The Minaret 04/09/2015

MINARET UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA’S NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1933

THE Vo l u m e

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April

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ut.minaret@gmail.com

Students Elect New SG President and Vice President

By MIA GLATTER Editor-in-Chief

Sarah Daniels and Matthew Hartford were studying at Daniel’s off-campus apartment and were trying to concentrate while waiting for the call that would reveal the results of the Student Government election. They called their families first after receiving the call but had to wait before sharing the good news with anyone in the UT community.

“We unfortunately couldn’t go public until General Assembly two days later but were excited by the UT community’s reaction to the results and what we can do next year,” Hartford said.

Daniels, a entrepreneurship major, and Hartford, a criminology major, have known each other through their involvements at UT for several years.

However, they did not get the chance to work together directly until this year when Sarah was inducted into the Diplomat program that Matt was already a part of. The more they talked about what they wanted out of their senior year, the more sense it made that they run for Student Government together.

“Matt and I seemed to be driven, motivated, and lighthearted. We have a To SG Page 4

New Music Streaming Service ‘Tidal’ Hits Internet

Ellis Catalan/ The Minaret Sarah Davis and Matthew Hartford were voted into President and Vice President for the 2015-16. school year

Senior Campaign Needs to Aim For Higher Goals

See OPINION Page 11

See SPORTS Page 17

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Trial Begins for Man Accused of Killing UT Student

The trial of David Earl Williams, Jr., who is accused of murdering UT student Ryan McCall in 2009, began Tuesday.

McCall was walking to his Courtesy of Tampaspartans.com off-campus home McCall’s team photo with a friend when they were attacked and McCall was fatally shot.

This friend, Michael Harahan, was the first witness to take the stand.

Williams is currently serving 15 years for an unrelated burglary crime.

McCall was a member of the UT cross country team and a race is held annually in his honor.

The Minaret will continue coverage of the trial in next week’s issue and online at theminaretonline.com.

Sal’s Soldiers Informs Community on MS

See A&E Page 8

Baseball Continues Rocky SSC Slate

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Photo courtesy Sal DeGaetano Sal DeGaetano (right) and Jason (left) have worked together to make students aware of multiple sclerosis.

By REGINA GONZALEZ Sports Writer

For every student who walks UT’s campus, there is a unique story behind his or her future goals and ambitions. Whether they want to follow in their parent’s footsteps, pursue something they have a passion for or set out and help

others, dedication and commitment are key qualities for success. In the case of senior criminology major and Theta Chi brother Sal DeGaetano, dedicating himself to the future of his very own nonprofit organization in honor of his father is his destined future.

DeGaetano lost his father in 2013 to severe complications with

Multiple Sclerosis (MS). In January 2014, he came up with the idea to start his own nonprofit organization in hopes to help others suffering from the nerve damaging disease.

With the help of fellow Theta Chi brother and Director of Events for Sal Soldiers, Jason Burgess, they hosted the first Sal’s Soldiers date auction for a Valentine’s Day Theta Chi signature event in February of last year to fundraise and debut his organization.

At the time, Burgess was the special events chair for Theta Chi. He was with a brother brainstorming good activities to do for theme week and came up with the idea of the date auction. When thinking of where to donate the proceeds, the brothers thought it would be a good way to help out a non-profit started by someone close to them by donating the proceeds to Sal’s Soldier’s and funding start-up costs for the organization . Theta Chi and Sal’s Soldiers teamed up by putting together the initial dating auction and have been working with Sal ever since. The first auction raised $860.

This past Valentines Day, DeGaetano and Burgess put together another Theta Chi date auction To SAL Page 4

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APRIL 9 2015 | THE MINARET

MINARET

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mia Glatter

mia.glatter@theminaretonline.com

MANAGING EDITOR Lauren Richey

lauren.richey@theminaretonline.com

ART DIRECTOR

Justine Parks justine.parks@theminaretonline.com

NEWS + FEATURES

Katherine Lavacca, Editor

katherine.lavacca@theminaretonline.com

Zoe Fowler, Asst. Editor

zoe.fowler@theminaretonline.com

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT Jackie Braje, Editor

jacquelyn.braje@theminaretonline.com

Selene San Felice, Asst. Editor

selene.sanfelice@theminaretonline.com

OPINION

Richard Whitaker, Editor

richard.whitaker@theminaretonline.com

Avery Twible, Editor

avery.twible@theminaretonline.com

SPORTS

Phil Novotny, Editor

philip.novotny@theminaretonline.com

Jordan Llanes, Asst. Editor

jordan.llanes@theminaretonline.com

MULTIMEDIA

Doha Madani, Editor

doha.madani@theminaretonline.com

Savanna Blackerby, Asst. Editor

savanna.blackerby@theminaretonline.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Casey Budd, Editor

casey.budd@theminaretonline.com

ADVISER

Tiffini Theisen

ttheisen@ut.edu

COPY EDITORS

Khadijah Khan, Head Copy Editor khadijah.khan@theminaretonline.com

Tess Sheets, Copy Editor

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Daina Stanley, Copy Editor

daina.stanley@spartans.ut.edu

Jordan Walsh, Copy Editor

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STAFF WRITERS Regina Gonzalez Andrew Stamas Erin Townsend Ann Marie Distasi Candace Martino Kamakshi Dadhwal Liz Rockett Katie Drake

COLUMNISTS Marcus Mitchell Griffin Guinta

Sammi Brennan Kara Delemeester Claire Farrow Ariel Hernandez Tonie Schankweiler Becca Turner Maria Nobs Liv Reeb Caitlin Malone Sam Allen

GRAPHIC DESIGN Tori Pavel Wendy French

MORE INFORMATION THE MINARET is a weekly student-run publication at the University of Tampa.

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NEWS + FEATURES

UT Senior Awarded Fulbright Fellowship Courtesy of The UT Office of Public Information

Kelly Fitzgerald, a senior at The University of Tampa, has been awarded a 2015-2016 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Indonesia.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange Photo courtesy of UT program Public Information sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The Fulbright ETA Program fosters mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries by providing a native speaker presence in schools, universities, teacher training institutions, culture/ language centers or vocational schools.

Fulbright ETAs assist in strengthening English language instruction overseas, as well as providing cultural insights in the classroom.

A senior from Mchenry, IL, Fitzgerald is an international and cultural studies major with a double minor in history and English. An honors student, she is also earning a Certificate of International

Studies. She is set to graduate in May. Beginning in August, Fitzgerald will spend one academic year at one or more host institutions where she will serve as a language-learning assistant to English teachers. Though she doesn’t know exactly where she will be placed in Indonesia, Fulbright ETAs are usually placed outside of capital and/or major cities where they can reach populations that typically do not have access to native English speakers and may not have interacted with individuals from the U.S. before.

Though she had heard of the program before, Fitzgerald said her first in-person encounter with a Fulbright ETA was in a small town in Laos during a three-and-ahalf-month solo backpacking trip through Southeast Asia in 2013.

“Meeting them planted the seed, and when I got back to UT the idea to apply stuck with me,” she said.

Fitzgerald is no stranger to international travel. Before college, she lived in Thailand for a year as an AFS foreign exchange student. During her time at UT, Fitzgerald has participated in three education abroad programs — a UT Travel Course on Revolutionary Cuba in Fall 2011, an Honors Abroad scholarship to study at Oxford for the Fall 2013 semester and a PEACE Alternative Break program to Nicaragua in 2015.

“I like adventure,” said Fitzgerald about why she chose Indonesia. She said

Indonesia is one of the more adventurous program options, and applicants have to read a disclaimer that running water and other things taken for granted in the U.S. are not guaranteed. “There’s no better time than when I am untethered and young to have this kind of experience.”

“The Office of International Programs supports students, faculty and alumni who wish to pursue a Fulbright program and offers a personalized approach to advising throughout the application process,” said Marca Bear, associate dean of the Office of International Programs.

Fitzgerald is the fourth student to receive a Fulbright Fellowship since 2010.

Carlos J. Salinas Zárate ’12 was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to continue his studies in Spain and New York City after graduation, Bethany Kreider ’11 received two Fulbright grants to work with school children in Indonesia and Randy Tarnowski ’10 served as a Fulbright ETA in South Korea.

“Involvement in the Fulbright program showcases UT’s exceptional students and our commitment to offering globally focused opportunities for students to engage the world beyond UT’s borders,” said Bear.

Read more UT News Releases at ut.edu/ publicinformation/

Graduate Student Volunteers to Make I.T. Happen Courtesy of The UT Office of Public Information

Dmitrii Osipovskii’s laptop works like an extension of his body. He moves seamlessly around, carry his academic and growing professional life in digital files.

Osipovskii M.S. ’12 MBA ’15 isn’t unlike many UT students. But what he has found is that he is more of an anomaly than he once thought. For the past two semesters, Osipovskii has been volunteering with Computer Mentors, a nonprofit organization of technology professionals working to guide young people, particularly those without sufficient economic means, into technology access, education and careers.

Leading a team from Ad 2 Tampa Bay, Osipovskii is helping create and implement a complete marketing campaign for Computer Mentors.

“I’d like to think of Ad 2 Tampa Bay as a change agent,” said Osipovskii.

Ad 2 Tampa Bay is a nonprofit organization of young advertising professionals and is an affiliate of the American Advertising Federation and the Tampa Bay Advertising Federation.

Every year, the group selects a nonprofit from the Tampa Bay area based on its relevancy to the community and Ad 2 Tampa Bay’s ability to make an impact.

Computer Mentors was looking for a way to increase its awareness in the community, even though it has been in Tampa for 17 years. From an academic and professional perspective, the opportunity for Osipovskii meant building a campaign by the book with his own thumbprint. It was an opportunity he felt could give him great experience, but also help out a worthy organization.

The campaign, Make I.T. Happen, involves creating a new brand with specialized logos, fonts and new design and photography for the website. Ad

2 Tampa Bay created a social media strategy and has empowered Computer Mentors staff with training on best practices.

“Dmitrii and the rest of the team really get what we are about. He felt our passion from the start, and I think that has shown through in each of the key deliverables he and the Ad2 team brought to the table,” said Mike Floyd ’98 MBA ’06, development director for Computer Mentors. “We’ve been around for nearly 18 years. We entrusted Ad2 with a blank canvas to help Computer Mentors better tell our story, and they have delivered on that, plus so much more.”

Osipovskii, who is from Moscow, Russia, said they launched the awareness campaign in February with about $262,000 in donated and matched media, from digital billboard placements to advertisements in news outlets like Creative Loafing, NPR and Tampa Bay Times. The team secured a Bright House Networks airtime grant for a video commercial and helped the organization in its application and success in being named a Lightning Community Hero, which included the showing of a promotional video about Computer Mentors on the Amalie Arena’s jumbotron.

This summer, Osipovskii will present their campaign as a case study at the American Advertising Federation’s national conference.

Osipovskii noted that he is seeing a new excitement in the air with the Computer Mentors’ staff and board members. “They see us passionate about this, and it is invigorating,” he said.

The Computer Mentors staff has been extremely excited and responsive with everything his team has developed, which could have been difficult for a group working with the same branding for almost two decades.

“The client is so responsive. We have

Photo courtesy of UT Public Information

recommended huge changes, and they’ve been on board,” Osipovskii said. “They totally inspire me.”

It’s not just the client, though, but all those on his team (nine total), who have full-time jobs and are working just as hard for Computer Mentors.

“What inspires me is that other people are sincerely volunteering and working so hard,” he said. “We are just now seeing the impact, and it’s very motivational.”

Osipovskii is certainly one of those working overtime for a good cause, too. He works in the College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education, assisting professors with research and office tasks. He interns three full-time days at PP+K Advertising Agency, is in graduate school full time and volunteers at least 20 hours a week at Ad 2 Tampa Bay. “You don’t know what you can accomplish until you commit to it,” he said.

Read more UT Life stories at ut.edu/ UTLIFE

THE MINARET | APRIL 9 2015

NEWS + FEATURES

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Tech Time with Grandma: Carmen Garcia Ahead of Her Generation Ariel Hernandez chatted with her grandmother, Carmen Garcia, to discuss how technology has changed, and how it has affected society

By ARIEL HERNANDEZ News Writer

Facebook is the most popular form of social networking today. Youth and older generations alike enjoy the many uses Facebook and other social media offer.

According to the International Business Times, a recent study shows that three million teens have left social networks and over 16 million elders were added to social networks within the past three years.

Some newly released data from the Pew Research Center, shows that every six-in-ten older adults, are internet users.

While the younger crowd may use Facebook as a way of networking with their friends, the older generations tend to use it slightly differently. In an effort to prove this, I spoke with my 55 yearold grandmother who has experienced the transition of technology.

Hernandez: How do you feel technology has changed since your youth?

Garcia: My youth? You know you just called me old right?

Hernandez: You know what I mean …

Garcia: Well … technology obviously wasn’t advanced as it is now if that’s what you mean. When I was younger, cell phones were these big blocks with huge antennas you had to pull to get good service.

Hernandez: Did you have computers?

Garcia: Wow … I can’t even remember ever using a computer as a teen. Computers started taking over when Diana (my mother) was in school.

Hernandez: How helpful do you feel computers are today?

Garcia: Computers make life easier.

Instead of having to go all the way to the library, you can just google it. It’s sad because now-a-days kids don’t even know what libraries are.

Hernandez: Do you feel that’s a good or bad thing?

