“House of Cards” returns with more drama, corruption

The Netflix series “House of Cards” released its fourth season on March 4 after over a year of unadulterated suspense from last season’s cliffhanger. The binge-worthy political thriller does not fail to disappoint, with 13 episodes full of multi-faceted drama.

Season four brought back many characters that were seemingly forgotten during the tumultuous campaign season, such as journalist Lucas Goodwin, Russian president Viktor Petrov and novelist Thomas Yates. In addition to the old characters, “House of Cards” brought in new, intriguing ones such as Claire Underwood’s mother Elizabeth Hale and Republican presidential candidate Will Conway. The season had a perfect balance of recurring characters and new ones.

First and foremost, the female representation in this show—especially in season four—is phenomenal. First Lady of the United States Claire Underwood is an obvious example, exemplifying her strength and independence by not backing down from anyone—even from her husband U.S. President Frank Underwood. Frank Underwood—who always seems to dismiss his wife’s needs as secondary—has underappreciated Claire throughout much of the series.

Claire Underwood has also been undermined by much of the White House staff due to the fact that her husband helped her become the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. In the past and the present, Claire Underwood is constantly correcting people who refer to her as First Lady rather than Ambassador. She also will refer to Frank Underwood as “her husband,” rather than President. Comments on her beauty also seem to trouble her; people seem to think of her as just a pretty face, rather than a mastermind.

The power struggle between the two Underwoods plays a very prominent role in this season. Claire Underwood’s disappearance at the end of last season has proven to be the biggest obstacle Frank Underwood has ever faced, as it makes him realize that he is nothing without his wife.

Claire Underwood’s needs are finally addressed, with demands to be on the ticket as Vice President with her husband. Through manipulating and sabotaging Frank Underwood’s campaign to get what she wants, Claire Underwood finally shows how ruthless and dangerous she really is.

The avenging of journalist Zoe Barnes’ death continues in the fourth season, as well. Lucas Goodwin—who everyone thought was going to be locked up in jail for the next decade—is released and works to expose Frank Underwood’s bloody path to presidency.

Tom Hammerschmidt—former editor of the Washington Herald and Goodwin’s boss—makes efforts to carry out Goodwin’s wishes with an article making claims about all of Frank Underwood’s corrupt practices, dating back to the death of Congressman Peter Russo.

Presidential candidate Heather Dunbar—another powerful woman—ends up suspending her campaign this season. Dunbar is a very special character in “House of Cards” due to the fact that she is one of the only characters who has integrity and plays by the rules. While the event was made out to be trifling, Dunbar’s resignation exhibits the idea that corruption is the only path to power.

“House of Cards” was able to make up for the lack of action in the third season. The show came together beautifully to portray the corrupt dynamics of the White House and the crooked path to presidency.

The 1975 explores different genres, take risks on sophomore album

The 1975’s latest album I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It was perhaps one of the most highly anticipated album releases of the year. The 1975 took drastic measures to ensure that fans would understand the grandeur of their second album. First, they deleted all of their social media accounts after tweeting cryptic messages revealing lyrics—a highly successful publicity grab.

Released on Friday Feb. 26, the album contains 17 tracks. This album contained more electro-pop songs than previous releases, however it still had many slow songs—in line with older works.

In addition to electro-pop, the band experiments with both gospel and ballad music on the album. The 1975 is widely known as an alternative rock band. With this album, however, the band pushes its boundaries by exploring different genres that many rock bands would not dare to venture into. On top of it all, the band was able to maintain its angst—something so beautiful that seems to disappear every time a rock band steps into the pop genre.

Every mainstream album has at least one or two defining songs that blow up in popularity due to their repetitive, catchy sound. The 1975 decided to make these songs readily available for the public to enjoy as samples of the album. “The Sound,” “UGH!” and “Love Me” are the three pop songs on this album that are most likely to be overplayed on the radio and get stuck in people’s heads. While undeniably mainstream-friendly, these songs carry a unique electronic sound that works to maintain their originality.

