Sept 28, 2011

WEDNESDAY | 09.28.11 MaceandCROWN.COM | Vol. 53, Issue 4

Taking the

“Green” Movement to the Next Level:

Nick Turner invents his own ‘Green’ vehicle

By: Morgan Malone Staff Writer In recent headlines, the “green” movement has been a heavily trending topic. Being eco-friendly to preserve our world’s natural resources and to prevent global warming has been a big concern in households across America. With gas prices pushing $6 a gallon in some areas of the United States, many people have been investing in hybrid vehicles and cars that run on electricity. Nick Turner, an ODU student majoring in Mechanical Engineering Technology, decided to make a change and invented his own “green” vehicle.

Turner calls his invention, Tuhart-B2. The “green ma-

Lacrosse graduate now coaches see C1

chine” is comprised of a Home Depot lawn chair, a left over emergency break, a go-cart steering wheel and parts of a pink bike.

Built in the backyard of his parent’s house, Tuhart is a three speed, two seat car that runs on an electric motor and pedal power. The car weighs 250 pounds and has reached a top speed of 23 miles per hour. While it is a nice invention to ride around in, it is also quite the workout.

Pedaling alone, Turner must pedal as hard as he can to move out of the way of cars or hurry on busier streets. He resorts to taking slower back roads and weaving in and out of parking lots and sidewalks when riding around town. In the future, Turner plans to add a shell and safety features, as continued on A2

Campus Safety Awareness Month see B1

Obama’s New Proposal see A2

Thewashingtonpost.com

Virginia Attorney General Visits Campus

College Republicans bring prominent politician to campus

By: Christian Ernst Staff Writer Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia’s Attorney General, has seen many adversities through his political tenure. Coming to Old Dominion University seemed to be one of them on Sept. 23, when he made his appearance in the Batten Arts and Letters building after more than a semester of wait. Cuccinelli had been scheduled to come during the spring semester, but had a scheduling conflict.

While Cuccinelli had much to talk about, questions were scarce due to a small attendance. Cuccinelli did address many student concerns, including student safety and concealed carry on campus.

Cuccinelli made his stance clear on political ideals very early. “I believe in the standards the founding fathers developed,” Cuccinelli said. “It is as important now as it was in 1776.”

He also talked clearly about how he

thinks the country has failed to support these goals.

“There are three ways to lose your liberty: spending, taxes and government regulations,” said Cuccinelli. continued on A3

newsadvance.com

Deliver Me From Bankruptcy USPS IN FINANCIAL CRISIS Erin Robertson Contributing Writer

The U.S. Postal Service is being forced to count their losses as the end of its fiscal year approaches. It is expected that, as of Sept.

30, 2011 the USPS will have acquired a loss of more than $10 billion. This is up from last year’s $8.5 billion deficit. The increasing popularity of e-mail that has lowered the agency’s revenue and rising costs in our nation’s unstable economy are largely at fault for this year’s estimated shortfall. Unlike other government agencies, USPS does not run off of taxpayer money, but solely off of

revenue.

Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe has provided propositions for Congress to pull the Postal Service out of debt. He wants the mail delivery week to be shortened by abolishing Saturday delivery. In a statement on Monday, Sept. 19, President Obama declared support for this recommendation in his economic growth and debt reduction plan. Obama also suggested post offices be permitted to sell non-postal products and raise their prices above the rate of inflation.

At the moment, all prices are equal to the amount of inflation. Finally, Obama noted that nearly $7 billion has been overpaid by the

USPS into the federal retirement system. He suggested the money be refunded so that it may be used to help the agency restructure its retirement benefits.

Donahue has also requested that Congress allow them to close more than 250 processing centers and upwards of three thousand local post offices. He would also like to cut their ties with the unions so they may lay off approximately 100,000 employees.

This number would match the 100,000 USPS workers who have already lost their jobs in the past several years.

These cuts are in addition to many others. According to Donacontinued on A3

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A2 | MAcE & cROWN | Wednesday 9.28.2011

Mace & Crown staff Diane Dougherty Editor in Chief ddoug009@odu.edu Jessica Starr Copy Editor jstar018@odu.edu David Bakhshaee News Editor dbakh001@odu.edu Alyssa Narvell Arts & Entertainment Editor anarv001@odu.edu Matthew McCracken Sports Editor mmccr007@odu.edu Drew Marmo Advertising Director dmarmo@coastx.com Rachel Chasin Photography Editor rchas001@odu.edu Kyle White Senior Design & Web Director kwhit091@odu.edu Megan Jefferson Design & Web Assistant mjeff018@odu.edu Kathryn Mason Distribution Manager Jake Ullrich Sports Assistant Ari Gould Photography Assistant Staff Writers: Alexander Rose Martin Tucker RJay Molina Robbie Ciara Derek Page Justin Brown Steve Knauer Ethan Shaw Lauren Grant Elizabeth Bowry Heather Habermehl Amanda David

Jessica Piland Paul Minto Nour Kheireddine Shawn Minor Angel Dodson Daniel Felarca Brian Jerry Brielle Boucher William Channel Timothy Fulghum Ben Decowski Janah Stokes

Staff Photographers: Andrew Matkins Bruce Foote Chris Sampson Claude Dargan Crystal Spick Jake Zimmerman Lauren Makely Marlie De Clerck General Information: The 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 selfsupporting newspaper,maintaining journalistic independance from the university.

All views expressed in this collegiate paper are those of the author, not of the University, Mace & Crown, or the editors.

Contact Information: Phone: 757-683-3452 Fax: 757-683-3459 Advertising: 757-683-4773

SGA Address My fellow Monarchs, As we continue the academic year, I would like to encourage all students to make it a habit to support your fellow Monarchs on the athletic fields, during student activities, and artistic performances. Our campus is a shining example of diversity and provides many opportunities for students to engage in it.

This month is Hispanic Heritage Month and there are a variety of events that you can attend to learn more about the Latino culture.

I recently participated in an event, where the keynote speaker was Carlos Campo, President of Regent University. His words made me proud to call myself Latino. On a more serious note, please exhibit responsibility when you are out and about enjoying the social aspects of college life. As a member of this University, your actions reflect on the institution.

Finally, the Student Government Association will be providing materials to contact Governor Bob McDonnell as he prepares his biannual budget. This is important to ODU, as we are the lowest funded state institution in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

We are pushing for an additional $10 million to help offset this disparity, but we need your help! We will be in the main lobby of Webb Center on Thursday Sept. 29 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Please make sure you attend! If you have any questions, concerns or ideas please feel free to contact me at lferreir@odu.edu. I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best, Luis Ferreira Student Body President

Barack Obama:

The New Robin Hood?

By: Morgan Malone Contributing Writer

The story of Robin Hood is well known, take from the rich and give to the poor. President Barack Obama has recently made a proposal to the American people suggesting higher taxes for the upper-class. The proposal is being called the “Buffett Rule.”

Warren Buffett, billionaire investor, has complained that his tax rate is lower than the middle class who work under him and make $50,000 to $80,000 a year. In effect, Obama believes that by implementing his new proposal, the United States can benefit more in the long run by raising taxes on America’s wealthiest.

While Obama seems to have good intentions as far as taxing the rich is concerned, he doesn’t speak of lowering the middle class tax rate. The president’s plan totals over $2 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years, however, middle class tax rates will still be the same and funding for vital programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will be cut.

While it is unlikely to be passed by his Republican counterparts, Obama’s proposal asks for $1.5 trillion in new revenue, the repeal of Bush-era tax rates, and $580 billion in cuts from benefit programs including Medicaid and Medicare. The proposal would also cut federal workers’ paychecks by 1.2 percent over three years in order to save the government $21 billion over ten years.

Simultaneously, 9.1 percent of Americans are unemployed; and Obama wants to appease the middle class workers by taxing the rich but has done nothing to alleviate the woes of the middle class With support from the likes of Warren Buffett and Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, this proposal was a strategic move from his administration to help increase support for the upcoming presidential election. The Buffett rule may prove somewhat fruitful for the American deficit but is bad news for technological ventures.

Income from the rich generally comes from capital gains which is profit from the sale of an asset and stock. The ‘Buffett Rule’ guarantees that investors will have a lower return rate from their investments, will decrease the amount of capital available for early-stage investments, and lessen the comparative advantage of United States’ entrepreneurs to foreign counterparts.

While the Buffett Rule is not supported by the majority of Congress, the people who support this proposal must be wary that it will be a difficult battle before it passes. With such a heated rhetoric and polarizing Congress, new ideas and plans to help steer America on the right track should be welcomed and fully evaluated before more damage is done.

ThewashingTonposT.com

continued from “Taking the Green” (A1) well as increasing the speed so it can blows out while riding around. These are all very minute problems when be mobile on major roadways.

Turner stated, “I started thinking compared to the magnitude of the geabout the hundreds of millions of cars that are on the road around the world.

I wanted to come up with a vehicle to do my part to alleviate that.” Turner has toyed with the idea of adding solar panels as a means for power as well.

In a world where conserving energy and natural resources is the new booming market, Turner’s car could be the next big thing if turned into a highway functional vehicle. The motor vehicle industry is always looking for new innovations to save Americans money due to skyrocketing gas prices. This invention could help to gain favor in the eyes of environmentalists, and become the hottest product on the market. If Turner’s car is developed and marketed correctly, it could potentially land him opportunities most can only dream of.

Locally, Turner’s car is already a hit with many people asking how to get one and whether they can have rides. nius behind this invention.

We are all waiting to see what is next While the invention has its positive points and is definitely a phenomenal from Turner and how far he can take machine, it also has its downsides as this innovation. Who knows, in the well. Due to Tuhart being powered by months to come, we may see a whole pedaling and electric batteries, Turner new invention that will challenge this must get out and push the car up ev- one. No matter what the next invenery hill, because Tuhart can’t make it. tion is, it will forever be another step It can also be worrisome when a tire towards progress.

ThewashingTonposT.com

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Wednesday 9.28.2011 | MAcE & cROWN | A3

Bearing Arms on Campus By: Janah stoKes Staff Writer Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli of Virginia stated on July 2011 that the University of Virginia’s policy banning guns from campus does not apply to holders of concealedweapons permits. The attorney general left open an option for universities to ban those guns if they please. They can do so by ratifying a regulation as opposed to a policy because, Cuccinelli said, “regulations have the force over laws.” He cited a recent decision of the state Supreme Court with such a regulation at George Mason University.

Cuccinelli stated that Old Dominion University is modeling a proposal on that regulation, which states, “possession or carrying of any weapon by any person, except a police officer, is prohibited on university property in academic buildings, administrative office buildings, student residence buildings, dining facilities, or while attending sporting, entertainment or educational events.”

ODU’s legislation is going to make sure registered weapons remain concealed in sensitive places on campus. The U.S Supreme Court has stated that the Second Amendment to bear arms is not boundless. GMU’s regulation to bear arms on campus is organized so that students cannot carry their weapons in vulnerable places where the students congregate.

According to Pilot Online, ODU’s president John R. Broderick declared public safety around the university its most vulnerable issue in the wake of a student’s fatal shooting and a string of robberies in its surrounding neighborhoods, which occurred in recent months.

Jennifer Mullen Collins, an ODU spokeswoman, said by email, “the Virginia Supreme Court and Virginia’s attorney general have stated that a university is a ‘sensitive place’ where a person’s Second Amendment rights could be limited.” “The university is pursuing the proposed regulation to be consistent with what is recommended in both

opinions.” A bill to prohibit such regulations was submitted for the 2011 General Assembly, but neglected in a Senate committee.

Crime at ODU was considered to be extreme during the summer of 2011, especially after the killing of a popular ODU student. The mystery of who his killer is, is in question, but whatever the situation of his killing might have been, it will forever be marked as a tragedy for the ODU community.

When referring to firearms being brought on campus, ODU student Cassidy Cicchetto, a junior and nursing major at ODU said, “I grew up around guns, but I still don’t trust people to just walk around with guns on campus. I don’t agree with concealed weapons being legalized on campus.”

Although concealed weapons would not be legalized to be in plain view on campus, many of the officials took precaution of GMU’s rewritten legislation to bear arms. No one likes the thought of walking around and being exposed to guns, even if they are concealed by the carrier. Broderick and the university want to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.

continued from “Virginia Attorney” (A1) He also said the White House was giv- they do something with it.”

He also talked about the importance en to the Democrats during the 2008 elections, because the Republicans did of the upcoming elections in the local not correctly address the earlier val- and surrounding areas, saying that he ues. He said they removed themselves thought the state senate could swing to from the smaller government that they the Republicans, who need only two seats. as a party represent.

Cuccinelli briefly touched on some Cuccinelli also talked about his role as a conservative and an Attorney of the things he was working on with national laws and policies. He said General.

“If government power has been im- that he believed the health care act properly applied, it is a conservative’s to be unconstitutional, the EPA to be breaking the law with its regulations, place to undo it,” said Cuccinelli.

He addressed both student safety and the FCC’s regulation of the interand an eminent issue on campus, con- net to be wrong. He said the fact that cealed carry. He said he does not sup- the FCC was going against so many port the 18 universities that imply a factors, including a court ruling, was ridiculous. gun free zone.

Two programs he was proud of was “We are not safer by disarming the community that we want protected,” the spearheading effort the state was Cuccinelli said. “Concealed carry per- doing against tackling both child pormit holders are more law abiding than nography and gangs. He mentioned one success which just recently octhe average person.”

