Daily Helmsman
The
Friday, February 25, 2011
Student Seating’s Other Side Not all Tigers feel their money is spent well on the Student Athletic Fee
Vol. 78 No. 086
see page 3
Independent Student Newspaper of The University of Memphis
www.dailyhelmsman.com
Miss Tennessee could be at this University BY Chris Daniels News Reporter For University of Memphis junior Kyndall Covington and three of her classmates, beauty is in the eyes of a panel of judges. “Competing is tough and puts a lot on you,” she said of her experiences in local beauty pageants. “Because not only are you expected to stand on stage and look pretty, but you have to be smart, talented and so many things wrapped in to one. In the pag-
eant world they call you ‘the total package.’” Covington, a broadcast journalism major, Leah Bolton, sophomore broadcast journalism major, Erin Hatley, junior marketing management major, and Ivy Depew, junior sociology major, are all victors of local pageants and will compete in the Miss Tennessee America pageant in June. Competing in pageants is difficult, but can be very rewarding, said Bolton, winner of the Miss Scenic City pageant. “Pageant life is different for sure. I don’t
Crime
Man stalking UM student arrested, charged
think it’s exactly what everyone makes it out to be,” Bolton said. “I think the media kind of takes it and runs with it. I think pageant life gets a really bad rap.” According to the Miss Tennessee America website, contestants must have a high school diploma, be a resident of Tennessee for six months, no younger than 17 at the time of local competition or older than 24 by Dec. 31, 2010, and must be a female who hasn’t been
see
BY Chelsea Boozer News Reporter
Miss TN, page 7
by Casey Hilder
Gimme shelter
Severe weather that struck the Mid-South caused some classes at The University of Memphis to end early Thursday evening, with professors and students alike seeking shelter in basements and bathrooms across campus. Residents of Richardson Towers were evacuated from the building and had to brave strong winds and driving rain during the storm. With a tornado warning issued for the area, a TigerText warning recipients to take cover was sent out for The U of M’s Millington Center and Carrier Center.
Campus Activities BY Timberly Moore News Reporter
At precisely 7:14 p.m. Saturday, the coronation of Memphis’ best steppers begins. The Delta Nu chapter of Phi Beta Sigma at The University of Memphis will host their annual “Kings of Memphis Stepshow” in the Michael D. Rose Theatre in which National Pan-Hellenic Council Greeks vie to claim the title of best overall step team, best sorority team and best fraternity team. The teams battle not only for bragging rights, but for thousands in prize money — best
overall step team wins $2,000 and best fraternity and sorority teams win $1,000 each. Johnny McGee, 2010 UM and Sigma alumnus, said the two and a half hour event is sure to be filled with excitement. “We have new surprise entries this year that are bound to excite the crowd,” said McGhee, who is returning to campus for the event. McGhee said the step show is normally in the Elma Neal Roane Field House, but he believes the move to Rose Theatre will raise the level of competition. “You can use the projector
in the Rose, which is a good thing because using videos in step shows has become more common these days,” he said. Even though the theater ’s capacity is smaller than the field house, Herschal McCathern, junior marketing major, Sigma member and coordinator for the event, said he thinks there will be more energy in the room. McCathern said Kings of Memphis is a long standing Delta Nu tradition that helps bridge the gap between U of M Greeks, Greeks at other schools
see
Step, page 4
courtesy of Sedrick Askew
Greeks step up for Kings of Memphis
Steppers perform a dance at Kings of Memphis 2010.
Sherman Jackson, 25, was arrested on charges of stalking, aggravated criminal trespassing and violation of bail conditions We d n e s d a y following a complaint made by a University of Memphis student, Jackson S h a n i n a Rivera, that he approached her around 10:30 a.m. after her class in the lobby of Mitchell Hall. According to an affidavit from campus police, Rivera said Jackson, her ex-boyfriend and father of her child, insisted on speaking with her to tell her that he would be going to court Thursday and subsequently to jail. Jackson, who is not a student at The U of M, is being held on a $25,000 bond and is due in court March 10. Five days prior, Jackson was arrested after Rivera’s sister told police he ripped Rivera’s shirt and tried to punch her after arriving at her home uninvited. According to a Memphis Police Department affidavit dated Sept. 15, 2010, a motorist called 911 to report that a man, Jackson, was chasing a woman, Rivera, on foot near Union Avenue and Belvedere after abandoning a black Acura vehicle. When police arrived, Rivera told them Jackson picked her up from The U of M to take her Downtown, and when she refused his sexual advances and a request to take her to a hotel, he grabbed her hair and slammed her head into the center console of the vehicle, bruising her forehead. Rivera said Jackson then pushed her out of the vehicle and threw her purse into a nearby bush, the affidavit continued. When she tried to get her purse, Jackson started chasing her. At the time, Rivera and Jackson had been in a relationship for three years, and their daughter was 1 year old. Charges on file involving Rivera and Jackson date back to Feb. 15, 2010.
