The
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‘Predators’ Come Back For Even More
How many stars of this sequel are future politicians?
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Helmsman Vol. 78 No. 002
n see page 4
Independent Student Newspaper of The University of Memphis
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Bluff City Classic
University of Memphis students and faculty won the national Environmental Stewardship Award from the Construction Specifications Institute for its TERRA house, a sustainable design and demonstration home in the downtown Uptown neighborhood. Virtually eco-friendly from floor to ceiling, TERRA (Technologically and Environmentally Responsive Residential Architecture) was designed to meet the criteria of the U.S. Green Building Council, the MLGW EcoBUILD program and the American Lung Association. Associate professor and chair of the department of architecture Michael Hagge said the project is a model for future environmental endeavors, “Receiving a national award such as this is a great honor for the faculty and students who worked on TERRA and brings positive recognition to the Department of Architecture and The U of M,” he said. “In addition to providing scholarships for our students, many of the members of CSI Memphis serve as mentors and provide a number of professional and technical resources to the department.”
U of M hosts midnight masquerade
A fresh batch of art highlighting the London carnival will be on display at the Art Museum at The University of Memphis on July 17. “Midnight Robberies: The Artists of Notting Hill Carnival” captures the art of the historical street performances though photography, filmed interviews and an interactive multimedia program that gives users a glimpse into the masquerade experience. Assistant art director at AMUM Lisa Francisco Abitz said the exhibit will feature photos of people dressed in colorful costumes and masks as they perform in London’s biggest street carnival. “The costumes are spectacular,” she said. “Students will enjoy seeing photos of the performance.” The free exhibition, which premiered in London in 2007, will be on display through Sept. 11.
— by Beth Spencer, News Reporter
photos by Joseph Russell
Architecture’s ‘green house’ wins award
A packed house at Verties Sails Gym at 737 Union Ave. watches as U of M junior forward Wesley Witherspoon takes a jump shot during a game Tuesday. Playing with him for the Magic are Tigers teammates Will Coleman and Hippolyte Tsafack.
Summer league showcase for top Tigers, local talent BY JOSEPH RUSSELL Sports Editor
U of M junior forward Angel Garcia watches on as his team, the Lakers, warms up before their game Tuesday night.
Since disappearing in 2002 after more than 20 years of being the city’s premiere summer league for top local talent, the Bluff City Classic returned to Memphis last month and brought with it an excitement and fervor that the area has missed for the past eight years. After the league fell to the wayside due to lack of funds and interest, many of the city’s top players resorted to pick-up games and working by themselves in order to stay on their game during the summer, until local businessman Stanley Blue and former University of Memphis and NBA player Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway stepped in to lend a hand. “We felt it was something that was missing from the summer months,” said Blue, 48. “These kids were coming home for the summer and getting together in small groups to play, but not on this type of platform.” Like in previous years, nine teams with NBAinspired names will compete in eight games each, followed by playoffs toward the end of the twomonth summer season. Blue, who played basketball at Carver High School in Memphis, moved on to Southwest and later University of Northern Alabama in 1985, said he could remember when he participated in the league and how it helped him as a player. Now he wants others to share the opportunity with others. “I played in the Bluff City Classic,” he said. “I coached in the Bluff City Classic and I was fortunate to win five championships coaching in this league.
see
Bluff City, page 3
2 • Thursday, July 8, 2010
The
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Volume 78 Number 001
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S u d o k u
Complete the grid so that each row, column and 3—by—3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9.
