www.cayugacollegian.com Vol. 59 Issue 13 March 21, 2011

Cayuga Community College Auburn & Fulton, New York

Collegian

THE VOICE OF THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS

CAYUGABriefs

CONTINUED PAGE THREE

By Kat Taylor, Editor-in-chief

Collegian Staff Meets Queen of Free Speech

by D.J. DuVall, Associate Editor

Japan in Crisis: Earthquake, Tsunami and Radiation Releases

Officials say the number of dead in Japan may reach 20,000 before all is cleaned up after a 9.0 earthquake rattled the island nation March 11th causing an eight-foot wall of water to come ashore washing away homes, businesses, people, and cars on the north Pacific coast of the island.

The natural disasters reportedly damaged at least four nuclear power plants, triggering a series of radiation releases.

Nuclear experts from all over the world are working on the problem of containing the inner core of the plants, as necessary cooling water leaks away exposing violative rods of radioactive material, potentially causing a number of unprecedented nuclear melt-downs which experts says could contaminate Japan and potentially areas beyond Japan with radioactive material.

When this paper went to print, plans were underway to re-connect the plants to electricity so pumps could send water back into the core. As a last resort, experts say the plan is to pour concrete into each exposed inner core to contain the threat of a melt-down, a serious and dangerous radioactive event which could have impact on Japan and the world for years.

Libyan Leader Promises a Cease-Fire After U.N. ActionThe United Nations has voted to allow international forces to do whatever is necessary to create a “no-fly” zone over the troubled nation after Libyan leader Muammer Gadhafi opened fire on his own people after rebel protests asking the long-time dictator to step down.

In response to the U.N. action, Gadhafi announced a cease-fire.

By Jamie Blumrick, Associate Editor

COLLEGIAN STAFFMEETING: 1 PMTHURSDAY, MARCH 24COLLEGIAN OFFICE M312ALL ARE WELCOME!COLLEGIAN OFFICE HOURSKAT TAYLORMondays: 11:00 AM - 11:55 AMWednesdays: 11:00 AM - 11:55 AMThursdays: 10:30 AM -12:30 AM

JAMIE BLUMRICKMondays: 11 AM -12 PMTuesdays: 12 PM -2 PMWednesdays: : 3 PM - 6 PM

DJ DuVALL, SPORTSMondays: 11 AM - 12 PMTuesdays: 10 AM - 11 AMWednesdays: 11 AM - 12 PMThursdays: 10 AM - 11 AM

EMAIL THE COLLEGIAN AT:cayugacollegian@gmail.com

In Their Own Words...

The United States Supreme Court in March handed down a decision (Snyder v. Phelps) that the contro-versial protests by the Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas are pro-tected by the First Amendment.

Margie Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church Talks to Students (including the Editorial Staff of The Collegian) at National Media Conference in NYC

The daughter of Westboro Baptist Church founders, Margie Phelps, on stage addressing questions from students at the College Media Advisers Annual Conference in New York City.

PHOTO BY KAT TAYLOR

Cayuga Collegian Editorial Staff tells what they experienced in NYC

Students were lined up a half-hour early to enter the room where Margie Phelps, the daughter of the founder of Westboro Baptist Church was scheduled to answer questions about her church’s controversial protests that take place in sensitive areas, like outside U.S. solders’ funerals, with signs that attack soldiers, Jews, homosexuals, and sinners. To a standing-room-only crowd, Phelps explained her recent victory handed down by the United States Supreme Court which stated that as long as her group follows local laws, their right to protest was protected under the First Amendment. “We’re going to get those words in your ears, and that’s a done deal,” she told the students.

Phelps says her group has conducted 4,300 pickets in the last ten years to warn Americans if they don’t stop sinning, America is going to end and everyone is going to Hell. “None of y’all can’t say we didn’t tell you. I’m not stopping a homosexual from being a homosexual, I’m just telling you it’s taking you to Hell.”

Phelps says America has less than ten years left and then ‘this nation is going to be cracked open like a nut.”

A student asked if it is too late for America, why protest? “It’s our duty. We’re condemning you. We don’t want your blood on our hands so we’re warning you,” Phelps explained.

The moderator, Gene Policinski of The First Amendment Center, said students didn’t have to agree with Phelps, but they needed to value America as a market place of ideas and to treasure that ‘a free press has the responsibility to report both. “I think it would be a greater evil if we couldn’t hear her at all.”

“I was impressed with the students’ restraint,” said Cayuga Collegian advisor Mary Merritt. “I honestly was expecting protests and booing, but the students were there as journalists and stayed professional.”

Editor-in-chief Kat Taylor asked Phelps, “Since Jesus was a Jew, why does God hate Jews? Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, but the Romans crucified him, not the Jews.”

