WEDNESDAY | 9.9.2015 | MACEANDCROWN.COM | Vol. 58, Issue 2
38 - 34 VICTORY OVER EMU! Zack Chavis| ODU Football starts off their 2015-2016 season with a win over Eastern Michigan
Celebrating 95 Years of Voting Women Jessica Perkins Staff Writer In the front lobby of the Webb Center, the Women’s Center and the League of Women Voters celebrated in preparation for the 95th anniversary of Women’s Equality Day by handing out information on women’s achievements and the cause for gender equality, and by helping the female student body learn about and register to vote. In 1971 the U.S. Congress designated August 26th as “Women’s Equality Day” to commemorate the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution: a woman’s right to vote. It has been 167 years since The Woman Suffrage Movement officially began, 95 years since American women were granted the right to vote and in 2015 American
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women are still striving to reach true gender equality. “Since this historic achievement, our country has made great progress in building a freer and fairer society, and we continue striving to fully realize justice and equality for all,” President Barack Obama said in his Women’s Equality Day 2015 proclamation. “There is still more to do to secure the promise of our Nation for everyone, including ensuring that women have equal opportunities to participate in the classroom, the economy, the workplace, and our democracy. From day one, my Administration has carried forward the torch of gender equality, working tirelessly to ensure that all of America’s daughters have the same rights as her sons.” “As we celebrate the last 95 years
of progress in advancing women’s rights, let us rededicate ourselves to the idea that our Nation is not yet complete: there is still work to do to secure the blessings of our country for every American daughter,” President Obama said. Some ways for Old Dominion students specifically to help promote gender equality and advocacy for women include joining the “It’s On Us” campaign where students can sign a pledge to prevent, and stop sexual assault, and by getting involved with the Women’s Center, located in the Webb Center, which offers programs and services designed to promote gender equality and address issues and challenges unique to women.
What’s Inside: Interview with ODU’s Doug Finesse B1 The Mace & Crown
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Face In The Mace Mace & Crown Staff : Sean Davis Editor-in-Chief editorinchief@maceandcrown.com David Thornton Copy Editor Dthor013@odu.edu Josh Whitener News Editor news@maceandcrown.com Amy Poulter Arts & Entertainment Editor artsandentertainment@maceandcrown. com Zachary Chavis Photography Editor photo@maceandcrown.com Ross Reelachart Technology Editor technology@maceandcrown.com
Sabrina Brooks Senior Graphic Designer sbroo029@odu.edu Jason Kazi Advertising and Business Manager advertising@maceandcrown.com Jugal Patel Digital Editor jpate016@odu.edu
Staff Writers: Alex Brooks Alyse Stanley Amy Poulter George Plank Jasmine Blackwell Jessica Perkins Josh Whitener Libby Marshall Michael High Matt O’Brien Ross Reelachart
Staff Photographers: Dawit Samson Jason Kazi Joshua Boone Joshua Caudell Nicolas Nemtala Schyler Shafer Shamon Jones
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 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. Phone: 757-683-3452
Hashtag #ODU to see your face in the Mace.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Trigger Warning: This article contain information about sexual assault, which may be triggering to survivors. Sean Davis Editor-in-Chief
Dear Reader,
Well… It’s safe to say the world knows Old Dominion University is a thing. It took years and who knows how much money to get our first football game televised nationally, just last year, and somehow one picture of bed sheets spread across THE WORLD in a couple days! At least we won the PR battle. President Broderick as well as Student Engagement and Enrollment Services and the Student Government were proactive and smart with their statements even before local media picked up the story. SGA issued a video statement and used the opportunity to push their Monarch Keepers initiative. President Broderick went so far as to deem the banners intolerable. Even the fraternity involved, Sigma Nu, condemned what Executive Director Brad Beacham called “the derogatory and demeaning language,” promising an investigation complete with accountability. We learned a lot about how the media hype machine works too, watching as the picture spread like a California wildfire; from WAVY-TV to the Huffington Post to Buzzfeed, to the BBC. It was surreal to see Fox News hosts arguing over whether it was a harmless joke, YouTube personalities mocking the whole thing, and an unfathomable amount of internet comments demanding that heads roll. And just like that, just as quickly as it set the Internet ablaze, it was all gone. “Old Dominion University” went from the top trending story on Facebook to not even ranked within a few hours. Did we learn anything from all of this? That, dear reader, is what worries me. Robby Soave, in Reason, wrote, “I struggle to grasp what was even so monstrous about the banners. ‘Hope your baby is ready for a good time, oh, mom too!’ is certainly crude and in bad taste. But no specific person is being maligned, threatened, or disparaged. Some frat brothers are eager to have sex with girls—is this surprising?” I can’t blame him. I didn’t see an adequate explanation of how exactly these banners contributed to “rape culture” or misogyny – not in a single article, not in a single TV segment, not in any condemning statements by important people. That is the blatant institutional failure I see; not that the banners were hung, or that the media blew the story out of proportion, but that we were given a great opportunity to explain, not just to our campus community, but to the nation, why words like these hurt all of us, and nobody in a position to do so did. First, in examining this issue, I want to be clear that I’m not directing this solely at the members of Sigma NU’s ODU chapter. I think they’ve had more than enough vitriol and criticism. Besides, what they did is a symptom of our culture, of college culture, of how we really view women and girls. It didn’t happen in a vacuum. To condemn what they did without also actively working to better ourselves and make the world a more fair and just place is patently hypocritical. So, seriously, what was so bad about “freshman daughter drop off,” “Hope your baby girl is ready for a good time,” and “Go ahead and drop off mom too?” For context, sexual assault is at an epidemic level in the United States: . One in six women will experience sexual assault in her life. . Between one in four and One in five women that attend college will experience sexual assault. . The first six weeks of freshman year are the most likely time for a female student to experience sexual assault . It’s estimated that less than five percent of university-related sexual assaults are reported . It’s estimated that 97 percent of rapists will never spend time in jail, and they tend to be serial offenders. . The second most common insurance claim filed against fraternities is sexual assault. We live in a society that discourages, devalues and objectifies females and it’s important to acknowledge that fact when we talk about gender issues. The idea that we have “rape culture” is that we, as a society, minimalize, trivialize or ignore rape; that we tell girls not to look a certain way or go certain places instead of telling boys not to view and treat girls a certain way. Upsettingrapeculture.com explains, “Rape culture includes jokes, TV, music, advertising, legal jargon, laws, words and imagery, that make violence against women and sexual coercion seem so normal that people believe that rape is inevitable. Rather than viewing the culture of rape as a problem to change, people in a rape culture think about the persistence of rape as ‘just the way things are.'” It’s the practice of us, as individuals, small groups, or even institutions covering up rape instead of bringing it to light in order to protect our reputations. It’s Daniel Tosh telling an offended audience member that it would be funny to see her “raped by like, five guys,” in 2011 and only becoming more famous. It’s countless fraternity chapters that still think it’s OK to chant, “No means yes, yes means anal.” It’s one in three college males admitting that they would commit rape if they knew it wouldn’t come back to haunt them. These issues, of course, don’t just negatively impact females. Male rape is a real issue, and it too is more prevalent in college settings. Our ideas of what men should be are also problematic and inherently unrealistic. The insecurity and feelings of inadequacy that result chip away at our own capacity for empathy and reinforce our unnecessarily competitive culture. What if we really did view women as equals; as capable, intelligent, and independent; valued for more than their appearance and sexuality? Would we use words like “bitch,” “slut” and “whore” to describe them in conversation? Would we support music and TV programming that diminishes their humanity? Would we show fathers where to drop off their daughters and wives for “a good time,” as if that’s all they’re good for? Would they be able to walk the streets without fear? Would partygoers ever allow a predatory guy to carry an unconscious girl away without intervening? Would we still allow situations to arise in which a girl is put in a vulnerable situation ever? If we understood the debilitating harm that rape and sexual assault cause, would we put anything else ahead of preventing it? Six percent of college males are rapists. They live, study, work and party among us. In our own words and actions, we must destroy any notion that rape is anything less than a heinous crime. It is not funny. It is not the victim’s fault. It is a big deal. In closing I’d like to quote Adrienne Lafrance’s piece in the Atlantic: “That the dust-up at Old Dominion made international headlines may indicate the outrage cycle is ever-churning and the bawdy tastes of cable news are unflinching—but it also hints at something worthwhile: that how women feel might finally be worthy of attention, and even corrective action, on college campuses and in wider culture.” May we all be the change we need to see.
