MINARET UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA’S NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1933
THE Vo l u m e
79
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22
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April,
18
2013
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Relay For Life: ‘We Will Ensure Cancer Takes a Permanent Holiday’
By MARK SUGDEN News Writer
The University of Tampa’s Relay for Life started April 12 at 6 p.m. at the Pepin Stadium and field, and ended the morning of April 13. In total, there were around 57 teams and 784 participants, according to the American Cancer Society website who raised a total of around $54,759 online. “This year I am relaying in memory of my aunt, who lost her battle to colon cancer last month after bravely fighting for more than five years,” said Erin McDonald, who was this year’s event chair. McDonald was attracted to relay because ‘there was something healing about it.’ She was survivor chair the first year and operations chair the next. One of the founders of UT’s relay who graduated last semester asked her to take over and become the event chair Taylor Sanger/The Minaret for this semester. Relay For Life had 57 teams and 784 participants who together raised a total of $54,749. Participants gathered at Pepin Stadium for the event last week. She thanked all the participants and UT who helped out with the long raise $5,345 online and made over $465 event’ which turned out to be Mackenzie it,” Crowley said. “There was a caregiver planning of this event, starting last at the event. Crowley’s head shaving. Even though who came up to me and she whispered semester in September. Terri Payne, who works with the she did not meet her ultimate goal of in my ear saying it meant a lot to her “We will insure that cancer takes a Tampa Housing Authority and runs her $3,000, she raised over $148 more on because her husband died last week. permanent holiday,” McDonald said. own company, Organo Gold, was at one the spot just by standing on the stage. There was also a survivor when I was in Relay was filled with on-campus of the many booths selling homemade After having her head shaved, the bathroom looking at my head in the supporters and students running booths frappes. Payne came out to support relay Crowley described it as not being used mirror and she told me that she actually and walking for the cause. Students and due to her best friend who is a breast to it and being completely different. lost all of her hair to cancer and she was local companies set up booths selling cancer survivor and her father who is a She also stated that she couldn’t keep very grateful that I was doing it.” baked goods and holding activities to lymphoma cancer survivor. touching her head. One of the biggest events of the raise money for that night. Events were held throughout the “There are a lot of students who night that Relay puts on is the luminaria One of the highest selling groups, night, such as musical chairs, dancing came up to me to say I was brave and See RELAY, Page 2 who earned the gold team standing, contest, a drag show and a ‘special awesome and that they would never do was The Tumornators, who were able to
UT Students React to Boston Marathon Bombings
By CHELSEA DAUBAR
Managing Editor
On Monday afternoon, two explosions went off near the finishline of the Boston Marathon, one of the country’s largest races. At least three people have been killed and roughly 175 people have been injured. UT Students are speaking out on their reactions to what President Obama is calling “an act of terrorism.” Many students have family and friends that were at the marathon. Corinne Singleton, a sophomore and elementary education major had a close friend that attends Boston University was running in the marathon. “She was really close to the first explosion. She told me that she had blood spatter all over her and she saw a
In Other News...
man that had lost his leg from the blast,” Singleton said Singleton is not the only student who knew someone close the the explosions. Tyler Romanelli, a sophomore and Entrepreneurship major, has a sister that was also running in the marathon. “I had a lot of anxiety,” Romanelli said. “Cell service was down and I couldn’t get a hold of her for a while.” While some students didn’t know anyone directly impacted, many still had strong reactions. “I’m just in shock,” Tyler See BOSTON, Page 5
4 Students Raise Concerns of Possible Mold Issue in McKay 7 Can Fall Out Boy ‘Save Rock and Roll”?
9 Dave Matthews Band Still touring, College Students Still Obsessing 11 Campus Needs to be Child-Friendly For Student Moms
Smi23le/Flickr Children were among the many injured spectators at the Boston Marathon.
14 Study Claims News..................................2 Enrolling in College Diversions.........................6 Lowers Chance of Developing Alcoholism A+E....................................7 18 Minaret Writer Opinion............................ 11 Endures a Bolts Sports..............................17 Bashing
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NEWS + FEATURES
APRIL 18 2013 | THE MINARET
MINARET
2
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joshua Napier
joshua.napier@theminaretonline.com
MANAGING EDITOR Chelsea Daubar
chelsea.daubar@theminaretonline.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jessica Keesee
jessica.keesee@theminaretonline.com
NEWS + FEATURES Mia Glatter, Editor
mia.glatter@theminaretonline.com
Yasaman Sherbaf, Asst. Editor
yasaman.sherbaf@theminaretonline.com
Participants pull all nighter for awareness From RELAY, Page 1 ceremony, in which bags are lighted and dedicated to loved ones affected by cancer. “The luminaria lining the track represents our cherished relationships,” said Frances Cardenas, head of the luminaria chair. “They represent people who have touched our lives. Each bag has a name and a story to tell. They’re our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, friends, loved ones. We love the people the luminarias represent and we celebrate them, remember them and fight back against this disease for them.” Two speakers at the ceremony, Christa Kondraciuk and Erin McGaughey, shared their personal stories about family members affected with cancer. Kondraciuk said she first heard the word cancer at six-years-old when her grandfather was diagnosed and passed
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
away a few months later. Her uncle was also diagnosed and died in 2009. Her mother was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2008, and had a complete hysterectomy and is still fighting through the disease today. She describes how terrified her family was at the news and how she and the rest of her family became her mom’s caregiver though the process. “Cancer isn’t something that just affects the person diagnosed, it affects everyone,” said Kondraciuk. “If you’ve ever met a person with cancer, your life has been changed even if you didn’t realize it.” McGaughey described how in the summer after her sophomore year at UT she became a caregiver to her mom as her health was deteriorating after the doctors told her family to stop treatment. She described doctor appointments, hospital stays and long lists of medication and spent five months by her mom’s side as she felt morally responsible, even if it
meant missing the start of her junior here at UT. “As my mom began to grow weak, I saw an amazing transformation in myself that I did not know was possible,” McGaughey said. “It was because of my mother’s strength and perseverance through five and a half long and painful years that I have found my own strength which has brought me here today to share my care giving experience.” McGaughey’s mother died at 54years-old. She lit a luminaria that night in her honor. “I am grateful to Relay for Life for being a place where I can share my experience with cancer,” McGaughey said. “It’s a place we all have found some comfort in others to understand the world of cancer. A world in which we all live in. It is with this understanding that we choose to be advocates for this cause.” Mark Sugden can be reached at Mark. sugden@spartans.ut.edu.
Natalie Hicks, Editor
natalie.hicks@theminaretonline.com
Kelly St. Onge, Asst. Editor
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OPINION
Paola Crespo, Editor
Paola.Crespo@theminaretonline.com
Annabella Palopoli, Asst. Editor
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SPORTS
John Hilsenroth, Editor
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Miles Parks, Asst. Editor
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Student hits a pinata at Delta Gamma’s booth at Relay for Life.
ONLINE
Jennifer Bedell, Web and Social Media Director jennifer.bedell@theminaretonline.com
PHOTOGRAPHY
Samantha Battersby, Editor
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Taylor Sanger, Asst. Editor
Mackenzie Crowley has her head shaved, fulfilling her promise to make the brave change if her team raised $3,000.
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Participants wrote the names of loved ones on bags to show who they were walking in memory of.
“There are a lot of students who came up to me to say I was brave and awesome and that they would never do it,” Mackenzie said.
STAFF WRITERS Vicky Cirello Caroline Metell Mark Sugden
COLUMNISTS
David Adams Alex Caraballo Hannah Webster Jack Whitaker
MORE INFORMATION THE MINARET is a weekly student-run publication at the University of Tampa. Letters to the Editor may be sent to editor@theminaretonline.com. To reach THE MINARET call 813.257.3636. Your first two copies of THE MINARET are free. Each additional copy is $1.00
Cancer survivors and caregivers took part in the first lap of Relay.
Photos courtesy of Mark Sugden
To keep people entertained, games like musical chairs were played at 5 a.m.
NEWS + FEATURES
THE MINARET | APRIL 18 2013
Decorated Veterans Honored at ROTC Building Dedication
ROTC members and elite members of UT’s community attended the dedication of the General Peter J. Schoomaker ROTC and Athletics Building. By MIA GLATTER
News + Features Editor
A crowd gathered to watch several university elite cut the ribbon for the newly dedicated General Peter J. Schoomaker ROTC and Athletics Building Tuesday afternoon. Schoomaker is a retired four-star Army general who served in a large
variety of positions in the U.S. Army for 35 years. “If mama was alive, I think she’d be proud,” Schoomaker said at the ceremony according to ut.edu “We’re proud of our association with ROTC, and we think it’s important.” Several members of the Schoomaker family are former participants of ROTC. The General Peter J. Schoomaker
ROTC and Athletics Building will house the Spartan Battalion, UT’s U.S. Army ROTC program, as well as shared with UT Athletics. Also in attendance at the dedication was President Ronald Vaughn as well as two UT alumni who are recipients of the Medal of Honor. “We’re excited about this unique partnership since The University of Tampa can support these students and
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Taylor Sanger/The Minaret
help them develop academically and professionally,” President Vaughn said according to ut.edu “Plus, this partnership fits in nicely with UT’s long history of being supportive of the military through UT’s ROTC program and Department of Military Science and Leadership.” Mia Glatter can be reached at Mia. Glatter@theminaretonline.com
From the April 8 to April 14 reports
Don’t Let Your Time Do You On April 8, a student was arrested and charged with felony possession of narcotics and taken to the Hillsborough County Jail. Dirty Bones On April 8 between 12:00 to 6:00 p.m., a UT dance instructor reported damage to a model skeleton in R K Bailey Arts Building. Anger Management On April 12, a disorderly student was detained by TPD officer for being aggressive to other students at/by Brevard Hall. The student (commuter) was then placed in a cab and removed from campus.
Stalkward On April 14, a coach reported an unknown male had gotten on a team bus when it traveled to Orlando.
For It’s One, Two...You’re Out On April 12, an officer observed a vehicle strike two (2) parked motorcycles in West Parking Garage. The driver was subsequently arrested by TPD.
Reports compiled by Yasi Sherbaf
Senior class formal will be held Friday, April 19 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Florida Aquarium. Food will be served and there will be a cash bar.
Party in the Park will be held this Sunday, April 21 in Plant Park featuring 3OH!3 and White Panda.
University of Tampa presents the musical Company April 18-20 at 8 p.m. and April 21 at 2 p.m. at Falk Theatre.
4 APRIL 18 2013 | THE MINARET
NEWS + FEATURES
College and Condoms: Health Center Provides Free Testing By CAROLINE METELL
News Writer
Sex is commonly talked about on college campuses. Many students see it as a part of college life, or the college experience. Some colleges freely give out condoms to the students in order for them to be safe if they do choose to have sex. However, one northern school feels that students receiving free condoms is against their “values and traditions.” Boston College is a Catholic college, and a spokesperson for the college, Jack Dunn, said to the New York Times, “As a Jesuit, Catholic university, there are certain Catholic commitments that we are called to uphold, including the commitment not to publicly distribute condoms on our campus.” An unofficial campus group, the Boston College Students for Sexual Health, regularly gives away free condoms to the students. The college has challenged them, saying that if they are caught giving out free condoms again, they will be referred to the conduct office for disciplinary action. The University of Tampa, on the other hand, is very open about giving out condoms and other forms of birth control, to students. At the Dickey Health and Wellness Center, females can receive three forms of generic birth control pills, and the Depo-Provera shot. All students can receive free condoms there, and also from their Resident Assistants, and various events on campus. The University of Tampa wellness coordinator, Charlotte Petonic, said the university is aware that not all students have the same moral values regarding sex, “We do understand that people do
have different views on being sexually active so we’re conscious of what locations we give them out at and we try to be respectful to everyone’s belief system.” In an anonymous survey of 27 students and faculty at UT, 70% were aware that contraceptives are available for free on campus. Also, 85% said they think it’s a good idea that the university provides students with condoms, while the other 15% said it didn’t matter to them. The health center does testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and infections including ones for Chlamydia and syphilis, but does not publish statistics due to student’s privacy. One anonymous responder said, “Whether your religious views are opposed to contraception, you do not need to use the services provided. Students are adults, and for better or worse, sexually active. The prevention of the spread of STDs and unwanted pregnancies far outweighs the moral qualms of certain students.” Another agreed saying, “I don’t think it is condoning nor condemning either way. I think it’s safe and effective, and I think we need to offer these to lower the spread of diseases, lower birth rates in young women, and to lower abortion rates. This is not stopping conception after it happens. This is prevention. A good choice for men and women.” Junior Breanna Wright says that she’s glad the university is aware of what happens on a college campus, “It just goes to show that practicing safe sex is the way to go. The university clearly knows that sex is a part of the college life so they help keep it safe and STI free.”
