DAILY HELMSMAN Thursday 2.27.14
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Business works to write off student loans
Vol. 81 No. 079
Independent Student Newspaper of the University of Memphis
Tigers not overlooking struggling Cougars
sports@dailyhelmsman.com The University of Memphis men’s soccer team found their new head coach Tuesday, and they didn’t have to look far. U of M Athletics Director Tom Bowen Mulrooney
announced that Richard Mulrooney, one of the Tigers’ assistant coaches in 2013, will take the helm immediately. “I am ecstatic about being given this opportunity,” Mulrooney, a Memphis native, said. “When Richie Grant (former head coach) brought me on to be a part of his staff last year, I knew it was the right move.” Grant left the position last month, moving to California to coach at California State University, Bakersfield. He
coached at Memphis for 13 seasons, winning 118 games to go along with 101 losses and 18 ties. Only the fourth head coach in the program’s history, Mulrooney joined the Memphis staff prior to last season after a 12-year Major League Soccer career where he split time playing for San Jose Clash/Earthquakes, FC Dallas and the Houston Dynamo. A three-time MLS All-Star, Mulrooney won three MLS Cups and made 14 appearances with United States Men’s National
Team including the 2002 Gold Cup championship team. The Tigers are glad to have a former assistant leading them onto the field. Senior forward Wil Linder values the experience Mulrooney brings to the program. “We are all excited to play for a guy that has a résumé like coach Mulrooney,” he said. “A handful of MLS Cups and appearances with the U.S. National Team can’t be found in
see SOCCER on page 4
Active Minds weighs in on students
photo By harriSon linGo | StaFF
Rachel Townsend, psychology freshman, uses a custom scale at the University Center to promote students’ positve self-esteem.
By James Smith
news@dailyhelmsman.com The University of Memphis Active Minds chapter gathered at a booth in the University Center on Wednesday equipped with a mirror, some sticky notes and
a scale with the hope that they could change the lives of students. At the table, students were encouraged to weigh themselves on an unconventional scale. It didn’t reveal a numerical weight— it displayed adjectives such as “awesome” or “super” to describe
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.
the people who braved the scales. “My word was ‘fun’,” Kyle Cobb, freshman health and human performance major, said. According to Cobb, the numbers on a scale have meanings that make people feel a certain way—either good or bad. By tak-
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Men’s soccer finds their man By Hunter Field
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ing away the numbers, Active Minds is seeking to change the way people feel about weight and the social connotations that go along with them. The organization is a national group advocating for awareness
index
see SCALE on page 4 Tiger Tales
4 Sports
Shelby County votes to close 9 schools Associated Press AP Exchange
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The school board in Shelby County has voted to close nine schools and merge two others, which will uproot thousands of students The Commercial Appeal reports the board took the vote Tuesday evening after hearing emotional pleas from community members to keep the schools open. Originally, 13 were slated for closure, but Superintendent Dorsey Hopson recommended removing two schools from the list and merging the others. Board members voted to close Corry Middle, Cypress Middle, Shannon Elementary, Klondike Elementary, Vance Middle School, Lanier Middle, Westhaven Elementary, Gordon Elementary and Graves Elementary. Riverview Elementary and Riverview Middle will merge to create a K-8 school. School supporters packed the room, spilling out into the hallways at the Frances E. Coe Auditorium where the meeting was held. “I hope that people continue to carry that passion and excitement about education regardless of the decisions made this evening,” Hopson said. The actions were recommended after a district analyses found deteriorating buildings, declining enrollment, failing proficiency scores and a lack of resources to offer programs like music, athletics and art. Hopson removed Alcy Elementary from the closure list after a plan was submitted to boost literacy at the school, where less than 25 percent of students are proficient in math, reading and language arts. Democratic state Rep. Raumesh Akbari helped galvanize support for keeping Alcy open by working with residents, businesses and nonprofit organizations to mentor and tutor students. “We have 60 parents and community partners committed to spending at least three hours at the school,” Akbari said. “We’ve made it clear if they don’t show up, they are not showing up for the children.” 8
2 • Thursday, February 27, 2014
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D AILY
H ELMSMAN Volume 81 Number 79
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
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7 Trick-taking card game 8 Prefix meaning “English” 9 Portable shelters 10 Curriculum part 11 Grain grinder 12 Rod in a hot rod 13 Letters on some Brit. letterheads 21 Dancer Castle 22 Oracle’s opening 24 UPS competitor 26 Lettuce variety 27 Imam’s faith 28 Fondue choice 29 Knucklehead 31 “Three Coins ...” fountain 32 Resolute about 35 Reserve soldier 36 Minor dent
38 Put a bad present to good use 40 Like daisies 43 Lillian of the silver screen 45 Musical key abbr. 48 Smart-looking 49 Enter quickly 51 Character in “Donald’s Nephews” (1938 cartoon) 53 5’7” Spud who won the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk contest 54 “Rubáiyát” poet 55 Enjoy 56 Bouquet 58 Top-of-the-line 59 Visit with a guide 60 Money mgrs.? 64 Texter’s “I didn’t need to know that!”
