Rap music is poetry. Now that you’ve finished rolling your eyes I think it’s time to refine my statement; good rap music is poetry. It’s been my own humble opinion since my junior year of high school, the very first time I heard the music of the late, great Notorious B.I.G. But I think this opinion is relevant now more than ever with the recent release of Kendrick Lamar’s album To Pimp a Butterfly.

This opinion might be a hard pill to swallow if your knowledge of rap music stops at the occasional popular party-rap song like the god-awful “Coco” by O.T Genesis. Judging rap music by songs like “Coco” is like judging all TV by shows like TLC’s “Honey Boo Boo”; it’s enjoyable at the right time but is by no means a standard.

When I say rap music is poetry I’m talking about the very best the genre has produced, “NY State of Mind” by Nas comes to mind.  If “Coco” is “Honey Boo Boo,” then surely “NY State of Mind” is rap’s “Breaking Bad.” In “NY State of Mind,” Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones spends five glorious minutes describing the urban struggle that is life in Queensbridge, New York. Dare I say, it is the best five minutes of rap music you will find. That’s definitely not to say that every rap song has to be some form of social commentary or deal with serious topics. I’m not that guy who’s arguing for rap music to “get back to its roots,” which in actuality are more based in party than in any type of social commentary. I’m arguing for an end to the perception that the genre is all about money and self-indulgence because while that is definitely a part of rap music it is by no means the only part. Recognizing this is integral in creating the distinction between popular, catchy songs and poetic, meaningful songs.

This takes me back to my original point: rap albums like the recent To Pimp a Butterfly and 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J. Cole or even classics such as Ready to Die by Notorious B.I.G and 2pacalypse Now by Tupac Shakur are more than just rap albums – they are urban poetry. Remove the beats in the background and all the fancy musical effects and you hear a poem about the struggle for existence that is life in the urban world. It forces you to think deeply and appreciate the very fact that these individuals were not only able to survive their experiences but also that their stories unite; they tell the stories of hundreds maybe even thousands, who share similar experiences but are unable to express them in such a pleasant manner. Rap is a broad genre that encompasses various sub-genres which differ in topic, approach, style and even location. My familiarity lies primarily with East Coast rap, which has a tendency to be centered around the struggle of life in New York City. One of my favorite East Coast rap albums, arguably the most poetic of all, is the aforementioned Ready To Die by The Notorious B.I.G. 

Ready to Die by Notorious B.I.G is essentially an autobiography. The album tells the story of his life growing up poor, his transition into becoming a drug dealer, and the toll this life took. In songs such as “Ready To Die,” “Everyday Struggle” and “Suicidal Thoughts,” he sees no way to improve his current condition and struggles to find meaning in life. 

Other songs, such as “Juicy,” tell about what has given him a purpose, what has stopped him from taking his own life when he has seen nothing but struggle, his childhood love and method of self-expression: rap music. This album has special significance for me because of the story it tells; it is a shift from the self-aggrandizement that has come to characterize rappers and drug dealers. Ready to Die is a cry for help from a tortured soul.

There is no formula for what makes a particular rap song a poem, but good rap music is poetry. Good rap music, like a good poem, conveys meaning to its audience, tells a story and has the power to ignite strong feelings. Tupac Shakur, considered by some to be the greatest rapper of all time, was in fact a poet before he became a rapper and had a book of poetry published posthumously titled “The Rose That Grew From Concrete.” In fact, an excerpt from that book’s most popular poem also titled “The Rose That Grew From Concrete” is heavily featured in PowerAde’s new “Just a Kid” ad campaign. It’s a poem well worth a read, and it makes for an ad well worth watching.

Have you ever thought about how many paper towels you use each day? We all know that it’s important to wash our hands to prevent the spread of germs, but what do all those disposable paper towels mean for the environment? Most people use about 3,000 disposable paper towels outside of their homes each year, and all these paper towels make up about 35-40 percent of waste from college campuses. While one solution may be to simply recycle these used paper towels, the material out of which they are made is actually not recyclable so they still go to the landfill. Another possible solution is the use of hand dryers over disposable paper towels. While this would significantly decrease the amount of waste we produce, hand dryers are often extremely noisy and still leave major carbon footprint from their manufacturing process and energy use. 

The easiest solution to this wasteful problem can be found by looking at other cultures. In Japan, there are no disposable paper towels available in public restrooms. As a result, everybody carries a reusable hand towel around with them. This widespread use of reusable towels comes from a societal mindset very different from what is seen in the United States. Japanese culture does not place the same value on disposable products that American culture does. This difference in values likely comes from the minimal land area available in Japan for landfills. While the United States may have more space in which to put waste, we are filling up landfills at an alarming and unsustainable rate. 

