By: Michael McCarrick, Lion’s Eye Staff Editor, mqm5415@psu.edu, updated by the Lion’s Eye Web Staff

If audiences ever wondered what a dinner party was like with the guests such as Jeffery Dahmer, Aileen Wuornos, and The Zodiac Killer, then American Horror Story: Hotel is the show to watch.

The latest season of FX’s anthology series began in October with a huge buzz around the country. The show’s concept is that each season has a brand new story and theme, with cast members from previous seasons returning for a new role. Previous seasons had themes of a murder house, insane asylum, freak show, and now a hotel.  Although there is no need to watch those shows it is highly recommended; they are all available on Netflix.

American Horror Story built its success on making compelling television from murder, rotating camera angles, and gimp suits, and this latest season is no exception. The Cortez Hotel’s guests are vampires and spirits who are forced to stay inside the building because their human life ended and their monster life began.

Despite all of the hype surrounding the new season, a major absence from the stacked cast this season is Jessica Lange, whose performances in previous seasons gave the show national recognition and won multiple awards. In an attempt to replace Lange, the producers casted a pop culture icon in Lady Gaga to play The Countess. Her presence on the show is fitting for her bizarre elaborate costumes and gory, over-the-top theatrics for which she is well-known.

Another compelling performance is from Matt Bomer, best known from the USA show White Collar, who plays Gaga’s partner in their human-hunting expeditions.

Oscar winning actress Kathy Bates returns as the receptionist who orchestrates most of the hotel’s disturbing deeds. All of this because she wants to be close to her son (Bomer) who’s confined himself to the mysterious world of the hotel. Finally, Angela Bassett returns as the Countess’s former girlfriend looking to exact revenge on her for killing a rival.

Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson, the only two cast members to appear on all five seasons of the show, return as hotel spirits. Paulson plays a drug dealer who was killed and turned into a vampire; she is the most miserable hotel member of them all. The fan favorite, Peters, plays John Marsh, a psycho-killer and founder of the hotel from the 1920s who designed it to be a torture chamber for his victims. His spirit still haunts and influences the twisted hotel more than 80 years after his death.

Among this cast of outcasts are characters the audience can identify with in Detective John Lowe, played by Wes Bently (Edward Mordrake in the previous season.) Lowe is a good husband and father who investigates the strange occurrences of the hotel and has been haunted for five years by the abrupt disappearance of his son. His wife Alex, played by Chloe Sevigny, a doctor with deep spiritual connection with her lost son, is willing to sacrifice anything to have him back. John, Alex, and their daughter all discover the lost boy living in the hotel playing video games and sleeping in glass coffins. The situation tears the family apart, and a twisted journey begins for all.

So on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m., turn off the lights and tune in to FX to follow another twisted and intriguing chapter in the American Horror Story saga. It’s of this writer’s preference that students shouldn’t watch this with their parents or younger siblings. Always remember: the more you scream, the more they like it.

By: Tom O’Donnell, Lions Eye Staff Editor, Two5047@psu.edu

Dogs up for adoption often need recognition of their ability so they can go on to live useful lives.

The Throw Away Dogs Project helps dogs become K-9 police service dogs and saves them from languishing in shelters or even being put to death. But the organization needs funding to rescue, rehabilitate and relocate dogs to police departments who cannot afford to purchase K-9s.

To answer that need, Penn State Brandywine Police Officer Drew Haber is organizing a dodgeball event to help benefit the Throw Away Dogs Project.

The Dodgeball event will be held in mid-February, 2016.

“Police and athletics are teaming up to benefit the non-profit organization Throw Away Dogs Project which rescues, rehabilitates and relocates thrown away dogs so they can be honored, respected and trusted as police K9 working dogs,” Officer Harber said..

Proceeds go directly to Throw Away Dogs.  Throw Away Dogs Project looks for shelter dogs that are highly driven and energetic and trains them and then donates them to departments that may not be able to afford K9s.

Students, faculty and anyone from Brandywine are more than welcome to join.

“Just $5 per person gets participants in the game—teams of 3 are encouraged,” said Haber.

Prizes will be awarded! For more information about the dodgeball competition feel free to talk to Officer Haber in 201 Commons. For more information about Throw Away Dogs Project, visit http://throwawaydogsproject.com/.

(updated by Lion’s Eye web staff)

By: Deja Footes, Lion’s Eye Staff Editor, dmf5475@psu.edu

People buy face washes to wash dirt away but it is scary to think that there might be dirt in those washes!