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The University of Memphis
Thursday, February 27, 2014 • 3
Students spend spring break serving others
Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Point of Impact sponsor mission trip to Honduras By Hannah Cibulka
Special to The Daily Helmsman Instead of relaxing on a Florida beach, a group of students from the Baptist Collegiate Ministry will spend their spring break doing mission work in the city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The students will work in four of the most impoverished neighborhoods in the city under the guidance of the ministry Point of Impact, according to Hannah Johnson, the ministry’s associate communications director. “Through providing physical needs, Point of Impact hopes to empower the people of Tegucigalpa,” Johnson said. “We don’t want to give handouts, but give them a hopeful future.” More than a dozen students will go on the seven-day trip. The ministry helps more than 400 children, and Impact Logistics, a local business, sponsors 80 percent of the program. Individual sponsorship of $30 pays for education and medical care for the immediate family, along with a school uniform. “Short term trips are eye-opening,” Johnson said. “They will change the way
photo CoUrteSy oF hannah CiBUlka
Jacob Fillinger (left), communications major from the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, and high school student Stone Mcspadden relax after fun activities with the children from the Point of Impact program. you look at life. There is so much beauty in other cultures.” The BCM students will lead vacation bible schools, bring tubs of food to families that will feed them for a month and serve food to homeless people at the largest dump in South America where
many homeless people go to find sustenance. Students will also host a party for the children in the orphanage. The activities continue the mission work started by Point of Impact which runs four local churches in the community that provide tutoring, medical care
and nutrition in an after school program for children. “Kids attend school, but the schools aren’t adequate,” Johnson said. “With two accredited tutoring programs that the ministry provides, kids can have the hope of college which for many is the
ultimate dream.” Students from the Baptist Collegiate Ministry anticipate helping the ministry reach more of the city’s children. “Mission trips are important because without mission teams coming there would be no way to do things such as give food to the community or have a vacation bible school for the kids,” Johnson said. Lindy May, a junior English student from the BCM who is going on the trip agrees. “Choosing to vacation or party over spring break is fun, but it only benefits you,” she said. For May, the upcoming trip to Honduras follows her trip in Thailand teaching English as a second language to students and working with the kids in the villages. “Missions empower others,” May said. “It becomes not about you, but serving Christ.” Stephanie Tynes, a junior dietetics major from the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, will be teaching nutrition to the kids in the neighborhood. “I am so excited to use my passion for nutrition to serve others,” Tynes said.
