Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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Editorial Board
Executive Editor
editorials
Najib Aminy
Mission Accomplished!
By Vincent Barone
letters!
To the Editor, tacted at the paper failed to re-read the 42-page document
in its entirety—or failed to understand it.
As a representative of the dietary supplement industry, I am
writing to correct an inaccuracy regarding our organization So, to be clear, since 1973, the Council for Responsible Nu-
that appeared in the March 16, 2011 article “The Muscle Mar- trition (CRN) has been the leading voice of the supplement
ket.” By stating our position using only one line, out of con- industry. CRN advocates for the high quality manufacturing and
text, from a 42-page document, the reporter misrepresented responsible marketing of dietary supplements and we have
our organization’s position on government regulation of ad- consistently provided support for responsible industry ac-
vertising claims for dietary supplements, and as a result, mis- tions coupled with reasonable industry regulation.
characterized the philosophy of our organization. At no time
prior to writing the story did anyone from the paper try to As much as we believe the supplement industry has an obli-
contact us to get our perspective on what is a complex and gation to self-regulate as well as abide by government regu-
confusing topic. In fact, after the article ran, we offered to lations, we believe that this newspaper has a journalistic
make a member of our scientific team available to the reporter responsibility to accurately portray an organization’s position.
to explain our position, but this request was ignored. Finally, We hope in the future you’ll be mindful of accuracy in your
after a month of trying to get the newspaper to run a simple stories.
correction, we were stonewalled until finally we were told
that we should instead write a letter to the editor. Sincerely,
The decision not to run a correction and not to engage in a Trainor Walsh
dialogue leads us to the conclusion that either all parties con- Council for Responsible Nutrition
Editors’ Note: The Press stands by Mr. Katz’s article. Mr. Walsh was put in communication with the author after his initial response.
6 Vol. XXXII, Issue 13 |Wednesday, May 4, 2011
features
On the Wrong
Side of the
Upset
by Alyssa Melillo
There once was a time when tight- events more students could attend, talk to a student body of over 20,000 is most,” Khan said of his decision to run.
knit cliques mainly ran the Student Ac- Khan said he immediately knew that hard when everyone, for the most part, “[But] everyone who won is pretty
tivities Board, and some members of something within the SAB needed to is thinking of themselves. good. I thought it was a good group.”
the Undergraduate Student Govern- change. “The current structure [at the “I don’t sit in my room and listen to If he had been elected, Khan also
ment (USG), were more concerned time had] been in place for the last 30 Bruno Mars,” he said. “The current said he had planned to focus on pre-
about their résumé than on improving years and it [wasn’t] working for the last events help make the decisions rather venting tuition hikes and fee increases
student life on campus, at least those 20,” he said. than the students. I haven’t really talked while also cutting backs USG spending
were those main criticisms. Stony Brook students saw a change to a lot of students, but I think we’ve to free up money to create more clubs
In the past few years, however, in campus events in the fall of 2010. done a lot of events where the artist and activities. Khan said he believes that
these organizations went through big That semester, under direction of Khan, chooses itself.” students should generally be against
transformations that shaped them into the new SAB brought big names to “I think the bigger criticism is that raising tuition, especially because most
what students know them as today. campus such as big time comedian I don’t delegate enough,” he added. do not know how fees really work.
While many students played a role in Christian Finnegan and indie band Best While working on changing the “I think a lot of student govern-
these changes, one in particular saw Coast. This spring, comedian Aziz structure and leadership of the SAB, ments are out-of-tune with students,” he
these transformations first hand, and Ansari, rapper Immortal Technique and said of other SUNY student leaders who
played a leading role in one of them. consumer advocate Ralph Nader all put support tuition raises. “You should al-
History major Moiz Khan first be- on events that almost reached full ca- ways be extra skeptical towards a posi-
came involved with USG when he was a pacity. “From the very begin- tion where students and administration
freshman in the fall of ‘08. Khan said he “I think the philosophy was differ- can agree on something.”
