DAILY HELMSMAN Thursday 1.16.14
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Vol. 81 No. 056
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D AILY
H ELMSMAN Volume 81 Number 56
Editor-in-Chief L. taylor smith Managing Editor Joshua Cannon Design Editors Hannah Verret taylor grace Harrison Lingo
Campus Life
Resources on campus help fulfill fitness resolutions By James Smith
Sports Editor Hunter Field
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General Manager Candy Justice
At 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, people from all over the world blasted fireworks, popped champagne and promised to make changes in their lives. A popular resolution is to lose weight or live healthier, but it is often a promise of the New Year that remains unfulfilled. According to a study from the University of Scranton’s Journal of Clinical Psychology, as much as 25 percent of people drop this resolution within the first week and less than half can keep their eyes on the prize before summer. Junior English major Errol Rivers began his weight-loss journey a year and a half — and 150 pounds — ago.
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Rivers said the key to his success is following fitness professionals like Shaun T, Chalene Johnson and ManKoFit on Instagram because they post inspirational quotes, fitness tips and healthy recipes that inspire him to stay committed to his goals. On campus, there are programs to help students stick to their fitness resolutions such as the Healthy U initiative. What started as a tobacco-free initiative in 2011 by the Student Government Association has grown to promote better nutrition and physical activity on campus. According to the Campus Health Report, the percentage of overweight or obese students dropped 6 percent since the SGA’s initial decision. Part of the Healthy U initiative is a
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lot of students asking about our fitness assessments,” said Ebonie Cobb, fitness and wellness graduate assistant. She says the key to success is having specific, measurable, attainable and realistic goals. According to Cobb, students who stop pursuing their plans do so because they have too big of a goal in too short of a time period. In order to reach that objective, a plan is made to optimize each workout. According to the Rec Center’s website, every three to four months the personal trainer makes revisions and updates to keep steady weight loss and fitness goals. Students who are interested in hiring a personal trainer can pay $30 an hour and $150 for a six-lesson package. For more information, visit memphis. edu/cris.
wrestling club sport starts at U of M By Jonathan A. Capriel
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program called Midday Moves — a free, 15 to 20 minute planned workout on weekdays at 12:30 p.m. Kenneth Johnson, junior dance and nonprofit management major and a Midday Moves instructor, said it’s effective because it’s something students can do weekly with friends that’s fun. “It was an eye-opening experience,” Johnson said. “Seeing the draw we had on people passing by and watching the small group turn into a crowd was inspiring.” More individual fitness assessments can be found in the Campus Recreation Center. Personal trainers can create a fitness plan based on body fat, composition, blood pressure, flexibility and strength. “After (the winter) vacation we get a
Hayden McOlgan faced his wrestling partner with knees bent in a freestyle stance. When the live round started, his opponent lunged forward and attempted a leg take down. To defend against the attack, McOlgan later explained, he could have sprawled. Instead, he wrapped his arms around his opponent’s torso, lifted him off the blue mat and threw him onto the ground. A move like that would have earned McOlgan, a sports science sophomore, points in a match, but, in training, he gets a “good one” from his teammate and they continue rolling. This is the third week of practice for the newly formed University of Memphis wrestling club sport. Despite this display of physical
S u d o k u
strength, McOlgan said he is still a little rusty. “It has been nearly two years since I’ve been on a wrestling team. When we first started practicing, I felt like all my speed and strength was gone,” he said. “But I’ve been working really hard, and it is all coming back really quick.” But physical training wasn’t the only obstacle McOlgan had when he decided to come back to the sport — he first had to grapple with the Campus Recreation Intramural Services paperwork in order to create the team. After graduating high school, he was disappointed to find the closest college offering wrestling was in Little Rock, so he took it upon himself to organize the U of M’s first program. “Nine months ago I was spending a lot of time just filling out
see MAt on page 3
Complete the grid so that each row, column and 3-by3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9.
