The Immaculatan - Immaculata University
Transcription
The Immaculatan - Immaculata University
THE IMMACULATAN The Student Newspaper of Immaculata University Since 1934 MARCH 10, 2016 · VOL. LXXXII, NO. 6 Witty Comebacks Never Spoken in Ireland Hanna Shatuck ‘18 Contributing Writer “Hey girl, I like your wellies!” was the last thing I heard before most likely leaving Ireland for the last time. Normally I would be flattered when someone complimented my fashion sense; however, the compliment had been given by an old Irish man yelling out of his window as he drove past on quite possibly the sunniest winter day in Irish history. Needless to say, I was mortified! The man’s passing comment left me with no time to formulate a proper response. I could have told him the truth, which was that putting my boots in my suitcase would push it way over the weight limit. Or, I could have formulated a clever response about the weather in Ireland always being perfect for rain boots; but once again I was left with no ability to formulate an intelligent comeback. This was a common theme throughout my entire time in Ireland. Normally, my inability to respond came from the shock of realizing that Irish stereotypes were not only true, but comically accurate. I began keeping a mental log of all of the responses I wish I were witty enough to come up with at the time, but never got the opportunity to use. Oftentimes individuals are berated for believing in stereotypes but I have found that more often than not they are derived from truth. Irish people do drink, many do have ginger qualities, and it is grey and rainy more often than it is sunny and dry. Not only do Irish people drink, but they have also mastered the art of drinking at all times of the day. Jenna, a fellow American study abroad student at UCC, re- Provided by http://gingertalk.com/ members her reaction to learning that there were pubs on UCC’s main campus as “This can’t be good for the students. Aren’t students more likely to end up getting wasted in a pub instead of going to class? I genuinely thought this was crazy.” Like most American students coming from damp campuses, Jenna and I were shocked that having three pubs on campus didn’t effect students’ attendance in class. Every time we passed a pub on campus I had the strongest urge to yell slainte (cheers) just to see how many students CONTINUED ON PAGE 5: “Stereotypes Make Life Interesting” ALPFA: Homegrown Encouragement Anne Marie DeCarolis ‘17 Staff Writer Immaculata University has recently adopted a new student organization, the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). This organization, as sponsored by the Global Languages and Cultures Department as well as by the Business and Accounting Department, is excited to fill a special role and niche on the Noble Hill. The organization describes its mission as one that “creates opportunities, adds values, builds relationships for its members, the community and its business partners while expanding Latino leadership in the global workforce.” ALPFA is recognized at both the national and regional levels as a nonprofit professional organization. There are professional and student chap- ters. The local and robust Philadelphia professional chapter will serve an active, event planning and mentoring role in the IU student chapter. Stephanie Davalos-Mata ’16, with the assistance of Dr. Pereyra, brought this groundbreaking organization to campus. Stephanie serves as the campus’ chapter President. She states that her goal and hope for ALPFA is “to be the leading Latino professional association committed to creating and providing the students of Immaculata University with networking opportunities and with distinguished professionals from various industries. We will make every effort to help FirstGeneration Immaculata University Students to overcome the obstacle of limited resources, by providing financial support, guidance, and courage. We strive on establishing an atmosphere where our members can actively participate in our programs aimed to increase personal growth and development. A place where our members can learn to identify changing trends in the workplace and understand business related issues by which they can readily apply once entering the workforce.” She first became acquainted with ALPFA when Dr. Pereyra forwarded her an invitation to the organization’s monthly networking event in Philadelphia. Stephanie said, “The first encounter with the organization was very eye-opening and motivating. I knew this was the kind of support I was looking for my entire college career. I want to bring this to Immaculata University, for any student who is facing the same obstacles as I did. I want to assure them that they are not Provided by Anne Marie alone, and to have the complete courage to take on the world.” Inspired by her initial experience with this fine organization, Stephanie introduced ALPFA and its mission to a few friends and sought to establish a student chapter at Immaculata. During the process of learning more about ALPFA, a few Mighty Macs at- tended two of their networking events, which Stephanie described as “very informative and [ones that] provided us with exposure to opportunities.