Quidditch team rises to new Should minimum wage Student composers shine at challenges • A10 should be raised? • A6 Soldiers & Sailors • B8 SPORTS FORUM PILLBOX

thetartan.org @thetartan February 25, 2013 Volume 107, Issue 19 Carnegie Mellon’s student newspaper since 1906 Incoming president Subra Suresh visits campus Lecture MADELYN GLYMOUR discusses Contributing Editor

Carnegie Mellon welcomed education President-Elect Subra Suresh and his family with pomp and structure circumstance on Thursday night, with a series of speeches BRIAN TRIMBOLI in McConomy Auditorium and Assistant News Editor a reception in Rangos Hall. The speakers, introduced The nature of higher by a bagpiper, included outgo- education, as well as ing university President Jared potential strategies to Cohon, chairman of the Board improve and facilitate of Trustees Ray Lane, and Will learning at the university Weiner, senior economics and level, were key topics of statistics and decision science discussion at the lecture double major and student body “Between Academia and president. Suresh spoke last. Activism: a Roundtable The bulk of Cohon’s and on Reforming American Lane’s speeches addressed the Higher Education.” process by which the search The event, hosted last committee found and selected Thursday in Baker Hall’s Suresh as the university’s next Swank Room (255B), president. started with presentations In addition to thanking the from a five-member panel presidential search committee, and ended with a round- Lane told the story of the Board table discussion on the of Trustees’ first discussion state of higher education two years ago about who they in America. wanted for the university’s The Swank Room was next president. crowded for this event, “If anyone had told me back and the small classroom’s then that the process would go round-table format suited as well as it went for the last the discussion-based na- two years, I just would not have ture of the panel. believed them,” Lane said. The first speaker was “I’ve been around the track Carolyn Commer, a Ph.D. too many times to know that candidate in rhetoric. things go as planned. But this Commer’s talk, titled went pretty much as planned, “Educating for Citizen- and I give a lot of credit, if not ship: the Possibilities all the credit, to the search and Pitfalls of the Civic /Assistant Photo Editor committee.” Jonathan Leung President Jared Cohon (right) welcomed NSF Director and incoming Carnegie Mellon President Subra Suresh (left) to campus last Thursday. Frame for Higher Educa- Suresh, who is the current tion,” focused on the role director of the National Sci- holding many open forums, lis- “[I’m excited about] the fact and will be somebody that I the event. of citizens and the public ence Foundation and former tening to students, faculty, and that he is so positive and for- think will command respect “Clearly on paper he’s sphere in higher education dean of the school of engineer- staff, to get [the] very different ward thinking, and is excited from the faculty, the students, amazing, but he’s [also] a re- reform. ing at the Massachusetts Insti- perspectives that exist in a uni- to be here and be part of our and the staff, and will go on ally great guy,” Weiner said. Robin Sowards, a fac- tute of Technology, said that versity like this,” Suresh said. community and get to know this journey with us.” “Just chatting with him, he’s ulty member at Duquesne his first action upon taking of- The students, faculty, and us,” said lighting design profes- Weiner shared Limauro’s really approachable, really University, titled his fice will be to go on a “listening staff who attended the event sor Cindy Limauro. enthusiasm for Suresh, with down to earth, and has a really talk “Adjunct Unions tour” of the university. seemed to come away with a “I think his past record has whom he got to speak person- “I’m looking forward to sense of optimism. proven that he is a good leader ally during the preparations for See SURESH, A3 See ACADEMIA, A3 Hacking culture breaking into campus Students team up alvin mathew on this field to further growth, like “hacker spaces, hacker throughout the country. Junior Staffwriter support, and space for hack- groups, and the Internet.” ScottyLabs is also responsi- for Rwandan kids ing on campus. As a result, in 2011, Quispe ble for the creation and orga- Carnegie Mellon has seen They are also trying in- founded ScottyLabs. Initially nization of TartanHacks, the Lauren williams er used a computer before. a new wave of students con- crease diversity by searching a personal side project, the highly successful and well-at- Junior Staffwriter Through the help of talented tributing to “hacking” cul- for students outside tradition- project has since become a tended hackathon that takes translators, the Carnegie ture over the course of recent al technical majors and merg- student-run group. place annually on campus. A group of Carnegie Mel- Mellon students taught them years. ing the technological and cre- According to its website, It also heads SkillSwap lon students is devoted to simple gestures, such as left One campus club that has ative portions of the student ScottyLabs strives to “use Weekend, an event held on improving life for school- clicking and right clicking. contributed to this trend is body. technical expertise to promote the fourth floor of the Gates children in Rwanda. Project They instructed students Make CMU, a hacking-based Senior computer science innovation in practical ways.” Hillman Complex that “teach- Rwanda, a service initiative in programming by having organization that encourages major Amy Quispe noticed ScottyLabs is involved in a es people things they wish founded in 2010, recently be- them play logic games and students to “make things with that “in the last two-and-a number of different projects, they knew.” gan recruiting students for an also encouraged students to computers,” according to the half years, things have been including developing an appli- Quispe said, “People were upcoming trip to Rwanda. use their creativity through group’s website. changing a lot here,” as more cation programming interface trying to make things, but This group partnered acting and public speaking Organizations such as students have developed a to store educational data for were [prohibited from doing with One Laptop Per Child classes. Make CMU are now focused heightened interest in things Carnegie Mellon and schools so].” (OLPC), a nonprofit organi- Senior global studies ma- She noted that ScottyLabs’ zation that offers inexpen- jor and Project Rwanda team main goal is to provide stu- sive laptops to children in member Sara Faradji worked dents the opportunity of “be- developing countries. OLPC with Rwandan students in ing empowered to turn ideas has distributed 110,000 lap- drama classes. into code.” tops to children in Rwanda; Faradji said, “There is no According to Quispe, “stu- however, many of these lap- fine arts education in Rwan- dents at CMU have what they tops go unused due to a lack da. They don’t do music or need to get started on side of understanding of the tech- drama. They don’t have the- products and get skills and nology. aters. It’s a very timid society students they need to build Project Rwanda teaches … they’re all wearing their truly great things.” primary school students in little uniforms, and are very Quispe believes that Kigali, Rwanda, how to use respectful. I wanted them to ScottyLabs should not be these laptops through classes be more confident: talk in about a major, but about mak- in programming, typing, and front of their peers, be more ing goals and ideas come to creative thinking. creative. It was great to see fruition. Alexander Rothera, a se- how they started out really Along with launching nior fine art and human and shy in the beginning, and the activities described be- computer interaction double then as they started warming fore, ScottyLabs now leads major and member of the up, they became much more Make CMU sessions. Project Rwanda team, de- lively and were really excited These sessions, during scribed his visit to Rwanda. to show their work.” which students take time to “There was this really incred- The Carnegie Mellon stu- help each other with ideas, ible moment when we first dents were only able to work take place every Saturday got there, and they had this with two grades of Rwandan from 2–6 p.m. in the Studio giant padlock on the storage students in a single primary for Creative Inquiry in the Col- closet that they opened up. school and were unable to lege of Fine Arts Building . And then he opens the door, connect with the teachers on Another student organi- and there’s a mound of lap- summer break. zation on campus looking to tops covered in dust. They In order to reach out to capitalize on the developing were brand new, and no one more students, Project Rwan- “hacker” culture is the Com- had opened them. The school da is working to expand its puter Club. that we went to had 400 lap- program. Christian Preseau, sopho- tops unused.” When this project was ini- more computer science ma- During their visit, the tiated, it was unforeseen that jor, noted the Computer Carnegie Mellon students a Carnegie Mellon campus Club focuses on work with were able to put all 400 lap- would be started in Rwanda. tops into use. Many of these Tammy Ying/Junior Artist See HACKING, A3 Rwandan students had nev- See RWANDA, A3 A2 « thetartan.org/news The Tartan » Febuary 25, 2013 feature photo news in brief SASE Coffeehouse has singing, tea Professor awarded CMU Dickson prize Princeton University pro- press release. fessor François Morel will be Morel currently teaches at awarded Carnegie Mellon’s Princeton University as the Dickson prize for his world- Albert G. Blanke Jr. Professor renowned contributions to of Geosciences. the field of biological and Morel earned a bachelor’s ecological science for marine degree in applied mathemat- ecosystems. ics, a master’s degree in engi- The prize is awarded each neering from the University year to an individual who of Grenoble in France, and makes significant contribu- a doctoral degree from the tions to scientific research. California Institute of Tech- “François Morel has been nology. a world leader in the fields of The award will be pre- water chemistry and chemi- sented to Morel at the annual cal oceanography since the Dickson Prize Lecture on early 1970s, and a pioneer in Monday in McConomy Audi- advancing the understanding torium at 4:30 p.m. of dissolved metal interac- Morel will discuss sci- tions with phytoplankton and entific topics such as ocean other organisms at the base of acidification, and how the the aquatic ecosystem,” said processes of nitrogen fixation David A. Dzombak, the Wal- and photosynthesis can po- ter J. Blenko Sr. University tentially result in large-scale Professor of Environmental ramifications to the ocean Engineering, in a university ecosystem.

iCarnegie opens new centers in Mexico

iCarnegie Global Learn- nologías de la Información y ing (iCarnegie), a provider Comunicación, and that our of global educational strate- training centers will enable gies, is teaming up with the the university network to Technological Universities of offer strongly differentiated Mexico to open up 34 train- technology programs that ing centers in Mexico. will strengthen relationships The training centers will among the university, its stu- utilize the curriculum from dents, businesses, and entre- iCarnegie’s Software De- preneurs,” Kamlet said. veloping Program and will Mayor Bárbara Botello, teach courses including soft- Presidenta Municipal Electa ware design, engineering, de León, said in a univer- quality assurance, and proj- sity press release, “To the ect management. Universidad Tecnológica de In a university press re- Leon, congratulations for lease, Provost and Executive being the place where the Vice President Mark S. Kam- future is being built involv- let spoke about the potential ing young people and teach- of Mexico’s high-tech econ- ers who know how to make omy and Carnegie Mellon’s our country a better Mexico, desire to help develop and a successful and triumphant facilitate its success. Mexico.” “We believe that Carnegie These centers officially Mellon and iCarnegie are the opened on Feb. 11 and they right partners for Univer- plan to serve over 9,000 stu- sidades Tecnológicas en Tec- dents.

Compiled by Noël Um

Weather

Kate Groschner/Photo Editor Tuesday Wednesday Thursday The Carnegie Mellon chapter of the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) held an event in the Danforth Lounge featuring an open mic as High / Low High / Low High / Low well as free bubble tea and pastries. SASE’s mission is to prepare students with Asian heritage for successful technical careers. 40 / 39 40 / 36 36 / 33 Campus Crime & Incident Reports Underage Drinking Assisting an Outside versity Police after he heard University Center Informa- Feb. 15, 2013 Agency noise coming from the area of tion Desk at approximately Feb. 16, 2013 the newly purchased Carnegie 7:10 p.m. with approximately University Police respond- Mellon-owned house located $30–40 missing from the wal- ed to Morewood Gardens A University Police officer at 4644 Filmore Street and let. The UC Information Desk in reference to a party with responded to assist Pittsburgh found two males attempt- does not keep a record of the underage drinking. Officers Police at the Anderson Play- ing to kick in the door at the individuals who turn items in arrived to find 11 individu- ground in Schenley Park in Friday Saturday Sunday rear of the residence. Police to the Information Desk, as High / Low High / Low High / Low als sharing a bottle of cham- reference to two males lying officers arrived and took the to not incriminate good Sa- pagne. All 11 individuals were in the weeds on the hillside juveniles into custody until maritans attempting to turn in 36 / 30 35 / 29 34 / 28 found to be underage and will above Panther Hollow Road. their parents could be sum- found property. Source: www.weather.com be cited for underage drink- Police determined that the moned to take them away. A ing. two University of Pittsburgh small amount of marijuana Request for University students were eating hal- was found on the two males,; lucinogenic mushrooms on they are being cited for disor- Police Corrections & Clarifications Underage Drinking the hillside. The University derly conduct. Feb. 19, 2013 Feb. 16, 2013 of Pittsburgh Police also re- University Police respond- sponded to assist. The males If you would like to submit a correction or clarification, University Police, along ed to the second floor kitchen will be cited by the University Theft please email The Tartan at [email protected] or with CMU EMS, responded to of the University Center when of Pittsburgh Police for disor- Feb. 18, 2013 [email protected] with your inquiry, as well as the the Morewood Gardens lobby a CulinArt employee refused derly conduct. date of the issue and the name of the article. We will in reference to an intoxicated University Police were to leave the kitchen after his print the correction or clarification in the next print male. The student was trans- summoned to the B Level of supervisor requested that he issue and publish it online. ported by city medics to a Attempted Burglary Margaret Morrison Carnegie leave for the evening. Uni- Hall in reference to a female versity Police responded and hospital for further treatment. Feb. 18, 2013 The male will be cited for un- student’s wallet being stolen spoke to the employee who derage drinking and public A Carnegie Mellon Project around 6:30 p.m. The wal- left the scene without inci- drunkenness. Manager contacted the Uni- let was later turned in to the dent. student senate meeting minutes StuCo on Carnegie CMU student experience survey Sexual Harassment Business Affairs Allocations Mellon culture and Assault Policy Members of Student Janel Sutkus, Director of parking, and athletic oppor- Dean of Student Affairs Student Senate mem- AB Films requested Senate are working toward Institutional Research and tunities. Gina Casalegno spoke to the bers are meeting with USA funds for a new projector, developing a StuCo course Analysis for Carnegie Mellon, Responses from students Senate regarding the steps the Today to discuss distribu- given that their current one on campus culture. This reported on the CMU Student included information on self- university is taking to over- tion of their newspaper for is beginning to fall apart. would involve upperclass- Experience Survey, which is perception, potential lead- haul its sexual assault and Carnegie Mellon students. A digital projector was re- men passing knowledge distributed at the end of each ership abilities, faculty and sexual harassment policies. Additionally, data has been quested — one that would down to first-year students year. staff mentoring, and other Feedback from Town Halls collected from the Arts Pass show films in higher resolu- and attempting to address Last year, the survey had factors, including amount of and discussions regarding survey and will be used tion and offer the potential issues of fitting in at Carn- a 51 percent response rate sleep received and time spent sexual assault and harassment when renegotiating the pro- to show 3-D films. Funding egie Mellon. among undergraduate stu- on physical fitness. were taken into account when gram in March. for a new projector was ap- The specifics of this dents. refining this policy. proved. course are being developed The survey largely focuses A meeting will be held in in conjunction with Aca- on student satisfaction, spe- March for a final vote on this Compiled by demic Development. cifically in terms of classes, policy. Brent Heard February 25, 2013 « The Tartan thetartan.org/news » A3 Academics discuss and critique status of higher education ACADEMIA, from A1 At any point you enter it, James’ essay discussed the ing to the MLA website, “will dent] Michael F. Bérubé puts and universities’ refusal to you can always cycle back to problems with the Ph.D. pro- consider a range of curricu- it, a ‘seamless garment of cri- spend their endowments. Normalization and the Fu- some other point — there’s grams in American colleges lar, intellectual, and profes- sis,’ ” Steffen said. The last panelist to speak ture of Higher Education;” he no point at which it termi- in 1903, when the essay was sional issues that affect grad- The next panelist, profes- was Jess Wilton, a Ph.D. can- listed 15 major problems that nates. Now, that cyclical published. uate students in language sor of English and literary didate in literary and cultur- he sees in higher education property is bad; since things Steffen, similarly, talked and literature.” cultural studies Jeffrey Wil- al studies. and proposed a plan for sys- are causally related, once a about the problems with “With average doctoral liams, gave a presentation Wilton called her talk temic change. Sowards’ list single problem is exacerbat- modern Ph.D. programs, rec- time to degree at nine-and- titled “Proper Recognition.” “The Saxifrage School: Dis- of problems with higher edu- ed it further exacerbates all ommending changes like sti- a-half years, and a labor sys- Williams discussed a ruptive Innovation beyond cation ranged from climbing the other problems,” he said. pends for graduate students tem in which 75 percent of handout showing rising aver- Neoliberalism.” student debt levels to the Heather Steffen, a Ph.D. closer to the current living college teachers will never age student debt compared Wilton’s title references treatment of underpaid ad- candidate in literary and wage. be eligible for tenure, and with inflation, and a list of the Saxifrage School, de- junct faculty. cultural studies, called her Steffen is also a member a tenure-track job market the top 100 highest univer- scribed on its website as a “All of these problems are presentation “The Ph.D. of the Modern Language As- whose bottom dropped out sity endowments. “higher education laboratory interconnected, in the sense Vampire Squid,” a play on an sociation’s (MLA) Commit- in the ’70s, and the ’80s, and According to Williams, working to lower costs, re- that they’re all causally re- essay over 100 years old by tee on the Status of Graduate the ’90s, and in 2008, hu- the inflated tuition at most think the campus, and recon- lated,” Sowards said. Harvard philosopher William Students in the Profession. manities graduate education universities is caused by cile disciplines.” “And it also forms a cycle. James, “The Ph.D. Octopus.” The committee, accord- seems to be, as [MLA Presi- widespread privatization, The Saxifrage School, Wilton said, follows a model of “disruptive innovation,” a term coined by Harvard economist Clayton Chris- tensen. Although Chris- tensen applied the term to big business, Wilton wants to apply it to higher education, as modeled by the Saxifrage School. After the panelists had finished their presentations, the audience, comprised mostly of graduate students in the English department, put forward their own ques- tions and opinions. Sheila Liming, a Ph.D. candidate in literary and cul- tural studies in attendance at the panel, said that the dis- cussion “represents the idea that problems with univer- sities are systemic in a large way, and the answers are go- ing to be systemic in a large way too. Solutions are going to be systemic, meaning that you can’t fix any one level. You can’t just fix undergrad- uate education; you can’t just target the graduate level or even labor issues, you have to look at the whole picture.” David Haeselin, another Ph.D. candidate in literary and cultural studies, was glad that the panelists ad- dressed the issue of labor in the university setting. “I’m glad to see that la- bor was first and foremost; everyone was addressing it in some way or another…. It was great to get a community

