Photo courtesy Ubisoft

While the summertime may bring blockbuster flicks to moviegoers and outdoor concerts to audiophiles, many in the gaming community will find themselves twiddling their thumbs awaiting the fall for the big releases, and that sentiment is only compounded when new consoles or on the horizon. So what is there to play while Xbox and Sony puff their chests at one another from across the convention floors? Well, look no further than your console’s shop for the excellent awesomeness that is Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.

Many already know what Far Cry 3 is all about, but for those who don’t, here’s a quick crash course; you play as Jason Brody, a UCLA student who goes on the vacation of a lifetime with his brothers and friends to an island in the middle of the Pacific to soak up some sun and do a little adventuring. What he didn’t expect, of course, was to have himself and his loved ones kidnapped by pirates. You then see yourself become the ultimate warrior in a first-person RPG shooter that has gotten awards and accolades from numerous gaming sources. And since it had such universal acclaim, it’s no surprise that they would release some kind of downloadable content to cash in on that success and expand the story of the island dwellers, right? Well, not quite.

Blood Dragon is a bit of a far cry from, well, Far Cry, insofar as it has absolutely nothing to do with the original game. Sure, you’re on an island and there are bad people, but Blood Dragon stripped away everything that made Far Cry 3 what it was and made it into an entirely different beast. Rather than roaming through jungles with an AK47 hunting down pirates as Jason Brody, you’ll find yourself sprinting heroically through cyber-looking night jungles with a laser hunting down robots as none other than Rex Power Colt, a cyber-commando and veteran of Vietnam War 2. So yeah, it’s different.

Blood Dragon more or less power-tosses you into the plot of a bad 80’s action movie, but it’s very tongue in cheek in its approach, though that’s not to say it doesn’t have good 80’s elements, specifically having 80’s icon Michael Biehn (star of films like Aliens and Terminator) voicing Rex Colt. Jokes will be made about 80’s movies in general, the game’s very own plot, and the bulk of the jokes are aimed at videogames themselves.

The majority of the time spent with Blood Dragon will have you pausing the game to have a good chuckle at a corny line or a hokey joke, and that’s okay. All of its campiness is very intentional, and is made to give you a bit of a reprieve from the seriousness of most other games. The reasoning behind making Blood Dragon is still a bit of a mystery, as the folks at Ubisoft still have yet to release any actual expansions to Far Cry 3, but that doesn’t mean Blood Dragon is unwelcome. At a low price of only 14.99USD, it’s hard to avoid this bad boy. If you’re a lover of the 80’s, or just someone who enjoys a “so bad it’s good” movie, Blood Dragon might be blasting out of your TV soon.

“This is a happy and joyous occasion for all of us,” said both Dean William O’Neill of the Sawyer Business School (SBS) and Dean Kenneth Greenberg of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) to the audience.

Photo by Ally Thibault

This year the university decided to have separate ceremonies for both colleges rather than one large ceremony for all undergraduates. SBS met at the South Boston venue at 9:30 a.m. with 591 graduates, and CAS at 2:30 p.m. with 911 graduates.  There were also 778 students receiving master’s degrees during the ceremonies.

Before the events began, students were milling about, anxiously waiting to get seated and listen to distinguished speakers.  At this time Suffolk began their graduation pre-show, entertaining guests for 30 minutes before the procession began.  This is also when the university started its live stream of the event.  Students from SBS and CAS represented 91 countries, according to a university press release, and the live stream allowed students’ families and friends from around the world to watch the day’s events.

“You’ve all shown that you can roll up your sleeves and get it done,” said McCarthy.

The stage was dressed with blooming flowers and the university’s seal as a backdrop.  Guests were urged to stand as the procession began, and students marched in their black caps and gowns towards their seats.  They were followed by professors and then by the board of trustees and academic administrators.  The deans of both schools opened with words of wisdom and a moment of silence for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

Students performed the national anthem in both ceremonies, Elizabeth Alden for SBS and Ryan Breslin for CAS.  Then President McCarthy greeted the students.

“Congratulations, you did it!” said McCarthy.  “By every measure this is a proud moment…Suffolk is an incredible place.  With all that has happened this year I hope you remember that.”

SU President James McCarthy (Photo by Ally Thibault)

The two ceremonies were identical until this point.  They were personalized for each ceremony as McCarthy finished his statement by introducing the speakers chosen for SBS and CAS.  Distinguished speakers and student speakers got the chance to address the graduates.  McCarthy introduced Paul Fireman, the founder and CEO of Reebok, to the podium to address the SBS class of 2013.

“Opportunities always come to those who look for them,” said Fireman.  This was a big message during his speech as he told anecdotes of how Reebok became the company that it is today.  He spoke to students about the feats of signing deals with Jay-Z and Allen Iverson.  He described the challenges it took to beat out Nike and become a major sportswear brand.  Between the amusing and uplifting stories he took the time to mention the business aspects of these achievements.

“I said to myself, ‘what would it be like to graduate in 2013…in a world that looks pretty chaotic.’”  He preached about how the economy has changed since he began his company, but still gave graduates advice for their business endeavors.

Fireman was awarded an Honorary Degree alongside James T. Brett and Catherine D’Amato.

The student speaker for SBS was Sean Faherty, who was receiving his MPA.  He told his peers, “your best lessons will come from those who you least expect it,” and that, “the American Dream is still a reality.”

Johanna Gaviria, graduating with a BSBA, also addressed her class and spoke about her experiences as a Suffolk student from Colombia.

“If I had the chance to do it all over again, which I wish I had, I would not change a thing,” she said.

At this point the SBS students took the stage for their diplomas, listened to closing remarks, and proceeded out of the Pavilion.  After taking harbor side photographs with their friends and loved ones they cleared out so the CAS ceremony could begin.

After initial remarks from Dean Greenberg and President McCarthy, Robert Kraft took the stage to address the CAS class of 2013.  The owner of the New England Patriots had lots of advice for the graduating seniors.  As he told stories about bringing the Patriots to championship status, he stressed the importance of teamwork and also encouraged the students to engage in random acts of kindness.  But there was one message he wanted students to take away from his speech.

CAS Commencement speaker Robert Kraft (Photo by Ally Thibault)

“My advice is: don’t follow the advice of others,” said Kraft,  “Don’t let your advisors make decisions for you.  Be your own person.”

Kraft received an Honorary Degree beside Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, Karen Kaplan, and David McCullough.  Then Caroline McHeffey, who was receiving a BA, took the podium as the CAS class speaker.

“At Suffolk we don’t just open doors, we build them,” said McHeffey.  She stressed the importance of Suffolk’s math center and student’s kindhearted acceptance of each other.

Students were excited about all aspects of the day.  Evan Sohn, an American history major, was most excited to have Kraft as a speaker.

“I’m excited about me and the rest of my major getting there,” said Giovanna Scolaro, a graphic design major.  At the conclusion of all four years of study, there were only 27 students graduating with a graphic design degree from Suffolk’s New England School of Art and Design.

These students came from many different backgrounds, but looking across the sea of black graduation hats and gowns, the one thing they have in common now is their alumnus status from Suffolk University.

“It makes you want to be a freshman again,” said Nina Huntemann, PhD., who is teaching one of the new courses and also the Director of Seminars for Freshmen.

Huntemann, an associate professor in the department of communication and journalism, is teaching the freshman seminar titled “Sustainable Media,” to explore media use – how fast people go through cell phones and laptops – and to discuss whether digital media is truly beneficial for the environment.

“This class explores that paradox,” said Huntemann.  “Where’s all this stuff going?”  Her class, which will sit 25 students, involves lots of research and mapping on where the metal, cords, and wires, for digital media come from and go to when they are disposed of.  She does not want the class to appear completely negative though; students will have the opportunity to create projects to help the cause and possibly team up with the university’s sustainability team.

Huntemann is also excited about the other new courses being offered exclusively to the class of 2017.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

“Lincoln is really hot right now,” said Huntemann, as she described her excitement for government professor Graham Kelder’s course, “Lincoln and the Law.”

