The Queens Chronicle is now accepting applications for leadership positions for 2013-14: Editor, managing editor, webmaster, entertainment editor, chief photographer, production/design editor.

Submit resume and cover letter to faculty advisor Michael Weinstein at weinsteinm@queens.edu.

Deadline: April 19.

They began to attack her and make fun of her. I was slowly getting angry and started to read QueensGossip13’s previous tweets. None of their tweets had anything to do with gossip, but rather making fun of students behind their back. Out of nowhere, my friend included me and a bunch of people in a tweet to QueensGossip13 to show them she had support.

From this point forward, I should have stayed out of it, but I made the mistake of joining the argument. I innocently pointed out that they referred to our Honor Code as “honesty code.” I also tweeted them showing support for my friend who was under attack. Before too long, I was under attack. Although I antagonized them, I was taking a lot of heat and got very defensive.

One of my tweets was “You know who’s irrelevant at Queens? —> @queensgossip13.” This did not help the situation and, in fact, made it worse.

I continued to defend myself and other friends from very inappropriate comments. Out of nowhere, QueensGosisp13 decided to come out and say they are a parody and students were taking their comments too seriously. This is where I lost it, got fired up and continued to point out that nowhere on their Twitter did it say parody. They were backing down.

QueensGossip13 has been using the Queens University of Charlotte logo, which is against the law. Representatives from the marketing and community relations department tried to fight the improper use of the emblem, but so far have not been successful.

“And to be honest that [expletive deleted] is cyber bullying,” senior Molly Warren tweeted. “You come to college to be something different, not something COMMON.”

When QueensGossip13 was asked what made them want to start this account, they said, “[I] was hanging around with some friends and we just came up with the idea.” They also mentioned the account is much more than just gossip.

The account recently changed their twitter handle to QueensRoast13.

I am a very strong individual. I can take name-calling and being made fun of, but can others? QueensGossip13 has no idea who they’re speaking to. The bigger concern in this situation is harassment and cyber bullying, which is a huge problem at universities across the country. Remember the Rutgers University student who committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge? He was cyber bullied and felt that there was no other option.

I decided to speak with Dr. John Downey, dean of students, about QueensGossip13 and cyberbullying. He first heard about QueensGossip13 just a few days after they started to target students. Downey is not on Twitter, but was contacted by students and staff. At first, the major concern was the use of the Queens logo, but with further investigation and many complaints, the Twitter content became just as large of an issue.

“When it’s a personal attack, it’s not a parody. It’s not,” said Downey. “You don’t get to point out things about people that are offensive. Pointing out something about the way we all react to rumors at Queens that’s a general thing is right for parody.

The dean mentioned that when a parody is done correctly, it is great. He would love to see the school get one. Then, the administrator of the account could use the logo with permission.

Downey’s concern is not with the people who have been attacked, but with who’s next. He knows who’s been attacked and knows they are “strong people”and can handle the attacks.

“If you [the attacker] say I am going to do this to you, my assumption is that you are going to do that to them and you will be accountable for that,” said Downey.

“I have seen students attempt suicide, I have seen students quit the university, leave the university, I have seen students move off of campus, move to another residence hall, I’ve seen students engage in acts of violence against other people all through the use of social media when a person who was saying or writing the thing that was offensive. Their intent was not to do that much harm,” Downey said optimistically.

He wants to point out that the attacker has no idea what is going on in the victim’s life. Maybe one of their parents just passed away, or that they struggle with weight issues. People who cyberbully need to understand that they are not present and cannot see the victim’s reactions, he said. The attacker, in this case QueensGossip13, could be pushing too many buttons that can lead to frustration or even suicide.

Downey pointed out that when a person is attacked over social media, many people can see it. It gives others a chance to like the attacking comment or favorite it. This can result in the victim losing even more self-esteem. The attack becomes instant and widespread when social media is involved.

“Don’t do it [cyberbully] individually on your Facebook, Twitter, to each other, about each others,” Downey asks of students. “It’s not helpful.”

He said doesn’t go more than a week without hearing  complaints of cyberbullying.

“If harassment is based on race, gender, sexual orientation, now you’re really pushing the envelope because that is how people identify themselves,” said Downey. “That is their identity. You don’t get to do that.”

The best thing to do in a cyberbullying case is to address the attacker in person and let them know what they are saying is hurting you, Downey advised. If you ask and they still do not stop, then block them. Do not continue to read what they are writing about you. It will just fuel the situation and their enjoyment.

The Office of Student Life offers conflict meditation, but Downey’s parting comments instructed students to do their best to handle the situation themselves.

