Involved, ambitious student works for community, campus unity

A communication major and sociology minor, junior Caroline Wilson is dedicated to promoting cohesiveness between the campus and Geneseo community. She’s a member of Sigma Delta Tau sorority and is the Main Street Manager—an internship position—at Livingston County Economic Development. Her self-described mission is to encourage students’ involvement in the town as well as locals’ involvement on campus.

“Working with both on-campus and off-campus organizations has definitely allowed me to understand all sides and perspectives, which really helps with my goal,” Wilson said.

Studying in the personal and professional track of communication, Wilson is proficient at speaking to people and businesses in a fashion that is relatable and friendly while also qualified and to-the-point. These virtuous traits have aided her pursuits, especially through her internship work.

After weeks of effort, Wilson sent out a list to the student body on Tuesday Dec. 8 that delineated most of the major holiday discounts at local businesses to inspire student connection with their shopping and service resources in town. Nineteen companies with various specialties were listed. To compile the information for the list, Wilson visited the establishments personally to inquire about seasonal deals.

“I work on getting any relevant community information out to students, so I thought of the idea to collect deals and discounts together into one place,” she said. “I asked businesses if they had any promotions going on for the holidays. Many did, and some created deals based on my inquiry.”

Because the list was only recently sent out, its success can’t be determined yet, but reactions from students have been tremendously approving and grateful. “I haven’t heard back from any of the businesses yet, but student feedback has been very positive and appreciative,” Wilson said.

Another project she’s involved in through her internship is a monthly online newsletter that consolidates information about events in the student and campus community as well as within the town and surrounding area. Wilson reported that community member subscription has been growing, but noted that student subscription has not gained much momentum yet, as the newsletter launched in July.

“It tells a bit about each event and might strike people’s interest,” she said. “I’d love to see more student subscribers because right now it’s mostly been promoted through the community, but I would like to make it my mission to get a lot of students subscribed.”

A sister of SDT since her freshman year, Wilson has acted as a public relations person for the organization in the past and currently holds the position of Vice President of Panhellenic Counsel. Wilson said that taking on such leadership positions has provided her with great opportunities to bring the campus and community members together.

“My cousin was in SDT before I came to Geneseo—she’s a senior right now—and she introduced me to all of her friends which sparked my interest in joining. But also I just wanted to be in an organization. I’ve always been interested in getting involved,” she said. “It’s given me rewarding experiences within the Geneseo community—both on and off campus.”

While she has not yet decided on the specific career path she wishes to pursue after her undergraduate education, Wilson wants to continue doing work that is relevant to her passion for community and fostering positive experiences and involvement in local business. Her ambition radiates in her communication and her professional self-presentation—she and her contributions are invaluable assets to Geneseo.

G-Spot: Critique of monogamy as socially constructed ideal

Western culture seems to aggressively preach the happily-ever-after fairytale of monogamy. We grow up watching movies in which the endings almost always include the male and female protagonists getting married—or the implication that they will be married and forever content with only one another. This is portrayed as a life goal to young children and, as they mature, the societal message remains fairly consistent.

If this is the lesson ingrained in us—as we’re absorbing it from such young ages—why is infidelity so rampant in committed monogamous relationships? I can’t help but question the cogency of the belief that exclusivity with a single partner is always the ideal arrangement.

My objective is not to condemn the institution of monogamy or marriage—I know many happy, faithful couples and I consider myself to be solely interested in such a model—I simply aim to express my concern about it being taught as the end-all-be-all structure of success. Furthermore, the idea that romance is necessarily crucial to any individual’s fulfillment in the first place is not entirely valid.

It appears though that society is developing an increasingly progressive and open-minded view about intimacy and commitment. Personally, I believe the Internet and reality television are two of the major influences on this emerging change. The Internet is an extraordinary tool that allows us to express ourselves anonymously, letting anyone and everyone voice their true desires and practices of infidelity without judgment or consequences.

