The Purchase
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The Purchase p u r c h a s e i n d y @ g m a i l . c o m Purchase’s Only Weekly News Source ISSUE 110 Students Petition for Gender Neutral Housing By Emily Farrell Fag hags rejoice! Purchase may be mak- ing another step towards thinking wide open. The Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Union, headed by their president and queen of the queers, Blair Gershenson, has been petitioning Residence Life and gathering signatures in hopes of setting up gender-neutral housing for next semester. “Gender-neutral housing fits in with the c o l l e g e ’s mission of diversity and the new theme of “Think Wide Open,” said Gershenson in a recent interview. She said that the goal is to be more supportive of the transgender and LGB community and to help move our “Gay SUNY” up in the rankings of gay-friendly col- leges. ter, upperclassmen regularly double major in a Under the new system, proposed to Faculty and Budget different field or drop the major altogether. Residence Life on Tuesday, students who want Leave Creative Despite having five members in the gender-neutral housing will apply with a roster BoS, the core curriculum is taught by the just like any other students seeking housing. Writing Students in Creative Writing program’s two full time faculty While it would be acceptable for people within Tug-of-War members, director Catherine Lewis (fiction) the apartment to have different genders, people and newly hired this year, Monica Ferrell (poet- within one bedroom would have to be of the By Adam Tyrrell ry) in classes Narrative Techniques, Poetic same sex. This does mean that heterosexual Techniques, Poetry I and II, and Fiction I and II, couples would be allowed to live in an apart- To an outsider, the Creative Writing respectively. Meanwhile, other BoS members, ment together—something that is bound to department is the “conservatory” of the Liberal Literature professors Naomi Holoch and Nina raise some eyebrows. However, gay couples Arts and Sciences. The only program in the Straus, teach irregularly offered classes like Art have always been allowed to room together School of Humanities to require a portfolio for of the Novella and Writing and the without question. And the same-gender bed- admission, some students spend their U n c o n s c i o u s . Professor Lee Schlesinger, room rule is designed to combat the troubles Purchase careers majoring in Literature or member of the Literature BoS since 1975, was that may arise from couples breaking up and Journalism hoping to gain entry, every semes- also a member of the Board, however, being stuck in the same room. ter sending in collections of poetry or prose for resigned early last Fall. Schlesinger’s depar- Mixed or non-gendered housing would be review by the Creative Writing Board of Study ture, for many students, marked a heavy blow completely optional and done on an apartment- (BoS). Most of them are rejected, the result of to the fledgling department. by-apartment basis. No freshman or transfer the program’s exclusive acceptance of 20+ stu- “He was the best part [of the pro- would be automatically placed in gender-neu- dents per academic year. Those who are gram],” said one anonymous CW student. tral housing. In fact, it would not even be accepted, though, quickly gain the insider per- Rumors circulated thereafter amongst allowed in the dorms, limiting access to upper spective. Far from the advertised “dynamic the student body that both Schlesinger and class students who are “more mature,” as context and community,” newly accepted Brenda DeMartini-Squires, director of the Gershenson put it. Creative Writing (CW) majors find themselves Learning Center and frequent professor of The GLBTU hopes that it would allow for a in a program in its infancy. With little commu- CW courses, actually left due to politics within more of that magic word—diversity—on cam- nication between academic years, an underad- the BoS itself, citing unconfirmed conflicts pus. Many queer people (or even people who vertized publication, and a skeletal curriculum with director Catherine Lewis as the cause. just don’t like living with members of their gen- that offers no more than six classes per semes- Continued on Page 9... Continued on Page 10... I’ve Had it Wax On, Lestat With these Wax Off: Sucks... I N S I D E : Fuckin’ Dojo Closed Literally Snakes! know that approx 60% of the students are using our Purchase Students, services. Would we like more students to take advan- Established 2001 tage of these resources? Absolutely! The earlier stu- Founding Editor: Glen Parker Alumni Finding it Hard dents begin utilitzing the services, the