The Minaret

Florida’s Top College Paper

Vol. 76 No. 14

ut.minaret@gmail.com

www.theminaretonline.com

December 4, 2009

UT Celebrates the Sounds of the Season

Student ensembles spread holiday cheer

By Mel Steiner Asst. Editor-in-Chief

See page [2] for details Photo courtesy of Ross Kauffman; Poster by Alex Vera/The Minaret

UT Remembers Erik Nicoletti

Nicoletti, a film and media arts student, came to UT in 2007 after graduating from North SaMore than 200 University of lem High School in NY. Tampa students attended a vigil According to Nicoletti’s adMonday, Nov. 23 in remembrance viser, communication professor of Erik Nicoletti, the junior killed Tom Garrett, Nicoletti wanted to in the Nov. 21 hit-and-run acci- be a director. dent.

Last semester, he was enrolled Nicoletti, 20, and his friend, in Garrett’s “Cannes class.” After Cree Alisha Riley, 19, who was the course, the group of students visiting from PA., were walking flew to France to go to the Cannes back from the Metro Mart on Sat- Film Festival. urday, Nov. 21 around 1:15 a.m.

“He wanted to be a director, when a beige Chrysler jumped the but also respected the whole busicurb at Kennedy Boulevard and ness side of film-making,” said North Boulevard, Garrett. “He was hitting Nicoletti aware of selling and Riley. films. That's part The driver, of the reason why I Andres Trujillo, reached out to him 27, fled the scene going to Cannes." and abandoned Garrett said he his car in a ditch and the group of on the corner of students who travLambright St. eled to the festival and Dale Mabry became close durHighway. Trujillo ing the trip.

Nicoletti turned himself in "On that trip, to police Sunday night after pres- we all got really tight,” said Garsure from his family. rett. “It was the first time I got to He told police he reached spend a lot of time with him. Even down to pick up a dropped ciga- my wife grew to adore Erik." rette, thought he hit a small vehiGarrett said that during the cle or motorcycle and panicked. trip, Nicoletti had the opportunity Trujillo remains in police cus- to go to the premiere screening of tody and has been charged with Inglourious Basterds and was a leaving the scene of a crash with lead escort for big directors such serious bodily injury. as Eli Roth and Francis Ford CopNicoletti was declared brain pola. dead at Tampa General Hospital Nicoletti received some exSunday and taken off life support citing attention on the trip. Garrett shortly after. Riley remains hospi- said a world-renowned photogratalized. pher who was shooting for LifeBy Sarah Gottlieb News Editor

style cast Erik. The same photographer is scheduled to visit UT in December and had requested Nicoletti be one of his models.

Garrett said both he and his wife were devastated when they heard the news of the incident.

"This wasn't an instance where I could say, 'Well, they shouldn't have been out there,’” he said.

“Because I can't. He wasn't doing anything wrong."

Garrett described Nicoletti as “a good kid” who was respectful and humble.

"Erik was selfless,” Garrett said. “He was laid-back and cool, but at the same time there was this glow about him."

Garrett’s favorite memory of Nicoletti is from their last day at Cannes.

“The rest of the group returned home the 26th, but my wife, Erik and a few others had to fly out a day early,” he said. “We were supposed to meet at a bus station at 5 a.m. Erik wasn't there. So I made a few calls and we had to pay hundreds of dollars just to get him there, only to find out he was helping other people get transportation from the hotel."

Nicoletti’s friends at UT said they were proud to know him.

Matt Drouin, a close friend of Nicoletti, said he met him their freshman year on the ninth floor of Austin Hall, where they lived.

Drouin says there were a group of people from that floor that became close and have stayed good

At the end of each fall semester, the University of Tampa’s music department offers free holiday concerts. In the remaining two weeks, students in various ensembles will perform on and around campus.

The Wind Ensemble presents its annual Holiday on the Plaza in the Vaughn Courtyard Friday, Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m.

The students will perform pieces celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah, as well as pieces from recent visiting composer Samuel Adler.

They will also perform a full version of the Dec. 4 concert on Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Falk Theatre.

UT’s Collegiate Chorale, Orchestra and Women’s Glee Club will combine for one evening to celebrate the holiday.

This annual concert has become a Tampa Bay tradition.

The three ensembles will perform on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. at Hyde Park Methodist Church, located on 500 W. Platt St. Hear new and old Christmas and holiday songs, and join in the grand finale, Yuletide Fantasy, when the audience joins in singing familiar

carols ending with O Come, All Ye Faithful.

Another popular group, OPUS, will perform its winter program on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Fletcher Lounge.

The musical theatre ensemble’s lineup includes a Manhattan Medley, Vaudeville tunes, a medley from Jekyll and Hyde, as well as many solos and duets from a wide variety of Broadway repertoire.

With finals and last-minute project deadlines approaching, be sure to take a break and come out to support UT’s music department.

Bring all of your friends and even your family to celebrate the spirit of the season!

Chris Ware/MCT Campus

Upcoming Campus Festivities: Viola Concert ~ Dr. Libor Ondras Dec. 7 @ 6 p.m.

Grand Salon Victorian Christmas Stroll Dec. 1 - Dec. 23, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Henry B. Plant Museum December Commencement Dec. 19 @ 10 a.m.

Martinez Sports Center

See “Nicoletti” [4] Students Steal Nov. 20 Issue [2]

Inside ...

PEACE Alternative Breaks [3]

The Stylist/ My Christmas List [8] 2009 Year in Review [10-11] 50’s Self Destruction [7]

Abused Men [12]

Stoplight Snooze [15]

Record Setting Start [16]

News....................[1-4] Diversions..............[6] A&E..................[7-9] Editorial...............[12] Commentary....[11-12] Sports..............[14-16]

“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.” [V. Havel]

The Minaret | December 4, 2009 News Two Book Signings To Be Held at University Bookstore

2

By Mandy Carr Reporter

Editor-in-Chief Charlie Hambos

charlie.hambos@gmail.com

Asst. Editor-in-Chief Layout/Design Editor Mel Steiner

mel.c.steiner@gmail.com

News Editor Sarah Gottlieb

minaret.news@gmail.com

A&E Editor Mike Trobiano

minaret.arts@gmail.com

Commentary Editor Derrick Austin minaret.commentary@gmail.com

Sports Editor Kyle Bennett

minaret.sports@gmail.com

Online Editor Alex Vera

minaret.online@gmail.com

Head Photographer Abby Sanford

One University of Tampa Board of Trustees member and one former member will visit campus to sign copies of their new books.

The two separate book signings will take place at the university bookstore, according to the UT website.

During the first session on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Jeff Knott will be signing his book, Navigating the Healthcare Maze.

Knott’s book was written for patients who want to learn more

about the health care system in America.

Knott, a trustee member for six years, is a selected member of a national alliance called Initiative for Global Development (IGD).

This alliance of U.S. business leaders’ mission is to champion effective solutions to global poverty.

Knott is also a health care policy analyst for Fox News Radio and a contributor to many other news organizations.

He worked 20 years at Johnson and Johnson, was president of Jim Walter International Company,

Oscar Winning Director Coming to UT

By JP Busche Reporter

Most filmmakers do the filming, but some give the cameras to their subjects.

Ross Kauffman won an Oscar for doing just that while capturing the life of the children of prostitutes in his documentary, Born Into Brothels.

The Minaret and the UT Film Society are sponsoring Kauffman to visit UT and screen the documentary at 3 p.m. on Thursday in Reeves Theatre.

Kauffman is the writer, cinematographer, producer, editor and director of Born Into Brothels.

The documentary follows Kauffman and Zana Briski through Calcutta, where they got to know the children of prostitutes.

Being born with very dim perspectives for their life, the filmmakers provide the kids with cameras and challenge their creativity.

Realizing the importance of education, some of the children decide to take a different path in their lives.

a leader in worldwide building materials and vice president of Rooms To Go Corporation.

The proceeds of Knott’s book from the signing will go to UT’s nursing program.

A week later on Dec. 16 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Vince Naimoli will sign copies of his autobiography.

UT’s Naimoli Institute for Business Strategy was named after Naimoli; he is the chairman emeritus of the UT Board of Trustees.

Naimoli’s book, titled Business, Baseball & Beyond, tells of his poor childhood, his successful

business life and the world of professional sports.

Naimoli is the chairman and founder of the Tampa Bay Rays and has also been a chairman, president and CEO of both Anchor Industries International and Naimoli Business Corp.

He is donating 500 copies of the book. The proceeds will help fund UT scholarships and UT athletics programs.

The university bookstore has done several previous signings, including visits from authors Charrie Hazard, Jericho Brown and Frank X. Gasper.

Theft: Stolen Nov. 20 Minaret Papers

By Charlie Hambos Editor-in-Chief

After circulating the Minaret on Nov. 19, approximately 1,800 copies were stolen and thrown into various garbage cans around campus.

The University of Tampa Safety and Security was notified early Friday, Nov. 20.

A report was also filed with the Tampa Police Department later that afternoon.

UT Officer Debbie Devraes

notified the Minaret that the persons responsible were caught.

It was later detailed in a UT report that the students removed the newspapers from all of the racks (with the exception of two) because they felt that a sentence in the article titled "Students Arrested on Felony Drug Charges" made them look bad.