Solutions on page 4
The University of Memphis
Thursday, July 8, 2010 • 3
Bluff City from page 1
So when Penny called me to get it started again, I didn’t hesitate.� After playing in the league for six years during his time in the NBA, Hardaway added how important it was not only for the players to get better, but also for the fans to see what they had to offer. “I knew how big it was from when I played in it,� he said. “I watched Stanley (Blue) and other guys play at Christian Brothers College when I was growing up. It was so much fun and it’s an unbelievable summer league. We have so much talent in the city of Memphis and now guys can come out and show it.� Featuring many University of Memphis basketball players – both past and present – the Classic has become a showcase for some of the Tigers’ best players. From former players such as Andre Allen and Jeremy Hunt to next year’s top-heralded recruiting class featuring Joe Jackson, Will Barton and Jelan Kendrick, among others, the opportunity for Memphis supporters to see their favorite players early was one of the driving forces for Hardaway to get the league back on track. “That was the biggest part of this thing,� he said. “When Josh Pastner came out and supported us from the beginning, we were excited because it gave fans the chance to see the class before the season started. If this wouldn’t have come about, they wouldn’t have had the chance to see the team until the preseason. Now it gives them the chance to play in front of a packed house and show the fans what they have to look forward to.� The Classic also gives those players a chance to get together and play, almost like an unofficial practice, Hardaway added. For example, the Magic have a starting lineup that consists of guards Jackson and Barton,
incoming freshman forward Hippolyte Tsafack and returning forwards Will Coleman and Wesley Witherspoon. Meanwhile, the Suns have a lineup that includes incoming freshman guards Kendrick, Chris Crawford, Antonio Barton, freshman forward Tarik Black and returning sophomore guards Drew Barham and D.J. Stephens. There’s also returning junior forward Angel Garcia, who plays on the Lakers team with former U of M guard Willie Kemp and Philadelphia 76ers guard Lou Williams, a Memphis native. In addition to Tigers players, the nine-team league also features Memphis-area players that went to play at other colleges or that are now in the professional ranks. “This is a stage that players look for and want to come here for,� Hardaway said. “They have a chance to go up against Joe Jackson, who is one of the best freshman point guards in the country, if not the best, coming into next season. A player coming in to Southwest, Northwest, LeMoyne-Owen, Arkansas State or some of the smaller colleges can go up against pro’s and some of the top college players in the nation. That’s the opportunity that these kids love.� Since the league features college players, Blue had to go through a process with the NCAA to get the event officially sanctioned. Without it, they would not have been able to play. “That’s the appeal of this
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league,� Blue said. “If we had a Pro-Am event, college players would be excluded. This type of environment is perfect for both college and professional players compete on the same floor. Memphis is a basketball mecca, and if these kids get the chance to go up against a professional like Lou Williams, that’s only going to make them better and make the competition within the city better.� And the support from both players and fans has been phenomenal, he added. Since the first night, when fans had to be turned away from Verties Sails Gym at 737 Union Ave. because it had reached maximum capacity, Blue said, people have come out in swarms to watch the Classic. Two games are played every Tuesday through Thursday, beginning at 6:30 p.m., until Aug. 12, and admission is free. “This place is always full, especially when the Tigers play� said one security guard who was an alum of The U of M but asked to remain nameless. “And anytime someone from The University of Memphis plays, I make sure I’m here.� It’s that kind of support that shows how successful the Classic can be not only this year, but for years to come, Hardaway added. “We don’t want it to ever stop again, ever,� he said. “When we’re gone and passed, we want it to keep going. We want this thing to go forever. Memphis is a hotbed for basketball and we want to showcase this talent. The Bluff City Classic is a tradition that never should have stopped.�
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Police Beat Drug Possession On June 21 at 7:40 p.m., police responded to a call at Carpenter Complex. The complainant reported smelling strong marijuana odor wafting from a dorm room. Police arrested the two suspects for possession of a controlled substance and transported them, along with the evidence, to 201 Poplar Ave. Burglary On June 2 at 9:09 a.m., an officer responded to a burglary call at 4111 South St. Judy Hyleton told police that someone illegally entered room number 140B, stealing two Apple laptops. Neither the suspect nor the computers are in custody. On June 6 at 8:11 a.m., police responded to a burglary call at 530 Patterson St. Blake Young told an officer that someone stole a CD drive out of room number 225 in Patterson Hall. Theft On June 2 at 8:38 p.m., police responded to a theft call at 624 Echles St. John Roberts told an officer someone stole his 1996 GMC Yukon. Roberts, who said he left the windows of the vehicle rolled down, said it was missing from the parking lot when he returned from football practice. The black vehicle had large, chrome wheels and an Arkansas Razorback sticker on its rear. On June 7 at 7:53 p.m. an officer responded to a theft call at 620 Echles St. Howard Hall told police someone destroyed the dashboard to his 2002 Cadillac Escalade, stealing his stereo and
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the controls to his air conditioner. Halls belongings were stolen after he left the yellow vehicle in the staff parking lot for three hours. On June 9 at 12:45 p.m., police responded to a theft call at 104 E. Park Loop. Robert Pittman told an officer someone stole his Red Max leaf blower when he left it unattended near a golf cart on the east side of Getwell Road, south of Park Avenue. On June 14 at 3 p.m., an officer responded to a theft call at 3774 Walker Ave. Hugh Cross told police someone stole his bicycle, after he locked it to a rack next to the Life Sciences building at 10:50 a.m. Cross said the bicycle was worth $700. On June 20 at 4:01 p.m., police responded to a theft call in the Ned R. McWherter Library. William Gatlin told an officer someone stole his hard drive, after he left it on a desk in the northwest part of the Learning Common. The hard drive, valued at $90, has not been recovered. On June 20 at 7:40 p.m., an officer responded to a burglary call in Carpenter Complex. Todd Washington told police someone illegally entered his home, stealing $205. — by Beth Spencer
HOUSE TO SHARE Private bedroom & bath, share kitchen in established home 2 miles from U of M campus. Available to qualified, mature U of M student. Elderly gentleman provides housing, all utilities and stipend in exchange for minimal assistance. Interested students contact Eric Matheson at (901) 753-4872 or Steve Howard at (818) 427-3293 to set up interview.