“Professor Kelder is the perfect person to teach this,” she said. A few students have already registered.

Coursework in the form of exams and papers will be based on the movies and literature the class studies.  Kelder will be showing the newest Lincoln films as well as one from the early 20th century.

“I’m most excited for students to see Lincoln’s role as a lawyer in Illinois,” said Kelder.  As a professor of pre-law, Kelder thinks the course is, “a sneaky way to teach students about the Constitution.”

The third of the new courses is “Beacon Hill: Fact, Fiction, and Fantasy,” with Professor Richman of the English Department.  So far, the class has five of 25 seats filled.

“How perfect,” said Huntemann.  “Here we are, sitting on top of Beacon Hill as a university.”  Richman plans to take advantage of this by spending half of the class period exploring the historic areas of the Hill.

Photo by Ally Thibault

“Beacon Hill is right outside the door,” said Richman.  The students will do a lot of coursework in the form of reading about historic societies and analyzing historic pictures of the area, many dating from the 1840s.

SBS is hosting a new two-credit course taught by the editor of the Boston Business Journal, George Donnelly.  The course, titled “Understanding the Amazing Boston Economy,” will explore opportunities for students around the city.

“The basic goal is to raise the awareness level of students,” said Donnelly.  The class has seven of 20 students registered.  Donnelly said students will work on group projects and will analyze individual companies around the city.

“Its an opportunity to teach students what the economy will be like,” said Donnelly.  He also plans to have plenty of guest speakers bring perspective into the classroom.  Donnelly hopes students of various majors who are planning to stay in the area will register for the course.

The hands-on classes are sure to fill up quickly and entertain the interests of Suffolk students.

Recently, the forum presented its annual First Amendment Award to Former Congressman Barney Frank. “Barney consistently chose to be the voice of those who had none,” Helen Rees, the president of Ford Hall Forum’s board of directors, said as she granted Frank the award, “His support for First Amendment trumps his personal agenda.”

Frank answered prompts from moderator and Newton Mayor Setti Warren that covered everything from Guantanamo Bay to Citizens United to censorship in public libraries and on the Internet. The always outspoken politician expressed serious thoughts on today’s political and social landscape, but never without his quick wit and humor.

“You are not a believer in the First Amendment if you have not defended a very obnoxious person to say hateful things. I’m late because I just taped O’Reilly [Factor].”

Photo by Ally Thibault

Frank spoke about being one of only three House members to oppose the Fallen Heroes Act which would have restricted protests during funerals, about supporting Mayor Warren and the town of Newton when they defied an FBI request for library records, and countless other times he defended the First Amendment during his 31-year tenure in the House.

But after discussing how the Boston Marathon bombers allegedly learned to make bombs from instructional YouTube videos, Frank signaled support for limited censorship on the Internet.

“I think it’s perfectly reasonably to ban people from dangerous, violent things but with the Internet it is virtually impossible,” he said. When asked how he would craft legislation like that, Frank didn’t miss a beat: “I don’t know. I don’t look at the Internet much because I don’t care where my friends had lunch. Technology has overcome me. A forum to talk face to face rather than Facebook to Facebook is refreshing.”

In the second half of the event, audiences members were invited to ask Frank questions. While, as any politician would, Frank had fans and foes step up to the microphone, he allowed everyone to say their piece and took every question seriously–even if others may have dismissed some of the more heated inquiries.

“It’s a good thing they deny it rather than defending it,” Frank said in opposition to one of the forum attendees comments about Republican strategies, “Hypocrisy is the sign that you know you did something wrong.”

The Ford Hall Forum will start back up in September with a new schedule of event topics and speakers.

“The more different kinds of people who attend the forum, the more it helps the conversation,” Bonardi said. “When the community gets to hear students’ thoughts it is so enlightening for all of the adults. Suffolk students always enrich the conversation when they come out to the forum.”

“EdX is building an open source educational platform and a network of the world’s top universities to improve education both online and on campus while conducting research on how students learn,” said an edX press release.

Photo courtesy of edX

The organization was created by partners at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) just over a year ago, and is growing fast.

Many colleges across the country and around the world are beginning to use online courses for their entire student bodies rather than just for students who cannot be in the classroom, like those who have full-time jobs.

Suffolk University has said that along with the 20 Somerset building, students in 2015 will see a large rise in online coursework.  Students can now wonder if Suffolk will want to join the ranks of Boston academia under edX.

“I personally wouldn’t take [online classes] because I wouldn’t pay attention,” said Kirstin Reddoch, a rising junior.  However, Amanda Black, also going to be a junior, does think Suffolk would be a good fit alongside other Boston institutions working with edX.

This switch to online learning instead of the classic classroom education seems largely influenced by the rise of technology over the last decade; edX appears to be trying to aid this movement.

According to BostInno, 15 institutions joined edX on May 21. The non-profit now serves  27 colleges and universities.

Born from two of Boston’s most prestigious colleges, two more Boston institutions joined the non-profit on that date.  Boston University and Berklee College of Music signed on to the cause in order to increase the amount of online learning their students can receive.

“As we continue to grow the xConsortium and offer courses from institutions as diverse as our global community of students, we are moving forward with our mission to reimagine education,” said the president of edX, Anant Agarwal, in a press release.

Mayor Thomas Menino joined the partners of edX in order to create BostonX, a way for Boston residents to come together for the online learning initiative, according to an edX press release.

“BostonX will help update our neighbor’s skills and our community centers,” said Menino in the edX press release.

As of right now, anyone can register for an edX course, which are currently free, according to the edX website.

“Our mission for next year, and in general,” said President Billy Cerullo, “is to forge strong relationships with the student body, while also representing them on campus. We voice the concerns that students may have, and formulate effective means by which we may rectify said concerns and problems.”

SGA is the representative body for all full-time undergraduates at Suffolk, serving as an advocate for the student body in academic, financial, and co-curricular matters. It also serves to bridge the gap between students and the faculty administration.

Cerullo, along with rest of the executive board—Secretary Geraldin Batista, Vice President Vito Gallo, and Treasurer Tyler Leblanc—already have several plans for the upcoming academic year. Although it is still early and some goals will shift and evolve as the semester progresses, they have wasted no time in preparing for the future.

Building a stronger bond between The New England School of Art and Design (NESAD) and what is considered the “main campus” is one thing on the agenda starting next semester. NESAD is an extension of the Suffolk campus located on Arlington Street.

“Oftentimes it seems as though NESAD is not as included as it ought to be,” says Cerullo, who will be a senior. “We want to move to fix that by reaching out to NESAD students and administrators to create workable solutions to these problems.”

Photo courtesy of SGA Facebook

SGA also wants to continue to reach out to the student body through innovative PR campaigns. They hope to reinvigorate past successes, such as the Take the Stairs campaign from last semester.

One of SGA’s main goals, Cerullo explained, is to build a cohesive board that can work as one to create a better sense of community between all clubs and organizations. This means building upon relationships that have been born in the past and also creating new ones.

It can be easy for a university like Suffolk to lose that sense of community, but throughout the years SGA has worked to unite both students and organizations on campus.

The members of SGA are prepared to rise to the challenge for yet another year.

Photo by Flickr user hynkle

The main stages of politics in Boston and the state are literally on your doorstep. Suffolk University is located directly next to the State House and just a few blocks away from City Hall.

“There are so many students in Boston and we have to potential to make such an impact in every single election that we want,” outgoing Chairwoman of the Massachusetts Alliance of College Republicans, and now graduated Suffolk student, Megan Dutra said. As a college student, this provides an opportunity not only for government students, but also for any and every student to be an active participant in civic discourse and activism.

You’ll see rallies and protests happening throughout the school year on your walks to class. Campaign signs and chants will become as commonplace as bad drivers laying on the horn and historic brick buildings.