The University of Memphis
Thursday, January 16, 2014 • 3
MAT
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photo By JONATHAN A. CAPRIEL | staff
Brian Loeffler, coach for the new University of Memphis wrestling club sport team, demonstrates a break down during a practice held at the Memphis Judo and Jujitsu.
forms and handing out flyers trying to get people interested,” McOlgan said. “I had to run the first few practices myself. It was never my plan to be the coach. I was just looking for someone to step in.” His persistent searching and raising awareness paid off when a friend introduced McOlgan to Brian Loeffler, head coach of the Cordova High School wrestling team. Having had experience in building teams, the veteran coach brought credibility to the program. When Loeffler attended the U of M, he was manager of the hockey club sport and he created the Kingsbury High School wrestling team after he graduated. When he moved to Cordova High School, he led them to four state tournaments with nine of his wrestlers winning state medals.
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“Once Coach Loeffler came on board, things picked up a lot,” McOlgan said. “People have started to look at this as a legitimate team because of him.” The new University program has given Loeffler a unique opportunity to train some of the best wrestlers from high school again. One student the coach bragged about was senior Hayden Barcelona who qualified for two state champion tournaments and had a record of 42 wins with only 5 losses his senior year at Cordova High School. “I didn’t think I was going to get another chance to wrestle,” Barcelona said. “So I was pretty thrilled to have (Loeffler) coaching me again and to be teamed up with so many talented wrestlers.” Sam Lilley, a senior criminal justice major, had an overall record of 120 wins to 53 losses at Collierville High School and came in first place at the 2010 Black Course Invitational Tournament. Although he never wrestled for the Cordova team, Loeffler gave him a nickname. “He used to call me ‘CK’ or ‘Cordova Killer’ because I was able to beat so many of the guys on his team,” Lilley said. “He had a good team, but in my last year of high school, I defeated eight of his wrestlers in matches.” The time these seniors get to spend wrestling for U of M will be short. Barcelona goes to pharmacy school after the spring 2014 semester, and Lilley will graduate in the summer. They have also been off the mat for close to three years each. However, this does not discourage them. These wrestlers are quickly improving every practice, according to Loeffler. Their major contribution to the program will be the technical knowledge they pass down to new members he said. The club sport is under the governing body of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association which has 162 teams in the U.S. It holds nine different conferences and its own national tournament. However, the U of M team will not be pinned down to only wrestling other teams within the NCWA. Division I teams are able to have cross over dual meets with any team in the NCAA. “The guidelines for wrestlers for NCWA are similar to the NCAA. Students are required to be enrolled in classes with a minimum 2.3 GPA,” Loeffler said. “Middle Tennessee State University has a wrestling club sport that is ranked 8th in the nation among all college teams.” Currently, the U of M sports club is considered a division II emerging program in the NCWA, but, according to McOlgan, it is possible for them to move up to Division I in as little as a year and a half. There are still some hiccups the fledgling wrestling team will need to deal with. They haven’t been able practice on campus, but Loeffler said he is optimistic they will find a spot on the University
see wrestling on page 4
4 • Thursday, January 16, 2014
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Central Avenue safety project is on track for fall 2014 completion date By Mandy Hrach
news@dailyhelmsman.com Despite some delays in December, the Central Avenue Safety Improvement Project is on track for a Fall 2014 completion, according to Tony Poteet, assistant vice president for Campus Planning and Design. The project calls for new sidewalks on the south side of Central Avenue and a new four-way intersection at Zach Curlin Street. It will also include the construction
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entire project. In August, the University announced the start of the first phase of the project, which includes the new Zach Curlin Street intersection and sidewalk on the south side of Central Avenue. According to a University news release issued on Aug. 29, the first phase was to start in September and take four to five months. As of January, the only evidence of the project was some traffic cones near the Central Avenue and Zach Curlin Street intersection. The second phase, which was the
new median, was to start early this year, while the third phase — the sidewalk on the north side of Central Avenue — was to start this spring. Poteet said the total price of the project is estimated to top $1.3 million. While some students like the idea of the project, others say the money should be used elsewhere. “We’re in college. I feel like we should be old enough to make our own decisions about where to cross the street,” journalism major Anna Joy Batchelor said. “I honest-
ly think the school would be better off spending its money on making more public parking.” Despite some questions about the need, Poteet said the point of the project is to ensure the safety of students who park in the Central Avenue lot and have to cross the busy street to get to buildings on the main campus. The project has been in the planning stages since 2008, and one major improvement was the addition of the traffic light at Central Avenue and Innovation Drive.
