The Muhlenberg Weekly (2013-2014)

2013·33.8 MB·English

by  Muhlenberg College

Serving the Muhlenberg College Community Since 1883
Patterns of Movies Made in America Men’s Soccer
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Page 2 OP/ED Page 7 ARTS & Page 12 SPORTS
CULTURE
The Muhlenberg Weekly
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013 VOLUME CXXXVII, ISSUE 1
The great
Allentown Fair
By aliya GanGji Who would have known that less than a mile away
news writer from Muhlenberg College is such a bustling place
full of excitement? Occurring between August 27th
to September 2nd, the Allentown Fair was an exciting place to spend time after
class or on weekends. The Allentown Fair also featured great performers such as
Jeff Denoon, know for his well-known “Ahmed the Terrorist” skit, Austin Mahone
and Bridgit Mendler, teen singing sensations, and the great John Mayer, perform-
ing with country pop singer, Phillips Phillip. Who said Allentown was boring?
While entering the fair (for free-thanks to the Students Resource Center), I saw
the iconic ferris wheel from afar and a chill went through my body as I remembered
my childhood. After buying ride tickets, the group headed to the classical swings,
which was the perfect combat to fight the sticky humidity in the air. Although, the
swings seemed to be never ending, and they took about six minutes before coming
to a stop. One of the favorite rides of the fair was the Alien Abduction ride, where
riders are standing upward while being magnetically pulled to the wall, as the ride
is spinning. I would definitely suggest a strong stomach for this type of ride. While
exiting the ride, Raigne Adler said “The ride was really fun, and the best part off
the fair!”. The fair also had other traditional fair rides, such as the famous tilt-a-
wheel and bumper carts.
The most torturing part was passing through the aisles and aisles of concessions
stands, which were serving everything from freshly squeezed lemonade, Johnny’s
Famous gyros, and turkey legs. The rush of being a child again swept through our
bodies, as my nostrils were filled with the smell of funnel cake and sweat. More
than thirty five vendors were serving all different types of food from Middle East-
ern cuisine to mouth-watering fried chicken.
The new East Hall. Arielle Gelber, a freshmen, bough a delicious
Photo by briana StaPleton root beet float for less than five dollars. see Fair| paGe 5
And we have a new building...well almost
By Briana stapleton Students coming back from summer break came back always running into my neighbors”, claims one resident.
news writer to a brand new East Hall. In the past, many students Even though students love the sense of closeness, the new additions would im-
have tried to avoid choosing this housing option be- prove East Hall even further. The cluster-style rooms gave a sense of isolation from
cause of its outdated utilities. However, that is certainly not the feel that the new other residents. Opening the first floor, which was part of the new renovations,
residents will be having starting this semester. would give the residents to have access to various parts of the building including
East is now desired by many upperclassmen. Today, residents still love the cluster- other dorm rooms, lounge spaces, and laundry room. Lounge spaces were also reno-
style rooms as opposed to a long hallway. “It gives it a sense of community. I’m vated and are now able to fit up to approximately 35 people.
Getting connected at orientation
By Carly lyon Beginning at 7:00am on fun, get-to-know-you icebreakers and FYS meetings to when some members were away from campus on study
news writer a Friday, over 500 first- the StrengthsQuest workshops and traditional candle abroad programs.
year students arrived to lighting ceremony in front of Haas Hall, to the Sedehi The entire Class of 2017 was split into 42 groups of
Brown, Prosser, and Walz halls with packed cars and Diversity Project presentations and the Cardinal Key about 14 students each, often mixing the floors of one
often teary parents. Student Advisors, sports teams, so- Society’s Trivia Challenge in the Wood Dining Com- building with another. Each group was led by a Student
rorities and fraternities as well as students from other mons. Advisor (SA), an upperclassman that had arrived on
campus organizations worked quickly to label each stu- The SOAP (Student Orientation Advisor Planning) campus the Sunday before freshmen move-in to begin
dent’s bags and boxes and deliver them to the door of Committee begins planning in December along with training sessions.
their dorm for their freshmen year. Chris Jachimowicz, the Director of Student Leadership O-Group 21’s SA Marisa DiPaolo described training
Orientation is held from Friday morning move-in Programs. This year’s SOAP Committee of Matthew as “very busy but extremely rewarding, with the best
until Opening Convocation on the following Sunday Bocchese, Laura Barbalato, Genevieve Daly, Nathan part being the oppor-
afternoon. While this is only a three day span, the long Frick, Adam Karp, Sarah Levitin, and Jena Verlin tunity to get to know
weekend is fully scheduled with activities ranging from met weekly to brainstorm and plan, connecting even the first-year students see OrientatiOn| paGe 6
2 THE MUHLENBERG WEEKLY OP/ED THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013
Editorial Haven’t We Seen This Before?
By MiKE schWar z Hollywood has never been very original, spitting
What rhymes with “hug me”?
