For the first time in the 75-year history of the decorated Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, the host program took home the title. The Drexel Dragons, defending their home Schuylkill River, captured their first overall team title in the long history of the prestigious regatta.

The grand event, held May 10-11, pitted Drexel against some of the nation’s best crew teams. The Dragons, led by Director of Rowing Paul Savell, sent 12 boats to the semifinals, a new record for the program, and sent six out of nine shells to the grand finals.

Drexel’s chances coming into the regatta were heightened because of the team’s previous victories April 27 in the Bergen and Kelly Cup regattas.

“We set goals, train hard and prepare to win,” Savell said. “I felt confident that our team had a shot, and [I am] proud of our work ethic and dedication this season.”

The Dragons were able to secure the title with 30 overall points. The University of Michigan and the University of Virginia finished second and third with 26 and 21 points, respectively.

The men’s varsity eight keyed the victory with a gold-medal finish in the Lois Krall Boat. They finished with a time of 5:42.605, earning the program’s first-ever men’s varsity eight Dad Vail gold. That shell was coxed by Marc Smith, along with strokes Kurt Linton, Vanja Busic, Aleksandar Radovic, Lorenzo Albala, Sebastian Ryan, John Pieper, Michael Faust and bow Casimir Czworkowski to earn the Richard O’Brien Trophy.

“Winning the men’s varsity eight title means we had the fastest boat on the river, period,” Savell pointed out.

Drexel was considered a big underdog to the perennial powerhouse Florida Institute of Technology for the heat, but the Lois Krall Boat jumped out to a big lead and was able to hold off the field.

Another major group of contributors to Drexel’s first-place finish was the novice eight. They won their first gold medal since 1997, winning as a No. 1 seed in the Vince Vidas Boat. Their effort included contributions from Christopher Henderson, strokes Daniel Dollin, Mikulas Sum, Nicholas Capaldi, Michael DiLucca, Dave Hanrahan, Daniel Palombo, Daniel Pyleand bow Lawrence Lindawan. With the victory, they earned the Lev Brett Bowl, capping off an undefeated spring season.

Finally, it was Drexel’s men’s pair that secured the men’s points trophy for the overall regatta. Although the Dragons had already secured the overall team title, the pair of stroke Timothy Drake and bow Cameron Staines clinched the men’s title.

Their time of 7:03.697 in the Julia Grace Boat was good enough for the Bob Negaard Cup. Savell was impressed with the come-from-behind fashion in which the pair won.

On the women’s side, Drexel’s second varsity eight defended their first-place title from last year. In the Maria Papadakis Boat, Catherine Hamilton coxed along with strokes Elizabeth Campanella, Emily Gartland, Olivia Babiec, Sierra Baca, Amanda Kleuser, Elizabeth Daugherty, Tori King and bow Elise Levito. They finished in 6:50.013, good enough to be awarded the Coleman D. Boylan trophy. Savell described this victorious heat with one word: “Awesome.”

Not far from awesome were the performances of a few other Drexel boats. Among them were the men’s second varsity eight, who finished in 5:59.140, two seconds behind Michigan, to settle for a silver medal. The women’s varsity four won a bronze medal in their heat, medaling for the first time in that particular event in the program’s history, which impressed Savell very much.

“The women’s varsity four winning a bronze was also great,” Savell said. “It is a very tough category, and this is the first year we have had the depth to medal in the eights and the fours.”

In Savell’s opinion, the weekend cemented Drexel on the nation’s crew map. In addition to Drexel’s performance in the river, Alexandra Paulin, a former Dragons coxswain on the women’s varsity team, covered the regatta for 6ABC. The presence and success provided by the Dragons, most importantly their overall victory on the nation’s largest stage, confirmed Drexel’s place among the elites.

“Dad Vails is the largest collegiate regatta in the country,” Savell said. “It has really put Drexel [crew] on the national rowing map.”

The coach was glad to see his players gain recognition for their work all year. He was thrilled to see the hard work by his team realize a goal.

“It was such a great feeling to be able to see our athletes achieve their goals, especially knowing how hard everyone worked for it,” Savell said.

Drexel is under consideration for being named Rowing Team of the Week, which will be determined in an online poll at www.row2k.com. Savell is calling for support and for fans of the team to vote for his squad.

Savell was already very appreciative of the support his team received thus far. All along the river were Dragon fans dressed in their school colors, supporting their alma mater, classmates and favorite Philadelphia program.

“There were so many Blue and Gold fans out there cheering us on, and [we] appreciated all of the support,” he said.

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Drexel University has announced plans to build a new 13,000 square-foot Center for Jewish Life at 118 N. 34th St., according to a May 6 University press release.

The center — which will be comprised of a chapel, a student lounge, and several dining aspects including a kosher dining hall, cafe and kitchen — will be the first Jewish center in Philadelphia erected by a university rather than the Jewish community. It is projected to cost $7 million and will be established 36 months after at least half of funding is secured, according to Rabbi Isabel de Koninck, director of Drexel Hillel.

“Quite frankly, at Drexel we need [this center]. We’re growing out of our space left and right. We have tons of Jewish students who are really engaged and want Jewish life to be part of their collegiate experience, so we are enormously excited that President [John A.] Fry and the University think that now is the time to help make Jewish life more accessible to students,” De Koninck said.

Hillel is an international organization that seeks to enrich the lives of Jewish students on college campuses. Currently, Hillel is centered in an office in the Intercultural Center, and according to De Koninck, the size of the space is not conducive to the large, active population that it serves. The new Center for Jewish Life, however, will have enough space to serve the entire Jewish student population, including space for simultaneous worship services that serve different Jewish populations and interests.

Fry began the initiative for the student center, and De Koninck says she’s been involved in every step since the beginning. “I guess it was about two years ago that we first brought together alumni, students and parents to envision what it would look like to build a future for Jewish life on campus,” she said. De Koninck and the president’s office have collaborated in all aspects from fundraising to meeting with architects and discussing prospective designs.

“Most important, we’ve worked with students to imagine what would be most beneficial for our campus,” she said. De Koninck explained that from the beginning, it was evident that kosher dining would be among the top accommodations that the center would need to provide.

“The dining component will allow students to have access to hot, kosher meals on a regular basis. We expect . . . to make campus life easier for those that are already here,” De Koninck said. De Koninck added that she wants Drexel to appeal to students for whom kosher dining is a factor in their college decision process.

Presently, kosher dining is not readily available on Drexel’s campus. Drexel has worked with the University of Pennsylvania, which has a large Jewish student population, to offer “guest meal plans” for Jewish students at Drexel.

Chabad serving Drexel — Rohr Jewish Student Center has also worked to provide kosher meals for Jewish Drexel students. Chabad is another international Jewish organization that extends accommodations for Jewish life beyond the college campus.

The Chabad House, which has been in Philadelphia for approximately two years, is not affiliated with the University. There is a Chabad student group that receives funding from Drexel just as any other student group; however, the Chabad house does not receive funding from the University.

“There’s only so long you can go without a hot meal, which you cannot get from around here if you keep kosher,” Rebbetzin Moussia Goldstein, co-director of the Chabad House, explained.

The Chabad House began offering kosher meals over Passover and other Jewish holidays, but due to large student interest, the house now offers daily meals to all who wish to keep kosher. For the most part, the meal plan is funded by voluntary donations given by parents in appreciation of the accommodation. Even if a student or parent can’t afford a donation for the meal plan, Goldstein said, “There’s no turning anyone away.”

The Chabad House also serves on average between 50 and 70 students, and at most around 150 students every Friday night for Shabbat dinner.

Chabad is excited that the Center for Jewish Life will accommodate the needs of all Jewish Students. However, students of Chabad have thus far not been included in the planning process.

“I think our students are happy about the center but a little disappointed that they didn’t even receive a mention,” Goldstein said. “They want people to understand Chabad and that they’ve done so much in changing the Jewish student community. They’re not only attracting students but retaining them as well and building a family in the process.”

Rabbi Chaim Goldstein added, “We came here to campus, and we’re just an independent organization and just do things on our own, so I think Drexel just may not know about our presence.”

Moussia Goldstein explained that she and Rabbi Goldstein have met with Fry and other University faculty members but are unsure if they are aware of the extent to which Chabad impacts Jewish student life.

Rachel Wener, a sophomore web development student, said, “Chabad changed my life. When I was a freshman, I was in a lot of clubs and went to all of my classes and was really trying to get involved, and Chabad really provided me with something that the other clubs couldn’t. There is something about Chabad that is so ‘homey’ — you can’t come here and not make friends. It took my college experience from ‘regular freshman’ to ‘I can’t leave Drexel if I tried.’”

Noah Gross, a senior mechanical engineering major and two-time president and former treasurer of the Chabad student group, explained that he has been in contact with Dean of Students David Ruth as well Ken Goldman, president of the Office of Institutional Advancement and chief philanthropic officer, expressing a desire for Chabad to be included in planning.

“I told them that Chabad has grown exponentially in the two to three years that we’ve been here and there are no signs of slowing down. I wanted to let them know that we are excited about the Center for Jewish Life but a bit disheartened by the initial oversight in the preliminary stages of planning,” Gross said. “We look forward to being an active force in planning and figuring out what steps we can take to enhance the accommodations that the Center for Jewish Life will provide.”

Chabad Vice President Ariel Arbley, a pre-junior business major with concentrations in finance and legal studies, said he hopes that the Center for Jewish Life will allow for a variety of Jewish needs to be met and will spark new collaboration between Hillel and Chabad.

“Everyone gets something different out of each one, which is what I think is good about Chabad and Hillel. I think they work really well together and complement one another. … We’ve done events with Hillel in the past, and we work together to create events to bring Jewish students together,” Arbley said.

Currently, Chabad and Hillel sponsor some events together, such as Shabbat 200. Each aims to serve the entirety of the Drexel Jewish community, which at 5 percent includes between 900 and 1,200 students.

Gross said that the Center for Jewish life will “give a sense of pride for Drexel students that says, ‘This is my university, and it has the resources to accommodate me religiously, spiritually, culturally and academically.’ I am excited to see what the future brings and the growth of Jewish life on campus when we have an official building to call ours.”

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Drexel President John A. Fry hosted a town hall May 13 for professional staff of the University, where he gave an update on the strategic plan for Drexel through 2017. He discussed the six strategic priorities for the University as well as the transformational themes from the 30-year master plan.

The two overarching goals of the administration are to redefine Drexel’s physical presence in University City and its interaction with the surrounding areas, and to enhance the overall student experience through better retention efforts, an expanded co-op program and a lower student financial burden.

The strategic plan is less than a year old at this point but is already being implemented across the University. The medical school is in the process of being integrated with the rest of Drexel, removing the legal firewall between the institutions. Each college has also been tasked with creating its own strategic plan, a process that is well underway.

“We’re moving at a very accelerated pace, but we’re all adjusting to it,” Teisa Brown, a staff member of the College of Engineering, said. “The whole process is moving very fast, but it’s not reckless.”

The most visible part of the strategic plan involves the physical building out of the campus and shifting the new growth east toward 30th Street Station instead of north into residential neighborhoods. The expansion of the University has had a profound impact on the neighborhoods north and west of the University, to the point where only 16 percent of houses in Powelton Village are owner-occupied.

By shifting the new developments to the area around 30th Street, along with community outreach through the Dornsife Center, the University hopes to re-establish real neighborhoods and move away from having students overtake residential areas. This involves new University-sponsored housing at Chestnut Square and Lancaster Avenue, as well as development programs like mortgage support for employees and investing in the local K-12 schools.

The University has also started pouring resources into improving its student retention rate, which currently sits well below Drexel’s peer group of universities.

Drexel hired Huron, a management consulting company, to perform a complete evaluation of the University.

“The No. 1 challenge, far and away, that was identified by Huron is improving retention and graduation rates,” Fry said. “This is critical to our competitiveness in the future and is critical also to our students’ impressions of us because we do lag significantly behind our peers in both the yield rate of accepted students who enroll and the persistence and graduation rate of our students.”

Drexel is starting a pilot program with 60 freshmen in the fall to try to address some of the retention issues facing the school. It will be a learning community with better advising, peer tutoring and much more faculty interaction. Drexel’s retention rate lags behind competitors by 12 points, according to Fry. If the program is successful, it will be expanded to include more freshmen in upcoming years.

“The philosophy needs to be ‘recruit to retain’ as opposed to ‘recruit to enroll.’ We’re really interested in bringing in students who are a better fit with our institution and keeping them here for their four or five years so they graduate. And our retention rates need to have an eight in front of them instead of a six,” Fry said.

Along with these retention measures, the administration is focusing on making Drexel more affordable to students. Drexel is consistently ranked among the most expensive colleges in the nation, which threatens the enrollment targets of the strategic plan.

“I think you’ll see Drexel gradually dialing down the percentage increase in tuition and room and board. We’re at about 3.9 percent combined, and that’s down from about 4.5 percent last year. We are very sensitive to this, and we’re going to try and think about ways we can constrain that growth over time,” Fry said.

In addition to partnering with community colleges so that students can transfer into Drexel after two years, the University is also planning a round of endowment fundraising to support undergraduate student aid.

More information about the campus strategic plan and the 30-year master plan can be found online at drexel.edu/strategicplan.

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Having your Drexel co-op in Italy is amazing, but having your Drexel co-op in Italy while working for an Italian football team is just incredible. Luckily enough, that is exactly what two sport management students, Rene Coleman and Cullen Hynes, are doing.

The Parma Panthers, based in Parma, Italy, are an American football team playing in the Italian Football League. Parma is located between Florence, Milan and Venice and is famous for its Parmesan cheese.

If you can’t tell by now, this is a once-in-a-lifetime co-op, which is something Coleman really wanted to take advantage of.

“As a transfer student, this was going to be my only co-op, so I wanted to make sure it was going to be something I wouldn’t have the chance to do later in life,” Coleman said.

The interview process was unconventional, much like the entire co-op experience.

“Out of the blue, we got an email from our professor, Amy Giddings, alerting everyone in the department about this opportunity she was working on for a co-op in Parma, Italy,” Hynes said.

A few interviews later, the duo found themselves being interviewed over Skype with the head coach of the Panthers.

“I was doing a Skype interview with Andrew Papoccia, the head coach of the Parma Panthers. One week later I got an email saying they were offering me the position, and the rest is history,” Hynes said.

Football is far from the most popular sport in Italy. It’s very much behind soccer, rugby and basketball, but that is exactly why Coleman and Hynes were hired.

Coleman said, “Outside of making their social media pages more attractive to fans, we are also help[ing] run the team’s TD Club (booster club) as well as try[ing] to bring on new sponsors and start camps.”

Marketing football in Italy is a very important aspect of the Panthers developing a fan base.

Hynes mentioned some of his duties working in Parma: “Every day I check on the team’s Twitter and Facebook, make sure all information is up to date, engage with fans, and try to expand our social media reach.”

Marketing and promotion seem to be working because when Hynes and Coleman walk around Parma with a Panthers shirt on, many people do recognize the team. But one of the major issues is having Italians understand all the rules of the game.

“Imagine going to Europe and watching a rugby match having never seen one before,” Hynes said. “You’d be so lost. That’s how it is in Italy.”

The Panthers have a solid 400-500 fans who come out to every game and really love the sport.

Coleman said he hopes that his internship promoting the Panthers will have a positive effect on the perception of football in Italy. “By doing a better job letting the public know about the games, hopefully those numbers will increase over the next three home games.”

So far the Panthers have had one home game this season, and both Coleman and Hynes were pleased with the turnout. “All of the fans were engaged, loud and excited for the team to win. Even at the four away games this season, every game featured at least a few Panthers fans, even the 3.5-hour road trip to Ancona.”

The Panthers have won three consecutive IFL championships and are looking for their fourth this season.

Coleman said he believes that more fans will come out to watch the best team in Italy. “The fans know that the Panthers are the top team right now and expect nothing but the best from them. They really get into the games and will even stay after to congratulate the players.”

Even though both Coleman and Hynes are working hard, they do have time to explore the beautiful country of Italy. Hynes was able to visit Rome with the three American players on the team.

“We spent two days and two nights roaming the city and stirring up trouble,” he said. “It’s a memory that I’m definitely putting in my scrapbook whenever I enter the scrapbooking part of my life.”

Coleman said he has loved taking team trips so far and seeing the different Italian cities. But his favorite part of the trip is right in Parma’s backyard.

“My favorite thing about being in Parma is the fact that we are in what I would call real Italy,” Coleman said. “It’s not one of the tourist cities, so we are truly immersed in Italian culture.”

Even though the IFL Super Bowl is July 7, Coleman and Hynes will be doing work until mid- to late August.

Feel free to check out the Parma Panthers on Facebook (ParmaPantersAFT), Twitter (@ParmaPanthers), the Web (www.panthers.it) and YouTube.

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Last week the Drexel community finally got to see the product of the Drexel Players’ last couple months of work as they close the 2012-13 season with “The Grapes of Wrath.” Preceded by two lighter performances, “The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee” and “To Fool the Eye,” the adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic is a much graver production and a powerful closing to a successful season. This particular stage adaptation was created by Frank Galati and enriched by original music from Michael Smith. Having been originally produced on Broadway, the show won a Tony Award in 1990. It is not surprising that such a solid rendition was chosen to create a lasting impression of the company near the end of the season, as well as to be the inaugural production of the brand-new URBN Annex Black Box Theater on 34th and Filbert streets.

Following up their productions of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” and “To Fool the Eye,” the Drexel Players put on a show based on John Steinbeck’s Depression-era novel, “The Grapes of Wrath.” This stage adaptation was created by Frank Galati with music by Michael Smith.

The power of the evocation naturally has to do with the substance of Steinbeck’s novel — that is, the painful burden of caring for one’s impoverished and underprivileged family during the Dust Bowl of the Great Depression in 1938. Yet the age of the actors and the fact that the production was staged at a college theater gives it another dimension,  one of a coming-of-age narrative. Although it is obviously not the case in the novel, it seems like we can create an alternative reading based on the vivacity and youthful rebelliousness that actor Alex Cummiskey added to the character of Tom Joad, the leader of the family, as they make their crossing to California.

Another powerful aspect of the shift in reading the characters onstage is the focus on Ma Joad, portrayed by Alexis Pozonsky. Even though her nature as the fabric that holds the family together is present in the novel, it seems like Pozonsky’s powerful interpretation focuses much more on this feature.

However, it is not only the story of the Joads and director Nick Anselmo’s reading of it that makes “The Grapes of Wrath” an exquisite production in the Drexel Players’ repertoire. The original music by Michael Smith, using themes and based on the characteristic harmonies of the South, definitely adds a ton to this rendition of Steinbeck’s story. In fact, the beginning of the play has so much music, realized outside of the storyline, that the audience would think it rather a musical. Short interludes and musical themes make their appearance throughout the play as well, using music as the suggestion of the progression of action. It is a purely cinematic method, and its use onstage makes the play smooth and pleasurable to watch.

As it happens, viewers should not mind the show’s two-and-a-half-hour runtime but should instead let themselves become engrossed in the characters’ lives. For that reason, “The Grapes of Wrath” is truly a top-notch production right on Drexel’s campus. You have until May 25 to make your way to the Black Box Theater and support the Drexel Players in their stage endeavors.

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It always feels like you went back in time to 1940s Manhattan when you dine at The Prime Rib. The first Prime Rib restaurant location opened in Baltimore in 1965, followed by Washington in 1976 and Philadelphia in 1997. All three restaurants were modeled after supper clubs that were popular during the 1940s in New York City. Brothers Buzz and Nick BeLer designed the restaurant to possess an old-school atmosphere. Guests sit in dark high-back leather chairs and are served by wait staff dressed in tuxedos. Large floral centerpieces decorate the tables. Large mirrors line the dark wooded walls along with framed Louis Icart lithographs. While conversing with your companions and eating, live music plays in the background — there is a baby grand piano and a bass player.

Located at 1701 Locust St., Prime Rib restaurant transports its diners back to the 1940s with its supper club inspired decor. The eatery serves both surf and turf options.