He did state that he had concerns curred, which was the largest term about students carrying weapons, but sentence against a gang member, rethat those who were capable of obtain- sulting in a life sentence and 287 years ing a permit deserved the right that the in prison.

The importance of groups like the permit gave them.

Cuccinelli did not address any College Republicans was also evident thought of a presidential run in 2012, when he spoke, talking about how they help get students involved and but did address that election.

“I hope the next president is a Re- focused. publican,” Cuccinelli said. “But I hope

OPEC New Policy

Social programs rise in the Middle East

By: WilliaM Channel Staff Writer The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) managed to earn $1 trillion this year as oil continued to sell for $100 a barrel for the longest period yet. As a result to this increased cash flow, the member countries of OPEC are promising to

use some of the money to help their citizens. They plan on doing so by injecting the money into various social programs.

These programs include spending billions of dollars in creating jobs, supporting religious funding, increasing salary, giving free food, and more.

The idea is to increase public opinion or at the very least help to make the public more complacent. After the prodemocracy movements that overthrew the governments of Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya, the member countries of OPEC are trying to find ways of avoiding similar situations.

According to Gabriel Sterne, associate director in London at Exotix, an investment bank said, ”They probably feel like they’ve got to do a lot more spending this time and they are focusing on social spending, whereas previous investments were business or private-sector driven.”

OPEC was formed on Sept. 14, 1960 in Baghdad, Iraq. It was founded by Iran,

Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. The main purpose of OPEC is to ensure a sort of balance among the countries in oil production and sales. Nowadays, OPEC consists of member countries mostly in Africa and the Middle East with two in South America.

In combination with the social programs that the countries are creating, some are also spending to create an overwhelming police force. However, the social programs should help create peace among the citizens, having the adverse effect of keeping the country in a state of stasis. According to JeanMichel Saliba, a London-based economist at Bank of America, “Without the social spending, Gulf protests would possibly move the nations toward constitutional monarchy.”

Without this social spending the various countries would probably have rebellions to look forward to. Rebellions that could in theory change the structure of the governing in the Middle East. However, due to this increase in government spending and the poverty rate increasing, the need for electricity is finally being addressed.

But how does this really affect the United States? Last year the United States imported 1,790,811 thousand barrels of oil from OPEC member countries. With sales still at an all time high in those countries, the price of oil is not going to be going down anytime soon. OPEC will need to keep prices of oil at above $80 a barrel to keep up with the increase spending.

waTchdognaTion.com

continued from “Deliver Me” (A1) hue, “Since 2006, we have closed 186 facilities, removed more than 1,500 pieces of mail processing equipment, decreased employee complement by more than 110,000 through attrition and reduced costs by $12 billion.”

Feedback has contained disagreement and controversy from workers and lawmakers. Most of the post offices that would be closed are in rural areas that do not receive a lot of business. These areas also claim high unemployment rates and this could have a devastating impact on those regions.

Customers of the Postal Service would not only feel the effects of these drastic changes when they buy stamps, but also when they deliver or receive mail. With fewer workers and fewer offices, mail delivery would be slower.

First class mail, classified as all letters with stamps, would have a slower projected delivery rate from 1-3 days after mailing to at least 2-3 days. This process alone could save the Postal Service up to $3 billion annually. Priority and express mail delivery rates are not projected to change.

Adding to the pressure of increasing debt is a looming $5.5 billion health care payment due at the end of the month. Without help from Congress, the Postal Service will not be able to pay this bill. Public opinion is currently being assessed. A formal proposition is set to be presented in October, however, without a bailout, the United States Postal Service could be forced to shut down this winter.

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A4 | MAcE & cROWN | Wednesday 9.28.2011

wanT YoUR RoaR heaRd? whaT aRe YoU waiTing FoR? The mace & cRown sTUdenT newspapeR is caLLing aLL sTUdenTs! Love wRiTing, TaKing phoTos, oR designing?

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Troy Davis: A Sentenced Man By: Morgan Malone Staff Writer Recently, advocates and critics of the death penalty joined together on behalf of a man many feel was wrongly being punished. That man was Troy Davis.

Davis, 42, was convicted in 1989 of killing Mark MacPhail, a Savannah, Georgia police officer,. At the time of his conviction, nine people testified to seeing Davis kill MacPhail. There was never any concrete evidence found, nor a murder weapon, but Davis was sentenced to die.

As the day of Davis’ execution became evident, there was a huge media uproar due to several uncertainties in the case. In the last year, seven of the nine witnesses recanted or contradicted their stories.

Davis’ attorneys worked tirelessly to get the Supreme Court to stop the execution, even trying an eleventh hour appeal to the Supreme Court that inevitably was shot down. With hundreds of supporters yelling “I Am Troy Davis” outside of the prison, Davis was put to death at 11:08 p.m. on Sept. 21, 2011.

While many felt he was an innocent man found guilty, there were also people like officer MacPhail’s mother

who wanted justice and just wanted this all to be over. The country was divided for weeks while some Davis supporters cited race and class as the reason why he had been convicted unjustly. His supporters included the

likes of Rev. Al Sharpton, Pope Benedict XVI, Desmond Tutu, and former President Jimmy Carter.

The execution of Davis brought about an unusual argument in that all the fodder was not whether to execute a person based on the belief in the death penalty, but rather to execute

based on innocence. Davis’ last words were, “May God have mercy on your souls.”

Davis wrote a letter just before he died showing appreciation and gratitude for all the support he received nationally and globally. Davis thanked his sister for always fighting for him through bad health and thanked his supporters for the strength they give him through the letters they wrote.

Davis mentioned that, “because of my faith in God, my family, and all of you, I have been spiritually free for some time and no matter what happens in the days, weeks to come, this movement to end the death penalty, to see true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect the innocent must be accelerated.” He put emphasis on the statement, “there are so many more Troy Davis’.”

No matter one’s view on the execution of Davis, he stands out due to his resilience and constant fight to prove his innocence. Protestors and rallies against Davis’ execution fought to prove that we can stand as one and fight for human rights. Supporters of Davis’ freedom sought to show their fellow Americans to stand up when others choose to sit, and to stand up for what you believe in.

Science in the News: A New Look at the Fundamentals of Matter By: Chelsea hoenes Staff Writer ODU physicists are taking another look at the smallest components of matter: quarks and gluons. A quark is a subatomic particle that has a very small electrical charge. Joined together, they form hadrons which then, in turn, can form into protons and neutrons. This new project, which brings together researchers from around the world and as far as Israel, uses existing data to formulate new opinions on the fundamental components of matter.

Newer and more updated methods of data reconstruction and analysis exist today that did not exist when older experiments in “photon and electron scattering”, or “atom-smashing”, were performed. Both theoretical and experimental nuclear physicists are involved with the project, offering a unique interpretation of ten years worth of data that is a conglomeration of information from more than ten separate universities, including the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Newport News.

Recently, a $756,000 grant has been

offered to the researchers to pay for their studies that are, in effect, a lot less expensive than projects that require new experiments, which can come with a very hefty price tag. The project, deemed “Short Distance Structure of Nuclei --Mining the Wealth of Existing Jefferson Lab Data” will last for three years. This multidisciplinary methodology and collaboration of the data mine is a first for Old Dominion University. Such an approach, coupled with new computational software programs, has the potential to renew attentiveness in the study of the most essential units of existence.

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What’s Inside

GEARS OF WAR 3

&

DRIVE REVIEW

wednesday 9.28.2011 | MAcE & cROWN | B1

arts entertainment National Campus Safety Awareness Month BY lateesha gloston Staff Writer September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month. A major part of keeping our students and campus safe is by raising awareness. ODU helped students to get involved with safety awareness by holding various events throughout this month.

ODU kicked off National Campus Safety Awareness Month with the “Caution: Red Zone” event sponsored by the Housing and Residence Life department. This event informed students that the first six weeks on a college campus are considered the “Red Zone” and encouraged students to come and find out why it is important to know. The “Red Zone” is actually the most dangerous part of the year, as students are meeting new people and often letting their guards down amongst strangers.

Events were also held to help women develop safety skills.

“Car Care for Women” was one of these events. The event had neighborhood experts from University Car Care to empower women with the knowledge of being able to do things like check their oil, change their windshield wipers and put air in their tires.

There was also a Women’s Self-Defense Workshop held. The workshop taught students easy self- defense techniques and how to escape a potentially dangerous situation. These events were also sponsored by the Housing and Residence Life department.

ODU also held events to keep students safe in relationships.

The Housing and Residence Life Department and ODU Athletics Departments held the “Sex Signals” event last week, which was a program that used comedy and audience participation to look at issues related to dating, sex and communication. In addition, there were events held to help end abusive relationships. Students were able to define caring relationships, dating abuse, and learn the consequences of abuse at the “What Is A ‘Healthy’ Dating Relationship?” event. There was also the “Effective Communication

who cares what You Think? charlie sheen is winning

BY DoMiniQUe Bailey Contributing Writer Unfortunately, Charlie Sheen has become a household name. From fights with his boss, which eventually led to his firing from hit sitcom “Two and a Half Men” to bizarre interviews, substance abuse problems, custody battles and domestic disputes, Charlie Sheen is not the person you want your children to Google. There is no doubt that Charlie Sheen has had a colorful year and Comedy Central has no issues with profiting off of his pain. Last Monday night Charlie Sheen was lucky enough to be in the hot seat at Comedy Central’s newest installment of their highly televised roasts. Roast master Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy, led the group of comedians, actors and personalities in their verbal beat down of the “winning” actor.

This group was ruthless with their approach to roasting Sheen. Focusing on his history with drugs and his familiarity with prostitutes, nothing was off limits, not even his family. It was very obvious that no one even considered that some situations would be too touchy to joke about. “It’s amazing — after abusing your lungs, liver and kidneys, the only thing you’ve had removed is your kids,” said Kate Walsh. Jeffery Ross took it a step further and alluded to Sheen’s previous domestic violence charges as he singled out Sheen’s ex-wife Brooke Mueller stating, “[She’s] not very bright, unless Charlie throws a lamp at her.” Ross stays on topic and

throws Mike Tyson in the mix too as he continues with, “Mike Tyson, your opponents spent more time bleeding in the corner than Charlie’s ex-wives.”

However, those jokes were tame compared to the ones the roasters directed towards each other. Seth MacFarlane introduces Kate Walsh as “the hottest actress of 2002”. She takes that in strides as she shoots back, “The only difference between [Seth] and the hooker Charlie locked in the closet is the hooker eventually came out.” Amy Schumer steals the show though. She directs a joke about the late Ryan Dunn to TV personality Steve-O which left many stunned and even offended. Her distasteful joke does point out that in even in comedy some situations should be left alone.

Charlie Sheen took all of the jokes and low blows surprisingly well. With an almost smug grin he laughed, cheered and clapped through all of it. But who wouldn’t? Figuratively and literally, Sheen was put on a pedestal Monday night. Even with the harsh jokes the roasters still had an eerie amount of respect for him and at some points it appeared that some within the group were in awe of Sheen. In his rebuttal Sheen makes it a point to make it known that he is indeed a superstar regardless of his various hiccups.

He concludes, “Once again, I come out unscathed.

You can’t hurt me. I can’t kill me … Did you really think your little jokes were going to hurt me? I did porn stars. I did drugs. Then I did the one thing everybody in America wishes he could do. I told my boss to f— off. And then it was gone. … I’m done with ‘the winning’ because I’ve already won.”

SILENT FILM

see B2 see B2 see B4

Strategies for Healthy Relationships” event held last week to teach students how communication affects relationships where participants learned conflict resolution skills. Further, promoting safety awareness was the “Healthy Techniques to Resolve Relationship Conflicts” event with the mission of teaching students how to identify their feelings and learn conflict resolution strategies.

While “National Campus Safety Awareness Month” is coming to an end, there is still a chance to attend the “Help! I Think My Friend is in an Abusive Relationship” event, which is sponsored by the Department of Counseling and Human Services. This event will teach students how to evaluate if a friend may be in an unhealthy relationship and teaches participants why it can be difficult to ask a friend for help when dealing with abusive relationships.

The event will also teach ways to support a friend in the situation. Students interested in the event can attend at the Chesapeake Room in the Webb Center on Thursday, September 29th from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

September is “National Campus Safety Awareness Month,” but there are always ways for students to help maintain their safety.

Safety tips include using the buddy system, leaving uncomfortable situations, keeping your doors and windows locked and only letting people into your room that you know.

For more information, visit www.studentaffairs.odu/WC.

Spirit and Excitement: A New Year at Old Dominion

BY JUstin BroWn Staff Writer

Spirit and excitement is back at ODU, as a new school year begins, all of the Monarchs’ sports, activities and organizations brace for the long haul. With football, field hockey, Big Blue and his Capital One Bowl Mascot chances all preparing for an epic season, old and new organizations are ready to gear up and go.

School spirit is always incited by football and now it’s back. Students are more excited than ever this year for the football team and their chances.

“I’m excited that ODU is going to be able to go against big name teams like JMU and William & Mary. It’ll definitely bring some recognition to our school,” said Gregory Evans, a senior at ODU. For a student like Evans it will be nice to see the school finally working toward a CAA championship, rather than just a winning record.

“It was exciting to watch the team develop.

I’ve been here since it started and it’s awesome to see it all finally come together.”

