DAILY HELMSMAN Tuesday 1.28.14
The
For a recap of men’s basketball, see page 8
Vol. 81 No. 061
Independent Student Newspaper of the University of Memphis
By Mandy Hrach
news@dailyhelmsman.com
news@dailyhelmsman.com Since the start of the spring semester, vintage sounds of a typewriter can be heard echoing off the concrete walls of the University of Memphis campus thanks to former student Adam J. Maldonado, a traveling poet who has been writing personalized poems to any student that asks. Maldonado, 24, has traveled coast to coast since graduating from the U of M in 2011 and returned to Memphis over winter break to move back closer to family. While being back in Memphis, the poet and for-
Wolf River Trails 4 Nun to be sentenced for Sabatoge
7
Arrest made in robbery By Jonathan Capriel
news@dailyhelmsman.com
photo By CanDiCE BriggiE | staff
Tim Jeanes, 23, is a junior at U of M and a double major in international business and Japanese. He hopes to travel abroad to Japan for the fall semester. ied abroad at Hamburg University during his junior year of college. Since then, he has received research scholarships for extended stays in Berlin, Vienna and Buenos Aires. Kelz encourages all of his students and prospective German majors or minors to take advantage
of the study abroad programs the University has to offer. “For students who completed or are nearing completion of their lower division German-language courses, it is very easy to get involved,” he said. The study abroad fair is not
the only way trip leaders and faculty have spread the word across campus. Posters advertising the different programs are dispersed throughout campus year-round, as well as frequent guest speakers who either hold seminars or come
see ABROAD on page 3
Poet makes things personal By Samuel Prager
3
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Few students study abroad Even though every full-time University of Memphis student pays a $15 per semester fee to support study abroad programs, only a small fraction of U of M students ever take advantage of the opportunity. Last year, only 360 of the U of M’s roughly 20,000 students participated in study abroad programs, according to Rebecca Laumann, study abroad director. That means every student at the University pays a fee to send less than 2 percent of students overseas. To spread the word about going to a foreign country, the Study Abroad office is sponsoring its winter informational fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in the University Center Ballroom. “This is a wonderful opportunity for students to inform themselves about the many study abroad programs that our University offers,” German assistant professor Robert Kelz said. “I encourage as many students to attend as possible.” This will be the second time Kelz has lead a trip to Eichstatt, Germany. He will also lead the four-week trip to Bremen this summer. The Tulane graduate first stud-
Not Crying on Sundays
mer actor can be seen around campus writing personal poems for students to help hone his artistic craft. “I came to campus to give this poetry project a shot. I figured college would be a good place to start,” Maldonado said. “I’m just looking to meet like-minded people, but a lot of it is about finding the most people who may be open to the idea and this has been a great place for that.” After moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, the former student faced financial difficulties and relocated to Las Vegas. It was there Maldonado would be engulfed in the artistic aurora of street poetry
The Daily Helmsman is a “designated public forum.” Students have authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. The Daily Helmsman is pleased to make a maximum of 10 copies of each issue available to a reader for free. Additional copies are $1. Partial printing and distribution costs are provided by an allocation from the Student Activity Fee.
that hides in Vegas’ neon-lit streets. “I began writing my own poetry in 2013 when I moved to Vegas. I met a lot of street poets there who perform on the strip and at open mic nights,” Maldonado said. “Most people look at Vegas and think of all of the flashing lights and big businesses, but when you get off the strip there is a strong artistic scene, lots of poetry and urban art in general.” From that point on, Maldonado, who had always felt a connection to Shakespeare’s poetic-styled writing, would start longing to express himself through writing as opposed to acting.
