Volume: 59 Issue: 23

Volume: 59 Issue: 23

driftwood.uno.edu

APRIL 20, 2016

DELEGATES OF TOMORROW SGA President-elect plans to bring new wave of representatives “My whole plan is to grow the voice of all aspects of campus, that includes nontraditional students.

Some of our programs by SAC are targeted toward your traditional students, but it’s time we looked and realized that’s not what we have here.”

- Antonio Torres

BY CHARLES NICHOLSON Managing Editor “We’ve had some untraditional students be our presidents for the past couple of years and I’ve seen participation in SGA dwindle since, and I just want to come in and see if I can revive it a little, give it a better representation for the student body,” said newly elected SGA president Antonio Torres on why he ran for president.

After being very involved with UNO over the past few years, Torres looks to bring a new breath of air to a campus desperately in need of change, a change he thinks he can make.

On Wednesday, April 6, SGA released the ballots to the UNO campus for both the president and the senate seats. On the executive ballot, former presidents David Teagle and Joy Ballard-Oliver ran for their second terms against the upstart Torres.

The results were collected and released that Friday. The follow-

ing Monday, Torres was the president-elect. The official announcement from SGA is expected near the end of the month.

Torres said he thinks part of the reason why he won out is because he is a more relatable candidate.

“This is my third year here. I’ve been involved in everything as far as SAC my freshman year, and I’ve also been a resident assistant in the dorms since [then],” Torres said.

“I think it was close but with me having the dorm aspect and being able to relate a little more...I think people felt a little more comfortable with that. Joy [Ballard] and [David] Teagle were great candidates, [but] they’re just nontraditional students.”

Torres recognized that the campus is largely nontraditional, but being a traditional student himself allowed him to tap into a powerful base of supporters. However, he doesn’t plan to let that separate him from students unlike himself.

In order to answer the needs and desires of all students, Torres creat-

ed a theme for his campaign called “Grow Your Voice.”

“My whole plan is to grow the voice of all aspects of campus, that includes nontraditional students.

Some of our programs by SAC are targeted toward your traditional students, but it’s time we looked and realized that’s not what we have here.”

A Kenner native, Torres is a junior business administration major, and though his home is nearby, he chooses to live in the dorms.

“I wanted to stay close to home, I wanted to stay close to my family, but still also have my freedom,” Torres said. “So that’s why I stay on-campus though I live so close.

It’s the best of both worlds.”

In regard to his career plans, Torres said, “I’ve always been interested in business administration, and I want to go to law school after I graduate [from] here. Then I want to go into corporate law.”

He hopes to get into the University of Alabama’s law program, but said that he’s keeping his options

open for the future.

“I don’t necessarily want to practice, but I like the options. I really just want the law knowledge,” Torres said.

In his presidency, Torres wants to form a student government that isn’t just a backdrop to the campus, but an organization that functions along with the students it’s meant to serve.

“Most importantly to me is making sure the student body is well represented. Our senate hasn’t really been full since I’ve been here and that means we have a senate that really hasn’t been representative of all of our 8,000 students,” Torres said.

“My first goal is to work with the Vice President of Legislation, fill the senate and get more participation in SGA to where we’re more representative of everyone.”

Torres said he feels that SGA is disconnected from the student body and plans to increase communication through a larger government.

“Having more senators is a way that we can be easier to access. Cer-

tain colleges, if they have, instead of one senator, a full body of senators, then they can reach out to those people who’ll have their voices heard.”

Torres said that he wants to put less attention on state-level matters, calling it a “losing battle” in regard to budget cuts and instead means to work with the university directly.

“My goals are to focus here, to reach out to the students here. To show them that the SGA really is on their side,” Torres said. “I am going to give the students an opportunity to see that their money is going somewhere. I’m going to try to make changes here so students can really say, ‘Well that’s where my fees are going.’”

Torres has some time before he can put his plans into action since he isn’t officially sworn into office until May 1, but clearly that hasn’t stopped him from taking the initiative to better the university.

“I really did fall in love with the university and I really want what is best for our students.”

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016

EDITORIAL

Four years does not a degree make When a high school graduate decides to attend college, there are certain things they expect: new and fun experiences, long study nights and after four hard years of work, a degree to show for it. Shamefully, it seems that last part just doesn’t make the cut anymore.

Many students here at UNO have been baffled by the fact that they get to their senior year only to realize that they have to tack on another one or two semesters. So, if a student is taking a full-time course load, why aren’t they graduating in four years?

The first issue is that 12 hours is unjustly considered full-time.

Now some people may be thinking “Well, 12 hours is a lot,” and that’s true. But if something is going to be considered full-time shouldn’t it include all of the requirements for graduation?

As it is now, the least amount of hours you can take to graduate in four years is 15, and that’s assuming you have passing grades and have taken only the required classes for your degree. These are all key to graduating on time, but some-

where along the line, students get thrown off track.

The culprit for this issue? Ineffective advising or lack thereof. Every department has advisors that are willing and able to direct students on their classes for the next semester and students are encouraged to get advised when the end of a semester comes around. If someone chooses to not be advised, then they should be responsible for whatever consequences may arise. However, an advisor should never instruct a student if it’s not what’s best for them.