more prepared to Land a Good Job they are, and less stressed about the job or grad school Chief Editors: search they generally feel. We always look to student to Bill Reese By Jessie Labarbera and Mattie Davitt help us spread the word about the valuable services, job Steven Tartick resources, and programs we offer to help boost the Assistant Editor: As an underclassmen the most common complaint numbers of students visiting the office." Emily Farrell I've heard from students reaching graduation (besides And for others, well, there are always alternate Office Manager: the bricks) is "I'm never going to get a job." Granted, the paths. Jesse Leher, who left in 2005 said, "I didn't use Mark Schroeder job market isn't the best for fleeing undergraduate col- career development at all. My roomate is also a L a yout Editor: lege students right now, it's especially hard for us Purchase drop-out. We both got jobs easily because Kaitlyn Sudol because most of the jobs associated with our majors we're confident and intelligent and don't fuck around Head Copyeditor: won't be posted on monster.com anytime soon. So, are and because we're white guys. We each get paid more Sable Yong you doomed to be trolling craig's list in your parent's than anyone we know our age as well, so that's sorta D i s t r i b ution Superv i s o r : basement forever? funny since we both dropped out." Robert Stewart-Rogers We all get the e-mails from Wendy Morosoff adver- Some Purchase alum don't fly far from the nest Graphic Design: tising for Resume Help days, Job after wrapping up their degrees. Nick Campagna Fairs, lectures on marketing art and Many staff positions at school are Sabrina Miller so forth, but how many students actu- filled by the throngs of Purchase Emily Stewart ally attend these, and do they even graduates. The current A s s i s t a n t Backpage Bitch: help? According to Morosoff, if used Dean for Student A ffairs, Jeff Lauren Raia properly, the resources availabe to Putman, was graduated with the Business Manager: students will help them find a job after Class of 1996 after serving many Alice Gullotta graduation. She said, "For upper positions with the Purchase Students' Writers: classmen we offer career counseling Union (now Purchase Student Graham Beekman and assistance with job search, grad- Government Association). His tenure Patrick Cassels uate school advisement and at Purchase never really ended after Mattie Davitt resources, resume writing and inter- graduating, filling various positions on Emily Farrell view prep, the Purchase JobScore his way to the one he currently holds. Lindsay Feldman on-line database for full time and part A current library staffer had a similar Jessie Labarbara time jobs and internships, alumni David Nora, Jr. experience. After working in the career panels, a comprehensive library as a student and graduating in Bill Reese resource library with employer contact Sue Ellen Rockcliffe 2002, the library offered her a permanent position that info and directories, a computer lab, and much more." she is still in. We even have teachers hailing from our Mark Schroeder We can't rely fully on the school to find jobs for us. Steven Tartick hallowed halls. Photography Professor Shah has a It's something we have to try for on our own. Hal Adam Tyrrell Bachelor of Fine Arts. Purchase definitely leaves its fin- Phillips, class of 2005, said "For me, it was really hard. gerprints on many of its students, and some are more Artists: But that's my fault, not Purchase's." When it comes to AHC then content to return its warm brickish embrace. the offices of Career Development, Phillips said, "I don't Jack Trades Despite all the recent advances in job search tech- The Propagandist even know what they do there. Coming out of Purchase, nology, seminars, career centers, the main point in find- I wanted to work in journalism, so talking to journalism Inquirerers: ing a job is to relentlessly get yourself out there and Patrick Cassels professors mattered more than talking to career devel- don't expect anything to fall in your lap. For a school Kaitlyn Sudol opment workers. Maybe career development is more with a journalism program, having one newspaper at Copy Editors: helpful to people who don't have a goal in mind." your annual job fair is a bit depressing. Even more so Patrick Cassels Like Hal, many students don't realize Career when after telling the nice old lady at the table that Allison Dvornek Development is even there [something will be inserted you're a senior, that "Oh, you'd be looking for a REAL Kristin Whitcomb here]..... Morosoff said, "From our graduate surveys we job then, I'm not really offering that." Ah, progress.