On-campus parking presents problems for commuting students

Parking availability for Geneseo students, both on and off campus, has been a source of controversy. Limited and distant parking in particular have caused issues among commuting students. Their designated areas for parking are restricted to three lots and are the farthest down the hill on campus. Commuting senior Melissa Milke expressed her indignation over the parking arrangement for commuting students. “My argument is that we all pay the same price for a parking permit, so why do residents get closer lots than commuters do?” she said.

Geneseo University Police Department inspector Joseph Van Remmen, however, said that he does not feel that any distance disparities between residential and commuter lots are significant enough to cause a huge inconvenience for commuting students.

“Since the furthest that a commuter parks on campus is closer than the distance from Suffolk, I don’t think the parking is far away, really—if you think of it in those terms,” he said. He added that when it comes to parking proximity for students, “in comparison to other colleges, we do a really, really good job.”

Milke noted her frustration with the fact that while she may see open spaces in any of the eight resident lots that are situated closer to the heart of campus, she is technically unable to park in any of them simply because of her commuting status. According to Geneseo Parking Services website, the fine for parking in a “wrong lot” is $15.

“I shouldn’t get a ticket for parking in a resident lot … the student resident lots are usually empty, so I mean, if it’s already empty, why should they care if I park there?” she said. “I’d like to be able to park in any one of the student lots because, you know, we’re all students.”

Despite the “wrong lot” policy, Van Remmen explained that UPD tries to give commuting students as much leeway as possible. “Rarely do we ticket a commuter for parking in a student lot,” he said. “But we will ticket them if they’re parking overnight.”

Van Remmen added that one of the major reasons that commuting parking is so limited and at the far end of campus is because the influx of commuters can vary drastically from year to year. “The preference has always been toward the faculty and staff because we may have zero commuters for a particular class,” he said. According to Geneseo’s website, commuters only make up 1 percent of the student population, whereas the vast majority of faculty and staff members drive to campus and the need for parking spaces is a constant.

“There’s an agreement with the college as to where faculty and staff park and that’s been in place for years. It’s kind of recognition that it’s a contractual, negotiated item,” Van Remmen said. “We want [faculty and staff] to be there on time so they can teach everybody and we don’t want them driving around looking for spaces, so we want to provide spaces that are close so they can park.”

Many commuting students like Milke have tried to find parking spots off campus. Still, many of those spots off campus are metered or timed parking

“Since the semester started, I’ve paid three violations for parking meters. I got two in one day,” Milke said.

Van Remmen said that he understands the student perspective, but enacting real change with campus lots is a difficult challenge.

“We try to help everybody as much as we can, but the reality is that if we took away, let’s say, some parking lot to give to commuters, those people would then be complaining,” he said. He also added that adding a new parking lot would be costly financially—somewhere in the $10-20,000 range. It would also mean taking away some of Geneseo’s “green space.”

Van Remmen did add, however, that he would be willing to talk to commuting students about officially making some resident lots both resident and commuting if there was a collectively voiced issue with off-campus parking.

“I would be open to having that discussion with commuters if there isn’t enough parking off campus … but I don’t think that’s necessarily the challenge,” he said. “If it is the challenge, I would be interested.”

Classic films at Riviera entertain all ages

It was a gloomy, grey and chilly day on Saturday Sept. 12—perfect for snuggling up and watching a good film. But instead of wrapping myself up in my cozy comforter with Netflix on my laptop as usual, I decided to switch it up and venture out to The Riviera Theater with my boyfriend to see their screening of Disney’s animated classic Sleeping Beauty.

I was not only excited to go watch one of my beloved Disney films on the big screen, but I was also eager to finally step foot in the newly renovated Riviera––I had heard great things about it, but had yet to attend any screenings there myself. It definitely did not disappoint.

