The Minaret 04/30/2015 by The Minaret

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Alex Martin/The Minaret Alli DiGiacomo (left) and Travis misarti (right) have produced multiple shorts and have been recognized by the Cannes Film association for their film titled “Tea Time.”

Student Filmmakers Travel to Cannes Film Festival By JORDAN LLANES Asst. Sports Editor

After winning the Jury Award for “Tea Time” at Campus Moviefest (a moment that junior film and media arts major Travis Misarti called “incredible”) he received an email one day saying that the short film had been entered into a selection process to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival in France. The process was a bit nerve-racking

for Misarti and senior communications major Alli DiGiacomo. “We had to fill out an application, and they said that they would be selecting 26 students out of everyone they had invited,” Misarti said. After meeting last semester, the duo DiGiacomo and Misarti started Forza Coppia Productions, which is the production company that the two use for their movies. “Tea Time” was

conceived by Misarti over winter break, while DiGiacomo wrote her film “Seeing Straight,” which is another short film under the Forza Coppia banner. “We decided that we were going to co-direct both of them (“Tea Time” and “Seeing Straight”) together,” Misart saidi. “I sent ‘Tea Time’ to her, and she looked over it, and she said ‘this is great, I love it, I really

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wanted to work on it with you,’ and she didn’t have any other corrections for it.” The collaboration between the two filmmakers has sparked quite a bit of notoriety in just a short time frame. In addition to winning a Jury Award at Campus MovieFest (CMF) and being invited to Cannes, DiGiacomo’s leading lady in her film “Seeing Straight,” Jade Rivera, won Best Actress at the Campus Movie Fest finals here at UT. Working with the same actors has really helped them when it comes to shooting their films. “We feel like we’re really comfortable with using those actors. We feel like it’s a strong collaboration,” Misarti said. “It’s a big deal to find as directors people that you’re comfortable with. A lot of actors such as Charles (DoubledayPotts, who often serves as the leading man), Jade we’ve used a lot.” DiGiacomo also stressed the importance of collaborating with actors who are willing to take criticism from directors as young as they are. “It’s important to find actors that you can trust,” DiGiacomo said. “It’s better when the directors and the actors have trust. When Jade won Best Actress (at CMF), I was excited because we didn’t nominate her, so they chose her. She definitely deserved it because she’s convulsing and she actually cries so it was amazing.” That trust, in part, led Misarti to To CANNES Page 4

Theater Students Entreneurship Center Plan For Program Adjustments Show What majors living on campus will be placed in limiting student’s exposure to interaction in the same dorm and automatically placed in the local entrepreneurship community. an Entrepreneurship 101 course. However, there have been some recent They’re “Working” Since the entrepreneurship major “I think these changes will bring successes. In February of this year, the has been brought to UT, students have more confidence to the freshman Southeast Entrepreneurship Conference With reportedly lacked the right exposure to entrepreneurship majors, which is what you (SEEC) was held here at UT. Students were By HANNAH SAMPADIAN News Writer

See A&E Page 7

Students Are More Than Their Test Scores See OPINION Page 11

the resources needed to communicate with their fellow entrepreneurs. The Entrepreneurship Center at UT is trying to change this, with a few substantial adjustments in its programs and events in the upcoming 2015 school year. James Zebrowski, a UT alumni and staff assistant to the chair of the Entrepreneurship Center said, “We’ve (faculty) noticed that our students are

need in this field,” Holden Laquerre, senior entrepreneurship major said. “I didn’t really start meeting other kids with my same major until my upper level courses. Introducing them young will get them ahead of the game, it’s all about networking.” The department has attempted to increase networking in the past, but it hasn’t always gone so smoothly. During the Fall

Men’s Lacrosse ‘I think these changes will bring Team to Host more confidence to the freshman entrepreneurship major’ Conference - Holden Laquerre Tournament See SPORTS Page 16

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terrified of the word ‘networking.’” To bring less fear and more excitement to the idea of networking, the center has organized some locational and departmental changes. Beginning in the upcoming Fall semester, all incoming entrepreneurship

semester of 2014, there was a summit event, which brought in several business professionals to present to the students information on their specific careers. Several scheduling conflicts came up during the process and the event had to be cancelled,

able to participate in the national conference and interact with peers, as well as gain insight from professionals in the community. “Business professionals love meeting students,” Zebrowski said. “It’s the biggest advantage students have and should take advantage of to get ahead.” In the upcoming months, the Entrepreneurship Center has set up several events to make these professionals and students more readily available to one another. One of these is the Spartan Accelerator program, an event series designed to help current students and recent alums grow their business ideas, which will take place May 1. For next semester, entrepreneurship students can look forward to many more events and extracurricular activities. More information on these events can be found on the event calendar under the Entrepreneurship Center section at the UT website, as well as the Entrepreneurship Center’s UT webpage. Hannah Sampadian can be reached at hannah.sampadian@spartans.ut

APRIL 23 2015 | THE MINARET

MINARET

NEWS + FEATURES

A Guide to Oxford: Creating the Perfect Application

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mia Glatter

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ART DIRECTOR

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT Jackie Braje, Editor

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OPINION

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SPORTS

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Ellis Catalan/ The Minaret (From left to right) Victoria Suslovitch, Lauren Canemeres, and Selene San Felice are honor students who are studying at Oxford next fall.

By SELENE SAN FELICE

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Asst. A+E Editor

jordan.llanes@theminaretonline.com

As a high school junior on one of many college tours, I was blown away when I first learned about UT’s Honors Program, and the opportunity to study abroad at the University of Oxford. Then, as a freshman I saw those I considered campus celebrities being sent off to Oxford and thought, “I would never get picked for something like that.” Well somewhere between then and this past March I decided to give it a shot, and the Honors Program has accepted my proposal for chosen me the Oxford Study Abroad Program (OSAP) in Fall of 2015, along with the brilliant and beautiful Lauren Candemeres and Victoria Suslovitch. However, getting chosen for OSAP takes more than just a stroke of luck. There are a few things to keep in mind when preparing for your interview and application. An Experienced Mentor Behind every young Skywalker there’s a wise Obi-Wan. Without the help of my advisor, Dr. Dooghan, I wouldn’t have had any idea what to expect from the application process. A great mentor will know the ropes of the application process, so they will be able to help you tweak your essays and help prepare you for the interview. Previous OSAP students also make great mentors, especially if they studied topics you are interested in. An Oxford Worthy Project (or Two) Students aren’t being sent to Oxford because they’re good at writing essays and being interviewed. Applicants have to prove they’re worthy of UT’s highest honor because they need it. Each applicant will be asked to identify two potential tutorial topics, which if chosen will be their subject for one-on-one independent studies with Oxford Dons. These studies are built around about a billion words in weekly research papers, which are then discussed and analyzed at meetings. Pick something you’re not only passionate about, but well informed on. You need to be able to prove to the honors board that you’ve been working on your project(s), but it (they) can only be advanced with the knowledge of the Oxford Dons and seemingly endless resources in the Oxford libraries. Your topic can be anything

Jordan Llanes, Asst. Editor

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PHOTOGRAPHY Casey Budd, Editor

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STAFF WRITERS Madison Irwin Brianna Kwasnik Micole Pieklo Hannah Sampadian Sammi Brennan

Melissa Torre Regina Gonzalez Andrew Stamas Erin Townsend Sam Allen Marisa Nobs Kamakshi Dadhwal Ann Marie Distasi Lauren Milici Liz Rockett Daniel Sobczakr Emily Vannoy Becca Turner Ryan Clabaugh Kara Delemeester Claire Farrow

COLUMNISTS Marcus Mitchell Griffin Guinta Selene San Felice

GRAPHIC DESIGN Tori Pavel Wendy French

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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

Mia Glatter/ The Minaret Central Oxford, England

you want, but don’t feel the need to make it incredibly complex. Picking a topic because it seems fancy and complicated might seem like a good strategy, but if you’re chosen you’ll be faced with that topic for an entire semester. Instead, pick something UT has limited to no classes or resources on, or a subject that is just picking up speed in the academic world. A Flawless Interview and Application This is the part where your mentor comes in, but they can’t do all the work. Pick your topics wisely and make sure you express in both the interview and the application essays that you know what OSAP is about. Namedrop specific libraries and museums you’d like to study at and take a look at OSAP’s online database to see specific resources they’ll have on your topic. Name-dropping also comes in handy during the interview for reminding the honors board of UT students who have been through OSAP and studied similar topics to what you have chosen. Be prepared to tell the honors board why OSAP will help your career in the long-term, and how you will be able to benefit UT and the honors program once you return. Make sure your essays are as specific as possible (which is unfortunately hard

to do in 200 words each) and try to make your interview (which will be the shortest or longest 10 minutes of your life) surprise-free. A Bit of Maturity While being chosen for OSAP is prestigious, the program isn’t for everyone. You’ll need to prepare yourself to live across the pond for an entire semester and travel alone. OSAP also isn’t a typical study abroad program. While many study abroad programs are rumored to have easy classes and offer more sight-seeing than studying, OSAP is the exact opposite. Chosen students will be seeing the inside of the Bodleian library for the majority of their time, and while excursions and travel opportunities are available, seeing the rest of the UK and other countries will have to wait until the semester is over. Before students are even chosen, they need to understand that UT’s OSAP selection is one of the school’s most competitive programs, and there’s no shame in applying more than once. However, each application experience needs to be learned from and improved upon. Selene San Felice can be reached at selene. sanfelice@theminaretonline.com

THE MINARET | APRIL 23 2015

NEWS + FEATURES

Hookah Leads to Negative Side Effects Students who enjoy hookah are at a similar risk for cancers caused by smoking cigarettes and cigars. By BRIANNA KWASNIK News Writer

Many students on college campuses take to smoking hookah. It’s legal, cheap and a social activity for students to take part in with their friends. Some may even try to argue that smoking hookah is safer than smoking traditional cigarettes, and less risky than smoking marijuana. However, studies show, neither are true. Mary P. Martinasek, a professor in the department of Health Science and other researchers at UT conducted an on campus study in 2012 regarding hookah smoking. Out of over 900 students surveyed, she found that half the students admitted to having tried hookah, and one third reporting current hookah use (in the past 30 days). “From the research that we conducted with surveys and interviews, it is apparent that the popularity is primarily the social aspect of smoking hookah. Students have stated that when they smoke hookah they are fixated around a pipe providing an environment that engages them in conversation and attending hookah bars allows them to meet people,” said Martinasek. “A lot of the reason why people are so misinformed about the harmfulness of smoking hookah comes from the fact that people don’t truly understand what is in the flavored tobacco that is being smoked. It is such a social activity, and smokers don’t realize how long of a period of time they are smoking or how much they have smoked. They are still ingesting the harmful smoke and can become addicted to the nicotine in the tobacco,” said senior Advertising and Public Relations major, Keira Fox. Also known as narghile and goza, a hookah is a type of water pipe in which special tobacco is heated and the smoke is passed through water to be

Those who enjoy hookah are at risk for lung cancer and other side effects associated with smoking cigarettes and cigars.

inhaled through a rubber hose. Hookah smoke contains toxins including carbon monoxide, tar, heavy metals and other various chemicals extremely harmful to our health according to the Mayo Clinic. There are currently 26 hookah lounges in Hillsborough County. Because hookah is most often used as a social activity, hookah lounges are places to gather with your friends in a comfortable environment with low lights and cozy couches to smoke together. It is important to keep in mind that these lounges are not regulated in terms of how much Carbon Monoxide is present in the room, making it a harmful environment to be breathing in for too long. There are currently no regulations as to how often the hookah bowls are to be cleaned. Without regular proper cleaning, the hookah bowls are susceptible to transfer germs.From the feedback researchers at the University

of Tampa have received back, bowls may be cleaned with glass cleaner and the hoses with hot water. No responses have included bleach or other antibacterial cleansers. The main premise behind the research is focused on the question: “is hookah a gateway drug?” Will it get kids smoking cigarettes, because of the Nicotine found in hookah? Some students claim there are some positive effects and reasons for smoking hookah, including dizziness, the buzz, a way to pass time, fun and a legal high. However, there are many negative affects as well. Of the students who have reported having tried hookah, many also report experiencing one or more of the following symptoms: coughing, headaches, shortness of breath and chest pains after smoking. Other effects include nicotine withdrawal, which can cause irritability, fatigue, headaches, insomnia and difficulty concentrating.

