Daily Helmsman
The
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Dig This Beat, Daddio! Jazz Week comes to UM, bringing Latin and Caribbean music along for the ride
Vol. 78 No. 087
see page 4
Independent Student Newspaper of The University of Memphis
www.dailyhelmsman.com
Community
Education
UM official evaluates GRE edits
Tigers and tigers and tigers, oh my! In celebration of The University of Memphis’ 2012 centennial, The U of M Alumni Association plans to provide Memphis with 6,000 pounds of fiberglass Tiger pride. The Alumni Association’s citywide public art campaign, titled “Tigers Around Town,” is a collaborative effort among sponsors, artists and alumni to create 100 unique Tiger statues. “The goal of our campaign is connecting the city and The University,” said Alexa Begonia, coordinator of alumni affairs. “The more people see the tigers, the more they will get a sense for the connection The University has with the city.” There will be a total of 100 Tiger statues, each weighing 600 pounds, sponsored and designed by Memphians. Each
tiger will represent a different year. “One hundred Tigers representing the 100 years The University has been open,” Begonia said. The statues, which will be placed throughout the Memphis community, are lifelike representations of a Bengal tiger with an outstretched paw and a ferocious expression. Senior art education major Brooke Ebersole designed the pose of the Tiger. “I wanted to explore the different postures a tiger can take in nature, so I used photographic references in my design,” Ebersole said. “I found that each posture a tiger takes has its own personality. Ultimately, we decided on a pose that showed a little attitude but had a regal and sophisticated look to it as
see
Tiger, page 4
BY Kyle LaCroix News Reporter
by Aaron Turner
BY Michelle Corbet News Reporter
Tiger statues similar to the blue, 6-foot-long, 2-foot-wide one in U of M’s Alumni Center will soon appear across Memphis.
Education
Unification and The University Beneath all the muck of the consolidation debate, MCS board member and UM professor say antiquated laws, double taxation support surrender push 1819: City of Memphis founded 1861: Tennessee secedes from Union 1862: Memphis captured by Union 1865: Civil War ends 1869: MCS charter enacted 1961: MCS pupils desegregated 1966: MCS faculty desegregated 1982: Tennessee law bans creation of new special districts
taxes contributed significantly — she said she believes race relations play the biggest role in the current debate When Memphis City on school consolidation, Schools board member and part-time which she calls University of “unification.” “Economics is Memphis stuever in my life have I a secondary issue; dent Stephanie Gatewood first seen an education system however, first and considered the foremost is race,” idea of surren- so separate. Classism is the she said. “I’ve seen it personally dering the MCS worst kind of in every (way) charter and unifydiscrimination.” you can imagine.” ing the school disThe segregatrict with Shelby — Stephanie Gatewood County’s, she was tion provision in Board member, Memphis City Schools the MCS charter hesitant to vote is not only ille“yes” — until she City of Memphis, subject to all gal, Gatewood said, but also began digging for details. The Reconstruction-era respects, to the same rules, reg- “detrimental” to the state of document, authored in 1869, ulations and treatment,” reads education. contained many passages Section 1000 of the charter, “When the charter was Gatewood found troubling, passed under Private Act 30. first written, it was never as perhaps the most notable of Though many factors much about kids as adults,” which hailed back to a part of played a role in Gatewood’s she said. Gatewood said that Southern history that many ultimate decision to vote to would like to forget. surrender the charter — taxa- although the isolationism “Said board of education tion equity for Memphis resishall provide and maintain dents who also pay county see Schools, page 6
BY Amy Barnette Copy and Design Chief
separate schools for the use and accommodation of the white and colored youths of the city entitled to admission in the public schools of the
“N
March 8, 2011: Final day for Memphis residents to vote on referendum to transfer control of MCS to SCS; early voting continues this week through Thursday
2008: UM study shows SCS special district would increase deficits in MCS and SCS, likely to increase tax rates Nov. 2010: GOP gains significant majority in Tenn. legislature; SCS pushes to lift moratorium on new special districts Dec. 2010: MCS board resolves to surrender charter Feb. 2011: Memphis City Council accepts charter surrender
