The Minaret 9/22/2011 by The Minaret

MINARET UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA’S NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1933

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Volume 78 Number 4

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September 22, 2011

Faculty vs. Administration: A Debate on UT’s Future

By MIKEY ANGELO RUMORE and RICH SOLOMON Asst. Opinion Editor and Opinion Editor

The Faculty Senate drafted a letter to President Vaughn on September 13 urging University of Tampa administration “to engage in dialogue with the faculty” on issues of academics and growth. “[W]e understand the University is growing far more quickly than the faculty or administration expected,” the letter stated. “Although many faculty have heard a projected enrollment goal of 10,000 students, we have not been informed of the plan to support this size student body and the timeline to achieve such a goal.” The letter addressed a number of faculty concerns including: poor academic space, a growing dependency on non-tenured adjunct professors, lax admissions standards, and the absence of a “clearly defined vision of The University of Tampa of the future.” “Our concern,” the letter noted, “is whether or not we are providing our students the kind of education we claim to provide.” Implying low faculty satisfaction, the letter said, “If faculty are fully informed of the direction the University is moving, they can be encouraged to become engaged in the goals and, as a byproduct, overall morale may rise as well.” On admissions standards, the letter expressed some skepticism about the methodology that the administration uses to maintain academic standards for students’ test scores. “SAT/ACT averages may have kept us in line with our peer institutions, but we are also aware that the average is made up of extreme variations in scores—the low scores are quite low while the high scores are quite high,” the letter started. “This is evidenced in the number of preparatory classes we continue to add year after year to accommodate the incoming class with more and more remedial learning needs.” In addition, the letter said that rapid growth of administration has led to “a decrease of adequate academic space.” “Many classrooms are filled to capacity. . . . If enough desks are available, it is because the desks have been crammed into the room and students have very little space to work with.” The letter raised concerns about whether high enrollment and lack of academic space would lead the University toward less personalized teaching methods. “Of course you [President Ronald Vaughn] realize the current limitations we experience in academic space may impact delivery of curriculum—potentially hybrid courses using distance education technologies will be offered. How does such a delivery method align with our mission?”

See FACULTY, Page 4

In Other News...

3 Father, Son

to Receive Diplomas Together in December

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Three UT Students Robbed at Gunpoint Near Campus

Violent encounter during walk home from house party By CHANNING HAILEY Asst. News Editor

At approximately 12:15 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, three University of Tampa students were robbed at gunpoint on the corner of North Boulevard and Ross Avenue as they walked back to campus from a party. The suspects have not yet been apprehended. The students, Esteban Roman, Courtney Loftus and Dillon Maag, had walked to a house party on West Amelia Avenue Saturday night with a large group of friends. “We looked up [the route] on my phone,” Roman, a sophomore transfer student from Aurora, Ill., said. “It was like 20 minutes away. We didn’t know what area we’d be walking through; we just decided, you know, we’ll save cab money and we’ll walk.” The group made it to the party without any trouble, even though, as Roman noted, “The area we walked through was kind of sketchy.” As it got later, the group separated with some deciding to leave early and some deciding to stay. By around midnight, Roman, his roommate Maag and their friend Loftus were ready to leave. “We were deciding if we should cab. There were a lot of cabs parked in front of the house because there were a lot of UT students there,” Roman said. “We decided we’d walk; we walked there and nothing had happened, so we’d walk back.” Roman was walking slightly ahead with Loftus, a freshman from Canton, Mass., and Maag, a sophomore Samantha Battersby/The Minaret transfer from Naperville, Ill., following closely behind. Esteban Roman and two other students were victims of a robbery As the three were crossing Ross Avenue, Roman noticed early Sunday morning while walking on North Boulevard. something out of the corner of his eye. Describing the area, he said, “There’s a palm tree station where they called the police. After giving a statement to the police, Roman called and a telephone pole on the corner of Ross and North his credit card company to put a hold on his cards that Boulevard. I saw the two men run behind the tree.” The two men, both described by Roman as being were stolen. He said they informed him that two of his African-American and between the ages of 19 and 23, cards had been used at a nearby 7-Eleven less than an came out from behind the tree as Roman, Loftus and hour after the robbery. The detective on the case, Detective Jay Reese of Maag walked by. “Since I was in front, one approached me, and the the Tampa Police Department, was able to obtain video other approached [Courtney and Dillon] since they were surveillance footage of one of the attackers using the kind of next to each other,” Roman said. “The one who cards at the 7-Eleven. Reese is currently working on trying to identify the approached me had a mask on and he had a gun pointed robbers. “When the man was attacking Dillon, I was at me.” According to Roman, the masked man told him to be making sure to notice every detail about him, from his quiet or he would shoot him. He asked Roman for his earrings to the gray v-neck he was wearing,” Loftus said. Reese hopes that more of Loftus’ descriptions can be money, and held his gun on him until he gave up his used in identifying the two men. wallet. “It’s a bad stretch of road where kids are walking back to Roman continued to explain that the second man, who was not wearing a mask, approached Loftus and Maag UT,” Reese added. “Even if you are in a group, if someone and told them to give him their wallets. While Maag was has a gun, there’s no longer power in numbers.” Dean of Students Stephanie Russel Holz was informed getting his out of his pocket, the robber punched him in the side. The attacker then turned to Loftus and forcefully of the robbery early Sunday morning. “As dean of students, student safety is my number one took her wallet, breaking the wallet’s strap she had concern,” she said. “When instances like this happen, I wrapped around her wrist. The two men ran to their car that was parked down always think what could have been done to avoid this the block on Ross and drove away. A passerby witnessing situation.” the suspects flee the scene pulled over and offered to help See TOP STORY, Page 2 Roman, Maag and Loftus, taking them to a nearby gas

Subheading

8 Slammin’ Poet: Asia Project 10 Moneyball: Winning Story of the Underdog Athletics

14 The Twin Towers: Why We Should Rebuild

News..................................2

19 NCAA Football 12 Minaret Giveaway

Opinion............................12

Diversions.........................7 A+E....................................8 Sports..............................17

MINARET

NEWS + FEATURES 2 SEPTEMBER 22 2011 | THE MINARET Music Passion Transcends School Allegiances: Spartan Band Members March with USF Herd

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mike Trobiano

mike.trobiano@gmail.com

MANAGING EDITOR Joshua Napier

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ASSOCIATE EDITOR Daniel Feingold

dfeingold91@gmail.com

NEWS + FEATURES

Shivani Kanji, Editor Channing Hailey, Asst. Editor Chelsea Daubar, Asst. Editor minaret.news@gmail.com

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT Amanda Sieradzki, Editor Natalie Hicks, Asst. Editor minaret.arts@gmail.com

OPINION

Richard Solomon, Editor Hannah Webster, Asst. Editor Mikey Angelo Rumore, Asst. Editor minaret.commentary@gmail.com

SPORTS

Miles Parks, Editor

minaret.sports@gmail.com

ONLINE

Ryan Williams, The Crescent Editor thecrescent.minaret@gmail.com

Rebecca Ruffer, Webcaster rruffer@spartans.ut.edu

Kyle Bennett, Social Media Director kbennett.ut@gmail.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Samantha Battersby, Head Photographer minaret.photog@gmail.com

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Katelyn Goodwin, Ad & PR Coordinator Jill Rosenblum, Assistant Ad & PR Coordinator minaret.ads@gmail.com

ADVISER

Daniel Reimold, Ph.D. dreimold@ut.edu

COPY EDITORS

Jennifer Bedell, Head Copy Editor 1jennifer.bedell@gmail.com

Alysia Sawchyn, Copy Editor

alysia.sawchyn@spartans.ut.edu

REPORTERS

Jeffrey Palmer Brittany Moulden Kadee Jo Carpenter Kelly St.Onge

Mia Glater

STAFF WRITERS Michael Paonessa Sophie Erber John Hilsenroth Joe Beaudoin April Weiner Laurel Sanchez

MORE INFORMATION THE MINARET is a weekly student-run publication at the University of Tampa. Letters to the Editor may be sent to editor@theminaretonline.com. To reach THE MINARET call 813.257.3636. Your first two copies of THE MINARET are free. Each additional copy is $1.00

By MIA GLATER News Writer

Playing a medley of ‘80s music including ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ and ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ for 65,857 screaming football fans on a weekly basis is not something an average student at the University of Tampa gets to do. But five UT band enthusiasts have daringly ventured off-campus to do just this. Freddy Escamilla, Jonathan Guiot, Joey Hagger, Monroe Lewis and Audrey Robertson are members of the University of South Florida Herd of Thunder (HOT) marching band. Guiot knew he wanted to be a member of HOT before he was even accepted to college. He and his father have been working at Raymond James stadium since 2006. He caught one sight of HOT and was hooked. “On my first night at the stadium, I saw the HOT band,” Guiot said. “Watching them was completely jaw-dropping. I went home that night knowing I was going to join them.” Although he had not yet graduated high school when he got his first taste of HOT, his interest stayed warm for the next two years. “I graduated [high school] in 2008. The day after, I emailed the director at the time and he put me in touch at once with my section leader and the rest from there is history,” Guiot said. Junior Freddy Escamilla, a friend of Guiot’s, followed his friend to a rehearsal early on, also before he had graduated high school. While there he got a great impression of the band as well. “During [Guiot’s] first year in HOT, I went to USF to watch a HOT rehearsal,” Escamilla said. “I spoke to the director at the time and a few other friends who were in HOT and decided to join it once I graduated high school. “ Escamilla decided that even though he wanted to play for HOT, UT would be a better fit for him academically. “ I had come to UT for a few days to be in the Quad County Honor Band back in 2007, and I really enjoyed my experience,” Escamilla said. “After a while I decided that UT was where I wanted to be.” It wasn’t such an easy decision for Guiot. He was accepted into USF’s school of music, but academically, they didn’t like his test scores. He finally decided to attend UT because he had enjoyed the Quad County Honor Band Camp.

Photo provided by Mia Glater

(Left-Right): Jon Guiot , Freddy Escamilla, Monro Lewis, Audrey Robertson and Joey Hagger.

“I emailed the director [of HOT] and told [him] the situation and he said I could march with HOT as long as I was enrolled in a Florida college,” Guiot said. “And to this day, I regret nothing. I’m very happy at UT, I love this school and its location. The music department and education department are fantastic. Dr. Matthew McCutchen is the current director of The Herd of Thunder marching band and says that he encourages UT students to participate in his band. “I love having UT students participate in the Herd Of Thunder and would welcome more in the future,” McCutchen said. “As long as they bring a love of marching band and are fans of USF Football they will fit in very well. The UT students that have marched over the past three years have been talented, energetic, and easy to work with and have fit in extremely well.” Being a member of HOT involves strong commitment, as they have marching rehearsals two nights a week when there isn’t a game, and three nights plus all day Saturday when there is a game. The UT participants agree, however, that they are able to juggle marching and schoolwork. “[The practices] were scheduled at that time so people would have plenty of time after their classes to work on homework and other things,” Escamilla said. “HOT is a non-competitive band, so we have very few rehearsals. Many other college bands meet nearly every day for rehearsals.” Audrey Robertson participated in marching band in high school, and after

hearing from Guiot that UT students could march with USF, she was eager to get back on the field and play. Robertson, along with Escamilla and Guiot, participates in both Spartan Band and HOT, and agrees that they are easy to manage. “I am in Spartan band. I actually do not find it hard to juggle both,” she said. “Luckily, they do not really overlap but when they do, both directors are very understanding and are willing to help us work out a solution.” All three agree that the best part of marching with HOT, aside from the screaming fans and “attractive” uniforms (the hat with the feather is called a Shako), is the new people they have met that share the same passion for music and marching. “I’ve met so many great people in HOT, and every year, everyone gains a sense of family throughout the band,” Escamilla said. “Both of these things always keep rehearsals exciting and worthwhile.” With so much time and effort dedicated to HOT and the USF football team, one might think that the red and black Spartan school spirit of the participants would be tainted Bull green, but Guiot says that this isn’t the case. “I get asked this a lot by USF and some UT students,” he said. “The answer is no because UT doesn’t have a football team to be loyal to. So when I’m not cheering on the USF football team, I’m always in my Spartan colors cheering on UT.” Mia Glater can be reached at dfyinggravity92@aol.com.

Suspects Rob UT Students on Sunday Morning From TOP STORY, Page 1 After Holz learned of the incident, a Global Message was sent out from the Office of Operations and Planning to provide safety reminders regarding off-campus activity. Although Holz said that the global message went to students as well as faculty and staff, no students who have been interviewed reported receiving that e-mail. Loftus hopes that UT will use this situation as an incentive to take the time to warn students about the dangerous areas around campus. “I am trying to talk with the school to make a pamphlet or handout that will give students an awareness about the area around them- telling them what places are safe to walk in daylight and when they should really take a cab,” she said. Holz said that the University of Tampa

plans on publishing a safety pamphlet or flier for students, but until then, she shared words of advice for students to avoid dangerous situations. “Don’t walk off campus alone or even in a group,” she said. “Take cabs if you are going off-campus, and if an area looks like it might not be safe, don’t go there.” “It’s not worth walking to save three bucks on a cab,” Roman said. “I had a gun pointed at me and I lost 50 bucks plus everything that was in my wallet. It’s just not worth it.” Anyone with information on the attackers can call Detective Jay Reese with the District III Latent Investigative Squad of the Tampa Police Department at (813) 242-3840. Channing Hailey can be reached at channinghl1@gmail.com

The route students took after the party.

NEWS + FEATURES

THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 22 2011

Residence Life Resolves Off-Campus Housing Concerns By JEFFREY PALMER News Reporter

When the Howard Johnson Hotel was filled and there were still students that needed housing, the University of Tampa turned to the Sheraton Suites as a temporary fix. Four weeks into the semester students are still living in the Sheraton, and UT’s Associate Dean of Residence Life, Krystal Schofield, is searching for a solution. While the process of room swapping was ongoing at the time of the interview, Schofield established a definite timetable for the integration of students quartered at the Sheraton onto either the Howard Johnson or campus. “Room changes will be completed by September 16, 2011,” she said. “And the moves will be completed over the weekend.” Schofield acknowledged the rumor that students were offered monetary incentives over the summer to move off campus and thus free up additional housing, but stated that the attempt was a small-scale one and relatively unsuccessful. “Over the summer, there were offers made to a select group of students. However, that process ended prior to the start of the semester, and fewer than ten students accepted the offer,” she said. In addition, Schofield stated that it would be counter-productive to tighten security measures in an attempt to weed out troublesome residents and make room for more deserving individuals. Schofield disavowed the prevalent belief that discipline was enforced more strictly at the hotels than in the residence halls and affirmed equality of security both

on and off campus. Rather, she advocated a more constructive ideology concerning housing violations. “Our goal is not to have students removed from campus for violations. We would rather help them understand the policies to become Spartans. When students, regardless of their housing assignments, violate our policies, we follow set procedures,” she said. To counter concerns that the integration of Sheraton students into the HoJo might cause discomfort or inconvenience for preexisting residents, Schofield stated that life at the hotel would continue just as before. Freshman writing major Allyson Anatra stated that while living at the offcampus hotel presented certain problems as well as perks, the experience was overall an enjoyable and rewarding one. “I love a lot of things about this place like how we have queen size beds, maid service, our own pool and the easy-going vibes it gives off. I also, surprisingly, love the walk between campus and the HoJo. There are beautiful sites to see along the way and it keeps me active,” Anatra said of her living conditions. “The best part of the HoJo would be all the friendly people who live in it. Everyone chills in the hallways and there are always people sitting outside; I feel like I make new friends every day.” Marring an otherwise pleasant residence assignment, however, was one glaring inconvenience. “A few weeks ago it would be a miracle to send an email from inside my room because I was usually forced to go out into the hallway for a stronger Wi-Fi

From the Sept 12 - Sept 18 reports.