Many English/Literature classes here at Brandywine have been reading the book, “Garbology, Our Dirty Love Affair With Trash which has been described as, “a horrifying, well-documented, and fascinating study of how profligate waste became a normal part of American consumer behavior and what it’s going to take for our society to shift disposable economy to a reusable one.” (Garbology Book Forum) After reading this book, the reader is all too knowledgeable about where all of this trash goes.

The book states that many believe that when trash is taken away, it is being taken to a big dump or landfill. However, the author stated that researchers have found small pieces of plastic in the ocean and even in some of those face masks that are being used to wash people’s faces.  Therefore, not all of the trash gets to the landfills. This might change some ideas about going to the beach or washing one’s face.

It is safe to say that most people pay little attention to the aftermath of litter. A significant question raised through the book is, “Where is away?” or “Where exactly does trash go? Yes, it is out of sight but if the hand wash plastic is at the beach, could it be elsewhere—like in food? Are there plastic particles in the clothes right now? Are all plastic bottles and cardboard boxes actually being recycled?

These are some important things to think about and to research. How can changes be made to reduce the amount of plastic that is being used every day? Less plastic creation and use would make a significant change to the environment. The book calls upon readers to be responsible and make the world a better place.

People should consider saving the beaches by creating organic face washes by using oatmeal, honey and granola. Start recycling if it is not being done already. All of these options, and more, may make garbage really go away

(updated by Lion’s Eye Web Staff)

 By: Michael McCarrick, Lion’s Eye Staff Editor, mqm5415@psu.edu, updated by the Lion’s Eye Web Staff

Brandywine may not have a theater program where students can perform in play productions, but a group of students are making an effort to help fill that void for the performer in all students.

A new club arrived this semester, and it is called The Performing Arts Club, where students interested in acting, singing, dancing, and improvisation can come together and express their creative talents.

Their first meetings featured acting and improv that attempted to reflect the day-to-day events of a Brandywine student. The problems and struggles students face during their first year of college, such as picking a major and making new friends, were acted out. This made it easy for club members to relate and contribute since it harkened back to their experiences as a freshman. Students came in with written dialogue to read from and improvised lines of their own to make the scene more entertaining.

With seven students establishing themselves as original club members, they hope to add to the short list and make it one of the most popular activities on campus. The club leaders make it clear that no talent or experience in performing arts is necessary to join.

“[The Performing Arts club] is pretty much for people who like to sing, act, and dance,” club president and student Sharia Mitchell said. “We accept anybody in the club, no auditions,”

The club started after Mitchell and her friends noticed that other entertainment clubs on campus couldn’t include everyone.

“While there was a drama club for experienced students, there wasn’t a performing arts club for inexperienced students,” Mitchell said. “Here you can be yourself, and we take anyone with acting and musical talent. We also take script writers and people with a fashion sense.”

The club had their first live performance on December 1 after practicing for it on each Monday in Main 101. Meetings are held on Mondays and Wednesdays during Common Hour in Room 205 of the Main Building; and snacks are provided. The Performing Arts Club is just getting started, and students interested should join them before they hit it big soon.

By: Michael McCarrick, Lion’s Eye Staff Editor, mqm5415@psu.edu

No one can live without art, because art, whether through images or words, channels the emotion and spirit of the artist and its viewers.

While The Lion’s Eye is a good gateway for students interested in journalism, the Penn in Hand club is a gateway to express their creative writing and art. The Penn in Hand club produces the campus literary magazine that publishes the creative work of students each semester. It publishes poetry, short stories, photography and art. Any student, regardless of their major or experience, can submit one or more works to the magazine. Students who are interested in creative arts but aren’t confident in their work or are shy about showing others, are encouraged to submit to the magazine because the club takes great care with submissions; they review and edit each to make it as presentable to readers as possible.

Club President and senior Stephanie Dawn-Rogani has invested countless hours in the magazine to provide it with as much content as possible.

“The purpose of the club is for all students and faculty at Penn State Brandywine to submit poetry, prose, art and photography,” Dawn-Rogani said. “The magazine serves as an outlet for their work and, at the end, there’s a physical copy that they can keep.”

