The Daily Helmsman by The Daily Helmsman

Daily Helmsman The

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Vol. 78 No. 113

#socialsetbacks You already know everything there is to know about technology, social networking and new media — don’t you? Find out the inside scoop about digital dangers and the changing face of social media.

see pages 8-13

Independent Student Newspaper of The University of Memphis

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420: Puffin’ tough at Overton Park

Campus Crime

Residents cited for marijuana in Carpenter

Revelers descend on Midtown to celebrate unofficial ‘holiday’ for proponents of pot

A 23-year-old student was arrested in Carpenter Student Housing Complex on April 4 for a marijuanarelated offense, the fifth in a span of less than six weeks at or near the complex. Student housing assistant Kelly Scusselle reported to University of Memphis Police Services that she smelled marijuana coming from a Carpenter Complex unit. After police arrived, they cited and arrested student Justin Thompson at his Carpenter residence on a charges of simple possession and casual exchange of marijuana. Later that day, police responded to a complaint call and recovered a bag of marijuana from a gutter in Central Avenue parking lot, near Carpenter. Director of Police Services Bruce Harber said he and his officers work as a team with Residence Life and Student Affairs and the rest of The University in an effort to promote a drug-free campus, in addition to enforcing state laws and both University and Tennessee Board of Regents policies. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s 2010 statistical analysis, Crime on Campus, reports University of Memphis as having the second-lowest number of drug-related crimes on campus, with 15, among all higher education institutions in Tennessee. Austin Peay University had the fewest drug-related incidences, with two. Vanderbilt University saw the highest number of incidences, with 115. Peter Groenendyk, director of Residence Life and Dining Services, said students found to be in violation of their housing contracts due to possession of a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia will have their housing contracts evicted, forfeit any scholarships or refunds and be referred to the Office of Judicial and Ethical Programs for adjudication of charges related to violating the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities. “I was pleasantly surprised when I started work at The University of Memphis at how few problems we have related to drugs and alcohol,” Groenendyk said. “Having so few problems allows my staff and I to spend our time building relationships with students and doing programs and activities designed to help students succeed.”

Busted!

Drug/narcotic violations by in-state institution in 2010

Institution 1. Vanderbilt

Substance Violations 75

2. UT-Knoxville

3. Tennessee State

4. Middle Tennessee State

5. UT-Chattanooga

6. East Tennessee State

7. University of Memphis

8. Tennessee Tech

9. UT-Martin

10. Austin Peay State

Source: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, 2010 statistical analysis

by Brian Wilson

BY HANNAH OWENGA News Reporter

It’s not always about toking up — attendees for the 4/20 festivities at Overton Park ranged from cleancut hula hoopers to pitbull pups, beagles and even 9-month-old infants.

BY MICHELLE CORBET News Reporter

club, Imbibrios Bar in Millington. Thorne brought his own microphone and amp to the celebration to make sure he was heard. “They’re going to lock me up for lighting a plant Wearing a navy blue prison uniform, self-proclaimed profit Thorne stood in Overton Park on on fire,” he said. Wednesday, proMore than 100 claiming his admiUniversity of like watching the park swell Memphis students ration of marijuana other members to Memphians celup with people. I look forward to and ebrating “4/20” or of the local commuApril 20, widely nity spent the day in it more than my birthday.” known as a national Overton Park to cel— Aubrey ebrate the subculture day for marijuana U of M alumna holiday known for enthusiasts, while he wide consumption of smoked pot out of a bong made from an apple. cannabis. They came with dogs, hula hoops, tents and “I got high and laid for the first time on my 12th blankets, prepared to enjoy the outdoors and hang birthday,” said Thorne, who wrote the book “Puffin’ out until the clock struck 4:20 p.m. Tuff! My War For Weed” from his jail cell after being see Park, page 4 arrested for using and selling drugs inside his night-

“I

Student Achievement

UM grad student tackles Boston Marathon BY JOHN MARTIN Sports Editor Rachelle Pavelko boarded a red-eye flight from Boston early Tuesday morning, landed in Memphis at 9:30 a.m. and went straight to work. Her schedule wouldn’t be considered so unusual if not for the fact Pavelko ran 26.2 miles in less than four hours the day before. Pavelko, a University of Memphis graduate student, was one of the 27,000 runners in Monday’s Boston Marathon,

held annually on Patriots’ Day. She arrived in Boston on Saturday afternoon, relaxed Sunday and ran the race Monday. “The whole weekend was just so overwhelming,” said Pavelko, who finished the race in 3:59:47. “Getting to the starting line was such a long process.” Pavelko woke up at 5:30 a.m. Monday and took a bus from Boston Common, a public park, to Athlete’s Village, the hub for Boston Marathon participants. Of course, trans-

see

Marathon, page 3

2 • Thursday, April 21, 2011

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Letter to the Editor

Daily

The

Helmsman

Daily Helmsman,

Volume 78 Number 113

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

YOU REALLY LIKE US!

Adv. Production Rachelle Pavelko Rachel Rufenacht

Yesterday’s Top-Read Stories on the Web

Adv. Sales Robyn Nickell Michael Parker

1. Drug czar unveils plan to curtail Rx abuse

Admin. Sales Sharon Whitaker

Contact Information

Ads: (901) 678-2191 Fax: (901) 678-4792

News: (901) 678-2193 Sports: (901) 678-2192

dailyhelmsman@gmail.com The University of Memphis The Daily Helmsman 113 Meeman Journalism Building Memphis, TN 38152

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.

2. Pistol-packing professors?

from our wire service by Erica Horton

3. U of M alum knows when to hold ‘em

by Chelsea Boozer

4. Fear, loathing and firearms

by Scott Carroll

5. Student loan debt approaches $1 trillion

by Erica Horton

DOMINO’S PIZZA

550 S. HIGHLAND

I am appalled at what I read in a letter to the editor in Wednesday’s paper. I have four family members in the Memphis Police Department. My father is a reserve officer, my brother Paul has been on the force for almost 22 years now, and my brother Brett has been on for around 10 years. My nephew Aron started last month. I was in the Millington Reserve Academy myself. Trust me when I say Neal Newbill knows absolutely nothing about how the police academy works, how officers are trained or anything relating to the police, for that matter. Thousands upon thousands of rounds are fired by each and every police officer in training during the last months of the academy. Accuracy is a must for new officers to pass. If recruits are not accurate, they are let go, immediately. “Accurate” is not considered the same at the MPD Academy as it is here at The U of M, either. You shoot an 85, at a bare minimum, or you do not get a badge. On top of that, officers have to re-qualify every year. Several weeks throughout the year are spent at in-service training. This is so officers are up to date on new laws and can be tested again, to make sure they can still perform their duties in a superb manner. On the other hand, as an “average gun-owning citizen” and knowing plenty of “average gun-owning citizens”, I do not go to the range often. I can count the times I’ve been in the past year on one hand. I do not carry concealed weapons, either. I know many gun owners who do not even know the basics about sighting a pistol. In regards to Virginia Tech, you say the police “cowered in safety and waited for the attacker to shoot himself.” It took police three minutes to get to the scene and five minutes to get in the door that Seung-Hui Cho had chained shut. In the minute it took them to get through the door, up the stairs and to the second floor (after shooting out a deadbolt lock, which they did hit), Cho had already killed himself. Officers heard the shot as they were walking up the stairs. The time from Cho’s first shot to his last was nine minutes. You do the math. The failure here was on the administration. It took them two hours after the initial shooting to get word out to students. No 9-1-1 calls were made until 9:42 a.m. I am all for letters to the editor. What I do not like is when the writers of them are completely ignorant when it comes to a certain subject. I am not even saying I disagree with some points Mr. Newbill made, but saying that police officers are cowards and protect their own skins only is highly offensive to me and to my family — and, I feel sure, to every law enforcement officer who puts his ass on the line every day to keep you safe.