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2: “Encouraging Diversity Among Immaculata Students” Page 2 March 10, 2016 ON THE HILL The Immaculatan The Countdown is On: Immaculata Starts Seniors Celebrate 100 Nights Odyssey Branch Cassie McCullough ‘16 Contributing Writer Jared Viz ‘19 Staff Writer On February 5th, the senior class celebrated a bittersweet moment for many: celebrating exactly 100 nights until graduation. The night started off with hearing from IU’s President, Sr. Patricia Fadden and the class of 2016’s president, Katie Short. Both Sr. Patricia and Katie’s speeches gave many of the seniors chills as they realized that their time at the Noble Hill will soon be ending. Later on in the night, emotions ran high as the seniors viewed their memories throughout the past four years in a twenty-minute photo presentation. As dinner was served, the tables of classmates and friends reminisced on all that they had experienced. After dinner was finished, the seniors moved onto the next phase of the night-the party! Complete with dancing, a DJ, and flashing lights, the class of 2016 danced the rest of the night away. The seniors seemed to forget about their exams, papers, jobs, and graduate school applications for their one night to celebrate their accomplishments together. 100 Nights has been a tradition at Immaculata since the Do you love to write? Do you find yourself spending tons of time on social media? If the answer is “YES,” then this is a great opportunity for YOU! Immaculata is starting its own branch of Odyssey, which is an online platform where people from all over the country contribute articles about topics that matter to them, and share their articles via social media to reach the maximum number of people organically. The Immaculata branch is currently looking for writers that are willing to provide their time and writing abilities to contribute articles to our community and the world. Odyssey was created by Evan Burns and Adrian France, who both believed that ordinary news content was either “too generic” or “highly politicized.” They saw the media industry as lacking diversity in its perspectives and ideas. Therefore, they began to find ways that would incorporate 1) a more diverse perspective on the news, especially from Millennials, 2) a better way for people to access and experience the news, and 3) the power of social media. The combination of these things resulted in the creation of Odyssey, which became available in its final form in June 2014. Provided by Cassie McCullough university was an all-girls college. The alumni committee has worked diligently for all of the graduating classes to give them a night that they won’t forget. On behalf of the class of 2016, we thank everyone that was involved in making 100 nights an amazing event. We are looking forward to making more memories together in these last days we have left. To my fellow upcoming graduates: In the words of Mr. Feeney from Boy Meets World, “I love you all. Class dismissed.” Encouraging Diversity Among Immaculata Students CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1: Having gained campus organization status, Marleth Herrera ’16 is now serving as Vice President, Angela Alvarez ‘18 as Co-Vice President, Ibet Ortiz ’16 as Secretary and Nancy Esparza ’18 as Treasurer. Stephanie said that this dedicated group of student leaders is preparing to host an information session in the coming weeks. This event will also include an introduction to the basics of network- ing. Excited and looking ahead, Stephanie shared, “The establishment of an ALPFA Student Chapter at Immaculata University will be a great opportunity for faculty and ALL students to achieve professional excellence. In alliance with IU’s mission statement, globalization solidifies the crucial fact for a modern student to be versatile and display the ability to interact with persons of different backgrounds. ALPFA will en- courage diversity among our student and faculty body. In addition, it is vital that they are able to understand the importance of community service through relationship building on a personal and professional level. This will help contribute to the formation of a genuinely educated individual at Immaculata University.” For more information about ALPFA or to become involved, contact Stephanie DavalosMata - sdavalosmata@mail. immaculata.edu. As a writer for Immaculata’s branch of Odyssey, you will be responsible for contributing at least one article per week on any topic that speaks to you or any topic you feel the community needs to know about. Once your article has been edited, you are to share your article on social media in order to promote discussion and increase the organic distribution of your article. According to Odyssey’s website, 87% of the articles are viewed because the viewer knows the author of the article. In fact, Immaculata’s own Sarah Pasternak wrote an article titled “10 Things You Definitely Experience As A Student Leader,” which grossed a whopping 3,003 shares thus far! You can find more articles written by your fellow classmates on our branch’s Facebook page, Odyssey at Immaculata. Editor-inchief of the branch, Courtney James, says, “...so far [we] have 12 members on the writing team and [it’s] growing by the hour.” She further comments, “I’m super excited to get our team’s work out there!” If you are interested in applying to become a writer, please go to the Odyssey’s website (theodysseyonline.com) and visit the “Employment” tab at the bottom of the page to find the application. Page 3 March 10, 2016 The Immaculatan HUMAN INTEREST The Oscars: Addressing More Than Race Jared Viz ‘19 Staff Writer On February 28, the 2016 Oscar Awards Show aired on ABC. I previously covered the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, so I was excited to see what the night had in store for the issue. Chris Rock’s hosting and addressing of the issue surely made the night eventful; however, other unexpected events transpired, which expanded the range of issues from diversity to climate change and beyond. This year’s award show was not merely a night of recognition in the film industry, but also a night of recognition for the many social justice issues that America faces today. The night started off with Chris Rock’s interesting opening monologue, of which the message was somewhat confusing. The whole