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“I just recently came to the decision that I wasn’t going to pursue acting anymore, it just wasn’t fun for me. I’m more artistically and, not to sound cheesy, spiritually fulfilled by writing, more so than acting,” Maldonado said. “You don’t need anyone’s validation to write, you just do it.” The poet has made a reputation for himself around the U of M campus over the past few weeks for writing personalized poems — free of charge — for anyone who asks. “If I’m writing for somebody, it’s their story even though I’m the one who’s writing it. I’m pulling the
index
see POET on page 5 Editorial
3 Sports
P o l i c e charged a man with aggravated robbery after he confessed to robbing a jewelry store in the Oak Court Taylor Mall Monday morning. At around 11 a.m., Marcus Taylor, 23, entered the store wielding a gun and demanded jewelry from a display case, according to police. He escaped with seven rings through an entrance just around the corner from the store. Police officers immediately swarmed the area with uniformed officers, canine units and a police helicopter. Taylor entered what police described as “the wooded area” behind South Perkins Road. Over a dozen police cars crowded in front of a house located on South Perkins where Taylor was detained. Two of the seven stolen rings were recovered, according to the affidavit. Coraj Ahmed, an employee of Sole-Ace, was working when the robbery took place. Though the men’s shoe store is located near the Kay Jewelers, Ahmed described the event as quiet. “I missed it when it happened. There was no screaming or running,” Ahmed said. “If I had heard anything, I would have come outside (of the store) to look.” The Oak Court Mall did not shut down immediately following the robbery. Some stores in the area of the mall where the robbery happened did close but opened back up shortly after. Zales Jewelers, which is adjacent to Kay Jewelers, was also
see ROBBERY on page 4 7
2 • Tuesday, January 28, 2014
The
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D AILY
H ELMSMAN Volume 81 Number 61
Editor-in-Chief L. Taylor Smith Managing Editor Joshua Cannon Design Editors Hannah Verret Taylor Grace Harrison Lingo Sports Editor Hunter Field General Manager Candy Justice
TIGER BABBLE
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thoughts that give you paws
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Solutions on page 8
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Correction A Jan. 23 article titled “SGA works to change grading scale” said students receive no bonus for plus grades (A+, B+, etc.) However, while an A+ and A have the same value, all other plus grades are worth approximately .33 more quality points.
8 North or South follower 9 God of shepherds 10 Whisking target 11 Broad size 12 “The Simpsons” character who says “Okily-dokily!” 14 “Got it!” 19 Bring to life 21 Submerged 24 Cat’s perch, perhaps 26 Diner freebies 27 Anxious 28 Glaswegian’s negative 29 Original Dungeons & Dragons co. 32 Brand originally named Brad’s Drink 34 “__ you” 35 One just born
36 Change symbols, in math 37 Wee bit 38 It may be inflatable 39 Father 40 Cheerleader’s shout 43 “Holy cow!” 44 Accompany 45 Spots on a peacock train 46 Astronomical distance 48 Resistance-related 50 Slangy “Superb!” 51 Corinthian cousin 53 90-year-old soft drink 55 Missouri hrs. 56 Sound at a spa 57 “There’s __ in ‘team’” 58 Prevailed 59 Sign of perfection
S u d o k u
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
Tuesday, January 28, 2014 • 3
Editorial
Not crying on Sundays Grammy’s show that progress marches on By Joshua Cannon
news@dailyhelmsman.com If you watched the G r a m m y ’s on Sunday evening or have access to any social m e d i a account, Cannon you most likely can recite the highlights — Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s performance reinforced most 20-somethings beliefs that if America were to have a royal family, they’d be the first to wear the crown. Taylor Swift danced her way through Imagine Dragons’ performance that featured Kendrick Lamar. Paul and Ringo took the stage, commemorating half a century since The Beatles invaded America. A lot has changed in our coun-
try over 50 years. Perhaps, no moment of the evening echoed that sentiment greater than Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Mary Lambert and Madonna’s performance of the indie hip-hop duo’s civil rights anthem “Same Love.” Queen Latifah took the stage and introduced the performance as a “love song not for some of us but for all of us.” She made truth of those words and quite arguably one of the most memorable moments in the history of live television when she brought 66 people — 33 couples — together to be married. Interracial couples, homosexual couples and heterosexual couples exchanged rings and vows to each other. The audience served as a witness to the event. Queen Latifah, on behalf of the state of California, brought to life a moment that not so long ago would have been forbidden. The transparent cathedral doors opened and Madonna
made her way to the stage as a wedding singer. The performers, as well as the cheering audience, sang along with her to the chorus of “Open Your Heart.” I’ve watched the performance more times than I can count. Certain moments still bring goose bumps to my skin. Macklemore’s television performance brought me back to the summer of last year when I had the opportunity to see him play to a crowd of 70,000 people on a farm at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. As he went into “Same Love,” a sea of hands rose like a tidal wave into the sky. “I believe that no government, no state, no institution, no religion, no other human being can tell you who you love or if your heart is right or wrong,” he said as the bass swelled and the piano led the song. “I believe in tolerance, I believe in compassion and I believe in equality.” Every hand came together,
clapping to the beat. “Preach,” one man yelled. The chorus dropped, the audience sang along and I felt comfortable in my skin. As I looked around at the people among the colossal crowd — a melting pot of ethnicity, race, belief, sexuality and gender — I could sense that maybe they did, too. Some may argue that the battle for marriage equality is on its way out of the door. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia currently recognize same-sex marriage, and it seems that more are following suit. Last week in Virginia, Attorney General Mark Herring ended the defense of the state’s gay marriage ban, noting that it was unconstitutional. The Old Dominion may be on its way to becoming the first Southern state to recognize and allow same-sex marriage. Some would say that Macklemore’s widely accepted performance at the Grammy’s is further proof that the rest of our country is on its way to that acceptance. Perhaps we are, but until the Americans in the rest of the 33 states obtain the same rights, we march on. Progress can always be made, not just in our country, but also in the world around us. Oppression is so much larger than America.
