Author: Sara Blair Matthews

Colette Brottman

Writer

I am deeply concerned about the events downtown in the recent weeks. Last year, when I walked down St. Catherine’s during one weekend, I could hear the music booming in the houses, people singing to Taylor Swift or old 90s jams, and people moving along the streets. During the past two weekends, I walked down St. Catherine’s and felt nervous. There was no music, no people milling around, but rather there were police cars parked throughout the street, and policemen following me as I walked back to my room.

I have heard many stories in the past couple days about people being harassed by the Buffalo Valley Regional Police Department (BVRPD), and a tale about a questionable undercover policeman entering households hosting parties. I am gravely concerned that University students are unaware of their rights. I feel that the police are taking advantage of this lack of knowledge, and students are getting put in harm’s way.

There has been an increase in reported sexual assaults and hospitalizations for upperclassmen. I see two ways to look at this. The first is that there is a serious problem on campus that needs a solution. But the way the police and administration have dealt with the issue is inappropriate, and I am disappointed in the disconnect between students and the administration. As a member of the University I feel like my voice has been silenced, and the school I chose to attend is being taken away from me. The second way to look at these increases, though, is pride that students are finally doing the right thing by reporting assaults and calling for help. With the new amnesty policy, students are more comfortable calling for help, and with the hard work of various sexual abuse awareness groups, students feel more comfortable speaking up.

This University is my home, and in that home I have a voice. We all have a voice. I urge every member of this University to briefly review their rights, email University President John Bravman, and open up discussion about these issues. I am not denying that there is an alcohol abuse problem at the University, or on college campuses in general, but the way it has been dealt with in the last few weeks has been more harmful than beneficial. We should be concerned about the direction our school is headed, because I’m starting to feel like I’m living in George Orwell’s “1984.”

Tom Bonan 

Contributing Writer

Throughout the current season of the Congressional Circus, now entering its fifth year, one obvious fact is that everyone must bear some responsibility for the inaction that is plaguing our legislature. 

First, the culture of obstructionism on the part of the GOP is probably the most significant issue at hand. Harry Reid, in his six and a half years as Senate Majority Leader, has had to face over 400 filibusters, effectively curbing his ability to push legislation from the House or to promote his own legislative agenda. As a point of reference, Lyndon Johnson, who is considered one of the most effective Senate Majority Leaders in history, faced the filibuster once between 1955 and 1961, the year he resigned.

Meanwhile, House Republicans voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act 41 times as of the beginning of September. This unruly behavior has completely stopped the GOP from being a legitimate opposition party since they do not actively promote an agenda other than blocking legislation. Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell stated it himself when he said to the National Journal in 2010 that his “number one priority is making sure Barack Obama’s a one term president.”

Lacking the ability to lead within the House and the Senate, the party’s main voice is the president, who has come up short on almost every issue since he took office in 2009, not always to his own fault. Recently, there were many instances in which his response added legitimacy to the outrageous claims of the GOP. The “Birther” incident and his defensive reaction to the storming of the Libyan Embassy in September of 2012 distract the nation from debating appropriate issues.

Furthermore, Obama’s passivity on issues such as immigration and education reform–the main focus of his 2013 State of the Union Address–has lead to the complete withdrawal of those issues from national debate. This all adds to the continuance of the economic problems that have not been adequately addressed in recent legislative sessions.

The cyclical nature of congressional turmoil–with one party obstructing, leading to the other party not being able to consider legislation–becomes strikingly obvious. It’s not clear how this issue can be resolved, as the federal government has never faced factious behavior this severe before, but two clear facts remain: the nation cannot be governed by obstruction, nor can it be governed through passive legislature.

Dylan Yuska

Contributing Writer

I’d like to use this bit of space to send a big shout out to the local police for their diligent and productive policing. Some may despise them for being overzealous, but no one can deny their skills in pumping out underage citations, and that it is truly admirable. Their ability to track and breathalyze loud or stumbling students is unparalleled. Never mind the fact that the sidewalks have not been redone since ’Nam, all of that tax money should just keep flowing to the police department to fund its supercharged cars. It’s clear that it needs them since so many students need to be driven back to their dorms. A simple Crown Victoria just will not do!