monologue was used to address the #OscarsSoWhite controversy. Rock began strongly, and directly tackled the notion that there is a lack of diversity in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Rock joked, “I’m here at the Academy Awards, otherwise known as the White People’s Choice Awards.” Immediately after, Rock took a hit at the fact that all the nominees for Oscars in acting (20 nominees in total) were white for the second year in a row. “You realize if they nominated hosts, I wouldn’t even get this job,” Rock claimed. After this point, Rock’s monologue seemingly took a shift in position. He suggested that the issue with diversity “has happened at least 71 times” with no protest, and posed these two questions: why are we protesting and why this Oscars in particular? The answer that he put forth was that black people had “real things to protest,” referencing blacks being “raped” and “lynched” in the 1960s. In making this point, Rock stripped away the seriousness of the controversy. I concede that the treatment towards blacks in the 60s were much more severe than today; however, in disproportionately comparing the #OscarsSoWhite controversy to the 1960s Civil Rights conflict, Rock makes the prior seem like it is not a “real issue.” Next, Rock further weakens the seriousness of the controversy in questioning the motives of Jada Pinkett Smith, who spearheaded the movement with her Oscars boycott. Rock argued that Smith “wasn’t invited to the Oscars” and that she only protested because her husband, Will Smith, did not get a nomination for his performance in Concussion. With this, Rock suggests that the foundation of the entire controversy is based on petty discontent, rather than a serious issue of diversity. Finally, Rock complained “if you want black nominees every year, you need to just have black categories,” which further undermines the whole point of the movement - inclusion and recognition in the film industry, not separation. In the end, Chris Rock brought his monologue back around. He noted, “Hollywood is sorority racist,” and, “We want black actors to get the same opportunities as white actors.” Though he comes back to his original point, Rock’s monologue is confusing, which makes it hard to understand the point he wants to convey. He says that he wants black actors to have the same opportunities as white actors, but suggests that if black actors want to be nominated for Oscars, categories for black actors should be added to list. Chris Rock is a comedian, but it is difficult to distinguish the jokes from his beliefs. Because of this, I believe he failed to address the controversy in an effective way. Instead, the task was left to Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the president of the Academy. Isaacs beautifully asserted, “Our audiences are global and rich in diversity, and every facet of our industry should be as well.” She then emphasized that it is the role of the Hollywood community to “make the vital changes the industry needs [to] accurately reflect the world today” and that “inclusion only serves to make us all stronger.” With this persuasive speech, Isaacs brought back the seriousness and strength that Chris Rock took in his monologue. She was truly a voice for the movement toward diversity, and as the night went on, other movements and issues got a voice as well. One movement that received a voice was the LGBT movement. Sam Smith, an openly gay singersongwriter, won an Oscar in the Best Original Song category for “Writings On The Wall,” the theme for the newest James Bond movie Spectre. In his acceptance speech, Smith dedicated the award to the LGBT community and went on to state, “I stand here as a proud gay man, and I hope we can all stand together as equals one day.” The biggest applause of the night came when the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, came out to introduce Lady Gaga, who would perform her Oscar nominated song “Til It Happens To You.” Before he even said a word, Biden was met with overwhelming praise and a standing ovation from nearly everyone in the audience. Lady Gaga’s song is about victims of sexual abuse and how those victims are treated; Joe Biden’s role was to set up the context of the performance. Biden encouraged viewers to “take the pledge, a pledge that says, ‘I will intervene in situations when consent has not or cannot be given.’” He closed by declaring, “We must and we can change the culture.” The combination of Joe Biden’s powerful address and Lady Gaga’s mov- Provided by etonline.com & usmagazine.com ing performance created a strong vehicle that brought attention to the issue of sexual abuse, but this was not the only vehicle. Spotlight, a film about child molestation within the Catholic Church, won the Oscar for Best Picture. The producer of the film, Michael Sugar, indicated, “This film gave a voice to survivors and this Oscar amplifies that voice...that will resonate all the way to the Vatican.” Sugar then puts Pope Francis on the spot, declaring that “it’s time to protect the children and restore the faith.” In scrutinizing a whole religion and its leader, Sugar takes a bold stance that not many would take, especially in a setting like the Oscars. Nevertheless, those victims of sexual abuse got a voice, which I thought was much deserved. Another film that won big was Mad Max: Fury Road, which is set in a postapocalyptic desert. The film took home six Oscars, and the one for Costume Design came with a message about climate change. The costume designer, Jenny Beavan, proposed in her acceptance speech that Mad Max could be “prophetic” if people “do not stop polluting [the] atmosphere.” Though most of this message was drowned out by the walk-off music, Beavan was able get her message across. One more message about climate