Is that my Tattoo?

by John Brink

Montgazette Staff Writer

Copyright infringement occurs when copyrighted work is taken by an outside party and redistributed in order to make a profit. Copyrights can be violated in a number of ways, from resale of music or pirated DVDs, to stealing a books storyline in order to create a film version. It can be easy to infringe on copyrighted material unknowingly.

So student media creators, listen up or read on.

The entertainment industry struggles with copyright violations on a constant basis. There are many ways that creative ideas can wind up being very similar to each other and disagreements arise. Filmmakers especially need to go to great lengths in order to prevent a lawsuit. Every prop, every building, every brand in any film is meticulously chosen by directors, everything seen on film must not violate somebody’s copyright, but even with all the attention to detail, mistakes still manage to slip through the cracks.

There are three notable films that have run into trouble for possible infringements in recent history, all of which appeared to be harmless and unnoticeable.  The popular “Hangover” movie trilogy was jeopardized before the second film could reach audiences, almost cancelling its release altogether. The lawsuit was filed by tattoo artist, S. Victor Whitmill against Warner Brothers studios. Whitmill, the artist who designed Mike Tyson’s famous facial tattoo, claimed that the movie violated copyrighted material by using his tattoo on a character without permission. Warner Brothers ultimately settled.

James Cameron’s “Avatar” also had its share of issues when cover artist William Roger Dean accused the film of modeling its landscape around his artwork that appeared in several fictional book series.

In another case, Pixar Studios and its famed jumping lamp at the beginning of each film fell under fire by Norwegian lamp making company “Luxo.” Pixar’s mascot is affectionately named Luxo Jr. so there really isn’t much debate as to where Pixar got their idea from, Luxo originally allowed the usage of their lamp as the mascot up until miniature models of the lamp were being sold for profit. The two sides ultimately settled, and Pixar will continue to use the Luxo Jr.

Copyright infringement is a serious violation that can end up being an expensive mistake, one that could sink projects and companies before they even get started. It is easy to accidentally violate copyrights if you are unaware of them. There is a lot of homework that goes on behind the scenes for all of your favorite films.

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A New Way to Enjoy the Horror Genre

by Brett Levin

Montgazette Staff Writer

Recently, three of the biggest names in media have announced that they will be involved in the latest installment of the notorious horror series, “Silent Hill.”

Video game legend, Hideo Kojima and renowned movie director, Guillermo del Toro, are collaborating to make the scariest installment that has ever been experienced in video game history. Boondocks Saint and co-star of the hit TV series, “The Walking Dead,” Norman Reedus, will be starring as a playable protagonist for this project. “Silent Hills” is still in production and won’t hit shelves until 2016.

However, the trio has released a free playable trailer of the game called, “P.T.,” on PSN(PlayStation Network). A new team called, 7780’s Studio, developed “P.T.” Just like “Silent Hills”, it was under the direction of Kojima and Del Toro to instill fear in gamers’ hearts and create buzz for the upcoming 2016 survival horror game.

This 30-minute demo was specifically made to show off the technical aspects and power that Kojima’s graphic engine, “Fox Engine,” could do to generate movie-like horror in video games. The question is; how close can a video game come to feeling like a movie?

Communication Associate Professor Neil Goldstein said, “The idea behind movies is not law. The reason movies are made is to recreate the world we live in.”  “P.T.” does exactly that. The whole game takes place in a house with four hallways. The graphics and textures are photo realistic, and the only thing the player can do is examine the setting they’re placed in. It seems simple, and it is, but all sorts of creepy things go on inside this house. A tormented ghost, named Lisa, haunts it, and the only thing she wants to do is make the player suffer. She can willingly haunt multiple items in the house. There is no real order in which she travels, but she is always watching the player.

Neil Goldstein has also stated that, “Keeping things from the audience and setting up expectations that can’t be met are ways of generating horror in films. Video games offer two things that movies don’t allow for… One is interaction and the other is the ability to affect the narrative.”

This demo takes these concepts by the horns and propels them to the next level. The game is extremely cryptic. While there is a narrative to follow, the game never tells the player what to do. The developers force the player to interact with everything in order to piece together the mystery of Lisa. Players can never expect where Lisa will pop up next, and in order to complete the narrative, the player is forced to confront their fears and find her. It’s the scariest the experience in video games to date.

