The Minaret 11/8/2012

Vo l u m e

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ut.minaret@gmail.com

New Wave of Digital Media Impacts Election

By MIA GLATTER

News and Features Editor

Barack Obama has been re-elected for another four years as President of the United States. Digital media had a huge impact on this election and the way candidates were able to spread their campaigns. Obama and Romney both had their own Twitters and regardless of whether the authors of the tweets were actually the candidates themselves, the political tweets gained much attention with Obama boasting 22 million followers and Romney holding one million.

News is being conducted and gathered in new ways that politicians in this race were never prepared for. Every public moment of the campaign was constantly being photographed, filmed, tweeted and status updated.

The days of candidates being able to deny something they said no longer exists because anyone can use Google and check facts on their own or bring up the video where the comment was made. Romney seemed to be the victim of most of these digital media instances. His 47 percent speech debacle was a prime example of candidates always needing to be on their toes and promoting themselves as if the

whole country was watching.

In order to embrace this public scrutiny, candidates have had to become more public figures than they are political candidates. Before Obama became president, a sitting president had never appeared to promote themselves on a talk show or comedy show. This put Obama at an advantage, as he was used to the constant watch of digital media, allowing him to utilize it in his favor. Late night shows and comedy shows get more views than straight news shows, so it would make sense for candidates to take advantage of these views.

Viral moments are also something that has never been an issue in campaigns before this year. A list was made by visiblemeasures.com that showed the most viral moments of this election determined by the number of times videos of these moments were viewed online. The list cites Romney vs. Big Bird as the most viral moment of this election with “binders full of women” coming in third. This comment made

by Romney that he would cut funding to PBS (and essentially cut shows like Sesame Street) caused uproar of Internet memes and jokes pinning Big Bird

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against Romney. Even Saturday Night Live joined in and brought Big Bird onto the Weekend Update to have his say about the attention.

This constant spotlight on candidates at all times will revolutionize elections in the future, either making candidates more truthful or causing them to be better actors and able to play the public with their image.

As many, if not all of you, have found out by now, Facebook is the new main medium to express political opinions and outrage/excitement when it comes to the election. Tempers flare and the memes fly as people are quick and bold to comment on how our peers have reacted to the news of the re-election of President Obama. If it seems that your news feed has turned into a steel-cage match pinning reds against blues, take heart. In a few days everything will be back to normal and you’ll be back to reading ‘that awkward moments.’ Social media has played the biggest part in the election this year than it has ever held before and it will be interesting to see how it could even play more into future elections.

Mia Glatter can be reached at Mia. Glatter@theminaretonline.com

theminaretonline.com

The Minaret is proud to produce its very first “Student Voices” edition. This issue is comprised completely of commentaries, reflections and a few rants from our staff and outside student contributors focusing on topics impacting UT and the world. We invite readers to respond to these articles at theminaretonline.com.

Hold the Foam: Styrofoam Containers Bad for UT

By MARISA LEWIS

Contributer

Why have students been voluntarily containing their meals in a potential carcinogen on a daily basis? This nauseating acceptance has unfortunately become second nature to both attendants and students for years at the entrance of UT’s Ultimate Dining cafeteria. For only a few simple words and a quick meal swipe, attendants repetitively grant students with crisp white Styrofoam containers and cups, hundreds of times per day.

What fails to occur in the mind of a hungry college student is that this seemingly normal exchange would be considered unlawful in hundreds of cities across the United States. The first bans on the production and consumption of Styrofoam by city, date as far back as 1989. It is evident that the University of Tampa and city itself has been turning a blind eye to this critical issue for the past 23 years.

In turn, students should be anything

In Other News...

but close-eyed to the harmfulness of this man-made substance for a plethora of reasons. Last year the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services added styrene, a synthetic chemical found in Styrofoam, to their list of known human carcinogens. Aside from potentially causing cancer, Styrofoam is nonbiodegradable, and according to the University of Washington takes 500 years to decompose.

In contrast to its inexpensive production rate, Styrofoam is neither easily or cheaply recycled. Environment California reported that less than one percent actually gets recycled in the U.S. The remaining 99 percent takes form of litter, occupies space in landfills or finds its way into a waterway. Upon contact with water, the Save our Shores organization reports that Styrofoam breaks down into smaller pieces, absorbs toxic chemicals, can be mistakenly ingested by wildlife and thereby enter our food chain. It can also block an animal’s digestive tract, and cause death.

