The countdown has begun: Alfred University 4747 days until graduation March 27, 2007 Volume 101 IssueFiat # 10 The Student Newspaper of Alfred Lux University Real issues addressed by former Real Worlders Ye, Stein named BY AMANDA KiiSIEL Outstanding Seniors STAFF WRITER cast as a young person displaying out-of- ishing statistics relating to alcohol abuse. control behavior from the effects of alco- They explained to the small but enthusi- BY karLI-MariE REYES The Real World: Alfred. hol. He was captured walking around with astic audience, seventy percent of college A & E EDITOR Student Activities Board sponsored a steak knife in his back pocket during a students engage in sex primarily because guests from MTV’s The Real World, March drunken cooking episode, which he didn’t they are under the influence of alcohol. As outstanding as all of the seniors are at Alfred University, accounting 22. Holmes Auditorium. Ruthie Alcaide remember. He was arrested for alcohol Sixty percent of those students are contract- major Bonnie Ye and biology major Dillon Stein stand out as embodying from The Real World: Hawii and Landen related offenses. ing STD’s (sexually transmitted disease). the qualities set forth by the Marlin Miller Outstanding Senior Award. Lueck from The Real World: Philadelphia, The stars referred to their lives as “open Even more shocking-- its estimated one According to the request for nominations for the class of 2007, spoke in Holmes auditorium -- primarily books” and both are happy to have had the in three college students carry an incurable outstanding seniors should have “contributed most to the life of the life-long STD called HPV or genital warts. University overall and have built uncompromised reputations.” It causes cervical cancer and can prevent a Nominees are evaluated on their scholarship, extracurricular achieve- woman from being able to bear children. ment and personal character and conduct. The seniors will be acknowl- Lueck discussed the issue of rape as a edged at Honors Convocation and will each address their graduating very common effect of alcohol abuse. class at Commencement. “Ninety percent of all rapes occur when This year, 45 faculty, staff and students nominated a total of 19 stu- the victim is under the influence of alco- dents. Of those, eight finalists were chosen. At the end of the day, Ye and hol. Some people don’t know they are Stein came out on top. committing rape,” said Lueck. Ye was excited to hear the good news. He gave an example of a response from “Seven years ago, I moved to the United States from China without a victim, “She was so gone she couldn’t speaking any English and now I am going to graduate from college. really say anything.” He said, “She could These past years have not been easy so it is really rewarding,” said Ye. wake up the next morning and say that, Stein, on the other hand, was surprised. ‘I was drunk and I didn’t want it to hap- “It is incredibly flattering to get this award. To be honest, I did not pen…you raped me.’ expect to be nominated for this award let alone win it,” he said. “That’s what keeps me away from girls While their list of extra-curricular activities are extensive, Stein’s hon- when I’m drunk,” exclaimed Landon. “I orable mentions include captain of the men’s basketball team and RA of had a friend who got raped half a block Upper Pine Hill Suites. Stein advises students to participate in campus from my house… so it does happen… and activities. she was a first degree black belt, I thought “Get as involved as possible without spreading yourself too thin. By she could take care of herself, but not getting involved on campus and in the community you meet great people PHOTO BY SHEILA GARCIA when there are four guys,” he said. “She that can help you succeed in college and in your future,” said Stein. AU students pose for a picture with The Real World’s Ruthie Alcaide at the SAB lecture. didn’t report it,” noted the star. Ye, who is also an RA of Upper Pine Hill, is the president of Pacific Rim, Ruthie spoke on the dangers of alcohal abuse, and STDs. When the audience was asked a series director of Alfred to Asia and the founder of AU Badminton, among of questions about their own personal other things. about Alcohol Abuse. experience despite negative publicity they experiences, hands popped up across the Of her accomplishments at AU, Ye says that her work with Pacific Rim Ruthie introduced herself as an orphan, received. “Both Ruthie and I had the same auditorium. The stars asked, “Have you and Alfred to Asia have had the biggest impact on the community. triplet, and poor girl from a small town in kind of story going on.” ever known anyone who has been raped?” “I felt those performances opened people’s mind to Asian culture and