became interested in the organization ent,” Khan said, referring to the old ning, we decided not to Khan is the founder and chair of
after he had to communicate with it SAB’s approach, for example bringing talk about ‘if Mark the Student Polity Party. While the
when he was starting up a club, and he names such as Fabolous and Kerri Hil- party did see some wins in the past USG
eventually took on a position as a sena- son to campus for last year’s Brookfest
wins’ but rather ‘when election, Khan said he thinks it is un-
tor in the spring of ‘09. concert. Khan said the old SAB did ask Mark wins.’ fortunate that more Student Polity party
“When I started, [USG] was in a for student input, but not enough to members did not win.
transition mode, I guess,” Khan said. make a decision that represented the Khan took on many other roles
“You could tell some people were only student body as a whole. within USG other than senator and
there for their resumes.” For this year’s concert, which takes treasurer, but he said that after this elec-
Khan was appointed treasurer in place Friday, the SAB is bringing Khan remained involved with USG, but tion, he plans on minimal involvement
the fall of ‘09, and it was then that he got Grammy-winning artist Bruno Mars planned on taking his role to the next with the organization. This is not be-
his first glimpse of how the concert- and singer Janelle Monáe. While Khan level. This semester he ran for USG cause of his loss, but because of the new
booking Student Activities Board (SAB) has been subject to the very same criti- president and represented the Student faces and views that make up the future
operated. “When I became treasurer...I cism for not listening to students and Polity Party, but surprisingly lost to the USG. “My time in USG as a pro-active
sort of had to oversee how [the SAB] other SAB members when making de- less experienced Mark Maloof, of the person is done,” he said. “I don’t like to
spent [its] money,” he said. After notic- cisions on campus events, he had a dif- United Students Party. have to constantly compromise [my
ing the SAB spending its money on ferent perspective when it was he was “I wanted to [fill] a position where views.]”
small, weekly events rather than bigger making the decisions. He said trying to I felt I could help the organization the Although USG will be made up of
The Stony Brook Press Features 7
COST: >$200,000
ADMISSION:
$5 FOR SBU STUDENTS
$25 FOR OFF-CAMPUS
PERKS
Rentry
Outdoor Stages
* Cost is an estimate from
within USG. Complete budget was
not available at the time of print.
BREAKDOWN:
COST: $105,000
for all Artists
tweens
The Stony Brook Press Features 9
CULTURE SHOCK
Cost: $93,975
Admission: FREE for students
FREE for off-campus
PERKS
Rentry
Outdoor Stages
*Note: Table break-
down consolidated
portions of the budget
into one chart.
BREAKDOWN:
Cam’ron
Everyone else
tweens
10 Features Vol. XXXII, Issue 13 |Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Searching for a
Home Away
From Home
By Jo Eun Lee
It’s 2 a.m. in the commuter lounge you’re homeless. clumsily tosses a bit of Korean language muter lounge cut off our conversation
and a young man is sleeping with a But he brushed off the rumors back at me. “Na, keundae Hankook almost every minute to talk to him
peaceful expression, snoring faintly. His without hesitation. “So what...?” As long saram aniyaeyo.” Nah, but I am not Ko- about things like last weekend’s party,
arms and legs are sprawled about in as the 600 or so friends he has made in rean. plans for the next party. To make jokes
such a way that one would think he was the commuter lounge know that he is I don’t believe him. He has the Ko- and just to say hello. Ranging from Chi-
in his own bed. At 5 in the morning, he not, in fact, living there, what does it rean fashion sense and sentiment; he nese-American, American, Korean, Ko-
is still sleeping. The next day, around 1 matter? knows how to bow like a Korean when rean-American, German to Ethiopian,
a.m., he is again in the library’s com- “Whatever...” he says a little cyni- meeting people for the first time, rather the scene is a reflection of the dream of
muter lounge, trying to unfold his body cally. He works for the sushi section in than hugging or shaking hands to say American multiculturalism.
into a comfortable position to sleep, just hello. But his parents moved to Brazil But a sad thought enters my mind.
