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JCU casts its vote for U.S. President

The staff of The Matthew polled over 160 John Cabot University students in recent weeks asking who they thought would win the upcoming U.S. Presidential Election. Here's the breakdown:

JCU Gladiators open season with a loss

By Dani Smith

ROME, Oct. 26 - The men's soccer team played their first match of the season on Thursday, taking on cross-town rivals at Tor Vergata.

By halftime, the Gladiators were down  by 3-0.  At the end of the game, the Gladiators were defeated by a score of 4-0.

Jake Flazone, a study-abroad student student who plays forward for the Gladiators, said, "we're still getting used to each other, and once we build solid team chemistry, we should be in good shape."

Support the Gladiator's next match on Wednesday, Oct. 29 on their home field against ESN Erasmus Roma. 

Rome Film Festival Unspools

By Sonia Malpeso

ROME, Oct 16 - The third edition of Roma Film Fest kicked off on Oct. 22 with the return of internationally acclaimed movie stars and directors in a week-long celebration at the Auditorium Parco Della Musica.

The event’s title alteration, from last year’s “Cinema Festa Internazionale di Roma” to “Festival Internazionale del Film di Roma” was decided by new festival president, Gian Luigi Rondi, who wanted a stronger Italian identity. With notably fewer American stars appearing at this year’s event, the new philosophy seems to be putting a greater emphasis on Italian cinema rather than Hollywood.

The highlight of the festival is the “Cinema 2008” Selection, consisting of 14 European and International premieres which compete for two prizes: the "Marco Aurelio d'Oro" Award for Best Film of 75,000 euros, chosen by votes of the audience members, and the Premio della Critica (Citics’ Prize) for Best Film, awarded by a jury of international professionals. The jury will also preside in awarding prizes to the Best Actress and Best Actor. Al Pacino will be this year’s guest of honor, and will be the receiver of the Marc'Aurelio Alla Carriera Acting Award, given on behalf of Actor’s Studios. Previous recipients of the award included Sofia Loren (2007) and Sean Connery (2006).

One anticipated segment of the festival will be “L’altro Cinema/Extra,” incorporating screenings of independent and documentary films along with the opportunity for moviegoers to exchange dialogue with some of today’s most acclaimed actors and directors, including Al Pacino and David Cronenberg. “L’occhio del mondo/Focus,” is the section of the festival that is meant to capture and explore cultures from all over the world through music, art, and literature.  This year’s “Focus” is dedicated to Brazil, unraveling its national traits, through photography exhibitions, film screenings, and dance concerts. A special feature of the Brazil showcase will be the Italian-Brazilian co-production Estômago/Una storia gastronomica, directed by Marcos Jorge, which won 4 out of 6 prizes at the 2007 Rio Film Festival.

Two films kicked off the festival. The first is L’uomo che ama directed by Maria Sole Tognazzi, starring Monica Bellucci and Pierfrancesco Favino The second opening film will be the international film Huit/Eight, directed by eight world-famous filmmakers: Jane Campion, Gael Garcia Bernal, Jan Kounen, Mira Nair, Gaspar Noé, Abderrahmane Sissako, Gus Van Sant, and Wim Wenders, was inspired by the UN 8 Millennium Development Goals and its campaign to end global poverty.

      

Tickets for the festival can be purchased at the Ticket Office in the Auditorium Parco della Musica or at authorized ticket outlets. For more information regarding tickets, schedule, and transportation, visit the official website.

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Study-abroad students dig for election details in run-up to big day

By Dani Smith

ROME, Oct. 10 - With 44 million eligible voters in their teens and twenties in the United States, the so-called "Millennial Generation" makes up a crucial voting bloc. They break down to 61% white, 17% Hispanic, 15% black and 4% Asian.

John Cabot University students are a category of voters that are actively involved and engaged with global issues, connected through technology and constant communication.

In comparison with past generations, the Millennials have truly “rocked the vote.” Statistics reveal that voters aged 18-29 represent more than one-fifth of the voting population. Recent history reveals that the generation was responsible for the difference in the 2006 and 2008 primaries, according to recent “RocktheVote” data.             

The Millenials' concerns are vast this year, especially with the economy in trouble, rising gas prices and global warming fears. Fretting over grocery money and college tuition, college students will be hit hard. Maritza Janique Leal, a Public Relations major and study abroad student at JCU says, “whenever I have a chance to talk with my parents back home in Texas, I am always reminded by them of how poor the economy is doing. I am definitely nervous about the market and especially about trying to find a job next year.”  Apprehensions like these are common for upcoming college graduates.

Many student voters are well-informed about the upcoming presidential election through school events, family influence and fellow peers. However, American study-abroad students like those at JCU are at a geographic disadvantage. They are thousands of miles away from their home and universities.

Students are far away from the heart of the election, the constant buzz of media and discussions with friends or family. A recent “Rock the Vote” study reveals that “the most common way that young Americans keep track of this election and other news is by talking to friends and family.” With close friends and family so far, students must look into new resources to keep the election discussion alive.