In early October the club met to discuss and plan ideas and events to help students with their creativity. Stephanie Dawn-Rogani and Vice President and student Megan Miele recorded suggestions that included, “Writapalooza: Past, Present and Future.” This event involves three writing prompts for students to give them some direction by writing about their past, or to remark on something in either their past or present, and what could be changed for their present or future. Another idea, “Finish This Fiction,” encourages club members to make up one generic line and have the students improve to finish it. And finally an idea that might work, “The Great Poem-Off!” where students will write haiku, couplet, and acrostic poems that can be finished surprisingly quickly.

This April the magazine will publish and be distributed in the Tomezsko building during the annual Litapalooza event, which involves public speaking. Now it’s one thing to show off creative work in print, but to present it via public speaking can be a major challenge. However, the club, faculty and other professional writers encourage students to participate in the event, because they can still recall their first uncomfortable student presentations and how the practice made them better.

While waiting for the new issue, students can find copies of the previous magazine in the library, and explore the compelling art inside, created by their peers. Any student who has even a small interest in poetry, creative writing, art, or photography, can submit their work for free to penninhand.psu@gmail.com by December 31, and possibly get published in the magazine. For more information or to join the club, contact club President Stephanie Dawn-Rogani at sdr5251@psu.edu.

(updated by Lion’s Eye web staff)

By: Kevin Dallatore, Lion’s Eye Staff Editor, kzd5241@psu.edu, updated by the Lion’s Eye Web Staff

On October 28, campus career day gave students the chance to network and have a smoother transition into the workforce.

The toughest part of college for recent college graduates is finding a job right upon graduation—in the field in which they studied. This semester’s career day started with an informative meet-and-greet with employers willing to hire recent graduates.

Students were treated to a rare opportunity to hear how employers felt about their current position, how they got to their stage in life and then offered suggestions on how students should apply. Resume tips and interview “dos and don’ts” were offered, too. Most of the employers had a Penn State connection and praised the value of a Penn State education and the networking opportunities it affords.

During the event there was an opportunity for students to ask employers about their companies and their work experience. The discussions also included relatable personal experiences since some of the speakers were also Penn State alumni.

Each speaker was able to connect with the students about what to look for and what to stay away from in interviews.

After the question and answer session was completed, students were able to meet with representatives of the companies present and network with them. By showing interest, students could have the upper hand in securing an interview.

Representatives from companies such as Wawa, Vanguard, JP Morgan Inc., and Kohl’s were all in attendance with more information on their companies. Students who took advantage of the career fair are undoubtedly looking forward to hearing back from these companies as their school career ends and their professional career begins.

By: Michael McCarrick, Lion’s Eye Staff Editor, mqm5415@psu.edu

Read the Lion’s Eye. If you enjoy what you read, consider joining the club/class.

What students probably don’t know about The Lion’s Eye newspaper is that it’s an ambitious effort run by a small group of students and one committed faculty member in Karen Theveny. The few students who chose contribute to the paper, whether as a club member or for credit, have tasked themselves with knowing everything that occurs on campus. For every event that occurs in their editorial time frame, they attend, interview, research and compose a story.

It’s not an easy task but the thrill reporters get in interviewing professors and completing an article by deadline is all worth it when their work comes out on both the paper and the website psulionseye.com managed by adjunct professor Jaime Fettrow-Alderfer. The club encourages their writers and editors to cover student and campus-related events to help promote and inform fellow students of their activities and their significance to Brandywine.

What makes the Lion’s Eye more appealing than most clubs is that it can be taken for credit. Club members have only to write and submit articles, but students taking it as a course will write articles and also edit and create the layout format that will be used to print and publish. It’s a valuable learning experience and great to include on a resume.

The club’s Vice President Thomas O’Donnell talked about how he first joined the paper.

“When I found out that I could receive college credits and get first-hand experience in working with programs and equipment used in companies today, The Lion’s Eye appealed to me as a useful opportunity,” O’Donnell said.  “I like how in the newspaper club you get to learn, not only how to use the programs associated with the industry but also, about the activities on campus.”

Club Secretary Kevin Dellatore said he joined the club primarily for college credits, but the newspaper is something he thought about doing for a while.

“What I like about The Lion’s Eye is that it’s a great opportunity to expose yourself to everything Brandywine has to offer,” Dellatore said.

Fellow staff writer David Brown said that he wanted to be a part of the newspaper because he had a passion for writing, especially journalism and it provides a great experience.

“I really enjoy interviewing people about something exciting and being able to tell their story in their own words,” Brown said.

And one of the club’s newest members Deja Footes discussed why she wanted to be in The Lion’s Eye.

“In the future I want to become a newscaster, and I felt like this would be a good experience,” Footes said.  “I could get the idea of what it’s like to be a reporter.”