2 • Friday, February 25, 2011
The
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TIGER BABBLE
Daily
Helmsman
thoughts that give you paws
Volume 78 Number 086
Editor-in-Chief
Scott Carroll
“Memphis saw more action with severe weather this evening than Lindsay Lohan’s police blotter.” — @JessieWilks
Managing Editor Mike Mueller Copy and Design Chief Amy Barnette News Editors Cole Epley Amy Barnette
“Hey U of M, I can tell there’s a tornado warning by the constant sirens and heavy winds. You don’t have to keep texting me.” — @lwelyk
Sports Editor John Martin Copy Editors Amy Barnette Christina Hessling General Manager Candy Justice Advertising Manager Bob Willis Admin. Sales Sharon Whitaker Adv. Production Rachelle Pavelko Rachel Rufenacht Adv. Sales Robyn Nickell Michael Parker
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The Daily Helmsman is a “designated public forum.” Student editors have authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. The Daily Helmsman is pleased to make a maximum of 10 copies from each issue available to a reader for free, after which $1 will be charged per copy.
YOU REALLY LIKE US! Yesterday’s Top-Read Stories on the Web
1. Dearth of devotion 2. Be all that UConn be
Down 1 “Glee” star Lea __ 2 Embarrassed 3 Medium settings 4 Time indicators of a sort
“Great story on the lacrosse issue. Hopefully people will realize our struggles and may realize we have a team.” — @bceolla “Why is it U of M closes for snow but not for potentially deadly tornadoes?” — @tardis_lizard
by Michelle Corbet
3. Facebook accomodates LGBT users
by Erica Horton
4. Students’ excuses are inexcusable
by John Martin
5. Haslam rolls out HOPEful legislation
by Chris Daniels
DOMINO’S PIZZA Across 1 Rigged support 5 Curve of a cabriole leg 9 Sheet of stamps 13 “So that’s how it’s going to be” 14 Anago and unagi 15 An amulet may ward it off, purportedly 16 Move from Crystal to Caesar’s? 19 Danish poker star Gus 20 Curling surface 21 Texter’s “Heavens!” 23 Oscar night figure 24 Small, vocal bird 26 __ market 27 Cliff, Carlos and Derrek of baseball 28 Antelope of questionable virtue? 30 Mag wheels? 31 Pound output 32 Has a powerful desire (for) 33 “Another regulation, sorry to say”? 36 Gait between walk and canter 39 Wine Train valley 40 MoveOn.org, e.g.: Abbr. 43 Greengrocer’s grab bags? 46 Hole maker 47 Mongol sovereign 48 Trap, in a way 49 “Cheers” waitress 50 Sixth rock from the sun: Abbr. 51 Rye go-with 52 Repartee 53 1997 Kevin Spacey film, and a hint to this puzzle’s theme 57 Lowdown 58 “Exodus” novelist 59 Compass __ 60 Riding 61 Took off 62 Dot and Flik, in “A Bug’s Life”
by John Martin
“Do you ever make up a hashtag and search it just to see if you’re the first? #operationrepoinPJswithabudlight” — @danielmangrum
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CORRECTIONS In the Feb. 23 article “Gov. Haslam rolls out HOPEful summer scholarship legislation,” we incorrectly stated that the HOPE scholarship allows each student $4,000 per semester. The scholarship actually allows $4,000 per year. In the Feb. 24 article “Barton hospitalized,” we incorrectly referred to UTEP as the University of Temple at El Paso. The correct school name is the University of Texas at El Paso.
5 Gung-ho 6 Rebirth prefix 7 “The Silmarillion” being 8 Uses binoculars, say 9 Athlete dubbed “O Rei do Futebol” 10 Gardner of “Mayerling” 11 French president Sarkozy 12 Gold or silver 17 “Hmm ...” 18 Embarrassing marks 22 Roams 24 Troubles 25 Jennifer Crusie’s genre 26 Obstacle for Santa? 28 Mauna __ 29 2004 Anne Hathaway title role 31 Responded in court 33 King of comedy
34 Shed tool 35 Adds to 36 Sets a price 37 Jackson dubbed “Queen of Gospel” 38 Sticking out 40 Helping 41 In any case 42 River to Boston Harbor 44 Seven-time N.L. batting champ Musial 45 Two or three bags of groceries, say 46 Transforming syllable 49 Lockup 51 Stud alternative 52 As good as it gets 54 Corp. exec 55 Fury 56 “What’s the __?”