Slip n’ Slide At 2:20 p.m. on Sept. 12, security responded to a report of a student that slipped and fell in the Spartan Club. For the 15-and-up Clubs At 9:00 a.m. on Sept. 14, a fraudulent driver’s permit was turned over to Campus Safety as found property. The Student was referred to the judicial board. Fast and Furious At 11:00 a.m. on Sept. 15, security responded to a report of a collision in the West Parking Garage. Higher Education At 1:46 a.m. on Sept. 16, a student was referred to the judicial board for the possession of marijuana. Two others with him were referred to the judicial board for identification violations.

It Got in the Way of My Fist-Pump At 2:10 p.m. on Sept. 16, security responded to a report of a student sustaining an injury from a door in Straz Hall. We Didn’t Start the Fire At 2:53 a.m. on Sept. 17, an unknown person pulled the fire alarm box on the 2nd floor of Vaughn Hall. One Whisky, One Scotch, One Beer At 12:48 a.m. on Sept. 18, an underage student was found under the influence of alcohol and in possession of a fraudulent/ altered driver’s license. The student was referred to the judicial board. It’s 4:20 Somewhere At 4:00 p.m. on Sept. 18, a student was found in possession of marijuana and a large folding knife. The student was referred to the judicial board. Reports compiled by Channing Hailey

Samantha Battersby/The Minaret

The weak Internet signal at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel forced residents to go into the hallway to send emails or do homework before the problem was resolved.

connection,” she stated. Donna Alexander, Vice President for Information Technology at UT, admitted that technical difficulties of this nature among HoJo residents was not uncommon, but affirmed that her department was doing everything in its power to rectify the situation. “Installation of the additional equipment was completed Tuesday, September 13 at 5:30 p.m. After the upgrade, the Howard Johnson Internet service vendor did a room-to-room check to verify that the Internet service was working acceptably,” explained Alexander. “Reports from 40 students across all UT occupied floors indicated Internet access had improved

significantly. The Internet service vendor is continuing to monitor the situation and has additional equipment on hand to install if needed.” Anatra verified that Internet connection problems had greatly diminished since the start of the semester, but despite her over-arching satisfaction with her living conditions, expressed the belief that hotel housing should remain only a temporary arrangement for UT. “It is definitely a better choice to build new residence halls so that all the students are living on campus together,” she closed. Jeffrey Palmer can be reached at jeffrey. palmer@spartans.ut.edu.

On Tuesday Sept. 20th Student Government met in Reeves Theater. One member from each organization must attend the Fall Leadership Retreat on October 8th from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. in the Grand Salon. Registration is due by Sept. 30th. If you cannot attend the fall retreat, there will be another in the spring. The Student Government Facebook and Twitter page have been reactivated. Follow them @utampasg and like them at University of Tampa Student Government 2011-2012 Student Government elections are on Blackboard through Sept. 25th at midnight. Candidate information is available on the Student Government Facebook page. Here are the Candidates: Senior SenatorCarolina Montes Freshman SenatorsJackie French Jacob Loken Michael Catipovic Campus-Wide Senator Daniel Muñoz Dylan Sellberg

4 SEPTEMBER 22 2011 | THE MINARET

NEWS + FEATURES

Senate Letter Lays Out Faculty Concerns About the University’s Future From FACULTY, Page 1

The letter concluded: “We urge you [President Vaughn] and the administration to engage in dialogue with the faculty” for an “attainable growth management plan for the betterment of our students, our colleagues, and The University of Tampa tomorrow.” Tracy Morse, associate professor of English and member of the Faculty Senate, echoed the concerns laid out in the letter. “We don’t know the administration’s vision for the University,” she said. Dr. Morse expressed concerns that the administration is making too many decisions without faculty input, both spatially and academically, and that faculty are often unable to discern the origin of administrative decisions. “Something is decided and we [faculty] respond to it.” Provost Janet McNew painted the university’s growth in a more positive light, describing herself as a “very lucky

Provost” for being “able to oversee expansion and hiring of faculty members and new programs and things that just aren’t happening in American higher education right now.” She agreed that shared governance is “a perennial concern of faculties” and professed to “share that concern.” “In a sense,” Provost McNew said, “it’s one of my jobs as provost to try to get that sharing to happen.” However, she drew a distinction between the domain of faculty and administrators. “The things the faculty take the lead in are particularly things that have to do with the curriculum, with peerreview of each other,” she said. “The administration takes the lead in some things, things like enrollment and the size of the institution, that kind of strategic planning and longrange planning. Budget matters and things like that. But they still should be shared and there are various processes laid out in the faculty handbook that does share those.” Though McNew stated she does not represent the side of the administration that decides enrollment targets, she did

not think the university’s over-enrollment was deliberate. “Enrollment targets are one thing and enrollment realities are another,” she said. Richard Mathews, professor of English and vice president of the Faculty Senate, noted that he found it hard to tell whether this year’s record enrollment was accidental or planned. “The enrollment over-achievement this Fall term partly was a reaction to the fact that it looked for a while like the economy was uncertain, not enough people were going to come,” he said. “Maybe they ought to admit more people, and then they admitted more people and everybody they admitted said ‘Oh, yeah, here are our deposits. We were just slow paying them.’ And all of a sudden [the administration] wound up with a mess.” Mikey Angelo Rumore can be reached at michealangelorumore@gmail.com. Rich Solomon can be reached at richard.solomon@ spartans.ut.edu.

Hundreds Run for XC Scholarship By SHIVANI KANJI News Editor

The University of Tampa’s Board of Counselors and Cross Country Team will be hosting the fifth annual Spartan Challenge 5K on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 8 a.m. during Family Weekend. The Challenge will be taking place at the Pepin Stadium/Track and will include running through tires, jumping over hay bales and crawling under a cargo net. “This is not your typical race,” Cross Country Assistant Coach, Dror Vaknin said. “ It will involve all kinds of obstacles and will encompass the entire campus.” More than 440 runners participated in last year’s race. They raised a total of approximately $6,000. All proceeds go to the cross country team toward its scholarship fund. Vaknin hopes to have a larger student

body attending this years race with a lot more prizes to give away. Lisa Rorrer, the special events coordinator, encourages students to come join in the stretch that will be taking place before the race. “The pre-race stretch will be led by Nick Peterson who is a UT alumni [and] UT baseball player who was drafted by the New York Yankees and was a contestant on [the television series] The Bachelor. We are excited to have someone from the community come and help out during the event...” Pre-registration is $20 until Sept. 30, regular registration is $25 until Oct. 13 and race day registration is $30 on Oct.15. There will be a $5 discount for students, ROTC, active duty military, UT alumni, faculty and staff. Shivani Kanji can be reached at shivani.kanji@spartans.ut.edu

Monday: NFL Ticket bucket beer 5 for $10.00 Tuesday: Student night: $6.00 cheese pizza w/ purchase of 2 beverages Wednesday: $.50 cent wings or Italian sausage night $2.00 pints Thursday: Tropical Thursdays: 2-4-1 Friday: TGIF… 4-6pm .50cent drafts (min 2)….. $2.00 wells 6-8pm Free appetizer w/ purchase of any draft beer Saturday: College Games on 12-1:30 ..50 draft domestic (min 2) 2-close $6 cheese pizza w/ purchase of 2 beverages Sunday: NFL Sunday Ticket Playing your favorite teams: on 12-1:30 .50 draft domestic (min 2) 2-close $6 cheese pizza w/ purchase of 2 beverages

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THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 22 2011

New Leader of D.R.I.V.E. UT Brings Car Lovers Together By KADEE JO CARPENTER

News Reporter

The University of Tampa has an emerging club on campus with D.R.I.V.E., Dynamically Revolutionizing Vehicle Education. Its mission includes: “Bringing local vehicle enthusiasts together.Vehicle problems will be converted into common learning opportunities integrated with the networking structure of this educational club. D.R.I.V.E members will assist fellow enthusiasts with the correct information necessary to understand all aspects of vehicles.” This year’s new president Moises Benhabib, a junior government and world affairs major, is working to expand D.R.I.V.E. “The new thing that I want to do this year is partner with local clubs to host events,” Benhabib said. “I’m trying to get with Student Productions to do another drive-in movie on top of West. Also, I want to start a campus car show where we would invite members from other clubs to participate.” This year marks the first time that D.R.I.V.E.-UT has partnered with USF to host more events both on and off campus.

“Their club is so large they get better rates for events such as a drag day, where we go to a drag strip and run a quarter-mile.” Everyone on campus is encouraged to participate with the club. Vice president of D.R.I.V.E, sophomore Michael Raffia, joined not only because he loves cars but he could make local contacts in an important network. “I saw D.R.I.V.E-UT and knew it would be a good fit because it takes my passion for cars and adds the social side.The best part of this club, and any vehicle base club, is meeting people with similar interests.” What started three years ago by three UT students who wanted to get together, hang out and show off their cars has grown into a campus organization that is partnered with Tampa Car Meets and the Tampa Racing Forum. The best reason to join, according to Raffia, “You meet new people, you create connections and “car people” all want to help each other out. If you want to learn more about your vehicle, want to go to the drag races or autocross, or go to some of the best car shows in the country Drive UT would be a great organization to join. It really is just about having fun and some

Samantha Battersby/The Minaret

Students’ cars lined the parking lot behind the John Sykes College of Business for DRIVE UT’s first meeting on Tuesday night.

amazing pieces of craftsmanship.” If you have a car with you on campus, or if you just have a love for the machine, D.R.I.V.E.-UT may be just for you. Often times the club will go on a ‘cruise’ after meetings, attend USF car meets, have track days as well as participate in community service. Membership

fees are $5 or any current member who recruits three new members will get their membership fee waived. The next regular meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 9:45 a.m. For more information contact Moises Benhabib at mbenhabib@spartans.ut.edu. Kadee Jo Carpenter can be reached at carpentek@me.com.

Organization Aims to Provide Voice for Commuter Community By CHANNING HAILEY

Asst. News Editor

Two UT seniors are forming an organization that will serve as the voice of commuter students at the University of Tampa. In 2008, a group of students began the Spartan Commuter Organization, but were unsuccessful in getting the club off the ground. This year, Nicki Hurst and Jason Hepperly are taking the reigns with the goal of restarting the club and increasing its influence on campus to improve amenities and services available to commuter students. The new organization is looking to gain members who are looking to share their ideas on making the campus more commuter-friendly. “Technically, for the last two and a half years, commuters have not had a voice on campus,” Nicki Hurst, chair of the Spartan Commuter Organization, said. She and her co-chair, Hepperly, plan on changing that. Parking on campus is one of the major issues that the Spartan Commuter Organization will be addressing. Hurst and Hepperly began brainstorming ideas for improving commuter parking on campus

last year. An idea that they are working on is to reserve more space on the lower floors of West Parking Garage for commuter students and have freshmen and other students using that garage park their cars on its upper levels. “The commuters are coming and going and rushing to class, but the freshmen don’t have to leave the garage as much,” Hurst said. “The way it is now, freshmen are parked on the second and third floors, but then you go up to the fifth floor and it’s all commuters.” Hepperly added, “Since the freshmen are more likely to stay there, it makes more sense for them to leave space for commuters on the bottom levels.” The two both said that they are looking to dramatically improve parking accommodations across campus by next fall. Along with addressing parking issues on campus, Hurst and Hepperly plan on getting input from commuters and members of the Spartan Commuter Organization on ways to make campus life more accommodating for commuters. Hepperly’s interest lies in revamping the Spartan Club so that it has expanded

uses for commuters as well as students living on campus. “I think overall it should be more open with TVs, another dining venue and couches,” he said. Additionally Hurst wants to make it more widely known that there is a commuter lounge available for use. The commuter lounge on the second floor of the Vaughn Center provides a place for commuters to relax and study. It has a fridge and microwave as well as places for commuters to store their lunches. “We also have lockers for commuter students which really helps,” Hurst added. The commuter lounge is also open to students living in the Howard Johnson and the Sheraton Suites. Since they have to plan their days around what materials they bring with them to campus, they are considered commuter students by the Spartan Commuter Organization. For $5 a semester, they can use a locker to store books between classes. “We hope to expand the commuter lounge and make it a place where people can feel at home and relax,” Hepperly said. Hurst and Hepperly are also looking at

finding a way to allow commuter students to use financial aid to pay for their meal plans. At this time, commuters are paying for meal plans out of pocket, but the Spartan Commuter Organization is looking to provide them with different options. The two chairs of the organization hope that commuters bring any ideas or issues they have to their attention. “We have a voice for you guys. We’re a part of student government and provide the gateways to bring issues up,” Hurst said. The Spartan Commuter Organization hopes to get the commuter population more involved on campus and to know more about what events are taking place throughout the week. As membership in the organization increases, Hurst and Hepperly hope the Spartan Commuters can put on a few campus-wide events each year. The first interest meeting for the Spartan Commuter Organization will take place Sept. 28 in Commuter Lounge from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Any students with questions about the Spartan Commuter Organization can contact Nicki Hurst at nhurst@spartans. ut.edu. Channing Hailey can be reached at channinghl1@gmail.com.

Passport to Party: The International Trouble with Clubs By DANI CARPENTER

News Reporter

For many members of UT’s 6,600 thriving population, a night consumed with dancing, high-energy music, and alcohol is considered a norm of college society. However, some students will never see past the front door of these clubs. Their rejection was based solely upon the fact that they were international students who could not produce a passport during the time of entry into a night club.

Illustration by Rebecca Morales

Upon asking Kwesi Ampofo, an international sophomore from Ghana, Africa, about his experiences with college life in the United States, he replied, “Here people party more, get out of control more [as opposed to life in Ghana].” Ampofo also mentioned that the legal drinking age where he’s from is eighteen, whereas the U.S. requires consumers to be at least twenty-one years of age. “People just don’t drink as much back home,” he suggests, “probably because it’s legal. The rebellion to drink heavily doesn’t exist where I’m from because it’s permitted for young adults.” When questioned about his passport in regards to going clubbing, Ampofo insisted that using a passport as adequate identification was “bothersome.” However, he professed, “of course I’ll still go to the club, I do have a life.” He still readily attends clubs such as Asia, The Spot, Prana, and Luxury Box, most of which only accept passports as valid identification from international students. Ampofo doesn’t feel entirely safe using the one item that can return him easily to Africa as a passkey into the club scene, but he will continue to rely upon it in order to go out with his friends as opposed to trying to enter with his native ID card, which gives him the chance to be rejected.

Another UT student, Karsten Klink, a freshman from Germany, shares the same reluctance when using a passport to enter clubs in Tampa. Klink compares the use of a passport to an invasion of privacy, so he is thankful for his dual citizenship, which allows him to use a military card as confirmation in most clubs where UT and USF students regularly attend. According to representatives employed at The Drynk and The Kennedy, two clubs in close proximity to UT’s campus, using passports as valid identification helps to “decrease the utilization of fake IDs,” which are often used by underage college students in order to attend on twenty-one and up exclusive nights and acquire alcoholic drinks at the bars on a regular basis. The representatives claim that the bouncers and security protecting the clubs prefer to only accept passports from international students since they are “virtually impossible” to duplicate. Although students who desire to attend clubs would rather prefer to be permitted with their IDs from their native countries, using a passport to enter clubs seems to be only a minor hassle to the vast majority of UT’s international students. Dani Carpenter can be reached at danielle.carpenter@ spartans.ut.edu.

6 SEPTEMBER 22 2011 | THE MINARET

NEWS + FEATURES

Father, Son to Receive Diplomas Together in December

Samantha Battersby/The Minaret

Deciding to return to college, Jason Canady applied to UT, where his father was already a student.

degree, so that he wouldn’t have extra stress from entering into a harder program that could take away from him going back to the military as an Active Duty Army Officer.