After buying our tickets and pushing the heavy wooden doors open, an extremely cheerful concession worker greeted us while we looked at a table with paper slips listing the upcoming showings for the coming weeks. Riviera Theater owner Don Livingston’s theme of “classics” is apparent with picks such as King Kong, Little Shop of Horrors and Dracula in the mix. He explained that although Sleeping Beauty is an animated children’s movie, he still considers it a classic due to its age—pre-1970s—and for its “old style” of animation without the aid of computer technology.

While it may sound horribly trite, walking into the actual theater part of the building felt like I was stepping back in time. The first thing that really made me smile wasn’t actually something I saw, but rather what I heard. The jazzy, 1920s-eque instrumental music playing through the speakers seemed to transport me into an era where movies were black and white and admission was just a quarter. I absolutely loved this sensory addition—once again reinforcing Livingston’s passion for instilling a classic atmosphere within the old theater.

The interior of the theater itself was much more beautiful than I expected, with deep green, gold and white embellishing on the walls. Even the balcony was illuminated by the ornate lights hanging around it. I didn’t even know there was a balcony in The Riviera until that day, and while my boyfriend and I chose to sit on the main floor to not have our line of vision obstructed by a pole, I thought it was a really interesting and unique feature of the movie house.

I was pleasantly surprised at the turnout. While it wasn’t filled to capacity, there were a fair amount of diverse individuals there. There was the absolutely precious trio of elderly women in front of us, a few families with both sons and daughters and also a group of girls there who seemed to be college age or slightly younger.

My favorite individual, however, was the tiny little blonde girl who could hardly contain her excitement and dressed in a full Princess Aurora costume. Alongside her was her extremely patient, yet noticeably weary father. It was nice to see people of all ages from the community coming together.

The movie itself was not played on a film reel, but rather a DVD––something that my boyfriend chuckled about. It didn’t bother me at all though and I was perfectly content in my comfortable seat reliving my childhood as I watched the tale unfold. There was something really special about seeing an old school Disney film on the big screen, especially in a theater as unique as this.

If you’re looking for something new and fun to do, want to support local business or need a cheap date activity, you should definitely check out The Riviera. Admission may not be a quarter anymore, but for only $5 a showing, you can’t beat this place.

Study Abroad: Despite challenges, overseas experience proves invaluable

For as long as I can remember, I have been utterly enamored with the concept of traveling abroad. As a kid—and still as a 20-year-old—I felt like Belle from Beauty and the Beast—my nose was buried deep in books, desperately craving “adventure in the great wide somewhere.”

After salivating with jealousy while watching both my younger brother and mom have European adventures of their own—to Italy and France respectively—I was finally given the opportunity to study abroad for a month this summer by taking Humanities II abroad in the Czech Republic and Austria.

For someone who had romanticized studying abroad for essentially her whole life, the real experience was definitely much messier than I had pictured, but I’m still somewhat glad it worked out that way because it was enlightening.

I tend to stress over things out of my control, but various mishaps and frustrations that arose while traveling around new countries helped me to learn how to accept minor issues as part of the journey rather than disastrous setbacks. Despite impediments such as language barriers with cranky bus drivers, heat exhaustion in Austria, multiple mandatory hours-long tours and preparation for a 20-minute group presentation, I was still able to have a wonderful time while studying abroad.

While I did love Prague with its fairytale-like pastel buildings, easy metro system, friendly locals and incredibly cheap beer, my favorite part of being abroad wasn’t actually a scheduled part of my program. My boyfriend Taylor—who was also on the trip with me—and two other guys in our group decided to spend four days in Kraków, Poland while the majority of the group went off to Budapest. It was on this excursion that I found what I had been dreaming of for years.

Being in Kraków gave me a sense of exhilaration and contentment; a blissful kind of awareness and gratitude for a place that made me feel so happy and at home. I rode a bike alone along the Vistula river waterfront and laid in the green grass watching clouds. I made my ancestors proud as I did shots of Krupnik at a local Polish bar. Taylor twirled me around the narrow, bustling streets of Old Town while I laughed, drunk on too much champagne. What I found enchanting in Kraków—and throughout the whole trip—were the simple, spontaneous moments. These meant the most to me.