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 11
The University of Memphis
Friday, February 25, 2011 • 3
Opinion
Smells like mean spirit BY Amy Barnette Copy and Design Chief Please excuse my disaffected stare. I have never taken advantage of the free basketball tickets that The University of Memphis athletic department provides for students. I have never watched a complete Tiger basketball game. (I did catch the second half of the 2008 national championship game, but I can’t say I did so intentionally.) I have never worn any University clothing or purchased any memorabilia. I have never painted my face in blue and gray, cheered loudly for the home team or felt any real emotion for Tiger sports. In fact, I just found out while writing this editorial that our colors were not, as I have suspected for several years, blue and white. But don’t take it the wrong
way, Tiger fans. I’ve never been to a college sporting event in my life — I employ my apathy for sports and school spirit on an equal-opportunity basis. So if athletic director R.C. Johnson ever finds it prudent to cut the size of the student section, whether for fiscal or public relations reasons, I have no problem with that. Well, I might have one. Non-negotiable student fees subsidize over 23 percent of the athletic department’s budget. Each semester, all U of M students registered for six or more hours must pay $225, the full-time cost of the Student Athletic Fee, on top of sundry general access fees, the student activity fee, the debt service fee and the facility fee. Combined, these program service fees total $606 per semester, so the athletic fee comprises more than 37 percent of the sum. I can think of hundreds of
better ways I could spend the athletic fees I’ve paid over the years, not to mention what some of The University’s other departments could do with the $7.4 million students contribute to the athletics budget. My sentiments about these mandatory expenses are not far from my feelings on taxes. I get it — they’re unavoidable, and there’s not a whole hell of a lot I can do to change that. But if I could earmark my tax payments to stay out of the military budget, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Of course, comparing sports to war isn’t quite fair, except perhaps from a philosophical or anthropological standpoint, but I don’t care for either one and have never professed otherwise. The U of M didn’t ask about my enthusiasm for basketball when I enrolled. That’s not why I’m here. My purposes at this University are entirely academic and professional.
Why then, at a commuter school, was there ever any assumption that we would all share this passion? Why must the experience of sitting on bleachers — or molded plastic bucket seats, or whatever the FedExForum holds inside — in a hot, crowded, loud arena define the universal college experience? I don’t intend to belittle the many students who do enjoy all that the athletic department has to offer or suggest that my outside interests are somehow more valid. I wouldn’t ask that the department be obliterated just because it’s not relevant to my everyday life.
FOR COLORED GIRLS Rated R
TONIGHT 7 p.m. UC Theatre TONIGHT
Friday Film Series “For Colored Girls”
7 p.m. • UC Theatre
U of M sporting events bring home the bacon. They generate revenue. They grab attention. They fill the hearts of many Memphians with joy. That mine is generally not
a m o n g those hearts doesn’t matter. But it does matter that the athletic department sometimes functions like an island — not entirely unlike the kind to which wealthy executives often fly to avoid the long arm of the IRS. The department even maintains the rights to much of what seems to define “school spirit.” Club and intramural teams are barred from representing the school or using The University’s logos, as was The Daily Helmsman when the editorial staff sought to incorporate the familiar, ever-present leaping tiger into the flag that runs across the top of the paper. If the athletic department is such a great moneymaker, I’m not sure I see why we’re paying for them. After all, it sounds like they’ve got a great business model. So, Mr. Johnson, if we’re not using as many of our seats as you’d like, by all means — make every penny you can from them. Work with the Student Government Association to redefine the way we handle student tickets, and eliminate the student section altogether if enough students want the option of sitting with friends. Hire seatfillers, or reorganize the chart, or do whatever is necessary to make us look better on ESPN. It really doesn’t make a difference to me. But if you sell that seat you “saved” for me before you even bothered to ask if I would use it, I fully expect a refund.
Coming Up
Tomorrow, 2/26 SAC Cinema “Despicable Me”
2 p.m. UC Theatre
4 • Friday, February 25, 2011
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Current Events
Grad student to speak about Egyptian protests BY Chris Shaw News Reporter University of Memphis graduate student Merci Decker is helping students better understand the recent happenings in Egypt at tonight’s lecture, “From Cairo 2 Memphis.” Sponsored by the Memphis International Solidarity Committee, the event will be held at Memphis College of Art’s Callicott Auditorium at 6 p.m. Decker is among a slew of scheduled speakers, three of whom will speak from Egypt via Skype on their experiences during the recent protests. Decker, who helped organize the event, said it was created because many people expressed in interest in the recent activity in Egypt. “During a meeting at the Midsouth Peace and Justice
Step
from page 1 and those who have graduated. The Sigmas said that this year they are going to evolve that bridge by including some “surprise guests” and educational aspects. “We are going to have vendors selling T-shirts and stuff as well as an HIV table,” McCathern said. Tickets for the show cost $10 in advance and $15 at the door. The show’s emcee is a comedian who is also a member of NPHC fraternity Omega Psi Phi there. Nine judges representing the ‘divine nine’ — all NPHC fraternities and sororities — will determine the winners. Adrienne Hughes, a guest judge and first vice president of the Memphis graduate chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., said that she is looking for quite a few things in the competing teams. “The show actually has to have stepping in it,” said Hughes. “Recently teams have been doing a lot of dancing and leaving stepping out of their shows.” She said that though stepping is a big deal to her, she’s also looking for a team that has the “total package.” “I also look for precision and I love facial expressions,” said Hughes. “I love it if I feel like they are having a good time and putting their all into it.” She said she also looks for a theme that connects the whole show together and would like to see that theme in everything they do, from their body language all the way to the props they use. Hughes hopes to see creativity too, she said. “I want to see something unique and difficult that will wow me in the routines — something that everybody can’t do,” Hughes said.