Phelps answered Taylor as she answered most students that asked a question. She accused Taylor, as

The Collegian staff just returned from a trip to New York City, where we took part in the The Spring Media Convention at the Marriot Marquis in Times Square. There were college students attending from all across the country who were offered a chance to receive some expert opinions and information about media of all kinds.

While attending a number of these seminars, there was one that particularly stuck in my brain. The seminar was put on by Jeff Halliday, a professor at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia, and an alumnus of Syracuse University. The title of his 50- minute conference was titled “Step Your Game Up: Developing a Sports Beat”. Being an avid sports enthusiast, the title quickly caught my eye, and I made sure I would be in attendance. Jeff had some great

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One of the many perks of being the co-editor of the Cayuga Collegian was getting the chance to travel with the staff to New York City to attend a national media conference for students. This would normally seem like a chore, but was actually a riot. I attended many of the information sessions and left with so many new ideas and opinions. Not to mention the interesting people you got to meet while attending, one being the very controversial woman picketing dead soldiers funerals. I mainly went to the art, design, and photo classes. I learned that in most cases less is more...that the more you try to put on a cover page, or any page for that matter, just causes clutter and unnecessary flash. Simplicity is the nicest, and most clean cut presentation for the reader. One example is maybe having one big

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Editorial BoardKAT TAYLOR, Editor-in-chiefJAMIE BLUMRICK, Associate EditorD.J. DuVALL, Sports EditorMARY G. MERRITT, Advisor

Staff ANGELA WORNICK - FULTON JIM COLLINS - AUBURN ALYSSA ANGYAL- AUBURNASHLEY PULLIS - AUBURN

T h e C a y u g a C o l l e g i a n welcomes letters from its readers. Submissions must be in a word document on a PC formatted disc. Submissions may be edited for content or length. Submissions must include your name, address and daytime phone number. All letters to the editor are cop ied exact ly and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the Collegian office, its staff or advisors. All letters are simply the opinions of the writers themselves.

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PAGE TWO

If I ran CCC, I would...

“... enforce the no smoking on campus law. I see people smok-ing outside the building in the back and no one ever says anything to them. Do we have a no smoking policy or what?”

-Betsy Parker What would you do if you ran CCC? Send in your answers to: cayugacollegian@gmail.com with the subject “If I ran CCC”.

City Girl at HeartI’ve always walked faster than

most people. I’ve always talked faster than most. When I was in New York City for the first time in my life this past week, I saw a lot, talked a lot, and did it as the inhabitants of the city do: fast.

I was born in Boston, and I didn’t move to Central New York with my family until I was five. My mom has told me before that even when I was in Kindergarten my teacher was concerned about my rate of speech.

I’ve not once revisited my place of birth, nor have I ever been in a city larger than Syracuse. This was my first taste of the city and I loved it. I spent the rest of my childhood growing up in Genoa, NY, a very rural area. I’ve never felt country, and when we moved to Auburn when I was 16, I was relieved to be out of the middle of nowhere.

It’s amazing how much it means to me to better understand what makes me, well – me. I’d love to visit NYC again, and I’m even more eager to go back to my roots now.

NYC VS. AUBURN – TAXI!There are two taxi services in

Auburn: Deluxe Taxicab and JMJ Taxi. You don’t often see them in

the street, and you have to call to get one. NYC is famous for many things; one of them is its abundance of taxis.

The going rate for a cab in Auburn is now $7 for a ride within the city. A tip is expected too of course, and there are other small charges you can accrue. In NYC the Collegian staff took taxis a few times, and every time the bill was less than $7. In NYC the basic charge is $2.40, and then $0.40 for every 1/3 mile.

If you’re traveling a long distance you’re likely taking the subway, because it is unbelievably fast. Three people sharing an NYC cab often ends up being more cost-effective than even the subway though, depending on how far you’re going.

NYC carries with it many preconceived notions, some of which are incorrect. One myth, that cabs aren’t affordable. In Auburn, they really aren’t, and you certainly aren’t paying for better service. It often takes an hour to get a cab from Deluxe Taxicab, and you pay $7 to go a mile. NYC cabs are in top condition – complete with TVs! And the state of the Auburn cabs, well you’re not getting the NYC value.

—Kat Taylor, Editor-in-chief

Colds, Flu, Sinus infections, Bronchitis, Strep throat, “Stomach bugs”, and all those other nice germs are making their ways into our lives and making us sick. Please remember that people are contagious one day before getting symptoms, and that germs remain on surfaces (like doorknobs, telephones, & pens) for hours. So it is very easy to pick up “someone else’s germs” this time of the year. It’s nice to share...but not your germs!

A few tips to keep us all healthier...I hope!