“P.T.“ is only a tech demo. No one knows for sure how much of it will actually be transitioned into the final product, but one thing is for sure… It’s bound to be terrifying!

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Montco Radio: Opening Doors of The World

by Marvin G. Marcellus

Montgazette Staff Writer

Montco Radio began as a “radio club” in the late’ 60s/early 70s. When current Senior Producer and Technical Services Manager, Matt Porter, joined the College in 1998, the radio club was called WRFM, or “Radio Free Montco.” The station had limited broadcast capability until 2003, when the station moved to internet broadcasting, allowing for a worldwide audience.

WRFM was changed to Montco Radio when the communications program moved into the Advanced Technology Center.

The Montco Radio club currently meets up every Monday at 12:30 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center’s Screenwriting Room (ATC 107). “Montco Radio was created to give students the opportunity to gain experience in the field of radio whether it’s as on air personality or DJ, a producer, an engineer, or as a club member such as station manager, assistant station manager, public relations or marketing staff,” says Porter. He also points out that, Montco Radio is one of the largest club’s on campus and streams content 24/7.

This fall season, the club is airing about 29 original-radio shows created by club members. Montco Radio club members run their shows from Montgomery County Community College’s state of the art radio station at the Central Campus in Blue Bell in the ATC building. Listening in to Montco Radio is as simple as logging on to http://www.montcoradio.com where content is streaming 24/7.

You can also search “Montco Radio” with the free Tune-in app. Android users can download the new free Montco Radio app, created by Dustin Markle.

Communication major Mike Cross is the current Montco Radio station co-manager. He shares the office with Paige Murray in order to ensure a smooth transition of leadership as this will be Paige’s last semester at Montco. Mike joined Montco Radio in the spring of 2013. Today he hosts a show called “Indieville” where Mike can be heard playing indie bands from punk to rock Monday’s from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mike’s goal is to play great songs that aren’t usually heard from bands on the radio, like the deeper album cuts.

Dylan Joyce is a communication major that has just joined Montco Radio this semester. Joyce, a.k.a. DJ sQwareD, has a show called “Mind The Music” Thursdays 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. DJ sQwareD play songs from different bands and singers and gives some interesting details and facts about the band and/or song. Dylan says he joined because he wanted to join a club that would “open the doors of the world” to him. He plans to make a career in radio and being a part of the Montco Radio club is his first exciting step.

If you have any questions or comments or if you have a show idea for Montco Radio we are available via email at montcoradio@hotmail.com. “Like” us on Facebook at Montco Radio. The club is planning a Holiday Party for Dec. 8 in ATC-107; we’ll be working with Toys for Tots to bring some holiday joy to kids in need.

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Do you want to watch a movie?

by Matt Mashaintonio

Montgazette Staff Writer

Do you love movies? How about watching movies on a big screen? Maybe you want to watch movies with fellow students and friends?

Okay. How about watching a variety of films from popular popcorn movies to masterpieces from cinema history? All right, fine. You want to do all this and eat free food; I get it! Oh, and you want to do it at Central Campus in Blue Bell; that’s fine, too, because there is a club where you can do just that. It’s called Reel to Real.

Every Thursday night, at 5:30 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center in room 222, Reel to Real (R2R) holds its weekly meetings. The meetings consist of watching a movie, decided on by the group and the club’s executive board, as well as enjoying pizza and soda at no cost to members. “I like Reel to Real because it gives me a chance to see interesting films I have never seen before,” said Sean Ross, a R2R member and Montco student. “I also like being in a group who likewise may not have seen those films.”

In addition to Reel to Real’s weekly meeting, they sponsor film screenings each semester on campus that are open to all Montco students and faculty, as well as the public. During this semester, there will be two more screening from Reel to Real including “Guardians of the Galaxy” on Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. and a family movie event on Dec. 6 ,both of which will be held in the Science Center Theater. This event will also be a charity drive because “one of Reel to Real’s goals is to give back to the community in any way we can,” said Molly Hennessy, a R2R member. “If someone can benefit from us getting together and having fun there really isn’t anything better than that.”