Center, several individuals expressed an interest in organizing an event that would not only demonstrate our support of the individuals in Egypt but also provide members of the Memphis community with enough background to have an informed dialogue about the recent uprising,” Decker said. The lecture will provide a question and answer segment for audience members who wish to interact with the speakers in Egypt. Decker said that though the lecture will demonstrate support of the protests in Egypt, there won’t be any political undertones. “While there isn’t a particular political ideology we will be pushing, we are in support of the Egyptian individuals and support their (fulfilled) desire to have Mubarak step down from office,” she said.
Philanthropy
Students stay to serve over spring break BY Chelsea Boozer News Reporter Instead of going away for Spring Break, 11 University of Memphis students have opted for a “stay-cation,” during which they’ll volunteer in Memphis and explore the city. Students participating in the Alternative Spring Break Staycation, sponsored by the student involvement office, will join the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association in citywide service projects March 7-9. Angela Norwood, coordinator of student activities and staff leader of the alternative break, said students will be working on three MIFA projects during the break: volunteering with food delivery service Meals on Wheels, helping with neighborhood cleanup in the Vance area of South Memphis, and volunteering at senior citizens’ homes. “We are working on some components that would truly make it feel like a stay-cation by trying to organize an outing or two to Memphis attractions,” she said. “Sometimes we don’t take advantage of what’s right in our backyard.”
After volunteering, other activities may include bowling, a trip to the zoo or touring Victorian Village. Aretha Crowder, senior journalism major, said she is stay-cationing because she likes to volunteer. “I can benefit from participating in the stay-cation through the opportunity to network with other students while giving back to the local community,” she said. This is the first year the student involvement office has offered an in-city Alternative Spring Break. Outside Memphis, the 2011 Alternative Spring Break will be held March 5-12 in New Orleans, where students will work for Habitat for Humanity. A record 52 students applied to travel to New Orleans, though due to housing limitations, only 14 students could be accepted. Others who applied were asked to participate in the stay-cation. “Our applicant pool was an out-
standing group of students who were all committed to doing service over spring break,” Norwood said. “The thought was that we could still give students a great opportunity and provide some much-needed service right here in Memphis.” The Helen Hardin Honors program is also offering an alternative spring break to students. Colton Cockrum, assistant director of the program, sent an e-mail Thursday about an opportunity to work with Living Lands and Waters, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to clean up the Mississippi River and surrounding tributaries. Students can work with Living Lands and Waters on March 7 and 8 by boarding their barge at 9 a.m. and working until 4 p.m. with a lunch break included. Contact Cockrum by March 1.
Candidacy Forms Are Now Available for
Student Government Association Election
Download forms and petitions at: www.memphis.edu/sga General Requirements • 2.0 cumulative GPA • 6 completed credit hours at U of M • Current course load of at least 6 hours • Completed Candidacy Form & Petition
Submit completed forms to UC Room 214 By Monday, Feb. 28 @ 4:30 p.m. Attend an Information Session in UC 214 TODAY @ 10 a.m. or Monday, Feb. 28 @ 3 p.m. For more information, check out our Facebook group “I Want to be a SGA Senator 2011”
I am a senior at the University of Memphis where my major is Social Work. TNOBC is the place for me because it’s where I come and collect my thoughts.
~Erica Woodson
The New Olivet Baptist Church 3084 Southern Avenue Memphis, TN 38111 901-454-7777 www.olivetbc.com Call us for a ride from campus! (and its adjacent areas)
Pi Beta Phi presents
Karaoke Night Sunday, Feb. 27 7 p.m. Rose Theatre Admission
$7 in advance (from any Pi Phi)
$10 @ the door
Proceeds benefit First Book, a non-profit organization that helps promote literacy among young children
The University of Memphis
Friday, February 25, 2011 • 5
Philanthropy
Eating for a cure, Phi Mu hosts spaghetti dinner BY Jasmine Vann News Reporter University of Memphis’ Phi Mu sorority will host a spaghetti dinner Monday, Feb. 28, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Pink Palace Museum to raise money for
Children’s Miracle Network. Proceeds from the event will be given to LeBonheur Children’s Hospital. Food will be served buffetstyle and donated from various restaurants around the city, including Pete and Sam’s
Restaurant, Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, McAlister’s Deli and Chick-Fil-A. While patrons dine, Phi Mu representatives will speak about their involvement with LeBonheur Children’s Hospital and Children’s Miracle
Network, a philanthropic organization with which Phi Mu partners. “We try to keep a close relationship with LeBonheur patients to see how we impact them,” said sophomore biology major and Phi Mu member
Nour Haddad. The night also will include a spaghetti-eating contest in which contestants eat with their hands. The event is open to the public. Tickets cost $6 in advance and $8 at the door.
