The Campus Lantern

I’m Bringing Family Back

Stephanie Armagno — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:35:57 +0000

So I have this friend, and she visited me once to sleepover, chit-chat, you know, girl stuff. Anyway, that night she told me it had been weird to sit with my whole family at the dinner table to eat. I was not sure whether I should be affronted by her comment, but she quickly followed it up with a, “…I liked it.”
Family dinner is just a custom that I always understood was practiced in every normal household. This, of course, was when I was still under the impression that I had a normal family, but to learn that it seemed unusual to another supposedly normal person, that confused me.
Not that this friend had no reason to be alarmed; at my house, dinner is more than a meal. It’s fine cuisine with witty repartee and may involve laughing so hard that you have to pinch your nose shut. We tell stories from our day amid the tinkling of forks and the clinks of glasses. We chuckle when we see someone secretly “sidewinder” (blow a stealthy burp sideways from the mouth) on the person next to them. We NEVER feed the dog from the table…right.
We exchange good-natured insults, and when it’s relevant, we quote movies and laugh even if we can’t remember what movie it’s from. Guests eating at my house derive a whole new meaning from the phrase “dinner and a show” because they become a part of the show.
The biggest part about dinners with my family is the love. It extends to anyone sitting at our table and is felt by everyone even if they don’t know how to define it. “Weird” was the word my friend used. I’ve also heard “silly”, and “fun”, but people don’t go out of their way to say that a meal was fun. It has something to do with the atmosphere, with the people, and how others feel, being a part of it all.
People comment on movies and plays by saying, “That was good” or “fun” or “sad” because it is easy to lose oneself in movies. Movies and plays can fill your heart, they can make you laugh aloud and weep because you are right there with the characters. You are feeling what they are feeling.
At my dinner table, you are feeling what the actors are feeling, but increased tenfold because the lights aren’t dimmed, and there’s no leftover popcorn or watered down Diet Coke to throw away. You are one of the actors. You are a part of the action and you don’t just walk away because these aren’t movie clips that you’re going to remember, they are actual memories.
Yeah, even Justin Timberlake’s jealous because of what I’m bringing back is so much better…
I’m bringing family back.

Premature Cancelations

Tim Manko — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:32:31 +0000

Living in Connecticut, or in any part of the north eastern United States comes with many certainties, one is the leaves are going to change and the other is we’re going to snow. Every single year, we natives of Connecticut get, on average, around 35 inches of snow during these winter months, and in my mind that’s a good amount.
Many people have snow tires, all of us own multiple shovels, and a ten pound bag of rock salt sits in almost every person’s garage, yet every time there is a snowstorm headed our way, people act as if the sky is falling. Grocery stores are filled, hardware stores packed and Nor’easter fever runs ramped through all of our towns and cities.
We start cancelling our plans because of the weather and how much snow we think that we’ll get. One of the main reasons for my disgust over how crazy everyone gets is due to the fact that so many schools and offices are prematurely closed. Public schools and colleges across our state, including Eastern, were closed because of the projected fourteen inches of snow we were told was going to blanket our beautiful state, just last week. Surprise, surprise, one of the most hated men on TV, the weatherman, was a little off, and we got roughly four inches here in Willimantic.
Now I am not saying that just because we get snow here every year and are prepared for it means that we should be driving in blizzard conditions and should not be taking any precautions; but maybe have more of a “wait and see attitude”.

The number of times that I have had school cancelled in my town and then had little to no snowfall is crazy, and it seems the trend is continuing into college. Sending people home early from school or work isn’t that far-fetched, it can be done. Even though these cancellations may have made for happy employees and even happier students, I really think it is still unnecessary to call everything off so hastily.
Officials should wait until they are sure that things are going to be as bad as they think before they start getting people so worked up over no reason. We are definitely prepared for the snow here in the Nutmeg State, so we can handle a few inches; lets leave the snow days and cancellations for the real snowstorms.