The revised Graduate Record Examination, to be released in August, has been advertised as longer and more difficult than the current test. Karen Weddle-West, vice provost of graduate programs at The University of Memphis, believes the test is superior — not in difficulty but in its focus. “It’s not tougher. It’s not easier. It’s different, and it’s relevant to what faculty and employers look for,” said Weddle-West, a member of the GRE board that approved the changes to the test. According to Weddle-West, the current GRE places emphasis on memorization. The new test will emphasize reasoning skills, which she said makes it a more valuable tool for employers and schools. The new GRE contains less emphasis on vocabulary as well, with no antonym or analogy questions, she said. “On the current test, you could get a higher score because you are better at analogies, but it wouldn’t have an effect on actual skills you’ll need in something like engineering,” Weddle-West said. The GRE is divided into three sections: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. Currently, verbal and quantitative reasoning use a 200800 point scale, and scores are measured in 10-point increments. The new system uses a 130-170 point scale with one-point increments. The new test’s use of 41 points as opposed to the 61 points of the current test also makes the median score more useful, as the scores will be more balanced across the entire score scale. “The problem with the current scoring system is the majority of the faculty and students think that a person who makes a 550 is much more promising than one who made a 500,” Weddle-West said. “It’s a 10-point scale, though, so in reality, the person with a 500 could have only missed five more than the other one.” Weddle-West said she believes the new scale will cause less confusion due to the smaller increments. She also said that The U of M does not have hard cut-offs on GRE scores for graduate admissions, and combining the scores of the different sections is an “arbitrary combination that doesn’t represent anything.” “When looking at applicants, we look at everything the students have done,” said Ernest Rakow,
see
GRE, page 3
2 • Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The
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Letter to the Editor
Helmsman
Mr. Carroll,
Volume 78 Number 087
Editor-in-Chief
Scott Carroll Managing Editor Mike Mueller Copy and Design Chief Amy Barnette News Editors Cole Epley Amy Barnette Sports Editor John Martin Copy Editors Amy Barnette Christina Hessling General Manager Candy Justice Advertising Manager Bob Willis Admin. Sales Sharon Whitaker
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1. Miss Tennessee could be at U of M by Chris Daniels
2. Athletic dept has no love for lacrosse 3. Dearth of devotion
by John Martin
4. Students’ excuses are inexcusable
by John Martin
5. Students stay to serve over spring break
by Chelsea Boozer
Down 1 Air gun pellets 2 Chaney of horror 3 Chicken-king link 4 Davenport, e.g. 5 West Coast ocean concern
Thank you, Lesley Cruz Second-year graduate student, Master’s of Health Administration
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DOMINO’S PIZZA Across 1 Rollicking good time 6 “Pipe down!” 10 The man’s partner, in a Shaw title 14 Western neckwear 15 Leer at 16 “Très __!” 17 Screw-up 18 Fuzzy image 19 Jedi guru 20 Cop’s often-unreliable lead 23 Apostropheless possessive 26 Start of a Latin I conjugation 27 Snack for a gecko 28 Retailer’s private label 32 Milne hopper 33 Caroline Kennedy, to Maria Shriver 34 Three-layer snacks 36 Clerical robes 37 “The Bachelor” network 38 Laundry 42 Martial arts-influenced workout 45 Chewed like a beaver 47 RR stop 50 Facetious name for a school cafeteria staple 52 Checkers demand 54 Glutton 55 Lic.-issuing bureau 56 “The Gong Show” regular with a paper bag on his head, with “the” 60 March Madness org. 61 Passed with flying colors 62 Up front 66 Former U.N. leader Waldheim 67 Row of waiters 68 Dweebish 69 Evian et al. 70 WWII carriers 71 Swap
by Scott Hall
I am a graduate student, and I have a grievance with the maturity levels of our student body. I hate to generalize, but this is my situation: I went to R.P. Tracks on Thursday, Feb. 24, with some of my friends. When I left, I noticed that my car had been hit. The mirror had been knocked off, and there were red paint markings all down the right side, as well as dent marks. Now, I consider myself a pretty calm person. My first reaction was “Damn, this really sucks.” As this occurred Thursday and I am only now making a comment, the condition of the car is not really the problem. My problem is the fact that someone hit my car and never went in to R.P. Tracks and took responsibility for it. How hard is it to come in and say, “Uh, I just hit somebody’s car”? I understand the fear of what might happen. I am
a college student. I get not having the money to pay for things. I would have never said, “You have to pay for damages.” I would have understood and respected the person for owning up to their mistakes. What kind of person does something like that? I am speaking about character: It isn’t the good times that define you, it’s the bad. How you deal with mistakes defines who you are. And unfortunately, if this is the way our students are going to handle their mistakes, then our society is going to be in a very sad shape. Again, I hate generalizing but feel that I must. One person’s actions affect many. Grow up, people. Mistakes happen, but please own up to it.
