HERO
Editors’ Comment
Strap on your cape and quaft your hair just right. It’s time to fly into Buzzsaw’s Hero Issue.
The hero is more than a character confined to comic panels and blockbuster Hollywood films. Heroes are the people protesting injustices, fighting wrongs and questioning society. These heroes do not always sport six packs, guns of steel or the ability to fly.
In the pages of Buzzsaw, our heroes wear the disguise of the everyday and the ordinary. Look at the people around you. Anyone could be a hero.
In the media world, foreign correspondents risk life and limb to paint pictures of international affairs for domestic audiences. As warzone dangers increase, outlets are turning to freelance reporters in a previously unseen capacity. These days, war reporters often aren’t embedded with U.S. forces on the front lines; they’re venturing into conflict zones in hopes of sharing the gruesome realities of modern wars (Dodging Bullets, pg. 10).
For too long, the heroes of movies and television shows have been white males. The Hollywood entertainment factory has continued to pump out production after production with white male protagonists, while the population of the United States is more than half female and around 64 percent white (White Male Protagonists, pg. 17).
Are you somebody’s hero? Ithaca College students talk about who their heroes are on campus and why these professors, friends or roommates are meaningful to them (Who Is Your Hero, Seesaw).
Issue Contents
News & Views
- Cultivating a Sustainable Culture by TinaMarie Craven
Ithaca residents try to live greener lifestyles - Creepy Crawlers Invade Cornell University by Alexa Salvato
Event educates and entertains visitors about insects - Navigating Oktoberfest as a Non-Drinker by Amanda Hutchinson
Too much booze, not enough food - The New Thor by Kellen Beck
No reason for Thor not be female
Upfront
- Dodging Bullets by Aidan Quigley
A look inside the dangers of contemporary war reporting - Jefferson County Students Protest by Alexa Salvato
Colorado high school caught up in AP history curriculum controversy - Ability-based Heroism by Sabina Leybold
Emphasizing humanity as a common experience
Ministry of Cool
- Raised by Disney by Maddison Murnane
The skewed depictions of good versus evil in children’s movies - The White Male Protagonist by Michele Hau
Dissecting the lack of diversity in lead roles
VILLAIN
Editors’ Comment
Welcome to our lair.
From the sunless depths of the BuzzCave, we are pleased to present the Villain Issue.
Whether shrouded in a cloak, or sitting behind a Congressional desk, villains have proven to be a consistent, if not unfortunate, staple of society.
We welcome you to the dark underbelly of our world. Try not to take a wrong turn as you meander down the winding road of evil, fear and denial. Come on in. Embrace the darkness.
In light of the recent beheadings by Islamist extremist group, ISIS, misinformation and fear mongering have taken hold of the mainstream media. This has rejuvenated fears among the American public that colored political discussions during the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. Much of modern media seems to be feeding political stigmatization that builds support for U.S. military intervention abroad (Lies, Propaganda & Racism, pg. 6).
Battling orcs, exploring dungeons and deciphering puzzles is hard enough on your own. With a group of friends, character sheets and 20-sided die, it can feel impossible. Tabletop RPGs require the perfect group dynamic in order to have a successful campaign, and one bad apple can prove disastrous (Playing With Your Enemies, pg. 13).
Politicians are controversial figures, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is no exception. His anti-corruption commission is under federal investigation for allegations of corruption. This scandal invites criticism of Cuomo’s administration (Actions Speak Louder, Seesaw).
Issue Contents
Upfront
- Lies, Propaganda & Racism by Max Ocean
Building support for war by villainizing Muslims - Exploring Terrorism by Jake Ryan
U.S. foreign policy and terminology manipulation - Painting Over the Big Picture by Sage Daugherty
Drug detecting nail polish glosses over prevention - Othering Development by Charlotte Robertson
Western savior complex as modern imperialism
Ministry of Cool
- Playing With Your Enemies by Will Uhl
The intricate relationships in tabletop RPGs - Misogynists, Trolls and Troublemakers by Evan Lauterborn
Rampant harassment creates a hostile videogame environment - RAW FROM THE SAW: Meatbodies by Tylor Colby
- RAW FROM THE SAW: Flying Lotus by Tyler Macri
- RAW FROM THE SAW: Jukebox the Ghost by Alexa Salvato
- RAW FROM THE SAW: Julian Casablancas + The Voidz by Hristina Tasheva
- RAW FROM THE SAW: Tusk by Jon Roberts
Prose & Cons
- I’m Not Religious But She’s an Angel by Samantha Brodsky
- Memoires by Gillian Wenzel
- Is It Karma or Is It Funny? by Train Schickele
Sawdust
- The Most Useless Superpower by Elena Haskins
Local hero claims to be able to find Waldo every time - 14 Percent Approval of Awesome! by Jodi Silberstein
Congress is actually capable of accomplishing tasks - “I Am the One Who Seriously Needs Some Anger Management” by Rachel Mucha
New research shows that Walter White was not an anti-hero, just a big jerk - Hail to the Chief QUEEF by Grace Rychwalski
HAHAHAHA WHY SO SERIOUS, OBAMA? - Confessions from a Chin by Lizzy Rosenberg
Popular comic book hero feels left out - The Hero Ithaca Deserves by Emma Taubenfeld
But maybe not the one it needs - Pyongyang Style! by Will Uhl
In celebration of the only man in North Korea over 150 pounds - Buzzsaw Asks Why…Ithaca College blatantly lied to students about printing? by Rachel Maus