Joining a sorority means you will be hazed: It’s supposedly a rite of passage. Everyone goes through it. Partying and drinking are the top priorities of a sorority, and if you don’t do these things, you won’t be accepted. Less than nine months ago, I believed all of these stereotypes because I was an outsider looking in. Now, I am an insider looking out and am embarrassed that I ever believed these stereotypes.

Yes, hazing does happen within some chapters. Yes, some people believe it is a rite of passage. Yes, drinking and partying is a priority to some members of the Greek community. However, the small number of organizations and individuals who see hazing as a rite of passage and who solely focus on partying and drinking are not truly members of the Greek community. I, as a participant in Greek life, do not associate myself with these people. True members of the Greek community value the well-being of their brothers and sisters; they offer support to other organizations on campus whether Greek or not; and most importantly, they positively affect their university and community.

Unfortunately, Greek life in its entirety is being depicted as dangerous, racist, vicious and criminal because of the actions of a few. These few individuals and organizations do not define us. What defines Greek life is it’s philanthropic programs, its comradery between chapters, its strong ties to the community and the lifetime bonds between its members.

Before you judge us for the few, look at our many. Look at the community service hours we participate in, look at the money we raise for our philanthropic partners, look at the opportunities we give to our members. Our events may not make the front page of a newspaper or the nightly news, but our events are there: They are happening every day.

Nine months ago, you wouldn’t have caught me dead wearing a T-shirt with Greek letters or even showing up to a Greek life event, but my perspective changed for the better. Greek life, like most other experiences such as college, sports or relationships, is not everything you see on the news or in the movies. It is an experience best felt and understood by being a participant rather than a bystander.

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Studies and recent evidence gathered by the United States Department of Agriculture, world renowned scientists, nutritionists and dietitians have led to a conclusion that the overall health of both Americans and the environment would benefit from effectively promoting a plant based diet. The U.S. dietary guidelines, whose purpose is to encourage a nutritional and healthy lifestyle, impact many Americans. A plant-based diet can provide healthy and nutritional meals that have other benefits as well.

According to one of the extensive scientific reports conducted by the USDA, iron, potassium and fiber are vastly under consumed while sodium and saturated fats, which are often abundant in meat, is over consumed based on the standards for maximum intake.

A plant-based diet would easily incorporate iron, potassium and fiber into a person’s daily life. Nuts, legumes, fruits, grains and vegetables all provide essential nutrients and vitamins to the human body, including the three that are nationally under consumed.

There are unhealthy consequences for a diet saturated with meat. High blood pressure, cancers and heart issues (the latter two being some of America’s biggest health concerns) have been linked with high intakes of meat. A diet based on plants, however, has never been linked to any prominent health issues.

In fact, such diets have been shown to reduce the risks of health issues. The USDA’s reports stated that “dietary patterns rich in vegetables, fruit and whole grains, and lower in animal products and refined carbohydrate, are associated with reduced risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.”

In regards to heart disease, which is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined, the reports confirmed that an inverse relationship was found between myocardial infarction and stroke and the consumption of fruits and vegetables “with significantly larger, positive effects noted above five servings of vegetables and fruits per day.”

A recent set of studies that looked at the relationship between heart disease and a vegetarian diet found that a vegetarian diet reduced the death risk of ischemic heart disease or cardiovascular disease four out of the six studies conducted, according to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Based on the study, if a plant-based diet was adopted by a majority of the 318.9 million Americans, roughly 210.5 million Americans would be living without fear of death from ischemic heart disease or cardiovascular disease.

Diet plays a large role in maintaining a healthy body at any age. A diet heavy in vegetables, fruits, grains nuts and dairy can lead to “decreased risk of fracture and osteoporosis, as well as improved bone mineral density” as a person ages. Even before birth, a mother’s diet can impact life.

Moreover, according to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, a “healthy maternal dietary patterns during the preconception period that [is] higher in vegetables, fruits and grains; lower in red and processed meats; and low in sweets [is] associated with lower risk of developing of neural tube defects.”

Not only does a human’s diet impact their health and life, but it also impacts the environment. Agriculture and the meat industry contribute heavily to environmental issues. Methane, an extremely potent greenhouse gas, is a large byproduct of animal waste, which is either released directly in the air, runs off into major water ways or seeps into aquifers and taints ground water.