A special election to fill Secretary of State John Kerry’s U.S. Senate seat is happening at the end of June and a newly invigorated Mayoral race to succeed Thomas Menino will be dominating summer politics as candidates battle to win in the fall.

Senate Race

Results of an April primary election determined that Representative Ed Markey is the Democratic candidate and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez is the Republican candidate for the open Senate seat. Both candidates support liberal social ideas, like a woman’s right to have an abortion and legalization of same-sex marriage, but have focused their campaigns on different issues.

Already a household name in Massachusetts, Markey handily won his primary with endorsements from President Obama, Secretary Kerry, and Senator Warren. Markey has touted renewable energy and conserving energy as the main platforms of his campaign.

Gomez, relatively unknown before the race, won his primary race by a whopping 20 percent margin. After serving in the military for 13 years, Gomez earned an MBA from Harvard University and worked as a private equity investor. As a son of Colombian immigrants, Gomez has campaigned heavily on immigration reform.

The special Senate election will be held on June 25 and anyone registered to vote in Massachusetts is eligible to cast a ballot.            

Mayoral Race

With longtime Boston Mayor Thomas Menino declining to run for an unprecedented sixth term, many new candidates are setting up their campaigns for a chance to lead the city. More than a dozen candidates have thrown their hats into the ring to campaign through the summer.

This cycle’s mayoral race has welcomed the first ever Latino candidate and the first ever woman candidate — showing a lot of progress since Menino was elected the first ever non-Irish mayor two decades ago. The city is currently checking signatures for all the declared candidates to make sure all have reached the 3,000 threshold to be eligible to run.

With so many candidates vying for the vote, it may seem overwhelming to keep up with everything happening. Several websites, like WGBH’s “Who’s who in the 2013 Boston Mayoral Race” and Boston Timeline’s “Boston Mayor 2013,” break down the essential details on each candidate and even give rankings based on campaign funds and street presence, among other factors.

There are just as many candidates as campaign platforms it seems, as each potential mayor looks to focus on a key issue. Dan Conley, who has a campaign chest of currently over one million dollars (by far the most of any other candidate), has honed in on promoting innovation through providing better education and jobs. John Connolly has heavily highlighted reforming Boston Public Schools.

Voters must be registered at an address in the city of Boston to be eligible to vote in the preliminary election on Spet. 24 and the general election scheduled for November 5. Remember, you can use a dorm building address to register to vote.

It is no secret that Hezbollah and the Syrian government have had close ties for many years. Syria, along with Iran, have armed and financed Hezbollah for decades, as they are the major group that opposes and harasses Israel, the regional enemy of the two nations. Hezbollah, while having both a political and military branch, is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and many other Western governments.

Photo by Flickr user james_gordon_losangeles

The biggest fear amongst   Western and local powers has been that the war currently raging in Syria would not remain confined to the country’s borders. Syrian government forces have attempted to goad Turkey into conflict, shooting down a Turkish fighter jet and landing the occasional shell on the Turkish side of the border. To the south in Lebanon, a country occupied by Syrian military forces from the late 1970’s up until 2006, the violence had spread in the form of sectarian clashes amongst civilians, and rebels taking shelter in the country firing across the border at government troops. Hezbollah, however, remained officially neutral in the conflict.

The Battle of Qusair has changed all of that. The city is located in a very strategic place for both the government and rebel forces. For the government, the city lies on the route between two major cities, the capital Damascus and Homs. It is also on the route from Damascus to the port city of Tartous and the coastal region of Syria, the heartland of president Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite sect and a possible place for him to take refuge should Damascus fall. For the rebels, the city lies just six miles from the Lebanese border, and controlling the city would allow a free flow of arms and personnel through the border.

When the government launched a massive offensive on the rebel held city a few weeks ago, Hezbollah initially denied involvement in the battle. Their rhetoric has gradually transformed over the course of the battle, and recently their leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, declared Hezbollah’s official military support for the Syrian government. Dozens of Hezbollah fighters have been reported killed in the battle for Qusair.

Hezbollah’s official involvement in the war not only makes it much more likely the conflict will spill over into Lebanon, but also puts Israel on high alert. The Israelis have already come out and said that they will do everything in their power to prevent Hezbollah from getting more advanced weapons, including sophisticated missiles and even chemical weapons, which the Syrian government is known to have. In fact, the Israeli air force is supposedly responsible for at least three air strikes inside of Syria on convoys of weapons headed for Hezbollah.

The Shia group’s involvement also highlights the underlying sectarian tensions of the conflict, which has been fueled by Bashar al-Assad in his attempt to make it seem like the various ethnic and religious minorities in Syria would be at each other’s throats if he were to fall. Hezbollah used the excuse of protecting the Shia’s in Qusair from the mostly Sunni rebel movement as a pretext for entering the conflict.

The entering of Hezbollah into the fray signifies a turning point in the war. The Syrian government now has an official foreign ally with boots on the ground backing al-Assad, another piece of leverage he now has against the rebels. As the battle for Qusair rages, the European Union has decided to lift their arms embargo against Syria in order to arm the opposition. While this does not mean they will necessarily take immediate action in arming the opposition, it sends a strong message to al-Assad. The entering of a group officially labeled as a terrorist organization on the side of the government may have had a huge effect on that decision. And there is always the chance that Israel will step in to protect their national security.

The mutual agreement consists of fair access to land and development of the rural areas of Colombia.  Also, a land bank is to be established as a means to reallocate land fairly, including areas that were seized illegally during the period of conflict.

It is important to understand, however, that this is the first agreement among many grievances to be addressed.  Peace talks will resume on June 11, to discuss how the rebel faction will participate in the Colombian political process.

Photo by Flickr user Ministerio TIC Colombia

The violent activities of the leftist-rebel group have been long undesired within the country.  What started off as a reaction to the U.S.’s imperialist foreign policies during the mid-1900s quickly became an armed struggle within the country.  At its strongest point, in the early 2000s, figures for the number of members in the FARC were estimated at a whopping 18,000 people.  However this figure in recent years has dropped to approximately 8,000 due to the efforts of past president Álvaro Uribe and interim president Juan Manuel Santos.

FARC, as an organization, has primarily been funded through means such as kidnappings for ransoms, gold mining, and the production and distribution of illegal drugs.  Another rebel group with a similar Marxist-based ideology is the ELN who have been held responsible of similar crimes and have a standing force of about 4,000.

It was the growth of such groups as FARC and the ELN that led to the funding of right-wing paramilitary groups to combat left-wing ideology in the country.  This premature decision created the ongoing armed conflict between paramilitary groups and rebel factions that surged in the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early 2000s.  Military campaigns on behalf of the Colombian government have really weakened the FARC and ELN.  Today, the paramilitary groups continue to be armed and are also responsible for numerous human rights violations.

In retrospect, the Colombian government probably thought that it was the right idea to arm paramilitaries to counter rebel groups at the time.  But the situation spiraled out of control by this action and the interim acting government must now deal with the consequences.

Negotiations with FARC may be a step in the right direction, but there are still many problems to address.  If and after negotiations are completed with the FARC how will the government address other left-wing groups such as the ELN?  How will the Colombian government approach the right-wing paramilitary groups whom they armed and funded?  Previous attempts at peace talks in Havana have dissolved between FARC and the Colombian government in past years, but hopefully this is not the case this time around.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Reuters reported earlier this week that a suspicious white powder and written threats to President Napolitano and Silvio Berlusconi were sent to the Milan headquarters of the national newspaper Corrire della Sera. Another package and threats were sent to the Milan headquarters of the daily paper Il Giornale, which is owned by the Berlusconi family, according to Reuters. Threats were signed by the “Armed Group for the Defence of the People.”

Earlier in April an anarchist group claimed responsibility for sending a defective parcel bomb to the Turin headquarters of the newspaper La Stampa.

