March 2, 2016

WEDNESDAY | 3.2.2016 | MACEANDCROWN.COM | Vol. 59, Issue 7

C

WHAT’S

INSIDE

BEST PIZZA IN NORFOLK

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ODU PREVAILS

OVER UTEP C2

JUNIORS BUILDING TOOLS FOR OUTER SPACE

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Face in the m ace

Hashtag #ODU to see your face in the m ace

SOCIAL MEDIA

Mace & Crown Mace & Crown is a newspaper published by and written for the students of Old Dominion once a week throughout each semester and once in the summer. Originally founded in 1930 as The High Hat, the paper became the Mace & Crown in 1961.The Mace & Crown is a primarily self-supporting newspaper, maintaining journalistic independence from the university. All views expressed in this collegiate paper are those of the author, not of the University, Mace & Crown or the editors.

EDITORIAL BOARD Amy Poulter Editor-in-Chief editorinchief @maceandcrown.com Stef Wasko Copy Editor swask002@odu.edu

Ross Reelachart Technology Editor technology@maceandcrown. com Matt O’Brien Sports Editor sports@maceandcrown. com

Jonah Grinkewitz News Editor news@maceandcrown.com

Sabrina Brooks Senior Graphic Designer sbroo029@odu.edu

Adam Flores Arts & Entertainment Editor artsandentertainment@ maceandcrown.com

Jason Kazi Asst. Digital Editor Advertising Manager advertising@maceandcrown. com

Joshua Boone Photography Editor photo@maceandcrown. com

Jugal Patel Digital Editor jpate016@odu.edu

STAFF WRITERS Alex Brooks Shannon Jay Ben Maxie Zachary Moeller George Plank Elizabeth Proffitt Megan Snyder

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STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Jonathan Harding Shamon Jones Jomar Pablo

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M&C| WEDNESDAY | 3.2.2016| MACEANDCROWN.COM

NEWS

For even more campus crime information, visit maceandcrown.com.

CRIME LOG

LOCAL NEWS SPIRIT OF NORFOLK TO GET $1.2 MILLION MAKEOVER

FEBRUARY 20TH

Entertainment Cruises, which owns the Spirit of Norfolk and 29 other vessels announced a $1.2 million renovation of the Spirit in the downtown Norfolk waterfront in April. They also said 2015 was a successful sailing season with a seven percent increase of passengers. While the ship undergoes renovations, the sailing schedule will continue with its sister ship, the Spirit of New Jersey, which is docked in Town Point Park.

FEBRUARY 23RD

A burglary incident was reported at this approximate location on February 23 at 2 p.m. The case remains active.

FEBRUARY 22ND An assault was reported to have occurred on January 31 between 11:46 a.m. and 3:16 p.m. at this approximate location. Case is still active.

FORMER ODU STAR TAYLOR HEINICKE RETURNS TO ODU TO FINISH HIS DEGREE

Former ODU star and current Minnesota Vikings quarterback Taylor Heinicke has returned to ODU to work on his degree in mathematics.

Heinicke was the only undrafted rookie quarterback to make an NFL roster in 2015, but had to take a semester off of his senior year to prepare for the NFL. In between school, Heinicke is training in preparation for the Vikings spring practices at the end of April.

SENTARA NORFOLK GENERAL HOSPITAL ANNOUNCES $199 MILLION RENOVATION AND EXPANSION

Sentara Norfolk General Hospital officials have announced plans for $199 million in renovations and expansion. They said that the five year project will begin in March and will add three floors to two wings and expand and modernize the emergency department. It will also expand and update 18 operating rooms and replace the neonatal intensive care unit.

FEBRUARY 25TH

A hit and run incident was reported at this approximate location on February 25 at 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. The case remains active.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY SYMPOSIUM

The ODU Women’s Center will host an International Women’s Day Symposium on March 4, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Webb Center’s Hampton/Newport News Room.

The symposium will be focused on women, peace and security. It will feature prominent women guest speakers such as Air Marshal Graham Stacey and gender advisor Charlotte Isaksson.

An assault was reported at this approximate location on February 20 between 2:16 a.m. and 2:45 a.m. The assailant cleared by arrest.

FEBRUARY 21ST A robbery incident was reported at this approximate location on February 21 between 11:50 p.m. The case remains active.

FEBRUARY 21ST An hit and run was reported to have occurred on 21 at 12:01 a.m. - 9:43 a.m. at this approximate location. The case remains active.

Courtesy of Mace and Crown

Date/ Time Reported

Date/ Time Occurred

Location

Category

Incident Number

Disposition

02/20/2016

02/20/2016 2:16AM - 2:45AM

5100 Blk. Colley Ave.

Assault - Simple

2016-ODU-000234

Clear by Arrest 02/22/2016

02/20/2016

02/20/2016 12:03AM

1300 Blk. 43rd Street

Disorderly House

2016-ODU-000236

Clear by Arrest 02/22/2016

02/20/2016

02/20/2016 12:03AM

1300 Blk. 43rd Street

Liquor Law Violation

2016-ODU-000236

Clear by Arrest 02/22/2016

2/20/2016

02/20/2016 1:00AM - 8:30AM

3500 Blk. Killam Ave.

Sexual Battery

2016-ODU-000237

Investigation by other Agency 02/22/2016

2/20/2016

02/20/2016 3:29PM

4701 Powathan Ave.- Powhatan I

Narcotics Violation

2016-ODU-000238

Judicial referral 02/22/2016

02/21/2016

02/20/2016 1:00AM - 03:00AM

1000 Blk. W. 39th Street

Larceny

2016-ODU-000240

Active 02/22/2016

02/21/2016

02/21/2016 12:01AM - 9:43AM

1500 Blk. W. 40th Street

Hit and Run - Property Damage

2016-ODU-000241

Active 02/22/2016

02/21/2016

02/20/2016 4:23AM

4300 Blk. Powathan Ave

Larceny

2016-ODU-000243

Active 02/22/2016

02/21/2016

02/21/2016 6:35PM

1000 Blk. 45th Street - Village Lot 2

Destruction of Property

2016-ODU-000242

Active 02/22/2016

02/22/2016

02/21/2016 11:45PM 02/22/2016 12:00AM

800 Blk. W. 41st. Street

Robbery

2016-ODU-000245

Investigation by other Agency 02/23/2016

02/22/2016

08/22/2015 4:00PM 02/22/2016 9:00AM

1700 Blk. 48th Street - Whitehurst Hall

Larceny

2016-ODU-000246

Active 02/23/2016

02/22/2016

02/17/2016 10:04AM 02/22/2016 12:00PM

1000 Blk. 49th Street - Gresham Main

Larceny

2016-ODU-000247

Active 02/23/2016

02/23/2016

02/22/2016 11:46AM - 3:16PM

4300 Blk. Elkhorn Ave. - Garage A

Hit and Run - Property Damage

16-ODU-00249

Active 02/24/2016

02/23/2016

02/23/2016 4:16PM

4100 Blk. Monarch Way

Threaten Bodily Harm

16-ODU-00251

Active 02/24/2016

02/24/2016

02/24/2016 2:00AM - 9:00AM

1300 Blk. Melrose Pkwy

Burglary

16-ODU-00254

Active 02/25/2016

02/24/2016

02/24/2016 1:12PM - 1:13PM

1000 Blk. 49th Street - Rogers East

Narcotics Violation

16-ODU-00255

Judicial referral 02/25/2016

02/24/2016

02/24/2016 9:06PM

1700 Blk. W. 48th Street - Whitehurst

Narcotics Violation

16-ODU-00258

Judicial referral 02/25/2016

02/24/2016

02/24/2016 9:17PM

1400 Blk. 49th Street - Dominion House

Narcotics Violation

16-ODU-00259

Judicial referral 02/25/2016

02/24/2016

02/24/2016 10:22PM

3900 Blk. Bowdens Ferry Road

Narcotics Violation

16-ODU-00260

Clear by Arrest 02/25/2016

02/25/2016

02/24/2016 12:45PM 02/24/2016 1:30PM

4500 Blk. Hampton Blvd. - Lot 19

Larceny

16-ODU-00263

Active 02/26/2016

02/25/2016

02/24/2016 8:00PM 02/24/2016 8:56PM

1300 Blk. W. 49th Street - Webb Center

Fraud

16-ODU-00264

Active 02/26/2016

02/25/2016

02/25/2016 6:47PM

4700 Blk. Elkhorn Ave. - France House

Narcotics Violation

16-ODU-00267

Judicial referral 02/26/2016

02/25/2016

02/25/2016 6:30PM - 8:30PM

1000 Blk. 45th Street - Garage D

Hit and Run - Property Damage

16-ODU-00268

Active 02/26/2016

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M&C| WEDNESDAY | 3.2.2016| MACEANDCROWN.COM

NEWS

Watch video clips from the Sanders rally at maceandcrown.com

Senator Bernie Sanders spoke to over 4,000 locals at a rally at the Norfolk Scope on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

Photo by Jason Kazi

Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders Holds Rally at Norfolk Scope Jonah Grinkewitz News Editor Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders held a spirited rally at the Norfolk Scope Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at noon where a large and noticeably young crowd of around 4,000 showed up to hear the Vermont senator speak. His rally at the Scope comes just ahead of the March 1 presidential primary in Virginia.

Before Sanders took the podium, the energetic crowd broke into periodic chants of “Feel the Bern” while a soundtrack that included

said.

Sanders has often pointed out in his campaign that he does not accept contributions from billionaires or super PACs like his opponent Hillary Clinton.

“I’m not indebted to Wall Street.

I’m not indebted to billionaires. I am indebted to you,” Sanders said, as the crowd cheered loudly.

This grassroots idealism has drawn in many young voters and others who want a change in American politics.

“He doesn’t take money from billionaires, and he has been consistent for 35 years. I like his cour-

“Are you guys ready for a radical idea?”

David Bowie, Simon & Garfunkel and John Lennon played over the loudspeakers.

When the progressive Sanders finally spoke, he wasted no time in touching on the main issues he wants to address as president.

“Are you guys ready for a radical idea?” Sanders asked to resounding cheers from the crowd. “I knew you would be.”

“This is a moment in American history where we have to learn from the past. We need to push forward in a way that will make some people very, very uncomfortable,” Sanders

age, integrity and credibility,” Drew Lucas said. He’s 31 from Richmond, VA and drove to Norfolk to attend the rally.

“He is for the people, and he is honest and genuine,” Joseph Sammaa, 18 of Virginia Beach, VA, said.

