Volume: 59 Issue: 22
driftwood.uno.edu
APRIL 13, 2016
STRESS SEASON Study shows academics cause most stress for students BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief “Study tip: laminate your notes so the tears roll off,” one Yik-Yak user said on UNO’s hottest Yaks section. This was just one of many posts comment-
ing on how stressful and depressed students feel during the most important time of the semester. Final exams, final grades and preparing for the next school year or life after college are all thoughts sprinting through the minds of young adults on all campuses across the country. With the school year winding down, the final few weeks of the semester have proven to be the most stressful time of the year for the most stressed group of people on the planet. The American College Health Association (ACHA) conducted a survey of respondents to evaluate the overall health of college students, which include stress and anxiety levels. Within the last 12 months, 43 percent of college students admitted experiencing above average stress .Competing against multiple factors like sickness (cold and flu), working and finances, 30 percent of students also said that stress was the biggest factor in negative academic results. The second and third most com-
mon factors were anxiety (23.7 percent) and sleep difficulties (20.4 percent). All three of these elements work together to drastically reduce students’ moods and their grades. While students nationwide deal with varying levels of stress throughout the school year, exam time and the moments leading up to it seem to show the highest levels of stress. “It’s hard to say whether [stress peaks] in the middle of exams or the time leading up to it,” said Dr. Elliott Beaton, an assistant professor in the Psychology department and director of the Stress, Cognition and Affective Neuroscience (SCAN) laboratory at UNO, which studies stress and the effects it has on brain development, brain function and behavior with chil-
dren and young adults — including UNO students. “It’s a culmination. You have students who may be anxious for exam time before it even happens, and then they’re in the middle of it and
Trumping other possible options like the death of a family member or friend (15.6 percent) and intimate relationships (29.7 percent), 44 percent of students named academics as the toughest thing to handle,. In any time within the last 12 months, 85 percent of students admitted feeling overwhelmed by all of their obligations, 47.8 percent felt hopeless and 35 percent felt so depressed that it was difficult to function. Despite the study showing schoolwork is the main culprit of stress among college students and that stress can reach very high levels, Beaton doesn’t believe easier exams or academic workload will help students. “I think tests aren’t that hard. I don’t think we help our students by
“It’s a culmination. You have students who may be anxious for exam time before it even happens, and then they’re in the middle of it and they are anxious in the middle of it wondering how things are going to turn out.” - Dr. Elliott Beaton they are anxious in the middle of it wondering how things are going to turn out.” Based on the results of the ACHA study, academics are the biggest reason for stress, depression and anxiety for college students.
dumbing tests down,” Beaton said. Instead of making tests easier or making a lighter workload, students should try to practice positive coping mechanisms to deal with stress and avoiding negative coping mechanisms, like drug use or practicing bad lifestyle habits. Students claimed difficulty sleeping was another factor of negative academic performance (20.4 percent), behind only stress and anxiety (23.7 percent). In the study, 43.7 percent of students felt tired and sleepy three to five days of the week. Dr. Beaton said lack of sleep actually increases stress levels while decreasing attention span and mood, making the late night cram a pipe dream. Around exam time, anticipatory stress is a common reason of difficult sleeping. “When you’re really anxious about something it can be really hard to sleep, or when you’re really anxious about something, people will sleep to try and avoid those things,” Beaton said. With stress, drug-abuse is a likely companion, giving the user a sense of relief. Dr. Jeremy Peres, a post-doctoral counselor at the UNO Counseling Center, says drugs are not an effective answer to your problems.
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OPINION
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016
EDITORIAL Will Smith’s murder not just another killing A tragedy struck the city of New Orleans on Saturday night in a way we’ve never seen before. The news seemed so unrealistic that it was hard to believe. Former Saints defensive end, Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowler Will Smith was shot and killed in the Lower Garden District on his way from French Quarter Fest with his wife, Racquel, who was also shot in the leg twice but survived. The cause of the shooting seemed to be a car accident turned verbal altercation, and ultimately the death of one of the most respected people in the community and the state. A simple accident turned tragedy. The 34-year old Smith earned his respect in the city in more ways than just on the football field. With his wife, he volunteered in multiple charitable foundations, including his own “When There’s A Will, There’s A Way” foundation. While NOPD Chief Michael Harrison said this was an isolated incident, he still commented on how tragic the loss is to the city. There are only a few people who can earn the undying love and affection of a region almost instantaneously; a New Orleans Saint is one of those people. To hear that someone gunned down one of our own, someone
who represents this community worldwide, over a simple argument hits our heart in a special place. The outcry we are now hearing from the most respected figures you can think of, fellow Saints quarterback Drew Brees and head coach Sean Payton, put the issue of gun violence in New Orleans center stage. Two powerful voices with the same sentiment: gun violence is a problem in this city. After two years of declining murder rates in 2013 and 2014, New Orleans shot back up to 164 murders in 2015. The trend now has people feeling distraught as ever. “If it can happen to a Saint, it can happen to anyone.” With people investing more than just fandom into the team, but an emotional attachment as well, it’s easy to see why New Orleanians are feeling so distraught about their city. The fact is that senseless violence has always been a theme of the city. Smith’s recent death has now brought the horribly phrased “Murder Capital” back to the national light since Chicago’s murder rate has earned it the term “Chiraq” and most of the media attention. Four months in, New Orleans currently sits at 36 murders in 2016 according to Nola.com. Despite
that this time last year, New Orleans had already accumulated 48 murders on the year, it doesn’t take away the feelings of people who live in the city. “It’s a culture around here that we have to put behind us,” said New Orleans resident Conway Marshall. New Orleans Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis said, “Coffins get more bodies than sleeping beds and everyday tears are continuing to pour out.” For those of us who have grown up watching the Saints, it’s hard to forget Will Smith, who currently ranks fourth in team history in sacks. Smith spent his entire career as a Saint, and has rightfully earned his moniker. His teammates called him a true leader and amazing person. While the situation is horrible, the discussion growing from it is necessary. With the police force overwhelmed and understaffed, perhaps this incident can create more change within the city. Will Smith’s death will stay with New Orleanians, Louisianians, and the entire Gulf Coast for a long time. A true Saint is someone who is revered by the community for being some of the people, for the people. Smith fit that definition. A true Saint that we will never forget.