as he had the night before. His big black from Korea after their marriage and he Is this dream only possible after lan-
backpack is his only company, sitting was born in Sao Paulo. He moved to guage barriers are broken down? His
beside his head as if to keep guard while America in 2007. He is an international non-stop texting and chatting on Face-
he dreams. Around 7 a.m., he wanders
“You can’t measure the student at Stony Brook, but he is in- book occurs in at least four languages:
out of the bathroom of the commuter mutual affection of two credibly different from other interna- Portuguese, Korean, English and Span-
lounge in a new blue shirt, his backpack human beings by the tional students. ish. At all times, his computer screen
slung across his back. The next day he He seems to have absorbed the displays Google’s translator to take him
will be there again, as he has been for number of words they American language, slang and culture. from Greek to English, from Portuguese
more than three years. exchange.” No trouble in English speaking conver- to Korean, from Spanish to Chinese. As
“I think he lives in the commuter sations, no translating first from the an active Wikipedia user, he is fasci-
lounge,” says Youjin Park. “He never mother-tongue to the second language, nated by its multi-language translating
disappoints me. Of course I know him. English, which kills most international function. His wallet is designed after an
You don’t even know Andre? He is the Jasmine early in the morning. He would students and makes them want to go ‘international express-mail envelope,’
very ‘Legend of Commuter Lounge’.” rather use the commuter lounge as a back to their own country. with transatlantic stamps and red and
Andre Younne: Commuter lounge temporary habitat at night than travel In a weird, or beautifully hybrid blue slashes. Just like him, it is transcul-
guy. home. He says he feels more excited and way, Andre’s ‘guests’ in the commuter tural.
“I know some people believe I live happy in the commuter lounge than in lounge hang out with him, overcoming Andre tells me he may be falling in
here, yeah, I know,” he says. “So....?” I let his own house. “There is nothing else to any nationality barriers — language or love with the author of The Unbearable
him continue. I expected him to be de- do in my house other than sleep.” cultural. I would even dare to say he is a Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera, who
fensive about those rumors — who At first glance, his Asian phenotype bridge between the American students wrote, “You can’t measure the mutual
wants to be known as the guy living in is obvious — Andre is Korean, as rec- and international students, English affection of two human beings by the
the commuter lounge? Unless you are ognized by my own Korean eyes. I try speakers and non-English speakers, and number of words they exchange.”
obsessed with studying for 24-hour pe- to speak to him in Korean. “Annyueo- Asian Americans and original Asians. Despite the 600 or so friends he
riods, people would probably think inghaseiyo” I say — ‘hi’ in Korean. He People rambling around the com- may have, which he documents with his
The Stony Brook Press Features 11
Daniel Ellsberg on Tuesday, April 26 with Professor James Klurfeld (top) seen prior talking to a small of group of faculty and staff before
his lecture on the parallels between the Pentagon Papers and WikiLeaks (below). Photos Ula Gradowska
The Stony Brook Press Photos! 13
Scenes from the second student-run art exhibit, Modern Art by Modern Artists, on Monday, May 2, 2011. Photos by Carolina Hidalgo
14 Vol. XXXII, Issue 13 |Wednesday, May 4, 2011
arts&entertainment
plaster and called “Curious Bear,” by Sabrina Cacciatore: a large, black on her face, and her hands up to her and that people in the Stony Brook
which showed a brown bear ripping wooden box sitting on a high table, with chest. Fingers and hands ominously community don’t neglect the arts, and
open its belly. The bear’s ribcage was the words “FEATURE PRESENTA- tried to grab her. The only words inside Kozlovski feels the same way. “I think
exposed and its insides poured out in a TION” printed on it in white. Students read “Everything is going to be ok.” an event like this is essential to culture
swirl of pink and red paint. One guest lined up to look inside through a cutout When guests pressed down on the and student life here at Stony Brook,”
who saw the piece walked by with a jutting from one of the sides, as if it wooden flap at the bottom of the box, Belopolsky said. “Events like this where
confused face and shouted “That’s were a short motion picture at a Nick- the orange and green picture changed people get to meet new people and
gruesome” to her friend. elodeon in the 1930s. Inside the box to purple, as though someone had make new friends and see art…it’s es-
The showstopper was constructed was a neon orange and green picture of shone a black light on it, and the mes- sential, and there’s just not enough of
a young woman with a frightened look saged changed to “Everything is NOT them. Once a year is not enough.”