SASS, which stands for Safe and Sexy Spartans, is a student group that educates others on how to prevent STIs and unwanted pregnancy, and how to properly use condoms. SASS is co-sponsoring an event with the PEACE office in a couple weeks for sexually active students. It will be a “Get Yourself Tested” campaign, which is also sponsored by the CDC, itsyoursexlife. org and MTV. For free, students can be tested for HIV, gonorrhea and Chlamydia, and syphilis. The tests will consist of a cheek swab, urine sample, and blood sample. The event will be in the Brevard Community Room on April 24th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Petonic said the point of these events is to just keep students safe,
not to promote having sex, “We’re not promoting it by any means, we’re promoting if you choose to be sexually active that you take the steps necessary to protect yourself and your partner. We have plenty of condoms that we would love to give out in any way, if an RA wants them or any other program wants them.” Many of the health center’s services are covered by student health insurance, but services not included may result in a fee, including most prescriptions. There is a fee anywhere from $10 to $25 if students do not show up for their appointments due to the high demand of the health center’s facilities. Caroline Metell can be reached at Cmetell@spartans.ut.edu.
Photo Courtesy of Caroline Metell
On April 24, the PEACE volunteer center will be giving a free HIV/STI testing on campus in the Brevard common room from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Students Raise Concerns of Possible Mold Issue in McKay By MIA GLATTER
News + Features Editor
At the Student Government meeting on April 2, students brought up concerns to the Vice President
for Administration & Finance Rick Ogorek with complaints of possible mold growth in McKay Hall. Students claimed that mold was growing in the rooms and even onto their possessions. Ogorek said that there was an issue
Photo courtesy of ut.edu
McKay hall has had issues with mildew in the past, though students say the problem still exists.
brought to the school’s attention back in September, but it was taken care of. “It was addressed at that time,” Ogorek said. “An outside company was brought in to do deep cleaning and the identification of the substance was that it was mildew and not mold.” Though McKay Hall is an older residence hall, the inside of the building has been redone over recent years. “McKay used to have window air conditioners in each unit,” Ogorek said. “All of McKay is now on a central air conditioning system with individual fan coil units so students can adjust it. McKay is in excellent shape. All the windows have been replaced, it’s just the design looks definitely 1959 Holiday Inn. As far as its functionality, it’s in great shape. There are no plans for anything else to be done to it. “ Marine biology major Alexis Vedder said that she has not seen a change in the condition of McKay, despite the clean up. “My previous suitemates moved out because of mold growing in their room and on their things,” Vedder said. “Our rooms are always really damp and even though the school gave us a dehumidifier it doesn’t help 100
percent. They did spray over winter break but I don’t know if it helped at all.” Criminology major Julianne Kessler has heard friends complain about the condition of Mckay before in regards to their health. “Those rooms have had mold since I came to UT, you just don’t see it cause it’s in the air conditioning,” she said. “My friend discovered it because she was sick 24/7 and she has bad allergies to mold, so she opened her air conditioner.” Ogorek suggests that if students have concerns about a possible problem in their dorm rooms, they should contact a member of facilities. “If students think they are getting sick then there is some validity to the claims, whether it is related to the humidity or moisture level in the room is maybe a different story,” Ogorek said. “But I wouldn’t want to discount anything anyone wants to report. Students should know to go to their RA or facilities for that or any concerns.” Students who still have concerns about a possible issue should go to their RAs who can make a report for them or they can always call facilities. Mia Glatter can be reached at Mia. Glatter@theminaretonline.
NEWS + FEATURES
THE MINARET | APRIL 18 2013
Security Prepares for Party in the Park
Attacks impact students, though distant
By VICKY CIRELLO
From BOSTON, Page 1
News Writer
especially hectic because the concert occurred on a Friday, and many students attended happy hour right before,� she said. Planning for this event begins at the end of August and lasts all year. I am the music chair of SP, and oversee a board of 10 students to plan this event. We coordinate everything from the artist contract, to barricades, volunteers, security, catering, etc. Along with Tampa police and campus security, an EMT is located in the Riverside parking lot in case anyone needs medical attention. Junior elementary education major Kaylee Nonnemacher says she will attend the concert, but is not excited about all aspects of it. “I’m not a huge 3OH!3 fan but I’ll never turn down a free concert,� she said. Vicky Cirello can be reached at Victoria.Cirello@spartans.ut.edu
Every spring, UT’s Student Productions organization presents Party in the Park, a concert event featuring a special musical guest. Last year, a UT student was arrested for causing a disturbance at the Lupe Fiasco concert after an argument regarding how to exit the park. SP music chair Kristen Mathe says last year’s incident was the worst they’ve seen at Party in the Park. “Each year, there are a select few students who exhibit inappropriate or unsafe behavior which results in them being escorted out of the park by security or UT staff,� Mathe said. “Last year’s incident has been the only major incident we have had at Party in the Park, and we hope that we will not have another incident such as this.� Mathe says SP tries to change the security based on issues from previous years. “The incident that occurred last year was unfortunate because the girl involved was intoxicated and jumped over the barricades, which are put in place for a reason,� she said. Security personnel keep students from going backstage because of the sound equipment. Tampa police and campus security are also positioned around the park to prevent disturbances and keep students safe. Mathe says the major reason for disturbances at these concerts is the excessive consumption of alcohol Sam Battersby/ The Minaret prior to arriving at the concert. Security will be watching over Party in the Park. “Last year was
Allen said, a freshman and government and world affairs major. “It’s truly horrible. There are so many terrible events happening in our country lately,� Allen added. John Adams, a sophomore and communications major is curious as to what a plan of action will be in response to the bombings. “I am curious as to how the government is going to respond to something like this. I definitely think it was a domestic attack, I just want to know what the course of action is going to be,� Adams said. Mark Patterson, a junior and marketing major is concerned what kind of results will come from the government because of the tragedy.
“Sometimes [the government] will use events like this to create laws that violate our rights, like increasing gun control,� Patterson says. Allen hopes that is exactly what happens. “I hope that this leads to more security and gun control,� she said. Thelma Bodiford, a junior and public health major first heard about the blasts via Facebook, and was disappointed with the posts she saw. “Someone said that Obama wasn’t doing his job because we aren’t at war. We don’t know who did this yet. Why should we be at war?� Chelsea Daubar can be reached at chelsea.daubar@theminaretonline.com.
hahatango/Flickr
Boston police walk among the aftermath of the explosion at the Boston Marathon.
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6 APRIL 18 2013 | THE MINARET
Diversions
Sudoku
The Weekend Update Florida Governor’s Leadership Forum: Pam Iorio April 18
9th Floor of Vaughn Center 4 p.m.
Free, register ahead of time
Benefit Concert for To Write Love on Her Arms April 18
Vaughn Center Courtyard 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Free, open to public, $12 t-shirts
All-Campus Speech Contest April 19
Riverside Building, Room 107 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Free, not open to public
Country Night at the Ballpark April 19 PrintableSudokuPuzzles.net
Picture
WEEK of the
Photo by Taylor Sanger/The Minaret Members of Phi Mu Alpha serenaded people as a part of their fundraiser during this year’s Relay for Life event.
UT Baseball Field 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Free, open to public
Rihanna Concert April 19
Tampa Bay Times Forum 7:30 p.m.
$35 - $130
Silver Linings Playbook April 19
Reeves Theatre 8 p.m. Free
First UT Bodybuilding and Bikini Competition April 20
Reeves Theatre 7 p.m.
Free, open to public
Taylor Swift Concert April 20
Tampa Bay Times Forum 7 p.m.
$30 -$85
Party in the Park ft. 3Oh!3 and White Panda April 21
Plant Park 7 p.m.
Free for UT students, get tickets ahead of time
Arts + Entertainment
THE MINARET | APRIL 18 2013
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Can Fall Out Boy ‘Save Rock and Roll’? By JORDAN WALSH
Arts + Entertainment Writer
When you think of rock and roll, you probably have a pretty stereotypical vision. You visualize some guys wearing black. One is wailing on the guitar while another is going on about how much he loves the rock and roll lifestyle. So when you find out that Fall Out Boy’s first album in four years is titled Save Rock and Roll, you’re probably confused. When you hear the first single, “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark,” you’re probably still more confused at the obvious hiphop and modern pop influence. And, finally, when you hear the whole album, you’ll probably be asking, “How is this going to save rock and roll?” If all of this is true, then Fall Out Boy has succeeded in doing what it has set out to do. No, Save Rock and Roll isn’t Fall Out Boy’s tribute to Kiss or The Rolling Stones. It is, however, a record built on all of the sentimentalities and ideologies that make rock and roll what it is. Save Rock and Roll is Fall Out Boy’s triumphant return to the spotlight and a record that will surely polarize fans for years to come. Don’t think for a second that Fall Out Boy doesn’t see that coming. From the album’s first minute, lyricist Pete Wentz warns you that the road from here will not be easy. “Put on your war paint!” yells vocalist Patrick Stump over James Bond-like string arrangements, as if to warn fans that this is not the record they’re expecting. Save Rock and Roll proceeds to launch full throttle into “The Phoenix,” a scorching number that will leave the listener exhausted by the time it rings out. “The Phoenix” is Fall Out Boy at their best and most confident, displaying the band’s newfound affinity for synthesizers, heavy pounding and overwhelming drumbeats expertly tied
together by producer Butch Walker. While the musicianship is surely something to be commended here, it’s really Stump who steals the show with his fierce and unparalleled vocal performance. Although, fans of Fall Out Boy had better be prepared to step outside their comfort zone before they listen to Save
same way.” That’s not to say that Save Rock and Roll is devoid of the charm and attitude that makes Fall Out Boy what they have always been. On the contrary, cuts such as “Alone Together” and “Miss Missing You” are just enhanced, actualized versions of the band that many of us grew up with. This can be seen by
Photos Courtesy of Fall Out Boy/Facebook.com
Fall Out Boy’s latest album, Save Rock and Roll, has put the punk/pop band back on the map, and fans could not be happier.
Rock and Roll, because the record takes the slight hip-hop/electronic progression made on 2008’s superb Folie a Deux and takes it a mile further. “Death Valley” is a stomping, risky tune that incorporates a dubstep breakdown without even hesitating while “Just One Yesterday” is practically a tribute to Adele in both tune and lyricism: “If I spilled my guts, the world would never look at you the
the emphasis on Pete Wentz’s classic one-liners (“The person that you’d take a bullet for is behind the trigger”). Save Rock and Roll is without question Fall Out Boy’s most ambitious album. However, not every step forward hits the mark. Guest appearances are a mixed bag. Big Sean’s verse on “The Mighty Fall” is boring and drags down what is an otherwise wonderful song. Also, “Where
Did The Party Go” seems under-cooked with a chorus that doesn’t quite live up to the entertaining nature of its verses. However, for every misstep on Save Rock and Roll, there’s another gigantic step forward to help sweep it under the rug. The album’s title track, for instance, is perhaps the best song that the band has ever recorded. Featuring the legendary Elton John, this ballad is certain to make long time fans tear up, with sound-bites from the band’s 2003 debut Take This To Your Grave sprinkled throughout as Stump belts “you are what you love, not who loves you/ in a world full of the word ‘yes,’ I’m here to scream/ ‘no.’” “Oh, no, we won’t go/ ‘cause we don’t know when to quit,” chants Stump and John as the album rings out, assuring fans that Fall Out Boy isn’t going anywhere. Save Rock and Roll is a record that defies the expectations of the public by showcasing what Fall Out Boy is in its purest and most genuine form. It screams, again and again, “this is what we are, you can take it or leave it.” Isn’t that what rock and roll is really about? Being what you are despite what others will say or do to you in retaliation and never backing down from your convictions? Save Rock and Roll will certainly usher in a new era for the band that so many of us have hold near and dear to our hearts. And for those of you who are just now plugging in to Fall Out Boy, it looks like there’s going to be few empty spots on the bandwagon. Jordan Walsh can be reached at jordan.walsh@spartans.ut.edu.