change was Leonardo DiCaprio’s, which was delivered when he accepted the Best Actor award for his performance in The Revenant (yes, he won his first Oscar). The film was about “man’s relationship with the natural world,” DiCaprio explained. He then went on to expound the fact the climate change is “real” and that it is the “most urgent threat facing our entire species.” DiCaprio closed his speech with these eloquent words: “Let us not take this planet for granted; I do not take tonight for granted.” This award was Leonardo DiCaprio’s first Oscar award, but instead of using all of his time to thank the people that helped him gain this incredible achievement, he used a large portion to advocate for the issue of climate change. Going into the night of the Oscars, only the issue of diversity, or lack thereof, had people closely watching to see what the outcome would be. In the end, many other issues came into the spotlight (no pun intended) and were brought to the attention of the thousands of viewers. There were many winners, one of them being social justice. Page 4 March 10, 2016 The Immaculatan Human Interest Adult Coloring Books: Exploring Your Mind Kristiana Wodzinski ‘18 Staff Writer Chronic stress is a serious issue in today’s day and age. People everywhere are struggling to cope with their day-to-day lives. Looking back at years past, life seemed easier. Modern technology was just beginning to develop, finding and keeping a job was easier, and over all, society was just much different. Children, adults, and the elderly are all dealing with many different stressors. This includes both positive and negative stress. The problem is that our bodies are not equipped to handle this much stimulation, and there is almost no way to avoid it. In fact, because the world has developed so rapidly, there has not been enough time for our brains to catch up. We are still working with the same stress responses as the earliest civilizations. This response is commonly called “fight or flight.” The only major source of stress that these people had to deal with was surviving and keeping the population alive. Because there is so much stress in today’s world, it is important to learn coping techniques. A great way to cope with stress is coloring. Today, one of the most popular stress relievers is coloring in books that are specifically designed for adults. In every bookstore, department store, and craft store, there seems to be a wide selection of adult coloring books. These coloring books range from extremely complex to quite simple. There are as many designs as there are fish in the sea. One of the most popular designs is the mandala. Many of these mandalas are designed with patterns in mind. The tradition stems from Buddhism and Hinduism. In all actuality, there is a lot more to mandalas than most people realize. Mandalas are a therapeutic practice used in Music Therapy that stems from Provided by Kristiana Wodzinski Art Therapy. The individual begins with a blank piece of paper with a circle drawn on the center of the page. The individual can use any medium that he or she chooses (acrylic, chalk, oil pastel, colored pencils, markers, etc.); my personal favorite is watercolor. A lot goes into the creation and interpretation of mandalas that people are trained in. The circle and the inside of the circle represent the self, and the outside represents the outside world. Inside the circle, the top represents the conscious and the bottom represents the unconscious. Many believe that mandalas are very structured and belong in adult coloring books. In reality, the mandala can be as free or as concise as the individual wants. There is no right or wrong, beautiful or ugly mandala. The mandala is a direct representation of what is going on inside an individual’s mind. Unlike adult coloring books, this style of creating mandalas allows for freedom of expression and shows insight. Although, coloring books are still very useful tools for coping with stress. It is important to have a balance of creativity and structure in the psyche. Is Student Depression Uncommon? Kayla Vickers ‘17 Contributing Writer College is arguably one of the best times and most important milestones of an individual’s life. There is a sense of freedom from taking that first step towards adulthood and gaining the ability to finally make decisions; a terrifyingly exciting opportunity. However, not all incoming or returning students share that same joy. University of Pennsylvania student, Madison Holleran, seemed to be making the best of her college experience. She was beautiful, popular, talented, and a star athlete on the track team. No one would ever expect a student like Madison to take her own life. Sadly, in 2014 the young woman jumped to her death from a parking garage in Philadelphia. The people in Madison’s life never expected her to be driven to such an extreme act, despite her showing signs of unhappiness soon after at- should seek out assistance. Perhaps if more people had been aware and proactive of the situation, Madison would still have a bright future to look forward to. Stories like Madison’s are not uncommon, as many college students suffer with depression to some extent. According to a study conducted in 2014, 9.5% of students said that they felt “frequently” depressed, which is a significant increase from previous years. Everyone at some point experiences many of the typi Provided by duke.edu cal symptoms of depression, such as feeling sad, tending college. Most of- al behavior,” according to loss of energy, trouble concentrating, and loss of inten, suicide is not a sudden Oelschlager. This is a vital terest. While showing these or single event, but rather reason that attention should “a series of events, feelings be paid to those showing CONTINUED