Peter Leeman/Junior Photographer conversation in an interdisci- A panel of Heather Steffen, Robin Sowards, Jess Wilton, Jeffrey J. Williams, and Carolyn Commer discussed critiques and improvements in higher education at a round-table discussion. plinary setting.” Hacking cooperatives grow Students aim to help Rwanda HACKING, from A1 future, Wade, Quispe, and people outside the hacking RWANDA, from A1 program since 2010; and us- evant to our national needs.” other students of Make CMU community. ing cross-campus video con- “Maybe [the children] can “infrastructure that’s useful said they would ideally like Quispe is glad that design Carnegie Mellon Pittsburgh’s ferencing to connect youths one day go to a school like for student activities.” to have a space designated in students, in particular, have Project Rwanda is now hop- from Rwanda, Qatar, and CMU in Rwanda. It’s some- According to Sam Gruber, the building for their organi- been drawn to ScottyLabs, but ing to partner with both the Pittsburgh. thing that no one has heard the club’s co-president and ju- zations. at the same time is looking to campuses in Qatar and Rwan- Rwanda is often associat- of before, and something that nior BCSA student in comput- Wade elaborated that appeal to others who can con- da to grow the program and ed with war and genocide, so the president of Rwanda re- er science and architecture, “there are already spaces, but tribute. develop a continuous pres- many question why Rwanda ally supports. Part of his ini- members of the club meet in there’s no software.” Talks are Preseau believes people ence among Rwandan prima- was chosen as the site of the tiative is rebuilding Rwanda Cyert Hall and collaborate on still considered exploratory have an “interest in what we ry school students. project. after the years of genocide a number of projects, includ- and in the preliminary stage do, particularly in collabora- This summer, Project However, Rwanda is also through technological educa- ing creating various demos of discussion; several groups tive hacking,” but that many Rwanda is hoping to send one of the fastest-developing tion,” Faradji said. and providing services for have been trying to secure an think twice about joining. eight to 10 students each African countries. Rothera added that it’s im- entities and campus functions area. “We really want to do more from the Pittsburgh and Qatar Rwanda was the first coun- portant to look at “the great like TartanHacks. Quispe hopes a future outreach to other colleges,” campuses to Rwanda for two try in which women were things that can happen in With steadily increasing space in the University Center Preseau said. to three weeks. Interviews are the majority of those elect- the country, and how incred- attendance, organizations would also host peer educa- He added that the orga- currently being conducted to ed to serve in the national ible the students are at learn- such as ScottyLabs and the tion programs. nization is looking for more select the group of students legislature. ing—basically, the potential Computer Club are interest- Nonetheless, group mem- people, particularly those in- from Pittsburgh. Efforts are also being for such a small country. They ed in being given additional bers think that more can be terested in computational art. Goals of the project in- made to sustain electricity have great plans and lead- space to do work. done to increase involvement Similarly, Quispe looks clude establishing a Mentor- coverage and to provide a na- ership for how to move for- Preseau, for instance, not- of students in other majors. to spread the word to that Mentee program between tional communication fiber- ward.” ed that his club often has to Wade noted that “a lot of weekly Make CMU meetings Carnegie Mellon Rwanda optic network to 30 districts. Both Faradji and Rothera work in the hallway, which people are intimidated by it are open to all, regardless of graduate students and local The Rwanda Ministry of Edu- are planning to stay involved leads to obvious difficulties. and are scared off by people major. youths; launching a One Day cation outlines a priority of with Project Rwanda after Bryan Wade, senior eco- who are not receptive.” In the future, organiza- Summer Reunion for children “making post-basic education graduating from Carnegie nomics major, is particularly Quispe thinks some people tions like ScottyLabs and the who have participated in the more accessible and more rel- Mellon this spring. interested in the expansion of are hesitant when they hear Computer Club hope to fur- this culture. the word “hacker” because ther expand while bringing With plans for a new Uni- over time it has developed together students of varying versity Center design in the an unfriendly connotation to degrees and interests. New president visits campus SURESH, from A1 good relationship between the years, that it means a lot to president and students. them that they have a presi- good idea of how he can work “I urge next year’s students dent that … [will] really make with students and how he can to work with him, just help him sure that it’s the best experi- make this place better.” understand how the student ence it can be.” Student Body Vice Presi- process works and really make Suresh spoke of his upcom- dent of Finance Jon Mark, who sure to establish that relation- ing tenure as president with met with Suresh and the other ship early on,” Weiner said. excitement. presidential candidates when Mark hoped that Suresh “As I get to know this com- they visited the university would make sure to remember munity better, I’m confident prior to the Board of Trustees’ students. that we have a common mis- decision, agreed. “One of the biggest things sion and a common goal. We “He was a really great guy that I would encourage him to all very firmly believe that from the get-go,” Mark said. do is to really make sure that Carnegie Mellon is a great “He answered our questions as a president, he’s going to institution. But we also firmly really candidly and honestly, prioritize the student experi- believe that Carnegie Mellon and I think that he was a really ence,” Mark said. is an institution that has all clear choice for a president. “I think that right now he’s the ingredients and potential He’s going to push the univer- going to push this university in for much greater greatness. sity in a really great direction.” a lot of great ways, but I think I very much look forward to Both Weiner and Mark that it can’t be forgotten that working with you to achieve stressed the importance of a there are people here for four that,” he said. Annette Ko/Art Editor A4 « thetartan.org/scitech The Tartan » February 25, 2013

CyLab seeks to map poisonous plants for better treatment Desiree Xu result will be a smartphone including symptoms and im- the information on an online Staffwriter app that that can identify a ages. Therefore, doctors are social networking system. Be- plant based on its appearance only able to recall information fore advancement to the next “If you call the Poison Con- and provide the plant’s toxic- about each plant, but cannot step, the two scientists need to trol Center and say: ‘I’ve eaten ity, symptoms that appear af- immediately recognize a plant wait for UPMC’s approval on a poisonous plant, help me,’ ter contact, and remedies for from a victim’s symptoms. This the proposal to fund the rest they basically go through five treatment. From just a snap- inefficient process of scruti- of the project. In addition, pa- volumes of books to figure out shot, the app will be able to nizing plant references delays tients have also requested for what you’ve eaten.” detect anything from a weed the time required for optimal the app to include certain poi- These are the words of on the side of a hiking trail treatment. sonous mushrooms and hallu- Marios Savvides, an associate to potted houseplants bought From the medical toxicol- cinogens. research professor of electri- from Home Depot. ogy books’ and Micromedic’s So far, Morton concluded cal and computer engineer- The benefits of the app are combined database, Morton that the toughest part of the ing and the director of the far-reaching. “It is beneficial and Savvides are able to mine project involved hand col- CyLab Biometrics Center. for kids because there are out the 32 most commonly re- lecting live specimens of the Savvides and Cynthia Mor- common plants at home that ported plants. As of right now, plants, organizing them by ton, the head of the Carnegie can pose as health hazards for the app is only able to detect different colors and features, Museum of Natural History’s any kids or animals that swal- 10 of those plants, but the two and taking 50 to 100 pictures botany department, are devel- low it,” Morton said. Addition- are expanding the app data- of the same plant from differ- oping a single digital database ally, the benefits of the app can base to allow it to recognize ent angles to help the app to for identifying all poisonous be extended to the medical dangers beyond the 32. recognize it. plants. This database will aid community. “For many plants — some Funding for the project in the treatment of hikers or The two scientists have col- massive, some poisonous, or came from the UPMC Health- passers-by who suffer from laborated with the University both — this is a good tracking care Innovation Technology symptoms after coming in con- of Pittsburgh Medical Center mechanism to see what’s go- Grant program, which is a col- tact with poisonous plants. (UPMC) and the Poison Con- ing on because a lot of these laboration between Carnegie The two researchers had trol Center, which currently are not native to here. So, it’s Mellon and UPMC. During known of each other before use a medical toxicology book giving us a wealth of informa- the project, the two scientists this project: Morton knew that and the Micromedics data- tion on a variety of different also enjoyed learning more Savvides had worked with fa- base, UPMC’s medical data- levels,” Morton said. about the other’s specializa- cial recognition, so she want- base for poisonous plants. Soon the app will be able tion. Above all, they are proud Kate Groschner/Photo Editor ed to apply that capability to The current system is missing to detect the location of a to come up with a product that Marios Savvides, left, and Cynthia Morton, center, are working on an app a project involving plants. The 60 percent of its database, poisonous plant and update helps people. that will be able to recognize poisonous plants. how things work Exploring the mechanisms Unconscious thinking may of a tool and weapon: fire improve decision-making Daniel Tkacik enough heat. particles that are so hot that Staffwriter A seemingly silly but com- they light up — just as a fila- plex question then arises: ment inside an incandescent Fire: mankind’s greatest Why does fire need heat? It light bulb does. If the flame invention, or worst enemy? turns out that oxygen, one of is colored yellow-orange, it is According to the U.S. Fire Ad- the three main ingredients in mostly made up of tiny soot ministration, fire kills roughly fire, is extremely stable; it will particles and burns at about 3,500 Americans each year not react with anything unless 1,800˚F. A bluish flame burns and injures over 17,000 more. it has enough energy to do so. even hotter. In this case, the These numbers are higher Heat, then, is the supplier flame is blue because a hot- than those resulting from any of energy to oxygen. Once ter fire produces less soot other force of nature. At the enough energy is available, (so, less yellow-orange) and same time, it provides heat oxygen can start reacting with more gas molecules, which and is used to cook food need- the fuel, igniting a flame and tend to burn blue. As these ed for human survival, among starting the fire. particles and molecules get countless other familiar ben- One common way of cre- further away from the center efits. Debates aside, one may ating the necessary heat is of the flame, they cool down ponder: How does this seem- through friction. Take, for and cease to glow, creating an ingly simple yet powerful phe- example, the striking of a edge to the flame. nomenon work? match — the friction involved An extremely important Fire, put simply, is a con- in this motion creates enough characteristic of fire is that it version process. It takes some heat at the interface between is self-perpetuating. That is, material (wood, paper, a ciga- the match and the matchbox fire creates its own heat to rette) and rapidly converts it so that oxygen can now be- sustain itself. There is plenty to simpler, lighter materials gin reacting with the match of fuel around us, and cer- (carbon dioxide, carbon mon- head (the fuel), thus creat- tainly a lot of oxygen, but Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons oxide, smoke). When set on ing a flame. The flame from things aren’t spontaneously fire, millions of carefully or- the match can then be used to erupting into flames. This ar- SONIA KATHARANI-KHAN riod were also subject to neu- better than immediate deci- ganized molecules that make transfer heat to another fuel guably makes heat the most Staffwriter roimaging through an MRI sions, it was not completely up a piece of wood are broken to be set on fire. important of the three ingre- scanner during the process. clear why unconscious pro- down into a mess of smoke. Not all materials make dients. A strong source of heat When faced with a dif- The images revealed that the cessing was better than con- Three main ingredients good fuels, though. In gen- is all it takes, so an action as ficult decision, we often opt prefrontal and visual cortices scious processing. According go into making a fire: oxy- eral, materials that contain simple as flicking a smolder- to give our minds a break, were active even though par- to Bursley, one possibility gen, heat, and fuel — the an abundance of carbon and ing cigarette out a car window and take a fresh look at the ticipants were not focused on was that conscious processing absence of just one of these hydrogen are flammable. The can easily ignite massive for- problem afterward. However, making a decision. could make people mentally makes fire’s existence impos- liquid fuel inside of a lighter is est fires that destroy millions recent research by Carnegie “When people are initially overwhelm themselves, and sible. Take, for example, a usually butane, which is en- of acres of land. Mellon assistant professor of learning information — say, therefore make poorer deci- piece of paper as the fuel. An tirely made up of carbon and psychology J. David Creswell about different cars — a set sions. “Whatever the reason, extremely hot piece of paper hydrogen. On the flip side, and alumnus James Bursley of brain regions is active and we see unconscious process- will not burn in outer space water has plenty of hydrogen Editor’s Note: Daniel Tkacik, shows that we have been un- is carrying out this initial ing doing better than con- — there is no oxygen (all of but zero carbon; there’s a rea- a Ph.D. candidate in civil and der a misconception about the learning, which psycholo- scious thought,” he said. those Star Wars special effects son firefighters love using it. environmental engineering, way we approach decision- gists call ‘encoding,’ ” Bursley Bursley graduated in 2012 are scientifically inaccurate). The flames of a fire confirm recently spent two months re- making. explained. “What we found is with a bachelor’s of science The piece of paper won’t just that a fuel has been set ablaze. searching fire and smoke in the Creswell and Bursley’s that some of the same brain in psychology and a minor in erupt into flames sitting on The flames themselves are Missoula Fire Sciences Labora- research shows that we un- regions reactivate — while philosophy. He began work- your desk, either; there is not actually made of vapors and tory in Missoula, Montana. consciously process decision- people are performing the ing with Creswell during his making information. Even unrelated distracter task — in first year at Carnegie Mellon. while we are consciously order to support continued Bursley assisted with data distracted, the parts of the unconscious processing of the analysis and ran participants brain involved in decision- initial information about cars.” through experiments in Cre- making — namely the visual The items were described swell’s lab. The two soon and prefrontal cortices — are to the participants such that began exploring the possibil- still active. The findings were there was one that was ob- ity of using brain imaging to published in the journal So- jectively the best, two that study unconscious process- cial Cognitive and Affective were of medium quality, and ing in decision-making. “After Neuroscience. one that was objectively the a number of false starts, we Creswell, Bursley, and Ajay worst. The results of the study eventually found an approach Satpute of Northeastern Uni- showed that participants who that worked, which is the one versity performed a study on made the decision after a two- we describe in our current pa- 27 adults. “In our study, we minute distraction were bet- per,” Bursley said. presented participants with ter able to perceive this dif- Since the same parts of the four different items under dif- ference than those who made brain involved in decision- ferent categories,” Bursley ex- immediate decisions. making are also involved in plained via email. “This isn’t so surprising,” learning, Bursley and Cre- The participants were Bursley said. “The distracter swell hope to investigate the presented with 12 attributes task allows time for addi- role of unconscious process- about the items in random or- tional cognitive processing ing in learning to see if it has a der, and were informed that to occur, even though this similar beneficial role. “We’re they had to make decisions processing happens outside hoping to eventually apply about the quality of the items. of conscious awareness and our findings to real-world As a control group, some peo- people have no idea it’s going educational settings: We ple were asked to make deci- on….It seems that this uncon- might be able to apply things sions about each item’s qual- scious processing reorganizes we learn about how the brain ity immediately after being and weight information, and unconsciously processes in- presented with the informa- this is probably part of what formation to the classroom, tion. Others were distracted leads to people’s better deci- leveraging our laboratory for two minutes before being sion making.” and neuroimaging research asked to reach their decision. Though the study made to help students learn better Those that underwent the clear why decisions after un- and improve educational out- Michael Setzer/SciTech Editor two-minute distraction pe- conscious processing were comes,” Bursley said. February 25, 2013 « The Tartan thetartan.org/scitech » A5 CMU physics professors shed light on dark matter Brooke Kuei Carnegie Mellon assistant logical measurements,” ex- el through; this trapping of Assistant SciTech Editor physics professors Shirley plained Mandelbaum. “One photons created pressure dif- Ho and Rachel Mandelbaum way is to look at distance ferences in the density of the One of the greatest mys- have recently been selected measurements and how they universe. teries of our world is the ac- to participate in the European change with time. The other As the universe expanded celerated expansion of the Space Agency’s (ESA) Euclid way is looking at the growth of and cooled, photons were able universe. If you threw a ball mission, a survey that aims to cosmological structures with to move around freely, reliev- up in the air, you would expect uncover the secrets of dark en- time.” ing the pressure from before it to fall back down because of ergy and dark matter. Euclid The first method — observ- and leaving behind a ripple of gravity. For the same reason, will feature a 1.2-meter space ing how distance measure- baryonic matter that can be one would expect that gravity telescope that will observe ments change directly with observed in the present con- would slow down the expan- two billion galaxies in one- time — is related to Ho’s work figuration of galaxies. “BAO sion of the universe. So what third of the sky. The portion of with baryon acoustic oscilla- only affect a small percent of is making it speed up instead? the sky that was chosen is cur- tions (BAO). BAO are periodic the current universe,” Ho said. A well-known theory to rently being observed by vari- fluctuations in the density of “Therefore, you need a very explain this phenomenon ous ground telescopes. Since the baryonic matter (protons large volume of the universe involves a force called dark space telescopes are very cost- and neutrons) of the universe before you can measure it.” energy, which mysteriously ly, Euclid will minimize its ob- that are caused by sound With Euclid’s data, Ho will use repels gravity. While the exis- servations in space to comple- waves from the early universe. BAO as a standard cosmologi- tence of this force is generally ment data that is being taken The early universe consisted cal ruler — an astronomical accepted, no one has a solid from the ground. of a plasma made of electrons, structure — to determine how understanding of what it actu- “There are two ways that protons, and neutrons that far away galaxies are, how ally is. people like to make cosmo- photons were unable to trav- they are accelerating away from us, and consequently, how the universe is expand-

