Generator

May 2009

magazine

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Editor-in-Chief:Sarah Holmes

Music Editor:Paige Zangoglia

Movies Editor:Justine Mann

Assistant Editor:Melissa Amarianos

Theatre Editor:Ashleigh Whitfield

Opinion Editor:Mary Treuer

Faculty AdvisorDr. Richard

Grinnell

Marist’s Women’s Rugby TMarist’s Women’s Rugby TMarist’s Women’s Rugby TMarist’s Women’s Rugby TMarist’s Women’s Rugby Teameameameameam

FeaturesFeaturesFeaturesFeaturesFeatures7 Top Ten Easy Ways to Go Green By Mary Treuer

11 The Great Foxhunt 20 teams, 150 clues, 12 hours ByJennifer Sommer

13-14 Marist CollegeWomen’s Rugby Oneclub sport that trained hardand fundraised to make itto Nationals By AmandaBenton

Club Mascot George >>>

15 Marist Fights Back Against Cancer Relay for Life2009 By Mary Treuer

20 Dancing Right Off Campus Stand-out performancesmake up for lack of diversity at Dance Show By SarahDubrule

Backpage: Coolest House on Campus GartlandCommons E3 shows off its stylish uniqueness By CasperVigil

Literature Editor:Jennifer Sommer

Fashion Editor:Christine Urgola

PhotographyEditor:

Sarah Dubrule

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Photo Credits:Cover and 1 c/o Robin MiniterPage 1 c/o Melanie HoffmanPage 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26 c/oCreativeCommons.orgPage 3 c/o Olivia McMahonPage 8 c/o Jennifer SommerPage 9 c/o Sarah HolmesPage 11 c/o Amanda BentonPages 13 and 14 c/o Robin MiniterPage 15 c/o Mary Treuer

MusicMusicMusicMusicMusic3 Spring Sounds in the Sun Jack’s Mannequin, MattNathanson, and Erin McCarley perform for SPC’s SpringConcert By Olivia McMahon

4 Summer Music Festival: The Revival What a musicfestival experience is like andwhere to find one this summer ByStorm Heitman

5 Album Reviews A variety ofalbums to check out over thesummer months By PaigeZangoglia

6 Not for Those Who are EasilyOffended Steven Lynch played atthe Bardavon for his 3 BalloonsTour By Olivia McMahon

7 No Need for the Binary Code Solo A theorist claimsthere is nothing special about music, nothing important ByBilly Berard

LiteratureLiteratureLiteratureLiteratureLiterature8 Once Upon a Poem... Ten poets compete in a twistedfairytale themed Poetry SlamBy Jennifer Sommer

9 Writing Beyond CollegeCreative paths are hard topursue successfully but thereis hope for writers By SarahHolmes

10 Book Review Water forElephants by Sara Gruen is amust-read for everyone ByNick Sweeney

TheatreTheatreTheatreTheatreTheatre12 Students Venture Under the Sea To enjoy aBroadway Musical true to Disney’s childhood masterpieceBy Heather Munnelly

M o v i e sM o v i e sM o v i e sM o v i e sM o v i e s16 Movie Review I Love You, Man pleases with funnyand unique plot but has its flaws By Ashleigh Whitfield

17 Movie Previews What movies are coming to theatresnear you By Paige Zangoglia

18 The Festivals You’ve Never Heard of and theMovies You Will Smaller and less well-known film festivalsoffer creativity and entertainment By Justine Mann

Have an opinion on something that was written?Want to write about what music, movies, books oranything else you have an interest in?Email generatormagazine@yahoo.comor visit http://generatormagazine.blogspot.com/

19 -20 An Evening With the Queen of IndependentFilm Actress Lili Taylor shows and tells how and why “artis bigger than you” By Storm Heitman

21 Fashion on Film A look at the high-fashioned stylings ofGossip Girl By Justine Mann

OpinionOpinionOpinionOpinionOpinion22 Late Night Disaster Jimmy Fallon’s debut on late nighttelevision can’t compare to Conan O’Brien By MelissaAmarianos

23 Pursuing the Dream (House) and How PriorityPoints Destroyed the Dream Housing selection revealsflaws in system By Christie Gorman

24 The Importance of College Relationships Whyrelations with significant others, friends, family, and yourselfare necessary and helfpul By Sarah Briggs

25 Mike Arteaga’s Health & Fitness Center An extra$30 a month may be worth it By Christine Urgola

26 My Modest Proposal To solve America’s economicand obesity problems simultaneously By Mike Cresci

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It was a good start to the day: the niceweather continued and by one o’clock, peoplewere gathering down by the river, ready forthe show. Sunday, April 26, was the SPC’sSpring Concert and I was particularly excitedbecause my band of choice had been selectedto play: Jack’s Mannequin.

For those not familiar with the band, thinkCalifornia beaches, sunny days and breezywarm nights. Often upbeat with fun lyrics andmelodies, they’re a great soundtrack forsummer. Front man Andrew McMahon (wehave the same last name!) has thousands ofadoring fans, some that he snagged from Jack’sMannequin’s first CD, Everything in Transit,and others that remained loyal after he left hisfirst band, Something Corporate.

Opening for Jack’s Mannequin were twoartists: Erin McCarley and Matt Nathanson. Ihadn’t heard of either of these people before,but apparently Matt Nathanson had paid avisit to Marist before. So it was with highhopes for the day that I set off toward thetunnel where tickets were ripped, concertbracelets were distributed and water bottleswere chucked upon entering for fear that theywould contain anything but water. CollegeActivities provided tents to avoid the heat,free water and food and an emergency tent forthose who could potentially becomedehydrated.

Around 2 PM the show began with ErinMcCarley taking the stage. Her music is quitegood and she had a small but faithful fan basein the crowd who weresinging along anddancing to her songs. She has had the goodfortune to have her music featured in severalpopular TV shows like Kyle XY and Grey’s

Anatomy and the movie He’s Just NotThat Into You.

After a brief break, Matt Nathansontook the stage to quite a bit of applauseand cheering. He appeared to have a hugefemale fan base, and I’m not going to lie –by the end of his set, I had jumped on thebandwagon. I don’t know if it was hisgreat stage presence, his sense of humor,or the fact that he wore a tie to a concertthat made him so desirable to all the girlsin the crowd. Maybe it was the weddingring that made him forbidden. But it couldbe that his music is extremely good. AndMatt Nathanson is –there’s no easy wayaround this –a tad sexual. From the jokeshe made, to some of his dance moves,even his music. He was great with thecrowd and interacted with us a lot, singingEnrique Iglesias when one of his songssounded similar to that of the Latin pop

star. He also asked us to sing along to “Jesse’sGirl” when another one of his songs consistedof the same sort of melody. He played quite afew popular songs: “Laid” (from the AmericanWedding soundtrack); “Come On Get Higher,”which can be heard on the radio now; “To TheBeat of Our Noisy Hearts,” a seriously catchytune; Still, a song which he told everyone “togo home and fondle each other to”; and severalothers I cannot name due to just joining hisfanbase.

After quite a bit of waiting, AndrewMcMahon of Jack’s Mannequin took the stageaccompanied by thunderous applause. At least,as much as applause can bethunderous when the crowd consistsof less than 300 people. They beganwith “Crashing,” the first song off oftheir new CD, The Glass Passenger.The set continued with several songsoff of their new album such as:“Spinning”, “Annie Use YourTelescope”, “The Drop Out”, “Swim”,“Bloodshot”, and of course theirsingle, “The Resolution”.

Andrew is a hurricane on stage,always moving, despite beinganchored by the piano on which heplays, often jumping off his stool andknocking it over. He is rarely stationaryand at some points even jumped uponto his piano, stomping on the keysbefore jumping off to the greatenjoyment of the crowd.

When Jack’s Mannequin playedold favorites off of their first albumeveryone in the crowd went crazy,shouting the words so that Andrewwas barely heard singing over

By Olivia McMahonSpring Sounds in the Sun

audience’s enthusiasm. Such favoritesincluded “Dark Blue”, “I’m Ready”, “Holidayfrom Real”, “Bruised”, and their older single,“The Mixed Tape”.

They also played what would beconsidered Jack’s Mannequin’s love ballad,“MFEO”, which stands for Made For EachOther: an 8 minute song that transitions froman upbeat supposition of “oh maybe, we weremade for each other,” to a sweet intimate, andcertainly more heartfelt, storyline. As a treatto Andrew McMahon’s fans of his formerband, Something Corporate, the band playeda song the piano man had written when hewas 16, entitled “Cavanaugh Park”. As ifapologizing for never having that SomethingCorporate reunion tour, he often plays onesong that was done by him and his previousband.

They ended the set with a crowd pleaser,the good-feeling “La La Lie”, a dedication ofsorts to friends, with Andrew showing off hisskills with the harmonica. Many weredisappointed, however, when no encoreensued. The majority of the crowd left but afew hopefuls lingered around the stage inhopes of getting a set list or water bottle thattouched the lead singer’s lips. In the end, justtwo boys remained at the metal bar, yelling forthe lead singer to come back out and play onemore song. It was a great show in general withthe diversity of the personalities of theperformers who played and we can only lookforward to the Fall concert.

Matt Nathanson

AndrewMcMahon

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SasquatchWhen: May 23-25Where: Quincy, WA (at TheGorge)Who To See: TheDecemberists, M.Ward,Passion Pit, Blind Pilot,Explosions inthe Sky, MosDef, Natalie Portman’sShaved Head, Bon Iver.Cost: $154.50 (3 day pass)Experience: the best of thewest at an award winning amphitheatrenestled next to the scenic ColumbiaRiver. Not to be missed is King Khan &The Shrines (James Brown reincarnatedas a 30 something year old Indianhipster).

LollapaloozaWhen: August 7-9Where: Chicago, ILWho To See: Kings of Leon, The Killers,Silversun Pickups, Santigold, OfMontreal, Lou Reed, Snoop Dog, TheAirborne Toxic EventCost: $190 (3 day pass)Experience: The holy grail of alternativerock which was created by Perry Farrell(front man of Jane’s Addiction).

BonnarooWhen: June 11-14Where: Manchester, TNWho To See: Animal Collective, BruceSpringsteen, Beastie Boys, MGMT,Andrew Bird, Band of Horses, TV on theRadio, Yeah Yeah YeahsCost: $249.50 for a three day pass(ouch!)Experience: Packing the back of yourpick-up truck with all your closestfriends, hosing down topless girls, the100 acre “entertainment village” includinga “silent disco”(...I couldn’t make thisstuff up).All Points WestWhen: July 31-August 2

Growing up in Seattle, there was only onepart of the year that I looked more forward tothan Christmas, and that was the summer musicand arts festival known as Bumbershoot.

Every Labor Day weekend, my friends andI would dawn our best hemp accessories andBirkenstock sandals as we bummed aroundSeattle Center basking in its 74 acres full ofartists of all disciplines and musical genreswith different levels of notoriety at a varietyof unique indoor and outdoor venues.