Football isn’t the only place where students are getting into the groove. At the STIHL Classic there was a student organization and activity spirit contest. Swim and dive wins just about every year, but that didn’t stop others from getting in on the action. The Monarch hockey team jumped into the scene..

“We knew we were going to have our sticks

and helmet. That would distinguish us as a hockey team,” said Tyler Duchaine, goalie for the hockey team. “We had some guys come in their jocks. It was a blast.”

Swim and dive took home the gold once again as they showed up in the words of Duchaine, “practically naked.” But as the game went on everyone was just cheering on the ODU soccer team and working together as a united and powerful cheering force.

“Towards the end we were working with the swim team. We were cheering together,” said Duchaine.

The field hockey team here at ODU has been tops in the nation this year. Soccer is doing their part. Oh, and Big Blue. Don’t count out the reigning Capital One Mascot of the Year!

He’s back and ready to take on whoever dares step in his way. Along with the students at ODU, Big Blue is looking to defend his title and prove that ODU’s campus is one of the strongest and most enthusiastic in the nation.

A new year marks a new time for success.

There is a new group of seniors, there is a new group of freshman, and there are new groups all in between. From football to SGA, from WODU radio to Big Blue’s quest for glory, there are plenty of places for students to step up. Through school pride, spirit and character, good things will come. It is time for these students to put their stamp on this university to achieve greatness. Only time will tell what this new class can accomplish.

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B2 | MAcE & cROWN | Wednesday 9.28.2011

Gears of a COG BY steVe KnaUer Staff Writer

As anticipated, “Gears of War 3” hit harder than the soldiers hitting cover. With greater than 1 million pre-orders and a yet-to-be-determined number of sales straight off the rack, this game will definitely be counted as a win for videogame company “Epic Games.” Released on Sept. 20, it was awarded a score of 9.0 from websites such as IGN.com. It shows just how this game seals off the trilogy.

The game itself has the familiar feel of third person action that was so nicely delivered by the first two games. It follows the war between the COG and their mysterious adversaries, the Locust. In the previous game, Delta Squad, a group of soldiers called “Gears,” learned that their enemy fed on a resource deep underground called emulsion and mutated into something they now call the Lambent. The plot thickens as it starts to become a three-sided war for the planet.

The shooting in the game is spot on, as expected from the franchise. For those familiar to the series, the reloading mechanic, hitting the shoulder button at the indicated spot in the bar, is slightly altered. It is exactly the same for the Lancer assault rifle, but for every other gun, this “sweet spot” is in a different part of the bar. For instance, a new gun called the Retro Lancer, a pre-Emergence day rifle, is obviously less ac-

curate, but stronger. That being said, its “sweet spot” is later in the bar than the regular Lancer, as it physically takes longer to load, adding an all new strategy to the game. Another new strategy is forced on the player when facing certain new lambent enemies. Being mutated and deformed, they grow tentacles that can easily reach over cover to harm the player, causing you to move about more often.

Moving along to the multiplayer, this game harkens back to the golden age of gaming: the days of un-lockables. Before the invention of downloadable content, which is sold at a price, games had clever ways of showing just how good a player is at a game by rewarding their skills with unlockable guns, skills, characters etc. Gears of War 3 chose this noble way for their game, making multiplayer that much more enjoyable. The Multiplayer modes themselves are Team Death Match, Capture the Flag/leader, the infamous Horde Mode and a new one called Beast Mode.

The LasT sTand FoR deLTa sQUad

Everyone familiar with the series knows about Horde Mode, the “survive as long as you can against innumerous waves of enemies,” but the new Beast Mode adds to the mix by allowing you to play as the enemy. You start out as a basic enemy troop attacking human enemies, then as your teams kill count grows, you unlock the ability to play as stronger and stronger troops. The goal of this mode is the same as Team Death Match, just

with a tactical twist.

Being just as testosterone filled as the previous games, as well as a few heart strings being plucked here and there, the score of 9.0 seems much deserved. This game can be enjoyed by avid fans of the series and casual gamers alike because chain sawing an enemy in half is still fun five years later.

“drive” Review cRawL, waLK, RUn, FLY oR dRive To This movie

BY Martin tUCKer Staff Writer

“Drive” is a neo-noir heist drama adapted from the James Sallis novel of the same name about an unnamed Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a skilled getaway driver. “Drive” was directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, a Danish writer/director known for the “Pusher” series and the Charles Bronson, the convict, biopic, Bronson, starring Tom Hardy. The adapted script was penned by Iranian screenwriter Hossein Amini and stars the versatile Ryan Gosling in the lead role clearly influenced by Steven McQueen in “Bullitt.”

Gosling’s performance as the driver is very minimalistic and restrained. He is a man with no name and a man of few words choosing only to speak when absolutely necessary. He travels the streets of Los Angeles and the deserts of Arizona in a Scorpion race jacket as an existential anti-hero looking to save those who need him, whether they be Carey Mulligan’s character who is single mother Irene, or Bryan Cranston’s character who is a lame automotive wizard named Shannon.

Unlike the driver, the supporting cast are all dependent on others with clear desires that sadly come in conflict with each other. Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks star as two Jewish gangsters with a shaky but ultimately loyal partnership. Surprisingly, Brooks who is known as a comedy writer/director/actor and a “Simpsons” voice actor, plays a very serious, but likable, role as a truly violent man who would much rather avoid gangster practices and killings, but at the end of the day doesn’t shy away from it. Mulligan’s character, Irene, is a single mother who lives with the

decisions of her past mainly through her son Benicio.

Cranston’s character, Shannon, carries much of the comedic weight of the film as “the driver’s” mentor and supporter in both legal and illegal businesses.

Oscar Isaac is also notable as the character Standard, a tragic figure trying to break away from his previous prison lifestyle.

The music style is an 80’s feel, almost reminiscent of “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City,” which certainly would fit the more violent aspects of the film. Although the driver isn’t quite Tommy Vercetti. What makes “Drive” so great isn’t just the neo-noir stylistic violence, its appreciation of the possibility of a car chase, or its memorable performances by most of the cast; it’s the spirit of collaboration. Four months before production, Ryan Gosling and Refn invited the actors and actresses as well as other collaborators to stay at his house, watch their favorite films, work on the script, and rehearse until they were practically a family knowing each other as people just as much as they know their characters.

I haven’t seen “Contagion,” but “Drive” seems to be by far the best movie out right now. Don’t judge it by the trailer; this movie was made with adoration for writing, acting, and directing. Refn surely didn’t win Best Director at Cannes for nothing. It feels to me that along with “Scott Pilgrim,” a new wave of films was made especially for us late 80’s and early 90’s babies who grew up playing Vice City with the volume down so our parents couldn’t hear the curse words, all night until we fell asleep. “Drive” is highly recommended by me and it deserves as much support as it can get so Hollywood studios will approve more movies like this.

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Wednesday 9.28.2011 | MAcE & cROWN | B3

PHILOSOPHY CLUB BACK IN ACTION

The Kooks: Junk of the heart album

oLd and new memBeRs come TogeTheR To discUss new ideas

BY SARAH NADEAU Staff Writer

If you’re an individual who often questions the purpose of the human existence and favors the ideals of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, then there’s a club on campus for you! ODU’s philosophy club held its first meeting of the fall semester on Wednesday night.

In the laid back atmosphere of Borjo, a coffee house found in the Village on Monarch Way, the meeting was different than one would assume a gathering of students who consider themselves to be the most critical of thinkers at ODU. The format of conversation for the night was a specific topic or question being asked by one of the members, then each other member taken their turn, having their own moment to share their thoughts. Throughout the entire night the meeting maintained a very casual and intimate feel.

It began with introductions, of each member and of the club itself. And for the inaugural meeting of the year, the first topics up for discussion were of philosophy itself. What it is and means for each member, its impact of humanity, and some of its most popular figures. The idea of a desire for focus groups was also expressed and encouraged. Two specific groups that were proposed were one for metaphysics and another for an atheistic and agnostic group.

BY gianina thoMPson Contributing Writer There’s no question what The Kook’s album is about based on its title “Junk of the Heart.” Have you ever felt like your heart was full of junk from all the hurts, pains, and disappointments? Well you’re not alone because The Kooks understand that level of mentality whole-heartedly.

The album opens up with the song “Junk of The Heart (Happy).” Singer Luke Pritchard engages his listeners with the opening verse of, “Junk of the heart is junk of the mind.” Sound familiar? I’m sure a lot

can’t run, run,” ends the song of “Killing Me.” “Killing Me” is a basic scene of the aftermath emotions of an unwanted breakup. The Kooks combine instruments and voice to bring to life how a breakup may not literally kill someone, but it does kill the hopes of the relationship to nothing but ash.

“Is it me, is it you/Is it the times that we’re living through/Was it hard when I had to leave/That day you seemed to change/We all need someone to guide us/Someone to introduce the show/I needed someone just like you/Someone to let me know/I could lose it all” is the first verse of “Is it Me”. The basic questions of why a relationship didn’t work out lives in the lyrics of this thought provoking song.

Other songs included on the album are, “How’d You Like That,” “Taking Pictures of You,” “F the World Off,” “Time Above the Earth,” “Petulia,” “Eskimo Kiss,” and “Mr. Nice Guy.” Their album, unlike most bands, keeps their sound consistent with the sound that made them successful in the first place. They stay true to their mix of genres that include rock, British pop, reggae, and ska with the theme of broken hearts and desires. This may seem far-fetched from an “original” sound, but it’s a sound and theme that made them taste success, and continue to taste it.

The Kooks’ “Junk of the Hearts” hit stores on Sept.

16, 2011.

porter Robinson supports Tiesto on “college invasion Tour” BY aleXanDer rose Staff Writers

For the most part, everyone in the group seemed to be on one accord throughout the entire meeting. Besides a few polite interjections, one thing the gathering lacked was some good old-fashioned debating. Assuming that the absence of some opposition was in prevention of scaring new members away, I’m sure that through the course of the semester the discussions get intense considering one of their core beliefs is bringing people of different experiences and perspectives together to exchange ideas.

So, if you have an interest in philosophy or simply asking the question “why” and challenging the truths of life, make sure to find the ODU Philosophy Club on Facebook for additional information and upcoming events.

of broken hearted lovers understand this to be true just by the mere fact that some relationships do not use knowledge of the mind, but instead lenses of the blinded love. Pritchard repeats “You’re a lover of the wild and a joker of the heart” throughout the song, with the repeating chorus that goes, “I wanna make you happy, I wanna make you feel alive, Let me make you happy.” The song itself has a catchy beat that causes listeners to bob their heard to, think of their own relationship, and possibly question if the song imitates their own relationship.

The song “Rosie” takes the listeners on a journey of the ideal girl. As I wonder what we’d be like “Wrapped up, so uptight with you/Lust will do funny things” draws the listeners to imagine the first time they day-dreamed their own Rosie. The themed flow of the song seems to come to an abrupt reality with the last lines that sing, “Well I wanted you so easily/Illusions past and now I see/Image is so different to reality/Rosie.”

“But you can help me out/I want to love you again/ But you can help me out/I want to love you again ‘cause I feel so cold without sun/I’ve got to one I

“Say My Name,” the first track put out by a 19-year-old producer from North Carolina named Porter Robinson, catapulted the high school senior into electronic music stardom. After you put out a track that makes it to number one on the web-based electronic music charts, Beatport, a lot can change in a matter of weeks. For Porter, the seven years of music production he had under his belt was finally paying off. Booking agents began contacting him, managers wanted to represent him and teachers wanted him to turn in homework. In the final months before graduation, Porter was balancing being a straight-A student and touring the country on the weekends.

With support from many of the world’s biggest DJ’s, Porter Robinson recently released his first EP, titled “Spitfire” and it went straight to number one on the charts. Now, this 19-year-old prodigy of a producer has been booked alongside arguably the greatest DJ in the world, Tiesto, to support him on his nationwide “College Invasion Tour.” I sat down with Porter after his packed Norfolk Scope performance last Wednesday and congratulated him on his recent success. When comparing some of the events he was playing a year ago, to the events he is playing now, his growth has been tremendous. “It has been a level of progression that I never expected. I was half expecting a long and tough road ahead of me,

playing opening slots for eternity. Having started producing roughly seven years ago has helped me a lot as well as the fact that I’ve put out some tunes which have had the support of a lot of people,” said Robinson.

At the young age of 19, he recently graduated from high school and had to decide between furthering his career and continuing with his education. “I eventually sat down with my parents and managers and we talked about the pros and cons of going to school or pursuing a DJ career and ultimately decided I would continue to DJ. What I realized was that some of the most successful people are the ones that don’t necessarily check off the “attend college” checkbox after high school,” said Robinson.

He just released his “Spitfire” EP on Skrillex’ label OWSLA, this week. One goal he had was to release a single track that made it in the Top 100 chart on Beatport and within a day of releasing “Spitfire”, it went straight to number one. It’s so great to see the success of his EP and OWSLA. [“I was actually in

the MacArthur Mall today and went into an H&M. I was getting so anxious because all I was hearing was a bunch of terrible house music and it made me want to get back home and record some new tunes I’ve been thinking about. My next goal is to go home and write a massive tune and then explore and experiment with some other genres,” said Robinson. Hopefully this means there is a lot more coming from him for us to enjoy in the future.