Through reality television, we get glimpses into couples’ cheating issues—even if these reality shows are actually scripted, the public views them through the lens of reality and relates them to their own situations. With the Ashley Madison leak earlier this year, it became clear just how common cheating is—especially because Ashley Madison is only one of the countless resources people can use to become involved in such escapades.

I return to my original meditation: perhaps the tradition of monogamy as idyllic is naïve. Of course, couples can successfully engage in it and achieve the happily-ever-after, but it seems clear that the model does not work for everyone. Just as I am familiar with many couples living out that dream, I also know just as many couples—if not more—who have suffered heartbreak because the archetype proved itself to be unrealistic. It’s conceivable that if the expectation of monogamy had never existed as the only acceptable constitution, an honest conversation could have occurred and a bond of shared understanding of occasional, meaningless “cheating” could have been formed as a healthy tolerance of one another’s humanness.

Not all cultures practice monogamy or the concept of marriage, nor do most other species. In fact, evolutionary instincts would seem to point at exactly the opposite: mate with as many others in one’s community as possible, as frequently as possible.

Particularly with the recent phenomenon of hookup culture in Western society—mostly amongst young people—the notion of following the prescription of monogamy looks like it’s becoming outdated. I’ve noticed that rising generations are increasingly becoming more experimental in how they participate in intimacy and romance. In addition, many couples—monogamous or not—are choosing not to get married at all. Some people are even foregoing the concept of dating altogether, preferring sexual intimacy without labels.

There are endless configurations for how individuals can assemble their sex lives, dating lives, and marriages because even in marriage, some partners recognize that their physical desires may sometimes need to trickle outside the conventional bounds of matrimony.

Questioning socially-created standards for relationships is nothing new, but it is only just now becoming widely accepted and sometimes encouraged. Writing in the early 1800s, author Jane Austen subtly implied in most of her works that the traditional boy-meets-girl story was unreasonable—a risky position to voice during that era. Today, such sentiments are commonly expressed and seem to be attracting positive reactions and support.

My reflection on this topic leads me to conclude that accepting messages that preach monogamy as the only course relationships should take is not only unrealistic, but also damaging to those people grappling with conflicting desires. I believe Western culture's current transition toward approval of unconventional forms of intimacy and relationships is enlightened and should be nurtured.

Spotlight: Senior marries, disregards societal expectations

Senior Peter Donlon recently took the plunge and tied the knot. Married on Oct. 25, he and his wife Rebekah Donlon—who is currently a student at a local community college—are admittedly still in the honeymoon phase, but confidently assert that even when they move on to the next stage of marriage, they won’t waver in their covenant despite their young ages.

Committing to marriage in one’s undergraduate years may seem premature or illogical to many, as it is fairly uncommon in today’s culture, but Peter Donlon stresses that disregarding societal guidelines is imperative to making the right decisions for one’s self and as a couple.

“Society really does dictate that people should only get married after they’ve been through college and have good careers, and I don’t want to discredit that approach, but it’s not the right path for everyone,” Peter Donlon said. “Couples should consider their own unique situations and act on what they believe is best for them regardless of outside pressure.”

Friends for about a year and a half before entering into a relationship, Peter and Rebekah Donlon were emotionally in tune with one another right from the beginning. After some issues in her family life, Rebekah Donlon was going to move in with a friend but the plans fell through. Peter Donlon and his immediate family were there for her and welcomed her into their home. While this development was not itself a factor in their decision to marry, Peter Donlon noted that it played a major role in allowing them to realize their compatibility.

Both of the Messianic Christian faith, the pair explained that religion did play a role in their choice to marry, but was not a primary motive. “Being Christian and living with someone before marriage is of course a unique situation—there’s definitely that struggle of wanting to be close to someone when, Biblically, you’re not really supposed to be,” Donlon said. “Our faith was just part of the whole decision though, a decision that was ultimately right for us in all aspects.”

