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February 13, 2022 News Section
Valentine's Day Shout Outs
Shout out to the history majors at Alfred University. Y’all are crushing your coursework and your research, and you bring brilliant questions and valuable contributions to the table. I’m so grateful to be a part of such a vibrant intellectual community.
– Dr. Szymanski
Shout out to Public Safety! We know you're doing your best to keep campus safe, and being
understaffed isn't easy. We hope you have a good semester, and don't forget to take care of yourselves!
Love, Alfred University
Shout out to my girlfriend, Echo. You're an amazing woman, and I'm so lucky to know you and love you. You almost caught me writing this on my laptop, but this doesn't say anything different than what I tell you daily. I love you so much.
– Sam
Follow the Blue Light, Part 1
Students on Alfred University’s campus may have noticed a lack of a certain color in the night: blue. To some, that color means nothing, to others it signifies that nearby is a blue light system.
The blue light system is a series of emergency alarm stations placed across campus to provide assistance to anyone in distress. They are usually used as deterrents and safe locations for those experiencing physical or sexual harassment. When the alarm station is activated, an officer or emergency team member will be dispatched to the location.
It would be easily forgiven if a majority of students on campus had no idea Alfred University had this system in place, as the original total of 18 lights has now dwindled to a defunct two. One near Miller Center, and the other near Stull Observatory, both have notices not to use the alarm and to instead contact 911 or Public Safety.
Alfred is known for its disconnected campus, with many alleys and side-paths being used as shortcuts to reach buildings, as well as long stretches of poorly lit walkways from the residence halls to other parts of campus.
2 According to the Office of Postsecondary Education Campus Security Statistics, hostile encounters (i.e. sexual harassment, physical altercations) are not to be a cause of concern on AU’s campus. 2019 reported some of the lowest rates of that criteria.
Included in the Campus Safety Report, are mentions of the AU Rave
Guardian app. Students on-campus in 2020-2021, likely saw some posters in residence halls portraying this app.
“A Blue Light right in your hand,” is the motto plastered at the very top of the bright blue poster.
However, this year, it seems like those posters are not to be found—and neither is the app, under the name “AU Rave Guardian.” Whether the app is still in production, or has been released under another name, will be
answered in a future article. It should be noted that Public Safety is
significantly understaffed, and so re-creation of something of the magnitude of a blue light system will take time.
In the meantime, students have started taking things into their own hands, ensuring safety even if outright confrontation doesn’t have a high likelihood.
“I was a part of a little group that would walk people to and from places at any time of the day or night, but unfortunately, we stalled out,” Andrew Cobb, an Art major said, adding, “Please, carry some self- defense. I have had some dangerous encounters myself.”
In an article written for the Fiat Lux in November 2019, author Karah Landries said, “The blue light system will not be in place in the near future, rather AU has upgraded to help students feel that we have a safe campus.” This was in reference to Public Safety looking to switch from the physical blue light alarms to the app. The idea that the victim, or possible victim, could keep moving to safety while reporting the incident seemed to be more of an attractive alternative to standing in place in a possibly isolated location.
A survey conducted online of Alfred University students shed light on how the university community views, or doesn’t view, the blue light system as a whole. While the survey will continue to be ongoing for the rest of the semester, the preliminary results of 39 respondents shows an interesting picture.
According to the survey, 38.5% of respondents were unaware that Alfred University had had a blue lights system—or something similar. When offered with a choice of if students wanted solely the app, the physical system, both, or neither, a majority of 59% voted for both. The second highest rated was the app at 20.5%.
The overall consensus of where students would place the physical systems, if they were to be brought back online, were on the walkway connecting Tefft with Powell, unfortunately nicknamed as “Rape Alley,” as well as in parking lots, in front of residential halls, by McLane and the Observatory, and in any “rural” location where cell reception on campus is spotty.
3 Some respondents were more forward with their ideas, with one respondent saying to have them placed,
“Every 100 yards or so.” Another wanted them along, “all roads and paths.”
While a modern age, and a campus focused on highlighting its safety, would beget more support for the app, there is still a question begging to be answered: where is the blue light?