Critic’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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APRIL 18 2013 | THE MINARET
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
Dave Coulier Performs for a Full House
By MADISON IRWIN
Arts + Entertainment Writer
On Wednesday, April 10th, students at The University of Tampa gathered outside Reeves Theatre to see the standup comedian, Dave Coulier, perform at 8 p.m. The event was hosted by Student Productions. Not only is Dave Coulier a stand-up comedian, but he is a television actor, voice actor and television host. Not to mention, he does amazing impressions. Coulier is known for his imitations of various celebrities. His famous tag line is “Come on now, cut-it-out!” Among other things, he is also known for his extensive voice work for the “The Jetsons,” “The Muppet Show” and “Scooby-Doo.” But what really kick started his acting career was his role as Joey Gladstone, also known as “Uncle Joey,” on the popular sitcom “Full House” in 1987. Due to the size of Reeves Theatre, space was very limited, which meant that students had to come early to ensure their entrance into the show. By 7:30, the whole second floor was packed as students lined up in anticipation. Some people even tried to sneak in, but nobody got away with it. After all, the seats were taken and standing up was not an option. 8 p.m. finally rolled around, and the crowd roared in excitement as Coulier made his way onto the stage. He started out by throwing a bag of Lay’s potato chips into the audience for one lucky student to catch. Then came the comedy. Coulier sure knows how to entertain people. You could tell that everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves. He
Dave Coulier (a.k.a. Uncle Joey from Full House) visited the University of Tampa on April 10. Students had to arrive early to Reeves Theatre to ensure that they would get a seat for the show.
Casey Budd/The Minaret
did impressions of Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, a Chinese restaurant owner and even his hairstylist from Full House who still cuts his hair to this day. He told plenty of hilarious stories, as well, like his embarrassing moments as a child, his many encounters with Arnold Schwarzenegger and playing video games with his son. “My favorite part would definitely have to be when he pretended to be a hurricane and spun in circles while spitting out water. I was laughing on the edge of my seat,” junior Nicole Crance said. “After I first found out that he would be here, I knew I had to go. I watched Full House my whole life, and Joey was my favorite character. I really identified with him because I love to tell jokes too.” Madison Irwin can be reached at xoxomaddie2@aim.com.
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
THE MINARET | APRIL 18 2013
9
Top Photo: Courtesy of Dave Matthews Band/Facebook.com; Bottom Three Photos: Courtesy of Ryan Eilders/Flickr.com
Many college students are just as cult-like toward Dave Matthews Band as they were when the group first became popular in the 1990s. A number of UT students will even be attending at least five of his concerts over the summer.
Dave Matthews Band Still Touring, College Students Still Obsessing By ALEX SARLING
Arts + Entertainment Writer
The fans of Dave Matthews Band can be called many things. They’re junkies, potheads, hippies, frat boys, cult members, etc. While some of those stereotypes may be true, Dave fans are unique and one giant family at the end of the day. Everyone who knows me is well aware of my obsession with Dave Matthews Band. I have already attended four shows, and to make up for lost time, I will be attending six more this summer. Their career has lasted for 21 years now, which is how old I am. So why do I love a band that is as old as me versus having an obsession with a typical top 40 band? There is something incredibly special about them. There is a reason why I can listen to them all day long and never get tired of them. There is a reason why DMB fans connect so easily on Twitter and the message boards on the Warehouse fan base association. We as fans connect through the music, the lyrics and our own experiences. It’s more than a cult; it is the DMB family. Even the bandmates will interact with the fans over Twitter. Recently, I tweeted at Boyd Tinsley, the DMB
violinist, saying how I wished he followed me. Five minutes later he followed me back on Twitter and responded to my tweet. I was dancing around my room like the embarrassing fangirl that I am. I first got into Dave growing up as a dancer. We would always do warm-ups to his songs. It was so soothing and relaxing, and I enjoyed dance so much more because of the music. It wasn’t until 2009 when the Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King album came out that I fell in love with Dave. I began to listen to all his albums starting with the 1996 album Crash, and from there on out it became an obsession. Many college students since the 90s have been rallying around Dave, and the fanbase has yet to decrease. “My older cousin has been into DMB for a long time so I always heard of the band but never gave them a listen until 2009 when Big Whiskey came out,” said Josiah Cafiero, a sophomore sports management major. “I checked out the leaks on YouTube and remember the first song I listened to was ‘Shake Me Like a Monkey.’” “I first got into Dave in high school,” said Chelsey Keenan, a sophomore advertising and public relations major. “But I would say I really became a fan in college when I
was older. I could listen to his music and really appreciate the beauty of the lyrics and instruments.” Dave Matthews Band has been touring endlessly for years. They give their fans what they want, and they keep performing every winter and summer. The summer of 2011 they told fans they were “taking a break,” but then they surprised us by playing in four cities with their festival style Caravan tour including a lineup of over 50 other artists. Dave will never disappoint his fans, and that is why they will always keep on coming back for more. Also, no two DMB shows are the same. They are all unique in their own ways. The intros, outros, solos, jam sessions and overall crowd vibes make every show completely different. It’s especially amazing how Dave interacts with the crowd during his shows and always comes out to say hello to the crowd before the show and introduces his opening act. “I keep on coming back since they always play great shows, and the set is different every night,” Cafiero said. “You never know what you’ll hear that night.” The set list is the most important part of the show. Every fan is always hoping to hear a specific song and will
go to shows until they hear the song they’ve been dying to hear. Before every show, my Twitter feed is blown up by my DMB family followers guessing what they think he’ll open the show with. There are also many Twitter accounts that are run by various people who are at the shows live tweeting the set list. Sometimes my boyfriend and I will sit on Twitter guessing what song will come next in the set just to see how good we are at guessing his mood. I know that sounds pathetic and not fun at all, but we are not the only fans who do this. “I always guess but gotten it right very few times,” Cafiero said. “I follow the dmbsetlist live account Twitter, but I think this summer I’m going to unfollow it so when I see them later in July I’ll be completely surprised.” My parents don’t understand how I can go see a band more than once let alone more than 10 times. People will never appreciate or understand how special a Dave Matthews Band show is until they have actually experienced one for themselves. “The best thing about DMB is their pure love for what they do,” Keenan said. “Everyone is there just to listen and to love.” Alex Sarling can be reached at alex. sarling@spartans.ut.edu.
10 APRIL 18 2013 | THE MINARET
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
3OH!3 Set to Party: UT Prepares, Students React
By KELLY ST.ONGE
Asst. Arts + Entertainment Editor
The American electropop band 3OH!3 is coming to the University of Tampa Sunday to perform at the annual Party in the Park event. The group’s most popular song to date is “Don’t Trust Me” from their album Want, released in 2008. The chorus: “She wants to touch me, woo ooh/ she wants to love me, woo ooh/ she’ll never leave me woo ooh, woo ooh, ooh ooh/ don’t trust a ho, never trust a ho/ won’t trust a ho ‘cause the ho won’t trust me.” Kristen Mathe, a UT senior and music chair for Student Productions, said there were no strange requests in the contract from the bands. “White Panda [the opening performers for the concert] asked for red Solo cups,” she said. “They’ve been pretty basic, regular food, nothing really special.” Mathe said they made some tweaks to the security plans this year. The ticket system was not working the way it was organized previously with a roster of students’ names. She said there was a big surge of students trying to enter the concert at once last year. “We are trying out a new system where you pre-order your tickets online and it’s still free,” Mathe said. “You can still order an additional ticket for a friend.” Students can either print or download their tickets onto their smartphones. “We’re going to have scanners the
day of [the concert], and you will be able to go right in the park,” she said. “We’re hoping that will eliminate a lot of the wait for students. As long as they get their ticket in advance, it should work out.” Ryan Day, a senior and president of Student Productions, said the process of finding a band starts at the beginning of the year with a list of artists and their prices for performance. He said they try to focus on a genre rather than an actual performer to get a feel for what students would most appreciate seeing in concert. “We put out a survey with some artists to get some feedback on what kind of genres the students are looking for,” Day said. “We don’t like to look at specific artists mainly because sometimes things don’t work out.” Day then works with Student Productions to put together a performance with music that students are interested in. “It helps to know artists because then maybe we can find similar artists who are on the same level, and we work with the budget we have,” Day said. Student Productions tries to make Party in the Park a fun experience for UT attendees and they take concerns and suggestions into consideration while planning the event. “I’m really excited for [the concert],” Day said. “I was a huge 3OH!3 fan and I know they just recently came out with an album. I think they’re going to be really fun to meet with.”
Sommer Sanfilippo, a sophomore elementary education major, expressed similar excitement. She has seen the band a few times in concert and looks forward to the show. “I’m a fan,” Sanfilippo said. “I wouldn’t think they would be popular to have them here, but based on the budget, I understand.” Jeff Durso, a junior sports management major, said 3OH!3 should not be the event’s headliner. He went to ULTRA Music Festival in Miami last month. Based on White Panda’s performance there, he said, “3OH!3 should open for White Panda instead.” Meanwhile, Tae Bell, a sophomore allied health major, simply doesn’t know who 3OH!3 is. “I’m not excited Photos Courtesy of dancox_/Flickr.com about it,” she said. “I won’t be attending the concert.” 3OH!3 will be this year’s performer for SP’s Kelly St.Onge can be reached at Party in the Park. Many students would have kelly.st.onge@theminaretonline.com. liked a different band or artist for the event.
Molly Ringwald: From ‘80s Sweetheart to Jazz Vocalist By JACKIE BRAJE
Arts + Entertainment Writer
Admit it: we all love Molly Ringwald. We loved her in the “Brat Pack” film days when she was America’s favorite teen movie star and, heck, some even loved her in The Secret Life of the American Teenager. However, her new jazz album. Except Sometimes, which was
released on April 5th, could mean one of two things: either Ringwald is finally grasping toward the end of her stalwart showbiz rope, or she simply got bored of being surrounded by so many pregnant co-stars. If you’re looking for diversity, this album’s got it. Think swanky 1920s jazz bar meets Broadway meets Valencia Lakes Retirement Community karaoke.
Molly Ringwald/Facebook.com
The opening song, “Sooner or Later,” kicks the album off with ritzy vocals and a smooth piano riff. Though it’s difficult to ignore Ringwald’s unique yet enjoyable singing abilities, I felt that the entirety of the album was largely similar “Sooner or Later.” They all seemed to follow a specific formula: slow saxophone intro followed by a sleek piano melody then a few cliché lyrics along the lines of “Where is love? Does it fall from skies above? Is it underneath the willow tree that I’ve been dreaming of?” To give good old Molly some credit, there are a few songs that definitely stand out more than others. “Ballad of the Sad Young Men” is a song covered from the old musical “The Nervous Set” and is an acoustic ode to the 1950s’ earnest and simple lyricism. “Exactly Like You” is another song that can receive praise due to its upbeat and lighthearted melody and lyrics such as “Why should we spend money on a show or two? No one does those love scenes exactly like you.” If there’s one thing I truly appreciate about this album, it’s that we get to see Ringwald’s smuttier side. Unfortunately, there’s a pretty rough bump in the road once we reach the song “Pick Yourself Up.” Being only two minutes long, I feel that this song dies before it gets the chance to go somewhere. It is strongly reminiscent of an old nursery rhyme. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Ringwald fan. Who isn’t? She could make an album with a mariachi band and it would still sell faster than you can say “Duckie.” And she’s a lot more interesting than most people realize.
