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The Miami
Vol. 92, Issue 28 | Jan. 27 - Jan. 29, 2014
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HURRICANE
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STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI IN CORAL GABLES, FL A, SINCE 1929
Mindfulness Miami minds mental health BY LYSSA GOLDBERG OPINION EDITOR
Junior Jose Miguel Rosillo sits in a relaxed yet alert position on the second floor of the Student Activities Center. His window seat has a view of Lake Osceola, and the sun is setting. But his eyes are closed. He inhales. Then exhales. For one minute, he focuses on his breath. This short exercise aimed at clearing up his mind is an example of mindfulness training (MT) in its simplest form. Mindfulness consists of a purposeful, nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. “What you’re doing with mindfulness is training two faculties: attention and meta-attention,” Rosillo said. “There’s both instant gratification and long-term gratification.” As Rosillo describes it, mindfulness helps you recognize the many layers of your current reality, and it increases the resolution and vividness with which you perceive things. “Some people think you just sit around, that it’s passive,” he said. “That’s a misconception.” In his quest to bring the message of mindfulness to the school, Rosillo has done much more than sitting around. There’s been some lying around, too. Rosillo introduced junior Augustine Kazickas to the principles of mindfulness by recommending that his friend read “Search Inside Yourself” by Chade-Meng Tan, the book that started it all for Rosillo. Kazickas read it over the summer, and they returned to campus in the fall feeling the need to share mindfulness with the University of Miami community. One day in September, they were lying in the grass near the Knight Physics building, talking the idea over. “We really talked about it – for like three hours. And then we decided, ‘Let’s teach it,’” Rosillo said. They considered UM’s Design-a-Course option, according to Kazickas, but ultimately settled on forming an informal student organization called the UM SIY Club, named for the “Search Inside Yourself” book.
Solve it Solve the maze and tag @TheMiamiHurricane for a chance to win a prize. DESIGN BY CARLOS MELLA
SEE MINDFULNESS, PAGE 3
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CAMPUS LIFE
LEAD Conference showcases diversity, opportunity
Students attend leadership sessions BY ASHLEY MCBRIDE SENIOR NEWS WRITER
On Saturday, students began their day with a rock, paper, scissors tournament, touching elbows with each other, and acting out Sebastian at a football game, all in the name of leadership. The Canes LEAD (Learn, Empower, Aspire and Discover) Conference aimed to equip students with skills for communicating and thriving in diverse groups. The event was co-hosted by the Butler Center for Service and Leadership and Multicultural Student Affairs. Tiffany Ford, one of two co-chairs of the event thought the collaboration between the two departments was ideal. She is also chair of the Unity Roundtable, a group of student leaders on campus who organize diverse programming that goes beyond the reach of any student organization. “The goal was to bring together two offices and to give students a fun but also very empowering day where we can all work on building our leadership skills, but also understand how important it is to be able to lead in a diverse situation,” Ford said. The first half of the day featured business leaders from the university and com-
munity. They discussed topics such as networking, gender and orientation, diversity in the workplace, women in the workplace, and more. Junior Arlisia Ables left with a good takeaway from each speaker. “Everything is empowerment,” she said. “I left both of my sessions feeling like I’m about to change the world.” The keynote speaker was Vernon Wall, the current Director of Business Development for LeaderShape, Inc., an organization that strives to enhance leadership skills for college students. The main topic of his talk was privileges and identities, and how being aware of them can help everyone to succeed. “Sing for freedom, and sing for justice,” he said to the audience of about 100 students. With a focus on social justice, Wall’s talk included personal experiences from his own life where he was made aware of his own privileges and biases. During the second half of the day, sessions covered topics of identity and inequality, including an activity designed to simulate the social and political stratifications of real life, and how a simple solution isn’t always so simple. “I gained an understanding that your goal needs to be equitable, and you need to be aware of everyone’s situation,” said freshman Ibk Awodele, who attended the conference.
NEWS BRIEFS
ASHLEY MCBRIDE // CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER COMPLEX COMPETITION: Jackson Bowser, a freshman, and Arlisia Ables, a junior, go fistto-fist in a game of rock, paper, scissors during ‘Canes Lead. The game was used as an icebreaker during the leadership conference, to help students feel more comfortable around each other.
Co-Chair Connor Adam was satisfied with Canes LEAD, especially for as the first conference for the event. “No matter your race, your color, your ethnicity, your background, your gender,
your sexual orientation or whatever, I just wanted people to feel welcome and come to an event where they could be themselves,” he said.
PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LORENZO // CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER PRACTICING THE PLAY: Students hang out and play inflatable basketball at the Category 5 campout at the BankUnited Center for Saturday’s Miami vs. Syracuse basketball game.
HILLARY CLINTON TICKETING Distribution of tickets to see Hillary Clinton will begin on Feb. 3 across all campuses. Only one ticket per Cane Card will be allowed. Student tickets for undergraduate, graduate and law students on the Coral Gables campus will be distributed from the University Center Ticket Window starting at 8:30 a.m.The ticket window will be distributing tickets as long as they last. It is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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NEWS
THE MIAMI HURRICANE
Jan. 27 - Jan. 29, 2014
Medical students at the Miller School of Medicine will receive emails from Student Government with instructions for reserving tickets for pick-up at the Miller Campus. Ticket distribution for non-employee graduate students on the Miller Campus will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Office of Graduate Studies located in Room 650, RMSB, Suite 1128. Graduate students at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science will be able to pick-up tickets from the Graduate Student Office located in SLAB 130 beginning at 9 a.m. Alexander Gonzalez may be emailed at news@themiamihurricane.com.
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HEALTH
Meditation inspires peace, mindfulness PEACEFUL MINDS: Junior Danny Englert, junior Mason Schechter and senior Emma Wheeler participate in an SIY shot, with Miami Mindfulness on Friday afternoon in the Arboretum. An SIY shot is a way to infuse the skills and habits from the Search Inside Yourself curriculum into daily life with one or more mental training exercises done in a group of two or more.