Business works to write off student loans By Patrick Lantrip
news@dailyhelmsman.com There is approximately $1 trillion in total outstanding student loan debt, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In fact, out of the roughly 20 million college students, around 12 million, or 60 percent, have to borrow annually to cover expenses. With numbers like these it is no surprise that student loan debt is a pertinent issue among current college students and recent gradu-
ates, and it was with these people in mind that Carrie Conner created StudentLoanWriteOff.com. “We help students eliminate their student loan debt before they graduate, as well as help students find scholarships,” Conner said. “We focus on people who don’t have enough financial aid, that don’t have enough tuition assistance, as well as those with student loan debt.” Connor, the CEO and cofounder of StudentLoanWriteOff. com, said their target market is
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high school students, college students and those who have already graduated. “We offer students a chance to win a scholarship every month, which is up to $5,000, or they can choose the opportunity to get up to $10,000 to pay off their student loans,” Connor said. Students are chosen monthly via a writing contest. “The writing contest is very simple,” Connor said. “It is a 500 word or less essay based on a question or topic that is online. From there members of the site choose the essay winner and they win the money.” Only members who pay the $48 annual fee are allowed to submit entries and cast votes. The com-
pany also offers 12 free classes that cover subjects ranging from finance and budgeting to writing tutorials. “I feel that education is so important, and if your money limits you in getting an education; it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get one,” Connor said. “There should be other opportunities and other ways for students to finance their education. Not everyone wins a scholarship, but at least we can help some students.” Connor said she got the idea for the startup while studying in Shanghai, China. “I studied abroad in Asia for about six months,” Connor said. “The opportunity to do that was very expensive, and I had to take out a lot of money in student loan
debt.” The other co-founder, Patricia McNair, is a local teacher who obtained a significant amount of student loan debt while going back to school and raising her children. Now she wants to give back to the community. “She owes a lot of money back to the government, but it was all for the benefit of her trying to provide as a single mom, and getting an education so she could make a better life for her two children,” Connor said. Connor encourages students to sign up for the site before March 5 in order to enter an “Educational Giveaway” that includes a laptop, an iPad and an HP all-in-one printer.
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4 • Thursday, February 27, 2014
Tigers’ Ta es “Man, I like butter, and I like strawberry jelly.”
Austyn McLemor, Recording Technology junior
Scale Page 1 of students with mental health issues. They seek to raise awareness about suicide, eating disorders and other mental health issues. “We want the people on campus to know that they are beautiful,” Rachel Townsend, freshman member of Active Minds, said. This week, the organization seeks to encourage and direct students to a better way of thinking about their image. “We set up here to support National Eating Disorders Awareness week,” President Of Active Minds Kimberlyn Brown said. Shamyra Donald, a recent grad-
Soccer Page 1 the experience of many college coaches across the country.” Linder added that Mulrooney has constantly relayed his experiences to the Tigers since he arrived last spring. Mulrooney received an induction into Creighton University’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. During his time at Creighton, the Blue Jays made four NCAA Tournament appearances and one appearance in the College Cup. He was an All-American and made the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team three times. Mulrooney attended Christian Brothers High School, making the High School All-American
“Drown it in butter.”
Victoria Crawford, Accounting sophomore
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What do you put on your toast?
“Fried egg over medium with a slice of provolone cheese.”
Aaron Atkins, Nursing sophomore
uate of the University’s Department of Psychology, returned to campus to support Active Minds in their efforts. “I came back because these issues affect everyone. Body image is important because it is tied to social stigmas, eating issues, low self-esteem and mental health,” she said. According to Brown, the idea of perfection is evident in the stereotype that everyone should be beautiful. This is what creates bad body image perceptions by offering a fictional example of what it means to be beautiful. “So often we are told that we should be a certain size, weight or even that we should be someone else,” Brown said. Brown is no stranger to the feeling of not being perfect.