ON PAGE and thoughts that place an signs of depression, and 8: “Student Depression Is individual at risk for suicid- also why those affected Not Uncommon” Page 5 March 10, 2016 The Immaculatan Opinion & Editorial Trump’s Leading: The Joke’s Over Kristin Lynch ‘17 Co-Editor-in-Chief value; however, shouldn’t the nation demand more from a presidential candidate than the ability to entertain? On Super Tuesday, Donald Trump won seven out of the eleven states that voted or held caucuses, and even after six more states held Democratic and Republican Primaries on March 5th and 6th, Donald Trump remains the Republican frontrunner. Many of Trump’s supporters claim that they favor Trump over the other presidential candidates because he “tells it like it is,” but there is a fine line between speaking frankly and spewing racism, sexism, and ableism. Since launching his campaign, Trump has ridiculed a disabled reporter, labeled Mexican immigrants as “criminals” and “rapists,” and referred to a female reporter as a “bimbo;” these are just a few of the seemingly countless offensive and disrespectful remarks (most of which are far too distasteful to publish in a Catholic university’s newspaper) made by a man who aspires to be the leader of the free world, and who, based on his successes to date, may very well accomplish his goal. When Donald Trump announced his presidential campaign eight months ago, surely no one could have anticipated the successes that he has since stumbled upon. A presidential campaign that was once laughable has snowballed out of control down a hill of abusive remarks and offensive beliefs. Donald Trump is the Republican frontrunner - the joke is over. As the presidential candidates continue to campaign, it’s important for every Ameri- can citizen, regardless of FROM Irish: You’re a Redhead!” Ireland has the highest per capita percentage of peowould respond with a rau- ples effected by the MC1R cous slainte mhath (cheers gene. The MC1R gene is the to your health). Not only genetic code that causes red was the Irish stereotype of hair in about two percent of drinking proved true, but it the world’s population. The piece of this stereois such a part of daily life in Ireland that we should be type that holds the most embarrassed for fixating on truth, in my opinion, is that Irish people tend to it. The stereotype of the lep- be short. Foreign women rechaun is one that has fol- go into Ireland searching lowed the Irish people since for a Gerry from the movie their immigration to Amer- “P.S. I Love You” or a Deica. The leprechaun image clan from the movie “Leap is characterized by red hair, Year,” both of which are fair skin, and diminished played by actors who are height. One of the ques- about six feet, two inches tions I was asked most tall. Sadly, what we found frequently since my return is that most of the Irishhome has been, “Were there men we met were shorter a lot of gingers?” Accord- than my already modest five ing to an ABC News article foot, four inches. In a pub “You Got the Luck of the once an Irish man told me that the “best things come in small packages.” I was so taken aback by the cliché that I was not able to come up with a response about not looking for small packages. This is one trait we were sad was true. Eventually you get tired of being told that the place you are going to spend the next five months living in is the most rainy, cloudy, grey place in the world. It is not really conducive to supporting a feeling of excitement and anticipation for what is ahead. It wasn’t any news to me that Ireland is place where it rains a lot! The best way to explain how Irish people feel about the rain is utter indifference. We discovered this the hard way when we set out on a mission to find rain gear. After spending our first rainy day in Cork searching for good quality rain gear, we eventually wandered into a small sporting goods store where we found boots and rain coats. Buichas le Dia! (Thank God!) Ashlan and I were so proud of ourselves that we had to wear them to our class later on that night. Ashlan remembers “…being so embarrassed!” We walked in looking like the old fisherman on the Gorton’s Fish Sticks packaging. Looking around the only people wearing any sort of rain gear were our fellow American students. The Irish students had on a sweatshirt at most. It was at this point that we realized how ridiculously we viewed the rain. Irish students were so used to this weather that they were barely even fazed by it anymore. Too often people are told that stereotypes are wrong, but that makes it even harder for people to formulate a response when stereotypes are proven true in many circumstances. The images surrounding Ireland exist because they are true! Whenever I think of my time abroad I am forced to remember the running monologue of comments I was never able to make. I hope to make the point that stereotypes don’t have to follow the pattern of having a negative connotation. Sometimes they just help make the world a little more interesting! When the Republican frontrunner, Donald Trump, entered the presidential race in June 2015 with little to no prior political experience, his campaign was greeted by a “great, great wall” of skepticism. One month later, in midJuly, The Huffington Post banned Donald Trump from its Politics section; for eight months, the online news aggregator filed all news related to Trump’s campaign under the Entertainment section. In September, Saturday Night Live featured Trump in its opening monologue; one month later, in December, Trump starred on Jimmy Kimmel Live; and since announcing his campaign eight months ago, Trump has made multiple guest appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. With Trump making regular appearances on late night comedy shows, running