Everyone says that travel changes you, but I also think it helps you to discover more of who you are. My HUMN II abroad expedition reinforced my Belle-ness, my thirst for adventure and my love of new cultural experiences. It also helped show me that just like life, travel isn’t perfect, but you will learn and have those simple, beautiful moments that make you so grateful to be alive.

That, in my opinion, is something worth chasing for the rest of my life.

Geneseo alum to succeed Woods as cross country coach

With the retirement of cross country and track and field coaching legend Mike Woods ‘69, former assistant track and field coach Dan Moore ‘06 will take over as the head coach of the Geneseo cross country team. “I’m very pleased,” Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Mike Mooney said. “It’s a great individual coming to be one of our head coaches.”

During his time at Geneseo, Moore was on both the cross country and track and field teams. After graduating with a degree in psychology, he went on to Alfred University to receive his master’s and certificate of advanced study in school psychology. It was there—while in graduate school—that he started his coaching career as a volunteer cross country coach.

“I didn’t have a lot of coaching background other than what I was given as an athlete,” Moore said. “I started reading books about running, training design and human physiology.”

After leaving Alfred, Moore gained plenty more experience coaching. He worked from 2008–2012 coaching at Wayland-Cohocton High School while working as a school psychologist. He eventually left to become an assistant cross country and track and field coach at Geneseo. Moore left Geneseo two years later to become associate head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at St. John Fisher College from 2013 to 2014.

With regards to his selection as Geneseo’s new head coach for cross country, Moore expressed both relief and excitement. “I had the decision of a lifetime to make,” he said. “I had a secure job at Fisher—do I leave that to become an assistant coach and hopefully take over? … I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here, so I’m glad it all worked out.”

Moore emphasized his commitment to helping student athletes improve, passing on what he learned from his experience as a former Geneseo athlete and coach. “It’s instilling my knowledge and a passion for the sport that was instilled in me and giving it back to the athletes,” he said. “I want the athletes to be students of the sport.”

Woods left an impressive legacy in his time coaching at Geneseo. Moore expressed gratitude toward his predecessor and former mentor for giving him the skills to continue that tradition.

“I’ve got huge shoes to fill,” Moore said. “The way Woodsy coaches, that’s the way I’ve been taught to coach … it’s been that foundation, the cornerstone of my coaching. What he really instilled in all of us is just ‘believe.’ Believe in the training, believe in the coaching, believe in each other and most importantly, believe in yourself. That’s definitely got to stay.”

While Moore doesn’t want to fundamentally alter the way cross country is coached at Geneseo, he does want to bring a more scientific point of view to the table. “When athletes ask ‘Why?’ they’re going to have a more scientific understanding of what’s going on in the body; why we’re doing it this way, what energy system we are using today,” he said. “In my way of describing things, it’s going to be new to them.”

In addition to being involved with Geneseo Athletics, Moore is an avid triathlete—competing at national and international levels. He is involved in Geneseo Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has participated in SafeZone Training, leading an educational session for the entire Athletics staff.

Moore is optimistic about his new position and what the future holds for the program. “I’m just thrilled to be here,” he said.

Netflix fortunately adapts beloved Lemony Snicket series

Self-proclaimed adolescent bookworms of the early 2000s: I come to you with enthusiastic tidings. Author Lemony Snicket’s––the pen name of Daniel Handler––beloved, bizarre children’s mystery novels A Series of Unfortunate Events are going to be adapted into a Netflix series. Upon hearing the news, my immediate reaction was one of pure excitement. This twisted, darkly comical collection of books was one of my most cherished literary treasures throughout elementary school and beyond. Like so many others, I loved the novels for their incredibly captivating story lines and narrative style that were unlike anything else in children’s fiction. As Netflix Vice President of Original Content Cindy Holland put it, “The world created by Lemony Snicket is unique, darkly funny and relatable.”