No Waiting! 323-3030

Ben Giannini Junior political science and philosophy double major Vice President of Membership and Recruitment, ZBT Executive Director, University of Memphis Relay for Life

Across 1 “__: Legacy”: 2010 sci-fi sequel

Have opinions? Care to share?

5 Chihuahua city 11 Is for all? 14 Top-notch 15 2010 World Cup campeón

Send us a letter

16 Polar abbr. 17 Acquire incriminating info (on), as hinted by 19-Across 19 “I’m heading out,” in netspeak

dailyhelmsman@gmail.com

20 Ethically indifferent 21 Facebook friends, e.g. 23 Pearl weights 25 Stone’s 14: Abbr. 28 First-century B.C. pharaoh, briefly 29 “... but a __ without a cat!”: Alice 30 Pay-per-view event 31 Color in a stable 32 “Here’s how I see it,” in netspeak 33 Lament about a lost opportunity, as hinted by 32-Across 36 Unexpected issue 37 Bracelet bit 38 “Break time’s over,” as hinted by 41-Across 41 “Oh, and did I mention ...,” in netspeak 44 Bullish start? 45 Eliza’s ‘elper 46 Storied cocky racer

4 Court figure

34 Partners

47 Poet Pound

5 Greets the visitors

35 Deadwood’s terr.

48 Check out

6 Open org.

36 “Get lost!”

49 Slatted containers

7 Good-lookers

38 Antitank weapon

51 Rich soils

8 1991-’96 Indian prime minister

39 Civil War love song

53 Wood shop device

9 Put the kibosh on

40 Totaled

55 “That’s too funny!” in netspeak

10 Silents star Pitts

41 Robin’s way down

56 Charity for young alopecia sufferers, as hinted

11 “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”

42 Uno e due

by 55-Across

autobiographer

43 Bentley of “Ghost Rider”

61 Scrape up, with “out”

12 Private place

44 One taking a lot of notes

62 Turn right?

13 Exhorts

46 Claudius’ nephew

63 Mideast airline

18 Gossip-worthy

49 Congeals

64 “Norma __”

22 New England catch

50 Brit. fliers

65 Large TV family

23 “Avatar” spec. effects

52 Pig at the table

66 Marathon prep, maybe

24 Upper limb

54 “Ohio” folk-rock quartet, initially

Down

26 Water bearer, maybe

57 Hockey great

1 Playground runaround?

27 One in a herd

58 “Covert Affairs” org.

2 Fish delicacy

30 It often gets away, so we’ve heard

59 Soccer mom’s need

3 Michigan neighbor

33 Cartridge filler

60 Hooved grazer

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 15

The University of Memphis

Thursday, April 21, 2011 • 3

Marathon: Grad student crosses Boston off bucket list from page 1

courtesy of Preston McClellan

porting 27,000 people isn’t exactly quick work — her bus commute lasted an hour. Within Boston Marathon’s threewave starting system, Pavelko’s start was slated for 10:20 a.m.

“By the time I actually got to the start, I was just exhausted from the process,” Pavelko said. “That whole week leading up to the race, I was so nervous and so excited.” But it was for this very moment that Pavelko was primed. Though it would only be her second full marathon, she had trained since

U of M grad student Rachelle Pavelko ran the Boston Marathon in 3:59:47 on Monday. The 26.2-mile race was only Pavelko’s second full marathon.

December, running up to 60 miles in a given week. She had completed rigorous hill workouts to account for the hilly terrain of the Boston Marathon course. After long weeks of school and graduate work, Pavelko rewarded herself by completing long runs on Fridays, her longest being 20 miles one month before the race. She bloodied up several socks due to runner’s toe, which is caused by the downward pressure that results from running and often results in the loss of a toenail. But this was the Boston Marathon, and Pavelko, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and former track runner at Ohio Northern, was at the starting line. “I wasn’t nervous anymore,” she said. “I knew I was prepared. It’s the Boston Marathon, you know. I just finally took it and realized it was happening.” And so the gun sounded, and Pavelko, along with a sea of other runners, was off. After about nine miles, she realized she wasn’t about to set the world on fire or break any records. But for Pavelko, it was never about that. “I just took it for what it was and accepted that I was in the

Friday

Friday Film Series How To Train Your Dragon

7 p.m.

UC Theatre

Boston Marathon,” she said. She had qualified for this race last spring in a Cleveland full marathon, also her first. To earn a Boston qualifier, women ages 18-34 must finish in under 3:41. Pavelko, 23, finished with a time of 3:40:24. A week before this year’s Boston Marathon, the Boston Athletic Association made qualifying for the race even more difficult. Women between the ages of 18 and 34 must now run at least a 3:35 marathon in order to qualify for the longest-running annual marathon, five minutes less than the previous qualifier time of 3:40. “Once I hit that (time), I figured I had to do (the Boston Marathon),” she said. “It’s a dream and a once-in-a-lifetime shot, and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever qualify again, so I registered.” Simply registering for the Boston Marathon, however, was perhaps just as strenuous as preparing for and running the race itself, Pavelko said. On Oct. 18, registration for the race was only open for 8 hours before it closed due to the enormous amount of entries. “I still can’t believe I even got a spot,” Pavelko said.

So Pavelko, grateful for the chance to experience the storied Boston Marathon, trudged on. She defeated the daunting hill at Mile 17 and somehow managed to survive Heartbreak Hill at Mile 21, due in no small part to the support she received from her boyfriend, U of M junior journalism major Preston McClellan, and Bostonians lined up on the sidewalk. “I was overwhelmed by the amount of people that supported me,” Pavelko said. “People hear Boston Marathon, and they know what it is — they care about it. Being a part of that was great.” With a time of 3:59:47, Pavelko finished 16,145th overall and 5,860th in the women’s division. The top women’s finisher was Caroline Kilel of Kenya, with a time of 2:22:36. “I was really happy with my time,” said Pavelko, who averaged a 9:09 mile. “Just the process of Boston — I couldn’t have been happier with how I finished.” Pavelko and McClellan were scheduled to head back to Memphis on Monday night, but McClellan changed the flight to Tuesday morning so Pavelko could rest. “I was sore from spectating,” McClellan said. “I can’t imagine how sore she is. She has a lot more willpower than me.” Her parents, Marilyn and Raymond Pavelko, said they were worried about her well-being after such a whirlwind weekend. But they couldn’t be prouder. “I have a hard time still talking about it,” Marilyn said. “She’s very determined and dedicated. She’s given above and beyond. She just is very devoted to succeeding.” Indeed, Pavelko is aching. She said her quads hurt the most, and while her last toenail injury has healed, she lost another one somewhere during the grueling race Monday. She’ll take the rest of the week off, she said, before returning to her normal running routine. As for a return to the Boston Marathon next year? “I would love to do it again. It’s such an experience. It does take a lot out of you, just mentally being with that many people for so long,” Pavelko said. “But I would love to re-qualify — and it would be tougher this time around — but if I can do it, I would absolutely go back.”

