The Paw Print

A news publication created by Baruch's College Now high school journalism class

Commentary

Boy Meets World vs. Girl Meets World

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imgresSeptember 24, 1993 — The original release date of Boy Meets World. Boy Meets World is a show about Cornelius “Cory” Matthews that follows him throughout his coming of age, from middle school to college life. Like any child, Cory faced obstacles on a daily with coming of age.  

Boy Meets World gained much attention from kids, who understood the challenges of growing up. Although Boy Meets World was aired 6 years before I was born, I can relate to what Cory had gone through. Ben Savage who played Cory was able to bring the personality of Cory to life. Ben fully expressed his feelings through Cory. With the help of his companions Ben created an atmosphere where they are able to laugh together but also stick together through tough situations. As I watched Boy Meets World, I developed a connection with all the characters and fell in love. I adored Cory and Topanga’s  relationship, I’ve always supported them. I was heartbroken in one episode where Cory kisses someone else and Topanga finds out. It was a nervewreck for me and probably others as well. Thankfully Cory and Topanga end up together and have a family.

June 27, 2014 — Disney launches Girl Meets World. For those who don’t know Girl Meets World is a follow up of Boys Meets World. Cory has grown up and is raising his daughter, Riley. She is now facing her coming of age. I, however, can’t say I like the idea of the show, because Boy Meets World is a classic and it can’t be beat.

Due to it being launched on Disney Channel Girl Meets World are younger than those who have seen Boy Meets World. Times have changed so those who have viewed Boy Meets World aren’t fully able to connect with the situations in Girl Meets World. Also, the main character is now a female. Having Riley face these situations presents to viewers with a different point of view than in Boy Meets World. For example we see these recents episodes where Riley and her best friend like the same guy- Lucas. This love triangle mess got confusing. Most younger viewers who have kept up would understand it better than I do.

Overall, Boy Meets World beats Girl Meets World. Boy Meets World is able to create a connection to its viewers unlike Girl Meets World, where majority of their viewers are younger and might not face challenges that older viewers had to face. Boy Meets World  is an original and frankly its follow up won’t be as great.

 

Baruch College Students Voice Their Complaints

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Baruch College Library

Up the marbled steps, and through the dark, narrow security turnstiles, lead to the bright, open-spaced library at Baruch College. Near the Reference Center are laptop machines allowing students to checkout computers. Directly in front of the entrance is a white, curved staircase leading to the floors above. In each corner of the room, there are setups for computers, books, and check-out stations.

However, Baruch College students are still unsatisfied with the library.

Angelica, a senior at Baruch College, said, “I want the fourth and fifth floor to have better air because it feels really stuffy up there.”

Unlike the third floor, the fourth and fifth floors have windows to keep out noise for those who studying. The third floor is often identified as a “social floor” or “playground.” It is difficult for students to have both quiet and fresh air.

Another student giving his last name Turan, wants more tables and chairs, especially during the Spring semesters because there are “no spots free at all.” He also mentions that the great number of books appears overwhelming, hinting that the bookshelves occupy a lot of space.

Another student, Shemontee Chowdhury, said the library “feels dead” because the interior is “simple but unattractive.” She commented on the dullness of the library and suggests that the library should have brighter colors to make studying more enjoyable.

In response to these students’ complaints, Librarian-Professor of Library Science Stephen Francoeur, said that the library is planning to use “compact shelving,” which allows bookshelves to be compressed to fit more desks and tables.

Francoeur further mentioned that the library received recommendations from architectural firms that looked at the library’s interior structure and had set cameras to observe what resources students use. Therefore, the library will be remodeling for the first time since 1994. The furniture will be “updated” to more group “friendly” tables and space.

Also, the library is “redoing the heating and air conditioning on the fourth and fifth floor,” according to Francoeur. The fourth floor just finished and the technicians are currently attending to the fifth floor.

Sure enough, the Baruch College library is not only visually pleasing, but also working to create a setting that is comfortable and suitable for the students.