Sanders also highlighted another pillar of his platform, which is college education reform. Sanders plans to pay for this with a speculation tax on Wall Street and also wants to lower the interest rates for student loans and to refinance existing student loans to the lowest interest rate possible.

“In 2016, when we talk about col-

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lege education, we need to make it tuition free,” Sanders said. “We do not believe that people should be punished because they want a good education.”

Sanders also touched on his economic policy and how he wants to relieve the burdened middle class.

“We want an economy that works for working families, not just the 1%,” Sanders said. “We are asking the wealthiest people to pay their fair share. $7.25 an hour is a starving wage. We want to raise it to a living wage of $15 an hour.”

This message resonates with many supporters of Sanders, especially middle-class voters.

“We experienced what Wall Street did. We lost our home in the crash,” Terry and Karin Earwood of Gloucester said. “We need someone to get in there and make change.”

In addition, Sanders talked about how he wants to reform healthcare to a single-payer system.

“Yes, I believe that healthcare is a right for all people,” he said. “Our single-payer healthcare system will lower costs by $5,000 for middleclass Americans.”

Sanders addressed the problem of racism in America, which he said cannot be ignored. He cited how African-Americans are incarcerated more than any other ethnic group in America.

“Segregation and racism is not what this country is about,” he

said.“Change takes place when people outgrow the status quo.”

Sanders also applied this message to the gay rights movement and how the American people are now accepting others more than ever before.

But his main message and attitude at the rally was that change cannot happen alone and that it was up to

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the American people to enact it.

“Change never comes from the top down, it comes from the bottom up,” he said. “We are going to create a government that represents us all.

We can win here in Virginia if people come out to vote. So please come out.

Help us win.”

WHERE SANDERS STANDS Jobs: Supports a $15/hr minimum wage Taxes: Wants to raise taxes of those earning $250,000 or more Health Care: Wants a single-payer system for all Gun Laws: Wants to improve upon national background checks for firearm purchases Immigration: Wants to give legal immigrants in country citizenship in five years National Defense: Wants to cut military funding; Against Patriot Act

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NEWS

Follow the News section on Twitter: @ODU_MACENEWS

The documentary “Ocean Frontiers II: A New England Story for Sustaining the Sea” premiered at the University Theater on Feb. 23.

Photo by Ben Maxie

ODU Hosts Coastal Planning Documentary Screening Ben Maxie Staff Writer Old Dominion University hosted a viewing of Ocean Frontiers II: A New England Story for Sustaining the Sea, a film about the potential for offshore wind energy development and oceanic planning, on Tuesday, Feb 23.

A panel discussion on coastal planning followed, featuring representatives from the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, the United States Navy, commercial fishermen and the Surfrider Foundation.

The event began with a talk by Matt Gove of the Surfrider Foundation, introducing the need for oceanic planning. Gove stressed that oceanic wind

turbines take up considerable space and other groups use many areas considered for wind power installations.

He introduced the concept of regional planning bodies– Groups intended to plan the use of coastal areas according to the interests of several groups dependent on the ocean environment. Gove said that the RPB for the Mid Atlantic Region will publish a draft of their plans in June 2016. Gove also introduced the Marco Ocean Data Portal, a publiclyavailable, interactive map of oceanuse.

Ocean Frontiers II followed several New England groups engaged in how to best use an area off the coast of

Rhode Island.

After the film, the panel focused on the activities and aim of the Mid Atlantic Region RPB. The group was formed in 2010 by an executive order from President Barack Obama and provides a place for recreational ocean users, fishermen, the U.S. military and scientists to discuss their needs for the ocean.

The original plan called for the group to carry on discussions and produce a plan for ocean use and development after five years. This has now been shortened to three years, pushing the draft deadline to June 2016.

Joe Atangan, a physical scientist

with the US Navy, said “There are a lot of rakes that we’re stepping on.

Every iteration [of the RPB’s plan] gets better.”

Laura McKay, the program manager with the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, said that the Mid Atlantic Region RPB is also planning to address problems with marine debris from people, particularly plastic debris.

Capt. Chris Ludford of Pleasure House Oysters brought up concerns with a changing ocean. Ludford said that fishermen were concerned about ocean acidification and its effects on the larvae of commercial species.

Ludford was also concerned about

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the possibility of offshore drilling in the region. After the explosion and subsequent Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010, oyster populations in the Gulf of Mexico were decimated, according Ludford.

“We’re trying to be environmentally conscious and conscious of other [noncommercial] species in the ocean,” Ludford said. “We want to keep catching and providing quality food.”

Atangan said that the upcoming presidential election is unlikely to affect the activities of the RPB. Ludford said that “everyone loves the ocean,” and that party lines are unlikely to matter.

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M&C| WEDNESDAY | 3.2.2016| MACEANDCROWN.COM

NEWS

For visualizations of ODU area crime in 2015, visit maceandcrown.com

Police respond to a shooting on Sept. 19, 2014 near the University Village Apartment complex.

Photo by Josh Caudell

CRIME AT OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY IN 2015 Amy Poulter Editor-in-Chief Last October, three separate incidents sparked community conversations about safety concerns on the ODU campus. On Oct. 16, two students were shot at a party on 37th Street, just outside of the campus boundary. Keith Lendore, 26, was fatally shot. Two days later, two more students were shot while attending a party on West 40th Street. On Halloween night, Joseph Bose, a 20-yearold Hampton University student, was fatally shot while attending a party on West 35th Street, also outside of the campus boundary.

Though only one of these incidents

Students took to twitter to express their worries... occurred in the ODU Police Department’s jurisdiction, students took to Twitter to express their worries.

Rhonda Harris, the Assistant Vice President for Public Safety with the ODU PD, said that despite these occurrences, ODU is no more dangerous than the average campus.

“ODU follows the national pattern,” Harris said. “You’re less likely to be a victim of a crime on a college campus than in the area surrounding the campus.”

The Mace gathered crime data from both the ODU and Norfolk Police

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Departments from Jan. 1 – December 31, 2015, within a one-mile radius of the official address, 5115 Hampton Blvd. to examine what types of crimes are occurring and where they are taking place.

Most Common Crimes Larceny: 271 Though larcenies – the unlawful taking away of another’s personal property — were reported in many campus buildings, the most commonly reported location was an offcampus residence hall.

Simple Assault: 64 Simple assaults are defined as the attempt or threat to carry out bodily injury against another. In relation to ODU’s campus, simple assaults were most often reported along Killam Avenue and West 39th Street.

Hit-and-Run: 53 The majority of hit-and-run incidents were reported along Killam Avenue between 44th and 46th Streets.

The second-most active hit-and-run area is in the Elkhorn Avenue parking garage, or parking garage A. Most Problematic Locations The District Owners of the off-campus housing facility have been working to eliminate criticisms they have received in recent months in relation to crime.

“Frankly, there’s been a lot of misinformation reported recently,” said

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Derek Anderson, partner of Residential Housing Development, the company that built and owns The District.

Last year, a student’s apartment was broken into by three men who attacked the student, breaking his nose, while holding him at gunpoint.

In April 2014, a security guard was charged with rape and two counts of forcible sodomy after he assaulted a resident while on duty. As a result, Asset Campus Housing, the management company for The District, has increased security staff and taken a new approach to hiring employees.

“The District has more than doubled the number of security guards per resident that ODU has,” said Stacey Lecocke, Senior Vice President of Asset Campus Housing. “We have also completely retrained our security and management staffs or property policies and procedures.”

This year, residents at The District have reported few incidents. Asset Campus Housing has also increased surveillance measures within the residence hall.

“We have invested more than $100,000 to install cameras around the property and are constantly working to make improvements so that our residents feel comfortable,” Lecocke said.

Advertisements went up in Webb Center in February advertising lower rental rates for available units in The District.

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NEWS

Killam Avenue This street, running south from West 51st Street to West 23rd Street, is the second-most common location of incidents on campus. Reports along Killam Avenue range from simple assault, hit-and-runs, shootings, narcotics and larcenies. A majority of the incidents reported on Killam Avenue take place below West 42nd Street.

“The biggest challenge is in the area adjacent to campus,” Harris said.

“Killam Avenue itself is often a challenge particularly in the late evening or early morning hours from 37th Street through 42nd Street.”

The ODU PD has partnered with Norfolk PD to provide policing and technological support to their patrol units. The two departments have also begun collaborating on community training and educating students in area rental properties to ensure student safety. They also created a program, called “Light It Up, Lock It Up,” where officers pass out lights bulbs and give safety tips to student

renters in the area.

“It’s important to point out we do this work across they city,” said Daniel Hudson, Public Information Officer for the Norfolk PD. Powhatan Avenue Residence halls and parking lots along Powhatan Avenue were the third-most common location among crime reports. Larcenies were often reported in Whitehurst Hall, while hit-and-runs were reported in parking lots along the street.

“On campus, by a large margin, larceny or theft, often of unattended property, is the most common offense,” Harris said.

Students are encouraged to lock their dorm rooms and always keep their personal belongings with them to avoid incidents of theft in residence halls.

Download the LiveSafe mobile app for your iPhone or Android device.

with LiveSafe, an app that students can download and use on their smartphones, to check-in with friends and police alike. LiveSafe, present on over 100 university campuses, is designed to enable students an easy and quick way to report incidents to police.

In the ODU community, there are more than 2,540 users registered through the LiveSafe app. From those users, almost 2,000 incidents have been reported to the ODU PD.

campus event,” said Shy Pahlevani, Founder and Executive Director of Education Partnerships at LiveSafe.

“SafeWalking is becoming a daily habit for students.”

Recently, LiveSafe expanded their mobile platform to allow users to check-in with university police departments from alerts that are sent out to targeted geographic locations, indicating the student’s safety.

Students can also use the SafeRide

“This year, we’re on track to serve 100,000 rides,” said Matt Mccluney, a campus transportation planner with Parking and Transportation Services.

“Growing numbers are a sign that people like and depend on it.”

SafeRide recently added cameras on their vehicles this year, for the safety of both drivers and students.

Both the LiveSafe and SafeRide services are free for download for students to use. Android users will have

“This feature empowers friends to virtually follow along with a friend when they are walking home from the library or after attending some other campus event,” — Shy Pahlevani, Founder and Executive Director of Education Partnerships at LiveSafe.

What Can Students Do? Harris said that “campus on crime continues to decrease,” but students have options to ensure their own safety. The ODU PD has partnered

Students most commonly use the app in SafeWalk mode.

“This feature empowers friends to virtually follow along with a friend when they are walking home from the library or after attending some other

shuttle service on campus. Instead of walking alone at night or longer distances, students can schedule a pickup from SafeRide and get home safely.

