately, affirmative action draws plenty of criticism and complaints. A common fear is that it promotes under-qualified applicants ahead of non-minority students. Framed as another form of discrimination, it’s claimed that this can increase the tension between minority and majority groups. Recently, some college applicants have taken to claiming they were discriminated against because others got preferential treatment. Opponents also often claim that affirmative action creates hidden quotas in school and job admission procedures.

First, affirmative action cannot be about accepting unqualified minorities to jobs and schools over other applicants. Race can be considered as a small positive factor in prospective students but a Supreme Court ruling forbids schools from using actual scoring systems. Neither is affirmative action intended to be completely permanent. If society ever reaches a point that minority and majority groups do stand on equal footing in colleges and workplaces, the method has done its job. When there’s no lasting effect of injustice, there should be no need to have corrective policies.

The last decade has been excellent to the progression of LGBTQ rights, and the 2013 Supreme Court hearing may be another key step needed to fix injustices. The support so far has been tremendous, but even after the Supreme Court returns a verdict, there’s still more work to be done. The Supreme Court is also reviewing Fisher v. University of Texas, a case looking to restrict race based affirmative action. If this is crippled, it’s unlikely that support for wronged LGBTQ students can be similarly helped. The Supreme Court has proven to be receptive to public opinion. Our role should be to give these cases attention and keep them as high profile as possible through social media and any other forum we have. Changing your social media profile pictures may be a minor show of support, but it’s one of the few ways ‘slacktivism’ may actually do some good.

An Ineffective System

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Affirmative action needs some work before it'll help.

by Danielle Delp

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of REPORTER.


James LeCarpentier

“We are an equal-opportunity affirmative action employer.” This is a message many job-hunting college students and graduates have encountered during the course of their applications. Though it is known by different names in different countries, “affirmative action” is a blanket term for policies designed to help alleviate discrimination based on ethnicity and sex. The affirmative action system in the United States originated via Executive Orders in the 1960s during efforts to make jobs equally available to African Americans, who would historically be denied jobs or wages afforded to their Caucasian co-workers solely on the grounds of their race.

To comply, federal organizations were forced to find ways to make the demographics of their employees reflect the current proportion of each underrepresented group in the workforce of the country as a whole. If a company did not comply, it could lose its funding. Several years later, this protection would be extended to women as well. In theory, affirmative action would finally make every job equally available to every citizen of the United States. The American Civil Liberties Union goes so far as to claim that, “Affirmative action is one of the most effective tools for redressing the injustices caused by our nation’s historic discrimination based on color and gender, and for leveling what has long been an uneven playing field.”

Over 50 years later, however, there remains no absolute equality in this country. Large proportions of ethnic minorities remain underemployed and undereducated compared to white counterparts. Women still make less money, on average, than men who do the same jobs. The initial problem with the current affirmative action system in the United States is that it only prevents discrimination in employment, higher education and government positions — basically anything you have to apply for. By its nature, this is not the true equality that civil rights advocates crave. Though it prevents employers and educational institutions from discriminating against minorities, it does not actually make those opportunities more available to everyone within the target groups. Even within minorities, differences in resource and education availability can result in domination of the job market by a few of the more privileged members of the minority. For example, a poor Latino woman raised in a bad area with poor education by the nature of her circumstances, is at a disadvantage when placed against a Latino woman with a better education. Thus, by focusing solely on gender or ethnicity, present affirmative action policy barely scrapes the surface of the discrimination problem.

To make matters worse, affirmative action is both poorly represented and poorly implemented. Misconceptions and rumors about the system are so wild throughout this country that I would put money on a bet that you’ve heard at least one person complaining about it. The reality of affirmative action is that it does not, in its purest form, advocate for reverse racism. It is designed to create a fair chance for everyone to compete, not for any one group to have an advantage over another. Due to poor implementation of the policy, however, an illusion of a better opportunity for minorities or women has been created. Racial quotas in particular have caused a large outcry due to the potential for reverse racism. The result may leave the majority bitter towards the program and, by extension, the minorities that the system is meant to protect.