op/Ed W r i t E r out copious amounts of sequels/remakes to maximize
profits from already successful franchises. This summer however, we got ripped off in
You probably recognize these lyrics from Robin Thicke’s hit “Blurred Lines”, an even lazier way. “Copy-Cat” movies, a term I was unfamiliar with until recently, is
which most people cannot help but sing along to when it comes on the radio. But when two films of the exact same plot and format are released in close proximity to
are the lyrics too racy? With songs like this, Draft Punk’s “Get Lucky” and Flo each other. A popular example of this would be Olympus Has Fallen (Gerard Butler,
Rida’s “Can’t Believe it”, we wonder if artists have taken their lyrics a little too Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart) and White House Down (Channing Tatum, and
far? Or maybe a better question is have music videos gone too far? Jamie Foxx). Both films follow a Secret Service Agent as he attempts to single hand-
Music videos probably contributed to this increased promiscuity in song lyr- edly rescue the President after the White House has been seized by terrorists. While
ics. Before the age of MTV, artists like The Beatles and Elvis Presley could write this is a plot that would attract many Americans, it was not enough to make them
songs about love and romance without being explicit. Nowadays, artists don’t shy see it twice. White House Down bombed at the summer box office just months after
away from using inappropriate words to describe romantic encounters or the op- Olympus has Fallen was released, leaving us all asking the question, why was that a
posite sex. This opens up the music video alley to them. good idea? This perplexing business tactic is based simply upon competition between
Everyone has heard the expression “sex sells”. While scholars may try to argue studios. When Studio A catches wind that Studio B has a high budget film in produc-
against it, the validity of the statement has been proved time and again. It’s dif- tion, they immediately scramble to fast track a similar project in order to maintain
ficult to sell sex while listening to the radio. In music videos, however, an artist competition. How can this be profitable for studios? Each studio is competing for an
can include all of the scantily-clad women they please. Just ask Thicke or rapper earlier release date, pushing Studio B’s fast tracked film to settle for a cheap budget.
Tyga, really any rapper. Due to this cheap budget, Studio B is able to make a profit strictly based upon low
This is quickly becoming a question of where to remove the blur from the lines. production costs. In most cases, both movies get a decent turnout, resulting in both
Most people would agree they don’t need to hear someone’s sexual encounter play studios making a reasonable profit.This was not the case this summer however, with
out over the airwaves, a la Notorious B.I.G. But who are we as a society to be the a large majority of copy-cat films performing poorly at the box office. Started with
determinant of what words are appropriate for songs and what aren’t? Every fam- White House Down, this trend continued most recently with the home invasion hor-
ily unit has their own standards in terms of what they want to hear, and they have ror film Your Next. Your Next follows a wealthy family as their home is invaded by
the responsibility to tune out of things they don’t view to be appropriate for their unknown assailants, and was released only three months after an identical film, The
ears. If people aren’t listening to lewd songs, the radio stations will stop playing Purge (Ethan Hawk, and Lena Headey). Following the same pattern, the fast tracked
the lewd songs. low budget film was able to get an early release, pushing it to instant success. Look-
Radio stations have slowly tried to approach a new standard of what songs can ing at the numbers, The Purge (3M budget) went onto gross 83M, while Your Next
be played out to the world, whether it be the sexually charged “Get Lucky” or the has grossed a mere 13M to date. Looking back into the past, many other copy-cat
politically charged “Same Love”. At the end of the day, radio stations will fall in films can be observed, including Armageddon (Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton)
line with what their viewers want to hear, and what advertisers want to hear. If and Deep Impact (Robert Duvall), as well as A Bugs Life (Dave Foley, and Kevin
the large population enjoys listening to racy songs, that’s what you’ll hear. Spacey) and Antz (Woody Allen, and Gene Hackman). With original movies rarely
making it to the big screen, this business tactic only contributes to an already bland
cinematic selection. That’s not to say there were no quality films released this sum-
Editorial Board mer, with indie movies like The Bling Ring, The Way Way Back, and Fruitvale
Station standing as counterexamples. With these most recent copy-cat films failing
Sam Langner Amy McGovern Jennifer Freed Holden Walter-Warner miserably, let’s hope it serves as a sign to Hollywood that we expect something more
Co Editor-in-Chief Co Editor-in-Chief Executive Editor Managing Editor out of our summer blockbusters.
Suicide and
“This is Water”
“There are these two young fish swimming along Although, this is the darkest moment of the speech it is both thought-provoking
By Evan KasaKovE
and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the and predictive; as David Foster Wallace would go on to kill himself only three years
op/Ed WritEr
other way who nods at them and says, ‘morning boys later, at the age of 46, hanging himself in his garage. Wallace’s father said that he
how’s the water?’ had battled depression for the past 20 years.
And the two young fish swim on for a bit and then “And then he explains Although, this is a terribly sad story, it doesn’t change the
eventually one of them looks over at the other and says, truth of his speech’s message. He ends it by saying, “…
‘what the hell’s water?” the meaning of this saying Which has nothing to do with knowledge and everything
This is a funny “didactic little parabalish story” as to do with simple awareness.
David Foster Wallace, an accomplished author, told and that he is not Awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in
described in his commencement address to the Kenyon plain sight that we have to keep reminding ourselves, over
College graduates of the class of 2005. the wise old fish and over, this is water, this is water.”
And then he explains the meaning of this saying that While this line is slightly out of context for those who
he is not the wise old fish about to tell these graduates about to tell these haven’t seen the speech that reminder “this is water, this is
what water is but “merely that the most obvious water” is all too important in understanding the world and
important realities are often the hardest to see and talk graduates what water our lives.
about”. It may sound wrong to admit that you are missing what
This speech, which I heard on YouTube, helped me is but is going on right in front of you but I think a lot of this
to change my outlook on life, if only a little, and it may particular problem stems from the innate belief that we
change yours. ‘merely that the most are the center of the universe (which Wallace so glibly
I have always thought of my self as being fairly self- suggests).
aware but at the same time I knew I was missing some obvious important realities Because to us we are in fact the center of our universe;
important stuff because all people are limited in their that is the way in which we perceive the world. We are
awareness and understanding of reality; maybe myself are often the hardest to see and always the main character in the movie that is our life,
more than most. never a supporting character.
Wallace relates the belief “that the most obvious and talk about”. When I adjust my thinking and think about people not
important realities are often the hardest to see and talk as supporting characters in relation to me I think I can see
about”, to the challenges of what he calls “day in, day what is front of me a little more clearly.
out” daily adult life. This change makes all the difference in our perspective
He explains how the extraordinary monotony of routine and repetition can lead and what Wallace would call being a “well-adjusted” person.
to negative thinking and unhappiness, and in extreme cases depression. But it doesn’t guarantee personal change; only that can be done through direct
He gives a statistic that in suicides by guns the majority of the time the person action.
shoots themself in the head. Which leads him to quote another aphorism, “The But I will still try and remind myself “This is water, this is water” and then I don’t
mind is a good servant, but a terrible master”. know. That was the end of David Foster Wallace’s speech.