The couple is also lucky enough to have the support of family and friends—something not all young newlyweds would receive. “Everyone has been pretty supportive. At first, there was definitely a lot of hesitancy about it and people asked if we were ready for it and things like that, but overall, we received a lot of support and positive responses,” Peter Donlon said. He also highlighted the fact that he knows other couples that married young and have been successful in wedlock.

A communication major on the personal and professional track, Peter Donlon stressed that communication is key not only in maintaining a healthy relationship, but also in making decisions together as a couple—including the decision to marry. He emphasized that he and Rebekah Donlon discussed the life-altering step extensively, covering all necessary topics about their needs and desires for the future.

“It’s important to talk about future expectations such as if you want kids, a big or small family, where you want to live and other topics like that,” Peter Donlon said. He explained that they are in tune with one another in this respect. They both want to travel after they finish school and both hope to eventually move to the south, possibly Florida.

Peter Donlon and his wife are dedicated not only to their educations, but also to working and saving money. Both employed by Atria Senior Living, they have learned to separate work life from personal life. “We motivate each other when we need to and give each other space when we need to,” he said.

Their story may not be run-of-the-mill, but it’s a tale of sincerity. Peter and Rebekah Donlon are steadfast in their certainty that they did what was right for them in their decision to marry young. Resisting the weight of modern cultural norms, they allowed themselves to contemplate all contributing factors and arrive at the conclusion most suitable for their lives and future desires.

“Of course, before I proposed to Rebekah, the thought was in the back of my head that maybe we were too young, but marriage takes work at any age. Neither of us expected to marry young, but we’re happy we did,” Peter Donlon said.

On a lighter note, he joked, “Advice for anyone choosing to tie the knot: Make sure the rings fit right!”

RESTORE Sexual Assault Services comes to Geneseo

Sexual assault and rape culture are undeniably present in today’s college environment, affecting campuses across the nation. To help victims and their loved ones manage in the aftermath of such circumstances, Geneseo has partnered with Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York’s RESTORE Sexual Assault Services. The conversation surrounding the partnership began in spring 2015, and fall 2015 marks the first semester RESTORE has an office on campus.

“This partnership ought to result in the campus—and entire community—knowing that RESTORE is here for them as a source of support, advocacy and confidentiality,” RESTORE Outreach and Education Specialist Lauren Berger said. “By integrating our services into the great work Geneseo is already doing to combat gender-based violence and sexual assault, we can create a united front against these crimes.”

RESTORE’s presence on campus provides Geneseo students with increased outlets and resources for dealing with the trauma that can arise from instances of sexual assault and serves to spread awareness and perpetuate the conversation around rape and sexual violence prevention. The thought process is that the more informed the student body is, the more voices there will be combatting sexual abuse.

“It is a daily commitment to challenge these messages wherever we may find them,” Berger said. “Whether we see a questionable post online or hear about an assault on the news and someone scoffs, ‘What was she wearing?’ If we have the ability, we have the obligation to question that thinking and provide accurate information. Nobody deserves to be sexually assaulted, it is never the victim’s fault and resources are available for those in need.”

The collaboration between Geneseo and RESTORE is being largely modeled after RESTORE’s work with SUNY Brockport, RESTORE’s first college campus affiliation. Berger works closely with Geneseo’s Director of Student Care Services and Title IX Coordinator for Students Tamara Kenney in the partnership. RESTORE is also involved with the monthly Campus Safety Advisory Committee for Interpersonal Violence.

“We know from national statistics that on average, one in five women will be a victim of sexual assault before she finishes college and more than 75 percent of all survivors were assaulted by someone they know,” Berger said. “These troubling numbers illustrate the dire need for responsive services, but also prevention and intervention education.”

The on-campus office that has been designated to RESTORE is located in Sturges 208B. There, students can access information and resources confidentially and also inquire about advocacy and counseling. Office hours are currently 1-4 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, but this is subject to change every semester. RESTORE also staffs two toll-free, 24-hour hotlines; one for Monroe County and one for Genesee, Orleans, Livingston and Wyoming counties that can be reached at 1-800-527-1757.

