Celebrating heritage

Www.broward.edu/observer
Volume 25, issue 6
Back page
Dr. Corseri retires
Entertainment
Video games
Prolife v. Prochoice
Respected faculty member
retires after 34 years of service
A fictional horror
surrounds popular
video game
What side do you stand for?
Center spread
Campus news
Fitness and health
Learn about the group
workout classes on North
Campus and get healthy
Page 8-9
Nov. 8, 2010
Page 4
Page 13
Page 16
Photos by Crystal Vander Weit
Celebrating heritage
Many aspects of culture were presented at this year’s Multicultural Festival including music, food, native
dances, and even costumes at Broward College’s North Campus. Countries like Germany, Colombia,
Japan, and Israel were just some of the many countries that were represented at the gathering where
different clubs and cultural groups displayed their history and pride.
(Top) Drummer from the Bahamian Junkanoo Band plays inside of the festival.
(Top right) Indian belly dancer in multicultural performance.
(Bottom right) Students, Sandra Moreno, and Luz Villa at the Colombian table.
(Bottom left) Bahamian Junkanoo Band marches into event.
Information Courtesy of David Dulak
Campus news
NOV. 8, 2010
page 3
Rights to read
North Campus students challenge banned books
By Alejandra Laverde
Contributing Writer
Since its creation, the extent
of the First Amendment has been
questioned. The absence of that
right does not only affect those
who wish to speak, but it also hurts
those who wish to learn.
National Banned Books Week is
one of many battles in the fight for
the right to listen. All around the
country, hundreds of books, that
we all know and love, are being
either banned or challenged each
year. This year, Broward College’s
North Campus took part in the
celebration by raising awareness
about censorship in hopes to stop
the ignorance.
The
American
Library
Association (ALA) holds a record
of 10, 676 books being banned, or
challenged since 1995. Some well
known examples include “To Kill
A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee,
the “Twilight” series by Stephanie
Meyer, and “Catcher in the Rye”
by J. D. Salinger.
The ALA’s statistics also show
that the main initiators are parents
and schools. The main reason for
banning is because of sexually
explicit content followed by other
political, moral, and religious
reasons.
While there are those who wish
to remain silent, there are also those
who become inspired to speak even
louder against that opposition.
Libraries,
schools,
and
communities once again came
together to challenge the bannings
this year during Banned Books
Week from Sept. 25 to Oct. 2.
North Campus took part by
setting up events about banned
and challenged books from the
27th to the 30th.
Assistant Professor of English,
Donna M. Samet, lead the project
with help from Professor Adriana
Bianchi, the advisor for the Xi
Gamma chapter of the Sigma
Kappa Delta (SKD) English
Honors Society. Other professors
included Dr. Jeanette Madea and
Karen Parker.
Their united efforts eventually
expanded to the North Regional
Library where Rosa Gaskins,
a librarian, agreed to set up an
informational display all week
long on the second floor of the
library. She also reserved the movie
“Fahrenheit 51” to be played in
the library’s auditorium. Members
of the college and the community
were able to view the film and
participate in the open discussion
lead by Samet.
Stephanie A. Neubert, SKD
treasurer, led members in the
creation and execution of their
Infamous Banned Classics
• “The Great Gatsby”
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
• “The Catcher in the Rye”
- J.D. Salinger
• “Grapes of Wrath”
- John Steinbeck
•
Photo By Ronald Bray
Students gather from Sigma Kappa Delta on North Campus to inform
students about banned books in honor of Banned Books Week with the
American Library Association.
display and read outloud in the
breezeway during the event.
“Many students and staff
who stopped by the display were
appalled by the fact that such
literary classics would be banned
or challenged,” said Neubert.
“They actually asked questions
about the protest. Some students
were even upset about the matter
and suggested we should do more
to raise peoples’ awareness of the
subject,” she continued.
Madea’s helix ethics class
participated by reading excerpts
from banned books through the
ages and explained the censorship
category. They also discussed
how and why they became
banned. Afterwards, Professor
“Catch-22”- Joseph Heller
Karen Parker’s honors ENG1101
presented their debate on the
banning of the “Harry Potter”
series by J.K. Rowling.
In both cases, the students were
adamant and involved, voicing
their opinions just as it is their right
to. The students truly celebrated
what banned books week is all
about while spreading awareness.
“I think we reached a few
hundred
students,
generally
raising awareness about our 1st
amendment rights and the hazards
of censorship,” said Bianchi.
With the consensus being that
the first Banned Books Week at
North Campus was a success,
Neubert adequately summarized
the feel from the events with, “I
believe it is extremely important
to make people aware of Banned
Books Week and [it] should be
a new tradition here at Broward
North Campus.”
For information on the banning
of books please visit www.ala.org
Published professors inspire college students
By Skylar Siegel
Central Bureau Chief
Have you ever wondered what
your professors do other than
teaching? Well, if you have, then
the Literary Feast on Central
Campus was the place to be.
This year’s second annual
Literary Feast was held on Oct. 20
and several professors gathered to
show what they do outside their
classrooms, displaying everything
from their paintings to their books.
Hosted by the Central Campus
library staff, the literary feast was
an event to remember. “We created
this event to create an opportunity
to engage students with faculty on
a whole other level; it allows them
to have a different view of what
faculty does outside the classroom,”
said Miguel Menendez, the dean of
the University College Library.
Although the literary feast was
held on Central Campus, all of
Broward College’s (BC) campuses
as well as FAU were represented.
Beacon TV assisted with the
event, filming the entire event on
behalf of the College Academy
at BC. “It is such a unique and
interesting experience to recognize
all the diverse expertise of these
professors; I really didn’t expect
this to be such an enlightening
experience,” said Christian Chung,
a full-time student at Broward’s
College Academy.
Dr. Kyra Belan, Gesulla
Photos by Skylar Siegel
Dr. Kyra Belan participated in the Literary Feast showcasing her
numerous works. Belan is a performance artist, as well as a published
author and showcased visual artist.