I don’t understand drunk culture
COLUMN
one threw parades. No one threw parties. People can’t even use the heritage card because I’m Irish and I don’t see it as a reason to celebrate like they do here. There is one holiday here that devotes an entire month to partying, drinking and parade watching. After two parades, I’m done for the season. There is only so much useless crap I want and only so many drunk people or floats I want to see. Family gatherings include weddings, family reunions and maybe graduations. Here, I feel like the culture is, “Oh my cousin is here! Let’s get drunk!” Not every excuse you come up with is a reason to drink. Everything is more expensive here, but life is tougher back home. We drink to relax at the end of the night. A glass of wine or a beer to help us sleep. At my work, people come in the next day hung over as one would be during Mardi Gras just because it was a Thursday. I’m not bashing this culture because I don’t like to drink. Trust me, I like to drink to have fun too. But I don’t think that any little reason is an excuse to get drunk. First of all, it’s unhealthy. Second of all, it teaches one’s children the same culture and the same reason to make excuses. I went to French Quarter Festival this past weekend with my sister-in-law and friend. We all only had one drink, but it was a super strong one. We drank them really fast and I got drunk. Drunk as in slurring my words, stumbling and
a hangover. The next morning I went into work with a nauseous stomach and a headache and told someone I had a hangover. Want to know what she did? She high fived me. High fived me because it was my first hangover. I don’t feel as if that is something to be high fived about. Getting on the Dean’s list, getting an “A” on a paper you worked really hard on or baking your first cake successfully. Those are things to be high-fived for. Not your first hangover. I had a friend this weekend go to Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival with another friend. He got drunk and she left him there to go over to her boyfriend’s house. He had to sit in his car for two and a half hours until he sobered up after the festival was over before he could go home. Not only is that not cool, that isn’t a very good friend. I don’t know how people drink as much as they do. After a day of drinking, my body needs to recuperate and rehydrate. I’m not used to the local culture down here so it seems like I’m ripping into it. I sort of am, but how much is too much alcohol? When are people going to stop drinking so much? The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and alcoholism defines women as alcoholics if they have more than three drinks in one day or more than seven in one week. Men are considered alcoholics if they have more than four drinks on one day or more than 14 drinks per week.
BY CHLOE GAGNON News Editor Being a non-native New Orleanian, I can point out some major differences between my home and this city not just overall, but with social culture. Specifically with alcohol. In my social circle back home, people primarily drink at specific times of the year such as major holidays, family gatherings or to relax at home. Major holidays are different here because every holiday, New Orleanians use it as a reason to party and drink. For example, St. Patrick’s Day. Here, there are parties, parades and green everywhere. Back home, someone at work or school might wear green that day. And if you were old enough and decided to go to a bar, you could buy some green beer. That’s it though. No
PERSPECTIVE
Nigel Washington Editor-in-Chief driftwoodeditor@uno.edu Charles Nicholson Managing Editor driftwood@uno.edu Visuals Director | Grant Campbell • • • • • • driftwoodart@uno.edu News Editor | Chloe Gagnon • • • • • • • • • • • • • • cprange@uno.edu Features/Ent. Editor | Anna Gowin • • • • • driftwoodent@uno.edu Photographer | Nathan Nguyen • • • • • • • • • nvnguye2@uno.edu Web Designer | Harish Kadambala • • • • • • • hckadamb@uno.edu Web Editor | Ave Maria Bordenave • • • • • • • • abordena@uno.edu Reporter | Lones Gagnard • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • lgagnard@uno.edu Reporter | Alexandra Garcia • • • • • • • • • • • • • • aigarcia@uno.edu Reporter | Mindy Jarrett • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • mjarrett@uno.edu Illustrator | Jared Buck • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • jbuck@uno.edu Illustrator | Barrington Hebert • • • • • • • • • • • bkhebert@uno.edu Illustrator | Delvonte Smith • • • • • • • • • • • • • djsmi12@uno.edu Business Manager | Matt Stennis • • driftwoodbusiness@uno.edu Faculty Adviser | Vickie Kennedy • • • • • • • • • vkennedy@uno.edu
Driftwood is produced solely by students of the University of New Orleans. Driftwood publishes every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters with the exception of holiday breaks and midterms/finals week. Editorials are the opinions of the Driftwood editorial staff and do not reflect the opinions of the University of New Orleans, its administration or staff. Letters to the Editor and columns are the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinion of the Driftwood editorial board. All letters to the Editor are subject to editing for length, style and grammar. Please limit letters to 500 words. Submissions can be emailed to driftwoodeditor@uno.edu and must be sent no later than 5p.m. on the Monday before publication. 2000 Lakeshore Drive, UC 252, New Orleans, LA 70148 (504) 280-6377
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016
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Stress season: study shows academics cause most stress for students CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Drugs might help with symptoms in the immediate short-term, but certainly not going to help in the long-term, and it’s not going to help you address the thing that’s stressing you out to begin with, which could be those increased demands from life or from school,” Peres said. At the Counseling Center, counselors like Peres help assess and aid students dealing with stress, depression, drug abuse and any other mental or physical issues they may
be going through. A counseling service on college campuses is a necessity, as depression that is gone untreated can have deadly results. In an Emory University study, there are more than 1,000 reported suicides on college campuses per year and depression is a common cause for suicide attempts. The study also showed that two-thirds of people who die from suicide are depressed. A big tip for battling stress, depression and anxiety during exam time is to not push yourself. Taking small breaks in between studying,