Shamuel Yagudayev going to be ok.” Students had a wide These two leaders of the show are
range of reactions to the piece, but most glad to give this opportunity to students
Even though graduate student
Shamuel Yagudayev had only one piece at seemed surprised to read the contrast- who are not necessarily art majors. “It
the MAMA Art Show on Monday night, ing messages. One student, almost dis- wasn’t like I was saying, ‘Hey artists,
it was an attention-getter, and that is appointedly, mentioned “the second come show your work.’ It was like,
probably because it portrayed a recogniz- part is not so happy” as he walked away ‘Hey, anybody that makes art and ex-
able character among some of the more from the box. Many students seemed presses themselves, be involved in
modern and abstract art. His piece was impressed that such an interesting and this,’” Belopolsky said. “This isn’t like
entitled “Scrat, 24,000 y. later,” and it was different piece was put together. an uptight gallery thing where you have
a dark gray, almost skeletal depiction of The show itself was a work of art, as to be an artist.” Belopolsky and Ko-
Scrat from the Ice Age movies, made out Scrat, his determination is helping him Kozlovski explained. Although he did zlovski are interested in integrating the
of steel, and perched on top of a stump of take steps toward accomplishing what he not have any pieces in the show, the sciences into art, whether it is through
oak, which he polished down himself. really wants out of life.
Yagudayev said that not only is Scrat work of putting it together and the final getting science majors to showcase art
However, his art displays are not product, done with the help of senior that they do, or interesting lectures
his favorite character from Ice Age, but going to stop with the MAMA Art Show,
that he can also identify with the charac- Roman Belopolsky, founder of the about how art influences science, or
or next year when he attends medical
ter. He explained that Scrat is naturally school in the Caribbean. Yagudayev vice-versa.
persistent about doing what he wants to dreams of having his own studio. As far as the art scene on campus is
do, yet he sometimes has hardships and concerned, Belopolsky feels that the hu-
he is unable to achieve his goals.
Yagudayev took an art class at Stony
Brook, which he said changed his life and
“This isn’t like an up- manities institution gets neglected.
After coming to the United States
from Moscow in August, 2000, the first
inspired him to continue pursuing art.
Even though he was always interested in
tight gallery thing “They don’t have enough money to
provide more classes in the humanities,
person in his family to live in America, he
found himself confused and struggling at
art, he had never had the opportunity to where you have to be but they built brand new fuckin’ bas-
consistently construct it like he did in the
a challenging school like Stony Brook. class he took in 2008, when he con- an artist.” ketball courts in Tabler,” he said. But I
spend maybe $1,500 on this whole
He was on academic probation after his structed “Scrat, 24,000 y. later”. He said
first semester when he began to work to- event, and look at the magnitude of it.”
his teacher, Athena Latocha, helped him
ward a degree in medicine. “I knew with “look at the world in a more colorful and He wants USG and the administration
the competition at Stony Brook, I wasn’t special way.” Although he won’t be able MAMA Art Show, was art in its own to see that students are, in fact, inter-
going to do [medicine] anymore,” he said. to continue his artistic pursuits when he right. After Belopolsky graduates, he ested in art, even if it was created by
“But that’s when I had my first shot of goes to medical school in the Caribbean, strongly hopes that through the efforts their fellow students. Instead, Stony
vodka and I pretty much decided to stay the art classes he took at Stony Brook of USG, the FAO and students like Ko- Brook is taking your tuition money and
with what I want and no matter what I have helped him shape his unique take on zlovski, the show will continue to be a spending it on scientific speakers, and
would have it, and next year I’m going to art. large part of Stony Brook’s student life, really, who’s going to those?
medical school.” He believes that, like
16 Arts&Entertainment Vol. XXXII, Issue 13 |Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The Giant Elephant On the Screen
her Oscar. Waltz similarly gets to play
By Lauren DuBois off the inner villain character that won
him his Oscar last year for Inglorious
Basterds. However, the true break-
You’re definitely never too old to through is surprisingly Pattinson.
run away and join the circus. Though he still broods a bit, much like
In Water for Elephants, the new film his Twilight vampire heartthrob, there’s
based off the best-selling Sara Gruen actually something about his perform-
novel, Jacob (Robert Pattinson) is a ance that makes the audience stop and
Cornell veterinary science student in concentrate on what he’s actually doing
the Great Depression era whose world on screen to make him believable as a
comes crumbling down around him love-struck vet who wants the boss’s
after his parents are killed in a car crash. wife. This role actually helps him turn a
Now homeless and penniless, he hops corner and transform himself quite pos-
on a passing train, one that happens to sibly into a genuine Hollywood leading
house the Benzini Brothers Traveling man.