Not Sharing is Caring1. If you are SICK, STAY HOME.2. WASH YOUR HANDS.3. COVER YOUR NOSE &

MOUTH with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose & mouth.

Hand Sanitizers are located throughout campus...but are also available in the health office should you need one for your desk.

Hopefully we will all have a “Healthy Spring Semester”.

Suzanne M Wilson, RN BSCoordinator, College Health Services

THE WHITE HOUSEOffice of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 4, 2011

Statement by the Press Secretary on Harvard’s Decision to Welcome the ROTC Back to Campus

The decision by Harvard University to formally welcome the Naval Reserve Of-ficer Training Corps to its campus is an important step in moving past the old divisions that often kept many Americans from seeing what we share with one another, including love of country and a profound respect for our brave men and women in uniform. After signing legislation last year ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” President Obama used his State of the Union address to call on all college campuses to open their doors to our military recruiters and the ROTC. With our nation at war, this sends a powerful message that Americans stand united and that our colleges, society and armed forces are stronger when we honor the contributions of all our citizens, especially our troops and military families who sacrifice for our freedoms. As the President said in the State of the Union, it is time to move forward as one nation.

THE VOICE OF THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS PAGE THREE

By Kat Taylor, Editor-in-chief

Get Lucky… But Be Safe

well as the entire audience, of never having read a single word of the Bible, for if she and they had, she’d surely understand the answer to her question. “Jesus was not a Jew,” Phelps declared. She said Jesus took them under his wing only to be betrayed by every one of them and now they are going to suffer.

Phelps also elaborated on a popular slogan for her church’s protest signs “God Hates Fags”, which is also a website: godhatesfags.com. She says if four things stopped happening immediately: divorce, fornication, sodomy and homosexuality, soldiers would stop dying.

On one topic, Phelps seems to contradict herself. She told the crowd that morning her group was protesting at the World Trade Center site with a sign that read “Mohammed is a Pedophile”, yet while at the forum she said “Let him build his mosque!”

Another good question posed by a student was why Phelps lets children picket. Phelps responded, why not? “You let Priests molest children.” She said the children that participate in the Westboro pickets want to be there.

Throughout her responses to questions, Phelps seemed to distance herself from the rest of America. Then a student asked why

she claimed the freedoms soldiers fight to protect for this country, if she is so against Americans? She didn’t give a clear response other than she lives here, is an American,

and therefore has all the rights under The Constitution.

“I didn’t like the way the forum was handled,” said Jamie Blumrick, Cayuga Collegian Assistant Editor. “Phelps was on the podium and was allowed to talk freely, while students had to submit written questions for approval and weren’t allowed to rebut any of Phelps’ statements.”

Phelps was often disrespectful to the students even though every student who asked a question was polite and courteous. When our Editor got her question answered, Phelps told Taylor “Unless you pick up a Bible and start reading, you’re gonna be dirt dumb for the rest of your life.”

Queen of Free Speech...CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

“Unless you pick up a Bible and start reading, you’re gonna be dirt dumb for the rest of your life.”

-Margie Phelps Westboro Baptist Church

Not Sharing is Caring When I Come To My Senses, I’m Alive!“When I Come To My Senses, I’m

Alive!” (written by Scotto Moore and directed by Bob Frame) is a near-future sci-fi story about Annique (Alicia Frame), a technological artist who invents a method for capturing emotions as digital information, as part of a project to “chart the emotional genome.” But publishing her emotions for all to see has unexpected consequences. Aleister Rowland (John Murphy), a seedy but determined television producer, uses every means possible to get his hands on Annique’s work. Annique may have bigger problems though, when her clips bring a new kind of artificial intelligence to the world.

Casting also includes: Lauren Maltese as Cicely, Annique assistant

Dylan Thompson as Micky, the hardware genius behind Annique’s processRachael Bodner as Veronica Billious, private investigatorJoe Prue as Whisper, Quality Assurance crew member for Annique’s clipsTarin Bonvino as Monica, The second member of the QA crewCiara Hirsch as Emily, Aleister’s secretaryKenny Baker as Cody Charles, a famous, albeit none-too-bright TV star.The show debuted March 17th,

with repeat performances on the 18th and 19th. But you have a chance to catch it this week, with shows March 24th and 25th. Tickets are $5 for general admission, $1 for students. Shows begin at 8:00pm, at the Irene Bisgrove Theater in Cayuga Community College.

Monica communes with a “self-aware botnet” while the team experiments with charting the emotional genome. L-R Joe Prue, Tarin Bonvino, Alicia Frame, Dylan Thompson

Annique gets shocked as “The Sleeper” takes over the minds of her co-workers (Alicia Frame, center, cockwise from bottom left: Joe Prue, Lauren Maltese, Dylan Thompson, Tarin Bonvino)

TV Star Cody Charles (Kenny Baker) describes to Annique (Alicia Frame) just how great their relationship could be as Emily (Ciara Hirsch) looks on.