ing. Jonathan Carreon/Contributing Editor Mandelbaum’s research Asisstant physics professor Rachel Mandelbaum has been chosen to focuses more on the second participate in an explorative study with NASA. method: She uses weak gravi- tational lensing to learn how lensing and how much is due not be launched until 2020, matter in the universe clumps to the intrinsic shape,” Man- but there are many prepara- together due to gravity. “Grav- delbaum said. “But here’s the tions that Ho and Mandel- itational lensing is the deflec- important thing to keep in baum must make in the years tion of light by masses,” Man- mind: If we didn’t have lens- to come. Trade-offs such as delbaum said. “We can think ing and just looked at galaxy whether they should cover of mass as something that shapes, they would just be more area but look less at each causes distortion in space- randomly oriented and not point or cover a smaller area time, so it changes the path aligned with each other. But but look at each point longer that light will take.” gravitational lensing causes must be considered. Sophis- For example, a galaxy that shape distortions that are co- ticated image processing al- might actually be circular will herent across the sky, so you gorithms will also be needed appear elliptical in an image look for coherent patterns in before collecting data. because the light from the the shapes and the random Although it has been over galaxy is bent on its way to parts will just average out a decade since we discovered Earth. But how do we know if while the lensing distortions that the universe was expand- the image is being distorted by show up as the coherent pat- ing at an accelerated rate, dark gravitational lensing or if that terns.” This can be done by energy has remained a pro- is simply the shape of the gal- averaging images from many, found puzzle. The Euclid mis- axy? many galaxies — which is why sion aims to explore the histo- Courtesy of NASA/ESA “For a given galaxy, you data from Euclid will be so ry of our universe’s expansion The above graphic shows the concept of gravitational lensing, which is the deflection of light due to mass. The never know how much of the valuable. and to finally shed light on the mass causes distortion in space and changes the path of the light. shape you’re seeing is due to The Euclid satellite will mystery of dark energy. scitech briefs Calculations reveal Tiny planet around 3-D printing to NASA confirms first Tech companies hit Researchers stop finite universe life similarly sized sun create a new ear drilled Mars rock by cyber attack flu from spreading Using the mass of the new- NASA’s Kepler Mission has An artificial ear which NASA’s Mars rover Curios- Microsoft was recently a Stephen Withers and his ly discovered Higgs boson, discovered a new planetary looks, feels, and functions ity has relayed images that victim of the same kind of colleagues at the University physicists are able to claim system containing the smallest like a natural ear was created confirm that it has successfully Java-based cyber-attack that of British Columbia have re- that the universe is unstable. planet orbiting a star similar to by Cornell University bioengi- collected the first ever sample hit Apple, Facebook, and pos- cently found that a set of ex- Joseph Lykken, a theoreti- our sun. neers and physicians using 3-D from the interior of a rock on sibly Twitter earlier this year. perimental drugs have treated cal physicist with the Fermi The planetary system, printing techniques and inject- another planet. On Feb. 8, the Microsoft and Facebook main- the flu in the some mice. The National Accelerator Labora- named Kepler-37, is 210 light- able gel molds. This is a much drill on Curiosity’s robotic arm tain that no customer data was drug candidates are part of a tory in Batavia, Illinois, said, years away in the constella- better option than reconstruc- took in the powder as it bored compromised. class of medications known as “A little bubble of what you tion Lyra, and consists of three tive surgeries, which are pain- a two-and-a-half-inch hole Programmers within the 2,3-difluorosialic acids (DF- might think of as an ‘alter- planets orbiting a star that ful or involve prosthetics that into a target on Mars. targeted companies visited a SAs) and work by blocking an native’ universe will appear belongs to the same class as don’t feel natural. Transfer of the powdered website intended for mobile enzyme binding process that is somewhere and then it will our sun. However, the star is The first step is creating a rock sample into an open app developers, which had needed for the virus to spread expand out and destroy us.” slightly smaller and cooler. digital 3-D image of the de- scoop was visible for the first been hacked. This website from cell to cell. Mice treated Such an event is likely to The tiny planet, dubbed sired human ear and print- time in images received from then infected the computer with the DFSAs had as good of unfold at the speed of light. Kepler-37b, is rocky in compo- ing it out using a 3-D printer the rover last Wednesday. This through the web browser’s a recovery as mice who were However, Earth will be long sition, does not have an atmo- to make a mold. This mold is confirmation represents a suc- Java plugin and attempted to given a currently available gone before this catastrophe sphere, and probably cannot then injected with a high-den- cess for the sampling team transmit data from the com- drug. The drug candidates takes place. The sun is ex- support life as we know it. It sity special collagen hydro-gel, involved with the mission. puter back to the hackers. Ini- also worked against drug-re- pected to burn out in approxi- is smaller in size than Mercury which acts as a scaffold upon The rover team plans to have tially, the malware targeted sistant strains of the flu. mately the next 4.5 billion and is only slightly larger than which cartilage cells can grow. Curiosity sieve the sample and only Macs, although a Win- years. our moon, which made its de- The entire ear can be grown deliver portions to analytical dows PC version was also de- Source: Science News tection a huge challenge in only a few days. instruments inside the rover. tected at some point. Source: Reuters Compiled by: Source: Science Daily Source: Discovery News Source: NASA Source: VentureBeat Nivedita Chopra A6 « thetartan.org/forum The Tartan » February 25, 2013

From the Editorial Board Leave celeb babies alone

2012, People magazine had a cir- culation of 3,637,633, Us Weekly had 1,964,446, and Entertainment Weekly had 1,781,315, according to the Alliance for Audited Media. Emily dobler Those circulation numbers couldn’t be supported if the magazines didn’t Attention; stop the presses, ev- have a large net of loyal readership. eryone. Blue Ivy Carter, the daugh- So, understandably, celebrities ter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, is reading. will fill the news cycles; it’s what the At only 13 months. people seem to want. It’s a sad truth, USA Today and The Huffington but one that I can accept. What I Post both reported extensively on can’t accept, though, is the trend of the child prodigy’s progress last reporting on celebrity babies. I find week. She’s started talking, and it unsettling and creepy. with reading thrown into the mix, Imagine what it took to get some it’s only a matter of time until Blue of the stories we see on the news- Ivy actually takes over the world. stands. The lengths to which these She’s already got the greatest par- reporters and photographers go to ents ever in Beyoncé and Jay-Z, get these stories is actually insane. and has been in the spotlight more There’s dedication and then there’s times than most celebrity babies, so a violation of privacy and human de- there’s little to stop her. cency. Think about it: Would you re- Braden Kelner/Forum Editor Once Kim Kardashian and Kanye ally want your child’s every moment West’s baby is born, the two babies — from conception to birth to tod- could team up and their world domi- dler years — documented and circu- Student activity a great way to shake up campus life nation would be unavoidable. Imag- lated among millions of people? First came the hamster dance, sense of irony for viewers acquainted We hope that this trend of quirky ine the news coverage then: updates And, no, it does not matter that then Gangnam Style, and now the with Carnegie Mellon. Not only did campus activities — including Zom- on the duo’s outings, their matching they are celebrities and “they signed Harlem Shake. Carnegie Mellon stu- the stunt provide the third floor — bie Runs hosted by Alternative outfits, whom they deem worthy to up for this.” That argument is flawed dents performed the latest Internet also known as the quiet floor — with Breaks and Donut Dash run by SAE play with. Twitter might explode. in and of itself. The mere fact that dance sensation for a YouTube video the most fun it has seen in years, it — does not die out, as we foresee But, seriously, why is this news? someone is famous does not give as part of the growing trend of Har- also paid homage to the library’s sa- will happen with the hype surround- Granted, children usually start anyone the right to harass them, pry lem Shake videos. tirical nickname “Club Hunt.” ing the Harlem Shake. reading around the first grade, ac- into their lives, follow them from While many people have become Additionally, the ridiculous cos- Rather, we encourage students to cording to the children’s health sec- store to store, or wait outside their annoyed with the phenomenon, we tumes (or lack thereof) that students continue participating in activities tion on WebMD.com. So yes, Blue house. Regardless of how you feel applaud the members of the Carn- wore — including a chicken suit, that bring them into contact with Ivy may be a prodigy, but my point about celebrities and their right to egie Mellon community for having a banana, and the campus mascot, people they would not otherwise still stands. She’s barely a year old privacy, their children did not sign a little fun and participating in this the Scotty dog — were welcome ad- meet during their weekly routines and there have already been too up for this. They’re exactly that — bizarre pop culture phenomenon. ditions to the video; they are sure on campus. many news stories chronicling her children. It’s time to give them some Performed by celebrities such as to elicit a few laughs and a sense of After all, college is about the ex- every moment; similarly, there have space to grow into normal humans T-Pain, Matt & Kim, and even Wayne pride from some members of the periences with your fellow peers and been a number of articles on the unscarred by the limelight (we all Brady, the Harlem Shake has become community. the surrounding staff; what better “Kimye” baby, who isn’t even born saw how Macaulay Culkin turned a small but integral event in modern This activity was well implement- way to create bonds than to partici- yet. All in all, it’s a bit ridiculous. out — it wasn’t pretty). Go report on Internet culture. ed despite its spontaneity and the pate in activities that automatically Celebrity news is a million-dollar something that actually matters. On top of that, the Hunt Library short time organizers had to find in- create a sense of community and ca- franchise primarily because peo- location was well selected, adding a terested parties. maraderie? ple are obsessed with everything Emily Dobler (edobler@) is a con- and anything celebrity related. In tributing editor for The Tartan. Standardized tests get in the way of real education Since the 2002–03 academic year, the poor problem-solving skills they six years, they risk being shut down the No Child Left Behind Act tied fed- may see in students. Bernstein says or turned into charter schools. New program promotes eral school funding to student perfor- student shortcomings stem from the Flaws aside, the No Child Left mances on standardized state tests. act, not the teachers. Behind Act came from the desire to Now, the first students to have their For potential college students, the properly educate all students. The generational interaction entire educational experience im- fallout of this deficit in critical think- act would serve school districts bet- pacted by this law are finishing high ing skills does not vanish once they ter if states did not threaten to shut a Elana Goldberg As rewarding of an experience school. Colleges must now handle graduate from high school. Teach- school down for failing to pass a cer- Junior Staffwriter this is for the elderly, it is equally students who have been taught that ing to pass the test does not prepare tain percentage of students. beneficial for the students. The mid- learning is synonymous with passing students for higher education, and Instead of requiring test score If there is one talent that Ameri- dle school’s new program is a hands- a multiple-choice exam. No Child Left Behind can have dire improvement, states could provide can kids possess, it is using com- on way for young adolescents to The act, meant to close the consequences for students once they committees to evaluate AYP scores puters to navigate the world of the give back to their community and to achievement gap by rewarding good graduate high school. with a focus on improving the un- Internet. It’s strange to think how interact with a generation that they tests scores financially, was estab- School districts across the nation derlying education plan. For school kids today grow up online — as you often do not — with the exception of lished with good intentions but was have focused on teaching students districts with lower AYP scores, the can tell from their detailed Face- their grandparents. poorly executed. how to pass the tests, rather than committees could help teachers de- book timelines — while the older This new program is also a cre- Recently retired high school teaching them basic problem-solving velop better curricula. Ideally, the generations can barely figure out ative paradigm for other schools teacher Kenneth Bernstein wrote an skills, because a failure to meet Ad- committees would work with those how to work a keyboard. However, looking to get their students in- article in Academe, the journal of equate Yearly Progress (AYP) can re- school districts until their AYP scores senior citizens are relearning what’s volved. Neighboring schools should American Association of University sult in the loss of federal funding. reflected the state average. groovy: Their grandkids are ready follow the lead of the Mt. Lebanon Professors, highlighting the prob- If a school district doesn’t meet But as it stands, the No Child Left to use their computer skills to teach school to get their children involved lems he saw in his students since its AYP mark for two consecutive Behind Act forces schools to compete grandma and grandpa how to work with technology in a way that is ben- the implementation of No Child Left years, students can transfer to nearby for funding. It’s time to reform this Facebook, Twitter, and beyond. eficial to not only themselves, but Behind. He warns college professors school districts. flawed act and teach for the sake of Students from Mt. Lebanon’s to a wider audience. Mellon Middle not to blame high school teachers for If schools don’t meet the mark for education. Mellon Middle School in Pittsburgh School should be applauded for its are sharing their talents by teaching creative way of teaching students computer skills to the elderly after about community involvement and Arts Pass provides valuable perks to CMU students school. Once a week, kids volunteer technology through experience. for about an hour to explain Gmail Student government announced derclassmen. However, the Arts Pass however, must be done responsibly. and social media platforms to local via survey that it would review pos- program is a gateway for Carnegie Access to additional locations may senior citizens. The way I see it, it’s a The way I see it, it’s sible expansions to the student Arts Mellon students to discover all that increase the fee associated with the win-win for both generations. Pass program. The program cur- Pittsburgh has to offer. It entices stu- program — a possibility that all par- The most obvious victors in this a win-win for both rently gives students free access to dents to leave the comforts of cam- ties should be wary of as discussions situation are the senior citizens — generations. museums and galleries in Pittsburgh, pus and explore the museums and of the program move forward. after even a single lesson, grandma including the Carnegie Museum of galleries in the region. The Arts Pass program is a valu- can log online. The elderly step Natural History, the Andy Warhol The program is vital to ensure able perk that Carnegie Mellon stu- away from class equipped to navi- Technology moves quickly, and Museum, and the Mattress Factory. that students have a realistic impres- dents have, and efforts to expand gate the Internet. They can discover innovative practices are as impor- The program is being reviewed to sion of a city that is their home for it are welcome. Ensuring the satis- holiday recipes or reconnect with tant as innovative technology. The see if free access to additional loca- at least four years. Additionally, the faction and well-being of students old neighbors. They can surprise new program at Mellon Middle tions can be included. Extending the program allows students to become during their time on campus is one their children with emails, and their School gives children a hands-on program may take a great effort, and aware of the region and develop a set of the responsibilities of the student grandchildren with e-cards. taste of what it means to be a leader; student government should be com- of diverse interests through hands- government, even if that satisfaction In an age where online commu- since the Internet is a tool younger mended for its initiative. on learning experiences. Increasing comes from attractions off campus. nication is the preferred means of people feel comfortable with, they It’s not uncommon to hear stu- student accessibility to Pittsburgh’s Evaluating and expanding the Arts connection, it is essential that every- can confidently teach their elders dents complain that Pittsburgh various attractions is a noble pursuit Pass program effectively should help one has the skills to access this new how to use it. Middle school kids are doesn’t have the appeal of a larger toward giving students a great col- make Carnegie Mellon, and Pitts- method of interaction. What better rarely granted responsibilities; this city. “There’s nothing to do” is a pop- lege experience. burgh as a whole, a better place for way to learn about online communi- program is a fun and easy way for ular sentiment, especially among un- Any expansion of the program, students to live and learn. cation than with the help of youths? them to take up that first challenge.