In the past three years she’s starred on multiple TV shows including Psych and Ru Paul’s Drag U, and she wrote an autobiography and a novel. For some, a Molly Ringwald jazz album comes as no surprise. But perhaps the reason I can’t fully enjoy this album is because whenever I think of actors and actresses crossing over to the musical side, nothing good ever comes to mind. Instead, I think of Joe Pesci’s rap album and David Hasselhoff’s “Hooked on a Feeling” ballad, with revelatory lyrics like “hooga hooga ooga chakka.” I wouldn’t be so bold to say that Ringwald is slowly becoming a washed up superstar whose glory will forever remain in the 80s, but, okay, that’s exactly what I’m saying. The most anticipated and talked about song from the album is her cover of “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” the defining song from The Breakfast Club. Although I would like to say she succeeded in providing an uplifting lamentation to the movie, it fell more akin to a cheesy karaoke cover. When it all comes down to it, though, I believe Molly still deserves some credit for being brave in her numerous artistic experiments. Her jazz album may not be quite as impressive as her classic lipstick trick, but I’d still throw a solid fist in the air for the effort. Jackie Braje can be reached at jacquelyn.braje@spartans.ut.edu.
Critic’s Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
THE MINARET | APRIL 18 2013
Opinion
11
Campus Needs to be Child-Friendly for Student Moms By KELLY ST. ONGE
Asst. Arts + Entertainment Editor
I am your average college student. I work part-time with my university newspaper, I am enrolled in the university’s honors program, my class schedule is made up of sixteen credit hours (four classes), I am double-majoring in English and writing and my minors are journalism and Spanish. Did I mention I have a twoyear-old daughter and I’m 22 years old? So maybe I’m not the average student, but I like to think I am and I think my university should help me be the successful student I want to be. Kevin Miller, Ph.D. Senior Research Associate for the Institute For Women’s Policy Research, has written on this topic. In his testimony ,”Child Care at College Campuses: a critical Resource for Student Parents,” presented to the Committee on Higher Education of the New York City Council (2010), Miller said, “Parents of dependent children now make up nearly a quarter (3.7 million) of the undergraduate students in the United States, and half of those parents are single parents (1.9 million). “ When it comes to student services on campus, student parents are at the bottom of the student-body food chain. Our needs are lost, forgotten and simply overlooked by our university. Student-parents are a vital part of the student body as a whole, and as a part of the student body, we have a right to accommodations like every other student. The University of Tampa has no baby-changing stations in any of its main academic buildings on campus. I come to campus not only for my classes, but for meetings with professors, events on campus and for administrative reasons as well. Access to these services is necessary regardless of proper in-class etiquette. The classroom may not be the place for a child, but that doesn’t mean parents don’t bring them to the university for other reasons. Recently, a mass email was sent out stating that next year there will be designated smoking areas on campus; this is an accommodation that is being made for both non-smoking and smoking students, but I don’t even have as much as a bathroom to change my daughter’s soiled diaper in. Until I became a parent I did not notice the lack of necessary accommodations at UT. I brought my daughter to a meeting I had with The Minaret staff and turned pink in the face when I had to ask my managing editor if I could use the couch in her office to change my daughter’s diaper; needless to say, that was embarrassing. Most people are not comfortable in that situation. Furthermore, UT does not have a family bathroom in any of the main buildings either (like Plant Hall and Vaughn), which made it nearly impossible for me to pump breast milk for my daughter when I was nursing. I had to do it in a small bathroom stall most of the time. Talk about unsanitary. Forgive me for making a healthy option for myself and my daughter and wanting to make the most of it. The lack of services for students with children, however, go beyond the bathroom. According to Miller’s testimony, “We [Miller and his fellow researchers] found that the supply of care -- or a capacity of about 56,300 children served per week -only meets about 5 percent of the care needed by student parents enrolled [in community college] nationwide.” UT has no childfriendly resources whatsoever. I wanted to know if this was centered at my own university or if others also lacked services for their student parents, so I talked with local, private universities to make a comparison. Ken Reeves, director of institutional research at Florida Southern College, said
Photo courtesy of Kelly St. Onge
I chose to continue my education when I found out I was pregnant because I want my daughter to know I want the best for her, and that starts with my college degree.
he didn’t know how many of his students were parents. He said the university did not keep track of those numbers. He also said they had no childcare services for their students and no housing options either. “I don’t know if we have changing stations on campus or not,” Reeves said. “I haven’t paid attention to that. No wait, I take that back. I remember seeing one in our health center. So yes, in our newer buildings we do have changing stations. We have five new buildings on campus.” This guy, I was told, would be the man who could answer my questions as he keeps track of Florida Southern’s demographics, but even he was not aware of the services they had on campus. He was unable to tell me definitively where all baby-changing stations were on his campus. Anne Wetmore, assistant dean of students for family relations at Eckerd College, gave similar answers. She said they had no childcare on campus, no baby-changing stations and no housing options for student-parents. “We have two different student populations: the students who live in the dorms and are between the ages of 18 and 22 who are mostly single and without children, and the ones who do [have children] don’t bring them to class and they don’t live on campus,” Wetmore said. She said they don’t have an official system to keep track of how many students are parents. Unfortunately, no one at UT was able to answer how many students were parents here either. Audrey Colombe, the chair of the diversity committee (a standing faculty committee) at UT, said the students who are parents are overlooked. “We don’t often think of students as parents,” Colombe said. “When we do, it’s higher education, not our regular undergraduate students.” She said the committee recently sent out a survey to get some on-campus demographics and none of the questions asked whether students were parents. “This is an important missing piece of our demographic information,” Colombe said. I find it shocking that UT goes leaps and bounds out of their way to accommodate other students by building a new field, a new dorm, making plans for a new parking garage
and throwing a multi-thousand dollar concert every year (granted some of these things are needed), but they don’t even address the issue of student parents’ needs. I feel like I am an afterthought at my school and my success is not as important as the students without children. If I were an educator or the leader of an institution as large as UT, I would want to make my facilities as attractive as possible to everyone who uses them. I would want all of my students to succeed. I wouldn’t say, “oh well, it’s not my fault you have a kid.” I would go out of my way to make sure these students have an enriching college experience like all my other students. I pay for my education and I feel like the services I pay for are not benefitting me, but rather the frat boys and sorority queens; my money helps them, but it doesn’t help me. I go to class and my newspaper meetings and I go home. There is no childcare option on my campus, so going to events on campus is usually out of the question unless one of my classes get cancelled and I get a couple free hours to check things out. Bringing my daughter to campus is always hectic. I’m scared of her having an accident in her diaper and having nowhere to change her. I deserve to have these services. I chose to continue my education when I found out I was pregnant my sophomore year here at UT because I want my daughter to know I want the best for her, and that starts with my college degree. This university should be invested in my education as much as I am and they are not. Constance Rynder, Professor Emerita (retired) at UT, said childcare is a necessity for college campuses. She said it’s important not for just the students but the staff and the faculty as well. “Thirty-some years ago I was trying to push this [childcare on campus] and didn’t get very far, partly because there were next to no women here. I was one of the few,” Rynder said. Rynder said it’s important to note that “we are getting a lot of returning veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq who are coming back to get their degrees through the GI Bill, and they too have children and childcare is an issue. It’s high time we did something like this [having childcare on campus].” She said parents should be able to
bring their children with them to a safe and comfortable environment on campus and leave them until they are out of class. “We are not accommodating our changing student profile,” Rynder said. She also commented that the other students could benefit as well. “Couldn’t this be plugged in as a kind of a laboratory for early childhood education within our programs?” Our presence on this campus is large, and we should be recognized and given more childfriendly services on campus. No parent should have to worry about where they will change their child’s diaper. “I’ve got several students in the one course I’m teaching this spring who are parents, and this is much more common and we need to take that into consideration as a university community,” Rynder said. Like Rynder, I have noticed other students with children on campus. Since I came to UT four years ago I have seen at least one other parent in one of my classes every semester I have been here. These services would not only help the students who are parents but the faculty and staff too. UT should want to provide for its community as a whole. Parents are not just students in graduate programs. We are at community colleges, public universities and private universities; we are in all classrooms, and we need to be given the same level of respect and encouragement as the rest of the students. The University of Tampa falls in the ranks with most colleges in its inability to accommodate one of their most important assets: their student-parents. The reality is that students with children don’t have a fraction of what they need on this campus. There are no playgrounds for visiting children, no on-campus childcare options for parents, no family housing options and no basic necessities such as babychanging stations and family bathrooms. College is supposed to be about diversity and success, but the importance of student parents’ success is overlooked entirely. When enrolling students, the diversity that is taken into account includes race, ethnicity, religious affiliation and gender; parental status needs to be added to that list. Kelly St. Onge can be reached at kelly.st.onge@theminaretonline.com
12 APRIL 18 2013 | THE MINARET
OPINION
Snoop Lion: Homosexuality Will Never Be Accepted in Rap World By VANESSA RIGHEIMER Opinion Writer
In an interview with The Guardian, Snoop Lion, previously known as Snoop Dogg, expressed his opinions on homosexuality in hip-hop stating, “In the rap world I don’t know if it will ever be acceptable because rap is so masculine. It’s like a football team. You can’t be in a locker room full of motherf--king tough-a-- dudes, then all of a sudden say, ‘Hey, man, I like you.’ You know, that’s going to be tough.” Snoop Lion has voiced his approval for gay marriage in the past, however, in his interview with The Guardian, it’s apparent that he does not believe the rap industry is ready for gay rappers. In some ways, I can see where he is
coming from. The words “f----t” and “gay” are tossed around in many rap lyrics with a negative connotation. In an extremely misogynist genre where women are frequently objectified, it’s tough to picture how a gay, male rapper would fit into all of this. Christian Reich, a student at UT as well as president of the GLTSBA club commented, “As such a straight, male-dominated industry, perhaps Snoop thinks it would be hard for rap listeners to relate to a gay rapper. While that may be the case for some or many listeners who cannot relate to a man romancing another man, he seems to be assuming every lyric produced by a gay rapper will include some sort of reference to his sexuality. I think
If Snoop Lion can generalize the whole genre as homophobic then he deserves to have that label as well.