Her favorite part of it is the layout where they take the stories and edit them into the newspaper.

“To see how it all fits into the final product is really cool,” Footes said.  “I also like coming to class every Monday and Wednesday because everyone is fun to be with.”

It’s up to those few students to carry the large load The Lion’s Eye has to offer, but all of the writing, editing and photography is worth it when the final product is released for students to read all over campus. The newspaper club is a rewarding experience and the members of The Lion’s Eye want to share it with their fellow students. To join The Lion’s Eye as a club member where only the writing is required, interested students should reach out to Professor Theveny at kct13@psu.edu. And if the club turns out to be a great fit, then students can register for it as a class and receive credits the next semester.

(updated by Lion’s Eye web staff)

By: Kevin Dallatore, Lion’s Eye Staff Editor, kzd5241@psu.edu, updated by Lion’s Eye Web Staff

From the sweet and savory enjoyment of chocolate comes a dark truth about its origins.

A documentary film about how African children are used in the exploitation and slave trading of harvesting chocolate was shown in the Lion’s Den as part of a presentation in November. The film explored the cocoa plantations in the countries of Ghana and the Ivory Coast since they provide upwards of 80% of the world’s chocolate supply.

Directed by Danish journalist Miki Mistrati, the film investigates the use of child labor and trafficking of child laborers in the chocolate production industry. As the documentary begins, Mistrati is in Cologne, Germany where an annual convention and trade show takes place at the Koelnmesse. Mistrati asks representatives of worldwide chocolate companies about their awareness of where, and how chocolate is produced-—to which they indirectly answer his question by referring to the conditions of the workers.

The film then cuts to a group of children in the country of Mali where it shows someone promise the children that they would be paid to work. The children are then taken to the nearby town of Zegoua where they are handed over to a trafficking transporter. When the children arrive at the next location, they are turned over to another trafficker who then sells them to a farmer for roughly $270 per child. At this farm, the children are forced to perform hazardous labor, beaten frequently and are almost never paid for their work.

As the film pans back to the convention in Cologne, a representative from one of the chocolate companies denies the allegations of trafficking and child labor in their companies.

To investigate on their own, Mistrati and his film crew decide to use hidden cameras to prove that child labor is involved with cocoa production. They find out that the owner of the bus station is aware of the child trafficking and allows it to continue because he is getting paid for the use of his bus stop.

The crew also examines the farms where the children are working to see how they are being treated. At some of the farms, the adults appear suspicious of the documentary crew.

After the crew gathered enough footage, they wanted to show it to the International Labor Organization (ILO) which is part of the United Nations. The ILO fights child labor on an international level and took interest in the footage.

This film was nominated for the Adolf Grimme Award for Information and Culture. As five years have passed since the 2010 release of the documentary, those who have seen it have had their eyes opened to what really happens in the beginning production of chocolate.

The vast majority of those who have commented on this subject have said that it will make them purchase fair trade chocolate from now on to avoid patronizing these companies that buy their cocoa from these child laborers.

By David Brown, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, dvb5451@psu.edu (editted by Lion’ Eye Web Staff)

Civic and Community Engagement is a course that stands out here at Brandywine, not only making an impact locally, but internationally as well.

Course adviser, Dr. Lynn Hartle is the reason the course has taken off in the last couple of years, and she has no plans to stop now.

This course has, most recently, been providing voting registration education and assistance. The course is also known to help communities with their needs by participating in events such as food drives and community engagement.

Upcoming in the spring, Hartle’s class will host a Social Justice Fair to educate attendees about societal and community issues and provide ideas on how to help improve the situations. Topics planned include: women’s rights, minority rights and perspectives about the under-served.

Civic and community engagement can be taken as either a major or a minor.  Its goals are to assist with community service and provide diversity training. Activities have included assisting with cleanup in the community, assisting with food drives, establishing community gardens, and helping with community education.

Dr. Hartle, is enthusiastic about the impact of the course.

“The impact in the community is a small one, but every year it becomes more noticeable,” Hartle said.  “The minor itself is important for helping students practice relationships and providing them with experience in all sorts of different fields that will later help in the work place. The point of this course is to get people to act like a community.”

The course also offers international service projects in Paris, London, Italy, Ireland, and, for the first time, Cuba. Registration for the Cuba service will begin in the spring semester. The two courses needed to become involved are CIVCM or CAS. Come explore CIVCM.