A block away from Rittenhouse Square at 1701 Locust St., The Prime Rib is located inside the Radisson Warwick Hotel. The steakhouse and seafood restaurant is open daily in the evening only for dinner, beginning at 4:30 p.m., requiring business casual attire. On Sundays, customers can bring their own wine if they do not wish to select a beer, cocktail or wine from the restaurant’s extensive list. There is a $45 prix fixe menu offered on Sundays and before 6 p.m. Monday thru Saturday. Private rooms are available for parties and business functions.

The entree selection is vast and will satisfy anybody’s cravings. To begin, the roast prime rib is a classic and favorite choice by customers, with a starting price of $36 or $55 for the full cut. The beef is selected from the finest grain-fed steers and aged for four to five weeks before being roasted in the restaurant’s special ovens. The steaks are consistently tender and flavorful. Another popular entree is the USDA prime filet mignon, which is prepared similarly to the roast prime rib. If you find yourself not wanting steak, there is also the porterhouse veal chop, rack of lamb, chicken piccata or roaster organic chicken. As for the seafood entrees, the imperial crab is the finest jumbo lump with light seasoning and baked in a shell. Furthermore, the Chilean sea bass and yellowfin “ahi” tuna are delectable. To conclude your meal, definitely try the creme brulee or key lime pie.

The Prime Rib is the perfect place to dine with friends or family; however, it is better to leave young children at home with a babysitter or at a friend’s house. Additionally, with the dimmed lights, intimate setting, music resonating from the baby grand piano, and delicious food and drinks, you could make it a romantic evening with your companion. Food & Wine magazine listed The Prime Rib as one of the top five romantic restaurants. The Zagat Guide ranked The Prime Rib as the No. 1 steakhouse in Philadelphia. Also, Esquire Magazine included The Prime Rib’s steaks as one of the top 20 served in the United Sates.

The service is impeccable; the waiters and waitresses know the menu and are able to give customers insight into the food and drinks. The classy, upscale restaurant has the best steaks, wonderful staff and elegant decor that every meat lover should experience.

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In his article, Strauss brought up his religious convictions pertaining to LGBT issues, and although I personally disagree with them, it needs to be pointed out that those opinions must be accepted by everyone in order to move forward with the issue. As an LGBT individual I felt no personal assault by Strauss’ article, even though our opinions on various social issues do not align, and why should I? I have my opinions and others have theirs, but they should not influence how I treat them or vice versa. This brings us to a very important realization that many on both sides of the social argument need to adhere to: Instead of promoting the childishness of a playground argument (which most of the debate on LGBT rights has become), both sides of the issue must be willing to listen to and respect the opinion of the opposition. Society has experienced a very minimal amount of this basic courtesy. Especially in recent years, words such as “bigot” and “homophobe” have been thrown around without any real consideration or respect. These personal attacks serve no purpose in bettering the image of the LGBT community and only propagate an image of hostility.

In almost a militant fashion, both sides of the argument have used their rhetoric and actions to increase tension against the opposition. As a result, many LGBT individuals harbor a deep resentment to religion when, in reality, they should be content with the fact that the Catholic Church even has a compassion-driven position in its Catechism. LGBT rights may not be a desired outcome for more conservative organizations such as the Catholic Church, but their position should be respected. For many Catholics to adhere to this doctrine by disagreeing with LGBT issues such as marriage is perfectly acceptable; no one should be forced to accept something that goes against their personal moral convictions. Additionally, their opinions do not make them bigoted any more than your own personal beliefs in opposition to theirs make you a bigot. The system of religion-bashing and name-calling does not help either cause any more than it does in any other argument.

This brings me to a very caustic point that I feel needs to be reiterated in detail in order for the point to hit home. In my last column I wrote about abstaining from pride events and LGBT activist groups because I believed them to serve more of an alienating purpose than a universal approach. The main reason for this analysis is negative media portrayal of pride events. While such events do invite a sense of community and culture, it is important to be careful about how we approach them. With mass media honed in on anything that is deemed “out of the norm,” portrayal of the LGBT community lingers in the minds of the outsider as a queer fetish culture. Instead of telling the story of the happy couple, America’s television screens are bombarded with images of kink, hypersexuality and promiscuity. Additionally, many were upset with my statements regarding protection of the ally status under certain legal clauses. Most cited that heterosexual cisgender individuals already possess protection from discrimination based on their gender and sexuality. I respectfully disagree; in a work environment where personal opinion and political affiliation can still make or break a career, it is important that allies are included in such documents, as even support of LGBT individuals can spark tension.

When it comes down to it, most of what the LGBT community is doing today seems to be a gigantic waste of energy. A majority of time and energy wasted intensifies the standoff between LGBT detractors and the community as described above. Controversy, hatred and intolerance will only subside once one side makes the first move toward empathy. Tearing down the foundation of another’s opinion does more to offend than it does to comfort. Unfortunately, with animosity between both parties rising to higher levels by the minute, the playground debate doesn’t look like it will be ending anytime soon.

Vaughn Shirey is a freshman environmental sciences major at Drexel University. He can be contacted at op-ed@thetriangle.org.
Queerview publishes biweekly in weeks 3, 5, 7 and 9 .

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Marion County Judge Sheila Carlisle scheduled Shuai’s trial for Sept. 3, 2013. The prosecution assigned Terry Curry, the chief prosecutor of Marion County, to Shuai’s case. On the other side, Linda Pence, an experienced defense attorney, is defending Shuai.

I believe this case definitely opened the Pandora’s box of women’s rights. Based on the verdict of this trial, pro-life and pro-choice advocates can both either strengthen or weaken their arguments on abortion’s legality. Therefore, it is obvious that women’s rights groups ought to advocate for a verdict of “not guilty” through protesting against the prosecution and creating petitions for her innocence. I do understand that this case is very crucial; it represents one of the most controversial issues in the United States. However, we should not forget that the duty of this nation’s judicial branch is to bring justice to everyone who rightfully deserves punishment or compensation. Therefore, we must not let external circumstances cloud fair judicial rulings in this case. Furthermore, it is indeed very painful and cruel to force a woman who lost her newborn daughter to go through the intense procedures of a criminal court. If she truly deserves the punishment for murder or feticide, the judge should not hesitate to declare her guilty.

On the other hand, if she is not guilty, not only does she need to be treated properly, but the government and interest groups should also cooperate to help any pregnant women who are experiencing psychological difficulties. Every mother has the right to protect and successfully deliver a new life.

After reviewing the facts written by Pence, I came into doubt that the baby died because of her mother’s attempted suicide. I will review the situation of Shuai at the time of attempt of suicide. She was experiencing severe depression from her breakup with her boyfriend just before the tragic incident. While she was pregnant, she attempted suicide at least three times in front of her boyfriend before that. Clearly, anybody might think about killing oneself after being left alone with a heavy burden. However, Shuai was not in an ordinary situation at all; the baby was almost fully grown in her womb. Obviously, she was aware of the baby’s existence and the consequence of her action. Anybody with even the slightest maternal love would think again if the suicide attempt would have cost the life of a baby.

Yes, it is true that her mental state might have been so extreme that she did not consider her baby, but when she was rescued by her friends and taken to a hospital, she did not refuse treatment. Moreover, testimony from hospital employees stating that she sincerely cooperated with doctors was more than enough to prove that her maternal love was real. How does this contradiction occur?
Regarding the rat poison, it is roughly 60 times stronger than any regulated poison. Chinese women have traditionally used it to ensure quick and definite death. Rat poison does not have an expiration date and is just as deadly no matter how old it is. Miraculously, the poison did not kill Shuai. She recovered completely in a matter of days, and her baby survived for at least three days, which is remarkable considering the damage that rat poison can do to a baby.

The question arises: If the poison was not enough to kill both of them, did Shuai underdose? I seriously doubt that she mistakenly consumed less poison because studies have shown that people who commit suicide with poison often use a large dose to ensure a quick and relatively painless death. If she intentionally consumed less rat poison to survive, why would she risk her baby’s life?
With limited information, I will not jump to conclusions. However, I do wish for the truth alone to be revealed in this case. In order to obtain the truth, the judge should exclude the external matter of woman’s rights even if this matter is very crucial politically.

Alex Cho is a political science major at Drexel University. He can be contacted at op-ed@thetriangle.org.

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Drexel’s study abroad program has several features that make studying abroad easier for students. For example, DrexelNow announced May 14 that an international area studies student was recently awarded a Boren Scholarship to study abroad in Russia for the 2013-14 school year. The scholarship awards up to $20,000 to undergraduate students interested in studying and working in a foreign country. Other scholarships include the CIEE Global Access Initiative Scholarship, the Gilman Scholarship, the Sharif Rahman Scholarship and several others. The abundance of study abroad scholarships available at Drexel gives students the opportunity to travel to a country of their choice without dishing out obscene amounts of money in addition to high tuition. Additionally, Drexel also offers short-term trips that students can apply for if they have summer term off and are unable to leave Philly while class is in session.

Unfortunately, upperclassmen often lead other students to have misconceptions of other countries and their inhabitants. These fast-spreading stereotypes often influence students’ decisions to study abroad. For example, tensions have recently increased between the U.S. and Russia in lieu of the Boston Marathon bombings, which could deter students from choosing to study abroad in Russia. The Editorial Board believes that we shouldn’t use the actions of the few to judge the whole. General stereotypes can cause students to think wrongly about foreign countries, making them unaware that in opting out of traveling to a certain country, they could be missing out on a fun and unique experience. Students should take the time to research countries before allowing societal misconceptions to make decisions for them.

We’ve often heard that people who didn’t study abroad during college regret it. It’s one of those things that we should take advantage of before we’re tied down with full-time jobs, families and/or other adult commitments. It will probably be difficult to plan an economical trek around all of Europe if you have kids or to explain to your boss why you’re requesting three months off to soak in the culture of South America. There may not be another time in your life where you’re relatively unattached and could ditch your life for three or six months — let alone have people encourage it! Drexel trains us to think practically, and so naturally we consider what we have to gain professionally from studying abroad. In the U.S., almost all industries have gone international, and we all have something to learn from our educational or professional counterparts abroad.

Part of going to college is being exposed to the world in ways you never knew in your high school cocoon. Studying abroad is an opportunity to see everything from a different perspective and to taste the real world in its entirety instead of reading about it online or seeing snippets of it on television. Depending on where you choose to study, you’ll face different challenges. Even if there’s no language barrier to worry about, being thrown into unfamiliar waters and potentially living with a host family is something that will probably make you a little uncomfortable. That’s the point! Not only will you get to experience a new culture firsthand and potentially learn a new language, but you’ll also learn to adapt and appreciate other cultures and avoid the ethnocentrism that Americans are stereotypically known for feeling.

Even if you’ve traveled around the country, you’re kidding yourself if you think we can even begin to comprehend the variety of worldly cultures and lifestyles. At one point or another, most people refuse to expand their taste buds, and a friend replies, “How do you know you don’t like it if you’ve never tried it?” The same goes for the lives that we’ll be choosing in the next few years.

How do you know what you’re missing if you never try it? Don’t waste your youth planning and putting off traveling the world. Be proactive and spontaneous, pick a country, and just go. It’s that simple.

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“It’ll boost our economy!” they say. “It’ll create jobs!” “It will give the U.S. energy security!” “It will make our gas cheaper!” The list goes on and on. Now I want you to think about these statements as I delve deeper into our two root issues: tar sands and pipelines.

Tar sands. It already sounds gross. Tar, as we know it, is a black, gooey substance that our roads are made with. Sand is the stuff we find on beaches that is composed of ground-up rocks, seashells and coral. Now let’s put the two together, and what do we get? The Alberta Tar Sands. But how does that make oil? Well, the process is quite simple, actually:

Step 1: Clear cut the precious Boreal Forest that represents more than half of Canada’s land area, sustains countless plants and animals, and plays a critical role in mitigating global climate change.

Step 2: Start digging. And by digging, we mean use some of the largest mechanical machines known to man that are capable of gouging out 16,000 cubic meters of earth per hour, filling up dump trucks that are 22 feet high and nearly 50 feet long, then hauling 400 tons of sand per load.

Step 3: Crush the sand into tiny particles using crushers. Mix the crushed sand with hot water with added chemicals to draw out the sludge (known as bitumen). This tar is so thick that you have to cut it with solvents in order to transport it in the pipeline.

Step 4: So you added solvents. This makes it difficult to process, but there is a solution: just hydrotreat your sludge (use a lot of water, natural gas and oil) to get rid of those solvents like nitrogen, sulfur and other metals. Now heat it again to remove the carbon and add hydrogen. No big deal, we fixed it, guys!

Step 5: Now we’re ready to send it through another pipeline to refine it, but because most of our refineries aren’t built to handle the task of the heavy bitumen, we’ll have to build new ones. We got this.

That’s a lot, but what else? It takes as much as four tons of sand and four barrels of fresh water to make a barrel of synthetic oil, which is good for about 42 gallons of gas, or one fill-up for a 1997 Chevrolet Suburban. This process of extracting tar from sand to feed our fossil fuel dependence is just absolutely ridiculous. In addition, the greenhouse gas emissions are 19 percent higher than traditional fossil fuels. The European Union attempted to single out tar sands as “highly polluting,” and Simon Hughes, the deputy leader of the British Liberal Democrats, compared them to land mines, blood diamonds and cluster bombs. Sounds great, right?

So then, let’s talk about the pipeline. There are obvious issues with it like leaking, explosions, damage to wildlife, imposing on people’s property, etc. (We’ve seen about five pipeline issues in the past few weeks not relevant to the Keystone XL Pipeline, which are signs of what’s to come), but there’s also a lot of false information about the benefits created by the pipeline that the U.S. State Department has put in its State Impact Report of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The U.S. State Department stated that the pipeline would create many jobs. In reality, it will create 35 permanent jobs and 3,900 construction jobs (for one year), and only 10 percent of those jobs will be filled by local people living in communities along the route.

But we won’t be dependent on foreign fossil fuels, right? The State Department found that the purpose of the pipeline will likely be to export Canadian crude from the U.S. after it’s refined. An estimated 60 percent of crude oil will be exported after it’s refined. Well, that does us a lot of good, especially because it will not lower gas prices for Americans by a single cent!

So the State Department got a few things right, but there are also some things they missed, like the fact that the Keystone XL Pipeline will drastically expand the tar sands industry and increase carbon pollution. The pipeline will also be a major threat to fresh water. The total carbon pollution impacts of Keystone XL increase to the equivalent of over 9 million cars on the road when considering the total emissions to produce tar sands and the combustion of the crude oil. Despite alterations in the route of the Keystone XL Pipeline, it will still cross more than 1,000 water bodies across three states and 875 miles, threatening fresh water for millions of people if there is a bitumen spill. Tar sands oil is almost impossible to clean up because it sinks in water, costing billions of dollars to recover. TransCanada’s first Keystone pipeline has spilled 14 times in the U.S. within one year of operation, including the spill in Kalamazoo, Mich., where 40 miles are still contaminated and may never be recovered.

I’ve had the privilege of attending both anti-Keystone XL Pipeline rallies on the National Mall in Washington. This past year in February, I gathered with over 50,000 like-minded friends and individuals to stand up to Big Oil and the government that it chokes with money. The Keystone XL Pipeline is not our future — in fact, it’s the end of the future. Please take a stand.

Nicole Koedyker is the president of the Drexel Sierra Club. She can be contacted at op-ed@thetriangle.org.
The Drexel Sierra Club contributes weekly.

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Firstly, I have great respect for people who are religious. I fully believe in the constitutional right to practice whatever religion one chooses and to be free from persecution while doing so. However, I equally believe that religions should have no influence on public policy, using the same First Amendment justification. Congress may not “make … law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This has, in over 200 years of United States history, come to be understood to provide a separation of church and state, which the U.S. Supreme Court has also upheld in its jurisprudence. Strauss follows Catholic teaching and says that his faith “would require [him] to vote against [LGBT rights].” While this is not direct interference by a religious organization in public policy, it certainly shows a certain blind deference to faith. I’m not suggesting that we can stop people from voting based on their religious beliefs, nor do I think we should. However, the influence of religious organizations, such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, must be scrutinized. These organizations are tax exempt, but that is dependent upon them refraining from political discourse. We should be taking a better look at these organizations when the speech of their leaders seems to be political or politically related in some way, and if they are found to be violating Internal Revenue Service rules, they should have their tax-exempt status revoked.

The other problem with using religious reasoning on civil issues, such as gay marriage or an LGBT-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, is that these are civil issues, not religious ones, as obvious as that sounds. Catholicism teaches that marriage is a divine institution created by God. That’s absolutely fine; it’s a religious belief, and I have no problem with the church teaching that. What I do have a problem with is when religious people make the argument that because the church has this religious belief, we, as a country and society, must make laws following that teaching. Marriage has become a civil institution. It is an important part of many religions, but it is also part of our civil society. There are over 1,000 benefits provided to married straight couples on a federal level that are denied to same-sex couples, even if those couples are legally married in a state. For the church to claim that same-sex marriage is a threat to the institution of marriage, or that marriage is inherently religious and not a civil issue, is ludicrous. There are people who made similar arguments against interracial marriage in the 1960s, and yet today, decades later, marriage is still an integral part of our society. Prohibiting same-sex marriage is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution, as it discriminates against a particular group based on their immutable characteristics. In the oral arguments for Hollingsworth v. Perry, a Supreme Court case addressing the issue of Proposition 8 in California, Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked the lawyer arguing for those opposed to same-sex marriage whether he could think of “any other rational basis, reason, for a state using sexual orientation as a factor in denying homosexuals benefits or imposing burdens on them” outside of the context of marriage. The lawyer was unable to provide a rational basis for such discrimination. Why should the LGBT community be discriminated against in marriage if there are no other contexts in which it would be admissible? Additionally, why should we use the Catholic Church’s position on marriage specifically? There are many other religions, including both supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage. To use the views of one religion on a civil issue is to foist them unwillingly upon everyone who is not a member of that religion, thereby violating the First Amendment.

I’m all for religious understanding and having a dialogue about the issue. As Strauss said in his article, a dialogue works toward the common good. However, it’s fairly black and white that on this issue, the common good is equality for all Americans. Just as discrimination based on race, gender or religion is unconstitutional, so is discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. And just as it took decades for those forms of discrimination to be recognized, so it is taking time with LGBT rights. Now, though, is the time for it to happen. Public opinion is swaying, with several national polls showing that a majority of Americans support same-sex marriage. In less than two weeks, three more states legalized gay marriage, bringing the total to 12 states and the District of Columbia. So yes, let’s debate, let’s dialogue, let’s reach the common good. But recognize that opposing rights for all citizens puts you on the wrong side of history, and please, don’t try and force me to follow your religion.

Sean Craig is a co-chief copy editor at The Triangle. He can be contacted at sean.craig@thetriangle.org.

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Sports might seem larger than life, but they are not. Life itself is complex, but sports are relatively simple. Athletes play games that result in wins and losses. This can bring people together or tear them apart. Fights between rivals in the parking lot balance the scale of high fives between pals at the bar.

Whether friend or foe, there have been, and will always be, moments in sports that anyone can appreciate. Jackie Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier showed that the nation’s pastime could finally be integrated. Michael Oher making it to the NFL showed that anyone can succeed in sports, no matter what background he or she comes from.

Yeah, sports sure do have some great stories to fall back on, and some even better moments. The 1980 Miracle on Ice and the David Tyree catch in Super Bowl XLII, among many others, are unforgettable. However, these special occasions in sports are the exception, not the norm, and sometimes we lose sight of that fact. For every comeback win there are countless wire-to-wire victories, and that is just fine.

Not every athlete is special, either. People have good qualities and bad. People do the extraordinary and underwhelm. Athletes are the same way because athletes are people. We should not glorify the athlete, just as we should not glorify the person who makes a meatball sandwich at Subway. Too often we put an athlete on a pedestal only to realize that he or she is not perfect in every way.

Athletes are made into gods, just to be broken down when they do not live up to those unrealistic expectations. Roy Halladay does not owe you an apology for being injured while playing a game that you casually watch while eating nachos on your couch. Ryan Howard does not deserve to get booed because he is not “living up to” a $125 million contract.

Philadelphia fans are a prime example of this, but we are all guilty in one way or another. Morality does not spawn from talent; good players are not always good people. Tiger Woods can be the greatest golfer of all time and still be the worst husband. Floyd Mayweather can be the greatest boxer of his generation and still be the biggest stooge. Really, it is OK.