550 S. HIGHLAND
6 Mingle (with) 7 Like an extremely unpleasant situation 8 Inner city blight 9 Jane Eyre, e.g. 10 Deep fissure 11 Tear gas target 12 Sawbones 13 Shape up 21 Harbinger 22 Reverse 23 Machu Picchu architect 24 Home Depot buy 25 Cold shoulder 29 Right hand: Abbr. 30 Mechanical worker 31 Circumference part 35 Performed in an aquacade 37 “Washboard” muscles
No Waiting! 323-3030
39 Astounded 40 Fabric joint 41 Rec room centerpiece 43 1-Down, e.g. 44 Cyclone’s most dangerous part 45 Harsh 46 NFLer who used to play in Yankee Stadium 47 Striped stinkers 48 Costner/Russo golf flick 49 Anatolian Peninsula capital 51 Some Horace poems 53 Pesky fliers 57 “JAG” spin-off 58 Penny 59 “Moonstruck” Oscar winner 63 Memorable time 64 Total 65 Color, in a way
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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 7
The University of Memphis
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 • 3
Women’s History Month
BY Joshua Bolden News Reporter
Whether they’re sneakers, sandals or stilettos, one University of Memphis student organization wants women to wear the shoes that empower them in honor of Women’s History Month. Professional Assertive United Sisters of Excellence will host the opening ceremony for their women’s history month “Powerpumps” campaign — a series of events — tonight at 6 in the University Theatre. “It’s a campaign that focuses on what your shoes are that empower you as a woman, whether it’s tennis shoes, pumps, flip-flops — whatever those shoes are that get you to your destination,” P.A.U.S.E. President Antionette Booker said. “We want to see you in those shoes.” P.A.U.S.E. focuses on helping women become leaders in the community and the workforce and on campus, Booker said. The organization seeks to highlight efforts of women who
GRE
from page 1 associate dean of the college of education. “GRE, prior grades, their graduate and undergraduate
haven’t been acknowledged in past. “It was so long before (women) were actually were able to actually contribute on a larger scale,” said Linda Hall, coordinator of minority affairs at The U of M. “We get a chance now to see them shine.” Now in its fifth year on campus, P.A.U.S.E. has over 100 members, including freshman Charnita Heard. “I wanted to be able to give back to my community,” the political science major said. Later this month, Heard will host a town hall for The U of M P.A.U.S.E. chapter called “More Than a Woman.” The workshop will address many topics, including “Are You Ready For Sex?” and “What Is A Woman?” The purpose of Heard’s workshop is to get women to realize “they need to do more than an average woman,” she said. The organization will also present the play “A Woman’s Worth,” which highlights the different roles of women in society. P.A.U.S.E will also host its GPA are all factors. We look at the whole package. The GRE is part of it, but the decision is not made on the GRE alone.” “There are things in the (new) exam which really measure critical thinking skills over rote memory,”
Professional Assertive United Sisters of Excellence will host a series of women’s empowerment-themed events in March in honor of Women’s History Month. annual women’s conference, “The Blueprint of a Woman,” on March 25 and 26 at 6 p.m. in the Michael D. Rose Theatre. This year, Terry McMillan, the author of “Waiting To Exhale” and “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” will be part of the event. “These programs are meant to
empower women,” Booker said. “We put on programs that let (women) know you are destined to be great. You have a brand about yourself. It is our purpose to help guide you to that brand.” Booker wants people to come to all the events and celebrate the accomplishments of women.
“We need to show the world who we are,” Booker said. “It is so many women who are doing things on campus. They may get recognized with a certificate but people need to see you. People need to know what you are doing and what impact you have on this campus.”
said Moira Logan, associate dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts. “That’s what we’re looking for in the graduate program.” The new GRE also provides an on-screen calculator and the ability to go back to earlier questions,
making the test more convenient and usable for students, WeddleWest said. The new test also includes an optional Potential Profile Index section that judges skills such as creativity and perseverance. To fulfill this section, a test-taker lists three people who will be surveyed on the person’s skills in those areas. “I do not think that this new test is harder at all,” said Weddle-West.
“It requires a different set of more reasoning skills, but these skills are more important to graduate school and employment.” Those who want to attend a graduate school this fall need to take the current test before August to get their results back in time. Test prep materials are available free at www.gre.org, and a Graduate Recruitment fair will be held today in the Michael D. Rose Theatre from 1 to 5 p.m.