The popularity of the shuttle service continues to increase.

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to call SafeRide or visit their website to schedule a ride, as there isn’t currently an app available.

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M&C| WEDNESDAY | 3.2.2016| MACEANDCROWN.COM

NEWS

For updates on the Virginia primary results, follow us on Twitter.

Alan Gross speaking at the Constant Center on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

Photo by Jason Kazi

Former Cuban Prisoner Alan Gross Shares His Experience

Photo by Erin Sudek

A Monarch Voter Debate:

Do The Right Thing Erin Sudek Contributing Writer

The Old Dominion University Democrats held a mock debate in the Batten Arts and Letters Building on Feb. 23. The event was held to promote student interest in the presidential election and to encourage students to register and vote in the upcoming Virginia presidential primary election on Tuesday, Mar. 1.

Around 25 students attended this lively and lighthearted event.

“I already know who I’m voting for, but this could’ve been helpful for people who don’t know much about the candidates,” senior Jamal Harvey said. “I talk to a lot of students around campus, and they don’t really seem to be aware of what’s going on in politics, and I think tonight definitely helped with that.”

Alex Scruggs and Ty Williams moderated the event, while the 4 front-running democratic and republican presidential candidates were portrayed by ODU Democrats members Jacob Dafoe (Bernie Sanders), Claudette Woodhouse (Hillary

Clinton), Armani Gladden (Donald Trump) and Jared Walker (Ted Cruz).

The mock debate was noticeably pro-Bernie as it was sponsored by the ODU Democrats, and the jabs at Republican candidates were frequent.

The acting from the students was exaggerated.

“It was interesting to see a funny point of view of the election, kinda like an SNL skit. I found it entertaining,” sophomore Jenesis Harper said.

The debaters responded appropriately to the prompted questions about their stances regarding the federal budget, the Black Lives Matter Movement, gun control, abortion and planned parenthood, immigration and other current hot topics in the presidential election.

The students imitated the candidates with enthusiasm, which made the debate humorous yet accurate.

They also dressed the part, especially Jacob Dafoe who wore a white wig to imitate Bernie Sanders.

“I really liked the satirical part,” sophomore Kari Richardson said, “It was really funny to me how Donald Trump was portrayed.”

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Jonah Grinkewitz News Editor Alan Gross knew he would have to be patient if he was going to survive his imprisonment by the Cuban government.

“I had to exercise my body and my mind, if I was going to survive the emptiness, unfairness and cruelty of my captivity,” Gross said to a crowd of several hundred students, alumni and faculty at Old Dominion University’s Ted Constant Convocation Center on Tuesday night, Feb. 23.

Gross, a humanitarian for more than 25 years, spoke as part of the President’s Lecture Series at ODU. He shared the experience of his 5-year imprisonment by the Cuban government on the suspicion that he was involved in American intelligence services.

“It was strictly a technical activity. There was no ideology involved,” Gross said. “I should say that there is ideology involved now.”

Gross was working for a private company to improve internet and wifi in Cuban communities, especially among Cuban Jews.

“I viewed this as an opportunity to work on a beautiful island that I had visited only once before, and after consulting with some Cuban experienced folks and the U.S. Institutional Jewish Community, I also saw this as an opportunity to help and work with Cuban Jews,” he said.

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He then added, “It was a dream project that turned into a nightmare.”

Gross was abruptly arrested the day before his flight home to the United States. He was given a hasty and unfair trial and then sentenced to 15 years in prison.

“If the Cuban government were to be taken seriously, I would be stuck as a prisoner in isolation until I was almost 76 years old,” he said.

Despite his unfair treatment, Gross never lost hope. He credited part of his determination to his ancestors in Hungary.

“A miraculous part of my family from Hungary survived the Holocaust. When everyone else from their village died, my cousins survived an

Gross always tried to make the best of his situation.

“I knew that humor was good for the heart and mind. So I decided to find something to laugh at every day,” he said, “After all, much of Cuba is akin to Murphy’s law on steroids.”

But without the help of his family, communities back home and the U.S. government, Gross could not have made it back home. Gross credits his wife and Jewish communities especially for their tireless work to pressure the U.S. government to do something about his imprisonment.

“It was everyone,” Gross said, “that helped the president make a courageous and historic decision. My return to freedom was their return on

“I’d go back in a heartbeat...” ordeal much greater than the one I was facing. I knew that I would have to survive my ordeal because at the very least I knew I came from strong stock,” he said.

Gross did his best to stay strong while in prison. He lost 110 pounds, 70 in the first year, but he walked 10,000 steps each day and when he was finally allowed outside he did pull ups and speed walking.

“I was lean, I was strong, and I made sure that everyone knew it.

Nobody messed with me,” he said.

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that investment.”

Gross was finally released by the Cuban government on humanitarian grounds on Dec. 17, 2014.

After all of this though, Gross said, “I’d go back in a heartbeat. The Cuban people are wonderful, incredible people.”

Gross hopes to continue his work by helping communities in the Middle East.

“I still want to go into the middle of nowhere and set up a satellite dish,” he said.

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M&C| WEDNESDAY | 3.2.2016| MACEANDCROWN.COM

NEWS

Look out for our next “Best of” competition in April

Judges participate in the Best Norfolk Pizza challenge

Photos by Josh Boone

Mace and Crown Hunts for the Best Norfolk Pizza Stef Wasko Copy Editor Five Norfolk pizzerias, 16 pizzas, 10 judges, four category winners and one Mace and Crown 2016 Pizza Project complete.

Tuesday night, Feb. 23, Norfolk foodies and Mace and Crown staff gathered in the newsroom, drawn by the smells of freshly baked pizza from some of Norfolk’s best, including Cogans, Del Vecchios, Granby St. Pizza, Fellini’s and University Pizza.

Just after 6 p.m., the panel started the first round of pizza tasting, on the hunt for the best specialty pizza.

The following rounds included best veggie, best pepperoni and best cheese pizza contests.

Cogans won “Best Overall Pizza” with close, winning scores in both cheese and pepperoni categories.

Cogans also received the highest score of the night for their pepperoni pizza. Fellini’s won best veggie and tied with Del Vech’s for best specialty.

The slices were served on small, paper plates marked with letters, which corresponded to undisclosed pizzerias in order to prevent any bias toward certain restaurants. After each round of tasting, score sheets were collected and averaged to find the category-winning pizza.

Some pizzerias chose to participate in only the final rounds– cheese and pepperoni. The overall winner was chosen based on the average scores from these two rounds.

So, who has the best take-out pizza in the ODU area? (Numbers indicate average scores from judges.)

Best Cheese Pizza: Cogans 5.3 University Pizza 5 Fellini’s 4.1 Granby St / Del Vec’s 3.6 (Tie) Best Pepperoni Pizza: Cogans Granby St. Del Vec’s University Pizza Fellini’s Best Veggie Pizza: Fellini’s Del Vecchios University Pizza

6.8 6.6 4.3 4 2.75 6.5 5.9 5.4

Best Specialty Pizza: Del Vec’s and Fellini’s 5.8 (Tie) University Pizza 3.5 Cogans just barely passed University Pizza to win the “Best Cheese Pizza” category by .3 average points.

Several judges commented on the saltiness of Cogans pizza, but gave credit to its overall taste and even distribution of sauce and cheese.

Several judges, including Handsome Biscuit employees Raymond Braza and Mike Nietes, expressed their preference for University Pizza’s cheese slice. Although second place for the round, U. Pie’s slice crushed the other cheese pizzas in the “most greasy” category.

Cogans won again for “Best Pepperoni Pizza,” receiving more points than any other pizza in any round.

Del Vech’s followed close behind with their pepperoni pizza, coming in second by just .2 points.

“Crisp! Yes! This is what I want to crush after a night out,” Enver Sid-

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diky, a local restaurant manager and ODU student, wrote about Cogans pepperoni slice.

Del Vecchios and Fellini’s tied for “Best Specialty” with Del Vech’s chicken ranch pie and Fellini’s bourbon street pizza. Joseph Cosco, ODU English professor and George Culver, a local food blogger, were not impressed with the non-traditional ranch pizza from Del Vech’s, however.

“Don’t mess with the basic set up: crust, tomato sauce and cheese,” Cosco wrote in his comments.

And for all the vegetarians out there, Fellini’s took the cake with almost all of the ten judges commenting on the good variety and amount of veggies.

However, Christopher Ndiritu, the ODU student body president, commented, “The water from veggies drained the pizza. Too much veggie.”

articles for several local publications.

Culver is a regular on WHRO’s “Let’s Eat” program and is on the board of directors for the local chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local.

Raymond Braza: “I graduated from the Art Institute for Graphic Design and am currently the assistant manager at Handsome Biscuit in Norfolk. Pizza is food. Food is necessary for living. Pizza is life.”

Michael (Mike) Nietes: “I’m a baker at the Handsome Biscuit and founder of Homeslice Pizzeria.

While I was on a deployment, I created my own pizza service based off a Sunday tradition with my wife. It was called Homeslice Pizzeria and I worked during my off hours making and selling pizza to my comrades.”

Enver Siddiky: “I’m the general manager of Cilantro Bangladeshi Bistro, in Norfolk. I love pizza so

And who were the lucky pizza judges?

Chef Robert Patton: Executive Chef at ODU. Chef Patton won the “Produce Excellence in Foodservice” national award for colleges and universities in 2015.

Dr. Joseph Cosco: “I’m Italian American, I grew up in New York and I have been to Naples.

My mother made pizza with homemade dough, homemade tomato sauce, and only the best mozzarella. I know (and love) pizza.”

George Culver: Eater-inChief at I Heart Food. He is a food blogger and has freelanced

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much I had an ‘I want pizza’ dance as a kid… though it didn’t always work.”

Christopher Ndiritu: ODU student body president who loves pizza.

Kody Kight: “I’m a super senior at ODU finishing a double degree in mechanical engineering and history.

I spend most of my money on food, especially on pizza in Norfolk. With that being said, I am broke. What a great opportunity to score some free pizza!”

Alyse Stanley: “Supreme being, Mace and Crown alum, former tech section editor, copy editor at the Virginian Pilot… I’m a discerning pizza eater. A few years ago, I discovered the glories of dipping it in ranch and never looked back.”

Adrienne Mayfield: ODU Mace and Crown alum and public safety reporter for the Virginia Gazette.