In its time, affirmative action was a necessary response to the rampant racism in the United States. As a reactionary response, however, it has left plenty of room for improvement. Rather than strictly complying with the set-in-stone policy from the 60s, it would be far better to modify the policy to work in a world that has experienced and understands the flaws in the system. Perhaps a policy that made better educational resources available to minorities or made higher education more accessible to the poor would be more effective. Making race and gender neutral factors during consideration for employment or admission is also a plausible action, since it makes it impossible for anyone to make claims of reverse racism. Suggestions like these might not be the best solutions, but they are certainly a step in the right direction. As it stands, affirmative action is not a well-implemented system in the United States and needs to be modified if it is to truly accomplish its goal.

Word on the Street

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

If you were to set a record at RIT, what would it be?

by Tom Brenner


Tom Brenner

“Most zombies killed in Humans vs. Zombies.”

-Alex Nagel, 4th year Interior Design


Tom Brenner

“Fastest time running down the quarter mile in this costume.”

-Jared Rothwell, 3rd year University Studies


Tom Brenner

“Most Easy-Mac eaten in one night”.

-Steven Garabini, 1st year game design and development


Tom Brenner

“Host biggest party ever thrown at R.I.T.”

-Mackencia Pearless, 1st year Business Management major

Rings

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

by Michelle Spoto


Katherine Dayton

Monday, 11:45 p.m. (from text)

So I love that the weather is getting warm and all, but I do fear for the eyesight of my fellow students as I’m pretty sure my legs are so pale that the light that bounces from them could cause blindness. ReallyReallyWhiteGirlProblems

Tuesday, 4:12 p.m. (from text)

Hey Nathan’s, when are you gonna jump on the bandwagon and have a free soup day? Seriously, I’d wait in line all day for that soupy goodness.

Wednesday, 1:20 p.m. (from text)

That awkward moment when you accept a Skype contact request thinking it’s your high school buddy and his profile pic is his penis.

Thursday, 7:25 p.m. (from text)

I’m a fifth year student and I still can’t tell which building is 7b or 7a.

Rings

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:10:52 -0400

by Michelle Spoto


Emily Gage

Tuesday, 3:34p.m.

Just because I’m nice doesn’t mean I’m attracted to you. Manners, you betray me.

Tuesday, 6:01 p.m.

Just passed two guys talking in the engineering building:”I think you’re underestimating your insertion options.” “That’s what she said.”

Thursday, 5:43p.m.

Just walked by a professor in his office watching Snow White. Can I work here?

Thursday, 5:53 p.m.

The back of the Distorter just inspired my roommate to buy a horse mask. I don’t get it either.

Friday, 12:57 p.m.

As a freshman, I used to judge anyone who would sleep in public. Now, as a third year, I’m bumming it on a campus couch at least once a week.

Image is Everything

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:07:50 -0400

Universities should hold their employees to ethical standards.

by Angela Freeman


Stevie Thompson

Universities can and should hold their employees to ethical standards to whatever degree is necessary in order to maintain their desired public image and level of professionalism. While freedom of speech is protected by the United States Constitution under the First Amendment, unspoken laws of workplace etiquette still carry weight in modern society - and create quite a stir when flouted. The recent scandal over University of Rochester professor Steven Landsburg and his controversial remarks about sexual crime indicates a conflict of interests between free personal expression and the everyday give-and-take of navigating a professional workplace.

When an individual enters the professional world, he or she holds the implicit understanding that a certain canon of limitations on language, dress, behavior and other aspects of everyday life are expected in order to maintain a functional, conflict-free work environment. By accepting a professional job post, a person makes an unspoken agreement on some of these issues, and may formally acknowledge others through a company workplace policy code of some kind. In “The New Rules Of Business Etiquette,” Forbes magazine cites the ubiquity of technology, changes in fashion and work carrying over into weekends as factors that contain countless nuances, and can make modern-day professionalism difficult to navigate for both employers and employees. Without a set office policy, the article proposes that professionals may feel confused or conflicted about answering work emails during non-business hours, and what exactly a “casual Friday” entails.

