Issue 1 | Spring 14

To get your new semester and new year started right,

WELCOME
to

ORIENTATION

we show you the places to be when away from campus

Established 1970 2121 Euclid Avenue Student Media Center, MC 471 Cleveland, Ohio 44115

THE VINDI STAFF|SPRING 2014

Editor-In-Chief: Director of Art & Communication: Copy Editor: Features Editor: Media Specialist: Faculty Advisor:

Cynthia Johnstone Robert Gatewood

Managing Editor: Takaya Williamson

Saily Aloni Nina Kidd Dan Lenhart Adrienne Gosselin

CONTACT US

216.687.2118 editor.vindi@gmail.com

More than just a Magazine.

student publication. arts and culture in 2014 means more than it did a decade ago. things have evolved. were in an always-connected world, and THIS universitys magazine should reflect the world we live in, and the world we plan on making.

Were building a grassroots, social media infused,

NEXT GENERATION

FACEBOOK VindicatorCSU TWITTER CSUVindi SCRIBD VindicatorCSU

Join US.
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

cynthia johnstone

THE VINDICATOR SPRING 2014 STAFF bios

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My name is Cynthia Johnstone, or CJ for those who know me best. Eight years ago, I began my college career after dropping out of high school and becoming a single mother. My outlook on life was bleak. The path I was on was suffocating and torturous. I could not bring my daughter up in such a destitute situation. Picking myself up by the boot straps, as they say, I earned my GED and enrolled at Cuyahoga Community College, receiving my Associate of Liberal Arts in 2010. I later transferred to CSU where, after changing my major five times, I settled on a degree in Graphic and Web Design. I have a new and fantastic outlook on life now and my daughter and I are the better for it. I am due to graduate in fall, 2014. Our future is bright!

DIRECTOR OF

ROBERT GATEWOOD

ART & COMMUNICATION

Robert Gatewood is an Undergraduate Student in the Graphic Design program. A creator at heart, he enjoys taking his thoughts and observations and creating interesting, engaging and interactive works from them in every medium he can control. His passions include gaming (the entire lifestyle surrounding it, including playing, talking about, creating, and preserving video games), music production, brand design, fiction writing, and keeping up to date with social networking and internet culture. Never good, but always better.

MANAGING EDITOR

TAKAYA WILLIAMSON

Takaya S. Williamson earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Womens studies from Cleveland State University where she remains in pursuit of an MFA in English. Though her heart lies within the creative writing concentration, her aspirations point her toward the literary track. A Cleveland native but raised in the Dirty South shes a hybrid of southern hospitality and northern cynicism. During her down time she enjoys reading and writing paranormal romance, urban fantasy and occasionally the cheesy romance. Among her favorite authors are Stephen King, Michelle Rowen, L.A. Banks and Octavia Butler.

COPY EDITOR

SAILY ALONI

Saily Aloni is a Graduate Student in the MSHS program of Health Sciences Department. A future healer, she is interested in learning about healing traditions from all over the world along with the Western Medicine. When not studying, in her downtime, she enjoys reading, baking, dancing and learning combat arts - On her quest to become a Great Woman and a Warrior Princess!

FEATURES EDITOR

NINA KIDD

Nina Kidd is a graduate student at Cleveland State University majoring in English Literature. Her undergraduate degree was also in English Literature. Nina works at the Writing Center at CSU. She is a classically trained pianist and owns a small greeting card company that specializes in creating customized greeting cards. She will be graduating with her Masters degree in May 2014.

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WELCOME TO ORIENTATION. PAGE

Your guide to some of the best R&R around campus.

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CONTENTS
ABOVE THE FOLD [19] News of the moment, Photography from around the city, Advice for the new year, and a warning to sexters everywhere. LIVE FREE OR DIE [4] PRESS X [8] Theres a big problem in gaming, and it goes by three letters. No, not NSA, DLC. Also, a look back at chest-high walls and chainsaw-guns. STYLES [12] The Vindicator staff shows you some interesting short hairstyles for the upcoming (yes, its coming) warm weather. POETS CORNER [18] Emily Kopp speaking through the eyes of someone who, nearing a critical procedure, wonders aloud at peoples perceptions. POLAR VORTEX [21] See the event that was called the polar vortex through the images from local photographers.

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The internet itself is under attack. By whom? Why? What can we do about it? We discuss this complicated but everrelevant conict. FEATURED WRITER [32] Sara Cifani tackles two tough subjectsRacial identication and homosexualityin her report on the classic novel Passing.

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LIVE FREE OR DIE

THE NET NEUTRALITY problem
By Robert Gatewood
The idea of Network Neutrality, sometimes referred to as Net Neutrality, has existed for as long as the modern internet. It is an idea that says all content on the internet must be treated alike and cannot be discriminated against. Initially, this ideal was inherent to the internetit hadnt even been considered as a contestable point. Now however, courts are currently considering cases all over the world that can forever affect the way humans communicate, one way or another. Telecommunications companies that control the distribution of bandwidth (the actual wires and services on which the internet is built) believe that they have the right to alter, limit and control network bandwidth as they see fit. This reasoning goes against internationally recognized rights of free speech and privacy. While data has gotten larger and more difficult to share than the current network models sometimes can handle, limiting a persons ability to share and access information is unjust. The same rights people have to share information in other forms extend to the internet, and must be protected as such. Data on the internet was once limited to low resolution video, text, and images (flash animations were just beginning to become a standard addition to websites). Then in 2005, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) removed the rules that prohibited cable and telephone companies from discriminating against providers of content over the internet. The rationale given by the FTC was that the advent of complex websites integrating HD video and more bandwidth-taxing peer-to-peer sharing programs put undue stress on the network, and providers had the right to protect the quality of the network for all users. Soon after, the idea of Net Neutrality was under attack by corporate executives across the country, who announced theyd soon take advantage of this new gaping hole in the protection of the internet. Legislation proposed by AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon looked to create a tiered service model. A model such as this would limit bandwidth according to cost; by charging content providers (anyone who hosts a website) for a completely open use of bandwidth, they would be able to effectively squeeze out smaller companies and individuals. In defense of the telecommunications companies, the internet has drastically changed. Five years ago the internets content was primarily text: e-mails, news, blogs, and advertisement of products (Almassy). While the Internet in 2010 still sees use of all these services, Video-on-Demand, in its various forms, has become a large part of what defines the internet experience. Video can be embedded in all aspects of the internet and, coincidentally, is the most taxing on the bandwidth offered by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The competitive market of residential internet service has established a fair market value. This value was at a level that compensated fairly for use in 2007, but with exponentially rising demand for video and peer-to-peer services, the current model is leaving ISPs in an unenviable position. The average cost to an ISP in the 2005 market was around $5 for bandwidth-use-per-user, not counting infrastructure, repair, and other factors. Now, it is upwards of $112. As such, they cannot increase profits in a market where it has both gotten more expensive to offer the same product, and where expanding the product offered is equally expensive. This is where the tiered model offered by the big carriers comes into play. It would allow the ISP to stand in between the content providers (such as Youtube, Hulu, Google Mail, etc.) and consumers, requiring that content providers pay a yetunspecified fee for guaranteed delivery at a specific quality (Lessig). Because there are no defined standards agreed upon by the ISPs, this gives them unprecedented power in controlling content. It allows them to slow connections for those who dont pay at all, and would allow for sites to be blocked completely. Lawrence Lessig,

