Samantha Neuber – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com Breaking news from the Farm since 1892 Wed, 19 Nov 2014 02:45:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://stanforddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-DailyIcon-CardinalRed.png?w=32 Samantha Neuber – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com 32 32 204779320 A ghost story from the halls of Cantor. https://stanforddaily.com/2014/11/18/a-ghost-story-from-the-halls-of-cantor/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/11/18/a-ghost-story-from-the-halls-of-cantor/#respond Wed, 19 Nov 2014 02:45:43 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1092351 As one of the original buildings of the Stanford campus, the Cantor Arts center is certainly old enough to have been host to some creepy encounters with the (potentially) supernatural over the years. Here is one story, provided by Ray Madarang, a preparator at the Cantor Arts Center: Approximately seven years ago, Ray Madarang came […]

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As one of the original buildings of the Stanford campus, the Cantor Arts center is certainly old enough to have been host to some creepy encounters with the (potentially) supernatural over the years. Here is one story, provided by Ray Madarang, a preparator at the Cantor Arts Center:

Approximately seven years ago, Ray Madarang came into work accompanied by someone special: his young daughter, age five or six at the time. Sometime during the day, Madarang was called down to the Cantor’s storage area to move some art. Reluctantly, he set up a cartoon for his daughter to watch while he was away. He also informed her that his co-­workers’ offices were just down the hall, and that she could go visit them if she needed anything.

Having set up his daughter in his office, Madarang then left for storage. After moving the pieces he’d been called to move, he found himself caught up in moving more and more art that needed to be relocated, and realized that he’d been gone a while longer than he had intended. Rushing back to his office to check on his daughter, he found her contentedly doodling on his desk. When he asked her how she was doing, she promptly replied that she was fine, and that “the lady” came into the office to let her know that her dad had gotten held up in storage.

At first, Madarang didn’t think much of this.­ ­It wasn’t uncommon for people to pop into his office looking for him­ ­but, nonetheless, he inquired about which lady had spoken to his daughter. She replied that it was “the lady in white.” Madarang again didn’t think this too odd, and went about his work for the rest of the day.

Some time later, on a round through the museum, making sure he’d done everything on his checklist, Madarang and his daughter happened to walk through the Stanford family room­­ in the Cantor where many of the Stanford family’s items and portraits are on display.

His daughter, walking behind him, stopped and pointed somewhere in the room, declaring that “that” was the lady she saw earlier. Doubling back, Madarang looked around in the direction his daughter was pointing, but saw no one. Confused, Madarang asked again who his daughter meant, and, looking for a second time in the direction his daughter was pointing, Madarang found himself gazing at the large portrait of Jane Stanford, dressed in white…

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Goodbye, CourseRank https://stanforddaily.com/2014/11/07/goodbye-courserank/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/11/07/goodbye-courserank/#comments Fri, 07 Nov 2014 23:54:11 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1091667 On October 13, all CourseRank users received a rather disappointing email from Chegg, a textbook rental and homework help company that acquired CourseRank in 2010. The email informed us that on November 30, CourseRank will be taken down, and then proceeded to rub salt in the wound by reminding us of everything we’ll be missing […]

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On October 13, all CourseRank users received a rather disappointing email from Chegg, a textbook rental and homework help company that acquired CourseRank in 2010. The email informed us that on November 30, CourseRank will be taken down, and then proceeded to rub salt in the wound by reminding us of everything we’ll be missing out on: “Users will no longer be able to plan their course schedule, read and write course reviews or see grade distributions for courses”

Gee, thanks Chegg! CourseRank has been a valuable tool for many Stanford students — as well as students at a range of other universities — and the news of its termination begs the question of what class review system we’ll we use next (someone make a new one, please).

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A guide to waiting at the post office https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/24/a-guide-to-waiting-at-the-post-fffice/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/24/a-guide-to-waiting-at-the-post-fffice/#respond Sat, 25 Oct 2014 00:03:22 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1090619 So, you’ve opened your P.O. Box to find a little fluorescent green slip waiting there for you. Your package is here, how exciting! Eager to pick up your latest purchase, you walk back to the front of the post office. However, upon turning the corner into the service area, you are outraged to see that […]

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So, you’ve opened your P.O. Box to find a little fluorescent green slip waiting there for you. Your package is here, how exciting! Eager to pick up your latest purchase, you walk back to the front of the post office. However, upon turning the corner into the service area, you are outraged to see that there is line of at least 15 people, moving at glacial speed, ahead of you. You walk to the back of the line and slide into place between the poor soul in front of you and the post office’s front door, which you are pressed up against. Things becomes awkward when other people try to enter the building. Now that you’ve secured your spot in line, how will you occupy yourself for the duration of your thirty minute wait?

Here are some tips:

1. Aggressively check and refresh all of your social media and become even more frustrated when there is nothing new.

2. Develop leg stiffness and/or foot pain.

3. Attempt to ease said stiffness with vigorous fidgeting.

4. Stare blankly at the greeting card wall and think fleetingly about sending your grandparents one. Ultimately decide against it.