While accurately interpreting the First Amendment to provide equal freedom of speech to U.S. citizens is a legitimate goal, it must be understood that there is a time and place for expressing controversial opinions - just because an individual possesses the right to do so does not mean that they should. For example, an employee at a religiously affiliated university possesses freedom of worship, and the right to hold whatever beliefs her or she desires. However, expressing anti-religious sentiments in the workplace, while surrounded by adherents to the criticized belief system, is not an intelligent career move, and could very well result in a formal reprimand, alienation of coworkers, loss of a job, a lawsuit or all of the above. Any behavior that occurs in the public eye is subject to judgment, and many companies and institutions value their overall appearance to potential consumers more than a troublesome employee’s right to radical freedom of speech at their own expense. This was exemplified in a 2011 case in Pennsylvania, when customer complaints led to a Chicago Outback Steakhouse employee being fired for merely donning a yellow Tea Party bracelet.

Citizens of the United States live in a culture where image is everything and the ripples of every action increase with additional factors such as controversy, fame and power. The importance of public image becomes apparent in every step towards gaining a successful career, and this vital aspect of professionalism increases the higher up a job position is. Landsburg may have gotten away with his comments if he held a post lower on the career ladder, but working for the University of Rochester as a professor put him in a position of prominence. The media plays a noteworthy role in amplifying this effect, by catering to shocking, sensational stories that sell. Political campaigns, elections and other career moves made public are fraught with complex interpretations of an individual’s every move.

The Landsburg controversy gives rise to further questions- would the outspoken professor have made the same sweeping statements if he was up for a promotion? In an official statement from the University of Rochester, President Joel Seligman revealed the college’s viewpoint by stating, “Academic freedom is a core value of our university and vital to provide assurance that one can hold unpopular or provocative views in safety. This is not always an easy balance, but it is a balance vital to uphold in a university that both values respect for all of our students, faculty, staff and visitors and intellectual freedom.” While advocating the freedom of speech and First Amendment rights is admirable, offended employees, students and prospective students alike may not share this view - and after all, no university can survive without a substantial community of supporters. Offended readers must call his awareness of political correctness and moral issues into question, and it seems unlikely that his attention-grabbing statements would be rewarded.

Dialogue Is Everything

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:04:53 -0400

Universities should not censor their employees.

by Kayla Emerson


Ethan Thornton

University of Rochester Professor Steven Landsburg does not condone any sort of rape or sexual crime. Many uninformed individuals have misinterpreted his March 20 post “Censorship, Environmentalism and Steubenville” as debating the illegality of rape - or worse, promoting the rape of unconscious individuals. He said in an April 3 blog post, “It is settled that damage to rape victims is real, great, important, and deserves the attention of the law.” Landsburg’s March 20 post raised three hypothetical questions to generate dialogue about what should be legal and why.

Landsburg’s March 20 blog post does not conflict with any ethical standards that I know of. Neither did he encroach on any standard of the University of Rochester, written or implied. For this reason, University President Joel Seligman has opted to preserve Landsburg’s freedom of speech, as well as his professorship.

But Seligman also seems to have missed the point of Landsburg’s post. In Seligman’s April 3 conference “Remarks at ‘Confronting Sexual Assault on Campus’ Conference,” he stated that, “At our University, we work hard to balance our commitment to provide a safe campus, one as free as is reasonably possible from a hostile work environment and discrimination and harassment, with our commitment to academic freedom.” Seligman seems to be mischaracterizing Landsburg’s remarks as hostile, although they are anything but.

Rather, Landsburg was attempting to start interesting dialogue with his blog post. In his own post on April 3, Landsburg describes his March 20 blog as, “more idle noodling than anything else, with no good arguments and no conclusions; the whole point is that I can’t seem to figure out what the good arguments are on this subject, and I was hoping for a little help from my readers.” He mentions that anyone who claims to disagree with anything in his March 20 post is misreading his post, because he is not making any assertions, only raising questions. He points them to explore the archives of his blog to find controversial assertions he made in the past.

