GENERATOR

GENERATOR
magazine
INSIDE:
Freeganism
Marist Bucket List
10 Ways to Let Off Steam
New Registration Information
October 2010

GENERATOR STAFF
Editor-in-Chief
Sarah Holmes
Assistant Editor
Mike Walsh
Table of Contents
Page 3: A Different Start to the Fall
Semester Moving into beautiful Prague isn’t
like moving onto Marist campus... By Laura
Formanek
Music Editor
Eden Jezierski
Literature Editor
Gina Rose Sirico
Opinion Editor
Mary Treuer
Movies Editor
Cynthia Dagenais
Fashion Editor
Rachel Forlifer
Photography
Editor
Sarah Dubrule
Page 4: To Park or Not to Park Are the fines
security gives us for parking on campus justified?
Don’t get caught parking outside your assigned
lot... By Gina Rose Sirico
Page 5: Say Goodbye to Pre-Registration
Clarification on how this new system is going to
help students where the old one hindered them...
By Tommy Straub
Page 5: Paper Bills are History No longer will
Marist be “snail mailing” out our tuition bills...
By Stephanie D’Adamo
Page 6: Freeganism Not Morgan’s philosophy,
but check out this environmentally friendly ways
to save!... By Monica Speranza
Page 7: Professor Spotlight You’ve definitely
seen Colin McCann walking around campus, find
out what he teaches and don’t hesitate to sign up
for one of his courses... By Vincent Raia
Page 8: Let Off Some Steam Ten ways to ease
out of midterms week and get your life back on
track... By Cynthia Dagenais
Page 9: Don’t Want to Be an American Idiot
Then check out this review of the new
Green Day rock opera... By Nicole Smith
1
Arts Editor
Wanted
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Richard Grinnell
Page 10: Empowerment Through Poetry
Slam poet Gabriela Garcia Medina laid down
some powerful rhymes in the Cabaret...
By Olivia McMahon
Page 10: House Rules Doesn’t Rule What’s the
issue with Jodie Picoult’s new novel?...
By Abbey Scalia

Page 11: LAS visits Greenwich Village 2010’s
Club of the Year gives members more reasons to
smile and write... By Sarah Holmes
Page 13: A Marist College Bucket List Time
is running out for seniors to complete everything
they set out to three years ago... By Jennifer
Sommer
Page 15: Goodbye New York City internships
aren’t the only way to go. Pick up some pointers
on how to land the perfect internship for you...
By Mary Treuer
Page 17: A Literary-Cinematic Fascination
with The Lord of the Rings Composer Howard
Shore’s score was performed live at Radio City
Music Hall, simulcast with The Two Towers...
By Sarah Holmes
Page 19: The Cobra Pact Anywere Cobra
Starship is perfororming live is where you
should try to be... By Eden Jezierski
Page 21: The Best Fashion Films Why these
tens movies are most commonly mentioned on
Fashion Blogs... By Deanna Morosoff
Page 22: Your New Best Friend Finally a quick
solution to the drama of picking out your outfit for
class, the club, or dinner... By Rachel Forlifer
Page 23: That’s So Gay! Why are so many
conversations leaning towards the use of this nonsensicle
homosexual slur?... By Sarah Lamond
Page 23: Stumbleupon A look at internet fueled
procrastination at its finest ... By Nick Sweeney
Page 24: Local Food Spotlight The only place
to go that will quench that hot dog hunger... By
Brian Rees
Back Page: Feed the Animals SPC brought
Girl Talk to the McCann Center and he turned the
basketball court into a night club!...
By Emily Bales
COVER STORY
Andrew Campion took our cover photo during
a nude shoot in September for his Digital Media
class. If you are interested in Digital Media
or taking photos for the Generator please
contact us. We are always in need of accompanying
pictures as well as creative cover ideas.
Email Generatormagazine@yahoo.com for
more information.
Also keep up with our Blog at generatormagazine.blogspot.com
where you will find movie,
concert, and album reviews throughout the
semester.
Follow us on Twitter as well at GeneratorMag!
Photo Contributions
Cover: Andrew Campion
Page 3: Laura Formanek
Pages 4, 6, 13, 14, 24, 25, 26: Mike Walsh
Page 7: www.marist.edu
Page 9, 13, 14, 24: Creativecommons.org
Pages 11, 12: Jennifer Sommer
Page 11,12, 17: Sarah Holmes
Pages 15, 16: Mary Treuer
Pages 19, 20: Eden Jezierski
Back Page: Leslie Brown
Page 25: The 21+ Science Fair Experiment
Let this be your guide to imbibe this Oktoberfest
season... By Mike Walsh
2

3
A Different Start to the Fall Semester
By Laura Formanek
My summer usually ends with me
spending a few days packing all of my
clothing, accessories, and miscellaneous
items (usually random things that I do not
even use or need) into suitcases and boxes,
loading up my car, and driving an hour and
a half on Route 7, I-84, and Route 9 until
I reach my destination at Marist College.
This summer ended a little differently.
Instead of throwing every article of clothing
I have into my big suitcases, I thoughtfully
sifted through my wardrobe, collecting a
small amount of pieces that I would need
for four months. Instead of driving through
the scenic roads of Connecticut and New
York, I drove through I-95 traffic down to
John F. Kennedy Airport. Instead of getting
to my destination in a short hour and a half,
it took me a total of eleven hours to arrive.
Instead of walking into a townhouse with
my best friends, I found myself surrounded
by 80 kids that I didn’t know, about to
spend my fall semester in Prague, Czech
Republic.
When I think of starting school in the
fall, I think about walking across campus
with the sun shining, the wind blowing,
and the river glistening. I think about how
beautiful the Hudson Valley will look in
a few weeks when the leaves become a
mirage of yellow, red, and orange hues.
It’s one of the only things that lures me
back to Marist College after a relaxing
summer. The day of move-in, students
are already making plans for that Tuesday,
Thursday or Friday night (depending on
how class schedules are), narrowing down
their options to Hatters, Backstreet, the
River Station, or a last minute house party.
Classes start the first Monday after movein
weekend, giving you virtually no time to
settle down before being bombarded with
syllabi and group projects.
After going through this routine for two
years, starting my semester in Prague took
me by surprise. By that, I mean that I
arrived on August 30 th and classes didn’t
start until September 24 th . But before I start
a commotion, let me clarify that statement:
regular classes did not start until September
24 th , but we still had two weeks’ worth of
an intensive Czech language course for 5
hours a day beforehand. We had somehow
reverted back to the one-classroom-allday
class structures of elementary school.
Even though it meant the beginning of
work and studying, starting actual classes
came as a great relief. All of our classes
in the program are held in Vysehrad, one
of the most historical parts of Prague. If
you think walking up the hill near Lower
New is intimidating, the trek to school
each day is significantly more arduous,
mostly because of the treacherous stairs
that may actually become lethal during
the first snowfall. When you finally reach
the top, huffing and puffing along the way,
you will be rewarded by some of the most
spectacular views in Prague. It’s surreal to
think that I live here now, that after class I
can walk down the street and see the walls
winding throughout the city.
This semester I’m living with three
other girls, one of whom is from Prague.
She is my “Czech buddy.” All I can say
is thank goodness for Czech buddies
because if we didn’t have them to lead
us around Prague the first few weeks
(especially before intensive Czech classes
started) we probably would have starved
from not knowing how to order food or
read a menu, or isolated ourselves in our
apartments, not quite sure of what to do in
this overwhelming city. They are angels.
They take it into their hands to help us meet
other students and give us proper cultural
immersion: almost every day/night they
plan different activities for us whether it’s
going to a farmer’s market, cooking fried
cheese in someone’s flat, or visiting an
old brewery. These activities have only
scratched the surface of Prague’s offerings.
It’s been one month since I’ve arrived: one
month of making new friends, learning
Czech (and failing at pronouncing it
because of its affinity for consecutive
consonants), exploring new restaurants
and finding cozy pubs, testing out the
“street meat” at various food stands, and
finally starting classes. It’s hard to believe
that I’m essentially one-fourth of the way
through the fall semester. There are only
three more months left for me to make
memories with my new friends and take
full advantage of all that Prague has to
offer. It makes you realize how precious
time truly is, even at Marist. You have to
get out and seize the day!
Photos Contributed
by Laura Formanek

To Park or Not to Park?
Marist Security Cracks Down on Parking Policy
By Gina Rose Sirico
Marist College Office of Safety and Security
is responsible for the Parking Policy
on campus. It is stated in this policy that
“Permits are for the specified lot only.” It is
also written, in capital letters in the policy,
“THE COLLEGE DOES NOT GUARAN-
TEE THAT EVERY RESIDENT WILL
RECEIVE A PARKING PERMIT IN THE
PARKING LOT CLOSEST TO THE IN-
DIVIDUALS RESIDENCE” and also,
“Students are not permitted to park in staff
lots even on weekends.”
The reason why
the parking policy
states that no student
can park in
faculty lots on the
weekends is because
of previous
years of trying to
implement a fluctuating
policy that
allowed students
to park in the faculty
lot as long as they moved their cars on
a Sunday, which students did not follow.
“It is hard for students to remember exactly
what time to move their cars,” the Director
of Safety and Security, John T. Gildard
said. If they do leave it there, security does
not know if they are going to move it, or if
it has been there for over a few hours.
“If we keep a steady policy, it is easier
for students to follow rather than a fluctuating
policy,” he said. The parking lots
are also needed on weekends or during the
week for other events that students may not
be aware of, therefore, the lot needs to be
available, Gildard also said.
Katie Krieger, sophomore, and resident
in Foy Townhouses, thinks that there
should be a fluctuating policy; “If college is
all about being more responsible, and living
on your own, we should be responsible
enough to move our cars on our own, and if
we don’t, then we should get a ticket. Why
can’t we park there on the weekends? Staring
at an empty lot all weekend is annoying.
I like to be able to see my vehicle, and
since I have a parking lot right in front of
my residence, why can’t I park there?” She
also feels that Marist needs to update the
Foy parking lot sign that still says “faculty/
student parking”.
Many students understand that faculty
needs the lot during the week, but it doesn’t
make sense to not be able to park there on
weekends, when there is no faculty. We pay
more money to live in Foy, and we can’t
even park in front of our residence? Foy
parking lot has 106 total spaces, and during
the day, 35 spots are empty. Foy residents
with vehicles have to park in Hoop Lot.
The upper level of the lot has 134 spaces,
and the lower lot has 76, a total of 210
spaces. “Everyone who
is registered for Hoop
Lot should have a spot,”
Gildard said.
“It’s ridiculous that
I live here (in Foy) and
can’t even park in front
of my house.” Lauren
Hickey, Sophomore
in Foy said. “Faculty
drives to work, they
park and go to their office
or classroom and
stay in their building for
the whole day. I think they can walk up
the hill once a day to get to their building.
I, on the other hand, live here, and have to
walk up and down the hill to get to my car.
If I go out at night, I drive back in the dark
down the hill. Not only do I have to search
for a parking space, I feel like there is nobody
down there that would be able to help
me if something happened.”
Gildard also stated that “security
doesn’t mind if you car is there for a short
period of time, like to drop off groceries or
unload, however, you should call security
first to let them know and they will give
you a blotter number.” This number can
be used to appeal a ticket if a ticket is given
to the student during that short time span.
Foy is a Faculty lot because of the academic
buildings closest to that lot, such as
Lowell Thomas and The Hancock Center
(once it is completed).
Midrise students have to park in Hoop
lot (by Gartland) in order to have a car on
campus. Hoop is the lot where Midrise students
are assigned when they register their
vehicle with Safety and Security. The reason
for this is because priority is given to
the upper-class residents of Lower and Upper
New Townhouses, which use the Riverview
lot (next to Midrise lot), and Midrise
lot is used for admissions faculty and visitor
parking.
Student Government Association (SGA)
handles all Parking Ticket Appeal forms if
students want to appeal a parking ticket.
The form can be picked up from the Office
of Safety and Security (Donnelly 201), or
in the SGA office, across from College Activities
(Student Center 348). Parking fines
can range from $10.00 – $75.00, and multiple
violations will result in more fines.
All fines are expected to be paid (at Student
Financial Services Office) after 10 days of
the issued ticket.
Krieger got a ticket which had multiple
violations on her new vehicle, which was
not registered for one weekend, and she
couldn’t register it until Monday. “I got one
violation of ‘parking in a no parking zone’,
when I in fact parked in an actual parking
space. I also got ‘failure to display parking
permit’ and ‘failure to properly place
the permit’ – how could it be improperly
placed when it is not on the vehicle?” she
said. This ticket was approved by the SGA,
and Kreiger did not have to pay any of the
fines, which came to a total of $95.00.
4

