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theEXCELSIOR
Volume Eighteen, Issue Five
Campus
News
Briefs
October 24, 2011
Haiti the Beautiful, HASA Cuts
Through the Ugly Stereotypes
Residents Speak Up On How
To Spend A $1 Million
Councilman Jumaane Williams
hosted the first ever participatory
budget hearing in Brooklyn College last week. Residents suggested the $1 million that have been
allocated to the district should be
spent on building community gardens, installing more street lighting across Nostrand Ave., and to
put new lockers in at the Flatbush
YMCA among other things.
(Source: Courier's Life Brooklyn
Daily)
CUNYAC Launches New
Android Application
Brooklyn College is building a
The CUNY Athletic Conference along with Sidearm Sports
recently announced the lauch of
an Android phone application
that would allow sports fans to
check up on updates, scores, and
schedules regarding their favorite
teams. The App would also feature pictures to be viewed from
the sports games without having
to attend them.
(Source: cunyathletics.com)
Amount Of Financial Aid
Awarded To CUNY Students
Reaches Record High
CUNY Chancellor Matthew
Goldstein recently announced
that an estimated $770 million
in financial aid including Federal Pell and State TAP grants
were awarded to some 170,000
students in the CUNY system in
the previous academic year. The
financial aid received, allowed
close to 90,000 students to attend
CUNY colleges tuition-free.
(Source: cuny.edu)
Brooklyn Politicians Jump
Into the Occupy Wall Street
Movement
This Tuesday, October 25th, Democractic Party Leader in Brooklyn and Assemblyman Vito Lopez
along with Assemblyman Hakeen
Jeffries (D) and Councilman Steve
Levin (D) will march across the
Brooklyn Bridge to Zuccotti Park
to join the OWS protestors in a
day of solidarity. A lot of talk is
going around in media circles on
whether the Democratic Party
should embrace the OWS movement for political gains similar to
how the Tea Party was picked up
the Republicans a couple of years
ago.
(Source: The Brooklyn Paper)
BY CONOR FEBOS
A passionate, determined
group of Brooklyn College
Students met last week in the
Student Center as the Haitian
American Student Association
addressed the misconceptions
of Haitian culture and the stigmas that plague its reputation.
The Haitian American
Student Association, HASA,
a club that originated in 1988
at Brooklyn College, prides
itself on educating and exposing students to the Haitian
culture. This gathering focused
more specifically on conversing
over the detrimental portrayal
of Haiti seen throughout the
media.
“We want the student body
of Brooklyn College to further understand the Haitian
culture and break the negative
stereotypes often connected to
Haitian people,” said the clubs’
President Nerija Rosemond.
“The media can cast a poor
image of Haiti -- making our
culture out to be something it
is not entirely.”
In a committed effort to inform the group – which featured
over 55 students on Thursday
– the clubs’ officials broke the
presentation into five areas of
concentration: Haiti Beyond
Being a Third World Country;
Haiti Beyond the Earthquake;
Haiti Beyond Light and Dark
Skin; Haiti Beyond Voodoo;
Haiti Beyond Nostrand Avenue (Little Haiti).
“In picking these discussion topics, we felt that we
could cover a vast area of Haitian culture that has certainly
been misconstrued by the media,” asserted HASA’s Vice
President and curator of the
meeting, Chrisite Derys.
Each topic, in its own way,
sparked fiery discourse between
both Haitian students and others of separate ethnicities who
offered their opinions on this
pressing issue of Haiti’s image.
Commencing the discussion was President Rosemond
with a detailed description of
Haiti being looked upon as a
third world country. As Haiti’s
budget remains at a negative
balance, the country continues
to struggle with its persistent
attempt to underscore a brighter side of Haiti; a more appealing image.
“There is beautiful homes
all over Haiti, booming business’s, thriving schools, but
does the public know about it?”
asked Rosemond. “I would venture to say no, and it’s a shame
because Haiti is a wonderfully
beautiful country.”
Other students who have
family in Haiti and who have
recently visited, supported
Rosemond’s statements by reinforcing the point that their
family members have attractive
homes and continue to live in
fine conditions.
“Picturesque beaches, crystal clear water, boundless beauty,” added Gregory Jesus Luc,
a project coordinator for the
nonprofit organization Spring
Break in Haiti who had come
to support HASA and extend
his commitment to bettering
Haiti with a presentation of his
organization’s elements.
Students unfamiliar with
Haiti’s beauty were presented
with a creative slideshow that
included enticing photos of the
countries immense beauty.
Unfortunately, soon after the discussion over Haiti’s
allure culminated, attendees
were reminded of the devastating tragedy that took place
on January 12, 2010: The massive earthquake that shook the
world.
However, what followed
was a message to the Haitian
people – and the rest of the
world – that Haiti survived the
tragedy and continues to push
forward with resilience and a
steadfast commitment.
“I am proud to be of Haitian descent after seeing our
country bounce back after the
earthquake and keep moving
forward to honor all those lost,”
said Luc. “Haiti remembers all
those lost by working hard each
day to improve the country and
instill a lasting pride that follows Haitian’s everywhere.”
HASA’s members also
criticized the many people who
seemingly cared for Haiti only
at its time of distress and soon
thereafter forgot about the
country’s needs.
“It’s a shame that so many
people considered themselves
passionate about Haiti immediately following the earthquake, but then as time went
on lost that sense of commitment and interest towards the
country,” said Robin Lariviere,
HASA’s leader of public relations. “Haiti didn’t go anywhere, it still needs help.”
Shifting gears a bit, the discussion then led into perhaps
the most intense debate of the
day, “Haiti beyond light and
dark skin,” resonated throughout the room as poignant, luminous points were made by
many of the students present.
“Too many people disregard the vast complexities of
Haitian people,” said the resolute Sophia Molieur, HASA’s
director of media relations.
“The media has often depicted
Haiti as an extremely dark race
of people, while, as you can see
by the many Haitian’s present
today, we are a wide-ranging
culture with a myriad of complexities.”
Others noted that the distorted notion that all Haitian’s
are dark is both ignorant and
mindless.
Joel Francois, a junior English major at Brooklyn College,
offered his insight: “More often
than not, the media depicts the
impoverished Haitian people
as dark-skinned, dark-eyed
people when it is undoubtedly
true that light-skinned, greeneyed Haitian’s also suffer in
poverty-stricken areas around
the country.”
Stepping in as the temperature of the room began to
boil from this complex debate,
curator Christie Derys shifted
the group’s attention to another
– equally as important – topic: “Haiti beyond the Earthquake.”
After extended discourse
between HASA’s members
and the rest of the group over
the remaining topics came to
an end, previous president Menesky Magloire encapsulated
the sentiment of the day.
“The world is your culture,
don’t shrink yourself,” said Magloire. “We are all citizens of
the world and should remember that this club is not just
to expose students to Haitian
culture, but to expose students
to the culture of the world. We
are all together in this, let’s
never forget that.”
HASA primarily meets in
0229 Ingersoll Hall and will
host its next event -- “University Men” – an event open
to all students on November
10th at its regular location. The
event will be a competition to
find the ideal male on campus,
showcasing his talents before
HASA members.
McD's Shooting
Leaves Students
Concerned
Shocking: Eighteen-year old Tyquan Sewall falls
on to the road after an unidentified man shoots him
numerous times outside of McDonald's on Nostrand
Avenue in broad daylight last month (Media Credit:
Police Surveillance Video).
BY RYAN SIT
Frequenters of the McDonalds down the street
from Brooklyn College may want to order their Big
Mac to-go.
Eighteen year-old Tyquan Sewall sustained three
gunshots outside the McDonalds on Nostrand Avenue
last month and was taken to Kings County Medical
Center. The gunman fled through the Hillel Avenue
exit, just a block from campus, ditching his .32 caliber
Smith & Wesson nearby, police said.
A sergeant at of the New York Police Department
called the shooting “uncalled for and ridiculous.”
Students all over campus were rattled by news of
the shooting, though many did not find the incident
hard to believe.
“I’d heard about things like that happening around
here,” said Hannah Marcus, Linguistics major, “I was
sort of shocked I’d been so close [to the shooting] at
the time.”
“I’m afraid, like anybody else,” said the manager of
the McDonald’s, who declined to divulge his name.
“I’m still afraid.”
The McDonalds shooting occurred outside of college property and does not directly reflect on-campus
safety.
“I personally don’t see it as a problem,” Anthony
Baker, an on campus peace officer, said. “It’s very rare
to have any incident of crime.”
Sahar Munir, among other students, indicated
that the problem is not on school grounds. “I’m just
shocked,” Munir said. “I feel safe on campus, but one
block down I do not.”
Acts of violence such as the one seen at the McDonalds on Sept. 28 are practically nonexistent on
school grounds. The Office of Campus and Community Safety Services reported only two accounts of aggravated assault in many years.
Campus crime may be low, but for a commuter
school like Brooklyn College, the safety of adjacent
neighborhoods is important to the students who have
to travel through them regularly.
See Shooting Page 3
Inside the Excelsior:
News
Features
Arts and Entertainment
Opinions
Sports
Haiti Beyond the Media
1
Sarah Baartman
4
The Weeknd
6
NYPD Surveillance
8
World Series
10
SGA Update
3
Joseph Wershba
5
OWS Music
6
Occupy Wall Street
8
Women's Volleyball
10
information
2 October 24, 2011
theExcelsior
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
october 24
october 25
Adventist Christian Fellowshiop:
Weekly Bible Discussions
Women! What's the Value of your
College Major?