THE MUHLENBERG WEEKLY OP/ED THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013 3
The Lasting Appeal of Justin Timberlake
By allis on diaM ond Though it’s hard to believe that this year’s MTV Video Music Awards offered something other than Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke’ contro
op/Ed W ritEr versial performance, initial excitement about the broadcast surrounded the announcement of an NSYNC reunion performance.
Though the boy band’s reunion was short and sweet, it brought into focus the scope of the career of its most successful member, Justin Timberlake.
Timberlake received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, as prestigious an honor a performer can get at an awards ceremony as sensational and silly as the
VMAs. Timberlake’s performance was overshadowed by the necessary-to-a-point dissection of Cyrus and Thicke’s performance, so perhaps we should take a moment to
focus on Timberlake.
He was honored for two decades of work, spanning his years in NSYNC, his evolution as a solo artist, and his forays into comedy and acting. Timberlake has become
the rare multihyphenate that has a real capacity for his various pursuits, touring the country with Jay-Z and making us laugh on Saturday Night Live. Timberlake scored
our elementary school sleepovers and our high school parties.
He was on the wall of our childhood rooms and in an Oscar nominated film.
He deftly moves among mediums, and his fans willingly follow him from the multiplex to the stage of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. It’s hard to imagine an entertain-
ment landscape that doesn’t include Timberlake.
Post-VMA discussion has been dominated by Cyrus-related criticism and outrage. Although some of this discourse has been illuminating and thoughtful, the hubbub
has proven that performances predicated on their shock-value can reliably capture our attention and dominate the pop cultural sphere.
It’s telling that Cyrus’ performance overshadowed the reunion of NSYNC among a generation of young adults that have a pronounced affection for cultural nostalgia.
While it’s heartening that viewers engaged critically with Cyrus and Thicke’s performance, at a certain point we are feeding the monster through our continuous discus-
sion of the performance.
Timberlake’s award may have taken a backseat to the salacious and the sensational, but his longevity as an artist suggests that our appetite for shock-value entertainment
exists among a desire for entertainment that simply makes us happy.
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THE MUHLENBERG WEEKLY NEWS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013
Campus Safety
Notes
student. Muhlenberg College EMS responded, Health Center notified, Allentown
Aug. 26 – Suspicious Activity – Report of suspicious individuals on bicycles, EMS responded and transported student to hospital.
Allentown Police Department responded, individuals identified, spoken to and re-
leased. No further incident at this time. Aug. 27 – Larceny/Theft – On lower level of Seegers Union, report of stolen ac-
cess code from book. Investigation to continue.
Aug. 26 – Found Property – On Allen Street, report of found debit card. Message
left with owner, item placed in lost and found locker. Aug. 27 – Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – On third floor of Taylor Hall, re-
port of smell of marijuana. Students spoken to
Aug. 26 – Fire Alarm Sounding – In Robert- and identified. Paraphernalia brought to Campus
son Hall, Second Floor, report of fire alarm from Safety and placed in evidence locker. Referred to
cooking. System silenced and reset with no fur- Dean of Students office.
ther incident.
Aug. 27 – Trashing/Excessive Clean Up – On
Aug. 26 – Found Property – At 414 Albright second floor of Walz Hall, report of trashing
Street, report of found debit card. Owner notified in bathroom. Residential Services notified and
and later claimed item. Housekeeping responded and cleaned area. No
suspects at this time.
Aug. 26 – Disabled Vehicle/Motor Vehicle As-
sist – Report of keys locked in vehicle. Campus Aug. 27 – Harassment By Communication –
Safety officer successfully unlocked vehicle with Report of harassment by communication. Dean
no further incident. of Students office notified.
Aug. 26 – Found Property – On Back Drive, Aug. 27 – Sick Student – At Rehearsal House,
report of found purse. Owner notified and later report of sick student. Allentown EMS respond-
claimed item. ed and transported student to hospital.
Aug. 26 – Found Property – Report of found Aug. 27 – Injured Student – On first floor
student ID. Found on Shuttle Bus, message left of Robertson Hall, report of injured student.
with owner to pick up at Campus Safety office. ID Muhlenberg College EMS responded, student re-
placed in lost and found locker. fused further treatment or transport.
Aug. 26 – Found Property – In Martin Luther Aug. 28 – Sick Student – On fourth floor of
Hall basement, report of found ID. Owner noti- Martin Luther Hall, report of sick student. Stu-
fied and later claimed item. dent transported to Health Center by Campus
Safety officer.
Aug. 26 – Hit and Run – On North 22nd Street,
report of hit and run causing minor scratches on Aug. 28 – Fire Alarm Sounding – On second
drivers side rear fender. No suspects at this time. floor of East Hall Building A, report of fire alarm
from water entering sprinkler head system. Plant
Aug. 26 – Fire Alarm Sounding – In Benfer operations notified and responded. System si-
Hall, Second Floor, report of fire alarm. Upon lenced and reset with no further incident.
arrival no cause could be found to set off detector.
System silenced and reset with no further incident. Aug. 28 – Elevator Problem – In Ettinger, report of employee stuck in elevator.
Plant operations notified and responded, Allentown Fire Department responded, el-
Aug. 26 – Fire Alarm Sounding – At 2263 Turner Street, report of fire alarm. evator company notified to repair elevator.