]

This December, father and son David and Jason Canady will walk across the stage in the Martinez Sports Center as University of Tampa graduates. After taking time away from school, David and his son Jason both decided to go to college and get a degree. Growing up during the times of segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, David Canady had to face the challenge of studying while trying to avoid the racial riots occurring outside his high school window. “I remember too having pep rallies with the riot squad present in shields and carrying batons,” he said. The pressure of being successful in school while trying to ignore the racial fights became an arduous task for David, and he eventually had to drop out. “Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama and going to school in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s was a trying experience, especially when you go to one of the most racially violent schools,” Canady said. Soon enough, he decided not to fully give up on his education and earned his GED. After earning his GED, he started community college, where the learning environment was more inviting than it was in high school. Although college was socially less stressful, Canady was married and had to endure the heartbreak of losing one of his children. To handle responsibilities at home, he once again was forced to leave behind his desire for an education for the love of his family. Canady carried that love and passion for education far into adulthood, yet the opportunity did not present itself for a while. Canady’s opportunity came when he had to run a small business in Tampa, Fla. for the company Medco. He began to start his own contacting business dealing with building pools and hauling dirt for home builders. His business was doing fine until the housing market crashed and work became slow. “My work was dependant on the housing

market, and when the housing bubble burst, I found myself sitting at home,” he said. Canady decided to research schools and discovered that the University of Tampa’s liberal arts program had a lot to offer in the film and communications department. “I researched the surrounding schools and online programs then settled on UT’s program, I liked what they offered as far as film and film studies,” he said. Already having two years of college experience prior to enrolling at UT, he began attending in the spring semester of 2008. This enabled him to begin pursing his Bachelor of Liberal Studies with a minor in communication and concentration in film studies upon his first semester. An honorable solider of the United States Army, David’s son, Jason Canady, joined the military after graduating from Bloomingdale high school in Birmingham, Ala. He started his training early during his junior year by attending Fort Sill in Oklahoma. After completing training, Jason spent six years in the military. He had aspirations of becoming an officer, but he realized that the wait to become an officer took a substantial amount of time, so he decided to engage in the Green to Gold program to earn a degree. Since his father was already attending the University of Tampa, and UT offered a similar degree that he was interested in versus other neighboring colleges, he decided to enroll for the spring semester of 2009. “I was in the army, and the army has a program where I could come to school with no paper work and I can go back in as an officer,” Jason Canady said. In the Green to Gold program, Jason is able to attend school for free. After he is done with school, he owes the military four years of service. He found that the school was a good fit for him after researching the ROTC program and came to the realization that there were other people on campus seeking to earn a degree post-military. Jason decided to major in criminology, after changing his mind from pursuing a degree managing information systems

relax from being so committed in service After graduating this winter, Jason and David will be returning to their original careers except with new expectations for work.

[

By SHANTORA PERKINS

News Reporter

“My work was dependant on the housing market, and when the housing bubble burst, I found myself sitting at home. ”

The father and son’s time together was not spent in school; most of the time they would bypass each other coming and going to class and over the course of two and a half years, they only had one class, environmental science, which they purposely took together. “We really don’t see each other that much, a lot of my classes were during the day and a lot of my dad’s classes were during the night,” Jason Canady said. The father and son appreciate how the professors go out of their way to help and connect with their students. “[Professors] understand guys like my dad who hasn’t been in school for years and me, being out of school for six years, so they work with you and help you transition” Jason said. Jason is fond of the fact that the school is so military supportive and that he can interact with other people who are like him going back to school from the military. David is more captivated by the atmosphere of the campus and how scenic it is. Jason even tried to rush for a fraternity, but he came to find out he did not want that type of commitment while he was trying

-David Canady

“I will be commissioned the day before graduation, so I will be going back to the army,” Jason explained. After graduating, Jason will return to the military as an officer. Where he will be stationed is currently unknown. Jason’s education within ROTC has helped him put more into perspective what type of officer he wants to become. David will be able to return to work and apply his degree to his work. “The company has capitalized on what I learned here, and they have sent me on assignments for videography and photography,” David said. He explained how he has put his newly acquired job skills to work. “I put together some communication packages for them for employee training and motivation- definitely a hands on job for sure,” he said. David also encourages those who are older to get back in school if it really is what they want to do. “It’s never too late. People come back to school for valid reasons.” Shantora Perkins can be reached at shashap2011@gmail.com.

THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 22 2011

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Diversions

Crossword Richard Chisholm / Will Shortz ©New York Times

Across 1. Knife wound 5. Mission Control org. 9. Letter after Beta in a society's name 14. Broadway musical set in ancient Egypt 15. "___ fair in love and war" 16. Oak starter 17. Light from a halo 18. ___ Marsala 19. Like many bathroom floors 20. Continuously 23. Potato feature 24. Plant starters 25. Ninny 27. Civil War inits. 30. Tire gauge reading: Abbr. 31. Society page word 34. Parts of mins. 36. Common place for a tattoo 38. Actor O'Brien 40. Continuously 43. Be almost out 44. Stamp's place: Abbr. 45. Tibetan monk 46. Choose 47. Letter before Beta in a society's name 49. Always, poetically 51. The "S" of CBS: Abbr. 52. Pool member 54. PC key 56. Continuously 62. It often follows a pun 63. Inhabitants: Suffix 64. Loads and loads 65. Vibrant 66. Harvest

Samantha Cossum/The Minaret

30 37

31 38

54 58

12. The hunted 13. In addition 21. N.R.C. predecessor 22. Special portion of a vintner's output 25. Houston player 26. Clinch 28. Pourer's comment 29. Terrier's cry 31. Acadia, today 32. Group to attack 33. Authors Ferber and O'Brien 35. Inits. in TV comedy since 1975 37. One of the Three Stooges 39. Gibson of "Braveheart" 41. Hit parade contents 42. Le Monde article

At the Faculty Art Show in the Scarfone/ Hartley Gallery, Santiago Evercherry’s moving piece about Gay/Lesbian rights came to life through pictures.

Down 1. Story that goes on and on 2. Plow 3. Preadult 4. Ribald 5. Shade of blue 6. Away from the wind 7. Hungarians are situated between them 8. Out for the night 9. Summer chirpers 10. Citric and others 11. Silent film vamp Negri

45 49

67. "Good going!" 68. Shoe bottoms 69. Pretentious 70. Thieves' accumulation

23 25

48. Prime Minister Gandhi 50. Kind of room 52. Italian wine 53. Cousin of a mink 55. Not be perpendicular 56. Singer Guthrie 57. Disturb 58. Summer phenomenon 59. Catch sight of 60. Rooster 61. "Trick" body part 62. Stove option

Horoscopes By Linda C Black / Tribune Media Services

Aries (March 21-April 19) Wild dreams could inspire this morning. Focus energy and concentration to realize something others might consider impossible. Dive into an artistic pursuit.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Let your hair down and celebrate with your friends. Balance a good time with great planning for the future. Love shines through. And the abundance is really starting to flow.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Create new partnerships. There’s power in diversity. Learning a new language makes you stronger. A hero comes to your rescue… or maybe you’re the hero. Celebrate.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Step up the action: it’s your turn in the spotlight It’s a test, and you’ve been practicing. Give it your best shot. A partner gets a lucky break. Celebrate.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) The weekend may end faster than you would like. It’s time to get busy, saving honey for winter. The activity of harvest pays dividends far ahead. Take advantage.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Physical exertion lifts your spirits. You’re more powerful now, and looking good. Lucky hunches lead to bigger gains than imagined. Let your creativity out of the box.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Make time for an outing today, even if it’s a quick trip alone. Ideas for work keep popping up when you least expect them. Write them down to take action later.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Do you feel like laying around all day with a loved one? Now’s perfect for romance, relaxation and being childlike. Stay out of trouble with a low profile.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Review priorities. What would you like to learn, and where? Money’s coming in, but could evaporate. Pay bills first. Romance may disappoint tonight. A quiet evening’s better.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) In the middle of the rush and flow, expect some surprises. Your strong intuition has you anticipating them in a subtle dance. You make it look graceful.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Don’t believe everything you hear today… something’s hidden from view. Spend a little to forward your next goal, but don’t let it slip through your fingers. Keep to the plan.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Let your dreams pull you forward without losing touch with reality. Stay grounded and close to your home and roots. Share ideas with others for brilliant synchronicity.

8 SEPTEMBER 22 2011 | THE MINARET

Arts + Entertainment Generation Dumbed Down by Technology

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Slammin’ Poet: Asia Project

By SEANNON NICHOLS

By XELAMARIE MEDINA

On Sept. 16, the University of Tampa hosted a lecture with Mark Bauerlein, the author of The Dumbest Generation and Professor of English at Emory University. Hosted on the ninth floor of Vaughn, a full and diverse crowd was in attendance. In his opening, Professor Bauerlein claimed that his reason for writing a book of this nature is because he feels he has a “responsibility to rebuke adolescents about adolescents and believes tensions between them is healthy for our social environment.” His main concern is the negative effects that new technology has on today’s youth. His primary targets for what he describes as the “digital age children” are people growing up with the technological advances and using them as a crutch. He writes in the book that he is afraid that with this newfound dependency on technological advances, the digital generation isn’t leaving any room for intellectual growth. In the 1990’s when the digital age occurred, peer to peer contact became 24/7. With 300 channel TV’s, cell phones with unlimited call and texting features and social networking sites on the Internet. Home was no longer a private space; it was social with all these new media platforms available. A study that the professor unearthed showed that most teens who own cell phones sleep with them by their pillow in case something “vital” happens.

Monday night at the Reeves Theatre, the Asia Project gave a stunning performance. Lauren White, head coordinator of student productions said “We [Student Productions] want to bring different shows to the University of Tampa that appeal to a variety of people.” As the lights grew dimmer and the spotlight gained intensity, Daytime, Asia’s opening act, stepped on stage. He helped set the mood for Asia’s presentation and gave the audience members hints on how we should react during the performance. Like any other form of art, poetry has its own set of conventions that should be followed in order to let the performer know we understand and enjoy the act. “I believe everything happens for a reason. I am going to tell you the story of my life and hopefully in that time frame you’ll be able to discover something about your life. That said, let’s make some noise!” Asia opened. With a mixture of humor, realism and sincerity, he presented us his story and transformed it to art. His first works were titled “Breathe” and “Sunscreen.” He followed it with a poem titled “For Jessica,” which was inspired by his wife. He continued with subjects about living in the nineties. Humorous references to the clothes we wore and the way we communicated cause laughter amongst the crowd members. Other times, he would relate with the audience by narrating events from his childhood.Being diagnosed with cancer at an early age, his poems present daily situations and make us think and come to terms with the way we live our lives. Before he was diagnosed, he lost a close friend after a long battle with breast cancer. She made him promise he would quit the job he hated and pursuit his dream.

Arts + Entertainment Writer

]

We are limiting ourselves to the things we like. We need to be open to disagreements to our beliefs because disagreements challenge us and make us question our beliefs.

This constant need to know what is going on with our peers is what drives our need for our technology. His argument is that these tools introduce a new set of implications of peer pressure, and it is hard to detach yourself based on the relationship and concern for friends. The meat of his argument stems from his proclaimation that the more time on technology we use is less time for intellectual growth. “It’s all based on the opportunity costs, text messaging or reading a newspaper.” It’s when texting is taking time away from some intellectual activity that it becomes a problem. His claim is not that technology is bad, but that when it cuts into leisure time and is no longer efficient it is a hindrance. Professor Bauerlein says that all the things which are prevalent in youth today add up to a formula of complacency. We are limiting ourselves to the things we like. We need to be open to disagreements to our beliefs because disagreements challenge us and make us question our beliefs. Following his lecture Professor Bauerlein hosted a question and answer section. The crowd was diverse, and he had many good student and faculty questions. Overall, the lecture was a positive, vivacious discussion. Dr. Erin A. Koterba, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education, said, “I thoroughly enjoyed him as a lecturer; it was very interesting and [I] thought he handled a provocative topic well.” His passion for the topic derives from his “care about the minds of the young and the culture. It’s important for youth to test beliefs and debate and discuss and think about memories of the past.” The 10 percent of America’s youth that is already balancing intellectual growth and technology are really going to stand out, but “society demands more than 10 percent and we don’t want cultural elite, so this is why I am addressing this problem.” His concern for today’s youth can be further examined in his book, The Dumbest Generation. Seannon Nichols can be reached at snichols12392@ yahoo.com.

Tiffany Corrada/The Minaret The Asia Project in the midst of spitting out some rhymes, while his accompanist plays on the guitar.

Poems such as “As I am” project his and the audiences’ insecurities and in the end, it portrayed how Cancer made him stronger. In the words of Asia himself “Sometimes you have to lose a part of you to find your whole self.” Emotions overflowed in the theatre, as he presented his story and his insights. Once his show ended, he stayed and mingled with the audience members. Even though he is constantly traveling, I had the opportunity to get to know him better by asking him a few questions. The Minaret (M): How was your experience at UT? Asia (A): Oh, I loved it. The venue was great, the sound was awesome. Any place we perform doesn’t have to be packed; it just has to be quiet, to make people feel it. The other day at noon, a school placed us at a Starbucks, next to the door. There were no chairs and people went right by me to order their coffee and it was not cool. A venue like this is a good spot where you can get emotions into it. M: How do you prepare before a show? Do you do anything special to calm your nerves? A: I do Capoiera, just kidding. Actually, I don’t. I’ve been doing this for so long I just know it. M: How do you handle your demanding tour schedule? A: You have to remind yourself that you love this. I prefer to do this than work from 9-5. For me one or two hours a day is good. Sure, there is a lot of traveling but it’s been good.

Tiffany Corrada/The Minaret The opening act, Daytime, got the crowd pumped up before Asia went on stage.

M: Would you ever go back to working for corporate America? A: Never. I’m going to do what I have to do in order to thrive. The next step includes doing a one man show and incorporating audio visuals. We are trying to incorporate a symphony so that people really feel the power. It’s less poetry, it’s more of telling a story that will make the

people laugh and take them on a ride. M: What is in store for Asia Project in the next five years? A: Oh, I already know this; I think about this all the time. Hopefully, continuing to visit colleges, presenting on Broadway and launching a DVD”, hopefully we will get into acting. Then when I get to old to perform, write a book. Those are the plans for now. I know it’s high hopes and high dreams but that is how we should live life. M: Why the name “Asia Project?” A: Oh, that’s easy. Check out how deep this is. My name is Asia but I called it “The Asia Project” because we are our own project. If you think about it, our whole lives we are constantly adjusting who we are. Constantly making ourselves better, sometimes worse but we are never the same person. It’s us that we are working on. It’s my personal stuff I’m still working on. M: Who or what inspires you to create poetry and perform? A: Music inspires me. I get a lot from this guy [Joel]. We listen a lot to “Explosions in the Sky” and types of music similar to that. I get inspired by movies a lot. Drama movies, things like that, that move you. M: Do you consider yourself an inspiration to others? A: I like to think so! That’s kind of the goal. Every person chooses what moves them but I hope I’m one of them. M: Out of all the awards you’ve won, which one is the most important? A: The one… What’s the most important award I’ve ever won? Let’s see, a kid gave me a gold star once. That was the best award I’ve ever gotten. It’s true, I did a workshop in junior high and he gave me a golden star. I mean, if I can reach a thirteen year old kid with my poems, it really counts. Xelamarie Medina can be reached at xelmymedina@gmail.com.