Coming Up

Saturday, 4/23 SAC Cinema 2 p.m. UC Theatre

4 • Thursday, April 21, 2011

Park

from page 1 “I’ve been here since 7 a.m.,” said Aubrey, a University of Memphis alumna who has attended 4/20 at Overton Park annually since her sophomore year of high school. “I like watching the park swell up with people. I look forward to it more than my birthday.” Last year, the crowd grew to more than 400, and many people at the park thought this year’s cool, cloudy weather kept some 4/20 regulars away. “I think the weather has a lot to

www.dailyhelmsman.com

do with the low turnout, and some guy (overdosed) in the bathroom last year,” said Jessica, who came to the celebration with her 3-monthold baby, Presley Rain, conceived on 4/20 last year. Adam, who said he regularly attends 4/20 at Overton Park and hangs out with friends on The University of Memphis campus, said some of the crowd from last year’s celebration decided to celebrate elsewhere. “Half of the people who are here normally are over at Audubon Park,” he said. Some attendees at the event expressed their support of medici-

nal marijuana use and the decriminalization of marijuana. “I don’t even know why pot is illegal,” said Errol, who claimed he smoked a half-ounce bag of marijuana every day with friends when he was a teen. “If they taxed it like cigarettes, it would be the No. 1 cash crop. We would be making money instead of losing money.” Thorne even went as far as to question whether smoking pot was a crime at all. “There are 250,000 people in jail for smoking (pot),” he said. “Who do we want to be on the streets with — a carjacker or a pot smoker?”

What do you think? Is smoking pot for the birds? Sound off in a #tigerbabble!

@DailyHelmsman

The University of Memphis

Thursday, April 21, 2011 • 5

Politics

GOP plan will punish the poor, Obama tells Facebook friends

MCT

BY dAVId SIdERS ANd STEVEN THOMMA McClatchy Newspapers

President Barack Obama shakes hands with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg after a town hall meeting at the company’s headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday.

Looking to frame an epic debate over the role of the federal government, President Barack Obama lambasted a Republican budget proposal Wednesday as a “radical” vision that would break a long social contract to reward the wealthy while punishing the poor. “Nothing is easier than solving a problem on the backs of people who are poor, for people who are powerless and don’t have lobbyists or don’t have

clout,” Obama said to applause in a town hall meeting at the headquarters of Facebook, the social networking site. He used the invitation-only event before a friendly audience — moderator and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg volunteered his support for Obama’s proposed tax increases and education policies — to launch his most pointed and personal criticism of the Republican proposal to cut federal budget deficits. Obama chafed when asked if the Republican budget proposal deserves credit as bold and courageous — House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., was the first to propose deep cuts in the deficit. “The Republican budget that was put forward I would say is fairly radical. I wouldn’t call it particularly courageous,” Obama said. “I do think Mr. Ryan is sincere. I think he’s a patriot. I think he wants to solve a real problem, which is our long-term deficit. But I think that what he and the other Republicans in the House of Representatives also want to do is change our social compact in a pretty fundamental way.” He ripped Republicans for proposing to cut taxes further on the wealthy, and for then proposing fundamental changes in Medicare that would give the elderly vouchers to buy private insurance, a move he said would leave them having to pay thousands more out of pocket as insurance rate climbed. “I guess you could call that bold. I would call it shortsighted,” Obama said to applause

see

Facebook, page 6

Persian Students Association presents

The Comedy of

Maz Jobrani

Iranian-American observational comedian

“Browner and Friendlier”

Friday, April 22

Free Admission • Limited Seating To register for your ticket, email: psauom@gmail.com This event sponsored by Student Event Allocation

6 - 8 p.m. Rose Theatre

For more information, go to: www.facebook.com/psamemphis

6 • Thursday, April 21, 2011

Poll

www.dailyhelmsman.com

Facebook from page 5

from the audience of employees at the social networking site. Obama was vague when Zuckerberg asked him to name specific spending cuts he proposes. He said he’d cut $2 trillion in spending over 10 to 12 years, said $400 billion of that would come from the Pentagon, and did not identify the rest. “Government wastes, just like every other major institution does,” he said. “And so there are things that we can afford not to do.” He said he’d raise taxes by $1 trillion, and increase spending on issues such as education and energy research he called critical to future growth. Republicans say Obama’s proposal doesn’t adequately address spending and that he’s hesitated to consider even minimal reductions. On the first day of a three-

day trip, Obama also headed to fundraising events in San Francisco with tickets ranging from $25 to $35,800. He planned more fundraising stops in Los Angeles on Thursday, heading toward

sation with supporters like you to help shape our path to victory,” it said. “2012 begins now, and this is where you say you’re in.” Steve Hopcraft, a Democratic consultant, said

“There is a deep sense of dis-

appointment. It’s got to go beyond fundraisers and Facebook events, obviously. He’s got to reconnect with the American people.” — Steve Hopcraft

Democratic consultant what most expect to be the nation’s first $1 billion presidential campaign. Obama mastered social media in his 2008 campaign. His campaign website this week became a re-introduction of sorts: “This campaign is just kicking off. We’re opening up offices, unpacking boxes, and starting a conver-

Obama’s Facebook appearance was a “good starting point,” especially appealing to young voters. But he said it will take a great effort by Obama to re-energize frustrated Democrats. “There is a deep sense of disappointment,” Hopcraft said. “It’s got to go beyond fundraisers and Facebook

events, obviously. He’s got to reconnect with the American people.” A smattering of protesters outside Facebook headquarters included young voters who cast their first ballots for Obama, even volunteered for him, in 2008. Chelsea Byers, a Code Pink intern, was studying abroad that year and encouraged fellow students to return absentee ballots for Obama. But she has become disillusioned, upset by Obama’s economic policies and military actions in Libya. “He made a lot of promises,” she said. “It’s dissatisfying.” But Nick Hammer, a 27-yearold program manager, praised Obama for conducting what he said is a “rational conversation” about the budget. Hammer, who voted for Obama in 2008 and will likely vote again for him next year, said he remains enthusiastic about him. Despite Obama’s low approval ratings, he’s polling favorably against potential rivals.

BY STEVEN THOMMA McClatchy Newspapers American drivers are changing their driving habits because of rising gasoline prices, according to a new McClatchy Newspapers-Marist poll released Wednesday. They blame violence in the Middle East or oil companies for the sticker shock at the gas pump, the poll found. Few blame the government _ though there’s confusion about President Barack Obama’s policy toward Libya. “Americans have certainly noticed the gas prices, and most drivers are saying they’re changing their driving habits. This is an issue that strikes close to home,” said Lee Miringoff, the director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion at Marist College, which conducted the nationwide poll from April 10-14. Drivers said by 55-45 percent they’re changing their habits as gas tops $4 a gallon in many parts of the country. Most likely to drive less? Those making less than $50,000 a year, who said so by 65-35 percent. Least likely? College graduates, by 59-41 percent, and those making more than $50,000 annually, by 56-44 percent. Drivers split their blame, with 36 percent pointing at the Middle East and 33 percent blaming oil companies. Only 11 percent blame Obama and Democrats, while 6 percent blame congressional Republicans. On Libya, by 57-42 percent, Americans said they don’t have a clear idea of what the U.S. is doing there. The clearest dividing line was income, with those making less than $50,000 a year unclear by 68-30 percent, and those making more than that clear about U.S. goals by 54-46 percent.