Another reason Geneseo’s partnership with RESTORE is vital to the campus community is because many cases of sexual assault go unreported. This is because of various reasons, one of which is the victims’ wish to keep the matter private or deal with it in ways other than going through the criminal justice system. Having RESTORE at Geneseo gives students the opportunity to confidentially speak to and get help from a counselor who has been extensively trained in such matters.

Student responses to RESTORE’s services and advocacy appear overwhelmingly positive. “I think RESTORE is a great program because it allows students to engage in dialogue about rape culture. It’s something that’s so taboo in our society, but it needs to be talked about,” sophomore Alyssa Forbes said. “It helps students—whether they’ve been victims of assault, know a victim, or not—feel safer and more confident on their campus and in this community.”

The reality of knowing one’s assailant can hit close to home for many college students. Geneseo’s partnership with RESTORE aims to educate students about risk factors and how to prevent themselves and their peers from becoming victims or offenders.

Berger expressed her belief that with time, RESTORE will be able to have an increasingly positive impact at Geneseo through both its resources and advocacy. “I hope to see a continued stream of various events engaging in different ways to involve all groups and viewpoints in the conversation,” she said.

Frugal Foodie: New spin on squash

Trying various unique spins on conventional foods can oftentimes be deliciously enlightening. Below is a recipe for an Asian-inspired take on the preparation of spaghetti squash.

Ingredients:

One large spaghetti squash

Three garlic cloves

Two tablespoons olive oil

Four mushrooms

One large sweet pepper

One onion

One package snow peas

2/3 cup soy sauce

One tablespoon toasted sesame oil or teriyaki

One tablespoon lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

1/2 cup cilantro

Directions:

With a sharp knife, cut squash in half the long way. Remove seeds. Place squash in a microwave safe pan, face down. Add about 1/4 cup of water into pan and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for about 15 minutes or until squash is soft.

While squash is microwaving, mince garlic, dice onion and slice mushrooms and peppers as desired. Place large skillet on stove burner over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Simmer garlic and onion in oil for 3-5 minutes, stirring when necessary. Add mushrooms, green pepper, onions and snow peas to pan and cook for another 5-10 minutes or for as long as desired.

When squash is done microwaving, let it cool a bit. Using a fork, scrape the insides of the squash, removing long strands.

Add soy sauce, sesame oil—or teriyaki or both—peanut butter and lime juice to the pan and stir. Add squash and continue stirring until squash is coated with sauce.

Top with cilantro and peanuts. Serve.

Optional:

Add a dash of ground ginger, pepper flakes or hot sauce for spice.

Serve with meat, poultry, seafood or tofu.

Frugal Foodie: Turkey-free substitute for Turkey Day

Thanksgiving is a holiday that essentially revolves around food. We join family and friends in giving thanks while eating an abundance of delicious, prepared-all-day food. From the main attraction of the turkey to the mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberries and all the other goodies, it’s easy to overeat.

But what if you’re vegetarian or vegan during this poultry-centered feast? Or maybe you’re hosting the celebration and have vegetarian or vegan guests coming over? You might be at a loss as to what they’ll be able to eat other than side dishes. Or maybe you’re on a health-kick and you’re cutting down on your meat and poultry intake.

Whatever the cause of your concern, sometimes you just need a hearty vegetarian or vegan option on the table during Thanksgiving. Chili is a favorite fall comfort food that can be tasty with or without animal protein. Below is a delicious recipe for vegetarian chili, which is easily adapted to be vegan as well.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. olive oil

4 tbsp. dry red wine

2 1/2 cups raw kidney beans

3/4 cup raw bulgur (or more, to taste)

1 cup tomato juice

Four garlic cloves, crushed

2 cups onion, diced

1 cup celery

1 cup carrots

1 cup green peppers

Four fresh tomatoes

3 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. ground cumin

4 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. basil

3 tbsp. tomato paste

One block extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup parsley

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Start beans a few hours early to allow time to cook. Put kidney beans in a pan and cover them with 6 cups of water. Soak for about three hours. Add extra water and 2 tsp. salt. Cook until tender, about one hour. Watch the water level—add more if necessary.