A three day pass to Bumbershoot onlycost $80, substantially cheap considering thevalue of the exposure to new music as well asthe chance to see severalheadliners for a significantlysmaller price than it would be tosee them play independently.Falling on the last weekend beforethe start of the new school year,

Summer Music Festival:The Revival

By Storm Heitmanmy friends and I treated it as our own versionof the Amish’s Rumspringa, one last wild partyto indulge in the carefree spirit of summerbefore returning to dull months of routine andresponsibility.

Some of my fondest memories of the eventinclude the time I danced soaking wet in theCenter’s giant fountain to the sounds of UnitedStates of Electronica and the time I juggledcolorful strips of fabric with Boe (this dirtyhippie/sex-offender who has becomesomewhat of an icon in the city and who canbe found hallucinating and flashing hisgenitalia at all of the major streetevents).

My only negative Bumbershoot experiencewas when I found myself in the middle of amosh pit at The Fall of Troy, where some idiotdecided it would be a great idea to open anumbrella, the metal prongs inadvertentlyslicing the skin under my left eye (thankfully Ineeded no stitches and the guy later boughtme a chocolate dipped strawberry kabob, sonaturally, all was forgiven).

This summer marks the 40 year anniversaryof the music festival that started it all,Woodstock ’69, and with it comes impressiveline-ups all over the country as well as the

release of Ang Lee’s muchanticipated “Taking Woodstock”which will feature college-favoritecomedian Demitri Martin’s firststarring role in a film.

Where: Jersey City, NJWho To See: Beastie Boys,Yeah Yeah Yeahs, VampireWeekend, MSTRKRFT, TheNational, Tool, My BloodyValentine, Gogol Bordello,Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay,MGMT, MogwaiCost: $199 (3 day pass)Experience: Four of today’sbest British bands in a settingwith panoramic views of the

statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and theManhattan skyline. PitchforkWhen: July 17-19Where: Chicago, ILCost: $75 (3 day pass)Who To See: The Flaming Lips, Yo LaTengo, The National, Grizzly Bear, TheWalkmenExperience: The closest thing ourgeneration has to Woodstock. Hosted byDecider Chicago (an online journal whohas become a leading voice in the realmof independent music), Pitchfork is allabout the nearly-famous bands you willpay three times as much to see twoyears from now.

5By Paige Zangoglia

Album:FantasiesArtist: MetricGenre: Alt Rock

A new reinvented sound for Metric,Fantasies is a wonderfully cohesive albumcombines catchy synth rock on tracks like“Help I’m Alive”, with raw vocals and lyricsand dance-y beats on tracks like “StadiumLove” and “Gold Guns Girls”.

Album:It’s Blitz!-Artist: Yeah Yeah YeahsGenre: Alt Rock

Returning with a very synth-y andelectronic sound, It’s Blitz! seems somewhatsofter than earlier albums. Although lackingthe signature screams and harder rocksounds characteristic of the Yeah YeahYeahs, tracks like “Dull Life,” “Shame andFortune” and “Hysteric” are catchy and funto listen to.

Album: A Shipwreck in the SandArtist: SilversteinGenre: Rock

A dynamic new release, A Shipwreck in theSand does not disappoint. Starting off thealbum, “A Great Fire” combines compellingscream breakdowns with a melodic andcatchy chorus. The trend continuesthroughout the album, with tracks displayingemotional and energetic lyrics and melodies.

Album: All I Ever WantedArtist: Kelly ClarksonGenre: Pop

Re-emerging with an album full of catchysing-a-long worthy tracks, Clarksonprovides a list of feel good tracks such as “IDo Not Hook Up” and “I Want You” aswell as a fair share of ballads like “SaveYou” and “If No One Will Listen” that putClarkson’s signature powerful voice ondisplay.

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There should be a warning for those notfamiliar with the musical stylings of StephenLynch: Caution –Not for those who are easilyoffended. Of course, I am not one of thesepeople so when I heard that he would beperforming at the Bardavon Opera House, Iimmediately ordered my tickets, anxious tosee this witty andcutting comedian.

Now, I say“musical stylings”because Lynch is notlike most comediansout there. Yes, he’srude, swears toomuch, and makesjokes that (more oftenthan not) cross theline, but he does thisin song! Armed withhis guitar and a friendor two to accompanyhim in his insultslinging, hesimultaneously makesthe crowd laugh andgo “ooo!” with disbelief.

No one can stay mad at this comedicsinging prodigy for long. He has thought ofjokes that have never even grazed thesurface before, so horrible is some of thesubject matter. Lynch goes above andbeyond the ordinary subjects of comediansand far surpasses those who stick to “red-neck” jokes. And in that lies his allure: youare always surprised.

And Lynch did not disappoint the nightof April 17th at the Bardavon. It was apacked house, the audience ranging fromhigh-schoolers to grown adults. He cameout with a new song called “Waiting” andfor fear of negative feedback, I will notdisclose the subject of the song, but forthose familiar with his work, it was rightup his usual alley.

He just had a new album put out, entitled3 Balloons. Most of the material he playedat this show was from this new CD but itwas full of his usual antics and surprises.The song from which the album takes its

By Olivia McMahon

Not For Those Who AreEasily Offended

name is about a man smuggling drugs outof a foreign country in 3 balloons…well, youcan guess where. The twist at the end? Theman is the pilot.

He played many favorites such as“Special Ed”, about his special childhoodfriend; “Beelz”, a song about a very

flamboyantS a t a n ;“Pierre”, asong hewrote on abet about aFrench bumin New York;

and “Craig”, an ode to Jesus’ evil brother.These don’t sound too bad? That’s becausethey’re some of the tamest songs he has.He has a gift to leave people aghast, andbelieve me, he does it well.

But comedy is not the only thing he doeswell. Lynch starred in the show The WeddingSinger when it was on Broadway. He hasamazing vocal range in addition to hisamazing ability to offend. If you get thechance to see him, and you’re willing to takethat risk of being stunned by his gall,definitely get those tickets, you won’t regretit.

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As a constant listener of “popular” music,with years of amateur musicianship to honemy ears, I was crushed to see a theorization asbleak as Adorno’s. Adorno’s Case AgainstPopular Music claims there is nothing specialto music, nothing important.

We like music because our bodies are pro-grammed to, not because we are individuals,ambitious, lonely or in love. What appeals toour senses is something intrinsic and standard-ized, prepackaged for convenience and easy.

Songs in major keys are most popular be-cause our bodies are programmed to enjoysuch things—the human voice actually har-monizes with itself in a major scale so hearingmajor keys comforts us just as human interac-tion would. If you play a song in a major keyfor an infant who has never heard music, it willbe happy, a minor key will make it cry.

This fact almost ruined music for me. Themediocre songs I wrote weren’t really original,they were just a formula I naturally stumbledupon to fulfill some primal need.

The songs I’ve listened to at every freemoment weren’t masterpieces of emotion, butmathematical equations to appeal to the wid-est range of people. ABABCAB, verse, cho-rus, verse, chorus, bridge verse, chorus; this,or a close variation, will capture the attentionand wallets of the population in general. It’sthat easy.

I’ve tried to listen to the music Adornothinks is acceptable. I can’t do it: it’s abrasive,anti-melodic, and if there’s singing it won’t bepleasant. Just smashing drums and spacey pi-ano riffs so abstract that if heard out of contextmight be mistaken for AOL dial-up noises. It’swork to enjoy.

This is actually one of Adorno’s keyqualms with “popular music.” It’s so easy thatit makes you stupid. It makes you stupid and itbrainwashes you. The only way to break thespell is to challenge yourself with somethingstrange.

As hard as I’ve tried, I can’t commit toAdorno’s unpopular ideas. I agree with them,but I can’t force myself to break from what Ienjoy naturally. The only positive conclusionthat I can reach is that maybe it isn’t so bad tobe human. Maybe we shouldn’t fight it.

By Billy Berard

10. Bag the paper. Bag the plastic. If you haven’t noticed by now, plenty ofsupermarkets have cut down on the amount of plastic and paper bags used in theirstores. The more environmentally friendly version, the canvas reusable bag, isbecoming popular in stores. Buy a few to replace plastic and paper bags. Manystores will even credit you for each bag!

9. Turn it off. Often, we find ourselves looking into the windows of many dormrooms lit up by the glow of a lamp. Often, such rooms aren’t even being occupied.Turn off the lights and save some electricity!

8. Take advantage of both sides. Instead of printing from your room, wastingyour ink, and using only one side of paper, take advantage of the library printers.These printers are defaulted to print on both sides of the page and save paper.

7. Subtract two wheels. Driving your car may be the “cool” way to get around, butit is actually making the atmosphere a lot warmer. Ride a bike to close distances.The environment will thank you and your legs will too.

6. No need to stay connected. When you aren’t using a charger for a phone,laptop, or IPod, there is no reason to keep it plugged into the outlet. Electricity is stillbeing used, without something that needs battery power.

5. Drive with company. Carpooling isn’t just one of those fads that faded out afterthe energy crisis of the seventies, it’s a good idea. Enjoy bonding time with a friendon a car ride and save gas.

4. Be a better buyer. Certain products are made with Mother Earth in mind. Lookat the labels on products and purchase what is most beneficial to the environment.

3. Grow something. Planting a garden or even a few greens puts oxygen in the airand beautifies an outdoor space. If you grow fruits and vegetables, you can really“have your cake and eat it too.”

2. R-E-C-Y-C-L-E. Recycle. The old song from the hit Nickelodeon show,Rocko’s Modern Life speaks the truth. Recycling is one of the easiest ways to takecare of the environment. And with the amount of recycling bins on the MaristCampus, there is really no excuse.

1. Be smart. Stay educated on ways to become more environmentally friendly andcontribute to a healthier planet. Be informed of Green collar jobs, which arebecoming the careers of the future.

By Mary Treuer

Top Ten Ways to Go Green

No Needfor thebinaryCode solo

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Once upon a time, in a not so far awayland, there was a group of people whowanted to share their love of the spoken wordwith everyone so they created the Red FoxPoetry Slam. This event was known allthroughout the land, thanks to some greatPR and lots of student support. The eventwas going great until one day a mightydragon…

Okay so maybe the Annual Red FoxPoetry Slam, hosted by the Literary ArtsSociety (LAS), wasn’t created in yourtypical fairytale fashion but this year’stheme, “Once Upon a Poem…” did give theevent that feel.

For one night the club transformed theCabaret into a fairytale themed poet’s dream.The stage was decorated in various propssuch as castle walls and a distinctly familiarlooking mirror, courtesy of the MCCTAprops closet. Guests were given shirts witha castle on the front and the phrase “OnceUpon a Poem…” while being both possiblyentertained and mildly offended by MCs KatieWarren and James Napoli, who gave beloved

fairytales such as Snow White and Cinderellaan R-rating.

“What we really wanted to do was createa fun atmosphere where anyone could

come…we didn’t just want English majors,we wanted to reach as many people aspossible. It’s what art is about right?” KellyGallucci, the club’s Secretary told me.