this is the fault in his thinking. Just because someone is gay does not mean every word they say or action they take has a reference to their sexuality.” It’s true that pronouns can be used in songs to hint at who the message is meant for, but many mainstream songs do not include them which makes it more relatable to both sexes. With more and more support for gays being expressed by leaders in the industry, it seems that the acceptance of homosexuality in hip hop music isn’t too far off. When popular R&B singer Frank Ocean came out as being bisexual last year, Jay Z posted a letter on his Life and Times website titled, “Thank You, Frank Ocean” where he voiced his support for Ocean
Snoop Dogg Fans/Facebook.com
and commended him for his courage in coming out. Rap mogul Russell Simmons released a statement after Ocean’s coming out saying, “Today is a big day for hip-hop. It is a day that will define who we really are. How compassionate will we be? How loving can we be? How inclusive are we?” Gay rights is the biggest social issue of our generation and is no longer being swept under the rug. Ocean coming out was a huge deal since few rappers are gay or bisexual, or at least few are open about it. It’s causing those in the industry and fans who support it to talk about these issues. I believe it’s cowardly for Snoop Lion to say that rap and hip-hop are not ready for gay rappers. If he can generalize the whole genre as homophobic then he deserves to have that label as well. When more leaders in the industry are outwardly supportive, it might pressure other artists to accept it too. Homophobic slurs are not being taken lightly anymore as we saw in the case of Rutgers’ head men’s basketball coach, Mike Rice. An assistant coach recorded Rice chucking basketballs at his players and yelling at them, calling them “f----ts.” It created an uproar once the video was released and as a result, Rice has been fired. “Thrift Shop” artist Macklemore talks about the use of these harmful words in his song, “Same Love” by saying, “If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me. Have you read the YouTube comments lately? ‘Man, that’s gay’ gets dropped on the daily. We become so numb to what we’re saying.” Though many rappers are showing support for gay rights, there are still others that continue to be offensive in their music. Eminem is known to frequently use the word “f--t” in his rap, as well as Tyler The Creator, a close friend to Ocean. Still, with the “Same Love” music video reaching over 32 million views on YouTube, I’d say that’s a pretty good sign that mainstream rap is growing in acceptance. Vanessa Righeimer can be reached at vanessa.righeimer@spartans.ut.edu
THE MINARET | APRIL 18 2013
OPINION
13
Opinions Differ on Late Margaret Thatcher’s Politics By LAUREN RICHEY Opinion Columnist
Margaret Thatcher, England’s longest serving prime minister in nearly 100 years and the first women to ever hold this office, passed away on Monday, April 8 from a stroke at the age of 87. She held office from 1979 to 1990, with three consecutive elections and 11 years of government control. Known everywhere by her nickname “The Iron Lady,” no one can doubt her role as pioneer for women everywhere. Yet with this said, there are many Europeans who believe she did more bad than good for her nation. While some claim her “social revolution” was what brought the U.K. out of an economic crisis, others say she caused the rapid spread of inequality and the devastation of the working class. Contradictions are bound to follow the life and decisions of any effective politician. But does Thatcher deserve this backlash of hatred, or should she be honored as the revolutionary women she was? Beginning her political career as the Conservative candidate for the safe Labour seat of Dartford, she was publicly known as being the youngest candidate, and the only female running. She was eventually elected as a member of parliament in 1959 under Conservative Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and then won the election for prime minister against the Labour party’s incumbent, James Callaghan. Thatcher raised taxes during time of recession, a bold move, but one that eventually paid off. She privatized many businesses throughout the U.K., creating a monopoly which in turn increased labor productivity. Britain’s economy was in a ditch and she was able to dig it back out again, although it was at the cost of her popularity with the people. After her death, the famous and classic song “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead” from the 1939 film “Wizard of Oz” soared to the number one song on the radio in the U.K. as a result of protesters that took to Facebook to voice their opinion of Thatcher as a “wicked witch,” according to ABC News. Britain is now debating whether or not they should abide to radio requests to play it, or to skip over the song for the sake of Thatcher’s memory. How can a nation, who repeatedly reelected their prime minister for three consecutive terms, want to go to these lengths to destroy her legacy? After talking to UT student and Irish native, Karl Burdis, one can definitely understand the detestation of Thatcher. “I personally hate Thatcher for what she did to my country,” stated Burdis. “She was treating people who did not acknowledge the British parliament as their own as terrorists.” What he is
referring to in particular is the hunger strike that occurred in Ireland in 1981. It initially began in 1976 by the prisoners of the ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland, according to Conflict Archive on the Internet Web Service. The strike in 1981 was essentially a showdown between Thatcher and these prisoners who wanted the return of their rights as prisoners of war, as well as political status. During the strike, a participant named Bobby Sands was elected into parliament. Burdis continued, “But why I really hated her was because when Sands was elected to parliament back home, she still gave him no say in anything and let him starve to death.” Sands was one of the 10 people who had starved themselves to death before the strike was called off, due to Thatcher’s relentless position. Sands was actually Burdis’ cousin, which is why he understandably blames Thatcher for the death of his relative. “I feel that the passing of Thatcher is not a sad occasion for either the British or Irish people that had to suffer through her reign as prime minister.” And after what happened to his family, who could blame him? Yet there are those out there who regard Thatcher in a very different light. David Mellor, former Conservative Member of Parliament and a minister in Thatcher’s government, told The Guardian that “Thatcher transformed Britain in a way few other prime ministers before or since have done.” Others like Mellor thought she was a leader with such a sense of duty to her nation, she was willing to do anything for its well-being. Lady Virginia Bottomley who was TomThe/Photobucket.com also a conservative MP stated, “Through Contradictions are bound to follow the life and decisions of any effective politician. her leadership and personal conviction she restored our confidence, self-belief especially in banking and healthcare. of much destruction that we still mourn, and entrepreneurial spirit,” according to This woman managed to turn her entire much that she pulled down needed to The Guardian. These are not the only economy around and place it back as be pulled down,” claims Ashdown. Despite her many shortcomings, people regarding Thatcher as a powerful one of the heads of world power. Why can’t America find someone like her? I can’t help but have a huge amount woman and leader; a good portion of There is an understood level of respect of respect for this woman. She was Europe and other nations considered for Thatcher, even if one disagreed able to accomplish what a female of her a revolutionary innovator as well. with everything she did. Lord Paddy her generation (and our generation What do Americans think about Ashdown, Member of Parliament for for that matter) would naturally think all of this? New York Times writer, Yeovil and former leader of the Liberal impossible. She had an entire nation David Cannadine, rightfully compares Democrats, felt that she was a necessary under her responsibility and cherished it Thatcher’s American reputation to evil. According to The Guardian like it was her own child. Yet, she loved the admiration we held for Winston Ashdown claimed, “She was better as her country to the point of stubbornness. Churchill. In the U.S., she was seen as “a Many of Thatcher’s policies overturned world leader of unrivaled charisma and destroyer of old tired institutions and lazy ways of thinking than she was as the economic status of the 1980’s, but authority.” Her close relationship with the builder of new ones... But that’s these same policies are continuing to President Reagan only increased her probably what Britain needed then.” wreak havoc in modern times. She positive image in the eyes of Americans. When Thatcher was first elected prime did what she needed to do in Britain’s She continues to be championed in the minister in 1979, Britain was in a relative time of need, but now her decisions are U.S., and some believe that we need economic decline, reported BBC History. causing a lot of pain to the citizens she our own Thatcher to get us back on Britain was often referred to as “the sick left behind. From the many opinions of our feet. Steve Tobak for Fox Business man of Europe” and at the peak of this Thatcher as a prime minister, I was able compares the English economy in economic turmoil, the 1979 “Winter to narrow it down to a general consensus: 1979 to America’s economy today. The of Discontent” resulted in an increase not many people could say that they liked circumstances were very similar: high in unemployment and an uprising of her, but a great majority respected her. unemployment, sluggish growth, big strikes across the nation. “Though there Lauren Richey can be reached government and increasing regulation, will be many who saw her as the author at lauren.richey@spartans.ut.edu
EDITOR LETTER
Dear Editor,
I’m writing in response to Avery Twible’s opinion piece “Man Tattoos Dog for Identification, PETA Passive in Response” (11 Apr.). While we appreciate the author’s efforts to call at-
TO THE
tention to cruelty to animals, we wish Avery had contacted us prior to writing this piece, which questioned our position on the issue. We could have clarified that as soon as this case came to our attention, we urged local and state officials to conduct an in-
spection and, if merited, to seize Rodriguez’s animals and file cruelty-toanimals charges. The tattoos that PETA refers to on our website are for identification purposes. Number identification tattoos work like microchips; the numbers are registered so that a lost dog’s tattoo can be looked up and his or her guardian can be found. These tattoos should be small and only be performed with anesthetics in a veterinarian’s office—in other words, appropriate identification tattoos are nothing like what Rodriguez allegedly did. PETA is opposed to cosmetic procedures on animals, including piercings, ear-cropping, and tail-
docking. Thankfully, there is a lot that students at the University of Tampa can do to help animals! Simply encouraging friends and family to adopt animals from local open-admission shelters and never to purchase them from pet stores and breeders can save animals from tremendous suffering. Interested students should visitpeta2. com to learn more about our lifesaving work. Best regards, Kenneth Montville College Campaigns Assistant peta2
14 APRIL 18 2013 | THE MINARET
By HANNAH WEBSTER Opinion Columnist
Bill Gates is most commonly known for being the founder of Microsoft and one of the wealthiest men in the world. A phrase that you don’t often hear associated with him, however, is “safe sex.” But that is all about to change with an announcement from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation about a competition seeking a new and better condom. They are offering a $100,000 grant to the best idea in order to get it started and into production. “We are looking for a next generation condom that significantly preserves or enhances pleasure, in order to improve uptake and regular use.” This statement sums up the goal of the competition and addresses issues with current methods
OPINION
Bill Gates Holds Competition for New Condom Design of contraception that have been complained about since 1350 B.C. when the first condom-type contraceptive was documented: everyone seems to hate condoms. An experience that is supposed to be intimate between you and your partner turns into a romp laden with so much rubber that it becomes distracting. In some cases, condoms have been known to lead to an embarrassing loss of blood flow for men, and even allergic reactions for women. “I don’t think people use them all the time or as much as they should,” said junior sports management major Callie Welch. “They’re annoying to put on and they do not feel as good. I don’t know if they could change the material and not use latex, but that would be nice.” Despite the drawbacks/excuses that
ORIGAMI Condoms/Facebook.com
Origami condom is designed to enhance pleasure in hopes that more people will use condoms.