Graduation:Hartford

Amanda Messier — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:31:23 +0000

The past two years could not have had more different commencement ceremonies. May 2008 families gathered on the Windham Tech School’s field on a sunny morning where a white stage was set up. For grandparents who probably would take longer to get from their car to the field than the ceremony itself, golf carts were available and were cruising around campus looking for family and friends.
While the audience found seats, graduates completed their penny ceremony by the fountain next to Media. White picket fences were set up leading to the fountain making the stone walkway look grandeur for pictures in the morning sun. Landscapers had been working weeks before graduation to make everywhere on campus the perfect place for memorable pictures with friends and family. The band marched onto the field as the stragglers found their seats.
Admittedly, the sound system left many embarrassed when the national anthem came out of the speakers sounding like Darth Vader. However, sound systems can have problems at any location and this problem was the reason for the smiles on many graduates’ faces as they were entertained by the misfortune. This group happened to find other means of entertaining themselves as well: beach balls floated around and a masked graduate popped up from the center.
Graduation 2009 was far from sunny. Located at the XL Center in Hartford there were no picture opportunities on the campus that the graduates had just spent the last four years of their lives on. Students who chose to go to a relatively small, rural school had to drive into the city to walk across a stage that was anything but familiar. In order to keep the penny tradition alive, a fountain was brought indoors. I can’t help but think it was a little unnatural.
Family and friends found their seats far enough away that a big screen was probably the only way to see the faces of their graduates. Attempts to walk down to the small balcony between rows to get a picture as a graduate passed not only made things difficult, but camera owners later found out the stadium was dark enough to make pictures come out as a blur or just black. Of course parents had the opportunity to buy a photograph of their son or daughter for a price from the professional photographer.
Speaking of prices, some graduates and family members were not lucky enough to find free parking. Instead, paying for a spot in a garage that they would later be stuck in for an hour trying to get out was their only quick option.
There were many positive aspects to the graduation being located at the XL Center; I just had my heart set on having my graduation being the last memory I have of Eastern Connecticut State University. Unfortunately for me, the Eastern website tells me I will be walking across that stage in Hartford.

Sexual Harassment in the Military

Jacquelyn Russo — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:30:16 +0000

By the end of 2009, several articles had been published about women in the armed forces and some issues regarding rape and other examples of sexual harassment. In a New York Times article published December 27, 2009 called, “A Peril in War Zones: Sexual Abuse by Fellow G.I.’s” it talks about several different cases regarding women who reportedly have been raped or sexually abused.
It is cases like Sgt. Tracey R. Phillips’s that sometimes prevent women from coming forward and reporting sexual harassment of any kind. Sgt Phillips reported to a superior that a male private had made unwanted sexual advances toward her. She reported this as her unit landed in Iraq this past May. These accusations lead the way for other counter accusations and charges of adultery, which is a crime in the military. In the end, Sgt Phillips was given an honorable discharge and the private who had harassed her was allowed to remain on duty there in Iraq. The paperwork she received said that though she had an honorable discharge, the reasons were stated as “serious misconduct”.
Some say that in recent times, there has been more respect and acceptance for women who join the armed forces. Sometimes, I wonder if this is true. Representative Jane Harman says, “A woman in the military is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by an enemy fire in Iraq”.
In another case, Captain Margaret H. White was raped and repeatedly harassed by a warrant officer. She says that he raped her, followed her, left her messages on her quarter’s door, waited for her outside the women’s latrines, and even asked her to marry him even though he was already married. The only retribution Captain White received was the military equivalent to a restraining order and charges of stalking against the officer.
Serving in the military can be stressful. The strains of close living quarters, tension, combat, and boredom can lead to sexual abuse. Some say that the military has cracked down on the way it handles cases of sexual abuse but that does not seem likely. The number of reported cases has risen about 8% in just the last fiscal year. The military does have much to worry about when its main job is to protect and serve an entire country, but it is also supposed to represent the nation as a whole. What are we saying about the United States if our own military does almost nothing to protect its women who fight for us?