Pi Beta Phi promotes literacy through karaoke BY Jasmine Vann News Reporter Pi Beta Phi sorority will host a speed read, karaoke and dance competition Sunday at 7 p.m. in the Michael D. Rose Theatre.
The event is free and open to the public. All Interfraternal Conference and National Pan-Hellenic Conference Greek chapters will participate in the competition. Proceeds from the event go to the Pi Beta Phi founda-
tion and First Books literacy program. “We do this every year as our philanthropy event promoting literacy for children,” said junior psychology major and Pi Phi member Megan Broadstreet.
Events of the competition include a dance and karaoke competition, in which participants showcase their talents for a panel of judges, which could include Pi Beta Phi alumni, U of M dance teachers or even parents of Pi Beta Phi members.
To finish the night, contestants will participate in a 30-second speed-reading competition. “It’s a really fun event, and it raises a lot of money for our organizations,” Broadstreet said.
6 • Friday, February 25, 2011
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Spring in Bloom Dancers from the Yangzhou University Performance Troupe, from China, showcased their talents Thursday night with a dance entitled “Jasmine Flower” in the Michael D. Rose Theatre. Sponsored by the Confucius Institute at The University of Memphis, the dancers were followed by a performance from a Chinese zither soloist, Fu Ming-Jian. The show was cut short due to the sudden blast of tornado sirens as a large storm system moved into the region. by Casey Hilder
Consumer Safety
Toyota recalls more cars for pedal issue BY Greg Gardner Detroit Free Press Toyota is expanding a 2009 recall and initiated new recall campaigns covering 2.17 million vehicles in which accelerator pedals can become entrapped or jammed in floor mats or carpeting. The expanded voluntary action comes about two weeks after a study requested by Congress and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found no electronic cause of unintended acceleration. About 1.38 million of the new recalls are an expansion of
Toyota’s massive 2009 recall to address the risk that improperly placed floor mats could be entrapped by accelerator pedal. The Japanese automaker has recalled more than 14 million vehicles worldwide since 2009 for a variety of safety and quality concerns, including sudden unintended acceleration. Earlier this month, a panel of NASA experts reported finding no evidence that electronic malfunctions contributed to unintended acceleration. The new models affected by the November 2009 recall are about 603,000 4Runner SUVs from model years 2003 through 2009, about 17,000 Lexus LX 570 models from models years 2008 through 2011 and 761,000 RAV4 compact SUVs from model years 2006 through 2010. Owners of those vehicles will be notified by mail in the next few weeks. Toyota will send a second notice when dealers are ready to fix the problem. Separately, Toyota is recalling 372,000 Lexus RX 330, RX 350 and RX 400H vehicles from 2004 through early 2007 model years and 397,000 Toyota Highlander SUVs and hybrids from 2004 through 2006 model years. Dealers will replace floor carpet covering and retention clips on the driver’s side that could interfere with the accelerator pedal arm. In yet another action, Toyota is recalling 20,000 Lexus GS 300 and 350 all-wheel drive models to change the shape of a plastic pad embedded in the driver’s side floor carpet that could cause pedal interference. Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said the company was unaware of any accidents or injuries related to the new recalls. Beyond replacing or tweaking floor mats, Toyota is introducing brake override technology in all new models that ensures that drivers could bring any vehicle to a quick stop even if there is an unintended surge of acceleration.
