Day: November 12, 2022

Weekly Horoscopes 11/7/2022

LOTTIE CARMAN
HOROSCOPES

Aries (March 21st-April 19th)

This is the last month of Jupiter in your perception. Use this time to understand a broader purpose in life that you have once thought about. 

Taurus (April 20th-May 20th)

Towards the beginning of the week, Luna will be surrounding you with a full moon. This is the perfect time for you to release all worries and have a clear mind in what you want to carry out in the future. 

Gemini (May 21st-June 20th)

Now is the time for Gemini to take a break from their social life. Recently you may have been feeling submerged in secrets and confusing situations from friends and acquaintances. Take a break and find your own time. 

Cancer (June 21st-July 22nd)

You have been feeling worn out within the personal activities surrounding your life. Your financial life may feel like a struggle right now, but your strong ability to adapt will come into play. 

Leo (July 23rd-August 22nd)

During the end of this week, and the start of the upcoming week you may feel a rush of emotions coming and then going. This may be scary and confusing but pay attention to the true meaning of why you feel that way. 

Virgo (August 23rd- September 22nd)

You have been feeling very much out of place recently. Try to include yourself in the moment more and learn to pay attention to what is essential to your success and comfort. 

Libra (September 23rd- October 22nd)

The dwarf planet of Makemake may give you a strong feeling of love towards your environment. Especially as the seasons are changing, you may feel a powerful desire to sense the beauty around you. 

Scorpio (October 23rd-November 21st)

You still have access to the Sun with the capability of seeing the beauty within life and having creative sense that you may have struggled with in the past few weeks. 

Sagittarius (November 22nd- December 21st)

Now is the calm before the storm. Sit down and relax and enjoy the peace in your life right now. Jupiter is coming towards you within the next couple of weeks and might present itself through complicated relationships. 

Capricorn (December 22nd- January 19th)

Capricorn has been feeling overly confident with themselves and their decisions lately. Do not let your strong morals be destroyed by people who do not understand your reasoning and ideas. 

Aquarius (January 20th- February 18th)

Handling responsibility has been an ongoing struggle for you lately. There is tension between what you know you need to do and what is easiest has been most present. Keep your head high and do what feels right. 

Pisces (February 19th- March 20th)

You have been setting necessary boundaries within family and friends in your life. You may feel a sense of regret and overreaction. Remember that setting these boundaries is putting yourself first, and that sometimes that is the best option. 

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Kanye West and the pervasiveness of antisemitism

DARCY DAENZER
STAFF WRITER

11/7/2022

On October 25, Adidas officially cut ties with Kanye West, adding to the long list of brands and companies that have dropped the artist, who now goes by Ye.

The dissolution of Ye’s and Adidas’s partnership has been a long time coming as Ye has made more and more insensitive and antisemitic remarks, coupled with actions that have been traditionally associated with white supremacists.

This past September, at Paris Fashion Week, Ye showed up at an impromptu show with a shirt that had “White Lives Matter” printed on the back. This phrase was popularized by white supremacists in 2015 as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement.

In early October, Ye accused the rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs of “being controlled by Jewish people,” said Remy Tumin in a New York Times article.

After being suspended from Instagram, he “tweeted that he would soon go ‘death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,’” said Tumin. Soon after, Twitter also suspended him.

Additionally, he “falsely said George Floyd died from fentanyl use, not from a Minneapolis police officer’s kneeling on Mr. Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes,” said Tumin. These are only a handful of the comments and actions that Ye has said and done in recent months.

In a non-exhaustive list, Ye has been dropped from Adidas, Balenciaga, Vogue and Anna Wintour, CAA (a talent agency) and his lawyer.

Also, his streams, sales and airplay have dramatically decreased, he has been suspended from Instagram and Twitter, his stadium shows were cancelled and his documentary was shelved.

While dropping Ye was a step in the right direction for Adidas, the company only made the decision after being pressured to do so as their stock had “dropped 23 percent over the past month as Ye’s erratic behavior drew criticism,” said Sorkin et al. of the New York Times.

But just because Ye is finally seeing the consequence of his actions does not mean that antisemitism will automatically go away.