Garcia: I mean the internet is what we use for everything. So in a way it’s not like they aren’t getting the information they need. But it’s sad that eventually they won’t even know what a book looks like.

Hernandez: So are you saying books will go extinct?

Garcia: No not at all, but instead of textbooks, I see kids using ipads.

Hernandez: What else has the internet done that changes lives?

Garcia: Well now I have internet on my smartphone, so I can just sign on Facebook whenever.

Hernandez: How has Facebook changed your life?

Garcia: Facebook is the only way I know when there’s something interesting going on within the family. I would get on Facebook, be nosey, and then get off.

I liked to see when my family and friends would go on vacation, what they’d post, and what they would comment on others’ things. It’s sad to say, but checking Facebook was the only way I would find out when my daughter was in the hospital because she’d take to Facebook before she’d call me Hernandez: How long have you been on Facebook?

Garcia: Wow, I been on Facebook since 2009.

Hernandez: Can you see Facebook evolving?

Photo courtesy of Carmen Garcia

Garcia: Oh yeah. At first I would use Facebook every day. But now I only spend about an hour a week.When you get something new you play with it for a while, but then you eventually get tired of it. My interest in Facebook is dying out, I just take a peek now. It’s going to die out like all the other social networks that died out before Facebook.

Hernandez: In terms of technology,

how do you see its future?

Garcia: I see it advancing, duh. I feel like every day there’s new things coming out. It’s only going to get better.

Ariel Hernandez can be reached at ariel. hernandez@spartans.ut.edu

District 11

District

INFORMATION

POLICE BEAT

Reports compiled by Zoe Fowler Bruh, Come On On March 31, a student reported the theft of a tire from a bike while locked to the bike rack.

Bad Luck Brian On March 31, a fraudulent driver’s license was found at the Vaughn Information desk.

Risky Move, Freddy!

On April 2, dispatched to call of possible marijuana use at Vaughn Center Resident Area.

The Right to Bear Arms?

On April 2, a Resident Assistant contacted the Campus Safety office to report a possible weapons violation in a residence hall room.

Stop Sign Didn’t Make It On April 4, a vehicle making a delivery backed into a stop sign causing damage to it.

Sharing is Caring On April 5, a student refused to return another students property and refused to cooperate and was disrespectful to officers.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT Earth Day The celebration is on April 22 in the Vaughn Courtyard from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

PEACE The student organization needs a new logo for the PEACE Volunteer Center and the Alternative Breaks program. Stop by the PEACE office for more information or go on OrgSync under Forms and guidelines can be found there.

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APRIL 9 2015 | THE MINARET

NEWS + FEATURES

UT student raised funds for MS nonprofit organization From SAL Page 1 where they auctioned off date options donated from local businesses that were interested in supporting Sal’s Soldiers organization. The highest bidders scored prizes such as couples jet ski date followed by a lunch at Whiskey Joe’s to a helicopter tour from Tampa Bay Aviation. This event successfully surpassed the last one, raising close to $4,000 in fundraising and more awareness for students on campus.

Also in attendance was Andrew Hall, a Regional Executive for External Affairs for AT&T, who is an acquaintance of DeGaetano and Burgess. Hall is a lobbyist who mostly works out of Tallahassee and is responsible for organizing donations and charity events for AT&T to help give back to communities. Showing great interest and respect for Sal’s vision and organization, Hall has assisted Sal in any way he can to guide the potential of Sal’s Soldiers to become a successful nonprofit in the Tampa Bay area.

“Nothing is promised yet, but Andrew and I have been discussing ways to get large companies like AT&T more involved in our cause,” DeGaetano said. “Hopefully this could help put Sal’s Soldiers in the same category of other large nonprofits in the area.”

Hall has since helped DeGaetano network and gave him a vision of what he has in mind for Sal’s Soldiers after inviting him to the DeBartolo Family Foundation Banquet, a nonprofit charity dinner on Davis Island.

“It was incredible to see how everything was run so elegantly,”

Screen grab from salssoldiers.com

DeGaetano said, “He wanted to show me how a real nonprofit event was done right, and I can’t stop until Sal’s Soldiers has the same success.”

DeGaetano plans on residing in Tampa for the summer to stay and make sure his organization will continue to grow in this community and plans to start working on the coordination for his huge future auction. He hopes to land a job with a large nonprofit after graduating in May so that he can continue to learn how a successful nonprofit is managed.

In the meantime, DeGaetano and Burgess are currently planning a flag football tournament at Amalie Arena for UT student teams as their next big event. Their goal is to host this tournament on the AFL Tampa Bay Storm field on May 3, 2015.

“We’re doing our best to raise as much awareness as possible and

hopefully, if it is at Amalie, we can put together some extra activities to make it an eventful day,” Burgess said. “Having the organization based off a college campus, we want to make creative events that will get college students involved and raise more awareness of what MS is.”

With all the fundraising in the works, don’t be fooled, the initial goal for Sal’s Soldiers is not to constantly fundraise, but to set out and help those in the community that have Multiple Sclerosis.

“We hope to use this money and volunteers to service those that have MS, maybe someone will need their light bulb changed or need to go to the grocery store,“ DeGaetano said, “It doesn’t matter what kind of help these patients need. Whether its manual labor or just emotional support, we want to be there to help.

We want to keep it constant where

the volunteer and person in need can be able to develop that one-on-one relationship.”

From wanting to get out there and help the community to also striving to bring Sal’s Soldiers to other college campuses, the partners indeed have set a solid foundation for the future success and growth of the organization.

“One of the main goals is to raise awareness on what MS is, so that it is something that they can carry with them.” Burgess said. “Not a lot of people know what Multiple Sclerosis is and what it really means.

Our biggest thing is to make it as well known as something like cancer, because it affects about 400,000 people a year.”

Regina Gonzalez can be reached at regina.gonzalez@spartans.ut.edu

Daniels and Hartford make plans for community From SG Page 1

very diverse group of friends and had a common passion for encouraging involvement at UT,” Daniels said. “This combination seemed like the perfect combination for a dynamic duo team.”

Daniels has known that she wanted to be a member of SG since her freshman year, when she met the then president of Student Government on an entrepreneurship trip to Chicago. He encouraged her to attend and participate in general assembly meetings.

“This particular President and his board were all so friendly, professional, and encouraging,” she said. “After seeing how they operate, I knew SG was something I wanted to be involved in and decided to run for a senate position.”

After watching closely and learning from the current cabinet, they have narrowed down the characteristics they hope to carry into their term as leaders.

“I think it is absolutely crucial that the entire team can be collaborative, responsible, open minded, and positive under pressure,” Daniels said. “I anticipate all of these characteristics to be present within our future cabinet members next year, just as they are clearly demonstrated among the current

cabinet.”

The new dynamic duo of Student Government hopes to develop a strong relationship with faculty, major organizations and students at the start of next year. They also want to concentrate on promoting different events, performances, and sports games on campus so that students are better informed.

“Our hope is to make UT a closer community between Student Government and the student body. This will not be an easy task to reach every student, but it is Sarah and my goal to do so,” Hartford said.

As the new president of Student Government, Daniels believes that observing Kristen Anderson this year has taught her a lot about how to handle the stresses of the job and the responsibilities of a student.

“I give anything I join my all, and see this is an overall great way to leave a positive impact and give back to UT before I graduate. I hope that I can serve as of great as a leader as Kristin has been over the upcoming year,” she said.

Mia Glatter can be contacted at mia. glatter@theminaretonline.com

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THE MINARET | APRIL 9 2015

NEWS + FEATURES

5

MCAT Modified to Include Three New Subjects

By TONIE SCHANKWEILER News Writer

Starting this month, aspiring doctors are seeing changes in the test most commonly required to get into medical school.

On April 17, the “new and improved” MCAT will be administered for the first time.

Three new subject areas -biochemistry, psychology and sociology -- will be added to the original five.

The old MCAT had 144 questions to be answered over three hours and 20 minutes, according to Kaplan Test Prep. There will now be 230 questions, and students will have six hours and 15 minutes.

The final section, previously called verbal reasoning, has been renamed CARS for Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills. This section will focus more on behavioral health such as psychology and sociology, rather than emphasizing natural science. The the Association of American Medical Colleges, the non-profit organization that administers the test, also decided to eliminate the writing portion based on feedback from medical admission committees.

The price of the test has increased, too, from $275 to $300.

Why so many changes? AAMC officials say they’re responding

to the new environment of health care. The new MCAT will gauge how well-rounded and prepared for medical school students are.

“They have conceptualized that, in the same way that we need organic chemistry to understand the body, we also need to be educated in subjects like psychology and sociology to understand people,” said Greg Okwengu, MD Health Manager. “We forget how important behavioral health is to healing.”

Ricardo Declet, a senior and biology major, believes it’s important for students to know how to interact with patients.

“Looking at the current changes can become somewhat overwhelming for those students preparing to take the examination,” Declet said. “However, I do believe it’s for the best, as it would give a rise to a more complete candidate -- not just one that dominates the sciences, but one who understands the importance of proper social interaction.”

In 2012 on the organization’s website, the AAMC’s Darrell Kirch announced to medical students that changes were upcoming.

The changes worry some students. Samantha Mercado, a freshman biology major, said: “I’ve never taken a test like this before, but I’m assuming it’s going to be the hardest one I’ll ever take.”

Photo courtesy of Matt Theoharakis

What des it mean for students who plan to take the new exam?

Due to the additional subjects, students will most likely have to take additional courses in the social sciences and in biochemistry.

These changes will also affect class scheduling and required undergraduate coursework. Siara Isabella, a freshman biology major, said: “Now, I’m going to have to take extra classes like psychology,

when I could be taking a biology elective.”

Information on testing locations, dates and more can be found at aamc.org.

Tonie Schankweiler can be reached at tonie.schankweiler@spartans. ut.edu

SUMMER2015

Explore

2-Week May Term May 11 – 22

register online :

www.ut.edu/summer

6-Week Terms May 26 – July 2 July 6 – Aug. 15 12-Week Term May 26 – Aug. 15 Registration Now Open!

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APRIL 9 2015 | THE MINARET

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

DIVERSIONS

ON CAMPUS APRIL 10

Student Government Lunch

Join Student Government President and the Dean of Students at 12:00 p.m. in the Vaughn Center Caf. For more info contact Kristin Anderson at sg@ut.edu.

OFF CAMPUS APRIL 9

Florida Orchestra Coffee Series Begin your morning with coffee, donuts and a live orchestra at the Mahaffey Theatre. The event begins at 10:00 a.m. and tickets start at $24 .

APRIL 10

APRIL 9

SGRho & TAO invite you to Zumba to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

There will be snacks, vendors and raffles, and tickets will be sold in Vaughn for $5

Jannus Live will be flooded by an electro-house wave with Swedish DJ duo Dada Life. The concert begins at 8:00 p.m. and tickets start at $25

Zumba For St. Jude

APRIL 11

Walk Now For Autism Speaks Join PEACE Volunteer Center as they fundraise and raise awareness for Autism at the Tropicana Field in St. Pete from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Transportation is not provided and comfortable shoes are recommended.

APRIL 13-17

Diversity Week

Diversity and Inclusion will be hosting various events around campus like Trivia Night, Wall of Oppression, Privilege Monopoly, a carnival and more!

Dada Land Compound

APRIL 10

Tampa Bay Blues Fest

Join Tampa’s 20th annual music festival with an impressive lineup of blues artists like Boz Scaggs, Ronnie Earl and more. The jams start at 12:00 p.m. in Vinoy Park and tickets start at $20.

APRIL 11

America Loves Bacon

Vegans beware: the first ever bacon festival is hitting the Florida Fairgrounds this weekend with a wide array of local food trucks and restaurants. The event starts at 1:00 p.m. and tickets are $25.

websudoku.com

PICTURE of theWEEK

Photo by Nikki Nunzio

UT Men’s and Women’s bodybuilding club hosted their 3rd annual bodybuilding competition on April 4. Divisions include Men’s Bodybuilding, Men’s Physique, Women’s Figure and Bikini.

THE MINARET | APRIL 9 2015

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT ‘Furious 7’ Finishes Series With a Bang

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By SAMMI BRENNAN

Arts + Entertainment Writer

In 2001, “The Fast and the Furious” franchise was born. Six films later, it seems as though Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) and Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) have taken every journey possible together. They’ve fought, raced and traveled the world. Through every movie, the importance of family is emphasized. As Dom states in “Furious 7,” “I don’t have friends, I got family.”

As the franchise comes to a close, it never once strayed away from this concept. Dom, Brian, Mia (Jordana Brewster), Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), and Roman (Tyrese Gibson) have shared an unbreakable bond both on screen and off. Although “Furious 7” is an exhilarating ride, it shows the love these actors have for each other, and gives a heartfelt farewell to the late Paul Walker.

In the aftermath of “Fast & Furious 6,” Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) is hospitalized, and now his vengeful older brother Deckard (Jason Statham) is targeting the crew. But Deckard made the mistake of killing Han (Sung Kang) in “Fast & Furious 6” and when someone messes with one member of Dom’s family, it means they mess with all of them. As the crew seeks revenge, they encounter some old faces as well as some fresh ones. Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) returns from “Fast Five” and “Fast & Furious 6.” Both Sean (Lucas Black) and Twinkie (Bow Wow) from “Tokyo Drift” also make appearances. New to the table are (Jakande (Djimon Hounsou), Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), and Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell). Mr. Nobody, a government agent, offers the crew a deal: if they retrieve “God’s Eye,” a device that can infiltrate any form of technology to track an individual, then they can use it to track down Deckard Shaw.