5. Let your mind run wild imagining what could possibly be going on behind the package pick-up window.

6. Feel your blood pressure rise as you watch people in the other line get in and out of the post office in the same amount of time it took you to shuffle forward two steps.

7. Gaze longingly at the front-of-the-liners.

8. Glare angrily at the same people as they walk past you on their way out.

9. Remain angry — on principle — even as you, yourself, are walking out package-in-hand.

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Now on display at Arrillaga Center for Sports and Recreation: me. https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/15/now-on-display-at-arrillaga-center-for-sports-and-recreation-me/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/15/now-on-display-at-arrillaga-center-for-sports-and-recreation-me/#respond Wed, 15 Oct 2014 19:00:08 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1089832 Upon return to campus, on my first visit to the East Campus gym, I was distressed to see that, over the summer, the gym layout had been rearranged such that the row of ellipticals now stands front and center for the viewing (dis)pleasure of all Arrillaga gym-goers. Trying to play it cool after making the […]

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Upon return to campus, on my first visit to the East Campus gym, I was distressed to see that, over the summer, the gym layout had been rearranged such that the row of ellipticals now stands front and center for the viewing (dis)pleasure of all Arrillaga gym-goers.

Trying to play it cool after making the horrifying realization that I would have to huff along, red-faced and dripping, in plain view of the busy gym, I walked towards the cardio section while a debate over whether I should screw it and use the exposed elliptical, or tuck myself away in the back corner with the treadmills raged within me.

After reluctantly telling myself to suck it up, I made my choice and clambered onto one of the “LifeFitness” elliptical machines. Some time later, having pedaled away long enough for my face to take on the hue of a tomato, I wasn’t sure whether I actually felt empowered or embarrassed by the spectacle that was my workout. Did I try harder because people were watching? Or did I try less because I didn’t want to look sweaty and over-eager? Is everyone else feeling as weird about being out in the open as I am? Should I pretend like I don’t know that people can see how out of shape I am?

The answers to these questions remain to be seen, as, out of laziness or perhaps fear of centrally-located cardio equipment, I’ve barely been back since. One definitive thing, though, is that the new elliptical location is a prime spot to stare at the other-gym goers to occupy yourself during your workout (if you’re into that sort of thing).

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Yelp reviews Stanford University https://stanforddaily.com/2014/09/29/yelp-reviews-stanford-university/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/09/29/yelp-reviews-stanford-university/#respond Tue, 30 Sep 2014 00:00:39 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1088557 If you have found yourself Googling Stanford, you might also have found yourself asking why there are so many stupid reviews of Stanford University. Google reviews, Yelp reviews, College Prowler reviews abound.

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If you have found yourself Googling Stanford, you might also have found yourself asking why there are so many outrageous reviews of Stanford University. Google reviews, Yelp reviews, College Prowler reviews abound.

I spent (wasted?) my day scrolling through several hundred reviews, and what struck me more than the reviewers fawning over Stanford’s world class education and pristine campus were the reviewers that proclaimed things like: “Great bathrooms in Meyer library” (too bad those are in their final hours, I guess), “the campus is about as laid back as the NY stock exchange after a large sell off,” “the vast majority of the students, Californian or otherwise, remind me forcibly of computers” and “Stanford Sux!” Screen Shot 2014-09-29 at 9.59.07 AM

 

 

 

Perhaps more alarming were the myriad  Yelp and Google reviews declaring that Stanford looks like a Taco Bell. I don’t know about you, but last time I checked, Taco Bells were plastered with Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos posters. Have you seen any of those on campus? I haven’t. I would also like to point out that newer Taco Bells feature a “sleeker” design sans that Stanford­-esque roofing that makes Yelpers think the two look alike. And this isn’t even to mention the combination KFC-Taco Bell drive thru that doesn’t look like Stanford at all.

Besides the whole Taco Bell thing, another theme that emerged from the heap of reviews was that people seem to forget that Stanford is first and foremost a university, not a theme park. One Yelp reviewer said, “Stanford: pretty good service, weak bar scene. Not a place to pick up chicks,” while another stated that Stanford’s campus “ain’t all that.” Other Yelp reviewers lamented that there just wasn’t as much to do as they’d hoped, other than visit the Main Quad, Memorial Church, Hoover Tower, the Cantor Arts Center, White Plaza, et cetera… Despite it all, after my hours-­long escapade into the world of online reviews, I found myself with an unexpectedly warm fuzzy feeling for my TacoBell­with­great­bathrooms­in­Meyer­Library school.

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FKA Twigs album review https://stanforddaily.com/2014/09/17/fka-twigs-album-review/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/09/17/fka-twigs-album-review/#respond Wed, 17 Sep 2014 20:50:54 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087994 Unorthodox hairstyles, haunting music videos, and a distinctly ethereal sound are the qualities that set British backup­-dancer-­turned­-musician FKA twigs apart from the present musical crowd.

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Unorthodox hairstyles, haunting music videos, and a distinctly ethereal sound are the qualities that set British backup­-dancer-­turned­-musician FKA twigs apart from the present musical crowd. Twigs, who has also recently garnered media attention for a rumored relationship with Robert Pattinson, has created a uniquely mysterious persona with her indefinable sound, and mysterious, unique aesthetic.

