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Vol. XXIII, Issue 12 "The University's Not-Real Paper" Aril 15.2002

 Hating America With Michael
iou may Know or ivncnael ivioore me
director, the television show host, the author, the
political activist, or maybe even as that giant pain
in the ass. Regardless of what you know him as,
you should know who he is. He's the critically
acclaimed film-maker behind the low budget yet
highly controversial documentary Roger and Me.
He was the man behind TV Nation and The
Awful Truth, two of the greatest programs ever
to grace our airways for no one to watch. He's
written three books, the most recent of which,
"Stupid White Men...And Other Sorry Excuses
For the State of the Nation," has been number
one on the New York Times best seller list for the
past three weeks. He's an avid supporter of social
reform, political reform and the Green Party. If
you're among the ruling class, the government or
the ever-growing list of white-collar criminals,
Michael Moore is the biggest and most infected
of all the thorns currently embedded in your
side.
On April 4th, Michael Moore made it to
Long Island's Hofstra University to speak about
and promote Stupid White Men. We arrived in
usual Press fashion, twenty minutes late and
with nothing to write on but the manual to my
Dodge. We rushed to the Student Center, which
according to www.michaelmoore.com was the
supposed location of the talk. We meandered
around for a few minutes in search of the talk
and a bathroom we found out that the talk was in
another building and the bathrooms were down-
stairs (what kind of cruel joke is that-putting the
bathrooms underneath the cafeteria). After
relieving ourselves, we found group of punctual
slacker peers to lead us halfway across campus to
a packed auditorium filled with college students,
aging revolutionaries and the five people that
make up Long Island's Green Party. Securing
seating for two in this place was a formidable
task but our perseverance paid off and we sat
down only to learn that Mr. Moore was indeed
Jater than we were. With nothing else to do but
eavesdrop as this group of socio-political activist
rehashed the Daily Show's top stories of the
week and listen to conversations such as:
Boy: "Who is he?"
Girl: "He's a guy that wrote a book-he's
funny."
We soon found ourselves so bored that we
attempted to define the term "emo." We failed.
Then the announcement was made that Michael
Moore, "would be here momentarily." It was
now 8:42pm, and there was no Mike, no defini-
tion of emo and a guy who felt the need to run
up to the podium and restore the room's faith in
the Green Party by making the announcement,
"We want to get him to run. for governor of New
Page 2
, we're not sure if he's
ified, but we're going to
You just have to love the
tiful innocence of those
riduals who take it upon
iselves to publicly make
of the large groups they
:hey represent.
Luckily at 8:48pm,
reanyone had the chance
t up and sign him up for
ent polity president,
iael Moore took the stage.
xplained that his lateness
due to the fact that he got
in the Student Center
ing for where he was sup-
d to be and subsequently
d up talking to a lot of
ents and had a slice of
ro's before he made it to
tuditorium, I at least felt
ýrabout the misinforma-
tion I had received if he had gotten the same
false claims. He proceeded with an attack on the
male disrespect for the public bathroom cleanli-
ness, which served as light ice breaker before he
began speaking about his book.
HarperCollins, the publisher of the book
tried to keep it from being released due to the
events of, you guessed it, September 11th. Mike
went into a story of fear and confusion concern-
ing what happened to him on that day and his
search for his daughter who worked in the imme-
diate vicinity. In all honesty, it was a touching
tale and even we were somewhat moved by it
and then it hit us, Michael Moore, the man who's
done and can do anything has done the impossi-
ble again! Not only did his tale of heart wrench-
ing desperation about the search for his daughter
let us all know that no matter how bitter he may
be about our things that happen in and because
of this country, he still does love this land with
all of his heart, but it also successfully defined
emo.
As it turns out, 50,000 copies of the book
where set to be shipped on September 11th and
where subsequently held back by, first the events
and second by HarperCollins itself. Following
the attack, HarpeRCollins decided to rethink its
position on Stupid White Men, it seems they
began to fear that with the president's 80%
approval rating this may be a bad time to release
a book filled with anti-Bush sentiments. In a
phone call with the company Moore was told
that "whitey isn't the problem these days" to
which he replied, "no, whitey is always the prob-
lem." The company wanted to pulp the 50,000
copies and have Moore rewrite the book,
demanding that he take out certain chapters that
didn't fit with the current mindset of post
September 11th America and suggested changing
the title to "Michael Moore: The American." No
resolve was met as Moore agreed to change the
name of the book, but he wanted it changed to
"Bring Me The Head of Anthony Scalia."
Moore was in a horrible position, a book
he had poured his life's blood into was about to
be pulped and there was nothing he could do
about it. After receiving the news he had to give
a talk but at the event, he found himself unable
to speak of anything but the book. Two days
later he got a call from HarperCollins demanding
to know what he had done to insight such a
backlash from the country's librarian community.
Moore had no idea what the man was talking
about, all he knew was that by some miracle his
book was reluctantly being sent out to America.
He later learned that when he told the story of
his book, there was a librarian in the crowd who
-
Moore
i
h
went home and got on the internet to tell other
librarians about what HarperCollins was doing
to Michael Moore. It seems that librarians are so
organized that their collective pressure against
HarperCollins was able to get Moore's book
released. Does anyone else find that a little
scary?
From Moore's description of the book's
content, and the media's claims of Bush's ,80%
approval rating, it would seem that
HarperCollins did have reason to put Stupid
White Men on the shelf. Surprisingly enough,
when the book was released in February, six
months after it's scheduled shipping date, it sky
rocketed to number one on the Amazon.corn best
seller in 24 hours, and as I write this it is current-
ly number 2 on the top 100 Bestsellers (it is now
1:27 PM on April 8th, I mention this because the
list is promised to be' "updated hourly"). How
could this be? Perhaps those approval ratings
were a little "off." Moore repeatedly reminded
us that Bush did indeed steal the 2000 election
and that Al Gore was our real president, he was
just too much of a wussie democrat to rightfully
seize it. Moore brought up claims of agencies
hired by the Bush family to sort through the list
of eligible voters and selectively weed out
African Americans by any means they could.
The Bush family bashing continued as Moore
spoke of their connections to the Bin Laden fami-
ly. According to Moore, the ties are extensive
and all pertain to milking the middle east of its
fossil fuels. The big player in all of this is The
Carlyle Group, the nation's 11th largest defense
contractor that George W Bush Sr. is the Senior
Advisor of. The Group's list of investors
includes the now infamous Bin Laden family.
Perhaps it's just an innocent business relation,
and perhaps it has nothing to do with the Mini-
Me of G.W.B. Sr. currently "ruling" our nation,
but when a private plane is allowed to travel the
US and pick up all of the Bin Ladens living here
a mere two weeks after September 11th and then
fly them all back to Saudi Arabia, one really has
to wonder. What could our government stand to
gain by allowing these people to be swept up
before the FBI had a chance to question them
about the events of September 11th and shuttle
them to a country that wouldn't let the FBI in to
investigate anything at all? There may be no
concrete links between these people and the
Continued on page 23

________________No Monre I-Con?
By Daniel Hofer
The average USB student will agree that
campus life at Stony Brook is virtually nonexistent.
Fortunately, every spring semester brings events and
happenings that infuse energy into the campus body.
One of the most noted events is I-Con. I-Con stands
for "Island Convention." It was started over 20 years
ago by students on this campus to promote the inter-
ests of the science fiction community. Since then it
has grown into what they call "the Northeast's
Largest Convention of Science Fiction, Fact and
Fantasy."
I-Con is more than that. One weekend
every year, people from all over the tri-state area and
the east-coast come to Stony Brook to enjoy the
events of this convention. This year, I-Con has been
able to draw people from as far as New Mexico and
California.
I-Con has something for just about every-
one. The cover of I-Con's newsletter The Con-Link
advertises gaming, art, live entertainment, amateur
films, anime, a large dealer's room and well-known
personalities. Because of its magnitude, every year
The Press devotes a humor filled issue to it's
grandeur and geekness. We as students are lucky to
have such a large-scale event come to our doorstep.
It is in fact I-Con's prominence that has got-
ten them into some recent financial trouble. This
year's I-Con is scheduled for April 19,20 and 21. On
March 11, about five weeks before the convention, I-
Con received a bill for over $9000 for the usage of
various buildings on campus.
This bill arrived very late in the planning
and implementation of the convention. According to
the staff of I-Con, it is impossible to pay this bill. I-
Con finalizes its budget in August of each year.
Prices for admission (or membership as I-Con refers
to it), vendor tables and any other sources of rev-
enue have already been established. Most people
have prepaid for their membership and most busi-
nesses have bought tables in the dealer's room. At
this point, prices cannot even be raised to compen-
sate for such an exceedingly high bill.
This bill came from the office of the Dean of
Students. Ms. Carmen Vazquez, the Dean of
Students, reasons that I-Con received a bill because
the event is an, "exceptional event," and is partially
funded through an outside, "off campus," organiza-
tion.
This outside organization is ICON Science
By Robert V. Gilheany
Scott Higham, a former Stony Brook Press
editor, won the Pulitzer prize for investigative
reporting. Higham, a Washington Post reporter
along with colleagues, Sari Horwitz, and Sarah
Cohen, won the award for investigating into sub-
standard services to Washington D.C. area chil-
dren. 922 children have died while in the care of
Washington D.C. child protective service,.
between 1993 and 2000.
The investigative series ran in The
Washington Post in September 2001. It delved into
several cases were children died after their plight
was reported to D.C. child protective services.
Many of these cases are of children who were in
the care of the services. Others were of children
who died because the system failed to properly
investigate children at risk. One case was of a
single mother whose deteriorating mental condi-
tion lead to her killing her son.
This investigative series told of
Washington D.C. hospitals discharging newborns
who were born drug addicted to crack and hero-
in back to their mothers. This was done with no
follow up and lead to the deaths of several
babies.
Fiction, Inc. This corporation was founded in 1993 to
help fund the convention. It works in conjunction
with the I-CON SUNY Stony Brook Campus
Chapter, a student run polity club. Vazquez referred
to ICON Science Fiction, Inc. many times as an, "off
campus," organization even though it is comprised
of Stony Brook students, faculty and alumni. It
would not be able to exist if it was a separate entity
from the Stony Brook community.
According to Vazquez, this is not the point.
She says, "I-Con is not the only event that is student
run and is sponsored by sources besides the univer-
sity. These other events have been billed for facility.
use." Yet I-Con has been funded by their corporation
since 1993. Why haven't they been billed in past
years? Ms. Vazquez states, "I have been getting new
staff in my organization."
Not counting the Sports Complex, this year
is the first year I-Con has billed for use of school
facilities. It is also the first time the registrar has
made a mistake in reserving I-Con's space. Each
year, I-Con books the Student Union, the Javits
Center and the Sports Complex. Unfortunately, the
MCAT test was scheduled for the same weekend in
the Javits Center. When the mistake was realized,
MCAT had preference and I-Con got the boot. I-Con
now needed extra space to house all their events.
The organizers of I-Con asked the registrar if they
could book the SAC as an alternative. A week later,
I-Con received the $9000 dollar bill.
It may be mere coincidence that the request
for SAC space resulted in the facility charge. But
there may be more to it then that. A few years ago, I-
Con used a couple of rooms in the Student Activities
Center. They got a little sloppy, and it resulted in a
broken lock. Building maintenance quickly fixed the
lock before I-Con could take action. The convention
organizers requested a bill from the university multi-
ple times, yet they never received one. The I-Con
event has a two million dollar insurance policy.
Paying for a new lock would have been easy for
them to do.
It is said that the Student Activities Center
is Ms. Vazquez' turf. Her office is on the first floor of
the building. Is it coincidence that that I-Con
received a bill so soon after they asked for space in
the SAC? Vazquez did say, "I don't like how the I-
Con management has run things in the past, and
they didn't follow policy."
Press Editor Wins Pulitzer
Many standard refrains are read in this
series from officials. "There are not enough staff
to take care of the kids," "The turn over of social
workers screw up the records," "The kids fell
though the cracks."
One painful example was of a retarded
girl who was dumped in a nursing home in
Delaware and died due to lack of medical atten-
tion. "Bent over in her wheelchair, her spine
twisted by scoliosis, Nicki Colma Spriggs died at
age 15, in the hallway of a Delaware nursing
home on Thanksgiving day 1998. Her body looks
like an upside down L." This unfortunate little
girl had had several social workers, was very
rarely seen, and at the end her medical treatment
didn't come.
The Washington Post team of Higham,
Horwitz and Cohen beat out interesting competi-
tion. The Dayton Daily News looked into the ethi-
cal issues of American schools recruiting foreign
athletes. The Seattle Times went after cancer
research that was run in a questionable manner.
People died after not getting vital information.
Reporters from The Washington Post tackled
police brutality and corruption in the Prince
.
With all this being said, it seems Carmen
Vazquez wants to end this long-standing campus
tradition. Ms. Vazquez emphasized many times how
she is "very interested in keeping 1-Con on campus"
and that "the University supports it."
She also has cut the price from $9000 to
around $2000 using a pro-rating system. At the same
time she says she can't get rid of the charges totally
because she is not the only person involved in this
billing. She says, "the prices come from the
University's fee structure."
On the same note, 1-Con still cannot pay the
$2000. Ms. Vazquez did not want to comment fur-
ther on certain matters, saying, "I would like to meet
with the organizers of the convention first."
The organizers of I-Con as well as students
on campus say this last minute charge is unfair. Even
students who have no appreciation for science fic-
tion and fantasy say its, "messed up," and, "This
campus already'sucks enough on the weekends,
now they are taking away another thing to do."
I-Con is one of the greatest events this
school ever had. The best part about it is it comes
back year after year. If you have never seen the con-
vention, stick around this year. Even if you don't
want to see any of the events or pay for I-Con mem-
bership, you can still walk around campus and view
the outdoor activities and the costumes and charac-
ters.
Author's note: Just before the printing of
this issue, I-Con did meet with Ms. Vazquez. All of
this year's facility charges have been dropped.
I ii
mbý
George police department that lead to question-
able murder confessions and shootings.
Scott Higham was the Editor-In-Chief of
The Stony Brook Press
during the 1981-82
school year. During
Scott's tenure as edi-
tor, The S.B. Press
won the 1981
Columbia Scholastic
Press Association 1st
place award for writ-
ing and content. "We
did really good jour-
nalism," Higham
said. "We gave the
readers at Stony
Brook a different
voice and perspec-
tive than the
Statesman." Scott
Higham said that when he was at the helm of The
Press, The Statesman was pro-administration and
unquestioning.
Scott Higham, you done us proud.
Page 3
 TTTT

Ii -I

Editorial: Viad Frants For -t v IWI I1

I

Polity Vir -Prosidnt

f -A-A - Ub -
J
-
s Managing
im

:-r
Daniel Hofer
Editor

Vlad Frants is the most important. has a flash intro. To clarify a hotly contest- Associate' Editor
candidate to run for any Polity position ed point, Vlad Frants is not, in fact, The Katie Sinnott
ever. He and he alone can make this cam- Pink Panther. He is however, the Voice pf
pus a better place.- the Student Body. Business Manager
Diana Post
Vlad Frants has the white-hot charis- Vlad Frants is the double windsor
ma of a thousand Jimmy Stewarts and he knot around the collar of student govern- News Editor
has more charm than that breakfast cereal ment. Wit, class, passion, dimples; Vlad has Bev Bryan
leprechaun. it all.
Vlad Frants has made business cards. Vlad is so great that we at The Press Features Editor
They are printed on pressed rose petals and think he should set his sights a little higher Jamie Mignone

the type is set in gold leaf. They smell deli- than polity vice-president President? No,
Arts Editor
cately of juniper. On the back you will find everything. Vlad Frants should run for Adam Kearney
a temperature sensitive patch that will every position. He should win them all, too.
change color to indicate how studly you But he needs our help. Photo Editor
are. So it is our duty as politically active Sarah Stuve
Vlad Frants keeps his eyes on the students to write-in Vlad Frants for every
prize. In this, his second bid for polity single category in the upcoming election. Coppey Editter
Thomas Osborn
office, Frants isn't holding anything back Vlad Frants is incredible. You should
and has taken his campaign to the internet. all vote for him online at his website from reProduction Mngr.
Vlad Frants is so multimedia, it hurts. April 23-25. If he doesn't win, The Press will Dustin Herlich
His website,. www.vladfrants.com poison you slowly with our printing ink.
Webmaster
Steve Brannen