Saying Goodbye to
Pre-Registration:
The New Way To Sign Up For
Classes
By Tommy Straub
Last year, as a freshman in Champagnat,
I awoke to the familiar sound of my alarm.
This wake-up was not for class however;
it was for class pre-registration. 7 AM is
not a friend of mine, or any other college
student for that matter. As my friends and
I steadily wandered into the sixth floor
lounge in our various forms of sleepwear,
we flipped open our laptops and frantically
logged into Marist’s Student Self Service.
The following five minutes were chaos:
the yelling of class times, call numbers
and professor’s last names could be heard
throughout the floor. After all was said and
done, we packed up, and retreated back to
bed.
This is a process that many upperclassmen
are familiar with, but for freshman and
those of us who aren’t graduating this year,
that 7 AM wake-up for pre-registration
will be no more. Following the trend of
larger colleges and universities, Marist is
implementing a tiered, or what they are
calling a “staggered” registration process.
This process starts with seniors registering
first, then juniors, followed by sophomores,
and finally the lowly freshman.
This credit-based system is different
than the “register, cross your fingers, and
check the mailbox” approach that Marist
used previously. Registration is much
longer now and as a result, pre-registration
has been eliminated. The process is now
“live time” meaning, the sooner you log
in and mash keys on your laptop, the more
likely you are to receive your classes. The
credit-based system seeks to correct the
imbalance between the various classes:
if a senior and a sophomore are vying for
the same spot in an Arts and Values class,
the senior should get it to graduate. This
way, those who “need” classes more than
other lower classmates will be prioritized
as opposed to the wait we all experienced
with the pre-registration system.
If all of this is making your head hurt,
the Registrar held informative registration
classes for those overwhelmed with the
new process. Freshman need not worry,
since they were forced to go. There were
midday and evening workshops to attend
in both Lowell Thomas and Donnelly. Of
course, you could always walk over to the
Registrar in Donnelly and ask, that’s all I
did in prep for this article and hopefully
I’ve saved you the trouble. They’re pretty
friendly, and have some disposable interns
at the ready to answer your barrage of
questions.
Hopefully, everyone gets the classes they
want and this new process will be easier
rather than a roadblock leading to another
source of headaches. I’m almost out of
Excederin, so here’s to hoping I don’t need
it after registering for spring semester.
Freshman, consider yourselves lucky;
maybe this will be the final registration
process for you. For the rest of us,
continue on with
procrastinating
to check your
mail: there isn’t
a paper schedule
with “Falls
below priority”
in there anymore.
PAPER BILLS
ARE HISTORY
Marist Launches New Online
Billing System in CASHNet
By Stephanie
D’Adamo
Yes, you’ve heard right. Effective Spring
2011, Marist College will no longer be
mailing out paper tuition bills.
Instead, the Office of Student Financial
Services is launching a long-awaited
initiative – an updated, real-time online
payment billing system. A new improvement
over the previous E-Bill services, Marist
College will now be utilizing CASHNet ,
a live host which seeks to make the billing
process more accessible and user-friendly
to students and parents alike.
You don’t need to be technology-savvy
to take advantage of this time-efficient and
easily operated new system. CASHNet
has been purposely designed for the
convenience of its users, boasting an
organized layout which compartmentalizes
the different options into separate display
boxes. There is a box which categorizes
the authorized payers listed on the account,
another display to link users directly to their
online bills, a third section to catalogue the
history of recent payments and a fourth to
save payment options.
CASHNet offers a variety of benefits,
from 24/7 online access, posting of
payment transactions in real-time, a
personalized history of billing statements
and instantaneous email notification
whenever there is a change to the account.
Sign up today by going
to http://www.marist.
edu/financialaid/
Bring easy billing access
to a computer near
you!
5

FREEGANISM
By Monica Speranza
Some who have heard of freeganism may
picture a bum, dumpster diving for dayold
bagels and discarded bruised produce.
Others may recall the Seinfeld episode in
which Elaine’s homeless boyfriend takes
her to an alley behind a bakery, finds
doughnuts in the trash and tells her “You
know, Elaine, you are the bear claw in the
garbage can of my life.” These images are
not inaccurate.
Freeganism can be defined at its most
basic level as a way to cut down on waste
and save money by taking and using other
people’s cast-offs for free. Though the
concepts of dumpster-diving and digging
through trash for food are large parts of
freeganism, in many cases it is a much
larger picture. Some other items “freegans”
salvage besides food include; furniture,
appliances, technological devices, and
clothes. One freegan blogger from
community.livejournal.com/freegans wrote
that she and two other people had found “a
practically new copy machine (instructions
and everything!), a tiny portable television,
a small TV, a perfectly good white plastic
high chair, a waffle iron, a 5-disc cd player”
and several other items during a dumpster
dive.
“For me, an individual who practices
‘freeganism’ represents one who is
committed to living a lifestyle that
minimally impacts the world around
them,” Steve Sansola, Marist Recycling
Chair, said.
According to the United
States Census Bureau,
as of 2008 39.8 million
people in the United States
lived below the poverty
line. The 2008 municipal
solid waste statistics
according to the EPA
break down as follows:
31% paper, 13.2% yard
trimmings, 12.7% food
scraps, 12% plastics, 8.4%
metals, 7.9% rubbers,
leathers, and textiles, 6.6% wood, 4.9%
glass, and 3.3% other. Considering that
much of an average person’s waste includes
items that are damaged but not completely
useless (e.g. wilted lettuce, a torn jacket, a
chipped coffee mug), it is not implausible
to think that, by practicing freeganism the
number of people living below the poverty
line could decrease.
It is difficult to pinpoint when the
freeganism movement began. Various
websites attest that freeganism emerged
in the 1960s, while Jan Goodwin of Marie
Claire claimed it had been coined in the
’90s when she wrote, “She Lives Off What
We Throw Away.” Jake Halpern of The
New York Times wrote in the article, “The
Freegan Establishment” that the freeganism
concept originated in the seventeenth
century. In any case, it is accepted that the
idea of freeganism began as a vegan/anticapitalist/environmentalist
hybrid. The
idea was to utilize and survive on what
the average person wastes and ultimately,
refuse to contribute to the capitalist system
by not buying food and other necessities.
Nowadays, it is common for people to
choose to participate in partial freeganism
(only taking certain items, like food) or
total freeganism (getting most everything
from others’ cast offs) as an alternative
lifestyle to simply cut cost of living and/or
contribute to saving the planet.
“While I am in favor of any effort to
reduce our need to purchase and consume
unnecessary items,” Sansola said, “I do
not believe this lifestyle is a practical and
realistic way of life. It may be possible
for an individual to live this lifestyle for
a brief time, but as one extends his/her
responsibilities, both in the work place
or with family, this approach becomes
problematic and unrealistic.”
Though practices like dumpster diving
and picking through other people’s trash
is dirty and smelly, freegans make sure
to keep the practice sanitary. Many wear
gloves when they go through trash and they
thoroughly wash and sanitize what they
take. They are usually very considerate
of the place they take from by not leaving
behind a mess, being discreet, and
sometimes even building up a rapport with
the owners of the places they take from. In
the YouTube video “First Time Freegans,”
a young British woman describing her
experience says: “I think the part about,
like, making friends with the security
[guards] or making friends with the shop
people is very important.”
The lesson, so to speak, that freeganism
teaches is to be more conscientious of
what and how much one wastes. What is
ironic, as Halpern points out in his article,
is that living off other people’s waste is
what freeganism is, so if society becomes
increasingly less wasteful, it is possible
that freeganism will become obsolete. Be
that as it may, there are other factors aside
from inherent wastefulness preventing
freeganism from dying out. For example,
there are several items that seem recyclable
- rubber, plastic toys, plastic kiddie pools—
but are not recyclable.
Many freegans are eager to pass on
their knowledge about how to participate
in freeganism. There are several blogs
and YouTube videos with instructions and
advice on how to get going if you have
never done it before. Type in “freegan”
on YouTube or “freegan blog” on a search
engine.
6