2. Heat tomato juice to a boil. Add a pinch of salt. Pour over raw bulgur. Cover and let stand at least 15 minutes.

3. Chop vegetables to desired size.

4. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil. Add celery, carrots, tomato and spices. When vegetables are almost done, add peppers. Cook until relatively soft.

5. Combine all ingredients—including those not used—except cheese and parsley and slowly heat together in a covered pan on stove, to taste.

6. Serve with grated cheddar cheese and parsley on top or leave cheese out for a vegan meal.

Makes approximately eight servings.

Halsey uses music to combat taboo for mental illness

This modern era we are living in is one of the most progressive the Western world has ever seen, but there is much growth to be had. Singer Halsey helps facilitate such development of public conscious through her music. With topics such as gay marriage, racial prejudices and women’s reproductive rights—all extraordinarily important matters—at the forefront of public awareness recently, it’s all too easy to overlook other societal tribulations such as the lack of cognizance surrounding mental illness.

Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Halsey is familiar not only with the personal struggle of the mental illness, but also with the wider misconceptions of it and people’s reluctance to face such topics that are foreign to their individual experiences.

Through her music, Halsey expresses her unique journey and hardships. She offers listeners—whether they’re diagnosed with mental illnesses or not—an invitation to explore their own psyches and internal battles. “I’m taking a negative thing and making it art because that’s therapy for me,” Halsey said in an interview with Shelley Rome of Z100 New York on Sept. 9.

In the same interview, she discussed the larger societal fear of confronting issues like mental illness head-on. “Living in a world that’s so sensitive, that’s a scary thing for art because you find yourself censoring what you’re doing because you’re terrified of offending,” she said. “Art is meant to provoke.”

Discussing her new album Badlands—released in August—Halsey noted its symbolism in connection with mental health. “The entire thing is a metaphor for a mental state, you know? I have been living in the mental badlands for a while,” she said.

Halsey acknowledged that a vast dessert encircles the fictional world she concocts, which traps people within and keeps people out. This parallels her experiences with bipolar disorder alongside modern culture’s deficiency in recognizing mental illness as an acceptable category of disease rather than taboo.

The distinctive, intangible realm of Armageddon understood in Halsey’s Badlands album is created through the amalgamation of her lyrical imagery, vocal tones and electric instrumentals. This artificial construction of reality represents her personal psychological discord, while simultaneously providing listeners with an abstraction relatable to their own unique stories of mental distress or mental illness.

Halsey is unique in musical panache and self-presentation—she sports turquoise-colored hair and gave herself the moniker “Halsey” after a stop on the New York City L train. Her openness to generate discourse and messages addressing mental illness are integral in her musicale and lyrical style as well.

Halsey’s music helps to bring mental illness to the surface in societal sentience. Artists like Halsey are crucial to facilitating increased public mindfulness of such matters and ultimately directing our culture to a point of constructive reception and understanding in place of intolerance, hasty umbrage and preferred ignorance.

Veterans Day ceremony honors military service

The Geneseo community was invited to a commemorative wreath-laying ceremony hosted by United University Professions in honor of Veterans Day on Wednesday Nov. 11.

The ceremony of reverence included the placement of a wreath—laced with red, white and blue flowers—under the flagpole at the Visitors Loop. The wreath donned a banner reading, “UUP Salutes Geneseo Veterans.” Select speakers shared personal sentiments and readings.

Attendance was comprised of various faculty and staff, students and members of the larger Geneseo community. “I was pleased with how many people showed up, I think there were more than usual,” primary speaker associate professor of history James Williams said.

Williams is a veteran himself. He served for a total of 26 years—from 1974–1976 on active duty and then in the Army Reserves until 2000. “I received nine medals for merit and retired as a lieutenant colonel,” he said. In addition to teaching in the Geneseo history department, Williams often plays an active role as a mentor within the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.