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For even more campus crime information, visit Maceandcrown.com.
CRIME LOG
Date/Time Recorded
Date/ Time Occurred
Location
Category
Incident No.
Disposition
08/15/2015 6:21pm
08/15/2015 5:50pm - 6:22pm
1000 Blk West 38th Street
False ID to Police
2015-ODU000738
Arrest 08/17/2015
08/16/2015 1:34pm
08/16/2015 1:00pm - 1:30pm
4100 Blk Hampton Blvd
Larceny
2015-ODU000740
Active 08/17/2015
08/16/2015 4:05pm
08/12/2015 3:00pm 08/16/2015 10:00am
1200 Blk West 41st Street
Larceny
2015-ODU000741
Active 08/17/2015
08/17/2015 6:15am
08/17/2015 2:30am
100 Blk West 39th Street
Robbery
2015-ODU000742
Arrest 08/17/2015
08/17/2015 6:15pm
08/04/2015 5:00pm 08/17/2015 3:00pm
1000 Blk West 45th Street
Larceny
2015-ODU000744
Active 08/18/2015
08/17/2015 9:00pm - 08/18/2015 9:00am
08/18/2015 12:26pm
1000 Blk 49th Street
Larceny
2015-ODU000748
Active 08/24/2015
08/18/2015 12:19am
08/17/2015 12:01am 08/18/2015 12:01am
1300 Blk West 42nd Street
Computer Trespass
2015-ODU000747
Active 08/18/2015
08/18/2015 4:09pm
08/17/2015 11:30pm 08/18/2015 9:30am
1300 Blk W 38th Street
Hit and Run - Property Damage
2015-ODU000750
Active 08/24/2015
08/18/2015 5:32pm
08/18/2015 8:50am 08/18/2015 5:20pm
1000 Blk 45th Street
Hit and Run - Property Damage
2015-ODU000751
Active 08/24/2015
08/21/2015 9:34pm
08/21/2015 9:34pm
1000 Blk W 41st St
Intimidation
2015-ODU000758
Judicial referral 08/25/2015
08/21/2015 11:11pm
08/21/2015 10:11pm - 10:22pm
4700 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Narcotics Violation
2015-ODU000759
Judicial referral 08/25/2015
08/21/2015 12:34pm
08/21/2015 12:34pm
4600 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Hit and Run - Property Damage
2015-ODU000756
Active 08/25/2015
08/21/2015 7:47pm
08/21/2015 7:47pm
1000 Blk 49th Street
Narcotics Violation
2015-ODU000757
Judicial referral 08/25/2015
08/22/2015 7:29pm
08/22/2015 7:29pm
4700 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Burglary
2015-ODU000766
Active 08/25/2015
08/22/2015 9:40pm
08/22/2015 9:40pm
4700 Blk Powhatan Ave
Narcotics Violation
2015-ODU000769
Judicial referral 08/25/2015
08/22/2015 11:12pm
08/21/2015 11:12pm
1000 Blk 39th Street
Public Intoxication
2015-ODU000760
Arrest 08/25/2015
08/22/2015 3:20pm
08/22/2015 3:20pm
4700 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Narcotics Violation
2015-ODU000762
Judicial referral 08/25/2015
08/22/2015 5:43pm
08/22/2015 1:15am - 2:00am
4100 Blk Monarch Way
Larceny
2015-ODU000764
Active 08/25/2015
08/22/2015 5:47pm
08/22/2015 5:30pm - 5:48pm
1000 Blk 43rd Street
Narcotics Violation
2015-ODU000763
Judicial referral 08/25/2015
08/23/2015 12:23am
08/22/2015 11:35pm
1200 Blk W 45th Street
Public Intoxication
2015-ODU000771
Arrest 08/25/2015
08/23/2015 1:04am
08/23/2015 01:04am - 01:21am
4600 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Liquor Law Violation
2015-ODU000772
Arrest 08/25/2015
08/23/2015 12:50pm
08/23/2015 12:48pm - 12:49pm
4600 Blk Powhatan Ave
Narcotics Violation
2015-ODU000774
Judicial referral 08/25/2015
08/23/2015 5:29pm
08/23/2015 5:29pm
4700 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Weapons Violation
2015-ODU000775
Judicial referral 08/25/2015
08/23/2015 8:50pm
08/16/2015 3:00pm 08/23/2015 8:00pm
4600 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Harassing Communication
2015-ODU000776
Active 08/25/2015
08/23/2015 9:48pm
08/23/2015 8:32pm
4700 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Narcotics Violation
2015-ODU000777
Judicial referral 08/25/2015
08/24/2015 3:00pm - 08/25/2015 8:00am
08/25/2015 3:42pm
4600 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Larceny
2015-ODU000790
Active 08/26/2015
08/24/2015 6:37pm
08/24/2015 6:37pm
1700 Blk 48th St
Harassing Communication
2015-ODU000780
Judicial referral 08/26/2015
08/24/2015 7:51pm
08/23/2015 8:00pm - 08/24/2015 6:46pm
1000 Blk W 41st Street
Larceny
2015-ODU000782
Active 08/26/2015
08/24/2015 6:01pm
08/24/2015 3:49pm-5:45pm
4700 Blk Powhatan Ave
Larceny
2015-ODU000779
Active 08/26/2015
08/25/2015 3:23pm
08/25/2015 3:23pm
43rd / Hampton Blvd.