TONIGHT
Behind the Swoosh:
Sweatshops & Social Justice 6:30 p.m. • UC Ballroom
Coming Up
Wednesday, 3/16 Wednesday Night Live: music of Timbre 8 p.m. UC River Room
by Aaron Turner
PAUSE pumps up the empowerment
4 • Tuesday, March 1, 2011
www.dailyhelmsman.com
Performing Arts
And all that Jazz Week... BY Erica Horton News Reporter
University of Memphis student Laura Bock sings it, Evan Nicholson plays it, and this week the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music invites students to celebrate it — no jazz hands required. Jazz Week at The U of M begins tonight and will feature performances from students, professors and guest artists Rahsaan Barber and El Movimiento. Jack Cooper, director of jazz studies, said the guest performers are new artists whose music is “an eclectic mixture of Latin, jazz and Caribbean styles. “They just came out with a new CD,” he said. “They’re younger, and (Barber’s) very exciting. I thought it would be a
Tiger
from page 1 well.” “Tigers Around Town” is a concept similar to the Germantown Charity Horse Show’s 60th Anniversary in 2008, when 21 horses were painted by local artists and placed throughout the Memphis suburb. The only tiger already on display belongs to the Alumni Association, which had its tiger made early to serve as a sample statue. It is currently on display in the Alumni Center on Normal Street. “We already have our Tiger,” Begonia said. “He is
good fit for us.” The week begins with a performance by Cooper’s saxophone group, the Southwest Horns, tonight at 7:30 in Harris Concert Hall and continues with a student or faculty group’s concert each night through Saturday. The concerts are free and open to the public, with the exception of Saturday night’s performance by The U of M’s Southern Comfort Orchestra with Barber, which is free for students with a U of M ID. General admission tickets for the public cost $10. Each concert will take place in the Harris Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Cooper said jazz originated in America, and jazz festivals have been taking place in the country since the 1960s. “It’s our indigenous music,
an eclectic mix of a lot of things, including Latin, African and Western European,” he said. “It’s the melting pot of music. It could have only happened here.” Bock, a jazz studies major, will perform during the week in a jazz combo and jazz singer ensemble. Bock said she became interested in jazz after she transferred from Rhodes College, where she was an English major. “I became a music student because it was the only thing I could see myself doing,” she said. “I love it, and people tell me that I’m good at it.” But Bock said her music career doesn’t stop with jazz. She said jazz is a gateway to the genre she wants to perfect — Americano. “It’s a mixture of the country, folk and bluegrass idioms,” she
blue with black stripes and a white belly.” The corporation who is molding the statues, Fiberglass Animals, Shapes & Trademarks, painted the Alumni Association’s tiger. The fiberglass tigers will all be 6 feet tall, 2 feet wide and 7 feet long. Local fans, alumni and businesses will sponsor the statues’ costs. Every statue is purchased through the Alumni Association. Buyers can either pay $5,000 to sponsor a tiger statue that they can keep after the centennial celebration or $3,000 to sponsor the statue throughout the 2012 campaign. Those statues will then be up for auction. “Each tiger will have a
plaque with the year, a fact about that year, the donors name or ‘in memory of’ and the artist’s name,” Begonia said. Joe Biggers, assistant director of alumni affairs, said the Alumni Association could not reveal the artists’ names or locations of Tiger statues at this time but encouraged attendance at The Tigers Around Town Grand Unveiling Gala on campus Sept. 10. The event will take place at noon, making it a sequentially clever date, 9-10-11 at 12 (noon), Begonia said. After their unveiling, the statues will remain on campus through the holidays and then will be moved to their individual locations in January 2012.
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said. Bock, who plays piano, banjo, guitar and mandolin, said with a foundation in jazz theory and harmony, she could do any type of music. “It’s totally different than anything else that’s out there — it’s the music that breaks all the rules,” she said. Nicholson, jazz studies graduate student, said he also studied the genre to become a better musician. “Studying great musicians and artists, you take what you learned and apply it to your own instrument for your own musical capability,” said Nicholson ,who plays the upright bass. “The complexity of jazz helps you grow and fully grasp an understanding of music.” Nicholson said he’s not sure
when he became interested in jazz, but he said he will study it for the rest of his life. “When (playing jazz) goes right, it’s magical. It’s great,” he said. “There’s nothing better.” Cooper said one of the common misconceptions people have about jazz music is that you can play anything and place it in the genre. He said though improvisation is a part of jazz, there’s a method behind it. “There are certain things and a certain direction it has to go,” he said. “When you improvise, you have to have melody and be able to say something through the instrument.” Cooper said he hopes students come out to the different concerts during Jazz Week to get a better understanding of jazz.
P.A.U.S.E.
Professional Assertive United Sisters of Excellence Presents
Women’s Month Opening Ceremony TONIGHT @ 6 p.m. University Center Theatre Honoring women who have done wonderful things here on campus and in the community Including: Dr. Ladrica Menson-Furr Kimmy Do Ashtyn Beatty Ms. Linda Hall Maria Rodriguez Rachel Anderson K’La Harrington Angie Norwood What are your Power Pumps?
BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE 2-piece Dark Chicken Dinner FREE
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A Weekly Devotional For You The Consequences of Illicit Sex
We have been considering sex in the last couple of devotionals. We have seen that sex is a great gift of God that is to be enjoyed between a man and woman who are married. All other sexual activity is forbidden by God. When God forbids something, we are foolish to ignore His prohibitions. There are serious negative consequences when people break God’s sexual laws. Some of these negative consequences are emotional. When a girl gives herself to a man she is not married to, she really loses his respect and her self-respect. I know a couple who were married for over twenty years and had several children. When the marriage was put under pressure, the wife threw up to her husband the premarital sex they had engaged in. Sadly this marriage broke up. When people have the self-discipline, self-respect, respect for each other, and respect for God to wait until marriage, they trust themselves and they trust each other. This trust and mutual respect are priceless. Don’t throw this away with a brief fling of passion. There are also physical consequences of illicit sexual activity. Many a young person has had his or her life blighted by an STD. There is also the danger of pregnancy, which many try to rectify by the brutal taking of an innocent life. This guilt is terrible. Live by God’s laws and avoid these horrendous consequences.
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The University of Memphis
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 • 5
Philanthropy
BY Amber Crawford News Reporter After seven months of fundraising, The University of Memphis’ Up ‘til Dawn chapter unveiled a $152,000 check for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Friday night at the University Center. Up ‘til Dawn, a student organization that benefits St. Jude revealed this year’s big cardboard check just before 3 a.m. Saturday at its annual celebration. The organization raised $23,000 more for 2010-2011 than 2009-’10. According to Kelly Pietkiewicz, senior education major and executive director for Up ‘til Dawn, the late hours of the finale event serve a symbolic purpose. “We are just hoping that by staying up real late one night out of the year, we can decrease the amount of parents that have to stay up with their children wondering what’s going to happen with their health the next day,” Pietkiewicz said. Since the organization was started 12 years ago at The U of M, it has spread to over 250 campuses nationwide. The U of M chapter has raised over $1.2 million during that time. Jessica Shemwell, a senior biomedical engineering major
and team relations chair for Up ‘til Dawn, accredited the high number of funds raised to the energy of the nearly 100 student teams that participated. “We really pushed for it the second half of the term,” Shemwell said. “The side events this semester just really blew my mind and that’s where a lot of our fundraising came from. And people were really being creative about it, so I think between the energy and advertising, it really helped a lot.” Pietkiewicz said Up ‘til Dawn members raised money in many different ways. The most effective was the letter writing party, where students sent donation requests to friends and family. But the most impressive fundraising activity, she said, was “canning,” when Up ’til Dawn members hit the streets and ask for donations from drivers stopped at red lights. “We actually had a weekend where we made over $6,000 from canning this year and that was just unbelievable,” she said. Up ‘til Dawn also collaborated with local restaurants and entertainment facilities to receive percentages of sales for designated days to raise funds. The entertainment at the finale event consisted of a variety of games, a man who broke
bricks with his head, a performance by The U of M pom squad, a live band, an inflatable joust and bungee run, crafts, massages, a caricature artist and even a chance to watch The U of M chess team in action. The chess team had reserved a room to practice in the University Center prior to Up ‘til Dawn’s reservations, so the two organizations collaborated to make a chess tournament part of the finale event. Jonathan Daniels, a junior economics major and the entertainment chair for Up ‘til Dawn, said the planning for all of the activities wasn’t easy. “It was a lot of behind-thescenes work and early preparation,” Daniels said, “so when the time got here it wasn’t like we were in a scramble to make sure we had everything.” Pietkiewicz said she was pleased with the turnout at the finale and the hard work by all those involved. She said she couldn’t find the words to express her appreciation for the organization’s fundraising efforts this year. “It’s special not only for our campus to be able to say The U of M has raised this much, but also, the more important thing, it’s special because of how much we’re helping St. Jude.”
by Aaron Turner
Fighting the yawn with Up ‘til Dawn
Casey Nelson, head freshman football coach at Arlington High School, breaks bricks at the Up ‘til Dawn finale, held Friday in the University Center Ballroom. This year’s event raised $152,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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.