Description: Women now make up
51% of the workforce and 74% of
the enrollment in colleges. However, women earn 20% less than
their male counterparts. Explore
your interest, skills and values.
Learn how to connect the dots
between college majors, career
advancement and earnings.
Time: 5:00pm to 6:30pm
Place: 227 New Ingersoll
Description: Discuss the Bible with
ACF
Time: 4:45pm to 6:00pm
Place: Student Center/ Ward Room
Information Session: Master's in
Mental Health Counseling
Description: Meet with faculty
and admissions representatives to
discuss the Mental Health Counseling M.A. Program,
Tine: 5:00pm to 6:00pm
Place: 1309 James Hall
Perfect Your Brand: Creating Your
Professional Image
Megan Piontkowiki: An Introspective
Description: Please join us and
enjoy the artowrk of Megan Piontkowiki. Her most recent project
includes an artist's book entitled
Black Sheep Storm. Also, 365
Days of Print
Tine: 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Place: BC Library Gallery, First
Floor
Description: Red Colon, Author of
Win the Race for 21st Century
Jobs
Time: 12:15pm to 2:15pm
Place: Occidental Lounge, Student
Center
Alpha Sigma Mulitcultural Sorority: Dance-a-Thon
october 26
october 27
october 28
Cut-a-Thon
Secrets of the Highly Successful
Intro to Illustrator
Description: Free haircuts & manicure by Hair Design Institute
Sponsored by Student Activities
Central & your Student Center.
Time: 12:00pm to 5:00 pm
Place: Lower Level, Student Center
Description: Learn from some of our
prominent alumni and how they
achieved their success. Panelists
will represent the areas of business,
sciences, media, education and the
humanities.
Time: 12:20pm to 2:00 pm
Place: Jefferson-Williams Lounge,
Student Center
Description: This workshop will
introduce attendees to the graphic
design program Adobe Illustrator.
The workshop will have an overview of Illustrator's user interface,
which can be used to create simple
logos and other simple design
projects.
Time: 3:00pm to 4:30 pm
Place: Room 383, Library
Music in Polycultural AmericaWill Fulton
Description: Will Fulton: " Oh
Say, Can You Really See " Science Fiction, Sound Painting and
Social Subtext in Jimi Hendrix's
1983: - Fulton is a music producer, lecturer and historian, with
a specialty in American popular
music and culture of the 1960's.
He is currently a doctoral student
in musicology at the Graduate
Center, CUNY
Time: 11:00am to 12:15pm
Place: Jefferson Williams Lounge,
Student Center
Description: Event open to all. All
proceeds go to the American Cancer Society to support the fight
against breast cancer. $5 if you
were pink, $7 if you don't
Time: 7:00pm to 11:00pm
Place: Lower Level, Student Center
Men Undressed: Panel Discussion
and Reading
Description: Four fiction writers
and contributors to the forthcoming anthology Men Undressed:
Women Writers and the Male
Sexual Experience will read from
their work and discuss it with
WNYC radio host Amy Eddings.
Participants will be: Nava Renek
Elizabeth Searle Alison Amend
Diane Williams
Time: 5:00pm to 7:00 pm
Place: Woody Tanger Auditorium
Notes
Submissions
Rules: Students and student organizations may submit calendar items
for free, provided they include the
name of the event, contact information, and date and time.
Central Depository: Placing an
event in this calendar satisfies the
requirement that clubs submit
their elections to a campus newspaper.
Online Submission: You may submit a calendar event to calendar@
brooklynexcelsior.com
Overrated
by Clifford Drouillard
Cream and coffee intertwine,
creating a brown eclipse
masked with warm soothing
contents that release an
aroma sweeter than anything you
have ever smelled before.
It then settles, creating a golden
image of a thousand
words in a matter of seconds, before
it ripples away into
perfect little circles which capture
each and every frame
of this marvelous moment.
To think, that was the first kiss. One
more sample of this
concoction and cloud nine will be
come an understatement.
For this sensation will consume my
entire being sending
me afloat to what seems to be a
place of no return, but at last.
My lips are removed from my
Starbucks cup and
I am left empty, talk about overrated.
city hall: Asly Raymond
In t er e s t ed i n w r i t i ng
f or n e w s ?
c on ta c t t h e se c t ion edi tor :
n e w s @ br o ok ly n E x c el sior .
com
news
theExcelsior
From Shooting, Page 1
There are almost 17,000
undergraduate and graduate
students enrolled at Brooklyn
College, and only 290 available offers for dormitory housing. By these figures, about 98
percent of the student population travels to campus, and
that makes the neighborhood’s
safety important.
On Oct. 13 New York City
Councilman Jumaane Williams spoke at Brooklyn College about the “Stop and Frisk”
policy many New York police
officers utilize. The policy is
aimed at reducing the amount
of guns on the street, as well as
drugs, but Williams claimed
that gun violence continues
to rise even as the amount of
stops and frisks rise.
“You think it’s a little more
secure,” Kenny Rivera said, in
reference to the police presence on campus, “Then again,”
he added, “we’re in New York
City.”
Rivera, a freshman, also
commented on the immediate
changes of scenery from one
side of campus to the other. “If
you walk one way in the neighborhood it’s nice; big houses,”
Rivera said. But the other direction, Rivera said, “It’s more
city. It’s always busy. It’s crazy
that both [areas] are so close.”
Brooklyn College falls under the jurisdiction of the 70th
precinct, but is closely bordered
by the 63rd and 67th precincts.
The precinct’s recent crime statistics report showed a five percent decrease in felony assaults,
since 2010, in the 70th precinct.
There have, however, been 10
murders so far this year, a 42
percent increase since last year.
The 67th precinct reported a
43.5 percent increases in felony
assaults since last year, climbing
to 511 complaints so far in 2011.
There have been 146 felony assault complaints this year in the
63rd precinct, a 44.6 percent increase since last year, according
to the precinct’s crime statistics
report.
Almost all other areas of
crime have been steadily declining over the last decade,
though violence appears to be
mounting.
“People don’t care about the
welfare of other people,” Rivera said. “They’re only out for
themselves.”
“The school can’t really do
much,” said Journalism major
Max Neopikhanov, “It’s a problem of the neighborhood. It’s
totally a different jungle down
there.”
October 24, 2011 3
The Latest On Student Government
BY KERRI BYAM
Last Tuesday, the CLAS
Student Government held its
weekly assembly meeting in
The Student Center to discuss
many different issues ranging
from budget and finance decisions to the upcoming club
mixer.
Out of the required 29 assembly members, 21 members
were present for the assembly
meeting. Four audience members attended the meeting. The
speaker of the assembly, Isaac
Sasson, a senior and a Political Science and Judaic Studies
double major opened up the
meeting for his colleagues to
present the various issues.
The budget and finance
committee briefly presented
and informed the assembly on
Speech and Hearing’s trip to
Los Angeles, California.
“The club is going to California for a conference and
want us to pay for part of the
trip,” Sasson said.
Speech
and
Hearing
planned to stay in an airport
hotel in Los Angeles and wanted the CLAS student government to pay for $600 of the bill.
The assembly speaker asked the
members to vote on approving
or disapproving the motion to
allocate money to the club.
After a unanimous vote to
pay the $600, many of the assembly members did not know
why he or she was required to
vote on such an issue.
“When a club asks for
events that cost $500 and
above, the request is brought
before the assembly for a vote,”
said Sasson.
The Muslim American Society, also known as M.A.S.
also asked for $10,000. The
club, hosting approximately
150 members, is a well-known
club on campus. The assembly
also voted to allocate funds to
this club.
In previous meetings, the
assembly hoped to have a club
mixer. At the last assembly
meeting, the members decided
that the mixer would happen
in the first week of December.
Most members voted on having
the mixer occur on a Thursday
night. The members plan to
put a concrete plan into place
for the event by November.
Harking back to Brooklyn
College’s new green initiative,
Sasson announced to his assembly members that he and
other members of the assembly
are planning to meet with the
Provost in the coming week.
“We’re either going to ask
our printing back, or ask for
the money that was taken away
from each student’s account,”
said Sasson.
In the beginning of the semester, Brooklyn College decided to go green and slash free
student printing in half. Each
student originally had $30
added to their account at seven
cents per page. The current rate
is $15 per student.
Upon informing the assembly about this event he also
encouraged then to join BCA,
also known as the Brooklyn
College Academy.
“We need to fill the majority of the positions from
CLAS,” Sasson explained.
“Faculty- student relations are
obvious. Every couple years,
Brooklyn College comes out
with its five-year plan, and the
[student] government deals
with the actual rules of Brooklyn College.”
“The policy council is really
cool because it is equal-part
student, faculty, and administration,” he continued. “You
have as much say as faculty and
administration.”
Sasson decided to put new
pending positions up for election in the following week.
The Policy Committee will
meet on the first Wednesday of
the month in November and
December.
In addition, the assembly
spoke about using previous editions of textbooks, and about
the possibility of students receiving required textbook lists
before the first day of class at
the start of a semester.
The dilemma with this issue is that when students email
their professors, the professor themselves are still unsure
about what textbooks he or she
may want to use for a course.