4To read more about mental health, check out the staff editorial on page 6. MONICA HERNDON// PHOTO EDITOR MINDFULNESS FROM COVER
SEARCHING FOR INSPIRATION The UM SIY Club met every Sunday last semester, studying a chapter of the book each week. Rosillo explained the theory taught in the book, interspersed with the actual exercises. In the first week, he could tell they had started something special. “After that meeting, I was on cloud nine,” he said. Throughout the semester, new members joined, while others came, saw, and didn’t return. And still, there were those who were consistent from the first meeting they attended. Senior Emma Wheeler was one of them. She was first introduced to mindfulness meditation as a senior in high school when she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, which causes cells in the body to attack themselves. “At that point it seemed like some sort of hippie, new-age thing,” Wheeler said. Wheeler had been experiencing emotional swings and suffering from depression from her diagnosis. “I was expecting to play sports in college, and all of those plans for the future ended,” she said. When she started at UM as a freshman, Wheeler became a participant in one of UM mindfulness researcher Amishi Jha’s studies. Even before Rosillo, efforts to bring MT to UM had been coming from disparate elements of the university community, including Jha
who researches the effect of short-term mindfulness on individuals in high-stress situations. “She was measuring our focus, our grades, and how we felt emotionally,” Wheeler said. Still, it wasn’t until Wheeler began practicing meditation on a daily basis that she truly noticed a difference. In between weekly meetings with the SIY Club, she practiced 20 minutes of focused meditation in the mornings. Wheeler said her grades have gotten better, and her concentration has improved. On her own, junior Lucy Hartwell has also seen the benefits of practicing mindfulness meditation using an app called Headspace. It starts the user off with 10 consecutive days of 10-minute exercises and works its way up to 20-minute sessions. “I’m a complete insomniac. I tend to over-think things, ruminate, and my mind spins,” Hartwell said. “Mindfulness has helped me step back and be able to see, so I can catch myself right at the beginning of it. In terms of sleeping, I can shut off my mind a lot faster.” COMING TOGETHER While all these experiences transpired separately, Jha brought Rosillo, Kazickas and Hartwell together. Together, the SIY club has transformed into Mindfulness Miami, and the members are in the process of applying to become an official student organization with COSO, despite Rosillo’s initial doubts. “We felt like a community, and we didn’t
want to lose that,” he said. “We didn’t want to get restricted by the school.” Rosillo finally reasoned that he should emulate the ideas of the “Search Inside Yourself” author, who wants to create the conditions for world peace by making meditation available. “I wanted to make the benefits of meditation widely available to the University of Miami,” Rosillo said. “The best way to fulfill this mission is by becoming an official organization.” LOOKING AHEAD This decision aligns well with Jha’s goal, which is to make mindfulness initiatives sustainable on campus. That entails bringing in guest speakers, holding retreats, starting up a lending library to share resources and CDs, and creating a mindfulness practice room. “We’re hoping to have a mindful space where people can come and have set practices throughout the week,” Jha said.
IF YOU GO WHAT: Mindfulness Miami WHEN: 4 p.m. Saturdays WHERE: Cox Science Center Courtyard 4For more information, email Jose Miguel Rosillo at j.rosillo@umiami.edu.
Jan. 27 - Jan. 29, 2014
Professor studies minds Amishi Jha, a psychology professor at UM who specializes in mindfulness research, received a federal grant to study short-term mindfulness training (MT) in high-stress groups. Naturally, she turned to college students. Freshmen studying introductory psychology visited Jha to participate in sessions. The goal was to track students’ mind-wanderJHA ing patterns throughout the semester. “We hypothesized that mindwandering would change over the course of the semester,” she said. The study, which was recently published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, split the 58 student participants into control and experimental groups. “We know that around finals, psychological health goes down, and mind-wandering increases over the course of the semester,” Jha said. While this was evident in the control group, the students who practiced mindful breathing, body scans, walking meditation and other exercises actually improved. “This is the first step in being able to say stress over the semester can really be significant, and what this study suggests is that even a shortform mindfulness course may help us keep this at bay,” Jha said. Jha’s mindfulness research on undergraduates is unique to UM, as is her use of brain-imaging equipment in the Brain Connectivity and Cognition Laboratory on San Amaro Drive. She plans to expand the study by looking at the benefits of MT on student leaders, as well as its correlation to issues such as binge drinking and the freshman 15. Jha would also like to study students involved in Greek life and resident assistants. And she hopes to see it all come to fruition within the next three years. “The university’s willingness to embrace mindfulness and the mindfulness initiative is a really good sign of their care and concern for their students,” Jha said.
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FINANCE
Bitcoins introduce method for digital currency Investment proves to be costly, risky BY NICK GANGEMI ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
Junior Matt Sanchez dipped his feet in the Bitcoin mining waters last semester. The computer science major purchased specialized “ASIC” bitcoin mining hardware, and had it mining the electronic currency 24/7 for two weeks. “ASIC” chips are computer chips made for bitcoin mining. Despite investing about $100 toward this hardware, he found that mining did not have any payback. “Through my experiences, I’ve learned that the amount of profit that I made throughout all my mining efforts was extremely minimal, and that everyone was joining the bandwagon to mine bitcoins,” Sanchez said. Sanchez chose Bitcoin mining as the subject for a semester-long project because he was interested in the relationship between cryptography and electronic currency. Cryptography is the practice of techniques for secure communication. Despite the lack of profit from mining, Sanchez felt that the process was a valuable learning experience. “I had a lot of fun doing it and learned a lot about the security involved with digital currencies,” he said.
BITCOIN MINING Bitcoin mining is a process involving computers solving complex mathematical problems. In return for correctly solving these problems, bitcoins are rewarded. This process is known as “mining” – much like how gold is mined, but with computer chips used instead of pickaxes. Bitcoin was created in early 2009 and has
since gone viral through the end of 2013 to become the most popular electronic “cryptocurrency” used today. All dealings of cryptocurrency, electronic currency, happen through peer-to-peer computer software – there are no physical bills or coins that can be exchanged, and a central authority does not exist. Only 21 million bitcoins can ever be created. After 21 million are mined, no more bitcoins will be able to be mined. With the explosion of active miners, mining difficulty (how difficult the math problems are) has increased greatly, as a result. Bitcoin prices rose from $100 per bitcoin last August and spiked to more than $1,000 in December. A single bitcoin is currently worth about $1,000, and can be purchased from websites such as MtGox.com. Recently, buying bitcoins as an investment, rather than mining them, has become more popular. “I think it’s exactly like the gold rush, the first people who found gold made out like bandits, but as more people rushed to it – it became more scarce, and the crazy thing about bitcoins too is the more people mining it, the harder it is to actually mine it, because they become more and more obscure,” said Clay Ewing, a UM professor who teaches game design and programming.