Fans of The 1975 crave their slow, romantic songs alongside their pop songs. “A Change of Heart” and “Somebody Else” are the typical heartbreak songs that listeners love so much. With deliberate melodies and long notes, the two songs are dreamy, beautiful break up songs.

For the track “If I Believe You,” The 1975 traded in slow melodies for jazzy gospel music. “If I Believe You” was a huge risk for this band to take—alternative rock bands seldom experiment with gospel music. The song turned out to be a success, though, and the soulful gospel choir complemented lead singer Matty Healy’s voice extremely well. The amount of emotion expressed is so tangible in this track—especially with the addition of the gospel choir.

Many songs on this album deal with the psychological, a topic that can be very difficult to present in a comprehensible way. “UGH!” is a reflection on Healy’s cocaine addiction, delving into his frustration and shift in mental state through the pure angst of the lyrics. “The Ballad of Me and My Brain” is more explicitly named regarding the exploration of the inner psyche and discusses the less glamorous aspects of being famous.

The album closes with “She Lays Down,” a song about Healy’s mother going through depression shortly after giving birth. Despite many critics’ opinions, The 1975 is not a band catered to 15-year-old girls. The deep, self-aware lyrics indicate that The 1975 is a sophisticated, mature band.

Too often, rock bands lose touch with who they are after their debut album. Pop culture infiltrates their music to the point where they become part of it. Paramore is a prime example of this, as they lost their angst throughout the years as exemplified by their latest album, which was disappointingly pop. I Like It When You Sleep for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It may have a ridiculous Fall Out Boy-esque name, yet it is hugely successful in combining the pop sound that a general audience likes so much while also keeping their originality and identity.

The 1975 experimented with different genres of music on this new release, a true sign of an extraordinary band. The sophomore album has lived up to expectations and was the antithesis of a “sophomore slump” for The 1975.

Kinetic Gallery displays harsh reality of human wastefulness

Geneseo Campus Activities Board hosted a photo-video art exhibit entitled “Ecologies of Inconvenience” in the MacVittie College Union’s Kinetic Gallery on Tuesday Feb. 23. “Ecologies of Inconvenience” is a multi-dimensional exhibit featuring foodscapes from urban and pastoral environments alike. The exhibit highlighted the nature of humanity and a deep, cognitive understanding of the world humans have created. “Ecologies of Inconvenience” was created by husband and wife duo Cary Peppermint and Leila Nadir. Nadir is a writer and critic and Peppermint is an artist. Both currently teach at the University of Rochester.

Together, Nadir and Peppermint co-founded EcoArtTech—an environmental art collaborative focused on the interconnectivity of modern life and nature. EcoArtTech is composed of conceptual art—art that is meant to convey ideas, mess with form and shift the perception of viewers. “Ecologies of Inconvenience” initiated much contemplation about humanity and the environment.

Four different videos were displayed in the exhibit as well as a photo gallery. The photo gallery displayed exact shots from a few of the videos with blurred filters. The exhibit was visually demanding, with a lot of information presented in a small space.

The first pair of videos displayed on projectors showed the different practices humans use to obtain food. The practices range from being simplistic and obvious to convoluted and difficult to understand. Simple videos show Peppermint collecting water from a spring or making tea in the wilderness. More complicated videos show a military base or a busy highway.

These videos display parts of the food production system that are unidentifiable to the naked eye. The military base represents the wars fought for oil—an important resource in food production—and the busy highway illustrates a method of food transportation. The juxtaposition of simplistic and complex foodscapes is striking and provoked thought about the modern practices of obtaining food.

The second pair of videos titled “Late Anthropocene” and “Wilderness Trouble” were filmed 10 years apart from each other. Both videos rapidly change back and forth in displaying the tranquility of nature and complexity of modern cities in an avant-garde manner. Some of the videos were startling, such as “Late Anthropocene” showing a gas mask hanging on a tree and “Wilderness Trouble” depicting a woman drinking at a bar.