The students were referred to conduct board.

Charlie Hambos can be reached at charlie.hambos@ gmail.com.

abbster50@aol.com

Head Copy Editor Shannon Grippando sgrippando@gmail.com

Adviser Stephanie Tripp, PhD. stripp@ut.edu

Staff-At-Large

Jeffrey Palmer, Reporter Mandy Carr, Reporter JP Busche, Reporter Coryn Doncaster, Reporter Zach Fraser, A&E Max Roberts, Artist Austin Daniels, Cartoonist Emilse Alvarado, Layout Scott Silvestro, Photographer Kara Wall, Photographer Brenton Burkett, Sports Ryan Burkett, Sports Daniel Feingold, Sports Laura Theobald, Copy Editor (News and A&E) Heather Gromley, Copy Editor (Sports and Commentary)

You can reach The Minaret directly at (813) 257-3636

The Minaret is a weekly student-run publication of the University of Tampa. As a student organization, The Minaret invites all students to take part in its production. Inquiries and comments may be sent to ut.minaret@gmail.com

Check out TheMinaretOnline.com for up-to-the-minute information on top stories and breaking news.

Your first two copies of The Minaret are free.

Each additional copy is $1.00.

- Blockbuster Express DVD Rental and the Hertz Car Rental service are set to come to campus!

Look for more updates from SG as the semester ends.

- There will be no SG meeting during finals week.

- SG is working hard to push for a fall break for students, but we need your feedback. Love it, hate it?

E-mail sg@ut.edu now!

Finance Bills: - Spartan Scarlets Dance Team $1500 for uniforms - Athletic Marketing Department $1000 for student entry fees to soccer tournament - Accounting Club $100 for supplies for an interest meeting

Creeper patrol At 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 18, security responded to West Parking Garage and trespassed a nonstudent. An arrest was made.

A wet situation in a dry dorm At 1:15 a.m. on Nov. 19, alcohol was found in a commonarea refrigerator in a 5th floor Vaughn Center room occupied by persons under the age of 21. Those involved were referred to the judicial board.

Swiping Spartan bucks At 3:15 a.m. on Nov. 19, a student’s wallet was stolen from the food court area of Stadium Center. An investigation is still open.

You don’t need to see my identification. These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.

At 2:15 a.m. on Nov. 22, a student refused to provide proper identification in Vaughn Center and interfered with an investigation. The student was referred to the judicial board.

Dramatic drill At 1:15 p.m. on Nov. 22, a fire alarm was activated in Falk Theatre.

Dubious behavior At 9 a.m. on Nov. 23, drugs and drug paraphernalia

were found in the Howard Johnson hotel. Those involved were referred to the judicial board.

Incredible Hulk invades HoJo At 9 a.m. on Nov. 23, an unknown person punched a hole in the wall in the Howard Johnson hotel. Security is still investigating.

Was it a bike?

At 3:45 p.m. on Nov. 29, a student reported property missing from his 6th floor Vaughn room. Police were called and a report was made.

Identity crisis At 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 29, a student reported his driver license missing while he was at the Martinez Sports Complex. Security is still investigating.

Farewell, stolen music At 11:40 p.m. on Nov. 29, security received a report of a stolen laptop from the Howard Johnson hotel. Security is still investigating.

Compiled by: Shannon Grippando

News

The Minaret | December 4, 2009

3

Peace Prepares Alternative Breaks

By Coryn Doncaster Reporter

Peru. Participants will teach English in schools and speak about the importance of sanitation.

Though these breaks have already reached their full capacity of student participants, there are still more chances to vacation and help.

During spring semester, applications will be available for students who want to participate on two weekend trips and the Domestic trip.

The two weekend trips are still being planned, but one will be in February and the other in April.

The Domestic trip is in Boulder Creek, CA where students will be working at a YMCA camp.

This trip is also still in the planning stages, but applications will be available next semester.

These trips aren’t only important to the students that participate, but to the coordinators, as well.

“I’m excited just to see the

The University of Tampa’s PEACE Volunteer Center is making it possible for students to vacation and make a difference at the same time.

This year, many students will spend their vacations and weekends giving to others.

According to Hannah Duprey, alternative break head coordinator, there are eight total trips this year.

PEACE (People Exploring Active Community Experiences) has already done a fall weekend trip to Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, FL and have planned seven more trips to take place this school year.

24 students participated in the fall trip and 40 applications were submitted.

“We were able to double the amount of people we can bring on the trips, which was great,” said Duprey.

Over winter break, a group of students will take a trip to Pompano Beach, FL. The trip is called “Special Spaces” because students will be redecorating the rooms of children who have life threatening diseases.

There will also be two alternative spring breaks.

One trip will be to Key West for an environmental clean up.

The other will be to Tennessee to a therapeutic horse ranch.

The day after graduation, a group of students will travel to Entire Peace Group

trips happen. I love going on the trips and seeing people grow throughout the trips,” said Duprey.

If you’d like more information on upcoming alternative breaks or would like to receive PEACE’s newsletter for information on applications e-mail alternativebreaks@ut.edu.

PEACE Volunteer Center is getting in the Holiday spirit by collecting donations of CLOTHING, FOOD, BOOKS, and especially TOYS! Please bring all donations to the PEACE Volunteer Center (Vaughn 206) and you will receive donation hours!

Hyde Park Toy Collection: Dec. 8, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Space Available: 20 Fliers have been delivered to houses in Hyde Park, advertising a community effort to collect holiday donations for Metropolitan Ministries! We are going door-to-door collecting toys that have been donated!

All space for other PEACE Events are full through the end of the Fall semester and will resume again in the Spring. If you still need volunteer hours for any reason, please come by the Volunteer Center and we will be more than happy to find the right place for you to volunteer!

Melissa Jiha operating a cotton candy machine to serve children and their families.

Congratulations to Jacob Albanese, Olga Sokol, Jessica Hewins, Seth Chaffin, Jay Ribeiro, Elizabeth KnightRussel, Courtney Tipton, Elizabeth Schwarz, Caitlin Myers and Amy Hopkinson, the selected participants for Winter Alternative Break 2010!

Thank you to all those who applied for the Alternative Spring Break trips and International Alternative Break. We enjoyed reading your applications!

Stay tuned for next semester, when we will be releasing applications for two weekend trips, as well as a weeklong domestic trip to Boulder Creek, California.

Photos courtesy of P.E.A.C.E.

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News

The Minaret | December 4, 2009 Left photo courtesy of Tom Garrett; Nicoletti as a model in Cannes Middle: Signs and flowers at the place of Nicoletti’s death.

Right and below: UT students gather at the candlelight vigil Middle, right and below photos by Abby Sanford/The Minaret

“Nicoletti”: Front friends.

He said one of his best memories with Nicoletti was their first Gasparilla experience.

Drouin didn’t see as much of Nicoletti sophomore year because they lived in different residence halls, but this year, since both lived in Rescom, they “hung out on a daily basis.”

He recalled playing Guitar Hero and Call of Duty at 3 a.m. with Nicoletti and their friends.

“No matter what he did, he could never piss me off,” Drouin said. “Every day he always put a smile on my face. He always put me in a better mood.”

Drouin described Nicoletti as a “fun-loving,” positive and caring person.

“You could always talk to him,” he said. “He was someone you called if you ever needed a favor… He’d be more than happy to do it.”

Drouin said the accident was a shame, especially since his friend had such a bright future ahead of

him.

“His future was looking really good,” Drouin said, adding that Nicoletti was doing well in his communication major.

Drouin said he also believed Nicoletti may have just been accepted for an internship he’d been hoping to get.

“Things were going really well for him, that’s why it’s such a shame such a successful life was taken away.”

Chris Sacchinelli, another close friend who met Nicoletti in Austin Hall, said he was a great person and someone who was always fun to be around.

“He 100 percent enjoyed life,” said Sacchinelli. “He was only here for 20 years, but he enjoyed them more than anyone else I know.”

Sacchinelli said Nicoletti was always around to cheer him up.

“He’s someone you wanted around for good times or bad times,” he said.

One of Sacchinelli’s memories of Nicoletti include talking with him outside Austin hall during their freshman year.

“He was the type of kid who was genuinely interested in the other person,” Sacchinelli said of his friend. “He cared what you had to say.”

Sacchinelli said it’s important Nicoletti’s friends remember him.

“Erik was a person you genuinely would want to say was your friend,” Sacchinelli said. “He was a really good person.”

Nicoletti’s roommate, James Peter, who has lived with him since their freshman year, hasn’t been able to grasp what has happened.

“It isn’t real,” he said. “Erik has taught me to follow your heart, no matter where logic leads you.”

Peter remembered Nicoletti fondly in his “Hugh Hefner robe,” a bathrobe Nicoletti always wore, smoking his Marlboro 27s.

“Rarely has there been a dull moment,” Peter said.

Alyssa Salagha, another friend who had known Nicoletti from Austin hall, also remembered how he would always follow his heart.

She also recalled good times she had with her friend.

“I can’t look back and think of one bad moment with Erik,” Salagha said.

“Every time I reminisce I’m always smiling or laughing.”