This semester, the club ran a co- club function with Montco Radio called Montcoberfest Fest. “It was a really fun event with a lot of really great people for a really good charity. I think it went about as good as anything could go really. It was a lot of fun!” said Justin Carr, a long time R2R member. The event was held to collect canned food for Manna on Main Street. A Nightmare on Elm Street was screened, and there was free food and a costume contest. The entry fee was a canned food donation; in total there was hundreds of cans collected and over $50 in monetary donations.

Last semester, R2R screened “The Lego Movie” as its first event with its new executive board. “Everyone seemed to have a great time at ’The Lego Movie,’” said Matthew Marinelli the clubs secretary. “It was our first screening and it went off without a hitch.”

For more information about Reel to Real’s meeting, screening or charity events, come to one of the meetings on Thursday nights at 5:30 or email Reel2Real.mc3@gmail.com.

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Should You Go to the COM Screening?

by Molly Hennessy

Montgazette Staff Writer

Montgomery County Community College holds its fall Communicating Arts Production Group, CAPG, screening on Dec. 15 at 6:30 p.m.

The “COM” screening allows students to showcase class projects and it is produced by CAPG. This event happens twice a year at the end of every semester at the Science Center Theater. More than 200 students attend and show their work.

However, in years past, the Communication program wasn’t as big and eventful as it is today. According to Neil Goldstein, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Communication program at Montgomery County Community College, 22 years ago they didn’t have a COM screening because there were only 30 students in the Communication program. Students, however, still had to present their work. At the end of each semester, students would stand and present their pieces in class.

Since the Communication program was a lot smaller at the time, there was no Advance Technology Center. Classes were originally held in the Physical Education building. Then it moved to the Black Box Theatre. Students used to dress up for this event and it was even catered. As the Communication program grew, it finally made its way to the Science Center.

Some traditions have come and gone. At the COM screening, students used to receive awards for their work and since some students would receive more awards than others, awards are no longer a part of the screening. The reward comes from the students’ work being showcased on the big screen.

One tradition that the COM screening has kept, but has slightly changed is the Blue Zone. In the past years, the Blue Zone was a segment of stories about suicide and stalking.  Today, the Blue Zone is a segment on being able to curse a lot.

Students in the Communication program are driven, passionate and proud about showcasing their work and always eager to learn more. Dani Moulton, president of CAPG, states her experience in the Communication program has provided her skills and the confidence she needs to succeed when she leaves Montgomery County Community College.

Another student who is very involved in Communication program is Matt Mashaintonio, president of Reel 2 Real, the film club at Central Campus in Blue Bell. Matt is producing this year’s COM screening and is pleased to ensure that more exciting and interesting projects will be shown at the screening.

The COM screening is fun and has gotten bigger and better with time. Please come out and celebrate with the Communication students by attending the COM screening.

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Montcoberfest: Monsters at Montco

by Jeremy Bandel

Montgazette Staff Writer

Montcoberfest was here, and if you missed it, you missed out on a great time. The first joint event between two of Montgomery County Community College’s most beloved clubs, Montco Radio and Reel 2 Real, took place on Thursday, Oct. l6 with a costume party and screening of the classic film, “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” Together the two clubs not raised money and donations for a local charity, Manna On Main Street, but they were also successful in bringing the students of Montco together.

Manna On Main Street, a community driven volunteer force, is a local organization whose vision and goals are simply to see “that everyone might be fed.” Starting off as a humble soup kitchen over 20 years ago, the organization is now one that hosts over 2,000 volunteers and provides food to the local populace seven days a week.

Wanting to find a way to help chip in towards the volunteer efforts and provide a way for students at the campus to connect, treasurer of Montco Radio, Nick Vergara, was inspired to the create the event known as Montcoberfest. When asked about how the event came about, Nick had this to say, “I wanted to combine charity, collecting the cans and giving to Manna, as well as bringing the two clubs together to have a good time. What better way than with food and movies?”

People arrived from their homes both near and far donning some great costumes. Jack Sparrow from The Pirates of the Caribbean series, Michael Myers of Halloween fame, Starlord from the recent film “The Guardians of the Galaxy,” and even the heavenly princess Snow White were in attendance at what seemed to be a random assor tment film in popular culture spanning over the last centur y. Hoagies and drinks were provided, good music was playing in the air, and quality company wasn’t hard to find; the per fect ingredients for a good time.