When freely using social media, let us remind ourselves that not everyone has that same privilege. As we celebrate our country’s progress, let us not forget that right now in Uganda, citizens must hide their sexuality or face imprisonment — or possible death — under the “AntiHomosexuality Act” that was signed in during December of last year. In fact, according to research done by the International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association, it is illegal to be gay in 76 countries around the world. This is why we march on and continue to make strides such as the milestone that occurred on Sunday evening. This is why we fight for a better tomorrow. One day, be it in our lifetime or not, someone else, somewhere around the world, can celebrate our same liberation that those 33 couples experienced at The Grammy’s. At the end of Macklemore’s performance of “Same Love” at Bonnaroo, he stepped to the center of the stage and lifted his hand high to the sky, his index finger pointing to the clouds. “If you believe in equality for all human beings all over the world, let me see you put a one to the sky like this,” he said. The audience roared. Fingers flew high into the air.
Abroad Page 1
to speak to students in different classes. “Studying abroad is not a wellkept secret,” David Horan, an art professor at the U of M, said. “The study abroad office advertises regularly, and it’s well utilized.” Horan plans to lead a trip to Rome and Florence with his Culture of Renaissance class. One student called her study abroad experience the best opportunity she took advantage of in college. “Studying abroad is something I
will never forget for as long as I live,” Suzanna Stanley said. “I am so glad I did it because I learned so much about the world as well as learning a lot about myself.” The 22-year-old history major studied in Florence, Italy, during the spring semester of last year. While there, she had the opportunity to travel to other surrounding cities and countries. “I would encourage anyone to take this opportunity,” she said. “It’s something you would look back later in life and be glad you did.”
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4 • Tuesday, January 28, 2014
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Tigers’ Ta es “I was 13 years old and I saw the most beautiful soccer ball at Mike Rose Soccer Complex. It was gold and shiny, so when the owner wasn’t looking I snatched it and ran.” Anthony Rodgers, Exercise sports science sophomore
“When I was seven I was at Applebee’s. I wanted to get something out of the crane machine, but my parents wouldn’t give me any money. So I snuck up behind my dad and reached into his coat packet to get his wallet. Turns out it wasn’t my dad.” Sam Wayland, Biomedical engineering freshman
Have you ever stolen something or been stolen from?
“I remember in middle school I needed a pencil for a test. The best option was a random one I found on a desk. An hour later one of my classmates asked about it..”
David Oppong, Civil engineering freshman
By Harrison Lingo
“Last spring semester on the last day of class, I came back to my dorm to find my bike stolen.”
Keegan Linton, Recording technology sophomore
“My dad and I came home one day and his truck was sitting on blocks and all the windows were broken.”