discourage people from using condoms, the fact remains that protection is important. Unexpected pregnancy might seem cool when you are watching “Teen Mom” on MTV, but I imagine a reallife reaction would be quite different. It would probably be closer to how you would respond upon hearing you have AIDS or Herpes—don’t forget condoms protect from these too, in addition to an unwanted fertilized egg in your uterus. “I know a lot of people think that they don’t need to [wear a condom] because they’ve been tested or they think it feels better, and really they aren’t looking at the big picture,” said sophomore music education major Jeff Dyal. “A lot can happen from not wearing a condom.” These reasons seem to be the main inspiration behind the competition that Gates has started. If condoms were easier to put on, didn’t decrease stimulation so much and maintained pleasure for both the man and the woman, more people would be using them. Too often, people find themselves lost in the moment and choose skin over latex without thinking of their future. “I think if they found a way to increase stimulation, then guys would be more inclined to wear them,” continued Dyal. “Wearing condoms is just overall the smarter thing to do.” Other than our own pleasure-filled needs, a better condom has the potential to help the AIDS epidemic in Africa. The issues that we have with condoms are not far from the reasons condoms are not being used there. If they were more accessible and easier to use, the
hope is that protection would be utilized more often to help prevent the spread of this devastating disease. A part of the extensive goals Gates has for this project is for the prototype to be tested and widely distributed as quickly as possible. The idea of a new condom is exciting, but when I first heard about it my immediate thought was “how?” The condom seems so simple that an idea beyond what has already been tried out seems impossible to come up with. But then I saw a video of one of the submission ideas: The Origami Condom. This condom is internally lubricated, doesn’t require any unrolling and has a motion that is much closer to that of a male’s actual anatomy during sex (a better description and video can be seen origamicondoms.com). Though initially confused, a sideby-side comparison to a classic condom had me convinced that this could very well be a better option. It will surely be a few more months at least until the winner of this competition is announced and the grant is awarded, but it will be interesting to see what ideas come forth when reinvention of something so basic was never thought possible. Whoever the winner is, Trojan and Durex will surely be scrambling for new ideas after a Gates-endorsed condom hits the shelves of drugstores. The big question is whether or not people will jump on the new product (as well as their partner) or just stick to their old methods. Hannah Webster can be reached at hannah.webster@ spartans.ut.edu
THE MINARET | APRIL 18 2013
OPINION
15
Republicans’ Budget Proposal Unbalanced, Ineffective
DonkeyHotey/Flickr.com
Republicans include massive new tax cuts in their budget, thus it never truly balances. By ALEX CARABALLO Opinion Columnist
When former vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan went on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” to discuss budget negotiations this past week, he was asked a simple question, “What are you willing to put on the table that your base won’t like?” His answer sums up the intransigence and obstinacy the GOP have displayed over the past few weeks in regards to the direction the budget should take: “We put up a budget that balances.” That’s not a compromise Mr. Ryan, that’s a policy objective. In all reality, the budget never actually balances, but economically speaking, it does. Whenever the government’s budget deficit falls below three percent of Gross Domestic Profit (GDP), the growth of the debt falls below the growth of the economy and inflation, leading to the debt
shrinking as a portion of the economy. The president has already stepped out on quite a limb by offering to reform entitlements, much to the chagrin of his base. It seems that Republicans are unable to reciprocate and make compromises that are difficult choices. For years, Republicans have screamed deficits and debt at the top of their lungs as if it were the end all and be all of important government policy. The most inane statements were regularly repeated such as, “If my family has to cut back why shouldn’t the government?” The government isn’t a family and its budget cannot be compared as such. The greatest driver of the deficit wasn’t a massive uptick in government spending, but rather a massive drop in revenue due to the recession. The deficit wasn’t a spending problem but a revenue problem due to the economy contracting. The biggest kept secret is that the
deficit is rapidly shrinking already, even without the effects of the sequester kicking in. In 2009, the deficit, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), was 10.1 percent of GDP. By 2013, the deficit has fallen to only 5.1 percent of GDP. In less than four years the budget deficit has been completely cut in half and by the end of Obama’s second term it is projected to fall below the magical number of three percent of GDP. The economic expansion period that we are currently in has grown the economy to the extent that new revenues are coming into the treasury at an increasing rate. This is helping to eliminate the budget deficit. We were never going to tax or cut our way out of the deficit but rather grow our way out. The budget is an incredibly complex piece of legislation that assigns the spending of over $3.6 trillion (Fiscal Year 2012) across hundreds of federal departments and agencies. Many seem to assume that cutting our way to a balanced budget would be a simple endeavor since the assumption that most spending is government waste is a rather common one. As the sequester has proven, you can’t cut programs without hurting significant portions of the economy. Of the $3.6 trillion budgeted for 2012, 45 percent is Social Security and Medicare, 19 percent is defense spending, 13 percent is other mandatory spending, and six percent is in interest on the debt. This leaves only 17 percent of the budget left, or $615 billion left in discretionary spending. That discretionary spending covers things such as student loans, NASA, the FBI, the USDA, Head Start and almost every widely used federal program outside of Social Security and Medicare. To give perspective on why cutting our way out of this problem is a very bad idea, one only needs to look at the size of the discretionary spending side of the budget and compare it to the budget deficit which stood at $1.1 trillion for the year 2012. To get a budget that’s
balanced in 2012, the entire government would have to have been gutted and shut down including the military. Student loans would not have been given out, food stamps would have ended and the military would have been dismantled. The only thing left in the budget would be payouts for Social Security, Medicare and interest on the debt. As I stated before, the deficit is actually shrinking faster than anyone anticipated due to a rapidly growing economy. The House Republicans assume that the deficit is a lingering problem but the long term outlook suggests that without any intervention, the deficit will still fall below three percent of GDP which would make it sustainable. An analysis by the Washington Post put the difference between the Republican and White House budgets at $4.6 trillion over 10 years. The White House wants to keep funding for vital social programs such as Head Start while the Republican budget seeks to make massive cuts towards healthcare, education and Social Security. The Republicans include massive new tax cuts in their budget which would offset much of the savings of their cuts and thus their budget never truly balances. If the last two months have shown anything, cuts of this scale can be devastating for families. Cancer patients are going without treatment because of cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and kids are being kicked out of the Head Start program. There would only be more pain from much more dramatic cuts being proposed by the Republicans. The White House budget gets the deficit to a manageable level while keeping funding for vital social programs that help the middle class and provide an economic ladder for the poor. We can’t tax or cut our way out of the deficit problem but we can grow our way out. The way we do this is by making the critical investments in our economy that are so desperately needed. Alex Caraballo can be reached at alex.caraballo@spartans.ut.edu
Rumor Spreads About New Coffee Shop on Campus By RICHARD WHITAKER Opinion Columnist
The University of Tampa needs more dining options with its latest influx of students. But the latest rumor, that we will be getting yet another coffee shop, has left many students scratching their heads. “We need additional food options, not a third coffee shop,” said Russell Wagner, a sophomore sports management major. But I disagree; if the campus leadership does this correctly, it could be a really cool addition, especially given the rumored location (near the art studio). There are three aspects that could make this third coffee shop the new “spot” on campus: 1) location, 2) atmosphere and 3) hours. The rumored location of this coffee shop is near the R.K. Bailey Art Studio, which is currently a bit out of the way. However, I believe this very aspect is not only great, but ideal. The north part of campus is clearly growing at a rapid pace with the addition of the new stadium and the academic building being constructed in that location as well. This portion of UT will need some type of caffeine plus snack option, and this coffee shop might be the perfect solution. Once the north side of campus is complete and we’re attending classes over there, do we really want to have to walk all the way
to Vaughn or Morsani Hall to get a cup of coffee before class? I don’t think so. So, location is important, but perhaps the most important element of success, the thing that will either break or make this shop, is atmosphere. This new coffee shop has to be completely different from the other two. For it to work, it needs to be 100 percent student run, with no outside employees. I believe it would be a sought-after job that would increase the appeal of the shop. Furthermore, the coffee shop has to have plenty of tables for studying and, according to sophomore Christian Sprinkle, “a super urban hipster-ish aesthetic appeal, like something you’d see in Friends.” Generally speaking, this coffee shop has to be drastically different than the other two on campus. The third item to consider is the hours of operation; in short, it needs to be open late. I sometimes joke with my friends that UT’s leadership is in denial when they assume that UT students are in bed by 1 a.m. This is definitely not the case. We’re up all night multiple days a week studying for something. Why don’t we have a place to eat during these late hours? Not only do we lack late night dining options, even our library closes relatively early at night (midnight). This coffee shop would rectify both of these issues by supplying a dining option
and place to study late into the night. I believe this shop could be really great, but the university needs to consider these three aspects if they wish it to be a place where students actually want to go. With the growth of our campus and the additions to the north side, it
is vital that we also have additional convenient north-side beverage and food options. If done correctly, this could be the start of something that will be extremely popular and helpful. Richard J Whitaker can be reached at richard.whitaker@spartans.ut.edu
Casey Budd/The Minaret
Unlike Jazzman’s and Einstein’s, the new coffee shop needs a more study-friendly atmosphere.
16 APRIL 18 2013 | THE MINARET
OPINION
Study Claims College Enrollment Lowers Chance of Adult Alcoholism By AVERY TWIBLE Opinion Writer
One of parents’ biggest worries when they send their kids off to college is how much they’ll party. How would parents respond if I said high alcohol consumption in college could lead one to drink less, as well as more responsibly, as an adult? According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), students in college have shown to drink excessively more often than their peers in the general population, but they also tend to stop these drinking habits more quickly than non-college students. There are many factors that go into the formation of an individual’s drinking habits. These could range from gender, race/ethnicity, employment after high school, military service, peer and sibling influences, marriage and adulthood, family influences, genetics, college attendance and many more, as stated by the NIAAA. With so many factors affecting an individual’s future substance abuse habits, I would think it could be difficult to perform a study that focuses on one factor in particular. Researcher Stephanie Lanza, professor and Scientific Director of Penn State University Methodology Center, attempted the feat. According to huffingtonpost.com, Lanza wanted to study the effects of excessive drinking in college on the substance abuse habits in later adult life. She decided to base the study off of two main questions: “If all youth in the United States could go to college, what impact would that have on substance use behavior in adulthood?” and “Among kids who went to college, did college hurt them or protect them in terms of adult substance abuse?” Lanza built her current data on top of the 1979 National Longitudinal Youth Survey in which “1,092 college students answered questions relating to their substance abuse habits, updated the survey with their college enrollment status in 1980 and answered more questions related to their drinking in 1993,” as reported
4 out of 5 college students drink alcohol
50%
of students who drink binge drink
25%
report academic consequences from their drinking *Statistics from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Graphic by Justine Parks/The Minaret
by huffuingtonpost.com. The results must have been positive because Lanza commented on the completed study saying, “Hypothetically, if we could send everyone in the United States to college… that would be protective overall and would significantly reduce problematic substance use in adulthood.” For a school of this size, the University of Tampa has a pretty high amount of partying, including alcohol consumption by students. Unfortunately, many students each year must pay the price of alcohol abuse which could ruin their lives or their friends’ by the allure of alcohol. Academic probation and even expulsion occurs at the University of Tampa, and according to the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, in 2011 there were 551 liquor law referrals and eight arrests of students for alcohol abuse at the school. When asked for her opinion on the study, Gina Firth, associate dean of Wellness and Student Affairs at the University of Tampa, said, “Addiction, alcoholism in particular, is progressive, and it gets worse over time. So if you are a person who is drinking really heavily in college, your likelihood of triggering something is much higher than somebody who is not drinking heavily.” Firth continued, “To me, [this study] seems like it doesn’t make common sense. With abusing alcohol, it’s not like something you just ‘get out of your system.’ Even if there is some kind of data that shows that most people that drink in college aren’t [abusing alcohol later in life], maybe it’s because they had to be intervened upon, or because something horrible happened and they had to stop using alcohol; maybe the programs like the ones we have here [at UT] actually work.” At this I immediately thought of programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), but she explained that those programs are actually for people that are already dealing with a problem. She elaborated on the many preventative programs that we have at UT that try to help students before they form a dangerous relationship with alcohol, like alcoholism, that they could suffer for the rest of their lives. “Al-Anon and AA are specific for people that are already in an addictive relationship with alcohol or other drugs where they’re stopping and they need support to do that; they’re in a recovering process,” Firth said. “The programs that many colleges and universities have, including here at UT, is what’s called a student assistance program where students that are maybe abusing or have had some bad experiences can come in, and adjust in order to lower their risk in the future. So if a heavy using individual comes in our program, our goal is to get them to do it in a way that will lower their risk and keep them out of trouble, or help them from not triggering an addiction.” I think Firth is absolutely correct. I’m a little hesitant about the results of this Penn State Study. To tell students that it could help them later in life to drink heavily in their college years is like playing with fire. Firth’s take on the source of less drinking in later years, such as experiencing a traumatic event in college due to alcohol, like an arrest, sounds logical to me. What does not make sense is students “drinking it out of their system,” as opposed to their non-student counterparts, especially because according to the NIAAA, college students drink less
Samantha Battersby/The Minaret For a school of this size, UT has a pretty high amount of partying, including alcohol consumption by students.