Circus, and he embarks on the greatest The only flaw the movie seems to
journey of his life. have is the unfortunate lack of chem-
After he is offered a job as chief vet istry between Pattinson and Wither-
to the circus animals by the somewhat spoon. While there is something there
maniacal, self-absorbed dictator, boss, between them, the spark that makes a
and ringmaster August (Christoph burning love story so great isn’t quite
Waltz), Jacob earns a place in his inner The film overall is visually captivat- cast, made up of two recent Oscar win- there. Their friendship however is much
circle, as well as the man’s wife and star- ing, with colorful sets and props and ners in Witherspoon and Waltz, and an more believable.
attraction, Marlena’s (Reese Wither- beautiful cinematography. Richard La- attention-getting heartthrob in Pattin- Some scenes are a bit difficult to
spoon) heart. As August struggles to Gravenese’s screenplay remains fairly son. Witherspoon proves once again watch, but overall the film is worth
keep the circus from going belly up and true to the novel from which it is that she has what it takes to play more watching. If not for the all-star cast or
tries to get out of the shadow of Rin- adapted, while still allowing some room than a ditzy blonde or a romantic com- beautifully composed shots, then see it
gling Brothers, Marlena and Jacob begin for a fresh, newly creative vision. How- edy lead, but a leading woman in a for Rosie, the 9,000-lb. elephant who
to develop true feelings for each other, ever, the true winner in this film is the drama, a role that allows her to emulate manages to steal the scenes she’s in. If
which doesn’t bode well for them after acting. her portrayal of June Carter Cash in nothing else, she’ll make anyone a fan.
August gets wind of what’s going on. Water for Elephants has an all-star Walk the Line, the very role that won
Gears of War Beta: A New Perspective
spearing unsuspecting players with the not a shotgun. Not only does it turn the
By Kenny Mahoney new ‘retro lancer’ have a distinct charm. game into a close-quarters shotgun
Of the four included maps currently in orgy, it also prevents me from using
the beta, each has a markedly different other weapons because I know they’re
I don’t play Gears of War multi- feel to it, with different choke points not as effective.
player by choice - I played through the and hold –out spots to make every Lastly, I don’t feel as in control of
first two campaigns and loved it. I round change feel fresh. my character as I’d like. I understand
would have loved to have spent time on- These improvements don’t excuse that as a third-person game, I can’t play
line chainsawing people in half in the GOW3 from some other glaring issues, it like a first-person shooter. Regard-
previous iterations of Gears, but I could- however. For one, the game’s shotguns - less, the cover mechanics feel clunky,
n’t. I couldn’t even get into a game. the guts of combat feel essentially the
same to me, with a few new tools the returning ‘Gnasher’ and the new and I feel like I’m getting stuck in ani-
While network issues plagued the first ‘Sawed-off ’ - feel far too powerful. It mations for too long. Deep down I
two games in the series, the beta has thrown in. Chest-high walls still litter
the landscape of every map, but the en- seems like as soon as we spawn, every- hope that these complaints may simply
proven to be solid as a rock. While I one switches from their primary be manifest because I’m still a novice,
would previously wait upwards of 10 vironments change enough to keep it
interesting. Blowing players apart in weapon to their secondary shotgun. As but I don’t think I’m the only player who
minutes to enter a match, I now join al- I heard someone put it, there’s a picture feels this way.
most instantaneously. Aside from that, the isles of the ‘Checkout’ map or charg-
ing down the field of ‘Thrashball’ and of a Lancer on the cover of this game,
18 Arts&Entertainment Vol. XXXII, Issue 13 |Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
tinuing in the direction of 2007’s All Of tensity that Explosions are usually so last it’s okay to just let loose and rock
By Gabriel Panadero A Sudden I Miss Everyone, Explosions good at accomplishing. out. Explosions’ song’s work best when
creates here a more expansive, atmos- Despite its shortcomings, the album they involve the listener in this way,
pheric sound than on their earlier al- is saved from being a disappointment when you get caught up in the roller
In 2003 the Texas-based instru- bums. The use of sampling on several of by the last two songs. The penultimate coaster ride of the song’s progression,
mental band Explosions in the Sky re- the tracks, as well as ubiquitous use of track, entitled “Postcard From 1952”, is when you have to let it carry you to its
leased The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead an E-bow, adds to this effect. arguably the best song this band has end. “Postcard” does this brilliantly.