Cavanaugh, Karen Esteves, Lourdes
Rodriguez-Florido, Angie SchirckMatthews and many more were just
a few of the professors displaying
their literature at the feast. Belan,
a professor at South Campus
for over 20 years, displayed her
paintings and showed some of the
books her art has been published
in. She has also co-authored a
book, titled “Dorothy Gillespie”
and is the author of a book titled,
“Earth, Spirit, and Gender: Visual
Language for the New Reality.”
Belan has received numerous
awards and grants, including
the Individual Artist Fellowship
from Florida Arts Council,
Barbara Deming Memorial Fund
Grant and Outstanding Artist of
the Southeast, and she is listed
in “Who’s Who in American
Art,” “Who’s Who of American
Women,” “Outstanding Young
Women of America,” and “Who’s
Who in the South and Southeast,”
something many students would
have never known until the feast.
Another great professor from
Broward College, Angie SchirckMatthews, a math professor at
Central Campus, went above and
beyond, creating and writing her
own math book. “I wanted to
create a book that actually showed
math just how I teach it, making it
South Campus professor, Lourdes Rodriguez-Florido, showcased
her literature at the event and spoke with students.
easier for students to understand,”
said Schirck-Matthews.
Many students walked around
the event in disbelief of the many
things these professors took the
time to create. Many professors
wrote their own novels, fictions,
dramas and more.
“I came to this event because I
love to read; it’s so amazing to see
such great books by our professors.
I am so happily surprised,” said
Ligia Georgescu, a sophomore at
BC.
Sunem Beaton Garcia, a faculty
librarian, hosted the event and was
very happy with the turn out. “We
hope that the students take back
with them that the library is a place
of learning and exchange of ideas
which was our mission in hosting
this event,” said Garcia.
Overall, this event was an
amazing way to show students just
how talented their class professors
are, giving all the attending
students insight to what they are
capable of.
Campus news
page 4
Student publications take home
major awards at competition
By Jillian Goltzman
Editor-in-Chief
Thirty-three plaques and certificates
traveled home from Ocala with 11 proud
members of the student publications at
Broward College. The two-year colleges
of Florida gathered in Tampa to attend
workshops and take home awards
regarding their dedication and ability to
their student publication.
The event, the 51st annual Florida
Community College Press Association
convention was held Oct. 21-23 in
Ocala, with well-established guest
speakers including keynote speaker and
University of Florida professor, Mindy
McAdams.
The Observer student newspaper and
P’an Ku literary magazine both placed
multiple times and each took home a
general excellence award in the entire
state of Florida. P’an Ku placed 3rd in
the state for General Excellence in a
literary magazine. Th Observer also took
the spot of second in the entire state.
“I’m extremely proud of the hard
work the Observer staff puts in to every
story and every issue. Some people
may not realize all the hard work and
dedication the Observer students put
forth all while practicing accurate,
strong journalism. They truly deserve
this wonderful recognition,” said student
publications coordinator and Observer
advisor, Jennifer Shapiro.
Florida Community College Press
Association Awards
P’an Ku
Third Place General Excellence
First Place:
Best Photo- Whitney Johnston
Best Artwork (group)- Emma Matamoros, Nery
Mejicano III, and Carla Mulieri.
Illustration with Text (group)- Leonardo Dionisi,
Whitney Johnston, and Kelly Rivera
Second Place:
Best Artwork (individual)- Paul Louise-Julie
Best Illustration with Text- Javier Chavarro and
Whitney Johnston
Best Editing- Whitney Johnston
Best Cover- Whitney Johnston and Dan Duarte
Best Table of Contents- Whitney Johnston
Third Place:
Best Poem- Piers Mercer
Best Fiction- Ben Gines
Illustration with Text (individual)- Carla Mulieri
Honorable Mention:
Best Photos (group)- Whitney Johnston and Kelly
Rivera
The Observer
Second Place General Excellence
First Place:
Best Sports Writing- Igor Mello
Second Place:
Best Editorial- Observer staff
Best Sports Column- Igor Mello
Best In-depth Reporting- Whitney
Johnson
Best Feature Story- Sheri Weiseman
Best Ad Design- Melissa Correa
Best Sports Photo- Alex Crawford
Best Design- Observer Staff
Third Place:
Best General Column- Caroline Hopton
NOV. 8, 2010
Corseri not only teaches
By Felecia King
Contributing Wrtier
Back in the days, 1975 that is, you could purchase
a gallon of gas for approximately 36 cents. The
Personal Computer (PC) and Laser Printer were also
invented. In addition, Broward College (BC), then
called Broward Community College, South Campus
was located at a church in Hollywood.
This is the same year that Richard Corseri, history
professor, found a job that would last him decades.
Professor Corseri is now 63-years-old and decided
that it’s time to retire. He is set to retire at the end of
the spring semester in 2011.
As a child Corseri always wanted to teach. “I
thought I would wear the tweed material, it was some
sort of fantasy,” Corseri jokingly admitted. Corseri
loves history and always knew that he would become
Photo By Von Clinton
a professor. Corseri attended University of Florida,
History professor, Dr. Richard
New York University, Florida Atlantic University
Corseri retires after 34 years.
(FAU), and University of Miami (UM). He received
his bachelor’s degree in history at UM. He later went on
to receive his master’s degree in history and his doctorate’s degree in education at FAU.
Corseri has served at BC for more than 34 years. Over the years, he remembers the
changes that have come about, such as the diversity. “Technology has come a long way.
It’s helpful, but I hate computers,” said Corseri.
“Professor Corseri is a great teacher. I am glad I got the opportunity to take his class
before he retired,” said Jamal Lang. Corseri said he is going to miss the students he
teaches the most. “I find teaching very rewarding,” said Corseri.
Corseri said that he saw Danny Danon, an old student of his, on the news the previous
evening and he was a member of Israeli Parliament. He was shocked, but he said that he
has had several students become famous and successful.
Corseri is a musician, in addition to being a professor. He has even had some music
events held at BC in the past. Corseri plays the clarinet and saxophone. He doesn’t play
at the professional level, but he plans to continue playing his music after retirement, and
maybe even more now.
Although he has been all over the world, Corseri plans on traveling when he retires.
“I love Europe. I have been to Europe several times, I have been to Egypt twice, and
Germany,” he expressed.