Ruby Aguilar, Fashion merchandising freshman
The Wolf River Trails offer peace and quiet By Patrick Lantrip
news@dailyhelmsman.com Starting at Baker’s Pond in Benton County, Miss., and meandering through several small towns in North Mississippi and West Tennessee before reaching its confluence with the Mississippi River near Downtown Memphis, the Wolf River and its subsequent watershed provide some 105 miles of textbook bottomland hardwood forest — an indigenous and scenic ecosystem native to the Southeastern United States. The Wolf River is generally divided into the Upper Wolf and Lower Wolf. The Upper Wolf is extremely popular with canoeists and kayakers for its beautiful scenery and iconic wildlife, which include minks, otters, darters and bald eagles. As a result of the efforts of the Wolf River Conservancy, the Upper Wolf still remains largely unspoiled and sensitive species like these can survive. “Our job is to protect the Wolf River Watershed,” Stewart Austin,
Robbery Page 1
open for business though their employees were instructed not to comment on the incident. Justin Otto, general manager of the Oak Court Mall, released a statement thanking the Memphis
Board President of the Wolf River Conservancy, said. “We do three things: conservation, recreation and education.” The watershed, which is 522,000 acres, is responsible for providing the city with its famous underground aquifers. “(The Wolf River) is kind of the backbone of the area,” Stewart said. “Most people don’t realize that the water MLGW (Memphis, Light, Gas and Water) pumps out of the ground in Midtown started off as a rain drop in Fayette County 300 years ago.” In contrast, the Lower Wolf runs through the middle of Memphis, and as a result it has been channelized, urbanized, dammed and polluted for almost two centuries. However, as a result of the annual flooding, the surrounding area around the river remains undeveloped, and provides a sanctuary for heartier species such as kites, hawks, herons, coyotes, foxes and various reptiles and amphibians to thrive. The East Memphis section of
the Wolf River provides the backbone for Shelby Farms, one of the largest urban parks in the world. Shelby Farms provides park goers with 4,500 acres of lakes, forests, paved and unpaved trails and other natural areas. The Wolf River Trails wind through the Lucius E. Burch Natural Area south of Walnut Grove Road. The trails can be hiked, biked or ran, and dogs are allowed on leashes. Horseback riding is also allowed in certain parts of the trails. The Wolf River Trails can be traversed as an 8-mile loop, 4-mile loop or a shorter loop due to the many switchbacks, according to AllTrails.com. The Blue Trail is generally more popular during the spring and summer months due to the alluvial nature of the river that sometimes floods the Yellow Trail. However, the more scenic Yellow Trail is more popular in the fall and winter because the Blue Trail tends to remain muddy longer after rain due to the lower elevation and thicker canopy.
Police Department for their speedy arrest of the suspect but would make no further comments. No employees or shoppers were reportedly injured during the incident. Taylor’s court date is scheduled for Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.
Send us your thoughts @dailyhelmsman #tigerbabble
While much more urbanized and generally less pristine than the Upper Wolf, the Wolf River Trails are still a valuable natural resource. Whether it’s an after
2014
2014
work trail run to clear the head or a Sunday nature walk with the family, these trails can provide access to the great outdoors without ever leaving the city limits.
Greater Memphis Chinese New Year Festival 5:00 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014 Rose Theater, The University of Memphis Presented by the Greater Memphis United Chinese Association
大孟菲斯华人 春节联欢晚会
主办：大孟菲斯华人联合会 时间：贰零壹肆年二月一日晚五点 地点：孟菲斯大学玫瑰剧院
Please go to http://cnyftickets.gmuca.org to buy your ticket and make the payment! Print the receipt and bring the receipt to Rose Theatre lobby before the show.
The University of Memphis
Tuesday, January 28, 2014 • 5
photo By harrison lingo | staff
Adam Maldonado, a theatre performance graduate, sets up in front of McWherter Library and writes poems for anyone who asks.
Poet
Page 1
words from them,” Maldonado said. “I try to have a free flow conversation with the person, feel their vibes and then I go from there.” Maldonado said that even most of his own personal poetry comes from residual feelings he gained from encountering other people who asked him to write poems for themselves. “In the moment, I might have wrote a poem for somebody, but when I continue thinking about that person and their experience or
something I had felt similar, then I start to expound on it, that’s where I begin writing my own poems,” Maldonado said. Unlike many modern writers, Maldonado’s medium of choice when writing poetry is a World War II-era Underwood Champion Series typewriter, which he believes gives the poems a more authentic and specialized energy. “It’s tactile — real. When something is on your computer it’s still like an idea until you print it off. Typing on a typewriter has a kind of a different energy about it, and the fact I can hand the poem to a person
and they can hold it in their hands makes it more of theirs — they can fold it up and put it in their pocket, frame it or do what they want with it,” Maldonado said. Maldonado said his poems come from his love of story telling, which also inspired the writer to start his own production company, Your Reality Productions. “I wanted to create a production company that would film people that were going out to shoot guns or skateboarding, whatever it was they were doing, and we would film them doing whatever was their reality,” Maldonado said. “We would turn
the footage into a memento kind of a video.” Although the poet has hung up his ambitions of pursuing a career in theater, he said he wouldn’t change a thing about choosing his major or reliving his college years. “I do my best not to regret anything and in that I case I believe the situation with acting might of flipflopped with writing, where I probably would be acting more instead of writing,” Maldonado said. “I think there’s something about focusing so much in something in a graded, right or wrong environment that kind of chokes the life out of art.”
