Femmes d'Esprit Spring 2004 Issue 4

2004·29.3 MB·English

by  College of New Rochelle

• •
CONTENTS
3 Letter from the Editor 13 Attempting to Capture. ..
Kathryn Tyranski Alana Ruptak
4 Director's Letter 14 As We Grow
Dr.Amy Bass Sarah H. Murray
6 Personal Bests 15 Fell in Love with a Boy ... And a Girl
Rebecca Mui Richelle Fiore
7 Now. ..W here Were We 16 CaQturing the Moment: Photographs by
Christina Simpson Alana Ruptak
Alana Ruptak
8 SQring 2004: Honors Courses
17 Untitled
10 Honors Holiday Celebration 2003 AmyPary
11 More Medea! 19 Never to Return
--· .... Ruth Santiago
"
12 The Outsider
Shirley DdValle
.D t. Amy Bass
Shirl~y Del Valle
Richelle Fiore
Sarah H. Murray
R~becca Mui
2 Spring 2004 - Issue 4 - 'Femmes aP,sprit
• •
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
This is by far the hardest Board. Femmes is following the suit of
thing I have to do when it the Honors Program. If you
comes time to publish Fanmes. would like a position on the
I have to search for a meaning- Editor-in-Chief board, please let me
ful and insightful topic and Kathryn Tyranski know. .. there is room for eve-
then words that describe said ryone.
topic. What am I going to say Associate Editors For your reference, you can
this time? Rebecca Mui e-mail thoughts, comments,
To break the ice, let me Christina Simpson and contributions to
welcome you back to CNR [email protected].
and the Spring Semester. News Editors Enjoy the beginning of the
Happy New Year! I hope that Nada Ebrahim semester and just think. .. in a
the winter break was relaxing, few short weeks, it'll be
restful, and fun for all of you. Copy Editors Spring Break.
Again, we have a great first lizaHagey One last thing. .. a confes-
issue for the semester. Stu- Lacy-Ann Landell sion: my editorial letter was
dents have reflected on begin- Megan Skrip the last thing to enter this
ning anew and getting back magazine! I'm guilty of run-
into another semester. Get- Photograph/A rt Editor ning my own deadlines! How-
ting back into the groove of Sarah Worthington ever, I guess I did find my
another semester is always topic and the words to go
difficult, but before we know with it and until the next time
it. .. we'll be wishing our sen- The board will help bring a Femmes deadline approaches,
iors farewell. Allow me to tell more feedback to the Honors I will be searching again.
you about some updates with magazine in order for it to
Fanmes. improve and continually be
Femmes is undergoing con- fresh and new.
struction. The Honors Maga- The board plans to meet
zine is looking for feedback. every other week but, anyone
As the readers, contributors, who would like to stop by a Sincerely,
and as the spirit of this maga- meeting with an idea, please
zine, what would you like to feel free. This is your maga-
see in the future? Is three is- zine. Come. Share. Contrib-
sues per semester too much? ute.
Are the themes too cliche? The Honors Program has
These are important questions undergone immense changes Kathryn M. Tyranski
that need answers and with in one semester and the Editor-in-Chief
that thought in mind, I would change can be attributed to
like to introduce you to the the motivational and inspira-
tional director, Dr. Amy Bass.
new Fanmes d'Esprit Editorial
Pemmes d'P,sprit - Issue 4 - Spring 2004 3
• •
DIRECTOR'S LETTER
Dr.AmyBass
It is amazing what kinds of things can con, day of sledding ahead of me instead of multipli,
sume our attention. So much to think about in cation tables and verb conjugations: .. No
this world of ours, but seemingly little control school, all schools, Berkshire County School
over where our focus will lie at any given mo, System."
ment. With snow plummeting from the sky in And now we're back, with books lying on our
seemingly unprecedented amounts these past desks, unread and holding marvelous possibili,
months, the weather has largely consumed New ties, and grades that might still all be A,pluses
Yorkers heads, with many television minutes and beyond Graduation looms for some, while
and headline inches expended to just how much the thought of becoming a veteran college stu,
more we can take. dent hangs over the freshmen. Papers, not yet
I will admit that I called the number every written, have the potential to be brilliant, and
ten minutes or so: 914.654.5000. "Thank you while we have only just begun, spring break lies
for calling the College of New Rochelle," the ahead - almost in reach.