Would being at home actually make a difference though? Michelle Carroll, a study abroad student and International Studies major says, "I am definitely up-to-date with the election, but all through my own efforts... because there have been few opportunities to discuss the topic in my class, as well as few school events." As a first time voter and witness in the election as a college student, Carroll, like others, feels disconnected from the election back home.

This semester, many study abroad students are independently digging for political answers for the election.   

As a result, many JCU students are forming opinions about the election independently as they await their absentee ballot. 

 

Young and old voters finally agree: it's the economy, stupid

By Juliette Laaka

ROME, Oct. 8- With the fast approaching U.S. Presidential election just weeks away, issues surrounding the economy and the current fiscal crisis dominate discussion and voter concern.

Americans are presently struggling with the volatility of the financial sector, but are also dreading future prospects. For a change, the difficulties are bringing young voters and their parents together. According to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll that the economy is the top priority. Nearly half polled said it was their chief concern, which pushes issues like national security and the Iraq war to the back-burner. Similarly, a poll conducted by CBS News and MTV illustrated that the youth vote was most concerned about the economy, Iraq war, and the environment. 

The rise of apprehension and panic comes as no surprise after months of a faltering economy, and the recent bailout of Wall Street. Average Americans are uneasy about the effect it has on their livelihoods. “Everything has gone to hell here, I can’t even work. Nobody can buy lobsters, not even processors. The price-per-pound has dropped a dollar in the past week,” a Maine lobster fisherman told The Matthew Online.  The lobster fisherman said he will vote for the candidate he feels has the stronger economic policy. “There’s got to be some oversight, and that’s why I agree with [Sen. Barack] Obama.”    
   
Experienced voters are also anxious of energy prices, the job market, and health care. As baby boomers griow older, health care becomes an important topic for their generation. Additionally, the viability of social security is weighing on the minds of every American that has paid into the program their entire working life.  The future of the pension program is less than certain, and many worry about what kind of monthly payout the plan will afford once they retire.

In the polls above, a full 34 percent of young voters voiced concerns about the long-term stability of the economy; 18 percent cite the environment as the greatest challenge to the global community. “I think that younger voters have become more informed and involved during this election,” said college sophomore Elias Edwards-Jenks, a John Cabot University student. He believes it is the dire financial situation, and the suddenly bleak job market, that has revived the interest of young voters -- not that different from their parents' generation. 

As American voters go to the polls on Nov. 4, collective angst and hope -- from young and old -- will be heard.

Election still pivotal, but economy steals the show

By Adam Hembree

ROME, Oct. 8 – October of an election year should provide a media blitz, a hearty, political bill-of-fare for the reader to digest. Most major news outlets, however, are serving up a grimmer first course as an international economic crisis continues.

Try the New York Times, The BBC and CNN, for example.All three news giants are flying the stock market woes as their top story. The United States presidential election, an event that typically warrants bold headlines, with or without an eventful race, is rapidly finding itself to be a second-tier story.

Professor of Economics Mary P. Merva, Dean of Academic Affairs for John Cabot University, acknowledged the shift in focus.“It’s so extreme and so uncertain,” she said in regard to the recent market woes. In the wake of the liquidity crisis over the past several weeks, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the benchmark Wall Street index, sunk to its lowest level in four years earlier this week and banks across the world have sought government aid in securing their finances.

“We haven’t seen such interconnectedness among companies and countries worldwide,” said Prof. Merva. “We have to collectively respond.”

Numerous central banks in America, Europe and Asia have already begun working to shore up consumer and investor confidence as governments pump more money in to keep things afloat.

While the election may be playing second fiddle to the universal top story, economic goings-on are severely affecting the political landscape. 

Both presidential candidates have sought to emphasize the economy in their platforms. Sen.John McCain and Sen.Barack Obama provide detailed fiscal plans to address the biggest concerns for American voters.

“The election will become important with respect to the economy,” says Professor Merva. As the future economic policy of the United States could depend greatly on this November, the world will continue to pay attention. 

Though it is often surprising for Americans abroad, people in Europe show great interest in United States politics. From Termini Station to a local gelateria, “McCain or Obama?” is the question most locals have for their American visitors. Professor Merva is not surprised. 

“Europeans are always much more aware,” she says, because, in such a diverse continent, people are used to looking outside of their world.  

While the majority of people are looking at the inside of their wallets, don’t be surprised at a surge in political attention over the next several weeks. The world is seeing green for the moment, but no one is forgetting about red and blue.

At this late date, undecided voters are not alone

By Tyler Flanagan 

ROME, Oct. 7 – The Lemon Tree Courtyard at John Cabot University last Monday was filled to capacity with over 300 American students watching the televised the replay of the first presidential debate.  Midway through the broadcast, a discussion arose among the some of the students and a consensus emerged: neither candidate, John McCain nor Barack Obama.