A defendant is innocent until proven guilty in the court of law, but an athlete is wonderful until proven inadequate. Should it not be the other way around? It is that way in basically every other part of life, but why not sports? Is it the stage? Is it the money? Is it the media influence? I do not know.

However you care to evaluate it, the ultimate conclusion is that our view of sports is skewed. We do not allow great things to happen in sports; we make them happen through predetermined storylines and heightened expectations. If they are to “transcend,” we must make sure they actually deserve to do so. Sports should be celebrated for what they are, not for what we want them to be.

Bryan Fyalkowski is the assistant sports editor at The Triangle. He can be contacted at bryan.fyalkowski@thetriangle.org.

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A multimedia exhibition telling the story of the Iraq War through the perspectives of a Marine, a reporter and a photojournalist, “Invasion: Diaries and Memories of War in Iraq,” opened May 15 with a panel discussion in the URBN Center Annex.

The exhibition, currently on display in the URBN Center lobby, includes diary pages from Marine Lt. Timothy McLaughlin, texts by journalist and author Peter Maass, and photographs by Gary Knight of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. It was brought to Philadelphia by Drexel’s Kal and Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies and the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design.

The discussion, led by Rudman Institute Executive Director Karen Curry, included the details of how the exhibition came to fruition and why the exhibit is important, as well as the panelists’ personal opinions on the Iraq War, post-traumatic stress disorder and the media today.

In 2003, Maass and Knight were reporting on the Iraq invasion with the same battalion in which McLaughlin was serving as a tank commander. Although they didn’t meet during the war, their paths would eventually intersect in 2008 when Maass was assigned to write a story about the toppling of the statue of Saddam Hussein in Firdos Square. When the statue was toppled in 2003, one marine put an American flag on the head of the statue.

“When I started researching this story, trying to reconstruct what happened, how that flag got there, how the statue was toppled, who gave the orders and how this kind of image was created in the media, I needed to find the flag guy. That was one of the threads that I needed to follow,” Maass said.

After some investigation, Maass learned that McLaughlin was the marine who placed the flag on the statue. Maass and McLaughlin met and got to know each other, and in 2009 McLaughlin took Maass to his parents’ home in Cambridge, N.H., where the flag was kept in a safe deposit box. While at McLaughlin’s parents’ home, McLaughlin showed Maass some of his military equipment and things he kept from the Iraq War. In his trunk of souvenirs laid two diaries he kept during the invasion of Iraq.

“You start working on something and cover something, and then something that you don’t even expect to happen, happens,” Maass said.

Maass showed the diaries to Knight, who saw the pages not only as a great story but as works of art. From here, the idea of combining each of their “versions” of the war into one exhibit was realized.

“There were so many different versions of the same event. There’s a bunch of us traveling in these cars up to Baghdad, and we witnessed everything differently and we bring our accumulated experience. I’m a photographer, Peter’s a writer, Tim’s a Marine; and I realized in the diaries that this was another version of history that we all shared,” Knight said.

McLaughlin was 25 when he wrote the diaries. The pages include light things like a picture of a young woman that McLaughlin was dating at the time and a letter he wrote to a Victoria’s Secret model. The pages also included the more serious aspects of McLaughlin’s war, like a letter to the parents of one of his Marines who was shot in the leg during an accidental fire, when he accidentally shot a civilian cab driver, as well as a list of events that changed McLaughlin’s life.

“It’s a little weird for me, to be honest. I didn’t write the diaries for you to read them,” McLaughlin said about having his diary pages on display. “When I explain to you what it is, it’s a third person explaining it to you. It’s not 2003 Tim anymore. It’s a different experience for me that I didn’t expect.”

McLaughlin left the Marine Corps in 2006 and said he had a lot of trouble transitioning. “I moved to Bosnia so I could go someplace more normal for me, which should sound weird to you.”

After coming home from Bosnia in 2009, McLaughlin said he had nightmares constantly and couldn’t sleep. Finally, in 2010, his wife told him to go get help. “Think about a 6-foot-3-inch, 230-pound war-veteran marine going up to the mental health floor. That was not an easy thing for me to do,” he said.

“If you go see a doctor in the military, we call it going to see the wizard. You probably guessed that that’s not a good connotation. You’ll get made fun of, you probably won’t get promoted, and you certainly won’t be in command of anything,” he said.

“My goal is to stand here and tell you, … on the credential list, I wear everything that I need to wear. And I tell you that I have PTSD, or whatever you want to call it, because it’s normal, and it shouldn’t be a stigma. And people should understand that when you ask [a Marine] to go do these things at 18 years old, he’s going to be affected,” McLaughlin said.

“It’s not post-traumatic stress ‘disorder’ … it would be a ‘disorder’ if I was not affected. I would be Charles Manson if I had had my experiences and wasn’t bothered by them,” he said.

McLaughlin was candid in explaining his opinion of the Department of Veterans Affairs, saying that the bureaucracy of getting seen by a doctor is too much. “The people of this country need to do a better job of making sure that the VA is there to catch people who aren’t as fortunate as me,” he said. “I’m a bright guy, and I’m capable and I can take care of myself. There are lots of people with my experiences who didn’t get as lucky as I did. … I don’t know what you think about the VA, but it doesn’t really work that well. They mean well, [but it] doesn’t work.”

McLaughlin, Maass and Knight all had a hand in picking which diary pages, photographs and texts would complete the exhibit. “It was hard because there are three of us and not one of us,” Maass joked. They wanted the exhibit to reflect their versions of reality, so they didn’t include outside producers, directors or curators.

Maass said the exhibit is a new way to tell a story. He said he hopes that people come away from the exhibit thinking about how old stories can be told in different ways because the old ways aren’t as effective. “Be experimental; find new ways of telling the same old stories because it hasn’t sunken in yet,” Maass said.

“There’s a lot of imagery; there’s a lot of video. A lot of great stories have been written about some of the war in Iraq, but what [the exhibit] does, I hope, is personalize that in some way and give you a different lens through which you can look at this war,” Knight said. “We’re just three ordinary guys who found ourselves in an extraordinary place at an extraordinary time.”

The exhibit premiered previously at the Bronx Documentary Center in New York from March 14 to April 19. It will be on display in Drexel University’s URBN Center lobby May 15-23. The exhibit is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and a photo ID will be required to enter the building after 3 p.m. The full contents of McLaughlin’s diaries can be viewed at wardiaries.org.

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A doctor at Drexel’s College of Medicine has helped to create the first cesarean section “manikin” that will save lives through realistic C-section simulation training in developing countries. The simulation, dubbed “C-Celia,” will teach health professionals how to perform emergency surgical interventions in areas of the world where neonatal and maternal mortality rates are extremely high.

“This is truly a first-in-the-world simulation and a design to save lives,” Dr. Owen Montgomery, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Drexel’s College of Medicine, said. “There are birthing simulators, which are not very lifelike, but there are no other simulators that allow you to do what we do.”

C-Celia was brought to Montgomery by colleague Dr. Robert Buckman in February 2011, who created the prototype and asked Montgomery if he could train people to use it. In July of that year, the simulation won first place in the Saving Lives at Birth category for the Grand Challenges in Global Health Grant.

As a lifelike model of a pregnant woman in need of a C-section, C-Celia prepares health professionals for what they will see in the operating room. An operator will need to cut through C-Celia’s abdomen, uterus and placenta to retrieve the model infant inside. C-Celia is also designed so that a single person can perform the operation alone, which may be the case in areas of the world where trained professionals are scarce. This is done with the use of a plastic ring retractor that keeps the abdominal incision open.

People are trained on C-Celia in small tasks. An operator will first be taught to make a skin incision and do so multiple times until he or she is proficient. Only after mastering skin incisions will the operator be able to move onto the next step of the surgery. Once proficient in all steps involved in performing a C-section separately, the operator will actually get to deliver the baby on C-Celia. Training in this way cuts down on costs, as the parts of C-Celia that get destroyed by incisions need to be replaced.

This simulated operation will need to be done while wearing gloves because the model features fake blood and amniotic fluid. Additionally, C-Celia can be adjusted to create difficult birthing situations.

“We can actually teach complicated deliveries by putting a baby in the uterus in different positions, so you have to know the different mechanisms to try to get a difficult baby out. We can make the model bleed, requiring the surgeon to know how to repair ruptures and bleeding lacerations,” Montgomery said.

C-Celia can also train an operator on how to perform a hysterectomy, a feature that will be used primarily in the U.S. The simulation’s main purpose is to instruct nonobstetricians, such as midwives and other health technicians, on how to carry out a lifesaving emergency C-section.

According to the World Health Organization, over half a million women die every year in pregnancy and childbirth in the developing world, and many of these deaths occur in Africa. This is where Montgomery saw a need for intervention in maternal and neonatal care, citing what he referred to as the three delays in delivery that lead to these subsequent deaths — the delay in deciding to seek care, reaching care and receiving care.

Reaching care proves extremely difficult in some countries where the two- to four-hour ambulance ride increases the mortality rate up to 50 percent. Though these countries often have small, local hospitals and clinics, distant university hospitals are the only places that offer emergency measures such as C-sections.

“We had resources and needs that weren’t mixed well. I believed I could train whoever was there rather than putting a woman into an ambulance and having her bleed to death on the way to the hospital. There are a couple of small hospitals around [The Gambia], but there are no providers of emergency obstetrics. They have midwives, and they can do routine obstetrics, but not complicated obstetrics,” Montgomery said. “So if we could teach one of the providers right there how to do a lifesaving cesarean delivery, even if they’re not an obstetrician, we could save two lives —the mom’s and the baby’s.”

Teaching local village technicians how to perform C-sections with the simulator has additional benefits. Nonphysicians trained locally have a much higher chance of remaining with the village clinic or hospital than do physicians, who will often leave after being trained.

“You’re not maintaining the ability to perform lifesaving deliveries by training the very few physicians there are because they go back to the capital or the United States to do something else,” Montgomery said.

In a country like the U.S., where the infant mortality rate is only 14 per every 100,000 births, teaching physicians to deliver with C-Celia is less purposeful. However, these skills, when taught to midwives and other nonphysicians, can be used when they go to developing countries.

“You have to go to where it is that you’re doing the most good. You can help women in Philadelphia, and we do every day, but we can’t have the same level of impact in Philadelphia by adding this technique because every hospital in Philadelphia is already fully capable and ready to go. Of course I can train the doctors here better, and I can train them in emergencies they don’t see all the time. But if 99 percent of the deaths occur in Africa, you have to go to Africa,” Montgomery said.

C-Celia has been used in simulations of natural disasters and extreme emergencies to prepare operators for worst-case scenarios. During an on-campus simulation day April 30, teams of students had to deliver a baby with C-Celia after the event of a simulated car accident. The objective of the operation was to intervene and save both mother and child at a time when the mother’s vital signs were fine and encouraged teamwork among the students.

“We teach as a team because when you go into the world, you’re going to practice as a team. So it’s entirely possible for medical students to learn all of their medical stuff and nurses to learn all their nursing stuff, and the first time they ever work together, they’re actually treating real patients. Well, that’s not the best method,” Montgomery said. “So what we want to do is to train people to work in the teams they’ll be working in later on because that will actually improve quality and satisfaction and safety. We use simulation as a vehicle to put teams together to train.”

Montgomery has met with several universities abroad that wish to work with C-Celia. He has also spoken to world leaders such as the first lady of Zambia, Dr. Christine Kaseba-Sata, who is an obstetrics and gynecology specialist herself and wants the model to be used for training in her country.

“Every once in a while, what I’ve learned and how I practice will save a life, and that is the absolute most rewarding thing. I can’t save lives if I’m not there, but I can teach people who can save lives every day,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery predicted that C-Celia will be ready to use for training in Africa within the next 12 months.

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Two members of the Drexel men’s golf team were honored for their contributions to the team this season. Head coach Mike Dynda was voted the Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year, and freshman Christopher Crawford was voted CAA Rookie of the Year. Crawford was also named Second Team All-CAA.

Their awards reflect the success achieved by the Dragons as they capped a successful season with a fourth-place finish at the CAA Championship. It was the highest finish for Drexel in the Championship since joining the CAA in 2002.

In his 10th season as head coach, Dynda led the team to five top-five finishes, including a victory Sept. 24 in the Swarthmore Open in Wilmington, Del. The team was in first place at the end of the first day of competition at the CAA Championship before falling to fourth by Sunday.

“Personally, it means a great deal, but obviously nothing can be accomplished without the unity of a team,” Dynda said of receiving the award. “At the CAAs, the Delaware coach came to me and said, ‘Your kids have made the greatest improvements,’ which is true. They continually strive to improve in all facets, including school and golf.”

The standout performer for the Dragons’ season was Crawford, who had one of the best first-year campaigns in Drexel history. Crawford’s 74-stroke average was the best by a Dragon in four years, and he claimed two individual victories this season. He finished first out of 60 golfers in the Swarthmore Invitational and first in the Lafayette Invitational out of 105 golfers. Crawford had seven individual top-10 finishes.

“This award is truly tremendous for him,” Dynda said of his freshman golfer. “He will keep getting better. … There are many more victories to come.”

Crawford had three rounds of scoring 70 or fewer this season, including a career-best 67 at the George Mason Invitational. The 67 is the best one-round score by a Dragon in the last four years. Crawford finished an outstanding rookie season by placing 13th at the CAA Championship. The Bensalem, Pa. native, who attended Holy Ghost Preparatory School, fired an opening-round 72 and was in second place after his first round.

This was by far the Dragons’ most successful season in Dynda’s 10 years as head coach. With Crawford returning only as a sophomore, Dynda will look to improve on his team’s performances and take his players to new heights in upcoming years.

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Seeing a former athlete in the broadcast booth has turned into a common occurrence in today’s sporting landscape.

However, a sport like crew typically lacks big-name stars, so when Drexel University graduate Alexandra Paulin found her way into the 6ABC booth for the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta May 10 and 11, it was quite the noteworthy occasion.

Paulin, who graduated this year with a bachelor’s degree in communication, was a successful member of the women’s varsity crew team during her time at Drexel. She guided the women’s varsity eight boat to a first-place finish at this very regatta her senior year.

One year later, she broadcasted the event for a television audience.

“[Not being part of the race] was a little different,” Paulin said, “but being on crew teams, I’ve watched so many races that I’m not in anyway, so I was kind of used to it.”

Paulin stepped into the booth with poise after three co-op opportunities with production assistants at different television stations. She also had numerous medals and four years of collegiate crew knowledge to her credit, which is why she said the experience, while amazing, was not too intimidating.

“I didn’t think it was incredibly difficult just because I know the sport so well,” Paulin said. “However, I still did a lot of extra research on the teams and the event, looking for any interesting tidbits, which I wouldn’t normally do if I were just going to the race.”

She also said that a few of her friends from high school who attend other local schools were able to give her information on their respective institutions’ teams, an extra insider’s advantage for someone who was already an insider.

However, while she and her friends and former teammates know the sport inside and out, crew is not an extremely mainstream sport. Paulin said she and her fellow anchor Ducis Rodgers made an extra effort to explain the rules and terms of crew to their audience, explaining terms such as coxswain along the way.

“[Rodgers] didn’t know a lot about crew,” Paulin said. “We were going over the rules during the broadcast, and I know the sport well enough to explain it.”

The former Dragon said that the hardest part was finding a way to avoid being a biased Blue and Gold cheerleader.

“In the beginning I came in not wanting to be too pro-Drexel as the broadcaster,” Paulin said. “As it went on, though, it was impossible. The last hour was a complete Drexel commercial, especially after the men’s varsity eight.”

After the Dragons’ largesse of success at this year’s event, it seems that Paulin was the team’s good luck charm on channel 6. However, she said she does not have any immediate plan for broadcasting jobs.

“It was a one-time thing, as far as I know,” Paulin said. “I would love to work for them in the future, but I’ll probably start somewhere a little bit smaller.”

As for what we can expect when she does find her way back to the broadcast booth, Paulin said that while it is not her strong suit, she would not be opposed to continuing her young sportscasting career.

“I’m up for anything, really, including sports, but general broadcasting is what I want to do,” she said. “In sports I can talk about baseball and crew, but crew doesn’t get a lot of coverage, as it’s a smaller sport. I couldn’t talk about something like hockey during a broadcast, but really, I would cover any topic if I was broadcasting it.”

Having proven her ability to represent Drexel and bring luck to the Dragons crew team, it would not be surprising if Paulin appeared on the Dad Vail broadcast team next year, flying the Blue and Gold underneath her broadcast uniform.

The women’s team will try for its third straight title in 2014, and the Dragons are bound to need their good luck charm.

The post Paulin covers crew regatta for 6ABC appeared first on The Triangle.

When it comes to movies based on true stories, it is always fascinating to see unbelievable events transpire in a real-life setting. While most schlocky horror movies these days claim to be extracted from reality, it is the crime genre that really succeeds in grabbing and holding my attention. In “The Iceman,” Israeli director Ariel Vromen (“Rx”) tells the incredible true story of Richard Kuklinski, the Polish Mafia hitman who killed over 100 people by the time he was apprehended in 1986. The Academy Award-nominated Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road,” “Take Shelter”) cometh as the cold-blooded murderer (hence the nickname) with an intensity that made me realize that he is truly an underrated actor. Set in a time period between 1964 and 1986, the movie follows Kuklinski through his marriage and recruitment by the mob. Vromen, who co-wrote the screenplay with Morgan Land, does a fine job with a film that is chock full of familiar actors, A-list or otherwise. Still, you may be yearning for some more substance in this newest installment to the crime genre.

Released May 3, “The Iceman” recounts the unbelievable life story of Richard Kuklinski, a Mafia hitman who killed over 100 people before his arrest in 1986. “Man of Steel”’s Michael Shannon stars as the infamous murderer with Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, James Franco, David Schwimmer, and Chris Evans co-starring.

The movie’s opening scene helps introduce Kuklinski as somewhat of a paradox. We find him sitting in a restaurant with his future wife, Deborah, played by Winona Ryder, who still seems as innocent and charming as ever. Kuklinski compares her to a prettier version of Natalie Wood. When prompted on what he does for a living, he claims to dub cartoons for Disney (“Cinderella” is his favorite). In reality, he makes a decent living creating pornographic films in a sketchy New Jersey lab. Like a real gentleman, he bids Deborah goodnight and then kills a man who rubs him the wrong way in a pool hall.

Throughout the movie, Vromen allows his leading man’s talents to shine. Shannon, who will portray General Zod in Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot “Man of Steel” (out June 14), plays Kuklinski like a hulking automaton with a slight limp, speaking in low monotones. The 6-foot-3-inch actor, truly menacing in the role, flawlessly encompasses the character, switching between tranquility and bouts of anger and violence. It is a marvelous thing when we adore and fear a character at the same time. More importantly, Shannon perfectly emulates a conscienceless killer. In the words of Ian Holm’s Ash from 1979’s “Alien,” Kuklinski is “a survivor unclouded by conscience, remorse or delusions of morality.” Unfortunately, the film fails to get truly inside this man’s deranged head, deciding instead to conduct its business on a playing field of pseudosanity. Shannon’s performance is reminiscent of Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector in 1991’s “The Silence of The Lambs,” a storm of murderous rampage just waiting to break free at any minute. Nevertheless, he still retains some shred of humanity through his personal code of refusing to murder women and children.

Richard and Deborah get hitched and have two daughters. All he really cares about is his family, acting on instincts like an animal, mindlessly killing and protecting his younglings; he is an antihero of the highest caliber. Kuklinski is soon employed as a hitman by mafioso Roy DeMeo, played by Ray Liotta in a predictable yet comfortable role reminiscent of “Goodfellas.-”. At this point, the filmmakers may have wanted to change the title to “101 Ways to Kill a Human Being,” as Kuklinski carries out hit after hit- — stabbing, strangling and shooting. His name is no longer Richard; it’s “Pollack.” One sequence features a cameo from James Franco, who seems to have a part in every movie these days, pleading with Kuklinski — and God — for his life.

The juxtaposition between his family and crime lives is fascinating to watch, especially because Kuklinski works so hard to keep them separate. The scenes where he snaps are the best, especially those involving his family. In one instance he tears up his house while fighting his wife, and in another he drives like a crazed maniac, putting his daughters in danger.