You’re probably familiar with twigs’ striking look, what with photos of her new album artwork bedecking city streets, record stores, and, of course, the internet in past months. But, besides being familiar with her look, you should definitely familiarize yourself with her genre­-eluding music.

This August, twigs released her first album, LP1. LP1 follows two EPs, aptly named EP1 and EP2, the first of which was self ­released online in 2012. EP2, on the other hand, was released through Young Turks in 2013 and consequently received more attention. Twigs’ newest release, also released with Young Turks, is not much of a departure from her past projects, perhaps apart from a slightly softer sound in EP1.

LP1 is hard to define. If I tried to describe it in terms of genre, I’d blab on about a mixture of ambient trip­hop pop et cetera and start talking about things I probably don’t know enough about. The album is a collection of masterfully and intricately layered sounds, as well as satisfyingly disorienting pauses. “Preface,” the first track of the album, sets the tone for the rest of the record with echoey, slightly haunting vocals painted over a delightful tangle of distorted noises. “Two Weeks” is easily the most popular song on the album, and is one of the more fleshed out, poppy tracks on LP1. However, what the song possesses in catchiness (due its more upbeat tempo), it lacks in lyrical depth. Like several of the songs on LP1, this song appears to be about lust; but “Two Weeks,” which is perhaps the most directly sexual track, is deficient in emotional honesty compared to songs like “Lights On,” in which twigs deals with themes like trust. “Pendulum,”another one of the album’s more popular songs, features a melody that seems to mirror the lyrics of the refrain­, ­longing for an old lover­­with its pleading, somehow timid tone.

Besides obvious choices “Two Weeks” and “Pendulum,” some of my favorite tracks from LP1 were “Give Up,” with its hip­ hop and trip­ hop leanings, and “Hours,” which is a great example of the whole album’s innovative use of silent pauses previously mentioned.

Lyrically, LP1 is honest. “Lights On,” “Pendulum,” “Video Girl,” and “Numbers” reveal a vulnerable, lustful, and lost FKA twigs. The theme of submission, too, permeates the album, with twigs’ willingly entangling her own identity with that of her lover’s (or whoever she is singing about). As the album progresses, however, we see somewhat of a transition; later on in the album, on songs like “Give Up,” twigs paints a slightly more confident, dominant picture of herself. However, this is short­-lived, and the album seems to end up where it started with the last song, “Kicks,” in which twigs wonders what to do with herself in the absence of her lover.

One of my few complaints with this album is the lack of subject matter diversity in twigs’ lyrics. The majority of songs on LP1 deal with absent lovers and lust. The words seem honest and vulnerable at first, but ultimately become repetitive despite potentially “deeper” metaphorical interpretations.

Ultimately, however, this album is a beautiful tapestry comprised of sounds you wouldn’t expect to be compatible together. While twigs’ lyrics might not be on par with the rest of her musical project, she makes up for it in the grand scheme of things with the glorious experience that is delivered in LP1.

FKA twigs will be embarking on a world tour this fall, and will be making a stop in San Francisco November 20th.

Contact Samantha Neuber at sneuber ‘at’ stanford.edu

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Kelis releases her new album “Food” https://stanforddaily.com/2014/05/01/kelis-releases-her-new-album-food/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/05/01/kelis-releases-her-new-album-food/#respond Fri, 02 May 2014 06:55:40 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1085205 You all remember the song “Milkshake,” right? Of course you do. Just hearing its name should send memories of painfully awkward middle school dances and not-really-knowing-what-a-milkshake-was confusion flooding back to you. What you might not remember quite so vividly is the song’s artist, Kelis. Since her first album in 1999, Kelis’ style has never stayed the […]

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Courtesy of Paradigm Talent Agency.
Courtesy of Paradigm Talent Agency.

You all remember the song “Milkshake,” right? Of course you do. Just hearing its name should send memories of painfully awkward middle school dances and not-really-knowing-what-a-milkshake-was confusion flooding back to you. What you might not remember quite so vividly is the song’s artist, Kelis.

Since her first album in 1999, Kelis’ style has never stayed the same. She has continued to reinvent herself, even after the success of “Milkshake,” from her 2003 album  “Tasty.” From hip-hop and R&B to electronic, house and soul, her music is always evolving. Her latest album, released on April 22 in the United States, and produced by TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek, is no exception.

In the years following “Milkshake,” Kelis has also embarked on a variety of other creative projects aside from her music, most notably cooking. Kelis is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, and is a certified saucier. She’s released her own line of sauces, and, apparently, is co-writing a cookbook, making quite the career change.

However, Kelis’ newest musical venture blends her two passions into a less-corny-than-it-sounds collection of smooth, somehow-nostalgic songs in an album aptly titled “Food.” The album features a full band and demonstrates a seriousness and a musical maturity not quite so evident in her previous albums. “Food” is quite a departure, conceptually and musically, from her last album “Flesh Tone,” an electronic, house dance album released in 2010 with notable singles “4th of July” and “Acapella.”