Seligman is one of the individuals misreading Landsburg’s post. During his April 3 conference Seligman said, “No one who has known an individual who has suffered rape or sexual assault can ever view such crimes as hypothetical questions.” Seligman seems to have been swept up by the witch-hunt, to some extent. Fortunately, he was wise enough to champion free speech, despite any feelings that Landsburg is tarnishing the image of the University.

So to Seligman I say, thank you for preserving free speech, and never let aspirations towards an untarnished, conflict-free institution persuade you to create a dialogue-free institution. Allow the principles of free speech alone to guide your policy decisions, because free and open dialogue is the only machine for good ideas rise to the surface and bad ideas to be debated until they are dismissed.

I cannot imagine a case where it would be acceptable for an academic institution to place its image above its academic dialogue. While it is certainly true that employers are legally allowed to set standards for employees, no reasonable standard would limit the kind of speech that Landsburg participates in with his blog. If individuals at the University of Rochester or from the general public disagree with Landsburg, they should engage in an informed, rational discourse with him rather than immediately call for his censorship or firing.

One can’t help but notice that Landsburg has not apologized for any of his comments - though he has certainly been given the opportunity. He has only clarified his point. Unfortunately, the straw man attacks against his supposed position on legalizing rape have distracted from his original questions regarding our justification for law making. He was challenging peoples’ thinking, and this is a sign of a true academic. I should hope that, in the future, the University of Rochester actively promotes this academic discussion, rather than reluctantly allowing it.

Word on the Street

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:02:24 -0400

If you could create a class to take at RIT, what would it be and what would you study?


Jonathan Foster

“Kama Sutra 205... I feel like I could do a great service to the men of this campus.”

-Aaron Thomas, RIT Alumnus, Photojournalism


Jonathan Foster

“Underwater basket weaving... I don’t know.”

-Alex Bohn, Fourth year Advertising Photography


Jonathan Foster

“Cooking class... Desserts, because I love desserts.”

-Syamimi Md Jamal , Fourth year Biotechnology and Molecular Bioscience


Jonathan Foster

“Sleeping 101. I have insomnia.”

-Emily Himmelwright, First year Media Arts and Technology


Jonathan Foster

“I would have a leadership class. I think being a leader is an important skill that would help you with jobs, any situation really, anything in a group.”

-Austin Cowan, First year Computer Science

Rings

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 01:30:02 -0400

by Michelle Spoto


James LeCarpentier

Sunday, 11:50 a.m. (from text)

You know you go to RIT when your Super Mario ringtone goes off and two different people check their phones.

Sunday, 1:53 p.m. (from text)

Overheard a girl on campus talking about how she prefers Internet Explorer to Firefox and Chrome. Not sure if trying to be ironic or just that clueless?

Monday, 11:15 p.m. (from voicemail)

Male Student: I was told I could talk to a sexy kitty lady.

Female Student in background: I am very disappointed!

Male Student: Yeah, I’m really upset about this. Come on Rings, show me some love and purr for me baby, purrrrr.

Monday, 7:01 p.m. (from text)

I just saw a student in a suit with light up sneakers. RIT, don’t ever change

Monday, 10:43 p.m. (from text)

After trying to fill in this week’s Rings: Mad Lib Edition, I think you’ve severely over-estimated our education levels here at RIT.

Word on the Street

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 01:27:41 -0400

When the moment gets heated, what song would you play?

by Tom Brenner


Tom Brenner

THE STROKES : “YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE”

- James Ward, First year Computer Science


Tom Brenner

PINK FLOYD : “THE WALL”

- Margaret Bartlett, Staff Librarian


Tom Brenner

SYSTEM OF A DOWN : “CHOP SUEY”

- Sam Croad, First year Ultrasound Technitian


Tom Brenner

CAT STEVENS : “FATHER AND SON”

- Wes Musgrove, Second year Advertising and Public Relations

Word on the Street

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:17:56 -0400

What is the worst miscommunication you've ever had?

by Rugile Kaladyte


Rugile Kaladyte

“With my coworker. Instead of hearing ‘Can I help who’s next?’, I heard ‘Can I have snacks?’”