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Professor of Law at Stanford University writes in the Washington Post:

We would lose the opportunity to vastly expand access and distribution of independent news and community information through broadband television. More than 60 percent of Web content is created by regular people, not corporations. How will this innovation and production thrive if creators must seek permission from a cartel of network owners?

One of the bigger ramifications for allowing ISPs to control users access to content is the disjointedness of an internet where content is filtered and sorted based on corporate affiliation. Because the internet as a whole has been a platform of content, different devices have all had access to the breadth and variety of information the whole network has available. To compare metaphorically, the internet has been a highway. The only limiting factor is the size of the roadvehicles of all kinds can use it and go to places of all kinds, only limited by the amount of cars (which would slow the travel). The destination would dictate the request; much like a school bus is called from a field trip back to school but usually not to a grocery store, or a delivery truck from a warehouse to a customer. These vastly differing vehicles use different routes and cause different disruptions to the traffic. Similarly, smart phones use different parts of the internet than PCs, and standard Cell Phones dont access the same information as IPTV Set-Top boxes. If ISPs sold their best bandwidth to the highest bidder, there could be a situation that limits effective access to government sites on all providers but AT&T. Or make YouTube and Google available exclusively to Verizon. Any other number of scenarios where the entities that create the content are forced to cut out access to it from parts of their customer base (or limit it to ineffectiveness). It would be financially impossible for website owners to pay multiple fees for redundancy over multiple parts of the internet, so this tiered model is a chilling proposition for current users of the internet. Current users would be left out in the cold from services that were once included in what they purchased, and new users would be limited in what they can now access. Choosing a carrier would involve more decisions than comparing bandwidth, availability and cost. For the first time ever, it could include decisions on what social networking sites you want access to, or search providers, or web hosting providers. Using the highway metaphor, a person (user) who has relied on a particular stretch of highway and a particular exit to deliver their product to a customer (website) may soon find that their customer is no longer able to be reached via that route. Finding new customers is now harder, because no matter who they attempt to serve, they only have access to this one highway, and some of the exits are blocked. As bad as a tiered system would be for the internet, an equally egregious attack on the basic right of privacy has been attempted in different places across the country. In the absence of Net Neutrality as written law, some companies have tried to limit users bandwidth based on what kind of information is being accessed. This is known as Data Discrimination, and as recently as 2007, there are documented cases of Comcast Corp. attempting to stop its users from using the internet in ways it felt were negatively affecting the internet speeds of other subscribers. Because companies have had a tough time getting legislative support for enacting a tiered system and this method of controlling bandwidth is still legal, it is becoming a popular way for carriers to manage what it feels are valuable pieces of content. Though Comcast has not confirmed this as their reasoning to do so, it is clearly advantageous for them to slow BitTorrent (a peer-to-peer technology) sharing because it is a free communications method over the internet as compared to slowing more popular mainstream sites. If sites such as YouTube, Break, or Hulu were slow on their network compared to AT&T, this would be a weakness for Comcast. Because BitTorrent is popular and an inherently anonymous technology, their activities in hampering user connectivity is more deniable, and therefore safer to their bottom line and to their reputation.

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The methods used by Comcast to slow connections between users are deceptive at best, intrusive at worst. The BitTorrent network operates by allowing users to share files they have common on their computers with others worldwide. If ten users have the same file all on the same network and someone requests it, pieces of it would be downloaded simultaneously, from different people, rather than one file being downloaded all together from one source. Peter Svennson, columnist for the Associate Press, describes Comcasts process at impeding network speed: Each PC gets a message invisible to the user that looks like it comes from the other computer, telling it to stop communicating. But neither message originated from the other computerit comes from Comcast. If it were a telephone conversation, it would be like the operator breaking into the conversation, telling each talker in the voice of the other: Sorry, I have to hang up. Good bye. For all the reasons the telecommunications companies have used to try to control the flow of information over the internet, none address the inherent freedom the platform was designed to have. Every single one of their efforts, from creating a tiered network, to discriminating bandwidth based on data type, infringes on rights all the industrialized nations have agreed upon. The internet is a platform that has been unified from the beginning to allow all people the ability to share whatever they wish with other users. If Net Neutrality is not soon recognized in the law, the platform that launched YouTube, Facebook, and eBay would be turned into an over-commercialized strip-mall in which the only companies that can afford to pay for the exposure will be available to all people. Information would be subject to corporate revision, innovation would be stymied, and the future of communication would be controlled by a few corporations. Fortunately, this future isnt set. It can be changed, and over the last few years there have been grassroots efforts to prevent legislation from passing to enable these damaging limitations through petitioning representatives, public demonstration, and internet blackouts (where major websites like Google either interrupted service or prominently displayed solidarity with the protests). Our inalienable rights to free speech and privacy must be protected, and signing Net Neutrality into law would do just that.

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THE 2014 POLAR VORTEX IN IMAGE

Images by Emily Kopp, Martin Fong, Lynn Ischay

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In 2014, gaming is this:

A A DOLLAR DOLLAR AT AT A A TIME TIME

By Robert Gatewood

Welcome to the future.