Editoi1 Priests ht ld Not

Rape LIttle Boys OmBUDSman
Brian ".Scoop.' Shnieder
.so s

Recent news has brought to light the
disgusting and horrifying acts priests of the
Catholic Church have committed. It seems
many people are confused and up in arms
over this subject. We at The Press would
like to make our stance on this matter clear.
Priests should not rape little boys.
For one, rape is illegal. Leaders of
the Chtirch preach to their congregation
and tell them not to do things that are legal
(like drinking and gambling) because they
are immoral. Yet they do something that is-
not only immoral, but is illegal. That is
If the common man has the wisdom
and sense to know that rape is evil, why do
the earthy representatives of God seem not
to understand this? What sort of example
to they set to their congregation?
Did these priests think about their
actions before they raped. these children?,
Did they consult the Bible? Did they ask,
"What would Jesus do?" If they did, maybe
they would have had a revelation and real-
ized that rape is bad.
Raping a person who has reached the.
age of maturity is bad. Raping a little boy,
Tim Connors, Wendy Fuchsberg,
Chris Genarri, Jonathan Gelling,
Rob Gilheany, Phil Grandin, Cory
Grimes, Roger Harrison, Joseph
Hughes, Jody Jarvis, Gregory
Knopp, David Knuffke, Andrea
Leeson, Brian Libfeld, Rich Mertz,
Walter Moss, Ceci Norman,
Andrew Pernick, Derrick Prince,
Chitra Ramasubbu, Ross Rosenfeld,
Tyler Schauer, Albert Scott, Chris
Sorochin, Chris Stackowicz, Debbie
Sticher, Robert Wong, Rich Zimmer
I

The Stony Brook Press is published fortnight-

wrong.
Rape causes emotional damage. The
Church is supposed to be a place where one
can go to feel safe and get ini touch with
their spiritual side. Tearing apart the men-
tal stability of a youth will not help them
later in life when they are searching inner
strength and stability.
Catholic Priests take vows of chasti-
ty. They are not allowed to have any sort of
physical contact with women. They are in
no way allowed to have any sort of sexual
relationship with a man. It seems blatantly
obvious that they should not rape little
boys.
who cannot cope or understand with what
has happened to them, is especially bad.
Can we really expect these individuals to be
shepherds of God's flock?
Let's look at the classic behavioral
model, the Golden Rule: do unto others as
you would have them do unto you. Are we
to understand that these priests would
have little boys rape unto them? Well... per-
haps, but that really isn't the point.
This paper's position on priests rap-
ing little boys is as follows: priests should
not rape little boys. It is very simple.
Thank you.
ly during the academic year and twice dur-
ing the summer i-tersession by The Stony
Brook Press;a student run and student fund-
ed non-profit organization. The opinions
expressedin letters, articles and viewpoints.
do not necessarily reflect those of The Stony
Brook Prss. Advertising policy does notnec-
essarily reflect editorial policy For more
information on advertising and deadlines
call (631)632-6451..Staff meetings are held
Wednesdays at 1:00 pm. First copy free. For
additional copies contact the Business,
.. anager.
M.
The StonyBroo k Press...
Suites060& 061 ..."
Student Union
SUNY at Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY 11794-3200
(631) 632-6451 Voice
(631) 632-4137 Fax
e-mail: stonypress@hotmail.com
ww.sbpress.org
r I

rage r4
 !

Letter: The Fat- Man Seaks

--== • m

Letter:
-- -- I ain't
--- no
-- soazz!
--- 1

I loved the story about genetically engineered foods. However,
I take issue with calling english majors "spazzes'...they don't fuel
the capitalist system as much as, say, comp sci majors do today.
Give us a little support-there are so few of us at stony brook and
the english dept, here is a SPAZ. also, since Tun Connors
wrote two articles discussing hispersonal problems; there was no
need for him to include more information about it in his piece on
rape.
-Beth
' rmý
- Letter Tlhe Press and The Fat: Man Suck
I would like to commend Ross Rosenfeld for having the
guts to come out and write his article, "Blackworld: Racism by
Referendum" ('The Press', April 1, 2002) and I would also like to
express my disappointment in the editor 'that said it contained
"poor judgments and accusations."
I could go into the politics of the article, but that is not the
pirpose of this letter, and I do not have the time or patience at
the moment.
You are free to disagree with Rosenfeld, you are even free
to publish a disclaimer saying that his opinion does not represent
the opinion of the paper, but it is outright wrong to come out and
say - before the article - you feel that his article was poorly writ-
How do you feel about yourself now you have attacked a strug-
gling publication? Instead of trying to be of assistance you look
to destroy BlackWorld. It reveals your weak character to those
who have read your pathetic article. You were just waiting to
release your ugly side, your racist side. I think you should take
some time and do some introspection.
-E Honda
-·~ · · him
you are publishing it anyway because you are such a holy bea-
con of free speech. In doing so, you are negating the supposed
'free speech' you grant your contributors.
As a newspaper, you have a choice: You can use your power
as press to allow any and all opinions into your paper (which I
have seen you do, irregardless of validity or maliciousness), or
you can censor the stuff you strongly disagree with or think has
no place in your paper. You cannot do both without seeming like
a bunch of complete idiots (unless that is what you're going for,
in which case, good job).
-Elizabeth Goldberg

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Page 5
 By Chris Sorochin
"Dissent: Not a good career move. You
forfeit the confidence of your patrons and busi-
ness associates, and you don't make any new
friends. Nobody welcomes contradiction, and
you will come to be known as a malcontent, a
spoilsport, not a team player, a sore thumb."
Lewis Lapham
from "Lapham's Rules of Influence: A
Careerist's Guide to Success, Status and Self-
Congratulation"
For some
years now, I've been
shooting off my
mouth about various
things that annoy,
anger or depress me.
I do this as a public
service, in addition
to the very therapeu-
tic satisfaction I get
from venting pub-
licly and, I hope,
raising conscious-
ness.
Until recent-
ly, there had been no
tangible repercus-
sions, except for the
waste of $270 I snpent
on an airline ticket to Quebec City last spring,
when I was detained, interrogated and put on
the next plane back by Canadian officials. It
remains to be seen whether I'll ever be able to
visit Canada again, especially since I'm still
sending badgering letters complaining about
this to various members of the Canadian gov-
ernment. And then there's that little episode we
had with the JS Secret Service last February, in
which the boys in shades took all kinds of
records from the Press office. If they read any of
my stuff, I probably have a file somewhere in
northern Virginia and who knows what conse-
quences that may have down the line, especially
with the post-September 11 rush toward author-
itarianism and demolition of the Constitution.
First, some background.
Way back in the primeval mists of 1986,
I was hired as an adjunct instructor at SUNY
Old Westbury. As you may know, adjuncts occu-
py one of the lowest links in the academic food
chain, one step above graduate students. Being
relatively younig and naive back then, I thought
that I would prove my mettle by my brilliant
teaching and eventually move up to some sort
of permanent full-time employment.
You may also know that the trend in
past couple decades has been for institutions of
higher education to replace full-time faculty lost
through attrition with part-timers. One benefit
of this policy is that they don't have to pay ben-
efits to part-timers. Another is that part-time
faculty can more easily be dismissed than full-
timers. Today, an ever-growing percentage of
undergraduate courses are taught by part-timers
who have no job security and who may be com-
pelled to teach at two or more institutions--or
hold down non-academic "day jobs" to make
ends meet. Much has been written elsewhere
about the negative impact of this upon educa-
tion as a whole, so I won't dwell on it here.
Also, this sort of exploitation, once con-
fined to academia has now spread like a virus to
other sectors of the economy and growing num-
bers of workers now are considered "permanent
temps." They work for years at the same compa-
ny, but are considered "independent contractors"
because that's what's convenient and profitable
for those in charge and those who profit.
Let me draw you a brief sketch. In the
Page 6
_________________Blackbalied L
fifteen years that I taught at SUNY Old
Westbury, I was technically hired anew every
semester and then laid off at the end of the
semester. I would then receive a letter rehiring
me for the next semester, after which I would be
again laid off and on and on. At the beginning
of each semester, I would have to return a
signed contract (which often would not materi-
alize until three or four weeks into the semester)
get various signa-
s on an "entry" form.
and not to forget, my
eekly paychecks were
red every semester
could be even later if
e was a delay in the
erwork.
t the end of every
ester, I would have to
'ender my ID card and
and obtain signa-
s from Public Safety
the locksmith that I
done so. I also had to
a signature from the
ary certifying that I
d no library books
one from the registrar
I had submittpd
grades. . low-up. One left a message on my answering
In the last several years, reforms were
instituted so that we only had to jump through
these bureaucratic hoops at the beginning and
end of each academic year, but the idea--that we
adjuncts were in no sense a real part of the fac-
ulty, remained.
Similarly, in the fifteen years of my
employ at Old Westbury, I don't believe my
name once appeared in a class schedule, even
when I regularly taught the same course at the.
same time for several years in a row. Nor was I
(or any other adjunct) ever listed in the college
bulletin under our respective departments.
There was even a Faculty/Staff Directory listing
offices and phone numbers. Neither I, nor my
fellow adjuncts, were listed therein, although
the custodial staff were.
In short, adjunct instructors comprise a
sort of phantomarmy that does the academic
grunt work that keeps higher education moving.
If you take an introductory course, chances are
you'll be taught by an adjunct, or a graduate
student. They have it even worse. When I was a
graduate student here at Stony Brook, I was a
TA for an intro course of about one hundred stu-
dents. I graded all tests and homeworks, ran
review sessions, and held office hours, all for a
tuition waiver and $55 a week.
And as for career advancement, as they
say on "The Sopranos," "Fuhgeddaboudit." In
the cutthroat demimonde of the Tweed Mafia,
where one arm offers an embrace and the other
wields a stiletto, you ain't "made" until ya got a
piece of paper that allows you to put a "Dr." in
front of your name, and even then, it's a crap
shoot. Lots of adjuncts have PHD's.
I'd pretty much resigned myself to the
situation, since I got by fairly well working four
jobs here and there and I wasn't about to go into
debt for nothing greater than a possibility that I
might advance.
Then, it happened. Or, rather, it didn't
happen. My letter of appointment for the fall
semester usually arrived by early August. In
2001, it didn't come at all.
I didn't call to ask why, because I am
99% sure of the reason. Last spring I wrote an
article for the Stony Brook Press entitled "Ifs,
Ands and Butts," attacking, in my inimitable
way, the legitimacy and policies of the current
administration at SUNY/Old Westbury, espe-
cially those regarding student life, such as a
noxious "zero tolerance" policy towards alcohol
and other recreational substances. I was particu-
larly vicious towards the current college presi-
dent Rev. Calvin Butts, although, as I stated in
the article, these policies were initiated before
his enthronement.
I did this bit of dirty laundry in the
Stony Brook Press because Old Westbury has no
independent student newspaper to speak of. I
took mass quantities of copies of the Press to the
Old Westbury campus and left them in common
areas where they would be picked up and
perused. I also distributed copies amongst my
colleagues in the department seminar room.
One, the union rep for the department, warned
me that I could lose my job.
Now, as luck would have it, the very
same week my little stink bomb exploded all
over the Press, Newsday ran a huge investiga-
tive piece on another dicey aspect of life at Old
Westbury; a scandal involving land developers
and the selling off of campus property to politi-
cal allies of Governor George Pataki. I guess the
synergy created a stir because not one, but two
Press editors not only praised "Ifs, Ands and
Butts," but also encouraged me to write a fol-
machine saying that lots of people were asking
who this Chris Sorochin is.
I might have taken that as a ominous
sign, but I never could resist an appeal to my
ego, so I happily disgorged another, reiterating
that people don't attend college to be inmates at
some sort of educational boot camp, etc. When
this one was published, it was graced by a car-
toon of Rev. Butts sporting devil's horns, an
embellishment I had no part of.
So I'm pretty certain that this was my
undoing. In my meteoric 15-year career at Old
Westbury, student evaluations came back over-
whelmingly positive (not that anybody takes
them seriously) and if there were any com-
plaints or dissatisfaction, I was never made
aware of them.
Some of you must be by this point
rolling your eyes and thinking, "Just what did
this jackass expect? Did he think he'd smear his
boss of bosses publicly and not get reamed out
with a plunger for it?" Personally, I believe its
incumbent upon faculty to criticize administra-
tion when they do things that are inimical to
education's mission of liberating and enlarging
the human spirit.
But even if you think that's all a bunch
of fuzzy headed horse shit and I fully deserved
to be booted, I can't help but reflect that if I'd
worked at McDonald's, or some other god awful
wage slavery, I'd at least have been called into
the manager's office, chewed out and told why I
was being fired. In the genteel groves of acad-
eme, I get silently "disappeared," like an out-of-
favor Soviet functionary being clipped from an
official photo.
Like most heinous injustices, this one is
all perfectly legal. I phoned the local grievance
officer and she told me that not only can they
fire me for any reason at all (except for discrimi-
nation based on certain well-defined categories)
and they don't have to give any reason whatso-
ever! My contacts in the field of labor and
employment law tell me that pseudo-progres-
sive New York is a "hire/fire-at-will" state and
anyone working without a contract can be
canned because someone doesn't like their face--
as long as it's not because of the ethnicity, gen-
Continued on page 23
 By Walter Moss
God BIles America: Lets Kill the World!
On March 9th a secret government docu-
ment called the Nuclear Posture Review was pub-
lished in The Los Angeles Times. William Arkin, the
Time's military analyst, obtained the document. An
early draft the Nuclear Posture Review had been
presented to congress on January 8th, but was subse-
quently kept from the public. Luckily, this document
was leaked to the press by persons within the mili-
tary establishment. It is unknown who leaked the
report. There has been speculation that the "leak"
may have been choreographed by the Bush adminis-
tration to test the politica
waters domestically and
sow fear abroad. Once it
has been made clear just
what was contained in
this document, you will
understand why this is a
very important event.
Weather or not
the document was leakec
on purpose, is irrelevant
to the facts that have
come to light since. The
Nuclear Policy Review is
much as its name
i. li L
lHLI.UL
L~ d
t , C1UU
tt 1.
1 1t-
.LLL
LthL
LUICtL
LIL ..
analyzes America's policy regarding nuclear
weapons. It spells out the strategic use of nuclear
weapons in the 21st century In essence, this is the
Bush regime's plans for pursuing its unilateralist, or
some would say imperialist, goals through the shift-
ing of nuclear policy from deterrence and towards
offense. There will be a new focus on making
nuclear arms a practicable weapon for the modem
battlefield. The Nuclear Policy Review calls for the
development of lower yield warheads, as a comple-
ment to our conventional weapons arsenal. The
development of these low yield warheads would
require breaking yet another international treaty, and
resuming the dangerous process of underground
nuclear testing. I suppose it's true; once you begin
breaking laws, it's easy to fall down the slippery
slope into becoming a hardened criminal. This is cer-
tainly the case with the Bush regime. Illegally
installed, it has pursued a course of action which
flies in the face of international and domestic law.
As to the uses of these lower yield nukes,
one purpose given is that they be used against so-
called hardened targets (bunkers, caves, etc.). More
ominously the report says that nuclear weapons
could be used "in the event of surprising military
developments". This vague remark leaves the door
open for nukes to be deployed in any circumstances
that could be considered "surprising." With regard
to the fools installed in the Whitehouse, I wonder
just what doesn't surprise those bumpkins? It's like-
ly that the, "surprising military circumstances," bit is
meant to be a warning to those abroad who have the
foolish idea that they could hope to defend against
the U.S. You see, if you fight too well, we'll nuke
you.
The overarching theme here is to turn
lear weapons from a
ifying last resort,
a more, "common-
:e," weapon. The
is call for modifying
range cruise mis-
Sto carry nuclear
heads, arming F-35
t strike fighters with
lear bombs, and
a allowing special
es units the option of
ng in nuclear
kes! This is a drastic
age in stance from
' policvyof
ui uIrfnmr /i.
Mutually Assured Destruction, where every effort
was made to avoid the use of these terrible imple-
ments of destruction. Don't feel so bad though, they
say the low yield warheads will be designed to
"minimize collateral damage." Forget the fact that
we are all collaterally damaged when radioactive
materials are thrust into the atmosphere by a nuclear
explosion. Forget that there is a lower window on
the size of nuclear weapons, and that even a, "baby
bomb," still kills babies, adults, men and women.
In laying out America's Nuclear Strategy,
the military has drawn up a hit list of seven nations
for possible nuclear strikes. The list includes: Russia,
China, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Libya. This
is the first time the American government has
released a document listing its nuclear targets. The
choice of nations has caused quite a stir. Firstly, as a
signer of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the
U.S has agreed not to target countries which do not
possess nuclear weapons with it's own nuclear
weapons. Of the countries listed only Russia, China
and North Korea have nuclear weapons. As for. the
targeting of the other four countries, this is yet
another case of the U.S relishing it's position as the
world's leading rogue state. The breaking of the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is only the latest
instance of this government's deep contempt for
international law. Countless treaties have been
undermined, broken and cancelled since the installa-
tion of "president" Bush by the Republican tool
Antonin Scalia.
Some scenarios for the use of nuclear
weapons on these countries are given in the Nuclear
Policy Review: if the Chinese move to annex Taiwan,
a conflict between Israel and it's Arab neighbors, or
an attack by North Korea on the south. These were a
few of the what ifs in the Review. One can be sure
that this is only a small taste of what the bloodthirsty
military brass would like to unleash upon the world.
Since the terror attacks of September the
11th, the military, government and those who benefit
from the military and government have been on a
spree, milking our tragedy for the furthering of their
own agenda. They have increased the military budg-
et to almost $400,000,000,000! That's more money
than the next 11 largest military budgets of the
world combined. This obscenity comes at the cost of
cutting funds to programs vital to the social well
being of our country. This money, which could be
used to raise Americans out of poverty, to protect
our environment, to fund scientific research, is
instead being thrown into the festering maw that is
the defense industry. It's being given to the wealthy
friends of the shit-eater in chief, to produce the war
materials needed to dominate the world.
This Nuclear Policy Review, is a manifesto
for those who wield power here to project their
influence abroad in the most terrifying way possible.
This puts the weapons of Armageddon into the tool-
box of American imperialism. Now, in addition to
dropping "daisy cutters" on third world peasants, if
so inclined the military can turn whole cities into
smoldering graveyards. The message that's being
sent to the world is that you had better obey or face
the consequence of nuclear annihilation. But I think
the message that is being received by the world is, if
you want to challenge the Americans you need to
amass a nuclear arsenal of your own.
The possible consequences of this are horri-
ble to imagine. In the interests of the continuing sur-
vival of humanity, the government\military cannot
be allowed to force an arms race with the other peo-
ples of the world. Out of control militarism cannot
go unchecked,'without leading us down a road of
sorrow. The only solution is to oppose this illegiti-
mate president, this illegitimate war and the interests
which they serve.

