Brown and White Vol. 124 no. 24

              THE BROWN AND WHITE
Lehigh University’s Student Newspaper Founded in 1894
SPORTS
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Seniors discuss post-graduation plans
Page 9
LIFESTYLE
Vol. 124 No. 24
Friday, April 26, 2013
‘All the Lehigh News First’
B&W photo by ANDREA STIFFELMAN
Monday marked Lehigh’s Earth Day fair, hosted by the Office of Sustainability. The fair consisted of many stands and tables sponsored by different campus groups gathered on the University Center Front Lawn.
Student groups celebrate Earth Day
By PERRI WERTHEIMER
The Office of Sustainability hosted an Earth Day fair on Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the University Cen­ter Front Lawn.
The fair started off with a speech by Lehigh’s President Alice Gast and fea­tured many activities such as concerts, a live waste audit, crafts and games, a photo contest and food.
“[It’s] easy to change everyday habits like drinking organic lemonade or something more environmentally friendly,” said Stephanie Rothstein, ’15, Alpha Chi Omega sorority’s com­munity service chair. The sorority had an organic lemonade stand set up at the fair.
With regards to participating in next year’s Earth Day fair, Rothstein said, “We definitely would want to par­ticipate again. The fair was definitely a success and thankfully there was good weather so a lot of students attended the stands.”
Lily Cron,’15, another member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, helped run the stand.
“Students and faculty definitely en­joyed the organic lemonade and were surprised that it was not just regular lemonade,” Cron said. “I am glad I participated in the Earth Day fair to show support and I definitely plan on attending again next year.”
One stand, run by Lehigh Universi­ty’s Business Services, gave away free reusable water bottles that do not need to be put in the dishwasher. Jane Al­temose and Kylie Ford, faculty mem­Syrian
conflict more complex than perceived, speaker says
By SAMANTHA ORLAN
Lehigh hosted Jon Alterman, the direc­tor of the Middle East Program Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., Monday evening when he gave a talk entitled “Hot War, Cold War: Syria, the Gulf States and Iran” to faculty and students in Zoellner’s Lower Level Gallery.
Alterman clarified that it is difficult to make sense of what is happening in Syria and even harder to figure out what is behind the conflict because of the “multi­plicity of agendas supporting each side.” People show support for many different reasons and it undermines the unity that they are seeking, Alterman said.
“The most interesting thing for me in [his] talk was his systematic perspective looking at this Syria event,” said Hao Tian, ’15. “He examined not only the Syrian domestic riot and domestic tension, but also asked important questions like, who is supporting each side in Syria, and what is behind what is happening.
“He gave a clearer look at the whole thing through understanding neighboring countries and their preferences regarding religious attribution—Shiite or Sunni—eth­nic composition, and political prefer­ence—whether or not the Assad regime per se matters.”
Syria is 60 percent Sunni-Arab, but the country also has a lot of robust minorities. It is heterogeneous in ethnic diversity with
All bets are off on Sands’ impact on area
By ALEX BLOOM
As it approaches the start of its fifth year in business, the Sands Casino has not had as big of an economic impact, the negative effects its opponents feared, or the positive results its proponents hoped it would.
“Its proponents thought it was about to bring a bunch of organized crime and prosti­tution and a bunch of other stuff – a red light district,” said Matt Assad, a senior reporter for The Morning Call, who has covered the Sands extensively before the Casino opened its doors on May 22, 2009. “It didn’t really do any of that.”
Assad added that, while it has brought some petty crime, as one may expect when thousands of people enter one particular area, it really has not made much effect on the overall crime rate, and the fears about prostitutes and well-connected organized crime has not really come to fruition.
Edward Morgan, Lehigh political sci­ence professor, said the casino has greatly increased traffic in South Bethlehem, and he is concerned about how a casino is exploit­ative of the elderly and the financially illiter­ate. He also is worried that the casino preys upon people who feel that gambling is their ticket out of poverty.
In addition, Assad said many of the community fears that Bethlehem will lose its quaintness and charm really have not proved to be true either. This was part of the concern many of the Lehigh faculty mem­bers posed when they opposed the Sands’ construction.
As printed by The Morning Call, the faculty’s vote read in part, “Considerable evidence suggests that the benefits of this proposal are illusory, and that its effect will be to materially diminish the attractiveness of South Bethlehem as a place to live, work and study. This proposal will, in addition, have a significant adverse effect on the uni­versity. ”
According to Assad, Lehigh was correct about the first part, in that it overall has not had the positive impact on businesses on the South Side many supporters predicted.
“They’re going to bring in busloads of people, and they’re going to come to my restaurant,” he said, speaking as if he were the owner of a South Side business.
“That really didn’t happen either,” he added. “Some don’t even see daylight in Bethlehem. They go in and get out to the parking garage and go back home after a few hours of gambling. They don’t do a lot in Bethlehem.”
However, Tony Silvoy, owner of the Goosey Gander Caterer and Deli, and a lifelong South Side resident, is a supporter of the casino because he said it has generated business from the employees and tourists.
He added that especially considering the spot of the Sands, which is a blighted piece of land after the close of Bethlehem Steel.
“Now people coming in may be saying, ‘South Bethlehem, what a great city; you have a university, you have a hospital,” Silvoy said. “You never know whose going to visit and maybe stay here and open a business.”
In fact, Assad has said that it has helped the state and city by creating 2,500 jobs, and bringing in revenue for the state, county and city governments, especially with slot ma­chine taxes at 55 percent.
According to the website of the state liquor control board, the Sands brought in $8,378,557.20 in taxes for the state of Penn­sylvania. It is the most profitable of the 11
See EARTH DAY Page 5
See SANDS Page 5
See SYRIA Page 8