Its 2014, and in gaming, buying a game isnt this: Going to a store, looking at the selection of titles they have for your chosen platform, maybe talking with a friend or an employee, and choosing which game to drop 65 dollars on. After going home and putting the game in, you play for a good amount of hours, enjoy yourself, and its happily ever after.

Going to the store, looking at the selection of games, and being pressured to pre-order a game that hasnt released yet for the benefit of some pre-order exculsive hat or weapon or experience boost. You politely turn them down, buy the game you pick, and go home. You put the game in, and after a 4 minute game update, at the title menu youre marketed new content for a game you literally just bought and havent played.

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THIS IS A PROBLEM. Now, Ive been gaming for over two decades. They have gotten ever complex, detailed, and expensive to produce. With budgets rivalling and often topping that of summer blockbuster films (tens to hundreds of millions of dollars), it doesnt take a genius to realize that publishers of these games are desperate to at the very least make back the money put into a game. This isnt a complicated math problem. Its simple addition. But on our side, as game consumers, its a simple problem as well. At the same time games have gotten more and more elaborate, they too have gotten shorter and smaller in scope relative to the actual gaming content we are given for the price were expected to pay. It becomes a difficult sell to one of us to buy the yearly revision of a game title that has, at best, minor graphical improvements and little to no innovation or even iteration in gameplay. So the main method to split the difference in the last 6 years has been Downloadable Content, better known as DLC. With DLC, a developer can build on top of a game they have already finished, with a known market for the game who would likely be interested in more content. They dont have to build resources from scratch, as the majority of the heavy developmental lifting is already completed. It seems that it could be a winwin compromise: give us more of what we want, and improve the bottom line with less investment.

The potential that DLC offers has been used improperly almsot since its console inception. Expansion packs have been a normal component in PC gaming forever, so we have a clue on how it can be used correctly. Good DLC adds value to a game; by increasing the available content for a gamer, developers further develop community appreciation for a title, and more importantly increase the value of the base game they developed. Bad DLC, however, does the exact opposite. Bad DLC removes content that otherwise would have been included in the base game, or at the very least appears to do so. It makes playing the base game you already purchased cheaply difficult in the absence of purchasing it. It motivates a player to spend money to feel justified in buying the base game at all. If you look at the just-past 7th generation of console games, the path weve taken to get here is littered with examples of developers not knowing how to properly add extra avenues of income via additional DLC. One of the more famous (or infamous) examples, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, offered for the price of $5, the ability to equip your in-game horse with armor. Horse armor. You still had to play to earn enough gold in-game to have your character buy it, but it served no gameplay purpose, and was $5. It caused an uproar because Bethesda (the developer) spend development resources

It seems that it could be a win-win compromise: give us more of what we want, and improve the bottom line with less investment.
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on making that when they could have done so making a substanitive expansion to the sprawling game world Oblivion had. To Bethesdas credit, they also release some of the best examples of DLC in their Shivering Isles expansion, which added a whole new world, dozens of hours of gameplay, and an additional narrative. Depending on the genre, DLC is more or less simple to determine whether it adds value or takes value away. In games like Red Dead Redemption and Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag, the additions of Undead Nightmare (Adding Zombies and a B-movie narrative) and Freedoms Cry (A new story featuring a new protagonist) respectively are obviously additive because the base games themselves are so robust and expansive. Without buying the DLC, no one argues these games pulled any content for later sale at a premium. Similarly, buying extra uniforms in a sports game like NCAA Football 14 is logical and allows hardcore fans of conferences or teams to have more for their favorites. But in a Game like Mass Effect 3, the From Ashes DLC that was exclusive to a Collectors Edition or later purchase for $10 is more disheartening. It features an extra character for your crew, a mission for him, and unique dialogue he would add to any interactions with crew. Any fan of Mass Effect understood how important the character Javik is because he represents a long extinct race that is integral to the plot of the entire trilogy. Considering him extra was a slap in the face to anyone who invested the 7 years the Mass Effect series had been in existence.

While technically his inclusion or exclusion had no material effect on the game, it showed either a lack of understanding of what fans loved about the series, or worse, an intentional effort to further monetize a game beyond a resonable point. We are a captive audience, because we have waited for the close of a game, so were clearly more likely to spend to get the full experience. There are a lot of issues with DLC, but there is also a lot of potential. Increasing the value of a game we purchased is a smart play, and one we would welcome. But we have to, in response, not purchase games that clearly are overstepping the bounds of the developer/gamer relationship in trying to remove what should rightfully be in a game to increase the overall profit. Its a disingenuous method of doing this. It obfuscates the cost and uses our passion against us. All of this is ignoring the growing trend of ingame currency for the most part, because thats a subject we need to have a long look at as a community. Should we even tolerate it? Game design and marketing are being detrimentally affected by the constant push to further monetize smaller and smaller bits of games, and we need to be aware of the negative impacts DLC can cause. Dont just buy it, think about it first.

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REWIND

GEARS OF WAR

By Robert Gatewood
Released in November of 2006, Gears of War (by Epic Games) for Xbox 360 was the rst console shooter to employ a contextual cover system and enjoy critical and nancial success. While the brown and gray color palettes of modern-war shooters were just around the corner, Gears somehow subverted this soon-to-be fad by basing itself in a realistic but far-future sci- epic where the humans of planet Sera were facing an apocalyptic threat from the mysterious and brutal Locust Horde, led by Queen Myrrah and her General Raam. It isnt surprising that Gears took off to such success, when looking back. The control scheme is deceptively simple, the graphics and art direction were cutting edge (and still are arguably better than later entries in the series), Kevin Riepls soundtrack matched the combats violent and crunchy feel, and the game that is created when putting these elements together was one of the rst legitimately next-gen experiences had. A happy accident that occurred from this release was its multiplayer popularity. Epic initially had considered shipping Gears of War without any multiplayer component at all, because it felt it wouldnt be recieved well. Thanks to the depth of the control system (utilizing cover, melee, communication) and the visceral nature of Gears combat, it haphazardly became a tentpole of Xbox Lives online gaming portfolio. I would consider it a cult classic, if it werent so critically acclaimed. Gears of War, later with Halo 3, shaped their genre going forward, and helped solidify the Xbox 360 as the platform for competitive shooters.