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for the team to practice. For now the team trains at Memphis Judo and Jujitsu in Germantown. The bigger issue will be financing the wrestlers. Unlike other U of M teams, which get funding from the University, club sports have to find their own funding. “The University has given us $1,000 and will also match up to $1,000 we raise, but that’s it,” Loeffler said. “We will have to pay for this ourselves threw continuous fund raising.” Initially, the team will be relying on member dues and donations to raise money. Long-term plans include raising funds through wrestling camps, golf tournaments and various other ways. Sponsors are key to Loeffler’s plan. “We are all here to build something bigger than ourselves,” he said. “Memphis needs this so that future high school graduates can continue wrestling in college.” Loeffler points to MTSU as an example of how successful this club sport can be. “They are a Division I wrestling team that raises enough funds to award scholarships. They have had a few wrestlers go All-American. My goal is to get the U of M to that level or surpass it in five years,” he said. The U of M will compete in its first conference tournament against East Tennessee State University on March 1. Those interested in joining or supporting the team can contact Loeffler by email at lef103@aol.com or by phone at 901-355-9402.
of a new center median on Central Avenue and new sidewalks on the north side of the street. The project will also include the installation of a fence to funnel pedestrian traffic to the crosswalks to prevent people from jay walking across the busy street. “We had some other delays, particularly last month,” Poteet said. “It will be finished this fall. I would not promise before school but probably late fall.” Poteet declined to say what the delays were but he said they would not delay the completion of the
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Entertainment
Jacob woloshin talks rap, sports and jazz By Samuel Prager
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photo By sAMUEL pRAGER | stAff
sophomore Jacob woloshin, wUMr sports director and local rapper, talks on the mic at the University of Memphis radio station 91.7 wUMr the Jazz Luvr.
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Jacob Woloshin is a Memphis born and bred hip-hop artist and radio personality who has made a name for himself through his unique music and radio programs. Woloshin, 21, said he started discovering his interest in hip-hop at a young age due to his stepfather’s musical interest in legendary rappers Eazy-E, Biggie and TuPac, which a young Woloshin would hear echoing around his house throughout his childhood. “Growing up I always liked poetry. It was a way for me to express myself just through lyrics,” Woloshin, a sophomore broadcast journalism major, said. “I started writing my own lyrics in middle school. I was always a vocal kid, so I started singing and rapping to my own lyrics.” Woloshin’s brother and future producer, Nathan Woloshin, approached him in spring of 2011, offering to help further his brother’s rapping career by producing and paying for Woloshin to record a studio album. The Woloshin brothers started their first project soon after. “It took us like half of a year, but we finally came up with an album and ‘May I?’ was made,” Jacob said. With Jacob’s lyrics and his brother’s beats, the duo released Jacob’s debut album, “May I?” in January of 2012. The record was distributed free through SoundCloud, an online music website, and still remains available for free downloading. The record draws on classic hip-hop foundations and adds a new age flow. The clever beats are equipped with suave guitar riffs wrapped in lightning-speed charisma. The choruses are delivered with retrospective lyrics of past
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loves and competitive natures. “If you really listen to the album, you can tell I worked really hard on it. It’s cool that I’ve gotten some recognition for it but really I’m just proud of the fact that I put something out there that I’m just proud of,” Jacob said. “It was fun for me, and I think if you enjoy hip-hop and good rap music, you’ll like it.” For the next year, Jacob performed live at notable Memphis venues such as Crosstown Arts and The New Daisy to help promote his first album and was featured on several other Memphis artists’ songs. “Rapping was never something I thought would take me anywhere,” Jacob said. “I did it for fun. I picked it up and I happened to be good at it and people happened to look at me and notice the talent. It’s still an ever growing journey, and I’m still waiting on what people are going to say.” In fall of 2012, the emcee left his hometown to go to school at the University of TennesseeKnoxville where he continued to push his musical career and fan base. However, when Jacob returned to the University of Memphis for his sophomore year, his priorities in entertainment shifted. Jacob, along with his brother Nathan, started a radio show in the summer of 2013 at 91.7 WUMR the Jazz Luvr at the U of M. “The Brothers Woloshin” became one of the station’s more popular shows, earning some of the station’s best time slots. “I think the station itself is a beacon for great music, let alone a great opportunity for any students to learn about media production or to just get the chance to be on the air,” Jacob said. “On our show, we tried to play the best big band and contemporary jazz. Me and