The ending of “Late Anthropocene” was incredibly striking. It shows a beautiful view of the sun setting over a lake with mountains and slowly zooms out. In this situation, filmmakers would typically zoom in to get a better view, but Nadir and Peppermint chose to zoom out to symbolize the destruction humans have caused to the environment.

The photographs on display were also quite intriguing. Most were completely blurred to the point where viewers would have to squint to decipher them. A few looked as if there were a mosquito net placed on top of them.

Nadir and Peppermint provided different reasons as to why the photographs were hazy. Peppermint explained that the blurry filters were homemade and simply added an artistic quality. Nadir added that the unclear photographs would stimulate more thought than clear photographs. The different interpretations revealed that the two viewed their collaborative art in different ways, an interesting characteristic of the writer and artist duo.

One of my favorite juxtapositions of this exhibit was the video in which Nadir walks through a quiet forest with a repeatedly beeping cell phone in her hand. Too often, environmental issues are framed in solutions. “Ecologies of Inconvenience” instead focuses on the cause of environmental issues—the human species.

By raising awareness through thought-provoking art, perhaps the deeper meaning of sustainability will be able to reach viewers through this exhibit.

Literary journal accepts work of all disciplines

Etcetera Magazine is a student-run interdisciplinary magazine that recently made its debut at Geneseo. The online publication encourages students to submit a diverse array of work to more accurately showcase the talents of the diverse student population. Videos, music, photographs, artwork and even maps are examples of work that students are able to submit to the website. Etcetera Magazine is open to submissions from all student majors and minors, whereas other publication sources may only appeal to the more literary majors such as English or communication. Shying away from the typical journalistic or literary approach, Etcetera Magazine is open to students of math and science majors who wish to express themselves and their interests as well.

Juniors Ariana DiPreta and Zach Muhlbauer are the two founding members of Etcetera Magazine at Geneseo. DiPreta is an English major with a human development minor and Muhlbauer is an English major. Both have extensive editing experience from working at the Writing Learning Center, making them strong and passionate leaders for this literary magazine.

Etcetera Magazine possesses a distinct collaborative aspect for submissions. Students are able to work with one another to produce content stemming from multiple mediums. This includes everything from a story written about a photograph to a poem written about a piece of artwork.

In addition, students are able to collaborate with work that has already been submitted to the website; they can connect their work with someone else’s through the simple click of a hyperlink. This collective feature emphasizes the magazine’s philosophy of free flowing, open-ended submissions from a variety of students.

The editing process of Etcetera Magazine is set up in a manner that almost guarantees the publication of all submissions—something that often hinders submitted work from being published in other magazines and journals. DiPreta and Muhlbauer plan to set up weekly meetings and office hour appointments in order to edit submissions with the person who submitted the work. Instead of submitting a piece of work and having it edited to the point where it’s barely recognizable to the person who created it, the submitter is able to have a say in how their work gets altered before it’s published.

All submissions go under a personal profile that is a simple click away from employers. While Etcetera Magazine is still a new publication website at Geneseo, DiPreta expressed a desire to expand the executive board into having editors for each section as the magazine grows in popularity.

Online publication sites similar to Etcetera Magazine have recently become very popular among college students, with Odyssey Online going viral at many colleges. Etcetera Magazine has much of the same format as Odyssey Online, with a profile page, picture and biography for each person that submits work to the website. Furthermore, writers may add hashtags to each submission to further categorize the work.

The major difference that distinguishes Etcetera Magazine from other online publication sources, however, is the variety of submissions that are allowed on the website. Odyssey Online allows for written pieces while Etcetera Magazine allows for submissions such as artwork.

Geneseo is an optimal college for Etcetera Magazine to thrive in. The interdisciplinary ideals of the website cater to students of a liberal arts college. With a vast amount of talent among the student population, Etcetera Magazine provides a platform for students to show off their work to an online audience.