World Tai Chi and Qigong day aT The UniversiTy of MeMphis Saturday, April 30 • 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. The Ellipse (behind McWherter Library)

(If inclement weather: Elma Roane Fieldhouse, Room 250) Sponsored by The University Tai Chi Chuan and Self Defense Association Department of Health and Sport Science

The University of Memphis

Thursday, April 21, 2011 • 7

Campus Activities

Eat your heart out Competition raises money (and maybe cholesterol rates) for scholarship from U of M group

Before the head-to-head showdown for Wednesday’s Greg Vann Speed Eating Contest crown, the competition’s namesake offered some advice to the eager competitors. “Don’t think,” Vann said. “Just eat.” Fifty hungry college students stuffed their faces in the lobby of Michael D. Rose Theatre for a crowd of over 100 at the second annual oncampus eating contest. Aside from bragging rights, competitors attempted to munch their way to the $200 grand prize. University of Memphis freshman Ricky Smith gave his team, I Eat Ent., the victory by downing four blazing-hot chicken tenders and chugging a cup of club soda faster than senior Sylvester Payne, of team Victorious Secret, in a face-toface eat-off. “It was horrible,” Smith, a communications major, said after winning the contest. “My face was so hot, and I didn’t know if I could get it down, but after I drank some water, I felt fine.” Smith will split the winnings with his teammates, but as for his share, he said he planned on buying some gas and heading to Buffalo Wild Wings. The three-round relay speed-eating contest consisted of 10 teams of five contestants, who chowed down on various foods as fast as they could.

by Aaron Turner

BY CHRIS dANIELS News Reporter

Freshman criminal justice major Matt Hotz attempts to eat scallions and dark chocolate during the Greg Vann Speed Eating Contest on Wednesday in the Michael D. Rose Theatre lobby. Proceeds from the contest will help fund a book scholarship backed by U of M organization Empowered Men of Color. In two separate heats, five teams simultaneously ate a plate of Oreo cookies, followed by a bowl of crackers and two cans of Vienna sausages. They then chugged a half-cup of applesauce, choked down three scallions — long green

onions — and devoured a dark chocolate bar. Each team member was responsible for stomaching one leg of the competition. Once each eater finished his food, judges allowed the next team member to dig in.

I Eat Ent. won the first heat, and Victorious Secret won the second, pitting Smith and Payne against each other, gullet to gullet, for the crown. Marcus Boles, sophomore management information systems major and president of

Empowered Men Of Color, said all proceeds from the contest go to a $100 book scholarship for an EMOC member. “(EMOC) helps increase retention and graduation rates of African-American males,” he said. “And this event is just a fun way to do the fundraiser.” Vann, senior organizational leadership major, agreed and said the money would go to a good cause, and the competition was a just a way for people to have fun. Vann said the event was named after him because he likes to eat. He added that he thought the turnout for the event was great. “I was really impressed with the competition,” he said. “And (I was) happy that everyone showed up.”

by Aaron Turner

We know how much you love to tweet about what you eat. So you might as well tell us about your most intense culinary conquests.

Senior marketing management major Markeese Curry wolfs down a plate of Oreos during the Greg Vann Speed Eating Contest on Wednesday in the Michael D. Rose Theatre lobby. Curry participated in the competition as part of the team Victorious Secret.

@DailyHelmsman #tigerbabble

#socialsetbacks

8 • Thursday, April 21, 2011

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Technology has become so ubiquitous that most college students don’t even think about the negative impact their activities may have. Many don’t blink an eye when giving out personal information over the Web, checking their text messages and tweets during a professor’s lecture or prioritizing online socialization above other daily activities. But as new media’s reach expands even to the oldest generation of citizens, its presence cannot be denied. So how do you keep from losing yourself to the technology? In this special section, we examine the spread of social networking — and its shortcomings.

BY Adam Douglas Contributing Writer For those who doubt that technology addiction is real, encompassing the social consequences of a dependency on drugs or other substances, consider 26-year-old housewife Heather Westridge, who said her technology addiction has gotten so bad that her husband of five years now wants a divorce. “He has been mad at me for some time now,” said Westridge, a Memphis native now living in Louisiana. “It has gotten to the point where I would rather sleep with my computer than to sleep with him. I had gotten accustomed to a routine that included me waking up with the laptop next to me, checking my Facebook, my Twitter, Skype, Yahoo, Gmail, anything you can think of — I had to check it. “Also, I had to get a second laptop because I ran out of memory on the other one,” she contin-

ued. “I was spending too much money on the Internet and on other various forms of technology that my husband couldn’t believe it, and it almost cost us our house and kids. That’s when he stepped up and said he wanted a divorce. There’s nothing I can do to change things now.” Despite anecdotal evidence that some people are truly addicted to technology, such as social media, technology addiction is not clearly defined, said James P. Whelan, associate psychology professor and co-director of the Psychological Services Center for the Institute for Gambling Education and Research at The University of Memphis. “Today, there is no recognized addiction to technology, although colloquially we understand that people use things excessively,” Whelan said. “But there are two ways to understand what we view as an addiction. In society, we think of it as something that someone does too much or

abuse(s). Another way to think of it is that someone engages in a behavior that causes harm in their life, and they continue to engage in that behavior, coincidentally causing harm to others around them that they care about.” Whelan said if people are checking Facebook and other social networking sites many times a day and then forgetting about other daily happenings, those people may be in over their heads. “When you get to being on your Facebook, Twitter and checking email 30 to 40 times but then forget to go to work or do your homework or go to class, then that’s when you may have a problem,” Whelan said. “That’s maybe because they’re using technology to get away from doing the things they need to do in their life — or getting away from the stress that they may have in their life.” Although some research indicates that as little as 6 percent

of Internet users are compulsive with social media and other electronic pastimes, a 2009 study by Andrew Kakabadse, a professor at leading business school Cranfield School of Management at the United Kingdom’s Cranfield University, found that 60 percent of teenaged respondents described themselves as addicted to the Internet. However, the teenagers’ personal ideas of what constituted an addiction were not clear. Even if technology addiction hasn’t been fully defined or accepted in the psychological community, there are treatment facilities for Internet abuse around the world, including the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction, a research and treatment center in Hartford, Conn. Treatments at the center include a variety of behavior therapies, psychotherapy, group therapy and holistic and alternative medical approaches. A less serious but nonetheless