7
Nobody likes having an
8 AM class. However, if you
walked into one of Colin Mc-
Cann’s 8 AM classes, you’d
be shocked by the lively conversations
and debates going
on throughout the lesson. You
may ask yourself how all of
these people are so energetic
so early; it all stems from Colin
McCann. McCann says
that he purposely teaches the
8 AM classes; “For an eight
o’clock class, in a dungeon
room, I know that it’s hard to
stay awake, I know that raising
the voice and using humor,
engaging the students from
day one is almost necessary in
a communications course. Students
have to decide if this is
a field that they want to be in,
so I have to hit them hard with
information.” If you have ever
had McCann as a professor,
you probably think that he was
born to teach communications.
However, during my interview
with him, he often reiterated
that he “fell into the work”.
“In growing up it occurred
to me to be a teacher in some regard. I’m
the oldest child, I have four brothers and
a sister, so just because of my birth right
I gravitated towards that kind of role.”
McCann served as a resident assistant at
SUNY Plattsburgh where he received his
BA in Communication/Mass Media. After
college he worked as an assistant art teacher
for emotionally disturbed children until
an old friend informed him of a resident
director opening at SUNY Morrisville.
He applied, was accepted, and “fell into
the work.” At Morrisville, McCann also
coached track and cross-country. He soon
realized however that this was not something
he necessarily wanted to do. He eventually
heard of a resident director position
open at Marist College, a school that was
close to where he lived. As an undergraduate,
McCann had applied and was accepted
to Marist, and figured that Marist would offer
him a chance to further his education
while working as a resident director. While
Professor Spotlight: Colin McCann
at Marist he received his Master’s degree in
Educational Psychology. Wanting to “further
invest himself in the college,” McCann
became a mentor. Soon after, the School of
Communication & the Arts was looking
for adjunct professors to teach Public Presentation,
so he decided to give it a try. “It
was intimidating. It was quite a step. I was
responsible for teaching students the information.
I enjoyed it, but at the same time, it
was terrifying.”
Most students probably remember Mc-
Cann from orientation and Welcome Week.
Those who do remember him most likely
remember a very confident speaker. In fact,
you would be hard-pressed to find someone
who does not think McCann is one of
the most confident speakers they’ve ever
listened to. However, this is not the case.
“Most of you think I am a very confident
speaker” he said, “but most of the time,
when I up there thinking about what we’re
discussing in the course, there’s always that
concern in me that I’ve lost the students or
By Vincent Raia
they have no idea what I’m talking
about, and that can be nerveracking.”
During my interview with
McCann, we discussed the impact
that machines (text-messaging,
email, Facebook etc.)
have had on communication.
“We are swimming in so many
conversations both the virtual
and the real that we become
more and more fractured, our
attention is so fractured. We are
becoming more comfortable
with having the difficult conversation
virtually, online, where
there is a buffer, rather than in
person,” McCann said. “But
some dimensions are missing
from virtual communication.
Half of all virtual communication
is clarification. As we automate
the world, it comes at a
cost. It’s okay that we change,
so long as we’re aware of the
change, and that we don’t let the
machine replace the person.”
I asked McCann for one
piece of advice to give students;
his response was “be not
afraid.” “Ninety-five percent of
the things that we worry about happening in
our life will never happen, but think about
all of the anxiety we cause ourselves. Have
the courage to have the difficult conversation;
fear causes us to wrap ourselves in our
protective shields and reach out through the
wire. I know the language I’m using makes
me sound like I’m mister peace, love and
granola, and I’m not. Life is going to kick
us in the shins sometimes, but for the most
part, we’re going to be okay.”
As his student throw praise on him with
Facebook groups such as “Colin McCann
for Emperor,” McCann remains modest. “I
very much appreciate how I am received by
the students. It is humbling. I am always
trying to be a better teacher so it is humbling
when a student gives me a shout-out
such as that. McCann hopes to eventually
teach full-time and believes that he will
teach for the rest of his life.

Let Off Some Steam
10 Ways to Percolate After Exams
Midterms are over. So now we can all relax, right? Unfortunately,
from this point on we’re going to have even more work to do. The
good news is that now there is more of an excuse to blow off some
steam! Here are a few (odd) ideas to let you relax, let out your frustrations,
and keep you from strangling the student screaming into
her phone in the middle of the library while you’re trying to study or
finish up that 20-page paper.
By Cynthia Dagenais
Make door decorations
Who says you need to be an RA to make creative door decs?
Photoshop your friends so that they are in the arms of Cosmo’s
latest male models. Or, attach inappropriate appendages to their
pictures. Go for whichever strikes your fancy. Bonus points for
originality.
Try out a social experiment
Run around the mall with a child leash, and be completely
serious about it. Take a trip into the city, stare up at the sky for
awhile, and ask passersby if they see something in the sky. Sit in
the center of an elevator and refuse to move when it gets crowded.
Do something to catch people’s attention and see how they
react. Your psychology and sociology professors will be proud.
Go to class in pajamas
Hey, it’s comfy! Wear a robe and bunny slippers if it suits you.
(See social experiment)
Photo by Cynthia Dagenais
Punch something
No, not someone. And not the school or anyone else’s personal
property either. Dropkick your pillow or practice your Muhammad
Ali moves on your body pillow to stick it to your 40-page
paper. Make your best impression of Rocky and yell, “Adrian!” as
if you’re in the rink.
Read anything but your textbooks
If books aren’t your preference, there’s always the online comic
called “Axe Cop.” The storyline is by a 5-year-old and illustrated
by his 29-year-old brother. Expect Moon Warriors, Unibabies, and
a cop who likes to chop off heads like the French beheaded Marie
Antoinette. The ridiculousness will have you fall out of your chair
from laughing too hard.
Play Four Square
No, not the latest stalking technology. I’m talking about four
squares drawn in chalk on a blacktop and about a red playground
ball. Get your whole block to participate in this fierce
competition.
Jump in a leaf pile
Good old-fashioned fall fun. Just make sure the pile is big
enough to accommodate 20-somethings now that you’re not
8 anymore. Gravity is harsher when you’re taller, heavier, and
older.
Watch entire trilogies and sagas
Star Wars, Back to the Future, Toy Story, Harry Potter…you
name it! Plan a day to watch them all at once. Make snacks that
work with the theme! Sit on your butt and do nothing for these
few hours.
Bake a cake
No birthdays necessary. Who doesn’t want Funfetti to celebrate
passing an exam? If you want pancakes instead, dye them with
food coloring! I’m convinced turquoise pancakes taste better than
their natural state.
Be instrumental
If you have a keyboard or guitar, just play some random notes
and pretend you aren’t tone-deaf if you sound terrible. Sing your
heart out in the shower, without having to turn on the faucet. You
will definitely be heard by your housemates, and maybe even your
neighbors.
www.axecop.com
8

9
Don’t Want to be An American Idiot?
By Nicole Smith
Understood. Yet, you should still go see
the new Broadway hit, American Idiot,
based on the punk rock band, Green Day’s
album of the same name.
The show began on Broadway March
24, 2010 at the St. James Theater. The
show was put together by director Michael
Mayer and the lead singer of Green Day,
Billy Joe Armstrong. The musical consists
of all the songs in the album, American
Idiot, along with a few other popular Green
Day songs. American Idiot is considered to
be a rock opera; those of you who know
their music know that The Who’s Tommy
falls into this category along with RENT.
Rock operas tend to consist of very little
dialogue, but the order in which the songs
are placed creates a story. Fans of Green
Day will not be disappointed by American
Idiot since Armstrong actively worked in
the production of the musical.
Even if you are not currently an avid fan
of Green Day, American Idiot is easy to
connect with. It deals with the angst and
restlessness that every young person can
identify with. The performance of this play
closely follows the album. Victoria Cavalli,
a freshman who went with SPC to see
American Idiot, enjoyed the interpretation
it portrayed. “It was interesting and it made
sense,” she said.
The album, American Idiot, was released
in 2004 and it reflects on the
media, society, and government
in a post 9/11 world. In both the
album and the musical, the story
mainly focuses on the character,
“Jesus of Suburbia.”
The musical opens with the
song, “American Idiot”, and a
group of youths complaining
about the influence of the
media on their lives in suburban
America. The musical mainly
follows the characters; Johnny,
aka Jesus of Suburbia, Will, and
Tunny. As they embark on their
journey to the city, Will finds
he must remain in the suburbs
with his expecting girlfriend
while his friends leave him
behind for a new life. In the city,
Johnny and Tunny are drawn by
different forces; one enlists in
the army while the other pines
for a woman and drugs. The
three friends each deal with
the lives they have chosen in
various ways; through apathy,
indulgence, disillusionment, and
eventually through the possibility of hope.
The atmosphere of Green Day and
American Idiot is presented almost
immediately when one walks in. Walking
to the seats, there is a hallway with
black walls with signatures on them and
permanent markers resting on these walls.
They encourage the viewers to write their
names on these walls, like at a concert.
Each song in the musical is performed with
passion and energy that draws the audience
into the play. Sitting in the audience, I
truly felt connected with characters, their
emotions, and their situations. The stage
setting is very unique; there are newspapers
and television screens covering the
background, which captures the idea
that we are an age ruled by the media.
There is a band on stage for each musical
selection, a trend that has recently been
popular on Broadway. The stage lighting
and choreography correctly portray the
emotion of each musical number.
As a devout patron of Broadway shows
and a newly developed Green Day fan, I
highly recommend going to see American
Idiot. As a new musical, it runs the risk
of being closed down in a limited time, so
it would be best to go see it sooner than
later. It is a performance that concerns
our generation and ideas that we can all
connect with. The issues it deals with
are real, relevant, and highly developed;
not just one emotion captures the overall
feeling of this musical. It embodies various
messages of life and as Green Day puts it
best, you will realize it is a “lesson learned
in time.” Trust me, go see American Idiot, I
bet you’ll have the time of your life.