The Nov. 23 vigil was held at 8:30 p.m. in the Vaughn Center Courtyard.

Nicoletti’s family was present.

“We are gathered here to mourn a precious heart which passed too soon,” Stephanie Russell Holz, associate dean of students, said at the vigil.

After the vigil, some students walked over to North Boulevard and Kennedy Boulevard to place flowers at the site of the accident.

Flowers and a picture poster of Nicoletti have also been placed outside his Rescom room door.

Dozens of comments from friends and family members continue to fill pages of the Facebook group, “Remember Erik Nicoletti.”

A wake was held for Nicoletti

at Clark Associates Funeral Home in NY on Friday, Nov. 27.

His funeral was held the next day at St. Patrick’s Church in Yorktown Heights.

"He surely will be missed," Garrett said.

Mel Steiner, Jeffrey Palmer and Lauren Martinez contributed reporting to this article.

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The Minaret | December 4, 2009

FOR RELEASE DECEMBER 15, 2009

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Abby Sanford / The Minaret

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Valley girl’s “Pshaw!”

5 Ere 10 Facial bones 14 Indian princess 15 City attacked by Godzilla 16 Gusto 17 Related (to) 18 Bee parts that are really cool?

19 Online prefix with -pedia 20 Like Tater Tots 22 Jeered 23 Novelist Deighton 24 Metaphorical site of some presidential chats 27 “Haste makes waste” and others 30 Sassy 31 Tree of life site 32 Baked __ 33 Automne preceder 36 Place for a Pinot 39 Handyman’s carryall 41 __-Caps: candy 42 Marry in a hurry 44 “Dies __”: hymn 45 Bravery 46 Chunks of fairway 48 Lengthy guarantee period 51 Many a Roddick serve 52 Smells 53 “Ditto” 58 Turin-based automaker 59 Dispatch boat 61 Pupil’s locale 62 Hefty volume 63 Ceiling 64 Pro __ 65 River of Hades 66 Angel hair, e.g.

67 Prefix with distant DOWN 1 Graceful horse 2 “The Open Window” storywriter

A poster remembering UT student Erik Nicoletti.

12/15/09

By Joel Fagliano

3 Part of LBJ, e.g.: Abbr.

4 Delicate path to walk 5 “Diet Revolution” doctor 6 “Aaay!” sayer of ’70s-’80s TV 7 Painter Georgia 8 Deli request 9 Dawn deity 10 Like the calendar established by Hillel II 11 Cover story?

12 Roused 13 Said with a sneer 21 Future father’s sch.?

22 Plaster painting surface 25 Teed off 26 Attorney general under Clinton 27 Kittens’ cries 28 Server’s edge, in tennis 29 Alien: Pref.

32 Dustpan’s partner 33 Spanish river 34 Perfectly

Monday’s Puzzle Solved

(c)2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

35 It can be awkward when they run into each other 37 Rhythms 38 “__ want for Christmas ...”

40 Energetic type 43 Fights before the main event, for short 45 Highest point 46 Actress Fanning

12/15/09

47 Rocks at the bar 48 Hay storage areas 49 Chucklehead 50 Like freshly poured beer 54 “__ just me, or ...”

55 Baghdad’s land 56 In __: as found 57 Morales of “La Bamba” 59 Mont Blanc, e.g.

60 Through

Week ending Nov. 30, 2009

#1 Album

Top tracks

( ) Last week’s ranking in top five

United States (1) 1 (2) 2

Bad Romance s ,ADY 'A'A TiK ToK s +E HA The Fame Monster Lady GaGa

Replay s )YAZ

(3) 3 (4) 4

Meet Me Halfway s "LACK %YED 0EAS

(5) 5

Fireflies s /WL #ITY

United Kingdom 1

Russian Roulette s 2IHANNA

I Dreamed a Dream Susan Boyle

Meet Me Halfway s "LACK %YED 0EAS

(2) 2

Whatcha Say s *ASON $ERULO

(1) 3

TiK ToK s +E HA

(4) 4

Bad Romance s ,ADY 'A'A

(5) 5

Spain

El Canto del Loco El Canto del Loco

Ayo Technology s -ILLOW

(1) 1

I Gotta Feeling s "LACK %YED 0EAS

(2) 2

Quiero Apprender de Ti s %L #ANTO DEL ,OCO Looking for Paradise s !LEJANDRO 3ANZ Happy s ,EONA ,EWIS Source: iTunes

3 (3) 4 (5) 5 © 2009 MCT

Horoscopes

By Linda C Black / Tribune Media Services

Aries (March 21-April 19) An older associate provides you with an opportunity that promises satisfaction but also ensures a basic income. Stay until you learn the game.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Without the aid of a female, you might not get anything done. Together you can do big things. Isolate and follow your strongest desire.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Take your partner with you to any important meeting. Together you accomplish far more than you can separately. Opportunity knocks.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) If there’s a vote today, the ladies win.

Accept this fact and work with it.

There’s no point in struggling against the inevitable.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) A female presents a new idea that you jump on right away. She understands the need for balance among the ideas supplied by each co-worker.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) To get the most out of business opportunities, dress for the moment.

Leave your grubby jeans at home.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Get creative with whatever materials you already have. Clean out refrigerator and cupboards to make space for the new.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Remarkably, everyone’s in sync today.

You find opportunities to soften the competition or to reach clients with your message.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Stick to the basics today. You get more for your money. Grab hold and hang on tight, then shift gears.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Reach for the stars. We know they’re far away, but they look so close right now, and they’re actually within your grasp.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A female provides excellent ideas to help raise money. Test these ideas before you invest your life savings.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Accept an opportunity from an elder.

This could involve money. It definitely improves your image. Colorize.

Urban and Twit

by Austin Daniels

- Go to “Next Big Thing” on Sunday.

- Make a flow chart.

- Go caroling with your roommate in your residence hall.

- Follow a new blog.

- Purchase a holiday tree for your dorm room.

- Fill out your teacher classroom surveys.

- Learn to tie a nautical knot.

Arts & Entertainment

The Minaret | December 4, 2009

Is 50 Cent Self Destruct-ing?

By Zach Fraser Staff Writer

Curtis Jackson a.k.a. 50 Cent is one of the most notable artists in the rap game.

Whether this is because of his music or his larger-than-life persona is up for the audience to decide.

Known for his blatant bashing of other rappers, deep beats and explicit lyrics, 50 Cent has become one of the most controversial rappers in the 21st century.

But 50’s career hasn’t been entirely easy. Being shot nine times and finding troubles with the law before finally landing a record deal is hardly what anyone would consider the easy route.

Before I Self Destruct is the latest installment from the Queens, New York native and is an attempt to step back into the spotlight after his 2007 release Curtis fell on deaf ears.

His fourth and possibly last studio album (five being on his contract with Interscope records, the last one being a greatest hits) doesn’t really do justice to the musician’s career as it features the same old cli-

ché bouts seen on previous albums.

Self confidence is one thing and a publicity stunt is another, but on Death to my Friends 50 Cent is back at writing checks his music just can’t cash.

“This ain’t the ‘Carter’ n****,” raps 50 Cent about Lil Wayne. “This is Sparta! It’s Harder! I die and be a martyr, respect me like your father!”

Immediately after 50 is back at it on So Disrespectful where he doesn’t waste any time reigniting old flames against rapper friend turned-foe The Game.

“That n**** Buck like Game!” 50 cent confidentially pronounces. “Tell mamma he done smoked in TV, I ain’t know he f***** with more dope than B.G.” The saying goes, “All clichés are truisms, and all truisms are true”; it couldn’t be any more relevant than it is in 50 Cent’s case.

He is the stereotypical gangster rapper armed with guns, sex and drugs which all decrease this album’s credibility and his own credibility in turn.

The most frustrating thing is he has excellent production from some of the genre’s biggest stars. The problem with releasing such a classic first album as Get Rich Now or Die Trying is that your whole career is measured up to that standard.

Sure, this album is not bad, but when you put it next to his first album or even his second it looks out of place, mismanaged and just plain ole’ boring.

When Curtis Jackson picked his stage name of 50 Cent years ago he probably didn’t know one day his alias would be such a literal representation of what his music is worth.

7

COLLEGE KIDS vs.

VAMPIRES

“The Blind Side” Is a Must See

By Austin Daniels Staff Writer

I walked into The Blind Side with a huge prejudice. I thought it was just going to be another cliche sports movie.

The new coach that has unorthodox methods of coaching, the rebellious popular kid with an attitude, the true story concept and the heartfelt ending whether our team wins or loses; we all realize that our teamwork and relationships had made us better people.

How wrong was I? The Blind Side wasn’t really a sports movie at all; it was about a person who played sports.

The Blind Side chronicles the true story of Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron); a poor high school student who was raised in the projects who gets adopted by a wealthy family.

The family is primarily run by the matriarch Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) who helps assimilate Michael into his new lifestyle.

Many things are great about his movie, and I guess it would all start when Michael first starts living with his new family.

Here, we get to truly see an extremely big culture shock for the fact that two different groups of people are being assimilated. The Blind Side brings the issues of racism and poverty to the forefront.

What’s also interesting about this movie is that Michael doesn’t even feel like the standout character in this movie.