The Memphis-based poet is currently on his 700th poem, which bears no titles, and is attempting to write more poems than the famedpoet Emily Dickinson, whose record is 1,800. “I don’t keep copies of all my poems, but I believe if it’s meant to be, then they’ll make their way back to me,” Maldonado said. Maldonado said he will continue writing to students on campus and plans to be at the University around noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at various locations, so students should keep their ears open for the sound of his keys clacking.
school in Germany. When he was 19 years old, he worked in a youth hostel in Amsterdam. By the age of 20, he was working in a green house in Sweden. “Each time I came back to the United States, I appreciated it more and more,” Hall said. While he could see what made his country “different and wonderful,” he became acutely aware of the nation’s problems. This is why Hall believes that students should study abroad — so they can realize this and understand America better. “People should go overseas to change their lives, to help learn what it feels like to be alive,” he said.
According to Hall, being alive is not the same as simply living. It means trying new things and not spending every day in the same monotonous routine. Ashleigh Deener, a junior nursing major, recalls attending the Study Abroad Fair last semester, meeting Hall and being encouraged to study abroad. While she had some fears, Hall eased her mind about the nerveracking process that traveling abroad can be. “I have a better viewpoint of studying abroad now,” Deener said. “It’s better to see the world than not to see it at all.” Some people think that if they travel abroad, they won’t be safe. Hall
felt safe in most of the countries where he traveled. However, in the spirit of trying new things and submerging one’s self into a different culture, he did recall two dangerous occasions. In Sudan, he was attacked by a mob. Another time, he took part in a revolution against a communist country. “I felt safer in Iraq than in Memphis,” Hall said. In most countries, citizens don’t have guns, so it is actually safer. Hall encourages citizens to practice the same precautions that they do in Memphis when they travel to other countries. Robert Jordan, one of Hall’s graduate assistants, also agrees that most countries are safe. While abroad, the
worst thing he experienced was theft. The English professor leads two programs for English as a Second Language at the University of Memphis. One of the programs is in the Czech Republic and the other in Spain. “What Charles does with study abroad is unique,” Jordan said. “He teaches people how to teach English to other people, and it’s a good contribution.” Hall wants students at The University of Memphis to take the opportunity and travel abroad. He is open to talk to students about it but said that the best thing to do is talk to someone in the Study Abroad Office located in 102 Brister Hall.
English professor promotes globetrotting By Jasmine Morton
news@dailyhelmsman.com University of Memphis English Professor Charles Hall was born in Kansas, but he hasn’t been back since. However, he has been to Spain, the Czech Republic, Sweden and many other countries around the world. Every day, people come through his office to talk about studying abroad, others just to chat about other cultures. Hall grew up as a traveler with nomadic parents from the hills of Kentucky who started traveling for their jobs. In order to learn more about the world, they kept moving. As a teenager, Hall attended high
6 • Tuesday, January 28, 2014
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Yanukovych says he will scrap anti-protest law By Jim Heintz and Maria Danilova Associated Press
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s beleaguered president on Monday agreed to scrap harsh anti-protest laws that set off a wave of clashes between protesters and police over the past week. In a statement on the presidential website, Justice Minister Elena Lukash says that in a meeting with top opposition figures and President Viktor Yanukovych on Monday night, “a political decision was made on scrapping the laws of Jan. 16, which aroused much discussion.” Yanukovych pushed those laws through parliament and three days later clashes with police broke out, a sharp escalation of tensions after weeks of mostly peaceful protests. Eliminating the laws, which is likely to be done in a special parliament session Tuesday, would be a substantial concession to the opposition. But it does not meet all their demands, which include Yanukovych’s resignation. One of the opposition figures, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, turned down the prime minister’s job, which Yatsenyuk had offered him on
sErgEi l. loiKo | los angElEs tiMEs | MCt
A protester puts a gas mask on a young woman behind a barricade on Grushevsky Street in downtwon Kiev during clashes with riot police on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014. Saturday. At that time, he said protests would continue. In the Monday
meeting, Yanukovych said a proposed amnesty for arrested protesters would not be offered
unless demonstrators stopped occupying buildings and ended their round-the-clock protests
and tent camp on Kiev’s central square.