Empowerment Through Poetry:
Gabriela Garcia Medina By Olivia McMahon
Spoken word is an art that becomes more
well-known with each year that passes. It’s
also referred to as “Slam poetry” and those
who perform such an art are called “slammers”.
A very popular slam poet is none other
than Gabriela Garcia Medina, who visited
our school only a few weeks ago, September
15th, to share her gift with us.
Originally from Cuba, this spunky young
woman delivers powerful performances
that engage entire audiences with her spoken
word pieces covering every topic from
love to revolution. Miss Medina is quite talented
in all areas (except singing, she will
tell you) and has already done much with
her twenty-seven years of life. She graduated
from UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film
and Television with a major in Acting and a
double minor in Chicano/a Studies and African
American Studies. Already, she has two
books of her poetry in print, with a third in
the process.
In addition to being featured in a few
films and TV shows, she also uses her gift
for the extreme good. Medina has volunteered
her services for several non-profit organization
galas, fundraisers and events and
has even facilitated workshops with at-risk
youth in both Los Angeles and New York.
She takes activism very seriously and when
not on tour, she volunteers at women group
homes using writing and poetry to help present
the residents with a feeling of empowerment.
Medina has also been honored for
House Rules Review
By Abbey Scalia
As a devout Jodi Picoult fan, I feel guilty
to write that I found that her latest novel,
House Rules fell short from the high standard
that I associate with her writing. The book
has all of the trademarks for a typical Jodi
Picoult masterpiece: a controversial topic,
intelligent and hunky detective, hard line
prosecutor, and of course a blossoming love.
Picoult also stays true to her past novels
in dedicating each chapter to a different
character’s point of view. Maybe all of these
factors caused me to place the book on hold
at my local library, or simply the fact that
anything Jodi Picoult puts her name to, I
must read. Either way, upon finishing the
book I found it disappointing, and talked
with other readers who also felt as though
the great author had let them down.
her fantastic spoken word when she won
the Spoken Word Artist of the Year Award in
2009, after eight years of gracing the stage
with her presence.
So when Medina came to Marist College
a couple weeks ago, (thanks to SPC, ARCO
and LAS), this small framed woman rocked
the stage with her larger than life presence.
Before starting any of her poems, she invited
us to make any noise of general enjoyment
if we heard something in her writing that we
liked: a whoop, a clap, a shout of agreement.
She gave a brief background before starting
each piece, so that we could get a better
feel of the deeper meaning. Unselfish as she
has been throughout her life, Medina also
opened the stage to a few audience members
during the show, only performing six poems
total. The length and depth of her poems,
however, made up for the short amount of
time we were granted with her. The first
poem that she started off with was “The
World’s Greatest Magician”: an ode to her
parents and grandparents somehow making
ends meet during her childhood.
Medina was met by an enthusiastic
crowd, some of her poems coaxing cat-calls
and cheers of appreciation. She followed the
first poem by a second, titled, “Self-Empowered
Love Poem”, a poem that rejected the
unhealthy ideas that popular music gives us
about love. She then delved into more serious
subject matter, a poem called “Four
Women” that talked about four women’s
House Rules begins with the
introduction of the Hunt family.
As in any Picoult novel, there is of
course a twist. One of the novel’s
main characters, Jacob, who is 18, has
Asperger’s Syndrome, a high functioning
form of autism. His single mother, Emma,
is attempting to raise him on her own, while
still retaining a sense of family normalcy
for her second son Theo, who does not
have Asperger’s. The family appears to
have a routine in place, until Picoult throws
a wrench into the story when Jacob is
convicted of murder.
This is where the novel started to go
downhill in my opinion. In past Jodi
Picoult books, the readers are omniscient,
or all knowing. In House Rules one of
the biggest components to the story is not
revealed until the very end. While this may
seem intriguing and mysterious, I found
it to be quite annoying. It was as if I were
stories of hardship and abuse suffered at the
hands of men. A constant whirlwind of energy,
Medina switched it up and spice things
up with her poem about her lingerie addiction,
entitled “My Intimate Revolution”.
But don’t let her frilly subject fool you; she
speaks of her affinity for “trashy lingerie” as
a gift that she gives to herself. She believes
in feminism, but also in feeling good about
oneself: a message she lives by.
The miniature slammer prefaced her second
to last poem with a short anecdote. In
addition to being part of many volunteer
projects, Medina also participated in the
7-day AIDS Life Cycle from San Francisco
to Los Angeles in 2008 and her boyfriend
at the time sponsored her. To show appreciation,
she attempted to cook an authentic
Cuban, vegan meal for him, and upon her
failure, she wrote the poem, “At Least I’m
a Good Poet”. Her last poem was a confession
of sorts, a poem that shows that she is
human, titled, “Extentions of my Poetry”,
in which she explicitly states: “I am not an
extension of my poetry; my poetry is an extension
of me.” Medina shows humor and
her own faults in this poem to reassure the
audience that she isn’t just an activist, just a
poet, just a feminist, just an artist: she is human
and she puts her humanity into her poetry.
And it is in this way that we are floored
and enthralled by Gabriela Garcia Medina’s
writing and her performances.
actually solving the mystery along with the
detectives. While this is probably the feeling
that Picoult wished to elicit, I thought that
for holding out on her readers for so long,
the final ending fell flat. In an attempt to not
give away the ending for future readers, I
will simply state that I expected something
jaw dropping (think My Sister’s Keeper),
especially since she had held out on this
secret for so long throughout the entire story.
While House Rules is disappointing I still
claim myself to be a Jodi Picoult fan. Her
continued writing on controversial topics
must be commended, even though she often
gets a lot of criticism for the topics she
chooses. According to her Twitter, four of
her books have been individually banned
by schools. Will House Rules be the fifth?
Maybe, but I still believe that fans will not
find it as one of Picoult’s best.
10

11
Student Writers Explore
the Literary World of Greenwich Village
By Sarah Holmes
The Literary Arts Society (LAS), Marist’s
2010 Club of the Year, took its third annual
trip to New York City on October 9 th . Last
year they visited the Poet’s House and in
2008 they spent nearly an entire day in The
Strand Bookstore. The planned trip was
different this year, there was no particular
spot but rather a walk around Greenwich
Village to look at the places where other
writers have found inspiration and venues
where students might someday show off
their talents.
Since I was already in the city, I joined
the club in the village after their morning
bus ride. I walked 32 blocks down 7 th
Avenue to meet up with them because I
refused to spend money on a taxi and waste
a lovely walk, even though I knew my feet
would have to keep working for another
five hours. The weather was perfect for an
October outing in the city. You could wear
jeans and a light sweater in the shade and if
you got to chilly you could warm up in the
bright sunshine.
The club had split up for lunch so I
joined eight girls-- including club President
Kelly Gallucci, Vice President Stephanie
Grossman and Head of Public Relations
Yelesah Haseley-- at Tea & Sympathy. We
had to decide against lunch at this British
themed café because it was too small for
our group, although a few girls got some
pastries and tea. We ended up at a burrito
place across the street with plenty of room,
Halloween decorations, and a $10 brunch
with a glass of champagne or mimosa
included.
After enjoying our mix of lunches and
brunches we hurried to join the bulk of the
group that had finished eating before us.
Secretary Michael Cresci and Mosaic Editor
Nick Sweeney were attempting to come
up with a plan to hide from Gallucci who
was the last one to join us. This was after
already calling her once and pretending that
the majority of
the club had
gotten onto a
bus and they
had no idea
where they
went. Gallucci
handled their
mischief well
and took on the
task of guiding
the club around
the village.
On the way
toward the
White Horse
Tavern at 567
Hudson Street,
we took in
The White Horse Tavern the sites of
a woman with brightly dyed green hair
(appropriately carrying a large, reusable
shopping bag that read “Go Green”), a
rainbow llama, and later on we would even
attract a straggler from another tour group.
We wound up on the opposite corner
from the tavern which we could not enter
since you have to be 25. Gallucci told us
about the Bohemian culture of the bar
where many famous artists and writers
frequented including Bob Dylan, Jim
Morrison, Ezra Pound, Jack Kerouac,
Frank McCourt, and Hunter S. Thompson.
It is most well-known as the place where
Dylan Thomas drank the night before his
death. In memory of him Fox Forum Editor
Marina Cella read his famous poem “Do
Not Go Gently into That Good Night.”
We then headed down various streets
and it seemed that we may have gotten lost
at some point but I was enjoying the people
and the sites too much to really mind if we
weren’t on track.
Eventually we found our way to the SoHo
Playhouse on Vandam Street, a historic 199
seat Off Broadway venue with a 55 set
Cabaret called the Huron Club below. It
has connections to George Washington and
Aaron Burr and was once a nightclub for
the Democratic Party. In the 1920s it was
turned into a theater and became home to
Playwrights Unit Workshop in the 60s.

Here Rachel Shockey and Brianna Kelly
performed a scene from Angels in America
that was very convincing for being on a
city street.
Then we were led
to the surprise spot
on the trip: The Poe
House, a red brick
building that Edgar
Allen Poe lived in
between 1844 and
1845. It was while
living here that Poe
began “The Cask
of Amontillado”
and published “The
Raven.” These were
significant statements
on the petition that
scholars signed to
save the house from
demolition. It has
thus been preserved
but is sadly only open
to the public for a few hours on Thursdays.
Cresci read Poe’s poem “Lenore” in front
of the house.
This was the last reading stop before
rest and relaxation in Washington Square
Park. The sun had become pretty hot
by 2:30, so we sat on the edge of the
central fountain, letting the wind spray
the fountain streams in our faces. I joined
the few who took off their shoes to feel
the cool, wet stone on our tired feet. The
park was packed with people, vendors, and
entertainers, so there was music and chatter
all around us. We got offered stickers in
exchange for our change and listened to the
sound of a piano that had been rolled in.
The sounds of “Smooth Criminal”
on ivory keys was amusing but
even more enjoyable were the
two men dressed in black and red
stripes that were dancing to the
songs the pianist played. At one
point one was spinning the other
on the top of his head.
“Washington Square Park’s
street performance, on that sunny
Saturday, made me forget about
the stresses of being a college
senior,” said Sweeney.
After an hour, we regrouped
and walked to our last stop,
The Strand. It’s like Barnes and
Noble on steroids and without a
Starbucks, but you don’t really
have time to waste on buying a $5
latte. I had to hurry through the
$1 books outside since we had
just about an hour to explore 18
miles of books and I wanted to go
home with something I was going
Photos Contributed
by Jennifer Sommer
Clockwise: The fountain in Washington
Square Park, LAS President
Kelly Gallucci at the Poe House, and
a llama that is much more colorful
in person
to read.
The giant shelves, the stacks of
books, the smell of paper and ink where
overwhelming, just the buzz around you
from so many literary brains in one place
can feel slightly oppressive, but very
exciting. I felt like I needed a full day to
appreciate the amount of books and find
something I really wanted to take home
with me. I did find a book for my sister and
a cheap copy of The Great Gatsby; but I,
and perhaps many others on the trip, felt
like we need to get back there again to
really appreciate it.
We left the city with bags of books,
stickers from strangers, photographs, and
sore feet but, most importantly, memories
and inspiration to use in our future writing
ventures.
“I’m so happy with how the trip went.
The best feedback I got was that members
had the chance to talk, to connect with one
another,” said Gallucci. It was about the
city and great writers of the past—but it
was more about bringing the club together.”
One can only hope that the club will
continue these trips to the city for new
members to enjoy and really feel like
they’re a part of a true literary arts society.
12

It’s the fall of my senior year and like
many other students I’ve been reflecting
on my time at Marist, wondering if I really
accomplished everything I set out to
three years ago. I know I’ve changed and
learned a lot here and as everyone says, I
will remember my college years fondly, but
perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have
a bucket list to wrap up senior year. I’ve
been talking to many other students and it
seems as though there are some things that
are generally agreed upon as musts on every
Marist student’s bucket list:
Study Abroad
So many people do not take advantage of
this opportunity and it’s sad. When else in
your life will you be able to live in another
country for four months or more? I understand
if you feel uncomfortable leaving
home, but then at least check out a short-term
program.
Get to know your Professors
Your professors can do a lot more
than just teach. Many times they know
people in the industry, have random
tips, or just great stories. Take advantage
of their connections and wisdom;
they’re here to help.
Go to a Basketball Game
It’s our college’s biggest sport, issues
about all the budgeting going to sports
aside, it is something every Marist student
should experience. If you don’t like basketball
then just go for the social aspect,
the sake of learning our Fight Song, the
free t-shirts, or even just to make fun of all
the drunken people who can’t spell Marist:
“Give me an M-A-R-S-T…”
creativecommons.org/ aka Kath
Spring Break
A rite of passage at any college, but
you don’t even have to go to the traditional
hotspots. Join a volunteer organization
like Habitat for Humanity and
build homes in New Orleans, take a
road trip anywhere, go to Harry Potter
World. It doesn’t matter just go somewhere
with your friends and have fun.
Take a Random Class
We pay for 16 credits, so take that extra
credit that lies around every semester and
put it to good use. Take a class in ballet,
conditioning, sailing, yoga, writing, fishing,
literature…the list goes on and on. If
you have the room, consider taking a three
credit class in something outside your major;
who knows, you could find a new passion.
13
Explore the Hudson Valley
It’s full of diners, drive-ins, vintage
shops, coffee houses, open mic
nights, hiking, and the like, so look
around and find out what’s so wonderful
about where we are, not just where
we go.
creativecommons.org/lululemon athletica