TONIGHT @ 6:30 p.m. UC Ballroom
6 • Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Schools from page 1
expressed in the 1869 document is now contrary to federal law, she has seen that same sentiment in modern-day Memphis. “It appears we’re back where we started 142 years ago,” she said. “People have moved outside the city for several reasons — I call it ‘elitism syndrome.’ It affects whites and blacks (who) don’t want their children to go to school with poor, black kids. Never in my life have I seen an education system so separate. Classism is the worst kind of discrimination (in my book).” Otis Sanford, holder of the chair of excellence in The University of Memphis Department of Journalism, said he thinks class maintenance is more central to the debate than pure racism. “I think (race) is an issue, but not the No. 1 issue,” he said. “I don’t want to say class (is No. 1), but I do think (some opponents of the merger) feel … a disdain for all things Memphis. That goes beyond race, that suburban-versusurban mentality. Some does go back to race.” Sanford’s primary concern in the potential merger, he said, is the limited time the public has had to process the concept. “It was only mid-November (when the idea of surrending the charter arose), so the public was totally caught off guard,” he said. “They had to be thrust into it — just dumped into it. The school board probably could have seen this coming and could have started some conversation so the community could have gotten engaged with it.” The motivating factor in the school board’s decision to
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surrender, Sanford said, came Gatewood pointed out that their SCS counterparts, into the how the soufflé will rise — not from a push by the newly businesses regularly merge, county system would “drag without some Pam.” elected Republican majority in often without clients feeling down” the better-performing Though he wishes the situathe Tennessee legislature to re- significant effects from the pupils. tion had played out differently, allow the creation of special changing of the guard. When “A lot of great things are Sanford said he is likely to school districts, going o n vote for the surrender and for which ceased in in M C S , ” unification. think (race) is an issue, but Gatewood said. 1982. If passed, “I said, ‘Why are we doing the law could “ U n i f i c a t i o n this when we don’t have a not the No. 1 issue. I don’t want would make for a plan?’” he said. “But the more allow Shelby County Schools to say class is, but I do think much richer sys- I thought about it … I don’t to make its dis— it could like how the state legislators (some opponents of the merg- tem trict’s borders be a very seam- have responded. I don’t like the permanent, ruler) feel a disdain for all things less transition.” way the suburbs have handled ing out the posSanford said it. I don’t like the way it got Memphis. That goes beyond sibility of unithe thinks MCS done. And I reserve the right to ing with the city tends to be change my mind, but I’m (probrace, that suburban-versusin the future. painted in an ably) going to vote for it.” urban mentality.” “(Some wantGatewood encouraged unnecessarily ed to) wall off Memphians to vote on the negative light. Shelby County from Memphis “I think we can get this referendum and take a stand — Otis Sanford so they could have what they Media professional and holder done,” he said. “I think unifi- in ensuring state and fedhave now, and the Democrats eral funding for Memphis cation can happen.” of the chair of excellence in thwarted them at every turn But Sanford added that the public school students is journalism at The U of M in the legislature. (When process will likely not be easy, uninterrupted. Republicans gained) a clear “I’m hoping everyone will even if the referendum passes. majority, the hubris started to her bank was bought out, she “It will be unbelievably go vote. I think they are excitgo,” Sanford said. said, her day-to-day opera- painful … just because of per- ed to have a voice in what Gatewood said she has been tions were untouched. sonalities, with the city versus happens,” she said. “Citizens fighting against the looming “It could be a seamless tran- the suburbs versus the state. deserve the opportunity to possibility of special district sition,” she said. “All it is is There may be too many cooks vote in the referendum, regardstatus since she first stepped changing the management. It’s in the kitchen, and I can’t see less of what I want.” onto the board seven years ago. a business.” “It wasn’t until (SCS board Gatewood suggested that chairman David) Pickler regional superintendents or a The Donald K. Carson Leadership Scholarship became chairman-elect that we chancellor system could help saw a push to get that status,” ease the weight of such a Applicants must demonstrate a strong capacity for she said. large system on John Aitken, Though details of how the Shelby County Schools superleadership and be able to show how their leadership administrative turnaround intendent, whose contract was helps create opportunities for the growth and would work are still uncer- recently extended to 2015. development of other people. tain, Gatewood said that the She said the notion that most vital components of edu- some personnel lower on the Requirements: cating students and running totem pole, such as custodi• Current, full-time U of M undergraduate student schools would not be harmed ans, could be lost completely is • Completion of at least 12 credit hours if Memphis citizens passed the “ludicrous” and that the school referendum, currently in the system’s budget is allocated • Minimum cumulative 2.8 GPA early voting stage and set for a in fiscal years running from • One or more years remaining before graduation final vote March 8. July 1 to June 30, so students’ “A lot of people are saying, learning experience would not One or more scholarships totaling $5,500 ‘Well, we have all these mon- be harmed or their schools’ umental questions’ … well, operation disrupted. will be awarded for the 2011-2012 school year we’ll never be able to do this Both Gatewood and Sanford again,” she said, referring to said there was no reason to Students may be nominated or apply themselves the possibility of SCS closing believe that bringing MCS its doors permanently to city students, whose average test Freshman students are especially encouraged to apply schoolchildren. scores are lower than those of
“I
Scholarship Opportunity
From the MCS charter: Sec. 1000. Board to provide separate schools for white and colored pupils. Said board of education shall provide and maintain separate schools for the use and accommodation of the white and colored youths of the city entitled to admission in the public schools of the City of Memphis, subject to all respects, to the same rules, regulations and treatment.