Pussy Riot protests Russian government through music

Russian punk band Pussy Riot released their latest music video “Chaika” on Feb. 3. Made up of 11 women in their 20s and 30s, Pussy Riot has gained widespread acclaim and notoriety as one of the most famous protest groups in Russia. Pussy Riot creates music that advocates for feminism and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin. In Russia, however, this freedom of expression is not tolerated. Three members of Pussy Riot were each sentenced to two years in a penal colony in 2012 as a result of a live performance of their music video called “Punk Prayer—Mother of God, Chase Putin Away.”

In response to the arrest, “Chaika” is named after Prosecutor General Yuri Y. Chaika—the man responsible for the imprisonment of the members. In a society where freedom of speech is forbidden, Pussy Riot’s efforts to condemn the Russian government’s injustices is commendable.

Time and time again, Pussy Riot continues to make the news. During an incident where two members were imprisoned, the band performed and danced in front of a cathedral in Moscow. The members were jailed upon charges of “hooliganism,” a term used to describe disruptive behavior by rioting, bullying and vandalism. So far, there has been no official reaction from the Russian government on the release of “Chaika.”

Chaika was accused of using his power to help his sons acquire a massive business empire while hiding their ties to the Tsapok gang. Pussy Riot’s music video sheds light on the corruption of the Russian criminal justice system, using Chaika as their spotlight. The video illustrates graphic images of people being hanged, waterboarded and burned with hot irons.

The name Chaika—meaning “seagull”—is represented by one of the band members wearing a bird mask. All of the band members were dressed in prosecutor uniforms as well. Throughout the entire video, Pussy Riot co-founder Nadezhda Tolokonnikova raps, “Be humble, learn to obey” and “You wanna get away with murder? Be loyal to your boss.” Lastly, Tolokonnikova is seen eating a golden loaf of bread—a Soviet symbol of corruption.

In an episode of the Netflix original series “House of Cards,” members of Pussy Riot made an appearance. Tolokonnikova, her husband Pyotr Verzilov and Maria Alyokhina are shown in the episode standing up to a fictional Putin—named Viktor Petrov—during a White House dinner where they dramatically pour their drinks on the floor in dissent. Much of the third season focused on the tensions between Russia and the United States—an accurate representation of the actual relationship. During an interview, however, Pussy Riot stated that “real life” Putin is much worse than Petrov on the show.

Russia has a long history of oppressing artists and their expression. Dating back to the 1930s when Russia was part of the Soviet Union, for example, Dmitri Shostakovich was forced to withdraw his Fourth Symphony for fear of being killed by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

Unfortunately, not much has changed in contemporary Russia—creating music that goes against the Russian government still continues to be illegal. Pussy Riot has rightfully stirred up much conflict for Putin, Chaika and the rest of the Russian government, however.

Reporting assault, helping victims crucial to fighting rape culture

An alleged sexual assault occurred at Cornell University on Jan. 31, with Psi Epsilon president junior Wolfgang Ballinger arrested and charged with first-degree attempted rape, first-degree criminal sexual act and first-degree sex abuse. Thousands of campus rapes occur each year, yet only a fraction of them are reported—Ballinger’s victim is among the small minority who report their assault. According to court documents, the victim verbally told Ballinger that she was “not interested in him” and was “too intoxicated.”

She did the correct thing in reporting her assaulter, as it led to his arrest. This victim who came forward with these accusations is an example of someone who is actively fighting against rape culture. Every time a sexual assault goes unreported and a rapist gets away with the crime, there is the possibility that it will happen again to a different victim.

Being president of the highly-regarded Cornell fraternity, Ballinger’s name is plastered all over the news. Alongside Ballinger, however, are thousands of others who commit these crimes without receiving the high publicity or the legal consequences.