MARKET PRICE Bitcoin value has exploded during the past few months. Since February, the price per bitcoin has increased dramatically. APRIL 2013
$238
JUNE 2013
$110
FEBRUARY 2013
$18
AUGUST 2013
$106
JANUARY 2014
$1,026
OCTOBER 2013
$136
DECEMBER 2013
$1,203
SOURCE: BLOCKCHAIN.INFO
DESIGN BY JASSENIA RODRIGUEZ
BITCOIN STORAGE AND USE Bitcoins are stored in “Bitcoin wallets,” which reside on personal computer hard drives. Associated with each wallet are a private and a public key. The address of the public key can be given to anyone and allows others to transfer bitcoins to the wallet associated with the address. However, in order to transfer bitcoins out of a wallet, the private key is needed, securing the wallet against unwanted removal of coins. If the computer on which the wallet is saved
were to fail, then a user would not be able to access or spend the bitcoins as they would become lost and unrecoverable. For this reason, it is important to keep Bitcoin wallets securely backed up. Because bitcoins flow from person to person and not through a bank, transactions are nonreversible and cannot be prevented. Likewise, a Bitcoin wallet can never be seized or fro-
zen. This is the main allure of Bitcoin. Bitcoin provides the perfect means of payment for illicit goods and services. Various online black-markets have spawned, accepting Bitcoin payments in exchange for drugs and other contraband.
READ THE FULL VERSION AT THEMIAMIHURRICANE.COM
ACADEMICS
Dean wins award for chemistry research Lab recognized for history of excellence BY ALEXANDER GONZALEZ NEWS EDITOR
Leonidas Bachas, the dean for the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), won Lab of the Year for his chemistry research lab on Friday. The award was given out by the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. Environmental Health recognizes one lab each year in one of the university’s three campuses. There are more than 1,000 research labs across the Gables campus, the Miller School 4
NEWS
of Medicine and RSMAS. “The Bachas Lab was selected for exceptional cooperation and compliance with local, State and Federal regulations regarding laboratory safety,” BACHAS said Jairo Betancourt, Biosafety Manager for the UM Office of Environmental Health and Safety in a CAS press release. Betancourt noticed the lab’s long history of excellent reviews. Environmental Health strives to improve the standard of
THE MIAMI HURRICANE
Jan. 27 - Jan. 29, 2014
health, safety and environmental regulations. The office also provides training and support to avoid biological, chemical and occupational hazards. Bachas’ lab focuses on the use of nanoparticles to break down environmental contaminate. Graduate students Jeramy Baum, Ed Miller, Elsayed Zahran and Megan Gillespie are part of the lab, too. “I am honored to share this award with an exceptional team who works hard every day to ensure the lab environment meets the highest standards of safety,” Bachas said in a CAS press release.
CORRECTIONS 4In the story published on Jan. 23 on the new taskforce being set up to address football game busing concerns, it was stated that 65 and 120 students rode the buses to and from the game, respectively. It was 65 and 120 buses that went to and from the game, respectively. 4The story published on Jan. 23 about the Toppel Career Center block party said that the center is located next to the Henry S. West Laboratory School. Toppel
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PHOTO BRIEF
FRATERNITY WAVES PRIDE HOLLY BENSUR // STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
BELIEVE IN BETA: Cheering for a new pledge, the brothers of Beta Theta Pi wave their fraternity’s flag at IFC Bid Day on the SAC patio, Friday afternoon.
May not be used on product purchases; offer expires April 5, 2014. Jan. 27 - Jan. 29, 2014
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OPINION speak UP HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE THE MENTAL HEALTH CULTURE ON CAMPUS?
“It’s openly talked about in some aspects like when it comes to obviously stress about classes, tests, things like that. I definitely hear people on campus talking about it.”
MICHAEL STRUPP FRESHMAN
JULIANA BERHANE JUNIOR
“I think it’s great. I saw that there’s a bunch of things in place like the Counseling Center and all that if you need to go there.”
UM should pursue avenues to improve the culture of mental health on campus. After all, if we can have a task force for football busing concerns, there’s no reason why we can’t form one that addresses mental health, too. Staff editorial, The Miami Hurricane
Care for Canes online reporting system. The resources exist, but not enough is said about them. Students are introduced to them during orientation, but the information is largely forgotten. Talking about depression and visiting the Counseling Center need to be normalized. That starts with open conversation, and ends with implementing programs in which students can actively participate. Online discussion on the “UMiami Secrets” Facebook page has helped stimulate dialogue and compassion. Students respond to posts about depression and suicidal thoughts, offering the anonymous posters a chance to talk by Facebook message. This is the type of community that must be created, but we must be as inviting on campus as we are online. Similarly, therapists at the Counseling Center can, and should, act as a sounding board for students wanting to talk about troubling issues – be
it a relationship, the big move from home or post-grad anxieties – before the situation escalates. Much can be said about talking things out, no matter how trivial the matter may seem. Discussing mental health on campus and talking to someone are important steps, but changes can’t occur without unified efforts. Resident assistants should be trained to address mental health issues. Additional staff is needed at the Counseling Center to avoid long waits for appointments. And tangible programs, like the upcoming mindfulness initiatives promoting mental clarity, must be put in place. UM should pursue avenues to improve the culture of mental health on campus. After all, if we can have a task force for football busing concerns, there’s no reason why we can’t form one that addresses mental health, too. Editorials represent the majority view of The Miami Hurricane editorial board.
Listen to the political, not the popular “They already make that a required fee so everyone has to have the access to it at all times. That is a good thing.”