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STYLES.
With the winter in full force, we know its probably not the most obvious time to think about it, but a short hairstyle might be something you want to consider. Why? Well firstly, its more managable. Why spend all that time preparing your hair when you can use it to put an extra layer or two on? And secondly, with shorter hair you have more options with hats and headbands and earmuffs, no matter your hair type. So weve put together some interesting styles for early winter 2014, for all different kinds of hair. Think of it as your idea board. Dont see something here you think should be? Remember, you can email us with your ideas and selfiesshow us whats good right now, and help us share it with the rest of the campus!

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BLIND
By Emily Kopp @scruffleshuffle

Go on judge Based on what you see. Think of all the labels You can stick on me. Why not nd whats inside? Dont start from theout. My heart is huge, And my body is swollen. My soulold.

Im still living. My thoughts daydream, And I am silent.

Persona is everything, And youblind. You look, Do you see?

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ABOVE THE FOLD

News of the moment, and how we see it.

Bits of Wisdom
With the start of the new year, a ton of people are looking to have resolutions to change their life. Heres one you probably never thought about: forget goals. Goals are ethereal, long term, unattainable ghosts. Instead, think about processes. Want to lose weight? Get excited about working out, not buying new clothes. Want a new job? Start learning new skills. Want a signicant other? Start talking to people you dont know. You cant build a wall without laying the rst brick. - RG

Jahi McMath and Right to Die By Robert Gatewood

At some point it becomes morbid. There is a line, after which, a supportive family becomes selsh and is no longer concerned with the welfare of the person they care so deeply about. This case is a curious one, as the lines are very blurred and its not completely clear, given publicly made information, where Jahi McMaths family lies. Are they on one side of the line, ghting to preserve the life of a girl who may not be physiologically incapable of living? Or are they on the other, postponing the inevitable ceasing of bodily functions? In case youre not familiar, in short, Jahi McMath is a 13 year old girl from Oakland who underwent a tonsillectomy that went horribly wrong and rendered her brain-dead. She has been on machinebased support that has controlled her breathing and other otherwise involuntary functions, and the doctors at Childrens Hospital Oakland say that she is beyond a point of recovery. Any removal of the life support would nearly instantly kill her, and because she is brain-dead she has no prospects to live at all. Because of this, her support is scheduled to be removed on January 7th. Her family, particularly her mother Nailah Winkeld, are ghting to postpone (if not outright prevent) the Hospital from removing life support. Because the Hospital already declared their inability to operate on what they believe is a, for lack of a more subtle term, corpse, Nailah and others are looking to nd a facility that will not just house Jahi, but surgeons who are willing to operate on her to attempt a repair. They had three offers from facilities, but two of them had rescinded their offer and left a lone facility in New York as an option for them. I have three primary issues with this story.

Ready for the New Year. The Hyatt at The Arcade, Downtown Cleveland. By Robert Gatewood.

Firstly, there are objective situations that have occurred. By this I mean we have documented evidence of Jahis current state, and we know

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what being in these states means for a person. According to reports, she suffered what is known as whole brain death this means an irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brainstem and legally this is one of two states of death. Scientically there are no cases of someone persisting without machines when they have suffered whole brain death, and to reach a conclusion such as this doctors typically use very clear methods of checking what kind of brain activity are occurring. In order to be seen as whole brain death, there have to be no evidence of any activity at all and the patient exhibits no ability to continue involuntary but essential processes. Because these things are all black and white fact, I am left to believe that the family is ghting a battle that may not be for Jahis benet. There is no coming back from what she suffered, and while its sadenning, frustrating and unfortunate, forcing her to exist at the control of machines with no hope for returning to even a sliver of a sentient persons existence feels perverse and selsh. I personally wouldnt want to live like this, and thanks to the Terri Schiavo case and my own mothers facing mortality when I was in Kindergarten, I know exactly why. Its my personal experience that colors my distaste for such a disregard for scientic fact. Wishing something wasnt what it is doesnt change the facts. All that said, my second issue is in my knowing that hospitals arent always working in the patients favor in America. I could go on for days about what specic causes might prevent the best outcome for a patient (racial/gender bias at the doctor level, malpractice, protability concerns, corporate inuence, overworked hospital staff, etc.), but I think its well understood that, in many circumstances errors in judgement or honest human errors happen. In those cases, it is critical that patients and the family of patients are thorough in their investigating unfortunate situations such as the one that befell Jahi. It isnt out of the realm of possibility that there is a misdiagnosis, or at the least, a missed detail that could provide a different diagnosis. For this reasoning alone I cant be completely at odds with Nailahs actions. Id work in my familys benet until I too was satised we did all we could. This leads me to the last issue. The right to die debate seems to swing strongly between people of particular faiths. They have beliefs that, somehow, their faith can supercede our scientic understanding of what traumas mean, and because of this when a situation as this becomes a popular news item, I hear all over the place how hospitals are infringing on the rights to practice religion. Im sorry, but at no point do I think faith should be able to get between a doctor and a patient, particularly in circumstances of nearly impossible odds. People believe what they want to, and typically dont make an effort to reach out to nd information that is counter to their chosen belief. No matter the reasoning, this is the case for the majority of believers. Science is indiscriminate, and there are atly true and atly false things that can be drawn from observable states of being. Whole brain death is very simply a death sentence, and I think that anyone advocating Jahis family hold out no matter what, or, pull the plug no matter what, lack the rened and measured reasoning necessary
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ONLINE CRIME By Jeremy Roemmich

@thepornclerk

According to a written statement from the California attorney generals office, Kevin Bollaert, 27, of San Diego was hit with charges on 31 felony counts including conspiracy, extortion, and identity theft, and is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail, at the San Diego County jail. This website published intimate photos of unsuspecting victims and turned their public humiliation and betrayal into a commodity with the potential to devastate lives, Attorney General Kamala Harris said in the statement. Bollaert created the revenge porn website UGotPosted in December 2012, where scorned lovers could publicly post explicit pictures of their exes. The posts were indexed by their full name, and location, with many also including links to victims social media proles, such as Facebook as well. In addition to UGotPosted, Kevin also created a second websitechangemyreputation.com which charged victims as much as $350 to remove their pictures from the original revenge website. Authorities allege that Bollaert made tens of thousands of dollars from these websites, exploiting men, and women who fell victim. UGotPosted was designed to publicly shame cheaters, but its not hard to imagine that it soon became a place for jilted ex-lovers to share adult themed pictures, regardless of the reasons their relationships fell apart. Lets face it, some folks are just bitter, and ignorant. Whether websites like this exist or not, these issues will not go away. Recently a friends scumbag ex-boyfriend posted photos of her nude, and engaging in sexual activity on his Facebook prole, for all their friends to see. This should serve as a reminder to all to be especially careful who you choose to share your own explicit photos with. In this day, and age of technology, relationships face new challenges regularly, and the majority of us have gotten requests for naked pics. One piece of advice I always give friends when the topic of nude seles comes up, is to shoot any photos as close ups that dont include your face, or any tattoos, which allow for anonymity.