It seems as though the club

Once Upon a PoemOnce Upon a PoemOnce Upon a PoemOnce Upon a PoemOnce Upon a Poem...............

By Jennifer Sommer

accomplished its goal; the event was sopacked that there weren’t enough seats forall the poetry enthusiasts.

During the event ten poets competed towin a one hundred dollar prize and braggingrights. They were judged by two facultymembers, Dr. Leah Graham and ColinMcCann, and student body President, SteveTownsend. The ten poets coveredeverything from lost love to infomercials inthe first round. After this round the judgeschose five to continue in the competitionand then the poets were given fairytalethemed topics at random and asked to writea poem in fifteen minutes.

The results were quite entertaining andafter much deliberation the judges deemedGabrielle Albino, a sophomore and newbieto the poetry slam world, the winner.Second place was given to freshman OliviaMcMahon and third place was awarded toPamela Gomez, a sophomore.

Overall the slam was a big success soperhaps there is such a thing as happily everafter.

The Literary Arts Society(LAS) Meets Every

Wednesday at 9:30 PM in theCommuter Lounge, located inthe Student Center. Everyone

is Welcome to Join.

The Finalists: Olivia McMahon, Pamela Gomez, and Gabrielle Albino

English writing majors may be laughedat by their Business and Biomedical peersfor choosing a path paved with sheets ofpaper and thousands of pens, rather thanone cushioned with hefty paychecks andsecurity cubicles. Their parents may kid themas of they have chosen an art major; but thetruth is, it all comes down to the same thingfor any major: what can you do with yourdegree?

When you think of writers you thinkof big novelists, screenwriters, poets,and similar professions where recogni-tion is necessary to earn enough moneyto survive. If you’re willing to relysolely on your creative prowess to pro-vide for yourself, a future in writing isdark and filled with potential povertyand madness. As with most fine art stu-dents, it takes hard work, a lot of net-working, and a lot more time to be suc-cessful.

The other creative writing option toconsider is teaching, an option for anymajor but one that is hard to obtain inthis field. But writing to make a livingis not confined to getting on the NewYork Times’ Best Seller’s List or becom-ing a creative writing professor, in fact,there are hundreds of positions wherewriters are wanted.

Writing skills can be applied any-where where communication throughwritten documents is key. These prac-tical writing skills are far more likely toopen up employment opportunities andbring in a salary than even your mostShakespearean poetry.

That is why poet, professor, and pub-lisher Brian Clements now coordinates aunique Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) programat Western Connecticut State which trainsstudents in both creative and practical writ-ing. It offers “Food for the soul and food forthe table,” the website claims.

Clements visited Marist in early April totalk about writers’ futures after college inthe Henry Hudson room. He offered up apretty bleak picture to the students gath-ered there who were interested in spreadingtheir creativity to the world, and possiblymaking a career out of it.

Teaching jobs in creative writing are fewwhile the number of applicants to these jobsincreases exponentially each year whenthose who failed to make it from year beforecontinue to go after the same positions.

“The MFA or PhD in Creative Writing isthe only route to a tenure-track position inwriting, but only a small percentage of peoplecoming through those programs get the cov-eted jobs,” Clements said, emphasizing thefact that he was one of the lucky ones teach-ing.

While he offered the real deal to us healso provided insight into what does allow

writers to continue to do what they love best.Basically, write and publish as much as youcan.

And the more genres you have experiencein the better, both creatively and practically,as his program emphasizes. That means writearticles for a local or student newspaper, re-views for a magazine, submit poetry and fic-tion to literary magazines, and of course thereis always your student-run arts and enter-tainment magazine that gets published twicea semester.

It may seem like self-promotion here butthe truth is the bigger and more diverse yourportfolio, the more likely you’ll find a job andone that you’ll like. Plus, the only downsideto trying out a new style of writing is thepossibility of not liking it but then you don’thave to do it again. Online writing, blogging

for example, is one of the genres whereClements recommends cultivating one’s writ-ing skills.

“The trick is that the landscape is chang-ing rapidly, and the more skills you can ob-tain in online delivery of content/information,the better prospects you’ll have. That’s thekind of challenge that faces anyone inter-ested in a writing or college teaching career

these days—adapting to the rapidlychanging job markets,” he said.

Getting a job or starting off yourcareer path after college is stressful foreveryone but it’s good to know whatis out there ahead of time. Clementssaid we may be surprised as to findthat many people in communications,public relations, and science fieldsdon’t know how to write and that com-panies are willing to pay people to writeup any number of documents for them.

It’s also good to consider whatskills you have learned already andwhat you can still learn now while theresources are available to you.Clements used skills he learned fromas early as high school towards hisjobs now, his experience with his highschool magazine and subsequently hiscollege literary magazine gave him theknowledge to publish his own prosepoetry journal, Sentence.

Publishing a subscription literaryjournal and teaching and coordinatingat WCSU provides the food for thetable but his food for his soul has alsobeen published in various books Fleshand Wood, Essays Against Ruin, and

most recently, And How to End It. He is alsofeatured in two online collections, Ion andBurn Whatever Will Burn: A Book of Com-mon Rituals.

His success as a poet, publisher, and pro-fessor is a perfect example of what he toldMarist students; you need to network, pub-lish, and, most importantly, write, if you wantto have a future in writing.

Dr. Lea Graham’s Poetry Workshopinterviewed Brian Clements through a blogthat can be found at

http://poetry311.blogspot.com/

For more information for writer joboutlook go to: http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos089.htm#emply

Writing Beyond CollegeBy Sarah Holmes

9

So what happens when you put theGreat Depression, a travelling circus, and athrilling love triangle together? Maybe youshould find out by reading Water forElephants, a fast paced yet deep novelwritten by Sara Gruen. The story revolvesaround the circus life during the GreatDepression. This New York Times bestselleris much more than a simple love and life atthe circus story, but I don’t think it wouldbe fun if I told you the ending.

Between the fascinating plot structureand the realistic characters, I found itdifficult to put this book down. The readersare thrown in the middle of things almostimmediately and have to continue readingabout Jacob, the main character, and hisnew life at the circus. However, as excitingas a novel can be, this baby is deep andwell written to the extent that it will probablybe taught in literature classes for years tocome.

Historically accurate, it’s simple to findexamples of how Sara Gruen did herresearch; she includes many minutedescriptions of news that’s happening at thetime and pictures of old circuses as takenduring the time of the economic crisisoutlined in the novel. This is only one ofthe reasons why this book receivesrenowned praise. The other is the fact thatone of the main characters is an animal,but we’ll get to that soon enough.

Being a huge fan of characters and theirlittle quirks, this book was just what thedoctor ordered. Between the dwarf veterancircus worker Kinko to the ambitiously evilUncle Al, all the characters bring somethingto the table and this table is jam packed withflaws, tension, and imagination. This novelalso contains an interesting romance andthe concept of acting on emotions andmorals with the character conflicts thatpresent themselves as the novel progresses.And then there is Rosie, the elephant. Itwouldn’t be a circus story without an

elephant right? By the way, did I mentionthat she only takes commands in Polish?

But if characters aren’t your thing, it’sokay. I won’t hold it against you. There’s abit of everything for readers. Love and hate,life and death, happiness and depression, allof these themes flow throughout the wholenovel so smoothly that it might take a secondread to understand the book’s fullcomplexity. All of these characters areintertwined into a thrilling and puzzle filledplot. I guarantee the first chapter will keepyou on the edge of your seat. In fact, I notonly ask of you to read this once, but twice,as it will definitely make more sense withthe intense love triangle. Well, a love of sortsI suppose. Maybe the title isn’t as explosiveas Michael Bay special effects, but the plotdefinitely is.

Whether you want something to readbecause of your secret love for life in thecircus, or because you want a good bookabout hope during a time when hope wasscarce, just try Water for Elephants. Maybeyou just want to read a story that containsan elephant. I don’t know, but I do knowthat you should give this novel a shot thenext time you wander around the bookstore.

WWWWWaaaaater for Elephantter for Elephantter for Elephantter for Elephantter for Elephantsssss

By Nick Sweeney

Book Review

Addicted toWriting?

Don’t have the space orthe time for a workshop

class?

Want to be part of agrowing community ofwriters here at Marist?

Maybe you should stop byPen and Paper Addicts, astudent created blog forstudents who want to readand write poems, essays,short fiction and playscenes. One of the mostimportant parts of becominga writer is receivingfeedback and learning howto give proper criticism.Being part of a writercommunity helps inaddition to this becauseyou find people withcommon interests andgoals.

If you are interested in this,email

Nicholas.Sweeney1@marist.edufor more information.

If you want to see the blog,follow the link http://

penandpaperaddicts.blogspot.com/.

10

The Great Foxhunt

11

Foxhunt is a campus wide scavenger huntthat basically comes down to a few stipulations:20 teams of 5, 20 digital cameras, 150 clues, and12 hours. The rules? Don’t separate from yourteam, walk everywhere, four out of five teammembers must be in every picture, and all teammember must pretend to be a red fox in everypicture they’re in. Foxhunt may seem a bit ri-diculous and perhaps it is but it’s also one ofthe most fun experiences I’ve ever had.

The following are the events as they hap-pened as best as I can remember them (it was along day):

7:00 AM My alarm clock begins to play thefamiliar sounds of Motion City Soundtrack,dragging me out of my reverie. It’s a Saturdaymorning. I shouldn’t be awake. I should stillbe sleeping. I sigh and roll out of bed.

7:30 AM I put on the navy blue shirt thatwas given to me by the Foxhunt staff and grabmy backpack. I don’t know when I’ll be return-ing to my dorm again so I’ve packed it full ofsupplies: snacks, water, a digital camera,sweatshirt, USB cable, and a marker.

7:45 AM I meet the four other crazy peoplewho agreed to go on this adventure with me inthe middle of the Gartland green. We double

check that we have everything. Digital cam-era? Check. White board? Check. Doug andTom? Check.

8:00 AM Nineteen other teams of five arepacked into the Leo lounge. Excitement buzzesthrough the air as we wait for everything tostart. I want the day to start already. We’vebeen anticipating this day for weeks.

8:50 AM Team captains are asked to go tothe front of the lounge where they must lungefor their team’s folder.

9:00 AM The staff yells go and I grab thered folder, running outside to find the rest ofmy team.

9:10 AM We each take a paper with sheetsof clues on them. We sit down in the grassand begin to write down answers before run-ning off to the location of the first clue.

The rest of the day is a blur of runningback and forth across campus, taking hundredsof pictures, and receiving random text mes-sages from the Foxhunt staff signaling teamchallenges such as who can collect the mostperishable food or “Name that Tune”.

We run after a tour group to take a picturewith them, find license plates from every statepossible, run across campus with backpacks

loaded with cans of food (sorry Tom, we stillowe you some Spaghetti-Os), take a late nightjourney to St. Ann’s (causing some members ofour team to insist they see ghosts), almostcause one of our team members to fall into theHudson, play Rock Band, and search high andlow for a bronze fork.