Traffic Offense
2015-ODU000789
Active 08/26/2015
08/25/2015 8:19pm
08/25/2015 5:15pm
1200 Blk 43rd Street
Larceny
2015-ODU000793
Active 08/26/2015
08/25/2015 10:45am
08/25/2015 10:45am
1700 Blk 48th St
Trespassing
2015-ODU000785
Active 08/26/2015
08/25/2015 1:00pm - 3:50pm
08/25/2015 3:50pm
1000 Blk 45th Street
Hit and Run - Property Damage
2015-ODU000791
Active 08/26/2015
08/25/2015 9:18pm
08/25/2015 6:50pm - 9:12pm
1300 Blk W 43rd Street
Hit and Run - Property Damage
2015-ODU000794
Active 08/27/2015
08/26/2015 4:33pm
08/25/2015 8:30am
4600 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Larceny
2015-ODU000799
Active 08/27/2015
08/26/2015 7:36pm
08/24/2015 10:00pm - 08/25/2015 11:00am
4600 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Larceny
2015-ODU000801
Active 08/27/2015
08/26/2015 7:41am
08/26/2015 7:41pm
1700 Blk 48th Street
Narcotics Violation
2015-ODU000802
Arrest 08/27/2015
08/26/2015 9:21am
08/25/2015 1:20pm-1:21pm
4700 Blk Hampton Blvd.
Larceny
2015-ODU000796
Active 08/27/2015
08/27/2015
08/27/2015 6:34pm - 6:41pm
1000 Blk West 49th St
Intimidation
2015-ODU000813
Judicial referral 08/31/2015
08/27/2015
08/27/2015 10:00pm
1500 Blk 43rd Street
Harassing Communication
2015-ODU000814
Judicial referral 08/31/2015
08/28/2015
08/27/2015 7:00pm-9:20pm
1000 Blk 45th Street
Hit and Run - Property Damage
2015-ODU-000817
Active 09/01/2015
08/28/2015
08/28/2015 3:08pm
1000 Blk W. 38th St
Vandalism
2015-ODU-000819
Active 09/01/2015
08/28/2015
08/28/2015 3:50pm-3:55pm
4700 Blk Elkhorn Ave.
Narcotics Violation
2015-ODU-000820
Judicial referral 09/01/2015
08/28/2015
08/28/2015 9:09pm
1000 Blk 49th Street
Narcotics Violation
2015-ODU-000821
Judicial referral 09/01/2015
08/29/2015
08/29/2015 12:19am-12:31am
1500 Blk Melrose Pw
Liquor Law Violation
2015-ODU-000823
Clear by Arrest 09/01/2015
08/29/2015
08/29/2015 12:30am
1000 Blk 49th Street
Liquor Law Violation
2015-ODU-000824
Active 09/01/2015
08/29/2015
08/29/2015 3:24am
08/29/2015
08/26/2015 4:00pm
4900 Blk Bluestone Ave.
Weapons Violation
2015-ODU-000825
Active 09/01/2015
Hit and Run - Property Damage
2015-ODU-000826
Active 09/01/2015
08/29/2015
08/29/2015 3:08pm
1000 Blk 39th Street
Hit and Run - Property Damage
2015-ODU-000827
Active 09/01/2015
08/30/2015
08/30/2015 2:09am
4300 Blk Elkhorn Ave
Larceny
2015-ODU-000829
Active 09/01/2015
08/30/2015
08/30/2015 2:04am
4700 Blk Hampton Blvd
Assault - Simple
2015-ODU-000830
Active 09/01/2015
08/30/2015
08/29/2015 7:30pm 08/30/2015 10:00am
1400 Blk Melrose Pkwy
Vandalism
2015-ODU-000831
Active 09/01/2015
08/30/2015
08/29/2015 4:00pm 08/30/2015 2:30pm
1400 Blk 43rd Street
Hit and Run - Property Damage
2015-ODU-000832
Active 09/01/2015
08/31/2015
08/30/2015 1:57pm
1000 Blk 46th Street
Vandalism
2015-ODU-000833
Active 09/03/2015
08/31/2015
08/30/2015 5:00pm
4600 Blk Powhatan Ave.
Vandalism
2015-ODU-000834
Active 09/03/2015
08/31/2015
08/30/2015 7:00pm - 9:30pm
1000 Blk 43rd Street
Burglary
2015-ODU-000835
Active 09/03/2015
08/31/2015
08/30/2015 10:00pm - 10:30pm
1400 Blk 49th Street
Assault - Simple
2015-ODU-000837
Active 09/03/2015
The Mace & Crown
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Clean Up & Cook Out Students get Involved in Local Community
Josh Boone | Family members of William Chapman II come together to speak at candle light vigil
Calls for Justice Heard at NAACP Black Lives Matter Vigil Amy Poulter Staff Writer The student-run chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People held a candlelight vigil in support of the Black Lives Matter movement on the evening of September 1 at Old Dominion University. Over 100 students and faculty members gathered on the dimly lit steps outside Webb Center, holding tea light candles and comforting their peers. Fliers were passed out detailing the deaths of AfricanAmerican citizens throughout the nation whose names have been spread across social media using #BlackLivesMatter. “We’re here to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives due to police brutality,” said Samantha Conyers, President of the NAACP chapter at ODU. The national Black Lives Matter movement was created in 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the Florida man who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Though the case hasn’t gathered as much national media attention, a local 18-year-old, unarmed man, William Chapman II, was fatally shot by Stephen Rankin, a Portsmouth police officer in April. Chapman had walked to a local Wal-Mart near his home early in the morning on April 22. After several hours had passed and Chapman had not returned home, his mother, Sallie Chapman called the police station. After verifying Chapman’s information, she was informed of his death. The teen’s mother and cousin, Earl Lewis, spoke to vigil attendants about the importance of taking action in their communities. Shortly after Lewis began, the microphone system failed. “The microphones aren’t working, but guess what? I am. My voice will be heard tonight,” Lewis said. Lewis recounted his cousin’s last moments as Chapman’s mother sat quietly in the background. As Lewis paced along the wide steps, his voice rang out over Kauffman mall. “In our neighborhoods, we
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hurt each other. It’s time to stop,” Lewis said. “And as long as we hurt each other, other people think they can do it, too.” Chapman’s mother shared similar sentiments. “You’re innocent until you’re proven guilty. You don’t just take someone’s life,” she said. “But that’s what this officer did.” Chapman’s family was anxiously awaiting the decision of the Portsmouth grand jury on whether Rankin would be indicted. “We have faith,” Lewis said. “We just want justice. That’s what this is all about.” Two days later, the grand jury released their decision, and Rankin was indicted for firstdegree murder. Floetic Movement, an ODU spoken word and poetry group, and student Rivers Taylor performed during the vigil, lending their talents to the cause. Montae Taylor, an ODU student and NAACP member, ended the vigil by uniting his peers and calling them to action.
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Robert Williams Contributing Writer A group of more than 60 Old Dominion students and community members made their way to the ODU Community Cleanup and Cookout this Saturday, an event hosted as part of the university’s Week of Welcome. The goal was to get students and the surrounding members of the community more involved in ODU’s surrounding neighborhood. “The Week of Welcome event helps dip students’ toes into service,” Lacy Jaudon, coordinator for Engagement and Leadership Involvement, said. Jaudon and her team gathered the volunteers in Kaufman Mall while Kevin DuBois, recycling coordinator for Norfolk, explained what should and should not be recycled, the importance of safety gloves and the danger of certain trash. “There is lot of contamination with what you can and cannot recycle. Do not pick up broken glass or exposed needles,” DuBois said. The volunteers then split up into groups and went out to local neighborhoods that Recycling Perks had classified as low recycling areas, such as Bollin and Powhatan, 50th street,
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Melrose, 42nd and Elkhorn, and 42nd and Bluestone. A resident on Melrose thanked some of the volunteers for helping keep the area clean and spreading awareness. After ten full bags of trash and recyclables were filled everyone met up at Whitehurst field for food and refreshments. There they handed out water bottles, shirts and few other types of merchandise for prizes. “They put out a real good event. Got this nice swag. Got a lot of trash,” Dylan Jones, an ODU student, said. Before everyone left they ended the cookout with a game of kickball. The idea behind Week of Welcome is to get the community involved while also bringing together other organizations with common ideas. “We have different events in the community with different community partners.” Meredith Keating, graduate assistant for Service and Leadership Student Involvement, said. This was possible with the collaboration of The Center for Service & Civic Engagement, Keep Norfolk Beautiful, Recycling Perks and Monarch2Monarch.