After 34 years of service, Corseri is saying goodbye to BC. He leaves this message
for the students, “Keep working hard while you’re young and still have the energy to do
everything.”
page 6
Campus news
nov. 8, 2010
BC Student fights for the Dream Act
By Skylar Siegel
Central Bureau Chief
Over three million students graduate from
a U.S. high school each year. The majority
of students are given the opportunity to test
their aspirations and live their American
dreams. There is another group of high
school students, however, who do not get the
opportunity to actualize their goals.
Approximately 65,000 graduating high
school students do not get a chance to
pursue their dreams. They are labeled with
an inherited title, an illegal immigrant. These
young adults have lived in the United States
for most of their lives and want nothing
more than to be recognized for what they
are, Americans.
The Dream Act is a bipartisan legislation
that can help solve this obscene injustice
in our society. “The dream act is a piece of
legislation to that will allow outstanding
undocumented students the chance to earn
a college degree or the ability to join the
military,” said Raymond Moya, the lead
speaker for the Dream Act here in South
Florida, as well as a current freshman at
Broward College.
Raymond Moya, himself, is originally
from Venezuela, which is what really drives
him to stand up for his peers who are in need
of the dream act.
To qualify for the dream act, these
students must have a good criminal and
moral standing, and must have entered
country before the age of 16. If they qualify,
they will be able to attend a two-year college
or join the military, and later would come
off immigrant status and obtain a green
card. “If the Dream Act is passed, then
dreamactivist.org
People rally in Los Angeles in support of the Dream Act.
people without papers can go to college
and hopefully get the benefits like financial
aid,” contended Moya. With no resources
currently available to these students, having
the Dream Act passed would truly give them
the opportunity to fulfill their dreams of
finally becoming an American.
On Aug. 1, 2001, the Dream Act was
introduced to the United States Senate and
has been waiting to be passed ever since.
Last month, on Sept. 21, they had a vote,
“don’t speak don’t tell” bill, which was a lot
of different bills attached to each other; gay
rights in the army was one of them along
with the Dream Act. In order for the Dream
Act to pass, they needed 60 votes to get
approved. They got 56 answers of yes and 43
nays. “It didn’t pass because it had other bills
attached to it, such as the gay rights in the
army; it was devastating to so many people,
because it would open so many doors for
them if it were to be passed,” stated Moya.
Right now, Moya, and other Dream
Act supporters, are working on “the final
push” calling all senators and the president
to spread the word and get as many calls as
we can into senate by sending emails, letters,
posters, or doing whatever it takes.
“If people want to get involved on
campus, we just need to get the senators to
vote for the Dream Act as a standalone bill.
We just need a date for them to vote on it,
because we basically have it as a stand alone
bill. Trying to get it passed before 2011,
that’s why this is the final push, because in
2011 a new congress will come up and we
don’t know what’s in store then,” said Moya.
At this point, it is essential that the act be
passed before it’s too late. A good number of
government officials that have been reached
are democratic senators that are on the
Dream Act’s side and people like Raymond
Moya have been calling the republicans
like senator McCain from Arizona, senator
Lemieux from Florida and Senator Reid from
Nevada in attempts to gain their support.
To help push the dream act through and
make thousands of people’s dreams come
true, call Senator Reid at (202) 224-3542.
“Don’t give up, it’s not over yet and we are all
family, we are one,” Moya concluded.
Cyrstal Vander Weit
Contributing Writer
Getting college
students
to
embrace physical
fitness can be
an
intricate
task.
Exercise
competes against
Facebook,
video
games
and compelling
television
programs. With
this
sort
of
competition, both
working out and
sweating seem
even less enticing
to students.
North Campus’
remedy is to
provide
free
classes
every
T u e s d a y ,
W e d n e s d a y Bootcamp Instructor Debra Dechiaro working out with BC student Phillip Pascasio.
and
Thursday.
A successful combination of and strength training that consisted
push- ups, jumping jacks,
boot camp, zumba and yoga has of
running in place and
encouraged physical wellness
sit-ups. Weights and
among the student
stability balls were
population.
added to challenge
This is the only
the students while
campus to offer
enhancing
their
a free fitness
work out.
program.
The
classes are held
To keep students
in building 60 room
motivated, she
116 at 2 p.m.
likes to remind them they
“The
classes
are here for a goal, an
are
designed
to
attainable goal,
help students understand the and even if
importance of staying healthy while they became
they are in college. Giving them the o v e r w h e l m e d ,
opportunity to attend such classes they need to keep
and the way they are designed to moving forward.
work is the critical part. It is almost
It is a rigorous class
like having your personal trainer and Broward College
on campus, but you are not paying (BC)
student
Julia
for it,” stated Archie Asar, North Robinson said, “ It works
Campus Student Life Coordinator. out all my body parts.
Boot camp starts the week on Everything we do is good for y o u r
Tuesday with instructor Debra health and it builds endurance. I
Dechiaro. She is certified in power have been seeing results.”
pilates, keiser cycling, aqua
An upbeat break from the intensity of
aerobics, vinyasa yoga, hatha boot camp is Zumba on Wednesday.
yoga and AAFA group exercise.
Latin music and dance created a
Dechiaro uses a combination high-energy feel good atmosphere
of cardio, muscle conditioning during class. Instructor, Yohanna
Yarala, teaches
this class.
The
key
ingredient
in
zumba class is
music. Moving
with the beat
and
tempo
changes
can
be
a
huge
calorie burning
exercise
and
intense cardio
releases a lot
of sweat and
toxins
from
the body. It is
also a great
core
workout
because it uses
dance moves
that target the
abdominal and
back muscles.
W i n d i n g
down the week
on
Thursday
is yoga class.
Instructor,
Dechiaro, teaches a mixture
of hatha and vinyasa yoga.
Emphasized in class was
“moving, breath and body as
one,” said Dechiaro. “Yoga is not
a destination, but a journey.”
“The
instructor
is
really
knowledgeable, nice and friendly.
She is not afraid to correct you if
you do something wrong,” said
BC student Jordan Magro.