The University of Memphis
courtesy of Erin Hatley
married or pregnant. “You have to prove yourself in front of the judges why you are the best candidate for Miss Tennessee,” Hatley, Miss Collierville, said. “‘Why are you credible or approachable or personable enough to talk to people and get them to become motivated?’ You’re showing these judges that you can be a role model 24/7.” The winner of Miss Tennessee travels to elementary schools across Tennessee, speaking with children about what opportunities are out there, Hatley said. “She magnifies the beauty of service,” she said. All Miss Tennessee contestants qualified for the state pageant by winning a local pageant and have a platform or key issue they discuss and try to raise awareness about throughout the year with their local title, Covington said. “(Miss Tennessee) is pretty much representing Tennessee as a whole,” Covington said. “So she has to be able to speak really well and that’s what the judges are pretty much looking at.” Covington’s platform is “be a hero, think a hero,” Bolton chose “play a part in Christian arts involvement.” Hatley chose “volunteerism,” and DePew chose “prevention of HIV and AIDS.” Covington expects the Miss
courtesy of Kyndall Covington
from page 1
Tennessee pageant, a weeklong event that begins June 12, to be “grueling.” “It’s going to test me mentally and physically,” she said. During three preliminary rounds, June 15-17, competitors are judged on their performance in five categories, each worth a portion of 100 total points: onstage question, swimsuit, eveningwear, private interview and talent. Five finalists will compete June 18 in the same categories. “I love every single area of competition,” DePew, Miss Memphis, said. “It’s something that I know I worked hard for and its something I enjoy.” All four students said having fellow U of M classmates in the competition is comforting. “I think we’ll all be going in with a sense of unity,” Covington said. “We all come from the same place and when it comes to competition time, we’ll all band together and represent The University of Memphis.” Other than the crown, Covington said the winner of Miss Tennessee would receive a $15,000 cash scholarship to be used at any school in the United States. They are also eligible to compete for the title of Miss America. Covington said that’s the ultimate prize. “It’s almost every little pageant girl’s dream to win Miss America,” Covington said. “I mean it’s Miss freaking America.”
courtesy of Ivy DePew
Miss TN
courtesy of Leah Bolton
Friday, February 25, 2011 • 7
Ivy DePew, top left, is the reigning Miss Memphis. Erin Hatley, top right, was recently crowned Miss Collierville. Leah Bolton, bottom left, holds the title of Miss Scenic City. Kyndall Covington, bottom right, won the Miss Metropolitan title. The four U of M students will compete for the title of Miss Tennessee America in June.
Behind the Swoosh:
Sweatshops and Social Justice Hear about Jim Keady’s experience of working in a Nike sweatshop in Indonesia for a month while making a mere $1.25 a day.
Tuesday, March 1 6:30 p.m. • UC Ballroom
8 • Friday, February 25, 2011
www.dailyhelmsman.com
World
BY Borzou Daragahi Los Angeles Times Smoldering unrest drew tighter around Tripoli and areas of western Libya previously under government control Thursday, the day before a planned rally in the capital against Moammar Gadhafi’s rule. Gadhafi made another characteristically rambling address, acknowledging that the city of Zawiya 30 miles west of the capital had risen up against his 40-year-rule. Foreign residents fleeing the city emerged with grim tales of fighting in the streets. “The situation there is very bad,” said Hassan Sheikh, 43, an Egyptian laborer among the accelerating flow of foreigners packing whatever belongings they could carry and making a break for the Tunisian border, about 120 miles from the Libyan capital. “There is no mercy there. They killed many people.” Inspired by movements that overthrew authoritarian rulers in neighboring Egypt and Tunisia, Libyans opposed to Gadhafi have taken to the streets across the country, already gaining control of the country’s oilrich eastern areas. Gadhafi described the young
protesters who have led a movement drawing soldiers, doctors and engineers into its ranks as drug-addled disciples of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. “It is clear now,” he said in an interview that was telephoned in to a news program, “those who recruited our children are al-Qaida. It is bin Laden, otherwise known as international terrorism.” As the country slid further into chaos, communications with the outside world eroded. Phone lines that were reachable a day earlier appeared cut or out of service. Egyptians and Tunisians leaving the country said they were threatened by Libyan security forces at the border to present a positive picture of the country, or face having friends or relatives still in Libya being harmed. They were warned they would never be able to return to work in Libya, whose oil wealth has made it a magnet for workers from neighboring countries. The security forces seized memory cards, digital cameras, computers and cell phone SIM cards from nearly every person leaving the country. In Zawiya, which reportedly fell to opposition forces a day earlier, witnesses described a
MCT
Opposition forces close in near Libyan capital
Young protesters hang an effigy of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi on Thursday in Benghazi, Libya. horrifying night of explosions and gunfire. They said armed militiamen roamed the streets, killing people with guns and swords. One resident who fled said up to 20 people had been killed. In his speech, Gadhafi said
he was “affected” by the reports of bloodshed and asked for his forces to hold their fire. “I got upset, extremely upset, and asked for an immediate halt to the use of force,” he said. It is not clear whether Libyans in the capital would turn out
in large numbers for the rally, which coincides with Friday prayers. Both Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia’s deposed leader, and former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak were driven from power on the Muslim Sabbath.