By Sam Sage
Ukraine: What's Going On?
As the tension between Ukraine and Russia increases, the US has sent about 90 tons of military aid to Kyiv. The US embassy in Kyiv says that they will continue to aid and show support to Ukraine against Russin hostility and a possible invasion. Although Russia denies any plans to invade Ukraine, it does not change the fact that they have seized Ukrainian territory in the past. In 2014, Russia annexed the
Crimean Peninsula and since then, about 14,000 people have been killed and around two million have fled their homes because of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with denying a plan to invade, says that he wants NATO to stop sending weapons and military aid to Ukraine and that Ukraine should be stopped from joining NATO.
On the eastern front of Ukraine, citizens, both soldiers and civilians share differing opinions on what Russia will do next. A Ukrainian soldier named Maria says she tries to avoid the news and not get worried. She also says that morale is high and that they are prepared for whatever comes next. President Joe Biden believes that Russia will invade its neighbor sometime in February. But of course, Russia denies this possibility, as well as some Ukrainians. A social worker in the east does not believe the Russians will invade and that it’s just an “information war”. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky also argues this. It is still unclear whether Putin wants to invade or force demands from NATO by putting 100,000 troops at the border. Everything that comes next hangs on what Putin says, which many Westerners think won’t be satisfying enough for him. The tension between the two nations is still increasing, and nobody knows for sure what will happen next. Many Ukrainians say it won’t be like when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula, that if they do invade, they will be ready this time.
The number of Russian troops positioned on Ukraine’s borders has increased. Now there are about 125,000 troops, equipped with tanks, artillery, ammunition, etc. Although Ukraine permanent representative to the United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya, believes that the number of troops could be closer to 130,000. Some Western analysts believe that Russia doesn’t have everything it would need on the borders for an invasion yet. Fully staffed field hospitals aren’t located in certain areas which would be needed for Russia. Many experts argue that if Russia were going to conduct a full-scale invasion and occupation of Ukraine, they would need many more troops than they currently have on Ukraine’s border. Russia has been moving troops into Belarus which borders both Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv sits less than 100 miles from the Belarus border and since the Belarussian president, Alexander Lukashenko, supports Putin, it’s possible that the exercise called Allied Resolve, could rehearse a mission against Ukraine. Russia is currently holding worldwide naval drills. In the past few weeks, six Russian Navy vessels passed through the English Channel on their way to the Mediterranean Sea. Some believe the Black Sea or the Ukrainian coast could be their destination, but it is still unclear whether that is true.
By Piper Lilley
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Temple
The newest restaurant on the Alfred scene is Temple.
Temple serves vegan Korean food. It’s located at 56 N Main St or, for those of us who have been here for a few years, where Nana’s used to be. The hours of operation right now are 11 am to 2:30 pm Monday through Friday. You can order food by calling Temple at (607) 247-5022 or on their website:
templeinalfred.com or just come on in and order. I have the privilege and honor to not only work at Temple but also to have sat down with Temple’s owner, Kevin Em and ask some questions.
Q: What made you choose Alfred?
A: My wife and I landed in Alfred because she received a teaching position at Alfred University's Ceramics Department as the IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, access) generator under the Dean Team. As a recent MFA graduate, this was a huge career opportunity, so we decided to relocate from Ann Arbor Michigan to Alfred about 6 months ago.
Since arriving here, the community has lent so much support not only to support the opening of Temple but also getting behind our goals of increasing awareness of Korean food, healthy eating habits, and how much food workers put on the line to feed residents during a public health crisis.
Q: What made you interested in cooking food?
A: I started cooking food after getting laid off at a tech start-up (please read "my journey from the tech sector to the kitchen in Radical Humility”, copy available in-store). Food was a way to work with my hands, to take pleasure in bringing family recipes to life, and to hear/document the many stories of food workers I've worked alongside in my writing. And to be fair, cooking was a great way to win the heart of my partner–it's a life skill that everyone should put the time into mastering!
Q: Why Korean cuisine?
A: Korean food is going through a fad at the current moment! Everyone has gochujang, sesame oil, and marinated beef on their mind, or at least, on their social media. As a chef, I'd like to capitalize on this historical juncture with socially-conscious trends, such as veganism, environmentalism, and supporting local businesses.