“Global production of food is responsible for 80 percent of deforestation, more than 70 percent of fresh water use, and up to 30 percent of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. It also is the largest cause of species biodiversity loss,” the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committees said.

By promoting an animal-based diet, you are promoting a world of scarce and depleted sources. In fact, the USDA said, “The capacity to produce adequate food in the future is constrained by land use, declining soil fertility, unsustainable water use and over-fishing of the marine environment.”

There is no way that the planet can sustain the amount of agricultural production based on a mainly meat diet. The German Dietary Guidelines have recognized the need for change and developed a sustainable shopping basket based off of data they gathered. They found that “a focus on decreasing meat consumption … [and] eating more plants and plant-based products would reduce waste, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and energy intake.”

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Sydney Arroyo, a junior photography major, is spending her co-op working for “Saturday Night Live” as a paid photography intern.

As an intern, Arroyo edits, prints and frames photos, as well as sets up and breaks down photo shoot equipment. Her other responsibilities include photographing behind the scenes and running errands for her supervisors, Mary Ellen Matthews and Dana Edelson. According to Arroyo, any task given directly from Matthews takes priority over any other work.

Arroyo claims that the hardest part of working at SNL is the fast pace. At SNL, each week is the start of a new schedule. A mishap in one department affects every other department that is involved. Arroyo has learned to adapt to the fast pace and now embraces the work schedule. Employees work a six-day week and each day of the week is set aside for a specific aspect of the production.

“It is a very artistic environment filled with creative people. Also, when you are surrounded by funny people all day at work, it’s always a good place to be. I have found that everyone working there is very nice and humble, as well as laid back,” Arroyo said.

Arroyo inquired about internships offered at the SNL studio after seeing the photos on an online SNL episode. She was intrigued and determined to find out whom the photographer was. It turns out that Matthews is the main photographer and in charge of the photography department, having worked at SNL for 25 years.

Arroyo asked a professor to help her get in touch with Matthews, but to no avail. Luckily, Arroyo’s father, a previous employee of NBC News, was able to find Matthews’ personal email address, which led to Arroyo’s interview in New York City.

“Working at SNL was definitely my first choice. I have always been an admirer of their photographer, Mary Ellen Matthews’ work, and I was determined to work there. I actually was so determined that I didn’t even have a plan B. I thought to myself, ‘Nope, I’m going to work there and that’s that,’ and I thought that if I made a plan B, I’d jinx myself and somehow ruin my chances, so I didn’t. Luckily, it worked out in my favor,” Arroyo said.

Arroyo was offered the position as a photography intern at the end of her interview. She moved to New York City for the duration of her co-op and was able to rent out a room from a family friend for the six-month period. Arroyo was worried she may have difficulty transitioning from Philadelphia to New York, but says her move went smoothly.

“Philly was a good introduction for me; I was already used to riding trains and having to get around in a city. New York is very different in comparison, but I found myself really enjoying it, maybe even more than I do Philly,” Arroyo said.

When asked about her reaction to Arroyo’s job offer Melanie Kraus, assistant director of cooperative education, said, “I was very happy for Sydney. The position sounded like a great opportunity to improve her photography skills, network with professionals in the field and understand the realities of the workplace. The fact that she would get to work with and meet some really great personalities seemed like it would be exciting as well!”

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Lise Raven, an assistant professor of film and video in the Department of Cinema and Television, presented her film “Kinderwald” Jan. 23 at Slamdance Film Festival.

Slamdance Film Festival was created by a group of filmmakers that were not chosen to attend Sundance Film Festival, a similar yet more exclusive festival.

“Slamdance is sometimes referred to as the punk little brother of Sundance, but it is really a sidebar festival which means it is not associated with Sundance, but it goes on at the very same time on the same street and it shows first-time directors and films with a budget under one million dollars,” Raven explained.

Photo Credit: Lise Rave

“Kinderwald” is set in rural Pennsylvania in 1854, when a wave of German immigrants comes to America. The two young sons of Flora Linden go missing, and the community comes together to locate the boys. The community gives up hope of the return of the sons, but Flora and her brother-in-law continue to search.

“This is the second in a trilogy, and it is three films loosely inspired by fairytales about children lost in the woods. My films are not an exact retelling of these tales but they are inspired by the idea. This was inspired by the idea of Hansel and Gretel, but it looks at the parents rather than the children,” Raven said.