For those of you unfamiliar with the series––something that is truly unfortunate––it follows the darkly ludicrous lives of the three Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus and Sunny, whose parents die in a fire that destroys their mansion. After being placed in the brief guardianship of their villainous distant relative Count Olaf, the children spend the rest of the series being pursued by Olaf as he disguises himself and concocts dangerous, absurd schemes to get his hands on the Baudelaire fortune that is supposed to be bequeathed to Violet when she turns 18. While a bit formulaic, the adventures that the children experience are strange, suspenseful and transfixing.

Apart from the plot itself, one of the best aspects of the series is the intelligence and resolve of the children. No matter how many adults dismiss their cries about Olaf in disguise and no matter how many friends of theirs Olaf kills in his pursuit to get their fortune, the children press onward with impressive courage. They constantly come up with daring ways to keep their family safe and out of Olaf’s clutches even when all seems lost.

I am sincerely hoping that Netflix will avoid any similarities in its production to the god-awful 2004 film adaptation of the series. The movie was kitschy and the humor was forced. The darker elements were ignored. The worst part was that the perpetually silly Jim Carrey portrayed the murderous, diabolical Olaf. In summation, the film was a trainwreck.

I have high hopes that Netflix will strive to successfully create a series that accurately reflects the darker elements of the stories along with the unique brand of mystery and dry humor that made A Series of Unfortunate Events so iconic, especially because the age demographic will primarily be teens and 20-something-year-olds. I’m definitely going to revisit the world of the Baudelaire children in print before I see it come to life on my computer screen.

Mental Health Awareness Walk encourages campus solidarity

Geneseo’s Psychology Club, national psychology honor society Psi Chi and peer-to-peer support helpline Pathways joined together to host the 2014 Mental Health Awareness Walk on Sunday Oct. 26. With 140 participants, the on-campus walk raised over $1,000 for western New York mental health and rehabilitation services provider Horizon Health. The idea for the walk originated with Pathways’ programming committee co-chairs seniors Heather Earle and Lesley Dalton. Along with Psi Chi and Psychology Club, Pathways hosted a Suicide Awareness event in spring 2014 in which yellow flags were scattered across Sturges Hall, representing the thousands of college students lost every year to suicide. Earle and Dalton wanted to have an event that continued to promote awareness of the prevalence of mental health issues.

“We wanted to emphasize that everyone goes through something at some point,” Earle said. “There are people that care and there are resources available.”

Earle and Dalton approached Psychology Club president senior Alexis Brieant and Psi Chi president senior Mia Ferraina with their idea for a walk and both were eager to get their organizations involved. “We want to make mental health something that people are thinking about and really aware of,” Dalton said. “There is a stigma that comes with mental illness and we’re trying to erase that on campus.”

Upon walking into the KnightSpot for registration, participants were greeted with encouraging, colorful posters hung around the room. “You’re a person, not a diagnosis,” “Learn to love yourself,” and “Depression is an illness, not a weakness” were the ones that stood out to me. As someone who struggled for years with depression and social anxiety before finally going to seek treatment in fall 2013, I can’t explain how amazing it felt to be in an environment that expressed heartfelt, open support for those with mental health issues.

“People are suffering from these problems,” Brieant said. “It’s important for people to feel like it’s OK to talk about them.”

The slogan “Stamp Out Stigma” was used to emphasize the goal of working together to eliminate negative, ignorant stigma surrounding mental illness that can be incredibly harmful to those who suffer from it.

“People make light of it or they look down on those who suffer from something like anxiety or depression,” Dalton said. “The whole idea of ‘just get over it’––it’s not something you can just ‘get over.’”

Things as simple as stating that you have attention deficit hyperactive disorder because you can’t stay focused in a boring class or that your sense of organization is an indicator of obsessive compulsive disorder also perpetuate stigma; they diminish the significance of those who actually do have disorders.

Ferraina emphasized the idea that ignorance surrounding the cause of mental illness is a huge determinant in why so many people perceive it negatively.

“I think there’s a lot of misunderstanding with students sometimes about where mental illness stems from and sometimes I think there’s a lot of blame on the individual,” Ferraina said. “I think people don’t understand the biological causes behind it and the environmental factors that can impact it.”