The assembly did not vote on
this issue.
The forum was opened to
discuss other Brooklyn College issues. A representative
from NYPIRG came to speak
to the assembly on hydrofracking, known by experts as
hydraulic fracturing. According to Safe Water Movement,
hydro-fracking is a process in
which “methane [is] trapped in
impermeable rock (shale and
tight sands) [and]…mined.”
According to the NYPIRG
representative, about 30 states
in the United States practice
hydro-fracking. New York
State was the first state to say
“hell-no” to hydro-fracking.
Outside of the Student Center after the assembly meeting
was adjourned, NYPIRG had
a “frack-café” for students.
.
The Lucky Ones: Columbia Prof
Discusses Early Chinese Immigrants
BY LORETTA CHIN
Coming to America: Columbia Univeristy Prof. Mae Ngai discusses her new book about the
immigration and integration of the Chinese in America in the 19th century. Below she poses for a
picture (from left) with Prof. Namulundah Florence, Prof. Luigi Bonaffini, Prof. Yonggang Huang and
BC students (Media Credit: Loretta Chin).
A Columbia University
Professor helped to make
Asian American history come
alive for a room full of Brooklyn College students during a
lecture about Asian American
immigration in the 19th century last week at the Student
Center.
The lecture, titled “The
Lucky Ones: Immigrant Brokers and the Origins of the Chinese American Middle Class”
was sponsored by the Department of Modern Languages &
Literatures, and introduced by
the chair of the department,
Prof. Luigi Bonaffini.
Students listened attentively as Prof. Mae M. Ngai, a
Lung Family Professor of Asian
American Studies and Professor of History spoke about her
latest book, The Lucky Ones:
One Family and the Extraordinary Invention of Chinese
America (2010). The book is
about the life story of the Tape
family in San Francisco, California, circa 1885.
The story evolves around
a man and a woman who arrived separately from southern
China, but quickly adopted
western dress and customs by
their close associations with
Caucasian American benefactors. The two met, married
and became highly acculturated into American society.
Upon marrying, they changed
their native Chinese names to
Joseph and Mary Tape in order to signify to the world their
full transformation and identification with American norms
and Christianity.
“Real Americans called
people like the Tapes Ameri-
canized Chinese; today we
would call them Chinese
Americans,” said Ngai as she
made the distinction between
the politics of two different
historical moments.
For Ngai, the Tapes represented an example of ethnic
middle class social formation
and the immigrant story of
the American dream through
the rise of the merchant elite
and what she terms as “the
interpreter class of immigration and transportation agents,
labor contractors, language
interpreters, and people who
brokered everyday transactions
between immigrants and the
institutions of the host country.” Members of the Tape
family all made their living in
this way.
Pictures of the Tape family members were shown on a
slideshow during the presentation by Ngai throughout the
lecture as she talked about the
historical, political, economic,
and social aspects of their lives
at that time.
“Here we get a glimpse of
an aspect of immigration that
we don’t often think about –
immigration as a business,”
Ngai said.
Joseph Tape earned large
amounts of money from services and fees and became a
wealthy man. Brokers and
interpreters were a part of the
machinery of exclusion and exploitation, often profiting from
the deals made with host institutions and yet at the same
time championing the causes
of their people.
Ngai talked about racist
policies and attitudes against
early Chinese immigrants
through the Chinese exclu-
sion laws. In 1875, Congress
banned all Chinese and Japanese women from entering the
United States unless they were
pre-certified that they were not
prostitutes, said Ngai. “And
in 1882, Congress passed the
general Chinese exclusion law
barring all Chinese laborers
from the country.” These were
America’s most notorious race
laws and remained in force until WWII, according to Ngai.
Merchants and American born
Chinese were the only ones exempt from the laws.
Ngai also told the extraordinary stories of other members of the Tape family and
their roles in the history of
Chinese American civil rights.
They formed powerful organizations and they also brought
one of the first Chinese American civil rights cases to bear
in 1884 in the case of Tape v.
Hurley. The case involved yet
another act of Asiatic exclusion
when Mary Tape’s daughter
was barred from attending an
all white school because of xenophobic fears.
She fought and won the
case because such actions violated the 14th amendment of
the Constitution and the California state Constitution. She
also won on the argument that
Chinese paid school taxes. The
school board circumvented the
decision by establishing segregated schools for Chinese students only.
Other members of the Tape
family were “firsts” in many
roles of American society, both
professionally and in the community.
features
4 October 24, 2011
People On The Street
by Leslie Anselme
Do you think
Brooklyn College is
worth the tuition?
"No, the increase didn't make a big difference. We're
paying more but getting less than we did before."
Rasha nusrat
Business, Freshman
"Yeah, I like it because it's very small and not too
packed. The teachers are very relatable and I like the
small class sizes."
Dave Armstrong
Film Producton, Junior
"Yes, because it's a really good school with a really good
curriculum. The tuition' is not that high. I do think
they should bring back book vouchers though."
monifa barker
Psychology, Junior
theExcelsior
A Voice Unheard: The Story of Sarah Baartman
by Charmaine Nero
As you walk past the various
newsstands planted on nearly
every New York City street
corner, your quickly glance
at the typical, glamorous
celebrity-dominated covers
of Vogue, Marie Claire, and
Nylon stacked neatly in rows.
Suddenly, your gaze slows
down, as you hone in on hiphop magazines like XXL and
UNCUT, positioned nearby,
which feature an array of
scantily clad ethnic women
assuming provocative poses
you would never see on the
face of your average glossy. At
this point, you’re at a full stop,
your mouth hanging wide
open, half offended and half
unsure of what to feel at all.
The rise in the exploitation
of the female form, especially
in the context of AfricanAmerican women, is a
phenomenon that can be
traced back to the days of
Sarah Baartman, a Khoisan
woman from South Africa,
inappropriately nicknamed,
"The Hottentot Venus,"
whose
unprecedented
voluptuousness went on
to characterize the typical
build of African-American
females on the whole and
the subsequent overuse of
this eye-popping physicality.
On October 18th, the
Brooklyn College Women's
Center hosted an event
entitled, “Black Women
Film Festival: The Life and
Times of Sarah Baartman.”
The discussion was led
by Dr. Natasha GordonChipembere, a professor
of African Literature and
Women of the Diaspora
Literature at Medgar Evers
College, who holds a Ph.D. in
English from the University
of South Africa and edited
the book, The Representation
and Black Womanhood: The
Legacy of Sarah Baartman.
Dressed in a traditional
African
garment,
Dr.
Gordon-Chipembere began
the discussion by introducing
Zola Maseko’s documentary,
The Life and Times of Sarah
Baartman, which portrayed
the life of the Khoisan woman
who was taken from her home
in Cape Town, South Africa
in 1810 at the age of 20. It was
during this time that South
Africa was an epicenter for
European imperialism that
interrupted the community of
Khoisan people, treating them
as uncivilized, primitive beings.
Baartman’s body was
paraded around London,
mocked and lusted after in
freak shows. She was ridiculed
by her full physique, which
anatomically
speaking,
differed dramatically from
that of the naturally more
petite European woman. In
South Africa, Baartman was
just another Khoisan women,
celebrated for her bustier
features, but, in Europe, she
was labeled a freak of nature.
After her tour as a display
piece took to Paris, Baartman
gained another title: science
experiment. French scientist,
Georges Cuvier, who took
interest in Baartman's unusual
body type, conducted trials on
her that aimed to determine
whether or not the woman,
along with Khoikhoi women
of the same build, were in
some way linked to primitive
beings like the orangutan. It
was at these ravenous hands,
and in the name of unfounded
science, that Baartman died in
1815 at the tender age of 25.
However, for Baartman,
death brought her little more
peace than that which she knew
in life. Her brain and genitalia
were removed and preserved
in jars and her skeleton placed
on display in the Musee de
l'Homme in Paris, France.
Dr. Gordon-Chipembere
attributed her time spent
studying in Africa to her decision
to relinquish the stigma that
surrounded the condemnation
of Sarah Baartman and said,
on display: Sarah Baartman, under the nickname “The Hottentot
Venus,” was exhibited as a freak in traveling sideshows throughout
Europe. (Media Credit: Confederate Articles)
"Sarah Baartman has an
iconic image, spirit, story, and
people embrace her…She is the
spiritual mother of a nation."
In Zola Maseko's updated
documentary on the remains
of Sarah Baartman entitled,
The Return of Sarah Baartman,
he documents the journey of
South African activists who
vowed to set Baartman's soul
free and succeeded in doing
so by burying her remains in
2002 near the native lands of
the Khoikhoi in South Africa.
Yet, even with the victories
achieved by these activists,
Maseko, and other Baartman
proponents respectively, the
disparaging stigma of the
African-American woman still
exists in the public eye, which
Dr.
Gordon-Chipembere
attributes to the ever-present
negative depiction of these
women by public figures like
“voluptuous video vixen,”
Buffie "The Body," and the like
saying, "The media informs
how we develop these opinions
and the rest of the world acts
on these virtual images…
We must look into the legacy
in which black women are
represented
[positively]."
features
theExcelsior
Brooklyn Native Changes the World of Television Journalism
by Dominique Carson
Joseph Wershba, a former
Brooklyn College student who
went on to be a celebrated
television
journalist,
was
honored last Wednesday, in
an event held in the library’s
Woody Tanger Auditorium,
for his contributions to the
television journalism industry.