 

Body Image Affects All

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In today’s society, not only women, but men too try to conform to a certain body type. People do this because they want to be feel accepted.

Just because a women does not have an hourglass figure with small hips and a slim stomach does not mean she is not beautiful. If a man does not have broad shoulders and a slim waist, that does not make him any less attractive. Society has shoved us into such a small spectrum; they cannot feed on anything else but its own conformities.

Businesses have advertisements that try to sell based on the issues men and women have with body image. They use photoshop and skinny models to try and get people to feel insecure, which makes them want to use their products. These advertisers use body image insecurities to make profits on their products.

According to CSWD.org, “80% of 10-year-old girls have dieted. 90% of high school junior and senior women diet regularly. Young girls are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of nuclear war, cancer, or losing their parents.”

Body image has taken an unhealthy turn on our society, but most people do not look at it as a serious health factor. According to The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, “3% of the total population suffer from eating disorders”. Usually eating disorders are because of an insecurity in body image, which eats at people’s self esteem until they feel like there is  no other option. The body boundaries are so tight in this society people can never feel proud of themselves.

Body image issues have a huge impact on our everyday lives and are important in our society. You are beautiful the way you are, do not let photoshop tell you otherwise.

Girls Violating Dress Code But What About Boys?

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A girl wears a spaghetti strap shirt to school.What happens to the girl? She is sent home to change or cover up or gets detention. However, a boy wears a  provocative shirt to school. What happens to the boy?

It seems that schools are focus on girls only breaking the dress codes. But schools seems to be forgetting that the boys as well are breaking the dress codes at schools. They walk around with their pants sagging or maybe wearing  provocative shirts that have a female’s body naked. Why is it that boys aren’t told anything or don’t have consequences like the girls do when they break the dress codes?   

“I’ve never seen a boy called out for his attire even though they also break the rules,” stated Maggie Sunseri in The Sexism Of School Dress Code written by Li Zhou. Girls notice that boys are not being told or are not getting punished when they break the dress codes. This makes it unfair because it seems like girls are being discriminated against.

“It is unfair and I personally feel constantly being bothered and I have seen other girls bothered as well. If we aren’t harming anyone there shouldn’t be a problem. They should make guys wear belts though, that is uncomfortable to see,” said Karina Pena, a current student at University Neighborhood High School. Several times throughout her school year she was told to cover up and threatened with phone calls home just because you were able to see her belly button.

A few boys also think girls are being discriminated against. “I think it’s messed up. Girls are told that they can’t show too much skin or specific clothing like a bra strap without getting sent home to change or asked to wear a sweater. Yet boys can wear t-shirts with sometimes provocative or suggestive images on them with little notice or sometimes none at all,” says Roy Rivera, a rising senior at University Neighborhood High School. Not many boys can agree that it’s fair girls are the only ones targeting for breaking dress codes.

Does it give boys an advantage to wear anything they want?

Yes it does give boys an advantage. They won’t be told anything or be punished for breaking the dress codes. Schools seem to be allowing the boys to walk the halls freely with pants sagging and provocative t-shirts. Roy is not only thinking about the unfairness of not targeting boys as well, but also about the way teachers are holding back girls from their education.“You’re taking away time from this girl’s education. It’s more important for this girl to wear a sweater or go home and change than it is for her to learn the curriculum.”

Boys are wearing provocative shirts to school, with suggestive images on them such as drugs or drug dealers like Pablo Escobar. What are boys told? Maybe the possible answer “Hey, could you maybe try not to wear that to school? We wouldn’t want people getting the wrong idea.”

What’s the typical response from an adult?

“Boys will be boys.” Why is it school is letting boys be boys? Why aren’t boys targeted at when they break the dress code? It’s okay for boys to be boys when they take off their shirt when playing basketball at school. But it’s not okay for girl to show too much back or show a bit of cleavage at prom. And if she does she is told to change, cover up or in some cases gets removed from school activities or even suspended. How is that okay?  When boys are clearly violating a dress code standard, they need to face the consequences girls face when they break the dress code. It’s unfair for girls to be the only ones targeted for breaking dress codes in school.