Ballinger represents the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sexual assaults in college—and the tip of the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sexual assaults that are reported. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, fewer than half of all female sexual assault victims in college actually report the incident to officials.

A study by the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics shows that the leading reason for unreported sexual assaults is because the victims do not think the crime was serious enough and do not want action to be taken against their offender. With nine out of 10 victims previously knowing their offender, it is not surprising that many feel this way.

The second most popular response was that the victims felt like they would be partially blamed if they reported their offender. Some even said that they were worried about the repercussions of filing a report. Victim blaming plays a large role in rape culture. Drinking too much is not the fault of the victim, nor an excuse for the offender. Rather than placing the blame on the victim, we need to recognize that rape is something that is intentional—we need to hold offenders completely accountable.

In addition to Cornell, the University of Virginia made news last year amidst reports of a fraternity-related gang rape. Additionally, an Indiana University fraternity was suspended after a video depicting a member performing a sexually explicit act on a woman was leaked. News headlines regarding college rapes and sexual assaults have grown monotonous and almost expected at this point. Fraternity rapes are so common that eyebrows aren’t even raised when yet another story hits the news.

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women are sexually assaulted in college. This is a statistic that is heard over and over again. One of the biggest issues in dealing with this statistic is the underreporting of rape. When a rape goes unreported, it gives the rapist the ability to continue to do whatever they want to future victims.

Changing the mindset of our society from blaming the victim to holding the offender completely accountable is crucial in encouraging more women to speak out against

British exhibit examines taboo subject

In today’s day and age, death is a topic that is hesitantly discussed. Considered to be a bleak and depressing matter, many people are uncomfortable talking about something so inevitable. The Bristol Museum and Art Gallery in England provides a fresh, enlightening perspective to the subject of death, however. In its new exhibition called “death: the human experience,” the museum displays objects from around the world that relate to death in different cultures. The exhibit also features an examination regarding the controversy surrounding euthanasia.

The exhibition is divided into five categories: symbols of death, stages of death, attitudes to death, human remains and science and ethics. One of the key displays is the Ghanaian fantasy coffin, shaped like a lion with luxurious lining on the inside. Ghanaian fantasy coffins are hand crafted by specialized carpenters and are considered works of art.

In Ghana, the Ga people are famously known for their elaborate funerals. The Ga believe that when one dies, their life continues on in the next world. They also believe that ancestors have the power to influence living relatives. In order to ensure that they leave on good terms, the Ga people hold extravagant funerals honoring their dead. The stunning orange coffin on display is certainly a highlight of this exhibition.

As mentioned earlier, an important matter that this exhibition covers is the issue of euthanasia. Many European countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland and Luxembourg have legalized human euthanasia. England is currently contemplating passing a “right to die” law, based on the principle that people have the right to take their own lives.

The exhibition displays the mixture of drugs that are given to people when they are ready to die, accompanied by a square of chocolate to get rid of the taste. Videos of people talking about their views of euthanasia are displayed on the wall and a reflection room is provided to give people a quiet place to ponder their thoughts on the matter.

An exhibition about death will inevitably have more graphic displays alongside the more informative and beautiful ones. In order to shield the more sensitive eyes, these displays are placed behind closed doors. The displays deal with topics such as premature deaths and ritual murders—certainly not topics for the faint-hearted. Giving people the choice to view displays that are potentially upsetting enables the exhibit to omit certain triggering aspects without taking away from the exhibit.

The last display in the exhibit pokes fun at the entire topic of death. Titled, “Reincarnation Study,” it features professor and artist Don Celender asking the question, “In which form would you like to return?” Humorous answers such as, “Blonde with a high soprano voice,” end the exhibit on a lighter note.

Since its opening weekend in October 2015, the exhibit has attracted approximately 36,000 visitors; proving that “death: the human experience” is hugely successful in turning a dark subject matter into something to reflect upon. Furthermore, it recognizes the diverse traditions that accompany death.