rampant on social media, and dominating the 24-hour news cycle, it’s hard to contest his entertainment IIlustrated by Kristin Lynch party affiliation, to take the time to educate him- or herself about each candidate’s policies, history, beliefs, and values. We cannot elect a president whose policies and beliefs stem from hatred and bigotry. Stereotypes Make Life Interesting CONTINUED PAGE 1: Page 6 March 10, 2016 The Immaculatan Opinion & Editorial “Yoga-To” Be Kidding Me Justin Filiaggi Graduate Student Staff Writer As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, our individual self-care is crucial to whatever path we walk in life. One prominent fixture in my own self-care is yoga, and it was a definite process to recognize it as such. When I was younger, I didn’t give yoga the time of day. I just thought it looked like a bizarre and disproportionate word. Most of us growing up will have had similar experiences, as the need for body management and a spiritual craving tend to become more relevant as we get older. While I was in high school, I was quite aware of what yoga was, but it seemed so one dimensional to me, something soccer moms did in their spare time at the local YMCA. It then developed into a literal joke after I heard a Dane Cook stand up act where he mimicked the role of the yoga instructor telling her students in a sensual voice to contort their bodies into strange positions. It was admittedly funny, because though I had never been to a yoga class before, that’s what I imagined it would be like. Then came college, and with all the new friends and experiences came a serious girlfriend, who along with making crafts by hand and babysitting, also practiced yoga. You could probably call her a yogi, a title given to those who devote much of their time and energy into what to them is a way of life. Still, with this girl doing headstands in my room I was no closer to understanding this strange art form then I was back home hearing that my mom had just bought a new instructional video by Lu Lu Lemon. After a new yoga studio opened up at school my girlfriend suggested we go and take advantage of a free trial class. This wasn’t your Provided by www.myyoganc.com normal yoga class, however, this was Bikram yoga. For those of you who don’t know what Bikram is, it’s like a traditional yoga class, but in a room where the temperature is turned up 100 degrees plus. For anyone who chooses this as their first yoga class like I did, be aware it’s like jumping into the deep end of the pool without taking swimming lessons. I took the recommended child’s pose (a resting position on your knees utilized when you feel like you’ve hit your limit) more then anyone else in that class. Still, although I did walk out of that class refreshed with my first practice under my belt, I still wasn’t sold. It wasn’t until I graduated, broke up with said girlfriend and ventured out to my first music festival that I discovered what kind of community existed among the yoga faithful. The fact that normal, everyday people were gathering together at these festivals as early as 8am proved to me the kind of dedication and genuine interest people invested in this practice. Yoga became a fundamental part of my life for the next two years, up until this very day. It makes sense to me that initially I was just attempting to hold on to a piece of my ex-lover, but after an extended hospital visit in late 2013 due to an irritable bowel flare up, yoga was the one thing that helped me regain the physical, and more importantly, the mental strength to reflect and re-balance my own life. I went from rolling out of bed and watching videos on YouTube, to creating my own practice and eventually joining a local studio in my home town. There is much, much literature on the practice of yoga, and that has also given me an invaluable perspective. Everything from understanding universal morality, to cultivating perceptual awareness, to seeking a personal union with the divine is all part of the experience. True, many places in American culture have Westernized yoga to the point of strictly becoming a “work out,” but those who are well-versed on the origins of yoga will tell you that it is actually more of a “work-in.” The goal is to leave all competition, all judgment, all self-doubt at the door and to really per- sonalize your own practice with the guidance of others. Everyone gets something different out of the same session, and you can go as shallow, or as deep as you’d like. The main benefits I’ve discovered are most tangibly the physical and mental strength you gain from continued practice. I would posit that yoga has the potential to work every single muscle in your body. With hundreds of poses, and styles like vinyasa flow that incorporates constant movement, and Zen yoga, which is more focused on holding postures, there is always some variation for what ails you. The core of yoga is also centered on mindfulness, or being fully present in your practice. That means training your mind to stop its constant chatter during practice, so that when you leave you can incorporate it into daily life. As I said earlier, I started doing yoga consistently in my bedroom first thing in the morning, via a pre-recorded YouTube clip from a lady in Russia. I also traveled to Spain this past summer and took a yoga class led by a New Yorker at Ciutadella Park in Barcelona. This far reaching accessibility is something that makes it a universal practice accepting of any age, religion, or ethnicity. Are there predominantly more female then male yoga practitioners? Of course. For many men like myself, yoga has become a somewhat re-discovered topic, and I for one admit I felt my gender being challenged for the first few months while I participated publicly. However, in an age