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to come to the conclusion they have. Unlike the Terri Schiavo case, Jahis family isnt being given the opportunity to allow her to live a long time to prove that she isnt capable of coming back. Also differing from that case are the unavoidable circumstances of the means of the family, and their race. While Id hope there isnt a bias occurring, its hard not to at least consider it as there is some sort of stronger motivation by the hospital to pull her support. It could very well be that our methods of determining survivability have increased since 1990, and Id suspect that is in fact the reason. All the bits of this story are yet to be determined. As an outside observer, all I can do is hope Jahi gets to be at peace soon.

Family spokesman Omari Sealey makes a statement to the media regarding the condition of his niece Jahi McMath on Monday, in Oakland, Calif. Marcio Jose Sanchez

Old Tomorrow. Cleveland Museum of Art, University Circle. By Robert Gatewood. Want to see photos of yours
here? Email us at editor.vindi@gmail.com

If youd like your thoughts, opinions, or perspectives shared here, dont hesitate to send your submissions! Controversial, universal or anywhere in-between, we are providing every outlook a place to be seen and every voice to be heard.

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WELCOME
to

So, youve gone through our ne Universitys official Student Orientation process. Theyve shown you many of the very essential campus services, places to study, buy supplies, and maybe some interesting places to hang out. If you were lucky, like me, you got a guide who clued you in on some other resources the University wouldnt know to share with you. Consider this a supplement to your official orientation. A small handy guide showing you some of the cooler places on campus, or within a short trip, to get some R&R. Pricing, Address, Discountsthe crucial stuff so you can make a fast but informed decision on how to spend your valuable out-of-class time.

ORIENTATION
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University Circle
The Barking Spider 216.421.2863
Alcohol Wi-Fi Price Vegan

- $ 11310 Juniper Road

Call for Hours

barkingspidertavern.com

The Coffee House

Alcohol Wi-Fi Price

216.791.0300
Vegan

- $
11300 Juniper Road uc-coffeehouse.com
Mon-Thur, 7a-10p Fri, 7a-8p Sat-Sun, 7:30a-8p

ABC Uptown
Alcohol Wi-Fi Price

216.721.1511
Vegan

11434 Uptown Avenue abcthetavern.com

The

$$
Mon-Fri, 4p-2:30a Sat, 12p-2:30a Sun, 4p-2:30a

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ON CAMPUS
Beckys Bar 216.621.0055
Alcohol Wi-Fi Price Vegan
+ ts un ur co o is H D py ID ap H

$
1762 E 18th Street
Open Sun-Fri, 11a-2a Sat 4p-2a (21+ after 9p)

beckysbar.com

Cafe Ah-Roma
Alcohol Wi-Fi

216.771.8700
Price Vegan

- $
2230 Euclid Avenue

cafeah-roma.com

Mon-Fri, 6:30a-9p Sat, 6:30a-5:30p Sun, 8a-5:30p

Elements
Alcohol Wi-Fi

216.802.3131
Price Vegan

1762 E 18th Street

$$
Mon-Fri, 11a-4p Closed Sat-Sun

The The

beckysbar.com
24 24

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ON CAMPUS
Cowell & Hubbard
Alcohol Wi-Fi

216.479.0555
Price Vegan

1305 Euclid Avenue

$$$
Tue-Wed, 11a-10p Thu-Fri, 11a-11p Sat, 4p-11p Sun, 4p-8p

Vegan

cowellhubbard.com

Rascal House
Alcohol Wi-Fi

216.781.6784
Price

- $
1836 Euclid Avenue

rascalhousepizza.com

Mon-Wed, 7a-2:30a Thurs-Sat, 7a-4a Sun 11a-1a

Pedros Pedros 216.325.5016

Alcohol Wi-Fi Price Vegan

- $
1762 E 18th Street
Mon-Fri, 11a-4p Closed Sat-Sun
25 25

beckysbar.com
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V V

DOWNTOWN
The Barley House
Alcohol Wi-Fi

216.623.1700
Price Vegan

H ap py H r ou

- $
1261 West 6th Street

Sun-Sat, 11a-2:30a

barleyhousecleveland.com

Alcohol

Wi-Fi

Price

Vegan

1229 West 6th Street

$$
Thurs-Sat, 9p-2:30a

Vegan

tequilaranchcleveland.com

Dive Bar
Alcohol Wi-Fi

Price

1214 West 6th Street

26 26

$$
Thurs-Fri, 5p-2a Sat, 7p-2a

The The

divebarcleveland.com

21 +

on

ly

216.621.7827

21

on

ly

Tequila Ranch

216.566.8226

+ ts un ur co o is H D py ID ap H
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DOWNTOWN
Paninis Bar & Grill
Alcohol Wi-Fi

216.523.7070
Price Vegan

$ 1290 West 6th Street

paninisgrill.com

Sun-Sat 11a-3a

Presto Sandwiches
Alcohol Wi-Fi

216.344.3999
Price Vegan

Alcohol

- $
Mon-Sat, 11a-5p

401 Euclid Avenue prestosandwiches.com

Noodlecat
Wi-Fi

216.589.0007
Price Vegan

325 Euclid Avenue

$$
Fri-Sat, 11a-11p

27 27

Sun-Thur, 11a-10p

noodlecat.com
The i n d i c a t o r The i n d i c a t o r

V V

DOWNTOWN
Johnnys
Alcohol Wi-Fi

216.623.0055
Price Vegan

1406 West 6th Street

$$$

H ap py H

Mon-Fri, 11:30a-3p

johnnyscleveland.com

Nauti Mermaid 216.771.6175

Alcohol Wi-Fi Price Vegan

ou r

1378 West 6th Street

$$$
Sun-Sat, 11:30a-2:30a

Vegan

thenautimermaid.com

The Flaming Ice Cube 216.263.1111

Alcohol Wi-Fi Price

-
140 Public Square (Euclid)

$$
Mon-Thur, 7:30a-9p Fri, 7:30a-10p Sat, 11a-10p

The The

amingice.com
28 28

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DOWNTOWN
Vincenzas
Alcohol Wi-Fi