-Dan Grinthal (left), first year, Industrial Design

“I have an accent and was asking someone for a pail, but they thought I was asking for a pill.”

-Nur Faseeha Suhaimi (right), fourth year, Molecular Bioscience and Biotechnology


Rugile Kaladyte

“After missing a meeting with SG’s Vice President, I bought her a 5lb. chocolate bar. Any miscommunication CAN be solved with chocolate.”

-Kevin Mead, first year, Film and Animation


Rugile Kaladyte

“When I can’t hear someone and keep having to say ‘What?’ I’ll worry that they think I’m being rude.”

-Tricia Daluisio (left), third year, Film and Animation

“With our customers at Nathan’s:

‘Whole buffalo?’

‘No, bowl of buffalo.’

Worst...Communication...Ever.”

-Ryan Meadows (right), second year, Film and Animation

Word in the Sheets

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:22:01 -0400

How was it for you?

by Akita Yurhart


Gargamel

“Chapter Two was really hard, so I needed a lot of help from my tutor.”

-Al Gebrah, second year Politics major (left)

“Mathematical modeling has always come easy to me.”

-Polly Gonne, fourth year Rocket Science major (right)


Gargamel

“My favorite player got a home run, I couldn’t be happier!”

-Hal O’Leuyah, fourth year Social Interactions major (left)

“I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW OBNOXIOUS YOU WERE, YELLING THE WHOLE TIME!”

-Carrie de Way, third year Criminology major (right)


Gargamel

“This is my favorite role-playing game, I can’t get enough of it.”

-Bella Coas, first year Gaming major (right)

“GG Bella, we fing pwnd those 12-year-old bes!”

-Rob Frumthurich, first year Anger Management major (left)


Gargamel

“Miserable. Laundry sucks. Isn’t that what girls are for?”

-Dewey Hafta, fifth year Undeclared major (right)

“It took me over an hour to fold his cargo shorts right.”

-Doris Locked, third year Elvish Languages major (left)

Word on the Street

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

What should RIT's next innovation be?

by Mackenzie Harris


Mackenzie Harris

“A 24 hour coffee shop on campus!”

-Rachel Surajpal, third year Biology


Mackenzie Harris

“RIT should create something helps to bridge the gap between hearing and deaf students”

-Kyle Blakely, first year Mechanical Engineering


Mackenzie Harris

“Self-opening bathroom doors”

-Zachary White, second year New Media Marketing


Mackenzie Harris

“A tunnel that connects the dorms to the academic side”

-Taylor Harkness, first year Molecular Biology and BioTechnology

Rings

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

by Michelle Spoto

Saturday, 9:25 a.m. (from text)

Is the walk of shame still the walk of shame when the person you were with spent the entire night over the toilet?

Monday, 9:03 a.m. (from text)

If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of RIT tuition bills.

Monday, 3:25 p.m. (from text)

Just saw a girl buy the giant chocolate bar from Sol’s. It’s only week two, so I’m judging her pretty hard.

Monday, 12:40 p.m. (from text)

There is a correlation between my desire to nap and my workload.

Rings

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:15:43 -0400

by Michelle Spoto


Corinne Newbegin

Saturday, 12:02 p.m.

RINGS, I DISCOVERED SOMETHING ABOUT MYSELF THE OTHER DAY. AS A FEMALE AT RIT, I DON’T FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE, OR LIKE I’M AT A DISADVANTAGE. WHEN I LOOK AROUND AND SEE THAT I AM THE ONLY FEMALE IN MY CLASS, I FEEL... SPECIAL. PROUD. DO ANY OF THE OTHER WOMEN FEEL THIS WAY?

Friday, 10:39 a.m.