Among DeMeo’s posse is the pathetic Jewish wannabe mobster, Josh Rosenthal, played by none other than David Schwimmer with a ponytail and 1970s porn star mustache. He messes up just one too many times, causing Kuklinski to come into cahoots with Robert Pronge, another contract killer who rides around in the perfect cover in the form of an ice cream truck. Chris Evans (“Captain America”) takes a break from playing heartthrobs and superheroes to embody a ruthless gun for hire. Pronge is an intriguing mixture of disheveled, sleazy and brains. Like no big deal, he keeps frozen bodies in his truck while serving ice cream to young children and cuts up corpses as if it were a recreational activity.

The movie is set against the backdrop of a 1970s New Jersey and New York, similar to that of Ridley Scott’s 2007 “American Gangster.” While “The Iceman” accomplishes the look of the times (clothing, hairdos, televisions, etc.), it lacks the grittiness and realism of ‘70s-era crime movies like William Friedkin’s 1975 “The French Connection.” Moreover, we see no investigations into all the murders, with cops only showing up at the end. While this film just feels a bit too artificial, its dark tone helps make up for what it lacks. It is not a pure crime story, but a character study of a man who lives in two conflicting worlds. Unlike other movies set in the disco era, music doesn’t play a major part, but the songs that are used are used perfectly, like Electric Light Orchestra’s “Livin’ Thing,” which ironically preaches that a life is a terrible thing to lose.

Even before seeing this film, Shannon proved his worth as a maniac to me thanks to his intense narration of the now infamous angry sorority email for Funny or Die. Although it won’t become an instant classic anytime soon, Shannon’s performance makes it worth sitting through the almost two-hour runtime. I wouldn’t go so far as to call “The Iceman” the “Citizen Kane” of crime movies, but it has spunk, something a lot of movies could really use nowadays. The final verdict: Don’t turn a cold shoulder to “The Iceman.”

The post ‘The Iceman’ tells incredible true story of cold-blooded Mafia hitman appeared first on The Triangle.

Some people are content with the typical toast and butter. I am definitely not one of those people. Adding an assortment of your favorite ingredients can transform an ordinary piece of toast into a gourmet dish. 

Mexitoast is something I concocted while studying for and taking midterms during my sophomore year. When I was growing up, my mom always made omelets for breakfast on days when I had tests. She taught me about the importance of breakfast: that feeding your brain in the morning will help you function throughout the day.

In college, many students lose good eating habits by forgoing breakfast. People have told me they don’t have enough time for a good meal in the morning; making eggs takes prepping, cooking and cleaning time. I came up with a substitute breakfast that’s scrumptious and full of nutrients. Mexitoast is fast and easy and can be taken on the go! It was originally intended for breakfast,, but it works for any meal!

Mexitoast

1 large piece multigrain toast

¼ average size avocado

½ small tomato

2 tablespoons fresh cut mangos

Chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon Trader Joe’s Cilantro Dressing

Sriracha

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Dash of salt

A squeeze of fresh lime

Toast your bread.

Cut the avocado into fairly thick pieces. Cut your tomato and mango into small pieces.

Lay the avocado on the toasted bread. Spread the tomato and mango on top.

Sprinkle on the cilantro dressing. Add Sriracha and red pepper flakes. Dash a little bit of salt, squeeze fresh lime and spread chopped cilantro on top.

Enjoy!

The post Fork U appeared first on The Triangle.

In what is estimated to be one of the largest green retrofitting projects in U.S. history, a makeover of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is underway in New York City. The cost of the transformation is on the order of $463 million. While the effects that the green technology will have on the massive convention center and its surrounding environment are not yet known, they will be closely monitored by a team of engineers from Drexel University and The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art.

The 6.75-acre green roof is the centerpiece of a series of renovations designed to make the 27-year-old building an example of retrofitting for sustainability. When it opened in 1986, the Javits Center was, according to many architects, outdated by sustainable design measures before it even opened.

“In the last few years, the City of New York has made major commitments to sustainability and to different forms of green infrastructure,” Franco Montalto, a professor at Drexel’s College of Engineering and the team’s lead researcher, said. “The Javits Center green roof exemplifies the kind of environmentally sensible urban redevelopment projects that the City wants to encourage. The retrofit building will reduce urban runoff, mitigate the urban heat island effect, and potentially have a cooling effect on the streets and buildings that surround it. Our research will seek to quantify these benefits.”

Under the direction of FXFOWLE Epstein in New York City, a joint venture between FXFOWLE Architects and Epstein Global, the Javits Center’s major renovation project includes replacement of the building’s curtain wall, upgrades to the mechanical and electrical systems, and interior reconfigurations that will enhance the visitor experience as well as operational efficiency. These modifications are in addition to the green roof, which, at 292,000 square feet, will be the second-largest green roof on a single freestanding building in the United States.

As part of the research study, four climate stations will be installed on and around the green roof. Flumes, thermistors, soil sensors and a series of weighing lysimeters will be installed within the green roof itself. Together, these instruments will be used to evaluate what effect the green roof has on its immediate microclimate by measuring how much rainwater ultimately runs off and/or evaporates from its surface and to what extent the roof — and the intake for the convention center’s air conditioning system — is cooler once the vegetation is in place.

The design and installation of the sensor system will be led by Montalto’s research team, which is currently monitoring more than 15 other green infrastructure sites in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Students from The Cooper Union will monitor the data and use it to learn about and model functional sustainable design projects.

“The Javits Center green roof project provides Cooper Union students with a significant learning opportunity to study sustainable design and use New York City as a learning laboratory,” Joseph Cataldo, a professor in the Albert Nerken School of Engineering at The Cooper Union, said.

The students are currently developing a model that will use climate and infrared data to predict the thermal behavior of the green roof. This model will help them better understand the temperature patterns in green roofs and New York City.

“Water and energy are intimately linked through the process of evapotranspiration. Incident solar radiation changes liquid water, originally deposited on the roof by precipitation, into water vapor, which then leaves the roof surface, Montalto said. “The energy consumed by this process keeps the roof and building cooler than it otherwise would be, since without the green roof this energy would simply heat up the roof surface. At the same time, if the air in the vicinity of the air conditioner intake pipes is cooler, these units have to work less to cool the already cooler building.”

The architects at FXFOWLE Epstein predict that the renovations will decrease the center’s energy consumption by as much as 26 percent.

The post Green roof progresses sustainability appeared first on The Triangle.

The Goodwin College of Professional Studies Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts Program offered its students the opportunity to create a five-course meal for a collaborative dinner May 14 with one of Philadelphia’s top French restaurants, Le Bec Fin.

Two Drexel students were paired up with a chef to create a specific course for the meal. The students were able to incorporate their own ideas into the dishes while being guided by established and experienced chefs.

At the event, the students explained each course before it was served, pointing out the freshness and uniqueness of the dishes they prepared along with from where the organic ingredients came.

Each dish was uniquely presented to reveal its freshness; this included assembling the first course, halibut chowder, at diners’ tables.

“It’s deconstructed chowder; you’ll get to see all the ingredients before the soup is poured. We wanted to showcase the freshness of the ingredients. We got to work with shellfish and scallops that were straight from the shell. Halibut is in season right now and has a very short season up in Maine, so we wanted to showcase this because of its freshness,” Erin McGuire, a sophomore culinary arts major, said.

After the chowder, diners were served Hudson Valley foie gras almond profiterole followed by broiled amberjack. The main course was a trio of Quarry Hill farm lamb.

The meal concluded with a cheese tart and a rhubarb desert with ice cream.

Prior to the dinner, 10 culinary art students, along with Le Bec Fin Chef de Cuisine Steven Eckerd and Drexel Culinary Arts Program Director Jonathan Deutsch, went to the Headhouse Farmers Market to select the ingredients for the dinner.

“Working with the chef and the entire team to shop for ingredients at Headhouse Farmers Market, visit Quarry Hill farm, suggest wine pairings, and develop and execute the menu is an amazing opportunity for our students and one we’re so proud to be able to provide,” Deutsch said.

Working with Le Bec Fin allows for the next generation of chefs to get real-world experience as a supplement to their classroom instruction. The students were not only given the chance to create and prepare a meal at a fine-dining restaurant, but they were also able to collaborate with seasoned chefs who have sculpted the Philadelphia food scene.

“We used to do a lot together — Le Bec Fin and Drexel — but that sort of fizzled out over the past few years. … Let’s try to reinvigorate this connection,” Deutsch said when introducing the inspiration for the dinner.

The event was open to the public. Tickets were priced at $110 per person or $85 for students, with an optional wine pairing for an additional $55. A portion of the proceeds from the collaborative dinner will benefit the Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts Program.

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The India pale ale style originated in England in the mid-1800s. The famed brewing waters of villages like Burton upon Trent contained large amounts of minerals, which served to bring forth and accentuate the flavor of the hops. It’s interesting to note that to this day, many brewers of IPAs intentionally add gypsum and other minerals to their brewing water in an attempt to achieve that extra hop “punch.” I’ll touch more on the wonderful early history of the IPA style in later musings, but in case you’re interested, I recommend Stone Brewing Co. brewmaster Mitch Steele’s recent book on the topic (creatively titled “IPA”).

IPAs were originally aged in large wooden barrels for many months, resulting in a pale and mellow beer, far different from what we call an IPA today. American IPA has become a style unto itself, and in many ways it is becoming one of the defining modern American beer styles. Go to a bar with more than a couple beers on tap, and I bet you’ll find an American IPA.

In the American version of India pale ale, the dominating flavors come from the huge amounts of hops used, typically highly aromatic American varieties grown in the Pacific Northwest. The hops really take center stage in these ales. Breweries on the West Coast of the U.S. are especially known for taking this to a new level, using insane amounts of hops in their IPAs. Green Flash’s aptly named West Coast IPA is a shining example.

Green Flash Brewing Co., located in the hills of sunny San Diego, was founded in 2002 by former pub owners Mike and Lisa Hinkley. The name of the brewery comes from an awesome optical phenomenon that appears very briefly during sunsets over the ocean (Google “green flash” —it’s pretty cool). The West Coast IPA is Green Flash’s flagship offering. At $12 per four-pack, it’s not hard to see that they think pretty highly of this beer — but rightly so! Let me explain.

I uncapped a bottle and was immediately hit with strong hop aromas. As I poured the beer into a glass, I could smell the hops from across the room — they definitely dominate the aroma. The beer pours a cloudy red-tinged amber. Somewhat surprisingly, hop flavor doesn’t dominate the taste of the beer as much as would be expected from the powerful nose. There is a noticeable sweet malt character mixed with wild and eclectic hop flavors. This beer is very bitter and full-bodied. It is certainly not a beer to play flip cup with, especially at 7.3 percent ABV.

This is the kind of beer to enjoy over a long period, allowing it to warm slowly to room temperature. It’s amazing the way the flavors evolve as it warms. The hops really open up, and the nuanced flavors of the beer really start to come forth. One sip of this beer certainly goes a long way — I could still taste it five minutes after drinking it.

This beer is awesome. It’s a fabulous example of a hop-heavy, well-brewed American IPA. Whether you are an unapologetic hophead or are simply in an adventurous mood, grab a West Coast IPA. This beer is definitely a flavorful adventure that brings mirth and merriment to the palate in a hundred different ways.

The post Hop aroma dominates Green Flash’s pale ale appeared first on The Triangle.

Got any tips for building a resume?

Sincerely,

Workaholic Will

Dear Workaholic Will,

As a master of deception, I have a few tips on embellishing your resume to make you appear irresistible for even the most competitive jobs. I suggest making every hobby or skill of yours appear sophisticated. For example, if you’re someone who enjoys spending time playing Club Penguin, I suggest writing “children’s entertainment enthusiast.” If you eat lots of toast because you’re not Martha Stewart, then you’re a “toastmaker extraordinaire”. It’s simple — just make everything sound professional. Pull a Gatsby and deceive everyone. I also suggest asking trustful people — and those you meet on Craigslist don’t count — to take a look at your resume and help you make it better.

Sincerely,

Eloise

Dear Eloise,

I’m a freshman, and I want to take advantage of my only free summer during my time at Drexel. What should I do?

Sincerely,

Summer Samantha

Dear Summer Samantha,

Because it’s your only summer, you should make it the best one yet. I suggest sitting at home, eating peanut butter sandwiches and watching entire seasons of “Law & Order” on Netflix. If that doesn’t seem like your cup of tea, you should cover your body in Nutella and roll down a bunch of hills. However, I don’t suggest this because I am not sure if it is legal and also because that’s a waste of Nutella. Get a job bagging groceries, become an indentured servant and take an unpaid internship, or take a class over the summer to get ahead. I also suggest buying some aviators, getting a tan and spending lots of time people watching at your local pool. Just have some fun, for Pete’s sake!

Sincerely,

Eloise

Dear Eloise,

This spring weather is driving me nuts; it’s cold in the mornings but extremely warm in the afternoon. What do I wear to class?

Sincerely,

Fashion Fiona

Dear Fashion Fiona,

I suggest putting deodorant on your legs circa Paulie Bleeker in 2007. Then buy a pair of pants that have zippers on the legs and turn into shorts. This way, when it gets warm you can just unzip layers and leave them behind. Layers are really key here; think of yourself as a cake. Just make sure you don’t eat too much cake because you want to maintain your summer figure underneath all of these cakelike layers. In reality, I think you should just wear a sweater or jacket that you could take off in the afternoon. Enjoy the weather before the summer heat makes you melt like a Popsicle.

Sincerely,

Eloise

The post Dear Eloise appeared first on The Triangle.

The Good Idea Fund and Drexel’s Active Minds hosted an event May 13 for the first day of Mental Health Awareness Week with Tamar Chansky, a psychologist focused on anxiety disorders, who gave a lecture titled “Freeing Yourself from Anxiety: How to Not Let Stress Freak You Out or Worry Fake You Out of Doing What You Want.”

Throughout her presentation, Chansky reminded the audience of her key point: “The problem isn’t ourselves; it’s the alarms we have.” In other words, humans are built with a fight-or-flight response triggered by the brain’s amygdalae. This type of response has allowed the human race to prosper in the face of great perils over time.

However, even though humans typically do not have to confront those types of dangers anymore (like tigers), the amygdalae still respond the same way to nervousness at an interview or anxiety over beginning a new serious relationship. It is the reason why many people find their hearts racing and palms sweating when they are anxious.

Chansky discussed another source of anxiety in areas like school and work — the fact that people waste too much time worrying about the problem rather than working toward a solution. They attribute the problem to an “external locus of control,” meaning that the issue is not rooted within themselves but rather in an outside force they cannot control. However, people can often control their problems. Chansky offered four steps to overcome this anxiety.

First, she suggested that people who find themselves overly worried pause and relabel their issues. She compared it to a caller ID. There are two separate phone lines: the one with accurate feedback and the one with bad news. If the receiver never pays attention to which call he or she is taking, then the negative thoughts will be interwoven with his or her own, and that person will dwell on the negative thoughts. However, by recognizing these negative calls, the receiver can filter the issues and address the root cause of the problem.

Secondly, Chansky recommended that the problem should be boiled down to its most specific state. People tend to create universal problems when they are lacking in one aspect of their lives. Chansky provided an example: “I can’t rely on any of my friends.” If this statement is analyzed further, its source could be as simple as, “One friend let me down.” When seemingly insurmountable issues are broken down to their most basic forms, they are usually just one magnified problem.

Thirdly, she stated that in order to solve problems effectively, a variety of solutions must be considered. One way to gain multiple perspectives is to create a list of four people — heroes, role models, family, friends and the like — and with that list in mind, consider what advice they would offer in a particular situation. She said it works, even though, in her words, it sounds “campy.”

Finally, mobilization is critical to solving any problem, and it begins with finding the small movable parts of the problem — the parts that your imagination creates or the parts that don’t really matter. Again, it is about getting to the true source of the issue rather than trudging through the infinity of surface-level negativity.

“Maybe you’re thinking about starting a business or a serious relationship. Put that goal on the top of the page and plan it out from point A to point B,” Chansky said.

Despite how simple it sounds, it will help solidify the goal in a visual context, thus making it more achievable.

Following this discussion of anxiety and its remedies, Chansky briefly discussed perfectionism and procrastination. According to her, perfectionists have a “do-good mindset” rather than a “get-better mindset,” meaning that perfectionists believe they are failures unless they do well from the start without faltering.

Their biggest problem is that they spend so much time evaluating and judging themselves that their performance, focus and mental health suffer in the process.

As for procrastination, Chansky advised, “Set up your launching pad, then walk away.” Launching pads are the places where work is done, where books are open to the required pages and laptops are ready to go. After a mental debrief by hanging out with a friend or grabbing some lunch, it will be easier to return to that launching pad and finish the required tasks.

Toward the end of her presentation, she said, “Don’t just weed out the bad [thoughts]; bring in the goodness.” A major stress reliever is gratitude. Many people have started keeping journals of random acts of kindness or moments that made them smile because it creates a sense of appreciation and well-being.

Chansky also said, “Empathy reduces stress anxiety.” So rather than hate someone for not smiling back or worry about some incident, Chansky said that we should empathize with those who hurt us. No one knows what is going on in any one person’s mind or life, but trying to understand others makes life less stressful. There is no need to reciprocate animosity or tension. That only causes more anxiety. Maybe, by considering other people’s situations, some of their anxiety can be relieved through empathy and compassion.

Chansky closed by saying, “It’s your choice. Choose wisely.” Even though thoughts cannot be changed, reactions to them can be. With the right reactions, unnecessary anxiety will dissipate and productivity will increase.

The post Fight or flight instinct causes stress appeared first on The Triangle.

Dario Salvucci discussed the advances made in modeling multitasking in the latest lecture in the College of Engineering’s Dean’s Lecture Series. The talk, titled “Walk, Text, and Chew Gum: A Computational Approach to Understanding Human Multitasking,” was presented May 14 in Mitchell Auditorium.

Salvucci, an alumnus of both Princeton University and Carnegie Mellon University, began the lecture by reviewing the various activities that fall under the banner of multitasking. He highlighted distracted driving as “the most salient and the most newsworthy these days.”

The audience was given an abridged version of multitasking theory. Salvucci focused on the concept of threaded cognition, an idea that he and other collaborators developed to describe and predict the effects of multitasking.

“The idea is that you have these threads of thought in your head that can be expressed computationally, and then you want to try and predict how these threads can interact with one another,” Salvucci explained.

Referencing Albert Einstein, Salvucci continued on to describe the brain as a “thought kitchen.” While the brain has a number of resources available, it is ultimately limited by the capacity of a central processor, just as a chef can only cook so many dishes at a time. The theory points to the basal ganglia of the brain as the limiting factor in our ability to multitask.

Salvucci and his colleagues aimed to understand more about the nature of this procedural pileup. They developed a model using a programming language with human flaws and capabilities. This model was incorporated into a driving scenario and used to measure the effect of distractions while driving. The driving model is a central feature in a device named “Distract-R,” which allows users to predict the degree of distraction caused by different tasks, such as tuning the radio or dialing a phone number.

Ford Motor Co. collaborated with Salvucci and his team to test the validity of the model. While it was difficult to express the effects of different multitasking activities quantitatively, the rank order of the interfaces of the tasks ended up being good for the test.

“We may not have the numbers exactly right, but we may be able to say that a certain way of using this radio is a lot more efficient than the different way,” Salvucci said. Considering the accuracy and convenience of the model, Salvucci hopes that it will one day reduce the amount of human testing. Taking human subjects off the road while testing potentially dangerous multitasking would not only save time and money but would also serve to make this line of research safer.

Now that there is a reliable model of distracted driving, researchers hope to expand this study to observe the effects of multiple distracted drivers with the use of variables such as traffic and commute time. Preliminary research shows that one distracted driver in a group of 20 cars can, in fact, produce a significant ripple effect. Salvucci went on to say that the future of driving is heading toward an age where vehicles will intake far more information than they do currently. For example, a driver may be able to communicate with adjacent vehicles or may receive a warning projected into his car from a red light. This upcoming influx of potential distractions poses both advantages and disadvantages for drivers, which can be evaluated by understanding the effects of multitasking.

Salvucci concluded his talk by explaining the societal implications of his research and the emerging debates on distracted driving. “This sort of underlying science and engineering is really important to give us more information to make these kinds of decisions.”