Honest, reflective lyrics in Kelis’ satisfyingly raspy vocals—lyrics more emotionally resonant than “my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard,” at least—pervade the new album. While the more poignant lyrics are the theme that ties the album together, each song casts doubt on what we think we know about Kelis’ musical style.

The album’s second single, “Rumble,” is reminiscent of The Black Keys, while “Change” sounds like the soul version of a Western film villain’s theme song. “Bless the Telephone,” on the other hand, presents a new side of Kelis, too, with gentle acoustic guitar and soft harmonies. Aside from the album’s singles “Jerk Ribs” and “Rumble,” downtempo “Runnin’” and horn-filled “Hooch” seem to be contenders for the album’s more popular tracks. In all, “Food” doesn’t quite leave as memorable a taste in my mouth as “Tasty” did back in the day (forgive the pun), but it is undoubtedly a great Sunday morning listen.

The darker, softer Kelis of 2014 is a far cry from the aggressive “Caught out There” girl of 1999, and it seems that with rumors of a 90’s inspired, trip-hop album in the works, we may just see yet another side of the girl who brought all the boys to the yard.

 

Contact Samantha Neuber at sneuber “at” stanford.edu.

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Alumni turned astronauts: from Stanford to space https://stanforddaily.com/2014/03/05/alumni-turned-astronauts-from-stanford-to-outer-space/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/03/05/alumni-turned-astronauts-from-stanford-to-outer-space/#comments Wed, 05 Mar 2014 09:56:41 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1082969 Historically, Stanford has held a large presence in the field of space exploration. Out of the more than 500 astronauts NASA has ever trained, 21 have been Stanford graduates.

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Courtesy of Steven Smith
Courtesy of Steven Smith

Historically, Stanford has held a large presence in the field of space exploration. Out of the more than 500 astronauts NASA has ever trained, 21 have been Stanford graduates.

Stephen Robinson M.S. ’85 Ph.D. ’91, Steven Smith ’81 M.S. ’82 MBA ’87 and Barbara Morgan ’73 are just three of the Stanford astronauts who demonstrate that career dreams are never out of reach, even if those dreams involve going to space.

Time in space

Robinson knew what he wanted to do right from the beginning.

“All through Stanford, [becoming an astronaut was] what I wanted to do,” Robinson said.

While earning both an M.S. and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Stanford, Robinson attended the University mostly part-time as he worked at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View.

Robinson also fulfilled his enjoyment of exploration and the outdoors by taking flying lessons while at Stanford.

NASA selected Robinson as an astronaut in 1994, and he subsequently participated in four Space Shuttle missions: STS-85 in 1997, STS-95 in 1998, STS-114 in 2005 and STS-130 in 2010. During the STS-114 mission, Robinson became the first person to perform an in-flight repair of the spacecraft’s exterior.

Like Robinson, Smith recalled having an interest in space for as long as he can remember. In fact, Smith still keeps an illustration of his space dreams that he had drawn in crayon when he was younger.

Smith earned all three of his degrees at Stanford and was part of the men’s water polo team, serving as captain during his senior year. Smith credited his involvement in athletics as one of the reasons he may have been chosen for the astronaut program.

Courtesy of Stephen Robinson
Courtesy of Stephen Robinson

“I was competing against incredible people to get into the astronaut program,” Smith said. “When [NASA] interviewed me, the fact that I had been at national level athletics and…had led a team in that environment, I think that really meant something to them.”

While Robinson and Smith both recall early memories of wanting to be astronauts, Morgan’s career followed a slightly different route.

Morgan was interested in a variety of academic areas during her time at Stanford, including medicine, biology and music. While she was always fascinated with the space program, she recalled feeling that she needed to become either a nurse or a schoolteacher, as were the career norms for women at the time.

Nevertheless, Morgan graduated with distinction and was later selected in 1985 as a backup teacher for Christa McAuliffe in NASA’s Teacher in Space project and also served as a mission specialist in the STS-118 mission to the International Space Station.

From Stanford and beyond

Though each astronaut’s career played out in different ways, one common theme emerged: Stanford is a good place to be if you are interested in space.

Morgan emphasized her Stanford experience as one of immense academic exploration, openness and facilitation.

Morgan remembered taking between 20 and 23 units during multiple quarters in order to achieve

the breadth of education she desired and to fully explore the opportunities Stanford had to offer.

While becoming an astronaut was not on her mind during her time at Stanford, Morgan said she “had [her] eyes open in so many ways to exploration and discovery.”

Robinson also emphasized how Stanford’s interdisciplinary approach fosters the University’s large presence in astronautics and space exploration.

Courtesy of Babara Morgan
Courtesy of Babara Morgan

“I think Stanford has always had a huge amount to contribute both in terms of technical problem-solving expertise, but also in the deeper layer of intellectual breadth—the awareness that disciplines are connected to each other in nature,” Robinson said.

Smith spoke about Stanford’s legacy in space—while Stanford has sent a number of astronauts into space, a larger number of graduates have been involved in all parts of the space program.