I’M REALLY EXCITED THAT MACKLEMORE IS COMING TO RIT. I JUST HOPE TICKETS ARE CHEAP BECAUSE I ONLY GOT TWENTY DOLLARS IN MY POCKET.

Thursday, 5:12 p.m.

THINK THE GIRLS ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE CAMPUS CENTER MAY BE HIGH, OR THEY JUST LIKE THE FEEL OF GLASS.

Monday 7:12 p.m.

I CHOOSE TO OPEN THE HANDICAP DOOR CAUSE IT’S HEAVIER. WORKING OUT, LAZY COLLEGE KID STYLE.

Thursday, 9 p.m.

DEAR RINGS, IS IT WEIRD THAT MY ROOMMATE IS FASCINATED WITH THE BALD SPOT ON MY BEARD?

The New Minimum

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Should the minimum wage be raised?

by Alyssa Jackson


Erica Landers

On March 5, the New York State Assembly decided to raise the state’s minimum wage from 7.25 per hour to 9.00 per hour (6.21 for workers earning tips). The bill passed by the State Assembly would raise wages beginning in January 2014 and would account for increases in the cost of living starting in 2015. It is now sitting at the State Senate, awaiting a decision from representatives earning more than an aspiring journalist could dream of making.

This decision should be a no-brainer. Raising the minimum wage would be beneficial for both the employers and the employees struggling in the recent economy with wages incomparable to New York State’s cost of living.

Talk of raising the minimum wage occurred at a national level with President Obama’s State of the Union speech on February 12. At the address Obama explained: “Even with the tax relief we’ve put in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line. That’s wrong.”

Obama also pointed out that since Congress last decided to raise the minimum wage to 7.25, 19 states have increased their minimum wage to greater than the national minimum. Locally, Governor Cuomo of New York has proposed raising the minimum wage to 8.75 in his budget plan.

The debate behind raising the minimum wage deals largely with how the economy and businesses will be affected by the change. Those against an increased minimum wage argue that businesses will be forced to downsize in order to compensate for the added employee expenses. However, the more money an individual has to spend, the higher the demand for product will be from businesses within New York.

Henry Ford, Founder of the Ford Motor Company, put this philosophy to practice in 1914 when he raised his factory’s minimum hourly wage to 5.00, even though the average wage at other companies was 2.94. Ford’s reasoning was practical: if he paid his employees more, they would be able to buy the product he was selling. The experiment was successful and he found that the wage increase lead to a lower turnover rate, requiring fewer resources to be spent training new employees.

This system worked wonders for Ford, so why are members of the New York Senate debating a bill that would aid hundreds of poverty-stricken families? State Senators are elected to act as a channel for us to voice our desires and concerns, representing New York State citizens. They are relatively accessible; we are able to reach their offices through phone or email simply by finding that information on the internet. This should be encouragement enough to take a stand on the issue, tell your representatives what you want and help better the lives of the people of New York.

Word on the Street

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

What is your biggest regret?

by William Palmer


William Palmer

"Eating too many cheeseburgers."

-Tim Zwicky, Recent Alumni in Advertising Photography


William Palmer

"Not trying out for soccer here. I was set on it during high school."

-Matt Zebert, Third Year Mechanical Engineering


William Palmer

"Having both garbage plate and zonies in one evening."

-Ankit Patel, Fifth Year Computer Science


William Palmer

"Drawing a picture of a Fresh Prince era Will Smith on the back of my Bible school report card."

-Ryan Jenq, Third Year Advertising Photography


William Palmer

"Not joining the curling team."

-Talia McKay, First Year Biomedical Science

Checks and Balances

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Preserving a free internet.

by Robert Clifford


Ethan Thornton

On January 11, the co-founder of Reddit and Internet activist Aaron Swartz was found dead in his New York City apartment. The cause of his death was suicide, and much like any other time when such a death occurs, the most important question we can ask is simply “why?” Unfortunately, in this case, answering that question has startling implications for every person in the United States who regularly uses a computer and believes that they live in a nation that is above using the justice system as a weapon against those who threaten the status quo.