Tweets from QueensGossip13:

@BrieannaBugatti but yet yo buggatti-less ass feels the need to share your irrelevant comment graduate and be gone ya bish

@brieannabugatti @errbodyluvchris damn right call ya clique for backup cant take the L  by yourself tho huh? #weak

@TheReal_Maximus you love the attention huh? once again go find a treadmill and use it #cholestoral #diabetes #fatass

@thereal_maximus if you really bout that life meet me outside the parking lot at 6 by the lions den then.

@Diamonds_RUs don’t worry about who this is just know if you @ the page information will get exposed and feelings will be hurt. #QUGossip

i single handedly took down five accounts today to the point they felt the need to snitch #winning

R.I.P. to the hoe lover, the fat dj, the hairy indian, & miss black on black.

Yet students are left in the dark about the present affairs of the University because they are barred from attending the biannual campus update presentation.

President Pamela Davies refused to allow reporters from the Chronicle–the voice of the students–in addition to the students themselves to attend the event. Several senior faculty and staff, including Dean of Students John Downey and English professor Michael Kobre, agreed with the President when asked about their position.

The reasoning behind the interdiction was that it was directed toward faculty and staff to discuss matters of little import to the student body.

An active, informed student body is the soul and driving force of an academic institution. One pursues higher education to become an informed citizen who actively participates in the government and civic affairs around him. This mission is compromised when the signal is sent that not only are you forbidden to hear the state of the campus, but you are too incompetent to handle the topics presented to your superiors.

Not to mention that students pay a lot of money to attend Queens. Tuition money helps to pay the salary of those very faculty and staff receiving these privileged updates.

Students are supposed to be mollified by the availability of the annual State of the University address for public attendance. The two presentations, however, deal with completely different topics. The State of the University features presidential commentary on the goals of the University. Opening this event to the public is appropriate and commendable. Students, as the school’s main constituency, have the inalienable right to knowledge about the direction in which the institution will be taken in the upcoming year.

But the buck doesn’t stop there. It is imperative that students be allowed to attend the campus update.

The administration, as well as the faculty and staff, are ultimately held accountable to the student body. Without sufficient cognizance of the actual progress made in fulfilling the goals outlined in the State of the University and the general condition of the campus as a whole, students become ignorant in the midst of an acclaimed bastion of education and knowledge. They are no longer able to hold their professors and the administration – their servants and leaders – to the standard of excellence which they have come to expect from their alma mater.

Some staff are ostensibly sympathetic to the student cause, suggesting that a similar update event be held exclusively for students, just as the current practice is to open the speech exclusively to faculty and staff. The inherent inequality in such a proposition is insulting. Separate but equal has never been considered fair. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the same information will be shared with the students as that put forth at the campus update.

The U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to a free press. A free media with the ability to report material pertinent to its audience is the symbol of a free society and the flow of information is vital to a healthy community. When it is censored or otherwise controlled, the population suffers.

The Queens Chronicle and any news publication is no exception. After all, as Downey said, “A newspaper is a newspaper, even on a college campus.”

[/media-credit] Students are locked out of Ketner Auditorium during campus update.

Two reporters from the Queens Chronicle were denied access to President Davies’ campus update speech on March 19, because, she said,  the updates are for faculty and staff only.

Davies denied two requests from the Chronicle to cover the meeting on behalf of students and the entire campus. The Chronicle maintained that the meeting should be open because it included all faculty and staff and topics of interest to students, the University’s main constituency. Students are not invited, she said in an email.

“Our campus update tomorrow is not a public meeting,” Davies said in the email. “ … It is a meeting for our faculty and staff.”

 The presentation, which is held twice every year, invites all faculty and staff members to discuss building and financial updates and hear reports from vice presidents.

Topics discussed at the March 19 meeting, said a source who attended the meeting,  included the introduction of new faculty and staff; the progress of the 2017 strategic plan; praise for and how the Living Lean initiative is working; the possible restructuring of academic positions, departments and committees; and the review of existing facilities, such as renovations of residence hall bathrooms.

Davies said in an email that she is “always available for an interview for the Chronicle on specific issues.” Last semester she was interviewed about her State of the University address.

“The speech I gave in the fall, the ‘State of the University’ is decidedly focused on a broader audience, which is why I was absolutely comfortable and pleased with [the Chronicle’s] interest,” said Davies.

Dr. Michael Kobre, professor of English and one of the presenters, agreed with Davies’ decision.

“I’ve got to say…that I agree with the President’s office on this,” said Kobre, who is Faculty Senate president. “…The level of detail just won’t make sense to someone coming into the discussion for the first time.”

Dr. John Downey, dean of students, said that while his first instinct would be to allow students to attend such meetings, there is a time and a place for addresses to students and addresses to larger groups of employees only.

Though he is a proponent of the closed-door policy for some events, Downey believes that students are usually kept in the loop about current events on campus.