Student Polity Ass.

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Page 7
 TPewIntifadaResistan
By Walter Moss
It has been over a week since the massive
Israeli offensive into the once semi-autonomous but
now completely occupied Palestinian territories.
Ostensibly this was in retaliation for the tragic
Passover bombings, which claimed over twenty
lives and injured many others. However, the
planned invasion and dismantling of the
Palestinian Authority had been in the works long
before Passover. As is well known this second
Intifada was sparked last year when Ariel Sharon,
a. ka "The Butcher of Beirut," along with a troop of
soldiers paid a visit to the temple mount where one
of the most important Palestinian Muslim holy sites
stands. This being the equivalent of Osama Bin
Laden defecating on the Statue of Lib
Palestinians began a new uprising agains
Zionist occupation. Sharon's actions cai
explained as his desire to spark off a new
flict, in order to justify crushing the Palesti
people...for good.
Sharon's policy of provoking vi(
incidents can be seen clearly in his orderir
the illegal murdering of Hamas activists ii
West Bank and Gaza. These extra-juc
assassinations, in addition to being forbic
under international law, have often back.
killing innocent people. Take for instanc<
planting of a bomb by Israeli agents outsi4
the Khan Yuneis Refugee Camp in Gaza;
children on their way to school set it off.
were torn to pieces in the blast, all of I
died instantly. These provocations have
the desired effect of setting off a string oi
cide attacks against Israel. Which gave th
called retaliation attacks by the Israeli Def
Forces (IDF), a justification.
By the way, Israel receives one thi
American foreign aid, more than all of A
and South America combined (excer
Egypt and Colombia). In the last year a
Israel received 3 billion dollars in direct
ana another Dbillion in mindirect aidti.e. tram-
ing and equipment given to the IDF), making it the
largest recipient of foreign aid in the world. This
money is the life-blood of the Zionist program of
occupation, expulsion and settlement. This aid has
been used to construct one of the world's most
powerful militaries. It has facilitated the building
and maintenance of vast settlements throughout
the West Bank and Gaza. Settler only roads (like
white only facilities in 1950's America) have criss-
crossed the "occupied territories, because of this
money.
All of this injustice is defended by the neo-
colonialist IDF through the building of Check
points that keep Palestinian population centers iso-
lated and impoverished and military bases that
keep them contained in several dozen Bantustans
dispersed throughout the occupied territories. The
roadblocks tie up traffic for hours, make commerce
impossible, and have lead to many deaths because
of people not being allowed access to medical facil-
ities. Because of this massive infrastructure of
oppression, every Palestinian town and village is
isolated and within striking distance of the IDE
In addition to the official oppression, many
Palestinians must live near to a heavily armed and
aggressive population of Jewish settlers. Within the
past months settler groups have been responsible
for the bombing of a mosques, attacks on
Palestinian people and the destruction of ancient
olive groves (the traditional heart of Palestinian
industry). Since 1967 and the first occupation, tens
of thousands of these settlers have poured into the
Palestinian homeland. They have built illegal settle-
ments that are heavily defended by local vigilante
groups and the IDF. They are pursuing the original
Zionist ideal, which is to remove the Arab popula-
Page 8
tions by any means, and create a greater Jewish
only Israel. As can be seen in this quote by Yosef
Weitz, an official in the 1st and 2nd Transfer
Committees and Zionist leader, who wrote:
"The land of Israel is not small at all, if only
the Arabs will be removed, and if its frontiers
would be enlarged a little; to the north all the way
to Litani [River in Lebanon], and to the east includ-
ing the Golan Heights. . . while the [Palestinian]
Arabs be transferred to northern Syria and Iraq. .
From now on we must work out a secret plan based
on the removal of the [Palestinian] Arabs from here
. .. [and] .. to include it into American political
circles .... today we have no other alternative. .
WE WILL NOT LIVE HERE WITH ARABS." See
http://www.palestineremembered.com for cita-
tion.
The current offensive in the occupied terri-
tories can be seen as a direct continuation of the
Zionist mission to destroy the Palestinian people
and bring their lands into an expanded Jewish state.
Under the extremist government of Ariel Sharon
the IDF has undertaken a number of brutal raids on
Palestinian towns. They have made use of their
advanced American bought weapons to wage war
against the Palestinian people. To put this into per-
spective, for every Israeli killed by a suicide attack,
five Palestinians have been killed by the IDF or set-
tler groups. They have sent hundreds of main bat-
tle tanks, support vehicles and thousands of troops
to attack a practically unarmed population with no
military The only resistance they meet are from dis-
persed poorly armed gunmen, and desperate
Palestinian teenagers with bombs strapped to their
chests. To use the word "defense" to describe the
Israeli actions would be obscene. This is a one sided
turkey shoot, funded with our money aimed at the
Palestinian people as a whole.
In an effort to destroy the last remaining
vestiges of Palestinian autonomyIsrael has laid
siege to Yasser Arafat's compound in Ramallah.
What has kept the Palestinian leader alive has been
the continuing presence of international peace
activists. At the initial attacks, two internationals
were with Mr. Arafat. When word got out that he
was under siege over a hundred international
activists along with the famous French farmer
Simon Bove (the man who bulldozed a McDonald's
in protest) stormed the building. The activists ran
by the stunned Israeli troops and into the com-
tsra
to l[
pound. They met with Mr. Arafat and used their
phones to contact the world's media calling for an
end to the aggression and an end to the occupation.
Leaving 40 of their number behind as a human
shield, the protesters left the compound where they
were roughed up by soldiers and subsequently
expelled from the country.
The activists in Ramallah were but a con-
tingent of the many internationals present in
Palestine right now. They have come from places all
over the world. Italy, France, U.S.A, Greece, Ireland,
Brazil, England, and Israel itself are all nations
being represented by these brave activists who are
putting themselves in harms way. From accounts in
ependent Media Center of Palestine
,, the NYC Direct action Network site
,ft-Turn magazine, I have pieced
Tr the activities of these people.
ts have been stopping tanks by lying
is. They have been riding in Red
it ambulances, to keep them from
lestroyed (which has actually hap-
to six ambulances so far). The
s:have worked with local people to
own roadblocks and dismantle
nests around their villages. In refer-
' the clearing of Israeli roadblocks,
Flaherty a NYC Direct Action
rk activist said, "At Yasouf (a village
Nest Bank), the army came immedi-
at didn't take any action, and within
tours we were able to clear the road.
villagers had tried this alone, they
have been arrested or killed."
ding to the Independent Media
of Palestine, these international
s are coming under attack from IDF
s. They are being intentionally shot
e being hit and others when arrested
ten severely Reports have been com-
n activists in various refugee camps
..... Tl_
-l
_ T % I- -1-'
_ _1-I
_ -.... - -_1"_-
anc towns, mat me iur nas oeen singling
them out for attacks. The purpose behind the inter-
nationals presence is to shield Palestinians from
harm, and the IDF wants them gone.
On Thursday April 4th Wendy Fuchsberg
and I, identifying ourselves as representatives of
The Stony Brook Press, made a series of calls to the
embassies of some of the home countries of these
activists. We asked if they were aware of who
specifically was in Palestine from their country,
were any of them injured, what actions were being
taken to ensure their safety, and what political
actions might their governments take against Israel
in the event of an incident involving one of their cit-
izens. We called the French, Irish, British, Italian
and German consulates, and received a variety of
responses. The Italians told us to call the ministry of
information in Rome, we did and were hung up on.
The German press officer was away on vacation.
The British officer was hostile to my questioning,
-and eventually asked me to identify myself, my
organization, and give him my phone number, I
ended the conversation after giving him the wrong
information. The Irish were utterly unaware of
what waý happening to their citizens. The Irish for-
eign minister had contacted the Israeli government
and told them none of their citizens were to be hurt.
Then they gave us a scripted message about how
they felt a need for peace in the middle-east, but not
much more.
By far the most cooperative embassy was
the French. Their press officer was honest about the
activists' situation. She said they had gone on their
own free will, the government was not aware of
who they were. The French government is limited
Continued on page 10