216.241.8382
Price Vegan

-
603 Prospect Avenue

$$

Vegan

Mon-Fri 11a-6:30p vincenzaspizzaandpasta.com

Colossal Cupcakes
Alcohol Wi-Fi

216.938.9609
Price

Alcohol

- $
Mon-Fri, 9a-9p Sat, 10a-10p
Wi-Fi Price Vegan

530 Euclid Avenue colossalcupcakes.com

Peets Coffee 216.539.9500

- $
230 West Huron Road (in Tower City)

noodlecat.com
The i n d i c a t o r The i n d i c a t o r

Mon-Fri, 5:30a-7p Sat, 8a-7p Sun, 10a-5p

V V

29 29

West 25th/Ohio City

Market Garden
Alcohol Wi-Fi

216.621.4000
Price Vegan

1947 West 25th Street

$$

Vegan

Sat-Sun, 11a-2:30a marketgardenbrewery.com

Bon Bon Bakery

Alcohol Wi-Fi

216.458.9225
Price

Alcohol

- $
Mon, 6:30a-3p Tue-Fri, 6:30a-8p Sat, 7a-8p Sun, 9a-3p

2549 Lorain Avenue bonboncleveland.com

Ohio City Burrito

Wi-Fi

216.664.0908
Price Vegan

30

- $
Mon-Thur, 11a-8p Fri-Sat, 11a-9p
The

1844 West 25th Street

ohiocityburrito.com

Vindicator

The Vindicator has a long and storied history as an advocate for the underserved portions of our student body. In 2014, we want to push beyond the standard methods of providing an outlet on campus. We love producing our print magazine, but its time someone leverage all the social resources at our disposal. We are that someone. Beginning this semester, we will be making every issue of The Vindicator online, shortly after release. In addition to this, we will be producing smaller-scale special issues available online and potentially in smaller print-runs, and adding older editions online as well. In addition to this, expect to see us in different venues, and at campus events. We want to give Cleveland State a platform unlike any it has seen yet. And were willing to use whatever tools we can to do it. if you have any ideas on how to improve our process, please, contact us at editor.vindi@gmail.com or on any of our social media proles. Your ideas might be whats missing to push this publication over the top. Looking forward to a fun and engaging semester with you.

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Featured Student Writer

Nella Larsens Passing & HOMOSEXUALITY

Nella
Larsen develops fictional characters within a very realistic setting. As the novel progresses, Larsen intertwines these characters with the social and cultural setting in which they live and breathe. The characters mingle between sexuality and race in order to develop an individual identity. Larsen wonderfully addresses these major societal conflicts through her work of fiction. David L. Blackmore works to illustrate the homosexual undertones within Nella Larsens characters and storyline in his article, That Unreasonable Restless Feeling: The Homosexual Subtexts of Nella Larsens Passing. Blackmores article studies the story of Passing by illuminating Larsens successes in targeting homosexuality as an identity factor amongst African American men and women. Also, In Cheryl A. Walls article, Passing for What? Aspects of Identity in Nella Larsens Novels, the deeply rooted psychological elements of Larsens characters are discussed. Although it is not Walls intention, she offers a critique which inspires Larsens narrative voice to be analyzed in terms of satire. By introducing characters with undeniable strength of mind, Larsen entices her audience into a deeper understanding of the characters societal conflicts. Each of these articles works to celebrate Nella Larsen for, Passing, her fictional masterpiece. Larsens audience succumbs to her powerful characters with strongly rooted internal conflicts involving race and sexual identity. First, David L. Blackmore serves a delectable cocktail of opinions from multiple critiques in his article, That Unreasonable Restless Feeling: The Homosexual Subtexts of Nella Larsens Passing. By offering a splash of each critics opinion, Blackmore offers an extended analysis of the essences of homosexuality found within Nella Larsens characters. Additionally, Blackmore explores Nella Larsens writing capabilities. The character development in Passing is the fundamental backbone toward her remarks upon society. Blackmore emphasizes the absolute direction of Larsens piece toward the topic of homosexuality. According to Blackmore, the work aims toward providing a message of homosexuality. However, in doing so, Larsen embodies the work with other elements which may obstruct the message: Larsen obliquely suggests this alternative social order, but ultimately her narrative crushes its own subtext because of the cultural power of the ethic of bourgeois respectability (Blackmore 475). Although Larsen does allow her characters to cater toward the conservative realm, the piece is in no way crushed. In fact, by incorporating the characters desire to remain inside the normal societal realm, Larsen develops a much broader take upon the essentials of identity development. Nonetheless, Larsens characters certainly experience a great deal of internal conflicts in terms of race, sexual orientation, and class. Larsen utilizes fictitious approach toward combating these very real societal dilemmas. Yet, the elements of race and class serve as mere barriers toward the much more deeply rooted identity factor: homosexuality. From the beginning of the novel, it is apparent that Irene holds unyielding fascination with her long lost friend, Clare. Upon first viewing her in the tea room above the Chicago hotel, Irene describes Clare as exquisite, golden, fragrant, flaunting ... her glistening hair drawn smoothly back into a small twist at the nape of her neck; her eyes sparkling like dark jewels (Larsen 203). At first glance, it may seem that Irene is concerned with racial issues and her concealment of her identity as a mulatto. In fact, she even experiences a brief internal moment of anxiety in the tea room. She momentarily questions if the woman, who is later identified as Clare, knows Irenes true identity as an African American woman. Perhaps, this moment of anxiety may be read as completely genuine. However, it seems that this moment of anxiety is a device utilized by Irene to mask alternate anxieties in terms of her identity. That is, Irene becomes immediately fascinated by the mysterious womans outward appearance, mentally noting that she is a lovely creature (Larsen 151). Irenes admiring descriptions of Clare certainly outweigh her anxieties of race. Perhaps, Irenes true anxiety lies within her gender roles and societys expectations. Blackmore further explores this notion by stating that while she dare not articulate explicitly her attraction, Irene cannot escape the urges which Clare evokes in her (476). It is evident to the reader that Larsen does, in fact, touch upon many racial factors. However, Blackmore knowingly describes Larsens technique within character development: Focusing ostensibly on Clares racial duplicity, the novel can pass as a text exclusively about racial identity when in fact it is just as fundamentally concerned with same-sex desire (476). Without a doubt, Larsen masterfully designs the psychological conflicts within her characters in order to delve much deeper into the anxieties of identity development.