O
LILY ESFANDIERY FRESHMAN
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OPINION
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Campus must care for mental health
ur culture vilifies celebrities, and yet turns to them for advice, even on political and global issues. But these public figures are not experts, and comments can lead to the spread of misinformation. In a recent CNN interview, former NBA star Dennis Rodman drunkenly made inappropriate reALYSSA JACOBSON marks about an American captive in STAFF North Korea. He may be one of the COLUMNIST greatest rebounders of all time, but Rodman’s erratic behavior when addressing missionary Kenneth Bae, who is detained for antistate crimes, illustrates one thing: Looking to celebrities for political advice can cause confusion. These figures are obligated to be careful about what they say when the media can inform or misinform millions in a matter of seconds. Rodman’s basketball skills give him no right to propagandize others’ views about a country where millions have died of starvation and leaders use nuclear weapons as an impending threat.
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STAFF EDITORIAL
University of Pennsylvania freshman Madison Holleran’s suicide on Jan. 16 garnered the attention of national – and international – media outlets in the past week. She was a talented track runner, a beautiful young Jersey girl, and a college student of Ivy League caliber. This left many asking what led Holleran to jump from a parking garage that Friday evening, with speculation laying blame on her stressful school environment. Depression and other mental health issues can hit anyone for any reason. Rather than pick apart the factors that may have led to her death, we should focus on mental health on college campuses. While we can’t eliminate all factors, we can create an environment encouraging open discussion and allowing students to seek help. At the University of Miami, we have resources available – the Counseling Center, suicide prevention organization Lifeguards and the Canes
The Miami
It is also not appropriate for other celebrities to speak out about politics. Their high status in society means they can influence public opinion, but, their views do not equal those of political correspondents or the average American. Rodman has referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a good friend. And after the CNN incident, Rodman admitted he had been drinking before the interview. An individual who is inebriated during an interview is not a role model. Why we want the sloppy Lindsay’s and adulterous Tiger’s of the world to influence public opinion is beyond comprehension. However, Rodman and the like are not solely to blame. Politics can be confusing as is, and the public’s responsibility is to take their views with a grain of salt. Rodman said it best himself: “I’m not the president. I’m not an ambassador. I’m Dennis Rodman.” Despite fiery debate between well-versed political correspondents, their educated and researched viewpoints are always preferable when it comes to shaping our opinions. Alyssa Jacobson is a junior majoring in advertising and political science.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stephanie Parra MANAGING EDITOR Margaux Herrera ART DIRECTOR Carlos Mella PHOTO EDITOR Monica Herndon ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Nick Gangemi NEWS EDITOR Alexander Gonzalez
BUSINESS MANAGER Tara Kleppinger SALES REPS Carlos Parra Frankie Carey MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Erika Glass ASSISTANT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Daniel Cepero DESIGNERS Sarbani Ghosh Jassenia Rodriguez
OPINION EDITOR Lyssa Goldberg
ONLINE EDITOR Alysha Khan
EDGE EDITOR Marlee Lisker
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Kristen Calzadilla
SPORTS EDITOR Spencer Dandes ASSISTANT EDITOR Ashley Martinez COPY EDITORS Emily Dabau Sherman Hewitt
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Isabel Vichot FACULTY ADVISER Bob Radziewicz FINANCIAL ADVISER Steve Priepke
WEBMASTER Morgan McKie
To reach a member of the staff visit themiamihurricane.com’s contact page. ©2014 University of Miami
The Miami Hurricane is published semi-weekly during the regular academic year and is edited and produced by undergraduate students at the University of Miami. The publication does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of advertisers or the university’s trustees, faculty or administration. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of The Miami Hurricane’s Editorial Board. Commentaries, letters and cartoons represent only the views of their respective authors. The newsroom and business office of The Miami Hurricane are located in the Student Activities Center, Student Media Suite 200. LETTER POLICY The Miami Hurricane encourages all readers to voice their opinions on issues related to the university or in response to any report published in The Miami Hurricane. Letters to the editor may be submitted typed or handwritten to the Student Activities Center, Student Media Suite 200, or mailed to P.O. Box 248132, Coral Gables, Fla., 33124-6922. Letters must be signed with a copy of your Cane Card. ADVERTISING POLICY The Miami Hurricane’s business office is located at 1330 Miller Drive, Student Activities Center Student Media Suite 200. The Miami Hurricane is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the university’s fall and spring academic terms. Newspapers are distributed for free on the Coral Gables campus, the School of Medicine and off-campus locations. DEADLINES All ads must be received, cash with copy, in The Miami Hurricane business office, Student Activities Center Student Media Suite 200, by noon Tuesday for Thursday’s issue and noon Friday for Monday’s issue. SUBSCRIPTIONS The Miami Hurricane is available for subscription at the rate of $50 per year. AFFILIATIONS The Miami Hurricane is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Florida College Press Association.
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Super Bowl to feature a frozen football frenzy
Start up the summer with startup businesses pring semester is underway, and that means it is crunch time for students seeking summer internships. Landing a job with a big bank, a giant PAUL RYAN BUSINESS/ tech company ECONOMICS or one of the Big COLUMNIST Four accounting firms seems ideal. Although the prestige and experience that comes with working with a corporate giant such as Citi or Microsoft is difficult to pass up, two other options are often overlooked: starting your own business, and interning at a startup. Working with a fledgling company has never been more valuable than in today’s economy. Valuations on startups and fledgling tech companies in 2013, while not at the Dot-com Bubble levels yet, are nonetheless staggering. When Twitter went public at $26 in November, the price of its stock immediately shot up and closed at a peak of $73.31 in late December. Twitter has yet to turn a profit. Snapchat, a company founded in April 2011, and most likely to be found on any college student’s smartphone, was offered $3 billion in November by Facebook in order to sell the company. Snapchat, too, has yet to make a dime.