Fellow student Justin Carr, donning an assortment of video game and television items in a mish-mash costume, seemed rather satisfied with the occasion, “It was a really fun event with a lot of really great people. I think it’s really fantastic seeing everybody really positively working towards one common goal. There was this sort of energy of patriotism where everybody was united toward one cause, I feel it was a success for everybody involved.”

Dani Moulton, president of another celebrated group here at Montco, CAPG, was one of those in attendance. Temporarily dropping her guise as the comatose princess, Moulton was full of praises for the event, “It felt like a theatre experience, I had a lot of fun. I think it says that we’re all really involved in everything around here.

The success of the event of course means that more are likely to come. Matt Mashaintonio, president of the Reel 2 Real film club, seemed encouraged to try such events more often. When asked, Matt enthusiastically responded about his feelings and hopes for forthcoming events, “I’m really excited and enjoyed the fact that we can get together to have fun and have other people benefit from it.  I think doing good for our community is extremely important and I hope to do this more in the future.” If you missed your chance to attend Montcoberfest, rest easy knowing you may get a similar chance very soon.

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MCCC Takes on Manor College

by Kevin LaTorre

Montgazette Staff Writer

The Montgomery County Community College Mustangs Men’s soccer team looked to have the first win against a Division 1 school in their history. MCCC came into the match at a 6-3-1 record and Manor College was still looking for their first win in their division. Manor College was a powerhouse team in the NJCAA last year as they were ranked in the top ten in the National pools for most of the season. Manor College is in their first year as a Division 1 team.

MCCC is missing their starting goalie Freshman Andrew Toro for being suspended after receiving a red card against Bucks over a questionable call. Replacing Toro in net was Sophomore Christopher Anton. This was Anton’s first time as a goalie with big nets after he started playing indoor soccer a year ago.

Manor’s Anthony Valecce struck first in the 12th minute of the game after a mistake from Anton resulted in a wide open goal for the Blue Jays. However, MCCC would not go away as Uriel Perez found the back of the net after a scramble in the box two minutes later to make the score 1-1. The goal was unassisted. The MCCC defense kept the game close for most of the first half; However, Jim-Eckins Borfay scored the second goal in the 35th minute to make the score 2-1. Manor College would not look back. Five minutes later Manor’s forward Louis Antoine fired two goals past Anton, scoring back to back goals in the 41nd and 43rd minute to lead the score 4-1. Manor College lead at halftime.

MCCC still had their hopes up in making a comeback in the game as they changed their formation from a 3-2-3-2 to a 4-4-2 to help improve their defense. Sophomore Captain Austin Messener had a strong performance in the second half as the back four held Manor College to one goal in the 74th minute, scored by Tyler Gormely.

The defense had better communication and they proved to have Manor College str uggling to find the back of the net. Anton played better with more confidence making smart decisions and being very aggressive in front of the net. The Mustangs offense struggled against the Blue Jays Big defense. MCCC fell short in the match losing 5-1 dropping their record to 6-4-1.

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A Hidden Danger to Athletes

by John Brink

Montgazette Staff Writer

Growing up in American culture, it is common for young people to get involved in organized sports. A child may express interest in playing soccer, basketball, football and baseball in a local youth athletics program and it is something parents encourage to keep their child active. But there are hidden dangers and concerns young athletes need to watch out for.

People playing sports on an artificial turf surface, like football, soccer, and field hockey are putting themselves in harm’s way just by playing away from natural grass. The danger hidden within the turf comes from the seemingly harmless shredded tire bits that blanket the field. What was supposed to be
an eco-friendly idea has suddenly become a controversial topic due to it being potentially toxic.

These disturbing new findings that suggest that physical injury may no longer be the worst of our worries. And with most of the recent studies being done on concussions and the long term damage they can cause, parents are already reluctant to put their children in harm’s way.

The shredded tire bits contain traces of toxic materials. Zinc, lead, as well as latex and carcinogens are all known to be dangerous to a person’s health. The concern here is that these toxic metals and chemicals may be what are behind a recent string of young athletes developing cancer.