Sara Cifani
Sara looks at Nella Larsens classic work and analyses both the racial and sexual subtexts that are within the narrative; Passing is a phenomenon that allows individuals to be accepted into more normal groups and in this case, that is to be straight and white.

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Nella Larsen further analyzes the situation of the characters beyond Irenes first encounter with Clare. Larsen has developed these characters lives in quite realistic terms. However, their situations are somewhat peculiar which works toward Larsens commentary upon homosexual identity. Not only does Irenes character hint toward same-sex desires, but also her husbands sexual identity is of question. First, Larsen designs a relationship between man and woman with absolutely zero romance factors. In fact, the two serve merely as a generic husband and wife to fit within the expectations of the outside world. However, inside the walls of their homes and the depths of their desires, there is little joy found. Larsen describes the relationship between Irene and Brian through quite detailed descriptions. First, Irene most certainly tends to exhibit many instances of denial. Even when describing her husbands physical appearance, she must continually reassure herself of his masculinity. An instance of this is, of course, when Irene describes Brian as not, of course, pretty or effeminate; the slight irregularity of his nose saved him from prettiness, and the rather marked heaviness of his chin saved him from the effeminacy (Larsen 183- 84). Nella Larsen most certainly includes Irenes denial of her husbands sexual desires while also denying her own in order to break the boundaries of homosexual identity. Blackmore discusses the fear and denial within Irenes character in regards to her husband: Her fear that he might be perceived as at all feminine betrays her subconscious concern that he is perhaps not the conventional man he is supposed to be (477). In doing so, Larsen illuminates the characters dilemma of fulfilling their own personal sexual desires versus fulfilling societys expectations. Stemming even further, Larsen includes an indisputable whimsy within Brians character in relation to escaping to Brazil. The idea of an escape within itself paints a portrait of a character that is uncomfortable within the current environment. Moreover, the location to which he chooses to fantasize plays a critical role within the characters identity. Not only does Brian dream of abandoning his life with his co-parent and children, but he also chooses to remove himself from the societal constraints of American society. Irene describes Brians lack of attraction toward the female gender: Brian doesnt care for ladies ... its South America which attracts him (Larsen 173). By idealizing the idea of fleeing to Brazil, specifically, Brians character most certainly hints toward a homosexual identity. Brians desire to bolt to Brazil may provoke the idea of the possibility of incorporating himself within a less racist society. However, Blackmore delves deeper into the reasoning for Brians desires. Nella Larsen knowingly dissolves Brians craving for South American pleasures into the absolute same-sex desires of which her character most certainly dreams. Blackmore further analyzes Larsens writerly intentions behind her creation of Brians character: Same-sex acts have never been criminalized in Brazil, and political persecution of gays and lesbians has never been so widespread in Brazil as it has been in the United States (Blackmore 477). By exploring the reasoning behind Larsens choice of Brazil, the audience now sees that Brian most certainly wishes to escape from the confines of heterosexual conformity and extend his desires into foreign lands. That being said, Larsens character most certainly embarks a journey toward the definition of what is right and wrong within society. Each of Larsens characters struggles to meet the white picket fenced American standard. Blackmore emphasizes the internalized anxieties within Larsens characters. Focusing upon Irenes psychological battles, Blackmore states: White American culture tells her that black female identity centers around desire, that in fact an African American woman is nothing but a beast driven by irrepressible sexuality. The key, then, to combating this stereotype lies in the repression of sexuality, in the confinement of desire to the constricted realm of the respectable marriage (Blackmore 478). Nella Larsen most certainly creates characters who struggle to adhere toward the cookie cutter stance upon sexuality. Whether they are close to home or as far as South America, each of these characters are placed within a marriage in which neither experiences any psychological, emotional, or sexual attachment. Larsen creates this situation between the characters in order to contrast societal identity and sexual identity. Larsens narrative voice describes the psychological battle within Irene: Strange, that she couldnt now be sure that she had ever truly known love. Not even for Brian. He was her husband and the father of her sons. But was he anything more? Had she ever wanted or tried for more? In that hour she thought not (Larsen 235). There is quite a depressing tone found within these few sentences. Larsen draws the reader in by discussing a universal

