Small screen, smart outcome

By TJ Gunther • February 16, 2012

Tech news consumers have been hearing about the post-PC era for a while now — a world where phones and tablets will handle the majority of our computing needs. For the first time ever, smart phone sales exceeded PCs this past holiday quarter, and tablets like the iPad and Kindle Fire have been growing in…

Time to rethink Iranian policy

By Shaza Elsheshtawy • February 9, 2012

Last month, Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Roshan died when a motorcyclist sped by and tossed a bomb at the scientist’s car. This is the fourth Iranian nuclear scientist to be killed by a passing motorcyclist in two years. Iran blames the U.S. and Israel, citing the nations’ intense mistrust of Iran’s nuclear program. These significantly…

Commentary: US foreign policy too often clashes with human rights

By Pete Blanchard • February 9, 2012

As news director for WICB and host of ICTV’s political talk show “Experts Say,” I consider it part of my education to keep up with world news. I am a supporter of the Occupy movement, but also quick to mention that it was the revolutions in the Middle East that stirred the Wall Street protests.…

Commentary: ‘Mormon moment’ will live on after election

By Nancy Menning • February 9, 2012

In 1844, Joseph Smith Jr. was murdered by a mob while he was a prisoner in an Illinois jail. At the time, Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was running for President of the United States. Mitt Romney is not the first Mormon to run for high office. I do…

Editorial: Quick response

By The Ithacan • February 9, 2012

A somber mood overtook the Ithaca College campus last year after Victoria Cheng and Gregory Mantone’s deaths. In response to students’ mixed emotions in coping with the news, the college’s Mental Health Response Team quickly set up areas on campus to speak with students about available counseling services amidst a difficult time. This year, the…

Editorial: When diversity separates us

By The Ithacan • February 9, 2012

Diversity lies in small pockets of Ithaca College, whether in the form of new courses, speakers or student-driven clubs. Now, it’s time to move beyond surface-level attempts at becoming diverse by improving those good-natured initiatives that, on the flip side, can also strongly divide the student body. Engaging in diversity at the college is optional.…

Making real life more game-like

By TJ Gunther • February 2, 2012

Nearly everyone plays games. Whether people are hard-core gamers with multiple systems or casual players of Angry Birds, they are familiar with earning rewards for completing in-game goals. They enjoy trying to better their skills and show off to their friends. What if those game elements could be used outside of virtual reality? What if…

Commentary: Project aims to rid media of negative female portrayals

By Jen Segal • February 2, 2012

Flipping through magazines and watching television today can reveal deeply rooted messages that advertisements send about women. With so many different channels and information at our fingertips, advertising companies are constantly looking for new ways to sell a product or service. Many of these companies resort to violent and sexually explicit images of women to…

Commentary: Campus needs emergency medical options

By Joshua Couce • February 2, 2012

Every day at Ithaca College we go about our normal routine, taking our health and safety for granted. It’s when we least expect it that we get a serious illness, an allergic reaction, alcohol poisoning, or a traumatic injury such as breaking a bone. It’s impossible to know when or where you may need medical…

Editorial: Fine on paper

By The Ithacan • February 2, 2012

During a speech Friday at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, President Obama credited his college education to receiving scholarships and student loans. He was met with cheers and applause as he proposed federal action to punish colleges that keep hiking up their cost of entry. In theory, the proposal is a good idea.…

Editorial: Keep the money where it works

By The Ithacan • February 2, 2012

While IC 20/20 initiatives transform from ideas on paper to plans in motion, the time is right to remember what makes an Ithaca College education an attractive pursuit — the opportunity for students to immerse themselves in their degrees, not be caught in a whirlwind of fulfilling general requirements. The college plans to begin implementing…

Commentary: Female migrant workers face sexual division of labor

By Zillah Eisenstein • January 26, 2012

The following is an excerpt from the speech “Gender Trafficking from the Bronx to Jakarta” that Zillah Eisenstein, professor of politics, delivered Jan. 11 as part of a program at the Salihara Cultural Center in Jakarta, Indonesia. Women’s bodies are always busy laboring — in the home, at paid work, making babies, hauling water, collecting…