The seniors all agreed on the importance of self-education about mental illness along with supporting those who suffer from it.

“The more informed you are, the less stigma there is,” Earle said.

“If you see someone in your life who is struggling or might need your support, you can reach out your hand––they may not take that hand, but at least they know that you are supportive and you’re there if they need you,” Ferraina said. “If everyone does a little something, then maybe we’ll all feel more accepted.”

Confronting the stigma of suicide

According to the World Health Organization, suicide claims the life of one person every 40 seconds around the globe. These figures are unbelievably tragic––not only in the sheer immensity of the lives lost, but in the fact that suicide is preventable. In light of the unexpected suicide of comedic legend Robin Williams and World Suicide Prevention Day occurring Wednesday Sept. 10, it is imperative that the emerging discussions about suicide and mental health do not just go away––they need to continue in order to truly make a difference.

One of the most evident problems is a lack of societal understanding and compassion toward those diagnosed with mental illness. Many people do not grasp the impact of mental health disorders. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention delineates this problem of stigma, stating that when a person with mental illness cannot perform a task, other people often perceive this as a flaw in character rather than a result of their condition.

According to a recent World Health Organization report, suicide is the second leading cause of death in the international 15-29 age demographic. It is upsetting, yet unsurprising that this age demographic is plagued with suicides. This period of time is meant for navigating through outside influences and obstacles in an attempt to truly come to find ourselves and find happiness. How the hell is someone with a mental disorder supposed to feel comfortable with his or herself if he or she is bombarded with messages that he or she should feel ashamed for something beyond his or her control?

The negative stigma surrounding mental health issues and suicide is a huge problem. Society regards those with mental health issues as selfish or weak. Renowned actress and mental health advocate Glenn Close emphasized this issue, saying, “The mentally ill frighten and embarrass us. And so we marginalize the people who most need our acceptance.”

This stigma leads to suffering individuals being too afraid or ashamed to ask for help, which may worsen their disorder and any resulting suicidal thoughts.

Fox News anchor Shephard Smith called Williams “a coward” just hours after news broke of the beloved actor’s suicide. Smith's is exactly the kind of ignorance that perpetuates stigma by reinforcing the idea that suicide is selfish and its victims are weak. Would anyone dare to call a person fighting cancer cowardly? If not, then negative labels should not be acceptable for people battling mental illness.

Marginalizing individuals who struggle with illnesses like depression, bipolar disorder or anxiety creates an incredibly dangerous environment. Mental Health Reporting states that more than 90 percent of individuals who commit suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder. Those diagnosed with mental disorders live in a climate of harmful judgments that ostracize them for something they did not choose. As a result, society can easily push people over the brink of anguish into suicide.

I believe that because suicide is such a complex issue––not at all “black and white”––it can be hard for people to talk about. Talking about suicide and mental health requires a vulnerability and honesty regarding the spectrum of human emotion that isn’t commonplace in our culture. We need to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health disorders and suicide so people know they are not alone in their struggle. They need to know that they are loved, accepted and supported and that there are so many beautiful reasons to stay alive.

Mac Miller gets personal at Spring Concert

Despite complications with contracts and finances, Activities Commission did its best to ensure that Geneseo’s Spring Concert would be a show that the student body wanted to see. The number one pick of AC’s third survey, rapper Mac Miller, headlined the concert on Saturday April 12 with Aesop Rock opening the show. According to Concerts Coordinator junior Juli Grygier, 1,339 tickets were sold for the concert this year, a decrease from last year’s 2,100 for MGMT.

At the start of the show, Aesop Rock emerged to cheers from the snapback-clad audience. He shared the stage with DJ Abilities and fellow rapper Rob Sonic, working together to entertain and engage the crowd despite the fact that the majority of the audience didn’t seem to know many of the songs.

