Criminal court membership crucial for international justice

The recent move by three African countries to leave the International Criminal Court is unfortunate and shows a lack of priority in matters relating to international justice and human rights protection. In a matter of weeks, Burundi, South Africa and The Gambia announced their solid intentions to leave the ICC on grounds that it only targets weaker African countries and their leaders. The unprecedented attempt comes amid accusations of partiality and increased questioning of the ICC’s legitimacy as a supranational institution. With 124 member countries—34 of whom are African—the ICC was established as a permanent court in charge of judging war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide that member countries are either unable to or refuse to prosecute themselves.

Currently, the most substantial justification for leaving the ICC is that since its official 2002 formation, only African nationals have been indicted on charges. Furthermore, of the 10 current cases under investigation, nine involve African countries, according to The Guardian. 

Critics who point to this seemingly judicial anomaly fail to simultaneously recognize that the ICC does have preliminary investigations in Colombia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. Furthermore, the ICC can only prosecute cases from countries that have ratified the court. While there is legitimate criticism against the court, the actions of these three countries are highly calculated and influenced by hidden political agendas.

Given the history of African leaders’ blatant disregard for the rule of law, it is not a farfetched conclusion to say that the decision to leave the ICC is linked to the desire to more easily oppress citizens by undermining democratic provisions. South African bishop and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu’s reaction sums it all up: “African leaders behind the move to leave ICC are effectively seeking license to kill, maim and oppress their people without consequences.”

As one of the first countries to ratify the ICC, South Africa’s decision to withdraw is contradictory to the country’s preexisting symbolism of justice in international criminal matters. South Africa’s decision comes after it was criticized for failing to arrest Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir during his visit to the country in June 2015.

Al-Bashir is wanted for war crimes and genocide in the Darfur region and is significant for being the first sitting head of state to have an arrest warrant by the ICC. South Africa justified its retreat, stating that membership in the ICC conflicts with its commitment to “diplomatic immunity.”

This justification is not satisfactory. As a prominent African country, South Africa ought to set an example of refusing to nurture a culture of impunity by fulfilling its responsibilities and obligations as an ICC member. This way, it can help deter undemocratic government actions and reaffirm that no one is above the law, regardless of his or her political position.

As for Gambia, the nation defended its move by essentially accusing the ICC of being a new agent of colonialism and a racist body used to persecute and humiliate non-whites. Allegations of neocolonialism against the ICC are difficult to prove because first, the court’s formation was highly supported by many African countries that wanted to end impunity and to enforce rule of law within their borders.

Second, Africans—not outsiders—bring the majority of cases forward to the ICC. Third, African nationals hold a good number of key positions such as president of the assembly of member states, prosecutors and various judges within the ICC.

Burundi, South Africa and The Gambia should reconsider their decision to leave the ICC, which has consequences beyond their borders. Not only is this decision a threat to justice, but it also risks causing a domino effect in other countries, which might lead to democratic backsliding.

Deserting the ICC is not a solution. Dissatisfied countries must work within this institutional framework to restructure it and to create a more universal system of justice. This will be difficult given that powerful countries such as the United States, China and Russia have yet to ratify ICC membership. I believe that making the ICC more universal will help establish a broader horizon for justice.

Statesmen DJ shares passion for electronic music, dance

For international relations major and Spanish minor sophomore Luke Gorka, music offers a form of communication that enables him to connect and share with those around him. At Geneseo, he accomplishes this through his job as a DJ at the Statesmen on the weekends. Gorka’s interest in DJing stemmed from his interest in electronic music—beginning in middle school—and through his brother’s influence. By his freshman year of high school, Gorka was already saving up money to buy his own music gear.

Gorka’s musical interests led him to start exploring the electronic music culture. Through resources such as online videos, he taught himself the logistics of DJing. “There is a difference between electronic dance music and just electronic music; electronic music is a wider umbrella than electronic dance music,” Gorka said. “Electronic dance music is a mainstream type of dance music that’s a variation of house music. It’s loud and usually pretty upbeat.”