Dr. Kimberly Phillips, Dean
of the School of Humanities at
Brooklyn College, was excited,
as a historian with an interest
in American studies, and
proud to be part of an event
that honored Joseph Wershba,
but noted, “I am saddened
because we are talking about
him as his memory lives on;
his legacy is extra. Reporters
of the 20th century like Joe
shaped how we understand
news. My first encounter of
Joe was when he worked with
Fred Friendly and Edward R.
Murrow on See It Now. He was
the reporter that broadcasted
[about]
Senator
Joseph
McCarthy and communism
and I was fascinated.”
Wershba, along with his
wife, Shirley, were known
as distinguished figures in
journalism that paved the
way for subsequent television
journalists. The couple met
on the set of CBS News,
where Shirley was hired as a
junior writer and Joe a senior
writer, but was forced to keep
their subsequent marriage a
secret due to CBS regulations.
“Wershba helped change
broadcast journalism from the
early to mid-20th century. He
is especially well-known for the
launching of 60 minutes as one
of its six producers, but Shirley
was able to give us a sense of
her husband’s accomplishments
as his professional partner,”
said Phillips. “He was able to
put his career on the line on
certain issues, which represents
courage and his humility.”
President Karen Gould was
able to share her thoughts about
Joseph Wershba saying, “It’s an
encouraging moment to have
the opportunity to speak about
Joseph...When I read Shirley
Wershba’s bio as a producer
and writer, I was impressed
because she really aligned the
dots,’ said Gould. “Wershba
had many films that he
initiated or was involved in that
were the most [monumental]
moments; it changed what we
expect to see on television. He
impacted everyone in the fields
of journalism and television.”
A video tribute was dedicated
to Wershba, chronicling his
start as a Brooklyn native and
student journalist at Abraham
Lincoln High School to his
renowned career in television
journalism. Wershba liked
to call himself a “voracious
reader” because of his ability to
both read and write in English,
Yiddish, Hebrew, and French.
“I was involved and I knew
I was able to be a newspaper
writer because I was a sports
editor on my high school
newspaper, so I asked a young
woman who was the Editorin-Chief of the newspaper at
Lincoln, how do you apply for
a CBS job,” said Wershba in
the video tribute. “I’d written
news broadcast for CBS and,
one week later, I was hired as
a senior writer and I became
aware of television. I worked on
CBS projects, worked on film,
[I was] a columnist on the New
York Post, [I was] nominated
for a Pulitzer Prize for the
Lee Harvey Oswald story, and
worked on 60 minutes for twenty
years as one of the founding
producers on the show.”
Following
the
video
screening,
Assemblyman
Charles Lavine turned the
attention to Wershba’s wife.
He discussed how Joe and
Shirley were two journalists
that honored the principles
as news analysts in their
approach to expose Senator
McCarthy’s corrupt activities.
“Wershba’s
story
on
McCarthy was a story of
conflict yet it consists of hope,
freedom, and sacrifice to access
the superman that wanted
to rule the lesser people in
Europe. Wershba was able to
give the rule of law, spirit of
equality, and justice that was
able to bond everyone together
and give us a better future,” said
Lavine. “During the McCarthy
era, it was an environment in
which people, from relatives
to neighbors, were afraid to
walk out in the fear of shadow
itself. But, we were able to
stand up to McCarthy—and
the stakes could not have been
greater, but Shirley and Joe
were able to take us out of the
shadow. And you can see their
professional relationship as
producers and writers in Good
Night and Good Luck, during a
time where they had to pretend
to be single,” he continued.
Lavine also mentioned
Shirley’s contributions as a
journalist. Aside from being
a mother to her two children,
Donald Wershba and Randi
Wershba-Kornreich, she was
a writer and producer for CBS
Morning News, McNeil
Narrow Report, ABC Evening
News, and 60 Minutes.
“I don’t give speeches but
most people [ask] ‘how did
you and Joe meet?’ Well, Joe
and I met three times. First
time, he was a sports editor of
the Lincoln Log and I saw him
pass [by] in the hall. He was
tall with blond hair and blue
eyes and I said to myself, ‘what
a hunk.’ Second time, I was an
entering freshman at Brooklyn
College and he was an editor
for the Vanger Carpenter at the
time and I was submitting my
first piece and Joe said, ‘What
do you want me to do with it?’
The third time was at CBS
News when I was a junior and
the rest is history,” said Shirley.
She also added, “I wanted
to express my appreciation
for what he has done for our
country, but now I know
other people appreciate his
work and his being and I’m
grateful for that. Thank you.”
October 24, 2011 5
People On The Street
by Leslie Anselme
Do you think
Brooklyn College is
worth the tuition?
"Absolutely, I think that the education you get is on par
with other private universities. You can't compare it
in terms of price because Brooklyn College is a great
value."
william long,
Math, Senior
60 Minutes: Veteran CBS newsman Joseph Wershba’s legacy contains a body of work that has helped form television journalism as
we know it. (Media Credit: www.ongo.com)
This Crisis Is Not a Laughing Matter
by Melanie Goldberg
Under thirty, up to their ears
in loans, in search of a flexible job—that pretty much
describes the typical, evergrowing number of New York
City college students. However, it also happens to describe
the typical Times Square
Comedy
Club
promoter.
“It’s a good part time job,”
said Maria Yudkevich, 24. “All
you have to do is approach
anyone who looks young,
bored and not in a rush, because you don’t want to be
plowed down while on the job.”
Yudkevich, who noted that
a position as a club promoter
was one of the easiest jobs for
her to get, found PosterDog
Productions, the promoting company she worked for
throughout college, on Craigslist when she was just seventeen. After one phone call, she
was hired and ready to start
making New York City laugh.
“I chose this job because it
was hard to find anything else,”
she remembers. “Plus it looked
like it would be a lot of fun.”
And it was fun for a while.
Apart from the job itself,
Yudkevich loved the sense of
camaraderie and family that
existed at PosterDog. Eventually, she began to acknowledge her coworkers, who were
mostly college-aged men, like
they were her older siblings.
However, in the summer
of 2004, promoting companies
began exploiting the students’
need for seasonal employment
and, instead of paying the promoters hourly, they only paid
them based on commission. “It
was based on how many books
you sold. A book holds twenty
tickets. [If] you sold one to
three books, you got ten dollars. You sold four to five books,
you got twelve. And so it went
on,” continued Yudkevich.
It also depended on how
long you stayed with the company, she added. Any hope of
a raise was dependent on the
amount of time an individual
spent working for a company.
The explanation? Martin
O’Keefe, Yudkevich’s former
boss at PosterDog, explained
that since the students are all
paid off the books, their work
is considered “freelance work.”
O’Keefe works out deals with
comedy clubs who rely on him
and his team to sell the allotted amount of tickets they
allow him, the quantity of
which determines the amount
of commission he can pay his
works. Therefore, it becomes
the workers’ responsibility
to do whatever is possible to
rank high in performance.
“Some people don’t want to
rely on ‘the maybe I’m getting
paid today’ aspect. [But really] if you didn’t make money
that day, it’s no one else’s fault
but yourself,” said O’Keefe.
Besides, what being a promoter for a comedy club lacks
in stable pay, it makes up for
in perks. Since most employees are college students, they
enjoy benefits like free admission to all of the comedy shows
they promote and waived
drink fees. Employees can
also invite their friends who
only have to pay for drinks.
“It also gives them a firsthand look at the entertainment
business. When I used to work,
I used to sit in the clubs hoping
to see Jerry Seinfeld,” recalled
O’Keefe. “Instead, most of the
time, I’d just get rides home
with the people who are famous on Comedy Central now,
but were nobodies back then.”
O’Keefe acquired PosterDog from his previous employer about three years ago, after
working as his right-hand man
for five years. That was at the
beginning of the financial crisis
in 2008. He claims he took on
the company at its lowest performance and worked it back
up to be something prominent.
“[Comedy is] a real New
York thing. I think people
chose us over going out to the
movies [during the financial
crisis],” he adds. “So, in a way,
the crisis actually helped us.”
But he says that the tickets offered in Times Square
are never “really free” because
nobody is giving out free tick-
ets. However, even when New
Yorkers were feeling the pressures of the tough economic
climate, PosterDog knew to
expand its client pool to relieve some of that pressure.
“During the financial crisis the American dollar went
down,” he said. “So when that
goes down, tourism goes up. So
while New Yorkers were hurting, we just approached the
tourists and got them to come
to shows instead,” said Jorge
Olivo, PosterDog employee.
Olivo, O’Keefe’s righthand man, is a testament to
the success that comes with
hard work as a promoter.
“I work two jobs. I’m also a
concierge at a hotel. And I do
freelance art on the side. But
during the summer months I
can earn about $40-an-hour
doing promoting. There’s no
way I could make that much
doing anything else,” he said.
He also emphasized that
he’d been working for PosterDog for a while before reaching such a height in his salary and warned that most
people starting in promoting
won’t even make close to that.
But in this economy, it
seems students just might
take up any job they can get.
“It pays the bills and
it’s fun. And that’s what
counts right now,” he said.