Probably because he is portrayed as a “talk slow, but carry a big stick” kind of a guy, therefore his character doesn’t scream academy nomination during this movie.

That’s where Sandra Bullock steps in.

Bullock plays Leigh Anne, the mother of the Michael’s adopting family and her character is certainly gives The Blind Side the “in your face” firecracker that it need-

ed.

It seems that Leigh Anne is always looking out for Michael in one of two ways: the heartfelt “I’m buying you a bed” way or the “don’t mess with my son” way.

The only downside is that the first way may come across as a little cheesy, and the second may come across as unbelievable ( I caught myself a few times saying, “No way someone would act like that”), but the good news is that we buy into it because we want to.

With the exception of the Leigh Anne’s daughter Collins, the minor characters that make up the family are great.

Leigh Anne’s husband Sean (Tim McGraw) is an excellent balance of a certain relaxed nature.

In essence he’s the comforting calmness that Leigh Anne needs. Leigh Anne’s son S.J. (Jae Head), is also a fun character to watch. S.J. is a small, but loud little kid who adds an innocent humor to the film.

And, heck, it’s still hilarious to see a tiny little kid pal around with a massive football player.

What really sold me on a recommendation of this movie is that it’s not about sports or football.

Of course, not all sports movies are about the sport itself, but they sure do spend a heck of a lot of time out on that playing field. Not The Blind Side.

Maybe, just maybe fifteen minutes of the film at a maximum takes place on the football field.

That’s what I love about this movie the most. Oftentimes when I watch a sports movie, it’s so dominated by the fast paced action of sports that it takes away from the important message at hand.

The Blind Side defies all of that by minimizing the sports concept and focuses on the story of a person. B+

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Arts & Entertainment

8

Your weekly look at the greatest jazz artists of all time.

By JP Busche Staff Writer

The singer/song writer of some of Motown’s most memorable hits, including Let’s Get It On and How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), had a life and career which reached the height of fame and achievement and ended in tragedy.

Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. was born on April 2, 1939 in Washington D.C. His parents, Marvin Gay Sr. and Alberta Cooper, recognized his musical talent early on, giving him the opportunity to participate in the choir of his father’s church.

Although deeply in love with music, Marvin wasn’t much into school, which led him to drop out of high school at age 17 to join the Air Force, but was discharged only eight months later in June 1957.

During his Motown years, he added the “e” to his last name, because he didn’t want to be associated with his father.

The change also served as a tribute to R&B Artist Sam Cooke, who made the same change.

After his brief military career, Gaye returned to D.C., where he started singing with a group called The Rainbows, just to form his

own group The Marquees shortly thereafter.

The group signed with Okeh Records, where they received some attention with the single Wyatt Earp.

Looking for further opportunities, Gaye happened to meet Harvey Fuqua, who had his owngroup called the Moonglows.

Although they worked with him for a short while, the group dissolved.

Fuqua and girlfriend Gwen Gordy then moved to Detroit with Gaye following.

Now living in Detroit, Gwen introduced Gaye to her brother Berry at a Christmas party in 1960 which was hosted by a label called Motown. Soon, Gaye became a part of Motown, starting as a drummer for Smokey Robinson and his group The Miracles.

It was the humble beginning of a musical miracle.

“At Motown, Marvin was one of the main characters in the greatest musical story ever told.

Prior to that, nothing quite like Motown had ever existed -- all those songwriters, singers, producers working and growing together, part family, part business -- and I doubt seriously if it will ever happen like that again.

And there’s no question that

The Minaret | December 4, 2009

What’s Going On with Marvin Gaye?

Marvin will always be a huge part of the Motown legacy.”

Smokey Robinson said in an interview published by the Rolling Stone Gay then went on to marry Gwen and Berry’s sister Anna in 1962.

The same year, he released the single Stubborn Kind of Fellow, which was his first attention getter as a Motown artist.

Gaye continued releasing singles, landing a couple of top forty hits throughout the sixties, but it took him until 1968 to have his first number one single, Heard It Through The Grapevine.

Touched by the news of Tammi Tarrell’s ( his duet partner, with whom he recorded Ain’t No Mountain High Enough and Your Precious Love) severe brain tumor, he composed the song as a tribute.

Gaye went on to focus on social problems such as poverty, racism and the Vietnam war, which led to the 1970 release of the What’s Going On LP. A generally solid album, one track titled Inner City Blues still gains quite a bit attention these days.

In 1972, Gaye had a brief stint in Hollywood, where he composed the motion picture soundtrack Trouble Man.

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The following years forced him to focus more on his private life.

His rocky marriage ended in 1975.

As a result of an ongoing legal battle, Gaye was forced to waive the royalties of his next album to his former wife, which explains the title his next LP, Here, My Dear.

One reason for the break up was Gaye’s admiration for Janis Hunter, daughter of jazz musician Slim Gaillard.

Only two years after his divorce in October 1977, Gaye married again, this time to Hunter.

They divorced only two years later.

The late 70’s were a little difficult for him, since he had to cope with substance abuse problems, as well as the IRS trying to get a hold of him.

He eventually moved to Europe in 1981, and resided in Amsterdam, where he started working on his upcoming album In Our Lifetime, which was released the same year.

Still fighting a cocaine addiction, he returned to the US and moved in with his parent’s.

On the afternoon of April 1, 1984, he was with his mother and father, when they began to argue.

His father became furious and shot his son. Gaye died just one day before his 45th birthday.

According to a rumor, the last words his father said before shooting his famous son were “That’s the last 45 you ever gonna hear.”

His remarkable career was publicly acknowledged with a posthumous 1987 induction into the Rock’ Roll Hall of Fame.

To contact JP Busche, email him at jbusche@ut.edu.

Minaret writer & fashion contributer, Daniella Fusari, uncovers UT’s fashion forward students.

The Stylist

My Christmas List It’s always been my tradition to write my Christmas list in August.

This makes it easy for me to create a wish list of everything I want throughout the few months between summer and the holidays.

You know those Tiffany earrings you were dying to have in September and completely forgot to add to your holiday wish list this year?

Well, I am here to help you remember some of the statement pieces you should be asking Santa to bring.

1. An over sized watch is a necessity for every college girl.

Not only do they look sophisticated and chic, but they are useful too.

Running from class, to meetings, to get-togethers can get overwhelming.

People underestimate the power of the watch. My favorite collection is by Michael Kors.

Check Nordstrom.com for styles including the Gold Catwalk Chronograph Watch or Multifunction Bracelet Watch.

2. Tall boots look great with skinny jeans or leggings.

There are so many different styles to choose from. You can choose from different lengths including ones that hit the calf, the knee or over the knee.

For everyday wear, try brown or black boots the stay below the knee and are slouchy.

They can dress up a t-shirt and jeans or a casual dress. Victoriassecret.com has a huge selection of stylish boots from different designers.

Check out the heeled Kidsuede Scrunch Boot, which is now on sale for $79 and comes

in grey, black or brown.

Or if you want a flat version, try Steve Madden’s Slouchy Suede Boot. Boots will be great to wear for those holiday parties, as well.

3. Stud earrings are a staple jewelry piece that every girl should have.

They are such a simple statement that can pull together your whole look.

Diamond studs or pearls look perfect with anything. If you are putting this on your holiday list, you can splurge a bit.

Bloomingdales.com has a great collection of earrings. Look up “Cultured Pearl Studs” or “Kate Spade New York Park Avenue Faux Pearl Stud Earrings.”

The price differences are vast between the two, but there are many to choose from.

Costume jewelry can be fun, but fine jewelry is well worth the investment.

4. I always think there is one jacket that you need for the season.Sometimes it’s a pea coat, and sometimes it’s a blazer; but this year it’s a leather bomber.

This jacket can be dressed up or down, depending on your mood.

Two of the best I have seen so far are the Collection B Crinkled Waxy Faux Leather Bomber from Nordstrom.com at a steal price of $58 or the Silence & Noise Faux Leather Bomber Jacket from urbanoutfitters.com.

I hope this list helped put a jump-start to yours!

Remember it’s the holidays, and every girl deserves a special present.

Choose something extraordinary you wouldn’t normally buy for yourself.

Arts & Entertainment

The Minaret | December 4 2009

9

Disney and Square’s Love Child Continues to Thrill

By Shannon Grippando Staff Writer

When I first learned about the original Kingdom Hearts, I was appalled. “A game with Disney and Final Fantasy characters? Nietzsche was right; God’s dead.�

It took about three separate tries to sit down with the game before I could finally stomach it.

But a strange thing happened—I started to like it. I liked it a lot.

It had a certain charm, and the game play wasn’t half bad, either.

Since then, there have been more sequels, remakes and spinoffs than Disney’s own Dalmatians.

But, surprisingly, they’ve been consistently good.

Square’s latest rendition, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (read three five eight over two days) for the Nintendo DS doesn’t disappoint as it continues the Kingdom Hearts legacy of solid games, despite a confusing storyline.

In 358/2 Days, you play as Roxas, a member of Organization XIII, who uses the power of his key-shaped sword (called a keyblade‌ creative name, I know) to collect the hearts of the shadowy Heartless.

What’s his purpose for doing so, you ask?