Label Jars Not People

Joelle Schrock — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:29:23 +0000

My hand shot up in the air before I even got the chance to think about what I was doing. The professor of my Interpersonal Communication class asked for five volunteers to come to the front of the room.
Before I knew it, I was standing there with four of my classmates on display in front of all thirty of our peers. The professor then asked all of the students sitting to write down what music they thought each one of the five of us listened to, what type of car each one of us currently drives, which one of us is the eldest of our families, which ones have tattoos, and which ones are single; essentially telling the students to form their own ideas and opinions by our looks alone.It was an interesting experiment.
After the students sitting jotted down their guesses, they were told to share what they wrote. When all was said and done, the majority of the class decided that I looked as if I drove a Volkswagen Beetle, was the eldest of my family, and listened only to pop and country music.
When it came time for the five of us to reveal the truths about ourselves, everyone was shocked to find out that not only do I drive a Buick Regal, but I am also an only child who hates pop and most country music! The majority of the students pre-conceived notions of the other four volunteers were wrong as well.
This experience I had really cemented the idea that as much as we would like to deny the fact that we stereotype – we all do it every day, consciously and sub-consciously. As a collective society, if we see someone who fits a profile, he or she is immediately cast into that role. Once that role has been cast, it is hard for us to see the person in any other light but that one that was already assigned to him or her.
The questions we must ask ourselves are these: Does everyone really fall into a certain category? Is it fair to put a label on those whom we have never met? Is there such a thing as “the perfect profile?” What gives us the credentials to judge someone by looks alone before any sort of interaction?
It was Scottish philosopher David Hume who once said “Character is the result of a system of stereotyped principals.” Unfortunately we are living in world where this statement is true – some people live life a certain way because they are stereotyped to do so.
I think it is safe to say that because stereotypes will never go away, it is up to us to allow our character to do the defining of what we are perceived as, and not the other way around as Hume pointed out.
We were and still are always told to never judge a book by its cover, so the next time you are out and about, think twice before assuming that the kid with the shifty eyes and trench coat is going to cause some riff-raff. He could very well become your new best friend.

What Are You Waiting For?

Jason Bleau — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:28:14 +0000

Isn’t it amazing how lazy people can be sometimes? I actually find it quite amusing sometimes. For instance, I love coming to college everyday and looking for a parking spot outside of the parking garage, not because finding a spot in the lots outside the student center or the library is convenient, but because of how many of my fellow students are willing to waste their time waiting for a parking spot. It never fails, every time I arrive on campus and try to find a parking spot in the more convenient lots and if there are none to be found, someone is already waiting to jump at the first chance they get to steal one. This situation for me presents a few things that I thought would be quite humorous or significant to mention. The first would be how pointless this action is altogether. The only reason students need spots in these lots is if they are commuters. Almost every on-campus student takes advantage of the overly abundant reserved spaces the school has set aside for him or her. On top of that they are more willing to park farther away because they never leave campus unless for something important. Commuters, like myself, drive to school every day but seem to have this mindset that after all the work it took to get to school they should be able to get as close to class as possible regardless of the 4th floor garage parking reserved for us that always has open spots available. For the sake of less walking, some commuters waste their time, and gas, waiting for a spot to open up, when, by the time one does, at the very least you could have made it to class from the garage anyways.
What’s also funny about this is that students sit in their cars waiting for a spot and people drive around them. I know I do, I see someone waiting I drive right by. If a spot opened up it would’ve been mine and I wouldn’t think twice about it. So unless you know which spot you want to target and when that person will give it up, sitting in one spot with upwards of 100 or so parking spots won’t do much good. Of course there are always those who like to block the lane so no-one can get by them, but then people like me who are willing to drive to the next lot and search there are stuck waiting for you to move so we can be on our way.
The point I’m getting at is what are you waiting for? If a commuter is parked they are in class or busy, they aren’t going to change their daily routine because you’re too lazy to park in the garage. Stop sitting around waiting for one to open up, it makes you look foolish and it won’t get you anywhere very fast.