“I totally understand how someone can feel that they’re not necessarily good enough,” she said. “But we are all special.” Townsend, like many others, related to that feeling. “I have always held negative opinions of my body,” she said. She chose to join Active Minds because of their uplifting outlook. The organization’s positivity helped her recognize that while no one can be perfect, she is beautiful. The main goal, according to Donald, is to provide resources for students. By seeing their table in the UC, they hope that students find accurate information about how to seek help and know that they are never alone. “We should all embrace who we are,” Brown said. “That’s what Active Minds is all about.”
team. He has previous coaching experience at Stanford University under head coach Bret Simon. He also coached a club team in San Jose from 1994 to 2004. Bowen said he believes Mulrooney is the right man for the job, and his experience and vision separated him from the field. “We were impressed with Richard throughout the interview process, and he separated himself from a group of outstanding candidates for this position,” Bowen said in a release. “With his professional playing experience, he obviously knows what it takes to play the highest level. Beyond his experience playing the game, we were captivated by his ability to coach and his plan to build a topflight program at the University
of Memphis.” The Tigers lost their first match in the inaugural American Athletic Conference Tournament to the University of Central Florida in overtime. They finished with 9-8-1 overall record last season. The new coach likes the direction his team is headed, and he hopes support will continue pouring in for the soccer program. “With the group of kids we have back and the group of players we have coming in, it is only going to get better,” Mulrooney said. “And with the plans to build an on-campus stadium and the support in place, I am thrilled to be the head coach at the University of Memphis and look forward to taking the program to the next level.”
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By Robbie Porter
“Ah, yes, it must be strawberry jelly.”
Jarrell Lewis, Chemistry junior
“Butter. Cinnamon. Sugar. The original Cinnamon Toast Crunch.”
Ashley Shipley, Psychology senior
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The University of Memphis
Thursday, February 27, 2014 • 5
U of M fraternity partners with Lifeblood By Crystal Howard
news@dailyhelmsman.com Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity hosts a two-day blood drive each semester in partnership with Lifeblood to help raise awareness with blood donations. This year, the blood drive will take place in the lobby of the Michael D. Rose Theater on March 5 and March 6 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the past, Lambda Chi Alpha has been named the University
of Memphis “Newcomer of the Year” at the fourth annual awards luncheon in early February where others were honored for their volunteer efforts to support blood donations. “I love the blood drive and I find comfort in knowing that I can change someone’s health,” Benjamin Daniel, senior Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity member, said. “I feel honored by giving someone a chance at life by sacrificing something I’m blessed with like my health and well-being.” In 2012, the drive exceeded
expectations by collecting 367 units of blood, which is above the original goal of 125 donors per day at Lifeblood. “During my term as external vice president, I was able to improve on our relationship with Lifeblood to have our first twoday, campus wide blood drive, so I love doing them,” Tremaine Mckinley, senior Asian studies and international trade major said. Students, faculty and the community are encouraged to donate blood. Those who plan to partici-
pate can make an appointment and will have priority over those who do walk-ins. Individuals sign up for appointments will receive a coupon for a free small Dunkin’ Donut’s coffee when they sign in. Donors must be at least 17 years old or 16 with parental consent, weigh at least 115 pounds and be in good health. Donors will also be welcomed by the Lifeblood mascot Phil A. Pint. All donors will receive a T-shirt from Lifeblood for participating
in the drive. Individuals who participate in the blood drive and park in the Zach Curlin campus garage at 505 Zach Curlin St. will have their parking validated at the Rose Theater. To make an appointment, students may call 1-888-LIFEBLOOD. Interested donors who have not donated with Lifeblood before are encouraged to contact Lifeblood at 901-529-6320 or email clublifeblood@lifeblood.org with their name, email, phone number and preferred day and time to donate.