Don’t worry your pretty little head over that. The story for 358/2 Days is as convoluted as any other Kingdom Hearts game.

None of it really makes sense.

We’re talking about a universe in which Winnie the Pooh and Cloud Strife co-exists. Nothing really needs to make sense.

But for those who care (those of you who are undoubtedly wearing an anime T-shirt while reading this), Roxas and the rest of the members of Organization XIII are what are called Nobodies, bodily shells without hearts.

If they can collect enough hearts, a gateway called Kingdom Hearts will open, and they’ll all become real boy...or something

like that.

The game play is excellent, however. 358/2 Days provides action-RPG, swordswinging fun with a deep level of customization.

Different gears can be attached to Roxas’ keyblade to transform its abilities, such as ground specialization or air combos.

Loathers of Chain of Memories will be glad to hear that this is not a card game in disguise; 358/2 Days is as close as you’ll get to playing the PS2 Kingdom Hearts on a hand-held.

However, the customization system does have its flaws.

For some reason which escapes me, the designers thought it’d be a good idea to make players equip level-ups.

That’s right, not only do you have to gain experience to level up, but you have to spend precious ability space to gain their effects.

Granted, you receive level doublers and such, but this still seemed like a superfluous addition.

The levels are about what you’d expect on the Nintendo DS. They’re 3D environments but nothing spectacular. The biggest problem here is that you’re revisiting Disney’s worlds that you’ve probably already been to three times before if you played the prequels.

Things are getting boring, Square. Let’s branch out a little.

Give me some worlds from other Disney movies or, heck, non-Disney worlds altogether.

I hear Final Fantasy has some nice settings you might want to try.

The game style of 358/2 Days is perfect for a hand-held.

Roxas is assigned short missions with reasonably varied objectives.

Players can revisit these missions with a Challenge mode or just to find hidden loot.

Curiously, there is no “save anywhere� feature. Players must wait till the end of the mission to save.

This game would have been perfect for on-the-go gaming if not for the absence of this handy option.

Honestly, one of the best features of 358/2 Days is the multiplayer.

Players can play not only as Roxas but all the Organization XIII members and even some hidden characters.

Each character has his or her own unique weapon and play style, and they’re all customizable with the abilities you find throughout the single-player game.

You and three buddies can race through levels you have previously beaten, competing for crystals to gain prizes at the end.

The downside: no internet support. You’ll have to WLAN for this one, friends.

Overall, 358/2 Days is a solid portable game from a lovable franchise. Sure, the story is more complex than Pirates of the Caribbean 3, but the game play is enjoyable and rewarding.

This is a must-have for anys Kingdom Heart fan or action-RPG gamer on the go.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for the Nintendo DS gets a 4/5.

To contact Shannon Grippando, email him at sgrippando@ gmail.com.

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Commentary

10

The Minaret | December 4, 2009

Meryl, and Gaga, and Vampires: The Best of 2009

By Derrick Austin Commentary Editor

I can’t help but joyously reflect on the year, despite the tragedies and hardships of another rough economic year; there’s been so much fun.

Barack Obama is nearly done with his first year in office and without a major scandal! There was the birth certificate hoopla, the uproar over his bowing to Saudi Arabian King Abdullah, and, most recently, the Emperor of Japan, and the Beer Summit—all red herrings, when people should be discussing his policies, and not in “town hells.” I’m thankful for his good year; sometimes I double take when I see him, the first black president, makes me misty eyed. I have three more years to look forward to!

We can’t reminisce on 2009 without discussing the musical piñata known as Lady Gaga. Love her (as I do) or hate her, she’s had a ubiquitous presence in pop culture; quite a feat for someone whose only album has barely been out for a year!

At first I didn’t really like her. Just Dance was a cute little song, but I judged her a one-hit wonder. Then came Poker Face, LoveGame, and Paparazzi. I didn’t like any of them. Then I watched the videos for those three singles and had my mind blown.

Nowadays, a music video constitutes essentially one of two archetypes; male musicians need only have a bevy of hot, scantily clad women gyrating around them.

Female musicians produce “look at me” videos; they may or may not be scantily clad and provocatively dancing, but the point is they are the star—look at her! Yeah, Lady Gaga makes “look at me” videos, but she makes “look at everything else too” videos. They’re eye candy, a decadent display of fashion and strange dance moves. They don’t have plots; they’re fashion shows in the club.

She’s returned spectacle to the music video with the same cartoonish exuberance she brings to red carpet events. Have you seen the “Bird’s Nest” Hat at the VMAs? The Kermit the Frog getup? Did you watch Bad Romance?

It doesn’t hurt that she sings too.

I haven’t seen many movies and can’t remember half of them.

I think there was another Harry Potter movie and one with robots and a sexy girl who can’t act.

But I won’t forget “Up” another Pixar masterpiece—the first fifteen minutes nearly made me cry. It wasn’t as great as “Wall-E,” but that’s like saying diamonds aren’t as good as gold.

But my favorite movie—or half of it rather—was the Julia portion of “Julie & Julia.” Nothing against Amy Adams, who did a fine job, but she’s just not Meryl Streep; she inhabited the role. She was animated with a robust zest for life, as passionate in the kitchen as she was in the world. Streep’s been on a roll for the entire decade: “The Hours,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Mamma Mia!,” Doubt” and “Julie & Julia.”

You forget you’re watching an actress when you see her perform, and in her happier roles, she seems authentically in love with her craft.

She invites us in the film; her joy is

the audience’s joy.

While I’m writing about film, I feel obligated to address “New Moon.” I haven’t seen it or “Twilight” or read the books. I don’t ever intend on doing it. I only have two good words about “New Moon”: Taylor Lautner.

If we want to talk about real vampires, allow me to rave about “True Blood.” It was inevitable this show would be compared to “Twilight”—cultural pundits debated over which show was better (“True Blood”), or had the better female role model (Sookie Stackhouse). But what it really comes down to is the fact the “True Blood” actors are more attractive.

Vapid reasoning sure, but these vampires actually have sex.

I don’t pay attention to any sports except tennis so my favorite sports moment was Serena Williams’s U.S. Open outburst. You can take the girl out of Compton… but in all seriousness, it’s probably not the smartest idea to threaten the lineswoman’s life and it doesn’t exhibit sportsmanship—but it was a sight to behold.

To round out what I loved about 2009: Shakira’s “She-Wolf,” Tareq and Michaele Salahi, the White House party crashers, Sonia Sotomayor and UT’s fall Dance Happening.

This is the year of escapism, fantasy and nonsense: Lady Gaga, the sexual exuberance of vampires and the endless “news” filling us in on t he contents of celebrities’ trash bins. Here’s hoping 2010 is the year everyone reads poetry! A poet can dream, right?

Derrick Austin can be reached at daustin@ut.edu.

Julie & Julia Lady Gaga in a signature outfit from “Poker Face.”

True Blood

Promotional Photo benyupp / Flickr Promotional Photo

Commentary

The Minaret | December 4, 2009

11

2009: The Year of the Tool and Excessive iPhone Apps

By John Jacobs Columnist

“Yo Derrick, I’m really happy for you and I’ma let you finish, but John Jacobs wrote one of the best articles of 09!”

In 2009 there were lowlights, highlights and things that just shouldn’t have happened. The first disappointing event: the outbreak of Swine Flu! First detected in March, it revealed our true colors: we’re ready to stand up to anything!

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an overreaction from the whole country. Suddenly everybody panicked: “Nobody eat pork! You can get it that way!” (You can’t).

“We need a vaccine! Oh we just found one? There’s not enough!

We’re going to die! Oh there’s enough for everyone now? But I heard you can get a seizure from it! We can’t risk that! I bought 12 cases of water and scotch tape; we’re living in the basement until this whole thing blows over!” It’s December, and most people have forgotten about the Swine Flu, returning to their old carefree ways.

I guess we won that one?

Moving on to technology: the intense popularity of the iPhone and all the ridiculous, unnecessary apps

bothered me. Sure, the iPhone’s been around for a while, but there seems to have been an explosion of millions of new apps, fulfilling every possible digital chore. Now the iPhone can completely rule your life! You can update your Facebook, check the stock market, bid on Ebay, watch porn and talk to your mom at the same time!”

I wouldn’t be surprised to hear: “Oh yeah, she was a bit scared when she started feeling sick a week later, but luckily I had the ‘home pregnancy test’ iPhone app! She was able to pee right onto my iPhone and see results!” There are even “decision making” apps so you don’t even need to think anymore!

“Where do you want to eat tonight?” “ Yo u m e a n w h e r e d o e s my iPhone think we should eat tonight?!”

Or, “Hey man do you think you’re going to get a divorce?”

“You mean does my iPhone think I should get a divorce?!”

There were also some great movies with deep story lines and rich characters like the new Fast and Furious, a prequel to Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (I know it’s all very complicated) but there’s a new series of movies I just can’t appreciate—the Twilight Saga.

I can already hear every girl on campus saying “F*** this kid!”

LETTER

TO THE

Erik Nicoletti’s Legacy Once again, the UT community has experienced great sadness.

With the death of Erik Nicoletti the fragility of life has been made clear to all of us. From the vigil held on campus to the postings on Facebook, the friends and acquaintances of Erik have demonstrated how many people’s lives this young man touched. For each person who knew him, the loss will remain for a lifetime.