So how can the Colgate community begin to reduce our reliance on disposable paper towels? The easiest way to make a difference is to bring a hand towel with you when using the bathroom in your dorm. You likely already have a towel hanging on the back of your door so just grab it on the way out. To go a step further, a small hand towel can easily be kept in your backpack for use around campus. When making new changes like these, it can be easy to forget at first. However, after about three weeks new habits will form, and you’ll be amazed by how many paper towels you previously used. 

Despite our widespread societal valuing of disposable products, some colleges are taking major steps to decrease the amount of paper towels in their waste stream. University of California (UC), Santa Cruz went paper towel free in 2013 after a successful pilot program in one of their dorms the year before. UC Santa Barbara also recently removed paper towel dispensers and provided all students with a small reusable hand towel. 

Here at Colgate, the Office of Sustainability is working with the reusable hand towel company PeopleTowels to determine the feasibility of college students accepting this shift away from disposable towels. Since disposable paper towels make up so much of waste streams on college campuses, a shift towards reusable solutions may significantly decrease environmental impact. According to PeopleTowels, after one year of implementing reusable towels each person can “save a quarter of a tree, reduce landfill waste by 23 lbs, conserve 250 gallons of water, and cut carbon emissions by 34 lbs.” Hopefully, seeing what a big impact such a small change can have will inspire all of us in the Colgate community to think twice before using disposable paper towels.  

We all know this scenario a little too well. You can text someone for a booty call or drunk dial them with no problem, yet for some reason making eye-contact and offering a simple smile and hello while up the hill seems like too much of a hassle. Is that really what the problem is? Are students at Colgate too afraid to show basic acts of kindness towards hookups during the daytime hours, or is it something completely different? While some people may just be extremely shy or can only gain the courage to talk with their crush through the help of liquid courage, another potential reason for this lack of affection may be due to the fear of appearing too interested. 

While Colgate’s hookup culture may have many underlying problems, this fear of appearing overly-attached is definitely one of its main faults. It seems that in today’s hookup culture, there is the mentality that “whoever cares less, wins.” While I will admit that I have fallen into this mindset one time too many, I now find myself asking, “Why?” Call me crazy, but I kind of thought that the whole point of hooking up with someone is because you have a least an ounce of interest in them, or potentially even see them as a full-fledged person. Now that this present laissez-faire mentality has taken hold of college campuses across the country, it appears that participants are becoming more like players within the hookup culture and less like individual people. 

According to these current dynamics, there is a constant power struggle in every hookup, fling and even relationship. I truly think that it is harder than ever for college-age students to express any sense of emotion or attachments for fear of being judged. No matter how much things are meant to be equal, someone always falls harder than the other person. Let’s be honest, breakups are never truly mutual and the course of the relationship (no matter how casual it may be) always has some sort of power struggle. As stoic as college students may appear, they are just as afraid (if not more so) of rejection as everyone else. As a result, people use defense mechanisms in order to avoid being hurt. No girl wants to be labeled as clingy, and likewise while guys often times like the chase, they do not like being blown off. And so the notion that whoever is less emotionally invested in the relationship (or fling or one night stand or whatever it may be, because honestly who even uses labels nowadays) wins. 

According to a study done by New York University Sociologist Paula England, men and women on college campuses share about equal hopes that a hookup will turn into something more. And yet, there seems to be an epidemic occurring in which no one wants to be labeled the “emotional” or “overly-attached” party. If you have been on Yik Yak lately (and I would honestly suggest this app as a great way to procrastinate, especially during midterms) you’ll have, without a doubt, seen a handful of yaks ranting about wanting a significant other. Yet, very few people seem willing, or possibly mature enough, to break down this perceived barrier and stop with the mind games.

I cannot even begin to express (at least for girls) how much time is spent agonizing over what to respond to a guy’s text. It really should not be that hard to just type the first few sentences that come to mind and hit send. But instead we agonize over waiting just the right amount of time – to let the other person know that we’re busy – before responding with a short, vague answer to try and cover the fact that you actually rewrote that same message about four times. And to establish that you are obviously the one that cares less. But in the end what’s the point? 

Through Ginnifer Goodwin’s character Gigi in the movie He’s Just Not That Into You thoroughly explains the importance of taking romantic risks when she exclaims, “You’ve think you won because women are expendable to you. You may not get hurt or make an a** of yourself that way but you don’t fall in love that way either. You have not won. You’re alone. I may do a lot of stupid s*** but I’m still a lot closer to love than you are.” 