Arts &
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E N T ER T A I NM E N T
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ODU’s Doug Finesse talks Music with the Mace
Larenz Johnson Contributing Writer Doug Davis, 20, a student and artist on campus, is creating his own style of music. Born in New Jersey, he later moved to Prince George, Virginia and now attends Old Dominion University, pursuing a degree in fashion. Davis and I met outside of the university’s Webb center to talk music and aspirations. Larenz: Alright, so do you prefer Doug or Doug Finesse? Doug: My stage name is Doug, but my alias is Doug Finesse. L: At what age did you start rapping? D: From the time I was able to speak the English language I was rapping. I was 9 years old with journals full of raps, but didn’t start recording music until 2011. From 2011 to
2014 I recorded about four amateur mixtapes, but it wasn’t until late 2014 that I went from being a rapper to an artist. L: What are artists that inspire you? D: Currently, I’m inspired by the Fetty Wap’s; the people who are coming out of New Jersey, a place that isn’t really popping right now in the music scene, and being one of the biggest artists out. Overall though, some of the artists I like personally are Tupac, a lot of Wiz Khalifa, and Drake. I also listen to a lot of ‘90s music so ‘90s rap definitely influences me a lot. L: You have a song called “House Music”, which isn’t a traditional rap song, so what inspired the sound of that song? D: I’m seeing that in rap music nowadays, I’m seeing a lot of cross-
over records, a lot of R&B and rap fusion. But now there’s an emergence of rap with EDM and dubstep mixes, and I feel like in order to compete with the top dudes in the game, I have to make the same music as them. I love a challenge too. I wanted to challenge myself to make a song like that. The beat is produced by my personal producer JackTP. He made the beat and I finessed it. L: What subgenre of rap would you classify yourself as? D: I never thought about that, but if you want to go into subgenres you could just say Virginia hip hop, we’re calling the wave “ReVAlution” and that’s the sound behind my music. I feel like nowadays you have a lot of artists in Virginia, but not enough people have their own sound, they try to sound like other cities and other
artists. I’m not trying to sound like anybody. I’m trying to sound like Doug, trying to sound like Virginia. L: What was your first performance like? D: About two or three years ago in a club called the Lit Lounge in Manhattan. I performed with my cousin T.Rip, and it was a great experience. I was nervous when I went up there but we rocked the house, and after that I did a show in Brooklyn. My first Virginia show was with 785 records at The Edge and we ripped it. I love performing; I look at every performance as an opportunity to showcase my art. L: Do you have any advice for up and coming artists? D: First, nothing happens overnight. I started recording music in 2011 but I didn’t become an artist
until this year. It’s going to be trial and error, never give up. Two, in order to be a great rapper, you have to have a good producer behind you. Leave them YouTube beats alone; you need to write to YouTube beats but don’t put your records over them beats. Also, originality, originality, originality, that’s key. There are a million A$AP Rockys, a million Wizs, a million Kendricks, but there’s only one you. L: Where can readers find your music? D: My Twitter and Instagram are @DougFinesse, you can find me on SoundCloud at soundcloud.com/ DougFinesse.
Disturbed Unleashes “Immortalized” after a Five-Year Absence
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Adam Flores Contributing Writer Chicago’s masters of metal, Disturbed, have unleashed another sonic assault on the senses with “Immortalized,” the group’s sixth studio album. Released on August 21, this is the band’s first compilation after a five-year hiatus since the release of “Asylum” in 2010.
“Immortalized” has defined the comeback of Disturbed. It debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200. According to BlabberMouth.net, the band is only the third to attain five consecutive No. 1 studio albums. They are in the elite company of fellow musicians Metallica (five) and Dave Matthews Band (six). Disturbed’s debut release in 2000, titled “The Sickness,”
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was their only album to miss the top spot and peaked at No. 29. The band, made up of John Moyer on bass and backing vocals, drummer Mike Wengren, guitarist and backing vocalist Dan Donegan, and lead vocalist David Draiman deliver hard punching rock rhythms, razor sharp guitar riffs and defining melodies track after track. (continued on B2)
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M&C| WEDNESDAY | 9.9.2015| MACEANDCROWN.COM With the addition of occasional synth textures, keyboards, and electronic beats, they have continued a formula to please metalheads across a wide range from heavy metal and hard rock to nu and alternative metal. Along with the release of their new music video, “The Vengeful One” and the official lyric video for the title track, “Immortalized,” other tracks such as “Open Your Eyes” and “What Are You Waiting For” sum up the massive, thundering sound Disturbed is known for. The band is known for their tasteful metal arrangements of classic songs
such as Genesis’s “Land of Confusion” from their 2005 release, “Ten Thousand Fists.” “Immortalized” serves up a stirring remake of the Simon & Garfunkel 1965 classic, “The Sound of Silence.” The haunting piano and vocal intro gives way to anthemic rhythm section work accompanied by an orchestral ensemble that delivers the message to a climactic highpoint lead by Draiman’s dramatic vocals. The day that “Immortalized” was released, Disturbed treated their fans to a special live show, their first in four years, at the House of Blues in their hometown of Chicago, Illi-
nois. Scattered in their set list were four songs from the new album and the song, “Hell,” a b-side from their single, “Stricken,” off their 2005 release, “Ten Thousand Fists.” In an interview with Revolver Magazine’s Chris Enriquez, the Disturbed frontman claimed he had trouble with his early ideas and contribution to the new record. “I can be very helpful to other people, when it’s someone else’s work and I can look at it completely objectively, but when it’s mine, it’s really hard to remove myself from the equation,” Draiman said.
The answer to his problem was for the band to physically come together during the songwriting process. “After years and years of relying on technology and sending music files back and forth across the country, it was nice to have it just be human and real and organic, and to have that instant reaction,” Draiman said. Fans will be happy to discover the return of “The Guy,” Disturbed’s official mascot. As portrayed in the new “The Vengeful One” music video, “The Guy” is seen unleashing his fury on big business and capitalism that dominates society claiming, “I am the
hand of God, I am the dark messiah, I am the vengeful one,” in the song’s lyrics. Watch for Disturbed to hit the road in 2016 on their North American tour. “Immortalized” is sure to bring new fan favorites to their live set alongside their classic material. The only Virginia date on their tour schedule is March 30, 2016 at The National in Richmond.