YouTube ordered to take down anti-Muslim film By Paul Elias
Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — A U.S. appeals court ordered YouTube on Wednesday to take down an anti-Muslim film that sparked violent riots in parts of the Middle East and death threats to the actors. The decision by a divided three-judge panel of the 9th
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco reinstated a lawsuit filed against YouTube by an actress who appeared briefly in the 2012 video that led to rioting and deaths because of its negative portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad. YouTube resisted calls by President Barack Obama and other world leaders to take down the video, arguing that to do so
amounted to unwarranted government censorship and would violate the Google-owned company’s free speech protections. Besides, the company argued that the filmmakers and not the actors of “Innocence of Muslims” owned the copyright and only they could remove it from YouTube. And typically, that’s the case with the vast majority of clips posted on YouTube — and
Hollywood in general — that don’t violate decency laws and policies. But the 9th Circuit said Wednesday that this case was far from typical and that the actress, Cindy Lee Garcia, retained a copyright claim that YouTube must respect. That’s because she believed she was acting in a different production than the one that ultimately appeared online. “Had Ms. Garcia known the true nature of the propaganda film the producers were planning, she would never had agreed to appear in the movie,” said Cris Armenta, Garcia’s attorney. Google argues that the actress had no claim to the film because filmmaker Mark Basseley Youssef wrote the dialogue, managed the entire production and dubbed over Garcia’s dialogue during postproduction editing. Writing for the court, Chief Judge Alex Kozinski said the ruling was not a blanket order giving copyright protection to every actor, but that in this case, Garcia’s performance was worthy of copyright protection. “We need not and do not decide whether every actor has a copyright in his performance within a movie,” the judge wrote. “It suffices for now to hold that, while the matter is fairly debatable, Garcia is likely to prevail.” Judge N. Randy Smith dissented, arguing that Garcia’s fivesecond appearance gave her no ownership claims. “Her brief appearance in the film, even if a valuable contribution to the film, does not make her an author,” Smith wrote. “Indeed, it is difficult to understand how she can be considered an ‘inventive or master mind’ of her performance under these facts.”
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Youssef, the filmmaker, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for check fraud in 2010 and barred from accessing the Internet without court approval. He was returned to prison in 2012 for violating terms of his probation and was released on probation in September 2013. Garcia was paid $500 to appear for five seconds in a film she was told was called “Desert Warrior” that she thought had nothing to do with religion or radical Islam. When the clip was released, her lines were dubbed to have her character asking Muhammad if he was a child molester. “This is a troubling case,” Kozinski wrote. “Garcia was duped into providing an artistic performance that was used in a way she never could have foreseen. Her unwitting and unwilling inclusion in Innocence of Muslims led to serious threats against her life. It’s disappointing, though perhaps not surprising, that Garcia needed to sue in order to protect herself and her rights.” For Google, the ruling represents a nettlesome issue if allowed to stand. The company fears that bit players and extras appearing in popular clips will now be emboldened to send takedown notices to YouTube unless settlements can be reached with the filmmakers. Google Inc., which has removed the clip, said it will appeal the decision to a special 11-judge panel of the appeals court. The next move after that would be to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case. “We strongly disagree with this ruling and will fight it,” said Google spokeswoman Abbi Tatton.
6 • Thursday, February 27, 2014
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Q&A with U of M film professor By Harrison Lingo
news@dailyhelmsman.com Nicholas Simpson has taught a plethora of film courses at the University of Memphis, including Intro to Film, Contemporary Cinema and Te l e v i s i o n / Culture, for almost seven years. He has also Simpson worked on a few well-known films, including “Babyland,” a documentary about infant mortality in Memphis. However most people on campus simply refer to him as “the British guy.” Q: Where did you develop that spectacular accent? NS: Well, I actually grew up ’til I was eight in South Wales, which was weird because I never really
fit in. I was the only English guy in my village school. The Welsh and the English have something of a fractious relationship historically. Then, when I was eight, we moved to London, which is where I grew up. I went to a strict, all-boys grammar school, which I loved, but it didn’t have many arts opportunities, so my love of film kind of developed on the side as a hobby. Q: How did you end up in Memphis? NS: I decided that I was interested in doing some teaching, because I’d done a very informal level, sort of tutoring, teaching film on a much smaller scale. So I went back and did a master’s of education at London Metropolitan University. While I was still doing that, I got offered a job at a high school to teach film media and drama, so I did that for a few years. In the midst of doing all that, I
SGA 2014 candidates announced Wednesday Staff Report
news@dailyhelmsman.com The Student Government Association at the University of Memphis announced the 2014 SGA candidates Wednesday. Ricky Kirby, current SGA president, is running under the Making A Difference Party with Prataj Ingram as his vice president. There are 38 senators and 47 cabinet members also running under the party. Domenic Martini, current presi-
dent Lambda Chi Alpha, is running under the Always Serving And Preserving Party with Jalen Griggs as his vice president. Also running under the party are 15 senators and three cabinet members. SGA election campaigns will begin March 23. Students will have the opportunity to vote online March 25 through March 27. The results will be released March 28. Anyone interested in viewing the full list of candidates can visit memphis.edu/sga and click on the “Election” tab.