The University of Memphis
Friday, February 25, 2011 • 9
World
At Radio Free Libya, change is on the air BY Hannah Allam McClatchy Newspapers Before going live for the first time since this eastern Libyan city broke free from Moammar Gadhafi’s rule last week, staff members of the local radio station took a moment to calm their nerves. They agreed to speak in sober and reassuring tones, but Anwar Sherif, the station’s main announcer, couldn’t contain himself once he took the microphone to deliver the city’s first free broadcast in 42 years. “There was a fear barrier broken that day. I sounded sentimental, even hysterical,” Sherif, 36, recalled Thursday. “We let loose all the words we could never say. I said, ‘Down with the tyrant!’ and then all the other suppressed words came spilling out.” Tobruk’s Radio Free Libya was among the first three stations in the country to offer uncensored updates on the revolt against Gadhafi’s regime, which still controls the capital, Tripoli, and most of the western part of this restive North African nation. Once supervised by in-house intelligence agents who had the final say over every program, the radio station is now the
mouthpiece of anti-government rebels who have few other conduits to the masses because the old state-run newspapers have stopped publishing, and the regime has shut down the Internet and most cell-phone service throughout the country. A month ago, the most controversial topic on air was the locals’ frustration over the lack of promised development projects. Residents now call in to ask where they can donate food and medical supplies — their contributions to the struggle to unseat Gadhafi. On Thursday, Radio Free Libya aired s e c u r i t y updates, along with pleas to stand in solidarity with the besieged people of the capital, Tripoli. Another program took aim at price gouging, with the announcer declaring that any driver or merchant who overcharged people because of the crisis “has no sense of
patriotism.” This sudden, free flow of information is still hard to absorb for the radio station’s 32-person staff, which saved the most vital equipment only hours before the station’s old headquarters was torched on Feb. 18. They began broadcasting again Sunday in a ramshackle building near a communications tower, the location of which they don’t want revealed in case
of government retaliation. “Radio Free Libya” is scribbled in black marker on the front door. The studio is a dingy room furnished with only a sound-
board and a desk for the microphones. Nobody’s receiving a salary anymore. But for the journalists who no longer have to stick to Gadhafi’s party line, this new space is a laboratory for their long-crushed dreams. “We’re going to be the fourth estate,” said Khaled Mahmoud, 36, an announcer. “Before February 17, it was a one-sided game. But we will build a free media that broadcasts events in a neutral, objective way.” Before the uprising, the university-educated, politically astute staff members said they were stifled by the regime’s strict edicts on suitable programming. That mostly meant praise for Gadhafi and his family interspersed with a smattering of folkloric music and cultural shows. When the seeds of the uprising began a month ago, around the time of similar revolts in Tunisia and Egypt, the government banned
all live broadcasts in case a dissident announcer attacked Gadhafi on air. “The intelligence officers would say, ‘You have to go with the policy of the country, and don’t ever criticize the regime,’” said programming coordinator Abdullah Idris, 42. “They were in our building, watching everything.” When protests in the downtown square turned into violent clashes with the security forces on Feb. 17, the station’s employees immediately sided with the demonstrators. The opposition, backed by army defectors, overwhelmed Gadhafi’s forces that day, and the old radio format ended overnight. The station was off the air only one day before returning as Radio Free Libya. The staff members, who come from six of the area’s most prominent tribes, said their goal is to create a station that promotes national unity and gives voice to the grievances of the people. And they said they wouldn’t go easy on whatever government emerges from the current turmoil. “Libya will surprise the whole world with our media,” said Saleh Wafi, 42, a producer. “We are cultured and educated. All we lacked was freedom.”
DESPICABLE ME Saturday, Feb. 26 @ 2 p.m. UC Theatre
Come see how many minions you can spot.
10 • Friday, February 25, 2011
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The University of Memphis
Friday, February 25, 2011 • 11
Basketball
BY Chris Duncan Associated Press First-year UTEP coach Tim Floyd was reprimanded by the Conference USA commissioner Thursday after an on-court outburst that got him ejected and then escorted off the court by a police officer during his team’s loss at East Carolina. The Miners (20-8, 8-5 CUSA) were whistled for 27 fouls and five technicals in the 83-76 loss at noisy Minges Coliseum in Greenville, N.C., on Wednesday night. The Pirates (14-13, 6-7) went 35-for-45 from the free-throw line. Floyd started screaming at one of the officials early in the second half, and when he earned his first technical, he stormed onto the court and confronted one of the referees. Eventually, a police officer stationed at courtside intervened and led Floyd to the locker room. League commissioner Britton Banowsky said he talked to Floyd and UTEP athletics director Bob Stull on Thursday before issuing the reprimand. “When a coach is ejected, I expect them to leave the floor,” Banowsky said in a statement. “Coach Floyd’s actions were unacceptable. I have made our expectations clear going forward and do not expect this to
happen again.” Assistant coach Phil Johnson also received two technicals and was ejected, along with Floyd, with 18:48 left in the game. Floyd was not immediately available for comment Thursday because the team was traveling back to El Paso from North Carolina. After the game, he said he wasn’t sure why he got the first technical. “I was given a warning for having my foot out of the coaching box,” he said. “I haven’t got a technical all year long, so I went back to the bench. Next thing I know, I have a technical and I didn’t know why I got it. “I was not upset with the officials at that point,” he said. “I was coaching my team after the first one.” Floyd continued to yell at the officials before the officer intervened. “It has been my experience this year that I’ve had a lot of men come over to me and say, ‘Coach, you need to get back in the box and let us work,’” Floyd said. “I tend to do that. I guess I probably reacted to that first technical, not really understanding why it was given. I probably earned the second one, but that’s part of the game.” Senior guard Randy Culpepper, who led UTEP
with 22 points in the loss, also received a technical in the final minute. Culpepper is the league’s third-leading scorer, averaging 19.6 points per game. The loss was costly to the Miners, dropping them a game behind Southern Miss and UAB for first place in the conference standings with three to play. UTEP will host the Conference USA tournament at the Don Haskins Center, where the Miners are 15-2 this season. The incident was Floyd’s first public misstep as the head coach at UTEP, where he worked as an assistant under Haskins from 1977-86. He had quietly worked under the radar in his first season with the Miners, building a fresh start after leaving Southern Cal under a cloud of scandal. The Trojans made three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and had three straight 20-win seasons under Floyd, but he quit in 2009 after he was accused of giving $1,000 in cash to a middleman who helped steer O.J. Mayo to the school. Floyd has denied the allegations while the school wound up banning itself from postseason play and throwing out the wins from Mayo’s lone season with the Trojans in 2007-08.