voice mercilessly intoned "If you are calling And yet, as our focus finally turns away from
from a touch tone phone. .... " the weather and toward what we're supposed
"Any luck?" my husband asked after I hit re, to be doing, we are sidetracked by one of the
dial the twentieth time or so. events that signals that spring is around the
"Nope," I glumly replied, looking out our liv, corner and winter can be put to rest: the Super,
ing room window at a quickly disappearing Bowl. Seriously, how is one supposed to focus
Central Park. "It must be snowing an inch an on schoolwork ( or the presidential campaigns,
hour at this point!" the ongoing situation in Iraq, "mad cow", etc.?)
I called again and found that my perseverance when issues of such monumental importance
had paid off. The voice, once merciless and apa, abound?
thetic, took on a tone of caring and compassion: Lots of folks, it seems, are in trouble. The
it informed me that the campus was shut down FCC claims that over 200,000 television view,
due to inclement weather. Suddenly ten years ers have filed complaints regarding the expo,
old again, I shouted from the living room, sure of Janet Jackson's breast at the hands of
"SNOW DAYllll!!I" My husband, who had to go Justin Timberlake, who called the incident a
to work the next day regardless (he kept mut, ~ardrobe malfunction," during the SuperBowl
tering "network news knows no weather"), halftime show. FCC Chair Michael Powell,
turned a relatively deaf ear. deeming the incident a "classless, crass and de,
We had been into the spring ( and I use that plorable stunt," has initiated what he describes
word loosely) semester a mere two days when as a complete inquiry. CBS has apologized and,
Mother Nature graced us with a reprieve, and after its own investigation, has found itself in,
while everyone's syllabus suddenly needed a nocent of all charges. Viacom, which owns both
little tweaking to adjust for the missed day, it MTV and CBS, has apologized, also claimed
made the transition into school a bit easier to innocence, and in its own version of the Patriot
bear. It reminded me of my days in elementary Act has pulled a series of "edgy" videos out of
school when I would flip the radio dial inces, MTV's prime time lineup, figuring that in times
sandy until I heard the chant that meant I had a of crisis in America, self, censorship has always
4 SprinlJ 2004 ,.. Issue 4 ,.. Pemmes d'<Esprit
• •
done the trick. from FuseT V, the upstart cable channel devoted
Powell, it seems, only watched halftime, and to becoming 'i:he alternative to mainstream mu-
even then, not too closely (for if he did, he un- sic television." On February 5, Fuse took out a
doubtedly would have found that the lip- full page ad in the New York Post (yes, I read the
synching of the "'live" performers offered far Post) entitled "'An Open letter to MTV." In its
more of an offensive scenario than anything "'letter," Fuse empathized with MTV regarding
Janet - "'Miss Jackson if you're nasty" - did) If "senseless, brutal wardrobe malfunctions, acci-
he had watched the sidelines, for example, he dents, and outright crimes," and suggests that
would have seen half-naked women with big the two networks join together to support IF-
hair cheering on men in g]adiator outfits. If he DADANT (The Institute for the Development of
had watched the commercials, he Advanced Double Adhesive
would have enjoyed flatulent Nipple Tape). While MTV
horses hawking beer. If he had has allegedly been engaging
watched the marching band, he in a series of nefarious
would have witnessed a horn sec- strategies to prevent artists
tion slaughter OutKast and practi- from appearing on Fuse, it
cally injure themselves in the proc- would appear that Fuse has
ess. If he had watched the game, he won a minor round against
would taken pleasure in watching music television's Goliath.