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 22 2011

Culture Guerilla: The Nostalgia Machine and Why It Must Stop youngling (and came to the conclusion that these weird Nickelodeon shows explain a lot about myself). But at the same time, I Increasingly, our present seems too discovered Simon Reynold’s Retromania: long for the past. I’m not talking about the Pop Culture’s Addiction to Its Own Past. burden of history, or anything heavy like Using music as an example, the book that. It’s just — okay, so I was at Target makes the case that younger generations the other day, and they had vintage-style are feeling prematurely nostalgic: that Woodstock T-shirts on sale. Maybe I’m digital “over-documentation” has led to a the only one who finds this weird. I don’t “retromania.” I’m inclined to agree. However, I’d add that this phenomena is think this is what the hippies had in mind. It felt like a last straw. We are clearly the not just premature nostalgia. It’s a longing for the past. Something about the past just generation of the throwback. The trend is everywhere. Over the feels more authentic. But what is it? And summer, Teen Nick made a splash when it how did we get here? After all, a trip to the cinema will confirm began re-airing some of its most popular 90’s shows like Doug and All That. What’s that Hollywood is relying more on sequels striking about it: these formerly children’s and remakes than ever before (another programs are not being marketed to Planet of the Apes? Is this necessary?). children. Airing late-night, midnight-to-2 Even professional sports have gotten into a.m., The ‘90s Are All That is simply a the nostalgia business. Some teams, like nostalgia machine. And also a ratings NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers or San success. I was born in 1990, and I admit Diego Chargers, occasionally pay homage that I too tuned in to see what I watched as a to the past by wearing designs inspired by older uniforms. In the Bucs’ case, their bright-orange “creamsicle” uniforms were the butt of jokes in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. However, with “retromania” underway, they suddenly look “classic,” an adjective never used to describe them when the Bucs wore them full-time. Other teams, like the NBA’s Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors have reverted their full-time uniforms to ones based on classic designs. Music’s “retromania” may be the easiest example, and I’m also guilty of indulging in it. I can’t stand much on new rock or Top 40 radio — give me The Fred Seibert/flickr.com Beatles or The Who. But the Shows like Rocko’s Modern Life and Doug are now being music industry’s nostalgia By MIKEY ANGELO RUMORE Arts + Entertainment Columnist

considered prematurely “retro” by 20-somethings.

machine is a direct product of the digital revolution. The digital age may have held its biggest consequences for the music industry, affecting everything from its business model to how we listen to music. For instance, I don’t think it’s fair to say that vinyl record enthusiasts are simply nostalgia-heads. Sure, they carry that aspect, but vinyl records actually sound better. Records are able to hold much more sonic information than, say, an MP3. If you want to know what I’m talking about, go to a recording studio and ask an audio engineer what he or she thinks about MP3s. Their quality is, in objective terms, quite pitiful. Yet we’ve gotten used to them. Major labels are still scrambling long after digital music made physical copies obsolete. Essentially, labels (and some

“

musicians) are clinging to their records by persecuting those that copy the music. Some are well-intentioned, but it’s absurd to think that any number of lawsuits will return value to their product. It seems that all artistic industries are being influenced by the same conservative impulse. So what does this mean for new artists? This isn’t the time for knee-jerk manifestos, but I think artists need to make a choice: go down with the traditional industries or help create a new one. Change will take many different artists of many different ideas, each chipping away at artistic industries that are eroding anyway. Hence the title of my column: Culture Guerilla. Mikey Angelo Rumore can be reached at michealangelorumore@gmail.com.

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10 SEPTEMBER 22 2011 | THE MINARET

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Scarfone/Hartley Gallery Showcases Faculty Works By LAUREL SANCHEZ

Arts + Entertainment Columnist

Last Friday night, the University of Tampa’s Scarfone – Hartley Gallery opened its annual Fine Arts Faculty Exhibition. A sizable crowd of UT students and faculty as well as community members attended the opening and enjoyed the work and refreshments provided. The crowd came to see the art work of their teachers and peers. The show had it all —from mixed media to ink printing to digital photography. The art exhibition featured a variety of pieces. One series was “Altered” by Chris Valle. Valle said that the entire series contains 80 works of art. “I chose these five because they all lined up very well,” he said. “They go from tall to short, back to tall forming a ‘V’.” The pieces featured last night were “Saint Kid of Rock,” “Saint Paris of Gucci,” “Saint James of Akron,” “Saint Lady of Gaga” and “Saint Jacko.” What is interesting about these pieces is that there is an iconic religious feature underneath a pop culture icon. Most of Valle’s work represents pop culture and how it affects society. One of the featured images, “Saint James of Akron,” is of LeBron James over a religious picture of Saint Francis of Assisi. “It looks like he is drawing the tattoos on LeBron’s arm,” said Valle. “The pen from the Saint Francis image appears to be inscribing the tattoo of the area code of Akron, Ohio.” Joseph Gamble, professor at UT, liked the “Altered” series. Gamble said the way it was set up was aesthetically pleasing, and that “the pieces have humor and wit.” Alicia Gonzalez, senior entrepreneurship major, also liked the pieces. “I liked his art because it mixes religion with pop culture,” she said. “Typically it’s a taboo subject and people don’t compare them.” Another interesting installation was a set of pieces by Santiago Echeverry. Take a look, and notice that each of the collections are on opposite sides of the gallery. “They are on opposite sides of the gallery because they represent two different statements,” Echeverry said. He said that the photography of Morocco and video “Maroc 4 Algérie 0” was his personal “voyage journal,” while the other piece was a political statement. The most fascinating part of his photo journal project was that he took many of the pictures and the video with his iPhone. “I could blend,” Echeverry said, meaning

that he could video people and take to take pictures of the children living there, pictures without lugging heavy equipment and they just smiled and said, “Please take around. He also said that the subjects were our picture!” This inspired Frorup for her themselves when he took the pictures. They piece “Earth Cry.” didn’t “act” for the camera. “It’s actually an interactive piece,” His other works surrounded a more she said. This piece is made up of an old serious subject: Gay/Lesbian Rights. punching bag with a book of prints of the Echeverry created this series based off junk yard children behind it. The viewers a poem by Ed Madden titled ‘Prick.’ can flip through the art, but here is the best Throughout his art, he has a male model part. The viewer can actually take a print posing with certain phrases from the poem. home with them. “I want the viewer to be One example was a piece with the model able to take this home as memorabilia,” with the phrase “where the arrow goes Frorup said. John Capouya, Assistant matters” with an “X” over his heart. Professor of Journalism, said that Frorup’s “It’s pertinent to what’s going on,” work was “powerful, beautiful and Echeverry said. “I feel like we’re treated original.” “Kendra as third class citizens.” Francesca Erni, Frorup is kicking a senior music major, likes to look at ass!” he said. her professor’s work at the art shows The show took and has been to the past three. She said one week to set that Echeverry’s “Prick” video was eye- up, from Monday opening. “It accurately portrays the dangers of labeling in society,” Erni Pictured Right: As a part of said. Santiago Evercherry’s Gay/ Lesbian Rights series, the photo Kendra Frorup is another represents a line from a poem artist that was featured in by Ed Madden titled “Prick.“ the show. Her work portrays and is a response to her Pictured Below: Patrons view travels over the summer in faculty works on Friday night. Tanzania. “It was different than I imagined,” Frorup said. “I expected to come home with African patterns and prints, but all I saw was a fight for survival.” Many of her works had boxing gloves or an item related to boxing. When asked, she said that her theme was “fighting for survival”. Many of her pieces were mixed media with photography, painting and almost sculpturelike aspects. She talked about how everywhere she looked, there were people struggling to get by. In one of her pieces, there is a man holding at least ten pairs of shoes. This was an everyday occurrence during her trip. One experience that touched her was her visit to the junk yard. Frorup went

to a few hours before the gallery opened Friday night. “They are all intensive pieces,” said Dorothy Cowden, ScarfoneHartley Gallery Director. “All the artists want to work until they get it right.” The Fine Arts Faculty Exhibition will be in the gallery until Oct. 6. “Every year, it just keeps getting better and better,” Cowden said. The gallery is open to anyone on Tuesdays through Fridays between 10 am and 4 pm and on Saturdays from 1-4 pm. This show only comes once a year, so go and see it! Laurel Sanchez can be reached at lsanchez@spartans.ut.edu.

short of winning it all in the 2001 season, the A’s lose key starters Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi and Jason Isringhausen to free agency. The budget is tight in Oakland, and no extra money is going to be spent for Beane to bolster his roster for the upcoming season. Simply put, Beane works for what is known as a small-market team. Yet he has a loyal fan base to impress, an owner who expects a good product to still be placed on the field and a coach (Phillip Seymour Hoffman, excellent as always) nagging for a new contract. What’s a general manager to do? Beane turns to the often-dismissed method of sabermetrics. In theory, sabermetrics is supposed to increase your chances of winning, as it is a more in depth way to view statistics that otherwise would go unnoticed by large-market teams. At the time, though, this idea was considered radical and was believed to be a sure way of losing lots of games and lots of fans. Beane’s group of player talent scouts followed this arrogant line of thinking. But one scout, Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), is in sync with Beane. A student of sabermetrics, Brand helps Beane in putting together a roster based on statistical odds rather than well-known, highly paid players.

being? This is a not a question that is intentionally raised by the film, but rather left unclear—and it’s an important question considering much of the movie focuses on the game of baseball, then hones in on Beane’s personal life in the finale. Moneyball would have benefited from cutting 20 minutes from its 126 minute runtime, which included at least three possible instances to end on. We get a few too many wide-shots of a helpless Beane sitting alone in his office or the stadium, followed by close-ups of his morose face. The positives of this movie vastly outweigh the negatives, however. Brilliantly shot and stylistically appealing, Moneyball also goes the extra distance by developing its characters. It manages to get a good laugh over with the audience on a consistent basis as well. I love the underdog; I thoroughly enjoyed Moneyball. It’s only ironic that a movie about an underdog will be anything but that come award season. Critic’s Review: 3.5/5

Samantha Cossum/The Minaret

Moneyball: Winning Story of the Underdog Athletics By DANIEL FEINGOLD Associate Editor

Based on a true story and adapted for the big screen from the book of the same name, Moneyball follows Oakland Athletics’ General Manager Billy Beane (a worn down-looking Brad Pitt) in his quest to keep his franchise relevant. After falling

Through a rough start to the 2002 season and the doubters becoming louder with each additional mark in the loss column, Beane and Brand still stick to their plan. It’s difficult to not love a true underdog story, and Moneyball exemplifies just that. Director Bennett Miller (Capote) does a tremendous job forcing our hand in rooting for a team we may not care less about in present day. Utilizing flashes of the highlights from Athletics’ games in the ’01 and ’02 seasons, Miller invokes our true fandom for the game while becoming enamored with the outcome. The intensity is built up whether or not you recall the results of these games. Pitt and Hill surprisingly work very well with one another, perhaps because their uncomfortable pairing in the movie allows them to play off each other effectively. Peter Brand is contained and borderline awkward, while Pitt portrays Beane as outspoken and impulsive. The storyline also makes way for a great performance from Kerris Dorsey, who plays Beane’s daughter. The problem with Moneyball is that it has conflicting ideas of what it wants to accomplish. Should we care more about Beane as the baseball enthusiast or human

Daniel Feingold can be reached at dfeingold91@gmail.com.

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 22 2011

DIY: Strawberry Face Mask Nineties Bands Preparation of the Cleanser:

Arts + Entertainment Writer

In the novel Cat’s Cradle, Little Newt describes his father’s face having “pores as big as the craters of the moon.” Who would want that sort of description for their face? And of course there are a countless amount of manufactured products that can help reduce this problem, most of which contain chemicals whose names can’t even be pronounced. That can be a little confusing because you usually don’t know what exactly is in the product. But even if you looked at the ingredient list, what the heck is octisalate? This is why some people like to make their own homemade recipes. One student says that she believes in natural remedies because they helped remove blackheads and reduce the size of the pores around her nose. According to www.dermadoctor. com, pores can appear larger for a number of reasons such as having oily skin, aging and even sun damage. One of the main reasons why pores appear so enlarged is because of poor exfoliation. This all-natural strawberry sugar cleanser is made specifically to reduce the appearance of large pores. Strawberries naturally contain salicylic acid, which helps to gently exfoliate the skin. Salicylic acid sweeps out the dead skin cells, tightens pores, and gives your face a refreshing glow. Additionally, strawberries are high in antioxidants, which are great for reversing the effects of sun damage. The second ingredient in the cleanser is cane sugar. Cane sugar contains glycolic acid, a natural acid found in fruits that have the ability to go under the surface of the skin and destroy the “glue” that binds dead

1. Take 4-5 freshly rinsed strawberries and place them in a bowl. Rinsing the strawberries beforehand can help remove any impurities which may be present on the surface. 2. With a fork, mash the strawberries until it forms a liquid-like consistency. bartek.langer/flickr.com

3. Add 1/2 cup of cane sugar. 4. Add 3 spoonfuls of honey and mix thoroughly.

Ingredients

Application: 1. Before applying the cleanser, steam your face. Steaming your face allows the pores to open up, so that the ingredients can better penetrate the skin.

• Strawberries • Cane sugar • Honey skin cells to the surface of the skin. By destroying this “glue,” dead cells are washed away, giving the skin a healthier appearance. In addition to these two ingredients, a small amount of honey has been added because it has the ability to attract and retain moisture, making it a fantastic skin moisturizer and purifier. Although you can get soft, luminescent skin after the first use, the cleanser must be used 2-3 times a week for at least two weeks to reduce the size of pores. If you are allergic to any of the ingredients, it is not recommended for you to attempt to use this facial mask.

2. Apply the cleanser with a facial cotton pad by rubbing it gently onto the skin in circular motions for about 10-15 seconds, concentrating on the enlarged pores. 3. Rinse with luke-warm water, and pat your face dry. You can store the excess face mask in the refrigerator for up to one week. Tara Temkar can be reached at taratemkar@ gmail.com.

Find the Perfect Pair of Boots By KATELYN EDWARDS Arts + Entertainment Writer

UGG Boot-wearers, I’ve had it with you. You’re not Napoleon Dynamite, and it’s not the ‘80s. To list a few maladies of UGGs: they make your feet sweat and, ergo, smell (we all know you don’t wear socks); they stain easily; and, for you vegans, they are made out of sheepskin. Despite being a passionate supporter of PETA, Pamela Anderson was, ironically, one of the first proponents of UGG Boots circa Bay Watch. Pamela. Anderson. If the name Pamela Anderson doesn’t strike you as trashy, look down at your UGG boots. “Sure, they’re practically a Snuggie for your feet, but you’re feet just look disproportionate to your body, like a Bratz Doll,” says Kathryn Huxtable, a freshman theatre major. When asked about the attractiveness of the UGGs, business major Jacob Loken remarks, “They just kind of look inside out, you know?” We all went through that awful middle school phase of skinny

Hollister t-shirts, even skinnier jeans and, wait for it, UGGs. University of Tampa students, we’re not in Kansas anymore. It looks like you need a new pair of boots. As haggard college students, we seek comfort over class. But you can accomplish both with the right shoe, be it a riding or rain boot. Thus, we turn to Michael for guidance. Check out the Michael Kors store in International Mall. At first, walking into such a store can be quite intimidating. But besides having an incredibly friendly staff, they’ll help you find the perfect camel riding boot with that adorable MK lock. Nordstrom always has incredible shoes, and their boot sale is decently impressive. The benefit of buying shoes from a department store is that you may try on a gamut of different boots without the hassle of strapping your shoes on and off, then shuffling over to the next shoe store. For those parsimonious shoppers, Target.com offers a black, “genuine leather” (how genuine, we wonder?) riding boot for only $69.99. In stores,

they also have a few types of frugal boots to choose from. However, be warned that buying cheap has its repercussions: these boots will probably last one or two seasons before their soles maintain the thickness of wafers and are brutally scratched. Buying shoes online can be tricky, seeing that every site’s size varies. However, the return policy of Zappos.com is lovely: if the shoe doesn’t fit, return it. The shipping is free and you get a full refund. They offer an obnoxious plethora of shoes to pick from, ranging from $15 to $2,000, from street walker thighhighs to Hello Kitty. There are plenty of acceptable options out there, UGG boots not being one of them. The only time people should see you in UGG slippers is on Saturday mornings, on your way downstairs for a cup of coffee, when your makeup is smudged and you’re still a little hung over. Other than that, avoid looking like Pamela Anderson. This fall, it’s time for you, to get a new pair of boots. Katelyn Edwards can be reached at katelyn.edwards@spartans.ut.edu.

Bring It Back By NATALIE HICKS

Asst. Arts + Entertainment Editor

The ‘90s produced an immense quantity of one-hitwonders, but a number of artists have managed to take hold of the music industry and never let go. Über grunge band Pearl Jam performed their 20th anniversary concert this past Labor Day weekend, alongside musical pals Queens of the Stone Age and The Strokes. Despite multiple years of hibernation, they appear to be just as big as they were back in 1993. During the majority of the month of September, they have been promoting 20 Days of Pearl Jam in support of their anniversary film, soundtrack and book, all titled Pearl Jam Twenty. The music and video bundle, which went on sale Sept. 20, allows fans to get a glimpse of the behindthe-scenes action. Pearl Jam wants their audiences to know that they have been rocking the stage for two decades and will continue to do so. “I think that, in order to keep progressing, there should be some benefits to looking back, to help you determine what your future course may be,” said frontman Eddie Vedder during an interview with the San Diego Union Tribune. Vedder also released a solo album and concert DVD on May 31.