Goodwin sums up exactly what needs to be said. If you never put yourself out there, you’ll never experience anything greater than what you already have. So maybe next time you see a hookup, stop and chat. Show some interest. Instead of the Colgate Hello, we should really consider instating the Hookup Hello as a valuable alternative. 

While I know nobody is stealing my jacket out of cold-blooded spite, sometimes it feels that way. Even though it’s been over a year since I lost my first jacket, I still get the urge to confront people wearing the navy blue North Face “Summit Series” and conduct an inspection for my name written on the inside. It was a crushing blow, since it had been repaired by the North Face factory just a week before. Suddenly, it was gone – alone in the world, without my arms in the sleeves for guidance.

First, I felt denial. Surely, no one would do this – it was February, it was negative degrees outside. What heinous party crimes had I committed to deserve this? This was followed by anger; I tore through the couch cushions with reckless abandon, caring little for the boy on top partaking in what seemed to be a very effective power nap.

I tried bargaining, thinking if only I had carried my jacket with me at all times this awful accident would not have occurred. Perhaps if I tied it around my waist in a style evocative of the simple days of middle school, disaster could have been averted and I would be braving the cold with a protective layer of polyester by my side. Then came sadness. I held back the tears as I remembered all the insulated, carefree times I had shared with my jacket. I felt like all I needed was a hug – partly to assuage the loss, but also because I required the body heat. Suddenly, I reached acceptance, soothed by the feeling that whomever had my jacket must be very warm and (hopefully) very sorry. My acceptance was characterized by constant refreshing of the Jug Jackets Returns Facebook page, unfortunately to no avail.

Though I was disappointed that my strongly-worded message (“If you are reading this, PLEASE return my coat, it belongs to Amy Balmuth and she is VERY cold”) did not have the desired effect, I understood that some things are simply out of my control. It is unfortunate that one of the most uncontrollable elements of my life is my outerwear but, like the song of the same name, you can’t always get what you want. However, in this case I tried and failed to get what I needed, instead leaving with a really cold, seemingly interminable, walk home.

The idea of a “jug jacket” is a phenomenon relatively unique to Colgate. When I visited University of Wisconsin, my host bluntly informed me “Yeah, you can’t wear a coat.” I scoffed at the idea considering the sub-zero temperatures and attempted a middle ground by wearing a wool sweater. Subsequently, I felt extremely out of place bouncing from party to party in a wool sweater. As I stood there, hot in the temperature way and unable to move for fear of heatstroke, I yearned for the disposable comfort of my jug jacket.

This is part of what makes the jug jacket phenomenon so remarkable and apt for sociological study – through their worthlessness, the jug jacket has great value. While the goal may be to have a jacket crappy enough that its disappearance is tolerable, a jacket that fits this definition is precious by consequence. It is a game that absolutely no one can win, and that’s why the Jug Jackets Returns page has enough posts to fill a small paperback.

Ultimately thinking (or even writing) about jackets does not protect you from bitter wind-chill. Nor does it console you from the loss of yet another puffy North Face with a ’Gate card and chapstick in the pocket. My sentiments go out towards all who have paid this ultimate sacrifice, and also if you find a blue quilted jacket with corduroy trim, please message me on Facebook.

What's Left: Not The “Evil Empire” 

Sid Wadhera

It should come as no surprise that Netflix’s House of Cards – a politically-current show – has Russia as the main foreign policy obstacle to the United States in its third season. Of course, the show’s writers are very astute; today, across the world from North Korea to Iran to Ukraine, American foreign policy is intricately connected to the actions of the Russian state. Naturally, the Republicans deride President Obama for his foreign policy with Russia, deeming it inconsistent and weak. This is not a fair assessment. Indeed, it has not been particularly consistent, but instead has adapted to change as needed when dealing with the unpredictable Russian state and the shifting concerns of the United States and its allies. 

President Obama and Frank Underwood understand one thing very clearly: the Russian government is an important partner when it comes to foreign policy dealings across the world, especially with countries that the United States deems antagonistic, like Iran and North Korea. In fact, Russia continues to play a key role in the P5+1 negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. Russia’s continued cooperation in the negotiations is imperative for a successful nuclear disarmament in the Middle East. The abrasive policy measures that Republican policy makers suggest will only serve to antagonize Russia, thereby removing any possibility of success. These negotiations are also vitally important when it comes to Russian participation regarding the crises in Syria and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. All of this is to say that an effective American policy in the Middle East is contingent on good faith and participation by the Russian government. President Obama – with his reset in 2009 and reluctance to antagonize President Putin – has a deep understanding of these complexities. 