Q: Why Vegan and Why Temple?
A: The philosophy behind Temple is based on the time I spent cooking for 18 Buddhist monks at Daeheung-sa. I woke at 3 in the morning to drive up the mountain and serve breakfast and lunch to people practicing non-violence through meditation and a vegan diet. The ingredients used in this humble, yet exquisite diet blew me away! The soy sauce and bean paste that had been fermenting for
5 over 100 years, loaded with umami and bursting with potential urged me to bring this rich, gut-friendly and delicious culinary tradition to Western New York.
Q: What has been your favorite thing about Alfred so far?
A: My favorite thing about Alfred is the influx of bright, young people that cycle through every year.
We're blessed with new ideas, new personas, new dietary restrictions (!) that Temple must adapt to. It keeps us on our toes! Also, the network of local business owners that have supported this business, from farmers' market stand to full-service restaurant, has been critical to our success thus far. Thank you, Alfred!
By Raven Scarupa
Single on Valentine’s Day?
Monday, February 14. Valentine’s Day. People either love it or loathe it. Really.
The people that genuinely enjoy the holiday are typically in a relationship or in the early stages of one. Seeing someone, talking, dating–this holiday provides the perfect opportunity for people in this stage to establish their relationship and maybe even ‘make it official’. The people that loathe it tend to be single, or recently broken up.
But why is there even such a huge stigma around being single on Valentine’s Day? Sure, looking on your Instagram story and seeing people out to dinner, or on a romantic getaway somewhere tropical with their partner can make one feel a little extra lonely. But why is this the one day out of the entire year where people feel the need to actually be in a relationship to treat themselves?
According to a 2021 survey done by Entrepreneur, half of Americans identify as single today. In addition, polls done by Glamour found that 34% of people in relationships actually wished that they were single on Valentine’s Day. Wow.
So if such a vast number of Americans aren’t in relationships, why is V-Day marketing so geared towards couples?
Dr. Shelly Freyn, assistant professor of Marketing at Alfred University believes that brands are steering away from older perspectives and moving towards something more relatable. “There has been an ongoing shift in marketing regarding what a "couple" looks like,” said Dr. Freyn. “Most advertisements focus on incorporating diversity to reflect the current environment and more closely connect to
consumers.”
6 According to the US Chamber of Commerce, “45% of all the dollars spent for Valentine’s Day will be spent on non-romantic friends, family members and others.”
“In regards to Valentine's Day, brands are again moving away from the traditional to portray the current market, which means more singles, a strong indicator of how marketing will promote the holiday,” said Dr. Freyn. “Basically, Valentine's day is not for couples anymore.”
So if you don’t have a Valentine this year, don’t stress because chances are, a lot of other people probably don’t either. From now on, Valentine’s Day equals Self Awareness Day.
Perhaps the great poet Oscar Wilde said it best, "To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance."
By Larissa Hageman
A Different Kind of Kandi
Alfred University sophomore Ashton Julian, when they’re not dealing with homework from the Psychology and English departments, spends their free time hand making kandi bracelets for commission.
Kandi bracelets are made from a type of bead called pony beads, which are chunky, colorful plastic. These bracelets have a rich history in EDM, and rave subcultures as a sign of friendship and unity.
Ashton’s shop began as a quarantine hobby in May 2020, starting with making bracelets for their friends. When they noticed that their friends really enjoyed the gift, Ashton decided that they would try to sell their bracelets online.
Their bracelets are mostly inspired by fictional characters, with some of their more popular designs being centered around anime such as Haikyuu and Danganronpa, however, they can do commissions for bracelets themed around music artists, songs, friend groups, and anniversaries—among others.
The base prices for the premade designs are $3.00 for 1, $5.50 for 2, and $2.50 per bracelet on orders of 3 or more. They charge a flat rate fee of $3.00 for custom commissions because those types of bracelets tend to require more work in coming up with new designs and looking up reference images.
“I was tired of seeing people on Depop overprice their bracelets,” said Ashton. “Like, come on y’all, we both know one single kandi is not worth $10.”
