Common sense in social media (jj Grant Bachand Team Member So media is a powerful tool for people to stay in contact, and reach beyond their circles; it unites us in ways that few things have ever done. We can use social media to find jobs, sell unwanted items, connect with distant family, etc. Truly, the range of what social media can do is limited only by our imaginations. However, do we as students know how to properly protect ourselves on social media, or the damage that can be done to one’s reputation? In my time at school, I have seen examples of students facing consequences of scoial media misuse that range from being severely put back in their studies, to being kicked out of school altogether. I have been a proponent of colleges and universities opening up more to the Internet and social media, and I would like to think that UNBC is a very pro-technology school. I do think, however, that we as a student body Culture 11 could do more to educate ourselves in ways to be safe online. People post online without the forethought of what consequences their actions might have. What is funny in the moment doesn’t always translate well to the rest of us. A quick Google search and one can find tons of examples of people who, by not using enough tact when on social media, have lost jobs, friends, and sometimes even social stature. Anthony Weiner is a great example of this; as a member US House of Representatives, he had served several terms in Congress. That was until he “sexted” a young woman a picture of his genitals and lost his position. Even the mightiest can fall; the world is very unforgiving place. Other cases have popped up in the news: people may of been just ranting about their day at work, but their boss found out, and leading to their termination as an employee. What does that mean to you? My writing these things means nothing; I am just a student who has really no pull Comic-land: let's talk about butts Colin Slark Team Member An Milos Manara has created a very special alternate cover for the first issue of Marvel’s new Spider- Woman comic. The titular heroine is featured on all fours, straddling a New York rooftop. It is a very striking piece of art, mostly because Spider-Woman’s body seems to be somewhat altered from average human anatomy. Her limbs distend and her spine, shoulder blades, and other bones are visible through her skin-tight costume. The crown jewel is Spider-Woman’s butt. Her posterior is featured prominently, as the rest of her body seems to be a plinth on which the butt is displayed. Her body seems to be approximately one-quarter butt. The character becomes irrelevant. It doesn’t matter that Spider-Woman is supposed to be any kind of superhero in this book, because this cover is telling the reader that the real star is her giant ass. For comparison, in the same week, other, male protagonists were shown on their covers doing the following: Thor, channeling lightning with his magical hammer; Magneto, fending off mutant animals with his powers of magnetism; and Spider-Man from the year 2099 is ina pitched battle with evil robots. On the covers for the male characters’ books, their power and heroism is clear. The website comicsbeat.com published an article last February saying that women make up around 46% of comic book fans in the United States. Nearly half of comic book fans are women, but the market seems intent on aiming their books at immature young men. Men are displayed as being powerful and heroic, while women seem to have to be posed in such a way that both their breasts and their butt have to be showing while making a sexy pose. If women make up nearly half of their readership, comic book companies should spend less time pandering to part of their audience, and should instead make their books accessible for all readers. If you want to read books that are friendly towards women, the solution is to avoid the two biggest comic book publishers, DC and Marvel. Though both companies (especially Marvel) have been hiring more women as of late and making more female friendly books, covers like this one and others, like many covers of Teen Titans, where scantily clad girls are in sexy poses for the entertainment of adults show that they are not committed to making ant ae in other people’s future, though if the same feelings are felt by a person in the business world, good luck having them take you seriously. Plenty of employers think this way too;. They want people who use their heads before they speak (or type). The old saying, common sense is really not all that common still applies. I would really like it if, as students, we would apply a bit more pressure on ourselves and our peers to think before they speak, and maybe use a bit more common sense when using social media. We can protect ourselves easily by asking ourselves before posting: “Am I okay with my boss or mother seeing this post? Can I explain my actions easily, and does what I am trying to convey in this message make sense in the most straightforward way?” Lets face it, people do not think of what you say to a great extent; they take most of your words for face value on the internet. If none of those things can be answered immediately as yes, don’t post it. We are going into the best years of our lives, which are going to be full of ups and downs. Why not make it a little easier on ourselves? their products accessible across audiences. If you want to read comics where people (acting like people) are treated like real individuals, read creator- | owned comics. ff Virtually all the major North American comic companies feature product lines where the creators own the work they produce. This means that these creators can write whatever they want without making products that meet some sort of marketing criteria. It’s not a universal constant, but many of these books have characters acting like people, and not like stereotypes.