see Artist on page 13
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Local T-shirt company reps Memphis By David Creech
news@dailyhelmsman.com For Ian Lemmonds, the grit and grind of the Grizzlies goes beyond basketball — it is integrated into the lives of Memphians every day of their lives. According to the 41-year-old Memphis transplant, the 901 area-code gets a bad rep when stacked against other cities in Tennessee. Areas like Nashville and Chattanooga have a glossy veneer that shower over the people who live there, and, unless they’re passionate about Elvis Presley or barbecue, many Tennesseans scoff at the city. This is what Lemmonds jokingly calls the “Memphis Threat,” which shares the name of his T-shirt company. Started in 2008, the self-run business grew from the gritty, unpolished aesthetic of the city he inhabited. It was the broken cracks in the sidewalk and the people who weren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty that inspired him. “People outside of the city seem to see living in Memphis as a punishment, as if we didn’t choose to live here,” Lemmonds said. “It’s as if gritty, hardworking and blue-collar is something to be ashamed of.” Lemmonds grew up listening to punk rock bands such as Minor Threat, Black Flag and Joy Division. Popping in and out of house shows and venues such as the Hi-Tone, he saw musicians like The Oblivians and Jay Reatard. For him, Memphis music was more than the clean-cut days of Sun Studio recording artists. Stretching from Midtown to the river, the Memphis punk scene mirrored the city in a big way. He began to conceive the idea that Memphians should celebrate being viewed as “the bad guys.” After much graphic design work and some screenprinting, “Memphis Threat” was born. Since its birth, the brand has grown into a local icon that’s plastered across the chests of many people throughout the city. What started as taking a band’s logo and replacing their name with “Memphis” (I.e. the most popular of the brand’s items, a shirt boasting the Misfits’ skull, but instead of saying ‘Misfits’ in a shaky white outline, ‘Memphis’ replaces it.) has morphed into a variety of T-shirts that represent not just punk music but the gritty independence that Memphis inherently possesses. “It’s about seeing these iconic things and then subverting it to Memphis’ benefit,” Lemmonds said. “You’re keeping the sense of nostalgia.” Bands claiming trademark rights generate concern among the customers but not Ian. Many of the logos used in the shirts, such as Danzig and the Misfits, weren’t original themselves. The Danzig logo was taken from a cover of Marvel Comics’ Crystar, while the Misfits’ logo came from the film The Crimson Ghost. “The only way I could be sued for a trademark claim is if I was making bootleg shirts,” Lemmonds said. “Which I’m obviously not doing.”
Alexander Swilley, a student at the Memphis College of Art, believes that the brand is a gross misrepresentation of the city but one that he is hopeful for. “I think one is to see a Misfits logo with the word Memphis and assume it’s a very punk rock city or has some history with the Misfits,” he said. While Memphis may have no direct association with the Misfits,
and Swilley may not see the punk rock heritage that Lemmonds found in Memphis, he believes it is a step in the right direction for the city. “It’s cool to have a Memphis shirt without a gun on it,” Swilley said. “That joke is played out.” Julien Baker, a Memphis-native who attends Middle Tennessee State University, believes that Memphis
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Threat embodies the heart of her hometown. “I love the fact that a punk brand is successfully representing my city,” Baker said. “I wear my shirt on campus, and people are immediately taken aback. When I got to Murfreesboro, I realized that the shirt had a real effect on people. It was a great icebreaker and helped me make friends in college.”
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Lemmonds prints his shirts on organic material with the intention of creating a lightweight product to combat Memphis’ devastatingly hot, humid summers. For anyone interested in purchasing a shirt, they are available at MemphisThreat.com or at special events like Cooper-Young Festival and other pop-up shops around the city.