Their shop, which can be identified with the logo accompanying this article (created by
@the_procrastinating_artist on Instagram), can be found on https://sevenzeroshop.myshopify.com. They encourage orders through direct messages on either @sevenzerosevens or @sevenzeroshop on
7 Instagram, if customers would like to commission something that isn’t directly available on their
Shopify.
However, during their almost two-year run of their shop, they know being a small business owner isn’t as simple as supply-demand.
“I think my biggest advice is probably: don’t give up. Sometimes it takes a while for your business to grow and get returning clients, but if you have patience and notice what people are interested in, or are willing to buy, you’ll be able to make your business successful.”
Additionally, they wished to convey that client-creator boundaries are just as, if not more, important when establishing your small business.
“A lot of the appeal of a small business is being able to communicate directly with the person you are buying from, and most of the time this is really rewarding for both parties. But you need to be able to still draw that line and remember that you are a person, too.”
Being a dual business owner and college student comes with a lot of time management and
responsibility, and Ashton reflected on that when expressing disappointment in a client that had been,
“blowing up,” their DMs asking frequently if they had shipped his order.
“I’m just a person and this is a small business. Part of the agreement that you make when you buy from a small business is understanding that this is not a full-time job. I’m going to keep you satisfied with your service, but you also need to understand that I have other responsibilities as well, and we need to respect each other in that regard.”
By Sam Sage
Opinion Section
The “Straight Passing” Dilemma
Being a bisexual and biromantic nonbinary in a relationship with a bisexual and biromantic cisgender male is difficult, not for the relationship but in the eyes of the LGBT+ community. In the LGBT community, if you can pass as a straight cis, you’re sometimes seen as not gay. This straight passing is an issue for many in the community. It erases many sexualities and genders and makes people feel like they are no longer safe in the community.
The biggest place that this is found is with bisexuals and biromantics. Some people claim that if you’re bi-femme and dating a guy or bi-masc and dating a girl or bi enby and dating the opposite of your assigned gender at birth, you are no longer bi. This creates biphobia and bi-erasure. Bisexuality and biromantic have been countless times forgotten by people or told to be banned at pride cuz they can be in a straight passing relationship. Bisexuals and biromantics alike have felt like they can’t be bi if they don’t have the
“right” partner. They can be madly in love with a member of the opposite gender and get backlash from their own community for it.
8 Another big place would be under the transgender umbrella. The transgender umbrella has two categories:
binary and nonbinary. Binary contains trans men and women. Nonbinary contains nonbinary, genderfluid, genderqueer, genderflux, demigender, agender, bigender, and many many more. Anyone who could look cisgender and pass as their preferred gender or their assigned gender at birth can be criticized like the bis and pansexuals are. They could be nonbinary or genderfluid or a trans male and have a feminine/femme partner and be told that they can’t be their gender due to their looks.
Straight passing and the criticism and phobias that come with it hurt a lot of the LGBT community. While a lot of the community would call it a privilege while others say it damages the “true members” of the community (the ones who aren’t straight passing), I would and am very much saying that it is hurtful and very damaging. It is the invisibility and erasure of a huge majority of the community. It tells anyone who loves more than one gender and who falls in love with the opposite gender as them and isn’t cisgender that it would be better to hide in the closet or be cis and straight than to live as their true selves.
My own personal experience with this straight passing is very simple. Some people in my life learning or re-learning that I am bi have said my boyfriend is my beard or that I can’t be bi because I have never been with a girl or with telling the one that I’m nonbinary and genderfluid, that that was too much and that I couldn’t be as I wasn't masculine enough and didn't have enough masc energy to be genderfluid. It all hurt me and my relationship with mainly myself. For a few months, I stopped trying to be my true self as I couldn't feel like I could truly be genderfluid and use the pronoun they and be who I truly wanted to be.
Straight passing and the thought that if you can’t pass as whatever gender you want or you can’t be gay if your relationship can look straight is horrible and should be a thing that we as a society get rid of for good.
By Raven Scarupa
Literature Section The City Train
First stop of the day, but this is just another day of days.