In addition to having a history of depression, Swartz was contending with a federal trial that would charge him with 13 separate hacking related offenses, with a possible sentencing of 35 years in prison. When faced with such a threat, the obvious thought is that he must have committed a crime like those in a Hollywood film, such as cracking an elite banking institutions security network and stealing millions of dollars. However, the case against Swartz is truly shocking once you take into account the crime that warranted this degree of punishment. Swartz was being charged as a result of using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) computer network, and rapidly downloading a large number of files from JSTOR, a service that is designed to make scholarly papers available to universities, for a hefty fee. However innocuous this crime may have been, the U.S. attorney’s office made the decision to use this moment to make an example out of a celebrity in the tech world, and in turn, exposed a massive failure in the way which we attempt to prosecute those who commit crimes with a computer.

The reason that the prosecutor was able to leverage such a huge case against Swartz, in light of the relatively harmless nature of his crime, is mostly to do with problems that exist with the current iteration of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The major issue with this piece of legislation is that the amount of detail in what constitutes a malicious act with a computer is not clearly defined. It ranges from using a computer to cripple a government agency to violating an agreement accepted without reading. In reality, this is all that Swartz was truly guilty of. He violated the terms and conditions of MIT and JSTOR, and as a result, had a grossly inflated set of charges dropped on him in order to set a precedent. It is our duty as citizens of the United States to see that the legal system not be abused in such a way that can stifle the freedom of the crown jewel of the information age, the Internet.

One such attempt at learning from this event is the introduction by Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., of a proposal being called “Aaron’s Law.” The objective of this proposal is to revise the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to clearly exclude violations of terms of service from the gamut of acts that can be deemed a federal crime. Such a revision would have made it so that Swartz’s acts were viewed more accurately as a nuisance rather than criminal. In my opinion, this proposal is only a small part in a long line of necessary changes. I urge everyone to make an effort to contact their state senators and representatives, let them know that you believe in these changes and that they are crucial to getting your vote. We must learn from cases like this and always remember that the web will not stay free on its own. We, as its users, must demand to keep it as such or people like Aaron Swartz will have fought for nothing.

Rings

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

by Michelle Spoto

Thursday, 12:51 p.m. (from text)

Almost ran over the parking ticket guy today. Could have been a campus-wide hero. Opportunity missed...

Saturday, 2:13 p.m. (from text)

Either it’s snowing, or all of the nerds on campus finally decided to comb their hair.

Sunday, 7:21 p.m. (from text)

I love the library this time of the quarter. Everyone working together. People working on their dinner. Right. Behind. Your ears.

Thursday, 12:17 a.m. (from text)

Does the first time the “L” word is brought up in a relationship count if it’s in a drunk text?

Word on the Street

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 02:33:51 -0500

If you could make a cuddling position, what would it be and what would you name it?

by Mackenzie Harris


Mackenzie Harris

“I’m a classic guy. Snuggling in a warm bed, drinking hot cocoa with a beautiful girl is enough for me.”

- Mitch Riter, First year Information Security and Forensics


Mackenzie Harris

“The ‘Teddy Bear’ is where you go up to the other person and squeeze them as hard as you can.”

- Rob Law, First year Imaging Photo Technology


Mackenzie Harris

“The ‘Dual Plank’ is where the girl lays on top of the guy in plank formation and you stay still and silent for as long as possible.”

- Max Brown, First year Advertising Photography


Mackenzie Harris

“The ‘whodie’ is where you’re cuddling while bumping to Lil B. TYLB”

- Norah Moran, Second year Advertising Photography


Mackenzie Harris

“My friend Killian Castner came up with an idea where you put your backs together, link arms and you carry her on your back just like a jetpack”

- Cameron Barrett, First year Imaging Science


Mackenzie Harris

“The ‘Cuddle Puddle’ is where a group of people pile on each other and cuddle!”

- Rachel Voak, First year Bioinformatics