"I don't pay it!"
jasmine castro,
Psychology, Sophomore
"Yes, because I'm in the biology department and I know
for a fact that you get the bang for your buck."
mohammad umair,
Biology, Senior
arts and entertainment
6 October 24, 2011
theExcelsior
The Weeknd's Mixtape Thursday Creates Perplexing Hedonist
by DOMINIQUE
DELGADO
There is something undeniably seductive about the idea of
mystery. No new R&B artist
embodies this more than the
ever-enigmatic phenomenon,
The Weeknd. Having released
his second mix-tape entitled
Thursday, The Weeknd’s popularity has been rapidly increasing, boasting up to 180,000
downloads since the first day of
it’s release on August 11, 2011
(on a Thursday, of course).
His departure from conventional musical elements that
dominate R&B music today is
daring and undoubtedly flawless. Indeed Weeknd’s allure is
unmatched in Thursday, and his
distinction among rising R&B
musicians is made clear by his
bold approach to the genre.
All this is fueled by his unique
lyrical character, which reveals
a perplexing individual habitually high on sex and drugs.
Thursday is riddled with
decadence and hedonist excess.
The Weeknd essentially glorifies these ideas. The song Life
of the Party is a prime example.
It maintains an irresistibly dark
and sinister mood. The song
encourages a woman to satisfy
the singer’s most raunchy desires by making her “the life of
the party.” Sinful and warped,
the song has a forbidden appeal
to it.
The pursuit of earthly pleasures dominates Thursday,
serving as one of its most important lyrical motifs. Gone is
a perfect example, but it is by
far the most drenched with
sexual intrigue.
The palpitating bass’s starting and stopping pulsation
adds to the definite excitement
of the hypnotizing song. The
Weeknd sings of the “hold” he
has on his lovers, strangely parallel to the grasp drugs has on
him (“gone from the codeine,
‘methazine, lean”). Gone lulls
and swells with intense sensu-
[
sadness that the lyrics express.
This dynamic is characteristic
of Thursday and lends to the
Weeknd’s ability to mystify
and confound his listeners.
In My Zone is probably The
Weeknd’s most well known
track from Thursday, thanks
primarily to the song’s featuring
of Weeknd’s super-star mentor,
Drake. Like many other songs
on the mixtape, Zone is slow
and deliberate in its execution.
Surreal and dreamlike, the listener can feel the numbness of
intoxication needed in order to
fulfill his lover.
" "One thing that will stun listeners is the utterly
provocative texture of the music that clashes with
sadness of lyrics"
ality and asserts the Weeknd’s
extraordinary skill as a moodsetter.
The mixtape gets its name
from the third track of the collection, a song vibrating with
an ethereal sensuality. The artist sings a passionate song to
a woman he will see “only on
Thursday.” Free love is a common, recurring idea in Thursday, however it is in no way
used in the traditional, fun
loving sense. One thing that
will stun the listener is the utterly provocative texture of the
music that clashes with the
“Imma touch you right/
just let me sip this slow/Imma
touch you right/ and get inside
my zone”. The need to feel the
numbness of intoxication in order fulfill his lover is perfect.
The soothing and otherworldly
feel is refreshing to a listener
who is used to the generic
“wham, bam, thank ya ma’am”
brand of R&B perpetuated by
artists like Trey Songz.
The most hooking song
was The Birds Part One.
“Don’t make me make you fall
in love with a n**** like me” is
the warning that he repeatedly
chants in this sexy serenade
to a woman who makes the
mistake of confusing love
with lust. The Weeknd will
seduce you with a stunning
command of vocals as well as
his astonishing message that
will definitely leave you craving more.
The Birds Part Two
stands in large contrast to
Part One’s cool, seemingly
unfeeling tone. The Weeknd
song speaks of the sympathy that he has for a woman
whose heart he has broken.
His choice of vocal inflection brings to mind the sensation of weeping and gives
the song a mourning quality.
The Weeknd’s complexity is
augmented once again with
this lamentation for his brokenhearted conquests.
The Weeknd has created
an unrivaled work of art in
Thursday. He presents himself
as an individual living moment by moment, enhanced
by his indulgence in drugs and
the bodies of women. Despite
this self-representation of a devout hedonist with no care for
a more substantial existence,
the Weeknd’s more emotional
and pained lyrics seem to suggest that he is dissatisfied with
his constant search for a new
source of pleasure. Perhaps
these “only on Thursday” trysts
are not satisfying a deeper desire. Whatever it’s meaning,
LIT UP: The sensual music contrasts the often regretful lyrics in
The Weeknd's new Mixtape, Thursday, making listeners wonder if Weeknd, is happy with his self-gratifying lifestyle. (Media
credit:www.hypertrak.com)
Thursday remains a beautiful of it and await the Weeknd’s
portrait of a mysterious, com- follow-up, Echoes of Silence,
plicated person who seems with great anticipation.
content with his chaos. I have
enjoyed every single minute
Wendy Williams Show Gutsy and True to Fans
byDOMINIQUE CARSON
Two weeks ago, after years
of trying, I attended a taping
of the Wendy Williams show.
FINALLY!
I had to get up at 5:30 a.m.
in order to attend the 8:00 taping since I was traveling from
East New York. I had to take
three trains to arrive on time,
but it was worth it. I had been
trying to get tickets to the
Wendy Williams show since I
was a sophomore in college but
certain circumstances (midterms, a severe thunderstorm,
tardiness on my behalf) got in
the way.
On that breezy autumn
morning, I was standing in
front of the lobby with about
40 people waiting to be called
to get inside the studio. Then,
out of the blue I was able to
geet my hands on a VIP ticket that allowed me entrance
to another room filled with
Dunkin Donuts treats to watch
the episode’s musical guests,
Grammy-award-winning gospel duo, Mary Mary perform.
It was a fan’s dream come true.
I didn't mind the wait because I am a fan of Williams’
blunt and hardworking personality. She is such a frank person, especially with her fans. I
was able to witness her deport-
ment once I arrived inside the
studio and saw the respect her
staff showed towards her. It
was clear that they all really
enjoy their jobs; it was like a
party on set. When you have
a passion for what you do, you
will be able to deliver extraordinary work in the long run.
First, the show’s handsome
“entertainer,” Kevin Thompson
along with the DJ entertained
everyone in the audience as
the show’s producers, writers,
directors, special guests, and
host were getting ready for
the show. The dynamic playlist included an eclectic mix of
old and new school music. The
music pushed people to get up
out of their seats and dance,
clap their hands, and enter the
world of happiness.
Williams stepped into the
studio and was overwhelmed
with the love she received from
her fans. She instantly burst
into tears, stating, “You know I
am very sensitive and I am not
afraid to cry on my show.”
With a “Here’s Wendy,”
and an exaggerated “How
you doin’” the talk show host
kicked off the show with her
trademark “hot topics,” and introduced actress/model, Brooke
Shields. Shields discussed her
long career, her children, and
her highly publicized former
Happy crew: Entertainer Kevin Thompson and audience await Wendy Williams. Her blunt but downto-earth persona creates a warm and pleasant atmosphere. (Media Credit: Wendy Williams Show)
lovers. Speaking to Shields
seemed to be an easy task for
Williams.
The host is so grateful to
her fans for having remained
supportive as she took the step
from radio hosting into daytime television.
Now, she is known called a
drama queen that likes to gossip about celebrities. However,
she speaks the truth and tells
it like it is. She is bold and her
gutsy comments are truthful
and daring.
You can love or hate her,
but you have to respect her as
a television journalist that can
dig deep into celebrity lives
and air out their dirty laundry,
while remaining true to herself.
interested in critiquing popular culture, or reviewing a book, album
or show?
email:
ARTS@BrooklynExcelsior.Com
theExcelsior
arts and entertainment
October 24, 2011 7
Eco-Friendly Trend Featured at Fashion Week
by RIANA
SHERWOOD
Over the past few years a
great deal of attention has been
given to sustainability regarding science, food and cars, but
lately sustainability has reached
the fashion world. Difficult to
imagine what sustainability
and fashion have to do with
one another, a new trend referred to as Sustainable Fashion is emerging. This style promotes using environmentally
friendly methods and materials
to produce clothing.
The most recent buzz came
from the New York City Fashion Week Night Out that happened on September 8. The
event, which kick-starts Fashion Week, featured designers
that had co-friendly collections.
Designer Stella McCartney's
spring/summer 2012 collection
was popular among viewers in
New York this year because of
her creative ways of producing
clothing. McCartney is one of
the designers taking an initiative to design clothing that is
eco-friendly. In addition to using biodegradable materials to
ship her products, McCartney
refuses to use leather or fur in
the production of her clothing.
According to ecouterre.com
Stella McCarty is also launching a new line of sunglasses
that is made of natural and renewable materials.
Another designer taking
initiatives to become sustainable is New York based designer Tara St. James. She unveiled
her collection of "zero waste
pieces" featuring ready to wear
clothing for the Fall/winter
2011 season. Using what ecouterre calls “recycled fabrics and
hand-kint fabrics”, Jame’s line
of clothing called Study, has
created a look that revolves
around styles that a fashion
conscious student might wear.
The featured jewelry of
Fashion Night Out was designed by DLC Brooklyn,
creatively designed by Susan
Domelsmith, who recycles old
jewelry and gems into new and
beautiful accessories. DLC
Brooklyn and Study are both
Eco-friendly designers using
recycled materials or environmentally friendly materials.