Additionally, Gorka supplemented his knowledge of music by taking music lessons and a music theory class in high school. “When you know theory as a foundation of music, you can play anything,” Gorka said.

After enrolling at Geneseo, Gorka continued to channel his passion of DJing at the Statesmen. “When I came here, I talked to the management at the Statesmen,” Gorka said. “After playing a set for the manager, I was hired and have been playing basically every weekend since.”

Gorka described the popular student weekend destination akin to a second home, where he can have a great time all while doing one of his favorite hobbies. “I see the Statesmen as a crucial institution of Geneseo,” Gorka said. “Now that the IB and Kelly’s are gone, Geneseo needs a place where people can get together on the weekends … that is available and fun, and I try to make it that.”

Gorka also revealed that he appreciates the flexibility and the freedom that comes with being a DJ. Apart from the interpersonal connections, he shared that being a DJ allows him to creatively repurpose and reshape already produced music.

In addition to music, Gorka enjoys recreational dance. For him, there is something about the energy of dance that provides him with an alternative way of making connections. “I love to dance more than anything,” Gorka said. “Something about DJing and sharing that passion–—that love for music—really got to me.”

Gorka is equally passionate about language, as he has a long family history of studying foreign languages in addition to his passions for music and dance. His grandmother is a Francophile who studied and taught French, his father was a French major and his mother works as a Spanish teacher, according to Gorka. Furthermore, both of his sisters studied Spanish in college. “Everyone is into languages in my family, so I’m kind of following in their footsteps,” Gorka said.

Gorka’s appreciation for languages goes hand in hand with his desire to travel. Gorka plans on studying abroad in Peru in the spring of 2017.

When he’s not doing something related to school or music, Gorka delights in spending time with friends, FaceTiming and occasionally playing soccer. When asked to describe himself in one word, Gorka sums the essence of his personality and his love for music with “energy.”

He describes his fondest DJing memories, however, as being Halloween of 2015 at the Statesmen and at a fundraiser for his sister’s medical school class.

“It’s the moments when everyone screams, jumps and throws their hands up that make me come back to music,” Gorka said.

PhiDE hosts Anatomy Fashion Show, fundraises for children’s hospital

Phi Delta Epsilon medical fraternity hosted their second annual Anatomy Fashion Show on Saturday Oct. 15. The Halloween-themed event featured six competing teams from various campus organizations sporting body paint representative of different aspects of the human anatomy and physiology. The event’s proceeds will go toward the Children’s Miracle Network through the Galisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, which helps fund medical research among many other things, according to the fraternity.

PhiDE vice president biology major senior Mckenzie Prunier explained that the idea for the fashion show originated from other chapters of the fraternity around the country.

“Different chapters of the fraternity do the Anatomy Fashion Show to fundraise, so we also started doing it last year,” Prunier said. “It’s a great way to fundraise while also having fun.”

PhiDE president biochemistry major senior Thomas Bieganowski echoed Prunier’s comments on the show.

“Last year we ended up doing the show for the first time here,” Bieganowski said. “We got artists together and it worked out so well that we decided to do it again.”

The six competing teams included the Royal Lady Knights sorority—which opened the show by modeling the digestive system—while Alpha Sigma Tau sorority showcased the skeletal system, Sigma Delta Tau sorority modeled the cardiovascular system, Delta Phi Epsilon sorority displayed the reproductive system, the Cheer team represented the muscular system and Kappa Sigma fraternity—who closed the show—modeled the respiratory system.

Toward the end of the event, those in attendance were asked to cast secret votes for their favorite team. Kappa Sigma won first place, while second place was awarded to DPhiE. The night also featured a vibrant dance routine from Geneseo Bhangra and a performance by No Laugh Track Required.

All competing teams consisted of volunteers that PhiDE reached out to, according to Bieganowski, He expressed gratitude for their willingness to collaborate and help raise money for the event.

“They basically gave up their Saturday afternoon to be here, and I’m so thankful,” Bieganowski said. “There were also artists who helped do the body paints for the event; I’m just thankful to everyone who helped make this happen.”