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met my wife who was living in England but is from Memphis. Once she and I got married, we had a decision to make about where we were going to live, and we decided to move back here. Q: What got you involved in film? NS: When I was about fifteen, I got a hold of my first VHS video camera, which was probably about half the size of this desk. You could only carry it on your shoulder because it was so bloody heavy. But I loved it! I decided very quickly that I wanted to do a film degree. Q: What do you like most about teaching at the U of M? NS: I have a very, very firm belief as an educator that the world is a better place the more we educate people. Q: You mention philosophy in your classes frequently. Do you have a philosophy degree along with your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees?
NS: I don’t have a degree in philosophy, but I would call myself a sort of amateur enthusiast. When I was in high school, I wanted to take a philosophy class and I also wanted to take a physics class, but my schedule didn’t allow me to do either. I’ve always had this lingering fascination with both subjects, so I read books on philosophy. You can’t teach communications classes or get a communications degree without a basic understanding of early philosophers in terms of their communication. I’m talking about their philosophies in a very specific realm. It’s usually how it intersects with ideology, language, meaning, that kind of thing. Q: What is your most memorable moment in film? NS: The most memorable moment for me was working on the “Babyland” documentary. The movie opens with a scene at a funeral. I didn’t really know
Memphis. I just about gleaned through that production that there are two Memphises, right? There’s the white, middle-class Memphis, and there’s the poor black Memphis. Making that movie in the poor, black part of Memphis with very underprivileged families, with this infant mortality that is the subject of the documentary. You can talk about that, people can tell you about that. Until you see it, you can’t understand the disparity that we have in the city.
Know any interesting people on campus? Tell us at @dailyhelmsman #tigerbabble
The University of Memphis
Thursday, February 27, 2014 • 7
DNA could tell story of Seattle mammoth tusk By Donna Gordon Blankship Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) — The fossilized mammoth tusk discovered at a Seattle construction site will reveal its age, gender and life story, but probably not for another year, because that’s how long it will take scientists to dry out the waterlogged and fragile tusk, officials at the Burke Museum said Wednesday. Thanks to the hints of natural history found in the dirt surrounding the tusk — nearly 100 small bags of dirt containing pollen, a small beetle and plant materials were carted away along with the fossil — scientists hope this discovery will tell them a lot about what Seattle was like before humans ever walked the shores of the Puget Sound. “This is our means of time travel,” said paleontologist Christian Sidor. The exploration will go further if Sidor is correct and they can scrape some DNA from collagen fibers inside the tusk after it is allowed to harden and stabilize. The tusk is believed to be of a Columbian mammoth, the Washington state fossil. It measured at 8.5 feet long when it was pulled out of the construction pit on Feb. 14. The tusk, which was about 30 feet below street level, is between 20,000 and 60,000 years old.