managing time correctly, spending time with family or friends doing enjoyable activities and meditation are just a few techniques that can dramatically relieve stress. However, the best way to alleviate stress is to accomplish the goal set in front of you. “It’s important to remember in that moderate level of stress that accomplishing your goals and doing the things that you need to do. After you get that done you will feel better about yourself,” Peres said. Humans don’t experience stress for negative impacts on their life. Stress can be a positive factor in
life. It’s important to monitor stress levels as too much or not enough can both have negative effects. “Stress is something that has evolved to keep us alive,” Beaton said. “You want to have some stress. If you have no stress then you have no real performance and no motivation. If you have too much stress then you’ll become ineffective.” While college students are easily the most stressed group in the world, there is a reason to be optimistic. Beaton said that as people get older, they learn how to better han-
dle stress. The American Psychology Association reported that the majority of adults feel confident in their problem-solving abilities and that 41 percent of adults engage in active stress management activities. For students dealing with overwhelming levels of stress, depression or anxiety, the Counseling Center offers services and pamphlets during the weekday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visit UNO’s Counseling Services website to learn more about the Counseling Center and how to get help if needed.
MAN ON THE STREET What do you do to alleviate stress?
ASHLEY PROCHNOW Freshman, Psychology
BRUSH KLEINDORF Freshman, Business
Usually I destress by listening to music and trying to get everything together for the long run.
I recently started getting back into the gym. It helps a lot to stay physically active. Getting involved on campus helps a lot too, because you can delve into peers as well as talking it out with friends.
Photos by Nathan Nguyen
MICHELLE MALDANADO Senior, Accounting
TODD TIDWELL Senior, Secondary Education
TYLOR LENART Junior, Film & Theatre
By exercising. I like to swim. I try to swim four days a week.
I look forward to the summer, to the opportunity and freedom to go where I want to go and do things.
I normally watch TV, play video games and just try to get my mind off of things.
CRIME SCENE DO NOT
CROSS CRIME SCENE
• On April 9, a Resident Assistant observed three male underage students drinking alcohol in Pontchartrain Hall North and confiscated one can of beer and two bottles of Vodka.
CAMPUS CALENDAR WED., APR. 13
THURS., APR. 14
FRI., APR. 15
JAZZ AT THE SANDBAR A series of jazz artists will perform at UNO’s Sandbar on Wednesdays through April. This week’s performance is by trumpeter Kermit Ruffins. The show begins at 7 p.m. and is free for students and faculty, $5 general admission.
PUBLIC LECTURE (TITLE TBD) Senior fellow at the Cato Institute, Michael Tanner, who heads the research of various domestic policies, will be hosting a lecture as a part of Tocqueville Project’s lecture series in philosophy and political economy. The lecture will be from 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. in LA 236.
GENSHIGAMEON! Genshiken, UNO’s anime club, will be hosting their sixth annual gaming event. There will be free-play as well as competitions It’ll be from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Education Building rooms 102 through 106.
SAT., APR. 16 PRIVATEERS BASEBALL Come support the men’s Privateer baseball team as they go up against the Northwestern State Demons. The game is from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark.
HAMBURGERS FOR HEARING Delta Zeta will be selling hamburgers, veggie burgers, drinks, and chips while hosting an assortment of fun activities as a philanthropy event in support of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. It’ll be from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Quad.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016
NEWS
Anime club’s gaming event set to be biggest yet
GenshiGameOn will feature popular games including Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart. Courtesy of UNO Genshiken Anime Club
BY CHARLES NICHOLSON Managing Editor This Friday, April 15, Genshiken, UNO’s Anime Club, will host their sixth annual GenshiGameOn. “GenshiGameOn is UNO’s largest gaming competition,” said Raphael Mariano, president of Genshiken. “Formerly it’s all been console games. Last year we had Halo, [Super] Smash Bros. and League of Legends.” Held every spring, students come together to play and com-
pete at many different games, from Soul Caliber to Mario Kart. “This year we opted for more console games, Magic the Gathering, which is a tabletop card game and ‘Sleeping Samurai,’” Mariano said . Sleeping Samurai is a company that creates historically accurate foam weapons for sale while also hosting panels and tournaments at public events. Genshiken will be looking for Secret Samurai to be their big new attraction. “We were able to partner with
[Sleeping Samurai] this year so that we have some of their products and some of their competitions for free play and for tournaments.” Mariano said they are planning one-on-one battle tournament, but mentioned that there will be rules to the game. “[Players] will be able to swing swords at one another in a safe manner. A hit on a limb, that limb is gone. After two limbs are gone, they are considered defeated. Or a torso hit will be considered defeated,” said Mariano. “Headshots, anything dangerous like ‘bat-swings,’ whenever someone swings too hard are calls for disqualification.” GenshiGameOn will offer a free play room for those who just want to have fun and enjoy gaming. “If you want to participate in the tournament, there’s a $5 entry fee, except for Magic the Gathering Draft, a form of playing Magic the Gathering where entrants get three packs of cards and using those cards to make a new deck and they get to keep those cards. So the Draft entry is $15.” According to Mariano, the tournaments will be nothing to scoff at and he highly encourages more people to attend.