Editorial Board Staff Jennifer Coloma * Braden Kelner Justin McGown Brent Heard * Senior Staff Publisher Forum Editor Online Editor News Co-Editor Stephanie Blotner, Stacey Chin, Greg Hanneman, Jackson Lane, Alan Vangpat Josh Smith * Evan Kahn Chloe Thompson The Tartan is a student newspaper at Carnegie Mellon University, funded in part by the student Editor-in-Chief Copy Manager Personnel Manager Copy activities fee. It is a weekly publication by students during the fall and spring semesters, printed by Swathi Anand, Sawsan Boutemine, Matt Brown, Trib Total Media. The Tartan is not an official publication of Carnegie Mellon University. Editorial Staff Nivedita Chopra, Ellie Erlich, Blaine Greenberg, Jordyn Greenberg, Chris Han, Satvika Neti, The Editorials appearing at the beginning of the opinion section are the official opinion of The Kelsey Scott * Kate Groschner william park Allison Cosby * Sage Po, Taylor Rawley, Julia Yang Tartan Editorial Board. 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The Tartan reserves the right to condense or reject Abby Smith Linda Ju Brooke Kuei Christa Hester any letter. Letters must be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Wednesday before publication by mail or to Sports Co-Editor Advertising Manager Asst. SciTech Editor Contributing Editor [email protected]. Gabrielle West Carmen Khoo Laura Scherb Anna Walsh Sports Co-Editor Business Manager Asst. Pillbox Editor Contributing Editor Rachel Cohen Kelly Harrington Jonathan Carreon Office: University Center 314 Mail: Pillbox Editor Asst. Systems Manager Contributing Editor Phone: (412) 268-2111 The Tartan Fax: (412) 268-1596 Box 119, UC Suite 103 Kairavi Chahal Jonathan Leung © 2013 The Tartan, all rights reserved. Web: www.thetartan.org 5000 Forbes Avenue Comics Editor Asst. Photo Editor * Denotes executive committee member Library of Congress ISSN: 0890-3107 E-mail: [email protected] Pittsburgh, PA 15213 February 25, 2013 « The Tartan thetartan.org/forum » A7 Time to wage war for minimum wage UK apology for tragedy quite seriously. The inverse relation- time frame, according to the Federal ship between minimum wage and Reserve Bank of St. Louis. delivered 94 years late employment is a textbook example With this data, raising the mini- of theoretical economics. mum wage is the obvious path to 1943? Why not apologize for any of However, this is not the case. take. In addition to raising the living the other famines in India caused by Matt Mastricova Studies published by the University standard of millions of Americans, British mismanagement and neglect of California, Berkeley and the Cen- Obama’s proposed increase would — or for the conflicts and bouts of In his State of the Union Address ter for Economic Policy and Research result in an influx of $21 billion into imperialism they visited upon other earlier this month, President Obama have both shown that increases in the economy, according to Doug Hall chloe thompson nations, such as Afghanistan? The proposed raising the minimum wage the minimum wage have not result- of the Economic Policy Institute. list of peoples wronged throughout from $7.25 to $9 by 2015 and then ed in any significant increases in un- Considering the current state of the David Cameron, prime minister history is a long one. continually adjusting it to inflation. employment. economy, this is another no-brainer. of the United Kingdom, expressed Apologies, once begun, are diffi- Obama’s proposal is a breath of fresh Vermont and Washington, both It is a shame that there are politi- regret last Wednesday over the Jal- cult to stop. air; the United States is long overdue of which have state-mandated mini- cians who insist on maintaining par- lianwala Bagh massacre during a And even if Cameron had offered for a raise in minimum wages. mum wages that are closer to the ty ideologies instead of integrating visit to the area to discuss trade India a full and complete acknowl- As expected, the proposal re- proposed $9 than the current fed- data and research preformed by ex- agreements. The bloodbath took edgement of the evils of British colo- ceived sizable backlash, notably eral standard, have unemployment perts into their decision-making pro- place in the Jallianwala Bagh public nialism in the early 1900s, what true from Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), rates that are no higher than the cesses. Politicians, especially those gardens in Amritsar, a city in north- good would that have done? who denounced the very concept of national mean — 5.1 percent and as prominent as Boehner and Rubio, ern India. Fifty British soldiers fired There is no bravery in apologiz- minimum wage laws, and Speaker of 7.6 percent, respectively, versus 7.9 should know better than to conflate on a crowd of Indian protesters. Brit- ing for something that you have no the House John Boehner (R-Ohio), percent in January 2013, according ideals with facts. This conflation is ish sources reported the death toll control over. Sometimes it is neces- who stated that raising the mini- to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. essentially playing partisan politics at 379, while the Indian National sary, but acknowledging the immo- mum wage leads to greater unem- San Francisco, which has the highest with the livelihoods of millions of Congress estimated that the number rality of the Jallianwala Bagh mas- ployment. minimum wage at $10.55 according Americans, and it’s unacceptable. was closer to 1,000. sacre does not cost Cameron much. Both of these responses indicate a to the Labor Standards Enforcement For the United States to remain a rel- The date of this tragedy? 1919. The massacre happened about 100 larger trend in political discourse — agency of San Francisco, actually has evant force in the global economy, it Acknowledging the crimes that years ago. The current British gov- an over-reliance on suppositions, as a lower unemployment rate — ap- is essential to move towards political the British Empire committed in In- ernment had no agency in the event. well as an alarming disregard for in- proximately 6.7 percent — than the empiricism and abandon baseless dia is important, but there is a dif- Admitting that the legacies of ductive reasoning. For example, both national average. appeals to pathos. If we continue ference between “expressing regret” colonialism still deeply impact the Boehner and Rubio’s reactions were In addition, the federally mandat- to choose to base our opinions on and actually acknowledging fault. world today would be a braver act. based purely in theory and emotion, ed minimum wage in 1978 — $2.65, theoretical ideals instead of practical Cameron didn’t even apologize ful- The massacre at Jallianwala Bagh and simultaneously lacked support- according to the Department of La- results, then progress will become ly. This declaration was also made is not still relevant today because ing evidence. If the world worked ac- bor — is equivalent to $9.36 when nothing more than a dream. during a trip to India to discuss 1,000 people were killed by an im- cording to economic theory, as both adjusted for inflation, according to trade agreements, which makes perial oppressor in 1919. Of course Boehner and Rubio seem to believe, the Bureau of Labor Statistics; work- Matt Mastricova (mmastric@) is a the sincerity of his statements even the victims of that day deserved to then their concerns should be taken er productivity doubled during that staffwriter for The Tartan. more questionable. Admitting that remembered and honored. But the the massacre was a travesty paints massacre itself is still relevant be- both Cameron and the United King- cause it was part of a greater narra- dom in a better light; though that tive of colonialism and oppression benefit was probably not Cameron’s by imperial powers. Great Britain only motive, this sudden revelation was one of those powers, but it was of national culpability is certainly not the only one. convenient. India, as a nation, still struggles Cameron is not the first man in with the after-effects of colonial- politics to dance around wrong- ism. A Harvard University study by doing. History has no shortage of economist Lakshmi Iyer concluded “almost” apologies, even with the that specific regions within India Jallianwala Bagh massacre itself. that were under direct British rule Cameron “offered his regrets,” just still have more difficulties accessing as Queen Elizabeth labeled it “a schools and health centers, and that terrible tragedy” in 1997. In fact, in colonialism still impacts colonized 1920, Winston Churchill referred to nations greatly in the postcolonial the event as “monstrous.” He was period. not the prime minister at the time, Cameron’s efforts would perhaps and once he actually gained power, be better spent recognizing the lin- he was markedly less sympathetic to gering impacts of colonialism itself the Indian plight. instead of apologizing for a single Cameron did not apologize, be- tragedy in that narrative. cause if he apologizes for Jallianwa- la Bagh, what’s stopping him from Chloe Thompson (cet@) is personnel Annette Ko/Art Editor apologizing for the Bengal famine of manager for The Tartan. Political decisions come down to the basic moral question that taxing the rich more than oth- less of how much they make. Coer- someone’s rationality. Conservatives agreements — they are ethical ones ers is the right thing to do because cive government is wrong for just take on consequentialist points of that philosophers have argued about the law of diminishing marginal this reason. The more government view, yet somehow argue that gay for centuries. returns states that as you get more actions that can be taken voluntarily, marriage is bad for the community. Neither view is right or wrong, of something, you enjoy it less. In the better. The more privately owned Cognitive dissonance exists in my specifically because they’re argu- kyle henson other words, $1,000 would do more toll roads we have, the better. People own mind, too. Despite only wanting ing about what, in fact, is right and good in the hands of someone who shouldn’t be forced to pay for things a voluntary government, I think pub- wrong. Since the days of Immanuel Kant, has $10,000 than someone who has or take actions that they don’t want. lic schooling is the best thing ever. Yet the basic questions that these Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart $100,000. Thus, redistribution is the As an overarching example, all While I can justify forcing kids disagreements come down to is: Mill, a continuing ethical debate has right thing for the government to do. relationships between consenting to attend public school until they’re How appropriate is it for the govern- raged between consequentialist eth- Conservatives disagree on this adults should be legal and noncoer- 18 because they’re not yet rational ment to restrict people’s freedom in ics and nonconsequentialist ethics. point. Kantian ethics sets forth two cive. This includes jobs that pay less adults, getting money from the gov- exchange for securing positive out- Consequentialists believe that the rules: First, an action can only be than minimum wage, legalization ernment to fund these schools is not comes for people, and how effective morality of an action lies in its conse- right if you could wish to live in a of drugs, and gay marriage. These something that I believe in. In this is the government at doing this? quences, while nonconsequentialists world where everyone takes that ac- are voluntary relationships that are instance, I’m a pure consequentialist, My answer is “not very” to these believe that ethics are mostly based tion. Secondly, actions are only right entered into because they benefit all even though I don’t believe that con- questions, in most cases. The govern- on intentions. if they respect another person’s ratio- parties involved. When the govern- sequentialism is right. ment is inherently inefficient. Any- This ethical difference is a large nal ability to make decisions. ment interferes, this disrespects the Many of the political differences thing the government can do, the reason why liberals and conserva- My counterargument calls for rationality of the parties that engage that we see in the current spectrum private sector can do better. Yet this tives are in opposition when it comes higher taxes on the rich is, “why is it in these relationships. This is wrong. of liberals and conservatives come doesn’t apply in all cases. We all have to economic policy. that when you make $250,000, you Yet there exists cognitive disso- from differences in prioritizing con- cognitive dissonance. Reconciling Utilitarianism is a form of conse- suddenly deserve your money less?” nance among those with any sort of sequentialism and nonconsequen- this is the pragmatic challenge that quentialist ethics that states that the This is a very nonconsequentialist ar- political views. Liberals take a non- tialism. Liberals and conservatives all who hold political opinions face. thing that results in the greatest good gument. People’s rational minds are consequentialist stance on social is- disagree about the arenas in which for the greatest number of people is disrespected when the fruits of their sues such as civil rights. Any infringe- either view is more valid. These dis- Kyle Henson (kahenson@) is a staff- the right thing to do. Liberals believe labor are taken from them, regard- ment on these rights is disrespecting agreements are not just political dis- writer for The Tartan. A PERSON’S OPINION Compiled by Kelsey Scott The Tartan is feeling a little homesick this week. So we asked, What is your favorite home-cooked meal?