If you haven’t listened to Porter Robinson before, don’t sleep on this! He is one of a handful of people you can expect to see around for many years to come. www.soundcloud.com/porter-robinson

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B4 | MAcE & cROWN | Wednesday 9.28.2011

Freakin’ gleekin’ a LooK aT The season pRemieRe oF FoX’s nUmBeR one mUsicaL comedY “gLee” BY aMy DelaUra Contributing Writer

Slushies. Musical numbers. Losers. That’s how Sue sees it. But now you can see for yourself with the return of “Glee” Tuesday nights 8/9c on Fox. After a summer of touring, a 3D movie and lots of plot rumors, our favorite “Glee” characters come back with a bang.

Warning! Spoiler alerts and summer time rumors will be spilled here. First off, something all the “Glee 3-D” moviegoers knew: Blaine transfers to McKinley High. Now we can see what he looks like with real clothes on. I was disappointed our “Glee Project” winners Damian and Samuel will not be introduced till later in the season, though understandable considering there was so much plot catch-up to do with the characters we already know, love, and love to hate. Speaking of which, I’m pretty sure we all saw it coming that Sue would manage to turn Will’s ballsy glitter act against him making the “hate crime” help her climb up in the polls even more. They traded Tina’s colored locks to Quinn who has become part of “The Skanks” after she started dating a 47 year old skater dude. Her chopped off bob of pink patches and trashy clothes has Santana wanting to douse her with soap. Yet somehow this dirty, 80’s, rebel appearance manages to

make Quinn look sexier than ever. A problem I did have was with Emma and Will’s relationship; I felt it was not explained at all. Last time we checked in with them, Emma was helping him pack for a Broadway show with no intention of starting a relationship. We come back this season and they are living together? Will even makes the statement of “wanting to start a family.” Though with his “red light”, “green light” frustration it is apparent they have not had any sexual interactions yet or are even married, so not sure how he can be considering reproduction. All summer rumors about Chord Overstreet were confirmed with one line of dialog. We were left at the end of season two with the promising secret relationship between Sam and Mercedes, just to find out Chord declines Fox’s offer to return to “Glee” for the third season. This was played out

by Mercedes answering the question on whether or not she and Sam were dating. Her response was along the lines of “that was so last June... yes we dated but his dad got a job out of state.”

Though it seems the writers wasted no time filling the spot with an ever supporting love interest from the football team. It will be interesting to see if later in the season he can sing as well. We wrap up the first episode of the third season with Rachel and Kurt crushed but not broken, Jane Lynch succeeding in her campaign against the

Arts, Blaine causing Finn extreme discomfort by coming to McKinley, and Quinn sulking in the shadows and tormenting herself with the battle in her head to remain part of the nasty habited sluts or rejoin “Glee.”

Some things to look forward to are not only the story of our main characters, but also some sub-plot friends and the “Glee Project” winners.

Damian will make his debut in the fourth episode as a foreign exchange student living with Britney and Samuel, possibly related to Puck, will not come in till the tenth or eleventh episode. Also,

it will be interesting to see if Sunshine will continue to sing for Vocal Adrenaline, go back to the Philippines, come to McKinley, or if they will just forget to write in an explanation as they did Will and Emma’s relationship.

The awkward socially challenged nerds are so in right now because they are so lovable and hilarious! Make sure to tune in on Tuesday nights starting at 8 p.m. to catch “Glee.” Don’t have time on Tuesday nights to get “gleeked” out?

Not a problem. You can always keep up with it on Hulu and Fox.com.

TruLife: “i majored in arts and letters, now what?”

BY Megan staMPer Contributing Writer On Tuesday Sept. 20, the Old Dominion University Learning Commons held a panel discussion titled “Trulife: I majored in arts and letters.”

Five panel members from different backgrounds and career fields gave students advice on how to find that perfect career and more importantly how to score it!

The members were Janelle Smith, Cox Media; Laura Gwathmey, Director of Programs: Physicians for Peace; Reggie McCoy, Senior Parole Office Norfolk Police Dept; TJ McAndrews, Deputy Chief Services: Virginia Beach Fire Department; and Mark Lawrence, a graduate student at Old Dominion. The panel gave tips for graduating students entering the workforce in internships, resumes, interviews and skills.

The first piece of advice was that internships are a must. Janelle received her job with Cox Communications after doing a six month internship after college, and suggested for students to work as many internships in as many different job titles in his or her field as possible. Reggie recommended doing

internships while in school to prevent the stress and rush of finding one after graduation.

The second piece of advice was in reference to resumes. Laura mentioned creating a resume that is unique and shows personality, “he (an applicant) put on his resume that he hated condiments, and that’s what we talked about during the interview, but we remembered him.” Laura said laughing. Janelle said that spelling mistakes on a resume are a huge red flag, have several people review a resume before it is sent out.

The third tip was in reference to interviews. Laura stressed the importance of informing the employer exactly what you want, emphasizing flexibility and following up with the company. She also emphasized flattering your employer, at the least he or she may be more inclined to reach out and help even if they are not hiring. Reggie stressed the importance of speech skills and diction, “An interview is a conversation,” he said, stay true to your personality. Sara Estefanos, international studies major at ODU said that one of the most important things she took from the discussion was learning how to sell yourself.

Kristine Hommersan, an international studies major said that the most important tip she took from the panel was “find out what your skills are and how to apply them.” Jenell discusses the importance of social networks in todays marketing world. “Knowing how to market a company via Facebook, Twitter, and other social network devices is an important and marketable skill that can even be used on a resume.”

Concise, understandable, well written sentences are a key part of any field, and the best way to write well, is to write.

Speaking is another large part of the career field and good speech, vocabulary, and diction can be helpful in interviewing, in presentations and in simple communication.

Laura, the sole panel member holding a graduate degree, gave a couple reasons why a master’s degree should be an option.

One reason is the credibility that a master’s degree gives a person, especially someone young. She quoted,” Being that I am very young it does give me more credibility.” Also a very obvious reason she brings up is many fields offer a higher starting pay for those who have completed higher levels of education.

This panel discussion and workshops similar are great not o n l y b e cause

they offer helpful information and insight, but a student has the opportunity to network and build connections.

Networking and internships, followed by the rest of the tips given by the panel are the most proactive things a student can do to prepare for the future. It is never too late, get involved.

Get experience. Get a job!

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Wednesday 9.28.2011 | MAcE & cROWN | B5

Ultimate comics ALL BLACK WEBBING THING spider-man #1 Review

BY Martin tUCKer Staff Writer

Miles Morales has more than a few walls to climb over the next few issues. He’s hated by Glenn Beck, feared by Lou Dobbs, and shunned by many diehard “Ultimate Spider-Man” and “Amazing Spider-Man” fans alike. Funny thing is, he’s not even real. Morales is the new face of “Ultimate Spider-Man” after the death of Peter Parker in the Ultimate Marvel Comics Universe. Now, this entire article is a major “spoiler alert,” so don’t read it if you hate spoilers.

At the last Ultimate Universe Summit, Mark Millar had the idea to kill off Spiderman, at least in the Ultimate Universe. Brian Bendis, the more than a decade long writer of “Ultimate Spider-Man,” agreed with the idea, but brought something new to the table; an unnamed ethnic blob of story lines and goo to fill that void. Peter Parker’s replacement, which after many nights of talking between Bendis and Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer at Marvel evolved into the young Brooklyn-bred black and latino kid you see in “Ultimate Fallout #4.”

“Fallout” certainly was an appropriate word, as the comics and political world was in an uproar. Some were still grieving the loss of the late Peter Parker, some thought he shouldn’t be replaced at all, and many thought it was all a gimmick. Many questions arose before the August release of “Ultimate Fallout #4” like “Is he black?” “Is he Hispanic?” “Is he gay” “Is he black, Latino, and gay? Oh the horror!” Just to be fair, Miles Morales isn’t quite the first Latino Spider-Man. Miguel O’Hara is, the Hispanic web slinger from “Spider-Man 2099.” Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” parodied Lou Dobbs take on the new Spidey saying, “Oh my God, it’s Lou Dobbs’ worst nightmare, a Latino that can climb walls.” Glenn Beck claimed to not care about the ethnicity at all,

but to warn about a conspiracy where Michelle Obama is influencing the comics industry and using Marvel as a propagandist brainwashing machine for kids.

Personally, I’m more of DC/Image man myself and less of a superhero junkie. Now, do I think Miles Morales is a token gimmick created to feed off the diversity rhetoric born from Obama’s 2008 election? No, but Bendis breaking the digital sales record for Marvel off of strength of character, plot, writing and artwork alone doesn’t seem quite right to me. He’ll never admit it, but he knows the power of hype in media.

With art by Sarah Pichelli and coloring by Justin Ponsor, “Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1” is well drawn with a colorful and contemporary style and pop art influences. Like Bendis’ original “Ultimate Spider-Man” comic, we aren’t introduced to the new Spidey, but instead Bendis wants us to understand the man or preteen behind the mask, so that means no costumed appearances.

Miles seems interesting as a character, but his supporting cast, not so much. His father seems to come straight out of a Chris Rock standup about how stern/cheap he is. The mother weeping and repeating, “You have a chance” after Miles wins the last spot in a Charter School Lottery makes me want to smack Bendis repeatedly. Waiting for Superman and The Lottery seem to make the subject of the failure of the public and private school system in its treatment of inner city kids work well in the documentary format, but it seems clichéd and generalized in the comic format. Uncle Aaron is a decent character though, with a dark past that is sure to be either an Alfred-like mentor or some type of arch-nemesis for Miles.

Also, I might be paranoid, but the idea of Norman Osborn being responsible for Miles acquiring his powers seems to echo in some ways. The half a millennium colonial rhetoric seen in works like Phyllis Wheatley’s “On Being Brought from Africa to America”

that African Americans had no culture, civilization, agency or power before colonization and were saved from a far worse off fate, which in Miles’ case would be growing up in a largely gentrified Brooklyn in 2011, without superpowers.

But hey, I’m a deconstructionist at heart, so I’m probably overreacting. All things considered, I’ve seen much worse depictions of African American and Latino American characters. Bendis and Pichelli do a great job at framing and writing Miles to make the audience not just feel sorry for him, but to respect his maturity at a young age. It will be nice to see Miles attempt to fill such big tights and how Bendis will try to approach issues like double-consciousness and social problems within the black and Latino community.

While I’m not the biggest fan of this issue, I am starting to become a fan of Miles Morales and look forward to seeing how his story plays out. (In my Enthusiastic LeVar Burton voice) But don’t take my word for it. Travel to your local comic store (Local Heroes) and pick up the relatively low priced book yourself.

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B6 | MAcE & cROWN | Wednesday 9.28.2011

“get ready to Leaving a Mark spread some a siLenT FiLm is noT siLenT Jam on your musical Toast” BY r Jay Molina Staff Writer

UMPHREE’S MCGEE AT THE NORVA

BY Maryann JaCKson Contributing Writer

The Norva is featuring the progressive rock jam band Umphree’s McGee, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011 at 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased backstage at The Jewish Mother, or purchased via Internet for around $20. This live musical performance is really something to experience.

For those unfamiliar with jam bands, a jam band is a musical group that has live performances in which there are extended improvisations (jams) and grooves that cross typical boundaries of rock music. Jam bands sound great on their albums, but seeing them live is really an experience Umphree’s McGee is one of those bands that take a lot of pride in their completely improvisational jams. You never know what’s coming next in an Umphree’s McGee set; you could be listening to any of their songs in a live performance and then suddenly be teased into another well known non-Umphree’s McGee song that you would be pleasantly surprised to hear.

Umphree’s McGee was a band first formed at the University of Notre Dame.

The first guitarist/vocalist was Brendan Bayliss, bassist, Ryan Stasik, keyboard-

ist Joel Cummins, and drummer Mike Mirro. The band was formed with the merging of two Notre Dame rock bands. After becoming pretty popular and releasing their first album, “Greatest Hits Album III,” the band added on a new member, percussionist Andy Farag. In September of 2000, guitarist Jake Cinniger was added to the band, and really set the band up to become what it is today. Jake brought a sound to the group that really differentiated them from other bands along with a mass amount of original music, and really boosted their popularity in the Chicago area and beyond.

Since the band’s formation, twelve albums have been released. The most recent album “Death by Stereo,” was released just this year, and is really one of their most musically intriguing albums yet. The band really brings a different vibe to their music in this album and is something worth listening to. One of their more popular songs on the new album, “Death by Stereo” is “Miami Vice”, a song that would really intrigue your musical taste buds, no matter what your musical taste may be.

Overall, seeing an Umphree’s show is really an amazing experience; and unlike seeing many other bands perform. Most that are fans of Umphree’s McGee have been fans for a very long time, and really know how different and fascinating their music and live performances are. Umphree’s McGee fans love going to their shows because you never really know what is going to happen next in each of their set lists. Whether you are interested in hip hop, rap, or even country music, going to see an Umphree’s McGee show is an experience that everyone could enjoy. All music lovers, love at least one kind of music, and Umphree’s McGee puts a little of it all on the table. So, get ready to come out to the Norva this weekend and spread some Umphree’s McGee jam on your musical toast!

A Silent Film, an indie band from Oxford, England, has rocked the music industry in their homeland for over two years now. However, they have yet to really make their mark in the United States, save for a couple thousand people who are British culture fanatics who go to great lengths to find music like this. The band could easily be described as the lovechild of Coldplay and Muse, but A Silent Film manages to make their own sound by blasting electrifying piano melodies in each song. The lead vocalist, Robert Stevenson, helps guide the listener with his whispering voice as the piano, guitars, and drums takes listeners on a journey throughout the band’s album, “The City That Sleeps.”