“As the largest gaming competition on campus, everything here is larger. Last year we had around $300 in prizes. Now, we just broke $1000,” Mariano said. “We have a lot of major sponsors and reached out to a lot of local places. For a small club or a small event like this, growing so much with the help of local companies and local businesses is unprecedented.” Mariano said that Genshiken made connections through local businesses by asking for support for their event in exchange for placing company names and logos on their posters for GenshiGameOn. “There’s lots of gaming opportunities on campus. I know TSO (Transfer Student Organization) and VPS, the video games group on campus, have a “beer goggles” Mario Kart during the fall…as a way to teach about the not-safety of drunk driving,” Mariano said. “A lot of local clubs...have gaming and all of that, but this is one of the largest ones on campus.” GenshiGameOn will take place in the Bicentennial Education Building in rooms 102, 103, 104 and 106 from 4 -10 p.m. Registration begins at 3:30 p.m.
UNO places in first Google Games held in New Orleans BY SANJIV PRADHANANG Driftwood Contributor The ninth Google Games, held at Xavier University of Louisiana, had two teams representing the University of New Orleans, both of which won. They finished in first and third places, but it was the less experienced group, consisting of freshman and sophomores, that clinched the victory. This was the first time ever that Google Games was held in New Orleans. Teams comprised of students mainly of Computer Science majors from four universities in New Orleans. They were the University of New Orleans, Dillard University, Southern University at New Orleans and Xavier Universi-
ty of Louisiana. The competition tested the students at some points, but it seemed to be just a fun game at others. It was a mixture of trivia, puzzles, word associations and most importantly the coding challenges. The competition was most intense during the coding as there were very high demanding problems which required more than an hour to write up the code and solve them. Out of 18 nerve-wrecking problems, only four were solved by the winning team. The theme of the competition was “Journey Through Time” and some groups really did dress according to the theme. One group came in capes and another one was dressed as mid-twentieth century people. Most of the questions were
related to movies regarding time travel that came out in the nineties. As the competition was happening, there were many people who had experience of working at Google who helped the participants with the problems by providing some hints to the solutions. They later on also advised students about opportunities at Google that they might want to look out for. There were also discussions about what students should do to grasp onto internship opportunities and some encouragement regarding these kinds of events and other events that Xavier will host in the same week. In the end, a small task was given to all the teams where they had to create a Rube Goldberg machine out of nothing but straws, aiming
to make a marble move freely on it for as long as possible. Overall, the students were happy with the event. One of the members of the winning team, Haydar Mahdi, said: “We were really happy to have represented UNO at the Google games and won. We were maybe a little happier to beat the other team from UNO.” It was impressive indeed as Mahdi’s team had beaten a team of comparatively more experienced juniors. Mahdi further added, “A little friendly competition always brings the best out of you.” Exchange of high fives ended the event and it was obvious that everyone looked forward to future Google events and any other event of these types.
Photo courtesy of NCC
Producer Jon Landau named commencement speaker BY CHARLES NICHOLSON Managing Editor The University of New Orleans will be featuring Academy Award-winning producer Jon Landau as the principal speaker for the Spring 2016 graduation ceremony on May 13. Landau is most recognizable for his work on the two highest grossing films of all time: “Titanic” from 1997 which he won an Oscar for Best Picture of the Year shared with Director James Cameron and “Avatar” from 2009 which he was nominated for Best Picture of the year again shared with Cameron. He also won five other awards for “Titanic.” He is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s (USC) School of Cinematic Arts and since graduating has been behind the scenes of a number of other films including “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” and “Dick Tracy.” He will also be producing the three slated sequels to “Avatar.” Landau has spoken at a few major companies, including Microsoft Corporation, Adobe Systems and Bank of America, as well as Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and his alma mater USC. The ceremony is being held at the UNO Lakefront Arena on May 13, beginning at 3 p.m.