photo By Greg Gilbert | Seattle Times | MCT
A mammoth tusk is removed from the South Lake Union construction site in Seattle. Scientists don’t know the gender of the mammoth that lost its tusk, which is large for the Seattle collection, but not so large that it definitely came from a male, Sidor said. Mammoth tusks can measure as long as 15 feet. They believe it was the left tusk because of its curve. The other tusk was likely deposited somewhere else by glaciers
moving through the area, and the animal probably died somewhere else, Sidor said. The rest of the skeleton was scavenged. “The other one was there at some point,” he said. “Fossil records are rarely complete.” DNA will tell scientists the genetics and gender of the mammoth. DNA won’t reveal if fossils found
at other Seattle construction sites came from the same animal. And it won’t be detailed enough to fulfill the dreams of some amateur scientists who would like to see clones of ancient animals brought to life. Scientists will use carbon dating to determine how long ago the animal died. Other geochemical analysis may determine what plants the
mammoth ate. The tusk will have age rings similar to a tree trunk to tell scientists how long it lived, and other markings on the fossil may show whether the mammoth had battle experience. “You can do amazing things with these tusks,” Sidor said. “These fossils bring these animals to life.” The public won’t have to wait a year to get their first glimpse of the tusk, which resembles a large, smooth piece of driftwood covered in wet sand. The drying process won’t require the museum to keep it hidden away in the basement. The mammoth tusk will have its public debut — wrapped in its plaster cast like a giant arm — on March 8 at the Seattle museum’s “Dino Day” celebration. “We’re making an exception so that the mammoth can come to Dino Day,” Sidor said with a smile. For those who may not have gotten the joke: Mammoths and dinosaurs did not roam the earth at the same time. Paleontology jokes are popular in Seattle and on social media these days. A Twitter personality claiming to be a local mammoth that lost its tusk will be among the judges of a contest to name the fossil, museum spokeswoman Alaina Smith said. It is the largest tusk in the museum’s collection.
Uganda health minister: Gays will still get care By Rodney Muhumuza Associated Press
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — The medical workers who knew he was gay ignored him, attending to those who arrived after him as they openly gossiped about his homosexuality. Pepe Julian Onziema, a prominent gay activist in Uganda, said Wednesday he recently was forced to confront some nurses at a private clinic after they neglected to serve him in apparent hostility toward his sexual orientation. Now that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed a new law imposing harsh sentences for gay sex, life is expected to become even more difficult for the country’s homosexuals, including getting health care. The Ugandan government has issued assurances that health workers will not discriminate against homosexuals, but some gays say they are not confident about that. Uganda’s health minister, Ruhakana Rugunda, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that gays will not be discriminated against by medical workers despite the strengthening of criminal penalties against homosexuals. Rugunda said that a clause which would have required medical workers to report homosexuals to police was removed from the bill that became
law on Monday. “We are saying that as far as health is concerned, they are at liberty,” he said, talking about gays. “They should give full disclosure to their nurses ... We do not discriminate against patients on the basis of sexual orientation. That’s why we are encouraging gay Ugandans to take advantage of the health systems.” But Onziema, who is one of the few openly gay Ugandans, said he
and other homosexuals have experienced prejudice when seeking health care. “I once went to a clinic where I stayed in the queue (line) for hours and people who came after me were being served,” he said. “You stand in the queue and they ignore you. And you hear them saying, ‘That is a gay person. We can’t serve him. We shall not serve him.’” The new law has already spread
fear among gay Ugandans and many now are actively trying to flee the country, said Onziema. Inflaming rampant anti-gay sentiment in this East African country, a Ugandan tabloid newspaper on Tuesday published a list of what it called the country’s “200 top homosexuals,” saying it wanted to expose gays and their sympathizers “in salutation to the new-anti-gay law.” That list included many people who previously had not identified themselves as gay, endangering their jobs and lives, said Onziema. Uganda’s new anti-gay law prescribes life imprisonment for those convicted of engaging in gay sex. It also creates the offenses of “conspiracy to commit homosexuality” and “aiding and abetting homosexuality,” both of which are punishable by seven years behind bars. Those convicted of “promoting homosexuality” face similar punishment. There have been no physical attacks on gays since the law came
into force on Monday, but Onziema said he was trying to confirm a report that two “suspected gay men” walking hand in hand were attacked Tuesday in a Kampala suburb. Although the new anti-gay measure is popular among many of Uganda’s 34 million people, it has been widely condemned around the world. Rights groups say it is draconian and unnecessary in a country where homosexuality was already criminalized under a colonial-era law. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is demanding a revision or repeal of Uganda’s anti-gay law, warning that it could fuel prejudice and encourage harassment against gays. U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration has warned that it could cut aid to Uganda over the new law. But those who support the law in Uganda say such a tough measure was needed to deter the West from promoting homosexuality in Africa. In signing the bill, Museveni shrugged off Western criticism as interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country. Some Ugandan lawyers and activists have said they will challenge the law in court as impossible to implement and illegitimate in a country whose constitution bars discrimination based on sexual orientation.