These new fashions are trying to counteract the negative
effects that the production of
clothing has had on the environment. Using leather goods
as well as the consumption
of natural resources to make
clothing are all excess means
of producing clothing. In addi-
tion, clothing that is made in
other countries often violates
labor laws when their company
is outsourcing.
In addition, the current
trend of buying clothing from
stores that are labeled as “Fast
Fashion” is an unessential expense as Fast Fashion clothes
are not meant to last very long.
Ever notice that at “Fast Fashion” stores like H&M, Zara,
and Forever 21, that they have
new clothing every week? This
trend is geared mostly toward
young women, who are always
moving and refuse to be seen
in the same outfit twice.
Other forms of sustainable
fashion are appearing in issues
of teen vogue magazine. The
“Do It Yourself ” section has
designers explain to readers
how to make jewelry, clothing and other accessories out
of things you may already have
in your room. Clothing items
that could be considered Sustainable are not dated and can
be used over a long period of
time.
Earthy look: Stella McCartney's new clothing line promotes fashion that is both attractive and environmentally conservative .
.:(Media Credit: neveradullday.com)
Looking into OWS; Are Civil Rights Being Violated by Censoring Music?
by yvonne juris
“An outgrowth of the fundamental civil right of freedom
of speech is the freedom of
expression. After all, what is
art but a medium that allows
for artists to recreate through
painting, raps tracks, music or dance, a version of how
they perceive the world? But
when art goes beyond the purist means of ‘art for art’s sake’
and is used to defend a political position, art goes beyond
expression and becomes a platform tool. Yet, does the usage
of art in a political form or social movement subjugate art to
scrutiny or censorship? As the
Occupy Wall Street movement
is being assailed by Community Board 1 for its disruptive
and unnecessary drumming
and music making, the movement is bracing itself for what
may be a direct violation of
civil rights.
Last Thursday I was privileged to go to the impromptu
community board meeting that
convened to address the growing animosity between the
demonstrators of Zuccotti Park
and nearby residents. The New
York State Assembly room was
filled with over 100 people,
the close quarters of protestors and residents making for a
tense atmosphere. Police were
on guard, and major news stations had their cameras swirl-
ing around the room to catch
glimpses of the outbursts between the community and the
occupiers.
Attendees who wished to
speak signed their name on a
sheet and were called up to the
microphone to give their opinion within the one minute time
limit. A common complaint
amongst families residing in
the area near Wall Street was
that the drumming, chanting,
music and hygienic conditions
of Wall Street were disturbing
family life and invading personal space.
“Try to organize,” said one
resident. “Try to coexist. We
can’t take our children out of
the house. We may support you
in principle, but that’s not what
we are here to discuss.’”
In addition, the traumatizing effects of the World Trade
Center was spoken about by
many residents, who believe
that the occupiers are being
insensitive to the needs and
struggles that many residents
have already undergone.
“You are not in Zuccotti
Park,” said Steve Abrimson,
addressing protestors. “You are
not in Liberty Park. You are
a half a block away from the
World Trade Center. This is
a historic site. The drumming
is so loud. We have families
here.”
Abrimson questioned protestors’ actions in accordance
with the “good neighbor policy,” which was adopted by the
general assembly of the Occupy Wall Street movement to
follow “respectful and goodfaith dialogue with members
of the local community which
has been rebuilding since the
trauma of 9/11.” The policy
prohibits alcohol, excessive
drumming, and “zero tolerance
for violence or verbal abuse towards anyone”.
However, as the movement
has grown in numbers and
momentum, the drumming
and music has grown exponentially. Loud and inciting music
that includes drumming, bugles, saxophones and chanting
are becoming integral to the
movement, both as a means of
expression and as a rallying of
the people. Sometimes going
on until 11 PM, the music creates a sense of solidarity that is
celebratory in nature.
“Despite what the one percent says I am a human being,”
said drummer and occupier
Ashley Nicole. “It’s primarily
a commercial arena” The comment about the commerciality
of the community caused an
eruption of shouts and cursing,
but Nicole went on.
“How many people here are
the one percent? Wall Street
was built by slaves. Drumming
was part of the revolution, and
needs to continue”.
Trying to sway the board
away from limiting music, one
Wall Street resident sided with
the protestors’ right to dissent.
“This is the greatest thing that
has happened,” he said. “We as
neighbors owe a responsibility.
I’m a 67-year-old civil rights
lawyer. This is bigger than ourselves”.
Despite pleas from occupiers to not impinge upon the
rights of musicians, the meeting ended with the community board’s unanimous vote to
limit “drums, trumpets, tambourines, bugles and air horns
to two hours a day” as well as
other resolutions that included
using “bathrooms off-site to
eliminate use of retail shop and
residential building doorways
as restroom facilities”.
Where that leaves the
musicians is yet to be seen. If
the resolution is approved by
elected officials, the NYPD
will have the right to prohibit
and arrest those who do not
stop their music-making. The
resolution drafted by Community Board 1 has been sent to
elected officials that represent
Lower Manhattan.
music-rousers: Music, banners, and drumming have become intregral to the OWS Movement. If music is limited to
two hours per day, will musicians rights be infiringed upon?
Photo Credit: Yvonne Juris)
A Special congrats to the Cast, Crew and Directors for a
Phenomenal run of the "In the Next Room; or the Vibrator Play."
opinions
The content on this page
reflects the opinions of
the writers. Not those of
the Excelsior or its editorial board.
8 October 24, 2011
Iraq Pullout Goes Half Measure
by joe Parziale
Eight-plus years after one
of the largest travesties in the
history of American presidency
landed us in Iraq, the man who
vowed to end that same war
three years ago has declared
that the troops stationed there
will be “home for the holidays.”
4,400 lives and trillions of dollars later, the saga has ended.
The skeptical – and likely
prevalent – point of view will
be that Barack Obama is simply checking off another box
on his list of “Good Things I’ve
Done as President,” which he
will formally present to the nation sometime before Election
Day in 2012. Osama Bin Laden is dead. Col. Muammar elQaddafi – thanks or no thanks
to NATO air strikes (it doesn’t
seem to matter at this junction)
– is dead.
A plan has been proposed
to fix the economy, and if that
doesn’t work, the president can
use bitter Congress partisanship as a point of culpability.
And now this. No matter
the possible ulterior motives
at hand, the move slows the
hemorrhaging of money from a
country that is now broke and
disillusioned, and brings to an
end the inevitability of more
senseless deaths.
So how does Obama show
his teeth, and show that the
end of the war is more than
just a metaphorical stop on the
campaign trail? Look 1,000
miles or so east, past Iran (and
please be sure to look past Iran),
at the other 95,000 uniformed
Americans. Take a long, hard
look. And think about wheth-
er maybe it’s time for them to
come home, too.
It may be an unrealistic
imploration. The sudden Iraq
pullout doesn’t have a fan in
everyone. Mitt Romney has already capitalized on the angle
that Obama pulled the plug on
an incomplete mission, and that
all the aforementioned lives
and dollars were for nothing.
His campaign issued a statement after the announcement
that the operation has been an
"astonishing failure to secure
an orderly transition in Iraq."
Whether true or not, our
biggest failure was to try to establish order in the first place.
Does Romney think we should
also storm the ground with
troops in Libya while they try
to piece together a government? How about in Tunisia?
Or Egypt?
If Ali Abdullah Saleh is
taken out of the picture for
good in Yemen, or Bashar alAssad in Syria, should we then
make it a priority to make sure
those countries have a sustainable future? How about a
siege against Al-Shabaab in
Somalia? If suicide missions
are agreeable, why not go full
measure?
The money that has been
flushed down the toilet in Iraq
and Afghanistan is now buried
deep in a sewage system somewhere under sand and blood,
never to be recovered. Restless
demonstrators in Zuccotti Park
(and subseuqently elsewhere)
are creating a stir, and whether
you agree with their dissent or
not, they are undoubtedly reflective of a general dissatisfaction with our economic state of
affairs.
Removing troops from
the Middle East is certainly
not an utterly comprehensive
solution to the government’s
fiscal dilemmas. But saving
billions of dollars a day probably wouldn’t hurt. Most importantly, though, pulling out
of Afghanistan would create a
perceptible pattern.
During debt ceiling deliberations, the president reprimanded Congress for an inability to put polarizing party
values behind them for the
good of the country. If he wants
to show that he is willing to
do something truly beneficial
in spite of potential political
backfire, he will stand for a
more neutral United States.
And he won’t just do it
because it’s the only maneuver that makes financial sense.
He’ll do it to set a precedent
for every leader that follows
him. He’ll do it because he
knows that some business interests aren’t worth the lives
of his own people, and that
involvement in one country’s
affairs almost never means involvement in the affairs of that
country alone.
The war in Iraq has ended.
And so a new war should begin: a war against intrusion,
and digging holes so deep that
we can no longer even tell why
we first brought the shovel out
of the shed. It may be wishful
thinking. Wishful thinking
and practical thinking, though,
are not always mutually exclusive concepts.
NYPD Surveillance Reminiscent of Gideonse
soliciting silence: During his tenure, former BC
President Harry Gideonse
was known for restricting the
dissemination of left-leaning
views (Media Credit: Flickriver.
com).
By Robert Cherry
There has been much concern, if not condemnation, of
reports of government actions
that have profiled Muslim organizations because of the link
between individual Muslims
and terrorist actions. It might
be useful to look at a similar
situation: the link between
Jews and communism.