“I’ve never been in a situation at this university where students weren’t informed at the appropriate time,” he said. To Downey, student access to meetings “depends on the circumstance.”

Other faculty and staff, however, say they believe students should be allowed to attend campus update meetings.

“Campus newspapers have historically been a fundamental link in the communication between campus administrations and students,” said history professor Dr. Jennifer Bratyanski.

Students, too, hold strong opinions about their inclusion in such events as well as their right to know what exactly is going on.

“I do agree particular students should be allowed to attend,” said SGA Treasurer James Vaughn. “However, those students should be campus leaders of extremely high caliber, students who have shown an interest in the improvement of the university as well as a respect for those staff members working towards that improvement.

The right to a free media is guaranteed in the First Amendment, although even public bodies, such as county commissioners and city councilors, have the authority to declare certain proceedings private, excluding both journalists and civilians. Supreme Court cases have consistently upheld the rights of campus news publications to both access information and publish the truth. However, private institutions such as Queens are given more leeway in determining what can be made available to students and the public.

While Karpman may very well have been the catalyst of the teamís recent success, he gives each and every one of his players high praises for their resilience and competitiveness. He is proud of the team for stepping up to the challenge of becoming a powerhouse in this tough conference, but he continues to ask more of them every season.

With that in mind, the team is taking every measure to not become too comfortable with their position or settle on their already impressive achievements.

Despite a rainy start to this season, the team is hungrier than ever for victories; winning their first three games in a row.

Those in the program expect big things for themselves this season, and they certainly have the talent to back it up. While the focus is still on the conference tournament in April, a highly anticipated recruiting class is expected to raise the bar even higher next year.

Karpman has seen the program come into its own in the past four years, and he is keen to continue building towards a national championship.

The womenís tennis team currently holds a 8-2 record.

Basically nothing.

The one place Queens students go on the regular is Prohibition. Now don’t get me wrong, it can be fun after a few drinks, but I like change and I am personally so over Prohibition. Prohibition kills me now because it feels like I’m forced to go there, because that’s where everyone goes since there aren’t other options. The bar is too small and you only have two options once you arrive: you could stand outside with all the smokers or stand inside packed like sardines.

Prohibition also needs to reconstruct their dance floor. There really isn’t a place designated to dance and their light system is nonexistent. The two go hand in hand. The lights help designate where people should dance and encourage them to have fun.

The biggest problem I have with Prohibition, though, is the lack of bartenders. I can’t even tell you how long I have had to wait to get a drink. I would have been better off going next door to Rí Rá Irish Pub to get a drink. The bar really ruins the experience for me. I hate waiting in lines, especially when the bartenders are just talking to each other and not helping guests.

Queens is fortunate to be so close to Montford Drive. Montford is becoming the new place for students to go. I’m sure a lot has to do with how convenient it is, but there are a few bars to choose from. If you are like me, you want to hit them all and join the Montford bar crawl. My two favorite places are Brazwells and Angry Ales. I don’t think a student at Queens could go a week without hearing about the two bars.

As graduation approaches for seniors, it has me reflecting on all my memories from the past four years. I miss the clubs we used to go to. It has me thinking, is club life even alive anymore? Suite is the well-known club that is Uptown, but it’s gotten old. For a while, Butter was amazing, but was shut down by my new favorite club, Label. Label is totally different than any other club in Charlotte. It gives guests a full experience of lounges, bars and dance floors. It’s a multilevel club that truly gives everyone what they’re looking for.

My Top 5 Nightlife Entertainment Venues:
1.     NC Music Factory: (Label, Wet Willie’s, VBGB’s)
2.     Montford
3.     Rí Rá Irish Pub
4.     Strike City
5.     Cosmos

“I want my students to be of a high quality and to really have a great experience,” says Wirth.

“This program has offered me opportunities to learn design skills in a wide range of arenas via tutorials, studio visits and guest speakers,” said Marlene Anderson, a student of Wirth’s. “It has made me a stronger artist because it has provided me with the know-how to provide visually creative solutions in an array of situations and, not to mention, the added collective support system of the teachers.”

Students are able to choose their topic of interest and use the matrix of new media design to learn and become better designers. This year, the program has grown from two graduates to 12.

Students who major in new media design get a unique experience by getting a feeling for what it is like in the real world. Wirth covers simple business practices, like writing contracts and helping the students figure out what they are worth.

“I don’t want to just put my students into an agency and just say ‘be a designer,’” says Wirth. “I want them to pursue their passions, but use design as a way to be effective in those realms.”

The Core program helps them find their passions. Students come back to the art department with new ideas inspired by other classes outside of the field.

This year, Wirth’s students in information design have partnered with the psychology department’s research methods course to help design a poster to visually show their data.