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By TARA TEMKAR

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“People got exposed to my passion through music and song first...and I think that can be infectious.” -Lauryn Hill

Kings of the late ‘90s alternative rock scene, Creed ruled arenas around the country during their reunion tour in 2009. Lead singer Scott Stapp told Rolling Stone magazine that he was “thrilled to have a second chance to make a first impression.” The band broke up in 2004, each of the members going their own musical directions, but the Florida natives couldn’t stand the separation. “I missed my boys and wanted to create music with them again,” said Stapp. Creed expects that their fifth album should be set to release later this year or in early 2012. Even the pop sensations of the late ‘90s, the Backstreet Boys, toured with the ‘80s boy band, New Kids on the Block, in June and July. Member Nick Carter released a solo album, I’m Taking Off, earlier this year in hopes that it will be more successful than his Now or Never solo album of 2003. Concerning their comeback in 2007, Carter told PopJustice that, “it’s nice [for the fans] to have something that sounds familiar.” Every other member of BSB besides Kevin Richardson has also released solo albums, Howie D being the last of the group to do so. His album, Back to Me, will be released this upcoming November. Representing the hip-hop and R&B genres, singer and rapper Lauryn Hill is currently in the midst of her comeback after an eight-year hiatus. During an interview with NPR, Hill said, “I think it’s just time.” She returned to live shows last year and played numerous festivals this year including the Coachella Valley Music Festival in Indio, Cal. Hill confirmed her stardom at the 1999 Grammys, taking home a whopping five trophies, although soon after, she silently flew under the radar with her longtime partner, Rohan Marley. R&B lost a charttopping female, but, thankfully, she decided to return to her passion. “I’m starting to get excited again...People got exposed to my passion through music and song first... and I think that can be infectious,” explained Hill. Other bands that are a part of this blast from the past are Bush, No Doubt, Limp Bizkit, The Pixies and Rage Against the Machine. Thankfully, unfortunate hits like “Macarena” and “I Like Big Butts” will remain in the 90s...Let’s cross our fingers. Natalie Hicks can be reached at natalie.hicks@ spartans.ut.edu

12 SEPTEMBER 22 2011 | THE MINARET

Opinion

In our weekly meeting for the Opinion section of The Minaret, the staff was going over ideas for the week’s articles- as usual there was a great mixture of article ideas, a few that I was lukewarm about, until I heard about this one. We all know what pirating is, and no, I’m not referencing Johnny Depp and Keira Knightly, though I do think Keira and Orlando should have been in the most recent installment of the movies. Anyway, pirating, for those people who are somewhat unfamiliar is basically violating copyright laws, by copying, purchasing and/ or distributing illegal copies of different types of entertainment (e.g. music, movies). Now I am sure that we’ve all participated in media piracy, at least indirectly at some point in our lives. For instance, Limewire, a huge form of media piracy that was free to download from the Internet and, until very recently, available to anyone, allowed users to download music without having paid for it. Or, something I’m much less familiar with, but have heard a lot about; torrenting. A process that allows you to stream almost any form of media to your computer for download. And of course, the numerous movie database websites that allow you to view virtually any movie out.

If you haven’t accessed at least one form of media piracy in your life, and you’re under the age of 40, I’m inclined to call you a liar, but I suppose I should congratulate you for doing so (not lying, but being a proper citizen and paying for your media). For those normal people who cannot attest to piracy pureness, I have some interesting news. Recently, the government proposed an increase in punishment for media piracy and any violation of the intellectual property rights. This increase would allow FBI intelligence to be able to wiretap a suspected home for further investigation, along with (depending on the circumstances and

Pryere/flickr.com

The penalties for illegally downloading music and movies are getting more extreme.

severity of the infraction) a fine of as much as $250,000, or as many as one to 25 years in prison. Many people are upset with the recent suggestion, arguing that this will only give means to, and encourage the FBI to frivolously keep tabs on American homes. I generally try to trust the government, some might criticize me for this belief, and for being someone who isn’t as politically minded as he could be, but I believe that it is the job of our government to protect us in any sort of situation. That being said, I am a bit wary when it comes to the unnecessary insertion of said government into the lives of the people. When you give those in power the option to take more power, chances are they will. Once they gain this power, they are given an increased temptation to abuse that power. I know I probably sound like a really bad superhero movie, I believe the line is “With great power comes great responsibility,” but I’ll ask you to forgive the cliché for now. I’m all for the new crackdown on media piracy- when Limewire went away, I switched over to a life of responsible, legal, iTunes purchases, so I’m safe- but I have to wonder when the movement goes from an increased strictness to over harsh assault, whether or not things are going a little too far. I’ve already mentioned that someone convicted of piracy or infringement of the

intellectual properties laws faces serious fines, jail time and now wire-tapping, but let’s take, for example, someone convicted of rape. In the state of Florida, the statutory rape law states that, “Unlawful sexual activity with certain minors if someone age 24 or older engages in sexual activity with someone age 16 or 17” can render the offender with a penalty of “up to 15 years in prison.” So that’s to say that someone who commits a sexual assault crime could have a less serious consequence than someone who, say steals a song off of the Internet. I’ve sat through one too many tech classes where the teacher explains the importance of customer purchases to the music/ movie industry and how it affects the individual artists and actors, as I’m sure you have, so I won’t go into the whole spiel for you guys. But how is it, that someone who commits rape is faced with consequences about as severe as someone who, say, steals a song from Drake online? Is our government really saying that illegally downloading a song by a multimillion dollar musician is on par with raping someone? That thought seems incredibly disturbing to me. So it is equally as bad to watch the last Harry Potter movie online, as it is to molest a child or murder someone? No, no it’s not. Taylor Whitcomb can be reached at taylor.whitcomb@spartans.ut.edu

Inorganic Life: Innovative or Crossing the Line? By DAVID ADAMS Opinion Writer

A team of scientists from Scotland’s Glasgow University have taken a major step toward creating life from inorganic compounds. All organic life on Earth is carbon-based, but Professor Lee Cronin has taken the first step to shattering preconceived notions that non carbonbased life forms cannot exist. He and his team of researchers have built inorganic chemical cells, or iCHELLs. These iCHELLs have demonstrated characteristics, such as oxidization and reduction activity, that are similar to features displayed by carbon-based cells. These cells are also capable of storing electricity. The team said that the iCHELLs can be organized so that several chemical processes can be isolated within the same cell, mirroring what biological cells perform in organic life forms. Cronin stated that although the project is only in the very first stages of development, once completed the cells could be used in a variety of different ways, primarily in medical research and treatment. “What we are trying do is create self-replicating, evolving inorganic cells that would essentially be alive. You could call it inorganic biology.” Prof. Cronin is also very excited about what we may be able to learn about our own evolution, as well as change how we view life and creation. “If successful this would give us some incredible insights into evolution and show that it’s not just a biological process. It would also mean that we would have proven that non carbonbased life could exist and totally redefine our ideas of design.” Cronin told The Guardian in a recent interview that he believes that biology is a “general phenomenon,” and that there may already be alternative forms of organic life existing on other planets. He believes that

these life forms may be silicon or ironbased. If Cronin and his team successfully create self-replicating inorganic cells capable of evolution, the implications for advancements in medical science are farreaching. While the creation of “inorganic life” will greatly change medical technology possibilities, Cronin and his team also are being criticized by those who feel they are going too far. Students at the University of Tampa have a wide array of views on the recent successes made by the Glasgow University researchers. Grace Suarino, a junior studying communications in film and media thinks that iCHELLs will have a lot of benefits for the field of medicine, and that they will ultimately be a good thing. “I know that some people think creating artificial life is playing God, but think about what it could mean for medical treatment. We may be able to use the cells to fight cancer or help people dying from degenerative diseases. I think it would be awesome if they do it.” Damon Mexisell, a senior majoring in Allied Health also feels that the creation of inorganic life will have many benefits. “Of course it will be a good thing. Not only will all kinds of new medical treatments be opened up, it will also teach us a lot about where we came from. If you can make something that may ultimately show us how we got here, I am all for it. It’s a question that’s been asked for a long time.” Nick Iuliano, a math major with an AS in environmental biology is also an advocate of the new technology. “I think there are major benefits we can get from creating life from inorganic matter and there is nothing wrong with researching it. The only fear I would have is the use of this knowledge ... It could change the natural flow on Earth.”

While many people feel that the creation of inorganic life will have benefits, there are those who feel that the risks may outweigh the possible rewards. Some feel that the researchers would essentially be “playing God,” and that humans will be biting off more than we can chew. Terrance arenaskies/ photobucket.com Frasier, a Some critics of inorganic life argue human creation comes too close to God communications major had an in the wrong hands, iCHELLs could be interesting response: “You never know used for mayhem. what could happen with that [inorganic However, I do feel that the rewards life]. People could try to cure diseases, but from Cronin and his colleagues creating you never know what could happen. iCHELLs at Glasgow University will be I am religious too, so I think it might be worth any risk and negative effects. The going too far. I’m sure that people could technology will open new doors in medical probably use the technology for the wrong and evolutionary research, ultimately reasons too, and if it gets into the wrong helping mankind fight a variety of disease hands, I don’t even want to know what and illness. could happen.” Imagine iCHELLs that help white I feel that while the creation of inorganic blood cells affected by AIDS fight sickness life could be very useful, it may also be and keep a person alive. While I am sure very dangerous. I believe the possible that some despot somewhere will use this medical advancements that could be made technology maliciously, I feel that all of by creating iCHELLs capable of replicating the possible good that could come from are worth the risk, but not without a certain iCHELLs will greatly outweigh the risks amount of reservations. associated with such a groundbreaking I am sure that if there is a way to use invention. inorganic life in a negative way, someone The evolutionary lessons alone will will discover it, patent it and sell it. If there be staggering. Like all humans, from the is one thing the human race has always religious to atheists, I have a strong desire been proficient in, it is using technology to to know where I came from; if this will help create new weapons. us discover that, then it most definitely has I feel that without a doubt, if iCHELLs the David Adams stamp of approval. are created, an entire new world of warfare David Adams can be reached at will open up. As with any new invention, dadams@spartans.ut.edu

THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 22 2011

OPINION

Editorial:

Communication Breakdown Regarding Armed Robbery

Early Sunday morning, three University of Tampa students were victims of an armed robbery off North Boulevard and Ross Street. Two male suspects punched one student in the stomach and stole all three of their wallets before disappearing down the street, leaving the students injured and penniless in one of the most dangerous parts of Tampa. What is more shocking than that? UT never sent a Global Message that reached students, leaving them uninformed, save for social networking and gossip chatter. UT’s Office of Operations and Planning is responsible for sending out safety alert emails when crimes like this occur. The office informs students of the incident and provides tips on how to maintain their personal safety. However, on Sunday, only faculty received the email alert. The email read: “The University of Tampa Department of Campus Safety and Dean of Students wish to advise that: Two students, one male and one female, were walking near the corner of North Boulevard and Ross Street (on the north side of the North Boulevard Bridge, about 1.5

miles from campus) late last night when they were victims of an armed robbery. The suspects were described as two black males, approximately 18 to 20 years old. The suspects were traveling on foot. One student was struck by a suspect but did not request treatment; the other student was not injured. Along with not reaching students, the email was incorrect – three students were robbed, not two. This begs the questions, what other information has been held from us? And how accurate are the security alerts we do receive? Two weeks ago, two non-UT students were detained by campus security for trespassing and peering through the first floor of Straz while one carried a concealed firearm. Although the man had a permit, it is still against the law to bring a gun on campus. No email alert was received for that incident either. - Joshua Napier Managing Editor The Editorial Board can be reached at editor@theminaretonline.com or you may submit a Letter to the Editor form online at www.theminaretonline.com.

A Day in the Life of Opinion

Editor’s note: We asked the writers in the Opinion section to send in their classes and a brief description of each one. Here is what we received; the result was so hilarious we had to run it on its own. World Religions: The Westboro Baptist Church’s Fiction Literature. Sociology: Facebook 101. Chemistry: A non-majors worst nightmare. Death Penalty: Gives new meaning to “take a seat.” Senior Portfolio: We want to know if we’ve taught you anything. Writing for Advertising: Can you afford not to take this class? Critical Pedagogy: The struggle in the classroom is a class struggle. Mass Media and Society: If you wear your pants below your ass, put a logo on it so it does some good. Gateways: South Park has some serious points hidden in the hilarity. Pathways: Learning how to not screw up for the next four years. Italian: Learning how to correctly pronounce ‘pizza’ and ‘fettuccine’. Journalism: look for the weirdos! That’s where the stories are! Psychology: Let’s be real, we all have penis envy / Fake a mental disease, get free drugs. Research Methods in Criminology: If you offer participants a really good reward then “ethics” isn’t a problem Abnormal Behavior in Criminology: There’s a disease where your genitalia recedes and then you die.

Advanced Drama/English Comedies: They didn’t understand this shit back then either. Third World Politics & Economic Development: “Studying third world problems is a first world problem.” Business French: “Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir? Contemporary short fiction: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Poetry II: “Enjambment.” TV Production: Kids breaking expensive s***. Biological Diversity: Nobody is different. General Chemistry: The only place where using less letters means more work. History of Sexuality: “You had sex with your wife? SCANDAL.” Pre-Calculus: This is one tough mother-function. World History to 1500: Huntergatherer, paleolithic, neolithic, it’s terrific! Greco-Roman Art: Let’s get ready to see some penis! Contributions from: Jessica Keesee, Kadee Poston, Mikey Rumore, John Jacobs, Annabella Palopoli, Anna Westerholm, Rich Solomon, Kelsey Allagood, Alysia Sawchyn, Hannah Webster and David Adams.

The Five Worst Types of Facebook Statuses By ANNABELLA PALOPOLI Opinion Writer

Last week, I wrote about the five worst photos to post online. Now that you know what not to show other people online, you should also watch what you say to them. On Facebook, your status update text box asks you the question, “What’s on your mind?” and some of the answers I read are detrimental to my faith in humanity. One status that always gets on my nerves is what I like to call the guilt-trip status. The original poster of this status tries to get thousands of others to repost it by saying something really heartfelt and then adding, “99 percent of you won’t repost this.” It’s usually supporting an important cause, like the fight against cancer or the prevention of child abuse. When you first read it, it’s possible that you will repost it because you might feel guilty if you don’t. “If I don’t repost this, it means that I don’t support the cause,” you think. Seriously, if you want to support a cause, go donate money or spread awareness to people who are going to actually do something besides repost two feeble sentences about it just so they won’t feel guilty. Posting a Facebook status about it won’t do anything but annoy everyone whose live feed it shows up on, seeing as it is an inefficient way to fight cancer or prevent child abuse. When you want to address strangers in your posts - don’t. The post, “To the douche who just cut me off: learn how to drive,” is dumb and ultimately pointless. I don’t think you understand; your message for this stranger ends up being an annoying rant for your friends to have to scroll past. That cutting-off douche is never going to read your status or be insulted by it. Please refrain from broadcasting your message to his entity, because he cannot reply. In the same category, talking to inanimate objects is just as obnoxious. Seeing statuses addressed to your difficult

homework or broken cell phone makes me seriously question your sanity. As opposed to the douche who cut you off, there is even less of a chance that your homework is going to reply to your status, unless you’re on some sort of hallucinogen. Attention Facebook users: this is not Twitter. You do not need to update everyone on what you’re doing all the time. I see statuses that describe every waking moment of someone’s day. “Waiting in a super long line at Starbucks!” “I’m bored in class.” “Going to get in the shower then off to a party!” Thank you, reading that wasted a half of a second of my life. The only way I’d be interested in what you’re doing is if it’s extraordinarily exciting or interesting, like “Doing the crab-walk through Times Square dressed as Spiderman!” Otherwise, there is no need to tell the world your schedule. I really do not understand what satisfaction people get out of telling their friends they’re about to shower. I’m not sure if they are expecting us to imagine them in the shower, but that is the only plausible explanation that I can think of. If you feel the need to send out an update every hour, sign up for Twitter. Then, only the people who actually want to experience a play-by-play of your life can follow you. I feel pity for those who crave attention online. If you need people on Facebook to tell you that you’re not ugly, you probably have some serious self-esteem issues. One of the worst statuses to post is the one that’s obviously fishing for compliments. If there’s a post saying, “I’m so fat,” “No one likes me” or “I wish I were pretty,” all I’m going to do is click the “like”. I’m not taking the bait. I know you’re expecting, “You’re beautiful, stop saying that!!!” but I like to shake things up. I’d rather just pretend to agree with you and confuse you. If you sincerely thought you were fat as opposed to the reality of your thirst for people’s flattery, you would not post it as your status.