By Jennifer Sommer
Do something completely out of
your comfort zone
Join an intramural sports team, try out
for the HuMarists, dance, sing, act, paint,
write for the Generator, or go to a bar if
you’re a bit of a homebody. College is a
time to experiment so go try new things.
creativecommons.org/hiddedevries
Be Ridiculous
You’re young; take advantage of it now.
Mattress surf, mud slide, sled on a cafeteria
tray (okay, apparently the cafeteria no longer
has trays so go to Vassar and steal some
of theirs), or play a prank. You get the idea.
Contributed by Sarah Holmes
Learn the Marist College Fight
Song
Wait, what? Marist has a fight song? Yes,
actually we do. It was written by the band
director, Art Himmelberger, and I’m sure
he’d be more than happy to teach it to you!
So learn the song, it’ll be fun to sing for
your friends back home and it’ll show off
your school spirit.
As Ms. Frizzle
would say, “Take
chances, make
mistakes, get
messy!”
Walk Over the Walkway
I know it’s new but it’s also a historical
landmark. So go take advantage of what’s
right around the corner and hundreds of
people actually travel to see.
Actually Have a Conversation
with President Murray
This one was suggested to me by Pat
Taylor. As the President of our College
we don’t really know that much about him.
Yes, of course he’s busy but it couldn’t hurt
to introduce yourself next time you see him
on campus and tell him what you love or
don’t love about our school. Please do the
latter with tact.
Contributed by Sarah Dubrule
Jump in the Hudson
I’m not sure this one will technically
fly with Marist security but it is an agreed
upon rite of passage and one that more
students need to embrace.
creativecommons.org/Juliancolton2
Unless otherwise attributed, photos were contributed by Mike Walsh
14

15
Goodbye New York:
Why I Turned Down a Paid Internship in New York City
By Mary Treuer
Already half way through my time at
Marist, it is hard to believe how fast these
four years go and how soon it will be until
I must go out and face the real world.
Feeling my career clock ticking, I began to
send out resumes for a summer internship
last January. I was so set on this goal that
I sent out about thirty resumes, filled out
countless applications, and even went on
a few interviews. Before I knew it, it was
April and only a couple options lie before
me. I could take a paid internship in New
York City or have an unpaid internship in
a small town near my house. The answer
seems obvious, right? Take the paid one.
Money talks, or at least it should.
The answer, however, was not quite
that simple. You see, in economics, there is
a little thing called opportunity cost and the
seemingly obvious dollar signs in front of
you aren’t quite what they seem. In other
words, taking the paid internship might actually
cost me more.
First of all, I’d love to thank New Jersey
Transit for raising the fares of the trains and
buses to the city. There goes a day’s salary
on a workweek’s worth of transportation.
Secondly, who wants to take a soggy
brownbag sandwich with them on a long
commute? Things go bad pretty easily in
the summer heat and I think the subway
smells bad enough already. Well, there
goes another chunk of hard earned cash for
my daily lunch money.
And what about my own happiness?
Just the thought of how early I would have
to get up to make the bus was making me
dread the city internship. The city internship
would also require me to work a full
time five-day week and spend at least two
hours a day commuting, instead of only a
two day commitment and a twenty minute
drive.
Also, in a big name company in New
York City, who knows if I’d ever get to do
something more exciting than play coffee
girl, the token role for interns, but something
that doesn’t really provide you with a
lot of life experience. I didn’t want to be a
no name in the Big Apple. I wanted to leave
an impression on the place I interned, so
that maybe I could see a tiny flicker of light
in this black hole of an economy.
So I took the unpaid internship, at a
production agency in Boonton New Jersey
called Concepts TV with fewer than
ten employees. Although I had to make up
for my lost income by waiting tables in a
Mexican restaurant, the internship proved
to be a rich experience. I know that’s what
your advisors and professors will tell you,
that you need an internship because it gives
you that rewarding experience that will
help you get a job after graduation, but did
it ever kill anyone to have a little fun while
doing it?
Almost every day at my internship was
enjoyable. Yes, I admit, I performed a few
mundane and intern-like tasks around the
office, such as making copies, filing, or
transcribing. Even through these things, I
sat in an office filled with lots of laughter or
friendly chatter. People were always making
jokes about each other and entertainment
was easy to come by.
When it came time to eat lunch, I would
normally join everyone at Concepts at a
big round table in the conference room. I
felt right at home with even my older and
more experienced coworkers and maybe
one reason for that is because Concepts TV
is located in an actual house. That’s right, a
home complete with a living room, kitchen,

Internship Tips
1) Seek and you shall find
Especially in this difficult market, it
may seem like there are no internships
out there. You’ve sent resumes, called
and emailed contacts, all to know avail.
Well, don’t give up! Some one will hire
you. Companies love the influence of the
younger generation, especially when most
of the time they get you for free!
2) Stay Chipper
Yes, it’s been said many times before,
but a positive attitude is really something
essential to any internship, so when you’re
asked to make copies, you do it with a
smile darn it! Seriously, your supervisor
will appreciate it.
3) This is work, not prom.
I know you all go to the career fair in
your finest attire and pick your interview
outfits, with I daresay even more care than
you select your Hatter’s get up. In the
workplace, however, most people don’t
really worry about dressing to impress as
much as getting the job done. Just don’t
wear things with stains. Don’t be naked.
Follow the dress code. Don’t go crazy.
4) Expect the Unexpected
Or at least expect to do a variety of tasks
with purposes that are unclear to you. With
the economy as it is there may be a lot of
menial or odd jobs companies make you
pick up. But at the same time, you could
get a chance to take over a job that was
recently left vacant. The downside is,
they’re still probably not paying you.
bathrooms with tubs or Jacuzzis and even a
pool in the backyard.
When I did leave the Concepts home
to run errands as many trusty interns do, I
normally ended up going to the mall, where
I always tried not to get sidetracked by the
upcoming sales. Some other females might
agree with me that any job that allows you
to visit multiple malls in the county is a
pretty good one.
I also embarked on other adventures
outside the office whenever Concepts
shot a TV commercial at studios or spacious
houses in the area. Shoot days were
long ten-hour days, but always proved to
be interesting. I performed a wider variety
of tasks on these days from entertaining a
two-year-old boy who only conversed with
me in Spanish to making an emergency run
to the dry cleaner’s when thousand dollar
curtains met Coca Cola.
Even though, I didn’t get paid for this
internship, there were numerous perks. I
did receive a stipend and even though it’s
not the same as regular pay, cash is cash
and I was happy. I also received mileage
reimbursement for every
little errand I ran,
which was more than
an ample amount to
pay for gas. And the
food.
Concepts fed me
many times throughout
the summer. Although
I often brought
my own lunch, food
popped up around the
office and on shoot days the company ordered
an enormous spread of catering to
feed the cast and crew from morning until
evening. Despite five days a week at the
gym, I blame my internship for gaining 5
pounds this summer.
Nonetheless, I gained plenty of positive
things from my experience. I really
learned the ups and downs of working in
the direct response business and also to
never trust what I saw on TV. Most importantly,
I made life long connections for my
career to a small company that relied on me
and made it clear that they may need me in
the future.
I could tell that throughout the summer
I made the transition from clueless intern
to valued team member; and that’s really
what an internship is all about-growth. So
when you’re looking for an internship, this
summer, spring, or fall, find a place that
will allow you to grow, even if your pocket
doesn’t. Most of all, enjoy it and learn
to love the people you work with and the
place you work at!
Photos Contributed
by Mary Treuer
16

A Literary-Cinematic Fascination
with The Lord of the Rings
17
By Sarah Holmes
Besides changing around a few scenes
that I thought could have been truer to
the book, I could not imagine making The
Lord of the Rings movie trilogy any more
spectacular than they were when I first saw
them on the big screen more than seven
years ago. I was wrong.
Imagine an orchestra, choir, and youth
chorus of nearly 300 members in the
grandness of Radio City Music Hall with a
full screen showing the entirety of The Two
Towers. The music feels nearly tangible as
it comes directly to you from the bows, the
horns, and the vocal chords of hundreds of
musicians directed by one conductor.
Isn’t it cheaper just to watch it on your
TV at home? Well, yes, but it is not nearly
as amazing. It was my first time in the hall
and I was surrounded by a giant audience
filled with Lord of the Rings fans. There
was no worry about homework or making
dinner or avoiding trouble with campus
security this night. It was pretty much
my best friend Shannon O’Toole and I,
along with hundreds of other people who
appreciate good movies and great music.
It was because of her that I was sitting
there. And it was partly because of me, too.
I picked up The Hobbit and then my mom’s
editions of the trilogy in middle school
after I saw the trailer for the first movie.
That preview is one of the many incredibly
clear memories in my life. Perhaps it was
because it would lead to many adventures
besides just buying a ticket and sitting in a
theater for nearly three hours, three years
in a row.
Anyway, after I fell in love with
Tolkien’s world, I wheedled Shannon into
reading them before seeing the first movie.
I was adamant about people reading any
book before seeing the movie. I was able
to get her halfway through the first one
before the movie came out and afterward
she bought the second two and read them
as quickly as she could. I, of course, was
there to misdirect her predictions for the
ending with her incessant question “who
dies?” by telling her Legolas did.
So there began the obsession with
Orlando Bloom which would end up as
an infatuation with the entire Fellowship.
There were two trips to the cold north of
New York (no, not Albany) to get free
tickets to Viggo Mortensen’s poetry reading
at his alma mater, St. Lawrence University.
One trip was for the tickets, the second
for the reading, but we made it even more
worth it when my best friend’s mother
convinced a security guard to let us into the
reception where we shook hands, uttered
a few words, and got a horrendous picture
with him (he looked great but my friend
and I had lazy eyes). There was a birthday
trip to the Boston Museum of Science
and Technology to get a few autographs
from Sean Astin two years later and then
a trip to Oswego County where Viggo
was supporting a candidate for Congress.
Shannon has also attended gala events with
Ian McKellen and ELF, a Lord of the Rings
Convention, with other fellow fans.
There was no way she was going to let
the second movie be played with a full
orchestra in NYC after the first movie
had already been a huge success. And she
wanted to share it with more than her mom.
I took a train down to meet her and we found
ourselves in the presence of immense talent
performing Howard Shore’s complete
score to The Two Towers.
Howard Shore is one of, if not the best,
composer of his era. He is one of the original
creators of Saturday Night Live and has
scored The Fly, Crash, Eastern Promises,
The Departed, Gangs of New York, The
Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, and
Mrs. Doubtfire. His works are performed
around the world and he is currently
working on the score for The Hobbit.
During intermission, my friend’s mom
found Howard Shore in the back and called
us over. She politely asked if we might
shake his hand and have a picture taken
with him. He obliged, very quietly, and
we got to shake the hand of the man who
composed the most magical movie score I
have ever heard.
Shannon had attended a talk with him the
day before, a New York Comic Con event,
and he said that the way he composed The
Lord of the Rings score was by translating
Tolkien’s word and Peter Jackson’s images.
“He was completely unaware of his
unbridled genius,” she said. “He also said
he didn’t know when he was done and they
had to drag him away from it.”