We have been a disruption to this fine police force for too long. We the students need to start taking simple steps to make the local police department’s job easier. This crisis needs to stop, and it falls on us to sacrifice our personal liberties. This is what I propose. Since local police clearly care about our well-being so much, we should help them identify anyone who is at risk off-campus. Every major party night, student-run breathalyzer stations will be set up on all major corners along Sxith and Seventh Street. Everyone is subject to being stopped and breathalyzed. Students must carry proper identification at all times so underage students can’t hide. Windows must not be blocked so police can immediately break up any gathering before it turns into a party. These simple and reasonable steps will only help make the University the most sober campus in the country, since the local police think this is the right strategy! Once police put pesky college kids in their place, they can finally spend time doing more important things, like, I don’t know, maybe cracking down on the growing meth problem in central Pennsylvania, stopping lunatics from carrying guns on the streets, or maybe even setting up DUI checkpoints on Route 15. But hey, at least they’re hunting kids down who consume a few drinks, then safely walk home. That’s a very important job.

Now, more than ever, the University’s students have the opportunity to graduate with not just a great education, wonderful friends, and permanent memories, but also a criminal record. I’m sure we can all sympathize with the police since underage drinking is such an epidemic for the town. I can’t even imagine a grown person having a few beers and laughs, then walking back to their room. This tragedy must be stopped and there is no one better at it than our local police.

All jokes aside, I do make major concessions. We as University students need to take steps to be safer. I like going out as much as most of this campus does, but hospitalizations for excess drinking and vandalization of residential properties are serious problems. That being said, if local police are truly concerned for our well-being, then they must realize that busting every party and stopping every student on Friday nights is not the solution. Fixing this problem will require both sides to come together to make a reasonable agreement. In our modern day society, and especially on a college campus, citing every person who reeks of beer is ridiculous. Let us be hung over and let us make regrettable decisions, because the best way to learn is through experience. Having big brother demand us not to do something is not the solution. It only makes everyone’s lives tougher. Unfortunately, cops and students are in the same boat. A storm is brewing on the horizon and we must change course now.

Justin Marinelli

Writer

I must admit, the news that Summit House (also known as the LGBT affinity house) will now be able to throw registers came as a bit of a shock to me. I’m very interested in seeing how this turns out, as there is a lot of potential here. I’ve never had a problem with fraternities dominating the party scene, but my innate curiosity has me excited about this development.

If any non-Greek organization were in the position to host registers, it would be the Summit House community. They are comfortably ensconced in the old Theta Chi fraternity house, so the infrastructure for such a gathering is already in place. All that’s needed is to capitalize on that.

As anyone in a fraternity can tell you, hosting a register is trickier than it looks. The logistics have to be sound, everything must be set up properly, and hours of planning and work go into the event. A key focus point is having the financial power to be able to bring in all the alcohol that needs to be on hand. I doubt Summit House has the ability to match any fraternity in alcohol volume, but I think that could be a good thing.

It means that instead of focusing on maintaining an endless supply of booze, the denizens of Summit House are going to have to focus on everything else. The theme will have to be perfect, the decorations solid, and the organization and set-up flawless. Everything else is going to have to fall in line if they want to compete, and it seems to me that focusing on everything but the alcohol could be a viable strategy. It will force them to be more creative, more interesting, and more resourceful when it comes to their events, and I believe they will find a way to rise to the challenge.

Additionally, it could allow for the opening up of the party scene to those who want to go out and have a good time, but not necessarily drink. That’s a niche that could be much stronger on this campus. Even I cannot fathom the possibilities that might come from pandering to them.

Perhaps nothing will change. Perhaps Summit House will not succeed in shaking up the social scene whatsoever. But the new possibilities for Summit House, combined with the ability for student organizations to host registers with the aid of Uptown, at least offer the potential for non-Greek organizations to try to contribute to the party scene. And I, for one, am interested in seeing where that leads.