The concept is a bit flawed, considering Deckard Shaw follows the crew and attempts to kill them wherever they go,

Furious 7/Twitter.com “Furious 7,” starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Ludacris and more, made an impressive $146.5 million debut in its U.S. box office opening weekend.

but in the grand scheme of things they need it to be one step ahead of him. Also, plot mistakes are never really scrutinized in these films. A car just smashing through three buildings in midair is enough to distract anyone from being overly critical. “Cars don’t fly,” Paul Walker repeatedly reminds those around him. Apparently, they do.

Each of these films beat out their predecessors in the stunt department and “Furious 7” definitely sticks to that

4 out of 5 stars pattern. Cars parachute from the sky, an ambulance collides with a drone, and Brian runs up a bus as it falls from a cliff and grasps to Letty’s spoiler for dear life.

This doesn’t even scratch the surface, considering the countless explosions.

It’s like Deckard is Oprah with his grenades. “You get a grenade! And you get a grenade! And you, there, you get a grenade!” Auto-admirers are going to despise how many exceptional cars get smashed, scratched, and crushed. The choreography for the fight scenes along with the quick edits and sound effects make for spectacular battles. Letty’s tough demeanor gives her quite the say in the franchise. At this point, Letty’s fight scenes overpower brawny bald men punching each other. Just like in “Fast & Furious 6,” Letty is up against yet another MMA women’s fighter, this time instead of Gina Carano, she is in the ring with Ronda Rousey. It’s a spectacular matchup.

“Furious 7” travels around the world in 137 minutes. Throughout the film, the locations include England, UAE, Dominican Republic, Japan, and California. Each one is shown with an establishing wide shot, portraying the

picturesque portions of the countries as the city location is written on the bottom of the screen. Needless to say, each site has beautiful women and fast cars.

In 2001, Brian O’Conner chose family over the force. Because of that decision, Dom and Brian’s bond has been portrayed over the span of 14 years. Through thick and thin, the two were inseparable, and even when they fought, they always came home. Paul Walker had filmed the majority of his scenes for “Furious 7” before his death in November of 2013.

His brothers, Caleb and Cody Walker, filled in for the rest. Paul’s face was CGIed onto theirs. In the film, however, it is impossible to tell. The ending scene is a loving tribute to Paul. He lives on through the impact he has made on others. Gone, but never forgotten.

Sammi Brennan can be reached at Samantha.brennan@spartans.ut.edu.

‘Game of Thrones’ Fires Up Fans For Fifth Premiere

By JORDAN LLANES Asst. Sports Editor

“Game of Thrones” has it all. Vile, back-stabbing women. Conniving little men.

Diverse landscapes such as The Wall, which overlooks a frozen, almost barren expanse of land, as well the capital of Westeros, King’s Landing, where the power of Westeros resides. As the fifth season of the hit drama based on author George R.R Martin’s “Game of Thrones” novels is set to return on HBO this coming Sunday.

Following the events of season four, the world-renown drama will travel to a new location outside of Westeros this season: the island of Dorne, where now deceased Prince Oberyn Martell hailed from. We will be introduced to Oberyn’s family, which is another powerful force to be reckoned with.

Unlike the Lannisters and Starks, which have fallen from their former glory to at least some extent, the Martells are on the rise despite Oberyn’s death at the hands of the Mountain during last season.

Even though the island of Dorne and the Martell family are new characters that many “Game of Thrones” fans can’t wait to see on screen, the core of the story will continue to be the characters that we have already been introduced to. The Lannisters have lost a lot despite their position of power in King’s Landing. Even though King Tommen is a Baratheon by name, the family that

surrounds him is all Lannisters, including his mother Cersei and uncle Jamie.

Furthermore, it seems as if the death of Twyin Lannister, the father of Cersei, Jamie and Tyrion, has only emboldened Cersei’s continued quest for greater power. While Cersei and Jamie occupy positions of power in King’s Landing, Tyrion is now in exile after escaping from the dungeons of King’s Landing with the help of Jamie and Lord

Varys, the latter of whom has accompanied him across the sea.

Speaking of lands across the sea, Daenerys Targaryen prepares for her return to Westeros by ruling over the land of Slaver’s Bay. As she continues her trial by fire when it comes to being a queen, she is learning the skills necessary to be a great queen. Although her dragons have become unruly, and she has lost a trusted advisor

Game of Thrones/Twitter.com Season five of the well-acclaimed “Game of Thrones” series will premiere on April 12 at 9:00 p.m.

in Ser Jorah, Daenerys will look to retake Westeros from the people who kicked her family from their rightful place: the throne.

At the Wall, Jon Snow and the Night’s Watch, with help from aspiring king Stannis Baratheon and his army, will look to combat the threat that the White Walkers will pose to the rest of the Westeros. The rest of the country has settled down following the war between the Starks and the Lannisters, and the North is now ruled by Lord Roose Bolton. However, the greater danger is from the White Walkers. If the Night’s Watch cannot hold the Wall, then all of Westeros could be consumed by the Walkers’ wrath before Daenerys can return to claim the Iron Throne in King’s Landing.

These storylines and many more will rule season five. Viewers have a lot of questions: how will Sansa Stark fare in the Vale alongside Lord Petyr Baelish? What will Arya Stark undergo in Braavos? Will Margaery Tyrell influence King Tommen’s rule, or will Cersei continue to pull the strings? How will Tyrion and Varys handle their exile? Another war could be on our hands, so this season should keep us glued to our couches. After all, it’s always fun to see what Cersei has up her sleeve when she encounters new enemies.

Jordan Llanes can be reached at Jordan. llanes@theminaretonline.com.

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APRIL 9 2015 | THE MINARET

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

New Music Streaming Service ‘Tidal’ Hits The Web

By JORDAN WALSH

Arts + Entertainment Writer

What is the difference between making history and simply saying, “we’re making history here today?”

At some point it starts to feel like overcompensating. Jay Z took to a pop star-studded stage on March 30 to launch Tidal, a music streaming service which appears to be “making history,” somehow.

Flaunted as the first artist-owned music streaming service, Tidal was introduced with the help of fellow supporters Kanye West, Nikki Minaj, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Madonna, Daft Punk, Deadmau5, Calvin Harris, Usher, J. Cole, Jason Aldean, Rihanna and members of Arcade Fire and Coldplay, who signed a contract.

Alicia Keys did much of the speaking at the event, which was streamed on YouTube. Afterwards, the artists spent five whole minutes signing a contract for the whole world to see. It was all very dramatic.

Tidal seems to be firing direct shots at their competitors in Spotify and Rdio, mostly having to do with the latter two’s offering of a free tier of music subscription. After Taylor Swift pulled her latest album, “1989,” from these services, this has been a huge topic for debate--should there be a legal way to hear music for free?

Clearly, Tidal’s endorsers fall on the “no” side of this debate. Jay Z spoke with Billboard about the issue in the wake of the launch.

“People really feel like music is free, but will pay $6 for water,” Jay Z said. “You can drink water free out of the tap and it’s good water. But they’re okay paying for it. It’s just the mindset right now.”

So, the cheapest subscription price for Tidal is $9.99 a month, which offers 320 kbs (kilobytes per second).

No free option is offered (although there are free trials). All of this ties in with Keys’ speech, which makes some very good points about the inherent value of music.

This is all well and good- supporting artists is important, making music isn’t a cheap venture and the modern landscape of music consumption seems to forget about that more often than not. But there’s nothing about Tidal that’s going to fix anything. Sure, Tidal offers a lossless quality streaming package ($19.99 a month)--but what college student, diehard free Spotify user, is going to shell out that much to hear high quality tunes through laptop speakers?

Tidal will supposedly offer “exclusives,” perhaps stream albums that other services won’t have available. But does it make sense financially to begin paying ten bucks a month to hear a favorite artist’s new record when it would theoretically be available on iTunes for that same cost, one payment only? Also, where are these exclusives at the essential launch hour? This service claims to be by the artist and for the artist, but how is it helping those who weren’t on that stage? Who aren’t on major labels?

When it comes down to it, the only thing that Tidal really has going for it against the other streaming behemoths is a lot of big artists and some perhaps overblown rhetoric. Big name endorsements are all well and good, but, as was the case with Dre’s failed Beats Music streaming services, they’re not enough to keep a business afloat. The launch of Tidal was defined by a whole lot of unanswered questions, but no history making seems to have been done.

Jordan Walsh can be reached at Jordan.walsh@theminaretonline.com.

Tidal/Twitter.com, Jay-Z/Flickr Music streaming service ‘Tidal’ hosts artists like Sufjan Stevens, Nikki Minaj, Madonna and more.

Grace Helbig Flops in Medium Transition

By DOHA MADANI Multimedia Director

Youtube comedian Grace Helbig attempted to claim a new type of late night talk show on April 3 with the premiere of “The Grace Helbig Show” on the E! network. Though a bit of a risk, this show will test the question of whether or not internet celebrities can be successful on the silver screen.

Helbig’s adorably awkward personality made her an Iinternet sensation, but fails to light up the half-hour show format. Modeled like her five minute Youtube sketches, the show invited comedians Aisha Tyler and Mamrie Hart for a night in with questions, liquor shots and falling pug videos. The goal is to be a more interactive talk show, Helbig explained in an interview with Jimmy Fallon.

“I really wanted it to be a show where people can hang in with me on a Friday night and where I can go online and ask for suggestions,” Helbig said on “The Tonight Show.”

The problem with “The Grace Helbig Show” is not that it isn’t funny, the problem is more that it tries too hard. Instead of attempting to create a new type of talk show, Helbig mashes up different ideas from all over the internet and television. Opening monologues are pretty common among talk shows but the show quickly moves into an interview with Tyler and viewing funny video uploads with Hart. The final sketch before her close involved sitting in a car attempting

to make a theme song with DJ Flula, fellow Youtube and “Pitch Perfect 2” star.

The format was too much, too fast, and Helbig seemed visibly uncomfortable in front of the camera.

In fact, at times her presence seemed downright painful. Yet there were shining moments as well. When Mamrie Hart sat with Helbig, the star seemed much more relaxed and the jokes kept flowing. There are few college students who couldn’t relate to taking shots with friends while watching pointless internet videos. Hart brought out the relatable character that gave Helbig 2 million Youtube subscribers, a book deal and talk show.

Slowing down the show’s format and deciding what the theme should be will bring life into this new show.

The important thing to remember is that Helbig has never done a television show and has always had the liberty of editing her own content down.

Youtube celebrities have been breaking out into the mainstream more frequently in the past few years, like Shane Dawson’s poorly review film “Not Cool” or Kassem G’s cameo in the last Transformers film. Shay Butler, also known as Shaycarl, is even in the process of creating an independent “Vlogumentary” on the lives of video bloggers. Helbig, however, is the first to venture in to television with an independent show.

Doha Madani can be reached at Doha. madani@theminaretonline.com.

Grace Helbig/Twitter.com “The Grace Helbig Show” made its late night debut on April 3 is now playing on the E! Network.

THE MINARET | APRIL 9 2015

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

9

King Makes Haunting Memoir Debut With ‘Bastards’

By KARA DELEMEESTER Arts + Entertainment Writer

For Mary Anna King, losing sisters was a normal part of her life. Mary Anna King’s debut novel “Bastards,” an account of loss, separation and Mary’s journey to define family, comes out June 2015.

It started when she was 14 months old. Her mother’s stepmother, Mimi, took her little sister, Becky Jo, because her mother and father couldn’t afford medical treatment that Becky Jo needed.

King and her older brother, Jacob, were left with a pregnant mother, Peggy, who was desperately trying to do right by her children and save her marriage at the same time. Their father, Michael, was a guitar strumming Christian who felt he had a ministry to convey, and who felt that living with his wife and taking care of his children was not a part of God’s plan for him. King’s mother gave her second little sister, Lisa, up for adoption when King was two-anda-half years old. This was a first in a series of events that would eventually define King’s existence.

King ultimately experienced her mother giving away four baby girls before King, Jacob, and Becky Jo themselves were adopted by King’s maternal grandparents and taken to live in Oklahoma. King studied English Literature at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York before moving to Los Angeles where she currently lives and writes.

“Bastards” is King’s first novel and memoir, but King also has a short story published in “Quaint Magazine.”

“Bastards” follows King’s life from early childhood into early adulthood, but the reader still gets to know a lot of the characters that move in and out of King’s life through her poignant

descriptions. When King describes her bible-thumping, guitar-strumming, ministry-preaching father, the concept of his overwhelming personality is clear.

King writes, “Leaning off the edge of a sofa, tapping his feet on the floor, and singing sad songs about dry levees, my daddy was lit up from the inside.

Everyone within arm’s reach wanted to bask in the glow he gave off.”

Throughout the novel, King continues to describe her life in emotionally challenging moments. Watching her sister, Becky Jo, being taken away, meeting the families that will take away her subsequent baby sisters, learning to stop waiting for a father who won’t always show up. When King writes about these moments, her writing is so

3 out of 5 stars

raw and real that the reader can’t help but feel the emotional pull of the story.

When talking about the moment she and her siblings realized that their mother couldn’t take care of them anymore, the reader’s heart breaks with King’s.