When we shook his hand, we could see
plainly how unpretentious he was. This
man has won four Grammys, three Golden
Globes, and three Academy Awards, but
perhaps his humility is what keeps him
creating remarkable music, his ego never
gets too big to think whatever he does is
the best it can be.
The 21 st Century Orchestra, the Dessoff
Symphonic Choir, the Brooklyn Youth
Chorus, and Conductor Ludwig Wicki made
his music come alive. You know sitting
there just how important a soundtrack is
and how it is created by real people with
hard work and immense passion.
I was so enthralled that after the three
hour movie I felt like I could sit through the
third one. And if I am able to save enough
money, I will. The Return of the King score
will be performed live next October and we
plan to be there.
Shannon O’Toole, Howard Shore, and Sarah Holmes
Below: Howard Shore speaks at a Comic Con Event
Photos Contributed by Sarah Holmes (opposite page and top)
Photo Contributed by Shannon O’Toole (bottom)
The “Dave
Matthews
Band”
Experience
By Lindsey Klein
Dave Matthews Band is a musical group,
hence their title ending in “Band.” However,
I would like to give more credit to these
gifted individuals who have formed a culture
through their lyrics and beats.
Dave Matthews Band is commonly referred
to as DMB. The fans and followers
of DMB show their support by participating
in the festivities that the band brings
with them on tour. At outdoor venues, fans
come prepared for any kind of weather that
could strike on the day of the concert, such
as tents, slickers, ponchos, and rain boots.
Those that don’t come prepared are not
phased by a downpour; they will still be
there supporting DMB.
For those who want to categorize their
music, it could fall under the genre of rock.
However, that description lacks the depth
of true beauty behind the music of DMB.
The variety of instruments involved in
their productions includes guitar, bass, violin,
drums, and saxophone. This causes an
eclectic variety in their music, appealing
to different people and provoking different
emotions within those people. Dave Matthews,
the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist,
allows his passion for what he does
to leak into the audience. Not only can you
hear the beautiful melodies and creative
lyrics, but you can truly feel the energy
rushing through your body as he performs.
Speaking from experience, I have been
to nine Dave Matthews Band concerts.
All of them have been shared with different
people, including my older sister, my
younger cousins, my friends from out of
state, and my best friends. Even strangers
become your friends, as the bonding experience
is shared and appreciated together
through the music.
Dave Matthews Band is playing at Madison
Square Garden in New York City on
November 12th and 13th of this year. I’m
positive that this description of the experience
you will have is merely a taste. I encourage
you to venture there on this weekend
and feel the vibes and hear the sounds
for yourself.
18

The Cobra Pact
Story and
Photos
By Eden
Jezierski
19
Back in 2006, the buzz of ‘Snakes on a
Plane’ and its theme song was more than
enough to grab my attention. ‘Snakes on
a Plane (Bring It)’ was the beginning of a
new musical love for me. Who exactly was
it that was singing on the record?
Of course I recognized the vocals of front
man William Beckett of The Academy Is
and rapper Travis McCoy, but the other
male voice – I had no idea. Once I figured
out that it was Gabe Saporta, former leader
singer of pop-punk band Midtown and now
of the band Cobra Starship, I was hooked.
It was the year of 2006 when I first saw
Cobra Starship. The band gave away free
t-shirts with every purchase of their album
after they took the stage at each show.
They were just beginning, but the delicious
sound of synth pop was candy to my ears.
Plus, they used a keytar. What could be
cooler than keytar? Ever since that show in
2006, I made a pact with myself. I would
see Cobra Starship every time I was in the
same area as them. How could I go wrong?
They’re Manhattan based and their concert
tickets are actually… affordable.
After ‘Good Girls Gone Bad’ hit top-40
radio, Cobra blew up. You could say they’re
a “household name” now; being featured
in commercials, television shows, and
even movie trailers. A part of me was sad
because I was always one to enjoy music
of “smaller” bands that no one happens to
know, but I was happy that Cobra Starship
was finally gaining recognition.
The fact that they were finally getting
somewhere was gratifying enough for me.
Their newfound fame didn’t stop me from
loving them though. When I was doing a
little bit of internet surfing, I found a link
saying that they would be performing at
Eastern Connecticut State University on
October 3rd. I remembered my pact; I knew
I had to go. Sure, the drive would be two
hours, but I knew it would be well worth it.
The first weekend of October came fast
and while I should have been celebrating
Parent’s Weekend at Marist, seeing Cobra
Starship seemed much
more appetizing. After
the two-hour drive to
the middle-of-nowhere
Connecticut, my friend
and I located the college
campus and made our
way to the gym. The
stage was set up with
their usual attire. The
only thing that was
missing was their neon
colored zebra print
poster that screamed,
“GET AWESOME”
across it. The gym was
filled with smoke due
to the fog machines,
trying to set the familiar
Cobra mood. As the
college kids began to
chant, “Cobra! Cobra!”
after the opening act
had cleared out from the
gym; I was more than
excited to experience
my ninth Cobra Starship
show.
Gabe Saporta took
the stage, clad in Glamour Kills apparel.
The first song of the night was ‘The City
Is At War’. The beats in this song are very
synth heavy and they use it to start most of
their shows. It’s the perfect way to get the
crowd going. Plus, when the crowd knows
the songs – which surprised me completely
since it was a college show after all.
Everyone was jumping, screaming, and
thrilled that the band had finally taken the
stage.
The second song that they had performed
was ‘Pete Wentz is The Only Reason We’re
Famous’. Despite how long the title is to
this song, it’s truthful. If it wasn’t for Pete
Wentz, the fame of Cobra Starship may
have been much different than it is now.
Keeping the show family friendly, Gabe
used less provocative lyrics, but was still
able to keep the crowd going. Throughout
this song, the crowd was still jumping and
screaming the lyrics – yours truly included.
One song that is always very sentimental

to the Cobra Crew would have to be
‘Snakes On a Plane (Bring It)’. Before they
performed the song that night, Gabe had to
give thanks. Those thanks included William
Beckett, Travis McCoy, Maja Ivarrson, and
the one and only Samuel L. Jackson. Like
Gabe said himself, if it wasn’t for this song,
there would be no Cobra. The crowd put
up the band’s gang sign – better known as
Fangs Up, where you put your right hand
up behind your left, while your left is
making “fangs” to look like a cobra.
During the rap break in the song, Gabe
meshed the song into one of the Cobra
b-sides. The whole crowd sang along
to ‘Hollaback Boy’ – a parody the band
made of the famous Gwen Stefani song
‘Hollaback Girl’. The whole room was full
of teenagers screaming, “A few times I’ve
been around that track, but your ass is still
fat it’s gonna stay like that cause I ain’t
your hollaback boy, I ain’t your hollaback
boy!” This was pretty heartwarming to see
because this song was created way before
Cobra Starship was fully established in the
game.
The band finished off the show with
‘Guilty Pleasure’. Before performing this
song, Gabe started things off with a joke,
“This is where we say this is our last song.”
With a wink, the synth chords chimed in.
This song had the crowd in an uproar.
Cobra ultra-fans were doing the exact
dance moves from the music video and the
college kids were singing along with their
friends. Despite it being the last song of the
night, they had yet to do an encore.
The encore was very special at this show.
Saporta even announced to the crowd that
the band never got to do the song ‘Pleasure
Ryland’ as much as they liked. This song,
a very understated one from the ¡Viva
La Cobra! album gave a special touch
to the show. Only a select few fans were
singing along, but it was amazing to hear
something that wasn’t normally in the
set list. The show though, did end with
everyone’s favorite, ‘Good Girls Go Bad’
where everyone was singing along and
dancing.
Overall, I would have to say that this was
one of the best Cobra shows I saw. Why?
It was so intimate and personal. Sure, their
set list was for the most part the same as all
the other shows, but there were definitely
perks; such as songs they don’t usually
perform live and the extremely small
amount of people that were there.
Keeping this pact is difficult, but when it
happens, it’s very rewarding and makes me
feel accomplished. Another Cobra Starship
show down, now I wait for the next. The
next time Cobra Starship hits up the east
coast, take the day off and go. They give a
show to remember and if you do go, don’t
forget to put your FANGS UP!
20

The Best Fashion Films
When you hear the term “fashion film” what comes to mind? Is it Coco Before Chanel
because of its name after the great fashion designer Coco Chanel? Or is it Sex and the
City, because of those four fashion forward women in New York City? When I first began thinking about this article, I was not sure
exactly what I thought a “great fashion film” was, but as I began looking through fashion blogs the answer became clear. A fashion film
can be anything from films like Zoolander, which poke fun at the fashion industry, to Devil Wears Prada, which reveals the intensity of
people involved in the cutthroat fashion industry. As I browsed through the blogs I noticed several films that were common throughout:
1. Zoolander, because of its comedic fashion storyline about the painful
“truths” behind the fashion industry (stylehop)
2. Devil Wears Prada, because of its theme of intensity and influence in
fashion journalism (stylehop)
3. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, because of its classic, glamorous fashion. It
has been known for the origin of the essential “little black dress” (college
fashion)
4. Bonnie & Clyde, because of its use of hats and scarves, which stuck
as fashion trends for years after and will remain trendy for years to come
(timesonline)
5. Chicago, because of its over the top costumes, stretching the borders
of acceptable fashion in the 1920s, also referred to as the jazz age (movies.
sky)
6. Sex & the City, because of the fact that simply walking through the
streets of Manhattan is like a fashion show for the main characters (msn)
7. Marie Antoinette, because of its inspirational, exquisite costumes
consisting of wigs, bows, masks, ruffles, and fans that are impossible to
miss (college fashion)
8. 500 Days of Summer, because of the way the film highlights the main
character by placing her back into the 1940s with her fashion and the use
of the color blue (college fashion)
9. Pulp Fiction, because of the famous dark bob and dark nail polish
inspired by the main character (msn)
10.Coco Before Chanel, because it is an adaptation of the life of the
fashion designer, Coco Chanel (timesonline)
By Deanna Morosoff
As I continued my quest for an answer to the question “What are the best fashion films?” I asked my peers at Marist College. I found
that 9 out of ten males I asked immediately answered Zoolander, while the females were partial to Devil Wears Prada and Sex & the City.
With that said, your interpretation of my question “what are the best fashion films?” is entirely up to you. StyleHop, College Fashion,
MSN, Movies.sky, and Times Online are just a few of the many websites and blogs offering information on the contributing authors’
interpretations of the “best fashion films.” If you are interested in fashion, or just in the mood to watch a good flick, the movies listed
above may be appealing for the perfect night in.
21