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E N T ER T A I NM E N T

BITS OF A&E ODU TO HOST ‘LUNAFEST’

“LUNAFEST” is a fundraising film festival dedicated to promoting awareness about women’s issues, highlighting women filmmakers and bringing women together in their communities. Tickets are on sale at the Webb info desk and ODUPeninsula for $5.00. All proceeds will benefit the Breast Cancer Fund and YWCA of South Hampton Roads.

“LUNAFEST” will take place on March 17 at 7 p.m. in Batten Arts & Letters, rm. 9024, preceded by a reception at 6:30 p.m.

CRANBERRIES SINGER AVOIDS PRISON

Dolores O’Riordan, frontwoman of the Irish rock band, the Cranberries, avoided a harsh prison sentence. After being found guilty of an “air rage incident” following a transatlantic flight, O’Riordan was instead ordered to pay roughly $6,600 to the court “poor box.” She pled guilty to head-butting and spitting at an Irish police officer. O’Riordan claims she was suffering from a severe mental illness at the time of the incident in November 2014.

BLACK STUDENT ALLIANCE HOSTS ‘BLACK MUSIC AND FOOD IN TODAY’S CULTURE’ Kamaria Mason Contributing Writer The inviting aroma of buttered, spiced and sugar glazed southernstyle foods filled the North Café of

welcomes all interested students.

BSA members Armani Gladden and Carlyssa Winstead emceed the event as they took the audience through a mini journey of the evolu-

Aroma of buttered, spiced and sugar glazed southern-style foods Webb Center Wednesday, Feb. 24.

Old Dominion University students gathered to celebrate the culture behind the hip-hop era.

Although festivities were brought to a momentary standstill as tornado warnings threatened from the outside, the enthusiasm from students did not dwindle. Labeled as “Black Music and Food in Today’s Culture,” the event was hosted by ODU’s Black Student Alliance. This group promotes unity of AfricanAmerican students on campus and

tion of hip-hop. The first semblance of hip-hop culture is believed to have started in the Bronx, New York around the 1970s.

Since that time, we have been introduced to many groups such as the

lyrics and rhythmic accompaniment. The MCs then discussed the evolution of early hip-hop to 90s gangsta rap to today’s mainstream popular rap music.

The stage was again graced by ODU’s student hip-hop group Motion Madness who performed to a mashup of different songs by Chris Brown. The event concluded with a quick audience involvement activity, which tested their knowledge on hip-hop rivalries.

Students were able to leave the event with more knowledge about hip-hop’s musical and cultural influence on past and current genera-

as Run-D.M.C., whose member Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels ODU was honored to host back in September 2013.

The event kicked off with three MCs discussing how hip-hop culture has affected many aspects of our daily lives over the last 40 plus years– from fashion and speech to the very opinions we take on certain political matters. Audience members were informed about how early hip-hop artists such as Africa Bambatta influenced modern artist like Jay Z and J. Cole.

Later in the program, the audience was honored in rap style by

Discussed the evolution of early hip-hop...

Sugarhill Gang who are known to have performed the first rap. Other groups also became prominent such

tions. The event provided a great way to be involved as Black History Month comes to an end.

ODU student and rapper Covi who shared his introspection and thoughts of society through crisp

HITLER’S ‘MEIN KAMPF’

An annotated version of Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf ” (My Struggle) is currently a bestseller in Germany.

Reprinting Hitler’s autobiography was long prohibited in Germany.

Bookstores, federal regulators and historians feared the book could be used for right-wing propaganda. Most German bookstores hid the book from customers and even refrained from advertising it. With growing online sales, in-store sales followed for the book currently ranked second on the German weekly Der Spiegel’s nonfiction bestseller list.

Entertainment at ODU’s “Black Music and Food in Today’s Culture” Event. Photo by Kamaria Mason.

TAYLOR SWIFT’S GRAMMY DRESS

As Taylor Swift hit the Grammy red carpet on Feb. 15 with celebrity BFF and “Bad Blood” music video co-star Selena Gomez, not many noticed a change: her belly button is back in hiding. As she dazzled the music and fashion world in her Atelier Versace ensemble complete with jewel-toned skirt, her belly button was hidden after being revealed for the first time last year in a swimsuit squad photo.

Attendees at “Black Music and Food in Today’s Culture” Event.

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Photo by Kamaria Mason

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Stream these albums at maceandcrown.com

E N T ER T A I NM E N T

MONARCH MUSIC MINUTE Hell YES!

I’ll Listen to it Twice, Even.

ADAM FLORES, A&E EDITOR

We’re Getting There...

Eh...

Face Palm.

Santigold ‘99¢’

Courtesy: Atlantic Records

American singer and producer Santi White, better known by her stage name as Santigold, has released her third studio album, “99¢,” on Feb. 26.

The genre-bending pop singer goes for broke, imagining herself as a dollar store knickknack, yet desires to create big pop influences from an eclectic list of inspirations such as African music, punk rock and reggae.

Before the official release of “99¢,” the new record was preceded by three singles: “Can’t Get Enough of Myself ” featuring B.C., “Who Be Lovin Me” featuring iLoveMakonnen and “Chasing Shadows.” The singles revealed her new compilation to be

fun, playful and a joyful dance record showing her best when pushed towards something unexpected.

The album art is rather striking and telling of the nature of Santigold’s argument. As she is displayed in shrink-wrap among life’s other commodities, she pokes fun at the ways people are self-indulgent in selfies and Instagram. She makes fun of the way people focus on capturing the moment instead of experiencing it.

As Santigold satirizes people’s continual need to market themselves online, “99¢” displays a certain musical code-switching element as it shifts between electronic pop, R&B

and the raucous arena-rock aesthetic.

From track to track, she commands her agency and power through musical collaborations with John Hill and Dave Sitek.

Santigold’s musical arrangements tend to sit in a comfort zone of predictability. Utilizing classic and newer electronic sounds, the sonic pallete grooves unchallenged and at times flatlines. It is perhaps her vocal approach that suffers at times from an uninteresting accompaniment.

A more challenging backing track would push her voice into new, more appealing territories.

Bonnie Raitt ‘Dig in Deep’

“Dig In Deep” is the 17th studio album by veteran singer-guitarist Bonnie Raitt. Released on Feb. 26, her new album is her first in more than a decade. Raitt’s career has garnered 10 Grammy awards and ranks at No. 50 in Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time and No. 89 on their list of Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

Raitt recently came back into the spotlight, teaming up with Chris Stapleton and Gary Clark, Jr. on the 2016 Grammy stage in a memorial tribute to blues legend, B.B. King. Raitt also

returns with her new album after the painful passing of her mother in 2004, her father a year later and her brother in 2009, who succumbed after an eight-year battle with brain cancer.

At 66, Raitt has a reputation as a tenacious perfectionist in full control of her music, yet she knows when to lighten up, be loose and have fun musically. Her opening track, “Unintended Consequences of Love,” sees the slide guitarist back in top form after two years of intense touring.

The second track covers INXS’s “Need You Tonight,” allowing her

rhythm section to stretch and fill out with some power. Her voice seems a little rougher today, but she plays it to her advantage by throwing grit into her lyrical phrasing when needed.

She revels in those moments when the rhythm section cuts back so she can deliver her sensual, seductive vocal phrasings.

“Dig in Deep” is a self-determined, heartfelt offering from Raitt that continues to exemplify her intertwined trademark of musical and emotional intelligence.

Courtesy: Redwing Records

Tweet

‘Charlene’

Courtesy of eOne Music

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American R&B, soul/neo soul singer-songwriter and guitarist Charlene Keys, known by her stage name Tweet, has released her third studio album, “Charlene,” on Feb. 26. The new compilation sees production credits from longtime friend Missy Elliott as well as added producer contributions from Craig Brockman and old-time collaborator, Timbaland.

After a tremendous amount of label troubles in 2015, the two-time Grammy nominated Tweet signed a deal with the independent eOne Music label and announced her new album would be completed and released.

The lead single, “Won’t Hurt Me,”

debuted on iTunes in Sept. 2015 and the follow-up single, “Magic,” came out in Jan. 2016 to various music sites.

Born into a musical family, Tweet’s mother and father worked in gospel groups and her siblings were proficient at one to several instruments in her early years. After a hopeless future trapped in the girl group Sugar, the project ended, and she suffered from severe depression as a result.

Missy Elliott invited Tweet to sing on her album “So Addictive.” Afterwards, Elliott helped Tweet arrange a deal with Elektra. Her 2002 LP, “Southern Hummingbird,” reached No. 2 on the R&B charts and earned

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her a string of “best new artist” awards.

“Charlene” presents a somewhat organic musical track, lifting her seductive voice into the forefront as heard in the track, “Magic.” Mentor Elliott is featured on the cut, “Somebody Else Will.” “I Was Created for This” brings us into an intimate place with Tweet.

The new album plays it safe musically and vocally within the R&B and soul spectrum, laying a definitive groove and rhythm for the listener to feel throughout.

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Visit the Chrysler Museum for Delaney’s portrait and more.

E N T ER T A I NM E N T

Beauford Delaney’s ‘Portrait of James Baldwin’ Finds New Home at Chrysler Museum of Art Megan Snyder Staff Writer In January, Norfolk’s Chrysler Museum of Art became the new home to Harlem Renaissance artist Beauford Delaney’s seminal 1965 portrait of author and activist James Baldwin. A celebration of two of the 20th century’s most influential cultural figures, the acquisition marks the Chrysler’s first purchase of a work created by a deceased African-American artist.

Tucked away in one of the quieter corners of the museum’s second floor, the 25- by 21-inch oil on canvas portrait hangs among other pieces from the last century in the Roberts Wing for American and European Art. The unmistakably chartreuse background of the painting can be spotted from the dark corridor leading into the gallery.

Born in Knoxville, Tenn., Delaney was closely connected to the Tidewater region of Virginia, making his painting an especially meaningful addition to the local community.

A Norfolk native, Delaney’s grandmother may have been related to the first freed slaves on the Eastern

Shore. Both of Delaney’s parents were also born in Virginia.

In the late 1920s, Delaney travelled to New York City where he converged with other such Harlem Renaissance icons as Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. Ultimately, however, Delaney settled in with the avant-garde modernist crowd of nearby Greenwich Village, a group of artists who were more accepting of his homosexuality.

Before maturing into a critically acclaimed writer and the portrait’s subject, Baldwin met Delaney around 1940. A rich and lifelong friendship quickly developed. Baldwin published “Going to Meet the Man,” a series of short stories inspired by his friend and mentor, the same year as the portrait’s creation.

An active participant in the Civil Rights Movement, Baldwin marched

Beauford Delaney’s “Portrait of James Baldwin.”