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Twin sisters and Drexel students Gabriella and Sage Cifaloglio have both been selected as members of the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleading squad for the 2013 season. Sage, a junior business administration major, has already been on the cheerleading squad for one year, and this will mark the first year for Gabriella, a senior design and merchandising major. Both sisters are in the Phi Mu sorority and are former members of the Drexel Dance Team. They were among 38 women who were chosen April 24 to be part of this year’s cheerleader roster.

The 2013 Eagles cheerleaders received their pom poms and uniforms April 30 during the first meeting with the squad, and their first official event took place May 8, when they shot photos in Cape May, N.J., for this year’s Eagles calendar. The proceeds from the calendar sales will go to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.

During the semifinal round of the selections, the prospective cheerleaders had to introduce themselves to an audience and a panel of judges, which included a select group of season ticket holders, along with performing a dance onstage in a group of three. Those who called the hotline number and made it to the finals had to participate in a “fitness” round, where they modeled a bathing suit and then went through a different round of interview questions, which was followed by another dance performance. Gabriella has an extensive background and experience with dancing, having had practice from the age of 7. She said that she considers her dance experience the biggest factor in her success as a cheerleader today.

Gabriella is still undecided about how big of a role cheerleading will play in her future. “For right now, it will probably just remain as a college job to me. But seeing all my friends on the squad and how much they love doing it, I am definitely keeping my options open to it being a possible career in the future.”

Gabriella continued, “The NFL is not just about people’s individual talents or skills but their showmanship ability and how well they can combine their talents with their ability to grab the audience’s attention.” When asked from where her inspiration to become a cheerleader originally came, Gabriella attributed this to her dancing and explained how dancing helped her prepare as a performer for cheerleading.

Understanding that she will be a role model for many younger girls who are aspiring cheerleaders, Gabriella offered her words of advice for girls who are interested in following her footsteps: “Always be yourself. Never try to be something or someone that you are not, and portray confidence in yourself; people will love you for who you really are. Above all, never forget that hard work can get anyone anywhere they want to go in life.”

“A cheerleader really has to be able to be as friendly as possible, always displaying a positive attitude and mentality. They must be able to respect themselves as well as other people at all times, and most importantly, they must be able to represent. When I say represent, I do not mean necessarily to represent themselves by name but rather to represent the organization that they are working for and carry that image with a sense of pride,” she said.

The cheerleaders will have rehearsals Tuesday and Wednesday nights starting in June. They will also be required to attend special appearances and will be at Lincoln Financial Field for eight hours during home games.

The post Twins chosen for Eagles cheer team appeared first on The Triangle.

The 11th annual Italian Market Festival is being held in one of Philadelphia’s most established neighborhoods — the stretch of South 9th Street in South Philadelphia now known as the 9th Street Italian Market. This area just south of Center City has always been a multicultural and vibrant mix of people and businesses. In recent years the Italian Market area has started to attract an upscale population. New condos, restaurants and coffeehouses are filling the area. The festival originated in 1971 and was revived for 2003 with a flavor of the old and in keeping with the new face of 9th Street. Several corporate sponsors have already committed to underwrite this exciting event. This is a perfect location for a craft festival. Bring the entire family to experience the annual Procession of Saints and to enjoy the live entertainment, family events, crafts, food, food and more food!

Italian Market, 9th and Christian streets
Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: free
www.italianmarketfestival.com

Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival

The annual Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival is coming back Saturday, May 18 for another year and is expecting an attendance of over 50,000 people! Visitors will be able to stroll along Walnut Street and enjoy tastings of spring fare (not to mention free wine tastings) from renowned restaurants in the area. There will also be live music and even a fashion show.

Walnut Street between Broad and 19th streets
Saturday, May 18, noon to 5 p.m.
Cost: free
www.rittenhouserow.org

Brewerytown Spring Festival

The annual Brewerytown Spring Festival will transform the 2700 and 2800 blocks of West Girard Avenue into a colorful and tasty street festival celebrating art, food and music. The event will include live music, specials from local businesses, 15 to 20 unique food trucks from the Philadelphia Mobile Food Association, children’s activities, and talented arts and crafts vendors.

2700-2800 W. Girard Ave.
Saturday, May 18, noon to 5 p.m.
Cost: free
www.fairmountcdc.org

What’s Out There Weekend Philadelphia

The Cultural Landscape Foundation invites you to explore and discover What’s Out There Weekend Philadelphia, featuring a series of free expert guided tours highlighting the city’s remarkable landscape legacy. During the weekend, members of the public can visit more than two dozen different sites around the city.

Various locations around the city
Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19
Cost: free
www.tclf.org

Broadway hits the Kimmel Center

We are proud to present Broadway Philadelphia’s 2013-14 Season! This unforgettable lineup will have you dancing in the aisles and belting the classics! From the creators of “South Park” and winner of nine Tony Awards, “The Book of Mormon” anchors the season with a limited six-week engagement. The New York Times calls it “the best musical of the century” and Entertainment Weekly says it’s “the funniest musical of all time.” Our blockbuster season also features the beautiful Irish melodies of “Once,” Queen’s epic hits in “We Will Rock You,” and the iconic rhythms in “Flashdance The Musical,” as well as Broadway legends “The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess,” “Evita,” and the premiere of an all-new production of “The Phantom of the Opera.” Remember, season ticket holders are guaranteed the best seats in the house and have access to single tickets BEFORE they go on sale to the public. Order your season tickets TODAY!

Various theaters

Now-2014

Cost: varies

www.kimmelcenter.org

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A groundbreaking ceremony for the newly named Raymond G. Perelman Plaza was held May 7. The event marked the beginning of construction for a complete renovation of the current plaza, which is set to become Drexel’s primary space for outdoor socializing and events.

The space is located between Market and Chestnut streets. It is currently a hub for pedestrian traffic, especially because it is situated between the two largest construction projects on campus. The plaza’s northern border will be the new LeBow College of Business building, which cost an estimated $92 million and is set to open this fall The southern border will be the $98 million Chestnut Square development, which will contain a mix of student housing and retail space and is also set to open this fall.

President John A. Fry opened the event with a speech thanking Perelman for his generous donation and his commitment to Drexel. “Vision has always been Perelman’s strong suit,” Fry said.

“This plan calls for the Perelman Plaza [to] be Drexel’s physical center of gravity. This will be the 50-yard line of Drexel University, and we don’t even have a football team,” he joked.

The entire reconstruction is part of Drexel University’s master plan, which focuses on establishing Drexel as a modern urban campus. The development is a four-phased, five-year process designed to draw the community to shared spaces as well as integrate Drexel into the surrounding neighborhoods.

Developments anticipated in the coming years include building a mezzanine-level student gathering space in the Armory, relocating the Steinbright Career Development Center to 32nd and Market streets, and creating a new home for the School of Public Health in Nesbitt Hall.

The more ambitious goals include redeveloping the site of the Hess Engineering Research Laboratory into retail and housing units, building over and developing the Schuylkill Rail Yards, and expanding the College of Information Science and Technology pending a benefactor.

Students at the groundbreaking ceremony were positive and relatively excited for the changes.

“Throughout my freshman year there has been construction going on around Drexel,” Viral Desai, a senior business administration major, said. “It’s really great that Drexel’s doing all of this.”

Zac Rubin, another senior business administration major, had similar sentiments. “These are definitely good things. I’m glad Drexel is revitalizing the neighborhood, but it’s a shame I won’t be around to see it completed. I look forward to coming back as an alum[nus], though,” he said.

The Perelman Plaza’s restoration was made possible by a $5 million donation from the Raymond and Ruth Perelman Education Foundation. Drexel University’s College of Medicine awarded Raymond Perelman, the plaza’s namesake, an honorary degree in 2012.

The landscape architecture will be completed by Andropogon Associates Ltd. Jose Alminana and Tom Amoroso both represented the firm at the ceremony.

A highlight of the event was the speech given by Perelman himself. “I didn’t realize that people wanted me to speak, so I’ll be very short. Thank you all for coming, and I am overwhelmed. … This is a fabulous university, and I’m glad to become a part of it. Thank you very much,” he said. His speech received a standing ovation from the audience.

The campus master plan will theoretically be fulfilled in conjunction with the University’s overall strategic plan, a longer, 30-year proposal. A notable goal of the strategic plan will be enrollment prioritization. By 2021 the University hopes to increase the student body to 34,000 students. Including online students, there are currently 25,500 students enrolled at the University.

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Drexel’s Expressive and Creative Interaction Technologies Center received a $75,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation April 29. ExCITe’s proposal, an initiative to engage people in the arts by creating media technology such as visuals and mobile apps to integrate into live concerts, was an entry in the 2013 Knight Arts Challenge.

Three initiatives of the proposal focus on the creation of music technology and engaging audiences, including a hack-a-thon, a musician residency program and a series of live concerts. The new residency program will bring local artists to campus to create new works with ExCITe, while the hack-a-thon will develop innovations in media technology.

“We are trying to highlight the great virtues of music technology and how intersecting the two can do so many things. For one, it can lead to more interesting and expressive performances, and it can help engage audiences in something that they might not be that familiar with, like jazz or classical or even some genres of pop. And then, we’re really just trying to get the community involved in music making,” Youngmoo Kim, director of the ExCITe Center, said.

The first of ExCITe’s concert series, “The Science of Jazz,” took place April 23 during the Philadelphia Science Festival. The set utilized a smartphone application that would allow users to change the image displayed on screens behind the musicians. However, the app serves as more than just aesthetic appeal, as it also lets users see some of the physical aspects of the music such as frequency, wavelength, harmony and timbre.

The next part of ExCITe’s initiative takes place May 18 and 19 during Music Hack Day, when programmers, designers and artists will work together to create everything from instruments and art to hardware and apps to benefit the future of music. The event will be sponsored by big names in music like Spotify and SoundCloud. Music Hack Day is free for students to register online at philly.musichackday.org. There will also be a demonstration session May 19 for students to see the hackers’ creations.

“This initiative is really just showing some of the possibilities when you cross music and technology. People think that these are different things, but historically, music and technology have been symbiotic. Innovation in music drives through technology,” Kim said.

Kim cited the modern piano we use today, created over hundreds of years of technical innovations, as proof that musical technology is constantly developing. Further evidence of this innovation was showcased at the “Science of Jazz” concert with a magnetic resonator piano. Using electromagnets, the performer can create unique sounds and continuously shape each note.

Kim was involved in another project funded by the Knight Foundation in 2011, a collaborative effort with the Philadelphia Orchestra to create iNotes, an iPhone app that provides real-time notes about orchestral pieces, which appear on your mobile device during the live performance.

Like iNotes, Kim says that this year’s proposal is another initiative to engage audiences who may not be familiar with a genre of music. “Everyone loves music, but not everyone has learned an instrument or feels comfortable doing that. So we, through this project and others, have tried to develop ways that people can be musically expressive without necessarily having years of training,” Kim said.

One of the requirements of the Knight Arts Challenge is that the proposal must take place in and benefit Philadelphia in some way. This fits in with the purpose of the ExCITe Center, as its self-declared mission is to serve as a space for creative people who want to work together on innovative projects benefiting the Philadelphia region and beyond.

“In Philadelphia specifically, we focus on the arts, arts and culture and on digital access and literacy. We look for programs that bring new audiences to the arts or engage communities in the arts,” Donna Frisby-Greenwood, Philadelphia director of the Knight Foundation, said. “We think that the work that Drexel is doing with civic engagement is very important. [The school is] trying to be a great neighbor to the community that it lives in and give back to the neighborhood.”

The 43 winning ideas from across Philadelphia, chosen from an original pool of 1,200 submissions, won more than $2 million total. This was the last year of the three-year, $8 million art initiative that the Knight Arts Challenge launched in 2010. It has since awarded grants to 114 ideas for enriching Philadelphia’s communities and art scenes. In total, the Knight Foundation has invested over $100 million in the city’s art scene since 1970.

“Philadelphia has a rich arts and culture history, and those things are a huge part of what we are in Philadelphia. When students start to visit them, they really start to get a sense of what Philadelphia is all about. They see how huge the creative community is here and what a huge amount of opportunity there is here to take part in the arts,” Frisby-Greenwood said.

“Creativity is not a gift given to select individuals. Creativity is in everyone. A lot of it comes from when you bring people together from different disciplines like scientists, engineers, artists and designers. Once we all get started talking, we realize that there are so many things we can accomplish, so many things we can do. Everyone can create things,” Kim said.

The ExCITe Center is not the only Drexel program that has worked with the Knight Foundation. Drexel’s Pennoni Honors College was awarded a $20,000 grant in 2011. That grant created a program for students to write as journalists for art coverage in the Philadelphia Daily News.

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A week after being named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association First Team, the Drexel men’s lacrosse team trio that head coach Brian Voelker called the “1-2-3 punch” moved on to the offseason lifestyle.

Senior attack Robert Church appeared in the Daskalakis Athletic Center with some scrapes across his face and a cut on his nose; “tackle football in the park” was the cause.

Junior midfielder Ben McIntosh accompanied Church with a backward cap restraining his hair that he had grown out all season long. As longtime teammates and friends from Coquitlam, British Columbia, the two have been inseparable on and off the field for years.

Meanwhile, sophomore Ryan Belka was also supposed to make an appearance, but the midfielder from Crofton, Md., got stuck in traffic on his way back to Philadelphia after a trip home for the weekend.

Conference accolades were given May 2, the day after the Dragons fell to Towson University 11-8 in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament in State College, Pa. Even though the three individual plaques will be on display, they would have looked a lot better next to a CAA Championship trophy.

“It feels good,” Church said about being named to the All-CAA First Team. “Obviously not as good as winning the CAA [would have been], but I guess it’s a good consolation prize.”

Church, along with Belka and McIntosh, represented half the offensive positions on the All-CAA First Team, which was fitting because the Dragons’ offense was so potent this season. Drexel led the CAA by scoring an average of 12.13 goals per game, including 11.67 goals per game in conference play.

“It definitely means we were able to put up some great numbers this year,” McIntosh said, although his answer quickly turned to a realization about his partner in crime. “[But] losing Church is [going to] hurt us on offense because he was probably our best guy. … Now we [have to] fill that hole.”

The realization of separation was mutual, as just hours after the Dragons’ season-ending loss to Towson, Church tweeted, “One of the toughest parts about that loss is that it’s probably the last competitive game ill [sic] ever play with [McIntosh] #bestbuddy.”

Both were among the top five scorers in the CAA this season. Church finished his senior campaign with 33 goals and 24 assists for 57 total points, and McIntosh fell just short of his teammate with 56 total points on 38 goals and 18 assists.

Even though the pair showed consistency and explosiveness throughout the season, they were not surprised when Austin Kaut, The Pennsylvania State University’s junior goalie, was named CAA Player of the Year.

“I [kind of] figured it would be Kaut from Penn State,” Church said. “He’s been like the best goalie in the nation all year, … so he was very deserving of it.”

After being named CAA Rookie of the Year last season and All-CAA First Team last week as a sophomore, it would make sense for Belka to be somewhere in the CAA Player of the Year discussion next season.

The midfielder finished seventh in the conference in scoring with 27 goals and 17 assists for a total of 44 points and was the only second-year player to be among the select few on the All-CAA First Team. Belka said he expects to build on his performance this season and build up his all-around game going into his third year in the Blue and Gold.

“As I move forward in my career, I hope to improve on the obvious and get bigger, stronger and faster,” Belka said. “From a team perspective, I want to become more of a leader vocally on and off the field to accomplish our goals of winning a CAA championship and [earning an] NCAA berth.”

Along with McIntosh, freshman attack Frank Fusco and junior attack Nick Trizano, Belka will return to head the potent Drexel offense next season. But with the departure of Church, along with senior midfielder Aaron Prosser, there are some voids in the starting lineup that could be filled by fresh faces.

“I think Hank Brown could definitely step up and put up some numbers,” McIntosh said. “Redshirt freshman Cole Shafer could [as well]; he’s probably [going to] be stepping in for Church’s spot.”

And guess what? Shafer is also from Coquitlam! He will continue the legacy of the Dragons’ British Columbian pipeline that Ben’s brother Garrett McIntosh, a senior midfielder, began in University City five years ago. Meanwhile, it is time for Church to move on with his career, which he will attempt to continue at the professional level.

“I’m trying to play pro in the [National Lacrosse League], which is the indoor [lacrosse] league,” he explained. In addition, Church will graduate with a degree in sport management in June that will help him “hopefully find a job in sports somewhere along the line.”

The future may turn into any number of outcomes for Church and for Voelker’s program, which is still looking for its first-ever NCAA Tournament bid. But one thing is for certain: this season was a special one.

“The coaches have said that this team has been the closest family they’ve ever coached, and I think that attributes directly to the seniors and captains,” Belka said. “[They] were the guys who brought it every day and set an example of what Drexel lacrosse is all about.”

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The Drexel University women’s lacrosse team wasn’t able to overcome top-seeded Towson University in the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament. The Dragons fell to the Tigers 8-7 May 3 in Towson, Md. The loss marked the end of the season for Drexel, with hopes of an NCAA bid slim.

The game didn’t follow the same pattern as the last few games for the Dragons. Both teams came out strong in the first half, with Towson taking a slim 5-4 lead. Drexel got on the board first with back-to-back goals from junior midfielder Amanda Norcini and senior attack Alyse Maiden. The Tigers’ Jackie LaMonica netted a hat trick, and then Towson scored another goal to go up 4-2. The Dragons scored a goal to get closer, but the Tigers answered with 38 seconds remaining in the half. Drexel got one more to end the half.

The Dragons came out firing in the second half with goals by senior midfielders Kristin Kopenhaver and Kelli Joran to gain a 6-5 lead. Towson answered with a goal to tie the game, but Norcini put the Dragons ahead one more time. It was none other than LaMonica who scored for the Tigers to tie it again. The Tigers netted one more to finish off the Dragons 8-7. LaMonica, with four goals, was the big factor in the game.

“As a veteran player, Jackie really took the team on her shoulders,” Drexel head coach Anna Marie Vesco said. “Our pressure did not deter her. She was composed and put her shots away. She was their X factor that day.”

Vesco liked the way her team played from whistle to whistle, unlike they had in the past.

“We had a great defensive scheme and went into the match with high pressure,” Vesco said. “We played a hard-fought game. If it weren’t for some untimely turnovers in our attacking end, which led to Towson tying us up, then we would have pulled the upset.”

Towson went on to win the CAA Tournament on its home field May 5 against Hofstra University by a 9-4 score.

A day before the game, Joran and Norcini were both given First Team All-CAA honors at the CAA Awards Banquet. Joran scored 37 goals and nine assists. Joran was also the 11th Dragon to score 100 career goals, and she moved up to 13th on Drexel’s all-time scoring list with 120 points. Norcini scored 20 goals on the season with 50 shots.

Maiden was also honored with Second Team All-CAA honors. Maiden scored 34 goals and had 22 assists. The sniper became the 10th Dragon to score 100 career goals. Maiden reached the 100-goal mark March 22 against The Pennsylvania State University.

Despite losing in the first round of the CAA Tournament, Vesco was impressed with the season overall.

“It was a successful season,” Vesco said. “We played at a high level all year. It was a shame we had to end sooner than expected because the seniors really wanted to win the tournament, but at least we made Towson shake a little with taking the lead with six minutes left to play.”

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“We’re gonna party like it’s 1922, old sport!” is what you might be inclined to say at your next soiree after seeing “The Great Gatsby.” Out May 10, the 3-D extravaganza was directed by Australian director Baz Luhrmann, the man behind “Strictly Ballroom” (1992), “Romeo + Juliet” (1996), “Moulin Rouge!” (2001) and “Australia” (2008). Leave it to the director with a penchant for turning everything he sees into a set piece to create a period flick about the alcohol-saturated age of flappers, loose morals, lavish parties and opulent mansions. This is the fifth film adaptation of the classic 1925 F. Scott Fitzgerald novel that every high school student has had the pleasure of reading at one time or another.

Out May 10, Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” is the fifth film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic 1925 novel of the same title. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the title character with Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton co-starring.