“This is our community engagement,” says Wirth.

The infographics course also has a very unique final project. They have teamed up with admissions and marketing departments to create an infographic about Queens University of Charlotte. The final project is a competition between students and the winners will have their infographic sent out to all potential new students. The final projects give students a real life example of working with clients to produce a desired product.

Wirth also owns his own business, Mike Wirth Art. He says that “owning my own business and teaching here gives me this ability to keep my finger on the pulse in both areas.” He is able to experiment with design at Queens and then takes what works to his business without having to worry about finances.

Wirth considers himself a designer and artist before a teacher. His passion runs deep, which allows students to have rich and fulfilling academic experiences with him. The “creator” from Long Island obtained his master’s degree from Parsons School of Design.

“Mike is so knowledgeable and well known in the design community,” says senior Peyton Doyle. “He offers insightful feedback, valuable skills and tries to get us to solve these design issues in a creative way.”

Wirth was fortunate enough to ride the tech wave and specialize in digital art. He worked with musicians in New York City to explore the relationship between music and visual art and used to hang out at the Ace Bar and provide visual art during performances.

Wirth’s many years of experience and relatable attitude gives students a reason to check out new media design. His hard work and continuous efforts have helped shape the design major. Students cannot wait to see what he brings to the department in the upcoming years.

Buddhists promise a release from suffering, a more centered consciousness and clearer focus on the journey to attaining enlightenment by freeing oneself from attachment and regular practice of meditation.

That is exactly what the Vajradhara Buddhist Center delivered at its Prayers for World Peace ceremony.

The atmosphere was relaxed and serene as attendees entered the small room in which the center’s services and classes are held. Shining golden images of Buddhas seemed to smile at the offerings, such as glasses of water, incense and tea before them. Kelsang Vajara, an ordained monk of the New Kadampa tradition and teacher at the center, warmly greeted everyone as they entered.

As the prayers began, the parallels between many Western religions and the Buddhist tradition quickly became evident. Though often the subject of stereotypes like bald Asian monks doing nothing but meditation while chanting “ohm,” the prayers’ objective was meaningful and sincere in its entreaty to cherish all living beings and to value them as teachers and to secure their happiness at all costs.

This, Vajara said, is the key to good karma, inner contentment and cultivating positive relationships. And he was right.

The application of the principles learned at the service and emulation of the humble monk has resulted in improved relations with others. In placing others’ satisfaction before my own and in doing little acts of kindness, combined with mindfulness meditation accompanying my usual prayer, the level of anxiety and stress—suffering—has significantly decreased.

Buddhism is compatible with, and even complementary to, most Western traditions, like Christianity. Though in its fullness, the philosophy includes belief in karma, reincarnation, gods and demigods, a majority of Buddhist practice can be included in anyone’s life to a positive end.

Last fall, students were surprised with speed bumps alongside the gym and into South parking deck after asking for mirrors. They have been left wondering why there are so many speed bumps and what has been the cause. The inconveniently placed speed bumps seem to be everywhere, but are they really needed?

The answer is yes, according to Dr. John Downey, dean of students, who called the bumps “suitably obnoxious.”

“If I do have to park in the deck, I really really do not like the speed bumps. I understand their purpose, but I feel like they’re excessive,” said junior Serena Ghaemizadeh.

Senior Natalie Spencer said, “I think everyone would agree that the speed bumps are a hassle, even though we all recognize they are there for our safety.”

Before the university placed speed bumps, drivers were exceeding the campus speed limit of 10 mph.

“They are designed to keep the speeds down to keep from creating significant amounts of damage,” said Thomas Younce, associate vice president of campus safety and security.

The speed bumps are designed for speeds of less than 10 mph. They are placed before every turn to help vehicles slow down from the descending slope and to help see oncoming traffic.

Students have said they would prefer mirrors to help with visibility on the turns. There are currently no mirrors installed in the deck. Before the speed bumps, drivers were whipping around the blind corners to oncoming traffic. Even with speed bumps, drivers are still turning too quickly. However, Vice President of Campus Planning and Services Bill Nichols confirmed that mirrors have been ordered.

There is a reason for the high number of speed bumps on campus. The placement of speed bumps is very important. There are more placed on the lower level due to the higher level of traffic. Natalie Spencer points out that there is also a greater amount of foot traffic entering and leaving the deck.

“I think they have helped our students’ development,” said Joel Tomkinson, a residence coordinator living in South. “A lot of our students are really bad drivers.”

Tomkinson added that before the speed bumps were installed, he could hear cars screeching on the lower levels all the way up in his apartment.

The speed bumps have helped and are doing their job. Now, the campus will have to wait and see if the added mirrors help drivers with visibility, making South’s parking deck enjoyable to drive through.