photo illustration by Casey Hilder

Might as well face it

Technology addiction is no joke to those whose lives have been turned upside down problematic side effect of social media is complaints from teachers and prospective employers that some people are using the abbreviated language that is common in texting and Twitter when formal writing should be used. A magazine editor complained that she received an email that said: “R U hiring? Call me.” She did not. Monica Kinnard, a recruitment manager at Servicemaster, said using abbreviated language is by far the worst thing you can do to get the attention of a prospective employer. “I see it all the time,” Kinnard said. “It is very unprofessional to go and either talk to someone or read their resumes and see that they are talking like they have been texting their entire lives. I mean, even when you talk to them face-to-face, they still use words that people use during texting or on Facebook or Twitter or something.” Kakabadse’s research on teen technology addiction found that 39 percent of 11-18 year olds surveyed said that text shortcuts damaged the quality of their written English. Twitter is the type of social media most often blamed for abbreviated written language among the young, but a study led by assistant professor of journalism Carrie BrownSmith at The U of M found that Twitter attracts only 8 percent of American Internet users. Ayyanna Nailing, sophomore psychology major at The U of M, said she considers herself a former social media addict. “I used to be on Facebook and Twitter all day to where I never got off of it,” Nailing said. “I used to have very easy classes, which allowed me to have free time, and I would be on the social networks all day with my best friends. But now since I changed my major, I don’t have the time to really be addicted to anything but class.” However, Nailing said she has traded social media addiction for another type of technology addiction. “I am now addicted to my phone,” she said. “I sleep with it and everything … I feel incomplete without it.”

The University of Memphis

photo illustration by Casey Hilder

Thursday, April 21, 2011 • 9

Electronics and education Hold up, professor — lemme just check my texts real quick BY Erica Kelley Contributing Writer When Brent Taylor arrived at his college psychology class on a recent Wednesday morning, he was surprised and mortified to discover that he had an exam that day worth 30 percent of his overall grade. Because of his frequent use of his laptop and other electronic devices in the classroom, he missed an announcement his professor had made the week before about the test date. Taylor, 21, a senior, used some form of technology in every class he attended until he failed his psychology test, dramatically affecting his grade. He said that in classes where his professors allowed laptops, he used them to surf the Web, check his Facebook, update Twitter messages and stay upto-date on ESPN highlights. If they did not allow laptops, he passed the time texting and accessing social media sites discreetly from his phone. “I went in to class that day completely unaware that I was about to make the biggest ‘F’ of my life,” Taylor said. “I am now paying for my lack of attention to the professor and lectures because if I can’t figure out how to pass this psychology class, I won’t graduate.” In a survey conducted by two psychology professors at Wilkes University, among 269 students from 21 majors, 95 percent of students said they bring their cell phones to class

everyday, and 91 percent fre- course content exclusively.” a distraction much of the time quently use them during class Armour explained that stu- and that students are no longer time. About 10 percent of those dents use their primitive brains able to focus for long periods of surveyed admitted to using instead of their frontal lobe and time as a result,” Zanone said. text-messaging capabilities to seek instant gratification, which “Reading, vocabulary and spellcheat on a test. is why they feel compelled to ing proficiency have declined in Today’s classrecent years as room teachers a result of techare faced with Work tudies show that students’ nology. the challenge ethic is probaof teaching stubly not as strong brains have adapted, but they dents effectively as in years need to be taught when multi- past because with the proper technological it is so easy to tasking is appropriate and to tools, while at find answers what extent they can handle it online.” the same time limiting their because some students can hanIn a research pupils’ access study condle more than others. Tweeting ducted to technology at to prevent disWinona State a question about class material University, 137 tractions in the extends their learning. Tweeting students from classroom. For years, sections about what the teacher is wear- two many teachers of general psyhave advocated chology taught ing is distracting.” more technoloby the same gy in the classroom at younger professor completed weekly — Caitlinn Cahill ages, but by the time those stu- Technology integration specialist, surveys focused on class attendents reach college, they find dance, experience and laptop Minnesota public schools many professors banning lapuse. Among those students, tops and cell phones from the text or use Facebook, Twitter 64 percent reported using lapclassroom. or other websites during class tops to multitask during one Michael Armour, adjunct lectures. He said that students or more class periods for about political science instructor at who follow his instructions and 49 percent of the time. EightyThe University of Memphis, has refrain from the use of tech- one percent reported checking strict no-tolerance policies for nology do much better in his e-mail, 68 percent used instant any type of technology in his courses. messaging, 43 percent surfed classrooms. Kathy Zanone, English chair the Internet, 25 percent played “In the past, I allowed cell at Saint Agnes Academy in games, and 35 percent reported phones and laptops; however, Memphis, said she believes that doing “other” activities. I soon learned that students because of technology, students This research study also abused these privileges,” have a much harder time focus- showed a negative correlation Armour said. “My policies are ing and have become depen- between level of laptop use and strict now because most young dent, causing a decrease in how clearly students felt they people do not have the dis- work ethic. understood the lecture, which cipline to concentrate on the “I believe that technology is led to lower test scores.

“S

However, some students and high school teachers said they believe that integrating technology into the classroom gives students the opportunity to excel and prepares them for college and the real world. Saint Agnes Academy is one of several Memphis-area private schools that provide students with their own personal laptops for school and home use. Joy Maness, dean of Saint Agnes Upper School, said she does not think technology has been a distraction in the classrooms at her school. Rather, she has found that it helps prepare the students for life after high school. “I think that having a laptop in students’ possession helps them increase their creativity and better prepares them for their world in the future,” Maness said. “The colleges that our students attend expect them to know how to use the technology for everything from signing up for classes to classwork.” St. Agnes, however, has a firewall set up to keep students from accessing social media sites such as Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and others that would cause a distraction to the learning environment, with the school’s Internet technology department regulating students’ online activity in the classroom. Caitlin Cahill, 25, is a technology integration specialist for a public school district

see

Education, page 11

10 • Thursday, April 21, 2011

www.dailyhelmsman.com

Wild Wild Web A criminal paradise lies just inside the Internet, lurking and waiting for easy targets on dating sites and social networks Cheryl’s computer, the scammers obtained her and her daughter’s social security numbers, which they used to file duplicate tax returns in O’Brien’s name and apply for loans. The money Cheryl wired to “Marcus” was eventually traced to a bank in Hong Kong, China. Jacqueline Moore almost fell into a trap similar to Cheryl’s, but was able to pull out before she was sucked dry. “I was in correspondence with a gentleman on True.com by the name of James Allen that laid it on thick,” Moore said. “He would write to me about how much he loved me and wanted to marry me. He told me his son was over in Africa studying zoology and was struck by a bus and he was in dire need of $10,000 for hospital costs. Of course, it sounded a little fishy, so I discontinued all contact.” According to Moore, though, the scammer was so affectionate and engaging that she could understand why such scams succeed as often as they do. “There are so many hurt and lonely individuals who take to the Internet looking for love,” Moore said. “When you think you’ve found it, nine times out of 10, you don’t want to question it.” Love scams, however, are not the only type of crime occurring via social media.

