Tumblr to begin running ads

Corporate logos have no place among my gifsets

By Jeremy Levine
Scarlet Staff

In an announcement that disappointed many-a-hipster, Tumblr is going to start using advertisements as early as May 2nd. This disheartening news came from Tumblr founder David Karp(a common source of disheartening news) on April 19th.

“Any Tumblr user will tell you that the idea of the platform is brilliant and wonderful...” Image courtesy of cdn.bloggeri.es.

For the uninitiated (what have you all been doing with your lives?), Tumblr is a microblogging platform that allows users to track their interests and share text, audio, photos, and videos for free. Users can save posts that they like, and place posts that they see (along with their original content) on their own blogs. In short, it’s a magical land full of your favorite stuff.

While many people use Tumblr strictly for the lulz, it remains a sacred space. Tumblr is not Facebook, it is not Twitter. Most often, it is disconnected from these places, and allows people to explore interesting content unimpeded by the “real world.” Many Tumblr users resist following blogs run by people they know personally for this reason. It is a place to explore culture and interact with interesting people outside of one’s normal sphere.

Horoscopes

Predicted by Claire Hunt and Noreena Chaudari

Aries (3/21 to 4/19) – Don’t feed into your roommates crazy behaviors.

Taurus (4/20 to 5/20) – Set two alarms before your exam; the first one just might not go off.

Gemini (5/21 to 6/21) – Now’s the time to do your last minute planting.

Cancer (6/22 to 7/22) – Even though it’s finals week, it is still not acceptable to wear monochromatic sweatsuits in public.

Would you like arsenic in that?

Maryland becomes first state to ban arsenic in chicken feed

By Kat Natale
Copy Editor

Maryland’s legislature recently passed a bill which bans the use of arsenic in chicken feed, making them the first state to do so. This bill is obviously a great step towards a healthier meat industry in America, but for those who do not know the history behind it, the bill raises a lot of questions. First and foremost: whose bright idea was it to start feeding arsenic to chickens?

Chickens eating potentially dangerous chicken feed. Photo courtesy of vegnews.com

According to the international organization Food & Water Watch, roxarsone, the most common arsenic-based drug, was first introduced in the 1940s to help fight intestinal disease in chickens.

Over the years, however, roxarsone has failed to fulfill its original purpose. Its widespread use today is due instead to its growth inducing effects and the appetizing pink hue it gives to chicken meat.

To put it bluntly, arsenic is being used in 70 percent of factory farms all over the country in order to make chicken meat more appealing, with no regard for the health and safety of consumers.

Many factory farm owners rallied against Maryland’s new bill, claiming that there are no harmful consequences of feeding drugs such as roxarsone to chickens. What they seem to be ignoring is the one thing arsenic-based drugs are good at other than making meat even meatier: producing carcinogens in the meat that can then be transferred to humans.

Janford

An opinion on the soon to come Johnson Sanford Center

By Natalie Beale
Scarlet Staff

Come fall, there will be some major changes on campus, mainly around Downing Street. For students, the greatest of these changes will be the merging of Johnson and Sanford Halls into the “Johnson Sanford Center” (or “JSC”) with “improvements” to the Fuller Quadrangle.

Students have received a few emails detailing the changes, and the Residential Life and Housing pages on the Clark website state that “the end result will be a large mixed class residential center with ammenities (sic) similar to those found in recently renovated Wright and BullockHalls.

Janford in all its glory... if Clark were in a video game. Photo courtesy of clarku.edu

The Johnson Sanford Center will feature new social, study, and multimedia lounge spaces; new improved Laundry facilities; an outdoor Roof Terrace, and elevator access to all levels.”

The website hops confusingly between present and past tense, such as “The Johnson Sanford Center is only a minute walk from the the Kneller Athletic Center” or “The Johnson Sanford Center Hall will feature shared common space,” indicating the suddenness with which these renovations are happening. This was evident in the confusing housing lottery this year that left some students with only the expensive Blackstone Hall from which to choose. (At this juncture I will take the opportunity to say that “Blackstone Hall” sounds like the home of an evil aristocrat with very pointy canines).

There are no doubt welcome improvements in the changes to Johnson and Sanford, particularly elevators for improved accessibility, as well as updated laundry facilities – the machines in Johnson’s basement have broken more than once.

Horoscopes

Predicted by Anonymous

Aries (3/21 to 4/19) – Skipping class during the last week of classes will be bad news.

Taurus (4/20 to 5/20) – As much as you want to tell off that annoying student during your final class, refrain from doing so to save your grade.

Gemini (5/21 to 6/21) – Take time out in the day to thank that extra helpful professor.

Cancer (6/22 to 7/22) – Academic Spree Day will inspire you this year.

Drowned in fascination

How the sinking of the Titanic has lived on… even for those unaware it was real

By Natalie Beale
Scarlet Staff

Until it was usurped by a movie about tall blue aliens, Titanicwas the highest grossing film of all time.