There are two versions of the album, the United Kingdom version which was released in 2008, and the U.S. version which made its way to our shores in 2010. There are significant differences between the two. The U.K. version has 11 tracks as opposed to the U.S. version, which has 10, the arrangement of the songs in both versions is different, and there are multiple tracks in the U.K. version which are not in the U.S. version and vice versa.

The great thing about the U.S. album is that any rock music fan can pick it up and enjoy it. Pop lovers can find their sound in tracks like “Thirteen Times the Strength” and “Lamplight.”

Classic rockers can enjoy the mellow sounds of “Sleeping Pills” and “Julie June,” and alternative listeners have tracks like “You Will Leave a Mark,”

“Driven by a Beating Heart,” and “Firefly at My Window” to sway to.

The last track, “Aurora,” is the most haunting as Stevenson sings of how he must separate himself from his love to be his own person. The track is intimate as he is only accompanied by his piano and somber violins. The U.K. version offers tracks like “The Highest Regard,” “Gerontion,” and “Ghosts in the Water,” which fall into Coldplaylike territory.

Overall, A Silent Film deserves more recognition in the U.S. They certainly have more to learn, but it is always refreshing to hear a rock band from another country, especially when that band seems confident in trying to deliver a pulse-pounding, yet mellow

album, which will either let a listener kick back and enjoy the tunes, or explore the meanings behind the music and lyrics. If the band sticks with their main formula of “piano rock,” while adding subtle differences for their next album, they will be unstoppable. They may not be a big hit right now in the states, but within a few more years they may just be the next Coldplay, and hopefully by that time they won’t be compared to that band.

In a society of bubblegum pop songs, that just explain what day it is, A Silent Film is slowly proving that rock is far from fading away. The genre is simply evolving. Buy the album now on Amazon or iTunes.

pick up a copy every Wednesday

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Consolidated Service Desk with research and technology instructional services; library reference and research assistance; equipment loans of iPods, digital cameras, hand held digital recorders, and laptop computers A Presentation Room with the same technology as ODU classrooms so students can practice class presentations Seven Collaboration Rooms, each with a data projector or flat screen monitor, laptop hook-up, and Windows computer Two Collaboration Stations allow for several laptops to be connected and selectively displayed to a flat panel for collaboration of presentations, documents, and other digital content Multi-Media Innovation Lab equipped with high end iMacs, video and photo editing software, video and recording equipment, and a sound booth for digital media content creation High-end computers and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) workstations A Presentation Area with a data projector, electronic screen and laptop hookup for informational presentations and/or open training sessions

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@ PERRY LIBRARY CONNECTED SERVICES CONNECTED RESOURCES CONNECTED FACILITIES The Learning Commons @ Perry Library and the Student Success Center are now open.

For more information about the Learning Commons, please contact Kathryn Boone, at kboone@odu.edu.

For more information about the Student Success Center, please contact David Metzger at dmetzger@odu.edu.

The Learning Commons website is located at http://www.odu.edu/learningcommons Opening Soon: Multi-Media Innovation Lab, Writing Tutorial Services, the Math and Science Resource Center, and Einstein Bros CafĂŠ

ATTENTION STUDENTS!

HAVE YOUR PARENTS THOUGHT ABOUT BECOMING A TEACHER?

Do you know someone who thought about becoming a teacher, but never seriously considered it because they didn’t complete a traditional teacher prep program while in college? The Virginia Department of Education Alternative Teacher Licensure Program at Old Dominion University is looking for special people who have a bachelor’s degree in any area plus five years of full-time work experience. This career opportunity is for individuals who didn’t go the traditional route, but who have valuable life experience, career achievement, and the academic background that may qualify them to teach in Virginia’s schools.

If you know someone who is interested in this accelerated teacher certification program, remind them to call the Old Dominion University Career Switcher Program at 757-683-4686 or visit: www.odu.edu/careerswitcher

Teaching – they have thought about it…… NOW IS THE TIME TO DO IT! DID YOU KNOW Old Dominion University offers non-credit continuing education on-line and

face-to-face courses for youth and adults? Add to your learning by enrolling in a continuing education program! The courses are affordable, convenient and some classes start as low as $199.00. The Darden College of Education’s Programs for Continued Learning office offers courses in: Test Preparation, Graphic and Multimedia Design, Foreign Languages, creating your personal brand, marketing and event planning, personal and professional development courses, teacher recertification and much more. Begin your adventure today and learn something new!

Call the DCOE Programs for Continued Learning office at 757-683-4686 or visit: http://education.odu.edu/pcl

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What’s Inside

N C A N D A L P L AY O F F R E V I E W MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SOCCER

wednesday 9.28.2011 | MAcE & cROWN | c1

sports

BRUISE BROTHERS

A NEW TYPE OF CHALLENGE

BY JorDan Jones Contributing Writer

Newly hired assistant Lacrosse coach Ashley Kellogg is a 2010 graduate of Old Dominion and was a four year starter from 2007 to 2010. She ranks seventh in career points with 152, and fourth in goals with 128. She was a two-time All-CAA performer during her playing days as well.

Having had this type of career, Kellogg is well qualified for this job. Being as she is a recent graduate, it shouldn’t be difficult for her to relate to her players. Old Dominion’s lacrosse program, which is one of the best in the country, has chosen a young, but talented young woman as coach.

Kellogg has an interesting take on her new opportunity as a coach here at Old Dominion. “I enjoyed my time here and I was able to learn a lot about becoming a person as well as an athlete,” Kellogg said. When asked how, if at all, has Old Dominion changed since her playing days, she said

see c5 see c4 see c2

FoRmeR LacRosse pLaYeR added To coaching sTaFF

“by former head coach Sue Stahl retiring, the culture of Old Dominion lacrosse has changed. However, I expect our team to keep the same intensity and winning mentality that was present during my playing days, under interim head coach Heather Holt.” Kellogg has high expectations for herself as a coach, as well she should.

She wants to focus her efforts on bringing words of encouragement to her players and staff as well as putting her players in the position to be successful on the field as well as off it.

Kellogg will bring much experience and expertise to the coaching staff as well. During her playing days, she was an expert on the offensive end. She will bring extensive knowledge of attack points and strategies that will no doubt be successful in the very near future. She also promises to be a solid role model, someone who will be dependable and a positive influence at all times in the locker room.

Kellogg also hopes to emphasize several

teaching points to her players. The important thing she emphasized was that lacrosse is a game, so enjoy it and be thankful for the opportunity to play it. Sports sometimes become too serious, at the end of the day, it is a game played for fun. Kellogg also discussed with the Mace and Crown how it’s important to be able to balance the student aspect of college and said “the university helps with this by providing study hall days and tutoring, and by closely monitoring grades and student development.”

Kellogg has great motivation to become a head coach also. She said “lacrosse is my passion, something that I want to share with as many people as possible and being in a coaching capacity is an effective way to do so.” Kellogg continued, “my main objective is to help the team progress and win games at a strong rate through hard work, grit, and sheer determination. With her experience, determination, and passion for teaching, results can be expected soon.

old dominion: Undefeated and Unstoppable needed to go, Old Dominion started to look a bit flustered.

At one point, every ball that was dribbled into the circle was cleared by Hofstra and on more than one occasion, the Lady Monarchs were forced to fall back and regroup themselves before surging forward. With a little more than 22 minutes remaining in the game, Nearhouse once again put it upon herself to bring

KaTie neaRhoUse and emma BaTTen BoTh geT a paiR oF goaLs in win oveR hoFsTRa

BY Kathryne Mason Contributing Writer Putting an end to the Lady Prides four game winning streak, nationally ranked Old Dominion once again proved why they are No. 1 in the nation. Old Dominion dominated both sides of the ball throughout the entire game, cutting up any play Hofstra attempted to make and shutting down everything in the middle. With a little over 15 minutes to go in the first half and the Lady Monarchs starving for a goal, CAA Co-Player of the week Emma Batten scored the first tally at the 10:28 mark.

Not realizing that Emma was behind her, Hofstra keeper Meredith Golden came out of the cage to challenge Lady Monarch Kathryn Kirk. Kirk, being pressured, simply passed the ball across the circle to Emma who easily knocked it in.

Soon afterwards, with under a minute remaining, forward Katie Nearhouse decided to take the ball in herself and shot a rocket into the cage with a beautiful pass from junior Maartje van Rijswijk.

By the end of the first half, the Lady Monarch

defense left the Lady Prides without any shots or corners..

Old Dominion, who, last season, was known for blowing leads and softening up in the second half, did just the opposite in this game. Once again, the Lady Monarch defense led by junior

The girls played great today… they were hustling, going the extra mile, making every play count.

Christy Longacre stopped anything that came in the middle. The few times Hofstra managed to get into the red zone, standout freshmen Kelsey Smither would show her stick work and intercept the ball.

The hour and a half rain delay did have an effect on both teams though. At times, both Old Dominion and Hofstra’s passes were a bit soft and slow. With passes not getting where they

the Lady Monarchs back into the offensive swing of things.

“I hit the ball into the circle, but I hit it from reverse stick, so it was a really soft hit…I guess the keeper underestimated it because next thing I know Kathryn and Emma are running up to me saying I scored.”

Four minutes and 17 seconds later, Batten scored again to put the Monarchs up 4-0. Rijswi-

jk got the assist. Less than three minutes later, Kathryn Kirk hugging the post with her body scored on a sharp pass across the circle from Smither.

As the seconds continued to count down Hofstra started to get desperate. Trying to come up with any type of offense, the Lady Prides made long, inefficient, and inaccurate passes down the field. With under three minutes remaining, Old Dominion head coach Beth Anders ordered the girls to move into a strictly defensive mode. “The girls played great today…they were hustling, going the extra mile, making every play count…I thought they deserved a break and Hofstra wasn’t pressuring, so I pulled them back,” Anders said.

Staying out of the circle, but above the Hofstra 25-yard line, Kirk and Nearhouse played keep away for the remainder of the game while the rest of the Lady Monarchs stayed back by the ODU 25 defending their keeper. Senior keeper Devon Seifert notched her third shutout victory of the season in Saturday’s win.

With the win over Hofstra, Old Dominion is now 9-0 on the season and 1-0 in CAA conference play. CAA conference play will continue when the Lady Monarchs take on No. 20 Northeastern Sunday at 1p.m. at the Powhatan Sports Complex. The Lady Monarchs will then be hitting the road again for their next four opponents.

www.maceandcRown.com

Wednesday 9.28.2011 | MAcE & cROWN | C2

The Bruise Brothers

a LooK aT The RUnning BacK comBo FoR The monaRchs

BY JUstin BroWn Staff Writer A two-headed monster. Thunder and lightning. The two running back offense. Coaches love it. When the starting running back gets tired they throw in number two. Rested and ready to go, the backup becomes the go-to guy and hits the hole full-speed. When the backup gets tired, the starter returns fueled up, ready to go, and a step quicker than a worn down defense.

Old Dominion University’s Angus Harper and Colby Goodwyn give the Monarchs that two-headed monster, the two-back offense.

“We get equal time, we split off every series. He goes, I go, he goes, I go,” says Harper, his voice trailing on. “He goes, I go, I go, he goes.”

The two-back offense works when the running backs are willing to work together. Luckily for the Monarchs, the competition between these two isn’t to win the starting role, but to win the game.

When one back gains yards the team gains yards. When one back scores a touchdown, the team scores a touchdown.

“It’s not about what he’s doing or what I’m doing,” Harper says.

“Collectively we’re brothers. We both want to see each other do well. If he got 190 [yards], the backfield has 190 [yards], we have 190 [yards].”

This style of offense doesn’t work when running backs get self-

Impossible to Block

BY Ben DeCoWsKi Staff Writer

Eddie McClam is what every coach dreams of in a defensive end. He stands at six feet and six inches tall and weighs in at 280 pounds with the build of the Incredible Hulk. In just two seasons at Old Dominion University, McClam has recorded 55 tackles, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and an impressive six blocked kicks. Now in his third season as a Monarch, he has already added five unassisted tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles to his resume through three games.

So it is shocking that this is only his sixth year playing football.

“I started my junior year of high school,” said McClam who attended Lake City High School in South Carolina. Even more surprising is the fact that McClam didn’t even play defense in high school, he played tight end. He switched to the defensive line in college and has no intentions of going back to the offense. “I see how tight ends have to try to block me so I don’t think I want that. Plus I don’t like getting hit too much,” said McClam.

Football wasn’t the only sport he played at Lake

ish. Reggie Bush achieved the greatest victory a football player can achieve in 2009, winning a Super Bowl. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough in his mind and he was shipped off to the Miami Dolphins.

There are situations, however, where the two-back alternating offense has worked like it is working here in Norfolk. The Auburn Tigers had two future first round picks in Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams in 2004. The two backs could have entered the NFL after the 2003 season, but decided to come back and share time for one more year.

The two were able to take the Tigers to a win in the Sugar Bowl and an undefeated 13-0 season. It takes two men, with the same goal, a splash of talent, a little bit of humility, and some dedication to help take the two-back offense to the next level.