Without a single party or coalition controlling both houses of parliament, Iawmakers could not select a prime minister or a new president immediately in February. At the beginning of this month, newly reinstated President Giorgio Napolitano asked Enrico Letta to be the Prime Minister representing a reorganized center-left coalition.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Italian citizens, who had been eager for a new government since former Prime Minister Mario Monti announced plans to resign in December 2012 after Silvio Berlusconi and the People of Freedom (PdL) called for a vote of no confidence (a very common practice invoked in Italian politics to drive out leaders), have waited anxiously as their political leaders attempted to hash out a plan for the government.

Italians’ excitement during the election season, which saw primary elections (a very new part of the Italian election process) cropping up as early as November for a national vote originally set for April, was put into overdrive after Monti’s announcement. While Monti’s technocratic government arguably saved Italy’s economy from destruction, its austerity tactics were extremely unpopular.

In the February national elections the two major coalitions, Pier Luigi Bersani’s center-left coalition called Italy Common Good (IBC) and Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right coalition headed by the PdL, were shaken up by a new political group — former comedian and now popular activist Beppe Grillo and his Five Star Movement (M5S). The left and right coalitions in Italy are bitterly divided during this time of austerity and economic instability in the Eurozone and Grillo’s populist movement capitalized on this to garner more national attention and support than many experts expected.

While Pier Luigi Bersani’s center-left coalition was able to gain a majority in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower parliamentary house, they were unable to find the same support to control the Senate. In fact, the Senate was almost equally divided among the three different political movements, making the formation of a majority coalition a long and arduous process. Bersani’s inability to negotiate a coalition with other parties to achieve a majority in the Senate damaged his coalition and led his fellow coalition members to drive him out of their top leadership post.

President Giorgio Napolitano was set to retire after the national elections as the new members of parliament were set to choose a new president, but after five ballots that produced no clear winner as parliament refused to compromise, Napolitano agreed to stand for reelection. The President harshly criticized the parliament for failing to form a cohesive government.

With a new government finally in place, Prime Minister Letta announced an 18 month program of tasks for the parliament to accomplish. Italians can only hope that the fragile newborn ruling coalition can stay together long enough to enact change in Italy and regain its stature and some power in the European Union.

Over the past few weeks in Sweden there have been many riots by young lower class immigrants in retaliation to a bad economy and a very high unemployment rate.  The most recent attack took place last week, where during riots multiple cars and a school were set ablaze. Other attacks involved various buildings and cars being set ablaze, leaving Swedish citizens very confused as to why their immigrants would commit these actions. Sweden welcomes immigrants and asylum seekers, including those fleeing violence in countries like Iraq, Somalia, and Syria. The country ranks as one of the world’s happiest places.  These attacks are not anything new, but lately have been more consistent. In 2008 and 2010 immigrants clashed with the police in Malmo, Sweden. The past week’s arson attacks in Stockholm and the spectacle of teenagers hurling stones at firefighters have left many Swedes wondering what went wrong in a society that has invested so much in helping their underprivileged.

Photo by Flickr user James & Vilija

These acts of terrorism, as many Swedish citizens are starting to consider them, have been causing mixed feelings with the nation’s efforts of helping and taking in underprivileged refuges from other countries. Many Swedes were baffled by the immigrants attack because the school they set ablaze consisted of 325 students that are all from immigrant backgrounds. Sweden’s Prime Minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, called the riots “hooliganism,” while the Swedish Democrats have used these violent acts to push their anti-immigrant stance and for the deportation of immigrants who commit crime.  The majority of these immigrant rioters come from the suburbs of Husby and Tensta of Stockholm. In this region, the riots began May 19 after the police shot and killed a 69-year-old immigrant holding a knife.

Additionally the major spark drawing motivation for these young immigrants is the severity of the unemployment rate. The national unemployment rate is about eight percent, but the rate is at least twice as high in immigrant areas and four times as high for those under 25 years old.

The last prominent factor as to why so many young immigrants are rioting is because of discrimination and racism.  The New York Times recently quoted a young Iraqi-Swedish immigrant stating “Sweden has given me opportunities I didn’t have in Iraq,” but “I’m not treated the same as a white guy.”

An older Middle Eastern immigrant that has been living successfully in Sweden for over 20 years commented on this issue to The Times.  He mentioned how he sympathizes for these young immigrants that came here from other countries and cannot find means to make money and additionally feel discriminated against. But he says they are demanding too much for what they expected to fall in their lap upon their arrival to Sweden.

Many job seekers, particularly young men, had unrealistic demands and expected the state to find them work in their own neighborhoods. Many people aged from 20 to 22, want jobs now, but they expect to find them right down the road from their house.  This eventually becomes a government problem in not being able to find them jobs they will accept and then again when they destroy property that the Swedish government has to replace. These acts of violence committed in retaliation to the unemployment rate needs to cease. The burning of a school that educates immigrants to propel their lives is not wise.  These young immigrants need to be more grateful for the opportunities given to them by the Swedish government, and they need to remember beggars cannot be choosers.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

It’s hard to find a way to bring new life and originality to a series that is as coveted and densely filled with history as the Star Trek franchise is. Yet that is exactly what the team at Bad Robot did when they released the 2009 reboot to the continuity that delighted both longtime trekkies and new fans alike, myself included. That’s why I found myself itching for the sequel, Star Trek: Into Darkness, to finally land in theaters and hopefully capture the same sense of wonder and excitement the first one brought about. Sadly, I was less than impressed.

Utilizing the same tools that made the first flick so successful, director J.J. Abrams brought back all of the same cast and creators from the first film and once again dove into Trek lore, bringing his sense of new blockbuster entertainment to the franchise while still remaining faithful to the old. Writers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof are no strangers to sci-fi, and their expertise should have provided viewers with an invigorating summer movie experience, but many may find themselves walking out of the theater feeling confused and in the dark (pun intended).

This is not to say the film is completely without merit. The magnificent cast once again brings its A-Game to the project, and blows away all familiarity audiences may have with the actors. Each character feels like just that, a character. Many blockbuster movies don’t have enough flesh and blood being pumped into the characters, so they feel like husks of people rather than real people. Into Darkness certainly doesn’t have that problem, although it could be said they didn’t spend enough time doing it.

Another gold star to be given to the film is the waning use of lens flare. Abrams must have heard from various reviewers how difficult it was to enjoy the first Star Trek when there were bright lights completely covering the actors’ faces, but Into Darkness seems to have found the dimmer on that switch.

Now onto the negatives; without listing every nitpick, suffice it to say that Into Darkness just didn’t feel finished. A lot of plot points feel slightly fuzzy, and the fact that the antagonist wasn’t clearly explained for a good chunk of the movie felt very odd. Granted, it’s intended that the villain not be defined, but it wasn’t really a welcomed concept. That being said, Benedict Cumberbatch was absolutely delightful in his role as Khan. He felt incredibly malevolent and sinister, and definitely filled the role of the love-to-hate villain, especially when his resonant voice rumbled the theater during his monologues.

Into Darkness toyed around with many concepts about character archetypes, relationships, and plot structure, but none of those really came to fruition. If I could have made a single suggestion to the team behind the film, it would be that the 132-minute runtime could honestly have been extended for a while. Allowing more time to develop some of the ideas that were established and not have them be cramped together in that tight time allotment, Into Darkness could have risen to greatness in my mind.

We’re re-introduced to our bridge crew with Jim Kirk (Chris Pine) and Bones (Karl Urban) trying to distract a tribal planet society as Spock (Zachary Quinto) is lowered into an active volcano as an act to save their civilization. Something goes wrong and Sulu (John Cho) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) are forced to return to the Enterprise which is seated at the bottom of the sea where the two other in command, Scotty (Simon Pegg) and Chekov (Anton Yelchin) await for them. Kirk is forced into a reckless decision to save Spock, which leads them to breaking their undercover position and causing uproar amongst the planets inhabitants.

And from that opening scene the action hardly pauses for a moment for the viewers or the characters to catch their breath.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

There are two major faults with this film that keep me, and I’m sure others, from loving it blindly. One is the villain; the other is J.J. Abrams missing what Star Trek really is about.