Antisemitism is not isolated to just one person, and it did not die after the Holocaust. It is still very much alive and is picking up more traction every year.

In the 2017 report of the Anti-Defamation League’s index, they “tracked 2,107 incidents of vandalism, violence and harassment toward Jews in the United States,” said Michelle Boorstein and Isaac Arnsdorf of The Washington Post.

Today, and every day, it is important to show support for the Jewish community. Some of the ways we can support the community is to “amplify Jewish voices and check in with your Jewish friends, loved ones and colleagues,” said Ariel Loves from her blog arielloves.com.

Furthermore, we can “support Jewish-owned businesses, read up on Jewish history and donate to organizations and initiatives that fight antisemitism,” said Loves.

It is important that we speak up when we hear “antisemitic or stereotypical remarks or jokes…even though [these conversations] may be difficult or uncomfortable,” said Loves.

Fighting antisemitism is just as important as fighting against any other injustice we may know about. We should not become complacent because we believe that antisemitism does not exist today. It does, and it will take all of us to fight against it.

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‘Lover’ or hate her, just don’t silence her

ALIVIA GILES
STAFF WRITER

11/7/2022

Following the release of Taylor Swift’s latest album, ‘Midnights’, the singer is facing criticism for “fatphobia” in her music video for the song, ‘Anti-Hero’. For years, Swift was silent about her eating disorder. We owe it to her and to countless others to not silence her again.

At one point in the ‘Anti-Hero’ video, we see Swift standing on a bathroom scale, another “version” of Swift peering over her shoulder. The scale reads one word: Fat. The original Swift’s shoulders drop in dismay as the other Swift shakes her head, disappointed.

Twitter users were quick to bring attention to the scene, calling out the singer for her use of the word “fat” and for implying that she is afraid of being viewed in this way. Less than a week after the video’s release, the scene was edited so the word “fat” is no longer visible.

It is not fair to say Swift cannot or should not speak about body image and insecurity simply because she is a thin person. No matter how others might perceive her, her experiences with insecurities and disordered eating are valid.

When Swift revealed she had struggled with an eating disorder in her Netflix documentary Miss Americana, even people who had not considered themselves fans responded with empathy. And yet, the ‘Anti-Hero’ video was met with backlash.

So, is Swift only allowed to discuss her eating disorder in a way that we are all comfortable with? She was considered strong for bringing attention to this issue until she didn’t bring attention to it “right.”

Swift should not have to discuss her eating disorder and insecurities in a way that everyone can relate to or understand for it to be deemed acceptable for her to talk about them. We cannot expect people with platforms to draw attention to difficult topics and then police how they do it.

Many critics of the music video argued that Swift’s use of the word “fat” in a negative way was offensive to them because they choose to identify with the word in an indifferent or even positive way. This perspective is valid, but it simply does not align with Swift’s experiences.

In an interview with Variety, Swift explained that she does not view herself as an expert on the topic of eating disorders or body image insecurities in general and she understands that she cannot speak for everyone.

“I’m not as articulate as I should be about this topic because there are so many people who could talk about it in a better way. But all I know is my own experience,” said Swift.

In the Miss Americana documentary, Swift describes the way she reacts to the public’s criticism of her body. “It’s not good for me to see pictures of myself every day,” said Swift. “[The pictures and criticism] just trigger me to just starve a little bit—just stop eating.”

Like Swift said, she can only speak on her own experience, and that’s what she has done. Some people relate to these experiences, some people don’t. And that’s okay.

By censoring Swift, her message is lost. This is harmful not only to Swift, whose experiences are being diminished and even dismissed but also to the people who relate to these experiences.

When Swift discusses her history of disordered eating, my heart breaks for her, but I also feel incredibly seen. Having grown up with Swift’s music and influence, hearing her speak on serious issues that have impacted me is very important.

I know not everyone can relate to what Swift has gone through. And Swift knows this, too. But in many ways, I do feel that I can understand and relate to Swift’s experiences, and I know I am not alone in this.

Even if Swift’s message is not one everyone likes or can relate to, she deserves to have this message heard. So, let’s not silence her. Her experiences are valid, and she deserves to share them how she wants to.