Your New Best Friend
Websites and Applications Let You Know
What Works and What Doesn’t
You wake up in the morning, groggy and
barely aware of your surroundings. Despite
this, you have to get up and put on an
acceptable outfit for class. After multiple
wardrobe changes, you settle on one, but
you aren’t sure if it looks good on you.
Normally, you might ask your roommate or
friends how you look, but no one is around.
What do you do?
I typically end up taking my chances on
the outfit or changing into the safe t-shirt
and jeans combo. But what if you could get
an unbiased opinion within minutes? Now
you can with the flurry of new websites
and apps that enable you to upload pictures
of your outfit, ask a question about it, and
get answers. I first found out about this
concept by reading an article in the New
York Times during the summer. The article
discussed two websites, www.fashism.
com and www.gotryiton.com. Fashism
has 3,000 registered users, compared to
Go Try It On’s 5,000. Both websites are
free and follow the same format: upload
one or more pictures, ask a question like
“Does this work?”, then people will vote
and comment on your look. On Fashism,
users vote “I like it” or “I hate it”, while at
Go Try It On, users choose either “Wear it”
or “Change it”. Many users also comment
with suggestions on accessories or advice
on what to fix.
I also found an app
created in the same vein
of these websites. The
Glamour magazine “Ask
a Stylist” app is just what
it sounds like. You upload
your photo, pick one of the
stylists on duty, and they
give you their feedback
in a matter of minutes.
This app is surprisingly
free. I decided to try all
three out to see if they
really are all that great. I
uploaded pictures of two
outfits from two different
days on the websites and app. These are the
results I got.
My first outfit was questionable. I had
a new pair of men’s style lace-up oxfords
that I really wanted to wear. Thus, I decided
to try them out with a gray boat neck tee
tucked into a flouncy black skirt with a long
turquoise necklace. On both of the websites,
my outfit was overwhelmingly rejected. Go
Try It On told me to “Return it” which is an
even worse verdict than “Change it”. Some
of the comments were very helpful though.
For example, Alexa F. told me “Maybe
a button down white shirt instead
(tucked in) and
add a thin leather
brown belt?”
which I completely
agreed with. A few
of the comments
on Fashism were
a little harsh, like
“no, way too ugly”,
but overall useful. I
had different results
with the Glamour
app. I asked two
different stylists if
it worked and they
both liked it but had
some suggestions.
That just ended up
confusing me.
By Rachel Forlifer
I was more confident about my second
outfit. It was a red plaid shirt with a black
t-shirt underneath, skinny jeans, and cute
gray flats with studs. Pretty simple, but I
liked it. Online, it rated higher than my first
outfit but not by much. Responses from Go
Try It On all seemed to agree that my black
shirt should be longer, which was probably
right. For some reason though, my shoes
were a big deal on both sites. Some people
loved them, while others really did not.
According to yslsweetie, “the shoes are
bothering me!” Yet again, the stylist from
the app loved my look. She even weighed
in on the shoe issue: “Those ballet flats are
also amazing!”
So, if you want to try these out yourself,
here is my advice: Only do it for outfits you
aren’t sure about, like my first one. Don’t
upload a picture of an outfit you think
looks great, because someone will find
something wrong with it and you will end
up doubting yourself. In addition, be ready
for some honest opinions. Most of the
comments are fine, but as always, people
can be rude. After trying them out, I think
these websites and apps are a pretty good
idea. They are also good for comparing
multiple outfits or helping you try to decide
what to buy while in the dressing room.
Next time you wake up and can’t decide
on an outfit, why don’t you just snap some
pictures and ask the world what they think?
22

23
Oh my God! That’s So Gay!
By Sarah Lamond
Have you ever had a conversation that
sounded similar to this?
Person 1: “I missed my test, but my
professor won’t let me make it up.”
Person 2: “Oh my God, that’s so gay.”
Or how about this:
Person 1: “I’m reading [name of book].”
Person 2: “I had to read that. That book
is so gay.”
Really? That book is sexually attracted
to books of the same sex?
No, of course not. In fact, this is physically
impossible, because a book is an inanimate
object. But Person 2 is using the word
“gay” synonymously with unfair, boring,
stupid or unappealing. He may be an intelligent
individual, but you’d never think so,
because not only is he portraying himself
as a homophobic bigot, but he is basically
conveying the notion that he has a severely
limited vocabulary. Using the word “gay” (a
word that originally debuted as a synonym
for “happy”) as a negative adjective demonstrates
the idea that the speaker does not really
think before speaking.
Etymologically speaking, the term “gay”
started off as an adjective for joyful and
carefree. Its noun form, “gaiety”, is still used
in some ways to denote a joyous mood or
occasion. During the 17th century, the word
started to acquire a connotation of immorality
and began to be associated with hedonism
and an overindulgence of pleasure. As
early as the mid 20th century, the term “gay”
started to be used to denote homosexuality
and still carried its connotation of immorality.
These earliest modern uses of the word
were primarily insulting, but the gay rights
movement has tried to diminish the use of
the word in the pejorative sense.
Yes, it is true that we are living in a world
that can come across as too politically correct
and overcautious. For example, camp
counselors are not allowed to apply sunscreen
to their campers’ backs to avoid sexual
harassment charges. But some things are
blatantly offensive.
Since this colloquialism is engrained into
our culture, it is difficult to imagine this as
something we shouldn’t do. It also doesn’t
help that the media uses this term pejoratively.
Bradley Cooper’s character in The
Hangover pulls up to his friend’s house and
announces, “Paging Doctor Faggot.” Family
Guy uses “queer” as an insult incessantly.
Even Joel Stein, a prominent writer for
TIME Magazine, used the word “supergay”
in an article when describing a superhero
costume. And each subsequent use of these
Stumbleupon Procrastination Tool To Success
Stumble: to come unexpectedly or by
chance. This is the goal of the internet tool,
StumbleUpon. Quick and easy to use, all you
have to do is check off what kind of websites
you are interested based off interests, and
you click away. It doesn’t get any easier than
that. It’s a college student’s worst nightmare.
Well, it’s actually an amazing tool, but
after three hours of looking at pictures and
finding movie quotes, sometimes you forget
about that ten page paper you haven’t started
that’s due in the morning. Saying that you
used stumble may not be the best excuse,
but it may be better than saying you were
on Farmville for ten hours as your electronic
corn grew. I hope so anyway.
The reason why stumble is so addicting is
its easy access. Click. Youtube of an actual
Rick Roll music video. Click. A picture of
when cigarette ads said that smoking was
healthy. Click. A blog on famous writing
quotes. If it has cool pictures, it sucks me
immediately. If you want to keep it for
further reference, you can do that too. Just
click the thumbs up button, or if you want
to save humanity from looking at another
website, you can click the thumbs down
one. The ones you like get stored away into
your favorites, and the others, well; they
just continue to be on the net. Stumble, on
a good day with no other distractions, can
help find whatever you’re looking for and
do it quickly. It certainly shows the actual
vastness that we call the web.
Want something more specific like the
complete mysteries of the hit drama show
Lost? Type in the search engine “Lost
television show mysteries” and see what pops
up. I can only imagine the kind of websites
that pop up after that. Feeling gloomy and
want some laughs? Go no further, you will
find some hilarious pictures, anything up
your alley, and you will be looking at them
until you forget why you were so upset in
the first place. You may not get the best site
the first time around, but after a few minutes
words is designed to make the audience
laugh. But why is that funny?
Being gay is not something that you
choose, much like your sex or race. Imagine
that instead of “that’s gay,” the common
phrase was, “that’s male” or “that’s Korean.”
These sound ridiculous, but if your race
was incessantly being made into a mockery,
you’d be offended. Not only would you be
offended, but you would probably not want
anything to do with the person who was
using it as an insult. And why should you?
There are plenty of people who don’t use attributes
of your personal character to insult
the unfavorable situations that they happen
upon in their lifetimes.
If while reading this article, you find
yourself identifying with the individual who
is using these terms for humor or insult, you
were probably unaware of the impression
that you’ve been giving. (If you are aware
of it, then I can’t help you). If you wish to
change it, try thinking of all the times you’ve
used gay negatively and replace “gay” with
an appropriate adjective such as irritating,
annoying, lazy or foolish. You won’t come
across as intolerant or unintelligent (at least
not in that sense) and you won’t offend or
alienate people. It’s a win-win for everyone!
By Nick Sweeney
of quick channel surfing the net, you’ll
find something useful, or something you
can print out and tape to your roommate’s
door.
But this isn’t just a useful way to surf the
net, there’s practical use for this as well.
For example, because I like reading up on
literature and writing, I frequently get sent
Project Gutenberg (a website for online use
of literature), a million different websites on
Shakespeare, and several creative writing
prompt generators. Is this useful? To me, the
answer is yes. When I’m not looking into
things for my writing and research I also
get sent to pictures of funny pictures of past
presidents holding babies, Collegehumor,
and directions on how to cross the Atlantic
Ocean via Google Maps. So, sometimes
you find an excellent source for a paper,
sometimes you find pictures of bears
fighting sharks. It’s a win-win in my book.

Local
Food
Spotlight
From the moment one enters the restaurant,
it is clear that Soul Dog is something
different.
Cool blue colors, varnished wooden
benches, and shiny metal tables, complete
with paper stock placemats greet the diner
the moment they step inside. Walking to the
counter, one notices the variety of specials
posted on several blackboards.
The atmosphere is inviting, laid-back, and
casual, and that’s precisely what the owners
want.
“We wanted to create a place where people
could hang out, relax, and be comfortable,”
said co-owner Jenny Teague. “Our
inspiration was to present a location that’s
familiar and comfortable to our customers.”
Established in 2004, the restaurant is run by
Jenny and Adam Teague, whose previous
experience included a catering business,
which was formerly run out of the same
location.
Soul Dog’s commitment to the comfort
of its guests goes beyond the quality of
food that they serve. While customers
wait for their orders, they can draw on
their placemats with crayons, or even play
games of Connect Four and Yahtzee, all
provided.
“Customers of all ages enjoy playing the
games,” remarked Teague.
While these diversions are unique,
and quite entertaining, the focus of the
restaurant remains on the quality of the
food. Customers can select hot dogs
available in three distinct varieties, and
complete them with a list of over twenty
toppings. These toppings range from the
standard ketchup, mustard and relish, to
more playful alternatives, such as bacon,
baked beans and chipotle sauce.
“You’d be surprised how challenging it
is for some people,” said Teague. “When
people first come in, they have no idea
what to order, because of all the different
combinations available.”
Soul Dog’s hot dogs, which have been
judged the “Best in the Hudson Valley” by
ZAGAT, annually since 2005, are a treat to
behold, and the huge variety of toppings
offer so many ways to augment the standard
Sabrett frankfurter.
Beyond hot dogs though, Soul Dog offers
a unique assortment of gluten-free items,
including freshly baked bread, pastries and
comfort food. These items are prepared
in-house, and the bread is baked to order
every Thursday.
“We offer gluten-free
items because that’s how
we need to eat at home,”
explained Teague. “We
understood how hard it
is to eat out with dietary
restrictions, so we wanted
to provide alternatives.”
Soul Dog’s homemade
gluten-free bread is
available in select
grocery stores around
Poughkeepsie, offering
the same level of quality
at several different
locations.
With spring already here,
and summer quickly
approaching, Soul Dog is
ready to capitalize on the
changing of the seasons.
“We change our specials
depending on what’s in
season, and to try to keep
things fresh,” remarked
Teague. “It also depends
By Brian Rees
on our mood, as we like to try to keep
things interesting for the staff as well as the
customers.”
These customers include people from all
walks of life, from young and old, student
and professional.
“On any given day, we see college kids,
business professionals, and seniors, all
coming in to enjoy a hot dog and enjoy a
relaxing atmosphere,” said Teague.
Whatever the customer base, it’s no wonder
people flock to the location for simple,
great food in a comfortable and laid-back
setting.
Soul Dog’s menu is available for dinein
or takeout. For more information, visit
www.souldog.biz for news updates and
directions.
24

