Brown and White Vol. 125 no. 19

              Vol. 125 No. 19
Friday, November 15, 2013
‘All the Lehigh News First’
THE BROWN AND WHITE
Lehigh University’s Student Newspaper Founded in 1894
SPORTS
Men’s basketball beats Rider
Page 12
ONLINE
Poll: Have you
experienced a “crazy phase” in college?
Students enjoy
seasonal beverages
Page 5
LIFESTYLE
Lehigh celebrates annual I-Week
Dance marathon to fundraise for CHOP
Mindlan: ‘Are we ever ready for Miley [Cyrus]?’
By MAI HANOON
Students will dance in hopes of raising $50,000 for the Chil­dren’s Hospital of Philadelphia at the Lehigh University Dance Marathon from 5 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday.
The event will feature nu­merous performances includ­ing actor Frankie Muniz, the drummer for the featured band King’s Foil.
The event is being organized by “LUDM” a student-run or­ganization created by Lehigh’s Office of Student Leadership Development, which hopes to continue this event for many years to come. CHOP, which will receive the funds raised during the event, is a member of the Children’s Miracle Network, whose mission is to make medi­cal treatment available for any­one in need, regardless of their ability to afford the procedures.
According to Dance Mara­thon’s public relations co-chair Nicole Montalbano, ’15, the event’s primary purpose is to raise funds for children being treated at CHOP. However, the event is also aimed at uniting the Lehigh community.
“We sought to establish a cause that brings together every single organization, student, fac­ulty and community on and off campus,” she said.
The marathon will consist of students, organizations and faculty members standing and dancing for eight hours in Grace Hall. The LUDM team has re­cently been sending out emails geared towards fundraising; one email states, “Our eight-hour event of standing on our feet is a celebration of life and the funds that we have raised for CHOP.”
According to the Lehigh Uni­See
DANCE Page 4
By KIRSTIN ROOKS
Miley Cyrus’s recent sexualization in society and its negative portrayal by the media spearheaded a discus­sion at the Women’s Center Tuesday titled “Miley Cyrus: Should She Be Tamed and Why We Can’t Stop Talking!”
The discussion served as part of the Women’s Center’s weekly series, facilitated with the intent of fostering positive discussion on controversial topics.
The group said it is evident Miley Cyrus has become a polarizing public figure, one whose outspoken demeanor and—often blatant—sexuality have lead to concerns about the portrayal of women in U.S. culture.
The group of about 20 men and women discussed topics such as Cyrus’s appearance, her transition from “teeny-bopper” to woman; her sug­gestive lyrical content; over-the-top performances; and her recent provocative and controversial music videos.
Some students in atten­dance said they were shocked when first viewing Cyrus’s music video for the song “We Can’t Stop,” and reflexively asked questions such as “Who are you?” and “Where’s your dad?”
They said this changed their perception of Cyrus as a person.
Thérèse Corcoran, ’14, who works at the Women’s Center, said Cyrus’s behavior is part of the celebrity cult-culture exhibited by society today.
“We expect stars to display crazy, over-the-top behavior and then treat them as if they are irrelevant if they do not,” Corcoran said. “If you’re not doing something crazy, maybe people aren’t going be talking about you as much and you’re not going to be selling your records.”
Jenna Smalley, ’16, spoke about the double standard that men and women face when working in the enter­tainment industry.
“A woman’s naked body is automatically a sexual thing. A man’s naked body is just like normal,” Smal­ley said. “I don’t like the fact that she’s constantly getting slut-shamed.”
“[Our response is] saying
See CYRUS Page 4
B&W photo courtesy of Alex Hsieh
Students raise flags representing more than 40 countries at the end of the annual International Week Flag Parade Friday, Nov. 8. More than 39 internationally-based events allowed students to broaden their cultural awareness during the week.
By KATE SALAVA
This week Lehigh celebrated its an­nual International Week with 34 inter­nationally-focused on campus events, which were all designed to highlight Lehigh’s international character while affording exciting global experiences to students.
International Week—planned and executed by the students of Lehigh’s Global Union—was comprised of 50 student clubs that promote global awareness on campus. The mem­ber clubs and various organizations co-hosted a huge variety of events including film screenings, political dis­cussions and panels.
The week began with the Flag Parade—sponsored by international students and scholars—across campus on Friday, Nov. 8. That night, Inter­national Week’s well-attended kickoff event demonstrated the wide variety of students the week encompasses. The event included a cultural costume contest, multiple games, music from different cultures with dancing and a piñata.
“The executive board of GU was thrilled with the turnout,” said Global Union Vice President Savannah Boylan, ’15. “It is always a great sign when we have to order more food after running out within 30 minutes of starting our event.”
Boylan and the GU executive board hoped that with more than 35 events in one week, there would be something for everyone with any interest to get involved in.
Lehigh seeks to include students from each college in events such as the “Student Showcase for International In­ternships” and “How International Ex­perience Can Jumpstart Your Career.”
Alex Bloom, ’15, attended the Hillel Shabbat event Friday night at the Hillel House.
“The week is very successful in that it exposes people on campus, even just a casual observer, to the international
See I-WEEK Page 3