FEATURES
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016
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Model UN makes most of NY conference
The Model UN conference had students from about 200 universities across the world travel to New York for four days of competition. Photo by John Hazlett
BY ADAM POYNER Driftwood Contributor There are many ways that college students can gain experience in their future career field, including internships, paid positions and observations. One way that students looking to enter political or international relations can gain some useful knowledge in their field while also socializing with friends, traveling and
meeting other college students is by participating in UNO’s Model UN. The Model UN club began another busy season on Nov. 20 with the country reveal party, where all members of the club met and learned which country they would be representing. This year, UNO represented the delegation from Australia with the president and vice president also serving on the security council for New Zealand. Throughout the spring semester, students have been enrolled in In-
ternational Studies 3060, a special class for members of the delegation taught by Dr. John Hazlett, the faculty advisor for the club. During this class, the delegation is broken down into two-person committees. They work on preparing speeches and papers and then join the committees of other delegations at the conference in New York City. The conference was held from March 20 through March 24 in midtown Manhattan at the Hilton and Sheraton hotels. All 29 members of the club arrived Sunday and had a packed schedule from Sunday night through Wednesday. The full schedule included a stop at the Australian embassy in New York City because UNO students were representing the Australian delegation. “We were very busy, and we didn’t get a lot of sleep--some of us got more neurotic with each passing day. I certainly know I was stressed out some of the time,” said Hope Brusstar, a freshman Math major and contributor as a member of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Students from almost 200 uni-
versities from all across the country and world including Germany, Italy and Nigeria attended the conference, giving UNO’s equally diverse group of delegates a chance to make connections with people with many different perspectives. UNO did well in the conference, and was able to bring home more than one award for the five-day event. “Martin [Schefzik], my partner, and I... did so well that the other delegations in our committee voted us as Best Delegation in the UNRWA which is really an honor because that means they appreciated our negotiating skills and liked us as people,” Brusstar said. In addition to being voted Best Delegation, Brusstar and Schefzik also contributed two of the reports for their committee and presented the strongest speeches of the committee. This meant that they were able to determine the order of topics and thus, guide the entire discussion. The conference’s closing ceremonies were held in the actual UN headquarters’ General Assembly room giving all the students a chance to experience what a career
with the UN would be like. The members of the club were also able to have a taste of New York City nightlife at the end of conference party which was held in a large three-story nightclub rented out just for the Model UN. By the end of the trip, UNO left Manhattan with three additional awards, including Two Outstanding Position Paper Awards and an Outstanding Delegation in Committee Award. The biggest award, however, was the experiences that students gained from the competition. “It was amazing just to go to New York of course because I’ve never been there. The buildings are massive and the city is really always awake,” said Brusstar. “Each year I see students whose lives are changed by their experiences in the National Model United Nations Conference,” Hazlett said. “Our students return to UNO with an enlarged vision of their education, of dialogue with people who hold differing points of view, of global issues and of their own potential as global citizens.”
UNO Cookbook next phase in Service Leaning project BY MINDY JARRETT Driftwood Staff The Office of Service Learning and Institutional Community Engagement (SLICE) encourages students to get involved with their Food for Thought Project through the UNO Farmers’ Market and the UNO cookbook project. “The Office of Service Learning is doing a lot of initiatives around several different issue-areas. We have four main issue-areas,” explained Service Learning Program Director Lacey Cunningham. These issue-areas essentially serve as labs that coincide with
Service Learning courses, allowing students to utilize material learned in the classroom in the New Orleans community and beyond. They include the Quality of Life Project, Recovery and Renaissance, Global Community Impact and Spotlight on Music, Arts and Culture. “Food is part of our global community impact,” Cunningham said. The Food for Thought Project coincides with the new UNO Farmers’ Market, which opened during the Fall 2015 semester. “So far, we’ve got a lot of response from students who are right here from New Orleans,” Cunningham said. Cunningham thought that a UNO cookbook would further enhance
the market. “My idea is that you can use the cookbook as a way to use some of the produce that you can buy at the garden.” Cunningham hopes that the diverse population of students and faculty that make up UNO is guaranteed to make the cookbook a hit. Students, faculty and staff may send any type of recipe: entrée, dessert, appetizer or soup. Cunningham asks that submissions include the recipe along with basic directions and their hometown. Anything else is optional. “Some of the recipes we’ve collected so far have come with quotes and little snippets of how they ate the food, and almost all of the stu-
dents who have submitted so far have given pictures. I’d like to get some more of that – if students have pictures of them or their families making the food.” “I’m fascinated by cookbooks,” Cunningham said. “I love the stories and the narratives that go along with food more than the recipes themselves. It’s a project that I’ve always wanted to do, and I feel like UNO has such an international population of students and a lot of students even from Louisiana. There’s a really rich food culture. They have a lot of great food stories and recipes to share. The farmers’ market is a way to celebrate that. I think a cookbook is another great way.”
The Office of Service Learning hopes to continue making an impact on campus as well as in the community of New Orleans. “We’re hoping to do some other food initiatives too. [It’s] thinking about, not only hunger and food insecurity, but thinking about food deserts and food culture and all of the pieces. It’s in a bigger umbrella of things.” Recipes may be sent to servicelearning@uno.edu, or at the SLICE Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/unoslice/. Please include your name, hometown, basic directions and pictures (if possible). The UNO Farmers’ Market will be held from noon-5 p.m. Friday, May 6.