“You can’t help but come out of [Stanford] ready to be an ambassador, a diplomat, really in any business you go into,” Smith said.

Morgan, Smith and Robinson all agreed that Stanford will continue to maintain its presence in space exploration. Additionally, each astronaut mentioned that Stanford has become a leading force in the newest direction—including space entrepreneurship and commercialization—that those interested in space are taking.

“Stanford’s in the right place, and they’re doing the right thing, and they have an incredible set of opportunities and support structure in place for the space program,” Smith said.

Contact Samantha Neuber at sneuber ‘at’ stanford ‘dot’ edu.

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Stanford, Cal athletes unite for LGBT inclusion event https://stanforddaily.com/2014/01/30/stanford-cal-athletes-unite-for-lgbt-inclusion-event/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/01/30/stanford-cal-athletes-unite-for-lgbt-inclusion-event/#respond Thu, 30 Jan 2014 11:20:25 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1081906 Students, student-athletes and others from the Stanford community gathered at Burnham Pavilion Wednesday night for We A.R.E. (Athletes Reaching Equality) Pride -- an evening of art displays and a panel discussion on LGBT inclusion among athletes.

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KATLYN ALAPATI/The Stanford Daily
KATLYN ALAPATI/The Stanford Daily

Students, student-athletes and others from the Stanford community gathered at Burnham Pavilion Wednesday night for We A.R.E. (Athletes Reaching Equality) Pride — an evening of art displays and a panel discussion on LGBT inclusion among athletes.

Organized by members of the Stanford and UC-Berkeley women’s basketball teams, Toni Kokenis ’14 and Mikayla Lyles respectively, the panel event and art show were part of a weeklong initiative that seeks to promote safe and supportive communities for LGBT athletes, as well as raise awareness of LGBT issues in sports.

Panelists at Wednesday’s event included Pat Griffin, founding director for Changing the Game: The Gay and Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Sports Project; Wade Davis, former NFL player and LGBT activist and educator; Helen Carroll, director of the National Center for Lesbian Right’s Sports Project and Nevin Caple, co-founder of the Br{ache the Silence Campaign.

Kokenis — one of the co-founders of Stanford Athletes and Allies Together (StAAT) — noted that organizations both within and outside of the Stanford community have been supportive and helpful in putting on the week’s programming. Sponsors include the Stanford Athletic Department, the Cal Athletic Department, You Can Play and the Weiland Health Initiative, among others.

Right before Wednesday evening’s featured programming, guests were able to view a collection of photographs featuring student-athletes from Stanford and UC-Berkeley hanging out together. The images — part of a project by visual artist Mollie McClure — promoted inclusion and acceptance, which both Lyles and Kokenis hoped to emulate in setting aside the Cal and Stanford rivalry to co-coordinate the week’s events.

“There’s no symbol more powerful than bringing together two rivals,” Kokenis said.

The night’s formal programming kicked off with the screening of a video montage of short clips of prominent figures in both athletic and LGBT communities expressing their support and opinions about LGBT inclusion in sports.

The montage was followed by a short documentary, “Crossing the Line,” by Hillary Streeter ’14 on homophobia and gender stereotypes in sports at Stanford. The film — made possible by a grant from the Bingham Fund for Student Innovation in Human Biology — featured individual interviews with a range of Stanford student-athletes across all sports and genders, discussing stereotypes about their sports, and the consequences of these preconceptions of gender and sexuality.

The evening culminated with the panel discussion and a Q&A with the audience. The discussion centered on the importance of fostering a safe, respectful and open environment in athletics and acceptance of all facets of one’s identity.

“One of the other really important intersections we need to pay attention to when we’re talking about LGBT issues in sports is that we all know we’re not just our sexual orientation; we’re also many, many other things that make up the cluster of who we are,” Griffin said, mentioning race as one of the additionally important aspects within the LGBT community.

While issues regarding the more difficult challenges currently facing LGBT athletes were raised, the real focus of the talk and night was one of positivity and support.

Davis emphasized the necessity of acceptance and support on both sides of the issue when he discussed the importance of willingness to find a common ground. He explained how the best tactic to help an individual or organization foster a more inclusive and safe environment — or eliminate homophobia — is to work with the individual or organization, rather than accuse them and expect them to be receptive.

In terms of LGBT inclusion specific to Stanford, Kokenis noted that while Stanford has made a lot of progress in LGBT inclusion in sports, athletics still seems to be less of a safe space as the rest of the Stanford community.

The weeklong initiative will come to a close after a diversity inclusion workshop for high school students and a youth teamwork clinic held later in the week.

However, Kokenis and Lyles certainly don’t see this as the end.

“We’re planning on not having this be a one-time deal,” Kokenis said, who hopes this type of event will spread to other colleges and universities throughout the country.

Contact Samantha Neuber at sneuber ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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“The Rapture” features portraits of Pantheon spectators https://stanforddaily.com/2013/10/18/the-rapture-features-portraits-of-pantheon-spectators/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/10/18/the-rapture-features-portraits-of-pantheon-spectators/#comments Fri, 18 Oct 2013 09:48:43 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1079531 “The Rapture," a new exhibit by Joel Leivick now showing at the Cantor Arts Center, features a variety of candid portraits of visitors at one of Rome’s most famous tourist locations, The Pantheon.