That’s how trustworthy and reliable this train is.
Only locals understand the love, For riding on the stained machine That runs under our feet.
The loud monster
That connects millions to each other.
Bronx to Long Island,
This train can reach busy corners,
Of places you never bothered to think of, Accommodating strangers you’ve never met.
The day gets busier and busier,
As the school kids and store runners wake up to alarm clocks.
It’s all work, no play.
9 Running to get the best spot, and pushing to stay there.
Packed in by 9AM, the children will
Pull out their homework and the nurses will shut their eyes.
Although the seats are Dingy, and rough, Each of them,
Will eventually be used as personal place-holders.
In one day, a man, a woman, a toddler, Will sneeze, spit and spill on those seats,
Leaving uncomfortable visions for the next rider, Enough for the public to consider it a petri dish.
If this train is not covered in desecration, It is covered in thank you notes.
“Thank you” in the form of graffiti, The form of graphics,
And enough creative expression
For the public to declare it an art exhibition.
Something smells, but it will be ignored There is nothing to do about it but ignore it.
Reminiscent of the sewer,
This giant mechanical worm will crawl through waste Grinding on rails to fulfill its duties.
How trustworthy.
When the day cools down,
The train will see the people it dropped off when the day began.
The half asleep, but observant, mother of three Back after gathering her children, tired out From their day at school.
The young woman with aching toes, And a pulsating temple.
Cursing the train in her mind,
For not teleporting to her destination.
The blue-collar man running with his tools, He has helped the city,
Now the city will help him.
All citizens sitting under the mute light
Still in time, waiting for their stop to be called.
In each other’s presence And in their own world.
10 All tired, and ready to go home.
Moving across this big and busy city.
Trusting they will get home,
Because they have used this train before, And this day is just another day of many days.
By Isa Hamilton
Untitled
Love is cruel.
It is unfair and vile, It leaves you in the dirt, And tricks you into thinking That it was forever.
Love is inconsiderate.
It takes and it takes, From whoever it desires.
It never gives a warning, It likes to watch you suffer.
Love is temporary.
It always ends in the worst ways.
Death and betrayal, Lying and fighting,
And it laughs while you cry.
But love is beautiful.
It shows itself in red and pink, It creates hope
In places where there wasn't any before.
It paints pictures in shades of gold.
Love is bright.
It shines even in the darkest nights.
It guides you out of the pitch-black And shows you the entire world From a different view.
Love is graceful.
It dances through a storm, With beauty and poise.
It embraces you gently But still keeps you safe.
Love is a mountain.
11 You realize the struggle was worth everything
Once you made it to the top But it wasn't easy.
Love gives you an obstacle And tells you to get around it And that on the other side
Is the person that will stand by you Through all the bad things.
Love is complicated.
It is messy and painful, Heartbreaking and terrifying, But it is wonderful and virtuous, Patient and protective.
Love is undeniable.
By Cameron Etayo
Entertainment Section
The Things As Cosmic Horror
“Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.”(Carl Sagan)
We have all thought of something similar when gazing up at the vast night sky. It’s an existential dread that either elicits acceptance or fear. Cosmic horror, a blend of science fiction and horror, emphasizes this fear of the emptiness of space. But what if something was out there, an entity so ancient and incomprehensible that it makes us insignificant? This is essentially the premise of Carpenter's 1982 classic, The Thing. While cosmic horror is a literary genre credited to H.P Lovecraft, it has managed to make its way into film. Carpenter's remake of The Thing From Another World (1951) was a more faithful adaptation of Who Goes There? a novella by John W. Campbell. Campbell’s story is similar to Lovecraft’s At The Mountains of Madness, which also takes place in the Antarctic.
12 By examining The Thing through the lens of cosmic horror, the film takes on another layer of meaning that is often hard to put into words. Compared to the 1951 original, Carpenter's version is more
nihilistic. By preserving the shape-shifting ability of the thing, he makes it indefinable. This blurs the line between humanity and the alien other. More importantly, Carpenter shatters the human-centric conception of the universe in favor of one that is far more terrifying.