By Jamie Mignone .
Throughout history, the prophets of the
land have told us our fate. They have spoken
many wise words and they have been feared as
well as revered. Charles Manson claims to have a
divine connection, and he spreads a message of
love even now, despite his incarceration. L Ron
Hubbard has also done more for humanity than
most who claim to have a higher knowledge, what
with the inspiration he's provided John Travolta.
But their time has come and gone. The torch is
passed now to a man who speaks only the truth, a
man with divine influence upon his heart and
soul.
It seems that prophets have been typically
artistic and prolific at the same time. Manson's
music and Hubbard's Dianetics have inspired gen-
erations, and our new messiah is no exception,
having written over twenty five hundred songs
and forty albums, he has addressed nearly every
aspect of the human condition in his proliferation.
The man who will at last bring balance to
the Force weighs in at roughly three hundred fifty
pounds and stands at nearly six foot six. He hails
proudly from the alleys of Chicago. He sports a
pair of suspenders, he drinks milk like a fish, he
rocks a Casio keyboard like he whoops that
horse's ass, he can really rock it out. He is Wesley
Willis, and he will rock and roll like it really beats
that hyena's ass, according to his own wise words.
I crossed paths with Mr.Willis on a holy
day, the feast day of the patron saint of green beer, roooooooock, I love to roooouuuoollll," Wesley
By Tim Connors
This week I did some advocacy work. I
went to the state capital of Pennsylvania to see my
representative in the state legislature. I went with
a couple of people from the rehabilitative resi-
dence that I live in, and one ofthe program coor-
dinators. Our senator promised to send a memo to
the party leadership, on our behalf, and that was
pretty good. We were asking for a cost of living
adjustment for funding for psychiatric and retar-
dation funding. In addition we mentioned that
two consumer run technical assistance clearing-
houses were being closed under Bush's new budg-
et.
Another form of discrimination is the
unequal treatment by doctors towards consumers
during pre-employment physicals, and the extra
requirements to get a doctor to sign off on the
physical Besides the physical requirements a doc-
tor may also require a psychiatric and medical his-
tory before signing of on a routine physical. This
is complaint is based on personal experience from
taking physical for the volunteer advocacy posi-
tion. The doctor in charge of the clinic admitted in
front of a witness that the resident doing the phys-
ical probably didn't sign off on it because of the
psychiatric diagnosis.
Being Schizoaffective I still experience
thoughts that sound and seem to not be my own.
Most of the time I think everyone can hear what
Saint Patrick at a place called
Brownies. Brownies is a dive. Wesle
Willis keeps himself amused before
scheduled performance by creating
cityscape drawing, signing auto-
graphs, and greeting the truly faithf
with a friendly head butt. "Lemme
a head-butt," he says to a believer. I
then grabs the back of the devotee's
head and commands he or she to "'S
ROCK!" Upon compliance with this
request, the lucky object of Mr. Will
affection is brought to have their fox
head lightly knocked into a monstr4
bulge on Wesley's forehead. The chc
is followed by "Say ROLL!," and
another head butt. These mantras a
repeated as needed at Wesley's disc
i!_ rx 1 1 • C AA_.:_-L"I,_-_11
non. une lucky recipient of tmis blessmg, anter
having gone through this process twice reported
* that she felt as though she were absolved of her
sins. Some spectators claim that Wesley Willis is
the second coming of Jesus Christ. The doctors say
he's just schizophrenic, but the devoted attribute
his "symptoms" to the divine power of the Lord
God.
Wesley's insights on the human condition
are uncannily clear and to the point. He sings
"McDonald's hamburgers are the worst, they are
even worse than Burger King." He gives advice on
fashion as well as dining. "The mullet is the rea-
son people hate you.. .get out the hair clippers
jerk," he sings in "Cut the Mullet," a favorite
among his followers.
Mr. Willis also has a sort of political
charisma that upon the utterance of "George Bush
could suck my dick, George Bush is a fucking
jerk," the congregation bursts into cheer and
applause. Three hundred fifty pounds of schizo-'
phrenia versus the leader of the free world...my
money's on the prophet.
Why does Wesley Willis make his music?
"I love to rock, I love to roll, I love to
_Stili
I'm thinking, which leads to a little paranoia. This
makes me question whether or not I can find a job,
which is no easy feat with a Bachelor degree in
Political science.
I showed some of the articles I had writ-
ten for the Press to the program manager at the
rehabilative residence that I live in. She like them,
and showed copies to just about anyone who
would read them, which is how I got the chance to
be a volunteer for consumer advocacy. Seeing as
I'm mentally ill this seems like a natural pursuit
for someone with a political science degree. It
doesn't pay, but I'll be doing something produc-
tive and maintaining my benefits.
The next time I work for more than three
months I will lose my benefits. This is due to my
using up my trial work period, and I don't want
to be making less than my benefits without med-
ical coverage. I'm going to apply to the office of
vocational rehabilitation to see if they can find me
a position that pays half way decently and isn't
too stressful.
I've been looking for work on my own,
but that is not turning out too well. I have not
gotten a lot of responses to resumes, and have not
sent too many out. I was going to Welcome
house, which is a vocational drop in center for
mentally ill people. Getting in the routine of stay-
ing at a drop in center for eight hours a day would
Wesley Savs
as is typical of the messianic message. This true
love of music gives Mr. Willis more credibility
than virtually all acts on the radio.. .and he's
schizophrenic. A man with one of the worst ail-
ments that a man can have, who really is from the
street (he's been homeless in Chicago for years),
with little education, makes more heartfelt music
than the pop-groomed puppets of the airwaves,
and he writes his own music. His songs may
sound very similar to the untrained ear, but they
are pure and soulful.
If all of this is true, why doesn't everyone
know about Wesley Willis? The music industry is
afraid of the embarrassment of being trumped by
this man of impeccable character. He's a one man
band with no pyrotechnics, no choreography, and
no bullshit.
If anything can be said about the
term"cult following" and it's implications, there is
no other man who deserves one more than Wesley
Willis. He has found his place in the world,
despite great difficulties, and he may well take
James Brown's title of "hardest working man in
show business," he sells most of his albums by
hand and he always has time to chat with a fan.
He can really rock it out.
Shizc)
be a good thing, since I'm back in the pattern of
sleeping into afternoon.
I don't have much hope that I'll be able to
accomplish anything with my life. It's been years
since I've had a real job, and my performance in
school was very poor for the last year and a half I
was at Stony Brook. I saved the articles that I
have written for the Press and now have a nice lit-
tle portfolio of articles dealing with mental illness.
I visited USB a few weeks ago, and found only a
couple of the people that I had gone to school
with were left. There were all new faces at the
Press office, but I was impressed that there are a
couple of quality news article writers.
It'd be cool to get paid to be a writer, but I don't
have the discipline to write about topics that
require fair representation of both sides of an
issue. I have my side and that's the only one I'm
interested in representing. That's not a good trait
when trying to write a news article.
The other thing I like about writing is that
for a little while I'm not troubled by the hallucina-
tions. I never claimed to be a journalist, but I do
enjoy writing. I got away from it for a while
because of work, and I couldn't concentrate well
enough to put together a coherent thought. It
seems that my schizoaffective disorder is getting
worse, and the medications are increasing with
only a modest decrease in hallucinations.
Page 9
 Continued from pageB 1 also all over Europe, the U.S. and Japan. Even the
by the fact that they were an unofficial delegation
to Palestine. However, she told us that in the event
of the execution or imprisonment of a French citi-
zen, political action would be taken, but at this
point she wouldn't speculate on what form that
would take. She stated that France does not agree
with the policies of Ariel Sharon, and the French do
not believe that Sharon wants a political solution to
this crisis. She used the example of how Sharon
refused to allow a delegation from the European
Union officials to meet with Arafat, effectively
destroying their peace mission to Israel and
Palestine.
International disgust with the policies of
Israel and its leader Ariel Sharon is growing. This
can be attested to by the massive protests that have
been held not only throughout the Arab world, but
mainstream media outlets in the U.S, that are nor-
mally champions of Israel, have been forced to be
more balanced in their reporting by the barbarity of
the IDE Peace for Palestine and Israel is hopefully
within site. But there will be no peace without jus-
tice for the Palestinian people. They must have
their own homeland 100% of the west bank and
Gaza. The Jewish settlers must be removed from
Palestinian lands, and reparations paid for all the
damage done in as a result of the occupation.
As a note to the reader, this article is in no
way meant to denote a want for the destruction of
Israel. The country was born of a massive theft of
land, and build on the dead and displaced
Palestinians who once lived there. I have to say
though, what's done is done. Israel is there, and
there are around 5 million Jews living within its ter-
lntefada (Con't1
ritory. If they wish to livein a quasi-theocranc
apartheid state, they can do so within their 1967
borders. What they cannot do is suppress the
Palestinian people's aspirations for freedom. What
we cannot do, as Americans, is allow our money be
used to fund an illegal occupation. When President
Bush asks, "Why do they hate us?" remember that
every time a child is killed in Palestine; it was your
money that helped to buy the bullet that killed her,
your government that made that killing possible,
and your complacency that allows killings like that
to occur.
What is needed is serious grassroots pres-
sure put on our government. There will be an event
in Washington D.C. starting April 19th. If you are
interested in going, check out Mobilization for
Global justice at http://www.globalizethis.org/s30/.

By LBGTA and USSA

April17th -Te Day of Silenc
I
Mod

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)
students' access to higher education is limited and
the ability to earn a degree is threatened. A lack of
resources for LGBT student organizations and
retention centers, administration turning a blind
eye to repeated incidents of harassment and vio-
lence against LGBT students, and insufficient
training for staff and faculty create a university
that is inaccessible for LGBT people.
During National Coming Out Day at a
Maryland university, a student wearing a rainbow,
Ribbon, was badly beaten. Her attacker repeatedly
called her a "dyke" while hitting her.
From October to November of 2001, stu-
dents at Humboldt State University began collect-
ing information on the anti-LGBT incidents that
were occurring on their campus. In that 60-day
period, 168 anti-transgender hate incidents were
documented.
At a private university in New England, a
gay freshman was placed with a homophobic
roommate. The harassment that this freshman
faced reached the level of physical violence. Even
after the physical abuse, the Dean of Students
refused to provide the gay student with a new
housing arrangement.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students
face harassment and discrimination in numerous
areas of college life. Residential Life programs
may place students with homophobic roommates
and students may have RAs who are not educated
around issues of sexual orientation and gender*
identity. Students are faced with professors that
make homophobic and transphobic remarks. And
campus health centers are not often equipped to
handle the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender students.
Most universities in this country do not
have institutional policies or procedures in place
to educate the campus community or to protect
LGBT students from discrimination. Of the over
3,000 institutions of higher learning in the United
States, only about 347 include sexual orientation in
their nondiscrimination policies. Just a handful
have added gender identity and expression to
these policies. Most college campuses do not pro-
vide LGBT sensitivity trainings to their campus
staff and faculty.
In April, students all over the country
who support increasing accessibility for LGBT
people in education will be participating in the
Day of Silence Project with the support of the
and allies will take a nine-hour vow of visible
silence. This act of visible silence represents the
daily fight LGBT face against heterosexism, homo-
phobia and transphobia and calls attention to the
ways LGBT people are silenced on our campuses.
In April students will demand that LGBT
Resource Centers be created and staffed on our
campuses. We will call on our universities to
acknowledge the harassment that LGBT people
face on our campuses and to add sexual orienta-
tion and gender identity to university non-dis-
crimination policies. We will also insist that staff
and faculty on campus receive educational and
sensitivity trainings around issues of sexual orien-
tation and gender identity.
In April students all over this country will
be working to bring attention to the heterosexist
structures of our universities and homophobic and
transphobic acts that occur on our campuses. We
ask our peers to work with us. To stand up for the
rights of LGBT people and to demand change on
our campuses. Stony Brook University students
are taking our vow of silence on April 17th, Will
you join us?
To work with us please call Alicia at 631-
216.0652

I ' ·
These incidents of hate are not isolated.
I -
United States Student Association, LGBT people

National Queer Day of Action

I -
To Increase the Retention of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual., and Transgender
Students in Higher Education

Day of Silence
Students from across the country are taking steps to increase access to underrepresented students on their campuses. In April, students will partici-
pate in the Day of Silence Project to call attention to the specific issues that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people face in universities and tc
demand change on campus that -will improve the lives of LGBT students.

At Stony Brook University we will be taking our vow of silence on April 17, 2002, with the support of the United States Student Association (USSA)
This day will call attention to the silencing of LGBT students at our university. We will remain visibly silent from 9am until 6pm this day. At one
o'clock pm we will have a rally in which speakers will discuss the issues that LGBT students face on our campus. At 6pm we will gather and break
the silence together.

"This national queer day of action," according to Jo'ie Taylor, USSA Vice President, "is especially relevant to our universities because of the hetero-
sexist structures and homophobic and transphobic attitudes that exist on college campuses." USSA and Stony Brook University students hope that
the event will work towards creating positive change on campus.

WHO: Stony Brook University

WHAT: Day of Silence Project
WHEN: April 17,2002
WHERE: Stony Brook University Student Union
__
Page 10
 By Ana Maria Ramirez
Two white translucent chiffon curtains were
hung from a pole from the ceiling of the Staller Art
Gallery, which plunged down approximately 20 ft.
down to the tiled floor.
Imprinted on the twvo curtains is a transfer
image of the actress Gloria Graham sitting at a vani-
ty mirror as she points a gun at her reflection.
"Re-scripting the Story", the current exhibi-
tion at Stony Brook University's Staller Art Gallery is
a retrospective of Mary Beth Edelson's art work
encompassing almost four decades of her work from
the 1960's to the present.
Edelson, being one of the most pronounced
pioneers of the Feminist Art Movement of the early
70's, along with her other first-generation feminist
art contemporaries like Nancy Spero, Ana Mendieta
and Hannah Wilke has helped bloom the way for
future artists to develop.
Edelson has been and continues to be an
active participant for women's equalities in and out
of the art-world. Earlier in her career as an artist, she
realized 'the lack of opportunities women had in the
arts, impelling her to start or become an participant
of several organizations like NOW (National
Organization for Women) and AIR (Artists In
Resident) Gallery that voiced these injustices and
helped female artists be able exhibit their works.
Even organizing the first National Conference for
Women in the Visual Arts in 1972.
Her pieces encompass a wide range of
posters, collages and photographs, some of her
pieces being displayed all around the U.S. and
Europe celebrating their impact they had left.
"Re-Scripting the Story" is actually a travel-
ing exhibition that has trekked from Albany NY,
three different locations in Pennsylvania, North
Texas University, Blue Star San Antonio and finally,
its last stop at Stony Brook University.
It is also the first time that Edelson displays the
original paste-ups, which have never been framed
up before now.
"I really started with some of the issues
that got articulated through feminism in the early
60's before there was any dialogue had been formu-
lated," Edelson said.
Edelson was born and raised in East
Chicago, Indiana and by the age of twelve she
enrolled into Saturday classes at the Art Institute of
Chicago. Her parents also helped her make her base-
ment into her own studio. They cleared out the coal
room and set up her father's old dentist lights.
By 1961, Edelson became pregnant for the
first time arid as she began to experience the hor-
monal and physical changes her body was undergo-
ing, her whole view on what it meant for her to be a
The Emowered Fmm Fata
woman was altered.
"I began to experience my body as a
woman and to feel that the whole process of being
pregnant as a sacred process," said Edelson. "That
got me thinking in terms specifically of what wom-
aness was, what it was to be female."
During the early 70's Edelson began to
research ancient goddesses and incorporating it in
her collage pieces. Medusa and an ancient Celtic
goddess called Sheela-na-gig were some of the god-
desses that were used in her pieces like "Sheela take
a Bow" and with her photograph works where she
draws, paints or collages over, making the work that
is done over the photograph the focus. In these pho-
tographs, Edelson uses herself as the subject matter,
acting as a vessel for the goddesses to enter.
Her later photography works, Edelson
experiments a little farther. Edelson plays with light,
shooting at different times of the day and what see-
ing what affect it created when opening or closing
the lens, slowing the speed of the shot, even using
candles; resulting in several of her photographs to
have an trance-like appearance.
"I was interested in researching goddesses at that
point because the Feminist Art Movement had just
started and I was looking for a role model, what role
model was out there from our ancient history,"
Edelson said. "It was empowering to identify physi-
cally with the idea of a goddess figure, which also
gave me permission to act out some of the presump-
tuous things I did in the photographic works."
In 1972 finished her breakthrough poster
piece, "The Last Supper". The piece, which is also
displayed at the Staller Center Gallery, originated
from one of Edelson's projects called "22 Others",
where she invited 22 people that proposed different
ideas for works that she could produce. One of the
suggestions was to create a piece using religion as its
basis.
Already feeling that established religions
have placed men at a higher status, position and
importance while women have been virtually
ignored, Edelson takes a poster of Leonardo da
Vinci's famous Last Supper work and superimposes
cutout faces of leading female artist's of that time.
Georgia O'Keeffe is placed as Christ because of her
success of becoming a renowned professional artist
and the apostles include, Helen Frankenthaler, June
Wayne, Alma Thomas, Lee Krasner, Nancy Graves,
Louise Nevelson, M.C. Richards, Louis Bourgeois,
Lila Katzen and Yoko Ono. Surrounding the poster
are photographs of every female artists Edelson
could found.
"The Last Supper is the piece I am mostly
associated with," Edelson said. "It had been referred
to as being the iconic image from the 70's art move-
ment because it is very inclusive, it encompasses the
spirit of the movement."
With this piece, Edelson commemorates
and give recognition to these female artists and to
also make a defiant statement that women are not
subordinate subjects under these patriarchal reli-
gions.
The piece has undergone highly scrutinized
debates over its lifetime, some critics feeling that
Edelson's "Last Supper" was almost as vandalism
on a religious masterpiece. One critic during a
debate had stated that it would be the same thing if
someone would deface a portrait of Martin Luther
King Jr. by placing a pig's head over his face.
But even with these harsh critics, "The Last
Supper" won much acclaim, singling it out as being
one of the major things being produced at that time.
With her collages and posters Edelson uses
cut-out images of women in Hollywood during the
1930's and 1940's, but it wasn't until the 1980's that
Edelson began to intensely research the movies that
portrayed these iconic, glamorous women, what the
director actually had in mind while producing the
E
films and Hollywood polarized two stereotypical
female scripts. The roles that were given movies in
the cinema was to either be the good housewife or
the conniving seducing vixen.
By transplanting these images onto her
large-scale chiffon curtains of these actresses,
Edelson, transplants them into a completely different
environment then the ones they were placed into
these films.
"What I wanted to do was to take that
script and kind of sabotage it by taking the image,
isolating her from the film and then projecting
another story onto her," Edelson said. "Releasing her
from the original script and then you can project
some kind of story on her."
She spent five to six years on the research and one of
the writers that she read intimately throughout this
period was feminist film theorist, E. Ann Kaplan.
Kaplan, a graduate professor of English and
Comparative Studies, at Stony Brook University,
who also teaches Film and Visual Culture in the
Women's Studies, has written several books on how
Hollywood portrays women on the,screen. Books
like,
"Looking For the Other: Feminism, Film and the
Imperial Gaze", "Crisis and Cinema" and "Women
m ilrm INoir.
"We are both women who were in the forefront of
Feminism," Kaplan said. "She had been reading
"Women in Film Noir" and she saw a connection."
After reading "Women in Film Noir", Edelson
immediately called Kaplan and asked her if she
would like to contribute an essay about Edelson's
work in a book she
was compiling together of her work throughout her
lifetime called "The Art of Mary Beth Edelson".
Even though Kaplan had viewed Edelson's
work, she did not know it intimately and the fact
that Kaplan was not an art critic, made her hesitant.
But the idea of the interaction of both the film schol-
ar and artist attracted her and she finally agreed and
wrote the "Trickster and Gunslinger".
"I had a lot of fun working on the paper. I was so
intrigued by her work," Kaplan said. "In her idea of
empowerment, of changing the script, she shows
women can be powerful, but that doesn't mean that
they are evil."
The images that Edelson was now concen-
trating on was femme fatale images, but for Edelson,
but only choosing femme fatales that carried guns.
"What I was interested in is women with
Continued on page 17
Page 11
 b
.S ib i...
;i:z·
Fraternity Public Relations
Specialist
That's right frat boys and
sorority victims, the time has
come to restore the public's
faith in your organizations
and I'm the man to do it. So if
you're tired of being associat-
ed with rohypnol, date rape,
alcoholism, hazing, abuse,
hazing, stupidity, poor
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people, stupid black people,
The Statesman, frat colors,
crooked baseball caps,
pledges, hazing, National
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homophobia, binge drinking,
maxing out Daddy's
MasterCard, hazing, Prada,
Old Navy, pyramid schemes,
The X-Box, convenience store
robberies, K-Mart, death row,
patriotism, Main Street Myth,
beer bellies, hazing, homo-
erotic handshakes, beer
games, negative IQ's, fetal
alcohol syndrome, botched
abortions, EA Sports games,
Vox Populi, Adidas, peer
pressure, brothels, best
employment being mall secu-
rity, "NICE!," Carmen
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pot with embalming fluid,
empty promises, uncondi-
tional acceptance, hazing,
public embarrassment, man-
to-man fisting, phys ed class,
The O'Reily Factor, slavery,
fisticuffs, the gym, Rush
Limbaugh, Howard Stern,
The Jerky Boys, Gary
Conduit, Free Masons, The
Electoral College, The Carlyle
Group, chartered busses,
R&B, rope bums, jokes .that
start with "three guys where
standing on top of the Empire
State Building...," Emo,
"chin-strap" beards, the
Sports Center, class rings, the
DMV, loose bass strings, Girls
Gone Wild videos, Heaven's
Gate, inbreeding, The Fast
and The Furious, Domino's
Pizza, vanity plates, keg
stands, dating shows, hazing,
rushing, Goldschlager, The
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movies, lawyers, hazing,
post-Flemming Rasmussen
Metallica, body fluids, Spy
Tech, lemmings, purple wind
breakers, the WB, sweater
vests, pool parties, the token
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hazing, and of course
MORAL TERPITUDE.
Together we can make the
public believe that diners
aren't the only the only good
thing that can ever come out
of Greek life. We'll raise your
image from that of the current
presidential administration to
the glory it had before
Animal House was released.
Contact me VIA AIM:
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siedfoFRE
0omalco
Third Parties the
U.S. Needs in the
2004 Elections