The students said neither candidate seemed to be tackling the issues head-on, and the debate seemed to be more involved around character than policy.  

That evening, an informal poll was taken to guage which party the students favored. There were more hands raised for Obama than for McCain, but there were a surprising number -- roughly 20 - "undecided" hands raised. This first debate was supposed to sway the undecided votes to one side or the other, but that was simply not the case, an issue true in some parts of America too.

Josh Sanchez, 19, a study-abroad student walked into this debate leaning to neither party. “I came into this debate tonight undecided, looking for an answer of which party I want to vote for, but I’m still stuck right where I was previously,” he said. Speaking of McCain, he said, "I do not agree with the Keating Five scandal and how his campaign managers are [former] lobbyists,” he explained. “I was expecting answers about the economy that I minimally received.”  

The first set of Presidential Debates lacked substance for the undecided voters. Students are frustrated that neither candidate impressed them enough to set their votes. They are concerned about the job market and who will revive the slumping economy.

The second debate between McCain and Obama airs tonight.  

For additional information about undecided votes visit the following site.

The new buzz on the youth vote

By Elizabeth Fleming 

ROME Oct. 7, 2008- Democratic Party presidential nominee Barack Obama has 2,020,869 supporters on Facebook and another 670,640 Myspace friends while his opponent John McCain has 561,009 Facebook fans and 156,925 Myspace friends.

To some, these numbers mean nothing. But to those watching the youth vote, these figures represent the latet way politicians are using the internet to engage youth supporters. 

With the 2008 election in full gear, campaign strategists are looking to new ways to incorporate the younger generation in the election. Ten years ago they solved this problem through Rock the Vote. Today, campaign strategists are turning to Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, and other internet sites to gain support from the young. 

During the 2004 election, Facebook was just starting up and YouTube did not yet exist. Today, both senators Obama and McCain have created online communities through these sites and others. Obama alone has over 1 million Facebook friends and another 650,000 friends on Myspace -- a figure larger than some states. 

With both the Democratic and Republican parties dueling it out to claim a part of the virtual world, one might ask why all this fuss to target the youth? The internet is being used as a battleground to target the youth because of their value in the election this year. Politicians and their campaign strategists have come to realize that college-aged voters are the most tech-savy generation, and use the internet as a means of vital communication. 

These new online campaigns not only help politicians, but allow the younger generation to have more of a say in the election, while keeping up to date on the election itself.  Anna Markwica, a 19-year-old study-abroad student at John Cabot University, says, "the online websites for both parties continues to grow by the day and represent a new form of   communications... There are Facebook profile pages for nearly all candidates, multiple Facebook groups for McCain and Obama and also Myspace pages.”

Here are some other election-related sites worth watching:

 NBC in conjunction with Myspace launched Decision ’08 earlier this year. This website shows election news, polls, discussion forums, debate video clips, and other pertinent information relating to the campaign. In June, 2007, CNN and YouTube collaborated on the CNN/Youtube Debates series as well. 

The CNN-YouTube Debates are televised debates where the questions are submitted through YouTube. TechPresident is a website dedicated to how the election candidates are using the web, and how the web is using the candidates. 

Both the Republican and Democratic parties have provided valiant efforts into enticing the youth to vote. But come November 4th, we will find out whose efforts were strong enough to gain the youth vote. 

From a country that cannot vote, all eyes are on Obama-McCain

By Christiana Rein

ROME, Oct. 7 - The word “Change,” the election theme of Democratic Party presidential nominee Barack Obama, appears to be echoing around the Earth, and here in Italy too.

This U.S. presidential campaign, the long-lasting and most expensive thus far, has captivated viewers from all over the globe.

It started with the Democratic Party. Everyone was tuned in to see if either a woman, Hillary Clinton, or an Afro-American candidate, Obama would gain the Party nominee. John McCain came visibly into the scene after the Democratic candidate was elected.

Europeans’ direct interest in this electoral campaign was well described by Silvio Fagiolo, an ex-Italian ambassador to Germany, who spoke at the “One Month To Go” round-table discussion on October 1 at John Cabot University. He said there is an essential partnership between Europe and the United States financially, politically, and socially. He added that Europe has “an emotional attachment” to the United States and that the message of change resonates greatly. Europe approves Obama’s “language of compromise” on foreign policy while it dislikes McCain’s complete focus on winning the war on terror, he added.

What spread Obama and his motto even more to the Italian people were the elections in April 2008. Walter Veltroni, presidential candidate of Italy's Democratic Party used a version of Obama’s  “Yes We Can” in its campaign slogan, “Si Puo’ Fare”.

Italy seems to certainly favor Obama. Erminia Abbuonandi, an Italian ENLUS student at John Cabot University says, “I would definitely vote for Obama because he is charismatic, and I think he would be a good president because McCain is too conservative”. Another Italian degree-seeking student, Davide Ianiello, agrees with Erminia, adding he's not quite sure what McCain looks like, an indication of just how much media attention the Illinois senator receives.