8:45 PM The day is almost over as we enterthe Leo Lounge, which has become the base ofoperations for the day, to upload all of our pic-tures.

9:00 PM I’ve never been so exhausted inmy entire life. I’m sitting with the rest of myteam in the cabaret. We’ve been together forover 12 hours now, but we’re still willing to sharea meal together. Everyone told us we’d be ateach other’s throats by now but that’s not thecase. We’re still excited, talking about ourchances of winning as we eat.

9:30 PM I’m not sure if its delirium or ex-cess adrenaline but Erin, Joe, and I can’t stoplaughing as we walk back listening to Tom andDoug complain about how much their feet hurtas they hobble along behind us.

We still don’t know who the winners arebut despite that fact we’re already talking aboutnext year.

By Jennifer Sommer

12

Just off Broadway, in the middle of TimeSquare, a small playhouse is bringingimaginations to life.

Swimming mermaids, handsome princes,and evil sea witches all come together in oneincredible show. It’s no wonder why everyoneis talking about The Little Mermaid. When mostpeople hear this title, they usually picture ananimated Walt Disney film with an audience of5 to 12 year olds. However, The Little Mermaidon Broadway is a show to be seen by everyone.In line, you will find people from ages one toninety one anxiously awaiting the show. Insidethe theatre, there is not a bad seat in the house,because the characters are constantly movingand surprising you. From the characters, to thecostumes, to the amazing moving set design,The Little Mermaid should definitely be highpriority for any Broadway lover.

Everyone knows the story of Ariel themermaid, one of seven daughters of KingTriton, King of the sea. They live together in abeautiful, oceanic kingdom with many otherpleasant sea creatures. Unfortunately, this lifeis unfulfilling for Ariel, who yearns for humanlegs and adventure. After disobeying her fatherand going to the surface several times, sherealizes she wants to be with Prince Eric, whomshe has seen from afar, and goes to see Ursula,the Sea Witch. In her dark lair, Ursula tricksAriel into signing away her beautiful voice untilEric kisses her. Unfortunately, if this does nothappen in three days, she will remain voicelessand become one of Ursula’s “poor unfortunatesouls.” Ariel experiences many ups and downsin her journey, but after a little twist, she isgiven her father’s blessing to be with her true

Students Venture Under the SeaStudents Venture Under the SeaStudents Venture Under the SeaStudents Venture Under the SeaStudents Venture Under the Sea

love on land. The Broadway show holds trueto the Disney storyline, with a fewunnoticeable differences. It accuratelyportrays everything The Little Mermaid standsfor, and the lessons it reveals.

Marist students who attended theSaturday matinee of the show last monthobserved stunning performances. The castconsisted of Ariel, played by Sierra Boggess,Prince Eric, played by Sean Palmer, Flounder,played by Trevor Braum, and Sebastian,Triton, and Scuttle played by Rodrigo DouglasJr., Norm Lewis, and Korbich respectively.Though all of these actors were great in theirrolls, one character who truly stood out wasFaith Prince as Ursula. Her voice is powerfuland perfectly tuned. She plays her characterso well that the audience can’t help but be alittle afraid of her, even while she takes herfinal bow. Braum is, by far, one of the mostadorable little boys to ever set foot onBroadway. He is the perfect young actor forthe nervous, yellow fish he plays. As well,Douglas Jr. does a great job embodying thecharacter of Sebastian, a high strung crabwhose job is to assist Triton and keep Arielout of trouble. Not one of the actors was adisappointment.

The innovative costumes and set designsmake the show more intriguing for viewers thanthe original Walt Disney video. The showbegins with an enormous boat, swaying in thecurrent of the fake waves below. Prince Ericand his crew are aboard, singing and talking inappropriate costumes. The next scene movesunder the sea with Ariel and her friends. All

the swimming sea creatures, includingFlounder and the mermaids, swim across thestage in disguised roller skates. The mermaids’tails are made of a flexible spring, which movesthrough the water like you would expect amermaid’s tail to do. At one point, Ursula’soctopus-like tentacles expand across the entirestage to dramatize her power and the sinisteratmosphere of her cave. Also, when Ariel andPrince Eric are making their way to the surface,Eric is lifted up by an undetectable chord whilethe backdrop changes and Ariel swims fromthe stage. This makes for a really cool effectfrom the audience’s perspective. Throughoutthe show, huge, sparkling columns reflect lightand color to enhance the settings. The setsare changed quickly and efficiently betweenscenes without distracting from the show, andthe costumes in every scene are appropriateand creative. Every scene has a life like, butstill majestic and surreal background thatbrings the show to an entirely new level thanthe movie.

The costumes, characters, and incredibleset design make The Little Mermaid a must-see for all Broadway fans. From Ariel and herprince, to Sebastian and Ursula, all thecharacters will delight you. The set designsare constantly moving to excite the audience,and the story line stays true to that of theoriginal Walt Disney film. There are many otheraspects of the show that make it one not to bemissed, but the only way to truly grasp theenormity of the show’s success is to take aroad trip down to New York City’s theatredistrict and check it out for yourself.

By Heather Munnelly

Marist College

Women’s

13

What do you get when you take a motleycrew of 36 young women, a few pregnantfootballs, lots of mud, even more bruises, andone talking skeleton mascot aptly namedGeorge? Only the sweetest club sport oncampus. Alright - so maybe we’re a bit biased.But as a member of the Marist College Women’sRugby Team, the past year has been a whirlwindof passion, ferocity, and heart.

This past September we moved up fromDivision III to Divison II after a successful 2007season. My 35 talented, dedicated, and basicallyall-around amazing teammates and I continuedthis streak through our fall 2008 season as wewent undefeated, leaving most opponentsscoreless. Led by alumnae Maren Milliard andDanielle Hundt, we then went on to conquerthe Northeast for the first time in MaristCollege history.

In November, we travelled to Maine viathe most indirect course possible (RhodeIsland anyone?) in the hopes of making astatement to the rugby world at the DivisionII Northeast Championships. There wesuffered their first loss of the season in a toughgame against Stonehill which ended with avery close score of 15 – 7. We fought backthrough the rest of the tournament to earn thesecond seed in the Northeast and 16th seed inthe nation. This is how we found ourselvesfive months later, on April 17th, smack-dab inthe middle of Florida ready to face off for thetitle of National Champions.

Thursday, April 16th - 2:42am. Alarm. Damn;those 2 hours went fast. Why did we evenbother going to bed? Good thing everything

is already packed.We pick upt r a v e l i n gcompanions as wemake our way tothe Diner for“ b r e a k f a s t ” .4:00am Whilewaiting for thebus, we discoverjust how manyrugby players itactually takes toget 20 uniformsand 6 rugby ballsinto our carry-ons.7:15am Check-inand security at the

airport goesrelatively smoothlyfor 36 over-tired andover-excited collegestudents operatingon an average ofabout 2 hours ofsleep … especiallyconsidering one ofour carry-ons is a 3-foot skeleton, our mascotnamed George. 10:00am. Some hours ofcramped sleep later, we emerge, hungry andhot in the Orlando Airport. In a sort of reverseCool Runnings tribute, we all change to readyourselves for the new “extreme” 80-somethingdegree heat. 4:00pm We learn just how hot

80 degree Florida heat can feel as we run lapsaround a lake we’re convinced is populated bycrocodiles. We’re not worried we boast, ‘causewe’re quite agile. In addition to the hot sunand the impending emergence of the fearedcrocs, the Florida grass was not welcoming asit tore at our skin determined to leave us scarredand bleeding before practice was over.

Friday 9:00am. After almost a full night’s sleep,we’re up and ready and at the field. We mustlook like an army as we run in two even lines inour matching red shirts and black shorts. Thetension can be felt. Excitement hangs in the airlike static. We are the underdogs: The number16 team from nowhere, New York ready to takeon the number one team in the U.S. and thedefending National Champs. No one expects

anything less than a massacre. Except for us.We’re ready; and we’re confident as we runthe flash lines we know by heart, as we makepasses we’ve been practicing for months, aswe set into the scrum like pros. We’re ready forthis. 9:50am. Ten minutes till game time.Adrenaline is pumping as we circle up for ourpre-game traditions. Anyone in a 10 mile radius

Senior Captain Andrea Hart and Lacey Mendillo

Rugby:

Nationals

now knows we’re excited. 10:00am. Kick-off.Kick-off for the game of our young lives. Kick-off for the game we’ve been practicing for,studying for, and talking about for the last fourmonths. The next 80 minutes passes in a blurof running, tackling, rucking, scoring, stripping,scrumming, and just flat out playing the best

rugby any of us have ever played or seenplayed. 11:30 The final whistle sounds, andthe final score is 25-5; Shippensburg wins. Butwe have nothing to hang our heads about; weplayed solid rugby. We lost by only 20 points,while everyone who is anyone in rugby hadpredicted a loss of 50 points or more. We’redisappointed yes, but there is always tomorrow.

Saturday 10:00. Once again we find ourselveson the rugby field, though this time a gooddeal more bruised, scratched, sore, and ifpossible, more tired, than the previous day.Proud of who we are, and knowing we are betterthan everyone is willing to give us credit for,we prepare for the game with a new intensity –we will not be going home with two losses.10:55 As the pre-game traditions come to aclose, we acknowledge that this is it; this iswhy we’re in Florida – to play rugby not onlyto win, but to leave a lasting impression on the

national stage. 11:40am Half-time finds usahead by 20 points over the team that wasseeded #8, and we are in no way ready to stopthere. We enter the second half out for blood,determined to run faster, communicate better,tackle harder, and score more than the other

team - show what MaristWomen’s Rugby is really madeof. 12:30 Final Score: Marist 39– Wayne State 0. Success. Nowwe can spend the rest of theglorious day soaking our achesin the hot tub, eating our weightin carbs, and showing off ournew lovely bruises at either the

beach or the pool side.

Sunday 3:20am Let me tell you, there’s nobetter way to celebrate playing the two hardestgames of your life than waking up bright andearly the next morning for a 4 o’clock departure.We drag our weary bodies from the hotel to thebus and from the bus to airport just barely intime to catch our 6:20 flight from Orlando.7:51am we land in Georgia and pass out on theairport floor. Since we’re all still school spirited,I wonder if other airport patrons can pick outjust how many ruggers are curled up amongstthe ginormous, and slightly obnoxious, pile ofbags. 11:06am Somewhat caught up on sleep,we arrive at LaGuardia, where we board a bus.The two hour drive back to Marist gives usample time to reflect on the weekend. Obviously,we did not accomplish our main goal – we’renot going to California to play in the Final Four.

However, we did play spectacularly andcohesively as a team and even by winning onegame, we did what a lot of people doubted wecould do – we were the ultimate underdog andwe came home with solid win against a verytalented team, and greatly improved our nationalranking. Also, many coaches and spectatorshave said we deserved to go to California andthat we got jipped by having to play Ship in thefirst round – but it is best not to dwell on thattoo long, lest the frustration mount. It is goodenough to know that our efforts wererecognized.