“Along with all my uncles and father who served in World War II, there is a long military tradition in my family going back to the [American Revolution],” Williams said. “A major meaning of Veterans Day for me is to indicate my solidarity with fellow veterans, but also to remember those people who were wounded in body, mind or spirit during their service and particularly those who did sacrifice their lives for the country.”

Williams mentioned two deceased former Geneseo students specifically in his thoughts: Ghanaian immigrant Cadet Joseph Glantey and Pakistani immigrant 1st Lt. Mohsin Naqvi. “Both of them were immigrants to the U.S. whose appreciation for the opportunity the nation offers led them to be willing to risk their lives for the country,” Williams said. “And both ultimately died in their duties.”

Sophomore Thomas Newman is participating in ROTC at Geneseo for the first time this semester. Enlisted in the Army National Guard since April 2014, he previously was on active duty status for several months. Veterans Day is not only significant to him because of his military involvement, but also because it hits close to home.

“To me, it’s a day of recognition,” Newman said. “My father is a veteran. It’s part of the reason I joined the Army—because my father was in the Army, too.”

Veterans Day provides a distinctive annual occasion to honor the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

“It’s an opportunity for people to remember those who were willing to work for the welfare of the country as a whole and sometimes sacrifice their lives on behalf of it,” Williams said.

Planned Parenthood has presence on campus

With the support of Students Against Social Injustice, Geneseo’s Voices for Planned Parenthood Club hosted an event for Pink Out Day on Tuesday Sept. 29. The aim was to increase consciousness of the crucial role Planned Parenthood holds in the United States, particularly in the wake of recent allegations and attacks.

“It was an event that took place nationally. For our purposes we called it ‘Geneseo Turns Pink for Planned Parenthood,’” VOX president and women’s studies representative junior Stephanie Gerspacher said. “We were just trying to show as much support as possible by getting people to wear pink, change their profile pictures with the ‘#StandWithPP’ pink filter on their Facebook pages and also by coming to our teach-in.”

Planned Parenthood is an organization that has been engulfed by a media frenzy lately. With rumors spreading, heated political debate occurring and the threat of loss of government backing and cooperation, the Planned Parenthood action fund decided to declare a national Pink Out Day to raise awareness about its necessity.

“This is the first year for the event—it was specifically spurred by the attacks in Congress to try to defund Planned Parenthood and the alleged videos that were put out by the center for medical progress,” Gerspacher said.

VOX Club tabled in the MacVittie College Union most of the day leading up to the event to attract participants and to collect signatures on petitions saying they stand in support of Planned Parenthood.

At the teach-in hosted at the Fireside Lounge, VOX Club members answered questions and started a discussion about the controversy that has been unfolding in the media regarding the purpose of Planned Parenthood. The club also provided information about the location and services of the closest Planned Parenthood clinic in Rochester. They guided an educational group discussion based on informal Q&A and prompts regarding topics such as the definition of consent—including a couple of personal accounts about Planned Parenthood experiences and the impact the organization had on those people’s lives.

The tabling effort garnered over 50 petition signatures and the teach-in event attracted about 15 attendees. “We had someone come who said she wasn’t really pro-choice but wanted to hear the other side of the story,” Gerspacher said. “It was awesome that she was able to have such an open mind and hear everyone out.”

There have been national increases of arson at Planned Parenthood clinics and attacks on abortion doctors and patients in correlation with increased levels of criticism for the organization. The damage is still fresh at a Planned Parenthood in Washington that was set ablaze on Sept. 4.

The increasing numbers of acts of aggression against Planned Parenthood in the U.S. are igniting a push to increase the public’s awareness regarding the organization through its supporters. It is a national issue in which local communities such as Geneseo are getting involved.

“Despite the fact that the closest Planned Parenthood is a ways away in Rochester, people from this community still go there,” Gerspacher said. “Planned Parenthood is one of the most trusted places to go for reproductive health care for both men and women—so the point of the event was to show we’re not going to back down just because people are attacking us. We believe everyone deserves health care.”