Per an NBC news report, University of Washington’s female soccer coach, Amy Griffin, was visiting two of her former goalkeepers in the hospital who were being treated for lymphoma. The report claims that as a nurse was treating one of the athletes, she asked if the girls were goalkeepers and they were two of four goalkeepers she had treated that week.

Coach Griffin then did some independent investigating where she met with 38 former soccer players, most of whom had a blood cancer like lymphoma or leukemia. What is even more curious is that of those 38 former players, 34 of them were goalkeepers.

The fact that these players are former goalkeepers matters because it is the one position in soccer where players constantly find themselves literally face to face with the turf. Accidental ingestion and direct contact with cuts or turfburn are easy ways for dangerous chemicals to enter the body and wreak havoc.

While this issue may be of great concern to parents and athletes, it is important to also note that this study is still in its infantile stages. A scientific connection between synthetic turf and athletes developing cancer cannot yet be confirmed. These cases are certainly a troubling development that needs to be looked into. And if the fields are not the cause of this curious wave of cancers, it must be scientifically proven so. Parents and athletes already have to weigh the risks when they step out onto the field and now they have to worry about what type of field they are stepping onto.

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Fighting in the NHL: Is it Really Part of the Game?

by Rebecca Bookbinder

Montgazette Staff Writer

ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun said in an interview last year that he believes the game could survive without it. He fears one day a player will die on the ice because of a fight.

Severe injuries and even death are the biggest reasons fighting in the NHL has been debated. In 2011, medical experts weighed in on the debate for the New York Times. Their studies showed that indeed blows to the head from fights caused damage to the brain and in certain cases those blows to the head caused serious illness. However, the data was not conclusive enough to ban fighting.

Nick Rodriguez, a Montco student said, “I really like fighting in the NHL. I think it is awesome and definitely unique… I almost get an adrenaline rush out of it.”

While the violence and injuries are of a concern, fighting does have its benefits for the game. For starters, fighting in the NHL sells. Rivalries and other games that are bound to have fights increase ticket price and sales. But economics are not all, from a fan perspective and the answers were quite similar. Taylor Pickersgill of West Chester said, “I think it’s a good thing. It’s a part of the culture and it is a way to settle disputes on the ice without taking cheap shots.”

Kevin Letizio, a student at Temple University as well as a hockey player said, “Fighting in the NHL is good. A high majority of players who engage in fighting have respect for the other fighter and the fight itself. The players and fans’ momentum feeds off the fight.”

Fighting in the NHL benefits both the fans and the players. The fans get a rush of excitement while the players do too. The players also are able to handle problems by dropping the gloves instead of taking cheap shots that could potentially be more dangerous than the fight itself.

The debate on whether or not fighting in the NHL is necessary is ongoing. Both sides of the argument have many different logical reasons that back up the opinions. College students tend to agree that fighting gives an added element of excitement to hockey, but medical experts show that there can be some serious consequences for doing so.

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Football, Crime and Social Media

by Timothy Salley

Montgazette Staff Writer

The Detroit Lions identified the fan who was shining a green laser pointer on players at a big NFL game earlier this year.

The fan was identified as a recent high school graduate named Marko Beslach. During a game between the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills, Beslach decided to shine a green laser in the faces of the Buffalo Bills players.

Two players saw the light of the laser and reported it to Bills coach, Doug Marrone. Marrone then reported the incident to security and the hunt began. The hunt didn’t hold up for long, after Beslach tweeted, “You see a green light on any of the bills players just laugh cause it’s me”.

Beslach will be banned indefinitely from attending all future events held at Ford Field, along with a disorderly conduct and misdemeanor charge from the Detroit Prosecutor’s Office. In addition to being banned, the season ticket holder whose tickets Beslach was using will also have his tickets revoked for the rest of the 2014 season.

Detroit Lions President, Tom Lewand spoke out and said, “Additionally, this occurrence was unique in that it could have affected the integrity of the game and, more importantly, could have jeopardized player’s safety”.

This story proves that this generation of technology is putting us into a hole because of some of these social media sites, when used irresponsibility. According to Northern Arizona University defensive back, Shawn Sharkey, “Seeing as though it was an in-game situation, it could have thrown the focus off for the players and someone could have gotten hurt.”

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