S
Although it may be unfair to expect someone to come up with another Twitter or Snapchat, the environment for starting one’s own company, or interning at a young business with potential, is ripe with opportunity. In 2013, private equity firms generated a record amount of cash for investors, and in the third quarter of 2013, venture capital firms invested $3.6 billion into software companies, the most of any quarter in twelve years. Investors are looking for the next big thing, and there is no reason why entrepreneurial students at the University of Miami should not take advantage of this trend, even if it means sacrificing a more secure position elsewhere. There are a variety of resources that students can use in order to find more unconventional opportunities. The Launch Pad at UM is an excellent tool to use for refining a business plan and connecting with individuals with industry experience. For internships, sites such as AngelList and StartUpHire list companies in need of student talent. Jumping head first into any endeavor is a fearsome prospect. But what better time is there to set out on your own than in college? At the very least, you will have something to add to your flawless resume. Paul Ryan is a junior majoring in economics and finance.
e New Jersey folks are very proud of our state. What exactly we are proud of, I am not sure, but it at least includes “The Sopranos” and Bruce Springsteen’s house, a.k.a. my favorite trickor-treat destination. This year, my beloved DANNY NEW SPORTS home state will be hosting its COLUMNIST first Super Bowl. According to AccuWeather, the temperature is poised to break the record for the coldest Super Bowl ever, which was 39 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is indeed 39 degrees, most New Jerseyans will be outside tanning. As you would suspect, the temperature is supposed to be in the 20s, with a calm, soothing breeze of 20 mph to bargain it down to the low teens. The two teams playing, the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, are not used to such conditions. According to weather.com, in December both cities experienced average highs in the mid 40s. Fortunately, I don’t really care if it’s cold because I will still be in Miami, complaining about 60-degree cold fronts. And frankly, I want it to be cold. I want a giant blizzard-freak-storm that freezes the tailgate beverages mid-swallow. I want it to be so agonizingly frosty that the Red Hot Chili Peppers won’t be able to wear their “special socks” for their halftime performance because there will be nothing to hold them up. A Blizzard-Super Bowl would be like the fifth Star Wars, when Luke Skywalker is having epic snow battles with wampas and yetties in ice caves. Unless professional sissy Tom Brady plays – in
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which case the Super Bowl would be a live-action version of Frozen. There is something special about football in the snow. Remember the blizzard game between Philadelphia and Detroit in December, when it was snowing so hard you could barely see Ndamukong Suh kicking multiple players in their genitals? Wasn’t that beautiful? Overall, this hazardous weather would add a dramatic effect to bring the most watched championship game to a higher level. However, it may have severe effects on the outcome. While Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has never won a playoff game in 32 degrees or below, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson was undefeated in November and December his senior year at University of Wisconsin, where the average lows for those months are 28 and 15 degrees, respectively. When it all comes down to it, this game is going to be the best offense versus the best defense, including modern philosopher/linguist/Erin-Andrews-supporter Richard Sherman, the best cornerback in the game. Though Sherman’s dreadlocks can be everywhere at once, he cannot cover all of Manning’s weapons: Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, Wes Welker, Eric Decker and Manning’s forehead. Therefore, the soon-to-be five-time MVP should have no problem finding at least one of those targets every play, regardless of a potential polar vortex. My prediction: Broncos 32, Seahawks 21. In other words, expect an increase in the number of Colorado children named Omaha this year. Danny New is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism.
Bitcoins’ value carries large risk and little reward here’s been quite the fuss about Bitcoin in the news lately. They’re a form of currency – like dollars, euros or pounds – but you don’t carry around actual bills. Instead, you get a digital “wallet” to carry around “change” to spend at merchants that accept bitcoins as a form of pay-
T
RAVI JAIN TECHNOLOGY COLUMNIST
ment. Sounds cool, right? If your money is stored online, password-protected and secure, then you don’t need to worry about thieves on the street or even technologically advanced methods of stealing money, including card-skimming and identity theft.
But there’s a bigger question that needs to be addressed: Are bitcoins safe? Unlike the currencies of most countries, bitcoins are not backed by anyone. The dollar is worth something because the U.S. government says it is. Bitcoin, on the other hand, is just a platform of digital currency artificially created in 2009 to quickly trade money. You can spend your dollars to buy bitcoins as you could buy euros or Canadian dollars. (Why anyone would want to buy Canadian dollars, I don’t know). If you are Jordan Belfort and you want to hide millions of dollars in a Swiss bank account, bitcoins could be useful as an intermediary between the U.S. and Swiss currencies. Thus, the Bitcoin platform has attracted a lot of attention from groups involved in illicit activities. Since no credible authority, or no authority at all, is backing Bitcoin, if its servers
were to suddenly crash or the NSA were to hack into its network and steal the financial information of its users, then the currency would instantly become worthless. Bitcoins have become so controversial that China banned trading them. Think of it in terms of your email account. Say you use Gmail. If Google decided to shut its servers down, then you wouldn’t be able to access your email to send and receive messages. If Bitcoin servers fail, you have no money. That is a much bigger problem than not being able to access your email – and Gmail’s servers fail pretty often. All around the web are reports of companies that have invested millions into Bitcoin, losing money because of hackers. To be honest, your money can be stolen from anywhere – under your bed, your chest drawers, a safe, the bank – and Bitcoin is no exception. ThereJan. 27 - Jan. 29, 2014
fore, it would be wise to keep your money in a location that is at least insured, like an FDIC bank. The only reason you know about Bitcoin is its current high market value, as a result of people using it as a convenient method of payment. People have made millions by using the Bitcoin platform since its 2009 inception, but those individuals represent only a small subset of the user base. Bitcoins are a form of highly volatile currency that are especially helpful to those involved in shady business or looking to make money without putting in any effort, much like the lottery. It may become the future of how you buy things, but not for a long time since its value keeps changing. Ravi Jain is an undeclared freshman. THE MIAMI HURRICANE
OPINION
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DESIGN BY SARBANI GHOSH
BY FRANK MALVAR SENIOR EDGE WRITER
It’s been more than 10 years since the British indie rock band Arctic Monkeys formed. Since then, they have grown into musical sensations selling out arenas worldwide and garnering more than four million Facebook fans. But fame hasn’t gone to their heads; they are still a group of down-to-earth guys who like to hang out in bars, watch soccer and listen to music when they’re not performing for crowds of adoring fans. The Miami Hurricane sat down with bassist Nick O’Malley to talk about fan girls, their experiences performing at the London Olympics and life on tour. THE MIAMI HURRICANE: Do the Arctic Monkeys have any pre-performance rituals? NICK O’MALLEY: No special ritual really, usually just have a little drink and listen to some music. TMH: This band gets a lot of attention from female fans, with Tumblr pages dedicated to specific members. How do you guys feel about this? Are fan girls flattering or creepy? NO: There’s that fine line between being a fan and wanting to wear one’s skin, so hopefully they won’t cross that line. But yeah, it’s definitely nice to be appreciated ... The page shows you sh*t on there that does freak you out a little bit. TMH: Do the Arctic Monkeys have any traditional stops on tour? (For example, going to Coney Island in the summer if you guys are playing a show in New York ...) NO: No ... we try and do something different each time. We don’t get that many free days 8
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on tour, so usually going around to bars is as crazy as we get. TMH: You joined the band for the second album, “Favourite Worse Nightmare.” How did you land the spot exactly? NO: I’ve known everyone for quite some time, so it really wasn’t that weird to come in and start playing. It didn’t feel too overwhelming. As teenagers, we played songs together ... It felt natural since we all knew each other pretty well already. It helped ease into the position. I had to build up to playing gigs in front of people because I had never really done that before. TMH: I know that asking what’s your favorite song is like asking a parent who their favorite kid is, but there’s always one favorite kid. So what is your favorite song? Jan. 27 - Jan. 29, 2014
NO: I really like ‘Are You Mine?’ We get really good reactions from the crowd when we play that one. I just really like the vocals and drums. It’s my favorite at the moment. TMH: All five albums the Arctic Monkeys released are different, especially the last one. Which one is your favorite? NO: ‘AM’ (the most recent album) is my favorite, which I suppose is the way it should be. TMH: Do you have a preference for playing small venues or big festivals? NO: I really like the variety. It’s a good experience always playing in small venues, but you get tired of it after a while, and vice versa playing in festivals or arenas. We are kind of lucky in that respect that we get a variety.