Set in the age of American prosperity after World War I known as the Roaring Twenties, the movie follows the tragic figure of Jay Gatsby, a hopeless romantic chasing a fantasy. Narrated by “Spider-Man” actor Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, the film explores such themes as the unattainability of the American Dream, God and disillusionment with the Jazz Age. Filled with great acting and music, the real gem here is Leonardo DiCaprio, in his second collaboration with Luhrmann, who portrays the titular character with such excellence and subtlety that I can truly call him one of the finest actors of his generation. Honestly, where the hell is this man’s Oscar already?!

Staying true to the source material, Nick Carraway, a young Yale graduate from the Midwest moves to bustling New York City in the summer of 1922 to become a bond broker. Nevertheless, the filmmakers added some scenes to show his motivation for narration, which involve his love of writing. Carraway is played by Tobey Maguire, who brings some Peter Parker geekiness and naivete to the role. He moves to a small cottage house on Long Island, across the bay from his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan. The soft-spoken Daisy is portrayed by Michelle Williams’ look-alike, Carey Mulligan (“An Education”). Mulligan was a perfect choice with her simple, pale face and bob hairstyle, already looking like someone straight out of the ‘20s. Joel Edgerton (“Zero Dark Thirty”) plays the hypocritical polo-playing Tom, who cheats on Daisy with the trashy Myrtle (Isla Fisher), the wife of mechanic George Wilson. Edgerton, who beat out Bradley Cooper for the role, was another perfect casting decision. His demeanor shifts with ease between geniality and malevolence.

For the first half hour or so, the movie builds mystery around the enigmatic Gatsby with fantastical rumors about his origins before he even shows up on screen. People describe him as a German spy, an assassin and a relation of the Kaiser, even at the grandiose booze-soaked parties he throws where all of New York — including politicians, gangsters and film stars — simply shows up crammed into automobiles. When he finally does appear, your patience will be rewarded with DiCaprio at the top of his game. Slipping into this role like a second skin, DiCaprio is as slick as he was in 2010’s “Inception” and as charismatic as he was in 2002’s “Catch Me If You Can.”

Gatsby’s wealthy gentleman facade is both endearing and humorous. He calls everyone “old sport” and claims to be the sole survivor of a rich family, an Oxford man and a war hero receiving an award from every Allied government for “valor extraordinary.” As the film progresses, Carraway befriends Gatsby, and the truth behind his great wealth and extravagant parties is revealed to be spawned from an incorruptible and impossible dream of being with the woman he loves.

All the actors work perfectly together, especially in a tense scene within a hotel room that brings a segment from the book to life with spot on accuracy. Other minor characters are also taken care of, such as Jordan Baker, Owl Eyes and Jewish gangster Meyer Wolfsheim. Even the godlike eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg were included to watch over our characters as everything starts to go to hell.

Luhrmann does a nice job of sticking to the essence of the novel and an even better job of evoking the feeling of the 1920s in an almost over-the-top way that makes the film feel like a Broadway production that characterized his “Red Curtain Trilogy.” Known for his beautifully stylized form of filmmaking influenced by Italian grand opera, Luhrmann constructs an expansive form of New York that is charmingly vintage and art deco-inspired. We are transported back to a bygone era of three-piece suits, bootlegging, straw hats and coupes. This accomplishment reminded me of Peter Jackson’s work on 2005’s “King Kong” to recreate a 1930s version of Manhattan, though “Gatsby” takes place at least 10 years before the giant ape scaled the Empire State Building. This was also the second adaptation of a Fitzgerald piece to feature great set design, the first being David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008).

Music also plays a major role in the film, much like it did in Luhrmann’s jukebox musical “Moulin Rouge!” The soundtrack, produced by Jay-Z, blends both modern music and jazz in an almost seamless fashion. Some notable and addicting tracks are the sexy “Back to Black” cover by Beyonce and Andre 3000, the heartbreaking “Over The Love” by Florence + The Machine, and Jack White’s intense cover of “Love is Blindness.”

Since the release of its first trailer last year, many people have been looking to this film as if it were the green light at the end of a dock. Originally scheduled for release back in December, it was pushed to May, only increasing the already high anticipation. Despite being based on an American classic, the $127 million-budget movie was filmed in Sydney and features more Australian actors than you can shake a stick at. However, for all its beauty and terrific acting, this adaptation fails to live up to the genius of the source material. At times, it becomes a little too grandiose and takes the focus off the obsessive Gatsby, a genuine man among sleazy rich folk who hide behind their money. Even inserting narration from the original text may fall a bit flat on the ear. But don’t let that discourage you from shelling out the 10 bucks at your local cinema. Luhrmann has proven himself the master of forbidden love stories. Filled to the brim with murder, deceit, car races, sex, money, booze, music and parties, “The Great Gatsby” is, in a word, great.

The post DiCaprio commands screen as a millionaire in ‘The Great Gatsby’ appeared first on The Triangle.

The exhibit is what it says: a highlight from all the collections that Drexel University has. Now that doesn’t just mean art from the Drexel Collection that is always displayed around the Main Building. The exhibit is comprised from Drexel’s Archives and Collection, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the College of Medicine and the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design.

The highlights from the Academy of Natural Sciences are definitely the selection of insects collected on the Vanderbilt expedition, the Blaschka glass sculptures and Luis Agassiz Fuertes’ watercolor paintings. The selection of insects contains beautiful beetles that could come out of “The Mummy” and colorful sphinx moths. The Blaschka sculptures are incredibly realistic; it’s hard to believe that the tiny thin tentacles of the anemones and jellyfish being displayed were handmade in the late 1800s. The Academy of Natural Sciences actually has the only Blaschka sculptures in the Philadelphia region. Fuertes’ paintings of birds rival photos from the best nature photographer using the best camera that money could buy. When observing his paintings, viewers might think they could feel a feather by touching the paintings. The detail of the feathers is extremely intricate, and the color is incredibly vibrant. These paintings invoke a newfound appreciation for the beauty of birds.

The music buffs at Drexel can find a blast from the past in Westphal College’s Sigma Sound Collection. These tapes have “The Sound of Philadelphia” within them, which was pretty good. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Sigma Sound Productions made most of the music in Philadelphia and actually went on to pass Motown. The exhibit has multiple-track recordings and headphones, allowing visitors to listen to the music and jive with sounds that Sigma helped record!

Another highlight from Westphal was the collection of dresses from different time periods. Showcased in the exhibit is an evening ensemble circa 1962 from Chanel. The ensemble is very intricate and gives off a menacing vibe in a fierce way. The feathers on the neck screamed sassy, yet it was not form-fitting at all.

The Drexel Collection displayed Hogarth’s etchings, “Marriage A-La-Mode,” which are like political cartoons from the 18th century. The etchings depict an ill-fated marriage in the upper class of the mid-1700s. A rich aristocrat is married to a rich merchant’s daughter. Of course, neither wants to be wed to each other, so the young aristocrat keeps a 12-year-old mistress who gives him syphilis. The wife, of course, has her own lover and is eventually caught by her husband. In the end, they all die, and the kids get syphilis.

Open to the general public, this free exhibit offers much more to see and is worth checking out before it ends. The Pearlstein Gallery is located at 3401 Filbert St. in the URBN Center Annex.

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I bought seven brands of bottled water yesterday. I got the good stuff, waters from around the world. I am fascinated by regional-specific goods, especially foods. When these products come directly from the earth, I am even more interested. Location-specific waters, which most of these are, are luxury items for sure. Some of these waters are from islands, and others come from remote areas of Europe. They are expensive … and I’m not even talking about money.

Bottling water takes a vital commodity from the earth. The ecosystems in these areas are dependent on historical levels of groundwater and aquifers. I often feel as though my Western lifestyle allows for me to rob a pristine land of its most important resource, pack it in small toxic packaging we call plastic, and ship it over the ocean on massive boats. This happens partly because my own culture is too destructive to take care of its own water supply.

I feel like this bottled water issue speaks to a larger concern. The planet’s water is in a dire state, contaminated with everything we have tossed its way, including industrial waste and household refuse. Our inability to limit our waste or manage our consumption has resulted in a serious situation. Deserts are spreading. Oceans are diseased. Rain is toxic. Aquifers are being depleted. Drinkable water is limited, and the supply is shrinking. Life, which depends on water, is feeling the pressure.

We must begin acting now if we hope to keep the planet looking anything close to the way we found it. The speed at which we are changing the planet is rapid. The severe problems mentioned above arise because human-induced changes to the environment are occurring faster than the natural systems can accommodate them. Our goal moving forward is to begin consciously creating the future with manageable changes. We must think of how our decisions affect the world around us and attempt to minimize disturbances. Bottled water is one example of many.

One way to minimize disturbance to our environment is to learn how to slow down our lives. Sometimes technology and new products help make our lives better, but other times our possessions make things more complicated. If you can learn to be happy with owning less, you will have made a large, fundamental change in your life. With fewer things to think about, you can spend your time and money on things that will improve your life rather than distract you from it.

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Religiously motivated opponents of same-sex marriage often make very poor choices of how to defend their cause. I’m not just talking about the Westboro Baptist Church or radical Muslims here. The Catholic Church gives very clear guidelines on how its members ought to approach the issue, but many Catholics instead take approaches that only further alienate the church from the LGBT community. That’s largely our fault; we need to do a better job of understanding what the church really teaches about homosexuality, and all of us (not just the clergy) need to be more consistent in how we live out those teachings and share them with others if we ever want to gain the respect of those who disagree with us.

In case you’re not already familiar with the church’s actual teachings on homosexuality, I’ll try to dispel some of the most commonly held misconceptions. First and foremost, the church does not hate LGBT people, nor does the church teach that God hates them. Paragraph 2358 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that LGBT individuals “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”

Needless to say, supporters of same-sex marriage perceive opposition to their cause as unjust, but they often forget or are unaware that the primary Catholic motive of this opposition is love and concern for the well-being of all people. We don’t believe what we believe solely because “God said so.” Many people of faith consider the most important anti-LGBT lifestyle arguments to be rooted in theology, but research on the sociological effects of the LGBT lifestyle also plays into the discussion. Different studies have reached different conclusions. Some have suggested that people in LGBT relationships are at greater risk of finding themselves in harmful situations, while others have concluded that there is no statistically significant difference between such risks in LGBT relationships and heterosexual relationships. The church wants all people, whether they believe in God or not, to be happy and free from unnecessary suffering. It is with a sincere, compassionate desire to minimize people’s risk of unnecessary suffering that the church opposes LGBT lifestyles.

As recently as last year, I struggled to accept the church’s teachings on this issue because unlike similar issues on which the church requires its members to hold a particular position, such as abortion and euthanasia, LGBT rights aren’t a life-or-death matter. I’ve known all along that there are some happy, committed same-sex relationships out there. Even now, after making so much progress in my spiritual journey, the church’s outright opposition to same-sex adoption still troubles me. I imagine the options of a poor, drug-addicted single mother who doesn’t want her child anymore. Perhaps no heterosexual couples are offering to adopt. Would it really be better to have the child stay with such a parent, or be bounced from foster home to foster home, than to let a healthy, financially well-off same-sex couple have a chance with the child? I sympathize deeply with LGBT rights supporters on issues like this, though my faith would require me to vote against what they want regardless of the circumstances.

In other words, there is still an extent to which my position on LGBT issues is based entirely on faith, and I can’t expect anyone who doesn’t share my faith to agree with me on those grounds. But secular reasoning does support much of my stance, so I think it’s a shame that we as a society have struggled to start a civilized dialogue on the issue. Notice that I used the word “dialogue,” not “debate.” A debate is an argument between opposing viewpoints in which the participants strive to win by proving themselves right and their opponents wrong. Most of the public discussion of LGBT rights these days is nothing but a big, ugly debate. A dialogue is different in that the participants strive to work toward a mutual understanding for the common good rather than to defeat each other. We won’t start making any progress toward an agreeable long-term outcome until we turn this debate into a dialogue.

Religious opponents of LGBT rights need to be more willing to listen to what the LGBT community has to say. They need to love LGBT persons as fellow human beings and act with their best interests at heart. Likewise, I encourage the LGBT community to heed the advice that Shirey has given in his first two columns. The dialogue we need can’t begin until people on both sides make some major attitude adjustments.

Aaron Strauss is one of the co-chief copy editors of The Triangle. He can be contacted at aaron.strauss@thetriangle.org.

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But graduation time at Drexel also makes for a class of would-be seniors standing on the sidelines at the graduations of friends who opted to go to different colleges. It’s not that these Dragons aren’t graduating because they didn’t take enough credits per term or took a leave of absence from school. It’s by virtue of being a Drexel student in the five-year program that makes you a “supersenior” by the average college’s standard.

But Drexel is no average college. The co-op program, which offers students a choice between the four-year, one co-op or five-year, three co-op options (for anyone who’s been living under a rock or isn’t Dragon-affiliated), is an invaluable asset well worth the extra time spent with your nose in the books or butt in the office chair. Here’s why you should be happy to be at Drexel year-round and maybe even an extra year:

1. In five years, Drexel students accrue up to 18 months of work experience at companies with competitive names in various industries. We’re building our resumes so that when we do catch up to our graduating friends in the job market, we’ll be better candidates for the positions they’ve been pining for ever since they got out of school. Sometimes we even get job offers from the employers we impressed during these co-ops, which is even better!

2. The job market is still formidable, especially for recent grads. The unemployment rate for this demographic between March 2012 and February 2013 was 8.8 percent, according to CNBC. And this doesn’t account for those who consider themselves underemployed, which should be the majority of recent grads because their average wage is $16.60 per hour. These students come out of school expecting the job of their dreams to land in their lap, and instead they’re tending the yogurt bar at Kiwi. Why settle for mediocrity when you can make yourself the more appealing job candidate while you’re still in school?

3. “The race to graduation” is a fallacy. It’s one thing to load up on credits each term so that you can get out of paying Drexel’s sky-high tuition for a few terms. Or, for example, maybe you’re a transfer student whose credits don’t mesh with the University’s quarter system. It’s OK. But you shouldn’t legitimately be concerned that it’s taking you an extra year to graduate. The real goal is education, and you should be soaking up as much as you can while you have the opportunity. Plus, graduate school is always an option, especially in a turbulent job market. Again, making yourself the most knowledgeable and experienced candidate for your desired job should be your chief goal.

4. Most are familiar with the fact that Drexel divides its co-op students into two groups (with some exceptions) – there’s the “spring-summer” workers and the “fall-winter” ones. And if you’re not working, you’re in classes, fulfilling the University’s “LIVE IT 24/7” mantra. With summer fast approaching, many students are lamenting still being tied to Drexel.

But instead of saying goodbye to our friends in May, we get to spend the summer together doing fun activities, like taking day trips to the beach. Of course our friends from home are always complaining that we’re never around, but we’re content with where we are. We are able to keep the friendships from the past year and grow them stronger during the coming months, and we have the opportunity to meet more people.

5. Students who get a six-month co-op get a real taste of the workforce, learning what it feels like to work 40 hours per week, working through breaks and around holidays, and getting that blessed paycheck every two weeks. Many Drexel students claim that once they finally get comfortable at their co-op, the six months are up. If six months is what it takes to get fully acclimated to the work atmosphere, then a three-month summer internship surely isn’t enough to make you feel like you’re part of the team. So yes, it may be tough watching your friends ditch their textbooks in pursuit of their life goals, but you’ll get there sooner than you might think.

Be patient, bide your time, and relish each time you update your resume with your latest accomplishment. No, Drexel may not be shooting diplomas out at lightning speed, but it’s a “career prep” school that will inevitably get you hired somewhere impressive. Graduation is really just a formality.

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On the volcanic mountaintop of Mauna Loa, a Hawaiian Island, atmospheric carbon dioxide has been measured accurately for over 50 years. The graph of this data is called the Keeling Curve, and it is one of the starkest, most intimidating images in all of science. The graph is not awash in political discourse. It is not confusing or intended to be confusing. Rather, it is a clear and simple depiction that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing rapidly. This means many things to many people, but one thing is for certain: It means that humans are going to face tremendous change in the coming decades.

Orr said that change can be difficult. In the 1980s many institutions were not concerned about sustainable building practices. This was before LEED, before Passive House, and before the popularity and profitability of sustainable products. Orr told us that while he’s now recognized as a leader of sustainability, his role wasn’t always so glamorous. Like the Drexel Smart House, his story began humbly. When he and his students sought to build one of the first significantly green buildings in the country on their school’s campus, they were met with very little support. In turn, Orr and his students independently funded and built what is now regarded by the Department of Energy as one of the 30 milestone buildings of the 20th century.

What does one do with a milestone building? For starters, one makes money from it. The building produces 40 percent more energy than it needs. The extra energy is either sold to the grid or used for other buildings on campus. The concepts nurtured and funded by Orr and his students were demonstrably successful. He proved that innovative, sustainable design has a place on college campuses. This story bodes well for the Drexel Smart House. Its living-learning laboratory in the Victorian home on the corner of 35th and Race streets will continue Orr’s mission of sustainable design. The Drexel Smart House will foster students’ innovative ideas and thereby contribute to new sustainable initiatives.

With the completion of his “substantially green” building, the college began to notice some of its own changes. For starters, high school students interested in the environment began visiting the school more often. Application rates are increasing because young students, the immensely perceptive among us, realize how important sustainability is to the future of our planet and our species. Over the course of years, the college has been able to charge more for tuition. The surrounding community feels the benefit as more students bring more spending money. These secondary benefits, Orr said, are the real game changers for making sustainability ubiquitous. If you ignore the secondary benefits, the extra cost for sustainable construction is often overwhelming. Yet when these derivative benefits are factored in, the decisions are so much easier to make.

One of the really neat things about a sustainable future is that it’s a future built around systems. When one component of the system improves, everything surrounding it improves — it’s contagious. The real question we must ask ourselves is, “Do I proactively change for the future, or do I spend the future changing as a response to it?” Drexel Smart House is taking the proactive approach. Orr was impressed with the student-developed ideas of solar-powered ventilation; living roofs; plumbing systems that filter, reuse and monitor water consumption; and carbon capture products.
Drexel Smart House is a collaborative student group devoted to designing a better future.

Joe Massott is a freshman materials science and engineering major at Drexel University. He can be contacted at op-ed@thetriangle.org.

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One could argue that the personal computer is what will stand out in the chronicle of history. While we certainly live in the age of technology, those heartless machines cannot compare to the passionate feelings of sports. Can you connect to a computer? Can it make you feel? Of course not. Sports, however, embody emotion and storyline. They are the national unity of “USA 4, USSR 3”; Michael Jordan’s raw tears from winning the NBA title on Father’s Day, just weeks after his dad passed away; or the New Orleans Saints returning to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina.

Sports are more egalitarian than any democracy. The last four presidents have all gone to Harvard or Yale, but in sports, greatness comes from anywhere and everywhere. Who was the last senator to spend the first 15 years of his life in the slums like Michael Oher? The best soccer player on Earth is 5 feet six inches, but only once since Kennedy has a president been shorter than six feet. How could one forget Jesse Owens putting the smack down on Hitler’s master race during the 1936 Berlin Olympics or Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier almost 20 years before the Civil Rights Act?

Sports are an outlet; they are where we go when the world is too overwhelming. All the importance in the universe is contained within a few chalk lines. There is a score and rules to be followed, and it is fair. If my team is ahead when the time is up, you can argue all you want, but my team won. Results make sense and are not interpreted based on personal feelings — well, except in figure skating.
Sports are community and connection. There is still nothing like going to the ballpark on a warm summer’s eve surrounded by fellow lovers of the game. I’ve met a thousand people but have never felt more intimate than when executing a perfectly timed give ‘n’ go with a complete stranger. Our country is divided over every single political issue, but we can all agree on the doomed heroism of Colin Kaepernick in the Super Bowl.

Sports are magic. There’s a saying in Europe: “The ball is round so that anything can happen.” Sports replace childhood belief in fairy tales with the belief that no matter how far behind your team is, a comeback is still possible. Anytime you watch or play a game, something amazing could happen. Sure, we might get crap or monotony 99 times. But that 100th time, we watch the Red Sox come back from three games down to win the American League pennant over the hated Yankees, or we see Trey Burke’s 30-foot game-winner swish through the net. After 99 times, we jump to our feet as David Tyree desperately clings to a pass against his helmet, or we drop our jaws as Leo Messi runs past defenders as if they were training cones.