Former Mae Guitarist Thrills with New Band DEMONS Shannon Jay Contributing Writer Lead singer, guitarist, and mastermind Zach Gehring comes from the backdrop of local pop punk heroes Mae to front his new, harder project, DEMONS. Gehring’s new lineup is far from the piano driven, theatrical pop punk so tightly conducted and constructed that helped define the era – the same sounds he’s revealed to have “a nagging desire” to stray away from for quite sometime. Gehring has been open about admitted creative differences in Mae that stemmed from his yearning for a harder sound. Such hunger is illustrated throughout Mae’s hit album, “Everglow.” Throughout the record, a tough bassline set by Jon Anderson
fights alongside Gehring’s equally tough guitar riffs against much cheerier vocals. After seeing Demons open for Fucked Up! at Work|Release a few months prior, it’s clear that Gehring achieved his goal by letting his creativity run wild to form a totally different band. This is fully assured after taking a listen to his new project, DEMONS, and the band’s first EP, “Great Dismal.” The new project is far more carefree than the dramatic productions of “Everglow.” The tracks on Great Dismal are less constructed but still precise; all band members doing their own thing while remaining on the same page. This time around, Gehring shifted
from somewhat behind the scenes to up and center. The minute he begins to sing on the first track, “There Is No Reward,” it becomes clear in his vocal style – as if the instrumentals had yet to do so – that this isn’t Mae. His monotone yet angsty vocals throughout “Great Dismal” are almost a polar opposite to those harmonic pipes of his former bandmate, frontman Dave Elkins. While the emotion is toned down in Gehring’s voice, the excess is pumped into the backing instruments. Drummer Drew Orton doesn’t merely tap the drums, but each strike’s power lingers. His complicated drumming style is not lost in the sea of guitars, effortlessly breaking through the noise. Orton makes it clear he doesn’t need a
solo to showcase his skill throughout the EP. Gehring’s desire for a more grunge-influenced sound puts more emphasis on all guitars. Throughout the EP, the reverb of guitars played by Gehring and Chris Matthews are drawn out and let go. In some tracks, like “Lenora Slaughter,” the reverb is manipulated and used in a fun and unexpected way, showcasing the guitarists’ artistry. The guitars and drums work together to compliment each other and Gehring’s vocals. Throughout “Godless Girl,” a song riddled with sadness and anger – a brew which bubbles up and settles throughout – an apathetic-toned Gehring sings desperate lines that are felt instead through a
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rollercoaster of ineloquent reverb. Slow guitars go into sonic overdrive with no warning, with even harder drums following Gehring and Matthew’s lead. Gehring has found an outlet in which he can channel what he was looking for all along. His creative abilities are powerful, and those of which were before bursting at the seams are now allowed to fully come into fruition. Gehring is no longer fighting against a vision that is not his own, but embracing it with a crew who seems to be on the same page.
M&C| WEDNESDAY | 9.9.2015| MACEANDCROWN.COM
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Atlanta trap trio Migos release debut album Larenz Johnson Contributing Writer From a closet to an actual studio, the debut album by Atlanta-based super group Migos, “Yung Rich Nation” has them sticking to the roots that made them a household name in the trap genre. Migos, made up of Takeoff, Quavo and Offset, became famous for their quality production choice and unique rap style, as well as catchy hooks and adlibs. When Drake remixed their song “Versace,” Migos became an overnight success and haven’t looked back, effectively making hit song after hit song. With songs like “Hot Boy” and “Fight Night,” Migos could do no wrong. Unfortunately, this album comes off as just another mixtape due to reliance on their now famous sound, making this the same song and dance for the group. The phrase, “If it ain’t
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broke, don’t fix it,” was more than likely the mindset that Migos had while recording the album. There are songs such as “Gangsta Rap,” “Highway 85,” and “Memoirs” that show the group trying their hand at different styles of rap and storytelling — similar to “Hot Boy” from their mixtape “No. Label 2” — they are quickly forgotten when their wellknown flow is heard one song over. This isn’t as much of a setback as one would think, though. Although Migos relies on what some would call a gimmick, it allows them to maintain their target audience and make a successful album. It also just comes off as a waste of an opportunity. This album could have served as many things for the group, and now nobody will know what endless potential it could have fulfilled.
M&C| WEDNESDAY | 9.9.2015| MACEANDCROWN.COM
Fashion Meets Music Festival
Jason Kazi| Ludacris takes the stage at the fashion meets music festival
Jason Kazi|M & C
Jason Kazi| Let it Happen performs at the fashion meets music festival
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M&C| WEDNESDAY | 9.9.2015| MACEANDCROWN.COM
Trillectro Concert
Josh Boone| Dom Kennedy takes the stage at the Trillectro concert on August 29, 2015.
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Josh Boone| Chance the Rapper performing at Trillectro.
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M&C| WEDNESDAY | 9.9.2015| MACEANDCROWN.COM
Sports
The Mace & Crown welcomes our new sports editor, Matt O’Brien!
Women’s Soccer Kickin’ It!
Josh Boone| Grace Haverly attempts to score a goal for ODU women’s soccer
Josh Boone| Jordan Jones breaks free against UNCW
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Leadership & Student Involvement Fall 2015 Calendar Fraternity & Sorority Life 09|04 09|10-13
NPHC Yard Show Fall Formal Recruitment
Kaufman Mall Webb Center
7:30PM TIMES VARY
Service & Civic Engagement 09|11 09|14-18 09|15 09|29 10|01 10|24 11|19
9/11 Day of Service & Remembrance Public Service Week Public Service Festival Monarch Service Day Be Monarch Ready Make a Difference Day Monarch Service Day
Kaufman Mall TBA Kaufman Mall Community Garden Kaufman Mall Meet in Webb Center Lobby TBA
9AM 12:30PM-1PM 1PM-5PM 12:30PM-1PM 9AM
Student Organizations 09|10 09|10 09|14 09|14 09|15 09|16 09|18 09|24 09|28 10|19 10|20 10|29 11|17 11|18
Monarch Link Training Budget Workshop Budget Workshop Monarch Link Training Organization Orientation Budget Workshop Budget Workshop Presidents’ Round Table Advisors Luncheon Academic Success Workshop Organization Orientation Presidents’ Round Table Organization Orientation Academic Success Workshop
Hampton-Newport News Room Hampton-Newport News Room Hampton-Newport News Room Hampton-Newport News Room James River Room Chesapeake, Portsmouth, VA Beach Room Chesapeake, Portsmouth, VA Beach Room Virginia Rice Webb Room Hampton-Newport News Room Library Conference Room 1311 Cape Charles Room Chesapeake Room Cape Charles Room Library Conference Room 1311
11:30AM 12:30PM 12PM 11AM 12:30PM 10AM 10AM, 12PM 12:30PM 12PM 12PM 12:30PM 12:30PM 12:30PM 12PM
Leadership Lecture Series 09|09 09|16 09|23 09|30 10|21 10|28 11|04 11|11 11|18
Myers Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI): Know your behavior preference with Dionicia Mahler-Rogers Perception & Conflict (Pt 1 of 3): with Dr. Charles Daniels Perception & Conflict (Pt 2 of 3): with Dr. Charles Daniels Perception & Conflict (Pt 3 of 3): with Dr. Charles Daniels Running a Successful meeting: Robert’s Rules: with Kenneth Gilliam Meeting the Demands of Social Change: hosted by Dr. Narketta Sparkman Tweeting/Facebooking/etc. Your Way to Leadership: Personal Branding with Dr. Yuping Liu-Thompkins Entrepreneurship - How do you start? Positive Organizational Scholarship: with Lesa Clark
Hampton-Newport News Room
12PM
River Rooms River Rooms River Rooms Hampton-Newport News Room Hampton-Newport News Room Hampton-Newport News Room
12PM 12PM 11:30AM 12PM 11:45AM 12PM
River Rooms Hampton-Newport News Room
12PM TBA
Homecoming 09|18 09|25 10|02 10|4-13 10|07 10|08 10|08 10|09 10|09 10|14 10|14 10|14 10|14 10|15 10|15 10|16 10|16 10|17 10|17 10|17
Spirit Friday T-shirt Swap Spirit Friday T-shirt Swap Spirit Friday T-shirt Swap Paint the Town Blue-Campus Buildings Women’s Flag Football Tournament Homecoming Opening Ceremonies Paw the Pavement Banner’s Due Homecoming Royalty Voting Opens Car Smash Women’s Flag Football Championship Game Male Cheerleading Competition Comedy Show Monarch Day Step Show (Sponsored by NPHC) Homecoming Royalty Voting Closes Concert Parade Football Tailgate ODU vs. UNC-Charlotte Football Game
Quad Whitehurst Field Kaufman Mall Pick Up at Webb Info Desk SRC Lawn Kaufman Mall Kaufman Mall Leadship & Student Involvement (LSI) Monarch Link Kaufman Mall SRC Lawn SRC Lawn North Cafe Kaufman Mall The TED Monarch Link The TED 49th St., Powhatan Blvd., Hampton Blvd., 43rd St. Kaufman Mall Foreman Field
12PM-2PM 12PM-2PM 12PM-2PM 6PM-11PM 12PM-3PM 11AM-3PM 5PM 8AM 1PM-3PM 5PM 5PM 8PM 11AM-3PM 7PM 8AM 8PM 11AM 12:30PM 3:30PM
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M&C| WEDNESDAY | 9.9.2015| MACEANDCROWN.COM
Technology
Visit Maceandcrown.com for video game reviews and more.