Fla. high court OKs medical marijuana for ballot By Brendan Farrington Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A proposed constitutional amendment to allow the medical use of marijuana will go before Florida voters in November after the state Supreme Court narrowly approved the ballot language Monday. The 4-3 decision is a victory for personal injury lawyer John Morgan, who spent $4 million on a medical marijuana petition drive, and a defeat for Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi, who fought to keep the question off the ballot. The decision comes three days after Morgan secured enough voter signatures to make the ballot. He made a massive push in December and January to beat the Feb. 1 deadline instead of waiting for the Supreme Court decision — a gamble that has now paid off. “In our businesses, our cases are against the tobacco industries, pharmaceutical industries, big car companies, so we’re used to gambles, but we take calculated gambles,” Morgan said. “We like to win and we don’t just go down a rat hole unless we think we can win.” Bondi said the matter is now up to voters.
“I encourage every Floridian to read the full amendment in order to understand the impact it could have on Floridians,” she said in a statement issued by her office. Gov. Rick Scott, who is the former CEO of the Columbia/ HCA hospital chain, House Speaker Will Weatherford and Senate President Don Gaetz — all Republicans — backed Bondi’s effort to keep the question of the ballot. “I have a great deal of empathy for people battling difficult diseases and I understand arguments in favor of this initiative,” Scott said in a statement released by his office. “But having seen the terrible effects of alcohol and drug abuse first-hand, I cannot endorse sending Florida down this path and I would personally vote against it. No matter my personal beliefs, however, a ballot initiative would be up to the voters to decide.” Weatherford said he hopes voters reject the idea. “I have faith they will do their homework and understand the impact of this truly radical proposal. Make no mistake: this is not about compassionate medical marijuana. This is about the Coloradofication of Florida, where the end game is a pot shop on every street corner,” Weatherford said in a statement
issued through a spokesman. Gaetz’ office said he had no comment. “The people of Florida don’t like when their vote is tried to be suppressed,” Morgan said. “Unfortunately there’s some politicians in the state who did not want the people to have the say and they forgot that the power is in the people and democracy is based in the people.” Medical marijuana is legal in 20 states and the District of Columbia, and Colorado and
Washington state allow recreational use. Polls have shown strong support for the measure in Florida. It must receive 60 percent approval from voters, and Morgan said his attention now turns to the campaign to get the measure passed. “Now the people of Florida get to do what the Florida Legislature refused to do, which is to hear evidence, to see testimony, to hear real life stories, to read scientific journals, to talk to real people and then vote on it,”
Morgan said. He plans a voter registration drive and advertising campaign leading up to the election, as well as an effort to help supporters get to polls. The Democrats hoping to challenge Scott — former state Sen. Nan Rich and former Gov. Charlie Crist — support medical marijuana. “This is an issue of compassion, trusting doctors, and trusting the people of Florida,” said
see BALLOT on page 7
Revealed in Jesus Christ The last two times we have looked at how God has revealed Himself to His rational creatures. He has given us a
revelation of His infinite wisdom and power in creation. The intricacies of creation, in both the macro and micro realms, are so profound that only those who are willfully blind cannot see the marks of the Creator. He has revealed Himself
much more fully in His inspired, written word. Here, to those who honestly investigate, the marks of divinity are clear.
Archaeology has time after time vindicated the claims of the Bible. The incredible fulfillment of intricately detailed prophecy is another certain mark of the divine inspiration of Scripture.
God has ultimately revealed Himself to His rational creatures in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is plainly expressed in
Hebrews 1:1, 2, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds…”
For the next few devotionals I would like to investigate just Who this Son is. In Hebrews 1: 8 God the Father calls
the Son “God.” In John 1:1, speaking of Jesus Christ, we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.” John 1: 14 tells us “And the Word was made flesh…” In 1 Tim. 3: 16, it is declared that “God was manifest in the flesh.”