There is another legacy of Erik Nicoletti that some of you may not know. Through the anger, sadness, and unimaginable grief Erik’s parents, Jose and Dorothy, made a very difficult choice. Erik’s parents donated his organs when it became clear that he had no chance of recovery. They made a decision that other people should have a chance at life – a chance their son no longer had. By making the decision to donate life to others, many recipients and their families had a reason to celebrate Thanksgiving in a way few of us can ever appreciate. Erik will live on through the gift his parents made – the gift of life.

There is a growing need for organs in Florida; nearly 3,000 people are waiting on a kidney transplant while hundreds more wait for hearts, lungs and livers – some of these people need multiple organs. Many of these people will not live long enough to receive a transplant because there are not enough donors. If you have signed your driver’s license indicating that you want to be an organ donor, you need to let your family know your wishes because even if you have signed your license stating your wish to be a donor, your next of kin will make the ultimate decision. If you have not decided to be an organ donor, investigate the possibility of doing so.

The legacy that Jose and Dorothy Nicoletti made possible for their son will reach scores of people, the organ recipient, their families, friends, and their neighbors. All the comments online indicated how loving, caring and nice Erik was; now we know where he got those qualities. When faced with the death of their son, Jose and Dorothy Nicoletti chose life for others. Let that be a lesson for all of us.

Dr. Susan Brinkley Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice

and tearing the paper up after that comment, but let me explain! I’ll admit I did see the first Twilight movie (shut up, I know), and I had high expectations based off every girls’ obsession with the books.

But, all I could think the whole time watching it was “when does something important happen?” I basically watched two people play hide and seek in a forest for a good hour and a half. I understand it’s a love story, but I guess I expected more “things to happen” in this movie.

This is my summary of Twilight: Girl switches to a new high school. She falls in love with tall, pale, mysterious (aka awkward) guy. OMG! He’s a vampire! Let’s play baseball! (Vampires then crank out like 50-mile-long home runs) Oh no there’s more vampires?

Two of them fight. The end.

No, I haven’t seen New Moon, and I don’t plan on it, but after seeing Twilight I can’t understand the obsession over this series. Is it the guys taking their shirts off? I’ll never understand.

As for the year in TV, one show stood out to me being unrivaled for the worst show of the year which is The Tool Academy. It’s extremely entertaining, but while you’re watching you can’t help but ask out loud: “How do people like this exist!”

The most ridiculously obnoxious guys in the world gather to embarrass their girlfriends on TV. The average guy on that show will have his hair gelled into a Mohawk three feet high with a pink bandana tied around his head wearing pitch black aviators 98%

Tool Academy

Promotional Photos

of the time. These guys’ dog tags have their own dog tags—that’s how much of tools they all are.

And because they’re on TV, they keep trying to outdo one another in their unspoken tool contest by being increasingly obnoxious. Whoever wears the least amount of clothing and says the meanest thing to their girlfriend wins! “F*** you! If I want to touch your sister I’m going to touch your sister! (He then begins break dancing in a Speedo).” I don’t understand how the girlfriends found it fit to bring their men onto a reality show to publicly (and proudly) admit how bad they are at being boyfriends. There’s another option that’s a lot easier. Just break up with them!

Among other lowlights: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are now 1-9 in a three way tie for worst record in the league. Go Tampa!

Also birds have now become the biggest security threat to planes (Hudson River crash) and somehow numerous celebrities all died within a month or so from one another.

Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, DJ AM, Billy Mays and Patrick Swayze all passed away this year.

Two more and we could’ve had the best cast of The Real World Ever!

So through 2009 the world had its ups and downs, and hopefully next year can live up to the excitement level 2009 set for us.

John Jacobs can be reached at jjacobs@ut.edu.

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Commentary

12

Editorial: We Will Continue Reporting the News

& Peppermint Haiku Justin Timberlake

The Minaret | December 4, 2009

Pumpkin

Jeers

Sonnets Justin Bieber

Twenty-Five years of Oprah

No More Oprah Winfrey Show

Jonathan Swift

Taylor Swift

Cute kitty Youtube videos

Cute baby Youtube videos

The Princess and the Frog

The Princess and the Pea

Winter Break

Everything’s Due This Week

Cheers

In the last several weeks The Minaret has reported multiple crimes involving University of Tampa students. We do not solely focus on reporting the crimes of students on or off campus, but when something happens it is our job to let the university community know.

These recent events have led the staff to make tough decisions on how and what to report on these crimes.

We want to let our readers know about how we make the decisions to run certain things involving crimes on campus.

When it comes to students involved in crimes off campus, The Minaret staff checks the Hillsborough County Arrest Inquiry for students, faculty and staff who were arrested. The information is public. If anyone visits mugshotstampabay.com and searches UT’s area code (33606) both the pictures and names of people arrested in that area can be found. From there the arrest report can be opened. If the charges of the individual are felony charges, it is our policy to investigate the story and run the names and pictures of the student, faculty or staff accused of a crime.

Part of the investigation invoices contacting the arresting agency and requesting a police report. The information in the report is open to the public; newspapers have the right to use the information in the report for a story. This information is made public by the Florida Statutes Chapter 119 also known as the Florida Public Records law, which states that the citizens have the right to know what happens in incidents that occur in their community.

The Minaret takes this information to tell the UT community what is going on within the community involving students, faculty and staff.

In the most recent incident, The Minaret reported that three UT students were arrested on felony drug charges. The reports for all three students were requested from the Tampa Police Department. In the TPD report, it stated that UT security was notified by the person across the hall that one of the students was in possession of cocaine.

We reported the information as stated in the police report.

After circulation of the Nov. 20 issue when this article was complete, approximately 1,800 copies out of the 2,000 copies of The

Minaret delivered were removed from the racks and thrown away in various garbage cans around campus. The Minaret had ordered 2,500 copies.

Security found the students responsible. The UT security report stated that they stole the papers because they believed that a sentence in the article made them look bad, and they did not want people to read it.

Removing The Minarets from racks across campus is essentially a way of censoring the press, even though in addition to the paper copy we have the online edition.

The staff consisting of writers, photographers, illustrators, section editors, online editors, copy editors and both the editor-in-chief and the assistant editor-in-chief put in countless hours to inform the UT students what’s going on in and around campus. It is not our job to protect the identities of the students on campus, and we do not intentionally report these crimes to see students suffer.

As student journalists, providing news to the campus is what we aim to do, and it’s a passion for us.

We will continue to keep the university informed.

Ignored by Most, Men Bear the Scars of Domestic Abuse

By Philippa Hatendi Columnist

In this society we tend to hear about how women are abused by men. It’s all over the place; in news, in movies, books, sitcoms and even on campus, we just had a domestic violence month dedicated to stopping domestic violence against women.

All that is well and good, and I understand the importance of that cause. However I still believe that it’s biased for society to focus on domestic violence only in the case of women.

Today, American women possess so much power in that respect, all a woman has to say is a man beat her and he’s carted off to prison. No one asks him his side of the story.

As far as society is concerned, the man is the aggressor; he’s scum and should be punished. Look at the way that they treated Chris Brown after his incident with Rihanna; it was complete pandemonium. He became a villain in the eyes of the nation overnight. No one even asked what part she had to play in what transgressed that night, had

she been verbally abusing him?

Had she been hitting him, knocking him over the head, smacking him? If Rihanna had been the one who had been beating Chris, would people have reacted in such an uproar? I doubt it. I think they would have plastered it all over the tabloids and laughed. The message sent is this: when a man beats a woman he is a vile excuse for a human being. But when a woman beats a man it’s comedy central and all the videos are posted up on Youtube so everyone can have a good laugh.

When did this society develop such double standards when it came to abuse? Abuse is abuse.

It doesn’t matter who’s doing it to whom, society should always have sympathy for the victim not subject them to ridicule because of their sex. The rights women have to protect them against abuse have been projected into the stratosphere, to the point that the men are left with barely any rights at all.

Where’s the equality between the sexes? Where’s the justice?

Ever since we were young, we were always raised to believe that boys do not cry, that boys cannot be

LETTER The Minaret: FRIEND OR FOE?

Newspapers are a very effective way of delivering the news. The Minaret, our school paper, is very popular among UT students. It covers everything we want it to and even things we don’t. After attending UT for over three years I am now a senior and have seen both good and bad from

TO THE

our school paper.

I’ve read and heard stories from friends about The Minaret covering stories that are supposed to be confidential. Our University has a confidentiality clause for a reason, and it’s a clause I have seen The Minaret break several times over. “I feel like their main goal is to get papers out. I feel like they shouldn’t put people on blast… there are more important things to be covered that can help us.” Said

victims and that to be a victim is to be weak. What they taught us was wrong; sometimes the prince isn’t always strong, sometimes he too cries, sometimes he too is trapped and scared. And, as a society, what do we do? Cast him aside. Yet if he were a woman we would embrace him.

We should foster a society that when the person you love is hurting you, you can admit it without fear of ridicule or rejection. When your girlfriend verbally abuses you, constantly checks your phone or beats you, it’s abuse. When she tries to control your life, degrades you in front of your friends, scorns you every time you try to do something with your life or withholds affection as a form of punishment, it’s abuse!