Casey Budd/ The Minaret

Hookah smokers may actually inhale more tobacco smoke because of the large volume of smoke inhaled in one smoking session, which can last much longer than a cigarette, according to the Mayo Clinic. The tobacco in a hookah no less toxic than the tobacco in a cigarette; the water in the hookah does not filter out the toxic ingredients in the tobacco smoke. Students should keep this in mind when making the decision to smoke or not to smoke. “A lot of people think that, because it passes through water, they are only inhaling water vapor, so it is not bad for their health. It is most definitely smoke, and even if it is not inhaled, it can still cause throat and oral cancer, gum disease, tooth loss, as well as numerous other harmful effects,” said Fox. Brianna Kwasnik can be reached at brianna.kwasnik@spartans.ut.edu

INFORMATION

POLICE BEAT

Reports compiled by Zoe Fowler No Soliciting, Por Favor On April 13, two LA Fitness employees were observed contacting students for a survey. Their actions could not be verified as sanctioned by the university and they left the propery. Must Be Some Kind of Record On April 15, nine students were arrested off campus by the TPD and the Florida Alcoholic and Beverages and Tobacco Bureau for underage possession of alcoholiv beverages. It’s her dog. She can do whateva!! On April 15, a student failed to comply with directives when instructed previously to have her therapy dog on a leash.

SNATCH AND RUN! On April 16, a non student stated her purse was stolen from her when she fell asleep on the bench. Yo, People Be Doing the Most On April 17, a staff member reported that someone had poured detergen on his car. Welcome Back?? On April 18, a former student now employed as a staff member came to the Campus Safety office concerning a ticket.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT Panhellenic Carnival The event takes place on April 25 at 11 a.m. in the Vaughn Courtyard. Anchor Splash The event is on April 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the pool. Exam Jam The event hosted by Student Productions will begin on April 29 at 3 p.m.

APRIL 23 2015 | THE MINARET

NEWS + FEATURES

Art Therapy To Be Offered Next Semester By NICOLE PIEKLO News Writer

Art therapy is a useful practice designed to help people cope with stress, anxiety and other traumatic events. Starting next semester students can explore this career field with the “Art Therapy: Applications and Techniques” class. The intro-level class requires no previous art background from students and explores symbolism and dreams while having students work hands-on with materials like clay, paint, markers and natural materials. The class will be meeting next semester on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. at the Bailey Art Studio. Also offered as a major, the practice of art therapy is a form of psychotherapy most commonly used inside of prisons, hospitals and therapy sessions. Art therapists will urge patients to partake in a structured activity during a session and later analyze the project and the creative process for any signs of emotional distress. Professor of the class, Merrilee Jorn, is a board certified Art Therapist with over seven years of experience. Jorn has provided mental health counseling to both families and individual patients after receiving her Master’s Degree in Art Therapy from Florida State University. “In my own experiences with art therapy, I really focus on helping clients come to terms with stress, trauma, and behavioral issues,” Jorn said. Cancer patients who participated in creative arts therapy derived significant clinical, psychological, and quality-oflife benefits, a meta-analysis of more than two dozen studies showed, according to medpagetoday.com.

Jorn teaches a wide variety of students from all majors and teaches students based on her personal experience as an art therapist. “I’ve worked in many hospital programs. I’ve even designed projects for patients with Sickle Cell and groups of patients with Autism. I like to bring those real-life examples into the classroom,” Jorn said. Recent projects done by the class required students to make masks that represent their spirit animals, create boxes and write their fears on the inside of it, and keep track of dream journals that analyze the symbolism found in their dreams. “This class is my first experience with art therapy. I find it interesting,” said previous student of the class, Ashli Hoser. “I’m not a very open person, I don’t do well with emotions. It’s neat to explore feelings through art rather than talking.” Erika Gram, an art therapy major, has always been interested in art therapy. “My high school teacher was an art therapist,” Gram said. “She told me about it and really made me want to go into the field. I want to get my Ph.D. and start my own practice working with children.” Students like Gram in the art therapy program study a wide variety of topics on their way to becoming registered art therapists, such as adolescent art, general psychology, child psychology, statistics and experimental methods, theories of personality and much more. To learn more about the class for non-art majors as well as the art therapy major, check out their webpage on the UT website. Nicole Pieklo can be reached at nicole. pieklo@spartans.ut.edu Photos Courtesy of Lorena Snodgrass Pictured are a few examples of different types of art therapy pieces students will make during the class.

Student filmmakers make it big with “Tea Time” From CANNES Page 1 pen “Tea Time” over break. DiGiacomo said that they didn’t need to alter the script during shooting, which is rare when shooting a narrative film, even when it’s just a short one. Working with actors that they already had a relationship with allowed them to film “Tea Time” in just six hours. “It was really the actors that inspired the writing,” Misarti said. “I wrote each character for each person playing the part. Only one of the actors actually dropped out before we started filming, so we had to replace him, but David (Rinere) did a great job with that role.”

Because both of them had directed the film, they would each have to fill out their own application. DiGiacomo and Misarti commented that it was a huge honor being selected to go to the festival, because a selection committee picked them over thousands that had applied from across the United States and the United Kingdom. “We had to wait for a week and a half, but we couldn’t tell anybody because we didn’t know if we got accepted,” DiGiacomo said. “Usually they just choose one person for each film, but they chose both of us.” Both filmmakers are working tirelessly to raise the necessary funds in order to

make the trip to Cannes. Even though they were accepted to Cannes and into the CMF Finals that will take place in Los Angeles this July, only the CMF trip is covered by the school. But thanks to a fundraising effort put together on gofundme.com that has already raised them over $1,000, as well as an additional $1,000 pledged to them by the UT admissions department if they make a highlight video of their trip to Cannes, provided the couple raises the rest of the funds to make the trip. The future is bright for these budding filmmakers, and the trip to Cannes is only the start for them. Misarti still has one more year

After winning categories at the Campus Movie Festival, the Forza Coppia Production company has been invited to Cannes Film Festival in France.

left at UT. He plans on making a pirate film for his senior thesis film that’s required for all FMA majors. Meanwhile, DiGiacomo has an even higher bar set for their future. “We are going to write while we are in Cannes,” DiGiacomo said. “We are going to win Oscars. I’m just kidding, but seriously, Oscars. That’s what I’m looking forward to at one point.” Jordan Llanes can be reached at jordan.llanes@theminaretonline.com

Photo Courtesy of Forza Coppia

THE MINARET | APRIL 23 2015

NEWS + FEATURES

SUMMER2015

Explore

2-Week May Term May 11 – 22

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

www.ut.edu/summer

Catch Up

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APRIL 23 2015 | THE MINARET

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

DIVERSIONS

ON CAMPUS APRIL 23

Be-You-Tiful Natural Spa

Tips on external and internal beauty care will be offered to give students natural remedies to apply to their lives. The event takes place in Sykes Chapel from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. APRIL 24

SP Film Showing: Neighbors Student Productions will show the film “Neighbors,” a comedy starring Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne, in Reeves Theater at 8:00 p.m. The movie is free with a UT ID. APRIL 29

WUTT Weekly Meeting

The weekly meeting for WUTT, UT’s campus radio station, is open to all students interested in working in radio. The meeting will be from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in North Walker 134 APRIL 29

The Hunting Ground Screening

The “The Hunting Ground” is a startling glance at sexual assaults on college campuses. The film will be shown in the Grand Salon at 8:00 p.m. and is open to the public.

OFF CAMPUS APRIL 23

In The Heights

American Stage is performing Broadway’s Tony Award-winning Best Musical, “In the Heights.” American Stage’s annual performance in the park takes place at Demen’s Landing and tickets start at $13. APRIL 24

Blast Friday

This monthly Clearwater celebration hosts live music, unique vendors, food, activities and contests. The festival takes place along Cleavland St. and begins at 5:30 p.m. APRIL 25

Asia Fest

This colorful festival celebrates the sights, sounds and tastes of numerous Asian countries. The event is free and takes place at Contanchobee Fort Brook Park. APRIL 28

Alanis Morisette

The Canadian 90s superstar Alanis Morisette will perform at the Mahaffey Theater at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $49.50.

websudoku.com

PICTURE of theWEEK

Photo by Daniel Diasgranados

The wall of oppression, built in the Vaughn courtyard for Diversity Week, was torn down on Friday, April 18 to symbolize diversity and acceptance on UT’s campus.

THE MINARET | APRIL 23 2015

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT Brand New Keeps Fan Base On Edge By JORDAN WALSH

Arts + Entertainment Writer

Long Island-based rock band Brand New broke their six-year musical drought Monday, April 14, with a new song “Mene.” This development comes after a general stirring within the band’s camp over the past few weeks, and was followed up by the live debut of a second new song on April 15, “Sealed To Me.” No musical cult following is quite like the one that Brand New has collected over the past 15 years. From 2001’s textbook pop punk debut “Your Favorite Weapon” to 2009’s incredibly dense “Daisy,” Brand New has receded further and further into the shadows in presence and in artistry. In the six years since “Daisy” was released, Brand New has remained relatively quiet for a band that still claims to be active and functioning. This is par for the course for a band that has always had trepidation when it comes to talking with the press and has members who have started families and other projects. However, these caveats have not stopped a rabid fanbase from clamoring for any clue of what might come next. What usually comes as a result of this clamoring are a lot of false alarms and a lot of pissed off fans. In reality, the band’s activity is not all that mysterious or strange or difficult to decipher-- the band has reported year after year that they’ve been working slowly on new material, continuing to

play shows although nationwide tours have been few and far between. So when word started coming in on April 3 that Brand New was perhaps hinting at something, it was difficult not to be skeptical. April 3

was the day that Brand New finally mailed out lyric booklets for their incredible 2006 release, “The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me,” a souvenir promised to fans who mailed a dollar into the band upon the record’s release. The band’s failure to mail out the booklets in a timely fashion had become a running joke among the fanbase, so it comes as no surprise that some fans would go to great lengths to prove that there was more to come from the occurrence. Shipped with the booklet was a flyer announcing an official cassette release of an infamous set of demos leaked

during the recording of “The Devil and God,” along with references to a Wardencliff Tower, a long demolished New York wireless tower. Insisting on the importance of these “clues,” users on absolutepunk.net reported local fans going to great lengths (perhaps even trespassing) to scope out the scene, but to no avail. Some users even claimed to have followed through with the flyer’s (clearly sarcastic) request to send in “proof of bloodshed.” These fans are definitely not messing around. Of course, these (occasionally dangerous, extreme) attempts at peeling back the layers of Brand New’s mystery are bound to be fruitless. What followed the arrival of the lyric booklets was exactly what may have been expected from a band clearly stirring from relative dormancy--on April 8 the band opened the first show of their latest tour in Denver with “Mene,” a short, sweet, but distinctly Brand New track. A few days later, the band’s website was updated and an official recording was streamed and released. In addition, last Saturday’s Record Store Day saw the long awaited and promised vinyl reissue of Brand New’s breakout record, 2003’s seminal “Deja Entendu.” This limited edition release precedes a standard, more widespread re-press scheduled for May 5. The Record Store Day reissue includes a lyric booklet in the same style as the one sent out for “The Devil and God,” the cover similarly embossed with the word “Pogolith”

on the front, the distinct meaning of which is still not clear. Setting aside the mystery, it seems clear that the band is settling the debts they’ve accrued over their career, as if they are wiping the slate clean for a fresh start. This sentiment is perfectly in line with the one reflected in a second new song that Brand New debuted live on April 15, titled “Sealed To Me.” A dynamic shift from the rapid fire nature of “Mene,” “Sealed to Me” is somber and repentant. When exactly a new record will be released is still up in the air. The idea of a surprise release in the vein of Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” or Beyoncé’s self-titled record has been thrown around a lot, but it doesn’t seem to be in Brand New’s DNA to actively stir the pot that much. In reality, Brand New has never really done anything drastically mysterious or surprising when it comes to promotion. Fans expect the band to bring the darkness and ambiguity of their recordings into their business politics, when all Brand New has actually done is smartly time their promotions in releasing lyric books, vinyl reissues and new music within a short window of time. With all of this in mind, now may be the time for fans to finally get their hopes up. It seems as if a new record announcement should be coming relatively soon--no proof of bloodshed necessary. Jordan Walsh can be reached at Jordan.walsh@theminaretonline.com.