Frank Bruckner and Emily Behr, two German actors, were specifically chosen by Raven for their parts as Flora and John Linden. Raven said that Bruckner and Behr were the perfect actors to portray a realistic German family.

The film was shot in September 2012 at a YMCA campsite in Lancaster, Pa., which was recommended by the cinematographer. The 180-acre campsite offered a visually appealing landscape and the quiet needed for the filming of the movie.

“I wanted to spend my summer outdoors, so I set a film entirely out in nature. I am also very tired of dialogue and I used to love writing funny, witty dialogue, and now I am much more interested in what people’s body language says,” Raven said.

“Kinderwald” was funded by a large grant given to Raven and her crew by the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. These grants are limited to tenure track faculty members for creative research. Raven’s crew consisted of film and video co-op students, fashion and design students, as well as Drexel alumni and actors. Both the crew and the actors were paid $100 per day throughout the making of the film.

“At the time, the decision was a no brainer. We’re taught in the film department to seize absolutely every opportunity for networking or honing in on your craft. As time went on, the position proved really hard, but I am really glad I chose to do it,” Alexandra Navratil, a senior film and video major and co-producer of “Kinderwald,” said when asked about being offered the position.

“I felt lucky that I had the support of my department and my college and the University,” Raven said.

Slamdance Film Festival is a weeklong event held every January in Park City, Utah. The festival consists of the film festival, screenplay and teleplay competition, and Slamdance studios.

According to Raven, Slamdance Film Festival accepts all genres as long as the film is produced by a first-time filmmaker and the budget is under $1 million. The films shown at the festival are chosen by a group of head programmers who review the submissions and any recommendations from outside sources. In 2013, Slamdance Film Festival received approximately 5,000 submissions.

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Drexel University announced the suspension of regular University operations and classes due to severe weather conditions Jan. 21 and 22. The announcement was made via text message and email to students and faculty around noon Jan. 21, and then the University later announced the continuation of the suspension through Jan. 22.

According to the 6ABC Action News website, the Philadelphia area received 13-14 inches of snow. Due to the unusual amount of snow, Mayor Michael Nutter issued a snow emergency to be effective from 4 p.m. Jan. 21 through 6 p.m. Jan. 22.

Source: Devon Harman

“Snow events of this magnitude are relatively rare in the mid-Atlantic region,” Robert Francis, vice president of University Facilities, said when asked about the reason for Drexel’s lack of snow days in the past.

The president of the University consults with the senior vice president for Student Life and Administrative Services and the vice president for Public Safety in order to make the final decision for a University snow day. Ultimately, the decision relies on the condition of public thoroughfares and transportation.

According to Francis, the decision for previous snow days was based on snow emergencies declared in both Philadelphia and New Jersey, which impaired the ability of commuters to get to and from campus safely.

Drexel’s grounds crew and custodial staff worked to remove the snow from sidewalks and pathways throughout campus. At any given time on campus, there were 15-20 crewmembers working to remove the snow and six to eight police officers on duty to keep order.

While the grounds crew worked to keep the campus safe and accessible for students and faculty, Drexel students took advantage of their time off.

Drexel students are well aware that snow days were almost nonexistent in past years. Having two snow days in one week came as a shock to many students. Across the University City Campus, at all hours of the day, students were seen having snowball fights, looking for places to sled or simply enjoying a walk in the snow.

Francis said he wants students to feel confident that they are in good hands with Drexel’s service staff and to call 215-895-1700 to report areas where snow or ice are dangerous and may need immediate attention.

The Emergency Medical Services team at Drexel University has grown at a tremendous rate since it began in March 2010.

The EMS at Drexel is a student-run organization that operates Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The most common issue that EMS responds to is intoxication, but the organization has also assisted in more severe issues such as car accidents, assaults and unexpected health problems.

“This is one of the few, if not the only organization, that helps students in such a unique way, and that unique way is that we are helping with their health care,” Ekta Panjrolia, a senior biological sciences major and the secretary of Drexel EMS, said.

October is the busiest month of the year, with 10-15 calls per weekend; other months average five to 10 calls per weekend.

The EMS organization works hand in hand with the Philadelphia Fire Department to ensure the safety of Drexel students. The EMS members are the first to arrive at the scene to assist in immediate and necessary care until the fire department can arrive to aid in further medical treatments.

“We do actually make a difference,” Dylan Stempel, a sophomore health sciences major and probationary member of Drexel EMS, said.