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FEATURES
Chinese exhibit brings rare cultural experience to New Orleans BY NATHAN NGUYEN Driftwood Contributor Through May 1, New Orleans City Park is hosting China Lights, a festival that showcases handmade lanterns in the Botanical Gardens. The event features live performances such as juggling, plate spinning, face changing and even a clown act. It aims to educate people on Chinese culture. China Lights is a festival that originated from the Sichuan province in southwest China. “Lantern festivals are something that is really big in China and you can find them all over the place,” said Johnell Agee, the on-site coordinator for China Lights. “Each one is different.” Sichuan Tianyu, the company that created China Lights, differentiates themselves from the plethora of lantern festivals by combining all of the styles from many provinces all over China. “These guys actually combine all of them into one and making it, as [Tianyu] would describe it, one of the best,” Agee said. The show in City Park is only their third show in the United States. The goal of the festival is to give people in New Orleans an opportunity to experience China’s culture. “My main goal is to share the art and culture,” said Agee. “For me
it’s about sharing the experience of being able to have a taste of China without having to actually go to China. It can cost thousands of dollars to go to China, but here it could cost less than $100 for a family to come.” The goal has been reached as the patrons even praise the event in its effectiveness of sharing culture. “It’s very interesting to see the culture,” said Steve, an NOPD officer at the event. “I think it’s very neat and it’s probably something we need more of.” “The genesis of the China Lights exhibit is that some staff and board members had seen something similar in other cities and countries and thought it would be a good fit here,” said John Hopper, chief developmental officer and public affairs director of City Park. It was later informed by Agee that it was their show in Washington that peaked the interest of City Park staff and board members. “They actually went over to our first show in Spokane, Washington.” There is a massive amount of work and large numbers of people that are involved with the creation of a single China Lights lantern festival. Before the process even gets started, Hopper said that, “[they] negotiate with them for several months.” After the initial negotiation, “It takes at least a year. Tianyu, proposes the idea,
China Lights gives New Orleans residents the chance to experience a myriad of Chinese cultures in their hometown. Photo courtesy of Nathan Nguyen
has to have someone come out and look at the different areas and pick out the place. Then engineers came from China to measure out the entire area,” said Agee. The product of all of the hard work is a family-friendly festival. There are 36 different exhibits inside of the Botanical Garden for anybody to enjoy. In addition to
these, there is a small exhibit of artifacts and four replica terra-cotta sculptures all the way from Xian, China. “It’s really uplifting,” said Vanessa, a patron of China Lights. “The kids would love it.” Sandra, who recently returned from Xi’an, China, compared native Chinese lantern festivals to China Lights. “It’s been very sim-
ilar to the ones going on in Xi’an when we were there,” said Sandra. “Actually, here the lanterns are more grand, well done and everything was placed very well. You can tell a lot of planning went into it.” Sandra’s mother, Danielle, added “it was beautiful.”.
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ENTERTAINMENT
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016
Let it snow: a student’s guide to snowball stands BY ANNA GOWIN Features Editor If you’re anything like me, then you too have officially entered the most wonderful time of the year: snowball season. My devotion to the New Orleans staple admittedly borders on obsession as soon as the weather begins to warm up. But, I think the assorted flavors of sugared syrup pumping through my veins make me a definite authority on the treat. So, without further ado: my top five snowball stands in the city.
# 5 - SOUTHERN DELIGHTS 311 Broadmoor St. (Slidell)
Okay, right off the bat I’m cheating. This stand is technically located in Slidell, but it’s the snowball I grew up with and for nostalgia alone I think I’m allowed to put it on the list. With kiddie sizes (still plenty, trust me) starting at $1.50, a huge flavor variety and ice texture better than plenty of other places, they’re certainly the best snowballs on the Northshore. Oh, and did I mention there’s a drive-thru? Few things in life beat a snowball on a sweltering Louisiana afternoon, unless it’s getting to sit in your air-conditioned car while you wait for it. A fact you’ll probably be grateful for, considering the line gets long as the season reaches its peak. Flavor of choice: Doesn’t matter, but don’t hesitate to stuff it with their signature soft serve.
# 4 - THE ORIGINAL NEW ORLEANS SNO-BALLS & SMOOTHEE
4339 Elysian Fields Ave.
This Gentilly staple immediately earns bonus points for the fact that it is one of the few snowball stands that is open year-round. As an addict, that is certainly something I appreciate. While the flavors are nothing revolutionary, there’s a good selection and the friendly staff is quick with recommendations. The ice texture is definitely on par, but leaves me wanting that barely-there fluffiness. It can get pretty cramped inside, so try to avoid the inevitable Brother Martin postschool day rush. Flavor of choice: cantaloupe or wedding cake with fresh strawberries.
# 3 - PLUM STREET SNOBALL 1300 Burdette St.
There is no denying that this stand is a New Orleans staple. Rivaled only by Hansen’s (we’ll get there) in terms of ice texture, and with an awesome flavor assortment, you might wonder why Plum Street is only coming in at third place. Well, the staff of college-age kids can be a bit inconsistent when it comes to pours. Sometimes your snowball swims, and other times you end up wishing you had just a little bit more syrup. Same goes for condensed milk, if you’re into that. Also, the characteristic takeout style ‘pails’? Adorable, but they leak. I prefer the cups. Flavor of choice: kiwi, grapefruit juice or orchid cream vanilla.
# 2 HANSEN’S SNO-BLIZ 4801 Tchoupitoulas St.
Snowballs, like the ones from Bayou Snowballs on the Westbank (pictured above) are a must for hot, New Orleans summers. Photo by Nathan Nguyen
If anyone is competing against Plum Street for the New Orleans signature title, it’s Hansen’s. It would be impossible to make a list without including the home of the first shaved ice machine. Which certainly explains the heavenly, almost creamy quality to their ice. And Hansen’s edges their way above Plum Street for the flavors they make that you can’t find anywhere else. As a foodie, I’m a sucker for some of their weirder, less popular syrups. But its popularity
means one thing: I’ve never been to Hansen’s and not waited for a ridiculously long time. Which, of course, is understandable. But I am nothing if not impatient, and when I need my fix waiting 20 minutes feels like an eternity. Flavor of choice: satsuma, anise or honey lavender. But keep an eye out for specials.
