Daily Helmsman The
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Women’s soccer hot streak Lady Tigers soccer begins 2011 campaign 4-0; program’s best-ever start
Vol. 79 No. 3
see page 15
Independent Student Newspaper of The University of Memphis
www.dailyhelmsman.com
Flash mob freezes at RSO fair
UM officer remembers life in wartorn Liberia
BY ERICA HORTON News Reporter
BY TRACEY HARLOW News Reporter
by Aaron Turner
In the midst of hundreds of University of Memphis students weaving in and out of tables for the annual Registered Student Organization fair , more than 20 students managed to find a moment of peace and stillness in the crowd. In collaboration with Christian student organizations, two students organized U of M’s first freeze-flash mob. Those who participated gathered outside of the University Center and Alumni Mall and opened their Bibles to Psalms 46:10. “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth,” the King James Version of the verse reads. Cortney Richardson, senior organizational leadership major and one of the organizers of the mob, said the scripture is a perfect example of people letting God come into their lives. After the five-minute meditation ended, participators were tapped on the shoulder, which was their permission to move again. Richardson said the touch represented how all Christians are all a part of the body of Christ. “It speaks to how much we all need each other,” he said. “This is the beginning of a school year. I think above all, college students struggle with identity, when God himself created us. He is really the person to tell us what to do, just like the person who made the computer has the right to say what the computer does.” The idea for the flash mob was conceived when during a conversation between Richardson and administrator in the Student Activities office. Richardson said he was concerned that student organizations used too much of their funding to to promote events lacking in originality and purpose. “For instance, if you are having a fashion
Students participating in a flash mob at the Alumni Mall on Monday, an event organized by senior organizational leadership major Cortney Richardson. show, is a flyer really the best thing for you to do to promote it?” he said. Richardson said the administrator mentioned flash mobs, but at the time he didn’t know what they were. He said when he found out what they were he made fun of them, but eventually decided to look for the opportunity to do one. “The Lord dropped it in my spirit to have this for the Christian organizations to do this,” he said. “How cool would it be? How
cool would Christ look?” Richardson partnered with Andrew Cross, senior film major, to make a secret Youtube video which was spread to people chosen to participate in the flash mob. “We want to make a major impact on the U of M,” Cross said. “Our faith requires us to share the Gospel. We want people to see that there’s a lot that comes with being a Christian. We want to do things like this to show the
see
Flash Mob, page 3
University urges students to use common sense at rail crossings During the summer, The University of Memphis made several changes to campus. With a new parking lot on Central Avenue and construction sites around campus, it could be easy to miss the new signs on both sides of the railway near Southern Avenue warning students to cross the tracks at paved areas. An e-mail sent by Tony Poteet, associate vice president for campus planning and design, warned that U of M administrators have noticed several students crossing the railroad tracks on Southern Avenue at unpaved areas, creating the dangeorous potential for students to
by Aaron Turner
BY ROBERT MOORE News Reporter
Students crossing a paved area of the railroad tracks near Southern Avenue on Monday afternoon. Administrators are encouraging students to be safe and use the paved areas to cross the tracks. trip at these locations at unsafe times. Administrators also said that they have seen several close calls where students have been almost hit trying to beat the train
“It just isn’t good common sense,” said political science graduate student Maegan Traynom. “You never know when a train
see
Railroad, page 15
As a business officer in the School of Public Health, Ropo Sanvee is a world away from the life she once led in Liberia, West Africa. Sanvee has worked at The University of Memphis since June of 2000. Her job includes managing the day-to-day operations in the School of Public Health. Sanvee describes her job as “supporting the SPH faculty in anything they might need, such as assisting with pre-award grant submission and post award grant monitoring, as well as managing the school’s budget and preparing contracts for graduate students.” As a child in Liberia, Sanvee lived with her parents and eight siblings. Both of her parents worked, which allowed her to attend a private school and participate in extracurricular activities. “We were encouraged to study hard and do well in school, but we did not go to many parties or social events,” Sanvee said. Sanvee began college in 1983, graduating as valedictorian from a junior college in 1985. She later transferred to Cuttington University College and earned a degree in biology in 1989. With aspirations of becoming a medical doctor, she attended medical school, but after six months, the first Liberian Civil War broke out in Nimba County, shutting down the university. Desperate for work, Sanvee found a job with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Liberia. As the civil war moved closer, Sanvee and her sister made the decision to leave home with their parents and move to a safer part of the city. Without transportation, the only choice they had was to walk. “We could only take what we could carry with us,” Sanvee said. “We saw dead bodies scattered everywhere.” Eventually Sanvee’s parents moved to the safer part of the city as they waited for the war between ethnicities, the Mano and Gio tribes, to end. As the situation worsened, Sanvee decided she needed to leave Liberia. In 1996, Sanvee was transferred to Sierra Leone with the International Committee of the Red Cross. But after four months, she was ready to come back home.
see
Officer, page 15