where gender stigmas are being broken down and individuals are doing more of what they want and less of what society dictates, it is definitely becoming more of a common practice for men and women alike. The question remains, what are you looking to get out of your practice? How are you willing to grow? What are you looking to gain, or in some cases, lose? These are all relevant questions pertaining not just to yoga, but life in general. Answering them is half the fun. Living them is the other half. Page 7 March 10, 2016 Sports The Immaculatan Immaculata Spring Sports Review Luke Keeler ‘16 Sports Editor (2/12/16). Both meets resulted in no team scoring, however, the men were able As spring draws near and to finish with top individual the grounds begin to thaw, finishes. At the DeSchriver the IU winter and spring Invitational, senior Angel sports teams look to make Chimal Rodriguez placed a clean sweep in reaching third in the 3,000-meter the Colonial States Athletic event with a time of 9 minConference (CSAC) Tour- utes and 6 seconds. Later, nament and the NCAA Rodriguez placed tenth in the one-mile event with a Tournament. time of 4 minutes and 35 seconds. Men’s Basketball Despite going 3-4 in their At the Susquehanna Unilast month of the regular season, the IU Men’s Bas- versity Invitational, freshketball Team was still able men Michael Wamsher to clinch a spot in the CSAC set a new Immaculata inTournament. This year, the door school record in the men came in as the #6 400-meter with a time of seed and started their post- 54.84 seconds to place him season run with the CSAC in thirty-first. Meanwhile, Quarterfinals at Cabrini senior Will Martin recorded College. Unfortunately, his best time of the indoor their run ended as quickly season by placing fortyas it started, as the Mighty ninth in the one-mile event Macs fell to Cabrini, 70-90, with a time of 5 minutes and were eliminated from and 14 seconds. The Mighty Macs will now shift their fothe playoffs. cus to the outdoor portion of their season, which starts Women’s Basketball After finishing the last on Saturday, March 19th at month of their season at the Elizabethtown Early 4-3, the Lady Macs found Bird Opener. themselves short of a playoff spot in this year’s CSAC Women’s Track & Field No team score was recordTournament. However, for the second time this season, ed for the Women’s Track & senior Reilly Larkin earned Field at the DeSchriver and the CSAC Women’s Basket- Susquehanna Invitational. ball Honor Roll on Monday, However, the women did manage to record some top February 15th. individual finishes. At the DeSchriver Invitational, seMen’s Track & Field Men’s Track & Field nior Cayla Rimkis recorded participated in their final a time of 20 minutes and two indoor meets this past 18 seconds in the 5,000-memonth; the first was at the ter event to finish eighth. DeSchriver Invitational Meanwhile, junior Diana (2/6/16) and the second Cusick placed eighth in the was at the Susquehanna one-mile event with a time University Invitational of 5 minutes and 35 sec- Provided by Immaculata University Provided by Immaculata University The girls began their 2016 season at the NTC Spring games in Clermont, FL, while their conference season begins on Saturday, March 19th at Cabrini. onds. Diana would later set a school record in the next one-mile event by placing a time of 5 minutes and 30 seconds to finish in sixth at the Susquehanna Invitational. Then, in the 4x800meter relay, Christine Bleil (freshman), Emily Cardie (freshman), Paula Barrett (sophomore), and Rachel Lamb (junior), all recorded a time of 11 minutes and 16 seconds. The Mighty Macs will move on to the outdoor part of their season, which begins Saturday, March 19th at the Elizabethtown Early Bird Opener. Baseball The IU Baseball Team opened their season with a doubleheader loss (0-1 & 5-10) to Arcadia University at the Maple Zone Institute in Aston, PA. After the Mighty Macs finish their Spring Break Tournament in Fort Pierce, FL, they will return home for their first game held on Immaculata’s campus with a three nonconference match against Rochester Institute of Technology (RIOT) on Friday, March 11th. According to this year’s CSAC Preseason Polls, this year’s IU Baseball Team was selected to finish second, right behind 7-time defending champion Keystone College. Softball This year’s IU Softball Team was picked to finish third in the CSAC Preseason Polls behind first place Neumann and second place Cabrini. The girls began their 2016 season at the NTC Spring games in Clermont, FL, while their conference season begins on Saturday, March 19th at Cabrini. MD on Thursday, February 25th. Men’s Golf The IU Men’s Golf Team was selected to finish third out of nine teams in the CSAC Preseason Polls. The Women’s Lacrosse Mighty Macs will travel to This year the IU Women’s their first tournament of Lacrosse Team was picked the season on Saturday, to finish 4th in the CSAC March 19th at the Ursinus Preseason Polls. Meanwhile Invitational. 