In hopes of encouraging more open discussions on the subject of death, the exhibition will continue to show until March 13.

Bieber reignites music career with sophisticated album

Justin Bieber released his latest album Purpose on Nov. 13, creating huge waves in the music industry. Bieber sold over 649,000 copies in the first week of the release, breaking his previous records and making this his sixth consecutive number one album on the Billboard 200 chart. Despite his constant presence in the news for delinquent actions, it is impossible to ignore the immense talent and growth he has displayed as an artist. Purpose represents the maturity in Bieber’s music, both in substance and vocals. Bieber was signed to his first record contract when he was only 14 years old. At the time, Bieber had a much higher voice, but the progression of his albums highlights the changes his voice has undergone—which in and of itself is an incredibly unique aspect of his music, as many artists do not have this experience.

In terms of substance, this is probably one of the most distinguished records that Bieber has released. As a whole, it is more serious than any of his other works—all of which were more playful and pop-oriented.

In his lyrics, Bieber expresses deeper and more meaningful themes which were never present in his earlier, teenage albums. In the second track “I’ll Show You,” he comments on the superficial way that people view him. In the song, Bieber talks about how they don’t really know him for who he truly is. As far as lyrics go, this song further proves how far Bieber has come since his “One Less Lonely Girl” days.

Bieber’s previous albums were full of catchy, fun music and were prone to being overplayed on the radio. His music was made to satisfy his 15-year-old “Belieber,” not to express himself as an artist and a person. This is something that many mainstream singers do today and, while it sells records, it does not establish them as respected singers.

Purpose does not emit this same feeling, however. Now, Bieber sings for himself, not for his audience. While a few of his songs such as “Sorry,” “What Do You Mean?” and “Love Yourself” have definitely become huge hits, they are not shallow and repetitive like some of his other songs.

The song “Love Yourself” has quickly become a favorite for many people. The title of the song is misleading. At first glance, it seems as if the song is about an insecure girl—an overused and drawn out trope in pop culture. It’s actually quite the opposite, though. Written in collaboration with Ed Sheeran, the track is about loving a self-centered girl and why it’s necessary to move on. The main chorus states, “If you like the way you look that much/Oh baby you should go and love yourself.” The song is lyrically rich and seems to express some of Bieber’s life experiences—something that captures the essence of his entire album.

The release of Purpose has shown his immense growth in character and as a musician. This album is the equivalent of Kanye West’s Yeezus—incredibly different from anything ever released by the respective artists.

Purpose is a significant album in Bieber’s career, symbolizing his transition from a teen into an adult. It has even shocked many non-listeners into becoming fans of his music. It shows the world his true potential as an artist and sets the bar high for his future albums, which will likely surpass expectations once again.

Wind Quintet enchants with skilled performance

The Geneseo Wind Quintet performed in Doty Recital Hall on Sunday Nov. 8 for a a mix of students and older spectators scattered across the auditorium. The quintet consisted of five adjunct lecturers in music: Glennda Dove-Pellito on flute, Ernest Lascell on clarinet, Megan Kyle on oboe, Marthal Sholl on bassoon and Mary Hunt on horn. Together, they carried out an engaging performance that seemed to captivate audience members. The first composition the quintet played was Paul Valjean’s “Dance Suite,” which is comprised of five different movements, each with its own personality. The composition maintained an upbeat rhythm throughout, though the tempo changed in each movement. “Dance Suite” combined many harmonious melodies to create a beautiful, stimulating piece.

The quintet transitioned to a very different composition for their second piece “Two Pieces for Wind Quintet and Piano: 1) Ballad on the Ground 2) Romp,” composed by professor of music James Walker. The composition differed greatly from “Dance Suite” in that it had dissonance throughout the entire piece. Rather than working in harmonious melodies, Walker’s composition pitted tones that directly contradicted each other and sounded uncanny to the ear.