10 Al Queda Party

6 The Donner Party

Xol-Time Warner
4 The Nu-Metal Party
3 The Wesley Willis Party

2 The Insane Clown Party

Bob Is Cool by Jamie Mignone

Page 14

By Adam Kearney
There is a growing awareness in our cul-
ture of the importance of eastern spiritual prac-
tices in alleviating the symptoms of our neurotic
civilization. Our hectic, routine daily rituals create
an unnatural stress on the mind and body which
the methods of yoga and meditation have been
known to treat effectively, but there is another
ancient, esoteric methodology that is frowned
upon by our society while it may very well be the
key to it's salvation: hallucinogenic drugs.
Tripping out is generally illegal, but there
is a large class of consciousness expanding chemi-
cals that have yet to be banned by our government
and are adequately powerful. Because they're
legal doesn't mean that these obscure drugs are
fake, they just haven't had any bad publicity.
Most are herbal plants you can order online and
have delivered to your house. Some you can buy
at the local supermarket. This is their story.
San Pedro cactus is the most powerful of
the legal psychedelics. San Pedro and Peyote both
contain mescaline, but Peyote is specifically men-
tioned under the Controlled. Substance Act as
Schedule I and San Pedro is sold regularly at plant
vendors throughout the US. San Pedro is legal as
long as it is not processed in preparation for con-
sumption. Peyote is extremely slow-growing,
whereas San Pedro develops rapidly. Slices, blend-
ing, and extractions of the cactus are illegal. The
scientific name for the San Pedro cactus is
Trichocerei pachanoi and it is used as a landscap-
ing plant in South America and the United States
because of it's night-blooming flowers. It grows
into a gigantic columnar cactus like it's cousin the
Peruvian Torch, which also develops into a mesca-
line rich plant. The skin can be peeled off, dried,
and ground up into a powder.
Salvia divinorum has gained a certain
amount of fame in recent years for it's mind
expanding properties. It is a species of mint tradi-
tionally ingested for spiritual purposes by
Mexican natives. No one is really sure how it
By Tim Connors
Can a belief in God make a difference in
how one fife turns out? Does faith and trust in a
divine power translate into a more positive live,
than otherwise would be experienced?
Is it just perception that makes that dif-
ference, or is God a caring and loving father
whom will take care of those who turn their will
over to him and become a vessel for his will
rather than their own?
It was said religion is an opiate for the
masses, in that it allows the carrying of burdens
more easily, and gives an order or purpose to life
that would be lacking otherwise. On the other
hand we could be just a freak accident of nature,
that came from nowhere, and is leading to noth-
ing, with no purpose in between.
It is easier to believe in God than to
have none, just in terms of holidays alone. It is
possible that there is no God, or that He has no
part in what happens. There is nothing but faith
and hope to refute that premise, but that may be
enough. For what is life without an opiate for
the soul.
But is belief enough, I've heard it said
that faith without good works is dead. Does this
Father require that we sacrifice to help our fel-
low man? Some would say yes, but handing out
cigarettes is about the only giving to the fellow
man that I've done in years. I suppose there's
time to change, but who wants to be bothered?
How much trust does one put into God,
Somepwhere Over The Counter
works, but that it does work, and quite well. The
active ingredient, Salvinorin A, is a diterpene,
which has not been shown to affect any known
receptors in the brain. The herb is not to be used
recreationally, but strictly for self exploratory pur-
poses such as meditation and recollection, because
of the nature of the altered state which is more like
a very intense dream than a normal high. Salvia is
legal and available online in a pre-processed form
to any would-be psychonaut, yet getting it to
work is somewhat of a difficulty because of the
nature of the active compound. There are some
tips in ingesting the herb, such as using a micro-
torch and a water filtered pipe. It is advised that
the smoke should remain in your lungs for twenty
to thirty seconds and that the full dosage, approxi-
mately half a gram, be consumed within two to
three minutes..
Fly Agaric mushrooms, or Amanita mus-
caria, is another potent hallucinogen that is legal
in the US. It is slightly toxic, as are other species
of mushroom, but the effects are profound and
similar to the common prohibited psychedelics.
This species, like all others mentioned in this arti-
cle, can be ordered from a variety of internet busi-
nesses or purchased from the right plant vendor.
Fly Agaric, which can grow anywhere in the
Northern Hemisphere, was most commonly con-
sumed in Siberia. The mushroom itself is highly
recognizable with it's bright red caps covered with
yellowish warts. The active ingredients is mus-
camol and it is most concentrated in the skin lay-
ers of the 'shroom, although it is present through-
out the entire body. The mushroom may be slight-
ly toasted before consumption to increase amounts
of the muscamol.
If LSA, or D-lysergic acid amide, peaks
anyone's interest then they should also be
informed of the availability of the Hawaiian Baby
Woodrose seeds that contain it. The active compo-
nent of the seeds is similar to LSD, but thousands
of times more of it is needed to produce any affect.
uestions Of Faith
not much, but then the results of trying to do
things without may led to glaring failures in
spiritual .areas of my life. Some follow God with
complete abandon and trust that God has a pur-
pose for them. Acceptance of Gods will is scary,
since it could include poverty, sickness, and
loneliness.
Some say we are all children of God,
and that would imply that we all have the same
makeup as God, just on a smaller scale. Is there a
universal will that the individual will draws
from? Perhaps so, yet often the individual will
can contradict the universal one, seeing as the
individual has a spirit of its own.
Some of this comes from Hazrat Inyata
Kahn, just for reference purposes. It seems
Hazrat put forward the concept of human spirit
being like a branch on a tree that has God as the
trunk. Further that implies that all human spirits
are the same, though some people maybe good
or evil.
The difference between good and evil is
subjective, and in large part comes from individ-
uals values that they create for themselves. Evil
would be committing an act that one had
defined as morally reprehensible. God allows
Humans the ability to create moral judgements
and gives free will, so that we maybe of service
to him.
There is a question of whether God has
a predetermined plan for us or rather if we are
O
This, however, is not a problem as the latter's
dosage is measured in micrograms. About twen-
ty-five seeds are needed for a strong trip and there
are about eight seeds per gram. Prices for the
three gram htip range from fifteen to thirty dollars.
The HBW, or Argyreia nervosa, seeds need to be
scraped off thoroughly before they can be ground
down and eaten or strained through hot water
and drank.
The last of the legal hallucinogenic plants
I will mention is the most widespread and also the
most dangerous. Datura is an entire genus of
flowering plants, with around ten species that
contain psychoactive chemicals and grow all over
the world. The most popular species are D. inoxia
(Devil's Weed) and D. strammonium (Jimson
Weed). Jimson weed grows in the wild across the
US and has a tendency to be ingested by those
who have learned to identify it. This is not the
best thing that can happen. Datura is dangerous
with the potential to kill you if taken improperly,
however the state of consciousness it produces is
unlike anything else. Coma and death may result
if 10 mg, or 100 raw seeds, are consumed. It
plagues me to consider why this potentially fatal
and incredibly potent hallucinogenic is legal while
marijuana remains on Schedule I. The active
ingredientsi scopolamine and atropine, closely
resemble chemicals associated with dreaming and
the trip therefore becomes somewhat indistin-
guishable from a dream. All barriers between
imagination and perceived reality fade until one is
completely immersed in a hallucination unlike the
geometric visualizations of the common illegal
psychedelics, but of a waking dream. Seeds are
available over the Internet.
Human history has always had a place
for the use of entheogens. Don't let 100 years of
poor government keep you from the essential
tools of a spiritual existence. Use society's igno-
rance to your own advantage and buy all these
great drugs before they can put you in jail for it.
I I
oft.
totally free agents in this cosmic scheme thing.
Perhaps the best was to measure this is by
results, so if something comes easily and an
achievement is accomplished, then that would
indicate that the free will was in concordance
with destiny.
An opposing situation is when one
struggles endlessly to achieve something and it
seems that efforts are met with failure, then ones
individual will is out of step with destiny. It is
difficult to tell if one is making the right deci-
sion, since dogged determination can clutch suc-
cess from the most abysmal picture. And after a
struggle success is that much sweeter.
Let's just say there's a God for the sake
of argument, then why so much suffering in the
world? War may just be the nature of Humans,
but that is just a reflection of the idea that life is
a struggle, or suffering. Perhaps life is that way
to challenge Humans to achieve, and to create
the need for service to fellows and to God.
Monotheism has its upside, but it is still
all based on faith. The question of is there a God
is still up for debate, more so now than in the
past. It is possible that God is an overriding
intelligence that manifests as all of the energy
that makes up matter in the universe. There is
the flip side that says God, and religion are ways
to control the masses. In the end either will find
out for sure, or become food for worms.
Page 15
 a Power
By Michael Prazak
There is a theory in Aesthetics that claims
that the determining factor contributing to a work
being considered art is particular to the situation it
is displayed in. A painting, for example, would be
considered a piece of art were it to be displayed in a
museum or gallery, due to the fact that it, being
viewed in this manner, is conducive to its expressive
elements. Conversely, there is an opposing belief
that holds that any work that expresses a meaning,
or invokes an emotional response, should be con-
sidered art, regardless of it's situation. Keeping
these two principles in mind, there is a current art
form that is being subverted in America. Ignored
and marginalized it cries out for attention, it is the
art that decorates our bathroom walls. After all,
what more an expressive and emotional situation
exists then the one that visits us when pinching a
loaf in Harriman Hall?
No trip to France is required to view these
nuggets (pun intended) of artistry. One can experi-
ence their grandeur in the bathrooms all over our
glorious campus. From the acronymally challenged
SAC, to the recesses of the Old Chemistry building,
we find wonderful and evocative examples of this
rare and refined art form. It's almost as if the apa-
thetic atmosphere on campus has birthed a dramat-
ic and expressive revolution upon our bathroom
walls. These works contain a wide variety of func-
tions, and convey many different meanings.
Unrestricted by the politics that hinder traditional
galleries and museums, the bathrooms serve as a
medium of expression that embodies what a true
gallery should be: an arena that displays works
regardless of their message, but according to the
merits of their artistry.
It is startling the wide range of expressive
styles that are utilized on many of the pieces scat-
f anu Expreaive MEaiu
tered across campus. Post-modern humor,
Politically Charged Statements and risque Erotica
all find comfortable homes on these sacred walls.
"Shit, Shit, Everything I eat turns to SHIT!" exclaims
one wall, perhaps criticizing the American obses-
sion with right eating and nutrition. A stance that
claims that in the end, it indeed does all end up the
same color.
Another series of works align the stalls in a
bathroom located in the Physics Building, each with
a representation of stereotypical "liberated" women.
This work finds it's meaning in the statements that
the caricatured women say and the situation they
are displayed in. Portrayed half naked and in com-
promising poses they say things that are in a com-
plete contrast to how they look. Statements like
"you disgust me," "go away," and "you're a little
man," are said by the figures decorating these walls.
The conflicting aspects of invitingness and rejection
dance an interesting dance in this particular work.
Could this be a statement against a perceived dual
E
nature within modern women? Or, perhaps it repre-
sents a fractured egos crying out against past rejec-
tions? In any respect it is a statement that deserves
expressing.
Meanwhile, a political war explodes on the
walls of the Javitz Lecture Hall in a series of right
wing statements. Someone's claim that, "China
Sucks," is countered by the statement that, "China
will rule the world." The latter statement either
being parodied or reinforced by a drawing of a
stereotypical Asian man embracing the world ala
axis and allies propaganda from World War II. The
varying ways this singular work can be interpreted
provide testament to the bathroom walls ability to
provide a varied means of expression.
This new and fruitful arena of expression is
apparently a frightening concept to many in power.
Evident by the many painted over, and sanded
down walls and stalls that frequent our campus as
often as the ones erupting with life. Censoring these
works can be equated to the denial of any other
forum of expression. In their zeal, not only are the
powers that be destroying precious art, they are also
a robbing us of a significant cultural history From
its archaic beginnings in, "For a Good Time Call.."
to it's rich development into the bountiful landscape
that decorates our nations rest stops and gas sta-
tions. One can just imagine the many masterpieces
that have been denied us forever. Succumbing to a
new coat of paint or falling victim to the superficial
ideals of close-minded storeowner. A change is
needed in order to save these precious works. We
allow a profound sin to happen, every time a single
voice is silenced. If we do not stop this destruction
for our own good, let us at least save them for the
good of the generations to come.
 Resnondin (: to A Visual Resonse...
IL
By Chris Stackowicz
Sarah Bielski's recent exhibition A Visual
Response to the Institutional Interior, as its title
informs us, is responding to the drab, comfortless
spaces surrounding us at every moment of every
day. These are Stony Brook's interiors. Dry, formu-
laic interiors which have no life of their own, devoid
of personality, calculated for pure neutrality, for
some reason become the subject matter for draw-
ings presented to we, the viewers who experience
these spaces every moment we walk on campus.
Whv must we be subh
hip'ct--
ed to more of them? Is it
not enough to have to co-
exist with them? Is it
necessary for us to have
to peer deeper into the
recesses of these spaces?
The questions for these
pieces are: How can one
respond to the institu-
tional interior and what
exactly is the response.
saying?
Essentially, four
institutional space are presented. In the gallery,
there is a space within a space, two spaces: the
space depicted and the space in which they are
enabled to depict. Perhaps, the intent is to respond
to the gallery space as an institutional interior.
Allowing a gap, the duplicate image sheds light (as
is also happening in the images) on the function of
the gallery. Here in the gallery, we too feel the same
institutional coldness, the penetrating nothingness,
which makes us acutely aware that the gallery func-
tions in the exact same way as the spaces depicted.
Only the "Art" on the walls somehow changes the
space we are in. Perhaps, we are not supposed to
see the gallery as a negative space, but rather one in
which something more happens. Exactly what that
more is, I'm not quite sure. Hopefully I will be able
to disentangle it in my analysis of these works.
The juxtaposition of the two spaces, one
without "Art" and one with "Art," is interesting to
say to the least. The gallery itself is a cold space.
The walls are painted in a cold shade of white.
There is the standard system of track lighting, stan-
dard white tiled floor, standard white plastic floor to
wall molding, standard white ceiling tiles. The only
difference between this space and any other is the
social function that we specifically designate to this
space. In this space, we are presumably going to
see "Art," not that we are unable to see it elsewhere,
but this is it's designated space for viewing. When
it is viewed elsewhere, there is a blurry line between
whether it is art or not. But here in this gallery and
all galleries by definition, we are seeing art. This is
Continued from page 11
guns in their hands. I really wasn't interested in the
femme fatale as such," Edelson said. "Because it has
so many negative messages in relationship to femi-
nism, it's only the femme fatale when she empowers
herself."
In her essay, Kaplan also noted Edelson's
way of inventing innovating ways and forms to
'refine her ideas.'
"The Story Gathering Box" is one of these
forms.
Started in 1972, Edelson wanted to collect
her viewer's own stories and experiences of their
gender, gender roles, how their mothers and their
fathers taught them about the opposite and same-sex
individuals in the society.
"I started "The Story Gathering Box"
Ij
- -
the social ftmction of the space. The halls of Javits,
the corridors en route to our classes do not have this
specific ftmction. In those interiors, we as human
subjects, activate the spaces. We provide the life-
blood that flows through them. When we are
absent from them, the spaces are nothing, non-enti-
ties. The gallery however ftmctions in a much dif-
ferent way. We the viewers are not intended to acti-
vate the space, the works presented to us are sup-
posed to activate the space for us. The predicament
of these works thickens.
inactive space of the
lery- negative space
vated via "Art"-is pre-
ting to us, another neg-
respace, the space of
institutional interior.
appears to me as if this
omes some form of jus-
:ation for "Art" (and I
italize and put it in
)tes, because this word
[what it defines is real-
d these works). I
believe the equation is a simple algebraic formula.
Two negatives equal a positive. If you have two
negative spaces being simultaneously presented,
then the positive that results, in this artist's equa-
tion, is "Art."
So how do the images depicted register as
art? The artist is not presenting us a photograph of
the institutional space, nor is she presenting us with
an intuited institutional space. If these were merely
photographs presented on the walls, we would be .
back to three negatives, which in the aforemen-
tioned equation, would fall back to equaling a nega-
tive for art. The photographs would be as meaning-
less as the spaces depicted in them. Had she pre-
sented to us an intuited drawing, where the lines
are pushed around until they feel right, we would
no longer be examining the space, but rather how.
well the artist is able to render the space. The ren-
dering of these spaces is important in that we know
they are renditions of these spaces, not how the
artist specifically sees these spaces. Were it left to
her ability to see them, the viewer would lose their
emotional reception to them, and only able to think
about her craft. For these drawings to be effective,
it is necessary that the lines are not pushed to the
right places by mere observation, and that they are
not photo-mechanically reproduced. The spaces are
represented using the technique of perspective.
This allows the viewer to read the spaces, and to
visually know that the spaces are proportionally
accurate.. Ms. Bielski in no way hides the lines of
perspective. They become the "bones" or artistic
Femme Fatale (Con't)
because I wasn't comfortable with the way galleries
*werestructured, they were giving the message, come
in look and leave and how the artist is the know-it-
all and you are the know-nothing." Edelson said. "I
wanted to make someplace in my exhibition that
was comfortable and welcoming, so that people can
sit down and solicit their active participation and
their thoughts, so that what they left also became
part of the exhibition and it broke down this elitist
thing."
Placed inside a divided wooden box are
squared paper tablets with a question stamped on
the top on each of them. Questions like: What did
you mother tell your about men?, What did your
mother tell you about women?, What did you father
tell you about women? and What did your father
tell you about women?
"I've collected these stories for already 30
Mý
structure to the drawings. The perspective then as
structure, structure that leads uts to the realm of art,
is enhanced by something other. The other, brought
into the mix, is assumably what the artist intends
(and does so quite effectively) for us to recognize as
"Art." That is, our emotive response to something
we see is what renders an image as more than just
an image; our emotive response to something seen
is accorded the status of "Art," is what defines that
term, and what separates everyday unresponsive
seeing and acting from the emotive necessity of
"Art."
The problem in the above equation lies in
my failure to determine what makes the space
depicted as emotive. The spaces are constituted as
emotive by the mark of the artists hand within
them. The shadows being disquietingly exaggerat-
ed possibly fall in this particular manner, though
highly unlikely. As do the turning upside down of
a ceiling and the reversal of top to bottom. Not only
are these labored over, sweated through, not only
are they prospectively correct, but they are, via
intentional charcoal mark, purposefully exaggerated
features, definitive reversals, causing the viewer to
feel something through the way they are depicted.
This feeling one gets when looking at them, the
emotional response one has relative to them, makes
these more than just the space itself. These charac-
teristics are what make these images "Art."
If Sarah has succeeded in making us emote
by our referential awareness of these spaces, one has
to wonder how these.spaces affect her, because they
obviously do or she wouldn't have spent the time to
work them through to the stage where they can be
re-represented to us. This would perhaps, entitle
one to do some sort of clinical approach to them,
unnecessary as we would have to delve into the
artists personal life and therefore while making us
understand the history implied in them, not allow
us complete access to them. Without doing as
much, I think we can read the images for what they
are. I believe I have done that. The problem is not
with the spaces themselves. Her awareness of the
spaces allows us to recognize that. She recognizes
the spaces not as the problem, but what can lead us
to the solution to the problem. And then she
answers, in analysis her own question. She may
perhaps be more able to recognize the deeper mean-
ing behind them, in that the spaces are not the prob-
lem, it is the tangible space's (not the portrayal of
them) inability to evoke emotion that renders them
problematic and outside of her line of thinking.
And I believe through the mathematics above that
we can see what her line of thinking is and in doing
so, we emit an emotive response to her work as
"Art"
years," Edelson said, "and that series of stories has
really ellicited some very, very interesting responses
to that."
Kaplan also states in her essay, that the
importance of retrospectives of the leading 1970's
female artist as a way to 'preserve the importance of
history of the past thirty decades of feminist art and
public activities, to show younger artists what was
done to bring about their freedoms and pontentiali-
ties.'
Edelson feeling the importance of her retro-
spective will be speaking at the Staller Gallery on
April 8 at 5:00. "I really insisted on it because there is
such an educational component to this exhibition,
it's an intrical part of this project," Edelson said. "I
was always very focused on art. I never stopped. I
was born an artist, I was born a feminist."
Page 17