Don’t sit there and “take it like a man.” Report it. Society needs to abandon its hypocrisy and see that there is never just one victim when it comes to domestic abuse. It has to start here.

Stop abuse for all people, not just women.

Philippa Hatnedi can be reached at phatendi@ut.edu.

Abuse is always abuse.

Junior Criminology major Stephanie Dubuisson.

The Minaret run by students.

Students write the stories, student editors approve those stories and send them to the presses. We all know that The Minaret has the reputation of being among the best college newspapers in the state, but it is still a SCHOOL NEWS PAPER nonetheless.

We are many individuals but one student body. As I stated before the writers of The Minaret are part of that student body, so why are they trying to hurt us? “I just hate when The Minaret puts things on blast for the entire student body especially the police beat. It’s a little too intense for a school paper especially when

it covers things that don’t effect others,” explains Senior Biology major Kimi Lynn. If you were going through something personal that out wanted to keep private how would you feel if The Minaret got a hold of that information.

I am a firm believer in that the public has a right to know what’s going on within their community however when it is in regards to information that is private and doesn’t effect others, why does it have to be put on blast for the entire student body? As a student body we should be protecting ourselves, our privacy, as well as our fellow students and their privacy.

“I don’t think it should focus so much on the individuals details

Beatriz Domínguez / Flickr

but the overall problem. People’s personal information does not need to be in the paper. We don’t need to know who it is. We just need to know when to be careful,” stated Sophmore Intercultural and Cultural Studies major Mianna Charles.

If our school paper continues to make private knowledge public I am almost certain students will refuse to come forth with important information due to fears of them being written about in The Minaret.

My question now is, When and where is The Minaret going to draw the line of what’s appropriate for them to cover and what isn’t?

By Hector Flores Jr.

Advertisement

The Minaret | December 4, 2009

IS ALCOHOL BECOMING A PROBLEM?

10 Warning Signs: 1. Has difficulty stopping after one or two drinks 2. Keeps drinking after others have stopped 3. Often drinks to intoxication or until passed out 4. Can’t remember things said or done when drinking 5. Experiences mood changes when drinking 6. Becomes angry or defensive when questioned about drinking 7. Often drinks alone 8. Is preoccupied with drinking 9. Uses drinking to cope 10. Sneaks drinks or hides alcohol If you are experiencing any of these warning signs, help is available.

E‐mail studentassistance@ut.edu for more information or to schedule a confidential assessment to look at your drinking habits.

You can also access a free, on‐line assessment at: http://www.ut.edu/healthcenter/ click on Mental Health Screening and select “alcohol screening”.

13

Sports

14

The Minaret | December 4, 2009

DECEMBER SPORTS SCHEDULE Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

1 W. Basketball vs. Florida Memorial 5:30 p.m.

Swimming at Delta State Invitational

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

2

3 Volleyball vs. Cal State San Bernardino (NCAA Quarterfinals at Concordia, St. Paul)

9

10

11

Volleyball vs.Concordia/ Indianapolis, if necessary (NCAA Semifinals at Concordia, St. Paul)

4

6

7

8

13

14

15

16

17

18 W. Basketball at Armstrong Atlantic State (AASU Tournament) 1 p.m.

20

21 M. Basketball vs. Concordia, N.Y. (Tampa Classic) 7:30 p.m.

Swimming at Delta State Invitational

22 M. Basketball vs. Delta State (Tampa Classic) 7:30 p.m.

23

24

25

27

28

29

30

31

W. Basketball vs. Maryville 5:30 p.m.

M. Basketball at Benedict 7:30 p.m.

W. Basketball at Benedict 5:30 p.m.

M. Basketball at Florida Tech 7:30 p.m.

W. Basketball at Florida Tech 5:30 p.m.

Volleyball vs. TBA, if necessary (NCAA Final at Concordia, St. Paul) M. Basketball vs. Valdosta State 7:30 W. Basketball at Florida Memorial 5:30 p.m.

Swimming vs. Wright State 10:30 p.m.

Swimming at Delta State Invitational W. Basketball vs. Columbus State (AASU Tournament) 6 p.m.

5

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Sports

The Minaret | December 4, 2009

15

Fantasy Football Breakdown: Week 13 Roster Tips and Sits

By Daniel Feingold Sports Writer

As the NFL encounters its final weeks of the regular season, fantasy football owners make their final push for a playoff spot.

The trade deadline has passed in most every league, so rosters will now be tweaked inside the limitations of the waiver wire and critical last second adjustments to the starting lineup.

Start/Sit: Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson, WR, New Orleans- If anybody left in America had the slightest doubt about the Saints, Monday night eliminated it.

Facing the Patriots in a much anticipated, playoff implicated game, New Orleans pounded away on the Patriot defense that came into the game ranked sixth in the NFL in yards allowed per game.

Two individuals who took part in the blowout were Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson, who racked up a combined 185 receiving yards and two touchdowns for the night.

These guys have become an integral

part of the Saints explosive offense, breaking big plays at any time.

Keep them in your starting lineup until they prove themselves unworthy, which seems unlikely.

Their chance of a long touchdown reception is worth a spot at your flex position.

Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City- With Larry Johnson out in KC, Jamaal Charles has done a commendable job at becoming the featured back for the Chiefs.

Though they lost both Johnson and top receiving threat Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs’ offense has still found a way to be somewhat productive, even stealing a win from the Steelers in week 11.

Charles was shut down for the most part against the tough Steelers defense, but still managed to score a touchdown and totaled 66 yards from scrimmage.

He had a much better game against the weak Chargers run D in week 12, accumulating 93 yards on the ground with another touchdown.

In week 13, the Chiefs face the Broncos, who allow well over 100 yards rushing

per game.

Charles has proven to be of fantasy value regardless of the opponent simply because the Chiefs don’t have many other options; Charles gets the nod to start once again.

Terrell Owens, WR, Buffalo- Owens has reemerged as a viable fantasy starter after slumping most of the season.

His success might be attributed to new Buffalo starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, as the two have connected 22 times in the four games Fitzpatrick has started, that’s four more receptions for Owens than in the seven games Trent Edwards started as QB. However, the Jets are coming to town in week 13 touting a defense that is good against the run and great against the pass.

Expect the Jets to slow down the run game and put pressure on Fitzpatrick, disrupting his rhythm.

Oh, and Darrelle Revis is a pretty good cornerback as well. Give Owens a breather for this one unless your options are slim.

Defense/ Special Teams of the Week: I am going to make a grossly bold pre-

diction here by picking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers D/ST as my waiver wire pickup this week. It is no surprise that the Buccaneers are available in practically all of ESPN leagues, and for good reason.

Interestingly enough, though, one of their few successful defensive games was against the Panthers earlier this year when they forced three turnovers.

Additionally, the Bucs demoted their defensive coordinator and showed improvement directly after the move with a week twelve battle with Atlanta.

Yes, this improvement came against a backup quarterback and running back for most of the game, but nonetheless, Jake Delhomme of the Panthers has played horribly this year.

Delhomme might not even be starting come Sunday, so the lack of performance and certainty in the Carolina QB position greatly favors Tampa Bay. Look for them to have a respectable showing on defense and maybe even get a return for a touchdown by Clifton Smith.

Daniel Feingold can be reached at dfeingold@ut.edu.

ing actions of defensive end Carlos Dunlap.

Dunlap, 20, was arrested at around 4 a.m. after police found him passed out in the driver’s seat of a vehicle stopped at a red light.

The police didn’t want to wake the sleeping Dunlap in fear that he’d remove his foot from the brake and drift into the intersection. Instead, an officer reached through the cracked window to unlock the vehicle and proceeded to place the car into park before waking him.

Police subjected Dunlap to a field sobriety test after smelling alcohol on his breath.

His performance was described as poor. Dunlap denied breathalyzer testing.

This might have been his smartest move.

Dunlap was probably too drunk to remember that he had the Southeastern Conference championship against fellow undefeated rival Alabama in four days.

Or maybe he just wanted to dream about the National Football League draft, where ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. projected Dunlap would be taken third overall for millions of dollars.

Head coach Urban Myer had no choice but to bench his leader in sacks this season after the DUI charge.

The punishment from Myer is more se-

vere than it may appear. Just weeks before, Meyer only benched Dunlap’s defensive teammate linebacker Brandon Spikes one half for blatant eye gouging.

Spikes missed playing in a game against Vanderbilt, a team UF’s recruiting class could likely beat.

All of Dunlap’s likely replacements are veterans that will not compromise the team’s chances in the SEC championship.

While Dunlap and Spikes will still both be drafted, the stupidity stemming from the UF players proves they are blinded by college fame and are not above drinking and driving their careers to a red light before they even get a chance to start.

University of Florida Defensive End Drives Career to a Hault

By Bobby Winsler Special to The Minaret

The University of Florida has a competitive academic environment and stringent entry requirements, though neither of the two were evident in the Tuesday morn-

Record Breaking Start to the Season

By Brenton Burkett Sports Writer

High rankings and larger expectations have not phased UT women's basketball.

The No. 17 Spartans won two games last week to improve to a school-record 5-0 start. Previously, they had never started better than 2-0.