Not to mention many advisors are facing completely overwhelming numbers of students to try and guide, in addition to the fact that many also teach courses.

There are ways in which campus administration has been trying to make the hassle of class taking easier. One of the programs in development by the Strategic Enrollment Management Committee’s (SEMC), named “15 to Finish,” plans to make 15 credit hours the norm for incoming students in order to increase retention. There are

also new incentives for students to take summer classes starting this summer, including lower tuition rates, for those who are behind on classes.

While these are definitely good initiatives to bring about, they only really go around the problems instead of taking them head on. The “15 to Finish” initiative is a step in the right direction and can be taken just a step further if 15 hours is the official number for full time, something that is a national standard and out of the university’s hands, but a goal to have nonetheless. Summer classes on the other hand shouldn’t be a way to catch up, but to get ahead. If a student is taking summer classes it should be because they want to finish sooner as opposed to avoiding graduating later.

College is a time for people to learn and grow and those are only examples of what a university should be advocating for its students. But it should never lose focus on getting them to the degree.

COLUMN Feeling the Bern is a good place to start

BY ADAM POYNER Driftwood Contributor Election fever is gripping the nation, and for some, this is an exciting time when people can get to know a candidate and make a decision to support his or her policies and vision for the future of America. For the rest of the population, it is just an exhausting, endless cycle of lies and pointless political spectacle.

Thankfully, a decent candidate has risen from the fray during the primary season. Bernie Sanders has been making headlines with large gains in the race for Democratic delegates with only a 251 pledge delegate gap separating him from front runner Hillary Clinton.

A string of seven victories in state primaries and caucuses has given Sanders supporters an extra shot of confidence in the liberal leader.

Sanders has done an impressive job in connecting with young voters and members of the eroding American middle class with a powerful message against income inequality and corporate greed.

Yet as wonderful as it would be to have a strong liberal president, all the excitement around Sanders campaign is for naught if the voters do not come back to the polls in two years, which is unlikely.

According to trends of the past 26 years, there has never been more than a 38 percent voter turnout in a midterm election year.

The fact of the matter is that the representatives, senators and state politicians who are elected primarily during midterm elections hold more immediate power over the lives of the people living in their districts than the president.

Case in point: while the anti-LGBT laws passed in North Carolina and other conservative states go against the stance of the federal government, these laws will be on the books for years before the federal government can pass a law that overrides them or a lawsuit reaches the Supreme Court. Even if a bill is brought before Congress, Republicans have a strong majority in both houses, which they are not likely to lose, thanks to their victories in the House of Representatives in 2010 which allowed them to control redistricting after the census.

Unfortunately, even the momentum behind Sanders’ campaign was not strong enough to sway a state Supreme Court contest that was on

PERSPECTIVE

the same ballot as the recent Wisconsin presidential primary election. Despite Sanders’ victory in the state and an unusually high voter turnout of approximately 49 percent of eligible voters, the Republican candidate for state Supreme Court Justice, Rebecca Bradley, was elected with just over 52 percent of the votes cast. Her alliance with ultra-conservative governor Scott Walker will surely translate into a ten-year term characterized by support of his right-to-work legislation, ridiculous voter ID laws and mission to cut exorbitant amounts of money from education and healthcare.

Wisconsin is just one example.

All across the country, from Kansas to Mississippi to North Carolina, the radical right-wing has taken control of local and state political offices. Their agenda of inequality, discrimination and greed will only continue to expand unless the voters take initiative to stop them.

If young people truly want to make a difference in the future of this country, there needs to be more than a revolution that starts and ends with Bernie Sanders and the presidential election. As unsexy as local and state government may seem in comparison, these are the levels of government that have the potential to create immediate positive change. It is a positive sign that so many people are getting involved and feeling the Bern, but without a good support system beneath him, Sanders will struggle to build the future he is promising.

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016

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In remembrance: Longtime staff member Susan Mann

BY ANNA GOWIN Features Editor Dr. Susan Archer Mann, one of UNO’s most beloved faculty members, passed away April 8 after a long battle with breast cancer.

Dr. Mann had been at the university for over three decades, including six years

as chair of the Sociology Department.

In her time at UNO, Dr. Mann won the Seraphia Leyda teaching award as well as teaching awards within the Sociology Department. Dr. Mann is known on campus for her work as a founder of the UNO Women’s Center and the women’s studies pro-

gram.

She was also a well known feminist scholar, publishing multiple works and eventually her book, “Doing Feminist Theory.”

Dr. Mann is survived by her husband, Michael D. Grimes, her son Joshua Startisky and her stepson Michael J. Grimes.

Dr. Mann has asked that

donations be made in her memory to the Earl K. Long Library and the American Cancer Society. For students and faculty that have memories of Dr. Mann, the Sociology Department is asking people leave notes in Dr. Mann’s office that will eventually be sent to her family.

MAN ON THE STREET

What do you think about SGA?

Photos by Nathan Nguyen

VALERIE DANG Freshman, Undecided

CHRISTOPHER LEBLANC Junior, Civil Engineering

JUSTIN HITHE Sophomore, Electrical Engineering

BRITTLEA VOLLAND Senior, Psychology

PETER HOFFPAUIR Sophomore, Film

I don’t really know what’s going on with the SGA to be honest.