Theater Students Show What They’re “Working” With By KARA DELEMEESTER Arts + Entertainment Writer

As the final weeks of UT’s spring semester come to a close, the hype for the spring musical begins. “Working” is a uniquely formatted show based on a novel of interviews with American workers by Studs Terkely and will be performed in Falk Theater at 8 p.m. April 23 to 25, and at 2 p.m. on April 26. According to UT Director and Associate Professor Michael Staczar, “The show presents a variety of working class people, all sharing the ups and downs of their jobs and defining not only their unique experiences, but their hopes and dreams as well.” The cast consists of nine students: junior Samuel Boatwright, junior Mikaela Braken, senior Emanuel Carrero, junior Louis Lage, senior Emily Peduto, sophomore Mollie Posnik, freshman Brian Stanco, junior Jessica Stone, and sophomore Gershom Vacarizas. These nine talented actors alone will portray the more than different 25 roles in the production. The working class people portrayed in the musical range from a housewife to a trucker to a corporate executive, so there’s a variety of characters for everyone in the audience to enjoy. The stories of each character are intertwined, each one connecting in some way with the character that performs before them. “Strangely enough, even cast members have mentioned that there are a number of characters in the show they recognize as someone in their family: a father or mother, an uncle, a cousin, and so on,” Staczar said. While the show is short, running for only 90 minutes with no intermission, the cast and technical crew have been working on “Working” throughout the semester and are excited to finally have

an audience to perform for. Junior Makela Braken is a Musical Theater major who has been working hard to capture several of the characters in “Working.” “We have rehearsed this show all semester and we could perform it in our sleep, but once you put an audience in the seats the show takes on a whole new energy,” Braken said. “It becomes so much more exciting to perform because the actors on stage can hear and feel the reactions from everyone sitting in the theater and it really drives the show.” “Working” includes songs by Stephen Schwartz, James Taylor, Micki Grant, Craig Carnelia, Mary Rodgers, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. With such a wide variety of composers involved in the production, there’s a little something for everyone. “You will hear every style of music from country and pop to standard musical theatre because each song in the show was written by a different composer,” Braken said. “The show is serious and funny all at the same time.” Most importantly, the musical gives the audience a glimpse into the perhaps unfamiliar world working class life. Staczar hopes that, through watching the show, students will gain a respect for the work their parents and other family members put in to ensure a better life for them. “It is that sense of identification and the realization that this is what they do/ did, and they did it to for me—their child—to be sure that I would have the things that they couldn’t, or to insure that my life would be better than theirs,” Staczar said. Kara Delemeester can be reached at Kara.delemeester@spartans.ut.edu.

Photo by Alexandra Martin/The Minaret “Working” will be performed from April 23 to 26 in Falk Theater and tickets are free with a UT

8 APRIL 23 2015 | THE MINARET

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Marvel and DC Duke It Out On The Small Screen By Claire Farrow

Arts + Entertainment Writer

“Marvel and DC comics have been rivals for quite a while now. First, the rivalry was in print, then years later moved to film and has now entered the realm of television. Smatterings of live-action television adaptations of comic book characters have been produced since the 1950s and continued through the 1970s with the shows “Adventures of Superman,” “Batman,” “Wonder Woman” and “The Incredible Hulk.” From there, there were few superhero shows that lasted more than a few seasons or retained strong followings. Now, instead of having only one show trying to satisfy fans, there are seven, and they are all vying for audiences’ attention.

“Daredevil” (Marvel)

“Daredevil” is unique to this group because it is the only one of these shows that isn’t a network or cable series. Rather, it is a Netflix Original series. However, like shows such as “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black,” “Daredevil” thrives in this format. Gone is the forgettable (perhaps laughable) 2003 film version of the blind crime fighter, and in its place is the dark, brooding and engaging television series. While it is only briefly mentioned, “Daredevil” is set in the current “Avengers” Marvel universe (the Battle of New York was mentioned in the first episode; and the Avengers are alluded to very briefly later in the season). Although it is set in the universe of “The Avengers,” this series doesn’t deal with many superhero-y elements. Naturally, Daredevil is a badass, but most of the show doesn’t focus on what makes Matt Murdock special, but rather the inner struggles of his psyche—is he willing to sacrifice himself for his city? Of course, it helps that the other characters in this show are as equally compelling as Murdock’s. Additionally, the writing is solid and well crafted, which gives reality to a fictional world.

“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” (Marvel)

Phil Coulson became a fan favorite character beginning with “Iron Man” back in 2008. From there, Coulson’s popularity and screen time grew to such a degree that he became a main secondary character in 2012’s “The Avengers.” The following year, Joss Whedon, the director of “The Avengers” brought “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” to the small screen. This series follows Phil Coulson and his team of S.H.I.E.L.D agents as they protect the world from potentially dangerous alien and superhuman forces. This show has very close ties to the events in other Marvel films. For example, a major plot point in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” was played out further in the remainder of the first season and into the second season. While the first season was wonderful, this second season has floundered slightly in story direction.

“Gotham” (DC)

“Gotham” isn’t actually about Batman. Rather, it is the story of future police commissioner James Gordon, young Bruce Wayne, and the origins of many of Batman’s future villains, such as Selina Kyle (Catwoman), Oswald Cobblepot (Penguin), and Edward Nygma (Riddler). The show is more of a crime drama than a superhero show, but that works in “Gotham”’s favor. The show is allowed to focus on the disparity of the city, and the struggles James Gordon faces as he attempts to remain uncorrupted while working to clean up this very corrupted city. This first season is off to a somewhat slow start, but is still engaging and successful enough for viewers to warrant a second season pick-up by Fox.

“Arrow” (DC)

Because “Arrow” happened to be on the same network as “Smallville” and played within the same universe as Superman (and in fact would be using one of the main characters in the Superman universe), “Arrow” first had to distance itself from the more campy world of “Smallville” and create a world of its own. Once the show established that it would be deviating from Superman’s story, it was free to explore the more Bruce Wayne/ Batman-esc character that is Oliver Queen, aka the Green Arrow. Like “Gotham,” “Arrow” focuses a lot on the corruption within Starling City and the Green Arrow’s attempts to save his city. Beyond this, “Arrow” also looks at the toll vigilantism takes on Oliver Queen and the people in his life. As the series has progressed, “Arrow” has become more flashy and comic book-y, though this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Gotham/Facebook.com, Daredevil/ Facebook.com Marvel’s “Daredevil” (below) is available on Netflix, and DC’s “Gotham” (above), airs on Fox.

evil. This series is the weakest of all currently on television. The storylines are predictable, and the writing lacks a depth of emotion and reality to it.

“iZombie” (Vertigo Imprint, DC)

the police in solving murders under the guise of being a psychic. “iZombie” manages to weave humor, horror, and drama into a delicious, brainy cocktail of fun. -Out of this group of shows, it is hard to determine exactly which series is the best out there at this moment. However, one must admit that “Daredevil” has the strongest case, being the most well rounded comic book/ superhero adaptation out currently. The superhuman abilities Matt Murdock possess aren’t the main focus of the story. Rather, the central theme of this story is about people: what makes them good, bad or both, as well as the complex power struggle between greedy individuals and those who wish to better their world. The storyline is dark, but not so depressing that it becomes a turn-off for the viewers. Rather, the audience remains engaged throughout the first season, and are left anxiously awaiting the second.

While this show isn’t strictly DC, Vertigo Imprint is a subsidiary. “iZombie” is the newest addition to the comic book/television realm (in terms of network or cable series), and has struck television gold. This show explores the concept of a highfunctioning zombie, Olivia “Liv” Moore, who was once a cheerful “Agent Carter” (Marvel) heart surgeon resident with a loving “Agent Carter” was an engaging, eightfamily, fiance and friends. That all part miniseries that explored the life of “The Flash” (DC) changed when she attended one Agent Peggy Carter following World War Set in the same universe as “Arrow,” party and inadvertently turned into a II and the “death” of Captain America. “The Flash” is more campy and flashy member of the undead. In the months One of the aspects that made this series than its counterpart. Barry Allen is following this transformation, Liv unique was the historical setting. While the Flash, the fastest man alive. And adopts a pale goth look and takes a this series was a little slow at the start, that’s about it. He is a “lab rat” at job at the coroner’s office, where she by the end of its very short run, Peggy the police station who, after a freak has unfettered access to brains. There Carter’s character went from Captain storm juiced by a particle accelerator, are side effects to eating the brains America’s squeeze to bamf spy. There is transformed into a “metahuman.” of the deceased--Liv adopts certain is no word yet as to if ABC will order a With his team, he must protect his personality traits and memories of those Claire Farrow can be reached at Claire. second season of “Agent Carter.” city from other metahumans who are dead. With these abilities, she assists farrow@spartans.ut.edu.

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

THE MINARET | APRIL 23 2015

Summer 2015 Promises Hot New Music Releases By JORDAN WALSH

While The Minaret will be going on hiatus for the summer, the music world never sleeps. This summer will see the release of some highly anticipated records, and while we won’t be around to review them, that doesn’t stop us from highlighting the ones to keep an eye out for.

Arts + Entertainment Writer

The Early November - “Imbue” (May 15, Rise Records)

The New Jersey group’s second album since coming off hiatus, “Imbue” promises to be a stellar continuation of an incredible band’s career. Hints of grunge and ‘90s rock define prerelease tracks “Narrow Mouth” and “Circulation,” and it’s a fantastic look for The Early November. Judging from these two songs, “Imbue” will see the band stretching their boundaries even further, letting their talent as a fantastic rock band overpower their history as an early ‘00s emo juggernaut.

Florence+The Machine - “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful” (June 1, Island Records)

Florence+The Machine has spent nearly their entire career as indie pop heroes, storming the charts and popular media with their 2008 single “Dog Days Are Over.” Masterminds Florence Welch and Isabella Summers produce incredibly graceful and wonderfully dynamic pop rock, and the lead single from “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful,” “What Kind of Man,” promises a more nuanced and confidently done continuation, Welch’s smooth, emotive vocals taking center stage behind a blooming sonic landscape.

Nate Ruess - “Grand Romantic” (June 15, Fueled By Ramen)

Nate Ruess is best recognized as the voice behind fun., a band that dominated the radio with cuts from their wonderful 2012 record “Some Nights.” He’s lesser known from his work in the equally terrific indie pop duo The Format in the early 2000s. Ruess is one of the best songwriters in the pop world, his body of work ranging from the pop rock tinges of The Format’s “Interventions+Lullabies” to the circus dabbling of The Format’s incredible “Dog Problems” and fun.’s debut “Aim and Ignite.” “Grand Romantic” comes a year after fun. member Jack Antonoff saw some success with the release of “Strange Desire” under the name Bleachers. Ruess made a small radio splash with his first solo single, “Nothing Without Love,” which seems to be closest in style to “Some Nights,” but this seems to be more of a warm up than anything. Ruess has never released a bad or predictable album, there’s no reason to expect anything less than fantastic on his solo debut.

mewithoutyou - “Pale Horses” (June 15, Run For Cover Records)

Very few rock bands are as lyrically dense and intricate as mewithoutyou. “Pale Horses” is the follow up to the

band’s best work, 2012’s “Ten Stories,” an independently released concept album about a group of circus animals caught in a train crash in 1878. With a body of work rooted in post hardcore but often drenched in folk traits, mewithoutyou promise another few years of deciphering and referencecatching with their sixth full length record, their first with Run For Cover.