Benedict Cumberbatch is a phenomenal actor. He has a masterful physicality in this film and commands attention but it goes to waste on such a thinly drawn villain that relies heavily on prior fan knowledge than an actual three-dimensional character. He serves a purpose, and while he does so better than Eric Bana’s Nero, the villain is still the weak portion of the film’s overall success.

And secondly, Abrams clearly misses the point. I love a good action flick, I love the adrenaline, the break neck speed and the inability to relent for a second and I still love these versions of the series. However, Star Trek was such a monumental period of entertainment despite its hastily painted alien planets, hammy acting and super miniskirts on its female crew because of its hope for a better future. The original series was about how mankind could do better, how despite your race, sex, etc. you were invaluable to the universe. It was about helping those who needed it and accepting the help from those willing to provide it. Star Trek Into Darkness shares the same ship, the same characters and even adds in some wonderful nods to the original series but it doesn’t quite capture the same ideals.

This movie succeeds in its ability to encapsulate the camaraderie of the crew of the Enterprise and allowing each character their own moment to shine. Spock is an action hero like we’ve never seen before a character that is so well-known for his precise movements, level-headed emotions and logic. Urban proves that his uncanny likeliness to the late Deforest Kelly wasn’t a fluke in the first film and continues to be a highlight in the film’s success, albeit an underused one, Saldana gets to play more than the girlfriend to Quinto’s Spock.

However the two standouts are Simon Pegg’s Scotty and Chris Pine’s Kirk. Pegg was very obviously the comedic heart of the first Abrams installment – there to provide a moment of laughter and nothing else. However in this film we get a fully developed character and possibly the most developed character since the 2009 film. As his Captain makes the decision to chase after a known terrorist to seek revenge he’s the one who calls him out for it, asking if they’re a militant-based crew now or if they’re the explorers they’re supposed to be.

Scotty gets the grasp of the series premise better than the director does.

However, this is Kirk’s show. Pine’s Kirk is an interesting hero because he gets knocked down a lot. But, he always gets back up to fight again and there is something admirable about a hero who doesn’t get the easy side of things but refuses to lose easily. He’s hot-headed, he’s vulnerable and he’s charismatic, all that makes a well-rounded protagonist.

There’s a lot to love about this film, Michael Giacchino’s score is breathtaking, Abrams (lens flare aside) creates some truly other worldly shots, and the script is moving, if not riddled with a few flaws here and there. It’s thoroughly enjoyable, wonderfully acted and action-packed to the brim. Maybe it’s not suited for the Trek fans among us (guilty) but it is more than well-suited for the new wave of fans who are just meeting the crew of the Enterprise for the first time, waiting for Sulu to put it into warp speed.

It bridged the new and the old and while I’d hoped for more it’s still more than many could expect.

“This is my very first tour but I have been playing in New York for about two years. We’ve played in so many venues all throughout New York, I’ve decided to see what’s happening outside of New York City,” said Benjamin of his recent tour.

Photo by Soleil Barros

The polka dot lighting was reflecting onto the hardwood floors changing from blue to green to red and then back to yellow. With a silent samurai film playing off in the distance, All Asia made for the perfect atmosphere to hear Benjamin’s tunes on a cold Friday evening. Even among the chatter in the small and scattered venue, the songs performed by Benjamin like “Find Somebody’” made for a soothing rainy night.

“We’ve been doing acoustic sets for about a year now. On the guitar is Sunny and Cozy Levy plays the Cajón,” said Benjamin, “I think the instrument comes from Peru.”

After moving from New York to Israel at a young age, Benjamin has been exposed to working and producing many different types of music.

“We’ve been playing and recording and really enjoying what we do, so we figured this was the next step. We definitely wanted to see what else is out there,” said Benjamin.

It wasn’t difficult to tune out the Boston sports fan goers while the energy was very subtle, being such an intimate venue there was no way that the listeners in attendance could avoid tapping their fingers and feet. Benjamin even had a fan of his music drive three hours just to check out his music live at All Asia.

“I knew I wanted to do music for a while. In Israel I was a songwriter writing music for other people,” said Benjamin while revealing what inspires his music. “Picking a favorite song would be difficult, it’s like picking your favorite kid.”

The members of Benjamin’s band each displayed different personalities through their appearances, varying from Vans to vintage-looking oxfords, and even Benjamin wearing his brown boots unzipped while he strummed away on his guitar.  You can tell that these guys all have different personalities, just looking to play a few tunes together.

After strumming a few songs Benjamin crosses his legs and casually states, “This next song is called lonely boy.”

Loren Benjamin carried the essence of a modern day young Bob Dylan in his Greenwich village days, playing his authentically written songs whole-heartedly while wearing his unzipped brown boots despite the evening’s running sports event playing on the television above the bar.

“I just start playing piano or guitar, I usually just start with my guitar and hope something comes along,” said Benjamin on his originally made tunes, “I really believe writing a song is a special kind of work. It just doesn’t come, you have to work at it and grab it.”

The two different essences of the occurrences happening at All Asia on this evening, made Benjamin’s set that much more unique, truly showing his young talent. Covering a Foo Fighters track, Benjamin added a lovely acoustic twist to the famed tune that made for a sweet surprise in his set. Loren Benjamin’s music can be found on his website, along with a few great performances on YouTube. Benjamin presents the perfect acoustics and sweet summer sounds that you have been searching for.

Photo by Soleil Barros

Wednesday, May 29 Boston welcomed the famed Kelly Rowland to the Wilbur Theater on Tremont Street just steps away from campus. Setting off on her ‘Lights Out’ Tour, performing and life on the road is nothing new to this talented singer. As a former member of Destiny’s Child, Rowland has embarked on a musical journey of her own and fondly proves with her live set that she is nowhere near putting the fire out any time soon.

As soon as the opening act, The Dream, enters from the side curtains onto the stage and starts to sing his melody into his gold microphone, the entire audience sways along with the sound of the music and singing along like a fun massive version of karaoke amongst the crowd. Georgia bred, The Dream stayed true to his signature attire of ‘all black everything’ sporting a black button up with his name, along with other lettering stitched in red lettering on the back.

After a few songs The Dream slips off his jacket and lets the crowd sing along with the chorus while he takes a breather, seeming to be enjoying his time on the stage. As the purple and red lighting settles in to make for special atmospherics, The Dream hits a soft spot sharing with the audience, “Boston strong. No matter what they did or what they say, we are the greatest nation there is.”

Seemingly harmonizing effortlessly throughout the course of the show, The Dream performed fan favorites including “I Luv Your Girl” and “Falsetto” as audience members of all altos hit every note along with the R&B artist. As he ends the set with, “Boston, I love you,” the curtains fall and the excitement in the atmosphere rises as the audience anxiously awaits Kelly Rowland.

As security settles in slightly between the front audience members and the stage, it was revealed that it was one of Rowland’s first engagements playing in such an intimate venue and was a tad nervous. After speculation, the excitement in the vintage-looking venue rose as members of the audience chattered about how much more they respected the superstar and her commitment to her fans in attendance.

As the shining artist appeared on the stage, it was very apparent that every member in attendance on this rainy evening had made their way to the Wilbur Theatre to show their support for Kelly Rowland. Equally as energized as the audience, Rowland was sporting oversized boyfriend shorts with a black bedazzled leotard, black leather vest and black biker boots sharing a unique but very real stage appearance. Dancing around to her melodies, with many smiles and waves to the crowd,Rowland was heartwarming,  setting a friendly and fun vibe throughout her entire performance.

Rowland’s ‘Lights Out’ Tour is in celebration of Rowland’s new album featuring popular tracks “Dirty Laundry” and “Kisses Down Low,” but also sharing a few other favorites including “Like This” and “Motivation”. Rowland even sampled a few of the more popular Destiny’s Child tracks, which made for a great time swaying along to all of the throwback tracks from the Y2K including “Survivor” and “Soilder”. As the red lights reflected off of Rowland’s long curly black hair, she took a seat to perform her controversial track saying it “can be taken out of context,” but shared that it was truly just her experience in song.