Bieganowski said that the fraternity raised over $1,000 at last year’s event and were hoping to achieve a similar result this year.

“We have a minimum amount of $1,000 that we have to raise as a fraternity in order to donate to the Children’s Miracle Network,” Bieganowski said.

The event’s success in previous years helped PhiDE follow up with another exciting, philanthropic fashion show to encapsulate the importance of anatomy, all for a good cause.

BSU dinner emphasizes community spirit

“Dreams Deferred” was this year’s title for the 27th annual Black Student Union Soul Food Dinner on Saturday Feb. 27. As in the past, the event was planned to coincide with the last Saturday of February to mark the close of Black History Month.

The event opened with attendees being called to an appetizing dinner of collard greens, corn on the cob, corn bread, mac and cheese, yams, rice and peas, fried chicken and ribs. The menu was completed with ice cream and apple crisps for dessert.

BSU’s Student Association representative senior Christian Beckley explained that what he likes about the event is that it unites the community by breaking bread together. Exemplifying this notion of community spirit, members of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity reached out to lend a helping hand with preparation for the dinner.

“We were able to make a lot more food and were able to get stuff done in time because of them,” BSU president junior Emonnie Bennett said. Campus Auxiliary Services also provided support by supervising, ordering ingredients and offering a place to prepare the food.

Beyond promoting unity, the use of soul food—which has roots in the Deep South—was a way of celebrating the black community and the historical resourcefulness of slaves and their children.

“Slaves only had a limited amount of resources and they [would manage] to make great meals out of leftovers,” BSU vice president senior Ashley Ramos said.

The meal was followed by an entertainment segment in the form of a play featuring BSU members as the actors. Set in the 1920s against the backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance, prohibition and segregation, the play followed the conflicting dreams of African-American father Maxwell Huff—played by Beckley—and his son Leon—played by freshman Luc Turnier. A proud owner of a lucrative speakeasy club during the nation’s prohibition era, Maxwell Huff continuously turns down offers from Donald Romney, a white owner of other speakeasies who seeks to buy Huff’s club so that he could establish a monopoly.

Huff’s refusal to sell his club stems from the fact that not only was his club one of the few black-owned businesses, but also because he had worked extremely hard to make it successful.

In contrast, Leon Huff is an aspiring poet with a conflicting vision for the future of his father’s business. Leon Huff wants to sell the speakeasy in order to revamp it into into a poetry club. When Donald Romney passes away, his wife Linda Romney—played by senior Caroline Berrios—continues to work to fulfill his dream of achieving a monopoly. The shocking climax features Linda Romney burning down the club when Maxwell Huff continues to refuse to sell it, unknowingly killing him in the process. With retrospective regret due to arguments he had had with his father, Leon Huff eventually achieves his own dreams of forming a poetry club.

“We wanted to put on a show not just to entertain, but also to educate,” Ramos said.

This fusion of entertainment and education was further stressed with freshman Alexa Rosario’s rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come,” which featured a PowerPoint slideshow of the aftermath of race riots in places like Rosewood, Florida and Tulsa, Oklahoma, where “black Wall Street” was targeted and burnt down by angry white mobs.

President Denise Battles was in attendance along with Assistant Dean of Students for Multicultural Programs & Services Fatima Johnson. Johnson was honored for her commitment to promoting diversity within and around the Geneseo community.

Another highlight of the evening was the announcement of a new scholarship initiative which will be implemented beginning next spring. Two freshmen recipients from the Access Opportunity Program will be awarded $250 each based on certain criteria. BSU explained that they aspire to open the scholarship to the whole campus in the future.

Ramos emphasized her hopes “to continue on the track BSU is on, with excellency, exploring history, progress [and encouraging] diversity on campus and in meetings.” 