Tuesday 5:00pm Watch out world. We’realready training for next year.

14Senior Captain Jess “J.P.” Peterson

By Amanda Benton

15

Marist hosted its third annual Relay for LifeEventon Friday, April 17th, in order to raisemoney for the American Cancer Society. Over758 people on 72 different teams participatedin the event in order to raise thousands of dol-lars to fight cancer. The top fund-raising teamswere the Supertonics, Alpha Sigma Tau, KappaKappa Gamma, Sigma Sigma Sigma, and TeamTaylor. The event wasn’t just about raisingmoney, but also about team spirit. Teams setup personalized tents, made homemade t-shirts, and shared meals in order to come to-gether to fight cancer. The teams Kappa KappaGamma and Sigma Sigma Sigma were awardedfor having the most team spirit.

Relay for Life began in Washington with adoctor who ran 24 hours around a track in or-der to raise awareness and support for theAmerican Cancer Society. Although now nor-mally just a twelve hour event, relay continuesto affect people’s lives. Today, people from allover the world take part in Relay for life, aseach community gathers to honor, celebrate,and remember those whose lives where andare affected by cancer.

Marist added its own touches to relay byholding the event in view of the spectacularriver sunset by setting up a track around therotunda for the participants to walk. The firstlap was a meaningful initiation for the eventbecause it honored cancer survivors. Survi-vors walked around the track holding flagsthat stated relay’s motto, “Celebrate,” “Re-member,” and, “Fight Back,” in order to sym-bolize hope for a cure. Will Kaiser, a survivorwho walked the opening laugh says, “As asurvivor it was very moving to see all thepeople who came out to support cancer re-search. Also I think it shows the students justhow many people have or had cancer. I’d saythere were at least 5 of us at the relay whowere survivors. This helped to put a face tothe cause that we walked for”. Students watch-ing the opening ceremony and recognizingthe survivors who walked felt that this firstlap was very powerful.

After the honorary first lap the night wenton with barbeques, team games, a showing ofthe movie, Heavyweights, and a scavengerhunt for those involved in Greek life. Therewas also a disc jockey, which added to the

Marist Fights Back Against Cancer:

entertainment and provided musical motivationfor the participants walking many laps aroundthe track.One of the most meaningful parts ofthe night was the luminaria ceremony. Duringthis ceremony, Marist honored the survivors,those currently fighting cancer, and those whohad lost their lives to the disease. The beauti-ful luminaria spelled the words “HOPE” and“CURE,” lighting up the campus green. Theceremony gave the teams a chance to take abreak from the fast-paced and upbeat mood ofthe night and take the time to remember thereason they were really there.

The twelve-hour event was long and manyteam members did not stay the entire time.Those who did stay, however, found it to bewell worth it. Member of Kappa Kappa Gamma,Kristina Gray, said, “I did it because mygrandma died of lung cancer and I wanted tosupport the cause, so I stayed all night. It wasalso a lot of fun”. Like Gray, some chose tostay all night, while other walked only a fewlaps, but each lap and each donation certainlymade a difference. Marist hopes to continueRelay for Life every year, never giving up thefight until there is a cure.

Relay for Life 2009By Mary Treuer

16

I Love You, Man, a movie directed by JohnHamburg, tells a new kind of love story andgives people a reason to call each other, “TotesMagotes.”

Paul Rudd (Role Models) plays PeterKlaven, a recently engaged man who realizeshe has no male friendsfor his wedding party.He enlists the help of hisfamily and on-line“friend finders” to solvehis dilemma, but isunsuccessful until hemeets Sydney, playedby Jason Segel(Forgetting SarahMarshall). The two hitit off immediately andbegin their bromance.

Peter begins to shedhis closed off, inwardpersonality and has funfor the first time in thefilm. However, whilePeter and Sydneydevelop their newfriendship, his fiancée,Zooey, played byRashida Jones (TheOffice), begins to feelneglected and he isforced to make a choicebetween the love of hislife and the woman hewants to marry.

I Love You, Manpresents a plot that hasnot been seen before.Rudd creates a dorkycharacter who is toofeminine and nice to befriends with thestereotypical machomen that surround him.His attempts to play itcool fail every time, buthis failures are whatgives the film its majorcomedic elements.

Peter leaves apathetic voice mail onSydney’s phone,essentially asking himon a date, but ramblesfor several minutes,makes up words andultimately makes a fool of himself. Early on intheir relationship, Peter attempts to quickly giveSydney a nickname, and comes up with“Joben.” These small details explain his failureat having male friends at the beginning of themovie and the audience eagerly anticipates his

next verbal mistake, which includes any accentsthat will ultimately sounds like a leprechaun.

Segel’s cool, yet lonely character is whatthe audience has waited for throughout thebeginning of the film. He effortlessly portraysSydney as the typical bachelor who has been

abandoned by his married friends and ispractically as desperate for male friends as Peter.He teaches Peter how to be comfortable withhimself and the two bond over exposing sexualsecrets, listening to Rush and “slappin’ dabass.”

While it takes time for the audience tounderstand exactly why someone as slick andcool as Sydney would bother with the awkwardprude that is Peter, they eventually realize thatthey do need each other.

Even though the pace of the movie pickedup once Sydney enteredthe picture, it draggedfor quite some time whilePeter met with other maleprospects. In a way, thismade Peter’s desperationmore apparent andSydney’s appearancemore welcomed, but theaudience has to sitthrough several failedattempts that becomemonotonous after awhile.

One of Peter’s hangout sessions turns outto be an actual date witha gay man. While thehomosexual undertonesof the movie wereapparent, thischaracter’s flamboyanceand mood swings wereover the top andbordered on offensive.

Likewise, Jones’character portrayswomen in a negativelight. Her characterstarts out as being verysupportive of Peter andSydney’s newfriendship, but shegrows into a jealouswoman who forces himto make a choice. Shespends the moviediscussing her sex life toher girlfriends, but isangered by the fact thatPeter tells Sydney thesame types of stories.

Eventually, thesecharacters redeemthemselves and repentfor their actions, buttheir behavior mid-filmdoes nothing to improveviews of women or gaymen.

Despite some of the flaws in I Love You,Man, it does turn out to be a hysterical movie.Rudd and Segel create characters witheccentricities that drive the plot. The audiencelooks for their minor quirks, and becomesentranced by Rudd’s attempt to, “find somef***ing friends.”

By Ashleigh Whitfield

By Paige ZangogliaAngels & Demons- May 15

Tom Hanks returns as Robert Langdon inthe sequel to the breakthrough film TheDavinci Code. Here, Langdon finds himselfon an action packed mission to uncoverand stop the powerful Illuminati, anunderground organization that threatensthe existence of the Catholic Church with adeadly time bomb.

Away We Go-June 12

A young couple, played by John Krasinskiand Maya Rudolph, search the country fora place to truly call “home” and settledown before the birth of their child.Along the way, they reconnect with oldfriends and family in this heartfeltcomedy.

Funny People- July 31

In another film by Judd Apatow,Adam Sandler plays successfulcomedian George Simmons, wholearns that he is approaching deathdue to an incurable illness. In hisdesire to make the most of his timeleft, he befriends rookie comedianIra played by Seth Rogan, and learnsto live in the moment.

The Taking of Pelham 123- June 12

In this film, New York City subwaydispatcher Walter Garber (DenzelWashington) finds himself up againstcriminal mastermind Ryder (John Travolta)and his team of four when they hijack asubway train for ransom. When Ryderthreatens to start killing passengers, Garberengages in a battle to save them.

17

18

Every year we see previews boasting awardsfrom film festivals we’ve never heard of. Weflock to the indie section of our video storesand rent the entire Sundance section and try todecide which one will make a big splash in thetheatres. This year it’s time to branch out andexplore some of the more successful, albeit offthe beaten track, festivals around the world.Some are a little strange and others fill acinematic void but they have all become a forcein their field.

Slamdance Film Festival

While it may not be featured on Entourageany time soon, the Slamdance Film Festival isthe coolest Independent Film Festival around.In a bold move the festival takes place in ParkCity, Utah at the same time as Sundance. Intrue indie fashion Slamdance accepts only filmsmade by nobodies with next to no money(studio speak for under one million).

It’s the festival “by filmmakers forfilmmakers” and it’s good at its game. Recentturn outs have included Mad Hot Ballroom,which received the highest price ever for a full-length documentary, Napoleon Dynamite andMemento.

Winners this year include How to Be withsurprise star Rob Pattinson before he became avampire. Pattinson goes back to his rock starbeginnings in this film about a wanna-be lyricistand his budding friendship with a self-helpguru.

The Faux Film Festival

These films are often short but are trulyindependent. The annual festival lives inPortland Oregon but most films show up onYoutube.com. Hands are Bananas was a 2007entry by Nick Andrews that erupted into oneof the most viewed and discussed clips on-line. It wasn’t even voted the best on at thefestival!

The Pocket Film Festival

Calling all hi-tech artists… the PFF featuresonly films made using cell phone camera.Putting a new cap on low budget many artistshave used this Paris institution as a chance totest out a new medium. This ‘sensible’ festivalis based on the idea that you always have yourphone with you, so you’ll never miss thatperfect French New Wave shot. Perhaps Jean-Luc Godard will give the 2010 festival a shot?

Bourne to Die Horror Film Festival

Hopping across the pond to Dorset UK youcan find a small festival with big screams.Focusing on the truly disturbing films, Bourne’sfeatures all pull storyline from the deepestdarkest fears of mankind. Last festival, thefound footage film Home Movie carefullypresented the home videos of a family after arecent move. The two 10-year old twin boysslowly develop as the embodiment of pure evilas their sweet parents also begin to see thetruth. Shadowland was also featured and haswon awards at festivals the globe over. After

being left for dead, Laura crawls from the sewerwith no memory at all. She is stalked by a manin the shadows as she attempts to reach help.These and more spine tingling features andshorts await you at the Bourne Festival.

Tropfest Short Film Festival

Often noted as the largest short film festivalin the world this fest started as nothing but amovie screening night at the local TropicanaCafé. Now it has more then 150,000 visitors anight and gets international buzz. Tropfestkeeps things interesting by requiring filmmakersto reference the TSI, Tropfest Signature Item,in their submission. Past TSIs have beenpickles, chopsticks and muffins. Supposedlythis is an inspiration technique to keep thefestival fresh.

Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival

Everything is always fantastic inAmsterdam. Showing off a lot of gore from theUK and sci-fi from everywhere else (in theirBrave New World Programme) the festival hasshown classic such as the newly releasedHaunting in Connecticut. Another hauntingtale, 100 Feet, stars Famke Janssen and EdWestwick. Janssen plays a prisoner on housearrest after serving seven years in prison forkilling her abusive husband. Not only does shenow find herself stalked by his ex-partner butshe is haunted by her husband’s vengeful spiritwhile she moves within a 100-foot radius. Thisprogram lines up a lot of movies that are sureto make a big splash in the cinemas.