Place, one of the best post-rock albums “Trembling Hands” shows the written since “Your Hand In Mine” back “Let Me Back In,” the last and
of all time. This was the same year that greatest departure from the bands core in 2003. “Postcard” is classic Explosions, longest song on the album, serves as an
the Canadian group Godspeed You! sound, with ambient vocal sampling starting out quietly with the faint famil- appropriate come down from the ex-
Black Emperor went on an indefinite and a steadier compositional dynamic iar ringing of guitars, and then slowly plosive culmination of “Postcard.” It’s
hiatus, and since then Explosions has dark and kind of creepy and gives you
enjoyed almost sole reign of the instru- the sense at first that you’ve settled at
mental rock kingdom, thanks in no the bottom of a waterfall. It has its
small part to their awe-inspiring live crescendos too, but they sort of sink
performances. So it’s a big deal when back into the quiet gentle flow that
they release a new album, especially eventually carries the song, and the
now that GY!BE is touring again, and album, to its end. “Let Me Back In” ex-
post-rock has become a major part of pertly recalls the sense of dislocation
the musical landscape. and numbness that often follows an in-
Explosions’ latest effort, released on tensely emotional experience. Playing
April 18, 2011, and entitled Take Care, the album straight through gives you a
Take Care, Take Care, suffers from the better sense of how the songs work
same fate as their 2005 and 2007 re- within themselves and of how they re-
leases: it is not The Earth Is Not A Cold late to each other. Of course, the best
Dead Place. That is not to say Take Care way to appreciate the music of Explo-
is a bad album. Stylistically it doesn’t de- sions In The Sky is to see them live; it is
part much from previous efforts, fea- than most of their songs employ. Al- building in intensity volume, at times an entirely different experience. Al-
turing all the chiming guitars and though it does hint at a new direction almost reluctantly. The band’s master- though Take Care doesn’t come close to
surging crescendos that the band is for the band, it is unclear if this is the ful use of tension is at its best here; as surpassing The Earth Is Not A Cold
known for. Album-opener “Last Known direction the band should move in, or the drums come rolling in and guitar Dead Place, it does make a legitimate
Surroundings” begins with a quiet am- even if the members of the band think riffs start cascading over one another, claim for the continued existence of
bient drone, finally broken by sprawling so. Either way, the song feels too repet- you get the sense of being pulled along music that, if nothing more, makes star-
distorted guitars and pounding drums. itive, even for its uncharacteristically in a racing current. When the song fi- ing at your feet at a train station incred-
The track highlights what does set this short runtime of 3:30, and it fails to con- nally erupts into its bombastic climax, ibly epic.
album apart from its predecessors. Con- jure the same dramatic emotional in- there is a palpable sense of relief, as if at
“Helplessness Blues”
By Nick Post
The mood is darker on Seattle
quintet Fleet Foxes’ new LP, “Helpless-
ness Blues”, released May 3rd on Sub
Pop, than on their previous releases.
Singer Robin Pecknold and his merry
band of harmonizers deliver the bright,
soaring vocals that characterize the
group’s folk pop sound—but now do so
while exploring more complex themes
of insecurity, success and one’s place in
the world.
It makes sense considering the where I’ve not been knowing what to tential lyrics to shine, but at the same depth to his well-crafted words
troubles the relatively young band faced write or how to write.” time, the group appears to be more se- (Bedouin Dress).
when recording the album. Songs were In the end, his turmoil resulted in a cure in their musicianship. Guitarist Fans expecting the bright, flowing
written, then cut, then rewritten, then remarkably rich album that is personal Skyler Skjelse explore grooves more folk of Fleet Foxes won’t be disap-
cut again and in Dec. 2009 Pecknold and introspective, but never cheesy or fully (Montezuma, The Shrine/An Ar- pointed but Helplessness Blues intro-
told Pitchfork Media, “The last year has sentimental. Acoustic sounds and fin- gument) and Pecknold allows the natu- duces us to the more pensive and
been a really trying creative process gerpicked guitars allow the nearly exis- ral cracks in his voice to add emotional complex side of the group.