Sports are important. They are a form of dramatic art, the greatest. Real blood and sweat are poured into every moment, none of this corn starch stuff. It is art that can be created by anyone, from the young boy playing catch with his dad to the physical geniuses who rule the NBA. Sports are enjoyed by everyone who loves seeing great men and women do amazing things. Sports are not mere entertainment or work, as are computer games or construction. Sports are like music or painting, literature or photography, theater or poetry. Sports transcend.

Micah Watanabe is a freshman at Drexel University. He can be contacted at op-ed@thetriangle.org.

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As part of the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Seminar series, Erin Graham, an assistant professor of political science and new member of the Department of History and Politics, discussed her research into the structure of international organizations and the changing nature of the United Nations May 8.

“The purpose of these seminars is for the college to understand the research of the new faculty who have joined us,” Donna Murasko, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said. “What’s interesting today about the topic is that I think we all think about the U.N. in a kind of idealized form. And Dr. Graham gives us a different perspective on how the U.N. may be looked at today.”

The seminar was titled “The Bilateralization of the United Nations” and challenged the conventional wisdom about the governance structure of the U.N., the notion that it is primarily a multilateral organization that makes collaborative decisions among the member states.

“U.N. activity is becoming detached from these multilateral governing bodies that we so often associate with the United Nations,” Graham said. “And I follow a couple other people in referring to this process as a bilateralization, where multilateral bodies like the general assembly or the executive board of the United Nations Development Programme are ceding control to donors that contract individually with a U.N. agency.”

The original funding source for the U.N. and its agencies was mandatory contributions from the member states, based on their ability to pay. This system is still in place but is now dwarfed by voluntary contributions. These voluntary funds from states and nonstate organizations can be earmarked for, or away from, specific projects. This financing scheme, cooked up at the beginning of the Cold War, allowed countries to support or avoid programs depending on their national interests.

This type of restricted funding has become extremely common, to the point where the two largest contributors to U.N. funding, the United States and the European Commission, restrict 83 percent and 92 percent of their contributions, respectively.

This method of funding programs poses real risks to the legitimacy of the U.N. as an international body. With voluntary funding comes the implicit pressure for U.N. agencies to do what is popular or risk losing their funding.

The World Health Organization, for example, gets lots of restricted funding to fight malaria and AIDS, but those aren’t the only public-health crises facing the world. Restricted funding only makes agencies accountable to individual donors, not to the broader international community.

“A great way to hold a U.N. agency accountable is by virtue of providing or denying them resources. This is a resource-scarce environment. In a bilateral governance structure, it’s going to be a lot easier to exert influence commensurate with your financial contribution. You’re not one among 193 U.N. states. Suddenly if you provide 25 percent of the budget, [the U.N. agency] is going to be listening to what you say,” Graham said.

While restricted voluntary funding has drawbacks, it has been the lifeblood of the U.N. for years and helped overcome what would have been a very serious financing problem otherwise.

“One of the really positive things about this system is it means more money for the U.N. Had they not come up with the idea of voluntary resources at the U.N., the developed nations would have stopped giving money a long time ago,” Graham said. “The innovation of voluntary funding really allows the United Nations to thrive.”

Graham joined Drexel’s faculty in the fall of 2012 after spending time as a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University’s Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance. Graham earned her doctorate from The Ohio State University.

The College of Arts and Sciences hosts the Dean’s Seminar series every other Wednesday. The next topic will be “From Repairing the Brain to Connecting the Brain: Astrocytes are Bystanders No More,” presented May 22 by A. Denise Garcia, an associate professor of biology.

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Michelle Alexander, author of “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” spoke to Drexel students May 6 in the Main Auditorium. The event was co-sponsored by The Good Idea Fund, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Africana Studies program.

“We use our criminal justice system to label people of color and use all the same discriminatory practices that we supposedly left behind … employment discrimination, housing discrimination, the right to vote — suddenly legal. As a criminal, you have just as few rights and arguably less respect than a black man living in Alabama at the height of Jim Crow,” Alexander quoted from her book.

Alexander worked as a civil rights lawyer after graduating from Stanford Law School. She was the director of the Civil Rights Clinic on the Stanford Law School faculty. She served several years as director of the Racial Justice Project of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California. She joined The Ohio State University faculty in 2005, the same year she received a Soros Justice Fellowship. The fellowship allowed her to work on her book, “The New Jim Crow.”

The Good Idea Fund asked Alexander to speak and introduced her before she began. The event was coordinated by Jacqueline Rios, the communication and events coordinator of the Center for Interdisciplinary Programs. Julie Mostov, the vice provost of global initiatives and a professor of political science, spoke before Alexander came onstage.

Alexander began by describing a picture she had once seen depicting a Latina woman at a demonstration. The woman was holding a sign that said, “F— weed, legalize my mother.”

“I felt my eyes prick with tears. Something in her eyes and her expression conveyed her pains, her fears and outrage. … I can almost hear her say, ‘This country will legalize weed, will legalize pot, but my own mother? The woman who risked her life, coming in hopes in giving me a better [life], who’s now treated like a common criminal, faced with prison or deportation and living in shadows and a state of fear,’” Alexander said.

“We live in confusing times today, … but it looks good from a distance. We turn on the television, and there’s President Barack Obama, standing in the Rose Garden, looking handsome and dignified and in charge — the nation’s first black president. … But then you drive a few blocks from the White House, and you find the other America. You find neighborhoods where three out of four young black men already spent time behind bars or under correction control. And the rest? It’s just a matter of time,” she said.

These neighborhoods were described by Alexander as a “brand-new undercaste” and “invisible.” She talked about how no figure in the media, including politicians or newscasters, would talk about the suffering felt in those areas. “Martin Luther King Jr. would turn in his grave today,” she said.

Alexander talked about what led her to make this realization. She talked about a young man she met when she was director of the Racial Justice Project for the ACLUNC. She was working on a lawsuit against police in northern California called the DWB Project. She worked to advertise a number that people could call if they felt that the police racially discriminated against them.

“Within the first three minutes, we received thousands of calls,” Alexander said.

She described a young man who came in with a stack of papers of all the notes documenting discrimination against him. At first, Alexander felt that she had found a star witness for her case, but she then found out that he was a felon. When Alexander told him that she couldn’t use him for the case because of his record, the young man tried to explain that it was a set-up and then ripped up his notes and left in frustration, accusing her of not actually trying to help.

She later found out that the drug task force of the Oakland Police had been setting up young black men by planting drugs on them and taking them in, just as the man had tried explaining to her earlier, including a police officer he identified.

“I realized he’s right about me. I’m no better than the police. The minute he told me he was a felon, I just stopped listening. I couldn’t even hear what he had to say,” Alexander said.

After conducting some research, she found that it was the fact that the man was innocent that put her in the wrong; she was tackling the issues of racial injustice without also representing those who were found guilty. She discussed the idea that men with criminal records were not counted in census data about unemployment and other problems. She also discussed the beginning of the war on drugs that began with President Reagan, when drug crime was in decline. She said that the amount of incarceration quintupled after that time period and that it actually had to do with racial politics.

“The total number of incarcerations for drug offenses was more than the total number of all other offenses in 1980, … almost exclusively aimed at poor neighborhoods of color,” Alexander said.

She discussed the political moves of the Reagan administration to uncover the crack problems that spread through poor neighborhoods. She said that it was to motivate politicians to make drug laws tougher and created a competition between the political parties to make them stronger, citing the Clinton administration’s law that denied drug offenders access to food stamps.

“You don’t have to be convicted of drug offenses. You only need to be suspected. They can take the money out of your pocket. They can take your car away from you. That’s giving the police direct monetary influence … in the longevity in this war on drugs,” Alexander continued.

She then discussed how the Supreme Court had closed its doors to taking out the racial bias because it required direct evidence that indicated intention, despite all the evidence that was acquired.

After a question-and-answer section, Alexander retired to a book signing and reception. In an interview, she talked about what her plans would be on the future of the message she created.

“I’m now interested in supporting people who are engaging in activism and organizing in their community. I’m praying that people will continue to do community organizing and advocacy in ending the drug war and abolishing all these forms of racial discrimination on these people who just got out of prison. … It’s possible. It just requires people in all of these communities saying, ‘We no longer want to send people to jail for minor drug offenses. We want to have rehabilitation. We want a public-health approach, not a cruel justice approach,’” Alexander said.

Her book, published in 2010, was a New York Times best-seller and was called a “social gospel” based on its coverage of the targeting of African-American men since the beginning of the war on drugs. It also received the 2011 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Image Award for best nonfiction.

The post The Good Idea Fund hosts ‘New Jim Crow’ author appeared first on The Triangle.

For the second consecutive May, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay has landed on the disabled list. And for the second consecutive May, many questions surround the right-hander, his future and the future of the organization.

The tipping point for Halladay’s struggles came May 5 when he surrendered nine runs and recorded only seven outs. It was the second outing of the week in which he gave up eight or more runs. This came after a string of three consecutive quality starts.

Halladay met with the revered Dr. Lewis Yocum, who specializes in pitchers’ shoulder and arm troubles. The doctor informed Halladay that he is suffering from bone spurs, a torn rotator cuff and a frayed labrum.

The diagnosis provided answers that everyone surrounding the team has been searching for, especially Halladay. The past calendar year has had everyone searching for answers, trying to pinpoint what exactly was wrong with the longtime ace.

Halladay did not know what to expect, as there were any number of diagnoses he could have received. To him, it is good news just to have some sort of answers and direction.

“I thought that was very good news,” Halladay told reporters before the Phillies game in San Francisco May 8. “Obviously I don’t want to miss time, but I think as far as scenarios go, I feel like it’s a lot better than some of the things I anticipated.”

The diagnosis may provide some answers as to what was wrong with him over the past year.

It began last year with a poor start May 1, when Halladay was visibly laboring and appeared ill — his face was as red as his Phillies cap. He struggled through the rest of the month and displayed horrible body language, appearing to be searching for something that was not there. This came after scouts noticed a significant decrease in velocity throughout Spring Training a few months earlier.

Halladay would come back, convincing the team he could come back with less rehabilitation starts than they advised, but he was inconsistent down the stretch. He recorded quality starts in only seven of his final 14 games. His start Sept. 22 was the nail in the Phillies’ coffin, as the 7-0 loss he suffered all but sealed their elimination from the postseason.

In 2013 a string of three consecutive quality starts was sandwiched between two pairs of awful outings. Halladay and the Phillies at least now have some insight as to why he was struggling.

In his press conference, the pitcher mentioned that his struggle to locate his pitches was what most frustrated him. Yocum confirmed to him that such troubles are expected given his shoulder’s condition.

“He said the biggest thing you’re going to notice is lack of location first and foremost and then velocity,” Halladay explained. “If it gets to a certain point, you may start feeling a little bit of pain.”

He mentioned the drop of velocity, which has been documented over the course of the past two seasons. Halladay mentioned that he very well could have been struggling with the injury for years, which would be consistent with the doctor’s diagnosis.

The right-hander will now go under the knife sometime in the very near future to have a scope clean up the problematic area in his pitching shoulder. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel expressed great confidence that his hurler will be back this season.

“He’s going to be fine,” Manuel told MLB Radio in an interview May 8. “I think he’s going to be okay, and he stands a great chance of pitching this year.”

There is no official or set timetable as of now, but Halladay gave every indication he would come back this season, even being open to pitching out of the bullpen. But as for a recovery time, Halladay himself estimated three months as a reasonable recovery period.

Factoring in the amount of time it would take to rebuild arm strength following that amount of time, it begins to push against the end of the season. Three months plus a few weeks of strengthening would possibly push his return into September, raising some doubt.

While some questions were answered, new questions emerge, such as if he has thrown his last pitch as a Phillie because the soon-to-be 36-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season.

Halladay was then asked whether he would be open to taking a “cut-rate” deal from General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. to return next season.

“Like I told Ruben … and Charlie, I’m not going to make any decisions right now about down the road,” he said. “I really want to get through this, come back and see how strong I can be and see how effective I can be and see if I can help us.”

The Phillies, meanwhile, have decisions to make and questions to answer about their own future. There has been speculation that this season might be the team’s last chance at a title run, as the roster continues to age.

For now, the Phillies will have to focus on getting back to the .500 mark and making their move for a playoff position. If they do neither of these things, whether or not Halladay pitches later in the year would be meaningless.

They will have to go about their own games and focus, one series at a time. Meanwhile, Halladay will do the same. If all goes well, he could give them a boost near the end of the season. Again, the team must be in position for him to give them one. Halladay also recognizes that it would be no good for him to come back too soon or not healed 100 percent.

“I’m going to focus on the here and now and this process. I’ve always told you guys I love Philadelphia, love playing here, it’s a great place to be,” he admitted. “But there’s a lot to be determined. I want to be effective, and I want to be a part of the team. I don’t want to be a hindrance.”

While a few questions were answered, a few more questions emerged. One thing is for sure: The next four and a half months will dictate a lot about the future of Roy Halladay and the future of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The post Halladay hits DL again, Phillies future in doubt appeared first on The Triangle.

In his first year in charge of making draft decisions for the Philadelphia Eagles, head coach Chip Kelly chose pieces that he hopes can become the foundation for a winning formula in Philadelphia.

Coming from the University of Oregon, Kelly is known for his innovative offense, so it came as no surprise that his first pick was an offensive player. The Eagles drafted versatile offensive lineman Lane Johnson from the University of Oklahoma with the fourth overall pick. Kelly continued to stay on the offensive side of the ball by drafting Stanford University tight end Zach Ertz in the second round. Because Kelly’s coaching style is dependent on a creative offense, drafting two players on that side of the football with his first two picks was expected, even for an Eagles team that is in dire need of improving a defense that was ranked 18th in the National Football League.

Kelly finally addressed some defensive moves in the third round by drafting interior defensive lineman Bennie Logan from Louisiana State University. Then, Kelly’s fourth-round choice sent shockwaves throughout Philadelphia and the rest of the NFL, as the Eagles traded up to draft University of Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley. No one knows what Kelly’s ultimate plan is for this team, but it seems as though he has added an offensive lineman, tight end and quarterback that could be the building blocks for the offense for years to come.

“We were very specific,” Kelly said in a press conference following the draft. “I think you have to be, because there has to be a certain level that you bring in here. If you constantly take the overachiever at every position, you’re going to be too small.”

The rest of the Eagles’ draft focused on the defense. They drafted North Carolina State University safety Earl Wolff, The University of Utah outside linebacker Joe Kruger, Oregon cornerback Jordan Poyer and Oklahoma defensive end David King to round out the draft. Poyer could prove to be a steal with the 218th pick, as many scouts had a second-round grade on him even after questions about his speed arose.

In this draft, the Eagles and Kelly went after players from big-time programs. Every pick was from the Big 12, Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference or Pac-12. Comparatively, under former head coach Andy Reid, the Eagles drafted a player from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision or lower in five of the last eight drafts. Sometimes teams can find a player that can contribute to a team from those smaller schools. However, it is far more unlikely that one of them will turn out to be somebody like Victor Cruz from the University of Massachusetts Amherst or Jeremiah Trotter from Stephen F. Austin State University.

“I think you still have to adhere to the fact that we wanted to get bigger, and we felt like we did,” Kelly said. “I think size is important, but there’s not one factor that overrides the other. I think you have to look at the whole package when you’re making those decisions.”

Some of the Eagles’ draft picks this year have valid concerns. Barkley, for example, is coming off shoulder surgery, and his arm strength is in question. However, it speaks volumes to the existing options that Kelly has inherited here in Philadelphia. By adding Barkley, Kelly has sent a message to quarterbacks Michael Vick and last year’s season-ending starter Nick Foles.

Chip Kelly has yet to coach a game in Philadelphia, but for the first time in a long time, Eagles fans have a chance to feel excited about the man putting together the building blocks of the franchise.

The post Kelly completes first draft as Eagles coach appeared first on The Triangle.

London natives Daughter passed through Philadelphia May 3 in support of their newest album, “If You Leave.” The show was set to take place at the First Unitarian Church but was moved to Union Transfer in order to release more tickets due to the quick sellout.

The indie folk London-based group Daughter performed at Union Transfer May 3 to promote their new album “If You Leave.” The band consists of singer Elena Tonra, guitarist Igor Haefeli, and drummer Remi Aguilella.

The show opened with contemporary folk band Wilsen. Although the band was new to Philadelphia, it stunned the crowd. Leading lady Tamsin Wilson featured haunting vocals accompanied by lyrics that can lift you up but send you crashing in the next verse. The band performed several songs off its newest record, “Sirens,” which was released silently in April. Overall, Wilsen complemented the show with incredible and peaceful music that is extremely worth listening to.

After waiting a while between sets, Daughter finally appeared onstage. With “If You Leave” being released April 30 in North America, the band focused a lot on new songs from this album, such as “Tomorrow” and “Amsterdam.” But of course, they didn’t forget about the old favorites like “Candles” and “Landfill.” I still cannot get over the cuteness of vocalist Elena Tonra, who couldn’t help but thank the crowd several times between each song. Between Tonra and guitarist Igor Haefeli, they couldn’t stop expressing their gratitude toward the crowd. I have never witnessed such genuinely grateful musicians onstage before.

Toward the end of the show, the generally quiet crowd couldn’t help but erupt with cheer and song when Daughter performed its most popular song, “Youth.” This powerfully raw song left the people surrounding me with tears streaming down their faces.

Daughter is set to finish up its headlining North American tour near the end of May, closing with two sold-out shows in Los Angeles and a few music festivals. In August they will jump on tour with The National for a short run and follow with a headlining tour in the United Kingdom.

With Philadelphia being the first city the band performed in when coming to North America back in 2012, Daughter has made a great impact on the City of Brotherly Love. If this is your first time hearing of Daughter, I highly suggest you take a listen and take the chance to see the band live while you can. You will not regret it.

You can find a full list of where to find Daughter’s music on the band’s Facebook page.

The post British band invades Philly appeared first on The Triangle.

Now that I’m on co-op, I’ve joined the majority of corporate America in having a daily routine. With my new schedule, I’ve had a lot more time to devote to hanging out with friends, working out and cooking. I’ve also had the chance to try new things, including Bikram yoga. Bikram yoga is basically yoga in a sauna or steam room — not kidding; it’s in a 105-degree room set at 45 percent humidity. It can be unbearable at times, but you feel a great sense of accomplishment the minute you get out of those doors, and overall you feel amazing. Sometimes after I go for a run, all I want is a nice plate of fries, but without fail, every time I do Bikram yoga I crave healthy food.

My quest for easy, healthy and nutritious meals met my desire to try to cook salmon; that is how I came up with this recipe:

Lemon Dill Salmon with Rosemary Honey Carrots and Garlic Couscous

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Salmon

1 pound fresh deboned salmon
1 lemon
4 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 lemon
2 tablespoons butter

Coat the skinless side of the salmon with dill and lemon pepper.

Put one tablespoon of butter in a pan in an oven that has been preheated to 475 degrees for about five minutes. Putting the butter in first will give your salmon a good flavor and a crispy bite. Squeeze half your lemon onto the salmon and add the fresh dill to the side without skin. After the butter cooks for five minutes, take the pan out and put the salmon on the pan with the skin side up. I like to put the lemon peels on top of the salmon in the oven for added flavor. Cook it in the oven for five minutes. Take the salmon out and peel off the skin. Add salt and lemon, and put lemon pepper on the other side. Cook for approximately 10 more minutes. Cut into two pieces and enjoy.

Carrots

3 cups baby carrots
4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon dry rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
Small ceramic dish

Coat the ceramic dish you plan to cook in with oil. Make sure you oil the whole ceramic dish because you don’t want the honey to stick to the pan.

Mix all the ingredients and cook in the oven at 475 degrees for 40 minutes or until the carrots start to brown a little and are soft on the inside.

I serve both of these with couscous prepared the way my specific package instructs and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of olive oil per 2 cups of couscous.

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Thom Cardwell, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocate and activist, was the keynote speaker May 9 as a part of Pride Week, hosted by Drexel’s Foundation of Undergraduates for Sexual Equality. Cardwell visited Drexel to share his life story and experience working in QFest and LGBT media.

Cardwell introduced the latest project that he is working on with his partner, James Duggan, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first organized gay protest in the United States. The project, which will launch in 2015, will focus on the evolution of LGBT movements in Philadelphia from the beginning to the present day.