Upon arrival no cause could be found to set off detector. System silenced and reset
with no further incident. Aug. 28 – Found Property – On first floor of
Moyer Hall, report of found sunglasses, unknown
Aug. 27 – Injured Student – On first floor of Martin Luther Hall, report of injured to whom item belongs. Glasses placed in the lost see SaFety| paGe 5
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THE MUHLENBERG WEEKLY NEWS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013
from SaFety | paGe 4 and found locker. Aug. 30 – Point of Information – At soccer stadium, report of student with alco-
hol. Individual identified and spoken to, alcohol disposed of, no further incident.
Aug. 28 – Fire Alarm Sounding – On fourth floor of South Hall, report of fire
alarm from steam. System silenced and reset with no further incident. Aug. 30 – Vandalism to Vehicle – On North 26th Street, report of vandalism to
vehicles. Unknown individual placing stickers on vehicles. Investigation to continue.
Aug. 29 – Medical Transport – At 2206 Chew Street, report of sick student. Stu-
dent transported to hospital by Campus Safety officer. Aug. 30 – Noise Complaint: College Violation – On 2137 Chew Street, report of
noise complaint. Upon arrival residents identified and spoken to. Individuals left the
Aug. 29 – Fire Alarm Sounding – On first floor of South Hall, report of fire alarm area and were advised to clean up the exterior. Referred to Dean of Students office.
from steam from shower. System silenced and reset with no further incident.
Aug. 31 – Suspicious Person – In Ettinger, report of suspicious person. Individual
Aug. 29 – Found Property – On Back Drive, report of found wallet. Message left identified and spoken to, no further incident.
with owner to pick up at Campus Safety. Item placed in lost and found locker.
Aug. 31 – Violation of Liquor Law – On third floor of Martin Luther Hall, report
Aug. 29 – Injured Visitor – In Parents’ Plaza, report of injured visitor. Individual of alcohol violation. Individuals identified and spoken to, alcohol disposed of by
identified and spoken tom refused further treatment or transport. Campus Safety officer. Referred to Dean of Students office.
Aug. 29 – Fire Alarm Sounding – In 435 North 23rd Street, report of fire alarm. Aug. 31 – Violation of Liquor Law – On third floor of Martin Luther Hall, report
System silenced and reset with no further incident. of alcohol violation. Allentown EMS responded and transported student to hospital
and Allentown Police Department responded and cited student for underage drink-
Aug. 29 – Fire Alarm Sounding – At 2243 Liberty Street, report of fire alarm from ing.
cooking. System silenced and reset with no further incident.
Aug. 31 – Property Damage: Non-Criminal Act – On fourth floor of Martin Lu-
Aug. 29 – Suspicious Activity – On third floor of Taylor Hall, report of suspicious ther Hall, report of property damage from ceiling tiles falling and water. Residential
odor. Upon arrival area was checked, nothing could be detected other than the odor Services notified, Plant Operations notified to respond and correct damage.
of air freshener.
Aug. 31 – Institutional Vandalism – On second floor of Prosser Hall Main, report
Aug. 30 – Sick Student – On third floor of Benfer Hall, report of sick student. of vandalism to toilet paper dispenser. No suspects at this time. Campus Safety of-
Student transported to hospital by Campus Safety officer. ficer fixed dispenser, Residential Services notified.
Aug. 30 – Institutional Vandalism – On Turner Street, report of reckless driver. Aug. 31 – Plumbing Problem – On third floor of Taylor Hall, report of plumbing
Vehicle hit fence, causing damage to chain. Allentown Police Department respond- problem. Campus Safety officer responded, corrected problem and cleaned area.
ed and also checked area. Vehicle could not be located. Housekeeping notified to respond and clean carpet, no further incident.
Aug. 30 – Vandalism to Vehicle – Report of vandalism to vehicle. Scratches found Sep. 1 – Violation of Liquor Law – On fourth floor of Martin Luther Hall, report
on vehicle. No suspects at this time. of alcohol violation. Individuals identified and spoken to, alcohol disposed of by
Campus Safety officer. Referred to Dean of Students office.
Aug. 30 – Larceny/Theft from Vehicle – On North 23rd Street, report of theft
from vehicle. No suspects at this time. Owner of vehicle will be reporting theft to Sep. 1 – Sick Student – On second floor of Walz Hall, report of sick student.
Allentown Police Department by phone. Muhlenberg College EMS responded, Health Center notified. Student refused fur-
ther treatment or transport.
Aug. 30 – Found Property – On the ground floor of the Center for the Arts, report
of found set of store cards on key ring. Unknown who found item or when it was Sep. 1 – Found Property – In Seegers Union, report of found student ID. Owner
found. It was sent via interoffice mail, items placed in lost and found locker. notified and later claimed ID.
Aug. 30 – Injured Student – In Life Sports Center, report of injured student. Sep. 1 – Fire Alarm Sounding – At 435 North 23rd Street, report of fire alarm.
Muhlenberg College EMS responded. Student transported to hospital by Campus Upon arrival, no cause could be found. Work order submitted for Plant Operations
Safety officer. to check detector. System silenced and reset with no further incident.
New beginnings
By audrey ZamiChow This summer I had the do what you love. There are so many classes and extra- of your life.
news writer privilege of meeting Dave curricular clubs and organizations to help students tune Yet maybe
Kerpen. In addition to in to what they are passionate about. It is not a race that’s why
being a dedicated husband and father, Dave is CEO of to find a major, a minor, or a life plan at age 18. So to the jour-
Likeable Local, chairman of Likeable Media, a New the class of 2017, welcome to Muhlenberg…the start of ney is so
York Times best-selling author, a columnist for Linked your amazing college career. important.