Haiwii. She attended Rutgers University He continued, “I come from a culture Several hands went up. had exposure to Asian culture,” said Ye. in NJ where she auditioned for the show very German with a lot of beer drinking. With one question, not a single person While Ye says she has no regrets about her time at AU, she has certainly and had her first experience with alcohol. “I When real world came to my campus…I raised his or her hand. “Do you know had a wide range of interesting experiences. grew up in poor circumstances,” she said, went in having no idea what I was getting anyone who has reported being raped?” “I learned to dance, learned Japanese, learned how to make Italian “I went into (the real world try-out) think- myself into. My idea of getting drunk,” Landon and Rutie discussed with each food, tried to write for the newspaper and won an award, went sledding ing, I’m gonna be so inspirational I’ll end he said, “was not being able to stand.” other, expressing their surprise that no one once at 6 a.m. with my friends and never done it again, tried food from up on Oprah.” Then she continued, “I got Lueck commented, “My feeling buzzed is raised their hand, and that there usually is different countries and of course meeting unique people in Alfred,” said alcohol poisoning on the second night.” what other people consider being drunk.” at least one person who responded to their Ye. Lueck, who is from Wisconsin, was also The two reality stars gave a few aston- question. Stein, on the other hand, says his major regret was not eating at Nana’s before heading off to osteopathic medical school. Continued on page 4 Though Ye and Stein have gone down different paths to get to where they are today, and can’t agree on a favorite ice cream flavor (peanut butter and mint chocolate chip, respectively), they both admit to being a little nervous about their commencement speech, and more importantly Medieval gender trinity topic of that it is the people in Alfred that they will cherish the most. m Women’s Studies Roundtable BY ABBY TRIPP both male and female qualities. according to Mitchell. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Islamic law was more complicated still, In addition to managing their own affairs, according to Mitchell. Concern over the widows also enjoyed the privileges – and When it comes to an understanding of gen- classification of both eunuchs and hermaph- experienced the obligations – of the feudal der in the Middle Ages, three might just be rodites was so great that large sections of system. historians’ lucky number. Shariah were dedicated to instructions for Widows were even required to engage in This is the belief expressed by Professor classifying individuals along a sliding scale military service, though they never set foot of History Linda Mitchell at the March of maleness and femaleness. on the battlefield. Instead, Mitchell said, 23 Women’s Studies Roundtable at the Mitchell noted that many of these laws they were charged with the task of “vittling Women’s Leadership Center. Her talk persist today and create special challenges the troops,” or providing them food out of was titled “Dichotomies, Schmicotomies! for transgendered individuals in the Islamic their own pantries. Why Everything – Even Gender – Came in world. She described their condition as “a At the same time, Mitchell said, they Threes in the Middle Ages.” legal never-neverland.” were frequently able to use their status as Typically, medievalists subscribe to the For women in the Middle Ages, marital females and petition for exemptions from notion that gender in the Middle Ages was status shaped legal status. Typically, this some of the more pesky duties of feudal a relatively simple – and binary – affair. meant that maidens and wives were granted life. While Mitchell acknowledged that these zero rights. “Widows themselves were well aware dichotomies are both “convenient and com- “Medievalists take it for granted that that their position was ambiguous, and they fortable” her research suggest that they fail women were nothing under law,” Mitchell exploited it,” Mitchell said. to acknowledge the complex handling of said. Even when medieval widows remarried, gender in medieval law and society. Widows, however, enjoyed significant they retained many of the rights gained One challenge to the dichotic view legal liberties. after the death of their first spouse. Mitchell addressed was medieval culture’s In addition to having property rights, This prompted many women to marry approach to classifying eunuchs – men widows had legal authority over their “down” in rank, frequently seeking matri- missing some or all of their external geni- offspring, the ability to conduct business mony with knights or other men of their talia.