Punishment or Death: Reform or Regret

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Just listen to the word “Death Penalty.” Now, say it to yourself again. The term sounds daunting, correct?

Well, it gets worse when accused individuals are put to death and were later found to be innocent of the crime.  What do we do then?  We literally took an innocent person’s life.

Bob Herbert wrote an opinion piece in The New York Times “Convicted, Executed, Not Guilty,” which illustrated the idea of wrongfully convicted defendants being executed and later found innocent.  Mr. Herbert mainly focused on the Larry Griffin case.  In 1980, Mr. Griffin was convicted for a drive by shooting, of a drug dealer.  During the trial, the prosecution presented eyewitness testimony from Mr. Griffin’s cellmate, and later provided physical evidence that linked Mr. Griffin to the crime. On the other hand, the defense team refuted the prosecution’s evidence and presented three suspects who were responsible for the crime and physical evidence that proved Mr. Griffin’s innocence. Despite the defense’s convincing presentation, Mr. Griffin was convicted of the crime and was sentenced to capital punishment for arsenal and murder. Decades later, an investigation in to Mr. Griffin’s case, found that Mr. Griffin was wrongfully convicted for the crime, because of erroneous forensic evidence. The most important fact is that we cannot give Mr. Griffin his normal life back, because he already was immorally executed.

Throughout the years, a prominent adversary of death penalty, The Innocence Project, has kept reports about wrongfully convicted people being executed. Recent years, those investigations exemplify that many criminal convictions were wrong and state courts took innocent men and women’s lives.  Here is one of their stories.

It was December 1991 in Corsicana, Texas when a rumbling fire destroyed Cameron Todd Willingham’s home killing his three daughters.  Mr. Willingham claimed he was asleep during the fire. However, prosecutors provided forensic evidence and eyewitness testimony pointed to Mr. Willingham. In addition to the forensic evidence, the prosecution provided a jealous motive; several eyewitness testimonies and that implicated Mr. Willingham. Mr. Willingham was executed in 2004.  However, recent investigations concluded that forensic evidence may have erroneous in linking Mr. Willingham of the crime, but guess what, Todd Willingham is another example case of wrongfully executed and therefore cannot be exonerated.

The Death Penalty Information Center has been tracking people wrongfully convicted in death penalty cases throughout the nation. Florida has the most exonerated people out of all 26 states that used the death penalty in 2015.  Florida has 26 released wrongfully convicted individuals; Illinois followed with 20 and then Texas with 13.  In total, there were 156 exonerations throughout the 26 states for the past years.

Clearly this is a problem.  How can state and government officials and prosecutors sleep at night while they are responsible for these statistics?  It is also ironic because one of our main country’s main objective legal systems is to prevent crime and maintain law and order in our communities and states, and capital punishment is a crime when we “accidently” take someone’s life.  Instead of states using the death penalty, they should consider other reversible punishments such as life imprisonment without any chance of probation. Although is a costly option, but in the long run, we can save an innocent people from wrongful death. Meanwhile, killing is wrong and immoral. No one should have the right to take another life.  There will be no room for reform or regret.

Bill Hodges Trilogy: A Review

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The following piece may contain spoilers of one of Stephen King’s books. Viewer discretion is advised.

In early June, Stephen King (also known as the “Master of Horror” because almost all his books are about horror, suspense, and thriller) put a finish line to the Bill Hodges Trilogy with the release of the third and last book: End of Watch, which followed Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers. All three books were enjoyable, you’ll never get bored while reading it.

Mr. Mercedes was published on June 3, 2014. The book will mark the beginning of an exciting journey. Mr. Mercedes focuses on the crime that Brady Hartsfield committed at a job fair with a Mercedes Benz and Hartsfield’s maddening family. Bill Hodges, Jerome Robinson, and Holly Gibneys (The Mercedes Benz’s owner’s cousin) try to figure out Brady’s next moves to avoid another catastrophe.