In, and perhaps one of our most common character- As a junior in college, I guess I am in no position to The path to
istics…a die hard New York Mets fan. Just from this give advice to seniors about their future careers. How- finding a ca-
first sentence, you could probably jump to the conclu- ever, I do trust Dave’s advice and would stick to it: find reer should
sion that, with the exception of the unfortunate current something you love to do and a place where you can be syn-
Mets season, things are going pretty well for Dave… flourish while doing it. When it’s time to leave Muhlen- onymous
especially with his work career. And if you asked Dave berg, a second-home loved by so many students, don’t to finding
to tell you the secret to having an amazing career, he forget that there’s a job out there for you that you can what you
would tell you to “do what you love at organizations come to love just like you loved Muhlenberg. Just like absolutely
where you can grow.” This seems like an appropri- students who are miserable at a college often decide love to do.
ate quote for the first newspaper issue of the semester, to transfer, individuals who are not happy at a job can And when
whether you are freshmen just entering a college career leave too! If a job doesn’t feel right, don’t be afraid to you think Dave Kerpen.
or seniors getting ready to graduate onto a real career. have a new beginning, or as John Mayer sang in a song about it Photo by Jen Sherlock
For freshmen, in regards to beginning the path of a titled “The Age of Worry”, “don’t be afraid to walk that way, it
4-year college career, Muhlenberg is definitely an orga- alone; don’t be afraid to like it.” shouldn’t be
nization where anyone can grow. So now that you’ve “Career” can be an intimidating word when think- scary; it should be exciting. Here’s to new beginnings
made it that far, I would argue that the next step is to ing about it as some form of work you’ll do for the rest and a great school year.
from Fair | paGe 1 The trip was ended by rubbing the back of the goat, as my friends and I passed through the petting zoo area, and saw many types of rab-
bits, cows, and even baby wolves. Samantha Silverman, a freshmen, who attended the fair on both days, Saturday and Sunday, was able to
see a newly born baby cow that was born on Sunday morning at five o’ clock. The fair was the perfect way to get away from the stresses of
college life and bring back childhood memories! The experience was a great way to get immersed into the Allentown community, listen to some excellent music, and enjoy
some great food.
6
THE MUHLENBERG WEEKLY NEWS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013
from OrientatiOn | paGe 1 in my O-Group. I also enjoyed meeting the other SAs – there were so many great people involved.”
During Orientation, SAs seek to place a special emphasis on promoting familiarity with the campus and its resources and traditions, integra-
tion into small groups so friendships and a sense of community can begin, awareness of one’s own skills and attitudes necessary for academic
success, and acknowledgement of diversity.
Philippa Roberts, a freshmen that comes to Muhlenberg from outside the United States, described her Orientation experience as positive, saying, “I felt Orientation really
gave a smooth transition to meeting people and making friends. I found it especially helpful as I am adjusting to the cultural differences of living in the United States.” She
added, “My favorite part of Orientation was hanging out with my O-Group, getting to know them and playing games.”
Orientation is a year-long process that officially begins with June advising and concludes with the end of the freshmen’s first academic year at the College in May. At
Muhlenberg, the staff, faculty, and other students that come in contact with first-year students strive to create an environment in which experiences of this year contribute to
their growth as individuals and members of our campus community.
Join the Conversation:
Perspectives on Diversity at Muhlenberg
Question of the Week
Are you ready to become engaged? How can you make a contribution to the campus conversation about diversity? What do you have to offer to campus change?
The Muhlenberg Weekly is an important public setting for a dialogue that includes the richness of all of our lived experiences. All opinions are invited.
Responses can be emailed to [email protected] by next week’s submission deadline of Monday, September 9 at 7pm.
Upcoming Events
Multicultural Life envisions Muhlenberg V.O.I.C.E.S., a digital publication created by and for our community to feature artistic and written reportage on campus diversity
from Voices of Informed and Concerned Educators and Students. Plans for this new initiative will be made over the coming weeks. A core cadre of reporters will design and
maintain a vibrant, frank online discussion about diversity.
The Multicultural Center will host an information and recruitment session at 5pm on Friday, September 13. Join us to help lay the groundwork for Muhlenberg V.O.I.C.E.S.,
or express your interest by emailing [email protected].
Student Multicultural Organizations
All Muhlenberg students are welcome to attend the following weekly meetings at the Multicultural Center, which provide safe spaces to openly share and learn about
multiculturalism. The beginning of the semester is an excellent time to get involved and help plan for semester events. These groups are one way to learn more about diversity
developments at Muhlenberg.
Black Student Association (BSA) -- Wednesdays at 5:30pm
Feminist Collective -- Wednesdays at 9pm
Students for Queer Advocacy (SQuAd) -- Mondays at 5:30pm
Meeting times for Asian Student Association (ASA), Comunidad Latina, Muslim Student Association (MSA), and Multicultural Council will be determined soon. Each
issue of the Weekly will include meeting schedules and upcoming event information, and organization Facebook pages are kept up-to-date.
Clear Clear Clear
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THE MUHLENBERG WEEKLY ARTS & CULTURE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013 7
Arts & Culture
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
-Robert Louis Stevenson
She can’t stop, won’t stop
By Holden Walter-Warner Sometimes the mind attaches itself to an ideal it was successful. The preorder for the album is ranked #31 on iTunes’ top-selling
Managing editor to the point where nothing can discredit it. Any albums as of Sunday night, even though it doesn’t get released for another month.
attempt to do so is met with scorn and harsh There’s no doubt as to the fact she was a show stealer for the night. The VMAs
public vitriol. At present time, this may as well be known as the “Miley Cyrus were supposed to be about Justin Timberlake reuniting his ‘N Sync band mates
Theory”. (and then breaking them apart two and
By now, most people have undoubtedly a half minutes later). Instead, the news
subjected themselves to the video of Cyrus’ coverage the next day (and in a time
performance at the MTV Video Music when the United States was on the verge
Awards, which took place on August 25, of ordering an attack in Syria) at the top
2013 in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. of the morning show programs was the
The former Disney Channel star came out discussion of the loss of innocence of a
for her performance of her new hit single wholesome performer.