men engage in a sport so violent And what else, as Bobby
that helmets and excessive padding Brady often said at the end
are required just to take part and of an episode, have we
referees are needed to remind play- learned from all this? TiVo,
ers to "'roll off" one another in a Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake atthe that wonderful device that
pile-up. 2004's Superbowl Halftime Show. helps out those of us who
So w ha t 1. s the f'a-u11o Ut!~ Ja net Photo: http://money.cnn.com nee d to watch as muc h t el e-
went missing in action, a no-show at the vision as possible, keeps track of what we pro-
Grammy Awards because her people claim she gram (how else would the company know that
was disinvited. Justin not only showed up, he the "'Janet incident" is the most TiVo-ed mo-
won best pop male vocalist, and offered another ment in its history?) in the most Big Brother of
glib apology (allegedly mandated by CBS) that manners. Thousands of families in America
demonstrated his belief in his own victimiza- watch television while eating dinner, as their
tion. Yes, Justin, you are a victim. You engaged complaints to the FCC indicate. And the dress
in a scenario that involved a white man ripping that Jennifer Lopez wore four years ago to the
off a black woman's top before a gargantuan Grammy awards (you remember, it involved
cheering audience populated overwhelmingly tape) is so, well, four years ago.
with other white males. Is that the only way to On his first appearance on the Steve Allen
view it? Absolutely not. But it is one perspec- Show way back in the 1950s, Lenny Bruce ar-
tive.
gued that it was silly to consider his comedy act
Perhaps the best perspective, however, comes
offensive when folks like Orval Faubus and
Continued on Page 17
Pemmes aP.sprit - Issue 4 - Spring 2004 5
• •
PERSONAL BESTS
Rebecca Mui
For Mr.Rod love is not envious or boastful or delivered Paul's words as I
It is called Parkinson's arrogant or rude." have never heard them be-
disease. That's what my -1 Corinthians 13. 4 fore, with more passion than
mends later told me. I use I could have ever hoped to
that term now, only to keep These immortal words, invoke. His body became a
myself from inexcusable po- practically printed on every vessel, a hollow shell used to
litical incorrectness. To me, Christian wedding card, concentrate his strength and
however, it had no name; I (past, present, and future), unite it all for the sole pur-
saw just a thin old man who brought instantly to my pose of embodying the
kept shaking. I watched him mind my many memories of words he read through voice.
stand across from me in I have heard many smooth,
hearing them spoken by
church as Father Joe led us other lectors, mends, and deep readings of this pas-
in prayer. I watched him, even myself. The words sage, but I have never heard a
and I wondered how this reader convey its meaning so
were the same here, but the
man who could not control vibrantly.
feeling was very different. It
his body would be able to seemed the longer I listened, This is my point: we as
deliver a reading, as he was the more aware I became people should embrace our-
one of the lectors for the that I had been ignorantly selves for who we are instead
Mass. I mused that, perhaps, wrong to expect or even of constantly trying to be-
his voice would be a channel wish for this lector to speak come what we assume soci-
of strength, flowing from his in a smooth, continuous ety expects us to be. My dear
trembling body in a defiantly stream. mend Mr. Rod repeatedly
rippleless stream and direct advised me that we should
This man's body shook
opposition to his visual im- and his voice followed suit, always strive to do our
age. I held my breath in an- but in his tone·I found the "personal best." He never
ticipation as he began to most wonderful comfort. He cared much for comparisons
read I Corinthians 13.11, the or specific results. He as-
famous "Love" passage. sured me that my personal
I recognized the words at best would be good enough
once through his rather ". .. we as people for everyone's expectations
tenuous tone. I'll admit, I as long as I strived to make it
should embrace
was somewhat disappointed good enough for mine.
that my previous theory was Now, years later, while
ourselves for who
so quickly disproved, but I sitting in the campus chapel,
,,
was soon captivated by the listening to familiar words
we are ...
breathtaking words of Paul: and subconsciously drawing
up this article, I finally un-
"Love is patient; love is kind; derstand what he meant.
6 Sprino 2004 - Issue 4 - 'Femmes a'E.sprit
• •
Now. ..