25
The 21+ Science Fair Experiment
By Mike Walsh
Nothing against the study abroad
program, but I am not a fan. When my
friends come back from their time overseas,
I can’t deal with the incessant talk about
how great everything is over there. A
subject that makes me want to punch out
people Jason Bourne style is German beer.
Essentially every study-abroad student
spends some time in Germany, and if they
are apparently lucky enough, they visit
during the “glorious” time of Oktoberfest.
Does Germany really top America when
it comes to beers? Ask any Oktoberfest
patron and they will confirm it. However,
being a studious young man, I decided
that my red, white, and blue blood
wouldn’t stand for this and I prepared
to go all scientific method on this WWII
reenactment. So my research question
was; does a brewery in the US make an
Oktoberfest beer as good as or better than
the Germans?
As a disclaimer, I am 21 years of age,
and in no way, shape, or form, condone
underage drinking. Also, I am by no means
a beer expert, just a college senior who has
been around the tap a time or two.
So I visited Halftime and struck up a
conversation with an older gentleman who
worked there, with his help I picked out
my nine test subjects as listed in the final
rankings box on the right. Among them
were four German staples, and five homegrown
brews.
The next step was used to ensure my
pro USA bias would be
nonexistent in my testing;
I duct taped each bottle’s
labels and caps then marked
them with a number and
recorded it all in a notebook.
I waited two days
before the testing so
I could forget which
numbers belonged to
which beer. It being
mid-terms week, I had
no trouble pushing the
list out of my mind
while filling it with
mind numbing ethics
facts.
Now came the fun/
scientific part. Cozying up on the
couch with a bag of pretzels and my
nine delicious Oktoberfest beers, I
hunkered down for a serious night of
studying, Mike Walsh style.
I randomly kicked things off with
#9 which turned out to be Brooklyn
Oktoberfest. The Brooklyn Brewery
is a new kid on the block in the world
of hops, barley, and rye. They have
been making fine brews out of the
city since 2004. Their version of
Oktoberfest comes in a festive burnt
orange bottle. This beer came to be my
most legibly reviewed due to the initial
lack of inebriation. Brooklyn poured as an
amber brown color with a decent head. It
was rather fizzy but had a very smooth taste
with a humbling swallow (insert joke here).
Best to drink
with:
1.Nachos
2.Steak
3.Chicken & Rice
4.Clam Chowder
5.Bratwurst
6.Sausage &Peppers
7.BBQ Ribs
8.Bar Snacks
9.Lobster
It ended with a noticeably
harsh aftertaste which
forced me to give it a
fairly harsh rating.
My second blind
selection was #5, aka
Beck’s Oktoberfest.
Beck’s version I could tell
was German on my first
sip. There was little head,
and it smelled highly fresh
and autumny. Beck’s,
though a popular beer in
America, failed my swish
test. The first taste left
my tongue with a numb
feeling like a shot of
Novocaine. I have to give
the Beck’s version a poor score and after
two beers I was left feeling discouraged but
hopeful for my next seven.
The beer Gods answered my prayers
with #3, Magic Hat’s Hex. The well-known
comedic brewery titles their selection,
“Ourtobersfest.” Mid-way through the
creepy, red-labeled brew I could tell that
it was a thick and filling beer. A tinge of
orange was detectable and the pour was a
cloudy dark, reminiscent of Blue Moon. I
thoroughly enjoyed Hex and will definitely
be adding that to my list of regular buys.

Our next subject was #1, Paulaner
Oktoberfest Marzen. This beer was highly
recommended by my abroad studying
housemate, Andy Campion. I was forced
to agree with Mr. Campion, as my taste
buds were in for a treat with this baby.
Everything from the bronze color to the
sweet smell and slight root beer taste had my
head spinning.
O v e r a l l
Paulaner was
very easy to
drink and had
that telling great
German taste.
Moving on,
I next tasted a
familiar friend
of mine. With
#3 I knew right
away I had a
Sam Adams in
my hand, the
tell-tale dark
brown color and
untouchably smooth finish gave away this
incognito beverage. Sam’s Octoberfest,
note the spelling, is one of the only
American beers that strictly follows the
German rules of brewing. That may be why
Octoberfest is so popular,
especially in the northeast.
Its beautiful clear orangey
color is rivaled only by its
smooth taste and exciting
finish.
Helping me cross the
halfway point of my
testing and beginning of
my slurred speech and
messy handwriting was
#8, which turned out to be
Blue Point’s Oktoberfest.
This local boy is brewed
fresh on Long Island and
boasts a fancy label with
neat designs of L.I. houses.
It poured to a thick head
and a bright color, brighter
than you’d expect from
an Oktoberfest brew. However the beer
was just heavy enough to fill you up while
remaining light enough that I could have
handled more than a few more. I’d place
this beer up there with the Sam Adams
version as the best Oktoberfest this side of
the Atlantic.
Next stop on the train to an American
Oktoberfest belonged to #4, Spaten Munich
Oktoberfest. Spaten is a German staple and
Walsh’s Final
Rankings
1.Paulaner
2.Blue Point
3.Magic Hat Hex
4.Sam Adams
5.Spaten
6.Hacker-Pschorr
7.Brooklyn
8.Left Hand
9.Beck’s
they actually claim to have invented the
Oktoberfest recipe in 1872. German beer
buffs love the flavor of Spaten. I could tell
immediately it was part of my four German
bottles due to the crisp taste and slight mint
flavor. If you’re a stickler for tradition, this
is the beer for you.
The Spaten boasted a 5.9% alcohol
content which
needless to
say did not
help with my
increasing
BAC and thus
ADD towards
this research
project. But
nevertheless,
I trekked on
with my trusty
bag of pretzels.
#7 was Left
H a n d ’ s
Oktoberfest.
Left Hand is a
small brewery out of Longmont, Colorado.
They’ve been in the craft beer game since
1990 and brew a variety of award winning
beers. Their Oktoberfest from what I
remember was very dark and had a severe
malty taste. Its dark color
was the result of a sort of
syrupy feel that wasn’t all
that pleasing for me, but
it did one up the Spaten
by checking in at an
impressive 6.0% A/V.
Finally I took on #7
which was later found out
to be Hacker-Pschorr’s
Original Oktoberfest.
This beer caught my eye at
Halftime solely because of
its label: a chesty woman
riding a wild horse, beer
mug in hand, a true dream
girl. Hacker poured with
a large head and was
very dark much like the
German’s like it. I picked
up on the taste of a sweet caramel during
my test.
In my fully inebriated state, I made
various loud exclamations and claims;
however, the only one that can be repeated
in print is that of my results. In the study
of American Oktoberfests and their
German counterparts, I awarded my first
prize to that of Paulaner’s Oktoberfest
Marzen. Its sweet smell and smooth taste
was unmatched in my tests. However,
America should not consider this a failure,
the hometown boys snatched up the rest
of the top spots with the small time Blue
Point Brewery from Long Island grabbing
the silver medal. Magic Hat’s creative take
on the German tradition claimed the third
spot narrowly edging out my hometown’s
Sam Adams.
October is sputtering to a close soon, so
the chance to drink some good Oktoberfest
brews is narrowing by the minute. Paulaner
took our first prize so I’d recommend them
as your first foray into the world of German
beers here or abroad. As a senior I’ve come
to know what the German brewers have
known for decades; there is no substitute
for experience!
26

Girl Talk Concert Satisfied Demand for a Dance Party
By Emily Bales
In a generation that demands too much
information at the fastest pace possible,
it is only to be expected that an artist like
Girl Talk would be received with as much
enthusiasm as he has. On September 30
SPC hosted the fall concert, Girl Talk. His
real name is Greg Gillis, originally attended
college to be a biomedical engineer. After
giving this life a shot, Gillis soon found
his passion for electronic remixed music
overpowered that of his education. He
chose the name Girl Talk out of the desire
to oppose similar artists in his field and to
be associated with pop culture. Today, he
has recorded a total of four studio albums,
numerous EPs, and continues to create new
mixes at almost every show.
For those of you that love the Hatter’s
dance floor, I suggest seeing Greg the
next chance you get. One of the best parts
of a Girl Talk show is the atmosphere he
creates for his fans. His passion for the
mixes he was creating was evident in his
constant dancing; he held nothing back
while performing. Sweat dripping from his
face and body feeling each and every beat,
he seemed to be in the middle of an insane
house party. Gillis fit right in with the fans
that joined him on stage to dance.
Appealing yet again to the college
crowd, toilet paper was the go-to solution
for all of those in the crowd getting a little
too into the show. What appeared to be leaf
blowers were very much appreciated, as
the breeze became necessary for survival
towards the end of the experience. Gillis’
performance was not just about the music
that showcases his insane skill, but also
the great time everyone has at his shows.
Armed with only his laptop, Girl Talk is
known for captivating scores of young
adults, most often
crowds of college
students. The youthful
audience seems to
respond well to his
music, thanks to the
selectiveness of the
songs he combines.
Taking music from
our childhood as well
as tunes we love from
the radio today, he
gets the opportunity to
show off his ingenuity at every show. He
admirably creates a flow made of separate
pieces of songs that end up creating one
over-the-top dance party. Although it is
obvious that Girl Talk possesses a talent for
creating music, it is not the only appeal of
his performances.
It seems the main separation between
Girl Talk and other mix artists are the
transitions and pairings he creates. His
method of taking steady, solid beats and
overlapping them with songs we recognize
is successful because he also makes sure
there is an obvious match between the two.
His songs string
together throughout
the album, never
making an abrupt
change in flow,
pleasing almost
all that wish for a
fast paced dance
blowout. Listeners
will find that his ear
for timing is evident
in every song. His
show at Marist was
no different.
Although he did use some mixes from
his most recent album, Feed The Animals,
he did showcase some combinations on the
spot. The vibe from the crowd was most
definitely approving.
Junior Colin Norton explains the
positive response perfectly, “People our
age are so ADD that we get excited when
we recognize a song we love, and when we
get bored after the 15 seconds we love, and
it’s replaced by another song we forgot we
were crazy about at some point”. This is a
wonderful example of how our generation
is known for trying, unsuccessfully, to
multitask.
Personally, everyone seemed to be
multitasking just fine at the concert. After
all, dancing, screaming, trying to keep
yourself from getting lost, and every now
and again watching Gillis in his element all
at the same time is no easy task. Still, all
members of the audience seemed perfectly
content to do just that. The Girl Talk
concert provided Marist students with the
opportunity to show off their dance moves
in the McCann gym. I doubt that hardwood
floor will ever see as many strobe lights,
glow sticks and dance-offs as it did during
this fall’s concert.
Photos by Leslie Brown