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Alma College staff run for community positions

KYLE SCHECK
PHOTOGRAPHER

CLAIRE WITTLIEFF
STAFF WRITER

11/7/2022

With the election season underway, all eligible voters are having candidates and policies brought to their attention in order for their vote to make the difference they want to see. Keeping this in mind, there are three members of the Alma College faculty and staff who are running for positions within the Alma community.                                                                                           

Stephany Slaughter, a Spanish and Women’s & Gender Studies professor, is running for the Alma School Board. “I am running because I believe in the value of public education and the importance of cooperation between communities and schools,” said Slaughter. “In my role as [a] parent, I began thinking about running for the Board of Education several years ago and began looking at what it might entail.”                                                                                           

Slaughter also stated how her time working at Alma College has contributed to the current campaign.

“Through working at Alma College over the last 14 years I have gained many experiences that will inform how I approach a position on the Alma School Board, including working with complex budgets, developing and implementing curriculum, serving on our Board of Trustees and working with students,” said Slaughter. “The biggest takeaway, however, is consensus building through seeking out a variety of voices on issues.”                                                     

In terms of what students on campus can do to get involved, Slaughter emphasized the importance of voting.

“I encourage students to get registered, get informed and vote their conscience,” said Slaughter. “I sometimes hear students say they aren’t planning to vote, sometimes because they don’t see themselves as political, sometimes because they don’t think it will make a difference. It absolutely will make a difference.”                                              

Running for the position of Alma City Commissioner is Bill Gorton, Associate Professor and Chair of Political Science.

“I’ve been sitting on the city’s parks and recreation committee and the zoning board for a while, and so I started to become familiar with some of the issues that the city faces,” said Gorton.                        

Some changes Gorton would like to make in his possible new role include converting the old Total Petroleum site into a solar array station, creating a commuter rail service, construction of a new bike path that connects the Meijer Heartland trail and the bike path along US-127 and more equitable funding for city parks.                                                                                                  

“The relationship between the college and the city is symbiotic — or, at least, it should be. The college is one of the biggest employers in the city and its students produce a lot of revenue for local business. In turn, the college benefits from being located in a vibrant, thriving city. We both depend upon each other,” said Gorton.                                                                                                  

Also running for the City Commissioner position is Drew Bare, the Assistant Director of Instructional Technology & Support Services at Alma College.

“I feel a calling to more service to the city of Alma,” said Bare. “I live in the city with my wife and kids and it’s important to me that we have people involved in our city commission who care deeply about the success of the city and are willing to work hard towards that.”                                                         

Bare has identified ways in which he as City Commissioner can improve Alma.

“In my door knocking over the past several weeks I’ve heard a lot of concerns including the poor condition of some of our streets, funding for the library, fair distribution of funding for parks and ensuring that the city maintains a reputation of being welcoming to new residents and businesses,” said Bare.                                                                                                                                                       “So much of what I’ve learned working for the college these past 16 years would carry over to being a city commissioner. My top priority in IT through all of these years has been to help develop a reputation for excellent customer service. Serving the residents of Alma would have a lot of similarities to serving the staff, faculty and students at Alma College,” said Bare.                    

The upcoming election is being held on Tuesday, November 8 and students are greatly encouraged to vote.

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Update on learning commons renovations

EMMA FIGLEWICZ
PHOTOGRAPHER

MARIA KOLB
STAFF WRITER

11/7/2022

The newly renovated library will soon come to campus in the 2023 Winter Semester. The library-to-learning commons renovation project has been happening since 2021.

The new learning commons will still have the same services but will include some new additions. The first change includes offices and spaces for the Center for College and Community Engagement (3CE) with Student Success and Career and Personal Development.

All three of these offices are being moved from the Center of Student Opportunity (CSO), and it has yet to be discussed what will replace those offices.

Another addition will be a café on the first floor. This will be shared with the College Archives, Library Special Collections and student organization offices. Other spaces within the library will be lounge areas for students.

There will also be a back door that opens towards Superior Street. The Learning Commons will have new entrances from Mac Mall and the northern courtyard. An entrance will be added on the south side of the building, facing the Reid-Knox Administration Building, as well.