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Steve Jobs, Satoru Iwata, and You: By Ross Reelachart Technology Editor On October 5 of 2011, a life among many others passed from this world. Yet when this particular flame went out, there was a flood of mourning and sentiment, the kind normally reserved for royalty or national tragedies. Everywhere there was an outpouring of grief, and people congregated in certain singular locations to lay down flowers and candles, to say good byes and leave mementos of thanks to this life. The entire world was seemingly put into a state of loss, and many in media mourned the loss of this great life. On Wednesday 19, 2015, a documentary made its East Coast debut at the Naro Expanded Cinema here in Norfolk. This documentary chronicled the life of this same man, and showed footage of all the mourning and tears. In “Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine”, director Alex Gibney attempts to find a reason for why so many people were willing to buy flowers and light candles for a man that sold them iPads and iPhone, and then treat Apples stores as shrines of worship. Through interviews with people who knew Jobs closely and historical footage of the man at various places in his life, Gibney tries to not only find the source of this worship, but he also seems to ask if Jobs was actually even worthy of the praise and the mourning. In the end, Gibney’s documentary leaves the impression that Jobs was not a perfect man. The end conclusion can best be summed up as “Jobs had the monomaniacal focus of a monk
but none of the empathy of one.” However, the question that was most intriguing was “Why did people have such an emotional reaction to Jobs’ death?” The footage in the documentary would seem silly to anyone not indoctrinated into the Cult of Apple. There were people holding up iPads with digital candles on them, and flowers were being piled outside of stores. People were shedding tears and getting memorial tattoos for a man, and a massive corporation, that did nothing but sell them products for money. Jobs had never met these people personally or done anything meaningful for them in their lives beyond manufacture and sell a hunk of plastic and silicon that connects to the internet, and one that needs to be bought and re-bought on an almost yearly basis for hundreds of dollars. Like so many others, I wondered where in that maniacal business model did there exist an honest reason for tears and mourning. Gibney’s documentary detailed a belief Steve Jobs held that could answer my query, and another recent passing of a similar nature helped me better understand that belief. For all the single-minded business practices and harsh demands Jobs insisted upon himself and others, he truly believed that the computer could be more than just a machine we use. He believed that the computer could be a personal object (thus was the term “personal computer” first coined), and could be a method for self-expression. In his own mind,
building and using a computer was akin to a new artistic medium, and he was going to be its pioneer. Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s that was a revolutionary idea, and it’s what carried him into the founding of Apple. It also helped turn Apple into the single biggest corporation on Earth. This would have simply been an interest point to me on its own. But the recent of death of Nintendo President Satoru Iwata brought this point into stark clarity for me. On July 11, 2015, Satoru Iwata passed away. He too garnered a similar reaction from gamers and game developers worldwide. Many wrote about his influence not only on Nintendo itself, but on the writer personally. People drew fan art and honestly mourned the passing of the man. He too was, more or less, just an executive at a giant corporation that sold products for money. Like Jobs, Iwata also had a similar background of coming from humble beginnings to rising to the very top. Nintendo and Apple may be very different beasts overall, but both these men were big names of their respective technological fields and they both were worthy of grief at their passing. When I remembered how I felt about the news of Iwata’s passing, I think I finally understood why people put flowers in front of their iPads for Steve Jobs and I had a better understanding of a concept Gibney’s documentary elaborated on. Just as people had a strangely heartfelt connection for Steve Jobs seemingly through the iPhones and iMacs they bought, so did people have
a connection to Satoru Iwata through Nintendo consoles. It’s a phenomenon that has been stealthily occurring to nearly everyone in the modern age. As technology not only becomes more portable and interconnected, so does our personal connection to the technology itself and, by proxy, the creators as well. In what must be a victory for Jobs, we now see our smart phones and tablets as more than just devices to be used. They are expressions of ourselves, and they become an extension of our egos and personalities. To make another example, it’s very similar to when people become so attached to their favorite music, movie or TV show that they become personally offended by someone who doesn’t like it or has no opinion on it. We have attached part of ourselves, our selfworth and our own sense of identity to these pieces of technology. The Apple community is seemingly such a strong force because it is a “community.” They are the “Apple Tribe” and so they stick together, and feel together, as is the nature of the social human. Gamers separate themselves into a factional “Console War” because they become attached to a community centered on a Nintendo console, the Playstation or the Xbox. Though they all orbit around a soulless piece of technology, these people still find purpose and expression in being a part of that orbit. Jobs and Iwata gave a human face to idolize and worship, as even the most fanatic still need a human face to put to their “community.” It only just so
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xx happened that Jobs and Iwata were also blessed with an amount of charisma and charm that elevated above so many others, their peers and opposition included. Knowing all of that, the idea that so many people would be saddened by the death of a corporate executive who may or may not have had any real hand in making your favorite electronics does not sound too preposterous. People still cry when their favorite actor or singer dies. The only difference is the medium through which this personal connection is made. On one hand there is film, song and word. On the other hand is technology and electronics. When that connection is made, empathy seeps through. Like all great questions of the past, and of our own time, this question of your connection to technology and its creators is best utilized as a way to reflect on ourselves. At the end of “Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine,” Alex Gibney ponders his own reflection in the blank screen of a powered-down iPhone. In that black, reflective surface he wonders how much of himself in that device and how much does that put him in connection with Steve Jobs, or the vision of Jobs. When you look into the blank screen of your own phone, tablet, computer or TV, how much of yourself do you see in it? How much of your identity is inseparable from it? And how much of that is the designs of the person who made it?