Known for his abstract lyricism, Aesop Rock delivered his rhymes with precision and confidence. His lyrics may have been unconventional, but the music behind them was typical for rap. Most people seemed to enjoy waving to their hands and swaying to the beat of uniquely titled songs like “Dokken Rules,” “Cycles to Gehenna” and “Homemade Mummy.”

Sonic complemented Aesop Rock’s vocals well, whether rapping with him or backing him up. DJ Abilities worked intensely on his laptop and turntable throughout the set. The group had a very casual, laid-back presence – Aesop Rock was dressed in a flannel and jeans, Sonic in a bandana and DJ Abilities in a hoodie and t-shirt – but by no means did they lack energy in their craft.

When Mac Miller took the stage, the energy in the room skyrocketed. His set was packed with floor-shaking bass and strobe lights, waking up anyone who stopped paying attention during Aesop’s set. Working with DJ Clockwork, Miller exuded an enthusiasm obvious to anyone in attendance; he barely stopped grinning the entire show.

Known for his eccentric side, Miller chose to don a floppy blue and white boat hat, a green jacket and rings on almost every finger. His normal speech was fairly incomprehensible at times – slightly slurred and filled with laughter. When it came to his rapping, however, Miller’s vocal clarity and articulation increased dramatically.

Miller powered through a solid mix of songs. There were the infectiously upbeat tracks like “Man in the Hat” and “Knock Knock,” the edgier “Lucky Ass Bitch” and “Loud,” and the mellow “Objects in the Mirror” and “Best Day Ever.” He even departed from rapping to sing a stripped-down piano cover of his love ballad “Youforia.”

He returned for an encore with – as expected – fan-favorite “Donald Trump,” but he also unexpectedly chose to include one extra, new song.

“I didn’t want to leave y’all wanting more,” he said.

Ultimately, Miller was focused on connecting and engaging with his fans. He happily snatched up a mixtape from an audience member. He made jokes about boobs and handjobs. He adopted a more serious tone to talk about the solace he finds in music.

“We need music in our lives,” he said. “Music is important, music is beautiful.”

Whether you loved the concert or hated it, what Miller proclaimed is true. Music provides a temporary escape from the stress in our lives, and Aesop Rock and Miller sure as hell wanted to provide a fun one for those in attendance.

Correction: The original version of this article stated that the sale of 1,339 tickets for the Mac Miller concert was an increase from 1,077 tickets sold for the MGMT concert last spring. The sale of 1,339 tickets for the Mac Miller concert was actually a decrease from 2,100 sold for the MGMT concert.

The resurgence of heroin in the United States

Following the recent death of actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman, there is a renewed focus on drug addiction and more specifically, heroin abuse. While I support these efforts, the fact that the epidemic of addiction in the United States only receives attention when prominent figures are involved is sickening. Drug overdoses are the leading cause of accidental death in the nation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 105 people die of drug overdose in the U.S. every day, and approximately 7,000 individuals are treated in emergency rooms for health complications resulting from drug abuse or misuse.

A 2012 survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration revealed that 6.8 million Americans abuse prescription pills. With the government cracking down on making opioids like oxycodone and Vicodin harder to obtain, people have turned to heroin, which has similar properties, as a substitute. Eighty percent of heroin users have abused pills prior to trying heroin.

Heroin is one of the most physically addictive drugs on the market. Users rapidly develop tolerance to the drug, forcing them to take more of it in order to achieve the same sensation. It is also incredibly cheap and easy to obtain. A study by the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality reported that with $30 in New York, one could score a single oxycodone pill or six hits of heroin. For people looking to get the most out of their money, choosing heroin is a no-brainer.

The public holds a hypocritical stigma regarding drug abusers. “Stereotypical” addicts generally receive no mercy from the public; they are seen as depraved, hedonistic individuals who deserve whatever agony their addiction brings them. This starkly contrasts with the sympathetic attitude that people take when socially prominent figures suffer from addiction, such as Hoffman or Heath Ledger, who died from an overdose in 2008.