By Doug Williams
So much good music out there and only
so many hours of possible listening per day:
Such is life. The vast amount of music available
on the Internet alone is enough to make one's
head spin. From a virtual standpoint, we are all
equally in the middle of things when approach-
ing from behind a computer with access to the
Internet. But from a physical standpoint, where
you live still has an influence on the music you
get to experience. For us here at Stony Brook,
we are somewhat blessed to be somewhere in
the middle of wide-open ocean beaches out east,
and the greatest city. in the world to the west.
From Montauk to Manhattan, this is a land rich
with musical diversity and culture. While seek-
ing out all that is good across the horizon, it is
also important to keep an eye and an ear out for
all that is good in our own backyards. So this
will hopefully become a regular column, where I
can attempt to expose some of the great magni-
tude of talent that inhabits the area.
One of my favorite local bands when I
was in high school was a band from Smithtown,
called Blood. They were actually the band that I
based my primitive local newsletter on when I
started covering musical acts over a decade ago.
It turns out, these guys are still alive and well,
so it is aptly fitting that I should start with a" lit-
tle section on this four-piece rock group that
had the neighborhood rockin' hard whenever
and wherever they set-up their gear.
Blood released their first single, Teaser
b/w Go Out and Get It, at the end of 1985.
Earlier that year they headlined a huge rock
bash titled Bloodfest '85. For the ten years they
were together as a full band, Blood recorded
and released nearly one hundred songs, ranging
from straight-forward rockers, like Bombed at
the Beach, to beautiful ballads such as Looking
for Bush and Magic. They also gigged at many
of Long Island's and New York City's rock
mainstays, including countless gigs at parties in
garages, living rooms and tennis courts. In 1995
the band split up for good, though John St.
Martin and Diemos Dante, the primary song-
rage -it
writers, never truly stopped writing together
and occasionally do an acoustic performance
either out here in New York, or out in San
Francisco, where St. Martin now resides. Bill
Richards' Park and The Grassman are two excel-
lent songs written by Blood in their later years.
St. Martin, who has become somewhat of a med-
itation guru, has recently released a CD of his
meditation guide and practices. Oooohm!
Ana Lovelis is a hot artist that I really
enjoy. She is definitely a little offbeat in her
ways, but her musical timing is right on! She
knows just how to mix her looks and her sound.
Actually, I think she gets off on scaring the
pants off of her listeners. Her songs are some-
what electronica, with a strong backbone of bass
and drums. She's got this tune called Jezebel
that is definitely perfect for a soundtrack to a
horror flick. Though she spends most of her
time in the city doing her thing, I did get a
chance to speak with her about doing more live
shows in Nassau and Suffolk.
"I'd love to play out every night of the
week if I could. There is no thrill greater than
pleasing my audience, live in the flesh," Lovelis
said. "My game plan is to hit every open stage
that calls my name. I remember my days in the-
atre and my musical show is not that much dif-
ferent, I could do it 365 days a year if I had the
opportunity."
Lovelis will hopefully have many
opportunities to delight audiences all over the
world if things keep moving in a positive direc-
tion for her and the Ana Lovelis Band.
Sometime near the middle of the
nineties, I discovered a talented trio called
Wasted Knights. Though they are originally
from New York, they have relocated to
Scandinavia, and have enjoyed moderate suc-
cess in the land of the Vikings. Gary Harper,
guitarist/vocalist, has enjoyed the high life to
the max. He plays a steady gig on a cruise ship
BouWBlosodine uS odm
from Helsinki, Finland, to Stockholm, Sweden,
while the full trio tours the area on extended
weekends and occasional trips south to France
and England. "I love it here," says Harper
about Finland, where he is an official resident.
"It's a total trip. The women are hot and the
drinks are free. The best part about it is the fact
that all we have to do to survive is play, play,
play." Wasted Knights has the grace to interlace
a female vocalist into their act whenever possi-
ble. Her name is Johanna Berry and she is way
cool. She adds another dimension to the act
with her hippie-like style. Almost like a Neil
Diamond back-up singer, she really gives it her
all, shaking her tambourine and singing a sexy
mix of oohs and ahs. I hope to see her become a
permanent member.
Here's a band that mixes several styles
to perfection. JGP (Jim Gregory Project)
reminds me a lot of eighties rock, though they
have a slight edge to there overall style that
makes the listening experience a little more than
just popping in a Warrant or a Motley Crue CD.
Dan is a phenomenal lead vocalist who writes a
very catchy hook and gets the crowd moving to
the sound. Jim Gregory, the bands primary gui-
tarist, is very creative and enjoys the art of
showmanship. This is a band of serious musi-
cians who like to fool around and show the
world that rock is not dead. These guys totally
rock!
I will keep you up-to-date on these
bands and many others as the months go on.
Some other acts that I'd like to mention briefly
are Ritual, Pack of Wise and Burnt Orange.
These are three of my top picks for 2002 so far.
Ritual, led by the writing team of Snake
Michaels and Dennis Dean, is by far the best
metal act to come out of Central Islip since I
can't remember when! They have unbelievable
fi-t L.
IAilltb6
Tw t•;
eV1.1
.g inter-
s with these
b4nds to
n outsider's
ht into what
es to make
cessful
here in
lk County
ibroad.
Sis a work
ogress. So
s column.
a know of a
group or artist that deserves to be exposed in
The Stony Brook Press, than please contact me. I
will be doing my best setting up links and infor-
mation pages on any and all bands that I cover
here. Check out
http://www.bloodlinemusic.com whenever you can,
and send me email whenever you want!

By Jennifer Looi
Have you ever stopped to think about the
prevalence of platform shoes and super long jeans
for women? It stems from the ideal of what women
want for their appearance. In this case, it is long legs.
Since everyone is not so "fortunate" to have them,
jean and shoe companies enter the picture. To rescue
us from our unhappiness and feed our delusions,
they offer a solution: Buy their products and you
WILL have those long legs and the stature you've
always wanted! It is one of several ploys to brain-
wash the short people of the world that tallness is a
_ 1 -__
..--.1_- _- j
CtL
virtue. iney basicany reed
our insecurities about our-
selves for a price. It fosters
our already strong discon-
tentment with the way we
naturally are.
What exactly is sha
ful about being short? Is it tl
fact that sometimes we can't
reach the highest shelf in a s
Or that we look "insignificar
compared to taller people? I
believed in the latter suggest
dad consistently reminds me
cousins, who are the same aq
bigger and stronger looking.
his views is almost insulting.
into the notion of "taller is b(
" "t ,, ,.•. ,
revered. Stature is just a pnysical attrnute liKe tme
color of your eyes or hair. Yet many are self-con-
scious about it. These characteristics only define you
to a degree. They should not be considered the basis
of who a person is in society. Consider this excerpt
from the website "Grow taller with Kimi:"
http://www.growtaller.net/:
Long legs make women look smart and glamorous
in almost any kind of clothing. In the high-flying
world of fame, glamour and big money, a successful
fashion model is hot property And if you are an
aspiring fashion model, raring to go and make it big
in the industry, you need to have, among other
things, gorgeous looking long legs. What's more,
long legs are also an asset for professional sportsper-
sons, basketball players for instance.
This excerpt implies glamouris dosely
linked with long legs. According to this, women
who want to be glamorous must have the "height."
How superficial can this author get? Who is thisper-
Tallnessand Scet
son to say that only women with legs can be glam-
orous? Glamour is how you present yourself with
what you are wearing and, most importantly, how
you feel. It can be said that long legs can be an asset
for certain professions, but they are not necessary in
daily life, it is more of an added bonus. If you have
them, use them, otherwise work with what you
have.
Some may classify the "big shoes" as a
returning, harmless fad. A fad, yes, but harmless?
*-* - c * ----C-I-L.
The shoes place our ankles and spines at risk for
sion expresses tears mat
>le will be "irrevocably
;hionAvenue/1495/1970.html
as on occasion, she would
vho wears them like
are not made for the hustle
ife.
Our American "values"
>eauty have been adopted
>ad. In Asian countries,
ecially Japan, platforms
ýtaken to the extreme.
mg mothers and teens
their trendy shoes every-
eir shoe heights average
alf a foot! Any higher and
, labeled stilts. Our
I
'_ . . I.. . . .L .
japanese counterparts aont seem to equate severe-
ly twisting their ankles with suffering for fashion. In
a region where most of the population is deemed
"short", it is not a big surprise that the platform shoe
has been received well and adjusted to be higher
than the original design.
I speak of shoe and jean companies collec-
tively because of a theory: a well disguised conspira-
cy all in the name of fashion. Together, the duo has
targeted the short statured, young generation so that
they (at least the lazy or fashion diehards) will
HAVE to buy the big shoes to complement the "fab-
ulous" long jeans. All of this can cost upwards to
over $100 if you buy both the jeans and shoes from
the popular vendors. Judging from the ridiculous
heights of many of his shoes, Steve Madden proba-
bly charges by the inch! His shoes average six inches
and are at least fifty dollars so that would make it
$8.33/in. Long jeans look nice but well designed
jeans will look good no matter how the length is
r"
altered. While there are some jeans made "petite",
they still may be long for others. There are still peo-
ple shorter than I am (I'm 5'2") that have to go thru
the agony of hemming, pinning, or rolling their jeans
or do none of the above and just buy the damn
shoes. Hell, I STILL have to go through it! My best
friend summed it up simply: "It's a pain in my ass!"
The jean companies should be making jeans
that fit us, not the ideal that has been proliferated for
so long. They need to take short stature into account
for all the jeans they design. It is not wise to alienate
such a large demographic. The average height of a
woman is 5'4". A survey should be taken to deter-
mine the heights of a jean companies' customers.
Using this information, they can better serve a vari-
ety of different statures.
"Tallness as a virtue" has been embedded
into our minds through advertisements in maga-
zines, on television and even during actual television
shows. For example, haven't you ever been sur-
prised to find out that your favorite (or loathsome)
stars such as Jennifer Love Hewitt or Jessica
Simpson are only about 5'3"? The ads ahd pictures
are taken so that they look tall. Or they may simply
be wearing the coveted "big shoes" as well. John
Cage from Ally McBeal is a man of short stature that
wears elevated shoes to appear the same height as
the taller cast members. Did you really think Nelle
was the same height as John?
. . .
Michael J. Fox is another actor (now for-
mer) whose stature is not particularly tall. But he did
not succumb to shoes as a solution. Instead, Mr. Fox
focused on his craft, using his efforts to be recog-
nized for his skill. A valuable lesson can be taken
from this man. Girls, we are not here to be noticed
solely by our height or any other artificial enhance-
ments. We should take care to make the world know
who we really are.
Realize there are more short people than
you think. Remember, you can wear the big shoes
now (it's understood young people like to experi-
ment with fashion), but when you come of age and
are out in the workforce, you cannot pass wearing
them without looking silly, clinging on to youth. To
prepare for that day, you might as well deal with the
fact that you are short so people will not do a double
take when they realize that you're shorter than they
realized.
U Ir-*-