The second book, Finders Keepers, which was published on June 2, 2015, is about a separate case that the Finders Keepers organization (run by Hodges and Holly) try to solve with a little bit of help from Jerome. The case makes a connection between a murder of a famous author in 1978 to the present (2010 in the book).

At the end of this book, Hartsfield seems to be brain dead, but this doesn’t means he’s done chasing Hodges. End of Watch, published on June 7, 2016, talks about the last plan of Hartsfield (now also referred as The Suicide Prince, which was the original name of the last book) to kill people by suicide through a technological device, which has a lot of games including one that has an illusion. As always, the Finder Keepers crew try to figure out what’s up with him and stop him before he does his thing again.

I really loved the series and it was a great pleasure reading it. Even though the books are fiction, I liked King’s use of realistic stuff like the guns used by Mr. Hodges, or the places the characters were (at least they sound real). The suspense was another trait I enjoyed. In a book, you need to carefully read word by word so you don’t miss anything that will happen later on, and while reading the series, the suspense will kill you! As soon as you know something intriguing, you would want to skim the pages and see what happens at the end, but you can’t do that! You’ll skip so many details while you skim, for example what are the attacks they used to stop Hartsfield? Or who is being affected by one of Hartsfield’s plans and what does he has to do with any of the characters?

Bill Hodges Trilogy is a really good horror, and suspense series. I would like to get a lot of people into it, so I can share reactions and emotions with them!

IT’S SHOWTIME! – Skullgirls 2nd Encore Review

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Set in the Victorian Era where our hair is possessed, androids attack and our singers are actually cat-skeletons; everyone is fighting for it – The SkullHeart. However, the only way to reach it is through one of the best arcade style 2D fighters known to ladies and gentlemen everywhere – Skullgirls!

Skullgirls is a 2D Arcade-style fighting game created by Alex Ahad and Lab Zero Games. The basis of the game is that with the character you choose, you must journey through their story in order to reach the SkullHeart – an ancient artifact that can grant any woman’s wish. However, if there is any bit of selfishness within your wish, you will become the next Skullgirl. The current Skullgirl is Marie – a young girl that controls the dead. Although the SkullHeart is made for a woman’s wish, there are also 2 male characters involved in the search. Either way, be careful what you wish for – although, it is out of your control.

The basis of the fighting mechanics is to choose your character and go wild! Just kidding, Skullgirls has a lot more to offer than just a story. It has a small but unique and quirky cast of 14 characters such as the spunky Filia, the mind-controlled Painwheel, and the clone characters: F-Fukua and Robo-Fortune. Not only can you learn about these fighters through their story mode, but you can create teams of up to 3 in Local, Arcade and Online Play. If you think you’re not ready to go full force, you can always learn a thing or two about the cast at Ms. Victoria’s Training Mode.

Fighting won’t be the only thing on your dinner plate with this game. Lab Zero went beyond gameplay and extensive combos to bring various eye-capturing scenery and character designs. Skullgirls has been a project of Alex Ahad since 2006 and if you look at all of the artwork and concept art before the game’s completion, you can tell it really paid off. His art style is visible in character sprites and backgrounds and the atmosphere in his artwork is still visible in the game’s story. It still feels like Ahad’s artwork, except now you’re playing with it and making it fight. Not only that, but with a soundtrack featuring Ms. Michiru Yamane, composer for the Castlevania series, this is a game you simply can’t let go of in just a few minutes. You can also check out guest artwork in the Extras menu and even face one…seemingly unbeatable boss.

Skullgirls is a very beautiful game to look at, but with the various play styles each character holds and a battle system that can handle combos of up to 99; this is truly a very fun fighting game. Skullgirls is available on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 as Skullgirls Encore and on Playstation 4, Xbox One, PSVita and Steam as Skullgirls 2nd Encore. The game is at a price of $15, but with 4 DLC Characters and a costume pack you may want to purchase, the game will rise up to a price of $40(unless it goes on sale).