The Monarchs’ two running backs, Harper and Goodwyn, are a duo that seems bound to work great together for the next couple years. Harper, who speaks confidentially through his in-the-process dreadlocks, has a slightly darker complexion than Goodwyn.

His dreads aren’t the kind that flow from out of his helmet, but are a bit longer than Goodwyn’s blonde tipped ones. Harper is the more vocal of the two. He likes to speak and is intelligent when he does so.

Goodwyn is more reserved, but always backs up what Harper has to say, to a point where it is almost unconditional. They think on the same wavelength. They are the Monarchs’ Bruise Brothers.

The two aren’t running backs that switch it up on defenses when they come in and out of the game. One is not really faster than the other, even though Goodwyn will tell you that people think he’s faster because he’s a little smaller. At 5 feet 10 inches 200 pounds, Goodwyn gives up a little size to Harper’s 6 feet 210 pound build, but they both run with an intensity to keep defenses on their heels.

They are both down hill runners that enjoy playing smash mouth football. They punish defenses with a geared up and ferocious running game.

“Me and Angus’s running games are similar,” said Goodwyn with his big smile. A smile that you could imagine seeing when you are looking up at him from the ground after catching one of his broad shoulders into your chest. “We feed off each other. I would

If he got 190 [yards], the backfield has 190 [yards], we have 190 [yards].

see Angus run somebody over and that gets me pumped up. I feed off his playing abilities and I’m pretty sure he does the same.”

Feeding off of each other’s performances. It seems to be what these two are all about. Goodwyn does something, Harper has to prove himself. It isn’t a competition to show who is better, but that they can both complete the job at hand.

“It’s like Colby goes out there and makes somebody miss then it’s like, ‘Angus, you go out there and do what you do best, go run somebody over.’ We just feed off each other and it helps us,” said Harper, finishing off on the same note that Goodwyn had started.

The two backs are young. Harper is a redshirt freshman and Goodwyn is sitting comfortably as a true sophomore. That means Harper has a potential of three more years following this season and Goodwyn has two more. The strong bond these two formed didn’t just start at Old Dominion. The two actually became close while working out with each other just a couple years ago before they even knew where they were going to school.

“We met at a football camp in high school. It was an elite camp, so they only invited a certain amount of [players]. It was Colby and I from Virginia, but you had maybe eight other running backs from other places,” says Harper.

Not only did the two meet at the camp, but they worked out together, talked about their future plans and became fast friends.

“We were partners at the camp together,” said Goodwyn, at this point clearly the quieter of the two. Harper goes on to finish his thought, “Back then we were talking about he’s going to UNC and I’m going to Boston College and we ended up at ODU together and we just clicked back off.”

The tandem worked together then and they are working out well this year. Through three games the backs have amassed 480 rushing yards and 91 receiving yards. They have put the ball in the end zone five times and have been a terror for defenses to defend.

While Goodwyn has put up a little beefier numbers in the running game this season, Harper has been the one catching passes.

It doesn’t matter to these two. Goodwyn goes on to explain that it is just the way it goes. It depends on who, by the luck of the draw for that series, is getting more carries. Not which back is favored.

“In a game when he has 14 carries and I have 26 I feel like any given Saturday he could get 26 and I could get 14. It’s just the way the play calling works out. Either of us are capable of getting that amount of carries.”

Humility. To these two it’s about pushing your friend and teammate to his physical and mental limit. That is what they bring to the table. So watch out defenses, because you don’t know which of them is going to hit you next.

monaRch FooTBaLL’s deFensive end eddie mccLam Up cLose and peRsonaL

City. McClam was also on the track team and played power forward and center for the basketball team. McClam said his time on the basketball court helped him develop his “…footwork and the agility and everything,” for football. He also mentioned that he had offers to play basketball at division-two schools but said “It just wasn’t my thing, too much running.”

After high school, McClam attended Louisburg College which is a two-year school in North Carolina. In 2008 he recorded 32 tackles, three sacks and three forced fumbles for the LC Hurricanes before taking his talents to ODU. That was a decision in which his mother had a big influence on.

“Honestly, me and my mom came to visit up here and she really liked it,” said McClam, “She liked the whole campus look, she liked the academic part of it, you know the credentials here were just, they were amazing so, you know, she really liked it.”

Academics are important to McClam who is a senior majoring in Communications and thinking about his future. He would like to keep playing football after school, but he knows he needs a backup plan. “Right now I kind of want to go into PR,” said McClam, “Being an athlete you see how athletes are portrayed and everything, in

the media and everything, and I can be one of those persons that can help out the athlete with his image.”

For now, it’s all about football though as the Monarchs are in the full swing of their season.

McClam has a chance to do some big things in his final year at ODU. He is on the verge of tying the record for career blocked kicks in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) with six blocks. The record is seven and is held by Tim Hauk who played for Montana from 1987 to 1989.

Teams are starting to take notice at McClam’s ability to get blocks and are making it a point to prevent him from getting the record. “Even on the field some teams are starting to talk trash, like ‘nah we’re not going to let you get through here and block the kick’,” said McClam but added, “Hopefully we can get one.”

As far as the rest of the season goes McClam said he wants to, “be able to compete in every game, and have that chance to win the game at the end.” He even went a step further and said, “You know hopefully it goes our way and then at the end of the year we’ll be able to have a CAA Championship.” A Colonial Athletic Association Championship may be a lot to ask for from a team that is in its first year with the conference,

but if anyone can step up and lead the Monarchs, it’s McClam.

With this being McClam’s last season at ODU, he has one more message for the Monarch Nation saying, “Hey keep on coming out and supporting us, keep on coming out and being loud at all the games and hopefully we’ll keep putting on good shows.” Not many can argue with a final request like that.

www.maceandcRown.com

C3 | MAcE & cROWN | Wednesday 9.28.2011

Mens Soccer Falters in Conference Opener

BY JaKe UllriCh Assistant Sports Editor A 90-minute game can sometimes be summarized in a 30-second span. It should have been the opportunity the Monarchs needed to give them a 1-0 lead against conference rival George Mason University. After a well-worked free kick, Jordan LeBlanc found himself in the opponent’s penalty box. He beat the defender and was taken down for what seemed a clear-cut penalty. Instead, the referee waved play on.

In the resulting move, George Mason quickly worked their way to the Monarchs’ penalty box where forward Taylor Morgan beat his defender, and was taken down for what seemed another clearcut penalty. The only difference was the referee called it this time and Morgan scored from the spot to give the Patriots a 1-0 lead, a lead they would hold onto for their opening CAA victory.

“Welcome to the CAA,” Coach Dawson said after the match.

“They’re a good team and I think they wanted it a little bit more than we did. That’s the difference in the end of the day.”

The Patriots seemed to dominate proceedings early in the match and were unlucky not to have had an earlier lead. In the fourth minute, Monarchs’ goalkeeper Victor Francoz made a fine save, and needed defender Ryan Oakes to clear the resulting rebound off of the goal line.

Old Dominion should have had the lead in the 29 minute later when Tim Hopkinson sliced through the Mason defense and found himself one-on-one with the keeper. His shot was saved and defender Tommy Webb, fresh off his

goal-scoring performance last match, could only shoot the rebound high.

The match seemed to be getting physical. The first half finished with 12 combined fouls for the teams, which hurt the Monarchs’ chances of playing the free-flowing type of soccer they usually do so well. Along with the physicality, the field was coated with sand to help absorb some of the water. It slowed the game down and hurt the midfield’s ability to keep the ball and create chances.

However, Coach Dawson was quick to not simply blame the conditions on the loss.

“The pitch is pretty heavy with sand,” Coach Dawson said. “It’s very slow, but we aren’t going to make that as our excuse.

When we had to play we did alright, but this isn’t really our surface.”

Nothing changed in the second half and early on, George Mason looked the more aggressive of the two teams, forcing Francoz into a brilliant one-on-one save in 53 minute.

Francoz continued his fine form in the 64 minute when George Mason was awarded a penalty shot after a clumsy tackle. Francoz dove to his left to save the spot kick, only to have the rebound fall directly back to Morgan who slotted the ball into the corner for the games first goal.

“The disappointing thing was our goalkeeper saved it,” coach Dawson said. “And our defenders stood and watched. And that’s unacceptable.”

The goal seemed to ignite a fire for the Monarchs that was hiding for the first 60 mintues. Suddenly they were creating chances, coming close in the 71 when Chris Harmon’s shot from deep al-

most fell to Yannick Smith to tap in.

Unfortunately for the Monarchs, they were playing against two opponents: the Patriots and the clock.

They continued to launch the ball forward in hope of an equalizer, and almost did in the 84 when Harmon’s quick shot in the box struck the crossbar.

“The last 25 minutes we took it to ‘em,” captain Harmon said.

“Its just unfortunate when you can’t finish your chances.”

Full time was called and the game finished with the Monarchs leaving Fairfax without a point, a disappointing way to open CAA play. However, even with the result, coach Dawson remains optimistic about the season.

“We’ll always find positives,” coach Dawson said. “We’ll find positives from this, we’ll move on. You gotta come out and battle for 90 minutes every CAA game.”

steal from the Rich, give to the poor odU’s Tim hopKinson oF noTTingham sTeaLs wins FoR monaRchs’ socceR BY stePhen goWen Staff Writer One would think that it would be a hard choice for a player, who completely dominated his high school and club travel teams so much that a highlight video of his talents runs on YouTube, to select the school where he would play his college soccer. This, however, was not the case for Old Dominion soccer Monarch Tim Hopkinson.

Of his decision to come to Old Dominion, Hopkinson said, “There were a few other colleges knocking about, up and down the country yeah, but for some reason, ODU stood out and I definitely made the right decision, I haven’t looked back. “ Hopkinson grew up in England, a town called Nottingham, just north of London. For those of you who haven’t already made the connection, yes, that’s the same town made famous by the escapades of Robin Hood.

“I’m from a place called Nottingham; if you don’t know much about it it’s the land of Robin Hood. As soon as anyone asks where I’m from, I say Nottingham and they have a blank face, but as soon as I say Robin Hood, they nod their heads and understand where I’m from.”

Playing soccer for his local high school and travel teams, Hopkinson dominated the competi-

tion and quickly made himself a fixture on college recruiting boards here in America. However, Hopkinson came into Old Dominion with an injury that significantly slowed down his freshman season.

Of having to sit on the sidelines and watch his team play, Hopkinson said, “It was tough, I had a double hernia before I came out here, so I was playing catch up. It’s such a short season. I was getting frustrated because my body couldn’t do what I wanted it to do.”

Hopkinson spent the summer rehabbing though, and has made a significant comeback into the starting Monarch eleven.

“I come back this year in good shape. It was a great summer, injury free, and now it’s just great to be part of it and to be playing with the team, that’s the best thing.”

Hopkinson has come back at a time when the Monarchs are perhaps playing their best soccer in years. Riding an undefeated streak that goes back to last spring, Hopkinson is extremely confident in the skill of his team.

“I think if you have seen the progress we’ve made from last season, into spring, it shows that our confidence has grown. As a team we’ve gelled, and I wouldn’t say it was a lucky streak, I think there’s a lot more to come from this team and we’re just getting into our stride.”

A team that spends a lot of time together on and off the pitch, Hopkinson said he really looks up to his two senior captains as mentors and role models.

“They are great influences. The great thing about them is they are still one of us, they’re not separated from us, they’re within. If you step out of line, they’ll let you know, if you do something good, they’ll also let you know. So they’re great people to look up to, they’re great role models.”

Doing what he loves the most, Hopkinson is not shy about his dreams of playing soccer at the next level, but also realizes that there are other options.

“At the moment I’m doing accounting right now, it’s not as easy as I thought it would be you know, they’re putting me through my paces. I mean doing what you love the most, that’s the dream isn’t it? I mean you always want to get paid to do what you love, that’s what every guys dream is who is playing college soccer, but if not then something that pays the bills, I love the outdoors so something along those.”

Hopkinson lives in a house with three golfers, so it isn’t hard to imagine where you would find him when not playing or watching soccer.

“I like to play a bit of golf, rest and relax. When you’re away from the soccer field you wanna shut off and get away from soccer sometimes be-

cause it can get too much.”

Fully recovered and playing at top form, Hopkinson knows the potential of himself and his team and knows how far they can go.

“Losing last year, to Penn State, was rough.

We want to win the CAA again and get back in the tourney. I’m excited, this season is going to be very good. We want to keep getting these W’s and win, win, win.”

Playing in top form, Hopkinson has caught the attention of the media locally and nationally, being selected to the all-tournament team in the recent STIHL Classic, and also selected as the Disney Sports/NSCAA Men’s Soccer National Player of the Week, Hopkinson is proud of the recognition he has received.

“I didn’t know it, but I was informed that I was named Disney National Player of the week, so that was a shock to the system. I feel like my hard work is paying off, but there are plenty of guys on this team who deserve honors such as that” With himself and his team playing in remarkable form, look out for Tim Hopkinson and the Monarchs to continue their charge up the national rankings.

www.maceandcRown.com

Wednesday 9.28.2011 | MAcE & cROWN | C4

women’s soccer give Up 2 goal Lead and Tie 4-4 39 shoTs in a highLY enTeRTaining maTch

BY JaKe UllriCh Assistant Sports Editor Hearing 39 shots in a sporting event would make most believe it was a low scoring basketball game. Instead, it was the Lady Monarchs’ soccer game Friday night that ended in a 4-4 draw after overtime. The Monarchs held a 3-1 lead at halftime, but gave up three second-half goals to ultimately tie 4-4.