Desaparecidos - “Payola” (June 23, Epitaph Records)

Desaparecidos is the punk brainchild of Conor Oberst, best known for his work in Bright Eyes. “Payola” will be the band’s second album, the first since 2001’s fiery “Read Music/Speak Spanish,” a hyper political burst of energy from a songwriter most often aligned with sad, folky songs. Lead single “City On A Hill” is a little cleaner than “Read Music/Speak Spanish,” but better written, more focused and more catchy. If “Payola” follows through, it’ll be the best, funnest record to get angry to this summer.

Kanye West - “So Help Me God” (Release Date TBA, Roc a Fella Records)

It seems as if no one really knows what to expect from the follow up to Kanye West’s critically acclaimed, sonically bleak

2013 record “Yeezus.” Rumored to be on the record are the sweet autotune drenched ballad “Only One” and the scorching “All Day.” The range displayed between just those two tracks shows the difficulty in predicting whether or not “So Help Me God” will cling to the middle ground or end up being something completely off the wall. Knowing Kanye, the latter seems more likely.

Chance The Rapper & the Social Experiment- “Surf”

(Release Date TBA, Self-release)

Chance The Rapper is set to release his follow up to his successful 2013 mixtape “Acid Rap” some time this year, his first official collaborative recording with The Social Experiment. The album was announced last October and will be released for free, as “Acid Rap” was two years ago. If “I Am Very Very Lonely,” a Social Experiment/Chance The Rapper track streamed last year, is any indication, “Surf” could see Chance venturing into more R&B centric territory, a good look for the Chicago based artist. The Social Experiment especially shines on single “Sunday Candy,” a more upbeat track that promises an incredibly interesting array of sonic textures for the record to follow. Jordan Walsh can be reached at Jordan. walsh@theminaretonline.com.

‘The Road Within’ is an Offbeat Yet Uplifting Road Trip By Sammi Brennan

Arts + Entertainment Writer

“The Road Within” is the bizarre road trip of the year. Packing three dysfunctional teenagers into a confined space for a long period of time is bound to cause turmoil. After the passing of his mother, Vincent (Robert Sheehan), who suffers from Tourette’s Syndrome, embarks on a road trip to spread his mother’s ashes. Accompanying him is the sarcastic Marie (Zoe Kravitz) who is battling anorexia, and the British Alex (Dev Patel), a germaphobe who struggles with OCD. The three decide to flee from an experimental clinic and drive to the ocean with Dr. Mia Rose (Kyra Sedgwick) and Vincent’s insensitive father, Robert (Robert Patrick) hot on the trail. The indie film is squeamish, despondent, uplifting, comical and overall offbeat. Prominent films depicting Tourette’s Syndrome lack in number. Perhaps one of the most recognized features is 2008’s “Front of the Class,” the true story about a man’s journey to become a teacher despite suffering from Tourette’s Syndrome. In “The Road Within,” director Gren Wells makes it clear what the audience is in for from the opening scene. Vincent sits anxiously in a church during his mother’s funeral trying tremendously hard to hold in his tics. Eventually, his efforts fail,

and while the minister is delivering a eulogy, Vincent blurts out, “Shut up you f***ing pedophile,”amongst other things. From the start, Vincent displays innocence, even if his words say otherwise. Everything from his pure green eyes to his timid demeanor expresses an inner child struggling with a terrible disease.

3 out of 5 stars Needless to say, these actors have clearly done their research. Tourette’s Syndrome is a disorder arduous to portray, but Sheehan depicts Vincent’s struggle realistically and admirably. Kravitz lost twenty pounds for her role, shrinking to a mere ninety pounds by sticking to a straight diet of pureed vegetables and clay. Her character, Marie, is hollow but shows sparks of life every so often. However, the standout performance by Dev Patel cannot go unnoticed. Patel exposes how lost his character Alex truly is, burdened with the constant slamming of doors and inability to touch others. All three of them are outcasts who bond over their every day battles. At one point, Vincent tells Marie, “My brain is broken but all you have to do is eat something.” This is a prime example of how wrongly these disorders can be interpreted.

The film’s downfall is that there aren’t any lingering emotions. Moments that have the potential to be tear-jerking are soon masked by dark laughter. There’s not enough time to sympathize. At times when Vincent clashes with his father, it is almost too forced, lacking any chemistry between the two actors as father and son. The relationship between Dr. Mia Rose and Vincent’s father is rather indecisive. Dr. Rose’s background is never discussed and her compassion for her patients is nullified by the fact that she never once calls the cops to find them. Even the score goes rather unnoticed and

it’s much needed considering it would facilitate the impact certain scenes have on viewers. The film is a remake of the 2010 German drama “Vincent Wants to Sea,” which received raving reviews. Written and directed by rookie Gren Wells, “The Road Within” needs more depth, but the stellar performances of the actors carry the film. “The Road Within” is currently playing in selected theaters but is available on iTunes and Amazon instant video. Sammi Brennan can be reached at Samantha. Brennan@spartans.ut.edu.

The Road Within/ Twitter.com “The Road Within,” directed by Gren Wells, was released on April 17 and is available on iTunes.

APRIL 23 2015 | THE MINARET

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Relay for Life Rallies UT Students for a Cause On April 18 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. students came together to raise money for cancer research By JESSICA MORTON Photographer

Thousands of students spent the night gathered at the track fundraising for the American Cancer Society. Teams sold food, items or activities for a donation and over $80,000 was raised throughout the year. Bands performed and contestants strutted their stuff in a drag show. Students lit lumineras in a ceremony to remember those they love who are affected by cancer. A former UT Student gave a moving speech about her fight against leukemia.

THE MINARET | APRIL 23 2015

OPINION

Students Are More Than Their Test Scores: Standardized Tests Shouldn’t Weigh So Heavily EDUCATION LIZ ROCKETT Opinion Writer

Tests can be stressful and unpredictable, especially if the stakes are high. While standardized tests have tortured most U.S. students since grade school, exams such as the SAT, GRE, MCAT, and LSAT often strike fear in older students because of how large a role they can play in their futures. Plus, they can also be hard to prepare for because, unlike most class tests, the subject matter is often difficult to predict. At UT, admissions officials don’t look at just test scores -they consider GPA as well because they understand test-taking anxiety affects some students, said Bruce Benner, UT’s director of enrollment management. UT however, is not the only school doesn’t solely use test scores when it comes to the admission progress. In fact, My College Options lists 105 schools on their website which do not require SAT or ACT scores at all. A holistic look at both standardized test scores and GPA can “provide a window to the student’s academic prowess,” Benner said. For example, a low GPA but high test scores can indicate a student is undisciplined in academics. Test scores can also help better evaluate

homeschooled students, whose GPAs can sometimes be inflated, Benner said. It is essential for universities to look at students from a holistic angle because they would get a much more accurate idea of who they are accepting or rejecting. I think the types of courses that students excelled in should also be something that admissions officers take into consideration. This way, if the student was applying to a particular program at a university, admissions would be able to see whether or not they did well in specific aspects of high school that would prepare them for the program. This could open a lot more doors for many people “Too many universities overemphasize test scores and do not take a holistic approach … research has demonstrated standardized test scores plus high school GPA is the best predictor of student success in college,” Benner said. It is upsetting that other universities don’t take the holistic approach. Placing importance solely on standardized test scores not only denies many students opportunities, but disregards four years of hard work. On top of the stress and the potential for excluding some students from some universities, the monetary cost of standardized tests is ridiculous. Marketplace.org

tjtoday.org

Standardized tests should not carry the most weight for prospective colleges when evaluating students.

states that each SAT testing session costs $52.50 and the ACT costs $35. Applicants and their families also pay about $125 per SAT/ACT tutoring session as well as about $75 per college application. During my application process, I applied to about 12 colleges, took the SAT twice, and the ACT once. Although I didn’t take any test prep courses, my parents still paid upwards of $1,000 before I was even accepted to a university, where they would then need to pay for housing deposits and all of the other necessary college fees. I feel as though colleges should reduce the application prices or standardized testing requirements in order to lessen the monetary burden on families.

“The test and test prep class industry needlessly sap money from families, and in my opinion, waste valuable economic resources,” Benner said. “Test score and economic stats are positively correlated, which indicates socioeconomic bias.” It’s sad to think there’s bias in college admissions. Students should be admitted to the perfect colleges for them based on their skills and knowledge. Standardized testing doesn’t fully reflect those factors, because the testing rooms are completely different environments from college classrooms. Liz Rockett can be reached at elizabeth.rockett@spartans.ut.edu.

Free-Range Parents Should Accept Consequences PARENTING BECCA TURNER Opinion Writer

Parents who wish to use a free-range method should research state laws first In a recent incident, Child Protective Services briefly took a 6-year-old and a 10-year old from a Maryland family after they were found walking by themselves. This sparked debate over the practice of free-range parenting. In free-range households, children are allowed to roam about as they please and figure out their problems alone. This method of parenting developed as a counterpart to helicopter parenting, where parents hover around their children and help them with everyday tasks. Free-range parenting amounts to parents allowing their children to gain independence by gradually doing more and more on their own.

Critics of free-range parenting argue that it is not safe for children and that children should be monitored more closely. This is a valid concern, but when free-range parenting is implemented correctly it allows children to learn responsibility and grow as individuals. Danielle and Alexander Meitiv, the parents involved in the Maryland debate, seem to have a pretty reasonable philosophy on why they raise their children the way that they do. The children are allowed to progressively test limits, mainly by walking to places within a mile of their home. It is supposed to teach self-reliance, responsibility and how to make choices for themselves, according to The Washington Post. The Meitiv family’s end goals are what most parents want their children to become: self-reliant, responsible decision-makers. The parents on either side of the debate want the same things, but they want to achieve them differently, and that’s what is causing a divide. Different parenting philosophies are necessary in our society, as it helps to create a new generation of varied individuals. However, parents must be aware of the local laws and recognize that it may impact how

they want to raise their children. The Meitiv family has failed to adhere to Maryland law. In Maryland, a child under the age of eight must be accompanied by someone who is at least thirteen, according to Child Protective Services. The Meitiv parents were legally neglecting the children. While it is understandable that the Meitiv family wants to raise their children in their own way, they must adhere to the law. The Meitiv family needs to accept the legal trouble that they brought on themselves, as what they did is considered child neglect in Maryland. Simply disobeying legislation because one disagrees with it and then being surprised that there are consequences is illogical. If the Meitiv family, or others who wish to free-range parent, disagree with the legislation in their state, then they should attempt to change the legislation, accept it as it is, or move. They can move to one of many states, including Florida, that do not set an age for unmonitored children, according to NPR. Free-range parents, in states that do not have legislation that interferes with the technique, must still weigh the benefits of this parenting style against the hazards. There is always

the possibility that their children could injure themselves while unsupervised or be the victim of a kidnapping. Free-range parenting can be a perfectly sound parenting technique so long as the parents help their children understand the risks and what to do if something bad happens while unsupervised. Parents are also responsible to instruct their children on the dangers of their local environment, from a busy road to an area gang. Parents could possibly send their children out with walkie talkies so that they can check in without drastically interfering in the children’s experiential learning. Ultimately, free-range parenting should be different than not parenting. In most states, free-range parenting and child neglect do not have to go hand-in-hand. Parents who want free-range children need to prepare their children for their experiences, even if they won’t be out there with them. However, if free-range parents live in one of fifteen states that has age laws for unsupervised children then these laws should not be overlooked. Becca Turner can be reached at rebecca.turner@spartans.ut.edu