The burden made life in the United States dangerous... from Salem to Birmingham with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Like Delaney, Baldwin suffered added discrimination as a result of his homosexuality.

The burden made life in the United States dangerous and eventually unbearable. In 1948, Baldwin moved to Paris. Five years later, Delaney followed for similar reasons.

Known for his use of vibrant color, Delaney had the uncanny ability to impart what curator Amber Kennedy refers to as a nearly palpable “psychological energy.” Undoubtedly, the art-

ist’s close relationship with Baldwin had much to do with the intense intimacy of the painting.

An electric, lemon yellow backdrop brings the face of the subject into sharp focus. Impressionistic, highlytextured strokes of mustard-colored paint highlight prominent features, like Baldwin’s forehead, brow, nose, Cupid’s bow and chin. Robin egg blue, warm pinks, burnt reds and flecks of lavender add dimension to the darker, receding parts of his face.

In his writing about the portrait,

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Baldwin explored the phenomenon of the seen as well as the unseen depicted in the painting.

“Beauford’s work leads the inner and the outer eye, directly and inexorably, to a new confrontation with reality,” Baldwin writes in 1965.

“I learned about light from Beauford Delaney, the light contained in every thing, in every surface, in every face,” Baldwin continues, perhaps commenting on the portrait’s undeniable vividness. Delaney, who suffered from poverty, depression and dementia in the years before his death in 1979, took comfort in the warmth and healing quality of this particular shade of yellow.

The addition of Delaney’s “Portrait of James Baldwin” is a part of the Chrysler’s ongoing efforts to incorporate more contemporary pieces, as well as works by African-American artists, into the museum’s collection.

Currently, the Chrysler houses over 30,000 nationally recognized objects.

General admission to the Chrysler Museum of Art is free Tuesday through Sunday. Hours of operations can be found at chrysler.org.

Photo by Megan Snyder

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Watch trailers of this week’s featured movies on our website

E N T ER T A I NM E N T

MONARCH MOVIE MINUTE Mind Blown

A Must See

Add to my Queue

MEGAN SNYDER

Well, there goes 2 hours of my life

Straight to DVD

‘The Dramatics: A Comedy’ 2015 | Unrated | 89 min.

Aspiring actress Katie (Kat Foster) has just landed the role of her dreams alongside the Oscar-winning eccentric Bryan Macy (“Orange is the New Black’s” Pablo Schreiber). Film shooting for the racy adaptation of a wildly popular BDSM-themed novel begins in England in a matter of weeks.

Meanwhile, Katie’s stoner boyfriend and struggling screenplay writer, Paul, (Scott Rodgers) wants to be supportive. But as Katie and Bryan grow closer, Paul can’t help but become increasingly agitated in “The Dramatics: A Comedy,” Rodgers’ directorial debut.

Inspired by Foster and Rodgers’ real-life relationship, the out-of-work

couple grapples with their rapidly diverging priorities as Katie’s career takes off. Left bobbing in the wake, Paul innocently finds comfort in the bowl-pack of another woman (Garfunkel and Oates’ Riki Lindhome).

Will temptation destroy Katie and Paul’s fading love?

Together, Foster and Rodgers wrote the script for this off-beat romantic comedy. A clever take on the classic relationship pseudo-tragedy, “The Dramatics” quietly illustrates long-term coupledom in all its dysfunctional glory without completely devaluing it.

For example, an unfulfilling yet tolerable sex life and the stress of unem-

ployment are balanced by good-bye kisses and love notes on the fridge. In a scene set on their couch, the couple’s legs are intertwined as they browse the web on their respective laptops.

Katie self-consciously shops for lingerie for her new gig while Paul stares at the blinking cursor on a mockingly blank screen.

Foster and Rodgers’ on-screen chemistry lends an authenticity to their performances, as does the homemade feel of the film. Sean Astin and Paul F. Tompkins also appear in supporting roles.

This film is available on Netflix.

‘Unexpected’ 2015 | R | 90 min.

Shortly after reading the undesired result of her at-home pregnancy test, Samantha Abbott (“How I Met Your Mother’s” Cobie Smulders) learns that one of her best students, Jasmine (Gail Bean), is also expecting.

The inner-city teacher then takes it upon herself to guide the high school senior through this troubling time in “Unexpected.”

Conflicted by her own sudden shift in identity, Samantha also deals with her judgmental mother and the threat of a newborn baby imposing on her professional goals. These concerns are dwarfed, however, when she realizes

the unique set of obstacles Jasmine faces in both her search for the perfect college and her transition into motherhood.

Generational poverty, an absentee father and social stigma are just some of the overwhelming adversities the young girl must overcome in her already complicated life. An unexpected friendship blossoms as the two soon-to-be moms attend prenatal yoga classes and college campus tours together.

“Unexpected” addresses the sexism still inherent in today’s job market, in addition to the cyclical nature of teen

‘Zipper'

2015 | R | 103 min.

All-American federal prosecutor Sam Ellis (Patrick Wilson) appears to have it all—a dignified and supportive wife, a curious young son and a spotless political career. His squeaky-clean image and moral agenda put him at the head of the race for Attorney General.

But when a young intern comes onto him afterhours, Ellis’ mind floods with adulterous thoughts. He reluctantly hires a high-end escort in the hopes that a one-night-stand will purge his system of any further distractions. This first encounter naturally leads to others in what quickly

becomes an intricate, risky and expensive web of lies in “Zipper.”

Described as 2015’s “Gone Girl,” “Zipper” falls short of such praise, but still manages to earn two stars on Netflix and three on IMDB. Rotten Tomatoes wasn’t as impressed, giving the thriller a lone star. Lena Headey, who plays Ellis’ wife, musters a muddled Southern accent but delivers a striking performance when her character learns of her husband’s dirty deeds.

In spite of excessive heavy breathing and subpar cinematography, “Zipper” feeds into American audience’s

insatiable obsession with corruption in Washington and sensationalized, high-stakes sex—lots of sex. Fans of the Netflix Original “House of Cards” can appreciate this film between binge sessions of the popular series.

A musical score by composer H. Scott Salinas and the use of sound is successful in that they do, in fact, create an appropriate sense of stress and tension as Ellis’ façade crumbles but in a very obvious, almost offensive way.

This film is available on Netflix.

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pregnancy within the impoverished African-American community. In spite of the well-deserved attention paid to these themes, however, the film does this in a rather dull way.

Smulders’ pregnancy with husband Taran Killam serendipitously coincided with the filming of “Unexpected,” which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. The film received moderate reviews and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the drama category. After playing in select theaters, the film began streaming on video on demand.

This film is available on Netflix.

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For more A&E news, visit maceandcrown. com/category/artsentertainment

E N T ER T A I NM E N T

MONARCH STYLE Ten Ways to Dress Like a Fashion Blogger Kimberly Bering Contributing Writer

Blogger style: the combination of simple and chic. So many Instagrammers, wild Pinners on Pinterest and social media lovers look to bloggers for style advice. The advantage of blogger style is its simplicity and creativity. Even if you sleep past your alarm and role out of bed in the morning, throwing together a fashionable outfit can be effortless and eye-catching.

There are simple hacks to help stay on top of blogger outfits. Having the right go-to clothes in your closet, can make a world of difference for appearing put-together in the knick-of-time.

1. Bold printed flats: Leopard print, bright pink or polka-dot… anything eye catch-

ing; a pair of gallantly colored flats can even dress up a plain t-shirt and jeans for a minimal, constructive look.

2. Striped shirt: For a touch of classical Paris, slip on a form fitting striped shirt

for an elegant and retro façade, complimented with bold lipstick.

3. An Eclectic Dress: Try a new dress style, like a lace embellished or sack dress,

to embrace your feminine side. Some dresses can even be more comfortable than a pair of jeans.

4. Collared shirt: Fashion bloggers are known for their go-to collars for chic look.

It’s the professional way to look composed and still rock street style with ankle boots or a pair of flats.

5. Boldly Colored Coat: Nothing screams New York City more than a vividly col-

ored coat. Bloggers thoroughly approve of a bold trench coat to strut through streets in chilly weather.

6. Overalls: They’re not just for kids. Wear a sweater or tee underneath to flaunt a

bolder form of denim.

7. Cut-Off Jeans: Transform old blue jeans into blogger worthy cut-offs. Any top,

sweater, hat or crop top adds style to an ordinary pair of jeans.

8. Panama Hat: Take style advice from Indiana Jones. His modified fedora trend

is perfect for adding an artsy touch to a solid colored sweater or dress.

9. Faux Fur: Flaunt the faux fur proudly. It’s an eye catching, warm and timeless

way to appear high-class.

10. Midi Skirt: Switch up your wardrobe a bit by adding a tulle or pleated midi

skirt. Combine with a graphic tee for a casual look or a form fitting blouse for a feminine touch.

By Ingrid Chua-Go (Author) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

If you’re feeling bold or inspired, piece together multiple of these top ten go-to pieces for bloggers! Flaunt various trends of both simple and audacious outfits. Wear a graphic tee underneath a pair of denim clad overalls completed with a faux fur coat and Panama hat, or embrace the minimalistic style of a simple collared shirt and trousers. The sky is the limit. Owning a handful of essential pieces ensures a bloggerworthy ensemble.

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By Giorgio Montersino from Milan, Italy [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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Purchase Poehler’s autobiography at the Village Bookstore.

E N T ER T A I NM E N T

There’s Something I Want You to Do Christina Marable Contributing Writer There’s something I want you to do: Rescue me from my drug habit and a Shakespearean reading dealer.

There’s something I want you to do: Love me but accept that I’ll always be more obsessed with death than life.

There’s something I want you to do: Forgive me for abandoning my family even though I’ll never ask.

These are a few of the requests in Charles Baxter’s newest book “There’s Something I Want You to Do.” The characters know each other, but only make guest appearances and don’t always affect the plot, giving the book the feel of a short story collection instead of a novel. There characters come and go as doctors, architects, stay-at-home moms, law students and aspiring comedians. They get married, divorce and become widowed.

All learn lessons. Most survive. A few don’t.

Baxter is best known as the author of “Feast of Love,” a novel nominated for the National Book Award in 2000 and adapted into a movie in 2007. He is also a teacher at the University of Minnesota’s MFA Program and a teacher for the Writers at Warren Wilson College.

His writing is appealing to general audiences, but what makes “There’s Something I Want You to Do” special, is his ability to deftly challenge the way readers think of vice and virtue. The stories in this collection are boldly titled– the first half as virtues and the second half as vices.