The Festivals You’ve NeverHeard of and the Movies You Will

By Justine Mann

I believe the first words to escape mymouth when I first heard that Lili Taylorwould be coming to Marist were “shut theF*** up!” I quickly realized however, thatmy enthusiasm about her forthcoming visitwas not to be matched by anyone else oncampus. The majority of Marist studentswould fail to recognize her face let aloneher line of work which is probably why the

around scene stealing roles in indie filmssuch as I Shot Andy Warhol, Girls Town,and a film she seemed the most proud of-Arizona Dream (which was barely releasedin the US but was apparently a huge hit inFrance and curiously enough it also starredthe one and only Johnny Depp.)

Although she prefers small art-housefilms over the typical overhypedblockbuster, It would be a shame to place

An Evening with the Queen ofIndependent Film:Actress Lili Taylor

insight into her craft and career during a mock Inside The Actor’s Studio held in the Nelly Goletti Theatre

By Storm Heitman

19

promotions for the event were so quick tomention that her latest project, PublicEnemies, stars the one and only JohnnyDepp.

After meeting the ever so humble actressherself, I’m certain that she would not besurprised nor offended by this as shecasually made statements such as “art isbigger than you.” She has shaped her career

the actress in the same breed as indie-princess Parker Posey, for the appeal ofTaylor stems from the fact that she is in aclassification all of her own. Most of myexposure to Taylor came from her turn onHBO’s Six Feet Under, perhaps the greatesttelevision series ever made. Watching her inthat show, I came to appreciate the acutehonesty to which she brings to a role. Herperformances echo simultaneously with anintensity and vulnerability, traits which seemto be paralleled by the soft, yet husky soundof her voice. For all these reasons and moredid I anxiously arrive at the Nelly Goletti anhour before she was scheduled to speak.

Sitting in the theatre, I was stupidlyoverwhelmed by the idea that this womanwhose career I respected immensely wouldsoon to be standing upon the very same stagemy feet had once tread on, as if that linkedus together in some intimate way. I thoughther to be of a modest caliber from the typeof projects she chose to work on, but forsome odd reason I still expected her to makea grandiose celebrity entrance via helicopter(maybe because she was once in a moviewith Julia Roberts and in my head thatautomatically entitles a person to three bodyguards and a permanently reserved suite atthe Chateu Marmont).

Instead, the movie star stumbled into therow of seats directly behind me and knockedsomeone’s cell phone out of their hands

20

The dance shows put on by the MaristDance Club generally bring in a large crowdof enthusiastic viewers wanting to see theirfriends or family members perform. It wasn’tany different April 4th or 5th when MaristDance Club presented their springperformance, “I Like The Way You Move”.Like last semester, the dancers put on theshow at the FDR High School, which is just alovely fifteen minute bus ride away from theMarist Campus. The bus ride is a huge treat, Ithink.

With over 500 members, you’d naturallyexpect a wide range of diversity from theMarist Dance Club, and indeed there wasdiversity – just so long as there were still afew songs chosen from Britney Spears’samazing repertoire, anyway. I’m not trying tosay I was disappointed, but my dream ofseeing a group of people do interpretive danceto something like Talking Head’s “PsychoKiller” was not quite recognized this timearound (hint: suggestion box?).

But the songs that were picked and thedances that went along with them weren’treally up to the audience members, anyway,and I suppose that’s how some things need tobe. The choreographers did an interesting jobpicking the combinations that they did, andlike last semester, there were some crowdfavorites. The fall semester’s biggie was thedance that had a Dark Knight theme, givingthe performance a life of it’s own, transformingthe dancers in to characters and setting a moodthat transcended just the song choice. Thissemester, I felt like the biggie was “TheExperiment,” choreographed by Daniel Connerand Carolina Vasquez and put on just at theend of the first act. The dancers went throughtwo costumes, one lab coat-oriented and theother, after they shed their geeky ensemble,delightfully suave. As with the Dark Knightpiece, there were evidently two maincharacters, with the rest of the dancers addingto their miniature story and giving real life andenergy to the entire bit.

Dancing Right Off MaRist caMpus

By Sarah Dubrule

The second act also tapped off on a strongfoot with Cassandra Palummo’s performanceof “We Are Broken”. The marionette themewas stylish as well as entertaining, with darkcostumes and dollish face paint adding to theoverall mood. On that note, Heather Staatsand Kelly Mottolese’s “Reason Why” waschock full of mood, with the dancers in simplecostumes giving a genuine lyricalinterpretation of the song to the audience.There was a distinct lack of just going throughthe motions in this piece, instead seeming asif all of the dancers were expressing a bit ofthemselves in their movements.

Over all, the shows put on by the MaristDance Club are always entertaining, andprovide an enjoyable alternative to end-of-the-semester work. If you haven’t gone to oneyet, I’d seriously suggest checking it out nexttime it comes around. Go and see what yourfellow students are up to!

before laughing at her own folly and courtlyfetching it back for them (seriously, thewoman doesn’t have a single disingenuousbone in her body).The camera must addserious height along with weight because theLili Taylor in front of my eyes was tinier thanan Olson twin. Professor Tommy Zurhellendelivered a proper introduction/James Liptonimpersonation before the actress joined himand Dr Lea Graham on stage to begin thediscussion.

Among the many topics covered wasadvice that she would give to young folkstrying to make it in the industry, one shedescribed as having “gotten uglier the last10 years.” Her advice was to hold off LAand New York and to start off in a smallenough town that you can get an agent andplenty of work, a plan that worked out wellenough for her.

Although she now considers herself a fullblown New Yorker, she grew up in Chicagoand studied at the studio of Joyce Piven(mother to actor Jeremy Piven-that guy whois famous for being a grade A tool both onand off the screen). From there, thediscussion moved towards the personalmanagement of her career and in particularthe choices she’s had to make between takingroles in either commercial or independentfilms.

She told a story about a time she turneddown a role in a summer blockbuster in order

to shoot a low budget indie film, a decisionpeople thought her crazy for making . Themoral of the story was to ignore the generalconsensus that in Hollywood “if you don’tdo than you won’t work.” She made herresentment of the LA scene clear, saying thatit is “too business oriented” and workingthere “one can become easily disillusioned.”She much prefers to “stay grounded,” andonly signs on to a film when the role hasmeaning for her to which she said “is hardto articulate, but I get a feeling.”

So how exactly does she stay groundedas an artist? For one, she does charity worksuch as performing in Greek theatre for Iraqveterans suffering PTSD. And when themovie making machine becomes all toomuch for her to handle, she turns to poetryand reminds herself that as an artist, whatshe does is “bigger than me...I must honor,follow it, not worry when it gets hard.”

A reception immediately followed thediscussion, and Lili was kind enough to stickaround to answer questions from awkwardpeople like me who stared at her in awe, butwere too nervous to approach. I musteredup the courage to ask for a photo with herand she so kindly obliged. I quickly tried tothink of something witty to say as a kiss offbut only managed to come up with “I can’twait to see Public Enemies!” to which sheever so demurely responded, “thanks! yeahI make a brief little cameo in that…”

21

The gossips girls on the hit CW showhave reinvented style for high schoolers.Versace, Marc Jacobs and Zac Posen allappear on the show as regularly as yellowcabs and street vendors and the character’spersonalities feed off what they’re wearingtoday.

Jenny Humphrey’s wearing black eyekohl and a leather jacket, you’d better watchout. Serena Van Der Woodsen slips on alittle party dress? You know GeorginaSparks is going to be in the next episode.

Supposedly Serena’s style reflects thatof drug addicted model Kate Moss. Fromone blonde to another passes the torch ofso-called boho chic (by Gucci). However,the poor girl is a bit torn between her lovefor the dangerous life and her homey uppereast-side penthouse. Pearls and a Chanel willalways make a boho jersey dress moreappropriate for a bonding brunch with thefamily. Of course once that’s done it’s allabout the clubs and the chunks accessories.Get her look by adding bangles, necklacesand more necklaces to your polishedensemble.

Blair Waldorf really only does one styleand that is flawless. Her hair is never mussedand her dresses hail from the 19th centuryguide to preppy chic. Her ultimate piece isthe headband. She rocks this from morningtill dawn (getting a measly 2 hours of sleep)and it holds all those evil little thoughts inher head. Being the queen of mean meansdressing like royalty. Hence the no pants

and no tee shirts rule when dressing likeBlair. Unfortunately, this means no Maristhoodies either! Blair’s in control of herworld and her hair so take heed beforeentering that space bubble.

Poor little J.(Jenny) After changing fromthe girl who wants to be old Blair to the girlthat is old Serena she’s all tuckered out forthe new set of storylines. Luckily herfashion keeps going with mini dresses,strappy tanks and ever changing hair. Backwhen J was a girl on the step she went forbright color blocks, like her yellow trenchor that infamous purple Valentino bag. Herendless hat collection has gone a bit retrosince she went blonder and choppier withher bad girl look. She kept the plaid butditched the pom poms when applying herhat style to her micro-mini dresses. Nomore trying to fit in! This girl does nothingbut stand out. Bye-bye funshine Jenny helloall gray and black wardrobe. Good thingshe lightened the hair or she’d be easy tomiss this season.

Vanessa Abrams is the Gossip Girl linkto the normal fashion world. As a film hipsterout to save the world she’s not focusing onwho the next big designer is. Good thingshe has such an impeccable fashion sensethat she can pick out gorgeous pieces at allthose vintage shops she pops into whilemilling about Manhattan. Vanessa doeshippie chic with a punch. Her chunky goldjewelry and black lame leggings really spicethings up while her clothes are soft cotton

or silk tunics. She’llnever follow the rulesof the upper east-sidebut they may startfollowing her.

Finally there’ssometimes present,sometimes in rehab,Georgina Sparks. Whennot tempting Serena intodisaster she’s…temping someone else?This girl sports allleather and blackhardware all the time.As a girl that lives in theexcess zone she piles onjewelry and hides hersoulless eyes behindmassive shades.Georgina may be areforming problemchild but she’s got aspark which will not bedenied.

fashion

onfilm

By Justine Mann

22

When I heard the news that Late Night hostConan O’Brien was stepping down from hispost I was shocked. O’Brien is scheduled totake over The Tonight Show in place of JayLeno, another late night favorite. The choiceof the NBC network to make these changescomes in the wake of Leno announcing hisretirement, however this may have been a rashdecision since he still wants to be on televisionand has apparently been offered his own primetime variety show which will air on NBC in thefall.

I have been to two live taping of Late Nightwith Conan O’Brien and have been a devotedfan since my high school years.He had humblebeginnings as a comedy writer for SaturdayNight Live and The Simpsons. He jokedconstantly on the show about attendingHarvard (which he did) and is both intelligentand sassy. What makes him great is his abilityto come up with unique sketches such as whenhe visited F.A.O Schwartz in NYC, and his brandof humor that is both self-deprecating andphysical.