• Thursday, July 8, 2010
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Film Review
BY CHRISTOPHER KELLY McClatchy Newspapers They are dropped from the sky, with only a parachute to save them. They land in a lush green jungle whose topography seems to resemble no known place on Earth. All they can remember, from the moments prior to their arrival, is a flash of bright white light. There are eight of them, all of whom seem to have some kind of background in violence: a black-ops mercenary (Adrien Brody), a CIA assassin (Alice Braga), a soldier for a Mexican drug cartel (Danny Trejo), a murderer on death row (Walton Goggins) and so forth. Soon they realize that they have been sent here as prey, to be hunted and destroyed an alien race seeking out new forms of diversion. That’s the set-up for “Predators,” which borrows heavily from “The Most
Dangerous Game” and “Lost” to reinvigorate a franchise that, in its most recent incarnation, the two Alien vs. Predator films, devolved into comic book / sci-fi inanity (they were like Ed Wood movies with considerably more expensive special effects). This new version tries to restore some of the straightahead intensity of the original 1987 “Predator,” while also pushing it deeper into the realm of old-fashioned horror. Turns out our heroes are trapped on the home planet of the Predators, and they must face off these snarling, dreadlocked monsters — not to mention their feral, tusked pets — and find a way to escape. What the movie sorely lacks, though, is any real sense of fear. “Predators” was directed by Nimrod Antal (“Vacancy”), but it was produced by Austin-based filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, whose fingerprints are all over
MCT
‘Predators’ is totally sweet
Royce (Adrien Brody, left) and Isabelle (Alice Braga) take aim during their desperate battle against the alien Predators in 20th Century Fox’s science/fiction horror, “Predators.” it. Like most of Rodriguez’s work, this movie only seems to
A Weekly Devotional For You Christians, Earn the Right! This time I am going to require a great deal of the true Christians out there. You must realize that, even though it is unfair, the general populace holds you to a higher standard than any other group. This is really an unintended compliment. Everyone senses that Christianity is a unique religion, in a class by itself. This infuriates some. Recently, the host of a HBO show made the statement that all Christians are crazy and have a neurological disorder. This statement is ludicrous on its face and tells a great deal about the one who made it. If this statement had been made concerning someone’s race, gender, “sexual orientation,” or had been made about any other religion than Christianity, there would have been a media firestorm and the person would have been fired. However, because of the blatant hypocrisy of most of the media, nothing will be done. How should Christians react? Should they whine about a lack of fairness and complain about discrimination? They can legitimately raise these issues, but they must not use them as excuses. Christian students should be dependable, trustworthy, and respectful. They should always do the best they can. They should hand in their assignments on time. Even though the secular world and much of the religious world exercises a double standard in regard to Christianity, we Christians should not mind earning the right to be heard by reasonable people.
Grace Chapel Primitive Baptist Church – Zack Guess, Pastor 828 Berclair Rd. • Memphis, TN, 38122 • 683-8014 • e-mail: zguess@juno.com
come alive when it’s at its most gleefully juvenile, as limbs get sliced and body cavities are torn open and the Predators spew neon green blood. Rodriguez loves his creatures, and he and Antal take evident delight in populating this planet with as many different monsters as possible — to the exclusion of any real character or plot development. Nothing seems to matter here other than the goo and the gore. “Predators,” with its screenplay by Alex Litvak and Michael Finch, is hardly terrible; in fact, there’s a nifty bit involving a Japanese yakuza, played by Louis Ozawa Changchien, challenging one of the monsters to a sword battle. But the movie doggedly refuses to come to life, perhaps because the actors feel so secondary to the proceedings. As the self-appointed leader of the humans, Brody lacks
the brawn of a proper action hero, not to mention the charm — the few attempts to generate a romance between Brody and Braga go nowhere. Both Topher Grace, as a doctor who doesn’t seem to fit in with this group of professional killers, and Laurence Fishburne, a mysterious man they encounter on the island, are wasted. The final sections of “Predators” features a massive grenade explosion, a spaceship getting blown to bits, and a venom that, once injection, renders a person paralyzed — in other words, as with most of this summer’s action movies, it’s barely comprehensible chaos. That’s when you fully realize how many opportunities have been squandered here (the Predators’ infra-red vision and invisibility, so integral to the nervous energy of the original film, go mostly unexploited), and how little heart or playfulness is on display. “Predators” mostly just suggests a bunch of grown up men playing with toys and not bothering to invite the rest of us into their circle.
Solutions