King writes, “It was the sucking sound of the air rushing over your head in a car crash, the sound the wind made when you were hurtling forward so fast that the speed of sound catches up to the speed of light, and that was the sound of everything breaking apart.”

“Bastards” is a quick but impactful read that lets the reader look through a window into a life they most likely will never experience. The memoir is broken into three chunks of King’s life: her childhood in New Jersey, her adolescence in Oklahoma, and her early adulthood spent getting to know her long-lost sisters as, one-by-one, they

turn eighteen. King’s writing style is simplistic, full of short sentences, and carefully chosen phrases that hit the reader where it counts. For the most part, King’s story is left to stand on its own.

King’s haunting and heart-warming memoir about loss, self-discovery, and reunion tells the tale of an unconventional family who found ways to love each other through different definitions of the word.

King writes, “So what if we weren’t the first definition, the purest form of the thing? A lesser-used form is no less true. Love wasn’t about affection. It was about nourishment. It was about showing up.”

Kara Delemeester can be reached at Kara.delemeester@spartans.ut.edu.

Netflix Guru Pick of the Week: Korean Films & Shows

By SAMMI BRENNAN

Arts + Entertainment Writer

Korean films may not be the Netflix go-to for the average American college student, but the genre offers a surprising variety of quality films.

Several celebrated Korean films and television series are available to stream and get you out of your slump while you wait for shows like Orange is the New Black to return. From action to drama to comedy, Korean television and film come with subtitles included, and are sure to add a unique twist to your watchlist.

Korean Television Drama Series: “Boys Over Flowers” (2009)

Welcome to Shinhwa High, a prestigious school for the rich and privileged. Established by A Werewolf Boy/Denofgeek.us the billionaire dollar corporation, “A Werewolf Boy” was nominated for the Asian Film Awards, The Grand Bell Awards and more.

Shinhwa, the school is flawless-their bullying, her perseverance and Korean Action/Thriller Film: except for the harsh bullying that boldness make two members fall head “Commitment” (2013) occurs within its walls. On a dryover heels for her. Caught in a love Meet Kang Dae-ho, a typical teenager cleaning delivery run, commoner attending a South Korean high Geum Jan Di (Hye-sun Koo) stumbles triangle between the stubborn Goo Joon Pyo and the sensitive Yoon Ji school. Soft-spoken and intelligent, upon a student about to jump off the Dae-ho is seemingly ordinary, except school’s roof and saves him before he Hoo (Hyun-joong Kim), Jan Di must decide where her true feelings lie. Jan for the small detail that he is a lethal falls. In order to protect Shinhwa’s Di’s permanent pout and clumsiness North Korean spy. After his father’s reputation, Jan Di is offered a spot definitely stir a few laughs, but the mission went awry, Myung-hoon and to attend the school. Soon, she meets highlight of the series is the banter his sister Lee Hye-in (Yoo-Jeong F4, or “Flower Four,” the most Kim) are sent to a labor prison camp. wealthy and powerful attendees of the between Joon Pyo and Jan Di, who are as opposite as they come.

Most In order to save his sister, Myungschool, who also happen to walk in hoon must finish his father’s work. slow motion as students ogle at them. importantly, Jan Di stays true to her independent nature. Each episode Posing as the foster child Kang DaeLed by Goo Joon Pyo (Min-ho Lee), ends on a heart-pounding climactic ho, Myung-hoon goes undercover at a heir to the Shinhwa corporation, note making it nearly impossible not South Korean high school, meanwhile the F4 are not to be messed with. to watch the next. locating his father’s killer. K-Pop When Jan Di becomes a target of fans will immediately recognize the

lead actor as Choi Seung Hyun, more commonly known as rapper T.o.p. from the South Korean boy band sensation Bigbang. No one messes with T.o.p.

Korean Fantasy/Romance Film: “A Werewolf Boy” (2012)

Upon its release in 2012, “A Werewolf Boy” became the most profitable romance film in South Korean history up to that time. A family must move to a house in the countryside of South Korea to protect the health of the older daughter Kim Sun-yi (Park Boyoung) who suffers from lung problems. There, the family encounters a feral teenage boy, Chul-Soo (Song Joong-ki) who has been raised by wolves. Taking ChulSoo in as their own, they attempt to civilize him, but there is a monster lurking within him. “A Werewolf Boy” is full of humor, such as when Chul-Soo gets hit on the back of the head with a newspaper for howling too loudly at the moon. It is a more stylistic and original approach to the typical beauty and the beast romance, especially for a release in the modern-day era. No more shirts being thrown off and prolonged eye contact. “A Werewolf Boy” emphasizes only the love between a family and the monster they must teach to become human.

Sammi Brennan can be reached at Samantha.brennan@spartans.ut.edu.

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APRIL 9 2015 | THE MINARET

Zoominations Dazzles Lowry Park

By CARALIN LAVACCA Contributor

Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo is host to the countries largest display of Chinese lanterns that celebrates and highlights aspects of the traditional lantern festivals celebrated in China. A crew from China flew over to assemble the multi-million dollar displays at the beginning of the year..

Zoominations will be week nights from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday nights from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Tickets for the event are $24.95, if you purchase a combo ticket to visit the zoo during the day and experience the festivities at night the combo ticket price is $39.95.

The events runs from March 1 to May 31.

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

THE MINARET | APRIL 9 2015

OPINION

OPINION

11

UT Security Fails to Warn Students of Rapist CAMPUS

LIZ ROCKETT Opinion Writer

Hyde Park rapist released from jail, living near schools Global warning messages sent through email are one of the tools UT utilizes to keep students safe. These emails are how we hear about sexual assaults on campus or nearby, but we do not receive information about convicted sexual predators who are living nearby.

Last week Bobby Joe Helms, who is more infamously known as the Hyde Park rapist after he was convicted of raping 12 women in the downtown neighborhood in the ‘80s, returned to live in Tampa. On top of the 12 convictions of rape and 13 years in prison, he was sent back once again for two counts of rape, in which both of the women were under 18. This time the incidents took place in the Clearwater area as reported by Bay News 9.

On March 31, Helms moved to the 2800 block of Nebraska Avenue, where he registered himself in the official sex offender database. This address is just less than 3 miles away from UT, and students received no notification. With such a dangerous man free to roam the streets around our campus, we should have heard more about it. He has already relocated, but this time he is settling into a neighborhood only minutes away from local Tampa schools.

East Ellicott Street, Helms’ current location, is 10 minutes from UT, one block from Middleton High School, and less than a mile from Ferrell Middle School. Helms should not be allowed to reside near these schools because there is a great chance that he could strike again.

Florida law cannot do anything to prevent Helms from living that close to a high school and middle school, WTSP News 10 reported. It is imperative that parents are informed of Helms’ criminal history so that they can keep their children safe.

Considering the number of rapes Helms has committed, some of which involved minors, it seems too risky for him to be near a school. Parents of students, as well as Helms’ new neighbors told WTSP News 10 that they are very concerned about about the safety of their children, with good reason.

“I don’t like it, because we have kids over here. And if he’s there in Hyde Park raping, he could easily rape one of these kids around here,” neighbor Sylvia Hall told WTSP News 10.

Hall makes an excellent point. As opposed to Hyde Park, which has people walking around the streets at all times for dining, shopping and entertainment, Helms could easily attack students as they are leaving school. Other neighborhoods have fewer pedestrians than a popular area like Hyde Park, which means there are fewer people around to witness a possible crime.

Tre Hansen, a senior business management major, thinks that this situation is unnerving and believes the UT community should know who is roaming the streets now.

“The greater Tampa community in general should be aware of what’s going on

Photo credit: WTSP

Bobby Joe Helms, the Hyde Park rapist, has been released and is living in Tampa near UT.

and be concerned,” Hansen said.

Unfortunately, global messages are only used for situations that are considered dangerous and immediately threatening to the institution, as reported by Linda Devine, the Vice President for Operations and Planning at UT. “The University follows the protocols set forth for campus safety by the U.S. Department of Education,” Devine said.

“An “immediate” threat as used here encompasses an imminent or impending threat, such as an approaching forest fire, as well as a fire currently raging in one of your buildings.” I think the protocols set by the U.S. Department of Education need to be revised. It is time for rape and sexual

assault to be seen as an imminent threat.

To my knowledge, there have been no fires on campus in recent years, but there surely have been rapes and sexual assaults. The Department of Education needs to restructure their protocol for university safety alerts in order to prevent dangerous acts that are happening to students on a regular basis.

UT should be able to use global email messages for prevention, not just to report bad news that has already happened. I think it would make students more aware of what areas are safe, especially at night when most sexual assaults are reported.

Liz Rockett can be reached at elizabeth. rockett@spartans.ut.edu.

Senior Campaign Needs to Aim For Higher Goals CAMPUS

KATIE DRAKE Opinion Writer

Giving back to the community is something everyone should participate in at least once in their life. As students at the University of Tampa, we are fortunate enough to go to a private university that many people help fund. Since 1931, our university has had a senior class tradition of leaving a legacy through the senior class donating money. This year, the Senior Campaign is asking each senior to donate $20.15 or more.

For someone like me who is not associated with a fraternity or sorority, I also am not affiliated with a philanthropic organization through which I can serve.

The Senior Campaign gave me this opportunity to donate my $20.15.

Most students who are not part of a school group or club that does community service or who sponsors a charitable organization do not have an easy way to donate or give back to their community.

People may not be as willing to participate in giving back if they don’t ever look for it since it isn’t something that is not required

for everyone to do. Most donations to our school come from parents, alumni or outside donors. It is nice that UT has provided us with an alternate opportunity to give back to our school and create our own legacy. The campaign is led by the 2015 class committee with a goal to provide two $1,500 scholarships for future Spartans. With a large graduating class, this is a low expectation for seniors to give back, but it is a good place to start.

I always hear students complaining about how expensive our school is and that our school gets so much money from outside donors. Both of these statements are true. However, as a private university we do not receive government funding, so all the money we do get helps cover all of the other expenses that our tuition doesn’t fill. The university uses some of the money to renovate buildings and build dormitories. It does a great job expanding our campus as our school continues to grow. According to the UT website: “donations create the scholarships offered to 92 percent of UT’s student body.”

I don’t think anyone should complain about the small amount the Senior Campaign has asked the senior class to contribute. Since they are hoping to see at least 30 percent of the senior body donate, this makes me think that it has been a struggle to gain participation in past years.

If helping create more scholarships for students isn’t incentive enough, everyone who participates will be recognized for their donation under the Donor Honor Roll on the class campaign page, along with recognition in the alumni magazine that comes out in the fall.

Besides helping create new scholarships for students in need, I know

about or care about this opportunity, and it should be advertised more. If 150 seniors donated the asked amount, we could reach the goal of creating the two scholarships.

The campaign page can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ spartansgive. They posted a few shoutouts to seniors who have already donated and from the looks of it, not many have.

I don’t think anyone should complain about the small amount the Senior Campaign has asked the senior class to contribute. that an incentive for me to donate was the limited edition philanthropy cord to wear at graduation that you get when you donate. Who doesn’t want more cords? The campaign even raffled off the chance to throw the first pitch at the Rays vs. Orioles game as a part of Senior Week on April 7.

Although UT has tried to offer many incentives to donate to the campaign, it seems students still either don’t know

If we have any school pride, every senior or their parents should give back and we can make our Senior Campaign something to talk about.

Katie Drake can be reached at katie. drake@spartans.ut.edu.

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APRIL 9 2015 | THE MINARET

OPINION

Mom Rightfully Seeks Out Marijuana for Sick Son MEDICINE

CAITLIN MALONE Opinion Writer

Renee Petro, 36, lives in Lithia and constantly cares for her 13-year-old son, Branden, who suffers from febrile infectionrelated epilepsy syndrome. She heard medical marijuana helped others with epilepsy and has considered trying to get some illegally to save her son’s life, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

I am not a mother, but I would like to be one day. With that in consideration, I cannot fathom watching my child suffer from countless daily seizures, let alone allowing a disease like this take my child’s life when I know there is a drug out there that can help. I would find a way to get my hands on this drug, legal or not, if it meant improving my child’s life and possibly saving it.

In America, epilepsy is as common as breast cancer and takes just as many lives, according to epilepsy.com. Thirty percent of those diagnosed with epilepsy are children, who also have a greater chance of dying prematurely from the disease, according to webmd.

To control daily seizures, many people like Branden are forced to take high-dose drugs such as antipsychotics. Taking too much causes lethargy, and taking too little could cause uncontrollable seizures, according to The Tampa Bay Times. In states where medical marijuana is legal, those suffering from epilepsy have reported a decrease in seizures along with other benefits.

In June of 2014, Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill into law allowing limited use of a special strain of marijuana called Charlotte’s Web for patients with epilepsy and other serious diseases.

This strain got its name from a Colorado girl named Charlotte Figi who found relief from seizures with this type, which is very low in THC, the chemical responsible for the high, according to The Huffington Post.

Although this bill was signed into law, it has unfortunately become caught up in numerous political fights and is not currently available, according to The Tampa Bay Times. This makes it impossible for Branden’s mother to legally obtain any form of marijuana to treat her son unless she moves to a state where it is legal, which may happen. She plans to move to California by the end of the year, according to The Tampa Bay Times.

An obstacle to legal medical marijuana is the lack of clinical trials proving that the drug helps people with epilepsy. There are a lot of personal stories, but the government wants science to back up these claims.