Titles such as “Charity,” “Lust” and “Vanity” set the author up for

the mocking tone of disbelief in his readers if he steps wrong, but Baxter never does, and our faith, as readers, is restored. Baxter does this by subverting the readers’ expectations.

“Charity,” recently published in 2014’s “Best American Short Stories,” is about Matty and Harry, two young men who meet and fall in love while volunteering in Ethiopia. Their love, however, falls apart once it’s tested by the return to their American lives.

Told in a dual, first-person narrative, the story focuses on Harry’s ability to maintain while Matty succumbs to drugs to ease his pain. Harry rushes to save him, yet once he does, he realizes their relationship is over.

Now, “[Matty] was a different man… and I did not love him again,” Harry said. “Yet I would not abandon him until he was ready for it.”

The charity in this story wasn’t about the renewed faith in their love once they are together again in their native land. The charity could be as simple as Harry saving Matty’s life, but their lives won’t ever return to their old ways. The gift itself was a new life, proof of a lover once there.

However, it leaves both parties alone.

These stories aren’t warm and fuzzy, but they will leave you with a hallow feeling in the back of your throat about what it means to embody these vices and virtues– what it means to be human.

Cunning and brave, yet entertaining, Charles Baxter’s “There’s Something I Want You to Do” sheds light on the dual nature of humanity in these ordinary, but unforgettable characters.

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Amy Poehler? Yes, Please!

Lindsey Lanham Contributing Writer Amy Poehler is well-known for more than her TV personalities.

She originally released her book, “Yes Please” in Oct. 2014. The book takes the reader through a journey of Poehler’s life, beginning with how she started acting in her childhood, all the way through her start in the sitcom, “Parks and Recreation.”

Reading an autobiography is always an adventure, sometimes boring, sometimes exciting. Poehler has managed to include a wide range of emotion in her story, making the reader laugh on one page and cry by the next. She shares funny stories of sleepovers she had in middle school, but also tells the reader about the first time she went to Haiti.

In her trademark charm, Poehler starts the book off telling the reader how much she doesn’t like to write.

She says writing is hard and this book is hard to write. Poehler states she had “no business agreeing to write this book,” claiming she was too busy to be doing such a thing, but then she

explains she wasn’t going to quit writing just because it was outside of her comfort zone.

Poehler doesn’t take anybody’s crap. She’s fierce, and she’s going to tell you no, and she isn’t going to laugh if something isn’t funny. She explains how hard it is for a woman to get into comedy and the numerous occasions where she was the only girl in the group, but she had to get used to the scenario. This seemed to make her stronger, and her advice to everyone was to not put up with anybody’s bull.

Nobody should have to deal with this.

Nothing comes easy in life, and acting is no exception. Wanting to be a female comedian is not easy.

Poehler walks the reader through her struggles of being poor, working as a waitress most of her life and how she never officially finished college.

She doesn’t seem to regret any of it, looking back at her memories fondly.

Poehler writes the story in a series of flash backs, ranging from her first ever play (“The Wizard of Oz”) to when she started the Upright Citizens Brigade to having her first child. All of these stories share life lessons, each

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having varying degrees of importance in her life, but all shaping her to be the woman she is today.

The book was not written alone.

Poehler shares her struggles with writing an entire book by herself.

She talks about how she asked for help from her friends, and how nothing was helpful. She even talks about other friends’ books (such as Mindy Kaling, Tina Fey and Nick Offerman), and how it came so easy to them. Because she’s Amy Poehler, she got away with having her friends write chapters for her (Seth Myers) and help annotating chapters and providing their feedback in the actual chapter (Michael Schur, creator of “Parks and Recreation”).

By showing the reader this side of herself, Poehler has shown the world she can be weak. She gives off the impression she’s confident and funny, but while reading her story, one finds she has her own set of problems too.

You learn about how she snores at night and her divorce. “Yes Please” is a collection of memories Poehler has decided to share, and everyone should keep letting her share.

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Sports

For more photos from the basketball game, visit our website

MEN’S B

SPORTS RECAP BASEBALL ODU baseball will take on Rutgers Friday, March 4. The Monarchs will face Rutgers again the very next day at 2 p.m. Both contests will be held at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.

ODU baseball looks to rebound after a tough loss to Virginia Tech. An 11 run fourth inning led to a 22-1 loss to the Hokies.

MEN’S BASKETBALL ODU men’s basketball will take on North Texas once again Thursday, March 3, but this time at North Texas. Earlier this season, the Monarchs managed a 20-point victory over the Mean Green, which featured a career day for Brandon Stith. ODU cruised to a victory on Senior Night Saturday getting a 78-56 win over UTSA.

GOLF The ODU men’s golf team finished in a three-way tie for ninth place this past Sunday at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate. Seth Sweet finished 26th out of the 116 golfers competing. Sweet placed the highest for the Monarchs for the third consecutive tournament.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ODU women’s basketball takes the court Thursday, March 3, looking to bounce back after two consecutive losses. The most recent loss came in a heartbreaking 70-67 loss to UTSA. The Lady Monarchs fell to 12-16.

Jennie Simms had a season high 39 points while grabbing five rebounds.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE Women’s lacrosse improves to 3-0 with a 10-7 win over state rival Virginia Tech. Ashmore Standing led the Lady Monarchs in scoring once again with two goals. The next contests coming up for the lacrosse team are a match against Richmond on Wednesday and a match against Liberty on Saturday, March 5.

The Monarchs defeated UTEP on Thursday, Feb. 25.

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Photos by Joshua Boone

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Sports

For updated Monarch sports coverage, visit maceandcrown.com

BASKETBALL VS. UTEP

OLD DOMINION PREVAILS OVER UTEP Lyndsey Fields Contributing Writer The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) visited the Ted Constant Center hoping to extend their sixgame winning streak on Thursday, Feb. 25, but instead were met with a tough loss to the Monarchs, 74-53.

This win puts ODU’s record at 8-6 in C-USA and UTEP at 9-6.

Old Dominion started off communicating with one another, which allowed the team to set up a fast tempo and get an early advantage, leading 13-2 in the first five minutes alone.

“We had a lot of guys helping, and everybody had each other’s backs.

That’s why we came out strong,” guard Trey Freeman said.

Forwards Brandan Stith and Denzell Taylor helped lengthen the lead with 10 points and 11 rebounds collectively, but it was freshman Zoran Talley who dominated the boards during the game and was a key player in the beginning. Talley led the team in points with 16 and was second for rebounds with 10. He was followed closely by Freeman, who was able to

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celebrate making over 2,000 career points, with the 14 points from the game.

“I’m thankful and I know I’m really blessed. I’m humbled by it,” Freeman said when asked about his 2,000 career points.

The Monarchs used an effective defense to keep UTEP out of the paint, ultimately resulting in a shooting percentage of just 26.9 percent in the first period for the visitors, although they had a small run halfway through. Old Dominion also led with assists during the first period with 9 to UTEP’s

second period.

“Stay poised, keep running the offense, get rebounds and stops and we’ll be able to get our lead back,” freshman guard Ahmad Caver said, when asked the same question. This is exactly what the Monarchs did. Old Dominion continued their strong run in the second period with the help of Caver who had 11 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

The Monarchs picked up their lead and by the end of the game, they were ahead by 21 points, leaving UTEP in the dust and breaking their winning

“That’s why we came out strong,” —Trey Freeman, guard 3. Everything seemed to fall in place during the first half for ODU. In the beginning of the second period, UTEP came back strong and cut the lead to only four points.

“What do we do?” Coach Jeff Jones said when asked his thoughts on UTEP closing the lead early in the

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streak.

“When we missed shots, we only got one. When they missed a shot they got two or three and that made a big difference in the ballgame,” UTEP’s coach Tim Floyd said.

ODU ended the game with a 19-2 run to win the contest, 74-53.

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Sports

For a full schedule of baseball games, visit odusports.com

FREEMAN, MONARCHS ROUT UTSA ON SENIOR NIGHT Rees Ward Contributing Writer Old Dominion fans celebrated their seniors’ departure in their last regular season home game and took a look at their bright future on Saturday, Feb. 27, as the Monarchs pounded the University of Texas San Antonio 78-56.

Sophomore forward Brandan Stith played the best game of his career with 21 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks. He set career highs for both points and blocks. Trey Freeman,

who appropriately won player of the game, jump-shot his way to 21 points, adding six assists and five rebounds.

Guard J.R. Harris led UTSA scoring with 17 points, while Christian Wilson posted a double-double scoring 13 and tabbing 10 assists.

UTSA started the game strong against the Monarchs’ senior-heavy starting lineup, jumping out to a sixpoint lead within the first five minutes. After a few substitutions to get back to normal rotations, the Monarchs retook the lead midway through the first half and only focused on wid-

ening the gap after that.

In postgame, Coach Jeff Jones made note that, despite a low stat-line, guard Jordan Baker also made an impact, bringing up his effective defense on the perimeter and his three steals, which turned early tides in the game.

While Aaron Bacote and Trey Freeman retained much of the spotlight during this season as the primary leaders of this year’s squad, Coach Jones had some comments for his bench seniors who he was particularly fond of.

“He’s one of those faces that can

still blend into classes cause he isn’t necessarily a superstar on this team,” Jones said of senior guard Martin Shaw. “But he is always early to practices, always “yes, sir” or “no, sir.” He’s the kind of guy every coach wants on have on his team.”

Shaw entered in for the last two and a half minutes and made the last basket of the game in dramatic fashion, crossing over his defender at the top of the key and draining a shot that brought the audience in the Ted Constant Center to its feet.

Of senior Nick Biberaj, Jones had

The Monarchs won their home-opener against the Norfolk State Spartans on Thursday, Feb. 25.

some glowing remarks for the center big man as well, describing his dedication and character as something players who played more minutes looked up to.

The Monarchs, with Saturday night’s win, are one game out from No. 4 seed in Conference USA standings and a potential bye-round in the conference tournament. They face two sub .500 teams on the road next week, playing the University of North Texas on Thursday and Rice on Saturday.

Photo by Josh Boone

ODU BASEBALL WINS HOME OPENER 5-3 AGAINST NSU Michael High Contributing Writer The Old Dominion Monarchs opened their home schedule with a 5-3 victory over cross town rival Norfolk State Spartans, Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.

“The guys did not play great,” Monarchs head coach Chris Finwood said.

Old Dominion (4-0) jumped out on top when Nick Walker drove the

first pitch he saw down the right field line for a triple. Connor Myers, who led off the game with a double, would come in to score. Jason McMurray’s two-out single gave the Monarchs a 2-0 lead when Walker came in from third.