Midniteboom/flickr.com

Contrary to popular belief, this status does not make you more interesting, just annoying. Posting it runs you the risk of being thought of as attention-starved and somewhat pitiful.

Another form of craving attention is posting a vague comment, such as “Boys suck,” and waiting for people to ask you what happened. It’s clear that you’re going to explain your issues the second someone replies with a question mark, because all you want to do is tell the world what horrible or amazing thing happened to you without sounding weird by putting it as your status. I think it sounds weirder when you make vague comments instead of telling us what you really want to tell us. Another word for this intentionally vague status I’ve learned, is “vaguebooking” (thank you, Urban Dictionary). Alright, we get it. You have the best boyfriend/girlfriend in the world. You regularly feel the need to explain to him/ her and all your Facebook friends why and how much you love him/her. Virtual PDA, especially when the word “baby” is in there, can be just as gagworthy as physical PDA.

If you want to send adorable messages to your significant other, make it private. Please do not rub it in all of our single, lonely faces; there’s no need to brag. Once I see a status like, “My boyfriend is the sweetest, he just sent me flowers. You’re so cute. I love you so much baby,” I can’t wait for the dramatic break-up status rants. If you are a regular at posting these sinful statuses, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. It just means that I might unfriend you, depending on the frequency of these posts. I’d like to say that it’s nothing personal, but it really is. Status updates are, at least to some extent, a reflection of your thoughts at one point of the day. If the best thing you have to say is that you think you’re fat, you’re in class or you’re angry at your homework, just don’t say anything at all. Annavella Palopoli can be reached at annabella.palopoli@spartans.ut.edu

14 SEPTEMBER 22 2011 | THE MINARET

OPINION

The Twin Towers: Why We Should Rebuild What makes this joke even better is that you’re paying for it. For a site that is still technically on public land but being fought It’s been a decade since the attacks of over by privatized interests, the American Sept. 11th, and I’m still furious. people get to sit back and open their wallets Furious that a day where we should a little bit wider so the LMDC can continue honor the fallen has turned into some kind the rampant fleecing. of self-important feelings day; furious that In an Aug. 4th, 2006 article in the it pretty much took us a decade to hunt Downtown Express, it was reported that down Osama Bin Laden and finally kill $45 million “has been shifted away from him; furious that we’re still embroiled in its promised uses” and still remains two conflicts that were a direct result of the unaccounted for, while up to $15 million attacks. “was shifted to other places.” But I’m especially furious about what’s As of Aug. 12 of this year, The New happening at Ground Zero. York Post has reported that over $2 billion What’s happening in lower Manhattan is in additional funding is needed to finish one of the worst mockeries in our nation’s construction on the new WTC site and a history, perpetrated by the authorities who project that was supposed to be completed promised us the legacy of the Twin Towers sometime in between 2013 and 2016 is now would live on: the construction of the new pushed back yet again with no tentative WTC site. date for said completion. The Lower Manhattan Development Some progress is being made at the site, Corporation (the LMDC) spearheaded however, but in one of the worst ways with the initiative for the rebuilding of the the construction of “the Freedom Tower,” site, working with the Port Authority and or 1 WTC. Silverstein Properties. This building, which has become Drawing public ire by dragging their the hopes and dreams of Ground Zero feet for the better part of a decade, they developers, is one of the biggest eyesores subjected New Yorkers to the grisly that 21st Century architecture has to offer. reminder of what was once there by As Donald Trump so eloquently put it leaving two gaping holes in the ground in an interview with Chris Matthews on while in-fighting occurred amongst the MSNBC’s Hardball, “(the new WTC site) organizations. looks like a junkyard. And it shouldn’t be Then in 2004 came the punch line built.” in this ongoing joke told by a bourgeois Not only did developers push forth with confederacy of real estate developer the new 1 WTC, but they even it kept it dunces: the LMDC would hold a contest on from the American people that it is not an who could come up with the “best” design original design. for the new WTC site. The sticker in this The New York Observer’s Matt Chaban situation? The LMDC had no authority to reported on Sept. 12 that a strikingly similar hold the competition in the first place and building, right down to the “heavenly spire” had no power to implement the winningB:4.9”and “chamfered corners,” already exists in T:4.9”Tianjin, China. design. By CONNER McDONOUGH Opinion Contributor

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With all this controversy and problem-rife construction, why aren’t we asking the most important question anyone could ask of this situation: why not rebuild the Twin Towers? Rebuilding the Twin Towers is the most logical solution to the conundrum in which we find kimberlyyy24/photobucket.com ourselves when For many, the Twin Towers are still a symbol of American history and pride. it comes to what should happen at could ever achieve would be rebuilding the Towers. Ground Zero. The world is full of nay-sayers right The Twin Towers were true American now, with people like Chris Ward, the icons. What the Statue of Liberty stood for Executive Director of the New York and to the waves of immigrants in the 19th and New Jersey Port Authority telling the New 20th Centuries, the Twin Towers stood for Zealand Herald News, “Soaring, beautiful to newcomers to America from all over the office buildings is what New York needs… globe since 1973. It didn’t need at this point a symbol, a They stood for resilience, man’s desire message.” to touch the sky and strive toward the future; A message is precisely what New York a 1982 New York guidebook boasting the and America need right now to once again awe-inspiring towers and the observation instill hope in us to move headlong into the deck even came with a disclaimer: “… in future in these dark days where the War on the evening, please don’t touch the stars.” Terror seems unwinnable and the recession Even 10 years later, you cannot escape grows and grows. We need those masts the symbol of the towers as you walk the again to guide us through treacherous streets of Manhattan—you see it on garbage waters. trucks, murals, business advertisements, There is hope in seeing these giants cheap wares hocked by vendors in Battery restored. Due to increased pressure on Park. developers, construction has slowed The towers weren’t just symbols of New significantly with Tower 1 coming to York. They were New York. Built during a standstill, Tower 2 placed on hold one of the most strenuous economic times indefinitely and Tower 3 sent back to the in the city’s history, the towers represented drawing board. The real hope comes in the the unwavering hope New Yorkers had for plans of Ken Gardner and Herbert Belton their city. On a larger scale, the towers came (who is now deceased), the two architects to represent a similar hope Americans had responsible for the Twin Towers II. for their country. This plan would not only see the Standing 110 floors, the towers were Towers’ return, this time a floor taller as the country’s guiding light, a symbol that the ultimate gesture to terrorists. we would latch onto, steering us into a These towers would be incredibly brighter future. They were man-made safer, with state-of-the-art fireproofing mountains, easily seen from every borough instead of spray-on proofing previously of the city and from New Jersey, dwarfing used, more stairwells and elevators in case the rest of Manhattan in their shadow of of emergency, and both buildings would hope and prosperity. withstand plane crashes better than the Hollywood loved them and built up Freedom Tower. their image as American icons—to prove Even with the Freedom Tower about it, watch any NYC movie from between halfway completed, this plan is still a 1973 and 2001, the Towers are prominently reality. featured, as though they were characters in We the concerned public have the voice the film themselves. with which to get this achieved. Make this Unfortunately, as opinions are so often possibility a reality and restore the New changed, in the days after 9/11, movie York skyline to its former prominence companies scrambled to cut out shots of before we are forced to live with that the Twin Towers from films in their vaults, cemetery they are constructing down at citing taste in doing so. Ground Zero. Not only is rebuilding the Towers the Each of us lost something on 9/11, logical thing to do, it’s what the American whether it was physical, mental, emotional, people want. A poll conducted by MSNBC or spiritual, we are not the same people we asking whether or not New York should were before that day. We lost our legs when rebuild the Towers or go ahead with the we lost the Twin Towers. planned Freedom Tower revealed that over If we keep on with the building of the 90 percent of Americans wanted to see the proposed WTC site, we will have to live Twin Towers in their rightful spots. the rest of our days looking at those stumps America has spent billions of dollars and trying to make do; we will refuse to rebuilding other countries so why not heal and relegate ourselves to the rampant spend the billions on ourselves? We even victimization we have endured in the past rebuilt the wall of the Pentagon. Other decade. countries spend similar amounts preserving If we rebuild the Twin Towers, and rebuilding their cities and sites (Egypt however, it’s not our way of growing new with the Sphinx and Pyramids, Italy with legs as there is no way we could ever Coliseum, Poland with Warsaw), why can’t replace the originals. By building the new we do the same thing? Twin Towers, we’re giving ourselves the Also, by rebuilding the Twin Towers, ability to walk again, the ability to get up, we are sending a message to terrorists and most importantly, the ability to move worldwide, saying “when we get knocked forward. down, we get back up.” The greatest victory Conner McDonough can be reached at in the War on Terror that we, as Americans, cmcdonough@spartans.ut.edu.

THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 22 2011

OPINION

The Seven Deadly Sins of Facebook By DOMINIQUE BARCHUS Opinion Writer

The more I go on Facebook, the more I realize how badly I want to delete mine. Every time I log in, I become overwhelmed with the urge to write “SHUT UP” on someone’s status. I feel like with any social media site, there is a list of “Do’s and Don’ts”. I think there are at least seven deadly sins of Facebook that tie into the “Don’ts” that are so often seen. The first sin is posting statuses like you’re on Twitter. Facebook and Twitter are two separate entities for a reason. Twitter is where you go to update everyone on what you’re doing or thinking every two seconds, not Facebook. It’s annoying to log in and see the same person in your newsfeed over and over again, and then see that they aren’t saying anything worth reading. This just means that either you spend way too much time on online or your life is really that boring. Either way, you look like you have nothing else better to do with your time. Get a hobby (but don’t make a bunch of statuses about that either). The second most sinful action is being what I like to call a “Photo-whore”. This can mean one of two things: a person who takes too many pictures of themselves and practically has a new picture as their default every day, or they take pictures that show off more of their body parts than their actual face. Regardless of which definition used, they are begging for attention and may also have a self-esteem issue. Let’s be honest, how different can you really look in all your pictures? If you haven’t gone through a drastic physical change, dyed or cut your hair or have had the same picture for an obnoxiously long amount of time and people are begging you

Kwasi Ampofo/The Minaret

Avoiding Facebook sins can be as easy as not updating your status twelve times in an hour.

to get a new one, there is no reason to have over 100 profile pictures sitting on your page. Delete some or get rid of your camera. Next, ladies, do not make a fake Facebook to spy on your boyfriend, or on anyone else for that matter. Honestly, if you really feel like your guy is cheating, then he probably is (this can also go for guys concerned about their girlfriends), so just dump him. Stop wasting your time trying to be another person on Facebook in order to catch him. Creating a fake account is a waste of time and energy that could be used to find someone else that will actually treat you right. Also, you’ll look stupid if he figures out that it’s you. After that, he’ll dump you first and then get a new girlfriend, probably the girl he was talking to in the first place.

If you do choose to go down this path and make the fake profile, you’ll probably commit the next thing on the list of Facebook offenses. You’ll request or have someone else request your ex’s apparent new love interest. Some people just don’t realize that this isn’t going to help them get over someone, it just shows how jealous you are (regardless if you are more attractive than this new person). Save yourself the heartache and headache of seeing them together and just move on and learn not to be so nosey. It gets you nowhere. Now, one of the most annoying things someone can do on Facebook is change their relationship status every time they have a fight with the person they are dating. If your relationship is that dysfunctional,

then maybe you should break-up for real or at least not broadcast it to the world. Then you wonder why people “like” your relationship status when it says you are no longer together. Note to self: when it is official, then make it Facebook official, whether it’s breaking up or getting together. Also, to those people begging for someone to “marry” them on Facebook: you’re screaming for attention and it’s unnecessary. You’re just as bad as the dysfunctional couple. “Marrying” a different person every week doesn’t exactly make you seem date-able. More advice: don’t be “that guy”. When I say that guy, I mean that person who posts embarrassing or inappropriate pictures of someone else without permission. This doesn’t mean ask them first and if they say no, do it anyway. There are people out there who actually care about how they come off to other people and have self respect (shocker). Being “that guy” may get a few “likes” on a picture, but you could lose a friend in the process. If it seems like a bad idea, then it probably is. Now, the ultimate Facebook sin is leaving your page open around other people. Your status will be changed to something inappropriate or disgusting. If you don’t want your status mentioning anything about your epiphany involving your newly found sexual orientation or your bathroom habits, I would advise you to log out before you walk away. Please, for your own sake and everyone else potentially stalking you online, have some kind of online etiquette or people will delete you. You never know, they might have already. Dominique Barchus can be reached at dominque.barchus@spartans.ut.edu

Making the Band: A Slacker’s Guide to the Top

By JOHN JACOBS Opinion Writer

With the economy in its current state and the job market not looking so hot, many people are looking for alternative ways to make a living. So what better excuse to start a band?! Why get a real job when you can be rich and famous playing music while travelling the country and partying? But it’s not as easy as it sounds. First off, you need to find your talent. The lead singer should be someone with hair down to his knees. On top of that, the guy needs to wear extremely tight pants, but never a shirt because he needs to show off his countless tattoos of skulls, hearts, stars and random words like “death,” “love” and “respect”. He’ll be the most emotional member of the band and expect everyone to treat him like a god (or devil, depending on the music). Next, you need a lead guitarist. He will be the most talented one by far but be surprisingly humble except for the spontaneous 35 minute long solos he’ll throw into every song. The keyboardist will be the nerdy one in the band who takes care of all the complicated technical stuff like “reading” and “plugging in instruments,” making sure everything runs smoothly. The drummer will be the quiet one even though he ironically makes the most noise in the group, and is also the most violent. You will usually seem him playing with a lighter even though he does not smoke. The final member in the band is the bass player. This could be anyone from a 13-

year-old kid to a 50-year-old businessman. As long as they can play the same two strings for five minutes straight and stay out of the way, they’ll be perfect. Now this may sound like a very diverse group of people to bring together, but every band stays strong through their shared love of music. Music and drugs. Mostly just drugs. And normally it would be hard to find a group of people like this, but because Craigslist exists, it shouldn’t take you more than five minutes of sorting through prostitutes before you find your band. So once the band has been assembled, it’s time to give it a name. Usually something along the lines of The Junkyard Sluts, Gandhi’s Lunchbox, Jesus Chrysler, The Phat Dumps, Nutsack or Blink Midniteboom/flickr.com This is Red Jumpsuit Apparatus; the long hair means they ALL 182 works fine. Just give it some want to be the lead singer. Unfortunately they are not talented. metaphorical meaning and nobody can question it. “Yeah, see, Phat back,” “fight the system,” “one more time,” Dump is actually a metaphor for the war in “raging fire” and “God bless America,” Iraq, because it’s a really crappy situation. the band should have no problem banging Get it?” out 15 songs in eight minutes. Keyboard, Once your band has a name, the next drums and bass can just jump in wherever step is writing some songs. they feel necessary. It sounds intimidating, but if the lead After the songs are written, find out guitarist can learn three chords and the lead whose parents own a garage, and you’ve singer works in phrases like, “need you got your practice stage. A basement, sewer

or abandoned Dairy Queen can also be sufficient places to practice. And don’t be distraught if the first few days the band sounds like a dying cat being hit with pots and pans in a rain storm. Because with hard work and regular practice, your band can start to sound like a dying cat being hit with pots and pans in a rain storm with some rhythm. And that’s all you really need to be considered a band at this point. Now that you have a fully functional band, you can start on your journey to stardom by performing at local venues, which you will need to constantly promote through Facebook, MySpace and bathroom stall walls. Promotional messages such as, “Hey ya’ll! Come on out to the hottest rock show on the planet this Saturday at the McDonald’s play-place on Hillsborough Avenue. New up-and-coming-super-awesomeamazing-sexy-band Zombie Panties will be performing songs from their debut album, Tub of Slugs in appreciation of Jonathan Goldberg’s Bar Mitzvah.” Yes, the rise to the top may not sound so glamorous, but performing in high school assemblies, strip club bathrooms and 24hour IHOPs can earn anywhere between $20 to $23 at a time! That’s a lot of drugs you could buy! Who knows, four years later your band might be trashing a penthouse in Vegas during a coke and strippers party. Or they might still be making eight dollars to perform during halftime of girls’ middle school soccer games. It’s all really dependent on musical talent. John Jacobs can be reached at jjacobs@ spartans.ut.edu