Megha Bhambri Nicholas Zukoski Nicole Marrow Taylor Womack Cynthia Clement MechE ECE Decision Science ECE Math First-year Junior Sophomore Senior Junior

“Butter Chicken.” “Chicken.” “Pasta.” “Baked Ziti.” “Biryani.” A8 « thetartan.org/sports The Tartan » February 25, 2013 February 25, 2013 « The Tartan thetartan.org/sports » A9 sports commentary Coverage reveals gender gap Track sprints to success TRACK, from A10 Sophomore Mike McDer- liminaries in order to compete Carl Glazer has faced challenges and ing to expand the female pres- mott earned All-UAA honors in the 55-meter dash on Sun- Staffwriter questions from both their ence in the sport. Newby’s third-place finish in not one, but three events, day. His preliminary time of competitors and the media Unlike basketball, which in the mile run also helped receiving second place in the 6.53 seconds, his career-best After all of the hooplah that are holding them back. has separate leagues for its the Tartans’ success. Newby long jump and third place in time, allowed him to run in of the Super Bowl nearly a Patrick has always had male and female players (the ran the mile in 4:21.88, his the high jump. Sunday’s event and sprint to month ago and the NBA All- a large media following not NBA and WNBA), the UFC is career best. McDermott had a career- a time of 6.62 seconds, which Star game last week, it has because of her stature as a making mixed-gender fight The meet was highlight- best event in the long jump, earned him fourth place. been a very slow week in top female in a traditionally cards a standard concept. ed by several career bests, jumping a total of 6.44 Finally, junior Mike sports. Because of the dearth male-dominated sport (rac- With each card being bought especially on the distance meters. Standish, O’Connell, Van- of sports-related news, sports ing), but more because of her as a pay-per-view unit for over side. Sophomore George He also cleared an impres- denberg, and Titus won the news outlets have been try- looks and personality. She $50 depending on the cable Degen’s time of 14:54.78 in sive 1.89 meters in the high 4x400-meter relay with a ing to fill pages and air time. has been featured in many of provider, fans are forced to the 5,000-meter run was his jump, earning All-UAA hon- blazing 3:23.68 time to give Since a viewer can only sit GoDaddy.com’s racy Super pay for these bouts whether career best and a time that ors the second year in a row Carnegie Mellon its fourth through so many terrible Bowl commercials and even they watch them or not. placed him second in the for this event. UAA title of the day and finish home videos of high school participated in Sports Illus- Silberman is suffering event. On Sunday’s event, the off a successful meet. sporting events, the topic of trated’s 2009 Swimsuit Issue. from lack of publicity. While Distance runner Murphy pole vault, he cleared 4.33 Senior Ben Nealy said, “Ev- choice for news agencies has As she enters this season, female kickers have not been competed in the 3,000-meter meters and finished in third eryone really peaked at the been women in sports. she has been plagued by ques- uncommon in high school and run and ran a personal record place as a result. championships, and it was Now, this is not untimely tions about her relationship even college football for well time of 8:39.89 to finish in Senior Noel Titus com- great to see everyone cheer- given recent events. Profes- with fellow Sprint Cup Rookie over a decade, it took until third. peted well enough in the pre- ing for each other.” sional NASCAR driver Danica Ricky Stenhouse Jr. After win- last year for the NFL to finally Patrick, who is starting her ning the pole position, she change its rules to allow a fe- first full season on NASCAR’s was asked about whether or male player into its boys club. premier Sprint Cup Series, not she would accept the tra- They have been content in rid- became the first woman ever ditional kiss from the scant- ing the publicity of 9-year-old to earn pole, or first, starting ily clad Sprint Cup Girl in the Internet sensation Sam Gor- position. The fact that this winner’s circle if she were to don, who as a girl dominated Dive into jounalism race is the Daytona 500, the win. Who would she kiss and her Utah pee-wee football most prestigious race on the hug first: her boyfriend, her league. NASCAR schedule, has made boss and racing teammate NFL commissioner Roger [email protected] the achievement all the more Tony Stewart, or some new Goodell even made her a impressive. mysterious stranger? guest of honor at the Super Ronda Rousey, who won Rousey is flipping the Bowl, but Silberman and the bronze medal in judo in mixed martial arts (MMA) many other outstanding fe- the 2008 Olympics in Bei- world on its head with her male players at much higher jing, is headlining the Ulti- success. She has a 6–0 record levels of competition have mate Fighting Championship with her last five fights end- been ignored by the league. (UFC) 157 fight card, after ing in the first minute due to We like to think of ourselves UFC President Dana White submissions. But she and her as a progressive society with said on tape that we would competitor Liz Carmouche, full gender and racial equal- never see women fighting in an ex-marine and recently- ity, but as these three women the UFC. out lesbian, have faced many have shown, the media and This week also marked challenges. Many UFC fans the sports leagues themselves the announcement that, for have been attacking com- still treat them differently. the first time, a female player ments boards with discrimi- Whether it is through me- will attend one of the NFL’s natory posts, and have shown dia coverage, like Patrick; regional scouting combines. disgust at the mere thought spectator hate and disap- Kicker Lauren Silberman, a that women or members of proval, like Rousey and Car- former club soccer player at the LGBT community should mouche; or just ignorance University of Wisconsin-Mad- be allowed to fight, much less and indifference, like Silber- ison and master’s student at headline a fight card. These man; women still struggle to the Massachusetts Institute of comments have ranged from break down gender barriers. Technology, is the first wom- attacking her appearance, her The media has a responsibil- an to try out for the NFL after skill level, and women in gen- ity to cover women on a regu- the league changed its rules eral. lar, consistent basis as they in 2012 to allow women to Now, to the UFC’s credit, would any man who makes compete. it has used a much different sports history — not as a nov- But each of these women marketing strategy when try- elty on slow news weeks. A10 « thetartan.org/sports The Tartan » February 25, 2013

Quidditch team flies to improvement Men’s track takes UAA Championship Elizabeth Martin Finally, four Tartans — Junior Staffwritier first-year Alexandra Lewis, sophomore Erin Kiekhaefer, The Carnegie Mellon Spalding, and Guevel — rep- men’s and women’s track resented Carnegie Mellon in teams competed in the Uni- the 1,600-meter relay team versity Athletic Association event, finishing third with (UAA) championships in a time of 4:05.25. All four Cleveland last weekend at women were awarded All- Case Western Reserve Uni- UAA status. versity. The men placed first, On the men’s side, the winning the indoor UAA title team of juniors Kenneth for the first time in school his- Murphy and Josh Newby and tory, while the women had sophomores Thomas Vanden- an impressive fourth-place berg and Douglas O’Connell finish. “[We had] good per- collectively worked together formances on both the men’s to give Carnegie Mellon a and women’s sides. Our re- UAA title with a season-best Jonathan Leung/Assistant Photo Editor lays did really well, and we time of 10:16.08. All four Members of the CMU Marauders, Carnegie Mellon’s Quidditch team, prepare for the start of a weekday practice on the Cut. had some people on the po- men were awarded All-UAA dium, which is always good,” honors, as Newby and Van- Vinay Viswanathan The team finished 15th out posed of drills and scrimmag- to increase the team’s visibil- senior Carissa Iannone said. denberg are second-time Junior Staffwriter of the 19 teams in Virginia, es, and are supplemented by ity on campus. On the women’s side, ju- honorees after leading their based on factors such as the occasional optional workouts. “[We] are in the workings nior Samantha Oleson led team to a third-place finish The CMU Marauders, amount of wins, number of “The Harry Potter [aspect] [with CulinArt] of making the Tartans in the throwing last year. Carnegie Mellon’s Quidditch losses, and point differentials. isn’t that big of a part of the an even larger version some- events with a second-place club team, has expanded and The team plans on attend- team,” Schenker added. “It’s where in the fall semester finish and career-best toss of improved in its second year ing one or two more tourna- [the] actual athleticism that [and we] hope to host a Quid- 13.43 meters in the weight “Everyone really of play. The team traveled to ments this year, which will comes with it.” ditch tournament in Pitts- toss, earning All-UAA honors. a tournament in Virginia, has burgh,” Hood said. In the same event, junior peaked at the held workouts outside of prac- “... the team is a social group, Giving the team an on- Jane Kim also had her best championships, tices, and consistently worked campus presence is a major career toss, 12.53 meters; and it was great hard all year. but [it’s] also a sport.” goal that Hood has for the and this effort earned her The team is currently 1–4 squad. third place along with All- to see everyone and plays the majority of its Hood said that he particu- UAA distinction. The next games at the Mid-Atlantic —Don Hood, larly wants to “increase the day, Kim also recorded her cheering for each Regional Championships in Quidditch team captain visibility of the team to the career-best throw in the shot other.” Roanoke, Va. Season play also athletic demographics.... I put, a distance of 10.44 me- included a small tournament want to get the word out that ters. This finish gave her fifth at Edinboro University. help it in its expansion and Still, teams at the tourna- the team is a social group, but place. —Ben Nealy, The team’s first and only development. ment in Virginia were served [it’s] also a sport.” One Tartan, senior Emily Senior sprinter win of the season was at the First-year Arley Schenker (nonalcoholic) butterbeer, The team lost many veter- Wobb, ran in the 5,000-me- Mid-Atlantic Regional Cham- said that the team “improved and “someone’s jersey num- ans this past year, but a strong ter event. She sped along to pionships, in a game against a lot through the fall semes- ber is always 9 3/4,” Schenker influx of new players helped a time of 17:36.23, the best Sunday’s weight toss the University of North Caro- ter,” mentioning that the sport said. to balance the loss. As the time in her career. Wobb also event had three Carnegie lina at Greensboro. is “physically demanding.” The team helped host the team attends more tourna- ran in the 3,000-meter event, Mellon athletes finish in top “It was a very important Team practices, which oc- Harry Potter Theme Night at ments this year, and plans for earning sixth place with a positions. Junior Zachary win; it was definitely hard cur once a week in the cold the Schatz Dining Room with increased visibility and fund- time of 10:30.92. Erra-Hernandez was a huge fought and well matched,” months and twice a week in CulinArt, an event that served raising, the sky is the limit for Sasha Spalding, a sopho- asset for Carnegie Mellon’s team captain Don Hood said. warmer weather, are com- as part of a broader campaign the Marauders. more, made the final round of throwing team, winning the the 200-meter race by beating shot put with a total of 15.48 her own school record with a meters. new and improved time of Junior Nathan Cheek and 26.74; this score was then sophomore Gino Pilato also bested by Spalding herself in represented Carnegie Mel- the final round. Her time of lon well in this event — both 26.61 gave her a fourth-place earned All-UAA honors — finish in the event. and Cheek had his best career On Saturday during the toss of 14.73 meters. Cheek preliminary round of the earned All-UAA honors after 55-meter hurdles, junior Jac- throwing his weight 16.38 queline Guevel sprinted to meters and earning second her season-best time, 8.44. In place in the event. Sunday’s competition, Guev- Vandenberg earned yet el had even more achieve- another UAA title for the Tar- ments: a second-place finish tans with his performance with a time of 8.47 and All- in the 800-meter run with a UAA honors. Guevel’s suc- time of 1:57.89. Teammate cess also continued into the O’Connell finished right be- 400-meter race where she hind him with a 1:59.10 time raced to her career-best time with UAA honors.

Jonathan Leung/Assistant Photo Editor of 1:00.17, which earned her First-year Tyler Novet prepares to throw the quaffle into a goal during a chilly practice on the Cut as his teammates look on. fifth place. See TRACK, A9

Athlete Profile Abhishek Alla unique on and off the tennis court Abby Smith herst College, which Alla said with challenging coursework. Beisswanger said. “Often a lot Sports Co-Editor has been “[the] greatest ac- “Physics kicks my butt, and of players do the same but he complishment thus far this I plan to take Physics II at the surprised me in the fall when First-year Abhishek Alla — season.” [University of Pittsburgh] this we played doubles together known as “Shek” — although Alla is certainly no stranger summer,” he said. “Other than and following a missed shot far from his home of Hyder- to the sport of tennis, having that, I can’t complain.” he sounded of the chorus of abad, India, has served up played for 12 years. He values Despite the adjustment to ‘Don’t You Worry Child.’ ” a series of wins and greatly the traveling involved with the college life, Alla said that the Alla emphasized the close- contributed to the undefeated sport and the opportunity to “transition into college tennis knit atmosphere of the tennis Carnegie Mellon men’s tennis “meet new people.” has gone well.” team, shown by their use of team. Put simply, tennis for Alla “The team has really been “meta-language.” Most recently, Alla was “just feels good.” a big part of this adjustment. “I can’t even really de- named the University Athletic “Abhishek’s game style is They’re just a funny group of scribe the [meta-language],” Association (UAA) Athlete of very unique and he under- characters,” he said. Alla said. “It’s our own secret the Week for his performance stands tennis very well,” senior His teammates feel the code.” the weekend of Feb. 16–17. teammate Duke Miller said. same way about Alla. “He is In addition to an enjoyable Alla helped lead the Tartans “He is good at finding weak- one of the most entertaining team atmosphere, Alla cites to victory with his 2–0 dual- nesses in players and knowing people on the team,” Miller the proximity to family in the match record against some of how to use those weakness to said. “He is able to talk about Pittsburgh area as a favorite the team’s toughest competi- win. Playing against Abhishek school and tennis and doesn’t part of Carnegie Mellon, as tion to keep the team at an un- can be very confusing and take anything too seriously. well as another factor in help- beaten 6–0. frustrating for other tennis He always seems to be enjoy- ing him adjust to college life. Alla posted a 2–0 mark in players.” ing himself and having a good “It’s great to be able to get singles play. He started the “Abhi has a very cool de- time as well, whether during some delicious Indian food,” weekend with a straight set meanor on the court. He matches, practice or work- he said. victory at No. 3 singles, 6–1 doesn’t allow worries to get outs. He is good at speaking All settled in, Alla now sets over Matt Romei of Haverford in the way of his abilities and his mind and being very direct his sights on his ambitions. “I College, and then turned in naturally maintains a positive with people, which is often re- want to be an All-American another straight set victory mindset, a trait that puts the ally funny.” and compete at NCAAs.” with a 6–4 win at No. 2 singles whole team at ease,” sopho- His antics are well known His teammates believe against Matthew Heinrich of more teammate Bryce Beiss- among the tennis team. “Ab- these goals are well within the Stevens Institute of Tech- wanger said. hishek thought it would be reach for Alla, whose fierce nology. Besides tennis, Alla enjoys funny to pack a bag within an- playing style and sense of “I think that, in addition watching movies and partici- other bag on our most recent humor continually surprise to my 4.0 for the last semes- pating in activities sponsored trip to Philadelphia,” Miller them. “He has a really funny ter, the last two matches have by the Mayur South Asian Stu- said. “Everyone else was really style of playing so it’s hilarious been the highlights of my col- dent Alliance, such as the re- confused, but he found it hys- when he starts playing and ev- lege career so far,” Alla said. cent MayurSASA dance show. terical.” eryone is shocked. Abhishek is Kate Groschner/Photo Editor The Tartans recently de- Of course, his civil engi- “Shek always has a song in simply incredible,” first-year First-year Abhishek Alla is known on the Carnegie Mellon tennis team for feated big rivals such as Am- neering major keeps him busy his head when he’s playing,” teammate Yuvraj Kumar said. his casual style, good sense of humor, and tennis talent. Student composers Music composition students showcased their work at Soldiers & Sailors • B8

MOSAIC conference The gender-focused sessions reached a larger audience than in years past • B9

02.25.13 Volume 107, Issue 19 ...this week only 3 Four Saints Drama students present an artistic rendition of Gertrude Stein’s 20th-century opera. 4 Oh Snap! The new interactive photography exhibit opens at the Carnegie Museum of Art. 5 Antichamber Alexander Bruce’s video game is filled with challenging puzzles. 6 Spring Awakening The School of Drama packs a punch with vibrant group performances. 7 PlayStation 4 Sony holds a press event to announce their newest PlayStation console. 8 Student concert The Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic performs original works by four student composers. 9 MOSAIC The annual conference takes over campus to educate students about gender. 6 10 Lewis Hyde The Kenyon professor lectures on “The Cultural Commons and the Collective Being.”