I only know that they had an election recently and that’s it.

I don’t really know what types of projects they are promoting or putting on. I do see some flyers.

I actually have no idea what the SGA is or does. I did vote for someone I knew, because I knew he was a good guy, but I don’t actually know what they do around school.

I looked at some of the ballots and noticed that most of the positions were unopposed.

It almost doesn’t matter. If people are that uninvolved about SGA, what does that say about our student body as a whole?

I really don’t have an opinion. I barely even know what the SGA is.

CRIME SCENE DO NOT

CROSS CRIME SCENE

• On April 14, the owner of a gray truck reported a hit and run in the Human Performance Center Shell Lot. The vehicle that struck his truck caused damage to the truck’s bumper.

• On April 15, an RA of Privateer Place reported a shattered display window of a vending machine in the laundry room. Snacks were stolen.

• On April 15, two UNO students were attacked by a drive-by paintball gun in the Human Performance Center parking lot. The suspects were in a small dark gray sedan who fled the scene. UNOPD listed this crime as an aggravated assault.

• On April 18, unknown person(s) stole money out of a snack vending machine in Privateer Place laundry room after prying the money receivers and possibly the money storage compartment open.

CAMPUS CALENDAR WED., APR. 20 JAZZ AT THE SANDBAR A series of jazz artists will be performing at UNO’s Sandbar every Wednesday. This week’s performance is by pianist Henry Butler. General admission is $5, free for students with I.D.

THURS., APR. 21 LEADERSHIP RECOGNITION CEREMONY Members of various organizations will be presented with awards for outstanding work in their organization. The ceremony will be from 7 to 9 p.m. in the UC Ballroom.

THE HUNTING GROUND SCREENING In highlight of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a screening of the film “The Hunting Ground” will be followed by a panel discussing the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses. The screening is from 7 to 9 p.m. in Kirschman Hall 129.

TUES., APR. 26 THE ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE The College of Engineering will be hosting a special open house where students can learn and consider engineering as a major. It’s from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Engineering Building.

SUCBAUF XXIX Take a chance to unwind during the hectic final week of classes and enjoy boiled crawfish during the annual SUCbAUF in the Human Performance Center parking lot from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016

NEWS

Innovation lab offers new technology to students

Motion capture equipment and high powered PCs are just some of the equipment available to students in the Innovation Lab. Photo by Nathan Nguyen

BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief The University of New Orleans recently unveiled the Innovation Lab, the newest addition to the Earl K. Long Library, on Thursday.

The lab includes a 3D printer, high-end computers, motion capture studio equipped with two Xbox Kinect devices and a green screen for video filming.

To go along with the motion capture devices, the game development space will also have the Uni-

ty 5 and Unreal 4 gaming engines.

Popular video games like “Street Fighter V” and “Gears of War 4” use the Unreal 4 engine, while the Unity 5 engine is mainly used for mobile apps like “Angry Birds.”

With the new lab, students will have more opportunities to explore technological equipment that were not available to them before. UNO offered their very first game development course that uses this same equipment. “[The goal] is to bring students and faculty back to the library as a space and provide them with a

technology sandbox,” said Lora Amsberryaugier, the interim associate dean of library services. “[We also] want to make technology accessible to that person that may not be in a particular discipline that would use a 3D printer, or a green screen, or a motion capture studio or high-end computing. This way you can come in and learn what you might not learn in a class.”

Amsberryaugier led the charge in trying to start the Innovation Lab, an effort that was started by a student who came to her in need of equipment for class.

“The original reason that I started this was because I had a student come to me and tell me that they weren’t able to get into the lab that they needed to after 4:30 because they were a undergraduate and there had been some problems and only graduate students were allowed in that lab,” Amsberryaugier said.

Even though the project started with just trying to get computers for students who need the software, a grant in 2015 from the Board of Regions allowed Amsberryaugier to get more equipment for use and even more software.

To make room for the Innovation Lab, equipment like record players, audio cassette players and

microfilm projectors will be moved to the fourth floor, which is currently being renovated to house the equipment.

With more room, Amsberryaugier hopes to expand in the future.

“Where I see us moving, there are different types of 3D printers available to anybody that prints in different types of mediums. This one prints using Gypsum, which is kind of like powder from drywall. I see bringing us into something that prints using paper as a medium, which is pretty cool,” Amsberryaugier said.

Before that can go into effect, the main goal is to secure more money to run the day-to-day operations of the lab and it’s equipment. The lab will start a funding site as well to help raise money.

As of now, students can use the lab if they wish for free and no appointment is needed while outside members of the UNO community will be charged. In the future, the lab may implement fees to help sustain itself.

Staffers will be on hand to assist anyone who needs help working the equipment.

The Innovation Lab is located on the third floor of the library and currently has the same hours as the library.

Hamburgers for Hearing a success

BY ANNA GOWIN Features Editor This past Saturday, April 16, Delta Zeta held their spring philanthropy fundraiser, Hamburgers for Hearing. The picnic-style event featured games, inflatables and raffles, and all of the proceeds went towards The Starkey Hearing Foundation, which helps aid children with hearing loss across the world by providing hearing aids and offering hearing aid recycling initiatives.