The two movements in the second piece—“Allegretto” and “Allegro giocoso”—differed in the amount of notes that were being played. “Allegro giocoso” was more bustling, with busier movement and many different ideas at once, while “Allegretto” had a simpler tone.

Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Quintet in E flat major” was the third piece the quintet played after a brief intermission. The first movement, “Adagio-Allegro,” was a sweet, calming movement that continuously divided the quintet into two separate groups; giving one the melody and the other the accompaniment and then switching the two. It was a fascinating movement to listen to and seemed like a tricky piece to learn.

The concert finished with the amusing, lighthearted “The Fable of the Tortoise and the Hare.” A titled composition is a form of program music: instrumental compositions that are titled in order to coax the audience into imagining a narrative to go along with the music. The piece tells the classic tale of a race between a tortoise and a hare, with the timeless lesson, “slow and steady wins the race.”

In the composition, the heavy, lagging tones of the oboe and bassoon represented the tortoise’s steps, while the light and fast melody of the flute and clarinet represented the swiftness of the hare. With the music created by five instruments, it was incredible how a story could be told to the exact detail—from the start of the race to the hare’s nap to the tortoise’s victory.

The Geneseo Wind Quintet performed a wide variety of pieces unique in tonality, texture and tempo. With the talent and graciousness the five performers exhibited, the afternoon was certainly one to remember.

Chong: Celebrities should advocate for overlooked issues, use power for public good

Accusations of sexual assault against comedian Bill Cosby had been public for nearly 10 years before dozens of women came forward to accuse the comic of various rapes and sexual assaults occurring over more than 40 years. Given the number of women and the seriousness of the allegations, we wonder why Cosby’s name disappeared from media coverage so quickly. Comedian and actor Hannibal Buress wondered the same thing.

In one of his stand-up shows, Buress made a joke saying Bill Cosby had no right to tell black people how to behave because “you rape women, Bill Cosby, so turn the crazy down a couple notches."

In a shaky video clip that went viral, Buress’ one joke revamped the public’s attention on Cosby. The victims’ stories were rightfully brought to the media’s attention after being retired as old news. Buress certainly did not realize the magnitude of his words or the uproar they would cause, but it is time people in his position did.

Fame is a rare and pretty unobtainable asset. The fact that fame can be used to properly bring a rapist to justice is not a new phenomenon. Johnny Depp, for example, spoke out against executing the West Memphis Three—three men who were falsely accused of murder and sat on death row—and played a vital role in the movement to free them.

Given that their words carry more weight than the average citizen’s, famous figures have a moral obligation to speak out on injustices that the media does not cover and that the public does not see.

Whether its impact is subconscious or not, the media hold a real value and meaning to people in their daily lives. Without it, we would not know what issues to worry about or what to even think of them.

Barbara Bowman had publicly explained for over 10 years that Cosby had raped her, yet no one believed her. The media could have done something about this, but because of her lack of powerful celebrity status, she was regarded as irrelevant.

The fact that a 10-second joke went further to address serious issues than 10 years of a victim trying to convince people of her case is sickening. This proves that the media has a big hand in choosing what issues people will become aware of.

More people like Buress should use their celebrity status to speak out about important issues that the media ignores.

Chong: Flexibility of Iran deal overlooks potential threats

The United States Senate upheld the Iran nuclear deal on Thursday Sept. 10 largely due to a Democratic filibuster. The very next day, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted against the deal. While the House vote does not prevent the deal’s implementation, it does reflect substantial opposition from the Democrats in the House—25 Democratic representatives voted against the deal. President Barack Obama—who has struggled to gain congressional support in the past—personally called 57 House Democrats in an aggressive lobbying attempt.

The Iran nuclear deal calls for the demilitarization of Iran’s nuclear weapons by transforming their main nuclear facility into a research center. In addition, Iran would decrease its number of centrifuges from 20,000 to 6,104 over the next 10 years.