4 5 9 10 regulars...... diversions

3 Advice 11 Comics Everything you need to know about becoming You wouldn’t want to jetpack away from these a trophy wife and job replacements. comics. 13 Puzzles Sudokus and kakuros and crosswords. 7 Dollar Movie AB Films presents a weekend filled with Bond. James Bond. 14 Horoscopes Prediction: You will read the horoscopes.

10 Did You Know? 15 Calendar Did you know that Bill Gates spoke at Check out the calendar for events happening Carnegie Mellon five years ago? on and off campus this week.

PUBLISHER Jennifer Coloma EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Josh Smith PILLBOX EDITOR Rachel Cohen Assistant Pillbox Editor Laura Scherb COMICS EDITOR Kairavi Chahal ART EDITOR Annette Ko PHOTO EDITOR Kate Groschner COPY MANAGER Evan Kahn COVER Rachel Cohen

The Tartan . Box 119 . UC Suite 103 . Carnegie Mellon University . 5000 Forbes Ave . Pittsburgh, PA 15213 . www.thetartan.org . © 2013 The Tartan Four Saints in Three Acts Advice for awkward people Unique, artistic production conveys American abstract About finding a rich husband and being replaced

Dear Patrick, Dear Patrick, In an exciting display of artistic exploration, Interestingly enough, Sutherland made the decision the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama presented to leave the creative aspects of the performance I’m tired of this whole I’m graduating soon Gertrude Stein’s renowned contemporary opera Four up to the actors. For instance, according to school thing. Can I just and need to find a Saints in Three Acts, which will run through this the program, the actors created the music and become a trophy wife replacement for my job. week after opening last Wednesday in the Helen choreography during the rehearsal process. This already? I’m pretty burnt There’s this one guy Wayne Rauh Studio Theatre in the Purnell Center for extraordinary accomplishment is a true testament to out, and I think I have who’s actively gunning for the Arts. the talent of Carnegie Mellon drama students. what it takes. Help me the job, but he’s being a make this work. little creepy about it. He’s As part of the School of Drama’s Director Series, The production featured seven male actors, all left notes saying stuff like Four Saints was placed under the direction of of whom were extremely successful in setting Thanks, “I will become you!” and I Michelle Sutherland, who workshopped the Stein’s text to music. Standout performances by Wanting Attention Now, think he wants to eat my production over the summer at the Florida State the cast included those of junior musical theatre Need Affluent Beau, still-beating heart. How Performance Kitchen. Sutherland, a graduate of majors Mitch Marois, who showed off his skills as Erstwhile Work Is Feeling do I know if he’s the right Stanford University, is currently a John Wells Fellow dancer, and Daniel Bellomy, whose beautiful voice Enough man for the job? at Carnegie Mellon, where she is pursuing an rang throughout the theater. Junior acting major MFA in stage direction. In a production such as Jordan Phillips gave a truly wonderful performance, Dear WANNA-BE WIFE, Thanks, Four Saints, direction is extremely important, and demonstrating his impressive vocal range and his Reluctantly Evicted, Sutherland did not disappoint. expressive talent as a dancer. Phillips commanded Not all of us are lucky Personally Lacking the stage with his marvelously high falsetto. enough to get by on our Adequate Claimant, The show is largely abstract, but is divided into good looks (otherwise, I’d Erudition Desired various “acts” or sections. Throughout the show, the For the most part, each song was of a different be out of a job). But maybe actors mention a variety of saints and communicate American musical genre and featured a different you’re one of the lucky Dear REPLACED, through short, repeated sung lines of text. actor as the soloist. Not only were the solo lines few. Normally, I would say interesting, but the harmonies and percussion also something about how you Choosing a replacement is The set was a minimalistic white stage with a few seemed to fit perfectly. The musical aspects of the shouldn’t choose a lifestyle a hard task. I would suggest triangular points rising from the ground to elicit show were reminiscent of STOMP, with each actor where you’re only judged your employers leave your what seemed to be staggered mountain tops. creating complementary noises with either his based on your looks — but position open in perpetuity. Costumes varied throughout the performance. Each voice, his hands, his feet, a prop, or a combination of as a feminist, I will support I mean, who could fill your of the actors began with the same look: barefoot these elements. In addition, the American styles of you and tell you exactly how shoes? with slacks and a blazer. At different points, some of movement created an engaging scene to watch. to go about it. the actors changed into bathrobes or speedos. But if they don’t go for it, In all, Carnegie Mellon’s production of Four Saints Your best bet is probably there’s only one solution: The lighting was also unique: They shifted in in Three Acts was a grand success. Stein’s libretto picking up tennis and a series of challenges! both color and intensity to represent the different is abstract and calls for a great deal of artistic hanging around a country Whoever completes them emotional states of the characters, thus enhancing exploration. Furthermore, Sutherland’s interpretation club. Lots of trophy wives will prove himself worthy the set and the performances of the actors. did not disappoint: The performance was a will already be there, and of being your replacement. wonderful vehicle of artistic expression. Though they can give you some He must be wise, resilient, In order to fully appreciate the amount of detail in intrinsically abstract, the production realized tips for breaking into the soulful, and good with puns. the School of Drama’s production, it is important Stein’s intentions by creating a truly American business. Alternatively, you The cinnamon challenge, to to grasp the concept of this masterpiece. Written performance. could head out to the yacht test his wisdom. The gallon by Stein and composed by Virgil Thomson in 1927, club if you’re the seafaring challenge, his resilience. Four Saints in Three Acts was meant to be a purely type. If you’re not into old Watching The Iron Giant, American work of art. Although it was certainly Zachary A. Mendez | Staffwriter men, you could try latching his soul. Last and most groundbreaking in terms of artistic exploration and onto a CS major with a important of all, comes the performance, the premiere fell short of its goal to startup idea. He’ll be happy Com-pun-tition. If he can fully realize the American style of art — probably enough to have the attention pass these trials, then he due to Thomson’s employment of the European that he won’t question your may be worthy. operatic style of singing. This shortcoming seemed motives. Although an old to be the basis on which Carnegie Mellon decided to man would probably be Or just give it to produce a purely American, stylized opera. more tolerable. whomever asks, Patrick Hoskins The entire work was a collage of American musical Or join a Russian dating genres and dance styles. From an interdisciplinary website (as a Russian), Need advice? Send queries perspective, Carnegie Mellon’s production thrived. Patrick Hoskins to [email protected]. Not only were the actors required to sing a cappella throughout the entire performance — they were also tasked with performing exciting dance routines, exhibiting various states of emotion, and creating percussion to complement the vocal lines. Rachel Cohen | Pillbox Editor theater pillbox 02.25.13 3 Oh Snap! opens at Carnegie Museum of Art Photography project aims to inspire public interest in collaborative art

The exhibit Oh Snap! Your Take on Our Photographs, which launched at the Carnegie Museum of Art (CMOA) last Thursday, is based on 13 photographs that have recently been added to the museum’s collection. Described as a “collaborative photography project” by the CMOA website, Oh Snap! is a reflection of the museum’s efforts to increase public interest in photography by inspiring people to take pictures and share them.

As part of the exhibit, visitors are invited to submit photos that connect to one of the 13 pieces. Anyone who visited the exhibit the day after its opening would have seen the already-abundant response. Set in a large, open space just across from the entrance to the museum, the exhibit features several small “response” photographs arranged around the original inspiration photo. The space also leaves plenty of room on the walls for photographs to come; it will be interesting to see if the exhibit eventually receives enough photos to completely cover them.

Although there are plenty of photos lining the entrance, the piece that immediately captures one’s attention is Nikita Mishra | Junior Photographer a sequence of photographs titled “The Bogeyman” by The interactive exhibit features inspirational photos, such as “Space Ship,” featured in the center, surrounded by Duane Michals. As one would expect from a sequence, photos taken in response by museum visitors. each photo is a continuation of the previous one, visually telling the story of a little girl being carried away by a figure, initially pictured as clothes hanging on a coat The only sequence of photographs in the exhibit, “The look endless, as seen in the response photographs to rack, that suddenly becomes animated despite keeping Bogeyman” is unique; looking through this collection is “Space Ship.” the same appearance. somewhat like watching a movie. The advantage of a sequence of photographs is the opportunity to go back to “Space Ship” and “The Bogeyman” inspired only two the picture where the girl confirms that there is nothing of 13 collections featured in the Oh Snap! exhibit. on the coat rack, and to then compare it to when the While each collection is distinct, the entire exhibit is clothes materialize into a figure. connected by the observation that all of the images taken are of daily life; they feature everyday objects and Michals’ collection of photos is surrounded by several ideas to which visitors can relate. Many photographs other eerie black-and-white images submitted by feature people, including one collection that focuses visitors. The connection to the theme is certainly on the effect that humans have on the landscape, existent, even though each photograph has the ability to a response to the inspirational piece “Rollerblades, tell its own story. Bonneville Salt Flats” by Richard Misrach. Another collection examines hair in response to the piece “Space Ship” by Chris Shaw is another photograph that “Mkpuk Eba HD 694/74” by J. D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere. sparked a memorable collection of images. Interestingly, Shaw is best known for a set of photographs that were The current themes of the collections may change as taken over his 10 years working the night shift at a hotel, others submit more photos, making this ever-changing which he suitably titled “Life as a Night Porter.” exhibit all the more interesting. Each photo represents a distinct background, a unique story, or a different The image itself is just a revolving door, but like many lifestyle, making people and their everyday lives the others in this collection, at first it does not appear to central theme of the Oh Snap! exhibit. be what it actually is. As indicated by its name, the revolving door is pictured in such a way that it does look like a spaceship at first glance. The majority of the Nikita Mishra | Junior Staffwriter images inspired by “Space Ship” consist of buildings and scenery photographed at unique angles or in Nikita Mishra | Junior Photographer distinct lighting that emphasize aspects one would The museum has left plenty of blank space on the normally overlook. An object as common as an escalator, walls for any additional contributions. for example, can appear strange and futuristic when pictured in black and white at an angle that makes it community 4 pillbox 02.25.13 First-person puzzle game challenges and thrills Antichamber by Alexander Bruce is a defining step into new field of gaming

Antichamber is weird. Most reviews use words such you stumbled upon a new room, or a new way to solve as “non-Euclidean” and “Escher-like” to describe it. something you previously thought impossible — or you Watching the trailer evokes memories of Portal, but discovered a new mechanism you did not know existed. with the brightness and contrast turned way up, and And this does not happen just once. It is clear that the portal gun replaced with a different, slightly more Alexander Bruce, the sole developer of Antichamber, colorful sidearm. knew what he was doing.

After the nearly two-minute-long trailer, confusion sets Antichamber never stops. In some games, when I in. Nothing seems to make sense. Floors disappear and get stuck on a puzzle, I’ll put down the controller, reappear, walls appear where there were none, and and come back to the game in a few days, a week — staircases lead back to the entrance of the same room — sometimes months. However, when you fail a puzzle in all while you are running through stark-white corridors. Antichamber, you don’t go back to the beginning of the It looks challenging, and not solely because the game challenge. Instead, you wind up somewhere completely Courtesy of k0a1a.net via Flickr appears to make no physical sense. It also challenges the unexpected, with an entirely different challenge ahead Antichamber places the player in a black, cubic space player psychologically, urging them in ways one might of you. Perhaps you can’t solve that puzzle. That’s okay; in a mentally challenging video game world. normally expect and — more often than not — in ways there’s another one waiting just beyond. many would never believe possible. If for some reason the player gets completely stuck, Bruce said he wanted to “create something that was To quote Venture Beat, “Every aspect of Antichamber is Bruce discourages using a walkthrough. “You only get out there, that people hadn’t seen before,” and he made to get players out of their comfort zone.” Needless to experience the puzzles once,” he said in an interview succeeded. This is a game that should help define the to say, I had to play it. with Ars Technica. “Take a break instead.” Combining upcoming genre of first-person puzzle games, and it that with the perfectly non-Euclidean world (where the is certainly a benchmark. It may not be the first, but it The beginning of Antichamber places you in a black, laws of physics as we know them do not apply, and is certainly the most prominent and farthest-reaching cubic room, with an explanation of controls on one the expected should always be unexpected) and the game to expand on this genre. In Bruce’s words, “There wall, a picture of a fetus, a view of the exit (with an wonderfully Escher-like corridors (where two lefts do not is a joy in exploring [because the game is so different]. impassable wall between you and the door), and a wall make a right, and three ups can make a down), you are Like kids climbing a tree, just to see what’s up there.” with a single square that says, “Start here.” After some treated to mind-melting, beautifully perplexing puzzles. progression, you begin to question your understanding I hope to always be able to be that kid in the tree, of the game. As you begin to understand the layout of Bruce has made Antichamber as good as it can possibly and hopefully this level of quality and inventiveness the rooms, you realize, “Yeah, I get this, this is pretty be — and rightly so, since this project took almost four continues to grow in the game-making community. straightforward, it’s just a little confusing sometimes.” years to complete. It is simple, yet almost nauseatingly complex. It is an adventure, both through the impossible Then the game changes, and things previously hallways of the game and through your own psyche. It is Ryan Black | Junior Staffwriter understood must be completely restructured. Perhaps clever, intelligent, and unmistakably beautiful.

gaming pillbox 02.25.13 5 Spring Awakening features talented cast School of Drama presents solid production with strong group performances