WHERE WERE WE
Christina Simpson
"We're all adults here," I continued to tell Nalda, went, the insomnia of excitement and that
laughing and intoxicatal from the light,headed ambi, youthful you in the reflection of your compact
ance. Once again, our jeers, cheers, and laughter rever, mirror. Then, you wake up, voice deepened and
stockings snugly fit; you wake up and say, "I'm a
berated throughout the somewhat quiet restaurant Our
grown,up now. I may not feel like· it. .. but I
waiter, Jason, tolerated us with a smile and somewhat
think maturity's on to me so should I hide or
witty behavior. It took around three different waiters to
just tie myself to the tracks while I still can?"
serve us our dinner. We liked the last one, a busty woman
So, what do these college years, now, count
with a curly updo because she said, "shit".
for? The four fastest years ... it's the time that
These were not the same people I knew dur,
doesn't count. It doesn't matter. I return know,
ing the summer. And, yet, they looked the same.
ing that this is not where I come to be a sur,
I still hear the laughter that resembles some,
geon, a black feminist, a writer, or even a film,
thing during the hotter nights we all spent to,
maker (which is a path I think I chose for my,
gether. But, there's a shift in the seasons. The
self). I return here where I was in the beginning
moisture on the windows began to clear and I
of the year: I'm finding myself under the small,
realized we all brought something back from
est of spaces and through the darkest of comers.
college that wasn't there before.
Josh G. repelled us with his encounters of Josh and
I don't blame anyone, though. We could
Danielle, this girl Josh sleeps around with And all the
never go back to our comfortable selves, these
while, Josh could do nothing but shrug while we laughed
homes we build out of each other. I've known
at our own horrible imaginations. Trevis looked at me
some of my friends since the fourth grade. Some,
I just met. and I knew everyone knew. Everyone knew about Josh
At the expense of my boredom during Christ, and I. Trevis made it evident with his own jokes. I
mas vacation, I started developing a novel based punched him now and then but I didn't say much because
on these foreign friends of mine. The drafts left it was true, that fucking bastard. Just staring at him
over from that month were a chronicle of made me reconsider my choice of the first guy I'd ever lie
thoughts, actions, and events that concluded in down to.
an interesting question. We all remember the These are not the years I would tell my hus,
last days of high school, the radiance of our skin
band over breakfast some TwilightZonemoming,
from the sun's endless opportunities. The trag,
when the curtains with their golden fringes are
edy and Shakespearean dramas written in blood
welcoming and spread so far apart. I would
on the lunchroom walls, the guilt,ridden, the
keep this hidden in the heart where my daugh,
romantics, the punks, the preps, the nerds,
ters cannot find it, for they'll discover it them,
geeks, and human pincushions. I can still hear
selves, hopefully (This should account for the
those silent screams, desperation to leave, and
conservatism or subtle fears of our mothers
the regret of not going forward
when we left for college).
Then, some four years later, we are wearing
This is and will be an affair to remember, my
the shoes and ties of our fathers. We count the
friends. We mustn't talk of this or else it would,
days through income taxes, paydays, and bill
n't be as special and secretive. And no one else
collectors. And we wonder where those night
we love will understand this union between you
Continued on Page 18
Pcm.mes tf'<&prit - Issue 4 -Sprino 2004 7
• •
SPRING 2004 :
HONORS COURSES
Ennes
HON217: PSYCHOLOGY AND
This course is designed to introduce students to the ethical principles
that guide the work (and life) of psychologists. In addition to studying
the current ethical code established by the American psychological As,
sociation, students will investigate the purpose of having an ethical
code, study ethical models of decision making, and apply the ethical
code to realistic situations. Thus, this course will take a philosophical,
historical, cultural, and practical approach to the study of ethics in psy,
chology.
The books being used for the course include:
LOWER EAST SIDE
Fisher, C. B. (2003). Decoding the Ethics Code. A Practical guide for
Psychologists. Thousand Oaks, CA Sage Publications
TENEMENT MUSEUM
Freeman, S. J. (2000). Ethics. An Introduction to Philosophy and Prac,
Photo: http://www.tenement.org
tice. Stamford, CT: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Dr. Lisa Paler
Psychology Department
-----------t
HON386: HONORS COLLOQUIUM II:
AMERICA IN THE WORLD
The second half of the one,year, six credit experience,
builds on the Fall Seminar, "America in World." Oper,
ating primarily as a Directed Study, students will de,
sign an individual project on some aspect of the previ,
ous semester's seminar, assisted by faculty and librarian
mentors, and attend resource workshops and group
process meetings with Dr. Ong. These meetings will be
bi,monthly, and serve as a way for students to share
research techniques and resources, make progress re,
ports, participate in peer critique, and plan the Honors
Conference Day.
