Marissa Alioto

More by Marissa Alioto

HC Looks At The Gun Control Debate

12/28/2012

The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school on December 14th was shocking and sobering. Collegiettes across the country joined Newtown, CT in mourning, and saw in the victims their own teachers, little siblings, and campers. It wasn’t long before the ramifications of this dark event became political—in the form of a debate on gun control.

The second amendment to the Constitution, most commonly referred to as “the right to bear arms,” has become increasingly embattled in recent years. According to The Washington Post, “of the 12 deadliest shootings in U.S. history, six have taken place since 2007.” They include two shootings this past summer: at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin and a movie theater in
Aurora, Colorado.

“Since I’ve been president, this is the fourth time we have come together to comfort a grieving community torn apart by mass shootings, fourth time we’ve hugged survivors, the fourth time we’ve consoled the families of victims,” said President Barack Obama speaking to the grieving Newtown community.

“Surely we can do better than this,” the President continued, saying that he would use his Executive power to explore new preventative gun policy.


The Second Amendment

Will You Follow The Pope On Twitter?

12/3/2012

Yes, you read that right, the Pope is arriving on Twitter. CNN says that the revered religious figure will write the Tweets himself, but--apart from his first Tweet--they'll be sent out by staff. The Vatican already has an account, but nobody was quite sure what the Pope's personal Twitter handle will be. Today Reuters reports that @pontifex will be the Pope's Twitter handle. It means both "pope" and "bridge builder."

 

"To proclaim the gospel through the new media means not only to insert expressly religious content into different media platforms, but also to witness consistently, in one's own digital profile and in the way one communicates choices, preferences and judgements that are fully consistent with the gospel, even when it is not spoken of specifically," the Pope is quoted as saying in The Guardian.

 

Who will the Pope "follow"? Will he retweet? Reply to tweets? The Dalai Lama (@dalailama), Tibetan Buddhism's religious leader, is already on Twitter with over 5,000,000 followers, and he doesn't interact with any other accounts.

 

 

McKayla Maroney Makes Her Famous Face With President Obama

11/18/2012

Ever since McKayla Maroney made her "not impressed" face while receiving her silver medal at the Olympics last August, the face has been replicated all over the internet as a popular internet meme, on Late Night with David Letterman and, this week, in a place most of us would be super impressed to visit--The White House. Maroney was on her first official visit with the Fierce Five, says NBC (the gold-medalist gymnasts were touring when the rest of their Olympic teammates met President Obama this fall). 

Not only did Maroney do her infamous expression during the visit, though, she got President Obama to join in. In fact, he's the one that suggested it: "He said, `Let's do it together.' We took a picture and now it's everywhere,” Maroney told the AP.

Maroney prefaced the photo release with this tweet, says Mashable.

Obama's Second Term: How Will It Affect You?

11/11/2012

The full results are in (yes, we're looking at you Florida), and it's four more years in the White House for President Obama. If you're anything like us, you're positively giddy about another term of observing Michelle Obama's fabulous wardrobe and hitting up J Crew for a matching cardi. But, when it comes down to it, collegiettes of every political persuasion can't help but get serious and ask: what does this mean for me?

We're here to help answer that, with the following guide to what a second Obama term means for America's college women: 

Student Loans

In Lena Dunham’s ‘Girls’, young college grad Hannah gets pushed into the deep end of adulthood when her parents stop paying her living costs. If you watched the quirky show, you probably looked at your own empty clutch and recognized a kindred spirit. Unfortunately, TV makes even the stereotypical post-grad struggle look exciting and glamorous.

What’s not so glamorous outside of a hit series? Having to choose between paying off loans or paying off your credit card bill—and let’s face it, with the cost of many private colleges exceeding $50,000 a year such a scenario is more than real.

Best of #Election2012 on Instagram

11/6/2012

Election day is finally upon us, and social media is abuzz! We combed Instagram's #Election2012 tag for the best contributions to the fervor...

Some Instagram users have decked out their pets in preparation for the big day:

 While others have given their nails the complete patriotic treatment:

Campus Celebrity: Brianne Weaver

11/4/2012

 

You might have seen her on campus with her two adorable children and her three very large dogs, or maybe in the hallways of Buck always looking stylish. You’ve probably wondered, who is that new face at Bowdoin? The new member of the Bowdoin community that I’m referring to is the head women’s soccer coach, Brianne Weaver. I had the opportunity to sit down with Coach Weaver before she headed to Amherst for a playoff game this weekend, and I learned a little bit more about her past, her transition to Brunswick, and how she’s helped the women’s soccer team have such a successful season.

Chelsea: So, before you came to Bowdoin where were you coaching?

Brianne: I bounced around the mid-Atlantic region a lot during my life, but before I came to Bowdoin I had been coaching at St. Mary’s College of Maryland for six years.