“Earlier this year, my Facebook account was hacked,” said University of Memphis junior Ashton Oatis said. “People on my friends list were receiving pornographic messages, my computer was freezing up non-stop — it was a nightmare.” One of the most prevalent crimes linked to social media is account hacking. In a recent survey, ZoneAlarm, an Internet security firm, found that 79 percent of web users use passwords that include risky, personal information or common words that make them easy prey for hackers. The passwords “123456” and “Password” were among the top five used. ZoneAlarm officials suggest that passwords with common misspellings or personal information like name and birth date should be avoided at all costs. “I’ve started taking a few more precautions to assure that this does not happen again,” Oatis said. “I’ve made my password more difficult, changed my privacy settings on my account and am sure to not click on links that are sent from other people in the same manner that they were sent from my account.” Many law enforcement agencies have begun to use social media to fight crime, since criminals don’t hesitate to exploit social media. The International Association of Chiefs of Police deemed

Looking for love online, Cheryl was left broke and single after the object of her desire received her money, personal information, time and dedication from more than 1,000 miles away. With the evolution of social media and its constant presence in today’s society, it has become very difficult for some to identify scams and prevent themselves from becoming a victim of them. The ability to lurk and prey on web surfers who seem vulnerable, or simply don’t know how to protect themselves, has made social media a playground for predators and con artists. About two and a half weeks ago, Cheryl’s daughter, Carrie O’Brien, who asked that her mother’s last name be withheld, found out her mother had become one of the more than 25,000 victims of cyber scams in the United States per month, as reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “She called me one day and told me she had over expended herself while in Florida and that she couldn’t pay her bills,” O’Brien said. “I felt obligated to help her after all of the years she’s helped me.” But at that point,

O’Brien didn’t know the whole story. Through an account on Match.com, Cheryl had created a profile in search for love but was not at all prepared for the deception and lies that would soon follow. Corresponding through email and telephone, her paramour, “Marcus,” began building Cheryl’s trust in him, eventually indicating he needed money. Cheryl obliged, sending him $26, 000. “He waited about a month before mentioning money,” O’Brien said. “He never asked for money directly. He always hinted around to marriage and said that the money would help him purchase a $90,000 license he needed to come back to the United States.” Cheryl was convinced that “Marcus” was a German American man living in Abu Dhabi and would, in fact, come back and marry her. She believed he was rich, as “Marcus” had told her he would give her a $280,000 check to hold until he got to the country. O’Brien remembered her mother, who purchased her first computer a year ago, saying, “Marcus has plenty of money. I’ll probably never have to work again.” Cheryl dug into her retirement money to send “Marcus” the first $17,000. She later signed over her daughter’s car title to the bank for a loan of $10,000, with $9,000 of it going to Marcus. H a c k i n g

BY Jalysa Simmons Contributing Writer

it necessary to create the Center for Social Media with the mission statement, “supporting the needs of law enforcement online.” The site includes a directory of law enforcement agencies across the U.S. and the social media platforms the agencies utilize. “It’s about time that the police realize we are no longer living in the stone age,” said U of M senior Silas Vassar, III. “More and more each day, people are discovering the Internet for the first time, let alone social media. If predators see that there is no police presence online then that is the outlet they will turn to using, not to mention the convenience of it all.” But it will take more than a law enforcement presence on social media to stop the criminals who use it. “I had someone very close to me become the victim of a stalker,” said U of M senior Lindsey Lowry. “My friend would post her whereabouts up on FourSquare and started noticing the same guy popping up shortly after her posts. It’s just kind of scary how people take something that was meant for leisure purposes and turn it into something malicious.”

The University of Memphis

Thursday, April 21, 2011 • 11

World

Education

Syria announces end to emergency law BY Andrew Bossone McClatchy Newspapers The Syrian government ended a 48-year emergency law Tuesday just hours after its security forces dispersed a sit-in with gunfire and its Interior Ministry announced that anyone protesting could be arrested. Analysts attempting to make sense of the paradoxical events suggested that the bottom line was that little was likely to change. “This announcement is carefully worded; it’s still about ‘studying,’” said Mohja Qahf, an associate professor of comparative literature at the University of Arkansas who was born in Damascus and still follows events there.

“They’re using schizophrenic talk of reform on the one hand while using repression through the other side of the mouth,” Qahf said. The state news agency reported that the Cabinet, which was formed days earlier and stacked with loyalists to President Bashar Assad, released a package of bills that also included planned regulations for the right to peacefully protest and the abolition of a security court typically used for expeditious trials of dissidents. Early Tuesday, military police and security services surrounded protesters in the Syrian city of Homs, where the protesters had occupied the main square. Activists said the police said they had no

right to be in the square and to go home to avoid bloodshed. According to activists, the forces turned their guns on the protesters when warning shots in the air had no effect. Several activists said that four people were killed. A video on the Internet shows debris strewn throughout the square while a few people huddle on the ground. The audio includes the sound of gunshots ringing in the darkness. “Our regime resembles someone who has lost his keys and is searching for these keys under the only light it knows: using security solutions for political and social problems,” said Yassin Haj Saleh, a dissident writer who spent 16 years in prison.

Protesters apparently tried to take back the square during the day, but security forces stopped them. Another video showed forces stationed around the city, including a man leaning against a tourist bus in plain clothes, wearing a bulletproof vest and holding a machine gun. Authenticating the source of videos is nearly impossible. Syrians who post the footage online remain anonymous for fear of government retaliation. Syria has been the scene of protests for nearly a month, starting with an uprising in the southern town of Daraa. Activists said protests also occurred Tuesday in the coastal town Baniyas and at the University of Damascus.

from page 9

in Orono, Minn., and teaches adult classes on social media, as well as summer camps for elementary and middle schools students. This semester, she teaches Facebook for parents, Twitter for professionals and classes on getting started with Gmail and Google calendar. Cahill also hosts training sessions, speaks at conferences and creates presentations to help educate teachers and administrators about the importance of social media and technology in education. “I do think that students can successfully multitask,” Cahill said. “Studies show their brains have adapted as such, but they need to be taught when multitasking is appropriate and to what extent they can handle it because some students can handle more than others. For example, tweeting a question about class material extends their learning. Tweeting about what the teacher is wearing is distracting.” Cahill also said it is important to let students and teachers use their personal devices like cell phones and laptops in class. Mario Ovelar, senior psychology major at The U of M, said that he brings his laptop to class to take notes or if he suspects he’ll have trouble paying attention to a lecture. He said he thinks that throughout his college career, being able to have technology in the classroom has helped him retain more information and maintain his grade point average. Most of Ovelar’s professors have a zero-tolerance policy for cell phones but allow laptops as long as they are not a distraction. Elena Zavelli, former student at Saint Agnes and now a junior at The U of M, said being allowed to use computers in the classroom in high school prepared her for the college experience and the high expectations that college professors set. However, she also uses her laptop and cell phone in class for social networking. “When I’m in class, I check my phone at least three or four times to see if anyone has updated their Twitter or Facebook pages, and when I have my laptop, I click on those pages even more often. I never let it consume too much of my time or distract me too much, though,” Zavelli said. At The U of M, the Department of Journalism offers a course on social media and mass communication to educate students on the basics of using Facebook, Twitter and the like as a tool for journalism, advertising and public relations. Nicole Blum, senior broadcast journalism major, decided to take the class because she said social media skills are what future employers will be looking for and, if used the right way, will be the future of all reporting. This semester, Blum and her classmates have used Twitter, Facebook and personal blogs as assignments to create their own “personal brand.” Blum’s class also connected with a school in Cairo during the recent Egyptian revolution.