16 SEPTEMBER 22 2011 | THE MINARET

OPINION

Michele Bachmann: The Submissive Presidency? By EMMA FORMAN Opinion Contributor

Michele Bachmann, the Representative from Minnesota currently pursuing the GOP presidential nomination, is known for her controversial opinions. She firmly believes that the government should stop meddling in the lives of its citizens, except when it comes to sexuality and reproductive rights, of course. Bachmann is anti-gay rights, antiPlanned Parenthood, anti-environmental protection and often revises American history to suit her own purposes. Here are a few brief examples: “If you’re involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle, it’s bondage. It is personal bondage, personal despair and personal enslavement.” — Senator Michele Bachmann, speaking at EdWatch National Education Conference, November 6, 2004. “The executive director of Planned Parenthood in Illinois has said that they want to become the LensCrafter of Big Abortion.” - April 2011 “I will tell you that I had a mother last night come up to me here in Tampa, Fla., after the debate. She told me that her little daughter took that vaccine, that injection, and she suffered from mental retardation thereafter.” –Rep. Michele Bachmann (RMN), Fox News interview, Sept. 12, 2011 “…we also know that the very founders that wrote those documents worked tirelessly until slavery was no more in the United States.”- Rep. Bachmann January 2011. As strange and upsetting as those particular statements may be, for me, Bachmann’s most disturbing aspect is her belief in her subservience to her husband. Specifically, in a 2006 speech she expressed her aversion towards pursuing tax law as a career, but followed the demands of her husband anyway, believing that God was

speaking through him, “Why should I go and do something like that? But the Lord says, ‘Be submissive wives; you are to be submissive to your husbands.” The fact that a Presidential-hopeful adheres strongly enough to this concept to change her career choice is exceptionally troubling to me, primarily because Marcus Bachmann, Michele Bachmann’s husband, maintains even more controversial beliefs than his wife. He is deeply committed to the idea that homosexuality can be cured through prayer, or “reparative” therapy, and together they own Bachmann & Associates, a Christian counseling clinic. This type of therapeutic technique has been discredited by reputable medical authorities, including the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association. Several of Bachmann’s former aides and associates have stated that Marcus was her main political advisor during her political rise in Minnesota. In a July 2011 article in The Daily Beast, journalist Michelle Goldberg reported that, “Marcus Bachmann’s character and beliefs are more germane to her candidacy than those of other political spouses. He’s the head of the woman who wants to be the head of country.” These are alarming revelations given his extreme beliefs and non-existent political background. The world is a complicated place and the mental image of Marcus Bachmann with his finger on the launch button of a nuclear weapon is somewhat disquieting. This couple turned political tag team deeply concerns me. Hopefully we can all agree that since our country is floundering in its attempts to battle steep debt, high unemployment , and political gridlock, the last thing we should be burdened with

labor intensive household chores. However, during the 20th century, much of this changed. Women have fought tirelessly to gain their equality and respect in the home, the workplace, and especially on the political scene. In my mind, Michelle Bachmann’s declaration that women should be submissive to their husbands is contradictory to her political status and insulting to every woman that blazed the path for her. Regardless of her religious beliefs, I find it truly nauseating to think that Bachmann would expect women to simply march backward in time, returning to a time when they were Porchlife/flickr.com treated as property. The only thing more frightening than her platform is that face. If Bachmann were to is a right wing extremist who takes both clinch the Republican nomination and win religious and political direction from her husband. the Presidency, I would be concerned Bachmann’s belief that wives should about her ability to lead this country, not be subservient to their husbands seems because she is a woman, but because she anachronistic in light of the advances in is a subservient woman. Her presidential equality made by women in recent times. actions would be ruled by her husband’s Her right to vote, much less her ability to demands, which would be based on his hold political office, was made possible by fringe beliefs. generations of American women fighting As a woman, I would be ashamed to for their right to be treated as fairly as men. have Michele Bachmann as my president. Throughout most of history the She lacks the embodiment of feminist ideals expectations of women were defined by and, under the guise of religious rhetoric, obedience and acquiescence. actually requests women to retreat in our All many female children had to look quest for equality. She is the worst possible forward to was a bleak and predictable woman, for the many reasons stated above, future: marry, forfeit any property rights to to hold the highest office in the land. her husband, and produce copious amounts Emma Forman can be reached at of children while performing arduous and eforman@spartans.ut.edu

Death and Taxes: The Culture of the Tea Party By ALEX CARABELLO Opinion Writer

This past Monday, Sept. 12, the CNN/ Tea Party debate was held in Tampa, and if you played the Republican Debate drinking game where you drink every time Ronald Reagan or Tax Cuts are mentioned you probably got alcohol poisoning. Most presidential primary debates these days are just a glamorized opportunity for candidates to spout talking points, but something surprising happened to the normally timid CNN host Wolf Blitzer. He vigorously went after Ron Paul for his stance on health care which is basically, if you get sick and are uninsured, take some personal responsibility and acknowledge that society shouldn’t have to pay for you. Ron Paul softened his stance by claiming that churches and charities would help those in that circumstance by stating, “We’ve given up on this whole concept that we might take care of ourselves and assume responsibility for ourselves. Our neighbors, our friends, our churches would do it.” Wolf Blitzer then proposed a hypothetical situation of a 30-year-old man who was uninsured and needed six months of critical care to survive. I admire Ron Paul’s ideological consistency and often agree with him on issues such as foreign policy and some social policy, but his policy views on health care would leave millions to die because of lack of insurance. Wolf Blitzer then proceeded to directly ask Paul if he would let that hypothetical man die. What came next left many people with their collective jaw on the ground.

Texas Governor Rick Perry had executed 234 death row inmates during his tenure as governor. This is despite the fact that there are a significant number of cases where the state of Texas may have executed innocent individuals. This could all be chalked up to a bunch of wingnuts that were at the debate if it wasn’t for the almost nonchalant attitude being emitted from Republican Party leadership. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell stated on NBC’s Meet the Press that “There are going to be a lot of debates, a lot of things said. A lot of audience reactions. I don’t have any particular reaction to what’s going on in the Republican campaign Nathaniel St. Amour/The Minaret for president right now.” Tea Party members are too nonchalant about others’ welfare. Any reasonable person would have taken the chance Dozens of Tea Party supporters yelled to denounce the outbursts as immoral and “YES” to the question; the response even profoundly un-American. This is the same startled Ron Paul for a second. I don’t apathetic attitude from Republican Party think anyone expected any rational person leadership that fosters this kind of thinking to actually say “yes” to that question. and leads to things like the “birther” debate. Any political party will attract psychos It’s almost sickening to believe that and nut-cases but there is a disturbing this is the same party that advocates so element among far-right Republicans that much for limiting a woman’s legal right to almost celebrates death. reproductive choice, and does so under the At an earlier debate the crowd erupted banner of pro-life, yet brazenly cheers for into applause when it was mentioned that the death of anyone down on their luck or

who’s committed a crime. That is not prolife, it’s hypocrisy. The whole issue is laden with a sense of sad irony because the chairman of Ron Paul’s presidential campaign, Kent Snyder, died in June 2011 due to viral pneumonia. As a campaign staffer he had no formal health insurance and he left behind over $400,000 in medical bills to his family for two weeks of hospital care. So far, around only $39,000 has been publicly raised to retire his medical debt. For Kent Snyder, the brains behind the libertarian firebrand Ron Paul, the 30-year-old uninsured man wasn’t just a hypothetical situation, it was him. The Tea Partiers who openly cheered for uninsured Americans to die should prioritize their values. I’m confident that if it was their loved one, their relative or their child they would not be so quick to utter the same response. It’s for this reason that they believe what they believe — they haven’t been through a situation like that. It’s a lack of empathy with our fellow human beings that leads towards that kind of thinking. If you can’t put yourself in others’ shoes then you can’t be compassionate with others. We as a society, especially one as rich and developed as America, should not let anyone die because they can’t afford a medical bill. Health care is a basic human right, not a privilege for those who can afford it. Just remember that someday it could be you in a hospital without health insurance. Alex Carabello can be reached at acarabello21@gmail.com

THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 22 2011

Sports

Hockey Coach Has Sport and Work Down to a Science

By APRIL WEINER Sports Writer

Dr. Steve Kucera is the head coach of the UT club ice hockey team. During the day, he is an associate professor of biology and the school’s Chemical Environmental Health & Safety Coordinator. The two are linked though. After all, if it weren’t for his faculty position here at UT, Kucera might still be back in Albuquerque, New Mexico—where he worked on both his Master’s and PhD degrees at University of New Mexico-Albuquerque—and never would have been a part of the UT club ice hockey team. Kucera’s story begins in Binghamton, New York. He was the first-born child to his father, a physician, and his mother, a homemaker. In fact, one of Kucera’s first hockey memories was courtesy of his father’s career. One of his father’s good friends was the team physician for Binghamton’s American Hockey League team. When he was on-call or out of town, he would ask Kucera’s father to fill in. Of course, he would bring his son to the games with him, to enjoy the seats right behind the goal. “How cool is it when you’re a kid; you’re watching real bruiser hockey and you hear over the PA system ‘Dr. Kucera please report to the locker room. Dr. Kucera please report to the locker room,’” the younger Dr. Kucera said. Living in upstate New York, obviously Kucera would pick up hockey. He began skating and playing at around 10 years old. While his first dreams may have revolved around a future in hockey, by high school, Kucera was set on becoming a geologist. Then, he met that teacher who would change his life. “I had that teacher in 10th grade. He asked me what I wanted to do. I said ‘I’m going to be a geologist’ and he said ‘No. You’re going to be a biologist,’” Kucera said. It turns out his 10th grade teacher was right about his career path. In 11th and 12th grades, Kucera would assist in that teacher’s classroom with labs and tutored students. Meanwhile, Kucera’s dreams of pursuing college hockey were dashed when an opposing player broke his arm in

Samantha Battersby/The Minaret

Coach Kucera balances his love for coaching hockey with his love for medical research.

three places during a game. His mom took him to the hospital, where his dad came down and upon seeing Kucera’s deformed arm, proclaimed “You’re never playing hockey again in your life!” While Kucera did not play for a very long time after that injury, he would eventually return to play the game he loves. After high school, Kucera went to nearby Binghamton University for a degree in biology. Once Kucera finished his undergrad, he attended UNMAlbuquerque for his Master’s and his PhD. “[When] I finished, the country was kind of in a recession and it was hard to get a job in a university,” Kucera said. “University of Tampa is actually the first that I applied to. I had no experience applying to universities. I made my application on dot matrix printer paper— it didn’t even occur to me to go to the UNM Biology department and ask them for stationery.” Eventually, he would be hired, joining the faculty in 1994. His first faculty meeting induced anxiety about his decision though. At that meeting, the president at the time announced that the university would be significantly cutting faculty lines. “I came to a place that was on the verge of going

extinct. It was quite scary,” Kucera said. “I was like ‘wow, am I going to get fired after just moving here?’” Luckily for Dr. Kucera that fear never came to fruition. While he was teaching, he was still doing research in his field. He was introduced to Dr. John Hardy, a professor at USF, whose team performed research on early onset Alzheimer’s. The pair hit it off and Dr. Hardy invited Dr. Kucera to join his team at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, studying neurodegenerative diseases. After a few years of research with Dr. Hardy’s team, the pair went their separate ways. Dr. Kucera moved on to administration, as an associate dean. “I only had three years as a straight faculty member. My fourth and fifth years, I was the Chair of the Faculty. And I was untenured,” Kucera said. “I was dealing with faculty member salaries and touchy stuff; it never occurred to me that people might punish me in the tenure process because I was in a leadership role as an untenured member of the faculty.” It didn’t matter; Dr. Kucera was tenured in January of 2000. Then, about five years ago, Dr. Kucera was named the founding interim dean of the College of Natural Health & Sciences, a position he held until 2009. After spending almost 10 years in administration, the task of returning to research was quite daunting to Dr. Kucera. The university gave Dr. Kucera space and resources to conduct research. At first, he decided to study proteins associated with neurodegenerative disorders in nonmodel organisms. However, his research path was changed by a student in his genetics class. “A student approach[ed] me about her family, who has three cases of Down Syndrome on one side of the family— which is pretty unusual,” Kucera said. “They had talked to clinicians and were basically just told ‘it’s maternal age.’” Maternal age is a huge risk factor in giving birth to a child with Down Syndrome, he explained. Once a woman hits 40, her odds of having a child with Down Syndrome are very high; about one in 100. “Within this family, one parent is a

male. The other two cases are female. Yeah, it could have happened by chance, but the likelihood is pretty small. The pedigree is very striking,” Kucera said. “If you’re in this family, you’re worried about having kids,” Kucera said. So, he decided to take on the project and the university approved his research proposal just recently. The first thing to do, Dr. Kucera explained, is determine who is the source of the extra chromosome 21 that causes Down Syndrome. If it’s the outside female that’s the source of the extra chromosome 21 in the one instance, then it’s very unlikely that this is genetic. “From a scientific perspective, that might not sound very helpful, but if you’re a member of this family, just learning that is going to be very important because that’s going to relieve a burden that people have about a genetic disorder in their family,” Kucera said. If he finds that all the members of the family are the source, then he will search for some kind of causative element that’s associated with this type of Down Syndrome. All three of these cases are the common type of Down Syndrome: nondisjunction Down Syndrome. “When I stepped out of administration, I felt kind of lost because I had to change gears. It’s nice to feel like I have a direction again,” Kucera said. If he can prove the genetic link and find a causative element, what will happen next? “When I was doing work on insect life-cycles, people would ask me ‘how does that benefit anybody?’ The best way I can answer that question is to say ‘we really don’t know.’ “Pursuing this is going to have a real impact psychologically on human beings. If it never does anything more than help them, I don’t care.” Years ago, a high school biology teacher inspired Dr. Kucera to change career paths from geology to biology and now he’s using that to help one of his students’ families. It’s true what they say: a teacher really can change your life. April Weiner can be reached at April. Weiner@spartans.ut.edu.

Volleyball Freshman Brings Athletic Pedigree to UT By JOHN HILSENROTH Sports Writer

Aubree Freeman is a freshman on the University of Tampa volleyball team. She has an older sister, Daisha, an older brother, Caleb, and another older brother, Josh Freeman. Indeed, the same Josh Freeman that is the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Freeman family is blessed with athletic ability. Daisha played basketball and track in high school and Caleb walked on to the football team at the University of Missouri. Obviously, Josh was and is a football star, and now Aubree is playing volleyball at UT. “The fact that Josh was already in Tampa had a lot to do with my decision to come to UT,” said Freeman. “I wanted to get away, and I definitely felt more comfortable with Josh being here.” Josh is currently living with Caleb.