Yoga
practice
increases
flexibility and massages
internal organs. These
two
benefits
are
important, because
the stretching of
muscles and
joints and the
massaging
of
organs
ensures optimum
blood supply to parts of the
body resulting in the detoxification
and rejuvenation of the body.
“Health is the most important
aspect of these programs while
keeping them on campus,”
explained Asar, “We give them
the opportunity to be healthy and
remember healthy students make
good students.”
Fitness means nothing without a healthy diet.
Broward College has gyms to keep students in
shape and work out classes to keep them active.
Central Campus has even created a fitness challenge
teaching participants about healthy eating and
exercise. Students tend to dine out on the regular
basis, but do they realize the effects of what they
put in to their body? Whether you are eating fast
food or you are dining in at a classy restaurant
meals can have enormous amounts of calories and
sodium that triple the amount you should consume
in a day.
2,460 calories
Cheesecake Factory French Toast Napoleon
61g saturated fat The Cheesecake Factory may have some of the most
Photo by Crystal Vander Weit
1,769mg sodium
246g carbohydrates
delicious foods but also the most dangerous. Their French
Toast Napoleon contains over a day’s worth of calories.
Talk about ending your day before you even start it!
Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries
An appetizer exists to subside the hunger until the main
course. With this starter you are simply plunging the idea
of a meal into the deep end and diving into a pool of
grease, a caloric coma. Even split with a large group of
people the cheese fries will translate to enough calories for
an average dinner.
2,900 calories
182g fat
2,344mg sodium
240g carbohydrates
Chili’s Jalapeno Smokehouse Bacon Burger
1,750 calories
123g fat
5,250mg sodium
A Chili’s sandwich may be an easy alternative to
the large Jalapeno Smokehouse Bacon Burger. The
burger is a mound of fat in it’s own and this does
not begin to include the 380 calorie fries on the side.
65g carbohydrates
Five Guys Fries (large)
1,464 calories
Five Guys already has a limited menu of simple burgers
and fries. These fries may be one of the only side options
but should be avoided. Coated in heavy salt the 213 grams
of sodium in this side dish can send a person over the edge.
71g fat
213g sodium
184g carbohydrates
Chili’s Chocolate Paradise Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream
1,600 calories
78g fat
910mg sodium
Dechiaro instructing a yoga session.
Chili’s is known for their delicious desserts that seem
almost irresistable after a meal. This is one dessert
that should be passed on. According to menhealth.
com, the sweet treat equates to the amount of a
McDonalds Big Mac.
215g carbohydrates
Photo by Crystal Vander Weit
Informatiom provided by Menshealth.com
Design by Richard Perez
NOV. 8, 2010
Entertainment
DJ Caldwell: a musical entrepeneur
by Brandon Wright
Staff writer
Being around in the world of
music since the 1980s, Lorenzo
Caldwell has been doing what
he does best for over 25 years.
Creating his own mix tapes,
producing for recording artists, and
spinning records on the turntables
show that Caldwell has done it all.
Today, he currently is the head of
his own online radio station and
magazine, MOC Urban Radio.
Caldwell is the head of the
urban and rhythmic division of
the Los Angeles-based Mediabase.
His work can be found on radio
stations,
including
Miami’s
WHQT Hot 105 FM, where he
can be heard every Saturday night.
Born in Lawrence, Mass.
Caldwell got his first introduction
to music when he was seven years
old. Seeing his parents’ large music
collection, Caldwell said, “he was a
kid learning about music, prior to
1977.”
The music he learned about as a
child resulted in his future works.
As a teenager, he made mix tapes
he dubbed as “music of class.”
According to mocradio.com, “his
series of mix tapes were distributed
in several markets.” His first album
was a masterpiece by popular R&B
funk band “The Commodores.”
Dubbing hip-hop as “music of
class,” Caldwell said, “that’s where
[the name for] MOC Radio came
about from.” Starting with a small
market of mix tapes that became
popular he grew the appetite for
more success. After moving to
North Carolina in 1985, “I met
some friends that wanted to rap,
and we put out a little record that
became a hit locally,” said Caldwell.
He went off to college in
October 1989, to study Studio
Engineering in Atlanta. Being in
Atlanta as a student, during the
time, he met the late Tupac Shakur,
as well as “Arrested Development”
front man Speech. In addition to
working as an independent record
distributor in 1991 he also has
contributed production work and
remix tracks for many recording
stars throughout his career. The
list includes popular R&B group
Silk, the late Lisa “Left Eye”
Lopes, from the former R&B
trio TLC, Anthony Hamilton,
Brandy and many others. One of
his more recent and best-known
collaborations was his work with
Ludacris who once said to Caldwell
“all of a sudden it’s another song,
and your mixing is very tight!”
Caldwell hit the top of the
radio DJ charts in 1997 while
taping a 5 p.m. mix show five
days of the week on WQMG FM
in the North Carolina area. With
a top show, he went from an
unpaid to a paid position within
the same year and was hired to
do retail promotions for Tommy
Boy Records, the former home of
many prominent acts like Naughty
by Nature, Queen Latifah, RuPaul
and many others. “All of a sudden,
I just had like a gazillion jobs,”
said Caldwell. Unfortunately, with
WQMG FM losing its format,
due to consolidation, as Caldwell
mentions, he would soon be
out of a radio gig. Caldwell said
“Corporate is keeping that kind of
music away from us.”
In the early 2000s, Caldwell
founded MOC Urban Radio.
The station was available through
podcasts, and now currently
streams worldwide at morcadio.
com. Within the same time,
his good friend Andrew Knyte
also began NJS4Ever.com, the
premier online music community
dedicated to new jack swing and
urban music. Both companies
developed strong ties in radio, as
NJS4ever networks “teamed up
MOC Radio, broadcasting two
hour online radio experiences, in
the first half of 2004,” according
to njs4ever.com. Still to this day,
Caldwell “programs music from an
urban perspective, having a huge
impact on his age group, as well as
others.”
Back in 2001, LC became
employed with Clear Channel’s
Mediabase, a premiere radio
network based out of Los Angeles
and is currently head of the urban
and rhythmic division. Moving
to Miami around the same time,
Caldwell joined the “Core DJs”
movement. This is a popular
DJ organization, according to
mocradio.com. “It’s huge, and
was started by Tony O’Neal,” said
Caldwell.