By Kat Taylor, Editor-in-chiefOne of our very own is bringing

about the demise of Syracuse. He was a columnist for the Collegian last semester, and he’s a Telcom student at the Auburn campus. On March 24th you too can watch the total destruction, in the film by Michael DooWITTle Widger.

“The End of Syracuse, NY” is Widger’s first feature length film, and it has it all. Terror, drama, chaos, the imminent destruction of the planet yet more importantly, how the denizens of Syracuse spend their last day. A full unrated preview can be viewed using this link: http://vimeo.com/20526134. Beware the red band trailer – it’s not for the meek!

Some recognizable names will pop up in the credits of this movie. ‘Jus Mic’, DJ of 106.9 and 107.9 appears as himself. Ashley Cox, of the international band Professional Victims, scored the film. Oxburg, a local Sammy award-winning rapper, also appears as himself. Peter Mahan, a video production Professor at

The End… of Syracuse NYOswego is just another name viewers may know.

Widger states that the point of the movie is, “The end will define you.” He wants viewers to ponder the question, “If you only had one day left - what would you do?” It wasn’t all serious business during filming though; Widger recalls some of the funny moments during shooting that appear in the blooper reel. “I had to keep yelling at Rashawn to keep composure and professionalism around naked chicks,” (during a nude scene). Physical humor was prominent with tumbles from bicycles that cause a prop baby to go flying, and Widger’s guerilla filming tactics led to more laughs during events like illegally blocking streets before the police caught on.

You can see the final result at the Palace Theatre on James St., Syracuse. The premiere event takes place this Thursday from 6-9pm. For more information, visit http://theendofsyracuseny.com/Movie.html.

The informative women of East Hill Family Medical were back at the Auburn Campus this St. Patrick’s Day. Their colorful display of condoms was eye-catching, and outlined the importance of safe sex. It’s an even more important issue once alcohol gets involved.

According to the information they provided, one third of the people who reach age 24 will have contracted an STD. Just as alarming, 73-percent of young people said when drugs and alcohol are used, condoms aren’t.

In addition to the free condoms they had at the table, they also had copies of an article that appeared in the magazine, Seventeen. They wanted students to

be informed of the imperative facts it includes, such as it’s against the law to have sexual contact with someone who is incapacitated. Whether it be drugs, alcohol, or prescription medications- if they aren’t sober, it’s illegal.

They also had “beer goggles”, to simulate how things appears when a person is drunk. There was a contest to see if people could properly place a condom on a wooden phallus with the goggles on.

Condoms protect against unwanted pregnancies, and STDs, some of which are life threatening. It only takes one time to contract venereal diseases, or get pregnant. When you get lucky, stay protected; use a condom.

THE VOICE OF THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS

NEW YORK, NEW YORK--A WONDERFUL TOWN

In Their Own Words...CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGEby D.J. DuVall, Associate EditorBy Jamie Blumrick, Associate Editor

photo and creating a white border around it with the article itself. I also learned not to always believe everything you see! Just because someone posts a picture doesn’t make it true. You have to find the source and never tamper with the original item. Photoshop is an amazing tool, and on that note, it’s something that not everyone can use, and should only be used to make things look nice not to doctor it up.

Lastly, I learned that to do things with purpose. Everything around us was created with a purpose or specific use. The speaker liked to reference doors. Does it really seem logical to put a handle on a push door? Most cases not really, people usually do that for a visual take. Yet we were told that you should not only write and create things for flash and looks, but to create with purpose and meaning. Overall, the trip to New York City was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience where I had the chance to go out, be independent, and learn many new things, including how to apply myself to my writing and design skills in the future.

ideas to help me pursue my goal in becoming a Sports Journalist. He encouraged us to “think like a fan” and to “know more than fanatics”. He said we should attend practices, know everyone we could, and think like a coach. Jeff’s biggest advice that stuck with me most, was to apply for a press pass. CCC is so close to Syracuse, he said that I may be eligible to apply for a press pass and cover sporting events at S.U. Jeff stressed the fact that the more people you know, the better your chances at a job offer. He wanted us to know that no matter where you came from, hard work and perseverance always pay off.

I learned some great tips and ideas from all of the conferences I attended, but Jeff’s advice, and the style he used to present it, stuck with me and will be extremely helpful in my future.

I would say that the trip to NYC was a complete success and an important learning experience for any student with a career path in the field of media.

Leprechaun seen on campus on St. Patrick’s Day, handing out gold to children, and posing for pictures. Definitely more camera-friendly than leprechauns of lore!