Delta Zeta President, Anissa Chenevert, said that while the weather for the day wasn’t what they had expected, the day was an overall success.

While the library breezeway provided necessary cover, the girls of DZ, other campus Greek members, their friends, family and supportive UNO students came together for the sorority’s speech and hearing charity. President Nicklow and his wife Stacy were also in attendance.

Sponsors for the event included UNO SGA and the Nepalese Student Association.

UNO’s summer school program implements changes to benefit students

BY CHLOE GAGNON News Editor Summer school at UNO has turned over a new leaf with changes beneficial for students. These changes, effective this summer term, will hopefully draw students to take classes and lower their normal course loads.

With summer school enrollment steadily going down over the last four or five years, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Norman Whitley and President John Nicklow decided to implement these recent changes.

“I think it cost too much and had become very unattractive to students,” Whitley said.

Nicklow, who is credited with the improvements, “really wanted to change the way we do summer school, both from a student point of view and the academic point of view. He suggested some changes to make it more attractive to students in general,” Whitley said.

The first change is no Friday classes. Classes will be held Mondays through Thursdays only.

“We are doing this as a way to hopefully attract students and give them the opportunity to at least work one day a week or if they want to come here from other parts of the country, they can have a three-day weekend every week.”

Professor Erik Hansen of the UNO Film Department has been teaching summer school for eight years. He said: “I think not teaching on Friday is an accommodation to the fact that it’s summer and it

makes sense. Even while our students are earning some extra credit hours, they can still have time to get away for a three-day weekend or enjoy summer activities.”

The second change that will significantly affect students is lowered tuition costs for summer classes. In previous summer sessions, UNO had a tiered tuition system.

“That meant that you could take one, two or three credit hours for one price, four, five and six credit hours for another price [or] seven, eight and nine credit hours for a third price,” said Whitley. “This year, everything is a la carte. The goal was that every credit hour costs about the same in terms of tuition and fees. . . we wanted to have every credit hour cost about $300. . . [now,] it’s all a la carte so you pay for every hour you take.

It’s not this tiered thing anymore.

If you take four hours, you pay for four hours. You don’t pay for six.”

The problem with the tiered program the school had before was that it stopped students from taking lab science courses. “If a student wanted to take a course and a lab that’s four credits, he or she had to pay for six. We wanted to stop that.

[Now,] if a student wants to take a course and a lab, [he or she] could actually do that and pay for just that,” said Whitley.

“If you look at it, our summer school tuition was just about the highest there was in the UL system.

[Nicklow] tried very hard to create a fee and tuition structure so that we weren’t at the top, we were kind of in the middle.”

Hansen said: “Lowered tuition, that is great. I’ve known people who wanted to take summer school, but because it wasn’t covered by scholarship or TOPS, it just wasn’t possible. I’ll be happy to see more students in my classroom.”

Summer school can be beneficial to students in a few different ways.

“It’s an easy way to get some

extra hours towards graduation and maybe help some keep their normal regular semester schedule more balanced because they don’t have to take quite so many classes,” Hansen said.

Another benefit is that it keeps students on track for graduation.

“It’s really helpful for students who fall out of step. We have a couple of programs in engineering

where we only offer courses in the fall and we only offer other courses the spring,” Whitley said. “If you fall out of step for one reason or another, you step out for a semester or you have a bad semester, you have to wait a whole year.

What we try to do is offer courses in the summertime so that they can then enroll in the right courses in the fall.”

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016

5

UNOFCU offers tips to students for saving

BY ALEXANDRA GARCIA Driftwood Staff For students preparing for college as well as those who are enrolled in college, financial education is a must. However, what currently serves as financial education is in need of revamping.

Students should learn how to manage loans, build credit, save with a low income and manage interest rates on their own.

Christopher Maurer, the CEO of the UNO Federal Credit Union (UNOFCU) said that some of the most common questions asked by college students are, “How do I

build credit? Do I get a debit card with my account? Where can I get a credit card without having a credit history?”

Many of these questions are not answered through traditional schooling in either high school or college. It would be beneficial to learn before college for young adults who choose not to attend university.

Alex Munster, an undergraduate planning to graduate in the summer of 2016, learned about only a few financial situations.

“I was taught to always save, any penny is money well saved, but nothing about building credit, acquiring loans, etc.,” Munster said.

While Heather Valdivia, a graduate student, was homeschooled until she reached college and was taught about finances.

“I was very well taught about finances and savings,” Valdivia said.

“From a young age my mom had taught me the ideas of saving and finances,” Students are encouraged to, if possible, start building credit history before even starting college.

“It’s never too early to start your good credit history. The financial industry commonly refers to the four ‘C’s’ of credit – character, collateral, credit score and capacity.

The earlier one starts developing and strengthening the ‘C’s’, the bet-

ter,” Maurer said.

However, that phrase goes mostly unheard of by young adults. Munster and Valdivia gave a resounding “yes” when it comes to the idea of offering finance as a class.

“Yes, definitely. There should be a freshmen college or senior/junior high school ‘life’ class to learn about taxes, credit, banking as well as just little things in life you need to know,” Munster said.