Skullgirls Mobile Encore was recently announced at this year’s Anime Expo! It isn’t just a port of the original game, it is a fighting game for mobile devices built from the ground up over the last 2 years by Hidden Variable Studios. Not only Lab Zero and Hidden Variable announce the game, but they also showed how the game worked and what you should expect. Skullgirls Mobile Encore is scheduled to release 2016 for iOS and Android phones and tablets. Until then, the show must go on!

Why Can’t Americans Handle Sharing Bathrooms?

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Although many Americans may know about the current battle on bathroom accessibility, a large majority seem to turn a blind eye to those being barred from their respective restroom. The truth is, the so-called “bathroom bills” target the already vulnerable minority: transgender people.

Many attribute this to Americans not understanding what it means to be transgender. Courtesy of GLAAD, a nongovernmental organization formerly known as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, transgender is an umbrella adjective for those who identify as a gender, such as male or female, that deviates from their biological sex. For example, an individual born with a penis (typically designated as a male sex organ) whose gender identity is female is considered a trans woman, falling under the trans umbrella. The reverse applies to trans men; people born with a vagina who identify and/or express themselves as male. Also fitting under the trans umbrella are nonbinary people, who do not identify with either gender, causing an inevitable conflict with their biological sex.

The vast majority of Americans fall under the term cisgender, meaning non-transgender. They do not, therefore, have to care about these issues, allowing them to enforce the gross alienation of transgender people. Misconceptions such as labeling trans people as perverts or delusional still exist and are widely believed, despite the American Psychiatric Association insisting that “gender nonconformity is not in itself a mental disorder”. The APA goes on to clarify that it is the extreme distress of trans people at not being seen by others as the gender they identify as that is harmful.

Since it has been confirmed that it isn’t the trans people themselves who are harmful, why do Americans still fear sharing bathrooms with people who genuinely belong there?

The fear of sexual predators pretending to be transgender could be a valid point, although The Advocate, Louisiana’s leading news source, notes that “there has never been a verifiable reported instance of a trans person harassing a cisgender person, nor have there been any confirmed reports of male predators ‘pretending’ to be transgender to gain access to women’s spaces and commit crimes against them”. There doesn’t seem to be any evidence supporting these fears against transgender people sharing bathrooms.

If anything, trans people are confirmed to have been attacked much more often than cisgender people, according to Jody Herman, a public policy scholar at University of California, Los Angeles School of Law’s Williams Institute. Her survey of 83 transgender people in Washington D.C. has offered conclusive data that it is trans people who are at risk in bathrooms: “about 70 percent of the sample reported experiencing being denied access to restrooms, being harassed while using restrooms and even experiencing some forms of physical assault”.

There is no reason to attack and hurt trans people and restrict their rights and gender expression simply because of false rumors and misconceptions spread. This hurts those who already are hurt by the people close to them. The vulnerable are attacked, and, for lack of better words, bullied and insulted. Being able to use the bathroom is a basic civil right and it’s ridiculous that this has to be fought for.

The only way to make America a country that actually allows freedom is to let LGBT people have the same quality of life as the majority. Integrated restrooms are the first step to equality, and by separating transgender people from cisgender people, we only get further and further from our goal.

It’s the land of the free, so let people pee.

A Great Talent Show

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Saman Khan

 

High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies held its 10th annual talent show on Friday, April 22. The talent show is a great opportunity for students to show off their skills and talent, but it’s not very entertaining and can get quite boring for students.

For the past years the school tends to have a few talented performers but some are not so good. Students still cheer as loudly as possible just for fun.

“I just really love the singers in our school, but some singers last year were ehh… let’s just say they were a little bit off key and that was the part that bored me to death,” Tiberius Saint Louis an 11th grader, says. Some students like him don’t find some performances very entertaining.