Two members handle each call: a primary crew member and a secondary crew member. The primary crew member treats the patient’s injuries and alleviates sickness while the secondary crew member gets information from witnesses.

Currently, work is underway for the members of Drexel EMS to start teaching CPR classes on campus.

“It is a more positive environment, should something happen, that there are more people around that know how to do CPR because it is being taught on campus,” Eric Williams, a pre-junior nursing major and the captain of Drexel EMS, said.

The future of the group depends on a continuation of the growth of the program and its members.

“We are really growing as an organization. We actually won Student Organization of the Year last year,” Stempel said. “It is a great way to get involved on campus in a nontraditional way.”

Currently, the organization has 30 active student volunteers. To be considered an active member of the organization, students are required to work two shifts per month and one special event per term.

“The Drexel community should see that this is an organization run by students who are volunteers and who do this only for the purpose of helping students in our community,” Panjrolia said.

Panjrolia joined the club one year ago after witnessing a student who needed medical attention on campus. She, not being medically trained, could not do anything except call Drexel Public Safety. Shortly after this incident, she saw a poster on campus advertising the organization. Within a few months she was taking emergency medical technician certification classes at the University of Pennsylvania.

Drexel EMS requires each member to have an EMT certification, preferably from Pennsylvania, but it will accept individuals who are certified in other states. Recently, a CPR first responder’s branch was created to allow other interested students to take part in the organization before fully committing to become EMT certified.

In an emergency, Drexel EMS can be reached by calling Public Safety at 215-895-2222. The crew members will report to the scene of an incident within four minutes of being notified.

This organization is funded in several different ways: the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee, by working sporting events and Campus Activities Board concerts, and through donations from the public.

Allison Brophy, a junior nursing major, is the chief of Drexel EMS.

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Drexel University will open a new Center for Hospitality and Sport Management, the school announced in an email to students Oct. 1.

The center, which includes faculty and students who were originally part of the Goodwin College of Professional Studies, will offer programs in hospitality, sport management, culinary arts, culinary and food science, along with minors in coaching leadership and casino management.

Jonathan Deutsch, the previous director of the hospitality, culinary and food science programs, will be the founding director for the new center.

“We aren’t changing anything dramatic immediately, because all of the programs in the center currently exist, so we are really just putting them together and sort of shining a spotlight on them outside of the school of technical and professional studies where we were previously,” Deutsch said.

Although he did not cite any immediate changes, Deutsch did say that he has several goals for the future of the center: to have a centralized location for students and faculty, to offer experiential learning for all students within the center, and to grow enrollment exponentially in hopes of being designated a college.

“I think we really have all the ingredients to become the premier program regionally in Philly for all of our programs — hospitality, sport management, culinary arts, culinary science, food science — and I think this increased visibility will help with that,” Deutsch said.

According to Deutsch, several events will take place this fall to highlight the work being done in the Center of Hospitality and Sport Management. The Academic Bistro, located on the sixth floor of the Paul Peck Problem Solving and Research Building on 33rd and Arch streets, will hold a number of events featuring Drexel alumni chefs and student chefs. Along with these events, the sport management students will also be involved in several conferences throughout the year.

Deutsch said he hopes that the future of this center will not only benefit the students enrolled at Drexel but also positively affect the hospitality and sport management industry surrounding the Greater Philadelphia area.

“We want to be a resource for the industry. We don’t just want to have our hands out asking for scholarship money and donations. We want to also have industries saying to us, ‘We have a problem. Can you put some students and faculty on this problem to help us out?’” Deutsch said.

Sierra Baca, a pre-junior studying sport management, said that she was skeptical about the way that this new center will actually change the programs offered. She said she did not believe that this new opening will alter the educational aspects of these programs but that she does foresee a rise in enrollment in these areas of study. She sees a centralized location for this center as a step in the right direction because it will give anyone interested in the programs a specific place to see and to learn about the programs instead of running all over campus.

“I think it is good that they are coming together. It will be definitely more organized, hopefully,” she said.

Deutsch, a trained chef, is an alumnus of the hospitality management program at Drexel and earned his doctorate in food sciences and management at New York University. He founded the culinary arts program at Kingsborough Community College of the City University of New York and then continued to head the program for 12 years.

While working outside of Philadelphia, he stayed active in the Drexel community before he returned last February. He said he plans to stay at Drexel and continue directing the Center for Hospitality and Sport Management.

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