TMH: You guys performed in the opening ceremony for the London Olympics. How was that? NO: The most nerve-racking thing. Paul McCartney was there and we were playing The Beatles song, ‘Come Together.’ There’s millions of people watching all over the world, so I was thinking, ‘It’d be really bad if we f*ck this up.’ It was something really special and really glad we got the chance to do it. TMH: On tour, you spend a lot of time with your band mates. What do you guys do to pass time? NO: When we are not on the bus, we usually go out and get some drinks. We like to watch football [soccer]. TMH: Do you have a favorite football team? NO: We all follow the same team, which is Sheffield Wednesday. I imagine not many people have heard of them; they don’t get much TV time. Our team plays in a lower league. In England, it’s expected that you watch it with the family, so we stick by them. TMH: What do you see in the future for the Arctic Monkeys? Any ideas being thrown around for the next album, or is it too early? NO: It’s kind of in the mix of this one, so we’ve got a lot to wait for another one. We are busy touring until next year, so we haven’t really had time to record. The Arctic Monkeys will be in Miami on Thursday. They will perform at The Fillmore on Miami Beach. Tickets to the concert are sold out.
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FILM REVIEW
‘Summer in February’ strays from genre, contains plot twists BY LUISA ANDONIE SENIOR EDGE WRITER
Dan Stevens fans who are mourning his departure from “Downton Abbey” can find consolation in his role in “Summer in February,” the new period drama playing in Cosford from Friday to Sunday. Based on the novel by Jonathan Smith, the story paints a realistic portrait of the dangers of confusing love for an artist with love for his work. Set during the early 20th century in the artist community town of Cornwall, England, this story follows Florence (Emily Browning) as she tries to make a choice between long-time friends Gilbert (Dan Stevens) and AJ (Dominic Cooper). However, she soon realizes she has less of a choice than she originally believed. Despite what the sweet title may indicate, the film quickly departs from the Jane Austen and “Downton Abbey” pattern of British romantic drama, evolving into a study of love and a critique of its motivations. Elements that are uncommon in this genre make up the twists of this surprising narrative. An undelivered proposal, a sexual assault, and a poisoning attempt set the story apart from neatly planned period dramas. Instead of romantically criticizing a woman for saying no, this film realistically examines what happens to a woman who says yes too lightly – and for the wrong reasons. It is difficult for a modern audience to imagine a time when marriage was of such great importance that women had to make decisions
based on having a reliable future rather than on sentiment. It is even harder for us to imagine ignoring both reason and heart for fear of waiting too long and ending up with neither. What makes the film timelessly relatable is the push and pull between the friends competing for a woman’s sentiments. It is not the first time that Dan Stevens’ upside-down, boyish smile competes with Dominic Cooper’s dark, insinuating eyebrows (see “Sense and Sensibility”). However, unlike their previous encounter, which ends in a happy rectangle, the love triangle in “Summer in February” is truer to life. In keeping with the bittersweetness of the story and the duel between the two men, the English countryside displays the duality of harsh cold and peaceful oasis. In almost every scene, there is one frame that is set up like a painting, mirroring the film’s focus on painters. Smith himself adapted the novel, which sets the story apart from many others. It is what gives it its integrity and realism. “Do you know who you are deep down?” Florence asks herself at one point during the film. “I wish I did,” she responds. This moment mimics the sentiment of the movie, which asks provocative questions that are sometimes beyond comprehensible answers.
FOR MORE INFORMATION WHAT: “Summer in February” WHERE: Cosford Cinema WHEN: Friday to Sunday; 6:45 p.m. Friday; 3:15 p.m. Saturday; 7:15 p.m. Saturday; 5:30 p.m. Sunday For more information, check out a full schedule at cosfordcinema.com/showtime-calendar. PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIBECAFILM.COM
COMMUNITY
Senior hosts book signing for new inspiring novel BY ASHLEY MCBRIDE CONTRIBUTING EDGE WRITER
Shaida Escoffery, author and a University of Miami student, spoke with friends and other visitors at her book signing for her recently published novel, “Idle, Wild, Love” on Friday at the Winston P. Warrior United Black Students (UBS) office in the Student Activities Center. Escoffery, who is a senior majoring in creative writing, began her book as part of her senior thesis, but later developed it into something much bigger. “Originally I didn’t want to come out with a book because I’m shy. I didn’t want the exposure,” she said. “But seeing support from everyone is nice.” Several students visited her on Friday. “I think it’s really great that a fellow member of UBS was able to publish a book,” said Jack Bowser,
who serves as the freshman liaison for UBS. Many of Escoffery’s friends view her as an inspiration and see big things for her future. “I think she’s going to go on to encourage other black women to accomplish their goals with hard work and dedication,” senior Taylor Duckett said. “She’s encouraged me to pick up my writing projects and finish what I started.” The young author does not work with an agent, and decided to go the self-publishing route, so she often had to be resourceful during the process. The cover art of “Idle, Wild, Love” is a photograph that Escoffery took herself in Idlewild, Mich., and her cousin edited it for the cover. She also enlisted the help of her parents to find locations for her book signings. Later the same day, she headed to Overtown Youth Center for another book signing and information session with teenagers.