“Unfortunately we did some great things to start with, but could not hang on,” coach Joe Pereira. “We got sloppy. We didn’t step up we didn’t believe. We gave them a point when we should have gotten three.”

The Monarchs looked to have an early hold on the game. Forward Ashlee Coutu scored her third goal in two games in the tenth minute after Lisa Bernardini crossed well from the right and Coutu beat the keeper to the ball to score first.

The Monarchs began to dominate the game but couldn’t seem to find a second goal. Jocelyn Weidner, Kelly Evans and Kelly Kate all came close to scoring, but the team continued to falter in front of goal.

Unfortunately for the Monarchs, the second goal of the game came for George Mason. A well-played free kick from George Mason allowed Tiana Kallenberger a clean shot on goal. The shot was saved from goalkeeper Brianna Alvarado, but the rebound fell right to Alyssa Anderson who tied the game at one.

The team rebounded well however, and made sure they would not only go into halftime with the lead, but with a two-goal lead.

First, Victoria Johnson calmly slotted the ball into the corner for a 2-1 lead, and then, Jessica Klamut capitalized on a goalkeeping

mistake to make it 3-1. It was a lead that should have been enough for the Monarchs to hold on to.

Instead, the Patriots scored in the 71 and 80 minutes to tie the game at three.

“We tried to warn them about the lead,” coach Pereira said. “But we didn’t come out with the same energy.

They gained a little bit of momentum and got one back and then the equalizer before we went ahead, but it was unacceptable.”

The Lady Monarchs quickly grouped together after the third goal and had a team meeting before the kickoff. It seemed the words worked well because less than a minute later the team had the lead again.

Tori Diersen played a long ball over the top that allowed Kelly Kate to get one on one with the goalkeeper. Kate took a touch around and coolly passed the ball into the open net.

The team was delighted with the result and it seemed certain the Monarchs would hold on for a conference win.

It’s a long race, a long haul. We just need to learn and move on.

George Mason had other ideas. In the 89 minute, Liz Hodge released a long volley that Alvarado could only parry into her net. It seemed the goalkeeper should have done better with the shot, but the ball fell into the corner and the score was tied again.

The Monarchs seemed destined to score in the overtimes with

both Bernardini and Evans coming close to scoring. The best chance fell to Klamut after the Monarchs had a shot saved off the line. The ball fell to her feet, but she couldn’t keep her shot from going over the bar.

Even with the unfortunate result, captain Weidner found some good points from the game.

“Four goals is definitely a positive it’s the most we’ve scored in a game,” Weidner said, “But when we give up four we aren’t going to win.”

It was the opening game of conference play for the Lady Monarchs who looked dangerous to make a strong run for the CAA title. Coach Pereira sees the long run of the season and not just this match.

“It’s a long race, a long haul. We just need to learn and move on.”

a Tennis stud from overseas LopeZ viLLa TaLKs aBoUT TRansiTions

BY sarah roBy Contributing Writer Old Dominion’s fiercest freshman on the tennis courts is far from home and the Monarchs are glad to have him here.

Carlos Lopez Villa is a freshman from Madrid, Spain and is enjoying his time here at Old Dominion University, while showing up on the courts with exceptional skill. Standing at 6 feet 5 inches with only 18 years under his belt, Lopez Villa is a major asset for the ODU men’s tennis team already.

Lopez Villa started playing tennis in his childhood, and was considered the best around his way by 13. In 2006, he won the tennis championship of his age group in the country of Spain, he was a national champion. He continued to play tennis for his High School, Ortega y Gassett and his club team, Tejar de Somantes.

“It was a late decision,” Lopez Villa explained about choosing ODU. He did not make his decision about ODU until June of this year, just three months ago. Lopez had been in contact with the coaches of the tennis team and finally decided that ODU was his best option.

“It seemed like the best opportunity for me.”

When talking about the transition from playing overseas to playing in the United States Lopez Villa said that, “It is difficult and sometimes lonely.” He is far from his home and family, so homesickness sinks in every now and then, but

Lopez loves his teammates. “I love the campus,” he said of ODU. Lopez Villa says the tennis team has great communication and chemistry. The team spends a lot of time together not only on the courts, but off the courts as well. They go to events around campus such as football games, soccer games, and field hockey games.

When it comes to preparing for matches, Lopez Villa uses his team for motivation. “We meet up and talk before each match,” Villa said. He also explained that they like to listen to all different kinds of music to get them pumped up and ready.

Lopez Villa brings great offensive skills to ODU. “I have a good forehand and good attack,” he said with assurance, continuing on to what skills still need improvement, Villa admitted “but I need to work on my defense.”

The past tournament the tennis team played in proved Lopez Villa’s competitive passion. Lopez Villa had a record of 3-1 and then came in second during the finals.

“Our goal is to be the best team in our conference,” he stated when speaking about his goals. Not saying I or only talking about his self, but including his team without hesitation. He has great confidence in his team and in his own skills. He knows what his strengths are and what he needs to work on. Lopez Villa’s humbleness and passion will push him to do amazing things here at ODU.

www.maceandcRown.com

C5 | MAcE & cROWN | Wednesday 9.28.2011

Y(aL)L Ready For This? not so Fast… pLaYoFF QUesTion maRKs Rise as The caLendaR heads TowaRd ocToBeR

google.com

Playoff Picture Becoming Clear in National League RegULaR season ends, Time FoR pLaYoFF BaseBaLL! BY greg arnolD Contributing Writer Baseball’s grueling 162 game season is coming to an end and those that have played the hardest are staying alive for their shot at playing in the World Series. Four teams will face off against each other to represent the National League. These teams have fought hard since the beginning of April to get this chance, and they will not let it slip past.

Leading the league in wins, the Philadelphia Phillies were considered by most to be the favorites. Their starting rotation has lived up to their salaries, but the surprise has been the efficiency of their bullpen that struggled last season. The Phillies have 45 saves in 53 opportunities. Their late season addition of right fielder Hunter Pence has sparked their lineup. The Phillies were missing a righthanded bat, as rookies Dominic Brown and John Mayberry Jr. were not hitting as well as the Phillies, and their fans, hoped. Pence gave the lineup what was missing and the Phillies have not looked back at the rest of the National League East since.

The Milwaukee Brewers have been fueled by the thought of having only one season left with their big clean-up hitter Prince Fielder.

Fielder has been fighting for the lead in home runs and RBIs all season and has been a huge run producer. Also, leading the team to winning the Central Division is five year veteran Ryan Braun. Braun has led the league in batting average and runs scored. The Brewers are also looking forward to going into the playoffs with a much improved pitching rotation. They have four pitchers with 13 or more wins this season. New additions Zack Greinke from Kansas City and Shaun Marcum from Toronto haven given Brewer fans a little bit more to believe in.

The NL West was a bit of a surprise this season. The Arizona Diamondbacks have snuck

up to take the lead in the division. The Diamondbacks ended August with a nine-game winning streak. Not taking their foot off the gas, they won nine of 12 games. Pitchers Ian Kennedy and former Old Dominion player Dan Hudson have been a huge part of the late surge. Kennedy was the National League’s first 20-game winner of the season, and is one of the few remaining Cy Young Award prospects. Justin Upton has been a huge help to a lineup in the top five in runs scored and home runs.

The Wild Card spot in the playoffs has been held for much of the season by the Atlanta Braves, but the St. Louis Cardinals made a late in the season run for that last spot. The Braves have gotten a huge boost this season with the help of two Rookie of the Year hopefuls. First baseman Freddie Freeman has taken over the starting position and has earned his spot in the lineup, while closer Craig Kimbrel has not only led rookie closers in saves, but all of the National League.

The St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff has been a bit of a letdown this season, the usually strong rotation is outside of the top five in ERA, and outside the top-10 in strikeouts and opposing batting average. Knowing that the end was near, however, the Cardinals won 15 of 20 games in late August through the middle of September. The future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols has recovered from a relatively slow start and is in prime form fighting for the league’s top spot in home runs.

The hunt for October, and playoff baseball, has come to an end, and the cream has risen to the top in the National League. After the National League won the All-Star game, they will be at home for four of the seven games in the World Series. Superstar hitters Fielder, Braun, Upton, and Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard square off to take advantage of that and represent the National League in the World Series.

BY Brian Jerry Staff Writer With nothing set in stone at press time, the American League playoff race is all but solidified. The New York Yankees and Texas Rangers have each clinched their divisions (AL East and West) respectively.

More over, starting rotations raise an enormous amount of certainty, particularly for the Yankees, who beyond ace CC Sabathia are anything but a sure thing to take the mound after game two Right-hander A.J. Burnett has not lived up to expectations this season, posting a subpar 2-4 mark with a 7.43 ERA in his 12 starts since the All-Star Break. Fellow righties Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes, Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia all vie for a spot on the mound when the Bronx Bombers open up a best-of-five series, which would take place at Yankees Stadium if the season ended today. The favorable opponent would be the Rays, in which the Yankees are 7-2 against this year.

Unfortunately for the Rangers, things in the west are not feeling so cozy with the Los Angeles Angels breathing right down their necks in attempt to capture the AL West pennant. Led by left-hander C.J. Wilson and his 16 wins, the Rangers are receiving plenty of run support in the form of Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton. With starters combining for over 70 wins and counting, look for them to slowly inch their way towards clinching the division.

Catching the Rangers will be quite the task, but the Angels of Anaheim fully intend on fighting to the finish. A sizeable gap separates the two ball clubs and the Angels are running out of breathing room. Perhaps the Angels’ best bet is to snag an AL Wild Card berth, where the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays are battling to dethrone them for the right to play the Yankees or Detroit Tigers in the AL Division Series. The bats of first baseman Mark Trumbo must stay hot in addition to ace right-hander Jared Weaver, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana receiving help from their sluggers Trumbo, Howard Kendrick and Vernon Wells to have an outside shot.

Breathers of the neck, Red Sox and Rays are doing the same to each other as the season winds down. Boston has not received much help from starter John Lackey, who posts a terrible 0-2 record with a 10.70 ERA in four mound appearances in the month of September. Fellow starter Clay Bucholz has not since recovered from a stress fracture in his back that

forced him to the 60-day disabled list earlier this season. If the Red Sox manage to hold onto the wild card spot, their starting rotation will likely include Josh Beckett getting the ball in game one of the ALDS, American League Division Series, followed by Jon Lester, John Lackey and Erik Bedard rounding out the series. They must depend on the bats of sluggers Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz. Gonzalez must especially rebound after going through a 1-for-21 stretch in the batters box for the majority of September.

Things in St. Petersburg, Florida are quite stressful these days. The Rays are inching towards sneaking into the postseason for the third time in four seasons. Tampa Bay must look towards third basemen Evan Longoria and second baseman Ben Zobrist to carry the team behind the plate. Starters David Price, James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson and Wade Davis combine for 60-plus wins and look to continue their domination march toward a playoff berth.

The Detroit Tigers have shaved off all competitors Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox in their successful quest for the AL Central crown.

Leading his team in wins, ERA and strikeouts, ace right-hander and Old Dominion University alumni Justin Verlander will be handed the ball in game one. He will be followed by 14-game winner Max Scherzer in game two, with Rick Porcello and Brad Penny rounding the rotation out for games three and four of the ALDS. The Tigers need run support from first baseman slugger Miguel Cabrera, who brings his 20-plus homeruns and 100-plus RBI to the plate against the opposition of the Red Sox, Rays, Angels or Rangers in the first round.

The ALDS kicks off on Friday, Sept. 30, with the ALCS starting over a week later on Saturday, Oct. 8. The 2011 World Series pits the American League Champion on the road to the National League Champion after losing to the NL in the 2011 MLB All-Star Game. “The Fall Classic” takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

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opinions D1 | MAcE & cROWN | Wednesday 9.28.2011

Nom Nom’s in Norfolk

Tortilla West has the best Tex Mex

By: DereK Page Staff Writer Located on the corner of Olney Road and Orapax Street in West Ghent is a little hidden treasure well known to the neighborhood residents. For those who don’t know, you’re missing out. Tortilla West has been serving some of the best Tex Mex style cuisine in the Ghent area since its opening in December of 2007. The restaurant serves the typical americanized Mexican one would expect, but with their own spin on it.

It’s no wonder why many haven’t heard of this fantastic establishment, being that it is tucked back by the ship yard. While it’s primary attraction is the bar, the food doesn’t fall short of excellent. The extensive menu offers a variety of appetizers, salads

Pull Up J

and sandwiches, as well as the expected menu items like tacos, quesadillas, massive burritos and nachos, and fajitas. They also offer a variety of vegan and vegetarian options like Boca tacos, vegan chicken fajitas and nachos, and a white bean and spinach quesadilla.

During my visit, I first tried the tortilla soup for $4.50, freshly made per order. Based in chicken broth, the concoction features fresh carrots, onions, tomatoes, celery, corn and avocado, with pulled chicken and tortilla chip strips. The vegetables were still crunchy and full of their natural flavors, assuring me the dish was made upon my request and wasn’t ladled from a big pot that was sitting around all day. The broth was light, without too much spice, but enough to notice, which let the vegetables and chicken sit center stage on the palate.