APRIL 23 2015 | THE MINARET

OPINION

Vote Based on Research, Not on Gender CAMPAIGN TRAIL EMILY VANNOY Opinion

It was about a week ago that the nation received the long awaited headline “Hillary Clinton Announces Candidacy for 2016 Presidential Race.” Everyone saw it coming, yet somehow her try for office was a questionable move. She has been portrayed as a strong, female leader from day one. She was strong when her husband was unfaithful, she was strong while under scrutiny for her personal emails, and she was strong when reporters chased her ‘Scooby’ van. But the question I pose to women across the nation is this: Does it show strength on our part for voting for the only female candidate thus far? It is an incredibly empowering feeling, ladies, to see one of our sisters up among the big dogs, brawling for the ultimate job: President of the United States of America. However,just because she is a woman, and you are a woman, it by no means is a mandate for your vote. What you need to consider is the evidence, not the genetics. Has Mrs. Clinton been truthful? No, she has not, evident in the scandal surrounding the business she did on her personal email account. This is a huge no, no in a government job of any type. Strike one against her integrity, a crucial value every leader should have. Has she presented honor in the actions she has taken in the past few years? On some platforms, yes, as she maintained it well when faced with an adulterous spouse. On others however, innocent lives were lost, seen in her refusal to take action in Benghazi. Strike two against her honor. Has she shown loyalty to the American people? No, she has not, again, as seen in the horrific Benghazi terror attacks of 2012 when

flickr.com/ Brett Weinstein

Everyone should do their research before voting this upcoming election season, but women especially should not just vote for Clinton solely because she is a woman.

she left the American Embassy to their own devices instead of ordering assistance for them. Strike three against her loyalty to America. Has she shown truthfulness when addressing the American people? No, again, she has not. She claimed that in 1996 she landed in Bosnia under heavy sniper fire as she went to support the troops, a mere seven years before we nearly lost the beloved Brian Williams to a barrage of sniper fire from deep within the unforgiving Iraqi desert. Recent footage of that very trip has proven it wrong as young children ran to bring her flowers, and Mrs. Clinton, all smiles, walked calmly to her vehicle. That’s strike four, you’re more than out. If you are voting for someone who lacks just these basic, yet integral leadership values, then you in turn are showing a lack of strength. The sad fact of the matter is that

females will be voting for Mrs. Clinton simply because she is a woman. To have a woman in office would be amazing, and yes, it should happen soon, but choosing the first female candidate to jump in the running is like choosing the first car you look at on the lot. Know your facts, know who you are, know what you think; know what you need to know. It does not make you less of a supporter of equality to decide to give your vote elsewhere. In fact, it makes you a more intelligent woman. A woman is a strong being, with integrity, with passion, with moxy and know how. Therefore, if you stand for what you believe, and choose a candidate who best represents that, you in turn are a strong, self sufficient woman. Being a woman is knowing who you are. Being a woman is knowing what you want. Being a woman is

being strong in the face of adversity. While Hillary Clinton has displayed all of these characteristics, I do not think that she is the best person for the office at this point in time. There has been too much of a shadow cast over her character in the past few years. She has shown instability as a leader, which is something we simply cannot stand for in our current global climate. Who we need is someone with a reputation that has no holes punched in it. We need someone who is upright, and who will be not only be a strong leader, but a strong image for our country as well. So ladies, I implore you, pay attention, learn your facts, and make your own decision. And most importantly, know what you think, and who you are. Emily Vannoy can be reached at emily. vannoy@theminaretonline.com

Teacher Justified in Sending Letters to Death Row Inmate ETHICS

MARISA NOBS Opinion Writer

Marylin Zuniga, a New Jersey teacher at Forest Street School, was recently suspended for allowing her third grade students to write get well cards to Mumia Abu-Jamal. A previous member of the Black Panther Party, Mumia is serving a life sentence in prison for the murder of a police officer back in 1981. Originally, he was given the death penalty, but it was downgraded after multiple appeals. Last month, complications from diabetes led to Mumia’s hospitalization. While it may initially seem outrageous that a teacher would let her students reach out to a convicted murderer, she had good reason to. In February, Zuniga introduced a quote from Mumia to her students

and asked them to reflect on it: “So long as one just person is silenced, there is no justice.” This month, she mentioned in passing that Mumia was sick and her students enthusiastically asked to write him get-well cards. When they were done, Zuniga dropped them off with one of Mumia’s close friends, Johanna Fernandez, who is a professor at Baruch College in New York City. One f the most controversial aspects of this story is that Zuniga took to social media to share what her students had done. She tweeted, “Just dropped off these letters to comrade Johanna Fernandez. My 3rd graders wrote to Mumia to lift up his spirits as he is ill. #freemumia.” When the school became aware of what she had done, they immediately suspended her, which is still in effect, according to the Washington Times. When pleading her case to the school board, Zuniga apologized for broadcasting the event online.

While I agree she should not make political statements online that involve her students, the main problem is that she did not inform the school of what she was doing. When involving a public figure as controversial as Mumia, the school should be made aware as well as the parents. Due to being left in the dark, many parents have voiced their outrage over the letter writing, which will probably become a contributing factor in May when a final decision of Zuniga’s job will be announced. As this was her first year teaching, she may have been blind to how sensitive the topic was by her excitement to share the cards. However, the project was neither dangerous nor ill-intentioned. In fact, it was the complete opposite. Zuniga strove to teach her students compassion and how it should extend to all people, even those in prison. She helped humanize a man who by some is viewed as a monster. This

is an important lesson for young children to learn and while it was executed in the wrong way, Zuniga was right to allow her students to write the cards. An important fact to remember is that the students came up with the idea themselves; it was not a forced assignment. This speaks volumes to how innocent and caring children can be, which are rare qualities that should be preserved and encouraged rather than squandered. If Zuniga had said no, that would have conveyed the idea that a man in prison is undeserving of even a simple get well card. While it is clear that some mistakes were made, Zuniga does not deserve to lose her job for trying to be supportive and considerate of her students’ wishes. Marisa Nobs can be reached at marisa.nobs@spartans.ut.edu.

OPINION

THE MINARET | APRIL 23 2015

Rubio Will Prove Most Promising GOP Candidate in 2016 CAMPAIGN TRAIL RYAN CLABAUGH Opinion Writer

Florida Senator Marco Rubio has officially announced that he is throwing his hat into the ring for the upcoming presidential race. On the younger side of his forties and lower on experience than most, if not all of his competitors, Senator Rubio stands in fifth place in the primary race with 8.3 percent support according to an aggregate of polls collected by Real Clear Politics. However, with over a year and a half until the presidential elections he has time to make up ground and represents the Republican Party’s best chance to take back the white house in 2016. A self-proclaimed product of the American dream, Senator Rubio hails from West Miami and similar to a large segment of that area’s population, is of Cuban descent. His parents migrated in 1956 and worked their way into the middle class. His father was a bartender and his mother a maid, cashier, and retail clerk. He attended undergraduate school at the University of Florida followed by law school at the University of Miami. His political career began as the City Commissioner for West Miami before he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2000. He then rose to the position of Speaker in 2006 before being elected to his first senate term in 2010.

flickr.com/Gage Skidmore

Marco Rubio, Senator of Florida, announced he is running for President in 2016. and will prove to be the leading GOP candidate

A quick run-through of the Senator’s stances on our nation’s most important issues yields many consistent ideologies with the rest of the GOP. Beginning with his stance on our budget, he believes that spending should be frozen in all areas except defense (we’ll get to that later), according to PBS. Our entitlement program is growing

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at an unsustainable rate and drives our debt, one that has skyrocketed under the current administration he says in a letter to CNN. Where Senator Rubio really separates himself from the pack is when it comes to his newly proposed, and highly criticized, tax plan. Although after reviewing the plan, it contains ideas that could appease all. According to a Fox Business article, this plan simplifies the current seven tax brackets down to two: a 15 percent rate for couples making under $150,000 per year and a 35 percent rate for those over that mark. This should entice those who believe that the wealthier class in America does not pay their fair share. The other part of the plan includes a provision that would slash the corporate tax rate from 35 percent (the highest among developed countries) to 25 percent. This would ensure that, while the upper class is being taxed appropriately, they would save money on this corporate tax thus making America a better place for job creation by bringing businesses back into the states. As stated before, Senator Rubio believes our country spends too much on entitlement programs. Regardless of what your stance on these programs such as Medicare and Social Security are, the undeniable truth is that they are heading towards bankruptcy. On his website, the Senator pegs 2033 as the year that Social Security will become insolvent, citing a lack of economic growth and an aging population. Without raising taxes, the only options to reform the system would be to raise the retirement age for younger Americans, reduce Cost of Living Adjustments, and other changes to benefits according to an article by the American Enterprise Institute. While these changes would be unfortunate, Senator Rubio should be applauded for his willingness to take on the tough issues, especially one that could turn into a serious problem if not addressed soon. As for Medicare, it would be transformed into a “premium support system” which would empower seniors with choice and market competition according to Senator Rubio in a letter to Fox News. This is part of his three part plan for health care reform. He promises to repeal Obamacare but believes the current Supreme Court case called King v. Burwell will do it for him.

After this, his Medicare reform along with a reform of current insurance regulations to encourage innovation and an “advanceable, refundable” tax credit would round out his policy. This should come as good news to the many who have lost their doctor and insurance policy under Obamacare and will be good news to all if King v. Burwell strikes a huge hole in the current president’s bill. Although it is good to have a backup plan to the current system, Senator Rubio still has work to do in explaining how his plan will improve an American health care system that is far more costly than any other in the world and yet yields only the 37th best outcomes according to the World Health Organization. This abysmal ranking being due to the vast amount of money we spend on acute health care as opposed to preventative. Back to the earlier statement about Senator Rubio wanting to increase spending on defense. Here he brings up an excellent point about the current state of our enemies: “from the rise of the Islamic State and the spread of Islamic terrorism, to Russia’s aggression in Europe, to Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea, the threats to American security are growing,” according to CNN. Indeed the situation in the Middle East and even Africa have been going downhill since troops were pulled from the area. So much so that troop withdrawal has been put on hold. Combined with the growing nuclear threat that is Iran, it only makes sense to increase the budgeting for our military to combat these threats. Senator Rubio, with his Hispanic heritage and his belief in reforming old structures, should be able to cut into demographics that have troubled Republicans when attempting to reach out to minorities and the youth of America. These attributes coupled with his humble beginnings and nice-guy demeanor will go a long way in helping him win over voters. His patriotism and belief in fiscal responsibility will ultimately bag Republicans and turn him into the best threat the GOP has to take the white house. Ryan Clabaugh can be reached at ryan.clabaugh@spartans.ut.edu.

APRIL 23 2015 | THE MINARET

OPINION

Madonna Gives Drake Mouth-to-Mouth, Reveals Media’s Double Standard SEX AND LOVE SELENE SAN FELICE Opinion Columnist

By now just about everyone has seen the video: Madonna laid her eggs in Drake’s mouth during his Coachella 2015 performance. Okay so maybe she didn’t actually lay eggs, but the video has gone just about as viral as whatever Madonna might have planted on the poor rapper. Whether the kiss was a spur of the moment decision from Madonna or a publicity stunt from the Coachella gods, it was definitely not okay. In the video Drake seems fine with the kiss at first, even reaching a hand up to rest on Madonna’s hair. But after a few seconds he throws something he had been holding on the ground and puts both hands in the air. Once Madonna is done Drake buckles forward wincing with a hand over his mouth. She exits with “B*tch, I’m Madonna,” and Drake can be heard saying, “Oh sh*t what the f*ck just happened?” Drake named the sixth track on his new album after Madonna, so her choice as a guest is no coincidence. Her appearance was obviously planned, as Coachella is notorious for headliners bringing on big name “surprise” guests. Drake may have known Madonna would take the stage, but from the video it’s also obvious that he wasn’t expecting mouth-to-mouth.