By Thomas Ozborn
Since I was a small child I always thought
of Greek organizations (sororities and fraternities)
as having a "cult-like"(C.B.Woodstein Vol.23 Issue
10, March 7, 2002) following, and initiation
process. I always thought being in one of those
groups was like paying for your friends, and that
these groiups were only joined by the weak and
loathsome people. The guys who used to be the
bullies in high school. The girls who "daddy"
gave them everything and they always thought
that they were better then everyone else. But then
after countless hours of research as well as an
interview with several members (who were so
wasted they could barely stand) of a fraternity and
sorority who had the gall to tell me that they were
"dry chapters," I then came to the realization that
I was right all along. Maybe these people never
had "friends" before they came to college so they
end up joining a fraternity or a sorority. Or maybe
they like the idea of a being in a cult-like group
with lots of erroneous rules. When someone
becomes part of a national organization, they
should be able to be proud of that organization
and not have to worry about "physical, mental, or
spiritual concerns and safety." So please read on
and maybe you will see things for how they really
are.
We will now take a look at some of the
Greek groups that infest this campus, and we will
look at what kind of things they are doing nation-
ally to "better the community and university."
Alpha Chi Rho
Ahhhhh, let us start now with Alpha Chi
Rho. Here is a link to their national website,
where this mission statement can be found.
This passage was taken from
http://www.alphachirho.com/Fraternity/national.htm
"Alpha Chi Rho's basic principles are
found in the Landmarks formed by the Founders
of the Fraternity over a century ago. They culmi-
nate in the noble traditions of Alpha Chi Rho and
represent what our Founders believed was the
ideal Brotherhood;
Membership from among those who are
prepared to realize in word and deed, the . miles away from the house and left to find their
Brotherhood of all men.
The insistence on a high and clean moral
standard.
The paramount duty of Brotherly love
among members:.
Judgment not by externals, but by intrin-
sic worth; no one is denied membership in Alpha
Chi Rho because of race, creed, or nationality.
These are the Landmarks of Alpha Chi
Rho; its foundation and its heritage. The ideals,
which they express, are to be lived out by every
Brother of Alpha Chi Rho, not only during his col-
lege days, but also throughout his life. They are
summarized in the exoteric motto of the
Fraternity: 'Be Men'
Mission Statement
Alpha Chi Rho is a National, men's colle-
giate fraternity whose purpose is to enhance the'
life long intellectual, moral, and social develop-
ment of out members through guidance of our
Landmarks."
Now, to show everyone a wonderful
example of Alpha Chi Rho's "brothers" enhancing
their own "intellectual, moral and social develop-
ment," I pulled this next paragraph from this site,
http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Village/3830/
collcomp.html#toc
"Syracuse University in late April 1991,
members of the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity distrib-
uted t-shirts with anti-gay slogans. The front of
the t-shirt read, "Homophobic and Proud of It!"
The back said, "Club Faggots Not Seals," and fea-
tured a crow, the fraternity symbol, wielding a
spiked club and standing over an unconscious
Page 20
more Stuff On Fratemitife
prone figure. Next to the figure was a seal holding
a mug of beer."
Alpha Epsilon Pi
This was taken from the Stony Brook
University chapter's web site
http://www.ic.sunysb.edu/Clubs/aepi/and I quote;
"Recently, Alpha Epsilon Pi celebrated its
77th Anniversary, with 103 chapters on its chapter
roll. its membership had grown to over 59,000
members. The greatness AEPi achieved springs
from the vision of that group of 11 young Jewish'
men going to night school in pursuit of a better
life. Many times a chapter will blame its lack of
success in part because of low membership. But if
there is one thing that every brother should learn
from out history, is that AEPi started with eleven
men, ended the first year with eight due to gradu-
ation, and flourished into the fraternity it is today.
It's not the numbers that make us great, it's the
spirit and motivation to create something unique
and the ability to implement a positive program
based on Jewish ethics and values."
And this was taken from the Michigan
Daily's web page, which can be found at,
http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1999/dec/12-09-
99/edit/editl.html
"(12-09-99) On Tuesday, four pledges of Pi
broke their sworn secrecy and blew the whistle on
the hazing at their house to a Michigan Daily
reporter. Not only did they reveal the events that
led up to.the shooting Sunday night, but they told
of other dangerous initiation rites they were
forced to suffer to earn the status of brotherhood.
It is braver and smarter to stand up now
to condemn this hazing than to stand still before a
gun.
On several occasions, pledges had to be
taken to the hospital for alcohol poisoning and
injuries from fraternity hazing. Just hours before
the BB gun shooting, a pledge was taken to the
emergency room after being struck with a snow-
ball containing a rock.
Another shocking story involves an
instance when pledges were driven four and a half
way back on their own.
Meanwhile back at the house, two
pledges were forced to swallow shots of alcohol
every five minutes until the rest of the pledge
class returned. The two pledges consumed more
than 20 shots each during the hour it took for the
group to return.
No one should ever point any gun at any-
one. It's recklessness, at least. There can be no
excuse. But to force feed so many shots of alcohol
is not just reckless, it's willful - as the law would
say, with malice aforethought.
Are our memories really that short and
our common sense that dim? The dangers of binge
drinking are clear. Just last year, Michigan State
University student Brad McCue died after ingest-
ing 24 shots in an hour on his 21st birthday."
Now, would someone please explain to
me what shooting a poor boy's groin with a BB
Gun, Binge drinking and reckless behavior has to
do with "Jewish ethics and values"?
Alpha Phi Alpha
Here is the fraternity mission statement
taken from the web page of the national head-
quarters of Alpha Phi Alpha, http://www.alphaphial-
pha.net/home.html
Fraternity Mission Statement:
"The objectives of Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, Inc. are to stimulate the ambition of its
members; to prepare them for the greatest useful-
ness in the cause of humanity, freedom, and digni-
ty of the individual; to encourage the highest and
noblest form of manhood; and to aid downtrod-
den humanity in its efforts to achieve higher
s^
social, economic, and intellectual status. The first
two objectives- (1) to stimulate the ambition of its
members and (2) to prepare them for the greatest
usefulness in the cause of humanity, freedom, and
dignity of the individual-serve as the basis for the
establishment of Alpha University."
And here is-a wonderful example of this
organization "preparing its brothers for the great-
est usefulness in the cause of humanity, freedom,
and dignity..."
This excerpt comes from http://www.geoci-
ties.com/CollegePark/Hall/9293/history.html
"Oct. 18, 1988 - Joel A. Harris, an 18-year-
old student at Morehouse College and one of 19
students pledging for Alpha Phi Alpha, collapses
and dies after drinking and being beaten during
pledging rituals, a July 24, 1990 article in the Los
Angeles Times said."
Delta Chi
The Delta Chi Inc. website, has this to
offer as a general statement, to what they believe
in;
http://www.deltachi.org/
"We, the members of The Delta Chi
Fraternity, believing that great advantages are to
be derived from a brotherhood of college and uni-
versity men, appreciating that close association
may promote friendship, develop character,
advance justice, and assist in the acquisition of a
sound education do ordain and establish this
Constitution."
Upon further research, this is what I
found at
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Hall/9293/histo-
ry.html
"April 1994 - Terry Linn, a 21-year-old
member of Delta Chi, dies attending "Hell Night"
rite of passage party at Bloomsburg University as
a result of alcohol poisoning, reported an article
from The Daily Item in April. Linn's blood alcohol
level was 0.40."
I had to wonder in this case,
what does "Hell Night" have to do with "develop-
ing character, advancing justice and assisting in
the acquisition of a sound education?" Perhaps
binge drinking is what this national organization
considers an appropriate way to demonstrate
these qualities.
Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity Inc.
Here is the statement which
heads Delta Sigma Phi Inc.'s web-site and can be
found at, http://www.deltasig.org/about/index.html
"Welcome To Delta Sigma Phi. Established
in 1899, the organization has long stood for the
time honored traditions created by our founders
while also embracing the new century with the
philosophy of our motto, "live. learn. grow." Delta
Sigma Phi is brotherhood for a lifetime. We invite
you to explore this page to learn more about what
we stand for and who we are."
Well, having done some exploring on my
own, here is what I found;
At
http://www.stepshow.com/news/auburn/index.shtml
"(Nov. 6,2001) On October 25 and 26,
2001, two white fraternities at Auburn University
(Alabama) hosted Halloween parties. During the
parties, members of Beta Theta Pi and Delta Sigma
Phi fraternities posed as the following: Klu Klux
Klan members with rifles; a lynching victim in
blackface with a noose tied around his neck; and
blackface members of Omega Psi Phi fraternity --
a Black community service fraternity -- with afro
wigs, camoflauge pants, and gold jewelry. A con-
federate flag hung in the background."
And at
http://www.freep.com/news/metro/frat4_20000204.htm
this can be found;
Continued on page 22
 Get Ur Geek OnL
By Glenn "Squirrel" Given
Glossary of Terms:

Geek: One who engages in an activity for only the

joy of such engagement. Anyone who does any
activity with any regularity will be referred to as a
__" Geek." Ex. Computer Geek, Radiohead
Geek, Baseball Geek, etc.
Dork: One who derives near-perverse pleasure
from the study of/engagement in various cultural,
primarily hobbyist, pursuits. Ex: Competitive
Computer/Video Gamer, Comic Book Collector,
and English Majors.
Weirdo: One who derives near-perverse joy from
the study of/engagement in various esoteric, pri-
marily artistic, pursuits. Ex: Poet, Modern Artist,
Interpretive Dancer, Actor, etc.
Freak: A Participant in various counter-culture pas-
times. Ex: Raver, Punk, Skater, etc.
Nerd: One who derives near-perverse joy from the
study of/engagement in various scientific, primari-
ly technical, pursuits. Ex: Comp-Sci Majors,
Engineers, Math Majors, Business Majors, Car
Mechanics, etc.
Spazz: One with no redeeming social value, they
exist only to fuel our disgusting capitalistic system.
Ex: English Majors.
PS2: Virtua Fighter4
Developer: Sega
Virtua Fighter 4 is, without a doubt, the
best fighting game since Soul Caliber. It also hap-
pens to be one of the best games available for the
Play Station 2. It is a game that every PS2 owner
should have in their library, and not just for show.
Beyond the games tremendous visual achieve-
ments (super smooth animations, fetishitically
detailed environments and lighting, as well as
beautifully rendered characters) VF4 is a joy to
play.
VF4 is a fighting game in the truest sense The most
Ar
.-.
n-I I
of the genre. A bakers dozen of fighters, including innovative
two new combatants (Lei-Fei the ass kicking and simul-
Shaolin Monk and Vanessa a kick boxing marine), taneously
employ a vast array of beat-down methodologies, frustrating
each patterned after real world fighting styles. You feature is
know Praying Mantis? You're looking at him. From the A.L
Aikido to WWF Wrestling you're sure to find a training
character with the moves you choose to groove to. mode. In
Each character has a bountiful cornucopia of kicks, this you
throws, reversals, counter hits, flips, bitch-slaps choose a
and pimp-taps. Their nearly limitless list of moves character
may take time to learn, and more time to be able to and fight
use effectively, but thankfully VF4 includes a against it's
splendid training mode that does a fine job of clone. At
coaching you through each characters intricacies. first the
Veterans of fighting games and new players alike clone does
will enjoy exploring the nuances of their favorite n't do a
character and find that in one or two matches will damn thin
be comfortable with the excellent control. techniques that you use against it. You can then pit
Of the many great features two stand out your digital thug against either the computer (in
(besides the crucial Vs. mode): Kumite Mode and what amount to a new high in gaming passivity as
A.I. Training. In Kumite mode you pick a character you watch the computer fight itself, occasionally
(which you save to your memory card) and yelling at you're A.I. fighter as if you were the
through fighting either the increasingly difficult Burgess Meredith from Rocky) or against other
computer in a series of ranked matches or other players (in the ultimate act of condescension). This
players, you climb the Kung-Fu Ranks from the feature blew me away and I haven't spent enough
lowly 10th kyu to Emporer. Along the way you time futzing with it to suit my tastes.
unlock a bevy of new costume colors and adorn- The only complaint to be levied at this
ments like hats and tattoos for your fighter. You paragon of a video game is the presence of minor
can even earn cursed items like a freakish pig aliasing on the character models and the sufficient
mask by losing too many matches in a row. These but not spectacular sound.
items add a certain foppish flavour to the charac- Assessment: Virtua Fighter 4 is best suited
ters that can serves as hours of diversion for the for the Fighting Game geek and Console gaming
intense player or sources of amusement for those Dork, although anyone (and I do mean anyone
who regard my purple and blue Shaolin monk as a because even my wife loves this game) will enjoy
bit of a saucy dandy. it.