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The University of Memphis
Thursday, January 16, 2014 • 7
grassroots initiative aims to better Memphis By Hannah Bailey
news@dailyhelmsman.com Make Memphis, the Facebook group created by 34-year-old entrepreneur Taylor Berger, evolved from a digital round table into a bona-fide platform for change in just over a month’s time. On Dec. 7, the group spawned from a Facebook post announcing Berger’s call to action: “I’d like to propose we the real people of Memphis do something…I’ve started a Facebook page called Make Memphis…Who’s in?” So far, 1,273 people have joined, according the open group’s member count. As owner of well-known local businesses Yolo, Chiwawa, Tamp and Tap and the soon to be Truck Stop restaurant, Berger knows a thing or two about progress. Make Memphis stemmed from Berger’s weariness of the negative chatter about Memphis on social media and through anonymous
comments on The Commercial Appeal website. The Facebook group quickly became an idea generator and discussion board for Memphis advocates. “The mission of Make Memphis is to connect people and shepherd ideas through to action, delivering results that make Memphis a better place to live and work,” Berger said during a recent meeting with the group’s founders. Tommy Pacello, a member of the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team, spoke to the small group of movers and shakers on the ways Make Memphis could enhance the city by teaming up with IOBY, a crowd-sourcing platform for citizen-led neighborhood projects. IOBY couples a communityorganizing core of activists and advocates with crowd funding, the pooling of small donations online for a specific project or cause. “Before this platform was around, there wasn’t really a good way for neighbors to invest back
into their neighborhoods,” Pacello said. The Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team and Livable Memphis have combined efforts and funds to bring IOBY to Memphis with hopes to establish a Memphis-specific platform. “Whether it is taking a blighted property and turning it into a positive asset to your neighborhood or a campaign to bring recycling back downtown, whatever is under your skin about this city, you can prototype it on a small scale, fund it on IOBY, get investors for your fundraising then launch it officially,” Pacello said. Memphis has had tremendous success in the past year utilizing IOBY to implement the Hampline, the two-mile on-road/multi-use trail and the most innovative bicycle infrastructure project to be built in the United States. “In fact, it was the biggest crowd funded infrastructure project since the Statue of Liberty,” Pacello said.
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The Hampline is IOBY’s largest project to date, raising just over $75,000. The average IOBY project will accrue between $1,000 and $15,000 in funds, bringing about smaller scale neighborhood change. Make Memphis is holding an open event Feb. 8 at 409 South Main St. in preparation for IOBY’s visit to spread the word and publicize ideas for potential Memphis projects. “The first seven or eight projects are in the pipeline and there is room for 15 to 20 more, possibly from the Make Memphis group,” Pacello said. University of Memphis computer science professor Laney Strange has recently planted her roots in Memphis and is co-owner of Memphis Punch Studios, a firm that builds communitydriven campaigns, programs and services. With experience as a software engineer for Amazon in Silicon Valley then for a non-profit called TechSoup in San Francisco, Strange hopes to pair her specialized tech skills with her passion for civic duty and is eager to contribute to any projects that may enhance the city. There is one clear goal in the recent Make Memphis meetings according to Strange, “Let’s highlight and funnel some of the best ideas and make them happen.” Berger believes big, unformulated goals in Memphis can be tackled over time by focusing on smaller, more finite projects. “I really want more talented people to come to Memphis, but I can’t make an IOBY project for that,” Berger said. “What I can do is create an area of downtown that we brand as a creative super hub area of smart business people to draw them in. Let’s take a big idea, boil it down to something you can
put a project around and get the help to make it happen.” Banks and law firms that once did business downtown have since moved eastward. The creative industry, however, has its roots firmly planted in the downtown district. “Architecture firms, branding and web design firms are staying downtown because they understand the benefits of interacting with lots of other like-minded creative individuals,” Berger said. “These are also the type of firms that do a lot of hiring of young people out of school. We are trying to bring attention to what’s already here to make it better and to hopefully make it grow.” The lack of bright, young professionals moving to Memphis to do business isn’t the only problem, according to Berger. “I think we have a big problem with students leaving Memphis after graduation,” Berger said. “Having a track record of getting things done provides students a way to start building their personal brand, getting things done in the city, meeting people and falling in with others like themselves. They start liking the city more and the city starts liking them back.” University of Memphis graphic design student Rachel Hurley designed the Make Memphis logo and will work with the group to promote future endeavors. “For students, getting involved in city initiatives like Make Memphis is a great opportunity to network, gain experience and maybe find a mentor,” Hurley said. Berger is working to brand a downtown area south of Madison Avenue as the downtown core’s creative business hub, with plans to kick start the project with a festival and a social media scavenger hunt/race in late April.
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