Chelsea: Maryland huh? That sounds a little bit different. How has the transition to Bowdoin and the greater Brunswick community been for you and your family?

Brianne: It’s been a great transition, it is different but in a very positive way for me and my family. We like the small town feel, we like the fact that campus is in the town, we like the outdoors. Because we moved here during the summer months we were regulars of cotes’. The kids have especially enjoyed the greater campus, the greater community, and all the amenities that offers. Things are a lot slower, people are kinder, and we’ve actually really enjoyed our transition.

Chelsea: That’s great to hear. So how did you end up at Bowdoin?

Hurricane Sandy: 'Big And Serious'

10/28/2012

Some college students along the East Coast are celebrating the cancellation of classes, yet it's hard not to be apprehensive of the damage Hurricane Sandy could do.

The Wall Street Journal quoted New York Governor Andrew Cuomo saying, ""I know that we get accustomed to hearing weather forecasts and sometimes we're dubious about the weather forecasts, but this is nothing to play with, and this is nothing to take lightly, so take this seriously...In a situation like this, you prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

Meanwhile, NBC reports that the Nor'Easter could leave 10 million without power. Flooding is expected in low-lying and coastal areas, and temperatures could drop below 30 degrees F--a dangerous situation for houses with electrical heat. 

It's a life-threatening situation, say forecasters quoted in The New York Times, and the President has called it “a big and serious storm.” 

Still, don't be surprised if your East Coast friends are dreaming up Hurricane drinking games--relying on their politicians and college officials to take the necessary precautions. 

Photo Source: New York Daily News

Best #Boots of Instagram

10/26/2012

Boots, booties, bootlets--if you're talking about any variation of that cold-weather staple you are in good company, for 'tis the season. I took a break from oggling my roommates' latest shoeware purchases in order to check out the hashtag #boots on Instagram. 

Although it seems the world outside of the Bowdoin Bubble is also boot crazed, not all uploads are created equal.

Here's what we can glean from the best #boots of Instagram:

1. A worn-in pair assumes a 'devil may care' attitude when leaf-crunching or frolicing in a pumpkin patch. While everyone else nurses blisters, you can enjoy some oldie but goodies that feel so right:

2. Hello ferocious/Keep your leopard to small doses/These boots prove the print/Belongs on your toeses!

3. Best make an outfit of it. These two-toned boots refuse to let an awesome statement necklace completely steal the show. Wanna go for a three-toned look? Invest in some over-the-knee socks--you can rock it. 

4. Are these men's boots? Possibly. Do I care? No. Nothing says autumn like androgyny!

5. These boots are best friends, and it's obvious why...Laces? Stacked heel? Paneling? Oh hey sole sister. 

You

10/19/2012

 

In 2006, TIME magazine's 'person of the year' was 'You.' The magazine meant to call attention to the new individual power and possibility accorded by the rise of the internet and its supporting technologies. 

In a similar way, this week's campus celebrity is YOU. Why? Because when Angie Epifano published the devastating story of her rape and its mishandling at Amherst College, you didn't just say 'oh that's too bad' and move on--you reacted.

YOU shared the op-ed on Facebook and Twitter. YOU talked about its implications at Bowdoin. And, whether you realize it or not, YOU called much needed attention to the issue of sexual assault. 

Don't stop the momentum! Keep sharing and speaking up! And don't forget to familiarize yourself with Bowdoin's own sexual assault policy and resources:

A Guide To Bowdoin's Student Sexual Misconduct Policy

Resources for Survivors

Self-Care For Survivors

Supporting A Friend

 

 

 

 

Amherst Sexual Assault Story Shocks The Web

10/18/2012

Angie Epifano's wrenching story concerning Amherst College's mishandling of her sexual assault has outraged and mobilized the internet. Since being published by The Amherst Student on October 17th, Epifano's piece has since been covered on Jezebel and The Frisky, and widely discussed on Reddit and Twitter.

Epifano's narrative bears a trigger warning for its sensitive nature. It begins, "When you’re being raped time does not stop. Time does not speed up and jump ahead like it does when you are with friends. Instead, time becomes your nemesis; it slows to such an excruciating pace that every second becomes an hour, every minute a year, and the rape becomes a lifetime."

The Amherst Student has literally been overwhelmed by the response, which overloaded the site's servers and caused it to shut down temporarily: “I knew it would be big on campus," Editor-in-Chief Brianda Reyes '14 tells HerCampus, but adds "personally I didn't think it would reach as many people as it did."

Readers from Yale, UMass, Mt. Holyoke, Swarthmore, and other colleges across the country have commented in support of Epifano. There are even responses from readers in Australia and the UK.

"So far, everyone is talking about it, processing it, trying to mediate strong reactions with stepping back and thinking about the issue as a whole," says Elodie, Amherst '13.