Both stars instagrammed pictures of the kiss and made light of it later, with Drake calling it “Something to write home about.” While the incident may be something the stars and the internet can laugh off, it still serves as an example of sexual harassment and gender bias. If the tables had been turned, would a forceful kiss planted by a 56-yearold male on a 28-year-old female still have been considered funny? When John Travolta came up behind Scarlett Johansson on the red carpet in February and kissed her on the cheek with his hands around her waist, the actor was regarded as creepy and Johansson’s look of disgust was considered well deserved. Yet, in this case Madonna feels she has nothing to apologize for, tweeting “If you don’t like me and still watch everything I do...B*tch, you’re a fan,” after her kiss with Drake. Drake even found himself apologizing for his reaction, reportedly telling TMZ that his disgusted reaction was due to the taste of Madonna’s lipstick, not the fact that she seemed to be trying to suck out his soul like a dementor. Madonna seems to think that as a woman and a pop-star she can throw herself onto whomever’s mouth she pleases, but what message does this send to the public? Women shouldn’t be told that they can force themselves on men simply because they’re women, and men shouldn’t have to be forced to like sexual harassment or assault simply because they’re men.

Commentary:

elle.com

Madonna’s kiss to Drake was apparently unplanned, as is exemplified by Drake’s reaction.

Madonna somehow seems to find herself the victim after the event, tweeting a cartoon of herself with the caption, “I hope people are not mean to champagnepapi when he is 56 and still working the stage! That would not be nice!” However, pulling the ageism card doesn’t seem to do much for her argument. What made the kiss problematic is not Madonna’s age. What made it problematic was the fact that it was forceful. No one, despite age, class, gender, race etc. should force someone else into an act they don’t consent to. Even if the event was a publicity stunt a la Justin

Timberlake and Janet Jackson’s 2004 Super Bowl “Wardrobe Malfunction,” it’s still a step backwards for today’s feminist and sexual rights movement, and Madonna should have been prepared to take the blame. Selene San Felice can be reached at selene.sanfelice@theminaretonline. com Need advice from our Sex and Love columnist? Want us to cover something specific? Go to http://ask.fm/ MinaretLoveAdvice and send in your

By Kaytlyn Sims

THE MINARET | APRIL 23 2015

OPINION

New Australia Anti-Vax Policy Has Wrong Focus TECHNOLOGY SAM ALLEN Opinion Writer

Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, made waves April 12 when he revealed his intention to cut welfare benefits for parents who opt to not vaccinate their children. This initiative would cut out the option for a “conscientious objection” and refusal to vaccinate for religious reasons. The only exemption to vaccination would be for documented medical reasons, reports The Washington Post. The Prime Minister claims that his motives behind the initiative are for the protection and wellbeing of the children. “Australia now has childhood vaccination rates over 90 percent… but more needs to be done to ensure we protect our children and our community from preventable diseases,” Abbott said. However, with a 90 percent vaccination rate and a tiny community of anti-vaccination activists, this policy to cut benefits for everyone who opts not to vaccinate their children is overkill. It has been estimated that the number of people who do not vaccinate their children because of forgetfulness or other issues is higher than those who have a moral opposition to vaccination. “... more than half of the 7% [of people who don’t vaccinate], face practical, economic, social or geographic impediments to full and timely

vaccination. They are more likely to experience poverty or social exclusion,” reports Theconversation. com. “...‘around 97 per cent’ of FTB (family tax benefit) recipient children meet the immunisation requirements,” Reports the Australian Broadcast Corporation. This means that cutting welfare in order to promote vaccination will not work. Anti-vaccination protestors are the target for this initiative but many of them are not on welfare, therefore they will not be affected by it at all. This means that welfare recipients are being punished financially for something that they did not intentionally attempt to avoid. “... It would be more effective to implement a national vaccine reminder system, home visiting programs, and to build respect for vaccination centres. This, of course, would cost money,” writes Jason Wilson of The Guardian. Wilson goes on to point out that, “Regardless of your personal opinion of anti-vaxxers, the best evidence we have says they are marginal both politically and numerically.” This being said, it would be completely unnecessary to penalize families who do not vaccinate their children if it only amounts to 3 percent of the population. This is especially true, considering that the probability that these individuals are forgetful is higher than them being antivaccination activists. A system designed to remind parents of vaccinations would be more efficient in raising vaccination rates than cutting their welfare.

Vaccinations are incredibly important and those running antivaccination campaigns rely on pseudoscience to make their claims against vaccinations, according to The Daily Beast. However, cutting welfare for those who do not vaccinate their children will not deter anti-vaccination activists and is therefore useless. Many “anti-vaxxers” are not on welfare and are so passionate in their beliefs that vaccinations are harmful that taking away their benefits will do nothing to persuade them to vaccinate. The better way to increase vaccinations is to provide incentive as opposed to

unrest because people don’t want to be forced to vaccinate. Even vaccination advocates are raising their eyebrows at this initiative, feeling that being “coerced” into vaccination will only make anti-vaccination activists more resentful towards the government, according to Melissa Davey of the Guardian. This distrust towards the government will only work against the initiative causing anti-vaxxers to cling stubbornly to their beliefs. The community who is directly impacted by Abbott’s decision are the people on welfare. They are not the community

A system designed to remind parents of vaccinations would be more efficient in raising vaccinations than cutting their welfare. taking benefits away. It would be more productive to educate the public on vaccinations, how they work and why they’re important. This would prevent people from developing beliefs about vaccinations based on misinformation and could encourage forgetful parents to vaccinate their children. Prime Minister Abbott’s decision to cut welfare benefits has caused some

that is opposed to vaccinations and therefore penalizing them for the actions of the anti-vaccination activists is not right. Instead, education about vaccinations and reminders for parents needs to be the priority. Sam Allen can be reached at samantha.allen@spartans.ut.edu.

Celebrities Buying Racy Domain Names is Futile TECHNOLOGY

KAMAKSHI DADHWAL Opinion Writer

In a defensive move against cyber extortionists, many celebrities and brands have started purchasing domain names such as .porn, .sucks, .naked and more, reported LA Times. The maneuver is a direct result of the long list of online blackmail that was witnessed in 2014-- the highest annual frequency ever recorded, naming it the year of mainstream extortion. The buying of common domains has resulted in a blank page display when things like beyonce.naked or gameofthrones.porn are typed into the url search. However, there is a greater need for security improvement if famous people, businesses or even common people want to eliminate the risk of virtual intimidation. Throughout the past year, countless icons like Paris Hilton and Iggy Azalea have experienced the wrath of cyber extortion through web pages, videos, pictures and posts, which all target them specifically. Many individuals and businesses began to rampantly receive a document titled “Notice

of Extortion” from anonymous Internet users, according to the FBI’s annual statistical report 2014. This notice was basically a threat issued against the respective person, brand or business to vandalize their respective images and perception among audiences, if a particular ransom was not transferred to a certain unspecified Bitcoin web account. Bitcoin is an online opensource, peer-to-peer payment system in which users can transact without an intermediary. It was published in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto: an alias whose real identity is loosely suspected and therefore largely unknown. The Bitcoin system allows for the users to set a particular real currency amount for the value of their own virtual currency, also called a bitcoin. Since users can remain anonymous and they don’t have to interact with a third party to exchange money, Bitcoin has been an ideal system for blackmailers to coerce money out of people. Clearly, there is no one better for a target than a celebrity with a lot of money, fame and room for controversy. By understanding the tools and motive, we can surely grasp the reason why people and brands are buying off domain names to protect themselves.

Nevertheless, it isn’t going to be enough to simply buy off domain names. For numerous reasons, Internet security needs to be bumped up several notches to exterminate cyber extortion. Current firewall systems have enough loopholes for blackmailers

are deliberately protected. When Notices of Extortion are delivered in the form of paper with nothing more than a barcode to the account where the demanded ransom needs to be deposited, there is nothing one can do to track the account on Bitcoin. The victim is pretty much

There is a greater need for security improvement if famous people, businesses or even common people want to eliminate the risk of virtual intimidation. to post harassing web pop-ups of the celebrities that they threaten for ransom. Meanwhile, we have incredibly limited ways of finding the anonymous coercer. Part of why Satoshi Nakamoto remains anonymous stems from the fact that while we can easily find and track all IP addresses, we cannot associate IP addresses to actual people without farreaching efforts, especially when they

chasing a dead trail to the extortionist. In such a situation, the resistance that we are witnessing from famous personalities and corporations seems insubstantial to the actual magnitude of the problem, which is nothing but a false reassurance. Kamakshi Dadhwal can be reached at kamakshi.dadhwal@spartans.ut.edu.

16 APRIL 23 2015 | THE MINARET

SPORTS

SPORTS Women’s Lacrosse Ends Second Season

Lacrosse team remains optimistic despite seasonending loss By TESS SHEETS Sports Writer

A match against No. 5 ranked Florida Southern College on April 15 marked the end of women’s lacrosse’s 2015 season. The Spartans fell in their final match to a score of 22-7, putting them at an overall season record of 5-11. While this upset put a hamper on the team’s ability to compete in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) tournament, they were not disappointed with how they chose to close the season. “We wanted to have fun since it was the last game with our seniors and as a 2015 team but we also needed to play hard and fight. So while the fun was there, we didn’t come out as strong as we have in the past,” sophomore defender Sara Barrett said. “Our greatest accomplishment was our transitioning down the field. In past games throughout the season we turned the ball over a lot in transition but against FSC they were really good and led us to score.” This being only their second year as a program at UT, the team is constantly improving with every practice, scrimmage and game. Every new exposure to the world of collegiate lacrosse gets the Spartans a step closer to the powerhouse team they

Photo courtesy of Tom Kolbe

Despite the Spartans loss, the women’s lacrosse program continues to build toward the future.

aspire to be. Already, they have improved in motivation, experience and willingness to learn. Now that they have a solid foundation of the fundamentals of the game and a better idea of the competitiveness that comes with this level of play, it’s all up-hill from here. “We have a full team of committed motivated competitive student athletes,” head coach Kelly Gallagher said. “They know what it takes to compete and they have a ton of experience to grow and learn from. More than anything, we have the

will and motivation to prepare for what the next season will bring us and a great group of incoming freshmen to join our family. Foundations are everything and a strong foundation wasn’t going to be built in one year.” Looking back on the season, the team approached 2015 with high expectations. They embraced the year with confidence, hoping to secure a spot in the conference tournament by the season’s end. Although they did not manage to consummate the year in this way, they have

not overlooked the progress that they have made in just this season alone. “In general, I have very high expectations of our team, they have high expectations of themselves,” Gallagher said. “From that sense, I think we put a lot more pressure on ourselves than anyone else does and we probably didn’t meet our expectations. However, when you take a step back and look at some of the amazing moments and things we accomplished this season, we absolutely met and exceeded our own expectations, they were just different goals/ experiences than we had planned for.” Glancing into the future, the Spartans believe they are headed in the right direction.. Success is not determined by one single season, but by the progress a team makes over time, and that is what moves the women’s team into their third season. Despite the loss of two seniors going into next year, a new set of promising recruits assures a fruitful 2016 season. “I think we are right on track. While we will lose some great seniors this year in Kirsten Brierley and Katie Delaney, we have a great class of girls coming in next fall and the classes behind them are lining up quite nicely,” Gallagher said. “At the end of the day, building is a process. I’m much more interested in building a solid foundation for this program to have year after year of success than just one year of success. Our time is coming.” Tess Sheets can be reached at tess.sheets@ theminaretonline.com

Men’s Lacrosse Team to Host Conference Tournament Spartans defeat Florida Tech to clinch SSC homefield advantage By ANDREW STAMAS Sports Writer