El McCabe

Writer

Our society seems to be obsessed with negativity. All news channels are packed with stories about violence, deaths, or even the latest celebrity scandal that portrays only the worst aspects of humankind. Due to the surplus of these types of stories, citizens become desensitized and unaware of the subconscious impact this mindset has on their daily lives.

Focusing so heavily on the negative paints a hopeless picture for the state of mankind. When all you hear about is Syria on the news and climate change melting the ice caps in Antarctica, you are much less likely to attempt to change something in society. It appears to be a daunting and insurmountable task to promote positive change in our world, and as a result of all the negative, many do not even attempt to try. Even those who do actually benefit society and raise awareness have their stories overshadowed by news stations, which are solely concerned with their ratings. It comes down to the fact that people crave to hear the “juicy” information, and that is what sells.

An important question to consider is who is more at fault, the media or the viewers and readers? If the media companies are simply giving consumers what they want, how can we blame them for society’s negative outlook? On the other hand, does the overflow of negative stories discussed by the media desensitize citizens to the harmful effects it has on their mental outlook? I do not have a concrete answer for this “chicken or the egg” dilemma. What is certain is that both the media and mankind feed off of each other, and the negativity will keep increasing until something breaks. This phenomenon is seen often in the celebrity world, where stars try to “out do” each other in terms of embarrassing themselves and gaining negative attention. For example, Miley Cyrus’ performance at the VMA’s did exactly what she wanted. It elicited reactions worldwide. It did not matter to her how others viewed her performance; the fact that the whole world saw it was all that mattered. This mentality is unfortunately shared by everyone, from celebrities to editors-in-chief to regular Joe’s, and you better bet there are consequences.

If this negative mentality continues to thrive, adults and children will never be fully satisfied with their lives. I expect more people to go to prison, steal, lie, cheat, and be unhappy with themselves as time goes on, because they have been bombarded with images and messages that the world is not a good place. A lifetime of these messages adds up, and I am sure that society’s negative mentality has already altered the lives of millions. Changes in this mentality shift will be slow and gradual, but will truly do wonders for the human quality of life.

Riley Schwengel

Writer

I think it’s fascinating how culture changes so dramatically over the decades and how the different mediums of art and entertainment follow different patterns between generations. One medium in particular, television, has undergone a radical transformation within the past couple decades. In the past, television was a safe form of entertainment; it was comforting to those who watched it and provided an escape from our hectic and unpredictable lives. Barring sports programs, the outcomes of shows in the past were predictable: good guys win, the boy and girl get together, the family overcomes challenges set before them, and the murderer always gets caught. But recently, we’ve seen movement away from these trends. Shows have become more unpredictable, more violent, and more sexualized. I believe that viewers have become so desensitized to the violence and sex they witness that the companies creating these shows have to keep increasing the shock value in order to gain audiences.

This desensitization has me worried, but my concerns are not the same as the ones that the talking heads on the news express. I don’t blame violent television for any sort of massacres or human tragedies, but I do wonder what sort of effect watching these shows may have on an individual. Consider the shows that we watched in the 90s and early 2000s, and then think of shows like “Breaking Bad,” “Game of Thrones,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and “The Wire.” These shows probably would have been too shocking or offensive just 20 years ago, and now we are watching them regularly. I am not speaking as an opponent of these shows. I have seen every episode of all of the previously mentioned series, and marveled at the wonderful and engrossing plot lines they wove. But when I see a brutal rape scene or a child murdered and find that I have little emotional response other than interest in the show, I fear my normal human responses to such scenes have been dulled.

I remember the first time I watched “Game of Thrones,” which is probably my favorite show on television. The violence in the first episode shocked me and haunted me for a little while. But soon I was watching the show every weekend, and the senseless tragedies that they portrayed for my entertainment did little more than give me my adrenaline rush for the evening. Again, I do not believe that portrayal of violence causes violence, yet such easy and regular access to brutal images must have some negative effects on our minds. I worry quite a bit when I turn on the television and see scenes that should shake any human being to his or her core, but instead they are our main sources of entertainment. I just hope that, unlike Walter White and Jon Snow on television, we do not become so enveloped with the violence that we dismiss it as another piece of everyday life.