Having a brother who is an NFL quarterback can provoke a lot of attention. “I love messing with people,” said Freeman. “When people ask me if I’m really Josh Freeman’s sister, I’m usually like, ‘who is that?’ Then there’s that awkward moment after I admit it when people say, ‘that’s so cool!’ What am I supposed to say to that?” Freeman said it doesn’t feel like she grew up with an NFL quarterback. “It doesn’t feel like it at all,” she said. “When I see him play now, it’s just like going to one of his high school games, just now more people know him.” Freeman said their family is and has always been close-knit. Her parents Ron and Teresa have always been very dedicated parents when it comes to going to their kids sporting events. “Mom and dad don’t miss a game in Josh’s season, even the road ones.” In fact, even though the volleyball

team traveled to Freeman’s home state of Missouri last weekend for a tournament, their parents were in Tampa for the Buccaneer game. “I’m not mad at them at all for the tournament,” said Freeman. “It was about 30 minutes away from home so I was able to see a lot of my friends, and my cousin actually played on one of the other teams.” “Considering we didn’t expect them to Imani Cruz/The Minaret come to our games, mom and dad actually Aubree Freeman’s older brother, Josh, is the did an amazing job of going to everyone’s starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Bucs. events,” she continued. “It worked out really well because football season was times, but it helps that we’re an awesome in the fall, basketball in the winter and team because I’m learning a lot and all of club volleyball was in the spring, so they the girls have been great.” almost always made it out to our games.” The volleyball team has begun Freeman is a middle blocker for the this season on a roll, with aim to get back Spartans, but is redshirting this season to to the national championship. The team learn the system. will put its unbeaten streak on the line this “I’d rather know that I’m not going Friday at home, against Saint Leo. to play rather than have a chance and not John Hilsenroth can be reached at get in,” said Freeman. “It’s frustrating at jhilsenroth@spartans.ut.edu.

18 SEPTEMBER 22 2011 | THE MINARET

SPORTS

Pro Sports

A.L. East Fans Comment on an Everchanging Rivalry By JOE BEAUDOIN

Watching a Franchise Peak

Sports Writer

As a child growing up 45 minutes from Boston, it was easy for me to love the Red Sox and hate the Yankees. Growing up during the 90s was especially hard. The “Curse of the Bambino” was in full effect. Many fans were relentless and did not think that the Sox would ever win a championship. It would have been easy to give up on the Red Sox but “give up” has never been in the vocabulary of a Red Sox fan. In 2001 the rivalry changed forever. The Red Sox decided that in order to beat the Yankees they had to become the Yankees. They could not be competitive if the Yankees maintained the highest payroll and Boston did not increase theirs. This started with the signing of Manny Ramirez and it looked as if Boston actually had a solid team. That year was also the first time that baseball saw an unbalanced schedule. This caused the Red Sox to face the Yankees at least 17 times a season which increased the hatred that Red Sox Nation had immensely. The addition of Ramirez was still not enough and the Red Sox failed to reach the playoffs until 2003. That season the Sox faced New York in the ALCS. The best thing that happened during that series for a Boston fan was the huge brawl at the pitcher’s mound between the two teams. I will never forget Pedro Martinez throwing Don Zimmerman to the ground. That is probably the best symbol of the rivalry. The Red Sox were in New York for game seven and led for most of the game until the Yankees tied it late, bringing the game into extra innings. Aaron Boone ended up hitting a walk off home run in the bottom of the 11th ending the promising season. I was so devastated that I did not go to school the next day or watch Sportscenter for three months. It felt like an eternity had passed before the 2004 season began, making it the longest off-season of my life. The two teams ended up meeting in the ALCS again and it looked as if New York was going to steamroll into the World Series.That was until Dave Roberts had an amazing steal of second and Bill Mueller hit him home. The Red Sox ended up winning that game then tying the series at 3 games apiece. Curt Schilling pitched with his bloody sock and Johnny Damon, my generation’s biggest traitor hit a huge grand slam and Boston went on to win that series. It was the biggest win I had ever seen as a Red Sox fan. They went on to sweep the Cardinals in the World Series. I will never forget

Talk of the Town Professional Sporting Events in the Region

Samantha Battersby/ The Minaret

One of Beaudoin’s favorite Sox moments was Pedro Martinez’s K.O. of Don Zimmer.

hearing Joe Buck say “The Boston Red Sox are World Champions”. Those might actually be the only words that came out of Buck’s mouth that I have ever enjoyed. Ramirez became my favorite player and his sign at the parade may be the reason. It read “Jeter is playing golf today”.

The two teams are still at the top of the payroll rankings and although it is something that I am not proud of, it’s something you cannot blame Boston for. They are just countering what New York started and until there is a salary cap in baseball, both teams will continue to be at the top. I do not care if the Yankees “GOT RINGS”. I would never in a million years think about giving up on the Red Sox and that is the major difference between a Red Sox fan and a Yankees fan... GOT SELLOUTS? Joe Beaudoin can be reached at jbeaudoin@spartans.ut.edu.

@ The Rays are within striking distance of Boston in the Wild Card race. They continue their uphill trek to the playoffs Thursday at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

Courtesy of Tim Shanahan

New York’s 27 titles are on a long list of boasting points for fans like Shanahan. By TIM SHANAHAN Sports Writer

I was a 13-year-old stud, planted on my living room futon for the late afternoon game. Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez had just flung 72-year-old Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer by his skull onto the smooth cut grass of the infield. Few things in life have gotten me more fired up than that moment.

Photo illustration by Alexis Victor

The last decade and a half have been the most heated of the existing competition between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. It stands as the fiercest rivalry in all of professional sports, with the Yankees reigning superior. In the late 1990s, the Yankees dynasty began at the foot of the Red Sox’s door. From 1996 through present day, the Yankees have held their ground at the top of the American League East. Boston has won all of one division

crowns during this stretch of 15 years, compared to New York’s 11. The Yankees have been victorious in World Series appearances in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009, compared to the Red Sox’s 2004 and 2007 victories. The most notable highlights over recent years took place in 2003 and 2004. In ‘03, the rivalry was at its peak during the time of the ALCS. Bean balls and bench clearing brawls were relevant during game three of the series involving Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez and Karim Garcia. During game seven, the Red Sox blew the lead late in the game to the

[

Watching a Franchise Evolve

“Winning is in the Yankees' Bloodstream”

Bronx Bombers. In extras, Aaron Boone laced a Tim Wakefield pitch over the left field wall to bring the Yankees to yet another World Series appearance. The playoffs of ‘04 are a period of time Yankee fans have permanently erased from their recollections. Known as perhaps the steepest collapse in sports history, the Red Sox came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Yankees and advance to the World Series. The most overlooked aspect of rivalries is the role of the average player. The Yankees and Red Sox rivalry has given guys like Aaron Boone and Aaron Small the platform and spotlight to go from an average teammate to a heroic icon over one clutch moment. The Red Sox have caught on to the theme of spending big money during past years. Since Boston’s World Series victory in ‘04, they have bolstered their pitching staff and acquired explosive bats to counter what the Yankees have done. This season, the Red Sox have dominated the Yankees head to head, winning eight out of the first nine contests, and have a record of 11-4 against the Bombers. However, the Yankees are leading the division with two weeks left by 4.5 games. The rivalry will only get more intense as the playoffs are upon us. Winning is in the Yankees’ bloodstream. Their 27 championships are valid proof and stand as the most all time in any sport. The passion trickles down the foreheads of the players and the fans. The intense crowds, competitive athletes and extraordinary moments are what sports are all about. Tim Shanahan can be reached at tshanahan@spartans.ut.edu.

@ The Bucs earned their first win of the season last Sunday against the Vikings, overcoming a 17 point second half deficit. They play Sunday at 4:15 p.m. at home against the Falcons.

FC Tampa Bay clinched at least one homefield playoff game with a Sept. 17 1-1 draw at home against Minnesota. The club continues to fight for the third seed in the NASL, and the playoffs begin Oct 8.

THE MINARET | SEPTEMBER 22 2011

SPORTS

Volleyball Wins Eleventh Straight To Begin Season

SEPTEMBER SPORTS SCHEDULE Friday, Sept. 23

[From Back, Volleyball]

However, Selkridge believes that the teams matched up well. When they were put to the test, they succeeded. “It was a great match,” Selkridge said. “We matched up well, and we played to win the game.” New addition to the team, Jackie Neff has also been contributing. Neff, a freshman, has already helped in every way that she has been expected. Neff had a storied career in high school. She was the four-time Most Outstanding player for her school, set school records for most kills and digs in a season, and led the team in hitting percentage as the varsity captain her senior year. The University of Tampa seemed like a perfect fit. “I really liked the coaching staff. The team also has a great winning tradition.” High-school statistics aside, Neff understands that the transition from highschool athletics to college athletics can be an intimidating one. “Taking pointers from my teammates

Volleyball vs. Saint Leo, 7 p.m. W. Soccer vs. Palm Beach Atlantic, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 24 Imani Cruz/ The Minaret

UT students show their support for the undefeated Spartans Tuesday night, during a win against Florida Southern. Tampa has lost just five sets through their first 11 matches.

helps a lot. We’re like a family. The adjustment has been quick, but I feel like I’ll be able to adjust to the speed.” Neff seems to be well on her way to the speed adjustment. She recorded two blocks and three kills against Central Missouri, as well as four digs against Clarion. The season is off to a strong start, aided by another victory on Tuesday night against SSC foe Florida Southern. So the question is; is there a National

Championship on the horizon? “One game at a time,” Selkridge says. “We can’t look past any games this season,” Neff says. “Game by game,” Catanach says. “We focus on the match of the week, and we go from there.” Focus is the key, and it looks like the Spartans have it. Greg Spracklin can be reached at gspracklin@spartans.ut.edu.

Volleyball vs. Eckerd, 4 p.m. Cross Country Florida State University Invite M. Soccer at Florida Tech, 4 p.m.

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Freeman’s Genes [17]

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Volleyball Defeats Florida Southern, Remains Undefeated By GREG SPRACKLIN Sports Writer

Excellence has become the standard for the University of Tampa Women’s Volleyball team. Over the past 26 seasons, Coach Chris Catanach has an 843-157 record. That’s a staggering win percentage of .843. He ranks second and third in D-II wins and percentage, respectively. Right now, the Spartans are 11-0, losing only five sets out of 34. With Coach Catanach at the helm, an excellent coaching staff behind him and consistent, strong recruiting classes, it’s hard to imagine the excellence subsiding. “We try to develop the players from their freshman year. We like to establish continuity and not go with the multiple transfer route. That being said, if we screw up a recruiting class we feel the effects later on.” Catanach has put the newly recruited freshmen on display early against Tiffin and Clarion. In last week’s games, though, against Asusza Pacific and No. 8 ranked Central Missouri, the entire Spartans squad was tested. Both matches went to five sets; naturally tense moments for any coach when the match comes down to the final set. “Both teams were good. Asuza Pacific was 6’1” across the front line. But once we won the first game, we slowed down a little. We need to maintain that high-level of play throughout the whole match.” New leadership on the team is integral to maintaining success. Catanach has coached

some excellent players over his time, yet he upholds that no single player can win or lose a game for any team. However, there are a few players that can help. “There isn’t one player we can’t do without. But keys to our success are libero Julie Howlett and middle hitter Danielle Selkridge.” Selkridge, a junior from Tortola in the Virgin Islands, serves as one of the more experienced pieces on the team. Last year, she led the Sunshine State Conference with a .461 hitting percentage, and was second in the nation in the same category. She was also fourth in the SSC with 106 blocks. Experience helps, but as any other seasonal change, there will be some adjusting to this year’s squad. “As a team we were much closer last year, but we’re still growing. It’s a new year.” Selkridge understands that no player can endure a season without improving particular aspects of her game. She realizes that complacency can breed mistakes, and she will be the last one to get too comfortable resting on her laurels. “[I’m getting better at] hitting in different angles and paying more attention to direction from the outside. The setter is an important part, too. If she doesn’t do well, I can’t do well.” The toughest match of the season so far has been against No. 8 Central Missouri. The Spartans entered the game focused and determined, knowing that this match would be no cake walk.

Imani Cruz/The Minaret

Eva Dupay is one of five Spartan seniors leading an 11-0 volleyball squad. Dupay recorded [See 19, Volleyball] multiple kills in 23 games last season and she’s played in all but one set in 2011.

2011 Swimming Welcomes Biggest Incoming Class Ever

Samantha Battersby/The Minaret

Jordan Nowakowski is among the minority on UT’s swim team; a returning athlete. By MICHAEL PAONESSA Sports Writer

In many cases, experience matters, but how you deal with pressure to gain experience can prove to be even more valuable. The University of Tampa swimming team is loaded with young talent this season, and with 25 underclassmen entering the squad, the team sets the goal of a conference championship and much more. As the 2011 season is set to start in

mid-October, UT swimming welcomes the largest freshman class they have ever brought into the university. With a total of 32 transfers and freshman, this year will bring many challenges. One swimmer who may lead the underclassmen into the right direction is freshman sprinter, Erin Plachy. From Magnolia High School in Magnolia, Tx., Plachy joins the UT swimming team as one of the fastest sprinters that the university has ever seen as a freshman. Plachy swims the 50 and 100 yard freestyles, and the 50 is her personal favorite—in high school, she set the school’s all-time record at 24.52 seconds. With Plachy continuing to get her feet wet in Tampa and the UT swim team, she is happy with how everything has went so far. “I really like it here,” Plachy said. “It’s great how we all swim together and we do a lot of things as a team rather than individually.” As Plachy is one of the 60-plus swimmers on the squad, the 2011 season will also be a season of valuable transfers that have came to UT to help the team reach the promise land. Sophomore Katie Parker, a transfer from St. Bonaventure, leads the women transfer class and is expected to have a big impact this season. Parker’s best race is the 200 fly, and she will be swimming the butterfly in UT’s first meet. In 2010, Parker was on the national team for St. Bonaventure. The native

from Boca Raton, Fla., is looking for a successful year from not only herself, but the swimming team as a whole. “I wasn’t here last year, but I hope we do even better than last season,” Parker said. “I believe making progress is always a good thing, and I’m really looking forward to the start of the season.” UT’s head swim coach, Ed Brennan, is ready for the season to start. With such a large roster this year, he stated that the team has been very busy preparing for the season. With the 60-plus swimmers, the coaches have to offer two afternoon and evening training sessions in addition to their Monday to Friday 6:30 a.m. practice sessions. Coach Brennan also knows he will have a difficult time picking the 18 men and 18 women lineup for championship competition. “It will put a lot of pressure on the returning swimmers and on our staff to select the top 18,” he said. “We’re bound to make some mistakes and disappoint a significant number of our athletes.” With that, Brennan believes that swimming is not a sport where there is a lot of luck involved in the outcome, but key injuries can cause any of the conference teams to fall a place in the final standings. With challenges facing the squad, Norbert Kovacs is ready to take some of the load off the men’s swimming squad’s shoulders. Kovacs, who in Brennan’s eyes will be a major contributor on the men’s side,

brings an effective and efficient 200 fly and 200 freestyle to the table. Kovacs believes the 200 fly is his best race and has high goals for him and the team this upcoming season. “I’m shooting for the Division II fly record so I hope I can achieve that,” Kovacs said. “Although I have personal goals, it is most important to me that I can help the men’s team win a conference championship first and foremost.” The men finished in second in the Sunshine State Conference in 2010, and this year they are hoping they can improve that to a first place showing. According to Kovacs ,the team is heading in the right direction due to its chemistry among the swimmers. “We have a great environment as a team and we look forward to swimming and coming to practice every day, which in my mind is very important,” he said. With the season opener approaching, it seems like a first place conference finish for both the men and the women’s swim teams is the ultimate goal for not only the swimmers, but coach Brennan. “If we can defend our conference championship on the women’s side and come back from our disappointing second place finish with our men, we will set ourselves up for our highest national finish in 10 years,” Brennan said. “It’s a very long season and job one now is to get ready for our opening meet at Florida Southern Oct. 15.” Michael Paonessa can be reached at mpaonessa@spartans.ut.edu.