There is a single clinical trial from 1980 that shows the positive effects of marijuana on those suffering from epilepsy, and there are some animal trials as well, according to epilepsycolorado.org. However, the lack of scientific evidence is mostly due to the harsh restrictions the Drug Enforcement Agency has placed on research. These restrictions make it difficult for doctors to conduct any clinical trials, according to medicaljane.com.

I understand Petro’s frustration with Florida law, but I also understand the harsh limitations brought on by the DEA and the government. Marijuana is widely used as a recreational drug to which some users become addicted and go on to try more dangerous drugs after using it. There are 158.8 million people around the world who use marijuana recreationally. Of the adults 26 or older who used it before turning 15, 62 percent went on to do cocaine at some point in their lives, according to drugfreeworld.org.

WikiCommons/ O’Dea

Medical marijuana has been seen helping attenuate symptoms of certain medical disorders.

The government is working hard to stop the legalization of medical marijuana out of fear it will make it easier for recreational users to obtain it. The lack of clinical trials has an effect as well. It is sad that the ones who have abused any kind of drug, not just marijuana, are standing in the way of medical marijuana becoming available to those who really need it.

Medical marijuana is never going to be available in Florida unless more clinical trials are conducted, so the limitations that are inhibiting research need to be removed.

We will never be able to prove the positive effects of the drug that people in other states are speaking of until we let doctors conduct research. Research that leads to positive results means medical marijuana could help the millions of Americans that

live with epilepsy not only find relief from seizures but possibly stop this disease from taking their life.

Mothers like Renee Petro should not have to bury their children. Fortunately, Petro has a great amount of determination, and I believe she will do whatever needed to improve her son’s life. I hope that doctors continue to overcome the obstacles put in place by politicians standing in the way of legalizing medical marijuana so that people like Branden and his family can stop living in fear of the unpredictable disease that is epilepsy.

Caitlin Malone can be reached at caitlin. malone@spartans.ut.edu.

Iran Nuclear Deal Doesn’t Deliver a Permanent Solution POLITICS SAM ALLEN Opinion Writer

Last Thursday, a deal was made with Iran that would put a limit to its nuclear centrifuges and enriched uranium.

In return, the U.S. and other world leaders, including Germany, Britain, Russia, China and France (otherwise known as the P5+1), will be “providing relief to Iran’s limp economy,” reported Time. By limiting Iran’s access to nuclear power, P5+1 hopes to prolong Iran’s ability to build nuclear weapons.

President Obama seems optimistic about the deal claiming, “If Iran cheats, the world will know it … if we see something suspicious, we will inspect it.” Others, however, are not so sure.

Israeli and Arab powers among other critics, such as the Republicans and some Democrats, suggest that this deal with Iran poses a danger to the U.S., Israel and other allies.

The degree of agreement on Iran’s part has also been exaggerated, Newsmax reported. There have been reports of inconsistencies in the Iran nuclear deal across the board and this means trouble. Obama is treating the deal as a complete success, but this is

not accurate. The deal has only been ‘agreed’ upon for a short time, and the holes in its framework are already starting to show through.

What world leaders actually agreed upon has proved wholly ambiguous. The U.S. is being led to believe that a unanimous decision regarding Iran’s nuclear usage has been made. However, accounts from the various world leaders who convened in Switzerland to discuss the Iran deal tell a different story.

“They amount to different, at times starkly contradictory, narratives,” The New York Post reported. This does not sound like the historic deal that many publications are claiming it to be.

If world leaders can’t even agree on what they supposedly made a definite decision about, how is anyone to be sure that Iran understands what is expected of them? This deal that Obama is so excited about needs work. The most important thing is to get everyone on the same page, especially Iran.

The U.S. and the other world leaders have until the end of June to “finalize” their agreement, according to The New York Times. Even if they agree on what their expectations are, the deal doesn’t appear too promising.

“The deal would cut Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium by 98 percent

for 15 years, and it would cut Iran’s installed centrifuges by two-thirds for 10 years,” NBC News reported.

This seems like a short-term fix in the grand scheme of things. After the 15 year period, there would be nothing stopping Iran from continuing to build a nuclear bomb. Iran would have benefitted from our removal of economic sanctions and would still be free to wreak havoc on Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other neighboring nations. Obama is treating this deal as if it would prevent Iran from creating a nuclear bomb, but all it really does is prolong it.

The apprehension of Iranian breakout time has been misperceived by critics causing them to place their worry in the wrong area. “Breakout time measures the time needed to produce fissile material for a bomb, not the bomb itself,” claims Ali Vaez of America Aljazeera. U.S. officials are confident that this breakout time will be long enough for them to detect any secret attempts to build a nuclear bomb, but timing isn’t what we should be worrying about.

“Inspectors still might not be able to enter Iranian military sites where nuclear work previously took place,” the Associated Press reported. If Iran has the ability to covertly use the little resources they have to produce material for a bomb, there is no guarantee that they won’t.

The one year breakout time that the

deal has required of Iran won’t be a helpful regulation if Iran uses their private headquarters to create bombs right under our noses. By removing economic sanctions in Iran, we may be giving them other means to secretly create nuclear weapons. The war that we’re trying to prevent may start even in place of P5+1’s good intentions.

Obama needs to present this deal for what it is: a work in progress. Clearly there has been no consensus on what the protocol regarding Iran will be. Though the U.S. claims that they have set up international inspections to prevent Iran from building a bomb, “negotiating a legally binding document is likely to be harder than expected, particularly in the area of verification and inspections,” because Iran and the U.S. are not in agreement over these details, according to The LA Times. If Iran doesn’t agree to these inspections, then world leaders don’t have much of a deal. The P5+1 needs to reach an actual agreement on what the policies in Iran will be. Most importantly, Iran needs to acknowledge that they understand what is expected of them for this deal to work.

So far, the Iran nuclear deal doesn’t even have that going for it.

Sam Allen can be reached at samantha.allen@ spartans.ut.edu.

OPINION

THE MINARET | APRIL 9 2015

Indiana Law Wrongly Encourages Discrimination:

Allows Companies to Deny Same-Sex Couples POLITICS

MARISA NOBS Opinion Writer

“Religious Freedom Restoration Act” title hides true discrimination of the law Despite polls now showing that more Americans support samesex marriage than not, Indiana has managed to pass a religious freedom law that targets the LGBT community.

Signed by Governor Mike Pence, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act allows businesses to deny service to any person who they feel violates their religious beliefs. There is no statewide legislation to protect against this kind of discrimination, however some larger cities, such as Indianapolis, do have their own laws.

An amendment suggested by Democrats to forbid discrimination was shot down, highlighting the true reason behind the law. Therefore, if the Indiana legislature is going to pass such a reactionary bill, they should at least admit to its intentions.

People seem to wrongfully feel that the words “religious freedom” provide a sense of invincibility. The title of the law is just a misleading way to sugarcoat the truth and claim that critics are against religious freedom, which could not be more inaccurate.

The only exclusion to the law is if there is a “compelling interest” in which the government could intervene, such as a threat to public safety. Many have drawn parallels to Indiana’s new law and the national religious freedom law that passed

Peaceful protest has apparently been successful, as Indiana lawmakers are now saying they are working on an amendment that will not allow for discrimination. during Bill Clinton’s presidency. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, which is still a law today, was intended to protect individual rights that were facing discrimination, such as Muslims wearing headscarves or Indian traditions. The important difference to note is that Indiana’s law extends to businesses, implying

13

Letter to the Editor: Unfair Coverage of QEP in Article Dear Editor,

flickr.com/ outtacontext

Indiana’s new law allows businesses to deny service based off of religious preferences.

that they can use religious freedom as a defense platform in court.

However, a later amendment was passed barring this, excluding schools and churches. While both laws are about religious freedom, the timing of them is indicative of its purpose.

Clinton wanted to protect those in the minority, while Indiana wanted to exclude them.

The law has yet to show if there will be an adverse impact on how customers are treated, but the mere fact that it passed has caused justified backlash. People have taken to social media to voice their outrage, including some big names in politics such as Hillary Clinton, who tweeted, “Sad this new Indiana law can happen in America today.

We shouldn’t discriminate against ppl bc of who they love #LGBT.” Even more noteworthy, companies are choosing to boycott Indiana by halting government funded travel to the state and cancelling events. All sources of entertainment, from sports to comedians, are rearranging schedules to avoid Indiana. The state is going to be economically hurt, especially since Angie’s List cancelled the expansion of their headquarters in Indianapolis as a result of the law, a $40 million endeavor that would have created about 1,000 jobs over 5 years, according to USA TODAY. While the new law is deplorable, it is reassuring to see a range from individuals to large corporations banding together to fight back. Luckily it appears as though the majority of America will no longer idly stand by while others are discriminated against, especially on a state level. Civil rights may allow people

practice religion freely, but that does not mean they can be used to hurt or limit the rights of others.

Peaceful protest has apparently been successful, as Indiana lawmakers are now saying they are working on an amendment that will not allow for discrimination.

Recently, Arkansas was in the works of passing a similar religious freedom bill to Indiana, but upon seeing the outcry against it, the Governor stated it needed to be revised before he signed it, according to CNN. Labeling bigotry as religious freedom is unacceptable and should not be tolerated. As a business, you are offering a service that must be extended to all individuals not just the ones you pick and choose. If someone can use religious freedom as justification, where do you draw the line? An individual could claim essentially anything to be in violation of their beliefs.

People used to use religious freedom as an excuse to perpetuate segregation among races. Laws prohibiting such discrimination are now in place, which now needs to be extended to the LGBT community.

Hopefully the public’s reaction towards Indiana will remind all lawmakers in the future of what we consider to be the difference between protecting personal freedoms and projecting hatred.

Marisa Nobs can be reached at marisa.nobs@spartans.ut.edu.

I am writing in response to the opinion piece by Olivia Reeb about the QEP in Feb. 6 Minaret.

I appreciate that some of the benefits of the QEP were noted and recognized. Ultimately the QEP is designed to improve the campus environment for student success and to focus on improving student learning outcomes.

However, it does not appear Ms. Reeb read the full QEP posted on ut.edu/qep, as many important nuances and details about the initiative were clearly missed or in error.

First, UT students have been involved in QEP program design since Fall 2013 through various focus groups, presentations and surveys. In fact, I taught a pilot Gateways section last fall using the QEP Inquiry modules, and that group of students and their mentor provided valuable feedback.

Secondly, we believe most UT students will be pleased to have increased opportunities to do mentored research with a faculty member or to do an enhanced internship before they graduate.

Either experience will enrich students’ education and make them better prepared for graduate school or future work. Of course, the QEP does not make anyone do these things; participation is voluntary and through application. However, if students choose to not engage in these important experiences, they will devalue their UT experience.

Third, no student will be forced into a major or forced to declare one any earlier than the process calls for now. Future students, under the QEP, will have the time and freedom to find a path that suits them best along with more opportunities for exposure to the possibilities.

Ultimately, each student, like Ms. Reeb, will make their choice to like/ not like/ participate/ignore the QEP. But they should do so only after knowing what it is and what it has to offer.

Dr. Joseph D. Sclafani Professor of Psychology Director of Reaffirmation

14

APRIL 9 2015 | THE MINARET

OPINION

Don’t Blow It: Tips for Heading Downtown SEX AND LOVE SELENE SAN FELICE Opinion Columnist

“Help! My boyfriend is terrible at oral sex. What do I say that will make it better without hurting his feelings?” -Debbie Downtown Downer Debbie, Maybe he isn’t quite Ben Affleck in “Gone Girl” or Ryan Gosling in “Blue Valentine,” but have no fear. There’s still hope for you and your boyfriend yet. Not everyone is a natural, but with lots of communication and a few new tricks you can both find your happy place. Before you sit him down for a talk consider a few things you can try first to make the experience more enjoyable for everyone.

First of all, get comfy. You’re not going to enjoy anything if you’re not relaxed and in the right state of mind to be with him. Also be sure that he’s going down on you because he wants to, not because he feels like he has to.

Nothing in sex should ever feel like a chore, and if one person isn’t feeling it, the other probably won’t either.

Switching up positions can help to find something comfortable for the both of you that’s still new and exciting. Men’s Fitness recommends ladies put a pillow under their backsides to help relax and to give their partner more leverage.

Better than the most comfortable position or the fluffiest pillow is the communication between you and your boyfriend. Don’t be afraid to tell him what you really like or what just isn’t working. A little encouragement can go a long way. Telling him you don’t

flickr.com/ Christian Bortes

Communication is vital when trying to improve oral sex between you and your partner.

like something might seem awkward, but instead of saying “No, I don’t like that,” you could try guiding him back to a place that feels good for you.

While he might not be the best, make sure your boyfriend doesn’t literally suck (unless you’re into that). You’re a ripe peach, not a jawbreaker. Some guys tend to just do to girls what they like done to themselves, but the golden rule doesn’t exactly apply here. Male and female anatomy are entirely different, and have varying reactions to some of the same sensations. With a little guidance and a lot of patience you’ll be able to get him going in the right direction.

Remember, oral sex isn’t a marathon or a sprint. If he’s a touch-

and-go kind of guy, it may be because he doesn’t think he’ll make you orgasm or he’s taking too long. In reality the finish line shouldn’t be the focus. Take your experience as more of a “walk in the park,” and just have fun making each other feel good.