4-time defending champion, Cabrini College, was Men’s Tennis picked to finish first once In the CSAC Preseason again. Polls the IU Men’s Tennis Team was picked to finMen’s Lacrosse ish fifth after finishing last For the second straight season at 3-9 overall and year, the Mighty Macs were 2-5 in the conference. The selected to finish sixth in Mighty Macs kick-off their the CSAC Preseason Polls. season with an away match Meanwhile, 15-time defend- on March 15th at Lebanon ing champion Cabrini was Valley College and begin picked to finish first. The their conference schedule Mighty Macs opened their on Wednesday, March 23rd season with a 6-10 loss at at Cabrini. Hood College in Fredrick, It’s On Us This year, Immaculata student-athletes are pledging to take a stand against the threat of sexual harassment, which plagues nearly a thousand innocent Americans every year, especially women and children. So do not be afraid, take the pledge now. Do what you believe is right and be a responsible person that everyone can respect. Men & Women’s Soccer to Host “Alumni Games” On April Fool’s Day weekend, the IU Men and Women’s Soccer teams will host a doubleheader at Draper Walsh Stadium that will place Immaculata’s current soccer squads against a team of alumni’s in multiple contests. The Women’s Alumni game is schedule for 12:30pm and the Men’s alumni game will get underway at 3pm. Page 8 March 10, 2016 Student Depression Is Not Uncommon CONTINUED PAGE 1: FROM signs is not a sure indicator of depression, it should still be monitored particularly in regards to regularity. Feeling down or anxious to any degree does not make a person worthless or deserving of judgment. No student should ever have to feel like he or she is alone to face his or her problems. Many colleges have health and counseling services that are available to students for the sole purpose of assisting them. The organization Aevidum is a special national club whose purpose is to “create positive mental health environments where all students feel accepted, appreciated, acknowledged, and cared for.” Organizations like this are extremely beneficial to students feeling the weight of depression. Jessica Gilpert, Immaculata University’s Aevidum advisor and assistant director of counseling services gave tips on QPR, a suicide prevention method that focuses on questioning, persuading, and referring a potential victim. She stated that the information is used in presentations on campus to keep students informed about the dangers of depression. Too many students ignore their symptoms for varying reasons, such as not knowing where to go or being embarrassed to confront their problem. As a friend of someone who is suffering, they should be supportive and proactive in seeking out help for their friend. Waiting is a mistake. Like any problem, the sooner it is approached, the easier it is to resolve. Director of Career and Professional Development, Kathleen McCauley, answered some questions regarding student depression, and also offered some of her own personal insight. When asked what the first steps would be if a student came in suffering with depression, she gave details The Immaculatan THE IMMACULATAN March 10, 2016 · Vol. LXXXII, No. 6 Co-Editors-in-Chief: Allison Wentzell ‘16 Kristin Lynch ‘17 Copy Editor: Annie McDermott ‘16 Sports Editor: Luke Keeler ‘16 Staff Writers: Anne Marie DeCarolis ‘17 Jared Viz ‘19 Kristiana Wodzinski ‘18 Justin Filiaggi, Graduate Student Hanna Shatuck ‘18 Contributing Writers: Cassie McCullough ‘16 Kayla Vickers ‘17 Provided by theodysseyonline.com on the steps needing to be performed. First, immediate risks would need to be assessed, such as what level the student was at. Safety is a primary concern, so one should check for obvious harm to the student or to others. Especially in cases of self-harm, urgent action would need to happen to prevent the students from further injuring themselves. Finally, what are the student’s self-care methods? Are they resorting to any elements, such as alcohol or drugs? McCauley stated that addiction could be stemmed from depression, and could be even more of an issue amongst students than depression itself. I personally experienced how depression can affect an individual’s academic career and was lucky enough to overcome it. I attended four different colleges and suffered a severe breakdown during my first transfer. Instead of seeking out help, I let the issues build up until I was forced to drop out of the school and take time off from college until I transferred to an entirely new school. This occurrence was a learning experience, as I now understand how serious of a problem depression can be and the effects it can have. Even now, while I do not feel the drastic ramifications of mental illness, my past depression still shadows me. Despite overcoming a stage of depression, symptoms still remain and the fear of a recurring incident haunt the victim. There is not necessarily a cure-all for depression; rather, an individual has to learn how to cope. This is best accomplished when surrounded by resources and support, not Faculty Advisor Dr. Sean Flannery The Immaculatan is open to reader submissions and welcomes new staff members. Contact the newspaper at [email protected] if you are interested in submitting an article, joining our staff, or have a suggestion of what you would like to see in an upcoming edition. If you are interested in placing an advertisement, either as a local business or as a club or organization on campus, feel free to email us and we send you additional information. Articles featured in past editions of the The Immaculatan, as well as those in this issue, are available for you to view on our website, www. immaculata.edu/immacualtan. The Immaculatan staff thanks you for reading the paper. apprehension or judgment. College should be a time of personal growth, opportunity, and good times. Stress and anxiety are expected, as every student Are you interested in joining the Immaculatan staff this year? goes through hard times during their lives, especially in college. However, these feelings should not be left to spiral out of control and affect the individual’s college experience. Suffering with depression and poor mental health can leave a student feeling “less satisfied with college and [they] struggle to develop a sense of belonging on campus,” according to Eagan. No one deserves to go through that experience. As students, we should work together to notice and approach depression before those we care about become victims. Contact us through email or message us on Facebook!