The Thing
The monster in The Thing (1982) is a shape-shifting entity from outer space able to absorb and mimic any organism perfectly. Throughout the film, it disguises itself as a husky (kennel-thing) and then every unlucky crewmember. What we see of the Thing before it assimilates its host are grotesque appendages, tentacles, heads, and eyes. In other words, it has no true form. It’s everything it’s ever assimilated but not really. Besides the brilliant special effects work of Rob Bottin, Carpenter captures this
incomprehensible entity with the camera. With low-angle POV shots, Carpenter keys the audience into the viewpoint of an intangible presence making its way through the base. “With the strains of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’ still audible we cut to a head-height shot by the surgical lights in Medical which smoothly moves around the operating table, subtly lowers its view height, and passes out through the door”(Conolly, 2021). It’s the dog, the kennel-thing! Combined with the heartbeat score of Ennio Morricone, you can’t help but feel something dark lying in wait.
The Void
No one is equipped to deal with The Thing but surely a bunch of scientists would have the best shot right? In a world that made sense, rational humans would find a way to vanquish the monster because of science. Yet, Blair, a biologist, cannot give the crew reliable answers when he dissects the kennel thing.
He draws attention to a “furry, canine-like appendage, stating, ‘[t]hat’s not a dog. It’s imitation” (Brown, 2020). His observation assumes that our human conception of what a dog is applies to the thing.
Everything they know about the thing doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of its true nature. When the crew finds the spacecraft excavated by the Norwegian camp, they estimate it to be 100,000 years old.
How do you begin to fathom something so ancient? Our knowledge, culture, and identities are made so small in comparison. The crew is in the dark, desperately trying to shed a light on what the thing is and how to deal with it. However, just like in Lovecraft's stories, their predicament forces them to deal with an entity that is indifferent to their pain. It forces them to question what they are, both literally and figuratively.
A Blurring of Boundaries
The Monster in Carpenter's The Thing serves a different purpose than the original 1951 version. The 1951 Thing was a plant-based bipedal alien that embodied otherness (aka communism). This makes it easier to separate what it means to be human from the alien other. Carpenter blurs these boundaries by not giving the monster a true form. Childs asks a question that haunts the crew and the viewer to the very end, “If I was an imitation, a perfect imitation, how would you know if it was really me?” Usually, in this case, you would bring up a memory or a unique story. However, the film strongly hints at the thing having the ability to mimic that too.“If non-human agents can adopt human qualities (speech, thought, personality, personal memory) such that they go for the most part undetected among other humans, then what is the special privilege of humans?”(Brown, 2020). This is the existential threat the crew face. It’s more than just paranoia, mistrust, and fear rending the crew's relationship apart. The answer, in their case, is bleak. It all comes down to a blood test. The relief on Windows's face as MacReady puts the heated wire into his blood sample says it all.
13 The End
The Thing (1982) also takes a different approach to its ending than The Thing From Another World (1951). Carpenter does not assert the triumph of the group over the malicious other but the
insignificance of humanity. When MacReady blows up the thing and the entire base, it feels like the nightmare has finally ended. MacReady is the last man standing...until Childs shows up after
disappearing moments before the explosion. Is Childs the Thing? The survivors, as well as the audience, are left with doubt. Fans still theorize about this ambiguous ending. Some say Childs is definitely a thing, MacReady is also a thing, or that both are things. I believe both are still human. All they can do is take turns drinking, the embers of the destroyed base slowly dying in the distance. They’ll freeze to death with one eye open, the hope of rescue smothered by the blowing blackness of the Antarctic.
References
Brown, M. (2020). The Thing in the Ice: The Weird in John Carpenter’s The Thing. Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies. Published.
Conolly, J. (2021). The Thing [E-book]. Oxford University Press.
By Alpha Bah
Fiat Lux Staff
Editor-in-chief: Talulla Torthe Managing Editor: Andrew Wiechert Staff Writer and Editor: Isa Hamilton Staff Writer: Sam Sage
Staff Writer and Editor: Dale Mott Slater Photographer: Aurelia Liles
Staff Writer: Alpha Bah
(this issue was originally created as webpage; information extracted and artificially created as a PDF for archival purposes)