Tell us what you think about the unification of the city and county school districts! Will you be voting? @DailyHelmsman #tigerbabble
Pick up applications in Office of Dean of Students in 359 University Center
Completed applications must be returned by Friday, March 18 by 4 p.m.
The Writing On The Wall Project
BRICK PAINTING SESSIONS Come Paint Bricks to Contribute to the Writing On The Wall Project
MASS BRICK PAINTING
OPEN DOOR PAINTING
March 21 - 23 • 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Rose Theatre Lobby
March 14 - 29 UC Operating Hours
Sign up in UC 210 or UC 211 for a time slot, starting March 1
UC 227A, inside the Involvement Zone
(When your organization signs up for a time slot, SAC needs to know how many people will be painting cinder blockers so enough supplies will be made ready.)
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The University of Memphis
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 • 7
Softball
Baseball
UM pitcher earns C-USA honor U of M softball off to best
start in program’s history
BY Adam Douglas Sports Reporter After his nearly record-breaking 16-strikeout performance Friday night, University of Memphis sophomore pitcher Dan Langfield was awarded Conference USA pitcher of the week, the league announced Monday. Langfield struck out 16 batters in the Tigers’ 5-4 series opening victory over Kennesaw State. His 16 strikeouts were the second-most in C-USA and U of M history. Former Tiger pitchers Chad Harville (vs. Cincinnati, 1997) and Derek Hankins (vs. Murray State, 2004) struck out 17 batters and hold the single-game record at The U of M. It is Langfield’s first pitcher of the week award, and he’s the 18th Tiger to receive it. Memphis has collected six C-USA Pitcher of the Week awards since the 2009 season. The Tigers return to action on Friday at 4:30 p.m. against Oral Roberts in The University of Memphis Baseball Classic. The U of M also welcomes Eastern Kentucky and Southern Illinois to the Bluff City for the weekend tournament.
courtesy of U of M Media Relations
BY Adam Douglas Sports Reporter
U of M pitcher Dan Langfield earned Conference USA pitcher of the week honors for his 16 strikeouts in a 5-4 win against Kennesaw State in the series opener. He’s the first Tiger to receive the award since 2004.
Solutions Maybe you should try finding a solution to the gas crisis, instead ...
Last weekend, The University of Memphis softball team traveled to Palo Alto, Calif., for the Stanford Nike Invitational and defeated the hosting No. 16/17 Stanford in their second win over a ranked opponent this season. Prior to the season, the Tigers had never beaten a ranked team. Now, they’re off to their best start in school history. The Tigers took 3 of 4 in the invitational and defeated Colorado State 4-3 in comeback fashion in the final game of the tournament. “It was a rough first six innings,” senior infielder Maddie McKinley said. “But we just kept with it, and (plugged) away until we were able to get people around and to score and we just did our job.” Colorado State (3-11) took a 2-0 lead on two solo home runs by catcher Emily Pohl in the third and fifth innings. CSU freshman pitcher Alexa Cash (0-4) held the Tigers at bay through six innings until the Tigers rallied in the seventh, using four straight hits to ignite a two-run sequence that sent the game to extra innings. The Tigers added two more runs in the top of the eighth to seal the victory.
“It was a really frustrating game at first,” head coach Windy Thees said. “We gave up a couple of solo homeruns in the beginning, and with this team, they like to wait to the last minute to respond to pressure when it’s on them. As a coach I don’t like that, and maybe we can get them to respond a little earlier in the game — I know our pitchers would like that also.” Sophomore ace Carly Hummer (8-0) pitched the final two innings in relief and struck out the side in the eighth to pick up her eighth straight victory. Memphis improves to 12-3 on the season and finished the tournament 3-1. The Tigers have won their last 10 of 11. “We had a good first quarter of the season, but obviously I will think about the one that got away,” Thees said. “If you break the season down like that, our season has been pretty successful. But starting this weekend we will be back at 0-0, and we have to move on from there to see where we’re at for the next 15 games.” Memphis will next play in the Bulldog Classic hosted by Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., on March 4-6. The Tigers will face the Bulldogs twice as well as No. 21/24 Texas A&M and Mississippi Valley State.
Talent Extravaganza Tryouts March 1, 2 & 3 The University Center Doors Open @ 2:30 p.m.