With a growing number of DJs
“
Accomplish
your goals, and
[don’t] think of
financial aspects.
Do what you do
with passion.
Lorenzo Caldwell
Photo Courtesy of Lorenzo Caldwell
South Florida DJ, Lorenzo
Caldwell.
he stated that corporate under
appreciates them. “Core DJs” is an
organization that consists primarily
of radio DJs on the nationwide
level. Popular South Florida urban
radio station 99 Jamz also has a
share of DJs that are apart of this
organization, including Drive
Time personality Lorenzo “IceTea” Thomas, DJ Kool G, and DJ
Entice.
Caldwell currently does the
Thunderstorm Mix, with Hot 105’s
Marc Young and has been involved
with the station since 2006. He
is also on air with Boston’s new
Touch 106.1 FM, Richmond, Va.
WKJS Kiss FM. Since Jan. 2010,
LC has held the program director
position at Touch 106.1 FM in
Boston. Throughout all of his
many appearances and time slots,
“
page 10
Caldwell can still be found on his
own website mocradio.com.
With many hit shows on his
resume, including his show here
in South Florida, he mentions
“I’m trying to be number one
everywhere I go.”
With all Caldwell has done with
his career, he “encourages students
to have persistence, as well as finish
school, and surround yourself in
the world of media and music.”
Caldwell feels that it is important
to intern and get your name out in
the business.
“Pay or no pay, don’t be
discouraged. Accomplish your
goals, and [don’t] think of financial
aspects. Do what you do with
passion,” he said. Caldwell can
be reached on his website www.
mocradio.com.
nov. 8, 2010
Entertainment
page 11
Katy Perry stirs up ‘Sesame Street’
Pop singer takes
criticism for her
revealing wardrobe
on children’s show
By Rogihanne Avin
Contributing Writer
She’s been to Rodeo Drive and she’s
preached the virtues of being a “California
Gurl,” but one place Katy Perry has visited
that stirred up quite a controversy was her
friends on Sesame Street. Perry’s revealing
wardrobe during her duet with Elmo has
parents talking about everything but her
voice.
The pop sensation, born in Santa Barbara,
Ca., holds a squeaky clean background. The
second child of two pastors, Perry was raised
in a religius environment. Her parents own
a ministry where she started singing at the
young age of nine and continued onward.
It was safe to say that she only listened to
gospel music and avoided what her mother
called secular music. She even attended a
Christian school and summer camp. Perhaps
some of those pastors were included in the
backlash from Perry’s appearance on the
familiar kid’s show.
Towards the end of September, Sesame
Street started leaking sneak footage with
celebrities like Will.I.Am to honor their 41st
anniversary on televsion. Perry was one of
the many talents featured on the show. She
Photo courtesy of posh24.com
Katy Perry and Elmo sing “Hot N Cold” in a special feature of “Sesame Street” which
was pulled due to Perry’s revealing dress.
was filmed singing a version of her song “Hot
N Cold,” with Sesame Street’s most famous
monster, Elmo. If Elmo’s fur wasn’t already
red he may have been blushing from Perry’s
obviously low cut sweetheart top dress with
a nude sheer layer to her neckline.
With fame comes controversy. Since
“Sesame Street” is geared toward children
ages one to six many viewers deemed her
wardrobe inappropriate. The teaser clip
went viral on YouTube and was displayed on
several media sites including tv.gawker.com.
Viewers had swayed opinions on the level of
appropriateness in Perry’s choice for “dress
up” with Elmo. User ellsie_daisy expressed
“Hot is more for Bourbon Street, not Sesame
Street.” On the other hand many did not
find a problem with the wardrobe choice
and claimed that children see more cleavage
at “a grocery store” than in the two and a half
minute clip on Sesame Street.
It is understandable that they would react
that way, but to solely blame Perry is unfair.
Why not blame “Sesame Street?” After all,
they could have said no to the dress. It is
usually customary for all major television
shows to approve an actors clothing, if not
supply them with wardrobe. I think that
controversy was a form of publicity for their
41st season. Perry may have promiscuous
songs like “I Kissed a Girl” working against
her favor in the eyes of parents, but she
clearly has key determination that children
can look up to. She always had a passion for
performing and worked her way up from
an amateur dancer learning swing and the
jitterbug in a recreation building to selling
out theaters and shows.
Fame was never seen as unattainable to
Perry. Although she dropped out of high
school and earned her general education
degree in her search for fame, she studied
music at many levels and even dablled in
Italian opera for several years. At the age of
fifteen, she caught the attention of some rock
veterans in Nashville, Tenn.
After wavering back and forth between
record companies Perry had her failures
but worked her way up to a rising figure in
Hollywood.
Perry may be getting a lot of attention
for her expression as an artist but while her
professional life remains on the fast track to
unlimited success. Her personal life will keep
the furied parents at ease. She is now the wife
of actor Russell Brand, known for his roles in
“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him
to the Greek.”
Her newest album “Teenage Dream,”
which is generating much buzz, and her
fairy tale with Brand prove that not even
a misdeamenor on “Sesame Street” could
bring Perry down from the top of the charts.
Entertainment
nov. 8, 2010
page 13
Haunting tale drives internet gamers mad
By Jeffrey Martinez
Contributing Writer
Video games are generally
regarded as harmless fun, or
as a diversion from the more
stressful periods of our daily
lives. Yet at times, these worlds of
entertainment hold more than they
let on, which is something darker
and more menacing. It is said that
when a person dies a tragic death,
their spirit remains behind to
haunt the world they once roamed.
If so, does that same rule apply to a
virtual world?
Cyberspace has been taken over
by Jadusable, an aspiring storyteller
who decided to crack his hands on
something spooky and interactive.
His real name is unknown, but
he goes by his online
username Jadusable
or
even
the
nickname, Jad.
Online forums
had quite the shake
up on Sept. 9th,
when the
mysterious
college
sophmore known as Jad by his
online followers, posted a twelve
post long story on the paranormal
forum on 4chan.org.