During the 1930s and
1940s, Jews represented a majority of members of communist
parties throughout the world,
including the United States.
In many places, the term “Jewcommunist” was commonly
used. Indeed, Brooklyn College was called the “little Red
school house,” leading then
President Gideonse to conduct
a house-cleaning of left-leaning
faculty in the early 1950s; and,
in order to demonstrate their
loyalty to American values, for
the leading Jewish-American
organization, the American
Jewish Committee, to work
with the FBI to combat communism and support the legallynching of the Rosenbergs.
Though Jews were a majority of members of communist
organizations, they represent
a miniscule share of all Jews.
Similarly, though virtually all
foreign terrorists are Muslim,
they represent a miniscule
share of the Muslim-American
population.
For defenders of profiling,
this is misleading. During
the 1930s and 1940s, though
not members, large sections
of the Jewish population were
sympathetic to communism
ideals and communist leaders. For example, in New York
City, the black communist Ben
Davis was elected to the city
council on the basis of Jewish
votes. Similarly, there is some
evidence that a substantial section of the Muslim-American
population is unwilling to
combat Muslim-led terrorist
organizations. Very troubling
to many is its attitude to the
9/11 events.
A comprehensive 2007
Pew survey asked this question:
“Did groups of Arabs carry out
the 9/11 attacks?” It surveyed
Muslim Americans: 47 percent
considered themselves Muslim
first and 28 percent considered
themselves Americans first.
(The fact that a plurality of
Muslims put their religion be-
With Occupy Wall Street, It's Not the Details that Matter
are either missing the point or
trying to sell something—or
both. Occupy Wall Street is a
multifaceted, all encompassing,
“Come all ye weary and heavy
laden” kind of movement. It is
beyond the scope of any magazine, blog, or paper to offer an
all-encompassing overview of
Occupy Wall Street, especially
this early in the game.
The origin of the movement
itself is quite telling. Twitter, the social media platform
renowned for users’ ability to
rapidly disseminate information, is responsible for the birth
of the movement, as well as the
sharp swell in participants, and
continues to be a major communication and organization
platform for occupants and
supporters.
Thus, Occupy Wall Street
is, as the unofficial website
states, a “horizontally” organized movement, focusing the
frustrations of many into an
identifiable movement. One
month ago, the use of “organized” and “Occupy Wall
my ninety-nine: While critics point to the lack of focus among Occupy Wall Street protestors, Street” in the same sentence
it is its momentum and spirit rooted in dissent that really has people's attention (Media Credit: would have been laughable.
IBtimes.com).
This is not to say the movement
by emory sullivan
is now completely streamlined,
curiousness, or crazed support want.
but identifiable objectives, as
Malleable enough to bend bordering on anti-rationalistic
While many journalists well as organized protests and
into whatever context one propaganda, playing more to have done an excellent job at walks in other parts of Manwishes, the “We are the ninety- emotion or cultural, political
nine percent!” slogan has come and economic myths.
to be ubiquitously adopted by
Many critics sneer at the
Occupy Wall Street protesters. irony of a Starbucks-sipping,
The movement has garnered iPhone-toting,
Urban-Outattention through headlines in fitters-clad mass of twentythe biggest news outlets and somethings decrying the greed
spawned imitations all over the of unchecked capitalism while writing objective and insightful hattan have risen from the
world.
inadvertently (or perhaps not) pieces, critics and supporters chaos.
But when sifting through buying directly into it. Oth- alike have endeavored to either
Unofficial objectives target
the various articles published ers question the effectiveness tease apart what they consider what presumably are the causes
during the past month, much of OWS, saying efforts might the fallacious motives of the of middle- and lower-class
of the buzz the movement has be better spent elsewhere. Still mainstream movement or make woes, including the prosecution
created can be defined as dis- others are trying to figure out it into something marketable, of those who were responsible
missive disapproval, cautious exactly what the protestors respectively. Both initiatives for the 2008 crash; the repeal
[
theExcelsior
of a law allowing corporations
to funnel massive amounts of
money into elections, effectively “buying” elections; and the
elimination of “personhood”
status for corporations.
How familiar protestors
are with said objectives is perhaps a bit unclear. No one can
deny the many surveys done
which illuminate a sharp contrast between individual motives for protesting and those
of the movement as a whole.
But this is due largely to what
has been dubbed the “trickle
down effect.” Less educated
participants are aware only of
how they personally are affected, whether that be the lack of
college affordability, the loss of
jobs, or the declining affordability of the middle-class lifestyle.
When appraising Occupy
Wall Street for its validity and
effectiveness, it’s important
to judge the movement as a
whole. The occupywallst.org
website gives the impression
that the self-appointed leaders have done their research
and are taking the steps they
believe necessary to legitimize
the movement and focus its energy and momentum to make
this country a better place. And
whether or not you agree with
It is beyond the scope of any magazine, blog, or newspaper to offer an all encompassing overview of the
specific agenda of Occupy Wall Street.
Occupy Wall Street, it’s difficult to find fault with that.
fore their country is consistent
with other religious groups.)
Among those who considered themselves Muslim first,
only 28 percent answered “yes”
while 40 percent answered “no.”
Among those who considered
themselves American first, 61
percent answered “yes” while
20 percent answered “no.”
History has shown that
the broad linking of Jews with
communism was harmful to
civil liberties and profoundly
conflicted with American ideals.
I, for one, am disgusted
every time I pass the library
and see Gideonse name on it.
Some defenders of current U.S.
surveillance policies will argue
that Muslim terrorist organizations have greater sympathies
in the Muslim community than
communism had in the Jewish
community; and that today’s
terrorism is a greater threat to
the United States than postwar
communism. However, even if
these rationales are true, one
should pause before embracing
anti-civil liberties actions that
proved so harmful in the past.
Robert Cherry is a professor of
Economics at Brooklyn College
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I am not a morning person.
When my alarm blares at whatever ungodly hour it has been set,
my eyes remain tightly shut as I
let out an audible sigh of discontent because, at this point in the
day, anything more phonetically
coherent than that is just impossible. I’m lucky I can even walk
right now.
So I stumble around my
room in the dark and, still blind,
down a steep flight of stairs. My
parents, in their respective places
at the dining room table, abruptly end their conversation. “That’s
right,” I think, “Not before my
first cup.” I beeline for the stove
and light a fire under the burnished metal coffee pot that
grunts and mumbles—“I totally
get what you’re saying”—as it
sends a violent eruption of brown
bubbles up into its contained lid.
Crisis averted. I fill up my mug
while some morning news report
drones on in the background.
From the corner of my eye,
I can see my mother tensed up
at her seat. Her eyes anticipating my every move, holding her
breath as if one single, superfluous puff of carbon dioxide might
throw me off course delaying, for
an extra second, our morning
routine. The instant the ceramic
rim makes contact with my bottom lip; she releases a gusty sigh
of relief and breaks the silence,
“Did you hear about what they’re
saying about [insert story of the
day here]?”
I’m starting to feel like the
coffee pot, boiling to the top, but,
this time, on a morning where I
am especially tired and especially
grumpy, without its protective
covering.
“And who are ‘they’?” I reply through gritted teeth. “The
news,” she says with a puzzled
look, shrugging her shoulders
like it’s a no-brainer. “Oh. So that
must make it true then.” I snap
before leaving the room, my head
hanging so low that the possibility of drowning in my morning
cup of Joe is a distinct possibility,
a welcomed escape, from something that really drives me up the
wall: the unabashed use of the
amorphous “they.”
Then I realize, my mother
isn’t alone in her innocent trust of
the media. In fact, it is this very
trust, or maybe complacency, of
which we’re all guilty. But let me
be brief in reminding you of the
obvious: just because something
has been published on newsprint, talked about on air or radio
waves, or blogged about doesn’t
make it true.
Not only should we, as informed citizens, make it our
business to always assign a specific source to a story we choose
to discuss, while considering all
of the implications and affiliations that come equipped with
that source, but we should also be
aware that the validity of a story
does not entirely exist in who or
what reports it, but, rather, in the
actual content that is being reported on.
It takes a second of forethought—and a quick survey over
the extensive history of scandals
in false journalism—to realize
that just because the media was
set up to be America’s watchdog,
doesn’t mean that it’s not, for example, throwing a bone or two to
someone with the buying power
to kill a story that doesn’t serve
his interests.
Yes, we should place our trust,
to some extent, on the journalists
working to disseminate pressing,
need-to-know information, but
we would do well to take everything we hear with a grain of salt.
Put simply: don’t settle for one
person’s word, but, instead, read
widely and put into practice this
learned policy of backing up your
claims, whether just for your personal knowledge or at the request
of another.
So, the next time you feel so
inclined to refer to this nebulous “they” as the only means of
validating the truth in the words
about to come out of your mouth,
stop yourself and consider the
above.
I might sound annoyed, but,
like I said, I’m not a morning
person.
T.B.
sports
theExcelsior
The Mighty Red Sox Collapse
By David beltran
After a historically bad
collapse in September, the
Red Sox organization is having another collapse of sorts
after allegations were made
of players drinking beer and
owner John Henry publicly
criticized the signing of star
outfielder, Carl Crawford.