Reality Shows Killed the Video Star

Ashley Kus — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:26:58 +0000

It’s Thursday night and the crowds are roaring in Times Square as Carson Daley introduces the audience to TRL (Total Request Live). Millions of teenagers tune in as their favorite music videos scroll by on the screen and up-and-coming bands perform live on stage.
Now it’s Thursday night present day. Teens turn on their TVs to MTV but its not music videos filling the screen but rather teen mothers on the reality show Teen Mom.
From 6:00 am to 8:00 am music videos get a two hour slot while teens who normally watch them are still sleeping. After that tiny dose of music videos, teens wake up to Parental Control as MTV airs their line of reality shows like True Life, Teen Mom, Silent Library, and The Real World until 7:00 pm.
In response to this abundance of reality shows Matt Prifty, a sophomore at Eastern, says, “There’s enough drama in our daily lives as it is. We don’t need to hear it from someone else.” It is no wonder that MTV has decided to ditch the “music television” subtext underneath their famous logo. Reality shows have taken over MTV’s entire line up stepping down from their place as king of the music world where they have reigned since 1981.
It was MTV that opened the door for performer Michael Jackson in 1983 when his hit video “Billie Jean” aired for the first time on the channel. And really, where would the world be without the king himself? MTV launched Michael Jackson into homes across the nation and later kept their doors opened for other talented performers.
As a primary music channel, MTV also launched the career of a now, widely known band called Green Day. They promoted the alternative band on TRL making them an immediate success among the teen generation. Known as kings and queens of pop; Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys, Destiny’s Child, Christina Aguilera and N’Sync; soon followed in MTV’s success. When given the choice of the old music based MTV or the new reality based MTV, freshman at Eastern, Jess Cyr, says, “Definitely the old music based MTV. I don’t watch MTV anymore because I miss its music programs like TRL and Friday Night MTV.” MTV has always stuck to what the viewers want, however, with music taking a back seat to the new reality shows; does MTV really know what the viewers want?

Help for Haiti: ECSU Gives Support

Conor Gereg — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:25:11 +0000

In the single greatest tragedy to affect the Caribbean country of Haiti, the response from the United States has been nothing less than overwhelming. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated the country on January 12th claimed the lives of nearly 150,000 Haitians, immediately generating an outpouring of support from millions of Americans who, amidst economic struggles, donated food, water, medical supplies and nearly 100 million dollars.

While the total amount donated to Haiti continues to climb, Eastern is doing its part to help the country recover from the tragedy that affected nearly 3 million Haitians surrounding the Port-au-Prince capital. Eastern will be hosting a fundraising event in the Betty Tipton Room on Friday, February 5th at 7 p.m. in a program titled, “Help for Haiti: A Night of Reflection, Inspiration, and Action!” The event will include free admission and an address from Judy Secord, a former member of the board of directors of the Haitian Ministries of the Norwich Diocese. The program hopes to generate funding from students, faculty and staff. Secord also asks that those attending wear red in support of Haiti.

“The devastation in Haiti is beyond comprehension, and it is frustrating for people around the world to be unable to help so many who are in desperate need. Haiti’s future is uncertain, and what is needed now more than anything is financial resources. This benefit will bring the Eastern and Windham communities together to share our talents and to demonstrate our concern and support for the citizens of Haiti.” said Kimberly Silcox, director of ECSU’s Center for Community Engagement. Eastern students will also play a pivotal role in the program as a variety of student groups will be providing performances while patrons can bid on silent auction items donated by local Willimantic businesses. “It’s great to see the campus unify after such a terrible tragedy,” Eastern senior Brittany Peterson said. “Our civic duty is to assist and support those most desperately in need; this moment is certainly a time that beckons our help.

Along with the University’s “Help for Haiti” program, thousands of Eastern students have joined Facebook Haitian support groups that have been created by students from colleges and universities across the nation. In total it is estimated that these groups alone have contributed nearly 10 million dollars of aid. “Every contribution makes a major difference in rebuilding the lives of the people of Haiti,” Peterson said. “ We’ve shown that we’re here to help as we’ve responded with humanitarian aid, fund pledges, medical dispatch, and support personnel, but it’s great to see that so many continue to donate, especially when your University is at the heart of it.”