8 • Thursday, February 27, 2014
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Tigers not overlooking struggling Cougars By Hunter Field
sports@dailyhelmsman.com Most Tiger fans have Saturday’s matchup against Louisville circled on their schedule, but the No. 21 University of Memphis men’s basketball team refuses to look past Thursday’s game against the University of Houston. The Tigers (21-6, 10-4 AAC) squared off against the Cougars (13-14, 4-9 AAC) earlier this season at the FedExForum, winning in lopsided fashion 82-59. Despite the previous disparity, Memphis freshman forward Austin Nichols is zeroed on Houston. He’s coming off a career day against Temple on Saturday when he scored 17 points, grabbed 12 boards and blocked seven shots. “I know we play Louisville on Saturday, but Houston is our next game and we’re focused in on them,” Nichols said. “We just got to finish strong, and from what I hear, they’re pretty good on their home court.” Nichols added the only thing he did differently against Temple was stay aggressive after a slow start. Michael Dixon Jr., a senior guard at the U of M, added that no one on the team was surprised to see the freshman excel because he plays so well in practice. Memphis head coach Josh Pastner wants Nichols to play like he did against Temple every night they take the court. “We need him to play like that,” the fifth-year coach said. “He’s a high-level guy when he plays with an aggressive mindset. He can use both hands, and his best basketball is going to be in
photo By David minkin | special to the dialy helmsman
The Tigers roared past Houston at the FedExForum on Jan. 23, but the Blue and Gray aren’t taking Thursday’s matchup lightly. front of him.” The Cougars, who have lost seven of their last nine, play exceedingly better on their home court at Hofheinz Pavilion. At home, they’ve won 10 out of 14, but they’re 3-10 away from Hofheinz. Playing a team for the second time is never easy, according to Dixon. He said Houston will be hungry for a win and the Tigers can’t lose focus. “It’s hard to play teams the second time no matter who it is, especially if you beat them the first time because there’s always
that factor they have over you that they want to get a win over you,” Dixon, a Missouri transfer, said. “So, I feel like it has been a challenge, and we’ve done an okay job combating that and staying locked in.” Unselfishness has been a staple of this year’s men’s basketball team. The Tigers rank third in the country in assist per game (17.8). Dixon said the unselfishness is contagious, and everyone just wants to do whatever will help the team win. The Cougars push the pace of the game, and they aren’t afraid
to hoist 3-pointers. They have four players shooting 35 percent or better from behind the arc. Junior forward TaShawn Thomas shoulders the load for the Cougars. The 6-foot-8 240 pounder averages 15.7 points per game and leads his team in rebounding at 8.4 per game. Thomas has a fan in Pastner, who believes Thomas has a chance to make a career out of basketball. “TaShawn is a stud—there’s no other way to put it,” Pastner said. “He’s a really good player and can score with both hands. He’ll
make money off the game of basketball whether it’s domestically or internationally.” The Tigers should be able to maintain their focus after a close call with the Owls on Saturday. The heavily-favored Memphis squad allowed Temple to tie the game in the waning minutes, but the Tigers pulled away in overtime for the 82-79 win. Tipoff against Houston is slated for 8 p.m. at Hofheinz Pavilion, and CBS Sports Network is broadcasting the game on national television.
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