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Forty-five new color photographs by Joel Leivick grace the walls of Stanford’s Thomas Welton Art Gallery as part of his new exhibit, “The Rapture.” This engaging and thought-provoking collection features a variety of candid portraits of visitors at one of Rome’s most famous tourist locations, The Pantheon.

"The Rapture" showcases the reactions of visitors, like this one shown above, when viewing The Pantheon. (Courtesy of Joel Leivick)
“The Rapture” showcases the reactions of visitors, like this one shown above, when viewing The Pantheon. (Courtesy of Joel Leivick)

Leivick, the Robert and Ruth Halperin professor in photography, has been with the Department of Art & Art History at Stanford since 1981. He has also participated in a variety of solo and group shows in the Bay Area, including at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Scott Nichols Gallery (also located in San Francisco) and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. His work has also been exhibited in several out-of-state galleries, such as the Blue Sky Gallery in Portland, Ore., and the Emory University Art Gallery.

Leivick’s new exhibition is a departure both visually and conceptually from his previous work. Before “The Rapture,” he worked in large-format black and white landscapes and outdoor scenes, all very rich in texture; yet, what interested Leivick the most at the Pantheon were the visitors all around him. Over the course of four days last fall, he took a series of candid photos using a Sony digital camera.

While simpler in both texture and composition than his previous work, the beautifully lit and color-saturated photographs of “The Rapture” present an interesting contrast between old and new: the visitors, armed with their cameras, cell phones and iPods, against the building’s ancient stone walls.

Though Leivick lays no claims that, through his photographs, he has come to “know” any of these people, the images evoke a certain intimacy — a connection between viewer and subject that makes you want to keep looking — that makes you feel like you could know these people, too. The subjects of Leivick’s photos come from all walks of life — men, women, adults and children alike — but the looks of concentration and awe spread across each face create a peculiar feeling of commonality.

As I walked through the gallery looking at the photographs on the walls, I couldn’t help but notice the same expressions of the photo subjects reflected in the faces of everyone at the exhibit’s reception. Leivick’s photos remind us that, as humans, we all strive to find meaning in beauty. Just as the Pantheon visitors screw up their faces in concentration as they gaze through the oculus in search of some profound experience, so do we at Leivik’s photos of them.

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Palo Alto ban on vehicle living limits community center operations, angers homeless https://stanforddaily.com/2013/10/03/palo-alto-ban-on-vehicle-living-limits-community-center-operations-angers-homeless/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/10/03/palo-alto-ban-on-vehicle-living-limits-community-center-operations-angers-homeless/#comments Thu, 03 Oct 2013 08:36:22 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1079048 Palo Alto City Council passed a highly debated and controversial ordinance in early August banning the act of living in a vehicle within the city.

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SAM GIRVIN/The Stanford Daily
SAM GIRVIN/The Stanford Daily

Palo Alto City Council passed a highly debated and controversial ordinance in early August banning the act of living in a vehicle within the city.

Liz Kniss, chairwoman of the City Council’s Policy and Services Committee, said that vehicular habitation in Palo Alto has been happening for over 15 years, with residents consistently citing instances of people living in their vehicles around the Cubberley Community Center.

According to Kniss, it has become easier for people to “park [their] vehicles there and hook up to the electricity” at the former site of Cubberley High School.

Those interviewed for this article estimated that up to 30-50 people may be living in their cars in the Cubberley area at any given time.

While the ordinance – which is accompanied by a six-month grace period allowing current vehicle dwellers time to seek alternatives – primarily bans living in one’s car, it also directly impacts the operations at Cubberley. The center’s showers have been eliminated, the Wi-Fi is disabled after 10 p.m. and the electricity may be turned off in the future as part of the ban.

The ordinance, originally proposed two years ago but ultimately shelved in favor of alternative programs, stems from complaints from surrounding residential communities.

Incidents involving littering, urination and defecation have been reported in the area surrounding Cubberley. Kniss explained that one of the ban’s selling points was that residents’ children find the area intimidating and feel uncomfortable walking through it.

While many community members fully support the ordinance, there are a number of those who find it mean-spirited.

“The idea of taking away shelter from people who don’t have regular housing is mean, draconian, counter-productive – not what anybody is brought up to do,” said Chuck Jagoda, a 70-year-old Palo Alto resident camping in his vehicle.

Jagoda and others feel that homelessness is essentially the product of a lack of resources, and that taking those very resources away – such as those previously provided by Cubberley – is not a valid solution.

“If you’re concerned for sanitation, why close bathrooms?” Jagoda asked.

Jagoda also argued that many vehicle dwellers – women in particular – feel safer sleeping in their locked cars at night than they do sleeping in a shelter. To take away the ability to live in one’s vehicle is also to take away a certain sense of security, he added.

Additionally, although Jagoda plans to take advantage of several alternative programs and senior housing, many people do not want alternative housing because their vehicles have become a comfortable space for them, according to Kniss.