I next sampled the fried plantains for $5.95 which stopped me dead in my tracks. The plantains were cut oblong and fried without batter or flour, which allowed more the natural flavor to be present. The pieces were served next to a bed of lettuce and pico de gallo, and a side of chipotle salsa. The salsa, while good, is not for the weak stomached. It packs a punch that lights up more taste buds than Justin Beiber does the hearts of infatuated and impressionable little girls.

For the main course, I decided to be “that guy.” Everybody knows who “that guy” in the Mexican restaurant is. The guy who orders fajitas. When I received my sizzling plate of epic meal time-ness, as well as countless stares from the surrounding patrons, I couldn’t help but feel like a little kid getting a new toy, only this time I knew for sure I was going to destroy this one. I decided on the pork loin and pineapple fajitas for $12.95 because it’s not something you see all the time. I love pork, and I love pineapple, so I’d be crazy not to throw it in a soft tortilla and stuff it in my face. Sure enough, I made the right decision.

The cast iron plate came out with the normal audible presence of any plate of fajitas, sizzling with green and red bell peppers, onions, corn, and mushrooms. Sitting on top was eight thick cut slices of pork cooked to my desire, and a steak cut of pineapple.

The dish was also served with rice and black beans, and lettuce, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream and cheese on the side, as well as 4 soft tortillas. I was in awe. I immediately smothered my tortilla in sour cream, guacamole, and cheese, and then topped that with the vegetables, then the pork and pineapple, which I had cut up into pieces to fit into the tortilla. My first bite was like the ending scene of a fairy tale. That moment where everything turns out ok, and you get that insatiable feeling of joy spread throughout your body. It’s just that this time, my tongue joined the party too.

All the flavors stormed into my mouth like Seal Team 6, neutralizing my anticipation and rendering my conflict with hunger sub-

By: JaKe UllriCh Assistant Sports Editor I know I’m a bit late on this, but blame it on that we have a once a week paper instead of a daily publication.

Amidst the obscene boo’s I heard Saturday night when Floyd Mayweather cleanly knocked out Victor Ortiz in the fourth round, I was delighted with the resounding victory he won. He put on another master class, dominating the four rounds he fought and reminded everyone why he is the best fighter on the Earth.

What has so many people upset at Mayweather should really be getting them upset at Oritz. It is the biggest fight of your life, son, quit trying to kiss the man and box! I understand he was upset about the head-butt, but he hugged and kissed him immediately after it, touched gloves again and should have been ready to fight. Mayweather did nothing illegal, referee Joe Cortez said box, so he boxed.

The number one rule in boxing is to protect

mitted. The pork was juicy and full of flavor left from the grill and the pineapple accented the entire ensemble with an acidic sweetness that well complimented the savory flavor of the meat and vegetables. Even with four tortillas packed to capacity, I still had leftovers on my plate.

As far as other menu items go, I can only express their appetite inducing prowess through my sense of sight. The burritos, like I said earlier, are massive. All burritos are served with cheese, lettuce, sour cream, and pico de gallo, with rice and beans inside and your choice of meat. The prices vary depending on your selection of meat, but the options include shredded pork, beef, and chicken, shrimp, fish, and others.

These options are also available on nachos, which are served in mountainous portions and topped with beans, lettuce, tomato, onion, cilantro, guacamole, jalapenos, and sour cream. Sandwiches include the chicken avocado, the Cuban, and the Mexican dip (slow roasted pulled pork, chicken, or beef, and manchego cheese with a side of tomatillo dipping sauce), as well a many other varieties.

Tortilla West also offers an extensive selection of beers, and liquors. With 16 beers on draft, 22 in cans, 17 domestic bottles, and 22 import bottles, it is almost impossible to not find something to your liking. However, this isn’t the half of it. Tortilla West takes pride in their knowledge of tequila. It is the life blood of this establishment and by far its most attractive and impressive portion of the bar menu. The restaurant carries over 40 varieties of tequila in either the blanco, reposado, or anejo family. The bar serves “tequila flights” in either of these categories which cost $16, $18, and $20, respectively, and requires you to choose three different tequilas of the family, they say, to get the full experience.

I’ll end by letting you, the reader who kindly read the entirety of my article, in on a little secret. On Monday’s and Tuesdays, Tortilla West serves tacos for only 75 cents each. You get a choice or beef or black bean, and soft or hard tortilla. It is served with shredded lettuce and cheese. You won’t find better food at a cheaper price. Be sure to get there early. They open at 4p.m. and once the dinner rush hits you could be waiting up to an hour for a seat.

Don’t be off put by this though. It is well worth the wait. This place makes Taco Bell look like what it really is: dog food. Also, be sure to tip the server well. These guys work their butts off dropping off checks for under five bucks all night, so the least you can do is throw them a little something extra their way.

In short, Tortilla West is the best way to get the best Tex Mex food in the area, hands down. Don’t bother with the same old Mexican joint serving the same crappy food as the next. Make the trip down to West Ghent and get the good stuff. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

yourself at all times. It is the thing kids are taught when they step into a ring for the very first time.

It is the last thing the referee says to the boxers before the fight begins. Simply put, Ortiz didn’t obey that rule.

Lost in the controversy of the fight were two things. The first being that Ortiz initiated the dirtiest move of the entire fight, an illegal cheap shot aimed to hurt Floyd. He hurled his head at him and cut his lip. It was a horrible move by Ortiz and should have lost him a lot of fans.

Second was that Mayweather was putting on another boxing clinic. He proved yet again that it does not matter how long he goes without fights, he is simply too good. His defense and counterpunching were fantastic all night and he was constantly landing straight rights to Ortiz.

It is funny to watch a match with a significantly anti-Floyd crowd. They all cheer wildly when the opponent starts throwing haymakers at Floyd, thinking they all connect. However, when the replay is shown, it is clear as day that Floyd simply doesn’t get hit. He parries most with his

shoulders and forearms and cleanly dodges the rest. The best part? Floyd knows it all along. He smiles and shakes his head to Ortiz as to politely remind him that he isn’t getting hurt.

Floyd’s defense is what sets him apart from all other fighters. It’s like he sees the punches seconds before they are thrown and he dodges them without any problem. Then, before the fighter knows it, he’s getting stuck with a clean right over the eye.

I know the fight will go down for what many will call a Floyd cheap shot, but it wasn’t. Besides the fact that it was 100 percent legal, it was 100 percent clean. Ortiz shouldn’t have let his guard down and so casually strolled through the ring. He looked like he was on a Sunday stroll, not in the middle of a fight.

Anyway, for any of those who also watched the Pacquio-Mosley May 8 fight, tell me which was more enjoyable: seeing Floyd knock out Ortiz or seeing Manny and Shane hold hands and skip around the ring for 12 rounds?

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D2 | MAcE & cROWN | Wednesday 9.28.2011

Release the Cracken

Hello NFL: Detroit is Back

MattheW MCCraCKen Sports Editor The NFL season thus far is filled with unpredictable circumstances. The Buffalo Bills are the real deal, the Indianapolis Colts are defeated, and the Lions are serious playoff contenders. That’s right, the Detroit Lions, who went 0-16 a couple years back, are now atop their division and the league. To 99.9% of fans, this is surprising, but to me, it is just the right time.

The Lions have had early first round picks for years, making it easy to pick up star athletes like Ndamukong Suh, Calvin Johnson, and Matthew Stafford. Matthew Stafford, who is an elite NFL quarterback when he isn’t hurt, hasn’t been sacked once this entire year. The Lions are the only team in the league with that statistic. Calvin Johnson has four TDs through week two of the season, catching anything in his vicinity.

Detroit went 6-10 last year, third in their NFC North Division.

Suh and Johnson were both pro bowlers. Suh is the reason for the mindset of not accepting failure in Detroit. He single-handedly changed the defensive mindset of the Lions to get after the ball, hit hard and go until you hear the echo of the whistle. The defense has four interceptions, four sacks, and forced three fumbles in two games.

The Lion’s offense doesn’t just consist of two-ball between Staf-

ford and Johnson. They are a pass heavy team, but make sure to establish the run, keeping opposing defenses on their toes. Jahvid Best has rushed 37 times for 112 yards in two games. A sub-par 3.5 average. Tack on only one touchdown with those stats. I realize these stats seem meaningless, but without establishing that run game, Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson wouldn’t get as open as they have been in the first couple of weeks.

What did I say? Nate Burleson? That’s right, Nate Burleson is not the number one receiver on the Lions, obviously, but is what every team needs. He is the Donald Driver of Detroit. He makes the catches others won’t go for. He picks up the dirty yards that a team needs to make those 10-plus down drives that exhaust opposing defenses.

I realize I’ve mentioned him plenty of times in above paragraphs, but Matthew Stafford is the man. One of the best rising quarterbacks in the league. Obviously, he isn’t on Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady’s level, but he is definitely taking the right path to reaching that caliber of a quarterback. Through two games, Stafford has completed 599 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions.

I’m not one to run numbers, but Stafford is on pace to throw for almost 4800 yards, 56 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. OK, OK, I’ll stop, that’s a little far-fetched, but you all get the point. The Detroit Lions are not the Lions of years past. They are here to play.

And the best part of it is, other than you and others who read this column, nobody realizes it.

The Lions are right where they want to be: winning games without catching anybody’s eyes.

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sundry

s1 | MAcE & cROWN | wednesday 9.28.2011

Mace & Crown

[SHUN-DREE]

KELLY SMITH Senior

(look it up)

MAcE IN YOUR FAcE How do you feel about the new Facebook layout?

Do you think Troy Davis was guilty or innocent?

Are you participating in the football game blackout?

Is your family coming for family weekend?

Did you think the charlie Sheen roast was funny?

Which new movie are you most anticipating?

Uhhh, there is a new one?

Who?

I dislike football

Haha, that’s a joke

I didn’t watch it

Breaking Dawn

I didn’t follow the case

No, im going to NY

Probably not, they live in Hampton

I have seen funnier

Moneyball

JIMMY cRESPO It doesn’t bother me Senior

REAGAN BROWN

It’s easier to work with

No, me and my family are not going

Yes

Yes

Breaking Dawn Part 1, we are definitely going at midnight!

BLAKE WILKERSON

I knew about it, but I didn’t really get to much into it

I don’t have facebook

Yeah

Yes, totally freakin pumped!

It was hilarious

Breaking Dawn Part 1 (Team Edward), Straw Dogs, Abduction, and Trespass

cOURTNEY BROWN

I don’t see how you can prosecute a man without zero evidence

I don’t like it

Who is that?

No, I’ll probably be working

Nope

Didn’t watch it

Moneyball

Freshman

Freshman

Senior

Crossword Puzzle Crossword Solution

from Vol. 53 Issue 2

www.maceandcRown.com

S2 | MAcE & cROWN | Wednesday 9.28.2011

SUDOKU

Sukoku Solution from Vol. 53 Issue 2

CLASSIFIEDS COMICS Pro-Life Help Wanted: Are you pro-life? Need extra PT income? Are changing minds and saving lives at Old Dominion on your agenda? Call the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform.

865-609-9033

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HTC STATUS™

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HTC INSPIRE™ 4G 4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. Available in limited areas.

Availability increasing with ongoing backhaul deployment. Requires 4G device. Learn more at att.com/network.

VISIT AN AT&T STORE AND ASK ABOUT DISCOUNTS FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY. Purchase of Unlimited Messaging plan required. Available with select plans. International long distance calls and International roaming calls not included. Calls to directory assistance, voicemail, pay-per-use, call routing, and forwarding numbers not included. Other restrictions and conditions apply. See att.com/anymobile or store for details. Monthly discount: Service discount applies only to the monthly service charge of qualified plans and not to any other charges. Available only to qualified students and employees of colleges/universities with a qualified business agreement. Other service discount qualification requirements may apply. Restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply. See store for details. Limited-time offer. Subject to wireless customer agrmt. Credit approval req’d. Activ. fee $36/line. Coverage & svcs, including mobile broadband, not avail. everywhere. Geographic, usage & other conditions & restrictions (that may result in svc. termination) apply. Taxes & other chrgs apply. Prices & equip. vary by mkt & may not be avail. from ind. retailers. See store or visit att.com for details and coverage map. Early Termination Fee (ETF): None if cancelled during first 30 days, but a $35 restocking fee may apply; after 30 days, ETF up to $325, depending on device (details att.com/equipmentETF). Subject to change. Agents may impose add’l fees. Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge up to $1.25/mo. is chrg’d to help defray costs of complying with gov’t obligations & chrgs on AT&T & is not a tax or gov’t req’d chrg. Offer Details: HTC Status price with 2-year wireless svc agreement on voice & minimum $15/mo. data plan required is $49.99. HTC Inspire 4G price with 2-year wireless svc agreement on voice & minimum $15/mo. data plan required is $99.99. Sales tax calculated based on price of unactivated equipment. Smartphone Data Plan Requirement: Min. $15/mo. DataPlus (200MB) plan required; $15 automatically chrg’d for each additional 200MB provided if initial 200MB is exceeded. All data, including overages, must be used in the billing period in which it is provided or be forfeited. For more details on data plans, go to att.com/dataplans. Screen images simulated. Facebook is a trademark of Facebook, Inc. ©2011 HTC Corp., Inc. All rights reserved. The HTC logo, HTC Inspire 4G, HTC Status, and any other trademarks used herein are trademarks owned by HTC Corporation and used under license. ©2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. Service provided by AT&T Mobility. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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E-mail Nicole Zelazny at nzelazny@odu.edu.