frequently than their non-college peers. Firth said, “For students in college, there are a lot of programs out there dealing with this issue because it is so problematic, where people that aren’t in college might not ever get to talk to someone or be referred to a program, so you see a completely different outcome because there’s no one intervening on the outside. Students come in [to get help] on their own, or they are referred from student concern program where a professor or a roommate is concerned about them, or they are referred by the office of student conduct because they have gotten themselves in trouble. I don’t know if they addressed this in the study, but colleges intervene when there are problematic behaviors: people looking out for you whereas you never know if there is in the community [for those not in college].” This is an aspect of the situation that did not occur to me. Maybe the source of the results derive from the fact that college students have people around them and watching them at all times. There’s a guaranteed consequence if you get caught drinking in college, where there isn’t necessarily going to be anyone that notices a drinking problem in the general population. In college the consequence could vary from a slap on the wrist, a lengthy lecture, a suspension or an arrest, but nonetheless, someone is going to talk to you and care about the negative effects that drinking can have on your life. Unfortunately outside of college, it’s not guaranteed that family or friends will step in and say, “I think something is wrong here.” I wanted to get opinions on the study from UT students that varied in age, gender, where they grew up and drinking habits to obtain a variety of perspectives. A lot of the draw towards heavy and consistent drinking could come mainly from peer encouragement and the temptation of low cost drinks for college students that might not be available as they get older. Leanne Ballering, a class of 2014 marine science and biology major, said, “I agree with that [study] because by the time you’re out of undergrad and graduate school, the same bar scene could be boring. Plus, you aren’t surrounded by your core group of friends encouraging you to go out
to $1 beers on Wednesday night.” Marketing major Rory Thwaites, 21, on the other hand, shared a different opinion on the matter. “Well if you begin to drink heavily in college, wouldn’t you say that it could become something of a habit?” Thwaites said. “Alcohol addiction is quite prevalent in society, and the habit you develop from your teenage years onwards I would say tends to mold the person who you grow up to be. So no, I don’t think you can ‘drink to get it out your system.’” Although this specific study turned out to show the opposite results in general, I shared the same belief as Thwaites when the study was brought to my attention. Having a personal family history of alcoholism, my perspective on the study sways more towards the idea that heavy drinking habits now would only enforce heavy drinking habits later. I grew up tagging along to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings with my family members, reading along to the Serenity prayer and 12 steps of the “good book” and listening to stories of adults and young people alike that wake up every day in an internal war between the pull of a drink and the self hatred it brings them. I’ve seen alcohol turn a beautiful young girl into a staggering, unconscious mess with alcohol poisoning multiple times from age 13 to 20, and witnessed similar abusive behavior of alcohol over the course of many years by her parents. The 20year-old attended college; her mother never did. Clearly, the daughter’s habits formed before college if she was abusing alcohol at the mere age of 13. I think the most important factor that goes into adult life substance abuse is genetics, so when I looked at my friend’s mother, I saw the future version of her. Other factors are surely very important also, like family influences, peer pressures, where you grow up and college experiences. However, I believe the most influential aspect is what is on the inside, what is coded for in our DNA that we inherit through our ancestral line, that determines the severity of your struggle with saying “no” to a drink at any age in one’s life. Avery Twible can be reached at avery.twible@spartans.ut.edu
THE MINARET | APRIL 18 2013
Sports
Tennis Feels Heat of SSC Tourney By DREW WYCOFF Sports Writer
The University of Tampa Women’s tennis team will head to Boca Raton this week to begin the Sunshine State Conference Tournament. The No. 14 ranked Spartans drew the six seed in the SSC and will face off against No. 8 Lynn University who drew the three seed on Thursday. The team suffered one of their only five losses on the season in their previous meeting losing, 7-2 at Lynn back on February 23. The only winners for UT on that day were freshman Lindsay Nochowicz and team captain, junior Lauren Hewett, both in singles. Ultimately, the season has been a roaring success for the team though. The Spartans finished with a 14-5 record (3-5 in the SSC) which included a perfect (80) month of March. However, the team has lost two of their last three including a 0-9 loss to No. 2 ranked Barry to end the regular season. But the loss has had little effect on the team’s winning mentality. “The loss [to Barry] doesn’t matter,” said Nochowicz. “We know who we can beat.” Sophomore Chloe Pereira remained optimistic as well. “We really just used the Barry match to prepare us for the conference tournament,” she said. Barry clinched the first seed in the tournament matching up against the eight seed Nova Southeastern. The format of the tournament is different than most one-and-done
tournaments with each team having a will probably take up most of my chance to compete on the day of the finals time.” for a ranking of one through eight in the The other SSC tournament matchups conference. Thursday morning will be No. 2 Saint The winners of the first round on Leo University against No. 7 Florida Thursday will face each other in the Tech and No. 4 Rollins against No. 5 semifinals on Friday and will compete for Florida Southern. the 1-4 seeds. The losers of the first round Of the eight teams competing in the then face off on Friday as well and will SSC tournament, seven are ranked in compete for the 5-8 seeds. the top eight in the Division II Southern Among the difficulties of tournament Region including Tampa. play are games on three consecutive days Drew Wycoff can be reached at and the excruciating heat on the court. dwycoff@spartans.ut.edu. “It’s about 20 degrees hotter on the court,” said Head Coach Al DuFaux. “So if it’s 90 [degrees] it feels like 110.” “We make sure to work real hard in the heat in the pre-tournament weeks,” he added. Needless to say the team will be stressing hydration per usual, downing water and taking electrolyte and glucose tablets to prevent cramps. The stress of a match everyday for three consecutive days though heeds different preparation. “I’m used to playing a match and not having anything for one or two days after,” said Nochowicz. “I’ve got to make sure I stretch a lot before and after games so I don’t tighten up.” As a freshman, she will be competing in her first SSC tournament. Conversely, this will be Pereira’s final conference tournament with UT though she’s only a sophomore. She has been accepted into the University of Miami’s Master of Architecture program and will be attending “The U” in the fall. “It’s sad, it’s only my second season Casey Budd/The Minaret and I don’t know if I’ll play at Miami,” UT Tennis has as many wins (14) in 2013 as said Pereira. “The architecture program they did in the past three seasons combined.
Softball Blanks Eckerd Spartans Sit Just One Game Back in SSC
17
AFC East Stays Busy By JOSIAH KACHELMEYER
Sports Writer
With the 2013 National Football League draft only a couple weeks away, the dust has all but settled from the frenzy that is free agency. As always, there have been teams who have fared better than others since the signing period began on March 12. It is important to keep in mind, however, that a Lombardi trophy has never been won in March. Winners New England Patriots Key additions: Danny Amendola (WR), Leon Washington (RB), Michael Jenkins (WR), Tommy Kelly (DT), Adrian Wilson (S) Key departures: Wes Welker (WR), Brandon Lloyd (WR), Danny Woodhead (RB), Patrick Chung (S), Analysis: Despite losing go-to wide receiver Wes Welker to the Denver Broncos, the Pats made enough key moves to keep their place as a top contender in the AFC. The pain of losing long-time New England fan favorite Welker was quickly remedied by bringing in former Rams wide-out and prolific pass catcher Danny Amendola. Following this signing, the Pats agreed to terms with former Cardinal and five time Pro Bowler Adrian Wilson. The 33 year old strong safety is expected to help solidify a pass defense that ranked 29th in 2012. Losers Buffalo Bills Key arrivals: Kevin Kolb (QB), Manny Lawson (LB), Alan Branch (DT) Key departures: Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB), Andy Levitre (G), David Nelson (WR), Donald Jones (WR), Nick Barnett (LB), George Wilson (S) Analysis: There was hope in Buffalo that after bringing in successful Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone, an exciting free-agency period was in store. That hope didn’t take long to turn to disappointment as the Bills failed to make any major signings and lost some of their own quality players at the same time. QB Kevin Kolb was brought in to compete for the starting job, and former Seattle defensive lineman Alan Branch was added, but other than this it appears Buffalo is relying on the draft to improve their subpar roster. New York Jets
Casey Budd/The Minaret
The University of Tampa softball team is coming off from a masterful performance during their three-game sweep of Eckerd College on April 5-6. The Spartans outscored the Tritons by a combined score of 21-0 two weekends ago. Tampa did not play this past weekend and was able to get some rest. With just six games remaining (against the bottom of the SSC), the Spartans are still alive for the conference championship as they are just one game back of leading Saint Leo. Tampa hosts Nova Southeastern this Friday at 6 p.m. before playing a doubleheader on Saturday, April 20.
Key arrivals: Willie Colon (G) Key departures: Dustin Keller (TE), Shonn Greene (RB), LaRon Landry (S), Yeremiah Bell (S), Bart Scott (LB), Calvin Pace (LB) Analysis: Poor Jets fans. After an embarrassing 2012 season that will most be remember for the Mark Sanchez ‘butt fumble,’ New York did little to re-instill hope to their supporters. Aside from adding guard Willie Colon from Pittsburgh, the Jets appeared to be in full rebuild mode after parting ways with of a number of former starters, most notably Bart Scott, Shonn Greene, and Dustin Keller. Read more team reviews at www. theminaretonline.com. Josiah Kachelmeyer can be reached at josiah.kachelmeyer@spartans.ut.edu.
18 APRIL 18 2013 | THE MINARET
SPORTS
Minaret Writer Endures a Bolts Bashing By JORDAN LLANES Sports Writer
Wow, there are a lot of Penguins fans here. I mean a lot. Seriously, where did all of these representatives of the Steel City come from? It would be my luck to sit in the only Pittsburgh dominated section in the entire Forum. But no matter. I’m here to see the Lightning send the Pens back to Pittsburgh with their tails tucked. The atmosphere is literally electric. The Tesla Coil that sits near the Forum’s pipe organ fires of bolts of lightning, pumping up the home crowd. The large Lightning logo at the top of the organ lights up in multiple colors and different sequences, and the organist busts out a few short tunes to bring the home crowd to a loud “Let’s Go Lightning!” chant. The lights around the ice fade into darkness, and the broadcaster announces the arrival of the Bolts from the locker room. The team skates onto the ice, led by star captain Vinny Lecavalier and right wing Marty St. Louis. The rest of the squad, including top goal scorer Steven Stamkos and new goalie Ben Bishop, fresh off a dominant performance against his former team, the Ottawa Senators, follow the team’s two leaders. After the Bolts and Penguins went through their opening warm-ups and the national anthem streamed through the stadium’s loudspeakers, the teams took center ice to start the game. A hush fell over the crowd as Stamkos and Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin opposed each other on the opening faceoff. The
Samantha Batterby/The Minaret
According to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s website, Thunderbug (pictured right) was born on “Bugtober 7, 1992.” His favorite band is The Beatles.
referee dropped the puck, and Stamkos passed it back to his teammates. Good start for the Lightning Now, the Penguins are the best team in the Eastern Conference. Even without star Sidney Crosby, who is sidelined for the rest of the regular season, they still sport one of the league’s best goalies in Marc-Andre Fleury, as well as a dynamic offense spearheaded by Malkin, the Russian sniper, as well dependable scorers in Kris Letang, who was returning from an injury of his own, and Pascal DuPuis among others.
However, the Lightning were on their home ice. Despite a sub .500 record that has them at 13th in the East, the Bolts have been playing a lot better lately under the leadership of under newly promoted head coach Jon Cooper and the acquisition of Bishop. They had a 5-0-1 record at home in the last six games. And through the first two periods, they were only down by the score of 3-2, due to goals from forwards Teddy Purcell and Brett Connolly. During the first two periods, the Lightning home crowd was boisterous. They roared chants and
exclamations when the Lightning struck, as well as when penalties were issued. However, by the time the third period, and the game had ended, the home crowd had gone all but silent and were replaced by a jeering Pittsburgh fan base. The Penguins scored three breakaway goals to take a 6-2 advantage before Purcell scored in the closing seconds to make the final score a 6-3 margin. The Lightning play next on Thursday night in Montreal. Jordan Llanes can be reached at jordan. llanes@spartans.ut.edu.
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THE MINARET | APRIL 18 2013
19
Heat Still Favorites Entering Playoff Time By CONNOR ANTHONY Sports Writer
With the NBA season coming to an end, the next focus is set for the playoffs. To no one’s surprise, the Heat won the Eastern Conference easily, and the best record in the league. The Thunder and Spurs are battling to see who will end up winning the West. Though the Lakers were the most hyped team of the year, they easily were this year’s most disappointing team. It almost seemed like the Lakers couldn’t catch a break from the beginning. Both Pau Gasol and Steve Nash missed over 20 games, Dwight Howard’s inconsistencies, and now Kobe Bryant’s Achilles injury have made this a season from hell. On the flip side, the New York Knicks have been the team that seemed to defy all odds. Amar’e Stoudemire missed over half the season, and Tyson Chandler has missed time due to injury. Carmelo Anthony has picked up this team and put them on his back, with a little help from J.R Smith of course. The Knicks just recently had their 12game winning-streak snapped in which Melo was averaging over 30 points per game. Currently averaging 28.7 points per game, Melo is two games away from capturing his first ever scoring title. Though there won’t be much competition in the East, the Knicks will be the Heat’s biggest threat if they get the opportunity to meet. The West is wild; it’s anybody’s game. The Denver Nuggets are always a team that is good, but never good enough to do much damage in the playoffs. They could end up being the No. 3 team in the West, and after a 15-game
win-streak late in the season, they are also going into the playoffs on a hot note. However, Danilo Gallinari and his 16.2 points per game won’t be making it to the playoffs, as the Italian will miss the rest of the season due to a torn ACL. The Clippers and Grizzlies have shown that they are the real deal, showing that last season wasn’t just a fluke, and Golden State went from a 23-43 last season to a 45-35 record currently, and are a formidable six seed. The West is literally up for grabs, as all these teams are extremely talented and competitive, but the favorites have to be the Thunder. Regardless of trading James Harden to Houston, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have the Thunder looking to win the Western Conference for the second year in a row. The biggest threat to the Thunder will be the Spurs, who have shown that despite their age, they are a serious contender. What makes them a possible favorite, is all the playoff and championship experience their players have. One of these two teams should end up in the championship, but like I said the West is wild. The East won’t be as competitive as the West, but still have Indiana and Brooklyn who are very solid basketball teams. Brooklyn probably won’t fare too well in the playoffs this year, but in years to come they should be a team to watch. Indiana is a dynamic team who have an excellent display of talent out on the floor. I would see them getting past the first round, but not making it any further. The East also boasts the streak-killing Bulls, a team who has handled the top two teams in their conference easily this
Keith Allison/Flickr.com
Carmelo Anthony is in the midst of an NBA Scoring Title battle with the Thunder’s Kevin Durant.
year, even without their star Derrick Rose. My pick for the East is the Heat, as they are the best team in the league plain and simple. When June rolls around, so will the NBA finals. I would predict a rematch of last years championship, with the Thunder and the Heat both winning their conferences and meeting yet again. The Thunder are a more mature team and have a lot to prove, but an absence of James Harden could prove to be their
Achilles heel. The Heat are the best team in the league, but with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade suffering injuries this year their biggest factor will be to keep their “big three” healthy all through the high intensity that the playoffs brings. When it is all said and done, King James and company will be raising their second championship trophy over the Thunder after the seventh game. Connor Anthony can be reached at conno@spartans.ut.edu.