The University of Memphis
Tuesday, January 28, 2014 • 7
Sports
Tigers take the field to prepare for 2014 season By Corey Carmichael
sports@dailyhelmsman.com The University of Memphis baseball team began scrimmaging in preparation for the 2014 season — its first in the American Athletic Conference. There are a lot of familiar faces surrounding the mound with the team returning eight positional players who started at least 40 of the 59 games last season, including two infielders named to the AAC preseason All-Conference team. First baseman Tucker Tubbs and catcher Carter White were given the honor, selected by the conference coaches. Tubbs and White are both juniors and were solid contributors for the Tigers in the batter’s box. Tubbs led the team in batting average last season with a .327
percentage, as well as a .425 slugging percentage. The junior was second on the team in both RBIs (34) and runs scored (32). White trailed Tubbs with a .325 batting average and led the team in onbase percentage with .412. “I’m very happy for Tucker and Carter to get this acknowledgment for the inaugural season of the league,” head Memphis coach Daron Schoenrock said in a press release. “I’m sure both young men are excited for this honor, but these two guys would trade these individual honors for team success in the spring. It’s great to see the coaches in this league recognize our student-athletes.” Tubbs and White were a part of the team that finished last season with a 35-24 record, and an offense that scored 280 runs, ranked ninth among the ten current American teams for last
year’s totals. The Tigers hope another year of continuity and improvement will be beneficial for the Memphis lineup. Last season, the Tigers struggled to score a lot of runs, but they yielded even less to opponents, allowing only 221 runs, in large part due to the stingy starting rotation featuring Erik Schoenrock, Sam Moll and Alex Gunn. Schoenrock and Moll left school to play professionally along with closer Jonathan Van Eaton. Gunn will not pitch this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November. Memphis has to fill the shoes of those four who combined for 289 1/3 innings out of the team’s 522 1/3 innings overall, and a 2.76 combined earned run average with nearly 60 percent of the team’s strikeouts. Replacing that pitching will be no small task.
However, through the first two scrimmages, some of the new arms have pitched well. “Jon (Reed) and Colin (Lee) were very good today. Bryce (Beeler) continues to get better out of the bullpen, and we got a good outing out of Craig Caufield today,” Schoenrock said in a release. “Nolan (Blackwood) and Blake (Myers) threw backto-back days and did a great job of putting the ball in the strike zone consistently. We want relievers to come in and throw strikes and we’ve got a few guys that are doing that.” This week the Tigers will focus primarily on defensive drills to tighten up some of their fun-
damentals and improve their fielding and pitching. They also plan to have another scrimmage this weekend at FedExPark with the time to be determined later in the week due to the weather. Memphis’ season starts with a three-game series beginning Feb. 14 against Western Michigan at 4 p.m. at FedExPark.
83-year-old nun to be sentenced for sabotage By Travis Loller Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — An 83-year-old Catholic nun convicted in a protest and break-in at the primary U.S. storehouse for bombgrade uranium will find out Tuesday whether she spends what could be the rest of her life in prison. Sister Megan Rice is one of three Catholic peace activists convicted of sabotage last year after they broke into the nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Sentencing for all three is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday at U.S. District Court in Knoxville. The government has recom-
mended sentences of about six to nine years each for Rice, Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed (bohrCHEE’ OH-bed’). It also is seeking restitution of nearly $53,000 for damage incurred when the three cut through fences and painted slogans on the outside wall of the uranium processing plant. The protesters also splattered blood and hammered on the wall. The activists are asking for leniency. They say their actions at the Y-12 National Security Complex were symbolic and meant to draw attention to America’s stockpile of nuclear weapons, which they call immoral and illegal. “These people have been com-
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views regarding the morality of nuclear weapons. But the defendants’ sincerely held moral beliefs are not a get-out-of-jail-free card that they can deploy to escape criminal liability.” Since their convictions last May, the activists have presented the judge with thousands of support letters from around the world, which Quigley called the greatest show of support he has seen in his two decades of working with protesters. “I think that is mostly because of Sister Rice,” he said. “She’s very well loved and has lots of people praying for her and supporting her.” One of the letters entered into the court record is from a nun in London, Sister Katharine Holmstrom. “Your court faces a great challenge — making a careful distinction between persons who act in
clear conscience, guided by a moral vision, and others whose actions may be self-serving or maleficent in nature,” she wrote to Thapar. “In cases like these, the law is sometimes incapable of making such distinctions. The heavy burden of seeking a just disposition then falls to the jurist who will render a sentence.” Another letter is from Rice herself, in which she states, “As a defendant, I ask only that you allow your conscience to guide you.” Quigley said he has spoken with all three defendants, and they are prepared for the possibility of longer sentences. “Sister Rice has said that if the judge lets them go, that’s great, but if the judge sentences her to 10 years in prison and she has to die in prison, that’s OK also,” he said. Rice turns 84 Thursday.