“The stereotypes don’t match reality,” Stanford University professor of psychiatry Keith Humphreys said. “Most people who have drug problems also have jobs … [It’s] affecting all layers of American society.”

It’s mind-blowing that people can be so compassionate toward celebrity addicts yet so cold and indifferent toward “regular” individuals struggling with addiction.

I don’t care what economic status, race or gender an addict is; the fact remains that they are human beings – just like you and me  – and they are struggling in their own personal hell. In an article for The Blade, columnist Keith C. Burris examines this human element of addiction that so many people seem to overlook.

“There is no policy panacea,” Burris said. “We are dealing with the mysteries of the heart.”

People turn to drugs for many reasons: to numb pain, to escape their problems or to find a kind of solace, if only temporarily. While obviously not everyone turns to drugs as a coping mechanism, plenty of humans have felt that sense of hopelessness before – to be lost in their own pain. So why do we not have a more compassionate attitude toward addicts?

We are all humans, and every single human on this planet has their own struggles and demons to fight. We as a society need to stop treating addicts with condescension and contempt and start opening our hearts to them.

If people were kinder to those struggling with addiction, they would be more open to getting help for their problems. Who wants to admit to something that they know they’ll be ostracized for? If more people felt that others were there to support them, they’d have a better chance of beating the disease of addiction.

“Clash of Cultures” juxtaposes Scottish, Italian heritage

The richness and importance of both family history and cultural identity are celebrated in professor of studio art Thomas MacPherson’s “Clash of Cultures” exhibit, which opened Wednesday March 5 in the Kinetic Gallery. MacPherson started exhibiting artwork as a first-year graduate student at SUNY Oswego in 1969 and has been teaching at Geneseo for 29 years. He said that professor of art history Lynette Bosch played a key role in helping him come up with the idea to create a series focusing on his Scottish-Sicilian family.

In 2005, Bosch and MacPherson went to New York City to study the utilization of egg tempera as a medium. It is a medium associated with the Italian Renaissance, tying in perfectly with MacPherson’s Sicilian background.

“On the way back, [Bosch] and I were talking and brainstorming, and it was like, ‘What am I going to do with this?’” MacPherson said. “We started talking about doing a ‘Saints and Demons’ series, but all of a sudden it turned into, ‘Well, I have enough saints and demons in my own family.’”

Bosch suggested that he use the medium to give portraits a distinct Italian look, creating an intriguing concept by using “a contemporary image but incorporating the history and culture in it as well,” he said.

MacPherson began working on the egg tempera series in 2006. After doing a portrait of his Aunt Kitty, a Scottish woman, he was struck with the idea of starting to use oil instead of egg tempera for his Scottish relatives because oil is associated with the British Isles. The exhibit is split into two parts: the egg temperas depicting his Sicilian relatives and the oil paintings depicting his Scottish relatives.

The exhibit features 17 portraits of members of MacPherson’s family, filled with vivid layers of color, detail and symbolism.

MacPherson’s utilization of symbols is captivating and poignant. Elements such as seraphim angels in “La Dolce Vita?” to represent MacPherson’s grandmother’s surviving children (she lost two in childbirth) or a rose garden in “The Mixed Marriage” to depict his mother’s optimism about marrying his father add emotional depth to the subjects and to the pieces themselves.

“I think, a lot of times, people overlook their own family because they don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” MacPherson said. “Hopefully, people look at their own people and go far back enough and see how they were outcasts when they came over, to kind of get an understanding and a sympathy for the immigrant – whether they’re Asian, Hispanic, whatever.”

The exhibit will be on display in the Kinetic Gallery until April 3.

Slam poets sizzle with reflective verse

I’ve always pictured poetry slams as gatherings of brooding individuals clad in dark colors and berets, somberly snapping their fingers while one poet presents a piece riddled with excessive literary devices too deep for the “average” person to understand. After attending the Geneseo Poets’ Society’s Sizzle & Slam competition on Feb. 21 in Sturges Auditorium, my perspective on slams has completely changed. The event featured eight incredibly talented individuals who delivered emotionally raw, intimate pieces with a remarkable sense of openness and passion in an atmosphere filled with heart-warming encouragement from fellow poetry enthusiasts.