4chan is an “image-based
bulletin board,” according to the
site, that allows anyone to post
comments and share photos on
various topics including “Japanese
animation and culture, to video
games, music and photography.”
The posts gave a detailed
account of Jad buying a bootleg
copy of the Nintendo 64 video
game, The Legend of Zelda:
Majora’s Mask, from an old man
at a yard sale and the paranormal
activity that took place following
his interaction with the game and
a spirit called BEN.
As Jad puts it, “When you read
a scary story, there’s no doubt that
it can be creepy, but in the back
of your mind you know you’re
safe behind your computer
screen; I attempted to shatter
that “fourth wall” with BEN.
I wanted to write a story that
involved the reader so they
would feel more connected
to the story.”
Using video games as his
medium, Jad used a ROM
version of Majora’s Mask
to create the glitches and
effects in the videos uploaded
to frighten readers of the
forum and to make his story
more realistic. He wanted
to create an engaging
experience that differs
from the run-of-the-mill
horror story.
If there is one thing
Jad can attest to, it is that
a story that started as
fiction can cause quite the
revolution.
His story began when
he booted the game
up, encountering a
previously saved game
file on the cartridge
titled
“BEN.”
Remembering that
the game belonged
to a young boy, the
old man knew Jad
surmised that the game’s previous
owner was named Ben and left
the file alone, creating his own
save file. As he played, the game
would glitch and the characters
in the game would call him Ben,
even though he named his avatar
“Link.” Annoyed, Jad deleted the
BEN file and resumed playing;
that is when the nightmare began.
After performing a move
which would allow him to play
pass the three-day limit (around
72 minutes real time) the game
normally provides, Jad was
shocked to discover that the entire
gaming world went out of control
and began to function beyond its
normal coding.
Mysterious statues mimicking
Link would appear, followed by
the game’s music playing in reverse,
doorways leading to random places
and his avatar bursting into flames.
He was plagued with nightmares
about the game, but would return
numerous times, playing the game
and uploading his play-through’s
on YouTube.
“The concept of a videogame, a
device that only reacts to what the
user tells it, suddenly going outside
its coding was something I wanted
to explore,” said Jad on his website.
The followers of Jad’s posts were
split in two: those who appreciated
Jad’s attempt at creativity on the
web and those who believed the
radical story.
Throughout Jad’s fictional
posts an entity, named BEN who
claimed to be the spirit of the
previous owner, was discovered in
the game. The spirit controlled
Jad’s computer. Jad continued to
play the game, interacting with the
BEN persona.
To add to his crafty posts his
character disappeared after an
odd text message and Youtube
posts with BEN, escaping the
confinements of the gaming
cartridge through the downloaded
journals, has entered the Internet.
The ambiguous fiction hit it big
with online gamers when the story
became interactive. Barely a day
after Jad’s claimed disappearance,
encr ypted
messages
began
to appear on Jad’s
YouTube
account,
and
hundreds
of users from
forums all across
Cyberspace
rushed to the
scene to decipher and
figure out these messages.
Accounts
of
BEN
speaking to users from chat
sites, like Cleverbot, flooded
the forums and gaming
news sites as others
formulated their own
theories as to what was
going on.
Players, from around the globe,
booted up their Nintendo 64s,
Gamecubes and Wii’s as they
recorded videos and uploaded
them to YouTube, acting out scenes
as if they took place in real life.
In this land of make believe
videos seem to have an effect on the
situation as the Internet is tossed
through time, websites crash, and
BEN continues to fight for his
control of the Internet. All this
occurred from just one man with
the simple desire to tell a story.
There are hundreds of users who
continue to play this game with Jad
and are trying to crack the mystery
of the Moon Children, a fictional
cult created to destroy the world.
Most see the story as good fun,
a welcoming alternative to both
gaming and storytelling. There
are a few cases out there, however,
where people believe in the Moon
Children conspiracy, giving away
their stuff and awaiting the end.
Others are making a profit off the
story. Clothes sporting famous
lines from the tale have been
crawling in the crevices of online
stores everywhere.
While Jad is flattered by all the
publicity, he was shocked at the
number of people interacting
with his story. Getting over
300,000 visitors to his hidden site,
Jad’s lousy web-host couldn’t take
the traffic. The story was finally put
to rest on Sept. 20.
“I’m just a sophomore in college
who came up with this elaborate
idea and as it stands I simply don’t
have the manpower or the funds to
continue this in the direction that
I wanted it to go,” he admitted in
a post on his site.The site remains
to serve as an archive for the games’
events, though many doubted the
site would last.
The fate of the website was
unclear until Oct. 10 when a new
post was updated on the site’s
home page depicting that the game
was entering its final arc, taking
the form of a flash video game for
players to download and play.
News of what Jad is doing is
unknown at this time, but it is
clear that this young man’s passion
and skill for storytelling has moved
the Internet community in ways
normal video games could not.
This will not be the last we hear of
BEN and the Moon Children.
To follow up on the latest in
the story, post theories or look for
clues visit Jads’ website at: www.
youshouldnthavedonethat.net/
Images Courtest of quizilla.teennick.org
3D cinema is a literal sight for sore eyes
By Melissa Simons
Staff Writer
I love technology for the simple
fact that it makes my life easier.
From the wonders of the cell
phones with applications ready for
everything to movies with special
effects that make it seem like you
were really there, what isn’t to love
about technology? Perhaps the
oversized glasses that accompany
almost every major blockbuster
these days.
Viewing 3D movies has become
more than a fad and almost
redundant over the past year. It
used to be done for small budgeted
films in the 80s and 90s, but at that
time there was not a large market
of people interested in watching a
movie with ridiculous paper glasses
on with red and blue filtering for
the eyes.
When audiences took them off
after a movie, they realize what a
strain they put on their eyes for the
screen time maximized by blurry
images reaching from within the
screen.
Removing the glasses during
the movie would only increase the
issue, letting you see only a semiblurred array of characters outlined
in blue and red. Thinking about it
can make your head spin.
The technology for shooting a
film in 3D makes the lives of the
filming crew easier in some ways
because it’s done with computers.