“I was taught how to balance a checkbook in third grade and how to write a check. It helped me immensely as time went on. In addition, I understood how credit cards work,” Valdivia said.

UNOFCU has taken steps to help

aid in the education of finances for college students by offering professors the opportunity to call them in for a class period and teach or answer questions about finances.

Gay Parvazi, the marketing and business development manager at UNOFCU who has worked with UNO’s First Year Experience program to help start educating freshman, said, “We believe it is our responsibility to provide financial literacy seminars for students, as well as staff and faculty on topics such as understanding credit, how to buy your first car and identity theft prevention.”

Popular math instructor engages students with irreverent wit

Professor Joel Webb finds the challenge of making math engaging a rewarding one.

Photo by Grant Campbell

BY RAJAN POUDEL Driftwood Contibutor During his almost 12 years of teaching, Dr. Joel Webb has taught many engineers, businessmen and mathematicians. In that time, he has been one of the department’s favorite math teachers. In past semesters,

he has won the College of Sciences Undergraduate Teaching Award and the UNO Honors Council Faculty Distinguished Service Award, both of which are voted on by students.

In general, Dr. Webb is known for his fast-paced lectures leavened with amusing anecdotes and asides.

Teaching math is challenging, but rewarding for Webb. He noted that the UNO Mathematics Department is good, particularly in the areas of Data Analytics, Partial Differential Equations and Financial Math. “We have excellent faculty in Math,” Webb said, “but we need more of them.”

He thinks that students take too many classes or work too many hours and don’t have enough time to understand mathematics. “People don’t realize how time-consuming mathematics and physics and the other sciences are. A lot of students are misusing the resources of the internet and not really learning anything when they do their homework,” Webb said.

Webb is fond of his interesting memories of his time at UNO, both as a student and as a faculty mem-

ber. Once, he inadvertently entered the wrong classroom and began lecturing, not noticing that it was not his class. The students were surprised, but still he continued teaching until the actual professor for that class had to tell him that he was teaching the wrong class.

When he was a freshman at UNO, he had a surprising experience with the UNO library. His father was also a professor, and at the time, professors were allowed to borrow books from the library for a year.

Accustomed to borrowing on his father’s card, he checked out 40 or so books on his new student card and kept them for the year, incurring a huge late fine. Nonetheless, Webb stressed that he is very fond of the Earl K. Long Library. “What a fantastic library that is…definitely one of my favorite places on campus.”

In his youth, he tried his hand at various jobs, including dishwashing and house painting. Eventually he turned to mathematics. “Math was a lot easier than painting houses,” Webb chuckled.

He completed his B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Applied Math-

ematics from UNO, then his Ph.D. in Pure Mathematics from Tulane University.

Outside of his professional teaching career, he is an accomplished electric and upright bass player, performing few times a month with various local acts.

In his free time, Webb likes to read. “I have a literary cycle that I go through,” he explained. “…

Dickens, Jorge Luis Borges, P.G. Wodehouse, Ray Bradbury and then back to Dickens.”

However, watching TV doesn’t come under his daily activities. “I have a TV, but I seldom watch it,” Webb said.

When asked how he stays upto-date on current events, he said: “Television news is tantamount to trash. It’s hard to find objective news. Most news shows are biased and if that is the case there is no point in giving importance to them.

Now, it is possible with the internet to feel that one should continuously stay informed about global political and economic events, natural disasters, etc., but carried to excess, this is a waste of time.”

Webb also loves to travel, which is why he’s visited countries like Mexico, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, England, France and many places within United States. The food, people and the architecture of Cambodia, in particular, made a strong impression on Webb and he would like to travel there once more if possible.

He also expressed his desire to visit Nepal. “I have seen and taught a lot of Nepali students. There should be a trip to Nepal by UNO professors to explore the natural scenery and culture out there,” Webb said.

On the whole, Webb is enthusiastic about the students he teaches: “What a great bunch of kids we have here. I have had so many absolutely outstanding students in my classes.”

Finally, said how much he was looking forward to teaching Math 3512, (Abstract Algebra), in the Fall 2016 semester. “This is a really beautiful area of math…it should be very interesting. I urge everyone to take this class…it will be good clean fun!”

Kean Miller Connection is a two-day law school prep program for college students. Lawyers from one of the largest law firms in Louisiana, Kean Miller, along with others, provide an intense overview of the law school experience.

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ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016

English professor’s book of poetry published

BY LONES GAGNARD Driftwood Staff UNO English professor Carolyn Hembree released her second poetry book, “Rigging a Chevy into a Time Machine and Other Ways to Escape a Plague” on Tuesday, April 12. The reading, put on by Antenna’s Room 220, featured Carolyn Hembree and fellow poet Sara Slaughter. The release took place in The Art Garage, an auto shop turned art gallery that played into the themes and titles of Hembree’s work.

Slaughter began the reading with a set of poems told from the point of view of a worker in a hardware store where every different paint color had a different narrative and memory for the speaker of the poems. Slaughter set the tone for the night with list poems that foreshadowed Hembree’s dark incantations

and spell recipes.

As Carolyn Hembree took center stage the feeling of the room began to change. Beginning her reading with “Kill the Harbinger,” the first poem of “Rigging a Chevy,” Hembree’s words began to take the audience into the mountains of old Appalachia. Every word lent itself to a dark and foreboding sense that slowly took over the garage.