“With self-publishing you have to do everything on your own, in terms of your marketing, your cover, your editing, unless you’re going to go outside and pay other people for those things,” she said. The overall process has been a learning experience for Escoffery, although she has encountered some dilemmas, like having to decide whether to write a personal message or a generic one in the books that people purchase. “I try to cater [the message] if I know you well, but if it’s a long line, then it’s like … ‘same message, same message’…” she said. “I actually did have to practice my signature though.”
”Idle, Wild, Love” is available on Amazon.com in print and for the Kindle.
ASHLEY MCBRIDE // CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER ACCOMPLISHED AUTHOR: Shaida Escoffery autographs copies of her book, “Idle Wild Love” at her signing on Friday.
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SPORTS MEN’S BASKETBALL
Syracuse weathers Miami run, stays unbeaten Canes battle from 18 down, but Orange win BY PATRICK RILEY STAFF WRITER
Exactly three weeks had passed since the Miami Hurricanes blew a fivepoint lead with six minutes left against undefeated Syracuse at the Carrier Dome in New York. Back then, all signs pointed to a major upset on the road, but the Orange overwhelmed Miami late and outscored Miami 14-4 in the final minutes. The Canes played host to No. 2 Syracuse on Saturday for the first time in more than a decade. Miami threatened the still-unbeaten visitors, tying the game at 49-49 with five minutes to play. And then the Orange took over again. This time Syracuse (19-0, 6-0 ACC) outscored Miami (10-9, 2-5 ACC) 15-3 in the closing minutes for a 64-52 win in front of a sellout crowd at the BankUnited Center. “I thought that was a very, very good college basketball game,” coach Jim Larranaga said. “Right up to the last maybe minute and a half I thought we were right where we needed to be, where we wanted to be, but Syracuse is that good. Tyler Ennis is that good. And I told our players, this is when he starts to attack – six, seven minutes left in the game. He did it up at their place when we played them. He did it against Pittsburgh. He did it at Boston College. He’s just an outstanding freshman.” Ennis jumpstarted Syracuse’s late run with a jumper and finished the game with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. The Orange were able to take it to the Canes inside, scoring 24 points in the paint and grabbing 14 offensive rebounds. The final score, however, was not indicative of how closely contested the game was. “I really didn’t think that they played that well in the second half,” Miami freshman Davon Reed said. “But one thing that they do excellent is closing out down the stretch. They really do a good job of having poise down the stretch, something 10
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NICK GANGEMI // ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR FIGHTING HARD: Miami’s Donnavan Kirk (22) struggles to get position in the paint against a Syracuse defender. The Hurricanes overcame early shooting woes and a huge deficit against the No. 2 Orange, though Syracuse pulled away for a 64-52 win on Saturday.
we try to emphasize.” Reed was the high-point man for Miami, scoring 16 off the bench in another economical shooting performance. He converted more than 60 percent of his shots from the field, 75 percent from 3-point range and was perfect from the free throw line. Final score aside, Miami showed some fight when the Canes – down by 18 with eight minutes left in the first half – battled back to close the gap to five points at halftime.
THE MIAMI HURRICANE
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“We just didn’t want it to be another Duke game where we’re pretty much out of the game early, so we fought back,” said senior guard Rion Brown, who finished with 13 points. “I think we got to like 18 or 20 and we really started playing, started locking down. The main thing, we started making them miss.” The Hurricanes shot a whopping 52.9 percent from deep and contested shots on defense, with Syracuse shooting 37 percent from the field in the second half. Larranaga decided, once again, to try to beat
the Orange at their own game by playing zone defense. “When they made the decision to play zone, I just think they’re a very difficult team to play against,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. Next, Miami will travel to College Park, Md., to take on Maryland (11-9, 3-4 ACC) Wednesday night.
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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Canes come up empty on road trip to Notre Dame, Clemson Third-ranked Duke up next for Miami BY A.J. RICKETTS SENIOR SPORTS WRITER
CLEMSON, S.C. - After an impressive victory over No. 20 NC State last weekend, the Hurricanes came up winless on their two-game road trip. Miami fell to No. 2 Notre Dame 79-52, and to Clemson 60-52. The Canes (11-9, 3-4 ACC) faced a stiff challenge in Notre Dame, which leads the nation in scoring, assists and 3-point percentage. The second-ranked Fighting Irish had won 40 consecutive regular season games, including 20 straight at the Joyce Center. Notre Dame defeated the four ranked teams they have played this season by an average of more than 16 points per game. Miami, however, hung tough in the first half of Thursday night’s game. While the Hurricanes were out-rebounded from the opening possession – Notre Dame had four offensive boards in the first minute – Miami built a six-point lead in the opening period. It should be noted, though, that in its previous game Notre Dame notched a 16-point victory after falling behind by 12 points at Tennessee. The Irish, no strangers to the idea of poise under pressure, hit their stride and took a nine-point lead into the half. The nation’s No. 2 team proved much more difficult to handle in the second half.