Dr. Nelson Ong
Political Science Department
8 Spring 2004 - Issue 4 - Pemmes aP.sprit
• •
HON108: TOPICS IN IDENTITY
This spring, the Honors This semester, the course West's seminal collection oJ
Program welcomes a new hosts 14 students - 10 fresh- essays, Race Matters. Students
course into its fold: Honors men and four sophomores. As will read the book, attend the
108 makes its debut, some- well, senior honors student convocation with Dr. West,
what replacing a bevy of Richelle Fiore is sitting in on and then integrate their ex-
courses that have historically the seminar as part of her cap- periences in an essay. Other
followed the required fall stone project in Women's books include Dalton Conley's
freshman course .. The Self in Studies. As a group, students Honky; Julie Otsuka's When the
Context." Entitled ..T opics in will plunge into an investiga-
Emperor was Divine; Michael
Identity," the course contin- tion of W.E.B. Du Bois's 1903
Gold's Jews without Money, Zora
ues the investigation into statement that "the problem of
Neal Hurston's Their Eyes were
identity by merging members the Twentieth Century is the
Watching God, and Esmeralda
of the freshman cohort, who problem of the color-line." Ex-
Santiago's When I Was Puerto
sit in relative academic isola- amining identity via the lens of
Rican. Other assignments in-
tion in the fall semester, into race and ethnicity, the class
volve poetry by Langston
the broader honors prograin. will engage with a wealth of
Hughes and Claude McKay;
Open to freshmen and sopho- cultural attitudes, ideas, and
the music of Billie Holiday,
mores, .. Topics in Identity" perceptions of race and ethnic-
Eminem, and Stephen Sond-
will continually rotate ity in the United States. The
themes, meaning that it can be syllabus consists of poetry, heim; and films such as Zoot
taken more than once for fiction, film, music, and essays Suit and Bullworth. As well, the
credit. While its theme this that inspire consideration on class will attend the smash
semester, for example, is race how race and ethnicity are Broadway show Avenue~, and
and ethnicity, next spring the constructed and maintained, take field trips to places like
course will focus on gender challenged and contested, and the Lower East Side T ene-
and sexuality, and be taught the roles that each play in ment Museum and the
by Dr. Roblyn Rawlins, chair America's cultural fabric. Schomburg Center.
of both the sociology depart- Thus, the readings for the
ment and Women's Studies course are, indeed, diverse. Dr.AmyBass
Program. First on the syllabus is Cornell Director of Honors Program
Building on the research begun in HON490, seniors will use their
disciplinary training to explore an issue related to the theme,
.. Dimensions and Directions of Health: Choices in the Maze." Under
HON491: SENIOR the guidance of a faculty mentor, they will research a topic from their
major field of study and lead a fully developed seminar presenta-
SYMPOSIUM II
tion/discussion. It is intended that the presentation will engage stu-
dents in multi-level cross disciplinary study discussion.
Dr. Cynthia Kraman
English Department
Pemmes aP,sprit - Issue 4 - Spring 2004 9
• •
2003
HONORS HOLIDAY CELEBRATION
The Honors Holiday Celebration was
another huge success this past December.
The Honors Freshmen, Class of 2007, hosted
the event.
Decorations were festively arranged in
the Student Campus Center, Room C, and
an array of refreshments were served.
The celebration received visits from
students from all across the Honors Program
as well as Faculty.
Congratulations to the Honors Fresh-
men on a successful holiday party! The Class
of 2008 will surely have something to top!
Counterclockwisef rom top: Ruth Santiago '06 and Betsy Skrip '06 participate in the
festivities at the Honors Holiday Celebration; Nisha Feliz '06 reades the latest edi-
tion of Femmes at the holiday celebration. Sarah Murray '07, Tung Nyguen '07,
'"'-----~---'-A'.------'--------
and Megan Skrip '07 pose for a picture at the Honors Holiday Celebration.
Photos: A Bass
10 Sprino 2004 - Issue 4 - <Femmes a'E.sprit