Neither of you should be worried about an “end result,” but with a little extra help it can be much more attainable. If you and your boyfriend are both comfortable with it, try bringing a vibrator into the mix. A toy will help him get more familiar with the key points in your body that like attention, and a little power can be an incredible change of pace. If toys are too intimidating, there are hundreds of lotions and lubricants on the market that can offer flavors for

him and sensations for both of you to enjoy.

Hopefully with a few new tips (and maybe a toy or two) your boyfriend should improve his technique. Good luck, and if you’d like, don’t forget to return the favor.

Selene San Felice can be reached at selene. sanfelice@theminaretonline.com Need advice from our Sex and Love columnist? Want us to cover something specific? Go to http://ask.fm/ MinaretLoveAdvice and send in your questions anonymously.

Elective Surgeries Shouldn’t Be Done Unnecessarily HEALTH

BECCA TURNER Opinion Writer

Angelina Jolie Pitt made her first public appearance at the Kid’s Choice Awards following surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes. Two years ago, Jolie Pitt also underwent a double mastectomy.

She had both procedures to lower her risk of getting breast and ovarian cancers. As science develops, especially knowledge of cancer, it has become more and more common for women to have preventative surgeries to decrease the risks of breast and ovarian cancers. However, while this is a brave decision for those who test positive for hereditary cancer genes and pre-cancerous tissue, it should not be a bandwagon practice that women opt for without legitimate reason.

Currently, genetic testing can identify several hereditary gene mutations that have been known to cause cancer. The two most commonly associated with breast cancer and ovarian cancer are the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Jolie Pitt, whose mother and grandmother died of ovarian cancer and whose aunt died of breast cancer, tested positive for the BRCA1 gene, as reported by

The New York Times. Anyone who has a family history of cancer should be genetically tested for hereditary cancer genes to see where they stand and can decide on how to move forward.

The presence of these genes do not automatically equal cancer, however they do increase the person’s potential of developing cancers to numbers significantly higher than the average person. BRCA1 and BRCA2 increase the potential for developing gynecological cancers. The numbers vary from person to person, but Jolie Pitt had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer prior to her double mastectomy and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer before her recent surgery, according to The New York Daily News. Jolie Pitt was relatively high risk, but she elected to not immediately have the surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes. Rather, Jolie Pitt logically monitored her risk by seeing a doctor regularly and undergoing various scans every few months. This is a legitimate option for high-risk patients.

Many at-risk women are successfully monitored by their physicians and do not develop cancer at all. Others are able to catch it in the early stages. There is no definitive path of what individuals should do after testing positive for a cancer-causing gene. Everyone is different and the patient and doctor should discuss every option.

Following a recent blood test that measures

the level of the CA-125 protein indicated an increased risk, Jolie Pitt decided to have surgery, according to CNN. It is incredibly important that women not jump into these surgeries while they are still unnecessary.

Surgery comes with risks. When someone chooses to have surgery, the patient must sign

This is not a procedure that one can have undone, like many elective surgeries. One simply cannot get their body parts back, and that must be considered at length. This is especially true for younger women who test positive for BRCA or other cancer-causing genes, as surgery eliminates the possibility of traditional

It has become more and more common for women to have preventative surgeries to decrease the risks of breast and ovarian cancers documents stating knowledge of the possible consequences of surgery. The two procedures that Jolie Pitt had come with scars, early menopause and higher risks of heart disease and osteoporosis, according to The Auburn Journal. It is not something that one should take on unless genetics and regular testing give that person a reason, and all of the risks should be thoroughly considered and weighed against the benefits of possibly preventing cancer.

pregnancy and childbirth.

The surgeries that Jolie Pitt had are not for everyone. This should not be a fad. It is not something that one can show off to friends like a new tattoo. At-risk women should consider surgery as an option, but remember that surgery is not the only option.

Becca Turner can be reached at rebecca. turner@spartans.ut.edu

THE MINARET | APRIL 9 2015

OPINION

15

Mental Illness Unfairly Hurts Employment HEALTH LIV REEB

Opinion Writer

After the crash of the Germanwings plane in the Alps on March 25, members of the media (specifically NPR’s David Schaper) have called audiences to consider banning individuals from becoming pilots that have sought treatment for mental illness in the past. This would be a discriminatory move, an over generalization of the issue and just overall wrong. The actions of one ill person does not reflect the behaviors of an entire group. Although the crash is a tragedy,

Association, emphasized the importance of confidentiality regarding a pilot’s medical records. “I believe if there is a lifting of doctorpatient confidentiality, then possibly pilots will not trust in medical doctors and that will make the situation worse,” he told CNN.com.

Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot that crashed Germanwings Flight 9525, was seeing five or six doctors simultaneously for the weeks leading up to the crash, telling them that he was afraid of losing his pilot’s license because of his medical issues, according to CNN.com. His doctor gave him a “not fit to work” notice which was never given to Lubitz’ employer. So Lubitz, specifically, was not fit to work in any job, including

Such a ban could result in the medical records of pilots being revealed to the public so their mental health history could be checked there are other ways to prevent tragedies like this from happening without discriminating against an entire group.

If this ban were to become reality, rather than go to a doctor and get treated for their disorders, people will avoid getting diagnosed in fear of the inability to get a job. Such a ban could result in the medical records of pilots being revealed to the public so their mental health history could be checked. KlausPeter Siegloch, head of the German Aviation

piloting, as warranted by a doctor, but he ignored that warning. This is not the fault of everyone who has or had a mental disorder, it’s the fault of Lubitz who ignored the “not fit to work” notice.

Discriminating against people with mental illness adds to the stigma of having one. Whenever there is a tragedy committed by someone with a mental illness, everyone is quick to point fingers at the disorder rather than pay attention to

other circumstances that led up to the event.

Mental illness is a flaw in brain chemistry, not character. People with mental illnesses do not have higher violent crime rates than “normal” people, according to Dr. Gary Greenberg, a practicing psychotherapist.

He explains that one in three Americans have the qualifications to be diagnosed with a mental disorder at any given time and 50 percent of Americans meet the criteria to be diagnosed at a low point in their life.

Other factors can serve as warning signs of violence besides mental illness.

An analysis of a tablet device belonging to Andreas Lubitz said that he researched suicide methods and information about cockpit doors, according to a German prosecutor on CNN.com. That search should have been frightening to the airline.

Rather than banning people with mental illness from getting jobs as pilots, search histories of pilots should be flagged if they’re looking up something dangerous.

That’s not to say that pilots’ internet usage should be monitored at all times, but certain keywords should raise concern.

It’s conceivable that someone could acquire a mental illness because they work a stress inducing job, like that of a pilot.

Some people are predisposed to illness under conditions of moderate stress, according to “Psychosocial Factors and Stress,” an article in the Encyclopedia of Stress. It would be unfair, to say the least, to fire someone from their job due to health issues they acquired on the job.

Although it would be unfair to prohibit everyone with mental illnesses from being a pilot, there are exceptions. People with diseases that cause psychosis, delusions, or hallucinations should not be pilots because someone who is hallucinating isn’t acting according to the

reality of their surroundings. But not all diseases cause hallucinations. The Encyclopedia of Psychology and Law states,“Of all the mental disorders currently recognized by clinicians and researchers, most are not deemed psychoses.”

Someone with a non-psychotic mood disorder does not hallucinate and therefore is as capable as anyone else to do the work assigned to them, unless specified otherwise by a doctor. Those who have a “not fit to work” order on them should not be flying planes, or doing any work, due to doctors’ orders.

Rather than banning the mentally ill from being pilots, there should be protocols in place to be sure that someone with a “not fit to work” notice isn’t flying a plane and that “not fit to work” notices don’t fall through the cracks.

At the time being, the only way airlines know about mental illness is if pilots report their own condition. A psychological examination is not included in a yearly or 6-month physical examination, according to CBS News. For pilots deemed too ill to work, a paid sick leave would be useful to prevent them from crashing a plane on the job, but a pilot would be intimidated to see a doctor if they knew they would lose their income because of their illness.

If a firing has to be done, the pilot should receive Workers Compensation if the mood disorder developed because of the job, just like any other injury that leads to loss of work.

The actions of one pilot suffering from depression should not place a stigma on similar mental illnesses as they’re common in any stressful career field. It’s not justified to punish everyone with a mental illness just for being ill or someone else with the same disease did something horrible.

Liv Reeb can be reached at olivia.reeb@ spartans.ut.edu

Racist Blog Could Do More Harm Than Good POLITICS KAMAKSHI DADHWAL Opinion Writer

Blog allows people to report racist online posts by peers

The present observes social networking as the easiest way to connect with people and to spread thoughts, beliefs, and opinions. While opponents of this development continue to emphasize its potential dangers and negative implications on society, the last few years have witnessed the use of social media as an effective tool. It is this century’s forum for transformation be it social, political or religious. By using a single hashtag you can be part of a movement that can propagate real change in the world.

One such movement against racism has ensued with a blog, ‘Getting Racists Fired.’ This blog started sometime in November 2014 and encourages people to report racist comments made on social media by particular individuals. It then proceeds to provide information about their work place so that people can contact their employers. The ultimate goal of the blog is to report alleged racists and get them fired.

Although the originality and purpose of the blog deserve commendation, it could be responsible for more damage than progressive change.

Since its inception the blog has attracted over 17,000 followers committed to posting anything racist that they might find on social networking websites and apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, YouTube, etc. One would think that they would report people based on their personal experiences or at least with sufficient prior research about the “racist” person’s background. However, the truth is a far cry from reasonable. A look at the blog will tell you that a lot of the posts are taken out of context. Many are just college kid rants against the rushing processes of fraternities and sororities. Various other posts insinuate racism in modern art and photography that was created to portray the discriminatory past of the United States and other countries in the first place. Other posts accuse people of being racist just because they made a racist joke online.

It is understandable that some people don’t find racist puns humorous at all.

Strangely enough, the people who reposted these jokes took offence from what was not directed at them to begin with. When asked, many students on campus freely acknowledged that many people make racist comments in good humor. Freshman criminal justice major, Brianna Jones, said, “I don’t believe that racist jokes are appropriate in any way.

Yet, the people who post these racist comments should be allowed to articulate their feelings, no matter what those views are, with regard to the first amendment.”

Evidently, the jocular comments on one’s profile in no way indicate one’s discriminatory actions towards those of another race. The fact remains that in many cases the re-posters on ‘Getting Racists Fired’ don’t even know the person they are openly targeting to get fired. They are just blindly stealing people’s way to sustain in life, without caring for the repercussions.

The most interesting part about the blog is the “moderator.” The blog has an appointed moderator to discuss whether or not a person is actually racist and whether or not the followers should email the person in question’s employer. Even more interesting is the way the name of the current moderator is presented on the blog, “Mod N, who is Black and Native.” This automatically gives an impression of the racist inclination of the blog itself.

It seems as if the blog is only appealing to a set of races, making the moderator’s objectivity and ultimate decision questionable. This is not to say that the blog hasn’t been successful in creating awareness among employers about their employees’ discriminatory opinions. There are a significant amount of issues that the blog points out. It urges employers to deeply analyze all candidates in the process of hiring to understand their opinions

on social issues. Nevertheless, it seems detrimental to what a democratically equal society should stand for. It is legitimate for people to believe that the website’s sole purpose is not to locate racist people but to locate racist posts. Like Jones commented, “it reaches a point where it crosses the boundaries of using the freedom of expression, and is harming and harassing the individuals who post them.”

Reporting racism is a righteous act so long as it does not infringe on people’s right to freedom of expression. We all are aware that there is no room for mistakes on the World Wide Web because what is once uploaded is forever imprinted.

Regardless, people continuously post on social networking websites for all sorts of feelings as a way of catharsis. Frustrated individuals end up posting hate messages in the heat of a moment. It doesn’t mean that it is justified for them to post hateful things, but it also doesn’t mean that they deserve to have their jobs snatched away from them for having a rough day. After all, it only provokes a concrete bitterness towards the people who got them fired. Therefore, in a way the blog is giving people a reason to hate someone, some group or some race altogether. Surely, the intention behind the creation of the blog was noble, but its implications are proving to be rather deplorable.

Kamakshi Dadhwal can be reached at kamakshi.dadhwal@spartans.ut.edu

16 APRIL 9 2015 | THE MINARET

SPORTS

SPORTS

Martin Motivates On and Off the Field Martin plays a strong leadership role for women’s lacrosse

By TESS SHEETS Sports Writer

For some players, the peak of their career can be narrowed down to one season, one game or one moment.

Maybe every member of the crowd cheered their name as they scored the winning goal against their most vexing rival, or they broke the 70-year scoring record by themselves within their first season.

While these players will boast of their achievements--as they should--they will never know what it truly means to be a team player. On the contrary, junior attack Jackie Martin of the women’s lacrosse team is not concerned with individual garnishments. Success for her is just as much winning games as it is bettering the players around her to form a strong team bond.

“I look to accomplish team cohesion and to grow individually as well as grow with my teammates to learn discipline, teamwork and respect,” Martin said.

As one of the inaugural members of the team, Martin has watched the program build from the ground up;

an experience that none after her will encounter. Because of this, it is easy for incoming players to feel out of touch walking onto this team of established trail blazers. However, Martin is constantly mending that gap with an inclusive personality that puts everyone’s uneasiness to rest.

“Jackie always has a smile on her face and her humorous personality makes her approachable and relatable,” freshman midfielder Amanda Rom said.