# 1 PANDORA’S SNOWBALLS 901 N Carrollton Ave.
I might upset some people, but
this mid-city stand just does it all for me. The ice is great, they have a ton of flavors (even if they aren’t as gourmet) and the line always moves at a great pace. The hours can be a little inconsistent, so look for people on the drive-by. And while there are no seats, unlike most, it’s a short walk from City Park and its usually no problem to find parking. Pandora’s holds a special place in my heart, and they make a damn fine snowball. Flavor of choice: sky blue cream, cherry vanilla.
Movie review: “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” has too many plots BY ALEXANDRA GARCIA Driftwood Staff As a fan of the first “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” there was no review that could stop me from seeing “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.” As the debut of this film was met with silence, I walked in the theatre with a sense of unease. There was a reason this movie was met with silence and to put it simply, it’s because there is nothing extraordinary about it. Yes, all of the same loveable characters are in it and you’re brought back to the nostalgic Greek jokes of Windex and “every word comes from the Greeks.” Perhaps this film didn’t need to be extraordinary, just a glimpse into the beloved characters’ lives would have sufficed. But in an attempt to be more relatable to current audiences, they spread themselves too thin with various plot lines. We start with Toula’s daughter, Paris, in a like-mother-like-daughter situation, wanting space from her family and she seeks it through a college far away from her home. Then, the plot moves forward to Toula’s marriage being affected by
family and motherhood. After that, we discover Toula’s parents, Maria and Gus, due to a technicality, were not actually married, and Maria is conflicted about marrying him again unless he does it correctly this time. Then, we find out one of Toula’s brothers might have a partner which is why he is not married yet. Also, Paris may have a crush on a boy in her school, and she must learn to gather her courage to ask him to prom. Let’s not forget Toula having to learn to confront the parents that push her around and Gus having to make amends with his brother. Starting to feel overwhelmed? While any of these plots would have worked if the movie only focused on two or three, having all of them left me unsatisfied with rushed plot endings. This is an hour and a half movie so there was no way to cover all of these plots sufficiently in a short span of time. Despite all of the current topics the film attempts to address, the audience still receives an ending that would happen in the era of the first movie. On top of the old, stereotypical,
Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
cheesy jokes, there are newer ones added that are more obnoxious than the first. Though “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” certainly has its faults, the actors brought back the warmth of the Greek family as though it had
never left. They are quick witted and bring the audience to the close, almost suffocating feel of being a part of this Greek family. If you’re from a big, tight knit family, this movie is still as relatable as the first. Despite the criticism and some
of the scripts cheesy jokes, this film is still enjoyable to see because of the family and the nostalgia feeling seeing all of them on the screen again. Ultimately, this movie was made for the people that missed this proud Greek family.
ENTERTAINMENT
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016
New album marks Explosions in the Sky’s return to “The Wilderness” BY LONES GAGNARD Driftwood Staff Explosions in the Sky, a postrock band from Austin, Texas, recently released their sixth studio album, “The Wilderness.” From their beginnings with post-rock walls of sound, Explosions in the Sky have progressed into making television show and movie soundtracks. Their latest album follows this same trend rather than their usual ten-minute epic ballads. “The Wilderness” begins with a song of the same name “Wilderness.” As soon as the first sounds are heard, it is clear that this is a new Explosions in the Sky. Electronic rhythms begin the song and seamlessly morphs into the live instrumentation listeners are used to hearing. The song builds into screeching violins before ending. “The Ecstatics” continues the album’s electronic beginnings with light synth playing that eventually fades into singing guitar and tribal sounding drums. The guitar sounds as pristine as ever. With no lead singer, the guitar has to carry the melody by itself. “The Ecstatics” begins a theme that is new among Explosions in the Sky albums, it builds to silence, allowing the next song to explode and grab your attention. “Tangle Formations” is a song that builds in two halves. Bringing together drums and piano the song immediately takes off into an upbeat soundscape. As the guitar is layered on top, the song begins to slow down near the middle, but this is simply a pause for effect. Explosions in the Sky begin to direct listeners to pay attention to every song, this is a walk through the wilderness, stop to look around and take a breath of fresh air. “Logic of a Dream” was the
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A look ahead: UNO Finals Fest BY ANNA GOWIN Features Editor
Photo courtesy of Temporary Residence Ltd.
first song released off the album as a sneak peek of what’s to come. While it doesn’t have the same explosion of sound as other songs, “Logic of a Dream” simply grooves from start to finish. The song contains rarely heard vocals, though they are unrecognizable chants. “Logic” is one of those songs that could be put on repeat for multiple hours and one wouldn’t realize he or she were listening to the same song. “Disintegration Anxiety” begins with what sounds like carnival music being played backwards, causing the listener to feel the song title. Replaced by silent finger picking the song picks up as pounding drums allow the guitar to crank up the volume, bringing in the grooviest riff on the entire album. “Disintegration Anxiety” makes you want to dance and run
through places unexplored. “Losing the Light” builds from the ground up as industrial sounds rise out of nothingness. With its slow progression “Losing the Light” never reaches a typical Explosions in the Sky climax and allows “Infinite Orbit” to have all the guitar riffing glory. After “Infinite Orbit,” we arrive at “Colors in Space” a lush soundscape where sound only resonates and is not heard straightforward. The keyboard creates an empty space where echoing guitars paint colorful streaks and constellations in your mind. The drums, guitar and piano mesh together into an ending sound that evokes images of the astronaut going through the black hole at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The final track on the album is called “Landing Cliffs” and its
name describes the song very well. This track is where we fall. The music is an ending lullaby and a place to finally rest your head. Soft acoustic guitar plays out the end of the album until the final piano key is struck. This album at its core seems to be telling us to go back to the wilderness, to the way things were. Explosions in the Sky does introduce new electronic intros into a bulk of the songs, but they never allow them to dominate the soundscape. The intros always evolve into the walls of sound we are used to hearing when it comes to the genre of post-rock. Although “The Wilderness” never builds up to the grand ballads of past albums, it does show us that Explosions in the Sky continues to evolve and show us what their music truly is, a movement.