"These kids left last year with a bad taste in their mouth," head coach Tom Jessee said. “Now they really embrace the idea of putting their best foot forward.”

Tampa first beat south region rival Valdosta State 73-67 on Nov. 21 at the Martinez Sports Center.

This avenged a 55-27 loss in the 2008 Valdosta State Tip-Off Invitational.

Senior Caitlyn Mitryk led UT with 17 points, hitting three shots from three-point range in 36 minutes.

She also led the way with two blocks and a pair of steals.

Junior forward Taja Green added 13 points by way of three three-pointers and four free throws.

The Blazers' Michelle Thompson led all scorers with 19 points.

The win was sealed at the foul line, from which UT shot 22-for-25.

Their 11 3-pointers ranked third in school history.

The Spartans stayed home to face Warner, an NAIA school, on Nov. 25. The game was never in doubt.

UT led 51-23 at halftime and won 9448. The scoring output was the program's

highest in a game since Feb. 12, 2000, when they scored 102.

They hit a school-record 13 three point shots.

Gianna Messina only played one half, but scored 17 points with nine rebounds.

Sophomore Sarah Wickham came off the bench and matched those totals.

Mitryk and Green also scored in double figures as 11 players put up points for UT. "We put a lot of emphasis on protecting our home court," Jessee said. “And putting an opponent away when we have the chance. We wanted to develop some of our bench. These games are usually at the very beginning of the season, but this schedule didn’t allow us to do that.”

Jessee sees the early-season matchups as golden opportunities to tune up for the Sunshine State Conference schedule, which begins Dec. 5 at Florida Tech.

"We want to play a tough non-conference schedule," Jessee said. “We played in [the Merrimack Tournament] away and won that, we played Valdosta State and we still have the Armstrong Atlantic Tournament with some very good teams ahead of us. I don’t want our first conference opponent to be the best team we’ve played to that point.

It’s important to play better teams to see where we’re at.”

UT also saw its first individual award of the season. Mitryk was named SSC Player of the Week for her performances against Valdosta State and Wagner.

Brenton Burkett can be reached at bburkett@ut.edu.

Sports give your life structure, discipline and a pure fulfillment that few other areas of endeavour provide. -Bob Cousy

3

‘n t u O

Spartans Shutout

M. Soccer: Tampa’s season was ended with a 1-0 shutout loss to Lees-McRae College.

The lone goal was scored in just the first minute of the match.

Tampa was only able to manage two shots on goal as the defense of Lee-McRae frustrated UT all game long.

Ryan Thompson tallied three saves in the match. The loss ends the collegiate careers of five Spartans as well.

Zach Fraser, Dan Ingvarsson, Thompson, Pascal Milien and Kyle Williams.

Three in a Row

M. Basketball: Following a season opening loss the Tampa Spartans produced three straight wins to improve their record to 3-1.

Just four games into the season senior Rashad Callaway leads UT with 99 points, averaging 20 plus points per game.

Tampa will open conference play on the road against Florida Tech on Dec. 5.

Record Setting W. Basketball: The wome’s basketball team has done nothing but impress early in the 2009-2010 season.

Tampa has opened the season with a record setting six straight wins.

UT will open conference play on the road against Florida Tech on Dec. 5.

Cross Country Ends Season With NCAA Appearance Daniel Feingold Sports Writer

Concluding the season with their third consecutive first place finish of both the Sunshine State Conference Championship and South Regional, the women’s cross country team was poised for a great showing at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in late November.

Held in Evansville, Ind., the same location where the Spartans ran for pre-nationals, Coach Jarrett Slaven showed little concern for any weather conditions or course difficulties on UT’s second go-around.

“The weather was beautiful,” Slaven said. Adding that the temperature was in the 60's once the competition started.

The Spartan ended up with a 10th place finish out of 24 competing teams, an improvement from last season’s 14th place finish. Despite expectations being high early in the year, Slaven says

he is still very pleased with this season’s finish.

"It was a very satisfying year.

We were hunting for the single digits; we wanted to get 8th or 7th. We went there ranked 12, so getting 10th was better than predicted and we were satisfied with it," said Slaven. “I think all of our goals were a little bit higher but when you get to nationals, you’re running against the best of the best so we were pretty happy with the outcome.”

Coach Slaven was honored in November for his outstanding and consistent coaching this year, leading the team to place first in five different meets.

Slaven was named the South Region Women’s Coach of the Year, a title he has been issued now for the past three seasons.

Slaven made mention of the national champions, Adams State, who are located out west in Colorado. “[They] have been dominating cross country since I’ve been

at Tampa,” Slaven said.

In fact, for the past seven years now, Adams State has been crowned the women’s national champions. Slaven commended the program for its consistency.

“They have a wonderful reputation, and I’m sure because of that reputation, they draw fantastic high school runners that

UT’s first win of the season came the night before Thanksgiving at the Martinez Center.

Opposing St. Thomas entered the game as a Top 5 team in Division III. The Tommies managed to keep up with the Spartans after UT took a 42-36 lead into halftime.

While Tampa held the lead throughout most of the second half, St. Thomas managed to tie the score with just 1:26 remaining.

The game remained even in the final seconds as UT drove the ball down the court.

As time ran out, Callaway drained a three-pointer that give the Spartans their first win of the season, 71-68.

Callaway finished the game with 25 points, again leading UT. Only one other Spartan scored in double figures, as junior Glyn Hunter turned in 17 points.

Next came the Eckerd Classic, beginning on Black Friday.

This time, the offense came out swinging.

For the first time in more than a year, the Spartans scored more

than 100 points, topping Edward Waters 106-81.

UT led by 20 or more points throughout the second half.

Additionally, all 15 Spartans who dressed received playing time while five scored in double figures.

Callaway led with 28 points and nine assists.

Hunter had 18 points and led UT in rebounds with six.

The next day was more challenging, though not at first, as UT took on winless Puerto RicoBayamon in its second Eckerd Classic matchup.

UT took a 57-34 lead into halftime and led by as many as 27 points in the first half.

However, the game turned upside down in the second half.

Puerto Rico-Bayamon battled all the way back and managed to take an 87-86 lead with 3:46 on the clock.

Tampa then battled back and fought off the opposition, winning 93-88.

Freshman Callum Townsend led UT with 25 points, shooting 6-9 from three-point range and

want to be apart of that program,” Slaven said. “I think a program that keeps that kind of progress is well-coached, well-managed and they draw a lot of good recruits.”

Marking the season’s end, the women’s cross country team loses some valuable seniors.

Of these seniors is Dara Fox, who was UT’s top runner at nationals with a 43rd overall placing.

Sara Nelson and Alysha Duffy, who finished in Tampa’s top five, are also graduating.

However, with the loss of seniors, a core group of talent is returning.

Heather Nicolosi and Jess Butler, who also finished in the Spartan’s top five at nationals, will certainly be two of the bright spots returning next year.

Slaven ends this season with a positive outlook on next season.

“My goals right now are to get a couple of good recruits and I Dara Fox lead Tampa with a 43rd really want to go to nationals, and overall finish at the NCCA Division II it’d be wonderful to finish in the Championships.

Andy Meng/Sports Information top 10 again,” Slaven said.

Tampa Bounces Back After Season Opening Loss

Ryan Burkett Sports Writer

Following a disappointing loss to Florida Memorial on Nov. 23, the University of Tampa men’s basketball team won three straight games over Thanksgiving break.

The Spartans opened the season at the Martinez Center against a 1-4 team that they had beaten 92-56 last season.

This time around was a much different story.

UT trailed 35-23 before a 10-0 run cut the deficit to 35-33 at halftime.

The second half was back and fourth, but Tampa could not overcome their opponent’s attack and fell 77-70.

Florida Memorial shot 60.4 percent from the field to UT’s 43.9, a large disparity that affected the outcome of the game.

On a positive note, preseason All-American Rashad Callaway led UT with 20 points in the game.

Senior Anthony LaBruno, the team’s only other returning starter, was not far behind with 18 points.

No. 17 W. Basketball

M. Basketball

Dec. 5 @ 5:30 p.m. at Florida Tech

Dec. 5 @ 7:30 p.m. at Florida Tech

>>> Tampa has set a new school record opeing the season 6-0 shattering the previous record of two wins being the best start. Florida Tech will sport a 5-2 record as they test UT.

>>> The men’s basketball team has bounced back in explosive fashion after dropping its season opener. UT will be riding a three-game win streak as they travel to take on Florida Tech

7-9 from the foul line.

Callaway had a team-high seven assists and scored 20 points of his own.

Ryan Burkett can be reached at rburkett@ut.edu.

Anthony LaBruno shoots for UT Andy Meng/Sports Information

Swimming

No. 6 Volleyball

Dec. 12 @ 10:30 p.m. vs. Wright State

Dec. 3 @ 6 p.m. vs. Cal State San Bernardino

>>> The Spartan men and women swimming teams both turned in wins on the road at Rollins. After almost a month break UT will look to return with sins over Wright State.

>>> The UT volleyball team will compete in the NCAA Quarterfinals at Concordia, St. Paul. With a win UT will advance to the semifinals. Their opponent is not yet known.