“I think it’s very bad for Palo Alto’s legacy,” Jagoda said. “It is not in keeping with the traditions of Palo Alto…or with an attitude of concern for people less fortunate.”

The ordinance has proved divisive even since its first proposal two years ago, and has spurred the formation of several local opposition groups such as the Stop the Ban group and the Community Cooperation Team.

Aparna Ananthasubramaniam ’13, M.S.’14, is part of both aforementioned groups. Ananthasubramaniam first became involved with housing issues when she joined Night Outreach, a Stanford student group which takes walks in Palo Alto on Fridays and engages in dialogue with homeless people.

Ananthasubramaniam, in collaboration with another Stanford student, formed the Community Cooperation Team two years ago when the ban first came up for debate. The group sought to oppose the ban and to brainstorm alternatives that would “make people who live in homes in Palo Alto feel safe, but would also allow people who sleep in their cars to keep some of the options they have.”

Although it has been difficult for Stanford students interested in this issue to promote on-campus awareness due to the conflict arising over the summer, Ananthasubramaniam plans to speak with several student groups this year to gauge if they are interested in supporting a movement against the ban.

While the ban’s supporters and opponents each feel strongly for their case, both Ananthasubramaniam and Jagoda agree that there has not been as much discussion between the two groups as there could be, and that increased communication between both sides in the community may be advantageous in finding a middle ground.

Contact Samantha Neuber at sneuber@stanford.edu.

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Administrators discuss lack of financial literacy advising https://stanforddaily.com/2013/05/29/administrators-discuss-lack-of-financial-literacy-advising/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/05/29/administrators-discuss-lack-of-financial-literacy-advising/#respond Thu, 30 May 2013 06:56:25 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1077501 As the Class of 2013 prepares to leave Stanford and enter the workforce, both University administrators and students have discussed a lack of sufficient advising in financial literacy for students.

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As the Class of 2013 prepares to leave Stanford and enter the workforce, both University administrators and students have discussed a lack of sufficient advising in financial literacy for students.

While a recent report by America’s Promise Alliance suggests that such a lack of literacy could hinder students’ ability to take full advantage of financial aid, Director of Financial Aid Karen Cooper framed the issue as rare at Stanford.

“Where I see issues is how students manage the money they receive,” Cooper said, noting that financial literacy spans students’ experiences both before and after graduation.

While Cooper described Stanford students as representing the spectrum of financial literacy, Mary Morrison, a student services administrator in the Financial Aid Office, started a course in response to a perceived deficit in student awareness.

“There were a certain number of students at Stanford who didn’t know much about how to handle money or the basics of finances,” Morrison said.

Morrison’s course — MS&E 41: Financial Literacy — is aimed at seniors and other students preparing to fully manage their own finances, teaching them fundamentals such as types of insurance, retirement plans and financial vocabulary. According to Morrison, the class has been fully enrolled at around 110 students for the past 14 years.

“I don’t think we, Stanford, have a lot of things in place for dealing with the financial literacy around being a student” Cooper acknowledged.

Jesús Salas ‘13, a student business advisor at the Career Development Center (CDC), shared a similar perception of a lack of University resources.

“I think Stanford assumes because people are as intelligent as they presume that they would figure everything out … but we should have some shaping around what that means to be financially literate,” Salas said.

Salas recently helped organized an event with the CDC that dealt with preparing students for life after Stanford. The event featured a 50-minute talk that covered the basics of finances, an effort similar to Morrison’s financial literacy class.

Cooper and Morrison agreed that more opportunities for financial literacy education would be advantageous for students. Morrison suggested a series of seminars to guide freshmen through the undergraduate experience while Cooper advocated the formation of a student group and the encouragement of greater peer mentoring.

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Fossil Free Stanford campaigns for divestment https://stanforddaily.com/2013/05/19/fossil-free-stanford-campaigns-for-divestment/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/05/19/fossil-free-stanford-campaigns-for-divestment/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 05:46:39 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1077279 Fossil Free Stanford, the Stanford chapter of a national Fossil Free movement, has launched a campus-wide initiative to urge the University to divest from fossil fuels.

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Fossil Free Stanford, the Stanford chapter of a national Fossil Free movement, has launched a campus-wide initiative to urge the University to divest from fossil fuels.

The group aims to convince University officials to freeze all new fossil fuel investments and to fully divest from the 200 largest publicly traded fossil fuel companies within the next five years.

Fossil Free Stanford was formed at the end of fall quarter after Bill McKibben, a co-founder of the international climate campaign 350.org, visited Palo Alto on his “Do the Math” tour. According to Michael Penuelas ’15, a member of Fossil Free Stanford, the event inspired students to found their own divestment campaign.

“This is our tuition money and our professors’ pension money…and our school’s endowment is going to support industries that are polluting our future,” said Fossil Free Stanford member Yari Greaney  ’15. “Divesting is something we can do as an institution and really make a statement.”

Communications with the APIRL

Greaney and other members of the group have been communicating since February with Stanford’s Advisory Panel on Investment Responsibility and Licensing (APIRL), the body that advises President John Hennessy and the Board of Trustees on ethnical issues surrounding University endowment investments.