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mitted peace and justice advocates for decades,” defense attorney Bill Quigley said. He noted that there is no minimum sentence, so the judge has a lot of discretion. The activists have been in prison since they were convicted last May, and it is possible that they could be sentenced to time served. However, U.S. District Judge Amul Thapar has refused previous requests for leniency from the defendants, including his decision that they would remain jailed until sentencing. In a ruling last October denying requests for acquittal and a new trial, Thapar wrote, “The defendants are entitled to their
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Crist, who was a Republican when he served as governor from 2007 to 2011. “I will vote for it.” Bondi challenged the ballot summary, saying the language was misleading and a more widespread use of marijuana would be allowed than what voters would be led to believe. Justices Barbara Pariente, Fred Lewis, Peggy Quince and James Perry said the ballot language was clear. “The proposed amendment has a logical and natural oneness of purpose — namely, whether Floridians want a provision in the state constitution authorizing the medical use of marijuana, as determined by a licensed Florida physician,” they wrote.
“The ballot title and summary fairly inform voters of the chief purpose of the amendment and will not mislead voters, who will be able to cast an intelligent and informed ballot.” Justices Ricky Polston, Charles Canady and Jorge Labarga dissented. “Placing this initiative’s title and summary on the ballot will result in Floridians voting on a constitutional amendment in disguise,” Polston wrote. He took issue with the ballot summary saying medical marijuana would be allowed for patients with debilitating diseases, but the amendment also allows the use for patients with debilitating conditions, which might not be a disease.
Tigers take stand at home 8 • Tuesday, January 28, 2014
By Hunter Field
sports@dailyhelmsman.com The University of Memphis switched conferences last summer to join the American Athletic Conference, but the men’s basketball team (15-4, 5-2 AAC) took a trip down memory lane last week, dismantling two former Conference USA foes. The Tigers, whose 2-0 week moved them up a spot in the AP Poll to No. 22, notched two double-digit conference wins over Houston and South Florida. Head Memphis coach Josh Pastner credited an improved defense for the Tigers’ elevated level of play. “We did not work on any offense all week leading up to today’s game,” the fifth-year coach said after the U of M’s 82-59 win over Houston. “After the LeMoyne-Owen game, all we worked on was defense. We went back to the basics of defense. Practice every day consisted of a little over an hour worth of defense and then a couple minutes of shooting.” Memphis’ stalwart defense held the Cougars and Bulls to a combined 38.3 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from beyond the arc. They also forced 33 turnovers over the two-game stretch. The turnovers frustrated head USF coach Stan Heath, who thought the Tigers second half run was too much for his Bulls to overcome. “The pressure increased in the second half, and a couple times we were just trying to force the pass or thread the needle,” Heath said after his team’s 80-58 loss.
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“If you had told me we had 15 turnovers, I could have sworn it was 25.” It wasn’t all defense, though. The Tigers scored 80 points against the Bulls (10-10, 1-6 AAC) and 82 points against the Cougars (11-9, 3-4 AAC). They shot 45.5 percent from threepoint range against USF compared to their 31.5 percent season average. Senior guard Chris Crawford heated up from three in the second half against the Bulls, hitting five 3-pointers en route to 15 points. He felt like the Tigers’ game plan allowed him to get going from behind the arc. “Our inside-out philosophy is going to carry us this season,” Crawford said after beating South Florida. “We’re passing the ball and letting the shots come to us. Once you see one go in, your eyes get real big.” Senior guard Joe Jackson said one of the biggest keys to shooting well is the Tigers’ big men to get going early because it opens up space for the wings. Sophomore forward Shaq Goodwin started off the year hot, and he has made himself a regular on the American’s weekly award list. The conference announced Monday that Goodwin made the weekly honor roll for the third time this year. Goodwin averaged 16.5 points and eight rebounds over the last week. The two blowout wins offered Pastner the opportunity to play some of the reserves more minutes. Freshmen Nick King and Kuran Iverson benefited the most from the increase in minutes. Pastner thought both guys
photo By DaViD C. MinKin | spECial to thE Daily hElMsMan
Senior forward Shaq Goodwin garnered his third American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll award on Monday. He averaged 16.5 points and eight rebounds over the last two games. played well against the Bulls and added that their development is crucial for the sustained success of the Memphis program.
After a four-game home stand the Tigers hit the road this week, facing Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., and Southern
Methodist in Dallas. They battle the Knights on Wednesday at 6 p.m. and the Mustangs on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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