The Red Sox season ended on a low note after losing
the American League Wild
Card on the last game of the
season and weeks later parting ways with their long tenured manager, Terry Francona. Soon after Francona
left a Boston Globe report
came out claiming three
of Boston’s starting pitchers were drinking, playing
video games and eating fried
chicken during games they
weren’t pitching in. Francona
has denied that any drinking
went on in the dugout but
said he wasn’t aware of what
happened in the clubhouse.
The alleged players involved in the scandal are
pitchers Josh Beckett, Jon
Lester, and John Lackey.
Bob Hohler of the Boston
Globe claims people in the
Red Sox organization told
him the pitchers started
these practices late last season and carried over into
this past season. Ironically,
early this year, the Red Sox
starting pitchers were in a
country music video called,
“Hell Yeah, I Like Beer.”
Beckett’s former manager,
Jack Mckeon, said he used
to lock the clubhouse door
because Beckett would go to
the clubhouse for a drink or
to hang out. Whether or not
the pitchers actually drank
beer is still unconfirmed but
something definitely affected
their performances in September. Beckett, Lester, and
Lackey went a combined 2-7
with a 6.45 earn run average
during the month of September.
Francona admitted he
wasn’t able to motivate his
players late in the season and
lost influence with the team.
Star hitter, David Ortiz,
publicly questioned Francona’s decision to not move
reliever Alfredo Aceves into
the starting rotation. Last
year, first basemen Kevin
Youkilis publicly questioned
teammate Jacoby Ellsbury
for not being with the team
to show support while he was
injured. Last week Ortiz, a
Boston fan favorite, caused
some controversy by telling
the media he’d be willing to
join the Yankees. Ortiz is a
free agent but he was a key
contributor to the Red Sox
World Series team. Signing with the rival Yankees
would not go down well in
Beantown.
Amidst all the controversy, general manager Theo
Epstein signed a five year
deal with the Chicago Cubs
despite still having one year
left on his contract with the
Red Sox. One of Epstein’s
major signings was that of
Carl Crawford. According
to Hohler, ownership was
unsure of whether to sign
Crawford as they already
had a speedy, and relatively
cheap, outfielder in Ellsbury.
Crawford had a terrible season
Theo Epstein’s run as
Red Sox general manager
led the team to their first
World Series trophy in 86
years in 2004 and a second
in 2007. Even with Francona and Epstein gone, the
Red Sox are still a contender
in the A.L. East. If the new
manager can get a few new
signings and a reunited clubhouse it could push the Red
Sox back atop the A.L. East
and potentially back to the
World Series.
October 24, 2011 10
World Series Showdown
By faraz toor
After game three of the
2011 World Series on Thursday night, the St. Louis Cardinals lead the Texas Rangers 2-1. Two teams that
statistically are not the best,
are the only ones left standing because they have been
the hottest teams in the
postseason.
So far, the World Series
has been even better than
advertised. After the AL and
NL Championship Series,
these teams have a few concurring elements to describe
their game of play: lineup
and bullpen. Texas scored 39
runs in the six games against
the Detroit Tigers, posting a
1.32 bullpen ERA; St. Louis scored 43 runs in the six
games against the Milwaukee Brewers, posting a 1.88
bullpen ERA. What really
has made the World Series
even better than advertised
is their starting pitching.
Both the Rangers and
Cardinals’ starting rotations were horrendous in the
League Championships Series. The Rangers’ rotation
posted a 6.59 ERA while the
Cardinals’ rotation posted a
7.66 ERA and Chris Carpenter is the only Cardinals
starter with a postseason win
in 2011 so far. Fortunately
the starting pitchers have
been stellar so far in the Fall
Classic. The two aces, C. J.
Wilson and Chris Carpenter, matched up for an entertaining pitcher’s bout in
game one. The game was
held scoreless into the bottom of the 4th because of the
great pitching of Wilson and
Carpenter. Both held two of
the best playoff offenses to
no more than five hits, and
while Carpenter would only
give up two runs and win
the game, Wilson only gave
up three and kept his team
within a run of the Cardinals. Then in game two these
two drowsy rotations pitched
even better. Colby Lewis and
Jaime Garcia kept the bats
from scoring until the bottom of the seventh inning,
with Lewis giving up only
one run over six and twothirds innings pitched and
Garcia not allowing a single
run over seven innings. This
was starting pitching that
neither team even seemed
capable of in the postseason.
The Cardinals and Rangers ranked 12th and 13th in
the MLB in team ERA,
with respective ERAs of
3.74 and 3.79; the Cardinals
were 10.5 games out of the
wild card on August 24; the
Rangers were one less win
from being the number three
seed in the postseason. They
are not the best teams and
they have some major flaws
in their play, but they have
made it this far because they
got hot at the right time.
Since September 1st, the
Cardinals have gone 26-13
and the Rangers have gone
27-10 in that same time. No
other teams have better records during that time. You
can be the most dominating
and successful team in the
long 162 game regular season, like the Philadelphia
Phillies, but if you are cold
in the postseason, you are
going to lose.
Both the Cardinals and
Rangers saved their best
baseball for the end when it
counts the most, when they
have the fewest chances to
mess up. They may not have
the best pitching, defense,
or the most stacked lineups,
but they know how to forget
all their flaws and just find
a way to win. That’s their
championship theory. And
here they are in the World
Series.
UTTER COLLAPSE: Boston catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia
looks disappointed as he watches the Red Sox postseason
dreams slip away. (Media Credit: Associated Press)
Home run: St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols hits a threerun home run during the sixth inning of Game 3 of baseball's World Series against the Texas Rangers (Media Credit:
Associated Press)
Women's Volleyball Sweeps Purchase on Senior Night
By heather
zwillenberg
On an emotional senior
night in the West Quad
Building the Brooklyn
College Women’s Volleyball
team beat the Purchase
College Panthers in three
straight sets by the scores
of 25-15, 25-22, and 25-12.
To start off the festivities
Freshman Daniza Pina
and Junior Ama Thomas
sang the National Anthem
and then head coach
Joanne Riggs delivered an
emotional speech thanking
seniors Caitlin McMullen
and Iris Clopton-Robinson
for their contributions to the
Bulldogs over the last four
years. During the ceremony
the crowd in attendance
heard speeches from Thomas
and Junior Electra Tlesford
about the two seniors and
what it has meant to be
their teammate. At the
conclusion of the ceremony
McMullen and CloptonRobinson received a bouquet
of flowers and a framed
action shot of themselves.
“It was very emotional
Caitlin [McMullen], I have
coached her since she was a
freshman same thing with
Iris
[Clopton-Robinson],
it is very fulfilling to see
them
complete
their
studies and their volleyball
careers here too, it was
very
touching,”
Riggs.
In the first set the Bulldogs
fell behind 3-2 in the very
beginning, but they would
not look back from that
point on. After Riggs took
a timeout the Bulldogs went
on a 14-1 run. The Bulldogs
would not relinquish the
lead for the rest of the set.
“I think I took a timeout
right before that and I just
[
in the lineup after a big win
I think we beat them 2515 we had a 10 point lead
on them so you tend to sit
back a little bit,” said Riggs.
In the third set the
Bulldogs and Panthers
played to an 11 all tie before
the Bulldogs went on a 14-1
It was senior night we had a nice crowd
and the seniors wanted nothing else but
to win in three.
told them to make the other
team play up to them,” said
Riggs. “I wanted them to
keep their level high and don’t
look back and thats really
what we did, and Kathy’s
[Chu] serving was just
outstanding so she went on a
personal best run herself so it
was good,” Riggs continued.
The second set was a back
and fourth battle between
the Bulldogs and Panthers.
With eight lead changes
the Bulldogs struggled to
put away the Panthers until
the very end. To close out
the set the Bulldogs went
on a 6-2 run. Coach Riggs
chocked up the struggles
to a change in the lineup
and being too laid back.
“I made some changes
run. Chu would again show
off her great serving, as she
served the final 11 points
of the set with four Aces.
Winning the Match in three
straight sets the BC Women
accomplished their goal.
“It was senior night we had
a nice crowd and the seniors
wanted nothing else but
to win in three, Said Riggs
“That was their goal because
they want to have cake,”
Riggs continued with a laugh.
With the win the Bulldogs
improved to 4-1 at home
and 11-8 overall. While
the Bulldogs have played
well at home, they have
struggled on the road with
a record of 3-5. According
to Coach Riggs the reason
the Bulldogs have struggled
senior night: Seniors Caitlin McMullen and Iris CloptonRobinson were honored for their contributions to the Bulldogs over the past four years. (Media Credit: Damion Reid)
on the road is the level of
competition has been tough.
With only a few regular
season matches to play, the
Bulldogs will be getting
ready to host the first playoff
match in school historyst on
Tuesday November 1 at
seven o’clock at night. Going
forward Riggs hopes to
have success in the playoffs.
“This is going to be the
first year ever the women’s
volleyball team is hosting
a playoff game, so moving
forward is to get through the
first round of the playoffs,”
said Riggs, "We have a
couple of tough matches
the next two Saturdays, we
have Baruch on Tuesday. It’s
going to be tough the rest
of our season is going to be
very tough it should prepare
us for playoffs semifinals,
and hopefully the finals.”
Interested in
writing for
the sports
section?
Contact the
Sports
Editor,
Shaina
Auxilly, at
sports@
brooklyn
excelsior.com