With a 10-8 home win over fourteenthranked Florida Tech, the Spartans clinched the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) regular season title. This impressive win, their third consecutive, gave the Spartans the top seed for the upcoming SSC Tournament, meaning that UT will host the event this coming weekend. It was the perfect way for the ninthranked Spartans to close out their regular season campaign, as they captured their third win over a top 15 ranked opponent. Sophomore midfielder Sean Giampietro led the Spartans offensively with three goals. Senior attack Zak Goldbach and

junior attack Chris Vetter were also key contributors with two goals each. Sophomore goalkeeper A.J. Arnold was solid in net for the Spartans, playing the whole game and recording 15 saves on the day. Due to his stellar performance, he was honored with the SSC Defensive Player of the Week award. The Spartans wrapped up their regular season with a 13-2 overall record, and each of those two losses were against number one ranked teams. They also ended conference play in first place with a perfect 5-0 record against their SSC rivals. They will open up play in the conference tournament on Friday, with a rematch against fourth-seeded Lynn (the Spartans won 12-6 in their previous meeting this Photo courtesy of Tom Kolbe season). If the Spartans win, they will The men’s lacrosse team looks to win the SSC tournament and move on to the NCAA Championship. advance to Sunday’s championship against the winner of the Florida Tech vs. Rollins game. anticipates the opportunity to host the Goldbach strongly believes that his Freshman defender Nick Balzano conference tournament. “We’d love to win team is capable of winning the National this entire tournament especially having Championship and he wants his team to home field advantage,” said Balzano. “It’s set their standards high. “My goals and easy to get up for a game in front of your expectations for the postseason are nothing home crowd to defend your own turf.” less than a National Championship. I think After the SSC Tournament, the Spartans I speak for my team as well as myself when will have one more game before a potential I say we want nothing less than a National NCAA Tournament appearance. On May 1, Championship, anything less would the Spartans will host Colorado Mesa. definitely leave us short of our ultimate goal Though they have had an impressive and as a senior there is nothing more you season, Balzano knows that there is still want than to go out on top,” said Goldbach. plenty of room for improvement as his team Despite their championship aspirations, approaches the postseason. Goldbach is well-aware of the challenges “Going into the postseason, we are that they will face. “It is going to be a hard definitely trying to make everything click road to championship weekend but I think together as much as possible with the least with the talent we have we can go far and amount of mistakes. Our best lacrosse has compete with the best teams in the country.” yet to been played, and we aren’t trying to peak until our absolute final game of the Andrew Stamas can be reached at andrew. season,” said Balzano. stamas@spartans.ut.edu

THE MINARET | APRIL 23 2015

SPORTS

Tennis Team Doomed by Injuries, Slow Start

Spartan tennis falls short in effort to appear in the SSC tournament By ANN MARIE DISTASI Sports Writer

The 5-0 loss against Florida Tech this past Saturday marked the end of the 2014-2015 season for the women’s tennis team. Overall, the Spartans finished with a winning record of 10-9, which ranks them at 45th nationally. Although their overall record was 10-9, the team finished with a 1-7 record within the Sunshine State Conference (SSC), their only win being against Eckerd. This record hurt their chances of making it into conference tournament. “This is the toughest tennis conference in the nation,” said head coach Al DeFaux.

“And if you look at the schools that we lose to, they’re top 10 in the nation.” DeFaux believes that six of the top teams in the nation are in this conference, which makes it difficult for the team because only six teams make it into conference playoffs. Last season, the conference took eight out of the nine schools to playoffs but lowered that number for this season. “Not getting to the conference is very sad for us,” said junior marketing major Kristen Mee. “We really started off slow in the beginning of the season and we picked it up towards the end but it was a little too late.” Rollins and Florida Southern were two schools the Spartans had the possibility of beating to increase their chances of making it to playoffs. The 3-6 loss came from two third set tie breakers. According to DeFaux, if the Spartans won those matches they would have won 5-4. “It was really unfortunate,” Mee said about

the match against Florida Southern on April 7. “We had some injuries and some sickness which kind of hit us at the wrong time.” Mee explained that the match against Rollins on April 9 was similar because players were still injured or sick. She said the players fought hard and battled through the match but fell short during the tie breakers. Things turned around for the team on April 15 at home against Eckerd when they beat their opponent 8-1. Seniors Kelsey Matthews and Jenelle Morgan also celebrated senior day since this win marked the last home match of their undergraduate careers at UT. Morgan finished with a 15-3 record for the season while Matthews finished 13-4, according to tampaspartans.com. “Those will be hard to replace,” DeFaux said about losing the two seniors. “That’s two people I can count on to win . . . so somebody has to step up and match those records. For next season, four freshmen signed for

the UT women’s tennis team and four players will be returning from this past season. “Hopefully us four returning can be a good role model for them,” Mee said. Palm Beach Atlantic and Embry-Riddle are also being added to the SSC next season, which DeFaux said will make it harder since the conference still only takes the top six teams to playoffs. DeFaux’s goal for next season is to make it to conference playoffs, which is his number one goal for every season. He explained that increasing the number of schools in the SSC from nine to eleven will make it harder to reach his goal, but he believes in his team. “It gets even tougher, but I think we’ll have a good shot at making it to playoffs,” DeFaux said. Ann Marie Distasi can be reached at annmarie.distasi@spartans.ut.edu

Photo courtesy of Tom Kolbe

After being plagued by injuries towards the end of the season, the tennis team will attempt to make the SSC tournament next year.

Men’s Golf Team Looks to Progress Moving Forward Spartans finish eighth at SSC Championship By MELISSA TORRE Sports Writer

The men’s golf team finished up their season at the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Championship finishing eighth overall in Sorrento, FL on April 14. Lynn University finished first in the tournament with a combined team score of 852. UT finished with a team score of 903, and junior Zach Schuster finished seventh overall with a score of 72 in each of the first two rounds. Other key performances included junior Jason Steele, who scored a 228 overall; sophomore Danny Syring, scoring 231; freshman Gary Barnes, scoring 236, and senior Steve Embree, scoring a 236. As the team’s season comes to a close, they are looking to make positive changes to help improve for next year. The team started off this season winning a couple of their tournaments and finishing top five in the others. Starting off the fall season the team was ranked outside the top 100, they finished up the fall season with a win and several second place finishes which moved them into the top 50 rankings. UT started off their season by placing 16th overall at the Saint Leo

Invitational, finishing the meet with a score of 603. The team placed within the top five at the Mcdonough Cup out of 19 teams, with a score of 884, tying West Florida and Saint Leo University. Finishing the fall season, the team entered the spring season on a high note. Unfortunately, they faced some challenges down the road with the injury of Shuster, one of their star players. This forced him to miss some key tournaments for the Spartans. Despite losing one of their best players, the team finished fourth at the Brevard Invitational, Barnes and Steele tied for 10th place overall at this tournament with an overall score of 226. The team even had two players competing all year long for the fifth spot, in Barnes and sophomore Justin Elwell. “Both players have a ton of talent and great work ethic,” said Embree. The team is looking to progress next season by buckling down. “It’s up to the guys on the team to work harder for next year to improve,” said Elwell. The team has made constant progress over the past two seasons and looks to take the team to the next level in the near future. “This was the best year we’ve had since I’ve been here, but there is always a way to keep improving,” said Elwell. Melissa Torre can be reached at melissa.torre@spartans.ut.edu

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Lynn Nova Southeastern Florida Southern Florida Tech Barry St. Leo Rollins Tampa Eckerd

18 APRIL 23 2015 | THE MINARET

Softball Team Falls in Home Finale Softball team hopes to bounce back after rough series

By MARCUS MITCHELL Sports Columnist

The softball team has suffered their first lost series in six weeks after losing both games of a doubleheader last Saturday against Nova Southeastern University. It was a grueling series for the Spartans as they won the first game against their Sunshine State Conference (SSC) rival by a slim 1-0 margin before losing 3-1 and 3-2 the following day. It was a sour result for the Spartans on their Senior Day, where the team honored its six seniors in their last games at Naimoli Family Stadium. Those honored include: catcher Kandi Kuder, first baseman Meagan Burke, starting pitcher Julia Morrow and outfielders Jenna Halper, Lindsay Dring and Taylor Collins. Despite the losses, the seniors had a strong showing at the plate with Halper delivering an run batted in (RBI) and two runs and Kuder having two RBIs in the doubleheader. Dring also contributed with a run but the Spartan hitting struggled against a strong Sharks pitching unit. It was also a tough series for nationally recognized Julia Morrow who started all three games for the Spartans. The first game on Friday went smoothly for Morrow as she pitched seven shutout innings and only allowed four hits. Morrow pitched a strong second

SPORTS

game the next day but found herself at the losing end of the game. She pitched a complete game and managed to strike out 13 of the 28 batters faced, but allowed seven hits and an earned run. Things began to unravel for Morrow in the series finale after she gave up two earned runs by the third inning. The four-time SSC Pitcher of the Week was able to get the game back under control and pitched four scoreless innings but the damage was already done and Morrow received her seventh loss of the season. While a series performance of 28 strikeouts and a 1.29 earned run average (ERA) would be a decent outing for most pitchers in the SSC, it was one of Morrow’s less impressive showings. With her sights on the UT strikeout record and averaging over 11 strikeouts Photo courtesy of Tom Kolbe a game, Morrow is on pace for one Softball team looks forward to weekend conference matchup as the race for the SSC title heats up. of the greatest pitching seasons in program history. series this season against both Barry and The Spartans have finished in the “Julia is the kind of player that can Rollins and head coach Leslie Kanter top two positions in the conference lead a team after a loss,” said second is hoping the Spartans can snag a top every year since 2011 and a clean baseman Alyssa Colletti. “If we can just position in the conference. sweep of Lynn this weekend will stay focused and keep playing at the “This conference isn’t a walk in the guarantee the Spartans second in the level we have been, then we will be fine park by any means,” said Kanter. “We SSC and likely a spot in the NCAA moving forward.” have fought hard to get where we are South Regional in May. After the weekend losses, the Spartans and if we can just hold down the second The Spartans will have to travel have a 25-11 overall record and a 13-8 spot in the table then I like our chances to Lynn University for the weekend record in the conference. The Spartans getting to the postseason.” matchup and have a 6-3 road record started the season nationally ranked As of now, the Spartans sit on against SSC opponents this season. but have evolved from a team that was the edge of the NCAA South Region Led by Morrow, the Spartans will be nationally recognized into a dark horse in rankings and have jumped in and out of fighting for a spot in the postseason and Division II. The Spartans sit third in the the South Region rankings throughout the Lynn is the last obstacle between the SSC standings behind first-place Barry season. With their season on the line, the team and a successful season. University and Rollins College. Spartans will have to be at their best this The Spartans have proven they belong weekend in their final SSC series against Marcus Mitchell can be reached at near the top of the SSC by winning their Lynn University. marcus.mitchell@spartans.ut.edu

Track Teams Dominate Memorable McCall Invite

Spartans impress at UT meet in honor of slain track star

By ERIN TOWNSEND Sports Writer

Photos courtesy of Tom Kolbe Women’s and men’s track teams finish first and second respectively in annual Ryan McCall Invite .