Cue Celine Dion. Photo courtesy of findmeahobby.com

My second-least-favorite Cameron, James, is releasing the smash hit on the back of the centenary of the 1912 sinking. On April 15th of that year, about 1,500 people lost their lives, and a century later, Cameron is still capitalizing on the tragedy.

This is not a criticism; the movie was only so successful because of the millions who watched and re-watched it, proving our universal and endless fascination with disaster.

For some people, Titanic does not fuel a fascination with the sinking. How can it, if they believe the event to be fictional? Twitter recently filled with hundreds of tweets expressing great surprise that the Titanic was a real ship. One stunned tweeter exclaimed, “Nobody told me Titanic was real? How am I just finding this out?” It’s impossible to say how you can go through life without encountering that fact.

For people who are aware of the actual tragedy, it remains significant and still captures our imaginations. It is not remembered solely on the basis of the number of lives lost. In terms of the number of deaths, it pales in comparison to the losses of World War One, which began just two years later, and the Spanish ‘Flu, which began four years after that.

The Scarlet Letter

I’m embarrassed

Ashley Klann
Editor-in-Chief

Why? Let’s backtrack a couple weeks to when we brought you news that a female student had been chased by a male onto campus. There was no Timely Warning issued to the student body about this, which I still don’t really understand.

This week, I opened my inbox to an email about safety. Is it to recap the meeting on safety that graces our cover this week? Is it to let everyone know about some pressing issue? No. It’s an email that’s pretty clearly telling me that some of my peers – fellow Clark students, were harassing middle school students. I have many issues with this email, and I’ll start by saying my issue with how my peers acted.

“Three students were walking near three young males when one of the students made a comment to the three males about wearing bandanas. One of the three males made a verbal threat. The student then replied verbally. Both groups then continued walking and nothing further was said and nothing developed physically. No weapon was shown.”

That’s what spree said

One Clarkie’s fourth but not final spree-view

By Ashley Klann
Editor-in-Spreef

Every year, for some reason, I take it upon myself to review Spree Day. On the surface, what’s not to love? We get a day off. We get to relax, if just for a day. Campus is turned into a playground, and sometimes the weather doesn’t suck.

Before I get into the particulars, here are some figures for thought. According to former Student Council President and Spree Day Coordinator Jenni Adams, Spree Day costs each student $15.83. This year, the annual carefree day cost $38,000 dollars. Take that number and divide it by 2,400 students, and you’ve got your share. Did you get your money’s worth?

While I love Spree Day for many reasons, there are some ways I think it could improve, and each year proves me right.

My freshman year, I harped about the food. Sophomore year, I raved about the great weather and the Coney Island Side Show Freaks. That year was probably the best for me. I honestly can’t remember my complaint, but I’m sure I had one. Too few t-shirts maybe. Last year,and this year were a lot alike.

Horoscopes

Predicted by Anonymous

Aries (3/21 to 4/19) – Cross your fingers for Opening Day at Fenway!

Taurus (4/20 to 5/20) – Friday the 13th is the perfect day to scare your roomie.

Gemini (5/21 to 6/21) – As much as you would like to cut out showering to save time, your roommates may disown you.

Cancer (6/22 to 7/22) – Napping in the stacks will not be frowned upon – we all know how you feel.

Leo (7/23 to 8/22) – Start that final paper looming over your head now before you get too overwhelmed with everything else.

A city’s sense of security

Opinions surrounding Worcester’s Chief of Police

By Elisabeth Valinski
Contributing Writer

Every city, town, and other populated area has some sort of group to protect its citizens. Firefighters, EMTs, and police are there to help keep the population safe. To them, it’s their job; to everyone else, it’s a feeling of safety.

Without the police, crime would increase and go unreported; people would start to feel threatened and defenseless. The police are like big, comfortable security blankets: not always around (except when needed), but there in a figurative sense that lets people feel safe.

Worcester Chief of Police, Gary Gemme. Photo courtesy of worcesterma.gov

But what happens when that sense of security is shattered by the police themselves? When corruption and manipulation play a huge part in police actions that indirectly cause problems within society?

The trust that the police built over numerous years is on the verge of breaking in Worcester, where a controversial topic regarding Chief of Police Gary Gemme has recently arisen.

Over the past couple of years, Chief Gemme has taken his Chief of Police role personally, seeming power hungry. He seems to not care about the reputation of the Worcester Police, for he has broken the line between doing his job professionally and engaging in corruption.

Many myths surround police corruption. No one wants to believe that their police force is using manipulation to get the job done. If that was true, not one person would trust the police force or even hold them in a respectable light.

Unfortunately, police corruption is rather common. Corruption is one of those things that is vaguely acknowledged but is still brushed under the carpet in order to keep a respectable view of the police force.