The Stony Brook Press Arts&Entertainment 19
The GaGa Revolution
By Eileen Quaranto
Stefani Germanotta, better known
as Lady Gaga or “Mother Monster,” may
be the missing link in the endless quest
for peaceful coexistence and harmo-
nious living. With the upcoming release
of Gaga’s second studio album Born
This Way, due to drop on May 23rd, the
pop icon has been making appearances
left and right. Last week’s “Born This
Way” episode of Glee and her subse-
quent appearance on Ellen on April 28th
are just two examples of Gaga’s growing
presence in the media as a driving force
in the fight for gay rights.
Gaga praised Glee’s rendition of
“Born This Way” for it’s excellent por-
trayal of the song’s theme: being com-
fortable with one’s own identity. The
performers were each dressed in a white
t-shirt that publicized some unique or
flawed aspect of themselves that they
proudly displayed: “Likes Boys,” “Brown
Eyes,” “Bad Attitude,” “Can’t Sing,” and
“Lucy Caboosey,” to name a few. This
theme of self-confidence and pride in
one’s identity has become intrinsic with
Gaga’s music and image. Once known
only as a gay rights activist, Gaga is now
becoming an everyone’s rights activist,
encouraging her fans to be comfortable
with who they are and take pride in
their individuality. During her inter-
view with Ellen DeGeneres, Gaga talked
about her own experience coming to
terms with celebrating her own identity.
“Love yourself!” she says.
On April 23rd I was privileged
enough to have in my pocket one of the
coveted tickets to Lady Gaga’s Monster
Ball, where I found myself surrounded
by thousands of familiar strangers
and wear simply this one item while the these speeches was about her fans. “You on up to the front of the room and
chanting “GaGa! GaGa! GaGa!” Lady
rest of their body is covered in makeup guys are so powerful as a fan base, and danced like I’ve never seen anyone
GaGa emerged to greet the thundering
and spray-on glitter. together we can do anything…We can dance before. What could once have po-
crowd at the Nassau Coliseum with “I
At the Monster Ball it doesn’t mat- change the world.” tentially been an “EW” moment be-
love you all so much,” and “Please, call
ter what you wear or how sparkly you I left the Monster Ball as a different came a mesmerizing moment, as people
me Mother Monster.” Welcome to the
are because we are all Little Monsters person, and I’m sure I’m not the only began forming a circle around this man
Monster Ball, where anything is possi-
and we all share two things—a love of one who felt this way. The Coliseum— and cheering him on, comfortable in his
ble. Here, anyone can be a star if they’re
GaGa and a love of our own identity. It a place that had originally been an own skin.
willing to put in the effort. A costume
is precisely GaGa’s dream to create a “every man for himself ” kind of envi- We Little Monsters, who entered
made up with just balloons or Caution
world in which there is no hatred and ronment where you had to literally fight the Coliseum on our own, emerged
tape is perfectly acceptable. The Little
no animosity, but only “boundless free- for a spot near the stage—became a from the monster ball together. We were
Monsters who seem to have put in the
dom,” as she says in the “Born This place where everyone was one and the singing in unison the entire way out the
most effort are either dressed as sluts or
Way” video. same, together in the quest for human door, which is really an amazing sight
skeletons. Some have dyed their hair
Although GaGa gave a plethora of understanding. This became evident as to see: the hundreds of people on the
pink or painted their face to look like
little inspirational speeches during the soon as Gaga’s show finished. The cur- way up the endless winding concrete
the comedic dancing skeleton from the
show—including one little tid-bit about tain went up, “Judas” came on the house staircase all singing the same song, all
“Born This Way” video, and some took
her experience being left in a garbage speakers and a balding middle-aged knowing the words by heart, all on the
the time to find the most dazzling, most
can in high school when some dude was man wearing nothing but hot pink way to start a revolution.