At this point, every Republican is thinking of one word: Ukraine. Of course the Ukrainian crisis is a real issue that deserves attention, and Russia’s role in destabilizing the country deserves more than just derision and condemnation. It would, however, be very unwise to look at the Ukraine crisis outside of the broader global dynamic. Ukraine is now almost a metonymy for Russia’s regional ambitions, yet there are players in the Ukraine crisis that prevent the United States from taking rash actions, namely its NATO Allies. 

Many of the western European nations are dependent on Russia for energy; furthermore, Russia constitutes one of the largest markets for exports outside of the European Union. For countries with economies still struggling from the economic crisis of 2008, it would be extremely unwise to antagonize a major trading partner and energy provider. Rather than taking brash actions, President Obama understands the needs of America’s allies, which is why you see the more involved players, such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, taking leading roles in negotiations. It shows President Obama’s high capacity to treat Russia as it ought to be treated: as a state with varied and dynamic interests that have a lot of intersections with the United States’. 

So while Republicans continue to deride President Obama and his administration for their handling of Russia, they fail to grasp the political realities. They are stuck in a 1980s mindset, believing that Russia is the “evil empire” of Reagan’s day. Russia today is a vast and complicated nation, much like the Soviet Union was, that has shifting interests. As of now, the strategic interests of the United States dictate that it is best to work with Russia in some areas while refusing to indulge them in expansionist fancies. While this policy may be deemed “inconsistent,” it is what serves the best interests of the United States. And for that, we should be thankful that President Obama is no Putin or Frank Underwood. 

Being Right: A Familiar Story

Brian Challenger

On February 27, Russian activist Boris Nemtsov was murdered. Boris was an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and one of Russia’s strongest advocates for democracy. Coincidentally, his murder falls two days before a rally he was planning against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This could be a coincidence but in a country where Putin’s enemies consistently find themselves dead or imprisoned, it seems unlikely. Ironically, Mr. Nemtsov told a Russian blog two weeks earlier that “I’m afraid Putin will kill me.” 

The shooting took place right outside the Kremlin, one of the most secure and videotaped areas in all of Moscow. Pretty much any other place in Moscow would have been a safer place to kill someone. Not to mention that opposition leaders are constantly under surveillance by Russian intelligence agencies. But these highly trained intelligence operatives somehow failed to notice that someone else was following him. The shooters were sending a message to other opposition leaders. They are sending them a message that any opposition leader can be killed anywhere, and there will be no consequences. 

There is no need for concern; Putin has generously agreed to take charge of the investigation himself and to personally determine whether or not he or his government killed Nemtsov. The initial findings have already begun to shed light on the case. Putin has determined that he definitely is not responsible – deeming the murder a “contract killing.”  But the question of whether or not Putin actually gave the order is irrelevant. He has started a massive propaganda campaign, branding anyone who disagrees with him as fifth columnists – national traitors who are working to undermine Russia from within. Putin has created a culture of fear and death inside Russia in which the most bellicose and bloodthirsty elements of the government have been pushed to prominence. Last week the chief prosecutor in Russia declared that the Russian constitution was “standing in the way of protecting the state’s interests.” Chilling words from a man tasked with carrying out the law of the land. 

Unfortunately, this story has become a familiar one. All around the world governments are acting in a more authoritative manner by shutting down opposition voices. Putin’s government has just been a shining star in that regard. He has repeatedly tested the West’s commitment to freedom and a liberal rule of law and found it lacking. Even in the United States, the government has been seizing more power and restricting freedoms. New York Times reporter James Risen has named President Obama the greatest enemy of press freedom in a generation. In 2005, Risen tried to publish an article about a failed CIA operation in Iran. The government acted quickly, squashing the article and subpoenaing Risen, demanding he reveal his source. For six years, Risen fought the Justice Department, risking jail time to protect the leaker. The government sentenced former CIA employee Jeffrey Sterling for the leaks and sent him to prison anyway – and this is only one case. By standing by and watching crackdowns happen, enacting them at home, President Obama and the U.S. are telling dictators that it is okay to crack down on journalists and others who question the government. If the U.S. doesn’t take a stand against our own crackdowns on freedom and across the world, dictators will only get more brazen and activists for freedom will keep getting murdered.