12 â&#x20AC;˘ Thursday, April 21, 2011

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The University of Memphis

Thursday, April 21, 2011 • 13

Generation gap shrinks one text at a time BY Dominique Doss Contributing Writer “R U coming ovr with the grndkids” may look like a typical text message, but it isn’t typical for the sender to be your grandmother. Times are changing, and so is the generation gap within social media. Spending at least two hours a day chatting with old friends, posting pictures and filtering out friend requests on Facebook is a typical hobby of most teens or college students, but it’s also the favorite pastime of 72-year-old Lillie Moore. “My grandkids are always surprised when I send a text message — and even more so when I sent them a friend request on Facebook,” she said. “I know society thinks I’m old, but I want to still keep up with old friends and see my grandkids that live in Florida. Facebook, text messages and email make that possible.” Technology continues to grow and create a monumental shift in how we communicate. With texting, email, Facebook and Twitter, a person can send a message — often in 140 characters or fewer — and not have to speak a word. Moore’s granddaughter, University of Memphis student Kimberly Walker, 23, reluctantly accepted her grandmother’s

Facebook friend request and even considered following her on Twitter. “I never thought my grandmother would be more techsavvy than me,” Walker said. “I talked to my other friends, and at least one of them talks to her grandmother through text messages on a daily basis. It may be more common than I thought.” A newly released report by the Pew Research Center supports the notion of a shrinking generation gap when it comes to online use. “Millennials,” defined in this case as people ages 18 to 33, still surpass their elders in many areas, including use of social networking sites, instant messaging, online gaming and reading blogs, the report found. But older users were catching up in some of these areas. The fastest-growing group of social networking users was the oldest — the percentage of adults age 74 and older who said they used such sites quadrupled from 4 percent in December 2008 to 16 percent in May 2010, the report concluded. While the Pew report supported the conventional thought that teenagers and young adults use certain social media platforms the most, there is one area where older

people may soon surpass them. “In the area of blogging, older users may overtake the young,” Pew reported. “While the percentage of teens and millennials who said they work on a personal blog

away from it because of time restraints or because they prefer face-to-face socializing and voiceto-voice communication. Danielle Tompkins, 26, Florida A&M graduate student, said she doesn’t understand the popularity of the main social media sites. “I just don’t get how updating your status to tell 650 of your unreal friends that ‘I want some ice cream’ could be fun,” Tompkins said. “I personally don’t think my friends care about my food cravings. To each his own, but I don’t want to waste hours of my day placing my life on the Internet or analyzing the lives of others. If I want to talk, I just pick up the phone.” Sometimes Facebook friends are more than friends. Quite a few young people use social networking as a way of finding someone to date, while the older generation is more likely to use actual dating sites, such as Match.com and eHarmony to find a mate. Recent research by Iowa State University sociologists Alicia Cast and Jamie MCT McCartney has found that has dropped, a higher percentage spouses who met online are typiof adults ages 34 to 73 were blog- cally older and more likely to have ging in 2010 than in 2008.” been married previously, and they While more and more older tend to marry after shorter courtadults are using social media, ships than couples who meet in some young adults are pulling more traditional ways.

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Avid online dater Julia Miller, 54, has used various dating sites for the past seven years. Though a marriage has not yet resulted from it, she believes it’s possible. “Online dating allows me to be selective and not offend anyone if I decide to pass them up,” Miller said. “I just don’t think traditional dating is for me. I like that I’m able to get to know a potential suitor before actually meeting them. I don’t think I will ever stop using the dating sites until I find that perfect guy.” With social media providing new ways to date and connect with friends, some are pushing older Web platforms to the backburner. There used to be a time when students would sneak to check their emails in class or exceeded their voice minutes every month on their family’s cellular phone plan, but using a phone for talking or emailing is out of style among some. Bryan Thornton, 24, a Morehouse College alumnus, hasn’t checked his email in a week and said he doesn’t really plan on it. “Texting and Twitter kind of make using email pointless,” Thornton said. “I used to check it all the time, but now I have over 1,000 unread messages in my inbox. If someone wants to contact me instantly, they can just shoot me a text.”

14 • Thursday, April 21, 2011

www.dailyhelmsman.com

Science

BY KURT STREETER Los Angeles Times In a small room at Caltech, space physicist Ed Stone and four of his colleagues puzzle over a trove of data that has just arrived from the bulbous edge of the solar system. “What, exactly, are we looking at?” Stone asks. The data form a map of invisible matter, a slush of atomic particles once part of stars that exploded around 10 million years ago. The information has come from Voyager 1, the spindly little spacecraft that rocketed from Florida more than 30 years before and is still traveling, farther from Earth than any human-made object ever has. Stone and his associates are stumped. “What are we going to find?” Stone wonders. “Right now, I don’t think anybody knows.” The godfather of the interstellar mission called Voyager is now 75. He is rail thin, and his shoulders have a faint slope. A crown of gray hair circles the top of his otherwise bald head. He is wearing his standard work attire: gray sport jacket, gray pants, gray shoes, gray socks — and a white shirt. Despite his uncertainty, his voice is calm. “Eventually,” he assures the others, “we’re going to figure this out.” Stone is agnostic about God, but has a belief that knowing about the cosmos brings deeper understanding of Earth. Although he and the other scientists might not comprehend Voyager’s observations right now, experience tells him their meanings will be divined. He also believes they will learn much more. Voyager 1 is close to bursting out of the solar system. Once it makes it beyond the influence of the sun, the spacecraft will enter part of the universe that scientists have only been able speculate about: Deep space. “We’re very, very close,” Stone says, after the meeting with his collaborators. “We can’t say for sure how long it is going to take to get there. My best guess is four years, maybe five.” That would make him 79 or 80. Projections have fallen short at times during this mission. Deep space still might be a decade away. “Will I be around when Voyager finally makes it?” Stone draws a breath. For a moment, he is silent. Edward Carroll Stone was born in Iowa in 1936, when putting a man on the moon was the stuff of fiction and textbooks speculated about a jungle-covered Mars. He grew up in a humble house in Burlington, where his father ran a small construction business and his mother kept the company books. In grade school, he pored over Popular Science magazine, with its tales of the Atomic Age. He took apart his transistor radio and put it back together, just for kicks. Then he did it again. Stone had a brilliant mind. In 1957, when he was a graduate student studying space physics at the University of Chicago, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. “Just like that, because of the Cold War and our need to match Sputnik,” he says, “a whole new realm abso-

lutely opened up.” In 1961, the Air Force put a device measuring solar winds he had proposed for his doctoral dissertation on board one of its satellites. After that success, he joined the faculty at Caltech and created more space experiments, this time for NASA. For a long while, times were good. Government aid gushed to NASA, which basked in the warm glow of its moon shots. Movies like “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Star Wars” spoke to the wonders of exploration. Voyagers 1 and 2, twin unmanned NASA probes, shot skyward in 1977. Five years earlier, Stone had become their project scientist — the overseer of all the

see

Voyager, page 16

MCT

Lifelong pursuit of the secrets of the cosmos

Ed Stone, 75, the longtime lead scientist for the Voyager Mission, is photographed at a replica of the original at the Jet Propulsion Lab in La Canada on Feb. 10 in Pasadena, Calif.