While performing the catchy track, Rowland hit an emotional strain singing with tears in her eyes as members of the audience sang along and showed their support by chanting lovely complements to the heartfelt artist. After regrouping, Rowland sang her heart out in this particular song that made the entire show and sincerely proved that Rowland absolutely carries that sweet heartfelt sound that we all know and love. Rowland plays a few more fun melodies before closing her show by waving to the audience and coming to the corners of the stage to blow kisses to members in the mezzanine.

Rowland drew an eclectic crowd of all types, girls and guys of all ages and interests made for a uniquely fun experience. Rowland’s new album Talk a Good Game will be released June 18 and is highly anticipated due to her most recently released singles. Kelly Rowland is hitting a new avenue, she clearly is not afraid to show the world that she still has the seductive sweet sound that we have always loved. 

Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers

At the start of the film we meet the narrator, Nick Carraway, played by Tobey Maguire, as he recounts his experiences living in New York next door to millionaire, Jay Gatsby, played by Leonardo DiCaprio.  Carraway observes Gatsby’s many luscious and exuberant parties from his small cottage just over the fence from Gatsby’s mansion.  Gatsby is also in love with Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan, played by Carey Mulligan, and continues to persuade her to leave her husband Tom, played by Joel Edgerton and live across the bay with him.

Let’s start on a positive note. The representation of the time period in this film was remarkable in every way.  The costumes, the setting, and even the music were all well-chosen, especially during the party scenes at Gatsby’s mansion.  Despite choosing to play modern day music instead of the stereotypical jazz commonly heard during the twenties, the film was not hurt, rather enhanced.  Even a cover of Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” did not seem out of place.  All in all, the visual aspect of this film is stunning and worth seeing if for no other reason.

Some of the characters, though, were poorly represented.  Most obviously, the character of Nick Carraway is changed dramatically from the original novel which, in turn, changes the atmosphere of the entire film.  The novel paints a picture of a very different Carraway; one who is a quiet and reserved bystander to the events in the story.  Luhrmann’s version portrays him as someone who is much more aware of himself and involved in what is going on around him.  In fact, the entire film is essentially a flashback in Nick’s memory as he re-tells his experiences to a therapist.  In the novel, it is not until the very end when Nick realizes what he has seen and thus starts to realize who he is and where he lives.  The film brings that information into the character from the start, which seems to damage the original artistic integrity.

Carey Mulligan’s character, Daisy Buchanan, is also among those misrepresented. The scene at the Crown Plaza Hotel is one of unbearable tension in the novel because of Daisy’s hidden fears.  But, in the film, especially during this scene, she is overly bold and confident, removing a great deal of the tension in the room.  Choices like this are made with Daisy throughout the film. Whether they were made by Mulligan or director, Baz Luhrmann, is unclear, but someone is at fault.

While Mulligan and Maguire gave satisfactory performances, others did an outstanding job.  Most notably, Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker, and of course, Leonardo DiCaprio as the title role.  So, on to the elephant in the room. Will DiCaprio finally earn his much desired Academy Award for playing Jay Gatsby?  It’s hard to say.  In the first half of the film, other than giving a troubled accent on the over-used phrase “Old Sport,” DiCaprio does nothing note-worthy.  However, in the second half, when Gatsby begins to break down, DiCaprio’s performance turned completely around and blew away the audience; that alone is worth his Oscar.

As to whether or not the film will go down in history and be remembered forever is up to the loyal fans.

Photo by Flickr user JoellenLove

Magazines and “Fashion Police” show the latest trends in attempt to convince consumers that “you can to!” They all seem good in theory but it is honestly quite difficult to know what you are getting into before you buy that shirt you thought was cute or that make-up product that yelled “Look at me!” on every edge of your magazine. So before you make any life altering decisions regarding your summer wardrobe, read the following tips on the latest trends by a fellow college student who loves fashion just as much as you and can’t afford any style mistakes.

Printed leggings. These gems have been a trend for a while and I say it is time to let them go. Stars and tribal prints are really fun looking they really are, but when they are skin tight they become a monster all their own. With a pair of plain black leggings you look casual and provides a slimmed down look, where as with printed leggings it does just the opposite.

Candy colored nails by Essie, Maybelline, and a few other make-up companies have created special limited edition nail polishes specifically for the summer and they are hot. Corals, sea blues and exotic purples to really make your summer look even cooler. These are easy to use and go with essentially everything. Make a statement nail or try them on the tips with some nude polish for a different look.

Maxi and midi skirts,.With these timeless pieces coming back into fashion last summer, this summer is where they really are going to shine. Sheer pleated styles along with hi-low are fun, flirty and can be dressed up or down. There are also more fun prints like paisley could give you more of a bohemian look.

Dry-oil instead of a heavy body lotion  gives you some sweet hydration. They make your skin so soft and makes  skin glisten. It would be a way to show off the great summer tan. Garnier Fructis dry oil for both body and hair is great for taming frizz and fly-aways.

Beach hair spray. Speaking of hair, this is a trend that has exploded with companies this season. This product is meant to give your hair that fresh from the beach waves and texture. I would say tread lightly when buying this product, it isn’t meant for everyone. It works best for people with layered hair that already has some fullness in it. For some, it can make the ends crunchy and fine hair stringy so if there is anyway to test it before buying it, please do.

Summer sweatshirts. Everyone needs a sweatshirt they can wear when they at the barbeque and when the sun goes down. Something light with a cute print or in pastel are great for this summer and transfer very nicely into fall.

This goes the same for denim jackets. They’re great to keep around spring, summer and fall. One note is to get a color that will stand the test of time a dark or medium denim is great. Know if you get white or another color it may not last you as long.

Printed chiffon tops. Chiffon is awesome. Add prints to it, palm trees or polka dots (the popular looks for the season), and you have a classic piece in the making. Get long sleeves or sleeveless, they are light and airy and can be great for the office and straight to the beach.

Many companies have been trying to add SPF to everything and I love it. Pale skin people rejoice. From foundation to lotion to lip care, these products will make your everyday routine a little safer and keeps you from aging prematurely.

Peplum brings us back to the time of martinis and cat-eye make-up and I don’t mean last night. This vintage style is redone into modern shapes and fabrics. It is a very feminine look great for girls with slim hips giving them more of an hourglass shape. Girls with more shape, if you want to give this trend a try, wear peplum shapes that don’t jut out as far but are tight in the waist giving that curvy look without giving unnecessary volume.

Lace cut-offs. These have become really popular to see this season. And the best part is that you make them at home. There are tutorials all over Pinterest, which are great. If you are looking for a low commitment summer project, that might be for you. If you don’t love shopping around, they can be found at Free People and Bebe, a bit pricey but some could argue a sound investment for something feminine and easy.

Some styles are not meant for everyone, I hate saying it but it’s true so the best advice to give is try on clothes and test products before a purchase. It seems simple but when you know what you want it easy to forget. If you have no way of testing out something, make sure to figure out a stores return policy.

Now when you are out and about this summer, you will have the fashion know-how and won’t be caught in anything else but illuminating summer fun.

For all of you reading this, you are experiencing your first taste of what Suffolk University has to offer you and what the Journal is all about. As you’ve likely noticed, our school has no isolated campus or state-of-the-art hockey rink like some of your friends from back in high school might be moving on to – and that’s not a bad thing. Suffolk is located in the heart of one of the east coast’s most important cities and shows you how to grow into an adult. The school doesn’t have guaranteed housing for all of your four years, so you learn the tough skill of apartment hunting. The school’s location also gives you an almost limitless number of amazing places to throw your resume into intern at. Even on just a mere social level, you can see any of Boston’s major sports teams during the year, go see your favorite artist or comedian all during the school year.