Grey Finwood led off the second to record his first career hit. He would later score when Norfolk State (0-4) was unable to turn a double-play on a slow roller off the bat of Zach Rutherford.

Norfolk State would finally get to the Monarchs starter Joey Benitez in the fourth inning. After two quick outs, they struck for two singles, two walks and one double to cut the deficit to 3-2. Benitez would escape with the bases loaded to earn the victory.

“The guys got me an early lead,” Benitez said. “It’s early in the season and on one is in mid-season form yet.

I gave them what I had and handed it over to the bullpen.”

Monarchs regained their three run

lead when they struck for two in the bottom of the fourth.

The top of the order would set the table. Walker would work a walk after falling behind in the count and Rutherford would single and move to second when the left fielder over ran the ball on the wet turf. Kyle Beam grounded to short to score walker and Rutherford walked home on a twoout single by Kurt Sinnen.

The Spartans would tally one in the seventh inning, but that would be the

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last threat of the game. The Monarchs bullpen allowed just the one run over the final five innings.

Nick Hartman closed out the game and earned his first save of the season. He retired the final four batters, including fanning two.

McMurray and Rutherford both went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Nick Walker went 2-for-3, including a triple and an RBI.

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Technology

For updates, follow the team on Facebook: BigBlueCrew: ODU Micro-g NExT Team

TECH IN A SEC

HALF-LIFE 3 CONFIRMED?

Valve recently released a performance test for its in-house virtual reality system, SteamVR. Within the source code included with the test were references to “Half-Life 3” and “Left 4 Dead 3.” While HL3 rumors are almost a joke now, these files also reference the “quest” system rumored to be part of HL3.

“PLANET” CAN FIND THE ORIGIN OF ANY PHOTO

In another breakthrough from Google, computer vision specialists have developed a deep-learning machine that can accurately determine the location of any photo that it is shown. “PlaNet,” as it is called, uses a neural network to compare every aspect of a photo with a massive database of other photos taken from all around the world.

JAPAN CONSIDERS BITCOIN

One of Japan’s major governing party, the Liberal Democratic party, is planning to propose policies that would allow cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to be considered as regular currencies. Should the policies go into place, cryptocurrencies would be subject to regulation and taxation.

BOSTON DYNAMICS’ NEWEST ROBOT

Boston Dynamics, the robotics firm known for such robots like “Big Dog,” has unveiled its newest creation: a free-standing, two-legged robot dubbed “Atlas.”.“Atlas” is capable of completely unassisted outdoor walking, picking itself up after falls, rebalancing itself and manipulating objects with its arms.

Alec Ferley, Ian Haskin, Nathan Sivertson, Dana Lambert and Andrew Hibbs posing in frWont of Rollins Hall.

Photo by Jason Kazi

ODU JUNIORS BUILDING TOOLS FOR OUTER SPACE Jason Kazi Staff Writer

After finding out about NASA’s Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams Challenge, (Micro-g NExT) junior mechanical engineering students Alec Ferley, Ian Haskin, Nathan Sivertson, Dana Lambert and Andrew Hibbs decided they were up to the challenge of building a tool potentially helpful to future astronauts.

The team was given a choice of five challenges and ultimately chose to build an anchoring device, which could be used on the sandy, dusty surface of an asteroid. If successfully designed and built, an astronaut would be able to attach one end of the device to the surface and the other end to, well, anything.

“The goal is to inspire other students to create a consistent team on a yearly basis. ODU is covering part of our expenses. We are in the process of getting the travel funding approved,” Ferley said. “We are working with Dr. Robert Ash, a professor and eminent scholar of mechanical and aerospace engineering here at ODU. He is our faculty adviser and has a lot of experi-

“Our skills from classes have been quite helpful for the project.”

—Alec Ferley, Engineering Student ence working with NASA.” Prior competing in the challenge, the team had to submit a proposal exceeding 40 pages. The judges were particularly interested in their proposal because of the use of an epoxy,

GORILLA LOOSE ON ISS

Scott Kelly, commander of the international space station, tweeted a video of a “gorilla attack” aboard the ISS. His twin brother and retired astronaut Mark Kelly sent a gorilla suit in a care package for fun. Hopefully, the ISS will survive the “attack.”

Photo by Alec Ferley

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a cement-like mixture, as part of their anchor. When the epoxy mixes with water, it solidifies within thirty seconds.

The team has benefited from their enrollment at one of the highestranking engineering schools in the state.

“Our skills from classes have been quite helpful for the project. We’ve

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used programs like Inventor and AutoCAD to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional renderings of what we are trying to design. We’ve used MATLAB to calculate the different characteristics we are looking for and the dimensions of the anchor.

We’ve used skills and knowledge obtained from our physics and basic engineering courses, as well,” Ferley said.

The team will be testing their equipment at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, Texas next month. The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory is a 40-feet deep pool where astronauts train for spacewalks.

The tools designed for Micro-g NExT address the authentic, current space exploration problem of asteroid sample collection for NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission. This mission involves humans visiting a portion of an asteroid, which will be brought

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into lunar orbit. Upon successful testing, the student-designed tools could be used by astronauts for future training as NASA prepares for the mission.

While Haskin is the only group member with experience with NASA, all of the group’s members hope to work for NASA one day.

“I would love to work for NASA because they have a history of innovation that they’ve started, and it’s really cool to be a part of that legacy.

SpaceX, like what Elon Musk has started, is getting really interesting because I’ve always thought that private sector innovation can if not outpace government projects, definitely challenge it,” Ferley said.

Other regional schools participating in the challenge include University of Maryland at College Park, Virginia Tech and West Virginia University.

Micro-g NExT is managed by the Johnson Space Center Office of Education. The program helps support the agency’s education policy of using NASA’s unique missions and programs to engage and encourage students to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers.

To learn more about Micro-g NExT, visit: http://microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov.

For information on ODU’s design team through social media updates, follow: Big Blue Crew: ODU Micro-g NExT Team on Facebook.

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Technology

To write for the Tech section, visit our website: maceandcrown.com

Image provided by VAAC Army

Stan Wong Offers Voice-Activated Ad-Blocking Ross Reelachart Technology Editor One of the greatest challenges facing both users and creators on the Internet today is the challenge of advertising. Content creators often rely on ad revenue on their sites and videos to make a living, but audiences would rather avoid ads whenever possible. Stan Wong hopes that he has a new alternative to traditional ad blocker software. His new app is called “VAAC Army,” and it might offer a compromise for content creators, audiences and advertisers.

Stan Wong, unlike many other mobile app developers, was not a computer person from the beginning. Born in Singapore, schooled in England and Ft. Worth, TX; Wong found his interests lay more in film making after being in the real estate business. In pursuit of his own film, Wong was struck with the impetus that would eventually lead to developing his app.

“As I sat and researched on the Internet for my first film script, I realized that I was watching the same pre roll ads over and over again. I told myself that there must be a more efficient way for advertisers to get their message across while promot-

ing their product,” Wong said, recalling the conception of VAAC Army.

The concept behind VAAC Army was a response to current ad blocking software. Where existing ad blockers completely remove ads from a website, and thus deprive content creators of their usual source of income, VAAC Army would be a less “sledgehammer” approach.

When used, VAAC Army would allow users the option of accelerating through ads by using their voice, usually speaking the product’s name or some kind of message. Ideally, this would create a happy medium for all parties. Users would be able to get to their content faster. Advertisers would be satisfied with the audience engagement. Content creators would be able to receive their income from not having ads blocked completely.

Wong is aware of the tension between the parties.

“Being a content creator and a supporter of content creators, we see the internet slowly being ravaged by ad blockers on one side and irresponsible advertising on the other,” Wong said of promoting a more sustainable ad-based business model.

According to PageFair, a website that collects data about ad blockers, ad blocking cost publishers an estimated $22 billion in 2015. The

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usage of ad blockers also grew by 41 percent in 2015, on top of the overall growth and losses caused by ad blocking, which has continued to increase over the years.

No website based off of ad revenue is safe from ad blocking, yet users can hardly be blamed for their pervasive usage of the software. The rise of ad blockers has forced a range of responses from businesses. Some websites are asking users to buy a subscription to view content without ads, though some continue to let users view content anyway. Others, like Forbes, block users entirely from the website until the blocker is disabled. Wong believes the VAAC Army is the best solution to the “battlefield we call the Internet”, as he feels that there is “no other way to insure that the users are engaging with the ads while at the same time skipping them.”

While learning about VAAC Army, I was struck with a sense of foreboding regarding the app. Advertising is a common aspect of modern life, and to assume that modern society and business can function without it is a little naive. However, I was wary of the image that VAAC Army conjured in my mind. I did not like the idea of a world where the public parrots taglines and brand

names out loud just to watch videos or read online articles. It was bad enough that ads inundate nearly every part of life. But to hear it audibly from the people was distressing.

Wong’s response to my concerns was far more reasonable than my bout of paranoia. “[Skipping ads by reading a message] is a choice the user will have to make. VAAC Army does not force users to do anything. Unlike ad blockers or intrusive advertising, who both force you to do one or the other.” Wong said in a reasonable defense of VAAC Army.

Even more reasonable than his response to my fears, Wong acknowledged that the extremes of “advertisers versus users” was toxic to the usefulness of the Internet.

“The internet is an invaluable tool that we can’t just give up on. I feel

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that there is a lack of trust amongst all parties mentioned and the way to move forward is for all to let our guards down a little and trust each other,” Wong said.

In the end, the battle to save the Internet will require one side to be more responsible with the number and intrusiveness of their ads, and the other to be more willing to accept ads as a way to support their favorite content. Until that happy medium is found, Wong hopes that his VAAC Army app make tension less fierce and digital life more habitable for all involved.

VAAC Army is available on Apple devices through the app store. To access it on Android, first download the Amazon Underground app and then download the app through there.

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Technology

To read more about Treepods, visit shiftboston.org

Mitigating Climate Change with Technology Audra Reigle Contributing Writer Although an accepted phenomenon, many people have their doubts about global warming being as threatening as it’s made out to be. Research from William Happer at Princeton University showed “a doubling of CO2 will only cause a 0.6 degress celsius warming,” according to Breitbart. Despite the varying opinions, we know that machines and robots are being developed to help combat the high amounts of carbon dioxide in the air.

To help keep temperatures from reaching dangerous levels, massive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) can be removed from the air, according to CNN. However, while it

is possible to suck carbon from the air, it’s not easy. There are two important factors: where the carbon would be stored and how much it will cost.