The University of Memphis

Thursday, April 21, 2011 • 15

Sports Briefs

Police Beat — by Melissa Wray

Steen finishes 2nd Women’s in C-USA women’s spring soccer wraps up golf tournament BY SCOTT HALL Sports Reporter

Assault

April 1 at 10:27 a.m., Christina Cathey told officers she had been assaulted by her boyfriend in her Carpenter Complex apartment. The suspect, who has no affiliation with The University of Memphis, broke into the apartment and pushed her aside while trying to make off with her computer, a police report said. Though Cathey’s injuries were minor and the suspect has been arrested, officers said the case has not yet been resolved. April 3 at 11:26 p.m., Mikail Phillips made an intimidation complaint from Mynders Hall, saying that fellow student Anecia Monroe had been bullying her for the past month and that she feared the situation would escalate into something worse. Monroe claimed that she had not threatened Phillips, though Phillips said she believes Monroe had continued to intimidate her to goad her into a fight. The case remains unsolved. April 12 at 7:02 p.m., Keith Phillips was sitting on the south patio of the FedEx Institute of Technology when an acquaintance suddenly ran up to him and

struck him in the face. Phillips is not connected to The U of M in any way, and the case is still being investigated.

Illegal Substances

April 4 at 2:15 p.m., Angie Wilson, an employee of the Child Care Center housed at Carpenter Complex, was approached by a parent who claimed to have found a small baggie filled with a leafy green substance. U of M police officers used a marijuana testing kit to examine the contents of the bag, which turned up positive for cannabis. The bag was promptly transferred over to 201 Poplar Ave. to the MPD Property Room.

Theft

April 1 at 8:01 p.m., Houston Preuett told officers that he had placed his keys and phone in one of the cubbies at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center an hour earlier. While he was working out, one of his friends asked him for help making a phone call. By the time Preuett returned to his cubby, he realized his phone was missing. This case has yet to be solved.

at the C-USA Championship with a score of 230, after finishing in a tie for seventh in 2010. Junior University of Memphis wom- Kathleen Glavin finished tied for en’s golfer Marissa Steen recorded 21st with 231, sophomore Julia a 54-hole score of 220 to claim sec- Hodgon tied for 30th with 235, ond place at the Conference USA and freshman Ashley Kees finWomen’s Golf Championship in ished in a tie for 38th with a threeGulf Shores, Ala. round total of 241. Steen’s “I’m really runner-up finproud of the ish is the best team for hold’m really by a Memphis ing its compoproud of the individual in sure together,” the C-USA team for holding H a r r e l s o n championship said. “This its composure course was since Alexa Porter tied not set up together.” for second in easily, and 2008. Her +4 the wind — Beth Harrison performance really kicked up Coach earned her a today.” place on the allThe Lady tournament team for the first time Tigers finished fourth overall as in her career. a team with a 54-hole total of 911. UTEP’s Teresa Nogues nar- UTEP claimed the championship rowly defeated Steen for the indi- with 904. Tulsa (906) and Tulane vidual title with a score of 218. (907) rounded out the top four. “I’m so proud of Marissa,” With Steen’s performance in golf coach Beth Harrelson said. the C-USA championship and her “She played fantastic and showed accolades throughout the season, great leadership.” she could qualify for the NCAA Sophomore Alex Aläng tied Regionals as an individual. for 18th place and recorded her NCAA selections will be made second consecutive top-20 finish Monday.

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BY SCOTT HALL Sports Reporter

The University of Memphis women’s soccer team wrapped up its spring season with a 2-1 victory over Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., on Friday. Freshman Kelley Gravlin scored the first goal for the Lady Tigers off an assist from junior Lizzy Simonin, and junior Melissa Smith assisted freshman Christabel Oduro, who scored the second goal. The Lady Tigers finished the six-game spring season with a 4-1-1 record, with victories over Oklahoma (2-1), Arkansas State (2-0), Alabama (1-0) and Ole Miss (2-1). They dropped a 2-1 decision to Missouri and tied with Oklahoma State, 1-1. “Overall, this spring has been great, and we have seen some players really improve in a lot of ways,” coach Brooks Monaghan said. “The spring season is about seeing individual players improve, and we had several players improve. Looking back, with the competition we played against, I am very pleased to walk away with a 4-1-1 record.” Freshman forward Rasheeda Ansari scored four goals for the Memphis in the spring, a team high, closely followed by Oduro with 2. Gravlin, Simonin and Taylor Isenhower each scored once. With the spring season complete, the Lady Tigers will turn their attention to the offseason and prepare for the 2011 season. The 2011 schedule will be released today, and The U of M will host the 2011 Conference USA Women’s Soccer Championship at Mike Rose Soccer Complex. “At the end of the day this spring — not just the games, but the overall attitude and work rate — was the best spring we have ever had here at The University of Memphis,” Monaghan said. “You want to build on the spring and carry that momentum into the fall and have a great year.”

Solutions

16 • Thursday, April 21, 2011

Voyager

from page 14 experiments and myriad measuring devices they would carry. It was meant to be a part-time job along with his ongoing role as a Caltech professor, but he worked 100 hours a week at times, guiding 11 investigative teams and managing 200 researchers. The Voyagers captured national attention. Part of the fascination was the audacity of the goal: to make drive-by visits to the planets and then go beyond — way, way beyond. And there was Carl Sagan,

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the charismatic space physicist and storyteller who spoke of the mission in mythical terms. It was Sagan’s idea to affix each Voyager with what became a hallmark: a gold-plated record showing Earth’s position among the stars that could also play songs and greetings. Sagan speculated the probes would be found by intelligent life, and the discs read, heard and understood. Stone liked the idea — not because he believed the Voyagers would ever be found, but because having the ability to send spacecraft into deep space and adorn them with a sampling of earthly culture said something profound about how

far humankind had come and where it was headed. “It was a wonderful notion,” Stone says. “At the time, though, just making it to Saturn was what I focused on.” Stone became the daily spokesman for the project. He was on the evening news, featured in People magazine. Today, on his office shelves, he keeps a row of 43 black and green notebooks detailing the Voyagers’ trip. He thumbs through them every now and then. Jupiter, 1979, wracked with violent storms and circled by a moon, Io, which was pocked with active volcanoes, a revelation to scientists who had thought the only active

volcanoes were on Earth. Saturn — at last, in 1980 — circled by complex, colorful rings made of icy shards as large as houses and a cluster of moons, including Titan, where it rains liquid gas. Uranus, 1986, with a tilting, offcenter magnetic field that was previously unimaginable. Neptune in 1989, with winds kicking up to 1,400 mph and a moon, Triton, speckled with geysers spewing nitrogen. “What a journey, what a thrill,” Stone says, sitting at his spotless, unadorned desk. “It seemed like everywhere we looked, as we encountered those planets and their

moons, we were surprised. “We were finding things we never imagined, gaining a clearer understanding of the environment Earth was part of. I can close my eyes and still remember every part of it.” After Neptune there were no more planets. Voyager 1, farther along than its sister spaceship, pushed onward toward deep space. Stone, flush with the mission’s success, became director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a job he held for 10 years. Even though it was a time of budget cuts, downsizing and decreased public expectations, his own star did not diminish.