According to APIRL Staff Liaison Kathleen Greenan, the purpose of the APIRL is to provide “a forum for the Stanford community to voice its concerns about the social and environmental impacts of Stanford’s investment and trademark licensing activities.”

While a variety of divestment campaigns have been presented to the APIRL, only three have been successful. Stanford divested from several companies with operations in apartheid South Africa in 1977 and divested from major tobacco companies in 1998. In 2005, Stanford divested from four companies that supported the Sudanese government.

“In each case, the action was based on fiduciary obligations and clear ethical principles which were widely held across the entire Stanford community,” Greenan wrote in a statement to The Daily.

Fossil Free Stanford members made a presentation to the APIRL’s Environmental Sustainability Subcommittee in March, and they submitted an official request for the review of investments on May 8.

Sophie Harrison ’16, a member of Fossil Free Stanford, said that there was “a lot of respect” in the APIRL’s response to the group’s presentation. Harrison noted that group members are now focused on “making sure [the APIRL] can fully understand the urgency of the situation” and recognize the group’s broad support base.

Though Greenan said that APIRL’s 2012-2013 session has ended, she expects further communication with Fossil Free Stanford next year.

“We look forward to working with the group into the fall as they prepare for a presentation to the full panel,” Greenan said in a statement.

Campus-wide efforts

In addition to submitting its official proposal for divestment, Fossil Free Stanford has held several events and started an online petition to rally support from the Stanford community and make students more aware of the divestment movement.

The petition recently reached 1,045 signatures, and group members held a 1,000 signature celebration in front of President Hennessy’s office on May 17.

Fossil Free Stanford has also been in contact with similar groups at a number of schools across the country and in the Bay Area such as UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco and San Francisco State University.

According to Harrison, 300 schools across the country have active fossil fuel divestment campaigns and 11 cities have committed to divestment.

“It’s a national movement…part of what makes this so powerful is that there are students across the country working on this,” Harrison said. “It comes down to the fact that by continuing to live our lifestyles with a dependence on fossil fuels, we are condemning future generations to a world that is not as good as the one we have right now.”

The group is working to gain more signatures on the petition, conduct a year-end review and strengthen the argument presented to the APIRL by compiling research on the necessity of divestment.

Group members also hope to foster more faculty and alumni support and involvement, and they may create a video featuring professors speaking about the importance of divestment from fossil fuels.

“We’re all very passionate about this, and we’re not going away,” Penuelas said.

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Campus groups unite to promote sexual consent awareness https://stanforddaily.com/2013/05/08/administration-campus-groups-unite-to-promote-sexual-consent-on-farm/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/05/08/administration-campus-groups-unite-to-promote-sexual-consent-on-farm/#comments Thu, 09 May 2013 06:41:45 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1077031 A group of student organizations and University offices have collaborated on a campus-wide campaign to educate the University community on issues surrounding sexual consent. The student-initiated campaign -- led by the Women’s Community Center (WCC), Men Against Abuse Now (MAAN), the Office of Sexual Assault and Relationship Abuse (SARA) and Sigma Theta Psi Multicultural Sorority -- was launched at the start of this quarter to facilitate an active discourse on the subject.

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A group of student organizations and University offices have collaborated on a campus-wide campaign to educate the University community on issues surrounding sexual consent.

The student-initiated campaign — led by the Women’s Community Center (WCC), Men Against Abuse Now (MAAN), the Office of Sexual Assault and Relationship Abuse (SARA) and Sigma Theta Psi Multicultural Sorority — was launched at the start of this quarter to facilitate an active discourse on the subject, according to MAAN Co-President Jake Winkelman ’15.

“The idea behind it was that there are conversations had about sexual assault on campus but there isn’t always space for discourse just about consent, or having a more positive constructive conversation about consent,” Winkelman said.

To date, the campaign has mainly consisted of a brief emailed survey that asks what it means to give consent, and what it means to ask for it.

Surabhi Nirkhe ’13, social justice outreach coordinator at the WCC, said the survey has received 40 to 50 responses for each question.

“We’ve been getting a diverse range of responses,” Nirkhe said. “Initially [there were] a lot of responses that I guess you could say we support based on the stance of the Women’s Community Center and MAAN has on the issue.”

Responses are subsequently uploaded to a WordPress site, where students can read and comment on posted responses as well as add their own perspectives on consent.

“By asking students how they give consent, how they ask for it, it really encourages them to think critically about how they engage with consent and sexuality,” said Sarah Roberts ’16, a WCC staffer.

Angela Exson, director of the SARA office, pointed out that survey responses might have applications beyond simply encouraging student discourse and reflection, through allowing staff and administrators to assess progress and determine areas for improvement in dealing with consent-related issues.

“If we don’t have this common understanding or common ground around what consent is and what it entails, then it makes it more difficult for us to understand when boundaries are being crossed,” Exson said.

In the future, campaigners hope to add more content and interactive material to the website in addition to hosting some events.

“Hopefully this is the spark that starts the conversation, and we’d like to do more forms of outreach later on,” Nirkhe said.

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