When thinking back to when I was at orientation, I remember the words of one orientation leader during an assembly in the C. Walsh Theatre. The OL said “Suffolk is what you make of it,” and I think that’s the best way to sum up the university. The biggest piece of advice I could give would be to get involved as much as possible. We don’t have quads or frat houses or giant football stadiums here, but we have clubs for anything you could possibly be interested in. If you don’t see a club for the thing you’re most passionate about, create the club and make it happen! And hey, if you’re athletically gifted, then you can try out for one of the sports teams.

I think I can speak for much, if not all of our staff when I say that getting involved with the Journal is one of the best things I ever did at Suffolk. I knew from the first media blitz I wanted to be involved so I could become a better journalist but along the way I realized there’s much more to our weekly paper. We’re more than a staff honestly. We’re more like a family that just happens to put out a paper every week and we’re always looking for more members.

This staff editorial is not meant to be a written cheerleading for Suffolk, that’s not what the Journal has ever been about. At the same time though, all members of our staff go to this school and are proud to say so. You’re now a student plopped into the middle of Collegetown, USA and you should take advantage of every opportunity. Hey, you’re reading one of those opportunities right now!

-Alex Hall, Editor-in-Chief

SUFFOLK

1. It’s okay to change your major.

After starting out as a broadcast journalism major determined to work in sports media, I changed my major at the end of freshman year to political science, during which time I became committed to going to law school and making the big bucks. After months of political theory, comparative politics, and being bored half to death, I realized my true passion is and always has been reading and writing. I changed my major to English at the end of my junior year fall semester and I have never been happier with my classes. Although I was worried to make the change so late, everything has fallen together. If you’re unsure of your major or even if you’re committed to an area of study, remember that you’re here to explore. With a liberal arts education that forces you to study a broad range of subjects, it’s important to keep an open mind and be in tune to what you really enjoy. It’s never too late to decide. Would you want to sacrifice your happiness to finish studying a subject you hate, or stay another year to feel good about what you’ve learned?

2. Get involved right now.

The best decision I ever made in college was joining the Suffolk Journal. I’ve not only met some of my best friends on the staff, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to so many students and faculty members and really feel like I’m a part of Suffolk. It is important to get involved early and to start falling in love with this school now before you mistakenly feel like you’re not part of a great community here. This is not Northeastern; we don’t live in a bubble and we don’t have a green. We have the Boston Common and our bubble is the entire city. It’s easy to feel like there’s no community at Suffolk. When you get involved and learn about the incredible amount of truly excellent programs at this school, you’ll get in touch with our community and appreciate its importance.

BOSTON

1. Don’t spend too much money.

Just because there are countless restaurants and clothing stores doesn’t mean that you have to eat out every night or buy new outfits every weekend. Save your precious dollars for the future. There’s absolutely no harm in having fun in college, but this situation starts to get very serious after freshman year when you need to pay rent, bills, and buy groceries. Trust me. The amount of money I threw away as a freshman on clothes at H&M, or on food at the Cheesecake Factory, could really come in handy when I have to decide whether to pay the electricity bill or buy milk. Be careful with your spending.

2. The city is bigger than you think.

There is so much to see in Boston, and the best part about it is that every adventure is pretty much within a manageable distance. Besides the fun spots on Newbury Street, in the North End and in Harvard Square, the city holds a wide range of possibilities. The dock by the Charles River is a great place to sit and enjoy the sunshine, Chestnut Hill and Coolidge Corner have a lot of cool restaurants and shops to explore and the reservoir by Cleveland Circle is a beautiful area to go for a run or hang out with friends. I’ve been here 3 years and I haven’t nearly seen everything there is to see. Don’t limit yourself to having the same experiences over and over; seek out fun things to do in the city that you didn’t expect when you decided to attend college in Boston.

MBTA 

1. Buy a weekly pass instead of a monthly pass.

I know there’s a discounted student pass and that a monthly pass is technically a few dollars cheaper than buying four weekly passes in a month, but I say this as someone who dropped her pass at a concert only one day after spending $70 on it. I haven’t bought a monthly pass since. This is purely for the possibility of loss and my own hesitance to drop $70 on a small piece of plastic. If you’re confident that you can keep your pass under control, then by all means go for the monthly. I’m much more comfortable spending $18 at a time.

2. Take advantage of the buses.

The trains are not your only option in this city. If you can manage to figure out the buses early, they will come in handy when you need to get somewhere and don’t have time to wait for the train. There are smart phone applications with pretty accurate schedules for both, and there are paper bus schedules at Park Street and other stops that you can pick up.

Once again, welcome to Boston! Good luck here at Suffolk, and have fun.

Photo by Flickr user stevendepolo

The Boy Scouts of America ended its long divided and longstanding policy of forbidding any openly gay youths to participate in the organization.

This has been a years-long battle that’s been tiring, emotionally wrenching, and often loathsome. The win, so to speak, is undoubtedly a milestone of the history of the organization as well as the country as well. For now let’s ignore the grievous dismissing of adults in the organization.

The term “boy scout” conjures up the idea of the traditional male, the standard that young men all over the country should hold them to. This admission of young gay males has greatly widened a narrow viewpoint into one that’s nearly all-inclusive. This is “traditional” America being allowed the gracious ability to change and progress.

1,400 volunteer leaders from Scouting’s 270 councils approved the Boy Scouts of America’s proposal with 60 percent agreeing.

This should be noted as a rising in acceptance of the LGBTQ community. The children of America are often looked at as the innocent, the easily corrupted, and the naïve. Yet in the past year we’ve seen numerous heinous acts being taken against children; to see a victory for them is encouraging. It’s surprising that while we still haven’t made it safe for them to walk the streets, (those tricky little gun laws), we have assured them a standard of upbringing that will match all children.

This past January the issue met its boiling point when a member was denied Scouting’s highest honor because of his sexual orientation, which fueled the fight with a new gusto.

It became yet another organization complying and serving the ideals of the notion of God rather than serving their fellow man and being prepared to face the woes of the world alongside him.

The image of the Boy Scout is one of resilience: they must learn to overcome and in this case, for the most part, they did. Now they’ll have to learn to survive the onslaught of blind hatred, media coverage, and adaptation to change.

When you think of Boy Scouts you think of their badges, of them learning to tie a knot, of Moonrise Kingdom and of patriotism, but underneath that is a theme of boyhood and the means through which adults will go to protect them and guide them into adulthood. It’s a transition period where a boy turns into a man, and by allowing gay members it’s serving yet another, more crucial, lesson to its members. All men and women should be treated equally no matter who they love, and no man or woman should be deprived of the basic fundamental rights they’re promised. It shouldn’t be a hope but an assumption that sexual orientation won’t hinder the future prospects of a young man or woman.

I’m not entirely thrilled with the development (as I mentioned above, out adults still aren’t allowed), but I do hold a thread of hope in this matter. There is something promising with this new development because now the ideas of love and acceptance will start with children.

Photo by Flickr user Scott Beale

It is reasonable to see a creative group of Internet dwellers upset over such an outdated website purchasing their blog.  Users have expressed their displeasure over the purchase through often aggressive and angry posts.  The bloggers have come together in feeling this way and even those who do not have a Tumblr URL have agreed.  Yahoo! has not been a relevant site in years, and all are wondering why Yahoo! wants custody of Tumblr.  Maybe they are trying to revamp their image in order to keep up with the always changing Internet, but this instills fear in Tumblr users.  Many are worried Yahoo! will put its tacky purple banners on the site, or change the overall appearance.

Bloggers are also worried that Yahoo! will try to censor the explicit adult content that is quite rampant on the website.  Yahoo! should not sensor such images.  Explicit material can be found all over the Internet and Tumblr is supposed to be a place where such material can be posted if desired.  Blogging is all about personal flair, and it would seem wrong to limit what certain users can display under their personal URLs.