Notre Dame (18-0, 5-0 ACC) started the period on a 10-0 run, increasing the lead to as many as 35 points en route to the 79-52 win. Forward Natalie Achunwa and guard Lindsay Allen scored 23 and 16 respectively for the Irish, and also anchored a defense that held the Hurricanes to a weak 30 percent field goal clip. Miami managed just 11 percent shooting from 3-point range (1-for9). “For us to win in this conference, we’re going to have to score a lot more than we did tonight,” coach Katie Meier said. “We have to play with more poise and maturity.” Miami then traveled to Clemson for a Sunday afternoon matchup with the Tigers (10-11), who were 1-5 in ACC play heading into the game. A winnable game was marred by more uncharacteristic shooting woes for Miami. Despite 14 points from freshman Adrienne Motley, Miami shot just 17-for-66 from the field, including 3-of-23 from 3-point range, a dismal 13 percent clip. “We’re playing with very little confidence,” Meier said. “As a coach, I need to figure out how I can get the best from my players moving forward.” Looking ahead, it doesn’t get any easier for the Hurricanes. Miami will host No. 3 Duke on Thursday night, and then travels to Chapel Hill, N.C. to take on a talented North Carolina squad on Sunday. The Canes will attempt to turn the tables and get their conference record back over .500.
SPORTS BRIEFS
MONICA HERNDON // PHOTO EDITOR TRAFFIC: Freshman Adrienne Motley takes a tough jumper during the women’s game against N.C. State last Sunday. Motley led Miami with 14 points in their most recent loss to Clemson.
WOMEN’S TENNIS Miami used a 4-0 sweep over LSU on Saturday to secure a place in the ITA National Indoor Championships. Monique Albuquerque and Clementina Riobueno pulled out a crucial doubles point. The duo was behind early but came back to win in a tiebreak 7-6 (3). Albuquerque followed up that victory with a strong singles outing, defeating LSU’s Abigail Owens 6-3, 6-3.
PHOTO BY BECCA MAGRINO// STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER DOUBLES: Monique Albuquerque (left) and Clementina Riobueno defend the baseline against LSU during the ITA National Kickoff Weekend on Saturday.
singles match over Skylar Holloway, 6-3, 6-1. While the Hurricanes were ahead in three other matches at the time, Bolivar proved to be the deciding point after Miami grabbed both doubles points. Miami will face Florida Gulf Coast at 4 p.m. Thursday before the Canes turn their attention to the ITA Championships. They will head to Charlottesville, Va., for the national tournament Feb. 7-10.
“A very solid performance for us this weekend,” track director Amy Deem said. “We had an opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the country and our kids showed they belong.” Oregon, Kentucky, Florida and Baylor were among the elite schools represented at the meet.
TRACK & FIELD
“I was real happy with the girls in terms of being unselfish in doubles, especially when it came down to the wire,” coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “Nobody was rushing to try and get off the court.”
The Hurricanes track and field program traveled to Lexington, Ky., for the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet this past weekend.
Melissa Bolivar won an important
Alyssa McClure and Phillip Dorsett were among several athletes to place high in their individual events. Each
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earned top-10 finishes in the 60m race. Amber Monroe placed fourth in women’s shot put and Alexis Wright came in ninth in the women’s triple jump.
Taneisha Cordell set a school record for Miami in the 600-yard run during the first day of competition. Alysha Newman won the women’s pole vault at 4.31m, a school and meet record. Spencer Dandes may be emailed at sports@themiamihurricane.com.
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DEAR V
V, I’m hopeful after a hookup ...
I hooked up with a guy on Friday and I haven’t heard from him since. Granted, I don’t think I saved my number to his phone correctly, but still, he could’ve contacted me through a mutual friend. I think the hookup went wonderfully, but maybe I overestimated the experience. I should probably just move on to the next one, right? Or should I hang on and hope that he’ll reach out to me? I kissed a rando and I liked it
V, My man parted the red sea ...
Last week I went on a date with a new f ling. We had a great time earlier in the evening and really seemed to hit it off. After going back to his place and sliding into third, I got a special encore performance from my dear Aunt Flow. Needless to say I was absolutely mortified. I really like him but I am not sure how to act around him anymore. Should I pretend like nothing embarrassing happened, or ignore him forever and wallow in shame? Help, Anonymous
Dear Every Freshman Ever,
Single
College
The chances that a drunken hookup is going to amount to anything more than that are slim to none. While it’s still possible that this guy could text you, if I were you I would cut my losses. Who knows? Maybe you have a magical golden vagina and he just can’t get enough. Maybe he’s waiting to text you for emphasis. He could be trying to make an entrance. You never know. However, let’s entertain the more probable possibility – that he’ll never speak to you again. You’ll see him casually at some mutual friend’s party or at the Grove and it’ll be
Dear Tampax commercial, Everyone should be keeping a calendar and know when it’s the time of the month. But let’s say for a second that you forgot and it just slipped your mind to pack a tampon. That’s fine, it happens to the best of us but seriously that’s gross. Men barely tolerate talking about a woman’s period, let alone having it all over their fingers. I’ve had boyfriends who look at me weird when I mention cramps … I can’t even imagine what they’d say if they had to deal with my period blood all over their hands. If you know this guy well enough you should just talk it out with him. Tell him that it’s a natural bodily function and you just couldn’t control it. I’m assuming he’s straight so he’s going to have to deal with this from you or some other woman for the rest of his life. It’s better that he learns now.
awkward for a bit, but you’ll get through it. At the very least, you’ll get a consistent hookup buddy out of it. If he’s willing to hook up with you once, he’ll be willing to hook up with you again. Especially after one or two cups of Moose Juice at Moe’s. In the meantime, just head on over to a frat party and prey on one of the unsuspecting pledges. Ain’t nobody gonna stop you. V
However, I think it’s safe to assume that you don’t know this guy very well. In that case, screw it and don’t talk to him ever again. It’s really not a huge deal – people have gone through way worse. Some guys enjoy this stuff though so maybe you’ll get lucky and he’s one of those guys. I’ve been told that it’s period sex is great for all parties involved (something about more lubrication and sensitivity) so if this dude calls you again, suggest something kinky … you never know where the night will go. Don’t wallow in shame – at least you found out before you ruined a pair of sheets. V
GOT AN ACHY, BREAKY HEART? WRITE TO DEARV@THEMIAMIHURRICANE.COM FOR ADVICE. 12
DEAR V
THE MIAMI HURRICANE
Jan. 27 - Jan. 29, 2014