MCT
C-USA reprimands UTEP coach for outburst at ECU
Tim Floyd left USC under a cloud of scandal, but this incident was his first public misstep as the head coach at UTEP.
Solutions
Tornadoes blow hard — and so do cheaters.
C
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Basketball
BY John Martin Sports Editor Last season, the University of Texas-El Paso cost The University of Memphis its shot at history. Against UTEP, the Tigers were in position to break the University of Kentucky’s 19451950 record of 64 straight conference victories. Instead, The U of M came up just short, 72-67, for the first time in Conference USA since 2006. For the Tigers (21-7, 9-4 C-USA), tomorrow’s game in El Paso could serve as their chance at redemption. But U of M coach Josh Pastner said the pressure is all on the Miners. “If you ask me where’s the pressure, the pressure’s on UTEP because it’s a home game,” Pastner said. “That’s the facts. It’s been a long week for them, there’s no question on that.” While the Miners were in first place for most of the C-USA season, they are currently on a two-game losing streak after an 83-76 loss to East Carolina on Tuesday in which UTEP coach Tim Floyd was ejected. They’re currently in a threeway tie for second place. “We’ve caught some teams
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on (losing streaks). This is that kind of thing here,” Pastner said. “Our backs are against the wall, too. That’s my thing. Yeah, we won on Tuesday (against Houston) but our margin of error is just as slim as UTEP’s. It’s both of us whose backs are against the wall, that’s the whole thing.” Outside of guards Randy Culpepper and Julyan Stone, UTEP is almost an entirely different team from last year. Former UTEP coach Tony Barbee left for Auburn and their two big men, Derrick Caracter and Arnett Moultrie, graduated and transferred, respectively. But Pastner isn’t completely unsure of what to expect. Pastner, who graduated from and coached at Arizona, played under top UTEP assistant Phil Johnson and coached against Floyd while he was at USC. “We’ll have to be prepared for multiple defenses,” Pastner said. “They could run a bunch of triangle, box, or they could run different zones and whatever they may be plus with (manto-man defense). We have to be prepared for whatever defense UTEP might throw at us.” The Miners are led by the Memphis-native Culpepper, who’s averaging 19.6 points per game while shooting 44 percent from the field. As a team, they shoot 46 percent from the field, the second highest shooting percentage in C-USA. They’re also second in C-USA in field goal percentage defense at 40 percent. Although the Tigers suffered a head-scratching 67-52 loss at Rice last week, they fully control their own destiny with three games left in the regular season. If they win out, they’ll be C-USA regular season champions and have a legitimate argument for an NCAA tournament at-large berth. “I think UTEP is a good basketball team, there is no doubt about it,” Pastner said. “They are the defending champs.
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by David C. Minkin
Tigers get chance for revenge against UTEP
Freshman forward Tarik Black blocks a shot in a Feb. 16 game against UAB. He’ll look to have a big game against the UTEP Miners on Saturday, who lost their starting big men, Arnett Moultrie and Derrick Caracter, to transfer and graduation, respectively. Everything has to go through them. If you want to win the league title, you’re going through UTEP.” Freshman forward Tarik Black said that while the Tigers
have lost to lesser opponents in C-USA this season, he expects a complete effort from his teammates against UTEP on Saturday. “It’s the comfort level. When
we play other teams, I guess we just feel like we can go out there and win,” he said. “We play to the level of our competitors. This game’s going to be a hard game, so I expect us to go hard.”