One rumor has been that Yahoo! will overload Tumblr with advertisements.  There have been light ads appearing on the site as of recent history, which do not seem to bother users.  Tumblr is not the place to have tons of advertisements.  Yahoo! could maybe fit some on a side bar, but it would be best that they do not crowd the endless scroll with ads.  It will certainly interrupt reblogging, the main joy of using the site.

Marissa Mayer, Yahoo!’s CEO promised on her own Tumblr page “to not screw [Tumblr] up.”  Although it is just slightly reassuring that their plan is not to completely change the website, her cavalier language is a bit disheartening.  She should take a little more pride in now owning the growing popular site; she should use professional language to describe her plans rather than a colloquial phrase like “not screw it up.”  This is a big investment she is dealing with, not just a financial investment for Yahoo!, but also in the hearts of Tumblr users.

It is clear that Yahoo! is trying to be a part of social media before they get left behind and completely forgotten, something they believe Tumblr will give them instant access to.  But this group of bloggers is very stubborn and judgmental.  They don’t want Yahoo! bringing change to their Internet safe haven, and understandably so.

Tumblr has a great thing going; they have made their site a free place for young people to express themselves.  If Yahoo! messes with that consistency, with that family of bloggers, the site’s following will certainly suffer.

As you begin your new journey here at Suffolk, you begin a new chapter of your lives. I am honored to welcome you to this new chapter.

Regardless of your major, minor, or even if you are yet undecided, you are and will continue to prove yourselves as vital members of the Suffolk community. As you begin your orientation, I urge you to take advantage of those around you: talk to your orientation leaders, to professors, and to advisors in order to discover the incredible, unique opportunities and wonders that your university has to offer.

If I do not see you in class, I hope to see you at the club meetings and events that are held every week on campus. Getting involved is your way to become an active member on campus, while giving back to your classmates and university as a whole. 

If you have any concerns or questions, or if I may be of any assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Billy Cerullo, President

Student Government Association

Photo by Flickr user Celine Aussourd

The news broadcasts on Monday morning were a very interesting mix of reports of veteran and active duty soldiers who gave their lives in battle or took their own life as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), clips of parades honoring veterans and celebrating Memorial Day, and the same relentless car dealership commercial delivering its final push for vehicle sales over the holiday weekend. Newspapers featured stories about the lives of deceased soldiers that included pictures of them when they were children. In the fold of flyers that accompanies the paper, blaring ads advertised clothing at a reduced price with the urgency that the sale would end that Monday. It was simultaneously eye-opening and nauseating.

Memorial Day is only one day that is set aside each year to honor the men and women who have given everything to serve this country and protect our freedoms. Taking the day off from work to kick back with a beer next to the grill is undoubtedly exercising those freedoms, but to do it in vain without honoring the individuals who help to make it possible is to truly take them for granted. Their service is important every day of the year, whether Americans have it off from work or not.

Disturbing facts about veteran and active duty suicide have surfaced recently. NBC News reported that over 349 service members from the four branches of the military committed suicide in 2012. The suicide rate for the Army outpaced the number of service members who died in combat; 182 Army members took their own lives while 176 were killed on the ground. The Department of Defense will release its official annual report on suicides in August.

Memorial Day is not only a time to reflect and honor those who have given their life in combat, but to consider the effect of PTSD on the countless individuals who have taken their own lives. To repay these men and women by day-drinking and buying clothes and cars they don’t need is an insult to their memory. Instead of packing a closet already full of sweaters and shoes, why not donate to causes that aid the rehabilitation of veterans suffering from PTSD? Ads for useless items appear inescapable while opportunities to donate to rehabilitation programs must be sought out by the few who understand what Memorial Day should be about. Instead of taking advantage of our freedoms with a food coma and a buzz, Americans should give back to those who have given so much for us. Every summer day holds the opportunity to cook out and relax with friends. Memorial Day should be given the same respect that the physical memorials in the nation’s capital receive; reflection, understanding, appreciation, and inspiration are the best ways to honor the memories of fallen soldiers.

This is slowly, glacially becoming less about a political issue but, as it should have been all along, beginning to be treated as an issue about equal human rights and human decency.

While there have been many to help in aiding the process of progress, Richard Carlbom is one whose name stands out. He was a driving force in the eyes of his allies behind the passing of the gay marriage law. He had lead a largely successful campaign to overcome the amendment to ban gay marriage in his state just last year and then made a swift turn around directly following and switched over to lobby lawmakers to legalize gay marriage.

Photo by Flickr user ericadamaustin

While it’s encouraging to see the country move forward, because twelve is a greater number than just a year ago. It’s a cause for celebration for those LGBTQ members in Minnesota, this isn’t a clear cut sign of progress. It’s becoming tiresome to watch the U.S take such slow steps towards being an all-inclusive country.

Recently, the Ukraine has made history by staging its first gay rally, despite the discouragement from the courts and crowds shouting hateful things as they marched. The Puerto Rican House has approved an anti-discrimination bill. The U.K .marriage equality bill is confidently moving forward in solidifying its status, Portugal has allowed same sex couples to adopt and marriage equality has become law in France. All around the world countries are making steps in the progressive direction to allow their homosexual citizens to all bear the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts and it’s wonderful to watch. However, as the U.S. stands, we’re failing to truly live up to the name of freedom. Sure, we have twelve states that have passed the bill. We have Illinois which is nearing closer and closer to doing the same. We have a general overall attitude that gay marriage should be a non-issue at this point, yet despite this we’ve recently also seen a string of gay bashing in New York City.

We’re moving forward but we lack the conviction and vigilance to truly make a monumental difference. We’re letting the problems slide because we’ve become complacent to the glacial nature of the movement. We’ve learned to accept the notion that it’s a problem that will take time to fix but that doesn’t mean we should wait stationary and do nothing while the time crawls by. This is a non-issue to those of whom support LGBTQ rights, but to those who are actually hoping for the benefits that equality brings it’s their lives.

Later on the Rams went on to beat River College and St. Joseph of Connecticut. In the final the Rams faced the other St. Joseph team, from Maine. Even though Suffolk fought and wanted to capture its first GNAC Championship title since 2001, St. Joseph was simply too strong and had a better day on the field. Even though a loss in a championship game always hard, the Rams have reason to be proud of their season.

In addition, this young team did not lose any players since there were no seniors in the team. Six freshmen are being recruited for the next season.” I’m really proud of everything that happened this season. I think we made a great run in the end and I couldn’t be happier with all the work they put in and the progress that they made throughout the year. I look forward to continuing to improve every year,” head coach Jaclyn Davis said.

The Rams definitely showed a lot of character this season and proved that they belong could rise to the very top of the GNAC conference.

Erin Andrews, GNAC Player of the Year (Photo courtesy of Suffolk Athletics)

“Our strengths were definitely the versatility that we had and our ability to fight. We did have a team of great fighters and they worked really hard every day to keep themselves in games and continue to be successful. Where we struggled was just numbers. We didn’t have big enough of a roster as we would have liked and that is where we struggled,” Davis continued.

The team already has great individual talent and some of the players in the team really stood out this season. For instance, Erin Andrews had an outstanding season and was named to the NFCA-all region (North East All Region) team while gaining the GNAC player of the year award. Andrews earned a first team all conference selection as well. Sophomores Sarah Chase and Nicole Rosa both had great seasons too and earned second and third team conference selection. Another sophomore, Alicia Gonella made the all-sportsmanship and all-tournament team. Together with their other team mates these players could all play a key role in the championship hunt next season.

“I think we have talent coming in that certainly will help us with numbers and giving us different options, and I think that is my job every year to continue to bring talent in and support the talent that we have to make us better. We actually didn’t lose any seniors this year, we will have everyone back which is good and right now we have six freshmen coming on in the fall and if we can draw some transfer students in there, I think we will be all right,” Davis said.

With the new players joining the team, the Rams are looking to have a bright future. Whenever a team gets six freshmen a coach has a reason to be happy. This will add depth to the team and it seems like that is exactly what the rams are looking for heading into the new season.