“Coming in as a freshman, she reached out to me and made me feel a part of the team. I’m never nervous to talk to her about anything and I know she always has my back on and off the field.”

For Martin, she thrives off of the coexistence of people seeking a common goal. In terms of sports, she chooses to see the game as bigger picture.

While wins keep a team healthy, losses build character. Applying what you have learned from the ebbs and flows of success and failure in a season to the ever-so-relatable ups and downs of everyday existence, Martin takes away so much more from her experiences with lacrosse than how to pass a ball or score a goal. The beauty in a team sport for her is learning how to better manage both herself and others around her.

“My decision to play lacrosse was based on loving a team sport. I also

wanted to take lacrosse as a learning opportunity to grow and mature as a person,” Martin said. “I have accomplished learning how to balance work, school and lacrosse, while also growing in a team environment. Also, observing a complex set of diversities and learning how to respond to various personalities.”

Personally, Martin has assumed the role of motivator on her team. Her players look to her to push them to go above and beyond, both mentally and physically in games and practices. Not only does she challenge them during practice sprints by taunting them to race her when she’s in “turbo mode,” but she has also taken on the responsibility of setting the tone of the game before they even step on the field. “[Jackie] gives a hell of a pre-game pep talk,” Rom said. “She pumps us up for our games as she leads our team cheers. She really wants the team to succeed.”

While this has become almost a ritual before every game, one particular pep talk stood out as more uplifting than the rest and set a precedent for the level of energy that the team needs to achieve every time they step out on the field. In a game against the imposing Limestone College, for the first time announcers were distinguishing Tampa as a threat.

And while Martin admits that she

Photo courtesy of Tom Kolbe Junior attack Jackie Martin is an integral part of the women’s lacrosse team during the 2015 season.

ignited a flame within her teammates that night, naturally she refuses to take all the credit.

“I can say that I got the team pretty pumped up for that game. It felt great to notice that all of our hard work was being recognized,” Martin said. “But it is a team sport so nothing is individual.

We have to do everything together.”

Tess Sheets can be reached at tess. sheets@theminaretonline.com

Blundell’s Hard Work and Dedication Define Her Success

By MELISSA TORRE Sports Writer

“I think she’s the best captain anyone could have on any team,” sophomore Elaina Cancello said of her teammate and captain Chantalle Blundell. Cancello also added that Blundell has “the right combination of a positive attitude and the drive to get work done”.

In her short two year career as a Spartan, Blundell has proven herself to be one of UT’s best runners. As a sophomore, she was named Sunshine State Conference (SSC) runner of the week, and finished up her season with five top 10 finishes overall. During her junior year, Blundell has already made some major accomplishments-including being part of a school record breaking relay team at the first meet of the season in the distance medley relay (DMR), qualifying for Raleigh Relays in the 5K and winning her heat and setting a personal record there with a time of 17:40.

However, despite already having achieved such a successful college career, Blundell has even bigger dreams of qualifying for Nationals in her favorite event the 5K. “She’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever had if not the best, because she’s very mature, and very dedicated to the team and school,” said women’s head track coach Jarrett Slaven said.

Blundell is one of those “rare types of athletes that possess both good leadership qualities and are able to motivate the rest of the team, which

is one of the reasons she was named captain of the team this year. When Blundell came to UT she made an immediate impact and was one of my best runners,” Slaven said.

Before embarking on her track career, Blundell had different dreams of playing basketball at the collegiate level until her junior year of high school, when she broke her collarbone midseason. It was not until her brother introduced her to track that she really began running at the competitive level.

“I still remember my first day of cross country practice, we went out there and ran probably about four miles, and I came home and said mom

I’m not doing this,” Blundell said. “But it’s funny how things change.”

Blundell’s personal influences and what has kept her motivated throughout her college career is her brother and twin sister, they are her two biggest supporters.

Her brother helped introduce her to track and anytime she is nervous or needs someone to talk to, her sister is always there for her.

Blundell has proven she is worthy of being captain by her focus and dedication, as well as her love for her teammates. At the meets Blundell is constantly trying to help encourage her teammates and push them towards

their goals.

Her love for the team goes even beyond practice, with her teammates slowly becoming her best friends here on campus. “We hang out a lot and do everything together,” Cancello said.

Blundell is now preparing for her next big meet at North Florida, to compete in the 5K and hopefully qualify for nationals.

Competing at the collegiate level for three years has taught Blundell so much and has helped prepare her for what lies ahead.

Melissa Torre can be reached at melissa.torre@spartans.ut.edu

Photo courtesy of Tom Kolbe Junior Chantalle Blundell continues her stellar season as she prepares for what lies ahead in her future endeavors.

THE MINARET | APRIL 9 2015

SPORTS

17

Baseball Continues Rocky SSC Slate

Photo courtesy of Tom Kolbe The baseball team looks to keep the hot streak going after their series against Eckerd College.

Baseball team pushes through SSC schedule

By REGINA GONZALEZ Sports Writer

The No. 2 ranked baseball team has been on a roller-coaster ride of Sunshine State Conference (SSC) play as they recently fell to Valdosta State University in a midweek regional contest, came back to sweep all three games in a conference series against Eckerd College, then were defeated by Nova Southeastern in a three game series played in Ft. Lauderdale.

The March 25 loss to the Valdosta State Blazers was in the hands of the away team’s pitching staff, as the Spartans were slow offensively, allowing themselves only four hits that night. Junior third baseman Nick

Flair contributed to the hits, helping the Spartans jump on the board hitting a threerun homer over the left-centerfield fence, giving the Spartans a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning.

The Blazers then came in strong in the sixth inning, scoring three runs off four hits and taking a 4-3 lead. The Blazers managed to hold the Spartans scoreless in the bottom of the inning, then returned to score with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh, taking a 6-3 lead. With a scoreless eighth inning for both teams, the Blazers then came back in the ninth, despite a three-run lead, and added four runs on three hits and two walks, extending the score to their winning lead of 10-3.

With the loss being a learning experience for the Spartans, they quickly started to work on preventing another defeat. “I feel like

after the loss to Valdosta we realized that we needed to change up some things in order to come out of this drought we have been in,” senior shortstop and captain Giovanny Alfonzo said. “Since then we expect perfection in practice, games, and off the field trying to be more disciplined in order to have a good outcome on game day.”

Perfection was in their favor as that weekend they took to their home field and defeated the Eckerd College Tritons in a three game weekend series. Major contributions came from junior pitcher David Heintz, who led the game from the mound in game one, pitching 6.2 innings and allowing just one run on five hits.

Hits from senior catchers Nick Tindall and Keaton Aldridge, Alfonzo, freshman first baseman Paxton Simmons, and singles from junior outfielder Casey Scoggins and senior outfielder Brett Jones all contributed to the Spartans’ 11-5 win for the first game.

As senior pitcher Chase Sparkman started off game two, the men rallied over the Tritons once again, in a strong offensively played game that ended with the Spartans defeating the Tritons with a winning 21-8 finish. The teams finished off in a final game the next day, with Tampa taking the series with a final 3-1 finish for game three.

“We swept Eckerd and it felt like we started to get things rolling,” Alfonzo said.

“We have a lot of conference games to finish off the year so we are focused on taking one game at a time. With that mindset we will set ourselves up for the playoffs.”

Determined and ready to handle business, the Spartans traveled to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. for what was considered to be the most important series of the season for them as the Nova Southeastern Sharks were tied

with the Spartans for first place in the SSC conference. However, the Spartans’ SSC ranking dropped to number two as the Sharks defeated the Spartans in both the April 2 doubleheader and April 3 final game.

Coming in strong in game one, the Spartans jumped on the board immediately scoring four runs in the top of the first inning.

By the top of the fourth inning the Spartans had scored one again were leading the Sharks 5-2 until the bottom of the fifth when the Sharks retaliated with four runs on four hits making it a 6-2 lead. Tampa managed to come back and tie the game in the seventh inning at 6-6 but with a scoreless eighth inning, the Sharks refused defeat, scoring in the ninth inning to win 7-6.

Putting up a fight once again in a doubleheader the next day, Tampa fell to the Sharks 10-5 in game one and lost again with a score of 7-6 in game two. Up until the weekend series, the Spartans had not lost two games in a Sunshine State Conference series since the 2012 season and had not been swept since 2011 when Tampa lost a three game series to the Barry Buccaneers.

“Anytime you lose a series like this it hurts…it’s definitely not what we had planned for the series but it’s baseball and anything can happen at any time,” senior captain Stephen Dezzi said. “I’m disappointed that our efforts fell short but the season is far from done. We’re going to get right back on track this week and fight until the last out because that’s what Tampa Baseball does. This is just a minor setback for a major comeback.”

Regina Gonzalez can be reached at regina. gonzalez2@spartans.ut.edu

Have an opinion that you want to share but no writing experience? We can help turn your opinions and concerns into published articles.

18 APRIL 9 2015 | THE MINARET

SPORTS

Women’s Golf Marches To Postseason Coach Jones sets positive tone for women’s team

By ANN MARIE DISTASI Sports Writer

The women’s golf team ended their fourth regular season after the Morehead State Invitational where they placed 15 out of 18 primarily Division I teams. Although that may not seem like much, head coach Missey Jones said it is actually a great achievement.

The team was one of two nonDivision I teams invited to the tournament, and the team has progressed since the program started in 2010.

“That’s phenomenal,” Jones said.

“I’m just thrilled with our scoring, our team total, and that we didn’t come in last in a D1 tournament. If we played a lot of other D2 schools in this country we’d be winning tournaments or placing first or third with those scores we just had.”

The team shot 324 in their first round of the tournament then dropped down to 318 and 313 on days two and three. With their score of 313 in the last day, the Spartans’ dropped 12 stokes and beat six teams.

Jones said that last season the team average was around 324 for a round, so the first day was a bit of a disappointment. The women shot a low of 308 for the season, which shows overall improvement.

Grace Marie Schian, sophomore

Photo courtesy of Tom Kolbe

Coach Missey Jones has halped mold the women’s golf team, and the progress has shown this season.

captain and criminology major, thinks the number one weakness for the team during the tournament were the undulated greens. She said that it affected their putting because it wasn’t something they were used to.

“The tournament was definitely a huge building block,” Schian said.

“Maybe not everyone shot their complete best but it shows that we can definitely compete with these people and they’re Division I.” Jones is proud of her team’s performance at the Morehead State Invitational because the women broke personal, team and school records.

Schian shot in the 70s all

three days of the tournament. She thinks that there is still room for improvement but since she never consistently shot in the 70s last season she is happy with the progress.

Both Jones and Schian were happy to have beat Embry-Riddle, the other non-DI team invited to the tournament, who placed last. EmbryRiddle will be joining the Spartans next season in the Sunshine State Conference as a Division II team.

The Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Championship is the next event the Spartans are looking forward to.

After breaking records at the last tournament, coaches and players are

expecting to do the same at the SSC Conference Tournament.

“My goal this year in conference is to shoot a day at 300,” Jones said.

“Our low is 308 and my goal is to break that.”

Seven of the nine teams in SSC for women’s golf Division II are ranked in the top 25 for the whole country. Jones said that some of those teams are shooting as low as 285, which is professional level.

“I would love to say I want to make seventh place and not eight, and people think ‘Wow you only want seventh?’, but they don’t know what we’re up against,” Jones said.

Jones will be taking her top five players to the SSCs this season. The top five include Schian, junior Fatin Amin, sophomore Alyssa Morahan, and freshmen Jess Wild and Hanna Grevelius. These players will all be continuing on to next season along with the other five.

The Spartans have not made it past the SSCs yet, but Schian believes that the team can lower their scores enough to make it to NCAA Super Regionals next season, especially since they won’t be losing any players.

“I just have to keep them up and keep positive about how far we’ve come and how far they’ve come as individuals and not be looking at what everybody else is doing right now,” Jones said.

Ann Marie Distasi can be reached at annmarie.distasi@spartans.ut.edu

Men’s Golf Reflects, Builds On Season Long Growth

Photos courtesy of Tom Kolbe The men’s golf team has had an up and down season, but is primed for the upcoming SSC Tournament next week in Sarasota. A mixture of underclassmen and upperclassmen have led the team all season.

Mixture of older, younger players prep for SSC Championships

By ERIN TOWNSEND Sports Writer

After varying results at the last two invitationals, the men’s golf team is looking forward to the upcoming 2015 Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Championship. They placed sixth out of eight at North Alabama’s University Golf Classic and 14 out of 17 in Barry’s Buccaneer Invitational.

The North Alabama University Invitational was a three-round event played at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course. In Alabama, the Spartans shot an overall score of 927, falling behind University of Missouri-St.

Louis and Lee University, who both finished with scores of 873.

Notable UT achievements in Alabama were accomplished by juniors Jason Steele and Zach Schuster. Steele, with a score of 223, placed tenth overall. Schuster placed top overall round, carding a 69 in the second round.

The Barry University’s Buccaneer Invitational was a three-round tournament hosted at Normandy Shores Country Club. UT finished with an overall score of 908. Lynn University won, carding an 846, followed by Nova Southeastern with a score of 859.

Spartan top finishers at Barry were again Steele and Schuster, who both carded scores of 223, and finished thirty-second overall. Another notable mention at Barry would be senior Steve Embree, who shot the team best

round of 70, and finished with a total score of 229.