With a machine developed by scientists at Arizona State University, the removed CO2 can be used to create manufactured goods and buildings.

The director of ASU’s Center for Negative Carbon Emissions, Dr. Klaus Lackner, is working with a team of ASU scientists to create such a CO2-sucking machine. The contraption looks like a large box with a large sail. When air flows over these sails, they will catch CO2.

When the sail gets wet, the CO2 will be released and harvested for immediate use or storage. The device is currently being developed for use

in greenhouses at ASU, but it’s possible other CO2-pulling machines could created after this one.

In a different effort to lower CO2 levels, a group called SHIFTBoston is developing Treepods, according to Gizmag. Treepods are man-made trees designed to clean the air. These Treepods would be planted around Boston to not only help reduce CO2 levels in the city, but provide

Treepods would have two sources of power: first, through solar power and second, through kinetic energy from a man-operated play device attached to the tree.

However, the air isn’t the only thing polluted in this world. Water sources have their own share of pollution. To solve this, a tiny robot has been developed to paddle through the water and eat waste, according

To help keep temperatures from reaching dangerous levels... light as well. They would be made with recycled materials, such as the plastic used to make water bottles.

to Popular Science. By consuming waste and feeding the bacteria inside of it, the “row-bot” gains electricity

to power the device until all of the waste is gone. It was presented at an international conference in Hamburg, Germany in October 2015. It was presented as a device that would not be completely reliant on humans to recharge it. A person would be able to just drop it in the water and wait until all of the waste is gone.

With the looming threat of global warming, these new technologies could change it affects our future.

Not only would these devices clear pollution from air and water, but it’s possible they could allows us to manufacture goods and increase the availability of them. Overall, these technologies could create a better world for us and reduce the risk of climate change and global warming.

Boston Treepods is an urban intervention which contains a system that is capable of removing carbon dioxide from the air and releasing oxygen using a carbon dioxide removal process called “humidity swing.”

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Opinion

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Read more of student opinions online at maceandcrown.com

Army ROTC: The Hidden Gem at Old Dominion Dylan Macdonald Contributing Writer It’s 5 a.m. and we’re rolling out of bed. At a school where it isn’t uncommon to find students going out on weekdays and sleeping in late, we’re getting the short end of the stick. After a night of studying or planning for future events, we’re up at the crack of dawn and ready to train.

The Old Dominion University Army ROTC program, known as the “Monarch Battalion,” consists of more than 100 cadets spanning from freshman to seniors with the majority of cadets actively participating in physical training (PT), labs, volunteer events and extra training. To the rest of ODU, our program is underrated at best, and disrespected at worst.

Most students I’ve spoken to about ROTC at ODU regarding the Army and Navy programs seem to associate us with being the “fake” or “want-to-be” military and don’t understand why we choose this path. They’re ignorant to what our true purpose is, and we don’t hold it against them.

Let’s face it, most people only see us in our uniforms walking around campus or at Whitehurst Beach conducting tactics lanes, which can look rather silly and confusing.

What they don’t see, however, are the countless hours of studying and training that it takes to be a successful cadet in either program.

To be straightforward, we are training to become the future leadership of the U.S. Army. This is the same aspiration cadets from the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the Virginia Military Institute and the Citadel have as well. All

of contracting into the program.

When you’re a freshman, it seems like an impossible task. In order to contract, you have to actively participate in the program, which means consistently attending PT, labs and volunteer events.

For a first semester freshman, it is a huge sacrifice. Unless you have acquired a scholarship prior to entering the program, you are committing yourself to a massive workload that most 18-year-old students are unprepared for. The workload consists of waking up early in the morning to work out three out of

For a first semester freshman, it was a huge sacrifice. cadets from all universities are held to the same unwavering, daunting standards, which seem to define who we are as people and future officers.

For the class of 2017, there are currently 23 cadets. Upon entering ODU in the fall of 2013, there were between 75 and 85 cadets in our class, all with the same goal

five days a week, attending classes throughout the day and studying to attain a high GPA early on.

This routine is “average” for some cadets though. Others are going above and beyond what they’re doing in order to have the “college experience” every freshman wants. It isn’t uncommon to see many cadets in the program engaging in a variety

of extracurricular activities such as intramural sports, Greek life, community service and involvement in religious services. Everyone brings a different outlook to this program much like every soldier brings a different experience to the Army.

Flash forward two years later: the shaky and apprehensive freshmen are now leaders in the program.

Most of the cadets in this class carry a 3.0 GPA or higher and are leaders in a variety of other organizations as well. The anxiety of how the future will play out is still present, but contracting seems easy compared to what the new goals are.

The Army is downsizing, but the Middle East is still in turmoil and does not appear to be getting better anytime soon. Our class, like thousands of others, is ready to play our part in the upcoming conflicts, but attaining “active duty” and being leading soldiers also seems like an impossible task.

Of nearly 6,000 cadets across the nation, less than 50 percent will achieve “active duty” leaving the other few thousand to find positions in the Army reserve and National Guard units. These are less than satisfactory odds, which can leave

Eye for an Eye, Life for a Life

Ziad Haboush Contributing Writer Why is the death penalty one of the world’s most convoluted problems? I have written multiple papers on the death penalty and because of the research I have done on capital punishment, I feel very knowledgeable on the subject. The death penalty, otherwise known as capital punishment, has always been extremely controversial and has amassed multiple opinions and views over the years. This paper will focus solely on why we should continue to carry out the death penalty and a few reasons why it should be supported. Capital punishment is not only a necessary and crucial

part of our criminal system, but a way to balance the wrong doings– hence the title “Eye for an Eye; Life for a Life.” The death penalty is a way to handle severe and extreme crimes and prevent crimes when used as a scare tactic, all while maintaining strong popularity in the face of opposition.

When the crimes committed by a criminal exceed the punishment of any amount of time in jail, the death sentence is used as the next and final level of punishment. The criminal is sentenced to death in hopes that it will help find retribution for whomever was effected by the heinous crimes committed. This logic is best represented by Hammurabi’s Code: An Eye for an Eye. Hammurabi’s Code is an ancient set

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of rules from Mesopotamia, which can be seen in modern day laws and trials. As stated in an article written

by J. Budziszewski, “Retribution is the primary purpose of just punishment as such,” which means to some the only way to receive retribution for a wrong doing by another is to give a punishment of equal value.

The death sentence also doubles as a scare tactic that helps prevent crimes from happening altogether.

For example, when someone is put in a situation in which they find themselves thinking or planning on murdering someone, they automatically start to consider the repercussions and immediately think of the most severe and extreme punishment, capital punishment. When in comparison to the life in jail sen-

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tence, a criminal fears the death sentence significantly more. This is the reason why criminals fight to receive the life in jail sentence over the death sentence in court. Therefore, it is one of the most effective deterrents to murder ever created, and it “may save innocent lives.”

Even though more organizations are being formed to abolish the death penalty, the overall support of the death penalty has been steadily increasing the past 14 years. This proves how a growing majority of the public supports the death penalty and agrees that it helps create a safer and more crime free community.

Every bit of information mentioned in the above text helps solidify and secure the notion that the

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many cadets questioning why they wanted to join Army ROTC in the first place.

We loo back to when we were freshman and feeling the weight of the standards set before us. We remember that the previous classes have gone through the program have also had the same doubts and aspirations that we have had. They were able to put these negative feelings aside to accomplish what they worked four years for, and so will we.

The pressure cadets face in our program defines them. It’s what motivates us to spend hours each night studying for classes while our friends are out drinking. It’s what drives us to wake up at the crack of dawn to lead four-mile runs and other physically demanding workouts. It gives us pride to put on our uniforms and walk around campus to show all the other students that we go above and beyond to attain what we want and won’t stop because of negative influences.

Upon our graduation, we will become lieutenants in the most effective Army in the world, and no one will sway us from accomplishing our dreams.

death sentence should continue to be carried out and supported in today’s law. It is a valuable component towards fighting and preventing crime. The death penalty also proves how useful it is for deterring and handling criminals. It has continued to maintain a strong popularity while being attacked by abolitionists organizations. There is an abundance of information defending the necessity and effectiveness of the death penalty, so to get rid of it would be disastrous. This leaves no other option but to continue carrying out and using the death penalty in today’s court rooms and criminal trials.

M&C| WEDNESDAY | 3.2.2016| MACEANDCROWN.COM

Faux News

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Presidential Hopeful Donald Trump Gets High Score at Local Arcade George Plank Staff Writer After his visit to Regent University, presidential candidate Donald Trump decided to take in some of the local attractions and connect with Virginia Beach citizens on a more personal level. While at the oceanfront boardwalk, Trump decided to take a break from shaking hands and visited Flipper McCoy’s, a local arcade.

Once in the arcade, Trump demonstrated he was clearly in his element. After getting change for a hundred-dollar bill in quarters, Trump demonstrated his very adept skills on the ma-

chines in the arcade. He showed a surprising prowess on nearly every machine in the building, easily getting through most of the maps in “Cruis’n World,” defeating a majority of the enemies on the “Mortal Kombat 4” cabinet, and earning an astounding 100 percent hit ratio on “Galaga.”

The only machine that showed the presidential hopeful any trouble was the corner claw machine.

“Now watch this!” Trump said, excitedly fiddling with the joystick. “I’m going to get the biggest stuffed animal in there, and it’s going to be huge!”

Despite his best efforts, however, he was un-

Creative

able to get even a single prize from the machine.

“This machine is dumb, and only losers like it,” Trump said with his head down.

Later in the afternoon, Trump finally made his way to the only “Pac-Man” machine in the building. He demonstrated an incredible amount of skill and ability, expertly moving the joystick with precision.

“I’ve always liked Pac-Man,” Trump said during his play session. “He’s doing all he can to prevent invaders from destroying his way of life. This is actually where I got the idea to build the wall from. Don’t worry, Pac. We’re going to make Pac-Land great again.”

After all was said and done, Trump had a

score numbering in the millions and easily topped the high-score board on the machine.

“See, what did I tell you?” Trump said. “I know this game backwards and forwards. I honestly could beat Billy Mitchell if I wasn’t too busy.”

Trump then took the time to enter his initials into the machine: G-O-D. One of his supporters that had gathered to see the incredible display suggested that he make an attempt at the Ms. Pac-Man high score.

“Ms. Pac-Man is a loser,” Trump said, “a real loser. She’s a fat pig and a disgusting animal.”

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Steve Sack Super Tuesday themed campaign cartoon by cartoonist Steve Sack

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