Relav For Life h

By Corey Grimes
The American Cancer Society is spon-
soring an fun-filled event known as Relay for
Life on campus this May 3rd and 4th. Students,
faculty, staff, and absolutely anyone else inter-
ested are being encouraged to join in the fight
against cancer by participating in this event,
which will take place on the University track
from 6pm on May 3rd until 9 the next morning.
This is the first year of a hopefully
annual event for Stony Brook University. Relay
for Life offers the campus community as well as
the surrounding area a chance to give memory
to cancer victims and honor cancer survivors.
The goal of Relay for Life is also to raise
funds to be geared toward the elimination of
cancer.
Teams consisting of 8 to 12 people
each will have members take turns walking the
particular, this is one of those opportunities to
show that they are more than the binge-drinking
meatheads and strumpets so much of the cam-
pus community seems to have them pegged out
to be.
There are also a number of tasks
involved with the event that individuals can
volunteer with. The Relay committee is welcom-
ing anyone willing to help with such responsi-
bilities as collecting food and water donations
or assisting with other committee duties. Relay
for Life is entirely volunteer-driven and
depends on the help of those willing to give it.
leavFo Llfqo*
Cancer
and help make it an entertaining night. This is
an important note; an entire night and early
morning of stage-time needs to be filled, so any-
one with any talent is urged to get involved.
The American Cancer Society estimates
the number of new cancer cases for 2002 to be
83,700 in New York and over 1.2 million nation-
wide. Relay for Life, which was started in 1985
by one man, Dr. Gordy Klatt, has since then
spread to 3,000 communities in the United
States. Though this is only the second year
Relay For Life has been on Long Island, the first
two Relays last year raised

track for the entire night. By acquiring sponsors,
teams will help raise money for the American
Cancer Society. The majority of the money
raised will go to Education Advocacy in Suffolk
County, with the remainder going toward cancer
research. At nightfall there will be a luminary
ceremony in remembrance of those who have
been lost to this disease and in celebration of
those who have survived.
Individuals who are interested can join
existing committee teams, or form their own
teams and recruit members. Student clubs, fra-
ternities and sororities are encouraged to start
their own teams. For Greek organizations in
survivors and
patients are also an important part of the event.
A major aim of Relay for Life is to celebrate
those who have survived cancer and support
those who are still battling with it. Anyone fit-
ting into either of these cases and who would
like to come out for this day of community
recognition and support should contact the
Relay Committee.
One other important aspect of the event
with which much help is needed is entertain-
ment. The Relay Committee is asking any local
bands, DJs, or any other talent interested in per-
forming during the event to volunteer their time
han
more ancrprSocifor.
,C$200,000
ican
Ame etv
research and programs.
For further information or to get
involved, please contact the Event Chair, Jean
Haggerty, at 216-2018 or via e-mail at
JeanniejellyGean@hotmail.com. Lisa Gallo, the
co-chair, can be reached at 216-1927. There will
also be committee meetings held in the
Langmuir College lounge on April 11 and 24 at
7pm, which are open to everyone.

Page 21
 - --·-
- ··
- ---- · Fratrmities (Con't)0-
Continued from page 20
"February 4, 2000 BY MARYANNE
GEORGE FREE PRESS ANN ARBOR BUREAU
The University of Michigan chapter of
Delta Sigma Phi fraternity is being investigated by
Ann Arbor police for state host law violations
after two young women were taken to the
University of Michigan Hospital for alcohol poi-
soning Saturday.
The two, ages 17 and
19, were taken by ambulance after they began
vomiting at the party at the fraternity house,
police Sgt. Mike Logghe said Thursday."
I ask you these three things Delta
Sigma Phi;
1. What were 2 underage kids, (one being
a minor) doing at a fraternity party?
2. Who won the Civil War?
3. Are you proud to be part of a national
organization that does these things?
Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity
Off of their site... http://www.kappaalphap-
si.comr/abouttfrat/about frat.h tm
"Kappa Alpha Psi was founded on the
campus of Indiana University on January 5, 1911.
The Fraternity's fundamental purpose is achieve-
ment.
Early in this century, African-American
students were actively dissuaded from attending
college. Formidable obstacles were erected to pre-
vent the few who were enrolled from assimilating
into co-curricular campus life. This ostracism char-
acterized Indiana University in 1911, thus causing
Elder W. Diggs, Byron K. Armstrong, and eight
other black students to form Kappa Alpha Psi
Fraternity, which remains the only Greek letter
organization with its 1st Chapter on the
University's campus.
The founders sought a formula that
would immediately raise the sights of black colle-
gians and stimulate them to accomplishments
higher than they might have imagined.
Fashioning achievement as it's purpose,
Kappa Alpha Psi began uniting college men of
culture, patriotism and honor in a bond of frater-
nity. "
http://www.nospank.net/n-cl6.htm
"Even after all these years, I understand
the importance of being able to take it. What I
never understood was the desire to dish it out.
I wrote those words four years and two
months ago, after Michael Davis was beaten to
death by members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity--
my fraternity--during a particularly brutal hazing
affair at Southeast Missouri State University."
Page 22
And at;
http://www.deltasigmatheta.com/haze04.htm
"In Princess Anne, police are continuing
to question Kappa Alpha Psi members about what
happened in their house. Police say the five UMES
students who were hospitalized appeared to have
been beaten daily with canes or wooden paddles
from Feb. 8 to April 4."
And at;
http://www.deltasigmatheta.com/haze05.htm
"The fraternity has been linked to hazing
incidents at two other universities -- including one
last month at Kansas State where the father of a
student said his son suffered kidney injuries so
severe he will have to undergo dialysis.
Kappa Alpha Psi settled a $2.25 million
lawsuit in December 1996 with the family of a
man who died after a beating."
Sigma Chi Beta
Unfortunately there was no working web
page for this organization.
But, I did find this next passage of inter-
est at;
http://www.dailyemerald.com/archive/v101/2/000310/si
gma.html
"A colony is a part of a fraternity plan-
ning to open a chapter. Now the colony has creat-
ed a 50-page proposal to the national fraternity,
recruited 19 more members and is on track to offi-
cially reopening a chapter that was closed because
of alcohol and hazing incidents a few years ago."
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Their creed found at
http://www.tke.org/creed.htm
"To Believe in love and loyalty to my
College, my Fraternity, my Country, and my God;
To Believe in the worthiness and dignity of my fel-
low man, and judge him solely upon his personal
worth and character; To Believe with fidelity in
the traditions and ideals of my Fraternity, and
upon my sacred honor, to uphold them; To Believe
in the constant search for truth, and through it, to
seek the goal of wisdom; To Believe in the life
based upon integrity, justice, sincerity, patience,
moderation, culture, and challenge in order to
serve as a responsible, mature member of society;
To Believe in the cardinal principles of Love,
Charity, and Esteem and to use them to guide my
life; To Believe in my Fraternity as a brotherhood
of gentlemen in perpetual quest of excellence as a
way of life."
At San diego state university:
http://advancement.sdsu.edu/marcomm/Spring2O000Ne
ws/ReleasesONLY/fratexp.html
1
·
"The TKE incident occurred early the
morning of Oct. 17. Three 18-year-old pledges
were provided alcohol and coerced into drinking
by an active member of the fraternity, at the frater-
nity member's apartment. One of the pledges was
taken by paramedics to Alvarado Hospital with a
near fatal case of alcohol poisoning. The pledge
was released the same morning."
Zeta Beta Tau
(Taken from http://www.zbt.org/about_zbt/)
"We the members of Zeta Beta Tau frater-
nity believe that the development of the individ-
ual as a responsible, mature member of society is
the primary goal of the university. We believe that
the fraternity offers to the university community a
unique, desirable, and succeful means of achiev-
ing this goal."
Well, here is an example I found on the
internet of the ZBT chapter at the University of
Michigan being ".. .mature, responsible..." mem-
bers of society.
http://www.edc.org/hec/news/hecnews/events/OOO00512a.
html
"Alleged hazing practices exploited by
ZBT include the act of pouring or spraying bleach
on new members of the fraternity during a lineup
in which they were also verbally and physically
abused.
The actions, described by a member with-
in the Greek Community who wished to remain
anonymous, resulted in permanent scars and
irreparable skin damage to one victim."
CONCLUSION:
Well, I hope that you have enjoyed this
look into what national fraternity and sorority life
is REALLY like. Kids are dying everyday because
of these Greek organizations. Let's try and get
them all shut down for good so that these "elite
brothers and sisters" can do no more harm! Don't
RUSH, Don't Pledge, Don't get involved with
these cult like groups for you may be the next one
that is beaten to death, or has bleach poured on
you, or is found in a basement because you were
forced to drink yourself to death. You may be the
next one to be shot in the groin with a B.B. gun.
Your balls may be the next casualty of Greek life.
You may be the one who is next to "accidentally"
fall off a roof because you were thinking of reveal-
ing one of these organization's secrets. You may
be the next one date raped by the "elite brothers
and sisters." Your ass may be the next ass that is
paddled so hard that you have permanent kidney
damage. Don't let this happen to you, boycott
Greek life!

Continued from page 6
der or age of the face in question--and there's
nothing to be done about it.
I wondered what all those union dues
automatically extracted from each paycheck
went for, if not to keep me from being dismissed
for no discernable cause after fifteen years of
service. Lefties often prescribe unionization as
means of protection for the worker, but what
they seem to overlook is that unions not only
have the reputation for corruption, they also
have a reputation for taking your money and
then not doing anything.
Of course, United University
Professions is an appendage of the American
Federation of Teachers, not exactly the most pro-
gressive of labor organizations. It was once the
fiefdom of the late Albert Shanker, a hard-core
Cold Warrior who had little use for dissent of
any kind. Things have not improved greatly
since Shanker's demise, either. At a recent con-
vention, his successor made remarks to the
effect that anyone who criticizes the government
in this time of crisis is being treasonous.
Fortunately, there were sufficient numbers of lis-
teners who remember what our profession is
Continued from page 2
attacks but facts are, as Moore points out, when
you're looking for a murder suspect, you ques-
tion the family of the suspect, if Osama Bin
Laden is public enemy number one due to his
suspected involvement in the attacks (or the mur-
der of 3,000 plus people), why would his family
be allowed to leave without being questioned?
The government has nothing to gain from that
but the Bush family stands to gain millions.
Moore also finds it strikingly peculiar
that 15 out of 19 of the hijackers were from Saudi
Arabia and we're bombing Afghanistan. It's not
like Saudi Arabia isn't known to harbor terror-
ists. So why single out the Afghanis? Maybe the
Little G.W. was scared that had he bombed Saudi
Arabia he may have hit the Bin Laden Palace
where his parents have stayed during their visits
to the country over the past ten years. Of course
he wants to kill terrorists, but at what costs? His
parent's having to book their stay at an inferior
five star hotel?
Moore points us to the Texas based
Arbusto Energy Inc. for the next Bush-Bin Laden
connection. As promised by Moore, everything
is there in black and white on the BBC website.
Arbusto Energy, a company that Little G.W.
founded in 1984, is linked to Unocal, the compa-
ny that hosted members of the Taliban for several
days in its headquarters in Sugartown Texas.
This rendezvous took place in 1997, during
Lil'G.W.'s reign as Texas Governor. The plan was
to lay a pipeline connecting Turkmenistan to
Pakistan by crossing Afghanistan for the purpose
of exporting gas out of the region. This pipeline
must have been a great project; even Enron was
involved in its drafting.
Focusing on the war on the supposed
"War on Terror," Moore finds issues with the
hunt for Osama Bin Laden when according to an
article printed in the Washington Post on
September 14th, 2001; the reason for Bin Laden's
greenish complexion in all those videos we've
seen of him was due to the poor state of kidneys
which required dialysis. Moore points out that
we're bombing caves in Afghanistan trying to kill
a man who needs kidney dialysis to stay alive. If
Blackballed (Con )
_
supposed to be about to provide a healthy cho-
rus of boos.
An acquaintance of mine at Old
Westbury, a fellow instructor, one with tenure
and much more clout than I, offered to stir up
some shit by making some semi-official
inquiries. First, I called my department, inquir-
ing as to whether I'd be hired for Spring, 2002
and if not, why. I made several such calls and
was never favored with a response. Next, I sent
a registered letter, asking for enlightenment and
received none. My ally told me she spoke to
several higher-ups in both the department and
academic affairs. Strangely, no one would take
responsibility for the decision. Nor would any-
one give a reason, other than some vague mum-
blings about schedule conflicts. That is com-
pletely false, as no one ever approached me as
to possible scheduling. It was like a 1950s
McCarthyite blacklist, which everyone knew
was in effect, but no one would admit existed!
My informant also said that although it
was too late for me, they were setting up some
sort of apparatus so that this couldn't happen to
anyone ever again.
I might add here that I also work at St.
Michbael Moore (Con't)
he's living in the caves of Afghanistan and he
needs dialysis, logically speaking, he can't be
moving very far or very fast with the dialysis
machine in tow and if we haven't killed him yet
he's all ready dead or in a hospital somewhere.
Moore also raises issues about the con-
trol the tobacco companies have over our lives
and country. In the wake of September 11th, the
FAA set a new list of items prohibited on air-
planes; among those items were butane lighters
and matches. Were, until the tobacco companies
lobbied to have the items taken off the list. Why
though? Moore says "You can't smoke on the
flight, why would you need a lighter or match-
es?" He's right you wouldn't need any sort of
flame while in flight, unless you're Richard C.
Reid and you wanted to light the bombs you had
in your shoes on board an American Airlines
flight this past December.
Michael Moore feels cheated and we all
should. We're currently living under the rule of
a man whose life is governed by money. His
only motivation for action is to increase his fami-
ly's wealth and it seems as though he'll stop at
nothing to achieve this. His rise to power is
filled with questions and shady dealings, yet it
remains officially uncontested. Moore repeated'
more than once "I don't like being lied to and I
don't like some one who's dumb thinking I'm
dumber than he is." Moore then urged us to call
the white house at 202-456-1414 and demand
answers to the Bush-Bin Laden connection, to the
influence of big business over the doings of the
government, when exactly Lil'G.W. be impeached
and what ever complaint you yourself may have.
Call now! Operators are standing by 24 hours a
day!
If all this seems. like a bit much, it is.
There are a lot of activities here that are not only
underhanded but also clearly illegal. This is not
the guy who owns the local stationary store
cheating on his taxes, this is the most powerful
man in the world, the man who's face comes to
mind when the rest of the world sees that flag
you stuck to your car on September 12th. A man
who got less votes in the election than his compe-
tition. A man who weaseled and scammed his
John's University, which, like Old Westbury is
also run by clergy and whose more inane poli-
cies I have also blasted both in the campus
papers there and the Stony Brook Press. In the
latter case, I've sent copies to the university
president. And so far, they have not erased me
from the institutional memory banks. Could it
really be, comrades, that dissent is more tolerat-
ed in bastions of conservative Catholicism than
in the commie-pinko bosom of the power-to-the
workers State?
Keep in mind that the State in question
here is the totalitarian wonderland of George
Pataki, Candace DeRussy et al.
I hope none of the above will dissuade
anyone from a teaching career. It's really one of
the greatest things you can do, and it's most
pleasant and life affirming if you deal mostly
with students and avoid getting mired in the
politics of the thing. Just remember that for all
its pretensions of modernity and forward, think-
ing, it's a feudal system and if you offend the
lord of the manor or any of his vassals, your
head could, metaphorically, of course wind up
on a pike as a warning to others.
way into office under a cloud of secrecy blown
along by our own apathy. We left this talk feel-
ing helpless and over whelmed what could we
do, we where just a few college students barely
getting by on our slacking school abilities, how
are we going to change the world; questions that
you, as a reader of The Press, are with out a
doubt asking yourself right now. To which
Moore offers his own past experiences as a self
proclaimed stoner and slacker turned watchdog
of the world. He's not telling us to become him,
but do what comes naturally. If something seems
wrong, get off your pot smoking-TV-watching-
beer-drinking asses, and do something about it,
that's what he did. He urged us all to go to the
protests in Washington DC and Seattle on the
20th of this month to protest the Bush adminis-
tration.
Moore ended his talk with questions
from the audience, arid due to a lack of time this
turned into five word questions for five word
answers. Translation: order up your own person-
alized Michael Moore diatribe or just make your
self look like a complete idiot. Several members
of the audiences seized the opportunity to ask
relevant questions. There were of course a select
few who opted for the second choice, among
them, a guy who wanted a job working for
Moore because he had some great ideas on "how
to get things done more effectively" and we can't
forget the fellow a few rows in front of us who
had to make Long Island proud by saying "Mike,
you're a god."
This talk scared me. I knew Bush was
far from a straight shooting Texan, but I had no
idea just how crooked and corrupt he and the
current American Monarchy are. Furthermore,
prior to this, I had no idea just how sad emo was.
I didn't buy the book because I didn't have the
twenty dollars and I'm probably not going to go
to any of the rallies because despite everything,
at the end of the day I'm a lazy and apathetic
slacker just like you. Right now I feel terrible
about everything and I hope that this lasts long
enough for me to actually do something about it,
but I fear that like most causes, tomorrow I won't
care enough at all.
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