“We Can’t Stop”, in a rather skimpy outfit This is an unfair reaction to the
designed to resemble a bear. The entire performance. Cyrus is propped upon a
three-minute performance involved her pedestal because of her past history as
dancing seductively with people costumed a good girl with a show on a children’s
as bears. Look it up yourself and be the television network. She’s a performer
judge as to how disturbing it truly is. headed into the prime of her career, and
Somehow, things manage to get more she wants to reform her image. There is
shocking for the average audience member. nothing wrong with that.
Robin Thicke trotted out to perform his She has yet to become the charity
summer hit, “Blurred Lines”. As the case others have developed into at her
camera pans back to Cyrus, still on stage, age. She’s no Lindsay Lohan, Amanda
she no longer looks like an overly sensual Bynes, or Justin Bieber. There’s a chance
teddy bear. She had completely stripped Miley Cyrus at the 2013 VMAS. she could go sour; she has admitted to
down to a bra and underwear, both the Photo Courtesy of sPin.Com experimenting with various types of
color of her skin, and had a foam finger drugs. At the moment, however, she
extending from her right arm. just wants to bring her career in a new
What happened next set the social media world on fire. It began with Cyrus direction, and it’s her prerogative to do so.
rubbing the foam finger up against her nether regions. Quickly, that foam finger Some complained her performance was ill-suited for the children who idolize her
switches from the private parts of the lady to the private parts of the man, Thicke. as a role model. This is true, but whenever the word role model comes up, many
The most egregious offence came when Cyrus decided to shake her rump all over the people immediately turn to former basketball star Charles Barkley: “I am not a role
crotch of Thicke. Hannah Montana, she is not. model”.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: some of this was meant to come off as a Miley’s career is changing, and that could be for better or for worse. Enjoy the
publicity stunt. Just days later, the single “Wrecking Ball” was released from her ride, and don’t criticize her until she really does something wrong. It may not have
upcoming album “Bangerz”, set to be released in October. The VMA performance been her most appropriate moment, but it shouldn’t have shaken the world the way
resulted in everybody around America talking about her, so if that was her intent, it did.
Made in America Festival invades Philly
By aMy Mcgovern On August 31, thousands of music lovers dressed Twitter campaign to get the attention of the artists preforming at the festival to help
co-editor in cHief in their finest red, bring awareness to the issues currently going on in the
white, and blue apparel Philadelphia public school system. Chuck D vowed to
boarded planes, trains, busses, and automobiles to make donate $10,000 to help her cause and expressed his hope
the pilgrimage to the 2013 Budweiser Made in America that other artists would join him in the effort.
Festival. The two-day festival, founded by Jay-Z in 2012, Providing a nice break from the otherwise
is held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia predominantly hip-hop and electronic performances,
with the Philadelphia Museum of Art acting as the alternative rock group Imagine Dragons put on one of
concert’s backdrop. The three stages hosted numerous the most energetic and crowd-pleasing sets of the day.
artists including A$AP Rocky, Public Enemy, Imagine Their ten-song setlist included their well-known hits “It’s
Dragons, Deadmau5, and crowd favorite, Beyoncé. Time,” “Demons”, and “Radioactive” in addition to
A$AP Rocky took the stage around 3:00 on Saturday. some of their lesser-known but equally impressive tracks.
Unfortunately, the artist showed up nearly half an hour Later in the night, thirty-two year old Joel Thomas
late and was unable to complete a full set due to time Zimmerman, know best by his stage name Deadmau5,
restrictions; however, he did manage to fit in a few fan got the crowd moving with his dark electronic dance set.
favorites including “Wassup”, “Wild for the Night”, and Festivalgoers of all ages seemed to forget their exhaustion
“F***in’ Problems.” as they danced to the artists
Chuck D and Flavor Flav took the stage as Public Beyonce takes the stages. Finally, around 10:30, 50,000 excited fans gather
Enemy with a politically charged set. The group chose Photo Courtesy of GooGle imaGes around the festival’s main stage eagerly awaiting the
to dedicate their set to Trayvon Martin and, interestingly, appearance of the evening’s headlining artist, Beyoncé.
Michael Jackson. Halfway through their set, Public Enemy The lights went out and
invited Heather Marcus, a Philadelphia school counselor responsible for starting a two video screens bordering the stage showing videos See AmericA | page 8
8 THE MUHLENBERG WEEKLY ARTS & CULTURE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013
froM AmericA | page 7 of royally dressed “Queen Bey” appeared. Quickly the tone changed as her backup dancers took the stage and her hit track “Run the
World (Girls)” began to play. When Beyoncé emerged on stage the crowd went wild. Her set mirrored that of her current Mrs. Carter tour
and included fan favorites including “If I were a Boy”, “Crazy in Love”, “Halo”, and “Love on Top.” Beyoncé’s live performance was just as flawless as her recorded
tracks and she made her intricate dance moves look effortless. Beyoncé was the perfect closing act as she assured that the festivalgoers truly got their moneys worth from
the performance.
The multitude of performers from varying genres drew an extremely diverse audience. Although the point of the festival is to allow music lovers to attend acts from as
many artists as possible in just two days, each day was packed with nearly twelve hours of performances. The long days, intense heat, and seemingly never-ending crowd
unfortunately took away some of the excitement of the event; however, the Made in America Festival was definitely an interesting and worthwhile experience.