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

Lauren Biatowas — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:25:05 +0000

In his most recent State of the Union address, President Obama told the nation that he still plans on repealing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which he promised to abolish in his presidential campaign in 2008. The policy, which was passed by the Clinton administration in 1993, essentially excludes openly gay and bisexual men and women from serving in the military. Homosexual men and woman in the military basically have to remain completely silent about their sexual preferences or else they risk being discharged.
How does this policy still exist? Most of us take pride in being one of the countries with the most freedom. Kate Harner, a sophomore, commented about the law, “I think that it is stupid. If someone is brave enough to fight for my country, then it doesn’t matter if their straight, bisexual, homosexual, questioning their sexuality, or anything else.”
The first amendment of the constitution entitles free speech to all American citizens which should apply to all Americans, even those serving our country overseas. Service members should be included in this and if they feel comfortable enough to reveal their sexuality than they should not be penalized for it. According to the terms of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” law, service members serving openly “would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability.” The reasons for this law are certainly questionable and contradict the rights that are granted to all American citizens.
This law also discourages many men and women from entering the military because they fear being kicked out for being who they are. Men and women currently in the military must maintain that they are heterosexual if even they feel comfortable enough to reveal their sexuality. There is a risk even if they disclose their sexual preference to a close friend that they will be discovered as being homosexual and in turn, discharged from the military. How can the military judge who is fit to fight for their nation on something as basic as sexual preference?
It is certainly in the best interest of the the men and women in the military to see this law repealed by the Obama administration as soon as possible. This policy is simply unconstitutional and alienates an entire group of U.S. citizens who simply want to be themselves while fighting for the country they love. When the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy is repealed it will increase the acceptance of diversity that defines the United States as a nation.

Not Like the Movies

Ashley Kus — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:23:43 +0000

No, not at all like in the movies or TV shows as The Secret Life of the American Teenager proves when 15 year old Amy Jergens tells her friends what the media fails to tell their audiences. Teen pregnancy in Hollywood is not real life by any means. Shows like The Secret Life seem to glorify this epidemic rather than showing the real hardships that come along with teenage pregnancy.
When good girl Amy finds out she is pregnant, her friends and her parents continue to support her. It seems as if life for Amy is better than life before she got pregnant by a boy that she had a one night stand with. Her life continues to be that of a teen when in reality that positive sign on the pregnancy test brings on many more responsibilities and hardships that the media fails to portray.
In 2008, Good Morning America reported on this epidemic stating the grim reality, “Many pregnant teens, who find little support, end up in poverty and only 3 percent finish college before the age of 30.” These are the facts left out of TV shows such as The Secret Life. April Beckman, a freshman at Eastern, gives her opinion on this subject saying, “The Secret Life definitely makes pregnancy as a teen seem ok.” This view of pregnancy is so twisted that some teens are actually beginning to believe that having a baby before completing the adolescent stage and becoming a responsible adult, is easy and even fun. Recently, Lifetime launched a new TV movie entitled The Pregnancy Pact.
The movie revolves around 18 girls at Gloucester High School who all get pregnant as part of a pact because they think it will be fun. The movie has the potential to be a lesson for teenagers but by the end it proves to be another glorification of teen pregnancy as main character Sarah is seen playing with her new baby as if it was merely a baby doll. The most shocking part of the movie is the fact that it is based on true events and raises the issue that this is happening to real teens around the nation and not in the way the media illustrates. Kaitlyn Foley another Eastern freshman comments, “The Secret Life glorifies teen pregnancy the most because even though Amy got pregnant, all the 15 year olds on the show are continuing to have sex.” Shows are continuing to slip teen pregnancy into their shows as an extra touch, as though it is not a serious issue plaguing the current teen generation. Hollywood needs to step back and look at the facts and stop glorifying teen pregnancy and instead show the truth.