“Rigging a Chevy into a Time Machine and Other Ways to Escape a Plague” at its core is a narrative about Vitalis Cleb, a man living in rural Appalachia trying to escape a place he is destined to die, as his ancestors did, with his girlfriend Eyecandy and their baby named Adeline. While Cleb is stuck in the present, the spacetime around him is free flowing. “Rigging a Chevy” talks about time as it truly is, ever-present. As Cleb wonders how

to escape his inherited plague, his ancestors of fifty years in the past are asking the same questions. Time flows through and around each line like mighty mountains cutting rivers.

Assembled like a truck manual, “Rigging a Chevy” takes the reader through “Safety Restraints,” which creates an environment for Hembree’s words to build on, establishing her rural world. “Instrument Control Panels” begins listing every object and pastime that has molded each character, making up the world around them.

“Warning Lights and Gauges” begins the dark prophecy that the story settles itself around. Living here is a deadly poison, and escaping Appalachia is the only option for a future. “Roadside Emergencies” contains one ten-page epic, in which Sears Catalog Girl lends

a helping hand to Cleb. Her advice may be paraphrased as, “I know why you are here and I know what you must do.” After Vitalis’ vision of the Sears Catalog Girl the book explodes into its universally scaled finale.

With titles taken from Stephen Hawking’s documentary “A Brief History of Time,” the final section titled “Customer Assistance” asks the biggest questions that have plagued intellectual minds since the beginning of time--Why do we exist and what is the meaning of our shared existence?

“Rigging a Chevy”’s power comes from its words that cycle throughout the book, bombarding the reader with more strength and power than its last occurrence. The narrative weaves around a straight path, sporadic and cyclical, hopeful and dooming. As Hembree navi-

gates harsh mountain life, the reader begins to look at their own surroundings, noting the objects and rituals that it is composed of and noticing the person their surrounding has turned them into.

Season four of “House of Cards” is binge worthy

Photo courtesy of Netflix

BY ADAM POYNER Driftwood Contributor In the last several years, Netflix has become one of the most powerful forces in entertainment, transitioning from a mail-order DVD rental service to online streaming site. As part of the comprehensive streaming service, Netflix also produces its own shows and movies.

One of the first, and certainly one of the finest, “House of Cards” recently released a fourth season in

early March, continuing the story of President Frank Underwood and his wife Claire.

As a fervent fan of the show, and one of the many expert binge-watchers who managed to watch all 13 hour-long episodes in less than a week after the release, I would say that season four might be tied with season one as my favorite so far.

The beginning of the season deals with Frank and Claire’s almost split, and the rest of the season continues

to develop the borderline insane relationship between the two ambitious politicians. Much of the main action of the season is driven by the election coming up for Frank and the various obstacles that he must overcome to secure the Democratic nomination and outmaneuver the Republican candidate Will Conway.

Personally, I’m glad that Claire and Frank eventually got back on the same side; it brings back nostalgia from earlier in the series, but with a twist because Claire has forced Frank to give her an equal share of their world domination. In this way, the new season was able to continue the excellent character development from season three and delve deeper into the Underwoods’ no-holds barred brand of marriage, which of course includes a new affair between Claire and Tom Yates.

Viewers are also given a wonderful opportunity to see a picture of Claire’s past and how it shaped her into the ambitious and somewhat deranged woman she is today. The scenes with Claire and her mother highlight how different her life was from Frank’s, but also show that despite their separate paths, their shared greed and ambition brought

them together and makes them an unstoppable and powerful force.

Though overall very well done, there are a couple of things that left me disappointed with this season.

Namely, Doug Stamper’s character, who spent the previous three seasons battling with Rachel Posner and his relationship with her, seems unable to decide if he is a mindless killing machine or a person capable of actual emotion. His character feels stuck without Rachel, and I would not be surprised to see him go off the rails because of the loss.

In addition, smaller characters from previous seasons seemed to pop up frequently, but sporadically.

A plot thread involving Remy Danton and Jackie Sharpe’s relationship and their shared disdain of Frank was continued briefly in season four’s early episodes, then disappeared until almost the end. Likewise, Lucas Goodwin’s plot line is resurrected to serve as a way to get Heather Dunbar out of the primary and cause some serious drama at an Underwood protest, which I will not spoil in case anyone has not seen the whole season yet.

While this makes sense, what seems stretched is the fact that the

Goodwin plot line gives way to a new story involving Tom Hammerschmidt, who had been off the scene since season two, or so I thought. Though these smaller subplots come together towards the end of the season, some of the individual episodes felt rushed.

A final aspect to note of this season is how much the show’s fictional election and politics mirror and parody the current American political landscape. Frank and Claire face a contested primary, protests, a radical terrorist group (coincidentally named the Islamic Caliphate Organization or ICO) that kidnaps American hostages and a Ku Klux Klan scandal. The eery similarities between the show and real life can seem overdone at times, but I feel that by doing this, viewers can have a chance to see our current political headlines played out in a dramatic and hyperbolic fashion.

Overall, the new season of a Netflix classic lives up to past seasons with tons of drama, action and twists that will leave viewers wondering why the sun is rising.