M&C| WEDNESDAY | 9.9.2015| MACEANDCROWN.COM
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YouTube Gaming Set to Take on Twitch.tv
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A Rough Ride into Familiar Territory: Mad Max
By David Thornton Copy Editor
Widespread vehicular mayhem and carnage. Scavenging through a sprawling wasteland populated by violent tribal lunatics. Brutal fist-tofist combat. Shotguns. Successful video game franchises have been built around each of these concepts. Sadly, in combining them, “Mad Max” comes up short. The story picks up immediately after the events of the movie, “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Max immediately runs afoul of Scabrous Scrotus, the son of Immortan Joe, the film’s villain and ruler of Gastown, a settlement mentioned but never visited in Fury Road. Despite burying a chainsaw in Scrotus’ head (a strange way to introduce the assumedly penultimate villain of the game), Max is beaten, stripped of his gear and his car, and left for dead in the desert. With the help of a twisted mechanic named Chumbucket, he embarks on a quest to build the ultimate wasteland combat vehicle, the Magnum Opus, and take revenge on Scrotus and his legion of war boys. Almost five hours into the game, nearly everything about “Mad Max” feels familiar. Exploration and side-quests utilize the formula pioneered by “Assassin’s Creed,” and successfully employed more recently by “Far Cry 4” and “Shadows of Mordor”: enter a new, hostile region, find the vantage point (in this case, hot air balloons incongruously scattered throughout the desert), and mark points of interest on the map. Scavenging the wasteland is sadly unsatisfying. Scavenging points are generally uninteresting ramshackle shelters and ruins peppered throughout the desert, populated by a few war
boys, usually containing a couple of piles of scrap metal (used to upgrade Max’s car and gear), a shotgun shell or two, and a pre-war picture or note. It would have been nice to see a greater variety of items; it’s hard to work up the enthusiasm to fight your way across the wasteland for a few more pieces of “scrap.” Additionally, exploration suffers as soon as Max gets out of the car. Max is woefully vulnerable to enemy vehicles while on foot, and lacks any ability whatsoever to traverse obstacles. While it would make no sense for Max to be a parkour expert like the heroes of so many other recent open-world games, why provide a jump button at all if Max cannot vault over the smallest of obstacles, or pull himself up a ledge barely a foot taller than he is? Combat is primarily hand-to-hand, using a system plagiarized from Warner Brothers Interactive’s highly successful Arkham series. Harkening back to the original Mad Max trilogy, ammunition is a scarce and precious resource, so firearms are rarely used. This would make more sense if the game wasn’t so closely tied to “Fury Road,” which established the existence of Bullet Farm, a nearby settlement devoted exclusively to producing firearms and ammunition for Immortan Joe and his allies. The movie did not suffer from lack of gunplay; why does the game? Frustratingly, finding ammunition is not really the problem; carrying it is. Will someone explain why Max can only carry three shotgun shells at a time? Why does he need to fashion a bandolier from scrap to carry more? Do post-apocalyptic pants have no pockets? Does he not have an entire car in which to store them? Food and water provide health, and are scarce throughout the desert. Max carries a canteen that can be filled at certain areas, and eats dog food (in
a nod to “The Road Warrior”) out of cans and, grotesquely, maggots out of corpses. In what is perhaps the strangest departure from the series, gasoline is actually the easiest resource to come by in the wasteland. Granted, the game takes place in the wasteland outside of Gastown, and many of the enemy encampments are crude oil pumping stations. But it feels strange and uncomfortably frivolous for Max to be using gas cans as giant Molotov cocktails while driving around in a fully gassed up car, with another full gas can in the back. For all its warts, “Mad Max” does do well with the most important feature for this franchise: vehicular mayhem. Initially, it’s a little frustrating as you and your enemies circle repetitively, attempting to ram each other without taking too much damage yourself. The controls and handling take a little getting used to as well. But after a few upgrades to the car early in the game, it becomes immensely fulfilling to speed across the desert hardpan, crashing into enemy vehicles, attacking tires, doors and drivers with the harpoon, and shotgunning gas tanks. Nearly every encounter ends with a satisfying explosion. The upgrade system to the Magnum Opus promises even more exciting vehicular combat to come; flamethrowers, tire-shredding hubcaps, anti-personnel spikes, and much more foreshadow veritable orgies of impending automotive carnage. Unfortunately, outside of the vehicle combat, nearly every feature in the game suffers from the sense that it’s already been done, and usually better. Sure, Max faces crazy, over-the-top lunatic enemies, but they’re still not as entertaining as those in “Borderlands.” It felt right for Batman to brutally pummel the scum of Gotham; it
feels forced with Max. In “Fallout,” every new scavenging location brings equal parts enthusiasm and trepidation, and even the junk is interesting and varied; scavenging in “Mad Max” evokes only resignation. The desolation and lack of resources aspires to, but falls short of the emotionally gutwrenching desperation of “The Last of Us.” With its iconic, genre-defining source material, the unbridled success of “Fury Road,” and the current popularity of both open-world and post-apocalyptic video games, “Mad Max” had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it succumbed to mediocrity and lack of innovation. Hardcore fans of the franchise and eager wasteland wanderers seeking to kill time until the release of “Fallout 4” will find something to enjoy in “Mad Max.” But with masterpieces like “The Witcher 3” and “Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain” currently on the shelves, everyone else should wait until the price drops and there’s a break between major releases to climb into the driver’s seat with “Mad Max.”
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By Ross Reelachart Technology Editor The current king of video game livestreams is now being challenged by the arrival of another big name in internet videos: YouTube. With the recent launch of YouTube Gaming, the largest video sharing site on the internet is attempting to muscle-in on Twitch’s turf. If you are a modern user of the internet, then chances are that you are familiar with the phenomenon known as “livestreaming.” “Livestreaming” is the term used to describe live videos of people playing video games, often with color commentary and viewer interaction. This model of content creation is so big that there are people who can make a living off of it, receiving their money from ad revenue and viewer subscriptions. The biggest name in this field, until now, was Twitch.TV. Previously, YouTube was simply a site where recorded videos could be uploaded and shared to a massive user base, with occasional live events. But YouTube Gaming seeks to make the process of livestreaming accessible on its own terms, and hopefully making it more commonplace on its site. Needless to say, YouTube has a much wider market share than Twitch, and this fact could prove to be very enticing to livestreamers looking to reach a wider audience. While it is far too soon to say whether Twitch or YouTube Gaming will “win” in the end, there are some things to consider if you are watcher or a livestreamer. Again, YouTube has a far greater reach than Twitch, as Twitch is still a niche site even if it was bought by Amazon for $970 million last year. However, Twitch still has the advantage in that is still the best site for livestreaming, with an already established user base. Plus, Twitch already offers subscription services and ad revenue for content creators, whereas YouTube Gaming does not seem to offer such features yet, at least beyond the usual ad revenue YouTube creators already receive. Between the giants of YouTube and Twitch offering livestreaming services, at least gamers will have different choices of where to receive their daily dose of video game content. Besides actually playing the video games themselves.