March 1: Iris Room (338) March 2: Ballroom C (320C) March 3: Memphis Room A (340A)
Early Arrival is Suggested
Tryouts ONLY from 3 - 5 p.m. each day
4 es t u mi n to
w t! o h s n e l a t r u yo
For more information, contact Heather Maclin hdmaclin@memphis.edu
8 • Tuesday, March 1, 2011
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Basketball
Tigers waiting for their shot BY John Martin Sports Editor
Perhaps University of Memphis coach Josh Pastner shouldn’t have said it in the preseason. Maybe it was unfair to compare last year ’s senior-laden Tigers, who set a program record for 3-point shooting percentage, to this year ’s team, which can’t even consistently knock down an open three. But he did. Before the season started, Pastner predicted that the 2010-11 Tigers would be better shooters than last year ’s team. The statement, at the time, seemed logical. He was bringing in a guard like Chris Crawford, who was regarded for his streaky shooting in high school. He was returning a knock-down shooter in guard Drew Barham. Junior forward Wesley Witherspoon shot 43 percent from three last year. “I thought we were going to be a better shooting team this year than we were last year,
because we shot the ball so well in the preseason,” Pastner said. “I mean, we just did. That is just the most perplexing thing. We have not shot the ball well. We’ve got good shooters, and we’ve been getting open shots.” The Tigers (21-8, 9-5 Conference USA) aren’t just worse from 3-point range than last year ’s team, though. At 32 percent, the Tigers are the worst 3-point shooting team in C-USA. In their last two losses, the Tigers shot a combined 4-of-35 (11 percent) from 3-point range. Freshman forward Tarik Black, who has arguably been The U of M’s most consistent player this season, could only watch as his teammates finished with a 1-of-18 effort from 3-point range in a 74-47 loss to the University of Texas El-Paso last Saturday. While Black wouldn’t admit that he deserved more touches, he said the decision-making by his teammates was dubious. “It wasn’t so much frustrating as just watching us go
C
down,” he said. “I don’t like losing regardless. I’m a team player. Me, if I get two touches a game and end up with two points and one rebound, I’m happy as long as we win and as long as we’re taking smart shots. (Against UTEP), we weren’t taking smart shots and we ended up losing by (27). That’s embarrassing to me.” Freshman guards Will Barton, Joe Jackson and Crawford, who all average at least 22 minutes a game, are shooting less than 29 percent from three. “Just by the law of averages, we’re going to have a game where we make shots,” Pastner said. “We’ve just got to step up. It’s one of those things where it’s contagious. We need a guy to make one or two and it’ll just spread. We just need someone to step up and hit a three.” The U of M’s recent struggles can’t be completely attributed to 3-point shooting struggles. The selfish tendency of the Tigers, which plagued them earlier in the season, has resurfaced. In their last three losses, the Tigers have compiled a combined 56 turnovers com-
The daily helmsman
U of M freshman guard Chris Crawford is one of three Tigers who average at least 22 minutes a game while shooting under 29 percent from three-point range. In their last two losses, the Tigers have shot a combined 4-of-35 from three. They’ve also committed 39 turnovers. by David C. Minkin
pared to just 30 assists, which equates to almost a 2-to-1 turnover/assist ratio. Barton, who has been criticized for his showmanship, said his flashiness isn’t about being selfish — it’s just part of his game. “I really don’t think about it when I do stuff like that because it’s just natural to me. I’m not really thinking when I
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do it,” he said. “Everyone knows I love passing the ball, but I’m a scorer, too, so if I’ve got a shot I’m going to take it. That comes with the territory. When you’re making them, you’re great. If you miss a couple, you’re going to hear a couple negative things.” Pastner said that, while it’s no secret that he wants to give Black the ball inside on every possession, the Tigers have to continue attempting 3-pointers in order to open things up for the big man. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to live and die by the three,” Pastner said. “I keep telling our guys, ‘I got confidence in you and if you’re open and it’s within good ball movement, fire that sucker. Just shoot it. Make it.’ They’ve just got to believe. They’ve got to stay positive and visualize the shot going in.” The Tigers don’t have much time to turn their shooting woes around. They’re currently in a three-way tie with UTEP and Southern Miss for second place in C-USA with two games left in the regular season and one game behind first-place UAB. In ESPN’s Bracketology, the Tigers are the first team in the “First Four Out” category, meaning that, according to college basketball analyst Joe Lunardi, they’d be the first team to miss the NCAA tournament field. But winning the C-USA regular season title, which would bolster the Tigers’ tournament resume, isn’t as clear-cut as it was just last week when the Tigers controlled their own destiny. When they start playing for one another and having fun, Barton said, their shots will start to fall and their season will be salvaged. “We can pull together,” he said. “I still have faith in the team. We have a lot of talent, but talent doesn’t always win. It’s about the tougher teams, teams that are going to do the dirty work and just really play for each other. You’ve got to want it for each other. When we really grasp that, that’s when we’re going to come together and we’re going to get really good.”