Stacks, the oldest part of the library, was demolished due to an increasing number of problems that have been accumulating since it was built in the early 1920s.

The library has turned into a central learning common for students to have better access to resources on campus from all types of offices and services.

“We finally are fortunate to have a centralized physical location on campus, and [to] have more of a student union type of place. [We will also be] getting a better utilization of that space,” said Director of Student Success, Philip Andre.

With offices being moved and changes being done, connections can be lost, and new ones can be made.

“We’re sad to be moving away from all our colleagues in the CSO, but it will be nice to be more centrally available to students. We’re very excited to be only a floor away when the Qdoba comes into the learning commons,” said Assistant Director of Student Success, Betsy Strobel.

This renovation project has brought better accessibility to where “if someone is going to grab Qdoba for lunch and says, oh, I want to talk to someone about this, they can walk upstairs or down the hall or whatever, and go have that conversation,” said Andre.

Other than better accessibility for students there could be room for more resources for the offices. For instance, the CSO may get more testing rooms to provide their services to students on a wider scale.

“We are hopeful that we will have more access to testing rooms, since we only have three currently available in the CSO, and we’ve heard that it might be possible for us to have access to at least six over in the new learning commons. Other than that, we will have all the same services that we’ve had during our time in the CSO,” said Strobel.

Aside from the additions, the services that will be kept from the previous library are the Information and Technology help desk and the Writing Center with a media lab.

“We are all really excited about it, this was a project that was discussed for quite some time… to help and support the students,” said Andre.

Despite the long wait, the library-to-learning commons renovation project will bring a more centralized student commons with the necessary accommodations for student learning and success.

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Alma College football remains undefeated

KYLE SCHECK
PHOTOGRAPHER

ALIVIA GILES
LAYOUT EDITOR

11/7/2022

Following a 30-10 victory against Adrian College on Nov. 5, the Alma College football team remains undefeated.

Coming back from their 5-5 record in the 2021 season, the Scots have won all nine of their games so far this year. This is the first time Alma College football has gone 9-0 in the program’s 128-year history.

If the Scots win their tenth game on Nov. 12 against Albion College, they will guarantee their spot in the MIAA Championship.

Jason Couch, Alma College head football coach, is happy to see his players’ and coaches’ hard work paying off.

“I think it means a lot, not only to our players but our alumni and campus community.  For the players and coaches, it validates the countless hours of commitment they have given since our last game in 2021,” said Couch.

For Couch, their success this season extends past the Alma College community. “Gaining respect within the conference [is important] and our players do a great job motivating one another,” said Couch.

“There are days I’m tired but when I get out to practice and feel the energy of others I’m rejuvenated. Attitudes and energy are contagious and I love the atmosphere of our practices.”

Zachary Riepma, assistant coach – offensive coordinator is proud of how hard the team has worked toward their goal this season.

“It has never been about the destination, but the process and the journey of ‘climbing the mountain.’ CLIMB stands for Commitment, Leadership, Intensity, Maturity and Belief,” said Riepma.

Finishing his career as a Scot, William Hampton (’23) is excited to be a part of Alma College history.

“I can’t even begin to put in words what a MIAA Championship will mean to me, this program and this community,” said Hampton.

Hampton is proud of the Scots for surpassing expectations. “We were picked preseason to finish 6th in the conference. Alma football hasn’t won a conference championship in 18 years so it would be special,” said Hampton.

Hampton feels that the team owes a lot to Couch for their success this season. “Knowing that I was a part of Coach Couch’s first recruiting class and to get him a Conference Championship would mean the world to me,” said Couch.

“He’s a great coach but, an even better man that wants to see his players not only succeed on the field but as well as off the field,” said Couch. “This would mean so much to past, present and future Scots.”

Sage Kraai (’23) does feel a sense of pressure to finish the season strong, but uses this as motivation.

“Being undefeated is a lot of fun, but it places a large target on us. Everyone wants to beat us and is doing everything in their power to beat us,” said Kraai. “I don’t think it creates too much stress for us players. We like to have the chip on our shoulders. We have been preparing for this moment.”

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