Post-Injury, Will We Ever See Mamba Again? By GRIFFIN GUINTA Sports Writer
Attention conspiracy theorists: Any hypothesis that says that Kobe Bryant is not a human being has now been proven wrong. After a gut wrenching ACL injury endured against the Golden State Warriors, it is safe to say that Kobe is no longer indestructible. Although, up until now, it would have been perfectly feasible to believe that Kobe was some kind of super human or alien. For almost his entire career, Bryant has been an unstoppable force, capable of playing through any kind of pain or ailment. He’s the black mamba, a machine that runs on heart and willpower alone. It’s hard to even fathom that his heart has finally succumbed to his aging body. In a teary press conference given after the game, Bryant vowed that he would return, but will he ever be Kobe Bryant again? The harsh truth is that Kobe is 34, and may not be able to pull off as speedy a recovery as some of his younger counterparts. Granted, I’d never doubt Kobe Bryant to accomplish miraculous feats, but age is definitely a factor. Plus, the dude has been playing in the league since ‘96. For the NBA, the early departure of Bryant this season is a huge blow. Kobe is a top five player, the captain of Los Angeles and an unquestionable face of the league. Not having Kobe in this year’s playoffs and possibly the start of next season is a huge disappointment. Though the Lakers
Prior to his Achilles injury, Kobe Bryant was in the M.V.P. conversation.
were certainly having an off year, Bryant had been playing out of his mind all season. In fact, Kobe had played the entire game in his last few starts, showing no signs of stopping. This astonishing fact ultimately begs
Keith Allison/ Flickr.com
the question: Was it wise to keep Kobe in for so long? Yes, he’s the leader and gets buckets left and right but at the age of 34 there’s only so much he can push his body limits. I don’t want to heap all the blame on
Mike D’Antoni, as his latest strategy of unleashing the Mamba had actually been working fairly well. The Lakers were getting quality wins and Bryant didn’t seem to mind doing whatever it took to fulfill his midseason guarantee that Lakers would be making the playoffs this year. However, perhaps D’Antoni should give Gregg Popovich a call and get some advice on how to manage veteran players. Though it’s a slightly different situation, you’d never see Pop risk the health of Tim Duncan or Manu Ginobili to simply secure the eighth seed in the playoffs. Even coming from a Celtics fan, it’s frustrating not to see Kobe out there. As much as I dislike him when he tears up the C’s, I appreciate him as a competitor. Kobe Bryant tirelessly gives 100 percent and makes games far more interesting with this frequent late game heroics. Plus, (though it’s highly unlikely to happen), a potential Finals matchup between Boston and L.A. would seem horribly off without the Celtics’ arch nemesis out on the court. For Laker fans, this season is surely one to forget. Their star studded team has underwhelmed, they may not even make the playoffs, and now their franchise player is on the bench for the rest of the year. I have no doubt that Kobe Bryant will follow through with his promise to return. Kobe’s willpower alone is enough to get him through. I just can’t help but wonder: Will we ever see the same Kobe again? Griffin Guinta can be reached at griffin. guinta@spartans.ut.edu.
MINARET
NFL Offseason [17]
W. Lacrosse Prepares For Takeoff By PAIGE SHALLCROSS Sports Writer
The University of Tampa’s new women’s lacrosse team will be competing in their first season in the spring of 2014. Last year it was announced that Tampa would be adding a women’s lacrosse team. Head coach Kelly Gallagher is very enthusiastic about this opportunity. “I’m so excited and honored that I have been given the opportunity to be the first head coach of the new women’s lacrosse team here at UT,” said Gallagher. “I just cannot wait to build this program.” Since the team is brand new at the University of Tampa, Gallagher is traveling and recruiting for more prospective players for the Spartan team. Recently, Gallagher went to a big lacrosse tournament in Ohio where there were schools from all over the Ohio-Pennsylvania area competing. “We are recruiting like crazy right now so we can get more girls involved on the team,” said Gallagher. “We are doing whatever we Kelly Gallagher can to get the news of the new program out in the open and trying to bring the best possible recruits to see campus. We already have a possible solid number of incoming freshmen ready to play, but we are also looking at possible college transfer players and players who are in Junior College too.” Even with all the possible new recruits coming in next year, the Spartan team already has some players like Maggie Griffo (sister of Deep South Conference player of the year and fellow Spartan Greg Griffo) that are really excited for the development of this new team. “I’m very excited for the new team and it is so great to see that there are so many other people excited like the Mayor,” said Griffo. “It’s great to be a part of a new program and start a new tradition at UT.” With all of the excitement of the program growing already, and a strong competition lined up for next spring, Gallagher is preparing the girls for what is to be expected next year. Knowing the team is already showing promise, Griffo thinks that it would be an awesome accomplishment to get some quality wins during the season. “Coach Kelly recruited a lot of good talent for next year so I think it would be a great accomplishment as a first year team to beat some of the better division two teams,” said Griffo. Even though there are things that the team wants to accomplish next year, Gallagher does not have any specific goals for the team yet. “Of course it would be awesome to win, I love to win, but I’m being realistic,” said Gallagher. “As long as we take steps forward and we play strong I think we will have a great season.” Paige Shallcross can be reached at paige.shallcross@spartans.ut.edu.
UT’S SOURCE SINCE 1933
SPORTS
NBA Special [19]
New Field Is Turf-ific By NATHAN KROHN Sports Writer
Greg Griffo took a quick glance at the score as he lazily walked around midfield. He juggled the ball with his stick before dropping it on the ground; the defender took a step towards him. Griffo sprinted to the ball and proceeded to seamlessly swoop it up, fighting off the defender with his free arm. Avoiding slashes, he sprinted towards the goal and ripped a shot into the upper right corner so fast the goalie could do nothing but shake his head afterwards. “That’s the player of the year right there!” One of Griffo’s teammates yelled to the Saint Leo sideline as they ran back to the bench. Griffo went on to score three more goals in the 18-8 route of Saint Leo as the University of Tampa men’s lacrosse advanced to the Deep South Conference championship game. “We’re very thrilled,” head coach Rory Whipple said. “We wanted to win the conference and the tourney. We got the first part of that goal done.” Griffo, a second-team all-DSC player last year, improved his game in the offseason through workouts and weightlifting and was named player of the year for the DSC conference. “Player of the year is awesome,” Griffo said, smiling through his mouth guard at practice. “I came in [to the year] in better shape. Worked out harder this offseason; did some weight lifting and went outside shooting as much as possible.” The win over Saint Leo was the second in less than a week at the brand new Naimoli field, a stadium built primarily for lacrosse. “The stadium is awesome,” Whipple said before practice Thursday. “It’s one of the nicest lacrosse facilities in any division in college athletics.” The new stadium features nearly 2,000 seats, a state-of-the-art scoreboard and an
Lacrosse in Netrospect 2012
2013
Games Played
16
15
Record
11-5
10-5
Goals per Game
9.38
12.20
Goals Allowed / Game
7.19
9.07
All-DSC Selections
7
9
Leading Scorer
A.J. DeSimone
Greg Griffo
“We [The team] just like to complain,” Griffo said. Other players preferred the turf to grass as it provided better footing but admitted that the heat could be a problem. UT facilities director Jerome Fulton was aware that this could become an issue and explains that to combat the heat of the turf an underground water cannon was installed while the facility was being erected. The cannon can quickly spray water on the turf, cooling it down to a playable temperature. Artificial turf was chosen for the new field despite its higher cost of installation and coach Whipple’s preference to play on grass. Athletic Director Larry Marfise explained that in the long run turf will have been the less expensive option as the upkeep and maintenance required for grass fields adds up. “Nobody truly prefers turf,” Marfise said, sitting at his desk in the Martinez Athletic Complex. “But the field won’t get torn up. Granted, it costs more money to install but in the long run, it equals out.” The new field gives the school a lot of flexibility with scheduling teams and allows for the possibility of hosting more playoff games as well as conference tournaments.
Samantha Battersby/ The Minaret Kevin Morris, No. 44, and Simon Ruppert, No. 30 celebrate after a win agaisnt St. Leo.
artificial grass surface. “[It’s a field] every kid dreams of playing on,” sophomore Drew Motschwiller remarked excitedly. While most players and coaches had nothing but good things to say about the new stadium, there was some small distaste with the fact that turf was chosen over natural grass. “Natural grass is preferred, turf gets hot,” Whipple said concisely. “In the summer it gets real hot, we’ll have to practice at night.” Griffo, felt the heat of the turf wore the players out faster but reassured that it wasn’t a problem.
“It gives us an advantage over other schools, they can’t say our field is not good enough or it’s too worn out,” Marfise said. “We also don’t have to kick kids off the field at Pepin, because that’s supposed to be for you guys.” While the Naimoli Athletic and Intramural Complex opens new avenues of opportunity for the athletic department, the field could not have been built without overcoming several hurdles. Permit holdups, sewage and drainage issues and city versus state property were just a few obstacles that pushed the original unveiling of the stadium back nearly four months. Not to mention the limited space
the school had to build the stadium. “There was a lot of discussion on which way the field should face,” Marfise explained. “Some including myself wanted it to be north and south. The president wanted it the way it is.” Marfise admits that with the angles of the railroad tracks and the limited space to work with, the field, as it sits now, is the best position. However, as the sun sets in the west, it lines up directly in the eyes of the near side goalie, an obvious competitive disadvantage. For that reason, games are required to start after the sun has dipped below the horizon. “We would generally start games around 6 or 7 p.m.,” Marfise clarified. “Before daylight savings time it’s not going to be a problem. Around this time of year we’ll have to push the games back. That’s the reason we had to push back the ceremonies for the opener.” Despite the field not being finished until the hours leading up to the unveiling and that there are still some small things to be fixed, Marfise is more than happy with how the field turned out. “Some of the gates open the wrong way and there are some issues with drainage that need to be sorted out,” Marfise said. “But overall I think it turned out to be absolutely beautiful.” After the opening of Naimoli field, the athletic department went right back to the to-do-list to see what was in-store in regards to future facilities. “The University has a master plan for what it wants to do next,” Marfise said. “Expanding the science lab is on-deck. As for us, a new fitness center is the next priority.” The plans for the new fitness center include tearing down the Ferman Music Center and replacing it with a multi-story fitness center complete with an indoor gym that will be up to three times the size of the current McNiff center. The new facility would feature all glass walls so students working out could look down at the newly relocated pool, placed directly next to the sand volleyball courts. Marfise says they are still in the midst of talking with possible donors about funding the project but stated that if a donor walked through the door today with the money, they would break ground immediately. Nathan Krohn can be reached at nathan. krohn@spartans.ut.edu.