For students who feel like UNO isn’t utilizing the artists and musicians that make up this community, things are about to change. UNO Finals Fest is a campus music festival that hopes to become an annual staple. The April 22 event will feature a lineup of five local bands at UNO’s amphitheater, most of which feature UNO students. West Without, Dudeyo (which is fronted by Finals Fest’s organizer, Michael Roussell), Foxhunter, The Painted Hands, R&R and The JimJims. While bands are performing at the amp, attendees can also enjoy live art exhibitions and art for sale by other UNO students. While there may be more artists by the time Finals Fest rolls around, right now the featured artists include Alexis Tewelde, Sadie Duthu, Jevon LeBlanc and Bethany McCurdy. There will also be several local food trucks parked on campus, next to the amp. Kona Ice will be providing snowballs, Mr. Choo will serve up their signature dumplings and the ladies at Baby’s Badass Burgers will be offering, you guessed it-- burgers. Admission to the event is free, and bands won’t start playing until 5 p.m., so students who are interested have very few reasons not to attend. Driftwood will feature an interview with Roussell as well as coverage of Finals Fest in Issue 24, published April 27. In the meantime, students can track the event on Facebook by RSVPing to the event UNO Finals Fest 2016.
LAGNIAPPE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016
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SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016
UNO riding longest losing streak of season BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief The UNO baseball team is facing a six game losing streak after dropping the weekend series to McNeese State at Maestri Field. Coming off a tough 12-3 loss to South Alabama two days prior and despite having one of the best home records in the Southland Conference, UNO (18-12, 4-6 SLC) had a slow start to begin the series against the McNeese State (18-11, 10-5 SLC) on Friday. The Privateers had a rough start to the series opener, a trend that would continue throughout the weekend. Within the first three innings, the Cowboys were able to jump out to a 4-0 lead against UNO’s best pitcher--sophomore Shawn Semple. Semple was able to keep the Privateers in the game however, holding McNeese State scoreless after the early burst until senior Jordan Priddle replaced him in the sixth inning. Runs were also tough to come by from UNO as well. The team could only manage one run for the remainder of the contest, squashing any attempts at a comeback. McNeese State put up two more runs in the eighth and ninth inning before taking the series opener 6-1. In the series deciding second game on Saturday, UNO faced similar problems early in the contest. The Cowboys raced out to another early lead. Offensively for UNO, the first inning had reasons to
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Nicholls beats his own record at McNeese Springtime Classic BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief
Junior Sam Capielano swings on a pitch in the second game of the weekend series. Photo coutesy of Ron O’Rourke | UNO Athletics
believe the bats would make an impact as they were able to put three men on base but could only bring one home. That trend would continue throughout the game as the Privateers had multiple opportunities stall out and eventually fade away. UNO was able to get 13 hits for the game, one more than McNeese State, but couldn’t match their offensive output on the scoreboard as they fell to McNeese State 7-3. “We had more hits than they did, but looking down the box score we only had one extra base hit, which isn’t going to do very much for you. [McNeese State] pitch out of situations and play very good defense,” head coach Blake Dean said after the game. In the final game of the weekend,
UNO would have more problems on the mound early in the game. After Bryan Warzek allowed McNeese State to load the bases after a double and two walk, coach Dean made a quick change to Daniel Martinez to get out of the situation with the least amount of damage as possible. The move wouldn’t make a difference however, as the Cowboys raced to a 6-0 lead in the first inning, which is only the second time UNO has allowed six runs or more in the first inning. The first was two day earlier in the loss against South Alabama. UNO answered with two runs in the second, and looked to chip away at lead in front of them. McNeese State was able to hold off any opportunity the Privateers
had while capitalizing on their own chances to increase the score. After scoring three runs in the fifth and seventh innings combines, the Cowboys put up four runs in the eighth inning. The series would end after the eighth inning as UNO dropped the final game 13-3 and couldn’t avoid the series sweep. UNO will continue their home stand today as they face Louisiana-Lafayette for the second time of the season. First pitch is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. For the weekend, the Privateers will host Northwestern State. First pitch on Friday is scheduled at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Freshman Michael Nicholls continues to make history for the UNO Track and Field team as he broke his own record for the 110-meter hurdles at the McNeese Springtime Classic on Saturday in Lake Charles. Nicholls posted a 13.97 time in the 110-meter hurdles, beating his previous time of 14.16 at the Louisiana Classics. Juniors Fadeke Adeola and Alexia Fortenberry also had a good day as they both won the women’s high jump and 100-meter hurdles respectively. Adeola posted a 1.65-meter jump while Fortenberry clocked in at 13.45 in the 100-meter hurdles. Including Nichols, nine Privateers posted new season-best marks, including fellow freshmen Quintarious Queen and Jordan Courtois. Queen finished second in the men’s 100-meter dash and set a new career best with a time of 10.57 while Courtois clocked in at 13.47 in the women’s 100-meter dash. Up next for the Privateers is the Southeastern Invitational on Saturday in Hammond.