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Opinion
To submit your opinions about issues on campus, e-mail sdavi116@odu.edu
State of SGA
Monarchs – It is hard to believe that we are already halfway through our third week of school. Here we are together again ready to tackle another year! Whether you are a new incoming student or a transfer student I would like to congratulate you on selecting a University that prides itself on your success! Our returning students already know how much this University has to offer each student. We are very diverse in numbers, but the University has made it a top priority to ensure that we are each excelling professionally, academically, and personally! Student Government Association (SGA) is an organization on campus that serves as an advocate for the entire student body. SGA strives to ensure that each voice is heard in matters involving university life. SGA is comprised of 3 branches – Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. Through them, we have in place passionate, dedicated, and driven student leaders who work hard to provide students with the best college experience. Within SGA, we oversee a total of 8 areas of campus – Housing, Dining, Academics, Student Organizations, Diversity, Legislative Affairs, Finance, Wellness, Sustainability, Safety, Transportation, Off-Campus Life, and Public Relations & Recruitment. Each year we are presented with new issues and challenges. But, with the close partnership between SGA and the Faculty/Administration, we are confident in finding solutions for the betterment of the University. Throughout the summer, Bret Folger, SGA Vice-President, and I, had the honor of meeting with a variety of the campus’ Faculty/Administrators. During our interactions, we asked ourselves 3 questions: 1. Why did we run for our respective position? 2. What issues/challenges are our students facing? 3. What direction is the institution moving in for the new academic year? Through a lot of discussion, Mr. Folger and I were able to sit down and create SGA’s Visions and Priorities. This is the first year we are creating this type of strategic approach for the year. It is important to use this tool throughout the year – it ensures we are addressing the 3 questions above, but also holds us accountable to be able to measure our goals for the year. With that said, we are extremely excited to present to the ODU campus community SGA’s 2015-2016 Vision and Priorities: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Ensuring a safer campus community for ODU a. Bettering the relations between the campus Police Department and students b. Increase efforts on combating campus sexual assault/violence c. Involvement with the recent Off-Campus Life Director and the Division of Student Engagement and Enrollment Services d. Increase awareness of mobile platforms that encourage safety (i.e. LiveSafe) and ODU alerts. Implement and promote resources for academic success a. Further conversations about Academic Advisors b. Further promote academic resources (i.e. Student Success Center). c. Enhancing the first generation experience and increasing resources for that huge population d. Review the outward transition for upperclassmen and how we support them Advocate for a more robust sustainable community a. Review measures in place for recycling efforts on campus b. Beautification of campus c. Creating a more closed energy/waste system throughout campus Promote engagement and sense of belonging a. Increase efforts to provide a better diverse and inclusive campus community. b. Grow the “Monarch Experience” initiative c. Promote better sense of involvement within student organizations to provide a better experience for the campus community
It is important to note that while these are SGA’s Visions and Priorities, the other 13 leaders in SGA (elected officials & directors) all have their own separate visions and priorities. Also, many other issues will be raised throughout the year. These vision and priorities certainly do not limit us from finding solutions to other issues. Our SGA has been very vocal and active on campus to meet the needs of every student! I am confident that I have a very dedicated team beside me who will work tirelessly to provide you all with a wonderful experience. We are always looking for other passionate student to join us! Our Senate (legislative branch) meets every Tuesday at 3:30pm in the Board of Visitors Room – located in the back of Webb Center near Chick-fil-A. I would ask that you contact our Chief Justice, Noah Butler (nbutler@odu.edu), to learn more about becoming a Senator. Below are the contacts for the entire Executive Board. Please feel free to reach any of them should you have any comments, concerns, or suggestions about your experience at ODU! Christopher Ndiritu, President – cndiritu@odu.edu Bret Folger, Vice-President – bfolger@odu.edu Travis Rickman, Speaker of the Senate – trickman@odu.edu Joseph Hildebrandt, Secretary - jhildebr@odu.edu Michael Faust, Treasurer - dfaust@odu.edu Noah Butler, Chief Justice – nbutler@odu.edu Shakira Johnson, Chief of Staff - swjohnso@odu.edu Justin McLawhorn, Director of Academics and Student Organizations - jmclawho@odu.edu Brandon Ballard, Director of Housing and Dining - bballard@odu.edu Jordan McCoy, Director of Off-Campus Life - mccoy@odu.edu Lydia Burch, Director of Finance - burch@odu.edu Rachael Edmonds, Director of Legislative Affairs and Diversity - rledmond@odu.edu Roy Bernard, Director of Safety and Transportation - rbernard@odu.edu Brittan Robinson, Director of Wellness and Sustainability - brobinso@odu.edu VACANT, Director of Public Relations and Recruitment Visit our office in 1049 Webb Center (across from the Card Center, inside of the U-Center). Call: 757-683-3438 Click and connect with us: ODUSGA.COM or @ODUSGA
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Queer Column:
How My Little Necklace Changes a Monarch Nation Connor Norton Staff Writer “I really like your necklace.” It’s a simple phrase, a simple compliment, and one that folks might not read much into. We always wear things to make us feel attractive, comfortable and sometimes specifically to receive compliments; but sometimes a compliment can mean a little more. As a Resident Assistant, I helped with freshman check-in and throughout the madness and the chaos of move-in, students and families are usually pretty fast and quick to get their keys and go. But there was one resident that was a little nervous trying to avoid getting swept up in the madness. While she was running around, trying to keep up with the chaos she took the time to say “nice necklace.”
As a Queer person, knowing it is an identity one can never just “assume” or properly ask about, you notice when you encounter other individuals looking for even a slimmer or a hint that someone they meet identifies with or understands their identity. In history, gay men and lesbian women developed coded language: hand signs, gestures, meeting places, and words that implied that one was LGBT and looking to see if you were. Granted, most of these gestures were in the search of sexual conquests. While the goal has changed, the methods of seeking out and communicating with like-minded people are still present. Whether it’s wearing rainbow suspenders, a bowtie, or a button on your bag that says “straight, but not narrow,” all of these things
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are subtle hints to anyone you have a conversation with that, part of the community or not, you are an ally. Coming into college, it was so important for me to know who was part of my community and who I could trust when I came into school. It was intimidating, but I learned how to notice the subtle hints in conversation, or the outfit pieces that said “I am an Ally” and it made college life a lot easier for me. But it’s not that easy for some. One of the top reasons for loss of retention for LGBTQ+ identified people is not seeing a visible representation or support of their community from their university/institution. Now, I’m not saying that means every ODU faculty/staff member has to walk around wearing a rainbow cape, but taking steps to be aware
and inclusive, like getting Safe Space trained, openly supporting our campus’ student-driven pride festival, or even making an acknowledgement/ statement as part of Pride Month in June or LGBTQ History Month in October. Students don’t need their administrators to BE LGBTQ+, they just need them to be Allies; and ally is a verb not a noun. You are not an “allyship,” you practice ‘allyship’ and that means increasing visibility and having the confidence to talk about LGBTQ+ topics in the public forum. Currently, ODU ranks lowest on the Campus Pride National Index with regards to retention and marketing tactics towards LGBTQ+ individuals. If we want to see an increase in retention rates, attention must be paid on increasing a visible and proactive
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approach to marginalized communities. It’s because of this need that at every event I’m wearing my ODU colors, my HRL polo, or my SGA nametag; I will always have my rainbow necklace with me. So if a student sees me working for the university they can know “I’m right here with you.”
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Making a dierence one section at a time Now Paying Writers, Photographers, Videographers and Artists Meetings Tuesday 12:30 in the U-Center