Lessons learned at the ’Berg
By Jordan M. gruBer Welcome back everybody! Here we are back in the 2) Do things that make BOTH you and your resume well-rounded. For example,
artS & culture Writer red doors for another semester. It’s been three years, working part time, doing a radio show, and an internship is something that will give
and boy, have I learned a lot in that short amount of you great experience and also make you appear flexible, and multifaceted. Employers
time. I’ve compiled a short list for you all to look over. I hope each of you will take a love that and as a bonus, you will get all those extra skills under your belt. Have fun
little bit from it. If I can help even one person with my quick pieces of advice, I’ll be with it, and learn all you can.
satisfied! Going into my senior year at Muhlenberg, I’m confident saying that I now 3) Relax. It’s college. Stress is good until it exceeds the acceptable level. Work on
know a world more than I did as a freshman. I’m also confident saying I’ll probably homework and papers during the week and save a night on the weekend to relax, go
never stop learning these lessons, some more arbitrary than others. I suppose that’s out, and be with friends. Obviously doing good work is of great importance, but so
life; one lesson after another... and that’s fine by me. Although some may apply more is your well being! Learn to find that balance between doing great work and having
to you than others, personally I found these five tips to be the most useful to me great experiences too.
during my time at Muhlenberg thus far. 4) You won’t ever remember the nights you stayed in napping...So give yourself
1) Don’t be lazy when it comes to internships or practicums. Those experiences permission to live it up! You are in the prime of your life so breathe it in, explore
are the ones you will need to succeed. Not only do they provide you with experience Allentown, eat, drink, and be merry. Make memories!
that you’ll need in even some entry level jobs, but you’ll get invaluable contacts at 5) Appreciate your experience here. When you look back at Muhlenberg, chances
reputable businesses that you can use in the future. Using Career Connections (in are you will look back on it with fondness. So, in your time here, learn to appreciate
conjunction with the career center) is super easy to do, and makes the application and respect it all, because even the things that bug you will someday turn into the
process relatively painless; so don’t drag your feet, make time to do the legwork and things you miss.
apply! Take advantage of your advisers and get their thoughts and opinions about I hope this year will be a blast for everyone, especially the class of 2014. We’re
what internship may fit you best if you can’t decide. almost there guys! See you next week!
Muhlenberg College’s acclaimed Theatre & Dance
Department announces 2013-2014 season
courteSy of tHe departMent Muhlenberg College’s nationally-ranked Theatre on how the play will end.
of tHeater & dance & Dance Department announces its 2013-2014 “Moving Stories,” Nov. 14-16, features original choreography by the department’s
mainstage season. Highlights include works rang- upperclass dance majors, in a variety of genres and styles. The concert showcases
ing from Shakespeare to Caryl Churchill, a biannual festival of student-written plays, dance as storytelling, narration in human form, addressing themes as broad ranging
and a murder mystery musical comedy. as the students’ own diverse backgrounds. Karen Dearborn serves as artistic director.
The season features six fully mounted theatrical productions and three mainstage Shakespeare’s rarely produced “The Winter’s Tale,” Nov. 20-24, shows the Bard at
dance concerts, running from October 2013 to April 2014. his most brilliantly experimental. Director Troy Dwyer’s lean, quick-paced re-envi-
“This exciting season features the new and the newly imagined,” says Beth sioning will feature original music and dance by Muhlenberg student artists.
Schachter, newly-appointed chair of the department. “We are presenting world pre- “Master Choreographers,” Feb. 6-8, with artistic direction by Karen Dearborn, fea-
mieres and fresh versions of classics, spanning international topics and American tures seven works by faculty and guest artists, including a restaging of “D-Man in the
issues through comedic and serious projects.” Waters” by acclaimed choreographer Bill T. Jones. The “D-Man” performance will
The season begins with “New Voices,” Oct. 2-6, a new-play festival featuring the be the culmination of a residency by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company,
work of students and alumni. The festival features four world premiere plays, with sponsored by the Dexter F. and Dorothy H. Baker Foundation.
Muhlenberg faculty member Matthew Moore as artistic director. “The Learned Ladies,” Feb 20-23, directed by James Peck, is one of the most popu-
“The Mys- lar comedies of 17th century playwright Molière. A satire of academic pretention,
tery of Edwin the play will feature a faculty spotlight performance by Francine Roussel in the role
Drood,” Oct. of Belise.
25 through The “New Visions” Directors’ Festival, March 19-23, will feature the work of
Nov. 3, direct- three student theater artists. The festival includes: Tom Stoppard’s “Every Good Boy
ed by Charles Deserves Favour,” directed by Ben Wald ’14; “butyou’reaman” a one-person show
Richter, is by Matt Dicken about his experience as a gay man visiting India; and “Still Life with
the musical Iris,” directed by Alex McKhann, Muhlenberg’s first mainstage student-directed chil-
adaptation of dren’s show.
Charles Dick- “Dance Emerge,” April 10-13, showcases the ideas and talents of our brightest
ens’ final, young choreographers. The intimate Dance Studio Theatre is the backdrop for inno-
unfinished vative, explorative dance pieces. Artistic direction is by Corrie Franz Cowart.
novel, filled Caryl Churchill’s “Mad Forest,” April 24-26, directed by Beth Schachter, is a play
with mis- of romance and politics, bookended by weddings. Set during and after the 1989 Ro-
taken iden- manian Revolution, the play uses the tale of two families to evoke the internal psy-
tity, humor, chological landscapes of people suffering under oppression. The production features
and audience a faculty spotlight performance by Holly Cate.
participation. The mainstage performance series is produced by Muhlenberg College’s acclaimed
And since the Theatre & Dance Department, Muhlenberg is a liberal arts college of more than
story is unfin- 2,200 students in Allentown, Pa.
ished, the au- The college offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in theater and dance. The Princeton
dience gets to Review consistently ranks Muhlenberg’s production program in the top ten in the
vote at each nation, and the Fiske Guide to Colleges lists both the theater and dance programs
performance among the top small college programs in the United States.