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desire: to find true love. However, her character, Irene, is living in a world in which there is little to no hope of finding true love without crossing a hazardous boundary of sexual identity. Larsen continues with introducing the audience to the reality of Irenes dilemma: only by the sacrifice of other things, happiness, love, or some wild ecstasy that she had never known (Larsen 235). Without taking that leap, Irene may never experience true love and will continue to lead an unfulfilling life merely as a clone of society. Offering another response, Cheryl A. Wall discusses the successes and failures of Nella Larsens Passing in her article, Passing for What? Aspects of Identity in Nella Larsens Novels. Wall discusses Larsens writing as passing in itself. This idea is quite interesting because it is most certainly true. By writing the piece in a medium which passes in its entire creation, Larsen touches upon a much broader spectrum of what passing entails. However, Wall experiences a much different interpretation of Larsens creative prowess. Wall believes that Larsens characters, in the act of passing, fail at achieving any societal change. In her opinion, the idea of passing within the structure of the novel creates a lack of solution. In terms of Larsens protagonists, Wall believes that there exists a shortcoming within self-definition. Wall states that Larsens protagonists attempt to fashion a sense of self free of both suffocating restrictions of ladyhood and fantasies of the exotic female Other (98). Further, Wall remarks that Larsens protagonists assume false identities that ensure social survival but result in psychological suicide (Wall 98). This is absolutely true in regards to Larsens character development. However, Wall claims that, in doing so, Larsen provides the reader with the notion that to pass for white is glorified and in some ways attractive. Wall discusses that Larsens emphasis upon certain aspects of passing do not satisfy the harsh reality of racial identity within this environment. Wall offers her critique of Larsens narrative decisions: Rather than emphasize the pathos of the passing situation, Larsen stresses its attractive veneer (106). Larsen most certainly emphasizes the attractiveness of passing. However, this does not lessen the effect of the novel whatsoever. Rather, by accentuating the attractive attributes toward the act of passing, Larsen develops a narrative which transcends into a satiric perspective. By offering such lavish descriptions of these characters that laboriously pass through their daily lives, Larsen almost mocks the entire notion of passing altogether. Irene is most certainly infatuated with Clares exquisite appearance whether she is wearing a superlatively simple cinnamon-brown frock or a little golden bowl of a hat. Larsen continually makes note of Clares outward appearance. This is most certainly, a take upon her protagonist, Irenes, opinion upon Clares beauty. However, these constant descriptions work to remind the reader of the constant effort in passing. The beauty within appearing white and belonging within these affluent spheres of the white community requires extreme amounts of preparation. Additionally, Larsens descriptions of such beautiful clothing reflect the connection between the characters and the bourgeoisie. In contrast, Wall believes that Larsens intended audience may have struggled with gathering the overall message within the piece. Wall describes Larsens work as an effective mask. In a sense Nella Larsen chose to pass as a novelist; not surprisingly, readers who knew what they were seeing-that is, reading-missed the point (Wall 110). Perhaps, Wall has missed the point. Rather than viewing Larsens narrative voice in terms of the mask of a mulatto, one must consider it in terms of satire. With that in mind, perhaps readers may miss the point if not adequately prepared for such a piece. However, if analyzed in terms of satire, Larsens voice amazingly encapsulates the life of a couple struggling within the barriers of sexuality. In fact, Larsen does not write with the mask of a mulatto just to gain a hearing (Wall 110). Rather, she writes with the mulatto mask in order to guide the audience into the multiple masks of her characters. Not only do these characters struggle within the racial confound of society, but they much more blatantly experience psychological tensions between homosexual and heterosexual behavior. Multiple studies have been performed in order to further evaluate the effects of society upon the racial and sexual identity of an individual. In a study conducted by Renee Goodstein, of St. Francis College, and Joseph G. Ponterotto, of Fordham University-Lincoln Center, the racial identity of Black and White students is discussed. The article, Racial and Ethnic Identity: Their Relationship and Their Contribution to Self-Esteem, researches the attachment between ethnic groups and correlations between identity and other-group orientation. By studying the relationships between

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racial identity, ethnic identity, other-group orientation, and self-esteem within a group of 126 Blacks and 292 Whites, this study works to achieve an adequate representation of the elements of identity in terms of race relations. In terms of personal identity, the study found that celebrating ones Blackness was more important in predicting self-esteem than hating ones Blackness or experiencing a strong ethnic group affiliation (Goodstein 288). Although the characters of Passing do not experience strong disdain in terms of their black identity, they do work laboriously to hide it. By passing, these characters sweep their black identity under the rug in hopes of displaying a clean outward appearance. In doing so, this reflects tremendously upon the self-esteem of the characters. Additionally, Mark A. Yarhouse, Stephanie Nowacki-Butzen, and D. Fredrica Brooks unveil the underlying fragments of identity. However, instead of racial self-esteem, their article, Multiple Identity Considerations Among African American Christian Men Experiencing SameSex Attraction focuses upon conflicts within sexual identity. First, the article develops a working definition of the idea of sexual identity development: it refers to the process by which someone comes to identify (to themselves and to others) their sexual identity (Yarhouse 17). In other words, the way in which an individual chooses to define them. The article discusses the stages of finding ones identity in terms of sexuality. At the beginning, the article states that Sexual minorities go through a process of sexual identity development that includes selflabeling as they make decisions about how to think of themselves and talk to others about their sexual preferences (e.g., gay, straight, bisexual, queer, transgender, and questioning) (Yarhouse 17). This reflects strongly upon the characters of Passing. Nella Larsens characters most certainly paint a portrait of what their identities ought to be. Even after identifying sexual desires of the same-sex, these characters choose not to identify with that life-style. Rather, Larsens characters are developed in a decision-making manner. Each character has decided to maintain a societal expectation in terms of sexuality and race. Ultimately, Nella Larsen masterfully creates a piece which speaks toward sexuality within Harlem in the 1920 s. Her voice most certainly extends even into current times. Each of the articles extend critical view points toward Larsens writing abilities. David L. Blackmore very strongly illuminates the homosexual elements within Passing in terms of both men and women. Also, Cheryl A. Wall offers a critique of Larsens work as a failure. However, as she misses the overall point of Larsens piece, a much deeper understanding of the creative mask used in the work is inspired. Walls criticism of Larsens mulatto mask directs attention toward the wonderful accounts of satire within Passing. Not only does Larsen develop characters with a purpose, she also offers a very well developed narrative voice to tie it all together. Finally, the articles Racial and Ethnic Identity: Their Relationship and Their Contribution to Self-Esteem and Multiple Identity Considerations Among African American Christian Men Experiencing Same-Sex Attraction offer a deeper understanding of the meaning of identity in terms of race and sexuality. Nella Larsens Passing passes through the decades as a wonderful piece speaking towards the homosexual identity while also passing as a passing mulatto piece.

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Magazine theft/fraud is a crime. If you bought this magazine, youve been had! Single issues of the Vindicator are free. To obtain a copy, contact The Vindicator staff, or the Student Life department. The content of The Vindicator doesnt necessarily represent the thoughts or opinions of Cleveland State University, its students, faculty, or staff. Neither does it represent members of The Vindicator staff, writers, or advisors unless otherwise stated. The editors reserve the right to comment on any issue that affects the student body at large, including any issues that impact our communities. Letters to the editors and other submissions are accepted (and encouraged!), be sure to include the authors name, address, major and class status (if applicable), and telephone number. Also be sure to specify what information should be withheld from publishing. All submissions become property of The Vindicator, and we reserve the right to publish them at our discretion, and to edit them as deemed necessary.