Right after the McCall trial concluded, sentencing David Williams to life in prison on April 10th, the Spartan’s hosted The Ryan McCall Invite on April 11th with a substantial Olympic presence. The Spartans host this invitational every year in dedication to their teammate Ryan McCall, who tragically lost his life over five years ago. “The athletes are aware of Ryan McCall and his favorite event was the 800 meters. They put 100% effort into this event and the meet,” said head coach Jarrett Slaven. The women’s team finished first with a total score of 89, followed by Saint Leo’s 48 and Webber with a score of 25. The men’s team finished second with a total score of 57. Saint Leo placed first by only more one point, with a total score of 58 and Nike finished third with a 56. While the McCall family was unable to attend this year due to the trial concluding the day prior to the invitational, everyone’s primary goal was to run the best they could in honor of him. This is especially true for assistant coach Dror Vaknin and the rest of the coaching staff who have remained close to the family over the years. “For me, since I coached his brother Kevin and Ryan himself, it’s another reminder of how each member of our team is a family member and how much you really miss a kid when they are no longer

here. The impact on the team is not as strong for them since it was over five years ago, no one on the team knew Ryan. But they still understand that someone in our family was lost,” said Vaknin. The Ryan McCall Invite had a surprising turnout of Olympic champions and potential trial athletes. “We were surprised but happy that the athletes and coaches decided to attend our meet,” said Slaven. Linford Christie won gold medals for the 100 meters in the Olympics and coaches several athletes. Justin Gatlin has also won gold medals for the 100 meters and ran the fastest time in the world in the 200-meter. There were many other honorable mentions from Nike and other teams including Candyce McGrone, Femi Ogunode, and Coach Dennis Mitchell, who won a gold medal in the 4X100 meters. The Spartans had competitive times and a few personal records. “The irony was the closest race came in the Ryan McCall 800 Invite, a special 800m race since that was Ryan’s event. Our Senior Steven Dennig lost by a hair after a slow start. Steven is also just about two seconds from qualifying for the NCAAs,” said Vaknin. Junior Chantalle Blundell walked away with first place in the 5,000-meter race with a time of 18:31:03. The Spartans have another home meet and the University of North Florida meet left in the regular season schedule. Their goals for these races are to get fast heats out of those runners who are still close to the NCAA qualifying mark before heading off to the NCAA Championships at the end of May. Erin Townsend can be reached at erin.townsend@spartans.ut.edu

THE MINARET | APRIL 23 2015

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Scott Lynn Lands Dream Job Calling Games Seasoned broadcaster brings passion to UT baseball scene By PHIL NOVOTNY Sports Editor

“I always loved calling baseball. It has always been my favorite sport,” said current Tampa Spartans broadcaster Scott Lynn. With that said, Lynn had never gotten the chance to announce baseball games until he was appointed to call UT baseball by sports information director Tom Kolbe this past summer. Lynn was also appointed to call the men’s basketball team’s games during this past season along with announcing the men’s basketball team at Eckerd College. In addition, Lynn also called the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) men’s basketball tournament. “I was extremely impressed after looking at his resume, but still had a commitment to our other broadcasters. I was able to explain to Scott that we would eventually work him into our rotation, without pushing any of our other highly-skilled broadcasters out. We were able to do this with baseball, and will also be able to use his services for basketball next season. We are extremely fortunate to have Scott as a member of our team, and his outstanding accomplishments are a perfect fit with the success of our athletic teams,” said Kolbe. Lynn is notorious for his successful sports media career in the Pacific Northwest, as he was the face and voice of the Portland sports

landscape alongside the NBA’s Trailblazers, for whom he did radio play-by-play during the 2013-2014 season. Lynn’s sports media career did start in Tampa, as he served as sports director for WTSP channel 10 from 1978 to 1980 before spending over three decades in Portland. From 1980 to 1989, he was the lead TV sports anchor and sports director for Portland’s NBC affiliate. After, he served as the sports director of KEX, one of the region’s premiere radio stations for 25 years.

Sports Northwest. From 1985 to 1995, Lynn was a seven-time recipient of the Oregon Sportscaster of the Year award. Lynn describes the influence that Portland has had during his sports media career. “I did everything that I wanted to do in Portland. That’s where I made my career,” said Lynn. Lynn’s interest in baseball started at a young age when he played strat o’matic baseball, which was an old school version of fantasy baseball. It consisted of people who are in charge

Photo courtesy of Scott Lynn Scott Lynn broadcasts Oregon State basketball game as President Obama spectates.

During that 25 year period, Lynn also did play-by-play for Oregon State University as he called men’s and women’s basketball for the Beaver Sports Network on top of announcing college basketball games for Fox

of controlling the personnel decisions of their team. In fact, they would roll dice to determine the ratings of their players that are printed onto a player card. After, they would have to cross reference

dice rolls with a system of charts and tables. In other words, this was a baseball fan’s equivalent to being a general manager in the major leagues, due to the fact that they control the day-to-day operations of the club. Currently, Lynn announces for the baseball team along with former University of Wisconsin alum Jack Eich. Lynn discusses how UT was appealing to him in his job search. “I was intrigued by UT because of the success that they have had during the Joe Urso era. He has done such a great job.” It wasn’t just the constant success of the baseball team that drew Lynn to UT, it was his passion for the game and the uncertainty that Division II baseball brought to the table. “I was doing it to stay involved and have fun. You never know what is going to happen. One game you can have ten errors and have zero the next game,” said Lynn. Due to his never-ending love for baseball and for broadcasting, Lynn plans on staying at UT as a play-by-play announcer in the future. “I am hoping to stay involved with UT athletics for the years to come,” said Lynn. Kolbe confirms that Lynn is a part of their future plans. “Scott has been an excellent addition to the broadcasts we offer on TampaSpartans.tv. We are excited about the future of our broadcasts, and Scott is a major part of our long-term plan.” Phil Novotny can be reached at philip. novotny@theminaretonline.com

Junior Bodybuilder Promotes Healthy Lifestyle

By GRIFFIN GUINTA Sports Columnist

You probably know Branden Boston. And if you don’t, you likely will soon. If the junior philosophy major sees you sitting alone in the cafeteria, you can be sure he’ll set his bag down, crack a friendly smile, and promptly introduce himself. While you dine with him, you may notice the healthy assemblage of grilled chicken, boiled eggs and raw vegetables that span his multiple plates. Yes, plates, plural. Boston is one of the school’s premier bodybuilders and must adequately fuel his gargantuan pectorals on a daily basis. But Boston wasn’t always a model of muscular definition. In fact, he spent most of his childhood overweight, massively addicted to the sugary drink Kool-Aid. “I was pretty chubby until I was about twelve. Whenever I went home there was sugary, sweet delicious Kool-Aid. It was always on a table. My parents, they didn’t know any better. It was completely normal for me to go days without drinking water,” said Boston. Not only did it affect his selfesteem, it limited the amount of activities that he could participate in. His poor diet sapped his energy, and his legs would tire out from even the most routine activities, like walking. At ten years old, he weighed in at an alarming 130 lbs. He knew things had to change, and a few years later sought help from an older friend who knew the ropes when it came to proper exercise. Since then, Boston hasn’t stopped in his pursuit of an extremely active, healthy lifestyle.

Flash forward to UT several years later. Boston is a certified personal trainer in the McNiff Fitness Center, and an avid member of the UT Bodybuilding Team. He’s won the annual bodybuilding competition twice after dazzling the crowd with near perfect form, but if you ask him, the title of champion is relatively meaningless. “To me it’s not so much about the winning aspect. Everybody’s a winner in bodybuilding,” he said. “As long as you make it on that stage and commit to competing, you’re a winner in my eyes. It’s not about just getting up there, though. It’s about the change you have to go through, from Photo Courtesy of Branden Boston point A to point Z. It’s a commitment. Branden Boston enjoys the fruits of his labor as certified personal trainer and bodybuilder. It’s a lifestyle change.” And a commitment it is indeed. With great potential glamour comes as the primary impetus for pursuing allergic reactions, and an inability to great diligence and responsibility. an Olympian caliber body, Boston consume caffeine. If his potassium According to Boston, the art of contends that his motivations levels go unchecked, he’s dramatically bodybuilding is incredibly contingent stem from a desire to be a highat risk for a heart attack. on intense self-discipline and precision. functioning, healthy individual. As far as the future goes, Boston One must meticulously monitor For him, a healthy body directly has no plans of taking his love for their nutritional intake, and missing correlates with a healthy mind. extreme fitness to the professional days at the gym can be catastrophic if “The light you bring from being level, but the discipline and healthy it becomes habitual. healthy is radiant and contagious. The habits he gleaned from his time as a A typical day in the life of Branden warmth that it brings, that satisfaction regimented bodybuilder will never Boston and his diet consists of five of not having to worry about obesity forsake him. essential components: 1) A low-carb or high blood pressure down the line, He encourages everyone to take up breakfast with some kind of fatty meat, all these preventable things. I want to the challenge, firmly believing that eggs, and a healthy fat, like avocado. share that message with people around attaining exemplary workout results all 2) A light protein snack, such as a me and tell them it’s possible,” he said. comes down to the approach. shake, eggs, or cheese sticks. 3) An Beyond eating healthy, pushing “As a personal trainer, I want to after-workout snack rich in carbs and personal limits at the gym, and share with the world that the body protein. 4) A fat and protein heavy maintaining a stringent routine, it all type that I’m seeking is achievable dinner, similar to the breakfast, and 5) comes down to resilience for Boston. by almost anybody with the right A light meal of vegetables, fruit, and What you don’t see, while he curls mindset.” a few additional sources of protein. a 100 pound dumbbell with ease, is During training season, he consumes the myriad of allergies and debilitating Griffin Guinta can be reached at anywhere from 2,500 to 3,000 calories. conditions that hinder him in his daily griffin.guinta@spartans.ut.edu While it’s easy to point to vanity life. He has a heart condition, severe

20 APRIL 23 2015 | THE MINARET

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Baseball Team Defeats Florida Tech, Moves Up in SSC Standings

Photo courtesy of Tom Kolbe

The Baseball Team remains confident about winning the rest of their regular season games after traveling to Melbourne, Fla., and defeating the Florida Tech Panthers in a three game series

Strong pitching and power hitting lead Spartans to a three game victory

By REGINA GONZALEZ Sports Writer

The No. 6 UT baseball team successfully swept a three game series against No. 2 ranked Florida Tech Panthers as they traveled to Melbourne, Fla. on April 17 to defeat them on their home field. Senior pitcher Chase Sparkman lead the team from the mound in the series opener, throwing a complete game shutout and only giving up six hits, three walks and four strikeouts in nine innings. After a quiet first two innings, the Spartans took control of the game in the third when senior first baseman Andrew Amaro hit a double, then scored the first run of the game after rounding the bases from a single to left field by junior outfielder Casey

Scoggins. After a few more successful atbats, including one blasted up the middle by senior captain Stephen Dezzi, the Spartans lead the Panthers 5-0 after the third inning. A consecutive amount of runs batted in (RBIs) registered throughout the game allowed the Spartans to tack on three more runs and keep Florida Tech scoreless, winning the game by a final score of 8-0. “This was a huge matchup for us and being able to go out and sweep the team that was second in conference was huge for us. The team played great baseball from all aspects of the game and I couldn’t be more proud of the attitude and energy the guys played with,” Dezzi said. Tampa took that same energy into the Saturday doubleheader against the Panthers, winning the first game 92 and the second 11-3. The Spartans jumped on the board quickly, scoring two runs in the first inning aided by an RBI from Dezzi and a solo home run from junior third baseman Nick Flair that increased their lead.

Alfonzo and Dezzi also registered solo home runs in the game, creating an aggressive offense that allowed the Panthers to only score two runs. The win was also aided by solid pitching from junior pitchers Michael Calkins and Dylan Barrow. In game three, junior pitcher Brad Hencke started things off for the Spartans and, like those who pitched before him, was able to lead them to another victory staying undefeated for the year at 5-0. Senior catcher Nick Tindall aided the Spartans’ offense by hitting three doubles, registering one RBI and counting for two of the Spartans’ runs. The Spartans’ offense then came out strong again in the fourth inning with a double from Tindall who went on to score after Amaro blasted a drive up the middle. After loading the bases and batting a few singles, the Spartans added five runs to the board in the fourth. After another home run by Flair and RBI single from Jones, the Spartans finished the top of the 9th scoring 11 runs total in the game. Senior pitcher

Taylor Brookes pitched two innings in relief, giving up no runs and getting the final outs of Tampa’s 11-3 victory. With playoffs on the way and the battle for a spot in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) regional tournament, the three game sweep benefited the Spartans in their chances of being able to crush future opponents. “This weekend was awesome. We used the momentum from last weekend and played exactly how we left off against Lynn,” Alfonzo said. “I was excited to see the fire and passion behind the team on and off the field. We have things going in our direction now so we just have to stay focused and finish the regular season to put ourselves in a good position for the playoffs.” The Spartans will continue conference play this upcoming weekend as they host Saint Leo University on their home field Friday, April 24. Regina Gonzalez can be reached at regina.gonzalez2@spartans.ut.edu