The students from China every year act in different plays. Last year it was “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” and most of the students thought the performance was pointlessly long  and boring. “I literally couldn’t hear a word the actors were saying and the play was way too long, it took up half of the talent show time!” Janice Chen a 10th grader says.

Some other students came to the performance just for the heck of it — not because they were actually interested. “Honestly … I just came to see the talent show because I don’t want to stay in class and I really don’t care whether the performances were good or not but the magician was not entertaining at all,” Athena Tozzo an 11th grader says.

Nicole who sang “Halo” in last year’s talent show, students participating in the lion dance and Tianyan and Lishi playing the violin were the most talented performers in my opinion and as well as a few other’s opinions. “Nicole’s voice really blew me away, she really knows how to hit those high notes just like Beyonce,” Pema Yangchen, a 10th grader ,says.

The way the students memorized the 10-minute-long dance is outstanding! It requires a lot of practice daily to have a perfectly memorized performance. And the two girls playing the violin, Lishi and Tianyan perfectly played the instrument, with a smooth and soft rhythm.

Overall, the performances were well-played and some entertaining but some were not very entertaining due to the way they played their performance and the duration of some performances were too long for students to pay attention to.

 

Hot or Not: DiorSkin AirFlash Foundation

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The company Dior is well known for its beautiful fragrance line, and now it is becoming popular in the makeup world.

With the launch of the DiorSkin Airflash Spray foundation, the company describes the product as “the go-to solution for professional makeup artists, Dior’s Airflash is the first revolutionary spray foundation that brings airbrushed perfection to your daily makeup routine.”

The simple 2.3 ounce can come with a price, $62 U.S.

Yes, $62 is a lot for foundation, so here is why you get your money’s worth.The foundation comes with a little pamphlet with detailed instructions on how to apply the foundation to achieve a flawless complexion.

Without reading the reviews on the product, I went to Sephora to purchase this item for special upcoming events. IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM. This is coming from a teenage girl who struggles with acne and acne scars, and when I sprayed this foundation on, my imperfections were nowhere to be seen! It looked very effortless, and as I went through the hot summer days in New York City it did not melt off my face. The finish of this foundation makes the skin look healthy, luminous, and it stays all day with no need of reapplication. I didn’t expect it to be this good because it was high end, and these kind of products usually don’t carry a lot of product but it lasted months.

A user DeeNYC86 comments on the product on the Sephora website: “Initially I was flipflopping back n forth from getting either 500 and 600 because I seen so much YouTube video reviews of women who are deeper than me buy 600, I am NC 50 Mac and 177 makeup forever.

“I final settled for 600 and it is absolutely perfect for my skin tone.

“So my only gripe is Dior make deeper shades for women of color! Women want to wear this product so bad that they buy it even though it’s not their shade. Smh.”

I agree that the company should make more shades for its diverse audience, so they can get a chance to experience this beautiful product. Personally I am in the shade 400 Honey Beige and it matches perfectly, looks very natural and dewy. It is also very useful for the people who are on the go and don’t have to time to apply their makeup. You just spray this guy on and blend and you’re good to go.

Another reviewer on makealley.com said, “After stalling for years and refusing to try this (“$62 for foundation? LOL/GTFO” – me), I finally gave in and bought it. I am so ANNOYED that this foundation is as perfect as it is, because I’ll have to keep shelling out big bucks for it. But you guys, honestly – it has all these positive reviews online for a reason. I can’t say anything that the rest of the reviewers haven’t already – the coverage is lightweight and natural-looking but somehow makes your skin look perfect and glow-y. (For reference, I have aging, combination skin with dryness around my eyes and a t-zone that tends to turn into an oil slick, but if you moisturize and prime appropriately, you’ll get a beautiful, perfect finish.) BUY IT.”

This is why I have continued to purchase this item from the DiorSkin line for two years now, and  never had a bad experience with this product.