THE MUHLENBERG WEEKLY ARTS & CULTURE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013 9
2013-2014 Season
muhlenberg college
THEATRE DANCE
&
484.664.3333
Campus Tickets:
Just $8, all shows! muhlenberg.edu/theatre&dance
THE MUHLENBERG WEEKLY SPORTS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013 10
Hey, you should totally like
the “Muhlenberg Weekly” on
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A preview of the local teams for the 2013 NFL season
By NolaN Rich New York Giants right now. On the defensive side the two questions are: can the safeties be solid start-
SpoRtS WRiteR Strengths: Whenever you have a Manning under center, ers and can Quinton Coples effectively transition to the rush 3-4 outside linebacking
you’re going to have a very good year. With great outside position?
weapons with Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, the Giants Overall: 8-8 2nd AFC East:
will put points on the board. Running back David Wilson has shown his explosive- If Geno can be a solid quarterback, which isn’t too hard given Mark Sanchez’s recent
ness in the preseason and is poised for a big breakout year at running back. The Gi- history, the Jets can be a .500 team. Rex Ryan is coaching to save his life and knows
ants front four is their bread and butter on defense. When healthy Tuck and Jason that he has to give a great performance this year. This defense is vastly underrated
Pierre-Paul provide a nightmare for offensive lines. With great depth at the defen- and has the potential to be a great defense. If the offense can run the ball, and not
sive end position, with Mathius Kiwanuka turn the ball over, then the Jets could surprise a lot of people in 2013. One thing is for
and rookie Damontre Moore, and Linval sure: there is never a dull moment with this team.
Joesph and Cullen Jenkins filling up the
middle, the Giants defense could be poised Philadelphia Eagles
to create havoc in 2013. Strengths: Given Chip Kelly’s prolific offense in Oregon, this could be a year where
Weaknesses: On offense the Giants are go- the Eagles light up the scoreboard. When healthy, Michael Vick still has big play
ing to need to find consistency at the run- capability and a big arm to stretch the field. Whoever the quarterback is, he’ll have a
ning back position. The G-men also need vast arsenal of weaponry at his disposal. DeSean Jackson, Jason Avant, Brent Celek,
to keep Manning upright. Last season the Zach Ertz, and LeSean McCoy are all playmakers that create nightmare matchups
offensive line showed many holes that at for opposing defenses. With an improvement along the offensive line it could be a lot
the moment don’t look to have been filled easier for Eagles quarterbacks this season. If the quarterbacks can remain upright,
since the end of last season. If the Giants this offense will score some points.
can’t keep Manning upright, then the of- Weaknesses: On offense there are only two.
Quarterback Eli Manning. fense will sputter. On defense the Giants First, who will be the quarterback by the end of
Photo Courtesy of GooGle ImaGes need to stay healthy and get pressure on the season, and second, can this offensive line
the quarterback. With a weak safety, and protects whoever that quarterback will be? Mi-
an even weaker line-backing core, the Gi- chael Vick hasn’t played a full season in years,
ants need a big season out of the front four. If they can’t stay healthy or get to the and it’s likely that the Eagles will turn to Matt
quarterback, then the Giants defense will once again be a revolving door for the op- Barkley or Nick Foles by the end of the season.
posing offense. The biggest problem for this team is the defense.
Overall Prediction: 9-7 1st place NFC East: Last year it was one of the worst units in the
With a difficult schedule this season, a 9-7 record would be where the Giants fin- NFL, but now many starters from last season
ish. Considering all the question marks on defense, the offensive line, and health, have been replaced with general unknowns.
the Giants should be able to make the playoffs despite not winning ten games. They While the Eagles have lost many defensive start-
have the best quarterback situation in the talented NFC East. The Cowboys haven’t ers, the biggest problem is that they are switch-
proven to be serious contenders in years, the Eagles are rebuilding, and the Redskins ing from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense. The problem?
need to see if RGIII can get through a full season at quarterback. Either way it looks The Eagles personnel fits a 4-3 defense better.
like the Giants will be back in the playoffs in 2013 and will try to make another run Trent Cole, the Eagles best defender, is a great
to the Super Bowl, which will be in their own stadium this year. 4-3 end, but moving him to a standing up 3-4 Quarterback Michael Vick.
linebacker could make him less effective. Photo Courtesy of GooGle ImaGes
New York Jets Overall: 6-10 4th NFC East:
Strengths: If the Jets want to be competitive at all this season the defense must be Sorry, Eagles fans. In the difficult NFC East,
a top unit in the NFL. While the deep secondary may have some holes, especially with questions at the quarterback position, and a terrible defense, it’s going to be a
with Darrelle Revis leaving, the Jets still have a strong secondary with Pro Bowl cor- rebuilding year in Philadelphia. While the team will score points, we will see games
nerback Antonio Cromartie and rookie Dee Milliner. With Muhammad Wilkerson where they will score 30 points but lose because their defense is so bad. Chip Kelly
establishing himself as one of the best defensive players in the NFL, the Jets also may begin righting the ship in Philly and bring his high-powered offense to the pros,
added first rounder Sheldon but unfortunately you need to play defense to win. 2013 will be a step in the right
Richardson to the pass rush. direction; it just won’t be a step back into the playoffs.
While it remains to be seen
if Quinton Coples will re-
main at outside linebacker,
with more athleticism and
a stronger emphasis on the
blitz, the Jets defense will
get to the quarterback. On
offense the Jets have added
more depth to the running
game, as they will emphasis
Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith. running the football more.
Photo Courtesy of GooGle ImaGes Plus with Pro Bowl center
Nick Mangold and offen-
sive tackle D’Brickashaw
Ferguson on the line, the Jets may once again be one of the best at running the ball
in 2013.
Weaknesses: Hmm other then quarterback? While it remains uncertain who will be
the signal caller for the Jets in 2013, one can only hope it’s not Mr. Buttfumble Mark
Sanchez. While it does look like it will be Geno Smith time sooner then later, the fact
is the Jets quarterback situation is terrible. Add in the lack of a star running back, a
weak receiving core that’s still unsure when Santonio Holmes will return, and argu- A look at Week 1 of the NFL season around the league.
ably the leagues weakest crop of tight ends, the Jets offense isn’t looking too good Photo Courtesy of GooGle ImaGes