Each poet expressed different emotions and topics with incredible intensity, as they kept each piece under three minutes long. I was utterly absorbed in their performances and in awe of the guts it took to reveal these sentiments and personal struggles with such honesty to a group of strangers.

Geneseo Slam Poets held the competition to determine which four poets would represent its organization on a slam team at the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational in Colorado in March.

Five audience volunteers received scorecards and ranked the pieces from 1 to 10, with 10 being a piece that “grips you by the heart,” according to junior John “Stardog” Otruba, one of the slam emcees. The poets with the highest scores were selected to go to CUPSI. They also moved on to a second round to determine the sole winner of the Sizzle & Slam.

Otruba and fellow emcee senior Conrad Baker did an excellent job of encouraging audience participation.

“People are exposing very intimate parts of themselves and becoming very vulnerable. For the medium to succeed, you need the audience to get involved,” Otruba said.

The audience rose to the occasion, snapping, clapping and cheering out for lines that resonated with them. The sense of interconnectedness between the crowd and the poets was beautiful; strangers united through the bonds of human experience.

One poet who qualified for CUPSI in the slam, junior Sarah Diaz, emphasized the importance of this connection.

“There’s no better feeling than for the audience to feel me,” she said.

Along with Diaz, sophomore Greg Stewart, junior Josh Roychowdhury and senior Josh “Dreamboat” Bauscher will compete at CUPSI. Bauscher was the Sizzle & Slam winner, captivating the crowd with his powerful “PSA” to America and a piece about a woman poet in Afghanistan who committed suicide after being brutally beaten by the Taliban.

“The point is not the points, but the poetry,” Diaz said. “It’s awesome whenever a poet gets up on stage, no matter what the numbers are; it’s ballsy, and people should always be applauded for that.”

Panic! At The Disco re-energizes classic hits at Toronto show

Saturday Feb. 1 will forever live in my heart as one of the best nights of my life. Not only did I get the unforgettable experience of embarking to Sound Academy in Toronto with five friends in a minivan worthy of soccer moms everywhere but I also got to watch Panic! at the Disco give one of the best shows that I’ve ever had the fortune to attend.One of the elating aspects of the concert was lead singer Brendon Urie’s captivating stage presence and musical ability. I’ve seen the band play twice previously, but I’ve never seen Urie perform with such a high level of unbelievably consistent energy, talent and emotion. Dripping sweat from start to finish, Urie danced, stomped, jumped and backflipped across the stage while singing with the same impeccable skill and passion that resonates so profoundly in his voice across the band’s discography. His vocal range is just as astounding live as it is on the albums; my jaw literally dropped when I heard him hit his falsettos. He performs with relentless vivacity, and he makes it look easy. The 20-track set list for the show was a beautiful amalgamation of songs from Panic!’s discography, covering an excellent variety of the musical styles and emotional elements that the band has explored in its 10 years of existence. Panic! opened with “Vegas Lights,” a delightfully catchy ode to the decadence of Sin City, and it was nonstop action from there on out. They powered through fan favorites like “Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off,” “Camisado” and “Miss Jackson” with intense emotion and had the crowd head-banging, jumping and screaming along in unison. They balanced the angst with infectious, pop tracks like “Ready to Go (Get Me Out of My Mind),” “Girls/Girls/Boys” and “The Ballad of Mona Lisa” that were just flat-out fun to dance to. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get choked up with the performance of “The End of All Things,” a haunting love ballad performed beautifully by Urie on piano, and “New Perspective,” which is actually a fairly upbeat song and one of my favorites, but it’s not on any of the official albums so I was stunned that they played it. By the time the band closed with the classic “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” I was filled with the kind of feeling that I can only describe as being close to nirvana. Panic!’s poignant lyricism, excellent musicianship, stunning vocals and entertaining showmanship make for one hell of a show, and it sure is one hell of a band.