The 3D films in the past did well
enough in the box office back then,
but there has obviously been a huge
advancement in technology since.
With the first exposure of
3D being as early as 1865 using
stereoscopic images taken from
slightly different points of views
just to make the faint illusion of
three dimensional images. Red and
green lenses were used even during
that time period.
The next largest 3D boom
was in the 1950s with 3D classics
like “Bwana Devil,” “Man in the
Dark,” and “House of Wax.” The
1900s progressed and 3D followed
its coattails until this decade when
the area of art was resurrected for a
full time run of all 3D movies.
Since the times of “House of
Wax” Imax theaters have been
created to enjoy these films and
equipment has been improved,
even the glasses have gotten a
little less mortifying. I don’t know
about you guys but I don’t want to
strain my eyes for a few hours with
shadows of red and blue.
With new technology, we
don’t have to sit with the paper
glasses in theaters or home for that
matter, because they’ve upgraded
dramatically to the big black
shades. Unfortunately that’s all I
enjoy about the progressions of
3D; the glasses are actually better
looking and better for your eyes.
I feel that the craze has become
all too familiar and could use a bit
of toning down.
Home theaters are pretty cool
when you want to have a night
in with your friends, but a 3D
television is a little much. I know
that times are changing and too
much of a good thing can turn out
bad.
Films like “Avatar” may be
expected to have amazing graphics
and 3d should be utilized, but with
the recent “Jackass” 3D no one
needed to see Johnny Knoxville
crash through a class window on
a motorcycle or any of the more
grotesque footage featured in the
film magnified. Not to mention
movie prices for 3D increase
dramatically.
Movies aren’t just doing well in
the box office based on the plot.
Three dimensionally films are huge
competitors that almost always
champion over 2D films. Supply
and demand is only going to give
us back more 3D movies, along
with pointless 3D televisions and
Bluray players. What are the odds
of a thousand directors making
movies also in 3D and hoping to
have the same results?
I’m not bashing our new
technological advances in movie
watching, I just feel we may have
been better off without it.
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Opinion
nov. 8, 2010
page 15
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Photo courtesy of Flickr.com
Deadly effects result of gay bullying
By Donna Levasseur
Staff Writer
How many heterosexual couples or students are living on the “down low?” By “down low,” I am
referring to a man who is involved in a heterosexual relationship but is still having sexual relations with
another man.
“In September at least five teenage boys committed suicide after being tormented for being gay,”
according to ABC News. Being bullied because of your sexual orientation is a form of prejudice and
harassment. Is society forcing gay individuals to suppress their identity; to conceal the very essence
of who they are physically, mentally and emotionally? It poses the idea that society has become so
homophobic that it is causing young gay men and women to choose between death or living a life of
depression, lies, resentment and rejection.
It appears that more and more young people at home or in school are choosing death, due to fear
of rejection, bullying, shame and possibly losing their circle of friends. For some young adults this can
mean the world to them.
This travesty has been more common over the past few months. Most recently, Tyler Clementi is
a lost face to the world due to bullying and discrimination against homosexuals. He kept his sexual
orientation a secret from his peers. Clementi, a student at Rutgers University, posted last words to his
friends on his Facebook page on Sept. 22 to announce his suicide. According to an article from ABC
News, his death was due to the exploitation of a live-streamed video of a sexual encounter Clementi
had with another man in his dorm room. Students, Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei, have been charged
with two counts of invasion of privacy after placing a camera in the room on Sept. 19.
Is it fair for anyone heterosexual or homosexual to live under such conditions? I don’t understand why
your sexual orientation should deem you a good or bad person. Shouldn’t things like your character,
values, integrity and how you relate to your peers and others in society offer some credibility into
your character? Your sexual orientation is a personal and private matter. If you choose to announce
it publicly, is this a crime or should it be kept private because it is not acceptable by some in society?
Either way, this rash of suicides by young teens is devastating and warrants attention. There are
several organizations that have sprung up in the past couple of years addressing these issues on anti-gay
sentiments and acts of violence against gay men and women. One in particular is The Trevor Project,
a nonprofit endeavor established to promote acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and aid
in suicide prevention among that group.
The Trevor Project was founded by writer James Lecesne, director and producer Peggy Rajski and
producer Randy Stone, creators of the 1994 Academy Award winning short film, “Trevor,” a comedic
drama about a gay 13-year-old boy who, when rejected by friends because of his sexuality, makes an
attempt to take his life.
On the local level, Broward College (BC) has a Gay Straight Alliance where students can belong to
a group accepting of the homosexual community. Many colleges and universities, including BC, has
set up a system of safe zones on campus where students can go if they feel threatened because of their
orientation.
Regardless of your sexual orientation, color, race, or nationality, being subjected to harassment and
bullying of any kind is unacceptable on all levels.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Jillian Goltzman
Central Bureau
Chief
Skylar Siegel
South Bureau
Chief
Clayton Gutzmore
North Bureau
Chief
Ronald Bray
Broward college
2009 FCCPA General
Excellence Award
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Brittani Philbin
Sports Editor
Steve Levin
Managing Editor
Richard Perez
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Karen Casilimas
staff Writers
Alexandra Martinez
Alexis Martinez
Anthony Foglia
Buzz Lamb
Donna Levasseur
Laureen Jocelyn
Melissa Simons
Copy Editors
Alejandro Lozano
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Adviser
Jennifer Shapiro
Adviser’s
assistant
Chris Cutro
Contributing
Writers
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David Dulak
Felecia King
Alejandra Laverde
Jeffrey Martinez
Photographers
Von Clinton
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Laureen Jocelyn
Staff Writer
Let this sink into your
thoughts. Imagine a beautiful,
healthy child, your child, with
the most gorgeous eyes and
amazing smile looking up at you
as they learn to ride a bike or tie
their shoe.
Think of the excitement they’ll
have on their face when they
make a team or the school’s play
or even if they’re in the running
to being the next President of the
United States. But you’ll never
know; none of those events
would take place all because of
a simple, seemingly easy
procedure made to
silence the voices that
didn’t even have a say
in a choice that ends
their life before it even
had a chance to begin.
Instead of killing two
souls, just save one.