In order to be sure Iran abides by the agreement, the U.S. will be sending troops to monitor these sites. In return, the U.S. will lift an economic sanction, providing billions of dollars in relief to Iran.

There are several major flaws to this deal. First, the nuclear facility is not completely eliminated—rather, it is just being transformed into a research-based facility. While the major downsize will delay the production of nuclear weapons if Iran were to disregard the deal, they will still have the means to do so.

Second, the Iranian government can delay inspections on the facilities by 24 days, giving the country a sufficient amount of time to hide evidence of nuclear building activity from inspectors.

Third, the deal is good for only the next 10 years. Although this will delay Iran from producing nuclear weapons, it does not actually solve the problem in the long run. It is estimated that Iran will be rewarded with over $100 billion in economic relief from sanctions being lifted, thus fueling the anti-American Iranian regime in the upcoming decade.

Observers have praised Obama for finally bringing an end to negotiations and for preventing a possible war between the U.S. and Iran. Others criticize him for making the conditions of the agreement too lenient for Iran. When it comes to the issue of nuclear weapons, Obama should take a no-tolerance approach. Instead, Obama backed down and gave Iran a deal that gives them a big economic upside.

It will be the first time in years that the U.S. and Iran are cooperating due to the promise of peace and economic stability. What Obama has chosen to ignore, however, is the fact that given the country’s long history of violence, Iran is more than likely to disregard the terms of the agreement—especially when the terms give Iran much freedom to cheat.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently made a speech stating that there will be “no such thing as Israel” in 25 years. “Death to America” chants—supported by Khamenei—also flooded the streets of Iran during the nuclear deal talks. Giving Iran a flexible agreement is beyond dangerous—it’s enabling.

In his haste to pass the deal, Obama made the grave mistake of indirectly supporting a terrorist regime in the Middle East. For the rest of our lives, we will be living under the constant threat of a nuclear war because of the passing of this deal.

Chong: Taylor Swift's historical ignorance perpetuates white supremacy

The music video for Taylor Swift’s single “Wildest Dreams” has stoked controversy since its release for perceived racial insensitivity. Set against a mid-20th century African backdrop, the video tells the story of a forbidden love while seemingly whitewashing an era characterized by racial strife.

Swift portrays an actress who falls in love with a handsome, white actor amongst an overwhelmingly white film crew on an African safari film set. Lions, giraffes and elephants prance around freely in the background and the camera pans out to show the breathtaking view of a waterfall. The video’s opulence serves to numb the audience to the ugly legacy of imperialism, colonialism and apartheid in Africa.

Colonialism is not beautiful. Apartheid is not enchanting. Swift ignores the fact that during the time period in which her video takes place, millions of black South Africans were forced out of their homes, had their property sold and were denied access to the same resources as whites in their country.

Black South Africans during this time were pushed into a vicious cycle of poverty that still exists today. Swift ignores this history by not casting a single actor of color in her video and by innocuously portraying the white people in the video as beautiful, wealthy movie stars.

In her videos, Swift’s love interests tend to be white men whose presence is so ubiquitous that it is hard to notice that she even casts a different actor each time. As long as Swift perpetuates this undercurrent of white supremacy in her songs and music videos, racism will remain visible in pop culture.

Not all white female artists disregard people of color in their videos, however. Lana Del Rey’s music videos differ drastically from Swift’s because she casts people of color in main roles. In the video “National Anthem,” Del Rey portrayed Jacqueline Kennedy alongside A$AP Rocky—a black man—as President John F. Kennedy. When will Swift have a love interest that is not a white Prince Charming?

Swift should be held accountable for her “Wildest Dreams” video because she has a strong presence in pop culture. She needs to understand the importance of being respectful to other cultures—something that seems to have slipped her mind with this video that blatantly ignores Africa’s colonial history.

While Swift is in the midst of a wildly successful music career, being able to form educated opinions on world issues is critical for her credibility not only as a singer, but also as a respected artist and musician in the 21st century.