revealing piece of underwear in the mall
told to “take out the trash”—the best of booty shorts and go-go boots strutted
20 COMICS! Vol. XXXII, Issue 13 |Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The Stony Brook Press ADS! 21
22 Vol. XXXII, Issue 13 |Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Opinion
Trumping the Criticism
In hindsight, eligibility that fueled the decidedly ing one man with over a billion people. that really wasn’t warranted in the first
President Obama’s racist “Birther Movement.” Osama may have been the face of an place. With a possible run at the Re-
speech at the an- News of bin Laden’s death spread awful organization, one that encourages publican presidential nomination com-
nual White House like wildfire on the Internet, with sites strong anti-American sentiments, but ing in 2012, Trump has been riding a
Correspondent’s like Facebook and Twitter receiving that doesn’t grant educated citizens the wave of underlying racism in recent
Dinner might go weeks. As a champion of the “Birther
down as one of the Movement,” he took credit for the re-
By Mark most badass appe- cent release of Obama’s long form birth
Greek tizers of total dom- certificate.
ination in history. In a recent poll, 41 percent of Re-
Even at the time, Obama(’s speechwrit- publicans aren’t sure that Obama wasn’t
ers) thoroughly put Donald Trump in born in this country. Twenty-five per-
his place, (an unapologetically racist cent of all Americans in that same study
place, but more on that in a little bit.) weren’t positive either. Aside from
But if Obama’s knowing smile revealed Hawaii being the 50th state, and very,
anything, it was that he had something very far from the continental U.S., it’s
even bigger in the works than the Lion difficult to see where this perception
King opening he facetiously claimed to could have come from, other than bla-
be his birth video. tant and perhaps obvious racism.
He didn’t have that same smile al- Barack Obama is African Ameri-
most 24 hours later, but no one would can. Half-African to be exact, and his
have blamed him for grinning while an- exotic name certainly doesn’t encourage
nouncing that U.S. forces had killed the the average citizen to instantly believe
most wanted man in the world, the he was born in this country. Maybe it’s
mastermind behind the 9-11 terrorist that lingering feeling that the govern-
attacks, Osama bin Laden. Acting di- ment has been lying to us about every-
rectly under the President’s orders, a thing. We never landed on the Moon,
team of Navy SEALs launched a coordi- JFK was an inside job, and chewing
nated strike on a compound near Ab- gum after dinner does not prevent cav-
bottabad, Pakistan where intelligence ities. Maybe certain Republicans are still
located the infamous terrorist. It had bristling at the notion that Obama won
taken almost 10 years; bin Laden had the election on a platform of “Change,”
evaded capture and death during Presi- both fundamentally and racially, and it
dent George W. Bush’s entire term, but frightens them.
an Obama-sanctioned military opera- Obama should be able to parlay this
tion finally brought a semblance of clo- huge moral victory into some good-will
sure to America’s greatest tragedy. for the foreseeable future. His approval
Whether we should celebrate the rating has instantly risen, and rightfully
death of another human being with so. Who knows if this will sway the 2012
chanting crowds is another matter alto- election, or how he’ll deal with possible
gether; it might be understandable con- retribution from al-Qaeda. It is too
sidering the reaction that the original 3,000 updates a second. For every “We right to use racial slurs. soon to fully understand the long-term
9-11 attacks elicited in certain areas of got him!” status, there was a frightening With Obama’s surprise press con- implications of bin Laden’s political as-
the Middle East, when radical Islamist number of “We got that t***l h**d bas- ference coming right as Trump’s sassination in hostile Pakistan, but
sympathizers were dancing in the street. tard,” and “Burn in Hell sand n*****,” Celebrity Apprentice was reaching its whatever happens in the next 6 years, it
The real problem here is the reaction to reactions as well. Not only are some of boardroom climax, Obama and his might just become another problem for
his death in social media, and Trump’s these terms incredibly offensive, way camp put the finishing touches on a Obama to solve.
original stance on Obama’s presidential too many people are guilty of associat- thorough beat down in an argument
The Stony Brook Press 23
Sports
My Five Borough Bike Tour
By Vincent Barone