Over the years O’Brien has come to conducthis show like clockwork. He knows how to befunny without being obnoxious and hisinterviews with celebrities are memorable. Heis not afraid to be over the top and his comedycan range from outrageous to highlysophisticated. It is hard to deny that Obrienhas a personality all his own.

One major concern that O’Brien cultfollowers such as myself have is that with thenew earlier time slot is: Can he still be as cuttingedge and provocative in his sketches? Ipersonally can’t wait to see how he will reinventhimself for his new job on The Tonight Show.

I have tried to keep an open mind aboutJimmy Fallon taking the place of O’Brien. SinceFallon was a regular on NBC’s Saturday NightLive it was not a difficult stretch for the networkto consider the one time leading name on theshow to be a natural for a spot on Late Night.One of Fallon’s most famous sketches on SNLwas “Weekend Update”. He worked with TinaFey on the sketch and even though she oftenstole the show he was still pretty entertaining.

My ability to keep an open mind aboutFallon’s performance has been increasinglydwindling as I continue to watch the showweek after week. At first I thought maybe hewas just nervous, after all he does have bigshoes to fill. His awkward introductionsequence in which he often pretends to bowlwhen he tells a “good” joke is awkward andusually gets only pity applause from theaudience. His monologue is not witty and hedoes not have any form of personalitywhatsoever when delivering the jokes. Hespeeds through the opening, telling one jokeafter the other. Really Jimmy shouldn’t youhave more experience with this by now… afterall you are a comic right?

The banter between Fallon and his houseband The Roots cannot compare in any way tothe intense love/hate staring battles betweenO’Brien and his drummer Max Weinberg. Whenhe interviews guests such as Drew Barrymore,Fallon seems more concerned with telling hisown stories than listening to theirs. It is the jobof a late night host to be funny and interactrespectfully with celebrities, maybe evenoccasionally taking them out of their comfortzones. Every time I watch him interact withsomeone famous I feel like I am watching aFallon biography.

Fallon’s skits such as”7th Floor West” areoverthought. I understand that the skit issupposed to be making fun of reality showsand teen dramas such as The Hills but itcompletely misses the mark. In his attempt tobe snarky and alternative, the fake drama fallsflat. Nobody cares about the drama on The Hillsand people care even less about a parody of astupid reality drama that is not entertaining.

Maybe Fallon should hang out with AndySandberg for awhile or at least stop trying tobe something he is not. The sketch “Lick it forTen” (dollars) is also incredibly pointless andoften the stuff people are supposed to beobjectified to lick (such as a bowling ball) looksclean and perfectly sanitized.

I really hope Jimmy Fallon can improve withtime. I am not expecting much though, andultimately I am just anxiously anticipating thereturn of Conan this June.

By Melissa Amarianos

Late Night Disaster

When I was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailedfreshman, I remember sitting in rapt attentionas my orientation leaders told me everythingabout Marist I would need to know. One of theaspects about Marist that struck me as afantastically good idea was the priority pointsystem. It seemed to be an honest, fair systemto give a reward to those students who workespecially hard. Now, two years into my Maristeducation, I’ve got to say that this system ofpriority points is at best, flawed.

Mid-April, I, like all of you, was herdedthrough the process of housing selection. I wasmy group leader, and was determined to get thebest possible house for my small group of fourgirls. We have a combined priority pointaverage of 35.5, so we were feeling prettyconfident about our chances of getting thehouse of our dreams. It didn’t take muchdiscussing for us to decide that we wanted tolive in the coveted Lower Fulton. It is almostbrand-new! No roommates! Much closer tocampus than Upper Fulton! Right by the tenniscourts! After sitting down with a floor plan ofLower Fulton, the four of us decided that thehighest praises could be sung for almost anyone house there. But as a group, we made a fewdecisions:

1. We do NOT want to live with only fourpeople in one house. The reason we didn’t goin a group with the rest of our friends is becausewe wanted to meet new people. A year inGartland easily proves that if you’re not forcedto interact with new people, you won’t.

2. We hated the idea of 15A. This househas a side bared to all passing traffic: securityvehicles, party girls on Tuesdays, Fridays, andSaturdays, and even the occasional passerbyfrom the city of Poughkeepsie. We just didn’tthink we would feel safe here. Plus, it doesn’teven face the green, again, lessening our chancefor interaction with new people.

3. We weren’t crazy about the option of 9E(the penthouse), but wouldn’t be upset if thatwas our only option.

When lists for housingwere posted, we were thrilledto be the fifth section of girlsto pick our house. We high-fived each other in joy, becausethis meant we were pretty muchguaranteed to get Fulton. Wehad attended all the meetings,asked all our questions, and wewere ready to pick the houseof our dreams. I walked intothe room selection area with alist of our top six houses. Onehouse was designated to be amale house, one was taken, but11D was available. We strodein confidently, and requestedthat house, only to be shotdown.

Why? The people at the table oh-so-condescendingly explained to us that we couldnot open a new house because they cannothave every house in Fulton filled halfway up.It would be unfair to the people who pick afterus. The people who have fewer priority pointsthan us. Didn’t you attend the informationsession? You should know this!

So we were given two options: a four-person house and 15A. We were given theoption of deferring our pick, but when weasked about this option, about how long wewould have to wait, we were given no definitiveanswer. It might take hours, days even. Weexchanged worried glances and quickly spoke:Would it be worth it to wait until possiblytomorrow to pick? What if all the houses inFulton filled up? In the end, we decided thatdeferral as was explained to us was not a viableoption. Resignedly, we agreed to 15A.

I’m just curious as towhat exactly we got priorityfor. We had the points to liveanywhere on campus, butgot all of two choices.. Now,someone with less prioritypoints than us is living in ourdream house, a house wehad to work hard for. Withinmy group of fourhousemates, we have clubpresidents, publicationeditors, tutors, TAs,dedicated band members,honor society inductees,

members of the track team, intramural sportsenthusiasts, and double majors and minorsgalore. You can’t tell me we don’t deserve athird choice!

And we’re not the only people who havegotten stiffed by the priority point system.Think about the entire male population ofMarist College. Why are they so segregated?If we were to embrace this idea of priority points,we would have one master list of all housinggroups on campus, and would progressstraight down this list. Now, I know the higher-ups at Marist would cringe at the idea of mixed-gender housing, but that’s not what I’madvocating. I’m just saying that we shouldn’thave certain houses pre-designated as male orfemale, especialy 75% of the nicest ones to onegender. What happens if all the men on campushave higher priority points than the women?Only a few of these upstanding students wouldbe able to live in their dream house, becausewe must save some of the elite houses for theladies lower down the list!

It doesn’t make sense to have a prioritypoint system that allegedly gives the best pickto the best students, but has all of thesecaveats. You will have fewer options if you aremale, even if you have the same points as thewomen. You will only have two options for ahouse. Housing will accuse you of notattending required meetings if you questiontheir logic. Smaller groups will be given the leastsavory options, just so the larger groups (withfewer points) still have a shot at obtaining thedream. The system is too arbitrary to be givena name like “priority points,” and needs to bemended.

puRsuing the DReaM (hOuse)anD hOw pRiORity pOints DestROyeD the DReaM

By Christie Gorman

23

By Sarah Briggs

As my time here at Marist comes to an end,I’d like to think that I’ve learned a thing or two,given that I have incurred quite a debt thesepast four years. One of the things I have learnedis the importance of the relationships you sharewith people during your college years that’dI’d like to share as some form of advice to myfellow Marist students.

First off, let me clarify that when I sayrelationships, I’m not just talking about the kindthat’d you share with a significant other. I’malso talking about the relationships shared withfriends and family. Furthermore, I’m talkingabout the relationship you share with yourself.

Something I have learned in general aboutany relationship is that no matter how longyou know a person, it doesn’t mean you’reever going to run out of things to learn aboutthem. I have known my sister all my life, andyet I only learned about a year ago in Francethat she was afraid of heights. I learned thatthe hard way by taking her up to the top of theStrasbourg Cathedral, the sixth tallest cathedralin the world.

To get it out of the way, let’s start off withthe kind of relationship one may share with asignificant other, even if it is with someoneyou’re not “Facebook official” with. I havehad two boyfriends here at Maris. The first Idated for about a year and a half while thesecond I dated for a few months. Despite thedifference in length of time, I’m confidentsaying I have learned from both.

From the first relationship, I learned that itis important to be able to be open-minded,whether it be deciding to partake in an activitythe other likes (for me that was Frisbee) or justlistening to their ideas and emotions withoutresponding irrationally. However, while beingopen-minded is significant, you shouldn’tchange yourself completely or sacrifice thingsthat you truly believe in, nor should they. Thatcan ultimately lead to a dishonest relationship.If you aren’t being completely honest withyourself then you’re not being honest withthem. Believe me, dishonest relationships areeasy to break and hard to repair.

My second relationship taught me whenput in new and unfamiliar situations, yoursignificant other can really show their truenature, which can be a welcome surprise or adisappointment. I also learned that being in arelationship is a team effort. It’s like beingtennis partners; one person cannot do all thework by themselves if they want the team tobe successful.

In terms of my friendships here at Marist,the most important thing I learned is that, ascliché as it may sound, your true friends arethe ones who stick by you no matter what.Personally, I’ve had quite a few storms comemy way, from the breakup between me and myfirst boyfriend to my most recent breaking ofmy foot and rolling my ankle, which hasresulted in me needing to have a cast for threemonths, including for my graduation this May.I’ve lost friends during these times; whether it

is from people willingly choosing to allow it tohappen or just a lack of communication overtime. Nevertheless, I have been fortunate tohave a few stick by me and comfort me throughit all, particularly one best friend, Melissa, whoI met through this very magazine. It is suchfriends that you know you’ll always be able tocount on to be there for many years to come.

I’ve also come to learn just how importantthe relationship you share with your family is.Like the saying goes, blood is thicker than water,and no matter how much distance there isbetween you and your family, in the end youcan count on them to be there for you andsupport you.

Overall, no matter what kind of relationship,I personally learned that the most important toolthat determines the success (or lack thereof) ofthe relationship is communication. Whencarried out and received properly, it can resultthe creation and continuation of a successfulrelationship. When miscommunication occurs,though, is when the trouble starts and caninevitably lead to damaging and, at worst, evendestroying a relationship.

In the end, though, the most importantrelationship, I have learned, is the one you havewith yourself. You have to be able to love andrespect yourself for who you are before otherscan do the same for you and before you can dothe same for others. When that happens, you’llhave people who truly appreciate you, who youcan create memories with and have successfulrelationships with for a lifetime.

The Importance ofCollege Relationships

24

It is obvious that it is not particularly cheapto be a student at Marist College. There aremany additional expenses that are incurredduring the year; textbooks, project supplies,are only a few that come to mind. However,somewhere in the close to $40,000 we expendeach year, there is a great facility included inour tuition that contains quality equipment inorder to maintain the fitness of athletes andthe average Marist student alike: the McCannCenter. So why would anyone venture to incuran added cost for a facility that is seeminglythe same butoff campus?