Nature Walk Club provides outdoor experience

For some students, having a chance to go out and to engage in an outdoor environment is a rejuvenating way to take a break from academics. This is partly what drew geography major and Nature Walk Club president junior Sarah Kowalski to the Nature Walk Club. The club is composed of environmentally-conscious students, faculty and staff who share a similar appreciation for nature.

Nature Walk Club provides an opportunity for individuals to get outside and immerse themselves in nature. According to their Facebook page, their mission is “to establish, solidify and maintain the essential relationship between individuals and nature.”

Beyond that, the club also serves as a tool for education and preservation with both student and faculty-led nature walks. These walks often take place at the Spencer J. Roemer Arboretum or elsewhere at off-campus locations such as Finger Lakes Trail, Stony Brook State Park and Letchworth State Park.

“Since I was little, I would go on outdoor walks with my grandma, so it’s nice to be able to find the same thing here,” Kowalski said.

Geneseo Nature Walk Club often collaborates with other clubs and organizations on campus––such as the Office of Sustainability––in order to bring events to the campus community. For example, the club has teamed up with associate professor of biology and Spencer J. Roemer Arboretum Advisory Board chair Jennifer Apple to partake in invasive species removal and native seed planting.

Nature Walk Club also hosted Ephemeral Arts Festival in conjunction with Art Club in October. Students expressed themselves through art by only using materials found in nature at the arboretum. Photos of the artwork were displayed in the Kinetic Gallery.

Other collaborative events that the club has done in the past include working with Yoga Club to hold a session at the arboretum.

In their official description, the club noted that they aim to provide a “transformational learning experience” and to stress the “importance of maintaining healthy, symbiotic relationships” with nature. These concepts have been explored through events like their recent White Pine Tea walk.

“Students took an educational walk to explore some white pine trees in the arboretum,” Nature Walk Club vice president sophomore Sophie Boka said. “At the end, we picked some pines and used them to make tea.”

According to Kowalski and Boka, the club is made up of a wide variety of students from many different majors. Boka expressed her hopes to see more faculty and staff get involved, especially with leading the nature walks.

“And that’s the beauty of it—anyone can come with whatever they can offer,” she said. 

Arboretum volunteers take active role in sustainability efforts

In an effort to encourage community members to, as Geneseo’ sustainability statement puts it, “embrace sustainability as a core value,” the Office of Sustainability held its first-ever Arboretum volunteer day on Saturday Sept. 19 in the Spencer J. Roemer Arboretum.

According to their website the year-old office “recognize[s] the critical role of higher education in creating a sustainable society.” This role can be upheld through programs that include teaching, research and service, as well as efforts to raise awareness to bring about sustainable changes on campus.

Arboretum advisory board chair and associate professor of biology Jennifer Apple explained that the Arboretum “serves as a place for recreation, research and conservation of native species.”

“It is open to students—as well as to the community—as a place where they can enjoy nature and or study,” she added.

Director of Sustainability Dan DeZarn explained that the inspiration behind the establishment of Arboretum maintenance as a community event was to encourage more students to get involved. He added that one of the biggest issues the office faces from public use of the space is that people abuse it. Holding a volunteer event in which students provide aid in the conservation and cleanup processes can help students get a better sense of what goes into maintaining the Arboretum and to develop a deeper appreciation for nature preservation.

The event was held in collaboration with the Arboretum board and Nature Walk Club on campus. According to the Office of Sustainability website, it was one of many initiatives to “support outreach and networking efforts to engage the larger community with campus projects.”

Students braved light rain to participate in activities that included basic ground maintenance and improvement tasks such as adding more woodchips to the entry trail. There were other activities that were planned but were unable to be effectuated due to the weather, including painting park benches, removal of invasive species and planting of native species.

“It’s an opportunity to serve the Arboretum, but it’s also an opportunity for students to get engaged and get hands on experience,” DeZarn said. He proved this in his demonstration to students where he showed how to replace damaged wood scaffold boards on park benches and picnic tables.

“I like the Arboretum, it is a nice place to come and relax or study,” volunteer junior Marcus Converse said. “I believe if we enjoy natural areas on campus, we have to work as a community to sustain it.”