Spring Awakening details the sexual blossoming of Dressing grown women in little-girl frocks for most of children-turned-adults very well. This tension of young teenagers in a repressive German community in of the play was an excellent way to demonstrate the confused adolescence is a major theme throughout the late 1800s. The musical, written by Steven Sater with dichotomy between who the girls were becoming the play, and the stars of the show communicated music from Duncan Sheik, was based on a German play physically and who their parents and teachers said they it admirably. They both demonstrated the growing of the same name. Frank Wedekind originally wrote the must be. However, keeping them in those same short sexual attraction between their characters well. Koch, play in 1891 in protest of the rigid social standards of the frocks for “The Song of Purple Summer,” the final song in particular, succeeded in conveying both Wendla’s day. of the show, was confusing. Admittedly, the boys were growing desires and her inability to understand them. running around in their underwear at that point, but the Melchior Gabor, played by junior musical theatre major use of children’s dresses weakened the idea of growth Two other talented cast members were senior acting Taylor Jack Helmboldt, is a misunderstood young in the finale. Were the girls still trapped in the infantile major Katya Stepanov and senior acting and musical radical who longs to break out of his repressive school presentation that had governed their lives? theatre double major Nick Rehberger. Together, they and reform society as a whole. He’s smart, and he’s played all of the adults in the show. The adult characters more knowledgeable about sex than any of the other While on the subject of pants, having the bohemian in the show are written to appear as a uniform mass, teens are. On the other hand, Wendla Bergman (senior runaway Ilse traipsing around the stage without them but Stepanov and Rehberger managed to highlight musical theatre major Emily Koch) is a naive adolescent for most of the second act was a bit much. Her costume the individual traits of each character. Stepanov’s frustrated by her lack of knowledge about the world. — thigh-high stockings, a man’s shirt, and a trailing contrasting portrayals of Wendla and Melchior’s mothers Other central characters include Moritz Stiefel (senior scarf — was meant to convey her free-spiritedness to the were both successful. Rehberger’s characters were more musical theatre major Trevor McQueen), Melchior’s audience, but it ended up being a little heavy-handed. similar to each other — that’s just how the men are lovably anxious best friend, and Ilse (senior musical written in this show — but he infused each character theatre major Olivia Harris), the students’ bohemian Like any play, this performance had its strengths and with unique energy. His most frightening performance former friend. its weaknesses. This play was at its best when most of was that of the abusive father figure in “The Dark I Know the cast was on stage. Individual performances could Well.” The sets in the show were beautifully designed: Both not match the frantic outpouring of energy displayed in the moving riverbank and the lights that stretched down “The Bitch of Living,” “My Junk,” and “Totally Fucked.” The show as a whole highlighted the idea of individual from the ceiling created an ethereal feel to the stage. The voices of the cast blended well and created an experience very well. Much of the choreography involved However, one of the more confusing aspects of the absolutely phenomenal vitality on stage. While many the actors running their hands over their own bodies, show was tied to these beautiful sets: Moritz’s repeated of the individual vocalists were clearly talented, their which emphasized both their feelings of isolation and interaction with them. None of the other characters voices sometimes failed to project over the instruments their incredible yearning for touch from others. acknowledged the movement of the brook or the lights in the pit. that stretched down from the ceiling. But at one point, Among the highlights of this show were the subtle Moritz backed away rapidly from the brook as if he Despite this, many of the performers proved themselves directing choices that emphasized Spring Awakening’s could see it as it moved toward him, and at another, he excellent actors. The first act was definitely the weaker central themes. One such choice appeared in the song deliberately swung the hanging lights. of the two in terms of performance, but the actors gained “My Junk,” which describes the obsessive nature of confidence in the second. teenage crushes. The cast clustered stage right, with The costuming choices for the show were interesting all of the actors facing out into the audience. The girls but more effective in some scenes than in others. Both Koch and Helmboldt portrayed the dichotomy giggled and waved as if looking directly at the boys, while the boys, positioned behind them, mugged and preened as if they were looking directly at the girls. This clever bit of directing highlighted the idea that teenage crushes are just as much about the admirer as they are about the object of admiration.

Overall, perhaps Spring Awakening was not the School of Drama’s best performance, but the actors were extremely talented and the presentation well thought- out. It was definitely time well spent.

Chloe Thompson | Personnel Manager

Melchoir Gabor, portrayed by junior musical theatre major Taylor Jack Helmbolt, is set apart from his peers by his radical ideas and sexual knowledge.

Courtesy of Louis Stein

theater 6 pillbox 02.25.13 Sony introduces underwhelming PS4 Prerelease press event indicates no major innovations were made

Sony Corporation held a press event in New York City What actually was on display was underwhelming, and most people will need to develop new gaming and social last Thursday to introduce the PlayStation 4 — its entry most of the coolest features had caveats. It’s very neat media habits for this feature to be utilized well. into the eighth generation of video game consoles. The to be able to use the PlayStation Vita — Sony’s already- PlayStation 4 — the PS4, as most of Sony’s promotional released handheld console — as a sort of bootleg Wii U Speaking of social media: Bungie, Inc., which pioneered material calls it — will be competing with Nintendo’s Wii GamePad for displaying games running on the home many aspects of social gaming (including on-the- U and Microsoft’s next-generation console, which is still console and for acting as a touch-screen interface. But it fly video capture), made one of the least climactic under wraps. also means you will need to buy a PS Vita. announcements of the event. Creators of the Halo franchise, Bungie let the world know that its hotly Sony seems to have a short memory, since this Sony also promised a novel cloud-based solution to anticipated next game, Destiny, will be featured on the conference was rather light on both surprises the issue of backward compatibility with games from PS4. What Bungie didn’t communicate with its sparse and substantial content. There were feelings of previous PlayStation consoles. Gaikai, a service that footage of gameplay was that the game will also be dissatisfaction after the initial announcement of the Sony recently acquired that streams games like movies released on the current generation of consoles — the PS3 PlayStation 3, which had few titles and no killer app. It or music, will be putting the back catalog online for PS4 as well as the Xbox 360. seems odd that Sony is not doing everything in its power users. However, this means that there will be no out-of- to prevent a repeat of the days when the cry “the PS3 the-box support for old games, and it remains unclear The way Sony represented it, the PS4 came across as a has no games!” echoed far and wide across the Internet. whether or not users will need to pay to access games bundle of improvements instead of a game changer (pun they already own. intended). Inconsequential features — like being able to Even at this stage of the game, Sony hasn’t even download a game’s update in the screen’s background revealed the physical model of the PS4. While the In addition, a new emphasis on integrating Facebook during play — were touted at a presentation that did not hardware exists and was used to demo technology and sharing into games and encouraging social play has promise much and delivered little. Hopefully for Sony games, it remains unclear what the physical system will resulted in many new features, including a button on and its fans, more developments will soon come to light. look like. Also, the final system specifications, price, and the controller that allows you to share your gameplay release date are still up in the air. on the fly — assuming you make gaming a central part of your life. While no doubt a great asset for makers of Justin McGown | Online Editor machinima and players who like to spoil game endings,

dollarmovie McConomy Auditorium, University Center Matthew Zurcher | Staffwriter

Goldfinger The Spy Who Loved Me Skyfall GoldenEye Thursday, Feb. 28 Friday, March 1 Saturday, March 2 Sunday, March 3 8 10 12 7:30 10 12:30 7 10 1 7:30 10 12:30

This film is easily the most fun Bond film This film is often hailed as the peak Aside from trying to be a Christopher In terms of the video game, GoldenEye of the Connery catalog. The first half is of the Roger Moore years. For me, Nolan film, playing up a sappy gets five gold stars and a handshake. flat-out terrific, with an iconic, indelible it would have been best to set the backstory, and going full-out Freudian Each of our childhoods is probably moment popping up roughly every franchise on hiatus during that period. at the end, Skyfall is undeniably the best populated by memories of that all-time five minutes. This film features maybe Nonetheless, it is the best entry in Bond picture we’ve had in at least two great first-person shooter. But does the only attempt to kill Bond via some Roger Moore’s run. Jaws’ antics and decades. The Shanghai set piece is one anyone actually remember the movie? absurdly elaborate method that actually Ken Adams’ unbelievable set pieces of the year’s best, thanks to the digital It was Pierce Brosnan’s first take on makes sense — at least in terms of are somewhat inspiring, but otherwise, cinematography of Roger Deakins the role and his most admirable — but how Bond survives. This film contains this is middle-of-the-road Bond. (best known for his work with the Coen that’s not saying much, since he was arguably the best villain, arguably the Admittedly, however, many see some brothers). Javier Bardem makes an a fairly dismal 007. Anyway, there are best Bond Girl, arguably the best theme excellence in it, and it certainly has amply cartoonish villain that, if mildly always free points for any film involving song, arguably the best henchman, and one of the more appealing Bond Girls. forgettable, is certainly performed with Alan Cumming. unquestionably the best car. In terms Pitting the “forces” of Britain against the commitment. Daniel Craig is proving of Bond movies, this was as good as it veritable war-machine of the USSR is to be a spectacular Bond, providing a got for a long time. unbelievable, but intriguing. sneaky meta-commentary on the aging franchise.

gaming pillbox 02.25.13 7 Student compositions shine in concert Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic presents concert with works by four student composers

“I want it to smack you in the face,” said senior music performance, after working for only a week one-on- Carnegie Mellon School of Music. After coming into the composition major Adam Shield, speaking of his one with the conductor in rehearsals. Inevitably, the program with what he calls a “generic John Williams modernism-inspired music. “I want to force you to orchestra experienced some bumps during rehearsals sound,” he quickly matured into a more complex and remember it.” — but by Friday night’s performance, “90 percent of [the ambitious composer: “[The program] dramatically problems were fixed.” opened my eyes to what was possible.” Shield was one of four student composers who saw their original works performed by the Carnegie Mellon In terms of venue, Soldiers & Sailors surely held And speaking of possibilities, Shield has a wide range to Philharmonic on Friday night at Soldiers & Sailors significance for the student composers and the choose from in his future ahead. In the immediate future, Memorial Hall & Museum — and his piece, while smack- orchestra, but it seemed a poor acoustic choice. The he plans to attend the Berklee School of Music’s master’s worthy, was not the only memorable one on the program. space was so large and open that the high ceiling program in Valencia, Spain, which teaches scoring for All four composers presented remarkably complex and swallowed up much of the sound, especially in the string film, television, and video games. Ultimately, Shield professional works, performed in all their discordant sections. Considering how sparse the audience was wants to write music for movies and video games. glory by the School of Music’s best musicians. — there were only about 50 people in attendance — it seemed hard to justify using such a huge space. For Shield, and surely for the other three composers No amateur could have written these pieces. Far from as well, Friday night was “many years in the making.” the short, simple tunes you might have written in high At intermission, the program briefly deviated from Despite the modest attendance, the composers’ pride school music theory classes, these works are full-fledged, student composition to celebrate the 2012 Concerto was visible and well deserved; the true pleasure of passionate, and experimental. The compositions shared Competition winners. Artist Diploma alumna Catherine Friday’s performance lay in witnessing the fruits of their many of the same complex musical elements: dissonant Gregory on flute and alumni Erin Dowrey, Jamie hard labor and sharing the concert space with such chords, moving dynamics, intricate rhythms layered on Pham, Jack Rago, and master’s student Lei Lei Hoi on musical talent. top of each other. But beyond these similarities, each percussion presented a well-performed Suite en Concert piece showed a deep understanding of the technical pour flûte et percussion by André Jolivet. capacity and emotional power of music. Rachel Cohen | Pillbox Editor When the audience members returned to the hall, they As the opening piece on the program, Shield’s were in for a fascinating second half of the program: Both “Catharsis” got the evening off to a dark and chaotic senior composition major Sean Burke’s “Noir” and Artist start with crashing cymbals, sinister strings, and blaring Diploma student Jakub Polaczyk’s “Squirrel Ball with brass. Despite the ominous tone that carried throughout, Major F” were chock full of eclectic musical elements. the piece had some truly beautiful moments: Warm, haunting solo lines staggered throughout each section The opening of “Noir” is a push-and-pull between the for a rich layering effect. rhythmic, lulling undertone and the heralding trumpet and snare drum that cut through the strings. Burke Following Shield’s piece, master’s student in did an interesting job of blending incongruous musical composition Hanna Kim’s work was titled “The Passion elements: In the program, he describes the work as “an and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.” But far from the “Ave episodic dialogue between two main stylistic themes, Maria” you might expect, the piece opened with a neoclassical orchestration and jazz harmony and cacophony of clashing, unnerving percussion — evoking melodies.” Though the result was not seamless — the Jesus Christ being nailed to the cross — and a ghostly jazz elements were inevitably a bit jarring — Burke was sliding sound as the violinists ran their fingers up and able to merge the two themes in an interesting and down the fingerboard, barely scraping the strings. experimental way.

These outlandish musical elements created an eerie, Polaczyk’s “Squirrel ball with Major F” built further on disturbing effect to portray Kim’s vision of the death this loud-soft dichotomy. This piece is characterized by and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Kim’s religious fervor several eccentric touches — a strange, deep, drilling was especially apparent at the end of the piece as the noise issuing from the contrabassoon and a sequence of dynamics rose to a magnificent fortissimo; it was one haphazard pizzicati in the strings. And as a playful and of the few majestic moments of the concert when the quirky conclusion to the piece, several members of the orchestra’s sound was able to fill the entirety of the orchestra reached into their pockets and sent ping-pong immense hall. balls quietly clattering across the stage — cued by the conductor playing a pair of finger cymbals. With such technically and rhythmically difficult pieces on the program, the orchestra had quite a challenge. The concert was a magnificent display of the talent of Although some moments in the performance were student composers at Carnegie Mellon. With the level stronger than others, the orchestra met this challenge of complexity of each piece, it was hard to believe Rachel Cohen | Pillbox Editor with grace and skill, showcasing the collective technical that students could approach their music with such The Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic presented a skill of its members. ingenuity and skill. concert on Friday that featured works by four student composers. Shield in particular was pleased with the orchestra’s According to Shield, he owes much of that skill to the

music 8 pillbox 02.25.13 MOSAIC talks gender awareness Annual conference on campus discusses gender-related topics with growing audience

With the Carnegie Mellon Town Hall meeting on sexual assault earlier this month and the recent Senate approval of an extension of the Violence Against Women Act, gender politics are at the forefront of society’s collective thoughts at the moment. This is certainly true for Carnegie Mellon students and members of the Pittsburgh community, who participated in yesterday’s MOSAIC Gender Conference: The Naked Truth.

MOSAIC is an annual gender conference that offers “provocative sessions aimed at exploring gender construction in unconventional ways,” according to the event’s website. This year’s sessions were led by Carnegie Mellon faculty, staff, and students. They covered a range of topics — from looking at Roe v. Wade 40 years later, to exploring the history of gay and lesbian social clubs in Pittsburgh in the 1960s, to analyzing the social construct of “man.”