The exhibit will have a supplementary book to accompany it. Currently, Cardwell and Duggan are looking for curators, writers and artists to volunteer and assist with the project. Pictures, personal narratives and articles from the LGBT movement will be used to demonstrate the progress made over the last 50 years.

“The LGBT Civil Rights Movement … started in the City of Brotherly Love and sisterly affection in the cradle of liberty,” Cardwell said. “We’ll also be very responsive … because in our country, in the corporate world in Philadelphia, there are a lot of corporations that have LGBT employee groups such as TD Bank, Comcast, GlaxoSmithKline, etc.”

Cardwell also brought up the issue of different cultures within schools. He said, “A number of years ago, I spoke at the first Pride Day at Community College of Philadelphia, and I didn’t know that much about the school. Two faculty came to me and told me they weren’t out as school professors. They didn’t feel comfortable enough in the environment.”

From that perspective, Cardwell asked the students how comfortable they feel in the LGBT community at Drexel and if the school is LGBT friendly.

Kate Wisniewski, a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering, said that the engineering school is dominated by straight males. “Going off is not great; it’s not terrible, either.”

Maureen Nolan, a junior studying communication and the president of FUSE, said, “Our community at Drexel is phenomenal, very progressive, I think.” She introduced that there is an LGBTQA professional staff network at Drexel and the I-Forum for people with diverse backgrounds.

To add on to that, Kenny Wittwer, a sophomore sociology major at Temple University and a former Drexel student, said, “There’s a big disconnect between how progressive our community is — and how intersectional and inclusive of all identities it is -—versus Drexel’s University policies, which haven’t quite caught up. FUSE is really the only resource for queer students.”

As a 68-year-old LGBT activist who has witnessed changes in the LGBT rights movement, Cardwell brought his concern of prejudice and mentoring to the table: “If we were going to become mentors, what would you want from us? What can we do?”

“I honestly think that the whole concept of mentoring is … not something I’m familiar with or really ever had,” Wittwer said.

Wittwer said he hopes to learn from other generations “so that this generation won’t make the same mistakes that the previous generation has made or just to make sure we are on the right path.”

“I think the further I progress in my career or whatever path I choose to take, being out and proud is something that I will do,” Nolan said.

Along that line, Rebecca Reyman, a senior studying civil engineering, wanted to learn from the experience of older mentors. “The biggest part that a mentor could give this new generation would be just stories or experience,” she said.

Cardwell shared the challenge of himself coming out. In an interview with a magazine, a journalist asked when he knew he was gay. “Five years old and I really felt that [be]cause I always felt different when I was growing up,” he said.

He was officially out at the age of 15. At that time, Cardwell was on a bandstand in a boys’ school in Delaware County, Pa., and dancing was not much of a masculine activity. Therefore, people started spreading rumors, and Cardwell received negative reactions and was bullied by peers.

“So then I just finally told people, ‘Yeah, I am. What’s the big deal?’” Cardwell admitted it was a very difficult lifestyle to lead.

Cardwell recounted how being gay in college meant he was “underground.” In Philadelphia back then, LGBT dance clubs and bars were hidden.

Cardwell decided to pursue his graduate education in Manhattan in the mid-1960s. “I knew I could be out in New York,” he said.

He followed a career path in education and got a job as an assistant headmaster of a private boarding school in New Hampshire.

“Then I had to go back in the closet, and I had two lives. When I was at the school, I was ‘flamboyant,’ as people said,” Cardwell said. But when he was not at school, he had his true identity. “[It was] a bit challenging to deal with when I think about it now,” he said.

After 12 years he left the boarding school and worked at a day school in central New Jersey, where he was able to come out to those around him. The head of that middle school decided to repaint teachers’ homerooms, and they painted Cardwell’s room lavender.

“That was how I came out at my school, at least to the administration. I looked at [my room] fondly.”

Cardwell is serving as the publisher and editor-at-large at QUEERtimes.net, a nonprofit news website about LGBT topics, and he is the developmental director at the Philadelphia Cinema Alliance. He also produces QFest, the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, and works on pride events in festivals in various cities.

The post LGBT activist speaks at Pride Week appeared first on The Triangle.

Now in the conference semifinals round, all four series in the NBA playoffs currently stand deadlocked at 1-1 as of May 8.

In the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat and New York Knicks used their second games in the series to recover from befuddling losses to lower-seeded opponents in their respective series openers.

In the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors have averaged over 110 points per game against the San Antonio Spurs, and the Memphis Grizzlies are still pinching themselves over Russell Westbrook’s absence from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

But where are the 76ers? Why is Philadelphia’s fine basketball franchise not represented in this spring’s collection of the finest teams in the land?

It is quite befuddling because they seem to have followed this year’s playoff recipe.

For example, a key component to winning a first-round playoff series was having an All-Star on your roster. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and the like are still competing for the title. In fact, all eight teams remaining have an All-Star on their team.

The Sixers have one of those shiny All-Stars, too. His name is Jrue Holiday, and he is widely regarded as one of the hottest things in the field of point guard, a position that draws more scrutiny than anything in the NBA outside of the aforementioned James. Holiday was voted to his first career All-Star game this season; typically, that is a sure sign of a progressing talent level.

But the Sixers still missed the playoffs.

Philadelphia’s squad also matched teams from Indiana, Memphis and Chicago in a curious yet consistent facet of the game this season: finishing in the bottom five in the NBA in points per game. The old adage is that defense wins championships, and the Pacers, Grizzlies and Bulls are currently proving that the idea is not dead in modern basketball. They all ignored offense in lieu of defense, and all three teams have advanced to the second round.

But the Sixers still missed the playoffs.

If one had not checked in on the Sixers’ progress since the preseason, confusion would be natural. This team seems to have all the makings of a playoff team, but the Sixers were relegated to remain in Philadelphia while 16 other teams gallivanted off with the NBA’s bountiful supply of basketballs.

The missing link, it seems, is the peskiest topic in Philadelphia sports over the past seven months: Andrew Bynum. More precisely, that link comes in the form of a trade they executed to bring Bynum to the city.

Because if there is one thing that the Sixers lacked this year, it is players who have actually reached the playoffs in the past. That does not mean you would not recognize any of their former players in the postseason, though.

The name Andre Iguodala might ring a bell. Just last year, the once-beloved face of the franchise with the nickname “Iggy” hit the series-winning free throws in Game 6 against the Derrick Rose-less Bulls, sending the Sixers to a second-round matchup with the ageless Boston Celtics.

Iguodala almost willed the team to a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat, as the Sixers came up just short despite his team-leading 18 points in Game 7.

After the trade for Bynum sent Iguodala to the Denver Nuggets, Iguodala helped the offensive-minded team improve its defensive rank by six spots and earn the No. 3 seed in a top-heavy West.

Meanwhile, Bynum spent the regular season alternating outlandish hairstyles and reinjuring his knee while bowling. Because, as everybody knows, the best rehabilitation for a franchise cornerstone with a history of knee injuries is hitting the lanes for a few rounds of duckpin.

It is hard to sit at a computer, armed only with sarcastic statistics and retrospect, and say that the Sixers’ front office made the wrong decision by trading Iguodala to get Bynum. The potential for success when a center like Bynum is paired with a point guard like Holiday is almost limitless.

But if you were to rewind the franchise to those days before the trade went through and question Sixers general manager Tony DiLeo, some warning would be in order. Without the trade, the Sixers had a surefire playoff berth. With the trade, they had a coin flip chance of either competing for an NBA Championship or failing miserably.

The reality of the situation is that DiLeo made the trade. And the Sixers still missed the playoffs.

The post Trade for Bynum backfires as Sixers miss playoffs appeared first on The Triangle.

Tara Konopka took the mound for the first game and did her job to keep the Dragons competitive. She gave up six hits and only two runs, but Drexel had a very tough time finding the holes to get on base.

Drexel collected only two hits in the first game, which were singles by Maddison Timoteo and Jill Popek. Besides those two hits, the Dragons could not put themselves in a position to score runs, as they dropped the first game 2-0, with Konopka receiving the tough loss.

“Our offense was putting the ball in play but struggled to get that key hit,” head coach Miranda Ervin said. “Both teams did not strike out very much, but George Mason was able to get a key hit where we were not.”

Drexel started Shelby Taylor at pitcher in the second game, but it was the same old story for the Dragons. The team put itself in a position to break a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. Catcher Karli Boyer singled to right to start the inning, moved to second base on a wild pitch and reached third on a groundout. Popek then hit a hard ground ball to the mound, where Boyer was caught between third base and home. After a long rundown, Boyer was tagged out, ending the scoring chance.

The Dragons put runners in scoring position four more times but were unable to execute. Boyer and center fielder Hanna Parrish each had two hits, while Taylor, Popek, Sylvia Llamas and Comfort Ahonkhai each got on base multiple times for Drexel. The game reached the bottom of the 13th inning, which was the Dragons’ third game this season to go at least 11. In the bottom of the 13th, GMU loaded the bases with no outs and then ended the game by hitting a walk-off single. The final score was 1-0 in favor of the Patriots, cementing the win in both games of the doubleheader.

Pitching was a big reason why Drexel stayed competitive in the game and had a chance to win.

“I think our pitchers did an amazing job this weekend, and I feel like this showed them what they are capable of,” Ervin said. “I also think it gives us ways to improve over the summer and in the fall to be even better next season.”

The final game of the Dragons’ season came May 4 against the same GMU team. With a new day and a new game, Drexel hoped to see some offense out on the field. Unfortunately it was a repeat of Friday’s performance, as the Dragons were shut out for the third straight game against the Patriots, falling 1-0 in the season finale.

Again, it was a great combined pitching effort by Taylor, Konopka and Shyann Beach. Beach took the loss for Drexel after giving up a run in the first inning. Taylor and Konopka came in after that and combined to pitch five scoreless innings. The Dragons could only muster three hits in the game. The team finished the season 15-36 and 2-19 in the CAA.

Drexel will now have time to go back and get better during the offseason, and Ervin is very optimistic about the future.

“I am excited to see the work that the athletes put in over the summer and rest of the offseason,” she said. “The team is growing and will continue to get better.”

Ervin then also added some specifics she wants the team to work on: “I want to work on all facets of the game. I think mentality and speed will be a key for us as well as offense. We are going to push hard in the offseason.”

The Dragons are only graduating four seniors: Parrish, Beach, Jenn Reading and Amanda Bachmann. The Drexel softball team is young and determined to make the improvements needed to have a successful season next year.

The post Drexel softball swept by GMU in season finale appeared first on The Triangle.

Each year, the Costume Institute Gala presents a fashion exhibit at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art to commemorate either a notable designer or a highly celebrated movement in the fashion industry. In order to celebrate, Vogue hosts the Met Ball to mark the exhibit’s opening. This year’s Met Ball was held May 6 with the theme of “Punk: Chaos to Couture.”

The Costume Institute featured its yearly fashion exhibit at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vogue hosted the Met Ball to celebrate the opening of the event on May 6. In attendance were notable personalities such as Jennifer Lawrence and Cameron Diaz.

Known as “the Oscars of the East Coast,” the Met Ball is a night where designers, models, actors, actresses and many other notable elites wear their most distinguished attire. Attendees usually spend approximately three months planning their outfit because their ensemble for that night is highly publicized. It is also traditional for attendees to wear an outfit that fits with the exhibit’s theme.

Past themes include “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations” in 2012, “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” in 2011, “American Women: Fashioning a National Identity” in 2010, “The Model as Muse” in 2009 and “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy” in 2008.

There were many notable outfits that walked down the red carpet during this year’s Met Ball. Many attendees greatly impressed the public by wearing theme-appropriate outfits. Singer/songwriter and actress Beyonce wore a black Givenchy gown with a gold ornamental pattern below her waist. Actress Sarah Jessica Parker stayed loyal to the theme and wore a dress by Giles Deacon with a dramatic headpiece by Philip Treacy. Actress Jennifer Lawrence looked elegant by wearing a simple black shoulderless Dior gown. Actress Cameron Diaz looked regal in a blue Stella McCartney gown with a heavily studded belt that was cinched at the waist.

Attendees who didn’t fully impress the public included Kim Kardashian, who wore a Riccardo Tisci floral-printed gown that covered her body all the way from her neck to her fingers, which didn’t complement her silhouette. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow wore a hot pink Valentino Couture gown that covered her entire body, including her neck and arms, with a slit above her chest.

With this year’s “Punk: Chaos to Couture” theme, the exhibit will contrast London and New York, two cities where punk originated. The exhibit will display designs by notable “punk” designers, including Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy, Vivienne Westwood and Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent, to name a few. In addition, the exhibit will also focus on different kinds of punk aesthetics, including “hardware,” “bricolage,” “graffiti,” “agitprop” and “destroy.”

The exhibit is open to the public May 9 through Aug. 14.

The post Met Ball features elegance appeared first on The Triangle.

The Pilsner style originates in the modern-day Czech city of Pilsen, and it became one of the most popular beer styles in the world after its introduction in the 1840s. Pilsners are typically brewed with very light barley malts and copious amounts of traditional European hops. It’s interesting to note that many of the more popular modern American light lagers (e.g., Budweiser) are imitations of this noble style.

Despite its simplicity, brewers often struggle with this style because its delicate flavor profile leaves little room for off-flavors. A well-brewed, traditional Pilsner beer is hard to come by, and a good commercial example is certainly a thing to behold. Fortunately, our neighbors at Troegs Brewing Co. in Hershey, Pa., have valiantly offered their take on this summertime classic.

Troegs was founded in 1997 by brothers Chris and John Trogner, and thanks to their mastery of the brewing art and business acumen, it has become one of the most respected craft breweries in Pennsylvania. Some of their other celebrated beers include their Nugget Nectar imperial amber ale and their Dreamweaver wheat. The Sunshine Pils is one of their seasonal offerings, available from April through August. I picked up a six-pack, bottled March 28, at my local bottle shop for $10.

I poured the beer from a 12-ounce bottle into a slender Pilsner glass, which revealed its bright, deep straw-yellow color. It poured slightly hazy, not as crystal clear as might be expected from a Pilsner. The white, crackly head quickly settled back into the beer. The beer looked and smelled inviting, with an intense sweet malt aroma complemented by wonderful flowery notes from the hops.

Man, this beer tastes good! It’s light bodied and well balanced with that clean, distinctive Pilsner taste. Plenty of hop bitterness is present, but it is not overpowering and is complemented by a unique, lingering, pleasant sweetness from the malt. Due to its light body and moderate carbonation, this beer goes down smooth and easy. Plus, at 4.5 percent ABV, it’s not inconceivable to knock out a sixer of these bad boys over the course of a summer afternoon in the hot sun. The complex flavors will satisfy any beer nerd, and the gentle, floral hop notes won’t scare off leery hop-fearers. This is truly a beer that everyone can enjoy.

This is a fine beer to have on hand when putting a shovel to the earth for a springtime project or simply sitting on your porch enjoying the warm weather. Troegs Sunshine Pils is definitely a refreshing, true Pilsner beer that makes the summer season that much more joyous.

The post Sunshine Pilsner packs flowery and malt flavors appeared first on The Triangle.

The Spring Art Star Craft Bazaar is an outdoor retail art and craft show that is organized and juried by Philadelphia’s Art Star Gallery & Boutique. Over 100 local and national artists have been chosen to set up shop and sell their handmade wares at the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, right along the Delaware River. The event is being held on Mother’s Day weekend this year, so come to the show to pick up a perfect one-of-a-kind gift for Mom, or better yet, bring your mom to the show for a fun day on the waterfront!

The Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing
Saturday and Sunday, May 11 and 12, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: Pay as you go
www.artstarcraftbazaar.com

National Train Day at 30th Street Station

National Train Day is back to celebrate train travel and the ways trains touch the lives of people with events across America. This year, festivities will highlight the unique perspective that passengers enjoy as they take in the vastness and beauty of the American landscape, from cities big and small to country vistas and everything in between, when traveling by rail.  As part of National Train Day, 30th Street Station will host events featuring live entertainment; interactive and educational exhibits; model train displays; and tours of Amtrak equipment, freight and commuter trains, and notable private railroad cars.

30th Street Station, 2955 Market St.
Saturday, May 11, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: free
www.nationaltrainday.com

Free First Sundays at The Barnes Foundation

On the first Sunday of every month, visitors will enjoy free admission, family entertainment and informative seminars from 1 to 6 p.m.  Free tickets can be obtained at the Barnes Foundation beginning at noon.  This offer is limited to tickets for two adults and two children per transaction. Tickets are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets include access to the Collection Gallery, special exhibitions and any programming taking place that day.

The Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Sundays, 1-6 p.m.
www.barnesfoundation.org

Sister Cities Park International Festival

On May 11, celebrate Philadelphia’s 10 Sister Cities at Sister Cities Park with a daylong festival that includes dance, music, cooking demos, mini language lessons and hands-on fun for adults and kids alike. This event stretches the globe and brings flavors and sounds of the world to Sister Cities Park. Stage performances include dancers from the Guang Hua Chinese School, a musical performance from the Italian Consul, Taiko drummers from Japan, a Cameroonian fashion show, ballet and folk dances, a disc jockey and more.
Sister Cities Park, 18th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Saturday, May 11, noon-5 p.m.
Cost: free
www.centercityphila.org

The Soul of Center City Walking Tour

Indulge the senses on your Center City Philadelphia journey. See some of the city’s greatest buildings and its architecture and art, listen to a performance from the largest organ in the world, smell the fantastic mix of food in the city’s most vibrant market, taste some of Philly’s iconic street food, and feel the energy of Philly’s most exciting neighborhoods.

Multiple locations in Center City
Beginning Friday, May 10, noon-3 p.m.
Cost: $29
www.philadelphiaurbanadventures.com

The post What’s Happening In Philly appeared first on The Triangle.

Drexel University acquired property on the corner of 31st and Market streets, where the auto-repair shop Firestone currently resides, a University press release announced April 26. The University paid $8.95 million for this 26,675-square-foot piece of land from Bridgestone Retail Operations LLC. Although the property now belongs to Drexel, the Firestone located on it is leased for three more years with the option to leave at any moment. As part of the deal, Drexel is assisting Firestone in relocating.

“When I was brought here by President Papadakis, we developed a master plan that shows the University in 30 years in five-year increments. One of those increments included the purchasing of Firestone. Drexel has been trying to buy Firestone for the last 20 to 30 years,” James Tucker, senior vice president for Student Life and Administrative Services, said.

Drexel contacted the owners of the local Firestone to see if they were interested in selling the property. When they said they were not interested, University officials contacted the national Firestone headquarters in Chicago. Firestone representatives consider the current Firestone at Drexel to be the highest-grossing Firestone on the East Coast. When the headquarters also failed to show interest, a Drexel real-estate agent contacted Bridgestone, the larger company that owns Firestone, and was able to convince them to have the Firestone negotiate with Drexel for the purchase. The original asking price for the property was $12 million.

“It’s in the middle of our campus; if you think about a doughnut hole, it’s a hole in the middle that really stops our university from being a whole university. The City of Philadelphia has agreed considering to sell the little spur of a street and the triangle in front of the Firestone after we purchased it,” Tucker said. This location is planned to be the center for the student union, co-op offices and a new location for the Pennoni Honors College. Tucker said the plans to start the change will most likely come within the next three to five years.

Drexel is also in the process of planning the purchases of many other properties around the area as part of the 30-year master plan. University Crossings is going to give land rights to Drexel for free in September 2013. Drexel is also designing new residence and dining facilities at 34th Street and Lancaster Avenue in place of the existing Frederic O. Hess Laboratories.

Drexel is also beginning a project called the Innovation Neighborhood, which is the revitalizing of the area from 30th Street Station to 32nd Street, the railroad yard, JFK Boulevard and Chestnut Street. Drexel owns 10 buildable parking lots which it will offer up to its partners in order to invest in new land developments that provide retail spaces and academic departments, including biomedical engineering, engineering, health sciences, entrepreneurship and research centers. The partners are expected to be looking to work with Drexel faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students, offering possible co-op options.

“We currently are more than 25,000 students including full time, part time, graduate and undergraduate, to go up to 34,000 within the next 10 years. Part of that growth has to have buildings to go along with it, including providing social space, academic space, research space and athletic space,” Tucker said.

These projects, along with many others and the relocation of different offices on campus, will be set into effect within the next five years.

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