(Answer: because you’re watching House of Cards for the entire night instead of studying for finals.)

ENTERTAINMENT

Dilla’s posthumous “The Diary” adds to his legendary status

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016

Long awaited novel, “Go Set a Watchman” pleases readers

BY MINDY JARRETT Driftwood Staff

BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief Commonly known as “your favorite producer’s, favorite producer,” Detroit’s own J Dilla, real name James Dewitt Yancey, has become a legend in hip-hop culture. Not only for making beats for some of your favorite artists like Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest and Busta Rhymes, but his work ethic has always been revered and respected by everyone who knew him. He loved making music so much, his best work came while he was on his deathbed.

While diagnosed with a rare blood disease and being forced to wear a mask to help him breathe, Dilla released “Donuts” in 2006, which will forever be remembered as his greatest project. He would die three days after releasing the project. Thanks to his dedication to his music and his massive collection, and despite many releases before this, Dilla is able to release his most recent project, “The Diary.”

Dilla has always been known for his beats and production skills, but “The Diary” provides an entirely new angle—raps. A slew of legendary producers have rapped over their own work, a la MF Doom as Metal Fingers and Madlib as Quasimoto (who J Dilla worked with on their collaborative project “Champion Sound” as Jaylib). “The Diary” was supposed to be his introduction to the rap world, but the typical music industry garbage blocked the album from dropping.

Dilla takes a bit of a backseat with producing on this project, instead enlisting some of his beat making friends to help him with some of the tracks. On the aptly titled opener “The Introduction,”

he shows his bravado and his link to a hip-hop great. “Back in the day when I was a young n****, before my uncle Al let me pull a gun trigger, you could find Dilla listening to Abstract,” Dilla raps as he directly shows his inspiration to and for Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest.

Despite some relatively softer beats by Madlib (“The Shining, Pt. 2”) and Pete Rock (‘The Ex”), Dilla showcases a grittier and more braggadocios style. Especially on “The Ex,” with a mellow drum pattern and low, gummy bass line, Dilla completely stunts on his ex girl. “Remember me? Take a look a baby. Yes, it’s your ex he off the hook ain’t he?” he asks and tells and the same time. On the much grimier track “Fight Club,” Dilla spits viscously over eerie, synthesized sounds and around a chanting “Up in the

Photo courtesy of Pay Jay Productions, Inc.

club” hook.

“The Diary” also offers a helping hand from some very respected artists in Snoop Dogg (“Gangsta Boogie”), Frank N’Dank (“The Anthem”) and Nas (“The Sickness”). While Snoop’s verse about meeting Obama in house shoes seemed to disconnect from Dilla, seeing as how he most likely didn’t even know who Obama was when he made this, it really doesn’t matter.

“The Diary” is just like Dilla’s life and legacy: timeless. In a time where Dilla works like an inverted Michael Jordan, with each new story we hear we appreciate his greatness more, and in turn love him more. This project gives us more of a reason to respect one of the greats in hiphop and adds another check mark in what made Dilla one of, if not the best producer of all time.

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“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

It would be difficult to find a person who is not familiar with this quote or the author who penned it.

Since its release in 1960, “To Kill a Mockingbird” has sold over 40 million copies, won a Pulitzer Prize and become a required reading in almost every American school. But as “Mockingbird’s” popularity grew, public sightings of its author, [Nelle] Harper Lee, diminished.

Devoted fans longed for another novel from Lee, and despite their pleas, she never completed one.

When it was announced last year that after a 55-year hiatus, a second of Lee’s novels would be released, the public was in a frenzy. Written in 1956 and published in 2015, “Go Set a Watchman” sold 1.1 million copies in its first week.

Often mistakenly deemed “Mockingbird’s” sequel, “Watchman” was actually submitted to Lee’s publishers before Mockingbird. Though both novels share similar characters, “Watchman” is set twenty years after Mockingbird.

The tomboyish firecracker, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch from “Mockingbird,” arrives in her hometown of Maycomb, Alabama. Fresh off a train from New York City, she visits her father, the upstanding lawyer, Atticus, whom Scout worships in “Mockingbird.” Though at first it appears as if it is the town of Maycomb and its residents who have changed, Scout soon comes to realize that it is, in fact, she who has done the changing: “She had an odd feeling that time had passed her by.”

Unhappy with her world disturbed, we see Scout struggle to grasp the concept that the world can be a cruel, unfair place, and those she worshipped in her youth, like her father and Calpurnia, the mother-figure and housekeeper of her youth,

are mortals with all of the faults and prejudices that accompany human beings. Atticus’ brother, Dr. “Uncle Jack” Finch, explains to Scout, “You confused your father with God. You never saw him as a man with a man’s heart, and a man’s failings.”

As Jean Louise struggles to find her identity, the reader does, too: “Something’s wrong with me, it’s something about me. It has to be because all these people cannot have changed.” “Watchman” has been highly controversial because in a sense, the reader becomes Jean Louise, forced to face reality and making “Mockingbird” merely “a memory of the three of them, Atticus, Jem, and her, when things were uncomplicated and people did not lie.”

“Mockingbird,” though narrated

by Scout, is really Atticus’ story told through the eyes of a six-year-old.