About every 20 seconds
of each day, a fetus in its own
mother’s womb is killed because
it’s considered an easy way out
or an end to a problem. But
it’s not an end to a problem;
it’s a gateway to thousands of
stressful emotions and regrets.
What makes this situation
solved by aborting a child? Is it
the fact you’ll never have to see
their face, stress about buying
diapers or that people won’t
know about your mistake?
Your one mistake where you
weren’t wearing a condom
or you were careless and the
consequences finally caught up
with you. Abortion is what this
seemingly simple solution is
called but it should be named
murder.
Abortion is a rapidly increasing
solution to a situation that has
other options besides killing an
innocent child who has yet to
live their life.
What makes a murderer that
has killed countless people
any different than a mother
that takes the option to kill her
own child? Abortion is only one
solution to a situation that can
be solved other ways.
Adoption is always a factor in
these situations even if it may
seem difficult to give up a child;
it’s more difficult to take away
their lives.
With adoption, you have no
price to pay and you have the
reward that you made the right
choice.
Stand up for life protest.
Knowing that your child is
being taken care of properly can
be a great feeling. But it seems
as though abortion is not what’s
best for the innocent child, but
more convenient for the person
carrying it.
What people don’t understand
is that abortion has a cost.
Abortion can cause deep
depression called postpartum
depression, which is triggered
by guilt and grief.
Abortion has other side
effects such as sleeplessness,
tension, anxiety, frequent mood
changes, and anger. But that’s
just the tip of the iceberg;
abortion has more fatal effects
than that. It can also cause
breast
cancer,
bowel
injury,
bladder injury,
ectopic (tubal)
p r e g n a n c y,
hemorrhages, and
the list goes on and
on.
So why would
a person want to
destroy two lives when
they can just save one. It’s
becoming more evident that
abortion is vastly increasing
and becoming a problem.
Society has had its fair share
of petitions and rallies to stand
up for the right of the unborn,
to prevent abortions, and
preserve life but it is of no use.
Abortion clinics are still here
and still taking the lives of the
unborn.
Yeah, you’re eighteen and out
on your own. You’re sitting in the
corner of your bathroom, crying
your eyes out, and looking at the
pregnancy test with a blue cross
indicating you’re pregnant and
start to panic.
Thousands of questions
pierce your mind. You start
thinking of what you are going
to do, how did this happen, and
who will help you?
How can you possibly raise a
child if you have no one to help?
There you think the first solution
to your problem is abortion. Well
most situations come with more
than one option; let that second
option be research.
Look up the plenty of
organizations that are willing
to help in your time of need or
look up a phone number to an
adoption agency that will not
only save a life, but help you
keep yours as well. Think, just
save one.
Photo courtesy of sclife.org
Skylar Siegel
CENTRAL Bureau Chief
Take a moment,
close your eyes, and
imagine you’re eighteen,
living on your own, just
entering
adulthood,
struggling to make ends
meet and you find out you’re
four weeks pregnant. You have
a low income, no emotional
support, and no one to help
raise the baby; the thought of
abortion comes to mind.
Now, as you think about
abortion, you begin to do
research, only to find out the
state of Wisconsin, in which you
live, has banned abortions.
In response to a far-reaching
anti-abortion bill passed by the
Wisconsin state legislature,
doctors in Wisconsin stopped
providing abortion services
in May of 1998, and most
women were forced to cross
state lines to access legal
abortion. Wisconsin is just
one of the many states that
are attempting to illegalize
abortion in an effort to convert
the contrasting states into
being prolife.
State laws and the new
phenomenon of Anti-abortion
Crisis Pregnancy Centers,
which are located in small
and large towns throughout
the United States, are both
hindering those who believe
in prochoice. These centers
have been established as, antiabortion groups and are called,
“crisis pregnancy centers,”
“pregnancy
counseling
centers,” or “pregnancy help
centers.”
They are often located near
high schools, or in extreme
scenarios,
across
from
abortion clinics. These centers
follow a format promoted
by the Pearson Foundation
to deliberately misinform
and mislead young women.
These centers vary in names,
including: Crisis Pregnancy
Center, Pregnancy Aid, Birth
Right, Open Door, CareNet,
Life Choices, or Pregnancy
Counseling Center.
These groups want to be the
first contact a woman makes
when she thinks she might be
pregnant so they can talk her
out of considering abortion.
These centers are said to be
some of the worst places ever.
They have women waiting up to
Walk 4 Life Counter March protest.
an hour for the results
of a pregnancy test that
should only take a
few minutes. While
waiting, they are
forced to watch antiabortion videos, or
be surrounded by antiabortion propaganda.
Women describe being
harassed, intimidated, and
given blatantly false information,
or being forced to pray with
the crisis pregnancy center’s
staff. In some cases, they were
even followed home, where mail
and phone calls intruded their
homes.
Outside of the states that have
put strict laws on abortion and
the pregnancy crisis centers,
there are other elements that
obstruct a women’s right to be
prochoice, such as society itself.
I don’t understand why it is
anyone’s business except that
of the mother. It is her body, her
fetus, her choice; no one should
have the right to interfere
with that choice. However,
government is becoming more
and more influential in changing
the laws of abortion.
Even here in Florida, changes
may be upon us. For example,
Governor Charlie Crist has
vetoed the most controversial
bill of the 2010 Florida
legislative session, which
would have required women,
seeking an abortion during the
first trimester, to undergo an
ultrasound exam and pay for it.
The bill would have required
women to view the live ultrasound
image, or have it described by a
doctor unless they could prove
they were victims of rape,
incest, or domestic violence.
This is horrific and inhuman,
because not all women report
their rapes, incest or domestic
violence. All in all, the bill is
atrocious, unfair, and can cause
an unnecessary amount of pain
for any women who are seeking
an abortion.
In its entirety, the battle
between prolife and prochoice
is never-ending. It will
continue until the end of time,
unfortunately, because it is
so controversial with so many
different aspects. However, if it
were up to me, I would demand
that all legal bans and laws on
abortion be dropped, allowing
every woman the option to be
prochoice. After all,we are all
the masters of our own destiny.
Photo courtesy of indybay.org