Colette Brottman

Contributing Writer

For a few years after Sept. 11, my heart would pound every time I heard a low flying airplane. Even though I lived far from the actual tragedy itself, my second-grade self began to comprehend loss and fear. In college, I have come to learn the impact of that day in the lives of my peers and professors, but even though my own realization of the day came late, I can watch as America tries to forget.

It wasn’t until I came here last fall and discussed the tragedy in my political science class that I realized the horror of that day. I realized the effect it had on my peers, best friends, and neighbors’ lives. The huge divide that separated me from New York City that day was slowly being bridged together. I realized 11 years later the power of Sept. 11. As I walked past the hundreds of tiny American flags in front of the Elaine Langone Center, the silence from my peers was humbling, and I spent a moment looking at the flags and reflecting on America.

This year, Sept. 11 came and went. The Conservatives Club paid the same homage as it had in the past, but not a word was spoken in a class or a table conversation. Twitter and Facebook were filled with short anecdotes and statements expressing love for our country, but collectively, Americans have truly started to move on. In 2001 our country came together and stood as one, but now our country exists in division and conflict. For a while Sept. 11 was a day where people came together to discuss loss and fear, and it was a day to show pride and appreciation. We have lost touch of that as a country. Media has turned its attention to new things and people have directed their hurt to anger.

They say time heals wounds: to forgive, but not forget. It seems, though, that our nation has tried its best to heal its wounds by forgetting. Americans often look for direction from the media on what they should be focusing on. The media’s lack of attention toward the remembrance of Sept. 11 has in turn caused people to focus on other things. People will never forget the day their lives changed, where they were and whom they lost, but they try their best to forget the pain and suffering that day caused. It is natural for human beings to move on, but we must remember. For years to come, the most I can ask for is to spend a few minutes remembering and reconciling with the hardships of our past.

El McCabe

Senior Writer

On Sept. 15 the 87th Miss America pageant occurred, in which beauty queens from all 50 states competed for the coveted crown. The judging was based on the run-of-the-mill categories: talent, poise, attractiveness in minimal clothing, ability to answer questions, and the infamous strut. This year there was one huge change. The winner was neither blonde nor white! The 2014 winner, Nina Davuluri, is a New York native of Indian descent. This small fact created a huge backlash on social media sites, where people called her names such as “terrorist” and accused her of being a member of Al-Qaeda.

I am not the biggest fan of beauty pageants in the first place. It is no secret that the entire pageant world is exclusively for attractive women, and puts women’s bodies on display for others to covet and compare themselves to. It’s not as if there are Mr. America pageants that stir up headlines in every gossip magazine. Pageants in general are a disgrace to women and a reflection of just how close-minded the American ideal of beauty can be. The attempt to pick a well-rounded Miss America is to simply cover up the fact that looks are the most valued commodity a person can have.

Despite how I feel about the pageant world, nothing makes me angrier than the response toward the Indian-American winner this year. Last time I checked, being born in America was the criteria for being an American, not the color of your skin nor the country where your parents came from. There was no objection to Davuluri when she was on stage wearing a bikini, but as soon as the judges crowned her the most beautiful woman in America, there was an uproar. It is disheartening the level at which racism still functions in America. People believe that just because all races have “equality” under law, racist beliefs have disappeared. This pageant provided a wakeup call: racism is just as prevalent as ever. Take this tweet for example: “Congratulations Al-Qaeda. Our Miss America is one of you.” The assumption that having brown skin makes you part of a terrorist organization that has a vendetta against our country is so far beyond the realm of what is acceptable and true. Even if Davuluri was from outside of the United States, the color of her skin would not automatically make her a terrorist.

Many Americans have a long way to go to redeem themselves for this ignorant display. America is a country of so many different races, and it just so happens that past beauty pageants have showcased only one type of beauty valued in our country. Just because you do not have blonde hair and blue eyes does not make you a terrorist or force you to prove your citizenship. Crowning Davuluri the winner was a small step forward in the fight against ignorance, but the heavy backlash shows that there is a still a long battle ahead.