“Watchman,” on the other hand, is a coming of age story, which includes all of the trials and discomforts that typically accompany the transition from youth to adulthood. Atticus is suddenly missing from his pedestal, and the straight-lined, childlike story that “Mockingbird” tells suddenly has jagged edges, which forces the reader to think and reason beyond their comfort.

Harper Lee remained out of the public eye for most of her life. In one of the few interviews she gave post-“Mockingbird,” she explained, “My objectives are very limited. I want to do the best I can with the talent God gave me.”

So, why is it that Lee never wrote another novel? Oprah Winfrey received the answer to this question in 2010, during a failed attempt at an interview from Lee for Mockingbird’s 50th anniversary. “Honey, because I already said everything I needed to say.”

It is fair to say that Lee went above and beyond her God-given abilities. Unfortunately, on Feb. 19, 2016, Harper Lee died in her sleep at the age of 89. Her works, however, continue to live on.

LAGNIAPPE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016

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Solutions for Distric

What We Offer

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ANALYTICS ANALYTICS APPALACHIAN APPALACHIAN CHEVY CHEVY DIARY DIARY FEMINIST HAMBURGERS INNOVATION MOCKINGBIRD SUMMER UNDERWOOD UNREAL

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SUMMER UNDERWOOD UNREAL WATCHMAN

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016

UNO ends seven-game losing streak against Demons

BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief After a tough stretch of games over the past two weeks, the University of New Orleans baseball team bounced back and won the weekend series against Northwestern State at Maestri Field.

In game one on Friday, the Privateers (20-15, 6-9 SLC) were dueling with the Demons (18-17, 9-9 SLC) for the majority of a close contest.

With runners on third and first base in the first inning and two outs already recorded, UNO catcher Kyle Bracey was able to send a single into right field and get the first points on the board for both sides.

Another run wouldn’t come across from either team until Northwestern State scored in the top of the fifth inning as both pitchers dominated on the mound.

Sophomore Starting pitcher Shawn Semple would pitch seven innings and recorded seven strikeouts and eight hits. Semple had two innings where he gave up two hits, one in the fifth inning and one in the eighth inning, which was when head coach Mike Dean decided to sit him.

The move couldn’t save the Privateers as the Demons would rally to score five runs and seal a 6-1 game one victory.

Despite struggling to produce runs, UNO found a way to score on Saturday in the second game. Like game one, the Privateers were able to secure a first inning run and went on a bit of a drought in the middle

11

Women’s tennis finish season on high note

BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief

Sophomore Jay Robinson celebrates as he scores the game-winning run on Saturday against Northwestern State.

Photo coutesy of Ron O’Rourke | UNO Athletics

innings.

Meanwhile Northwestern State scored a run in the third and fourth inning, earning a 2-1 lead. The UNO offense found life in the sixth inning and continued to build as the game continued.

To start the bottom of the seventh inning, the Privateers were down one run and facing a 3-2 score in a series deciding game. Two singles and a walk from Northwestern loaded the bases for New Orleans.

UNO was able to bring two runs across, giving them a one run lead.

They were able to extend the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning with a home run by Bracey.

Northwestern State fired back instantly and tied the game at five runs in the final inning. UNO looked to even the series with a fa-

vorable portion of the batting order up to bat.

Sophomore Jay Robinson, who has the second best batting average on the team (.342), started the inning with a huge double to left field. In an effort to induce a double play and help them work out of the inning, the Demons walked the next UNO batter, putting runners on first and second.

Junior Samuel Capielano had the potential to bring across the game-winning run, and he did, but with some help.

Capielano put the ball in play but would reach on a fielder’s choice.

Robinson was able to reach third, but a wild throw from the Demon’s second baseman to try and turn the double play brought Robinson home and gave UNO a wild 6-5

victory to tie the series.

Robinson would play hero one more time before the series was finished.

Both teams battled back and forth for the entire game, with the lead changing hands three times before the ninth inning.

With the game tied at four, Robinson started the ninth inning and had yet to get on base for the game.

Two pitches later, he hit his first homerun of the season to left field to give UNO the series victory.

The Privateers will begin a fivegame road trip today as they faceoff against Jackson State in Jackson, Mississippi.

After, they will face Texas A&M Corpus Christi in a weekend series before finishing off the road trip in Baton Rouge against Southern.

The University of New Orleans women’s tennis team finished the regular season with a 7-0 victory against Xavier University at the University Tennis Center.

To start the day, senior Hafsa Laraibi and junior Yasmine Rashad dominated in the doubles matchup with a 6-1 victory to give UNO the first point of the day. Senior Anja Luethi and freshman Trang Dao also won their doubles contest, winning 6-2.

The tandem of junior Anna Ruis and senior Soledad Calderon Arroyo weren’t able to finish their match.

In singles competition, the Lady Privateers (15-5) flew threw the singles matchup against the Gold Nuggets (8-13). Rashad had the best day, winning 6-0 and 6-0 for the day en route to a sweep and a positive end to a successful season.

Laraibi and Arroyo, the two seniors on the team, were honored before the matchups started.

UNO will enter postseason play this weekend as they travel to Nacogdoches, Texas to compete in the Southland Conference Tournament.