The MOSAIC Gender Conference got off to an early start on Saturday evening with a performance of “A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and A Prayer: Writings to End Violence Against Women and Girls.” This collection of writings features monologues by well-known authors and playwrights and was edited by Eve Ensler (who also wrote the play The Vagina Monologues) and Mollie Doyle. On Saturday, five students presented monologues Kate Groschner | Photo Editor to a small audience, allowing for an intimate and Yesterday’s annual MOSAIC gender conference offered a variety of sessions led by members of the Carnegie meaningful evening. The audience was encouraged to Mellon and Pittsburgh communities, including a critique of femme drag by local intermedia artist Dani Lamorte. give donations that benefitted the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, a local shelter for victims of domestic violence. The breakout sessions throughout the day made up for George encouraged students to pay attention and be the heteronormative focus of the keynote presentation, more aware of what is influencing them. As a way of Themes of domestic violence and assault continued as they included topics like “From Daddy’s Debutante overcoming social stereotypes, he told students to “call it throughout Sunday’s conference. The opening keynote to Public Enemy Number One: What it Means to a be out when you see it.” speaker, documentary filmmaker and researcher Denice Black Transman” and “I’m (Not) Every Woman: Notes Evans, set the tone for the all-day conference with a Toward a Queer, Feminist Critique of Drag.” The former MOSAIC concluded with a session led by Kate talk titled “College Hook Up Culture: Understanding talk was led by Michael David Battle, founder and Hamilton and Kurt Sampsel, doctoral candidates in the the Risks, Reasons, and Realities.” Evans’ keynote director of Garden Peace Project and the director of English department, who discussed the importance address included important and highly relevant topics prevention services at Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force. This of appearance and representation in gender relations, for college students — alcohol abuse, legal consent for discussion provided a look at Battle’s own transition particularly in the media. Showing clips from Miss sex, and sexual assault — as well as video clips from her from female to male and invited participants to explore Representation and John Berger’s 1972 BBC series documentaries on college hookup culture. their own privileges and biases. The latter presentation, Ways of Seeing, the thought-provoking session allowed led by local intermedia artist Dani Lamorte, presented a participants to engage contemporary media trends in an Danielle Devine, a MOSAIC committee member and critique of femme drag and questioned prevailing ideas informed critique and was a fitting way to end the day. senior biology major, commented on the decision to of drag as subversive. bring Evans for this year’s keynote address: “We chose The conference as a whole included sessions for a range her because of the content, which I think was really Other sessions during the conference included “The of knowledge levels, with some sessions drawing on good. It’s a college campus and we thought that would House of Tilden: Gay and Lesbian Social Clubs of well-known theorists and others dealing mostly with get a lot of people’s attention.” Pittsburgh (1960–1988),” a fascinating session led by individual perception. With growing attendance and a Harrison Apple (a senior Bachelors of Humanities and strong, open community present, this year’s MOSAIC Evans’ talk drew a fairly large crowd. Though it primarily Arts student in global studies and art) that provided an gender conference proved to be quite successful at dealt with male-female relationships and did not raise oral history of Lucky, a prominent figure in the emerging engaging students in conversations about gender, sex, any issues that weren’t already prevalent on college gay subculture of 1960s Pittsburgh. “The Social and sexuality that they otherwise might not have had. campuses, it provided a pathway for open discussion Construct of Man” session was led by Aaron George, on a campus where these topics are often overlooked. Housefellow for the Intersection, and addressed issues As Devine put it, “Even though the hookup culture isn’t of how men learn what is masculine and what happens Allison Cosby | Contributing Editor super overwhelming at Carnegie Mellon, it’s still here.” when those ideals are questioned. Closing his session,

community pillbox 02.25.13 9 Did you know? Hyde reimagines commons The board for The Thistle meets to Kenyon professor decries stringent copyright laws brainstorm sketches and drawings for the yearbook. The faculty adviser, Mr. Haaren, halts the meeting with a After wading through heaps of red tape, piles fields of Medieval England and the vast ocean of 100 warning, “Ideas are not worth a ---- if years ago of patents, and a collection of copyrights, what culture in today’s world, specifically focusing on the we don’t have money to put them into does it actually mean to own something that controversy that surrounds collaboration, and on Feb. 6, 1913 print.” Students are encouraged to you’ve created? Is an idea, a song, or a work of art innovation that builds on art, music, or ideas that donate artwork and other graphics for something that you can own and keep to yourself, already exist. The Thistle and to purchase a copy of allowing no one else to build on it? the yearbook. The idea of a large pool of cultural material, be Over 1,000 printing executives from The Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar program it art, music, ideas, or beliefs, that one can draw all over the country will travel to sponsored a lecture last Monday by Lewis Hyde that from in order to fashion something completely new Carnegie Tech for the Spring Printing examined these delicate questions. Hyde, who is and different is very alluring. In an age driven by 50 Management Alumni Seminar at the the Richard L. Thomas Professor of Creative Writing innovation and the drive to get to the next big thing, years ago end of the month. The seminar will last at Kenyon College, has written several books on the it’s important to make all advancements publicly subject, including his most recent, Common as Air: available, Hyde argued. March 6, 1963 three days and will include a tour of the new graphic arts facilities. Other topics Revolution, Art, and Ownership. to be covered include economics of He went on to say that ever since the birth of our printing, management science, and Hyde’s lecture, entitled “The Cultural Commons nation, the best and strongest ideas — such as sales promotion. and the Collective Being,” focused on collaboration the notions that drove the Constitution — have and innovation. Though the lecture was somewhat come from the spirit of collaboration. However, in Carnival promises to be the largest scattered and felt thrown together, the message more recent years, the battle for the right to own event of its kind in Carnegie Mellon was still delivered clearly. The lecture was brief but intellectual property has endangered these beliefs. 25 history. Unlike years past, Carnival will inspiring, prompting the audience to pose a variety years ago now take up all campus parking lots of questions on the common property debate. The lecture was relatively brief and very quirky, and completely cover the Morewood specifically the PowerPoint that accompanied it; Feb. 23, 1988 parking lot for the first time. The Hyde’s argument centered on the idea of a common the presentation featured relevant information fireworks display has been moved from area for a community, which began in the Middle juxtaposed with inexplicable pictures of Japanese Thursday night to Friday night as well. Ages in England. The commons was a large area trees. The overall message of the lecture was in which everyone was permitted to graze their thought provoking and relevant, especially on our In the rare event of cancelled classes, animals, plant crops, or help the community flourish campus, which puts such a strong emphasis on The Tartan asks students what they in other ways. creative collaboration and innovation. With more did on their unexpected day off. Most resources and ideas from which to draw, the realm of students spent the day alternating In the midst of the differing opinions surrounding human creation positively explodes. 10 intellectual property, these ideals have been years ago between sleeping, doing homework, and visiting with friends. Others, reinvented and reapplied to fit a modern context. Imagine if red, blue, and yellow were all different Feb. 24, 2003 though, took full advantage of the Hyde’s lecture drew strong parallels between the ideas, created by three different people. Under freedom. One student said, “At about 4 the current copyright and patent laws — which, a.m. I drank. I jumped down Donner hill according to Hyde, discourage collaboration and the and I don’t remember much.” use of the ideas of others — we would never get to green, purple, orange, teal, magenta, or chartreuse. Bill Gates spoke to a crowded Think of all the colors that we have yet to discover. audience in Rangos Hall about big changes that he believes are coming Hyde believes that by changing not only the mindset years5 ago to the software industry, as well as of our culture — which puts so much emphasis on his new philanthropic role in the Bill the ownership of ideas — but also the laws that Feb. 25, 2008 & Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates restrict us as a creative community, we can expand personally sponsors 12 Millennium upon our creative limits. All we need to do is add scholars, and Microsoft has recruited more paint samples to the mix and encourage 57 Carnegie Mellon students for full- painters to elaborate upon those that already exist. time jobs. Girl Scout cookies come to Carnegie Laura Scherb | Assistant Pillbox Editor Mellon. A local troop sets up shop 1 in the University Center to sell year ago favorites like Thin Mints, Tagalongs, and Samoas, as well as new lemon- Feb. 27 2012 flavored Savannah Smiles. Lewis Hyde, a creative writing professor at Kenyon College, believes that intellectual property laws should be less stringent in order to foster Catherine Spence | Staffwriter creative collaboration. Courtesy of DSearls via Flickr

community 10 pillbox 02.25.13 Crinkled Comics by Juan Fernandez

[email protected] crinkledcomics.com

Sittin’ on the Fence by Charlie Shulman and Kairavi Chahal

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comics pillbox 02.25.13 11 Jetpack Solves Everything by Poorly Drawn Lines

[email protected] poorlydrawnlines.com

comics 12pillbox 02.25.13 Sudoku Puzzle: Medium Difficulty Kakuro Puzzle: Easy Difficulty

Sudoku courtesy of Kakuro courtesy of www.krazydad.com www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ Fill all empty squares using numbers 1 to 9 so the sum of each row equals the clue on its left, and the sum of each column equals the clue on its top. No number may be used in the same row or column more than once.

Solutions from Feb. 25

Crossword Hard Difficulty Hard Difficulty

puzzles pillbox 02.25.13 13 Horoscopes aries Don’t blur the line between fantasy and reality. march 21–april 19

taurus Remember: There’s strength in numbers. april 20–may 20

gemini Don’t be afraid to put your ideas out there. They will be may 21–june 21 appreciated.

cancer Take a risk and invest your time and money in something june 22–july 22 you are passionate about.

leo Jealousy doesn’t look good on Leos. july 23–aug. 22 Crossword courtesy of BestCrosswords.com

Across Down Try to put aside your stubbornness and hear other people virgo 1. Come up short 1. Deficiency aug. 23–sept. 22 out. 5. Move sideways 2. Dept. of Labor division 10. Challenge 3. Milk choice 14. Inquires 4. Fleeing 15. Low cards 5. Hit Don’t react too radically to anything this week; it might burn 16. Israeli statesman Abba 6. “Goodnight” girl libra 17. Fashionable 7. Boxer Oscar ___ Hoya some bridges. sept. 23–oct. 22 18. Sublease 8. Caustic stuff 19. Persian fairy 9. Highly regarded 20. Longtime resident of Hawaii 10. Leave 22. Overjoyed 11. Assist, often in a criminal act scorpio If you’ve been collaborating on something, it’s finally going 24. Vomit 12. Infrequent to work! 25. Wall Street pessimist 13. Children’s author Blyton oct. 23–nov. 21 26. Starvation 21. Parent’s sister 29. Enticing 23. Reindeer herder 33. Tour of duty 25. Designer Geoffrey 34. Crawl 26. Camera setting sagittarius It’s going to be a light week. Remember to make the most 35. Teen’s desire 27. Pong maker 36. Strong taste 28. North Dakota city nov. 22–dec. 21 of your free time. 37. Tendency 29. Tough trips 38. Actress Hayworth 30. Frosting 39. Acapulco gold 31. Pertaining to birth 40. Penniless 32. Rasp capricorn Beware of people leaving the friend zone for something 41. Charged 34. Crucifix dec. 22–jan. 19 more romantic. 42. Merciless 37. Quivered 44. Protective spectacles 38. Fashion industry 45. Jamaican exports 40. Make indistinct 46. 3:00 41. Parks on a bus 47. Soak up 43. Sardonic aquarius You need to slow down; not everyone may be as 50. Rare-earth metallic element 44. Reproductive cell jan. 20–feb. 18 comfortable with things as you. 54. Principal 46. Merits 55. Brit’s bottle measure 47. Diary of ___ Housewife 57. Too 48. Indonesian holiday resort 58. Prefix with meter 49. Poses 59. Incident 50. Type of gun pisces It’s time to move on. Use this week to purge yourself of the 60. Per ___ 51. Hip bones feb. 19–march 20 past. 61. It may be compact 52. Computer operator 62. Compact 53. May honorees Kairavi Chahal | Comics Editor 63. Piercing places 56. “___ had it!”

horoscopes 14pillbox 02.25.13 MONDAY2.25.13 Rhodes-Pitts is the author of Harlem is Nowhere: A SATURDAY3.2.13 Journey to the Mecca of Black America and is the School of Architecture Lecture: Michel Rojkind. recipient of numerous writing awards. The reading is free Contemporary Music Ensemble Concert. Kresge Carnegie Museum of Art Theater. 6 p.m. and open to the public. Theater. 5 p.m. Architect and founder of Mexico City-based firm Rojkind Music Director Daniel Nesta Curtis and conducting Arquitectos, Michel Rojkind will give a lecture at the WEDNESDAY2.27.13 master’s students Hanjin Sa and Geoffrey Larson will lead Carnegie Museum of Art Theater. the Contemporary Music Ensemble in a program of iconic Skibo A Cappella Series: Treblemakers. Skibo Café. 20th-century works. The event is free. Film Screening: The Thin Commandments. 6:30 p.m. McConomy Auditorium. 6:30 p.m. Join a cappella group The Treblemakers for a free concert Pop Cabaret. 6119 Penn Ave. 7 p.m. In honor of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week in Skibo Café as part of the Skibo A Cappella Series. The The Carnegie Mellon School of Art and Pop Cabaret (Feb. 24 through March 2), Carnegie Mellon will screen concert is free and presented by AB Skibo. present “14kt FILTH,” an evening of short performances. American the Beautiful 2: The Thin Commandments. The event is free and is for ages 18+. The screening is hosted by University Health Services THURSDAY2.28.13 Peer Health Advocates, Panhellenic Association, and CHRISTEENE. 6119 Penn Ave. 10 p.m. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and will Sophomore Convocation. Kresge Theater. 1:30 p.m. Following the Pop Cabaret performances will be a concert be followed by a panel discussion on campus culture, The sophomore voice majors will sing and dance in an by queer rapper CHRISTEENE, presented by VIA, Haus eating disorders, and health resources. The event is free original production on Thursday. The performance is free. of Haunt, and PGH Bro Club. Pittsburgh’s own Alaska and open to the public. Thunderfuck will open the performance. The event is for Hannibal Buress. Mr. Small’s Theatre. 8 p.m. ages 18+, and tickets are $15 at the door. TUESDAY2.26.13 Hannibal Buress — comedian, former Saturday Night Live writer, and current co-host of The Eric Andre Show on ONGOING Brown Bag Chamber Music Concert. McConomy Adult Swim — will put on a standup show at Mr. Small’s Auditorium. 12 p.m. Theatre in Millvale. More information and tickets are Power Pixels. Wood Street Galleries. Through April 7. The School of Music will put on an hour-long concert available at mrsmalls.com. The Wood Street Galleries are hosting an exhibit by visual featuring student soloists and chamber music ensembles artist Miguel Chevalier that features two self-generative as part of its Brown Bag series. The event is free FRIDAY3.1.13 video installations. More information and gallery hours are and open to the public, and audience members are available at woodstreetgalleries.org. encouraged to bring their lunches. Verdi & Wagner: Greatest Hits. Heinz Hall. 8 p.m. Pittsburgh Opera General Director Christopher Hahn will Feminist and...The Mattress Factory. Through May 26. School of Art Lecture Series: Diana Al-Hadid. Kresge host a concert of greatest hits from two of opera’s most This exhibit features works by six female artists from Theater. 5 p.m. prolific composers: Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner. around the world, aiming to show that feminism is a Syrian-born, Brooklyn-based sculptor Diana Al-Hadid will The concert will also be presented on Saturday evening multivocal, multigenerational, and multicultural movement, give a lecture on her art. Al-Hadid uses crude materials and Sunday afternoon. More information and tickets are not a single-issue set of political beliefs. like plaster and cardboard to make sculptures that are available at pittsburghsymphony.org. symbolic of cultural difference and conflict. The event is free and open to the public. Silencio. Club Cafe. 9 p.m. Compiled by Allison Cosby | Contributing Editor Club Cafe will host a night of music inspired by the works Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts. University of Pittsburgh’s Frick of David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti with Pete Bush Fine Arts Building. 8 p.m. and the Hoi Polloi. More information and tickets are Want your event here? Author Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts will read and give a talk available at clubcafelive.com. Email [email protected]. as part of the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series.

calendar pillbox 02.25.13 15 The Oscars.

Jonathan Carreon | Contributing Editor Students lined up for free food and took their seats in McConomy Auditorium last night as part of Oscar Night, a screening of the 85th Academy Awards hosted by AB Special Events and ABC Campus Crew.

gallery 16pillbox 02.25.13