While College Activities provides dance,yoga and Pilates classes, they are often closedout before even a fraction of Marist studentsare given a chance to sign up. I was luckyenough to get a spot in both $3 Pilatessessions and with this workout, combined withall of the possibilities at the McCann center, Istill was not satisfied, so I decided toinvestigate some of my options.

Planet Fitness was only $15 per month butit was inconvenience, as the closest oneresides in Hyde Park. Before even exploringthe obvious choice, I received a phone call onmy cell phone about Mike Arteaga’s Health &Fitness Center located directly across thestreet. I was offered a free one week trial atthe gym and while I never seriously consideredjoining for an extra $30 per month, I was lookingto take advantage of some exercise classes.

Upon entering the sports center, the firstthing I noticed about Mike Arteaga’s wascleanliness; it was in pristine condition. Thefloors were immaculate, the walls looked freshlypainted, and the machines seemed brand new.

While I was impressed by the look and feelof the gym, I knew that I needed to take someclasses and check out any training optionsbefore giving it a rave review. There were awide variety of classes to choose fromincluding Group Power, Group Step, GroupCentergy, Group Groove, Group Kick, GroupRide and Group Active, along with a variety ofAquatic Aerobic classes and Mixed and GentleYoga classes.

I opted for Active, a ‘beginner’ class withstep moves, abdominal and weight training.The class was described as “perfect for theinfrequent exerciser,” but I challenged myselfby increasing my weights. My only complaintwas the music in the class; it was not veryupbeat or motivating.

Group Centergy and Gentle Yoga, however,were by far my favorite classes. Centergy wasa combination of fast-paced yoga moves andan abdominal intensive Pilates series. GentleYoga was perfect as a night class, this 75-minute class was very relaxing, yet challenging.Overall, as far as classes went, I was verysatisfied.

After leaving my class I decided to try outthe weight and cardio machines. I observed a

MikMikMikMikMike Are Are Are Are Arttttteaga’s Health & Fitness Centeaga’s Health & Fitness Centeaga’s Health & Fitness Centeaga’s Health & Fitness Centeaga’s Health & Fitness CenterererererTTTTTo Join? or Noo Join? or Noo Join? or Noo Join? or Noo Join? or Not tt tt tt tt to Join?o Join?o Join?o Join?o Join?

variety of trainers to assist members with theMedX strengthening circuits, 30 minute circuitsdesigned for members with little time to exercise.They allow a full-body workout with free aidfrom any trainer that was free. Directly next tothis program was ‘The Healthy Back and NeckProgram’ was meant to help those sufferingfrom chronic back or neck pain. It was refreshingto see that people who needed extra support inlearning how to train properly, did not need tospend extra cash on a personal trainer.

One of my personal favorite aspects of thegym is the Cardio Cinema. Located on the firstfloor of the gym near the women’s locker rooms,this fitness area is a dark room with a huge flat-screen television that plays a new flick everytwo days. Where is the exercise, you ask? Thestadium “seating” consists of a front row oflow recumbent bicycles, the second row a bithigher with treadmills and a third row of tall-standing ellipticals. I had finally found theperfect cardio workout for the lazy collegestudent!

I finally headed back upstairs to plug myiPod into one of the machines and startrunning. As I stared out the full-lengthwindows, exerting myself on the treadmill andwiping beads of sweat off my brow, I can seethe McCann Recreation Center across Route9. and I still feel as if the extra expense permonth is worth it to be a member at MikeArteaga Health & Fitness Center.

By Christine Urgola

25

of this plan is against improving the educationof our children and therefore should bedisregarded. With over 3.8 million Americansat over 300 pounds and an estimated 25%qualifying as “obese” there is no doubt theamount of money in question would besignificant. Furthermore the 300,000 deathscaused every year by obesity would decreaseand public awareness about the dangers ofbeing overweight would increase. As more andmore generations work towards thinning out, itwould become a cultural norm to remain thin.Let me say that thin does not mean unhealthy;merely a healthy average weight is the goal.

2My second plan of action is almost certainly

more effective but will most likely meet moreresistance. Be sure not to judge it without trulyconsidering the benefits.

Using a similar, but more lenient, version ofthe Gluttony Tax’s weight determinationmethod people will be classified as Acceptable,On Watch, or Overweight. Then all who qualifyin the last category will be put into an organizedform of slavery. Special human rights laws willbe put in place to prevent them from any seriousill treatment. They would then remain enslaveduntil they lost the necessary weight. Freedomwould serve as the ideal motivation. Individualslike you or me could apply for one or more slaves

As a nation we are at a critical point. Everyday we are presented with a list of economicproblems that at times may seeminsurmountable and hard working people areliving in fear that the comfortable life they’veearned might be taken from them. Meanwhilewe struggle with ever rising obesity and arapidly spreading apathy when it comes tosolving this weight gain nightmare. In 1962,research showed that the percentage of obesityin America’s population was at 13%. By 1980 ithad risen to 15% and by 1994 to 23%. By theyear 2000 the obesity progression in Americahad reached an unprecedented 31%.

For the good of my country I’ve devisedtwo plans to deal with both problems head on.

1The government must take an active role in

purging America of its childbearing hips. Fortoo long the cellulite sympathizers in Congresshave let cholesterol run free. It’s time to starttaking all those extra pounds and convertingthem into cash. I propose immediate legislationto implement what I call a “Gluttony Tax.” Whyshould those who choose to disregard theirhealth and appearance be allowed to continuepoisoning our children with their poor examplewithout any punishment? Therein lays anunexplored source of revenue.

There would be only one immediate cost.The government would temporarily providedoctors to evaluate each person in America.Based on height, build and age each citizenwould be given a card bearing a number. Iftheir weight is over that number they have 6months to lose the weight. If they fail to do sothey will be hit with a 25% income tax. If overthe course of the next year they still feel itnecessary to remain both unhealthy andunsightly they will have to sustain a 50%income tax. Of course medical conditions thatmake weight loss difficult we’ll be taken intoconsideration. This is not a plan of strict rulesbut rather a flexible effort to get every citizen toa healthy weight.

The benefits of such a plan would besubstantial. The tax dollars could go toimmediate use in numerous areas. Urban areascould be revamped and become safer. Roadscould receive needed repairs, creating jobs inthe process. Education could receive a massive(no pun intended) amount of money towardsbooks, computers, updated facilities, betterpersonnel and so much more. Surely any critic

and, if a valid use for them exists, be grantedthe requested help.

At first glance it may be difficult to see howthis will help the economy but the advantagesare numerous. A sizeable portion of the slaveswith be sent to the Midwest (their families mayaccompany them) to be part of a nationalagriculture plan. With free workers the costwould be low. This agriculture plan wouldprovide the slaves with healthy food and notinterfere with existing farms businesses.

Failing farms could even be granted slavesand enter the program as a means of stayingafloat. With food provided small businesswould be able to thrive by taking on freeemployees. Meanwhile countless jobsopenings would suddenly exist as allOverweights would lose employment. Theunemployment problem would instantlybecome a thing of the past. By the time most ofthe slaves earned their freedom the economywould be so strong that jobs would exist toassimilate freed slaves back into society.

The issue of fairness will undoubtedly beraised by opponents of this plan but theyoverlook a major consideration. Is it fair thatthose of us who choose to stay at a healthyweight suffer any longer? The obese areclogging society’s arteries and at this turningpoint in American history is it crucial we do thenecessary bypass surgery.

My Modest Proposal By Mike Cresci

26

Close your eyes and take a journey withme; a trip into the ideal college dorm room. Ibet what you’re imagining closely resembleswhat the men of Gartland House E3 havemanaged to put together. They were able totransform a first floor Gartland apartment intoone of the most comfortable livingenvironments I’ve seen on campus.

Upon first stepping into the doorway, younotice a large tapestry of a prized buck. This,along with three rich mahogany bookstandsgives the living room a rather “homey” feel.Adorning the dark bookstands are varioussports memorabilia and autographs, photos offamilies and the house DVD collection. Fromhere you may take a seat on the full couch orany of the rooms many chairs and play a gameor watch something on the 46” widescreen TVplaced in front of the window. You may alsonotice the Bose surround sound system whichhas caused many parties to bust out of control.

In normal houses you may expect to seeblank white walls, or a few random scatteredposters. This is not the case in E3 where youwill find a large Johnny Cash poster, along witha Queen poster with Freddy Mercuryflamboyantly posing on stage. Also, I canguarantee that this is the only place I haveever seen a poster of Albert Einstein joyfullyriding his bicycle. One other thing of note isthe variety of nerf guns scattered strategicallythroughout the room. As I’m told by residentMike Walsh, “when you’re in E3, you neverknow when war may break out.”

If you choose to journey further into thehouse with me, we find ourselves in the kitchen.Not generally the strong suits of college boys’houses, but these gentlemen have made thekitchen their own. Of course all the amenitiesare present, toaster, microwave, and blender,but there is much more to this kitchen than

Coolest House on Campusstandard appliances.Take, for example thelife sized Randy MossFathead posted onthe far wall. Andhovering just to theleft of Moss’facemask is yetanother Nerf Gun.This one mounted onthe wall like a huntingrifle is the N-strikeLongshot CS-6.

I took the time toexplore one of thethree bedrooms.Room C belongs toJim Urso and MikeWalsh, two sportscommunications majors and a Yankee and RedSox fan respectively. Mike and James havedecorated their room with lots of sports and

movie memorabilia.Walsh has manyPatriots things and aframed Kevin Garnettpicture along with alarge pirate flag tosymbolize hisp e r s o n a l i t y .Watching over thetwo as they fade of todreamland everynight is a Casinoposter featuringRobert DeNiro, armsfolded and anapproving look onhis face as hevalidates their room.The two also have a

sort of tribute to Marist athletics withnewspaper front-pages of the womens’basketball team, withsmall Fitz and Vianiposters andschedules.

At brief glanceinto the other wallsthere is more tosurprise you. WillGunther and JamesBartosik’s room is fullof band posters likeThe Who and artsypaintings that gogreat with thedarkness of the room.Gunther’s hockeyjersey also adornsthe wall over his bed.

The room of Billy Berard and Jack Famiglioholds another bookshelf posted on the wallnext to a movie tribute to Christian Bale. Thereis also a wheelchair at Billy’s desk used toperform, “crazy wheelchair stunts.” And folks,I’ve seen them and they are quite impressive.

More so than just the look of this house, itis the vibe that it creates that makes it amazing.It’s the reason that every weekend twenty orso people gather here for parties, or how atany given time there are ten to twelve studentspresent inside its’ walls. It can be as big andimportant as the hand drawn highlanderpicture in the bathroom and the “rock em sockem robots” game on the coffee tables, or assmall and nearly unnoticeable as the twoantique lamps that James’ mother picked upfor a dollar at a yard sale. When you puteverything here together, you only get onething. And that thing is the coolest house oncampus.

By Casper Vigil