When reflecting back on the ending of the regular season, which started in the fall, freshman business management major Gray Barnes said, “In these past couple tournaments our team has been struggling to find a groove. We finished in the bottom 50 percent in both of our last two events, which is definitely below expectation for our team.”

When asked about goals looking forward, “We need to limit our bad rounds. If we can keep our bad rounds from getting out of control we should keep improving as a team,” said Steele.

With sights set on the upcoming SSC Championship, the Spartans are busy preparing and making adjustments, according to senior Patrick Fereday.

“The best thing for us to do is get out on courses and just play and find ways to post good scores… and the guys who are returning next year can spend the summer practicing productively to get in good shape,” said Fereday.

The Spartans hope to finish this rocky season off with a victory before turning their attention to summer training and conditioning.

“We look to bounce back and finish the season strong at the SSC Championship. A good finish their would cap off a solid season for us,” said Barnes.

The men’s golf 2015 SSC Championship will be April 12-14 at Red Tail Country Club in Sarasota.

Erin Townsend can be reached at erin.townsend@spartans.ut.edu

THE MINARET | APRIL 9 2015

SPORTS

Softball Heads Into Home Stretch Softball team continues regular season conference march

By CANDACE MARTINO Sports Writer

With only six games left to go in the regular season, the softball team is right where they want to be atop of the SSC conference with 29-9 overall and 12-6 in SSC play.

“After our first week in Clearwater we expected to do really well starting 5-0 and winning the tournament. Then after the injury to one of our pitchers, it was a struggle getting back on our feet,” junior second baseman Alyssa Colletti said.

The softball team is hot after sweeping conference foe Eckerd College (27-12, 8-10 SSC) last Friday night at Turkey Complex. Senior sensation Julia Morrow started game one on the mound for the Spartans dealing her 20th win of the season.

Morrow recorded 12 strikeouts in seven innings pitched, while only allowing four hits. This performance was enough to help Morrow earn back-to-back Sunshine State Conference (SSC) honors and being selected for Pitcher of the Week for the fourth time this season. Morrow has now won seven consecutive SSC games for the Spartans and has brought her season record to 21-5.

When asked if Morrow’s personal accolades help the team, Colletti said, “It continues to help her individually along the way. She wants to get better and she is very competitive while doing so. As for the team, it keeps giving us more and more faith and confidence in her.”

Senior outfielder Lindsay Dring gave Tampa a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth as the senior singled home senior first baseman Meagan Burke. Sophomore third baseman Bre Setree rounded the bases home on an

Eckerd fielding error giving UT a 20 advantage.

The Spartans sealed the deal with a run at the top of the seventh to take a 3-0 lead on an RBI base hit

by Setree to send freshman shortstop Sahrina Cortes home.The Spartans’ defense held off a comeback from the Tritons in the bottom of the inning to take the win in game one of the doubleheader. Dring led the offense with three hits in the game while Setree contributed with two base hits.

Morrow took the mound again

Photo courtesy of Tom Kolbe

The softball team has six games left against SSC opponents before the NCAA Tournament starts in May.

19

for game two of the series earning her 21st victory of the season.

She threw seven innings with 15 strikeouts and allowing no earned runs. Tampa took a 1-0 lead at the top of the fourth when junior pinch runner Meagan Brislin came around to score on an Eckerd fielding error.

The Tritons quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning capitalizing off of two Spartan errors to take a 2-1 lead.

The Spartans answered in the top of the fifth to even out the score at 2-2, as senior outfielder Taylor Collins tripled to start the inning eventually scoring off a sacrifice fly by Burke. UT broke away at the top of the eight as Dring delivered an RBI that brought home Cortes which was followed by senior outfield Jenna Halper’s infield single giving the Spartans a 4-2 lead over the Tritons.

Tampa will return to action April 17th for an SSC matchup at home against Nova Southeastern University (14-17, 2-10), giving them a little over a week to prepare.

“Right now we are doing what we do best. Practicing hard, working together to get better and stronger. Not to mention taking this time to rest to help get back to top playing condition and rid some soreness,” Colletti said.

Candace Martino can be reached at candace.martino@spartans.ut.edu

Colletti Drives Spartan Defense Through Regular Season Junior second baseman continues to thrive at the keystone

By ED KERNER Sports Writer

Softball has always been apart of Alyssa Colletti’s life. Ever since she was a child she’s had a passion for the sport, and has worked hard every day to excel in it.

Colletti credits her brother for getting her interested in playing softball. Growing up she was always hanging out and playing sports with her brother. “We would always play whiffle ball, and I really enjoyed it.

I was also better than my brother which made it that much better,” said Colletti.

After playing whiffle ball for countless hours with her brother Colletti began her softball career, playing in local leagues and eventually for her school.

Colletti continued to play softball when she attended W.T. Clarke High School in West Burry, New York. She was a four-year varsity-starter and was an AllDivision Award recipient as a freshman.

She was an All-Conference player as a sophomore and named captain as a junior and senior. She received MVP honors as both a junior and senior and was selected to second-team all-Long Island. She batted .492 as a senior, and had a four-year cumulative average of .410. Along with playing for her high school, Colletti was also apart of two travel teams: The Long Island Riptide and The Long Island Select.

Colletti discusses her favorite memories of her high school career. “Playing with all of my best friends that I grew up playing

softball with my whole life.”

After high school she made the decision to come to the University of Tampa to play softball. “I decided to come to UT because I always wanted to get away from home and out of the cold to somewhere that’s hot all year round. I fell in love with the school and softball program, and it was a perfect fit,” said Colletti.

As a freshman, Colletti played in 18 games for the Spartans, while getting the opportunity to start in 11 of them. She batted .226 on the season, while recording seven hits, four RBI, five runs, and two home runs. She successfully stole a base, and committed no fielding errors as a second baseman. She started two games in the NCAA tournament and scored her first playoff run against Saint Leo. As a sophomore, Colletti started in all 41 games for the Spartans, and finished the season with a .224 batting average. She tallied 24 hits, including six doubles, one triple, and 11 RBI. She recorded two three hit games and was named as a Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Player of the Week.

Colletti’s greatest memory at UT was “being ranked number two in the nation last year, and hosting regionals was a great accomplishment.”

She credits the team’s success this season to “working hard together with everyone, and trying to get better everyday.” When she graduates, Colletti “would like to get into law enforcement and become a police officer, and hopefully later on get into the FBI.” Ed Kerner can be reached at edward. kerner@spartans.ut.edu

Photos courtesy of Tom Kolbe

Second baseman Alyssa Colletti has helped the softball team offensively and defensively.

20 APRIL 9 2015 | THE MINARET

SPORTS

Morris Leads Offensive Charge For Spartans Junior attacker among top scorers for nationally ranked team

By GRIFFIN GUINTA Sports Columnist

Many project their accomplishments for the world to hear. Mike Morris prefers to let his play do the talking.

The mild-mannered Ontario, Canada native is in the midst of a stellar junior season in which he was recently bestowed his second “Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Offensive Player of the Week” honor. Statistically, Morris has been a nightmare for opposing defenses. He leads the team in goals (33), and his goal-pergame average sits at 2.55, good for fifth overall in the conference. Though a robust, 6’0, 195 pounds, Morris relies more on his finesse than just brute strength.

“Mike’s strengths would certainly be in his stick skills, shooting, passing, vision, accuracy and overall high lacrosse IQ,” said assistant coach Chris Panos. “Sky’s the limit for his potential moving forward.

He’s a big part of our team and our Tampa Lacrosse family overall.”

Freshman English major Greg Browne, his teammate, also raved about Morris’ dazzling play on the pitch.

“Mikey has a unique Canadian skillset that’s really fun to watch. He has unbelievable stick skills and can shoot the ball extremely well. He does a good job of getting open and using his soft hands and quick release to score goals,” Browne said.

Morris’ story begins about 1,300 miles away from Tampa in a town called

Photo courtesy of Tom Kolbe Junior attacker Mike Morris is a big reason why UT is nationally ranked this season.

Oakville, just 30 minutes outside of Toronto. Growing up, it didn’t take long for him to become immersed into the lacrosse scene. As an eager four-yearold, he would travel with his brother’s novice lacrosse team, the Oakville Hawks, and “warm up” goalies before the team took the field. Little did he know, he’d be scoring on them later on in life.

During his high school days, Morris attended the Salisbury School, an all-boys boarding school in Connecticut known for its dominance in athletics. While at Salisbury, Morris rallied the team to three New England championships and earned himself a spot on the Under Armour High School All-American team.

Like many of his current teammates, Morris originally began at a Division I

school (Johns Hopkins), but ultimately found the smaller UT to be a better fit.

Given his 24 goal-11 assist-19 games played statline from last year, it seems the move paid off. Now one of the older members on a relatively young UT squad, Morris commands quite a bit of respect despite his quiet and easygoing personality.

“He’s a really easy going guy that everyone seems to like,” Browne said. “He mostly leads by example, but everyone listens when he speaks up.”

In many ways, UT and Morris have had a reciprocal effect on each other.

Morris feels at home here, and the school benefits from his presence on the field. He and All-American sophomore teammate Conor Whipple have become a dynamic duo in their own regard: establishing

themselves as a fearsome, goal-scoring machine. Together, the pair accounts for nearly five goals per game, and mutually alleviate defensive pressure by working sympatico.

“This year he has really gained more confidence and become a more consistent scorer for us game thus far this season.

We count on him to score multiple goals every game,” said Coach Panos.

Morris simply credits Whipple for making him look good on the field.

“It’s no secret that I’m playing alongside one of the best attackers in the country, Conor Whipple. He makes my life a lot easier, that much I can say. The kid’s got X-ray vision,” said Morris.

Though its hard to find any glaring flaws with Morris, Panos believes he can make a few adjustments to take his already proficient game to an even higher level, namely improvements in strength, fitness and a “more consistent work attitude.” Morris is intent on improving and doing whatever it takes to elevate the Spartans to their first ever National Championship.

“It means a lot to be recognized in such a competitive conference with so many great players, but I’m more concerned about getting our seniors a National Championship ring,” Morris said.

With two regular season games left and the SSC tournament looming, Morris will be relied upon heavily in the coming month. And you better bet he’s up for the challenge.

Griffin Guinta can be reached at griffin. guinta@spartans.ut.edu.

Men’s Lacrosse Looks To Make Deep Postseason Run Morris, Whipple lead one of nation’s best scoring offenses

By ANDREW STAMAS Sports Writer

It’s not often that a team gets the opportunity to play against two different national number one ranked schools throughout the course of a season. After losing to then number one ranked Limestone two months ago, the Spartans got another chance

during their recent trip to Ohio at Lake Erie. Unfortunately, the Spartans fell 13-7 but it was still a great experience for the team. At this point, the two games against number one ranked schools are the only ones UT has lost, and they have an overall record of 11-2 (3-0 in Sunshine State Conference play).

Junior midfielder Matt Bilak described how unique it felt to play against the top team in the country.

“It always is fun going into games being the underdog because you never really know what is going to happen. We made some costly errors

Photo courtesy of Tom Kolbe

The men’s lacrosse team heads into its final stretch of SSC games next week at home.

in the beginning of the game and it ended up costing us at the end,” Bilak said. Bilak, who scored a goal in the 2nd period, added that it was good to be challenged in ways they had not been challenged before as a team.

Junior attack Mike Morris and sophomore attack Conor Whipple contributed with two goals each.

Bilak, senior attack Zak Goldbach, and sophomore midfielder Sean Giampietro all each scored as well.

Sophomore A.J. Arnold made seven saves on the night.

Senior midfielder Nick Ferreiro has been an integral part of the team this season. He has been the goto guy for faceoffs, having won 135 of 210 for a combined 64.3% win percentage. He agreed that the two games against top-ranked opponents were both unique experiences.

“Limestone and Lake Erie were both very good but somewhat different teams. Limestone had longer, deliberate possessions while Lake Erie capitalized on their opportunities between the lines and in transition. I don’t think we played our best games and executed our game plans in either of the games but hopefully we get another shot at them,” Ferreiro said.

The very next day, the Spartans played against another Ohio team, this time Walsh University. They came out victorious, winning it easily by the score of 19-5. Giampietro, Morris, and senior attack Jonathan Franzese led the Spartans with three goals each. Sophomore Shane Giunta and junior Andrew Failla had four and three saves respectively.

Ferreiro spoke about how

important it was to be able to bounce back from the loss at Lake Erie with a uplifting win. “Any win is great, especially after a loss. Everyone always feels better and moral is higher when you can avoid a losing streak and start a win streak,” Ferreiro said.

Next up for the Spartans will be two home games against Sunshine State Conference rivals Lynn and Florida Tech to close out the regular season. They then have the SSC Tournament, with the semifinals on April 24 and if they advance, the final on April 26. Afterwards, they will host Colorado Mesa on May 1 before potentially competing in the NCAA Tournament which will commence on May 9.

Though their results have been quite good, UT is still hungry to do better. “I think the season has gone well but I still don’t think we’ve come close to our full potential. We need to constantly be improving all over the field and find some consistency,” Ferreiro said.

Bilak also believes that the team can finish the season strong. “We are into the second half of our season and we are in good shape. We are standing at 11-2 and our only losses have came to the best two teams in the country. We need to come together and play as a team if we are going to be able to make a run in the NCAA tournament,” Bilak said.

Andrew Stamas can be reached at andrew.stamas@spartans.ut.edu