An investigation by the Earth Resource Foundation shows that the manufacture

2 Smoke Zones vs.

Smoke Free 7 The Cage Makes Renting Video Equipment Difficult

of Styrofoam releases hefty amounts of ozone into the atmosphere. Aside from polluting our environment in more than one way, chemicals in Styrofoam can also infect our bodies. Green Living reports that the styrene toxin found in Styrofoam is known to leach into warm foods, potentially causing contamination and a health risk to humans.

It’s a wonder why the University of Tampa’s cafeteria would knowingly allow students to have food come in contact with this toxic, petroleum based substance, that cities, states and major corporations have already suspended their consumption of. There are plenty of nontoxic, alternative materials that could serve the same purpose, which would ultimately benefit the health of the environment and UT students alike.

The elimination of Styrofoam from the dining halls on campus could be the first step forward in the city of Tampa’s long overdue contribution to ban this overrated matter.

Marisa Lewis can be reached at marisa.lewis@spartans.ut.edu

Sam Battersby/The Minaret Styrofoam is not only bad for the environment but also bad for students health.

9 Record Companies to Blame for Music Piracy

12 Breaking the Stereotypes of UT Majors

11 President Barack Obama Re-elected for Four More Years

20 Eastern Fans Spoiled By Bias

News..................................2 Diversions.........................6 A+E....................................7 Opinion............................ 11

Sports..............................17

M

NEWS + FEATURES

NOVEMBER 8 2012 | THE MINARET

Smoke Zones vs. Smoke Free

MINARET

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joshua Napier

joshua.napier@theminaretonline.com

MANAGING EDITOR Chelsea Daubar

chelsea.daubar@theminaretonline.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jessica Keesee

jessica.keesee@theminaretonline.com

NEWS + FEATURES Mia Glatter, Editor

mia.glatter@theminaretonline.com

Yasaman Sherbaf, Asst. Editor

yasaman.sherbaf@theminaretonline.com

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT Natalie Hicks, Editor

natalie.hicks@theminaretonline.com

Kelly St. Onge, Asst. Editor

kelly.st.onge@theminaretonline.com

OPINION

Paola Crespo, Editor

Paola.Crespo@theminaretonline.com

Annabella Palopoli, Asst. Editor

annabella.palopoli@theminaretonline.com

SPORTS

John Hilsenroth, Editor

john.hilsenroth@theminaretonline.com

Miles Parks, Asst. Editor

miles.parks@theminaretonline.com

ONLINE

Jennifer Bedell, Web and Social Media Director jennifer.bedell@theminaretonline.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Samantha Battersby, Editor

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Taylor Sanger, Asst. Editor

taylor.sanger@theminaretonline.com

ADVERTISING

Shivani Kanji, Ad & PR Director minaret.ads@gmail.com

ADVISER

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

COPY EDITORS

Nikita Hernandez, Head Copy Editor nikita.hernandez@theminaretonline.com

PHOTOGRAPHERS Leah Beilhart Imani Cruz Victoria DeLone Jake Patterson

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Donny Murray Justine Parks

Leah Beilhart/The Minaret Smoking on campus has caused debate on whether UT should enact a smoking ban or designate certain areas for students to smoke freely.

Students Should Be Free to Smoke In Designated Spots

By ZOE FOWLER

News Writer

In September I wrote an article about some Austin Hall residents smoking outside the entrance of the building.

They unknowingly violated the 25 by 25 rule which states you have to be at least 25 feet away from the doorway of a building on campus property. From what I can see, smoking on campus has been an issue, and will remain to be an issue until we can all agree on a well-publicized rule that everyone will abide by. We should have designated smoke zones on campus to solve the issue.

The University of South Florida put their smoking policy into effect on March 20, 2012. They have 25 smoking designated areas on campus. There isn’t a strict penalty for choosing to ignore their policy, but if a student continuously chooses to disobey the rule then they will be considered in violation of the

Student Code of Conduct.

Similar to USF, Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton started their designated smoking zones on Jan. 2, 2010. They also didn’t have strict repercussions for violating the policy.

However, due to students excessively violating the rule, they decided to expel anyone caught violating the rule.

Breathe Easy, the tobacco free group on campus, posted pictures of possible smoke zones on their Facebook page.

The possible smoke free locations seem reasonable. One is located at the back of the library, so that smokers would be able to smoke away from the entrance. Other locations are in somewhat secluded areas to decrease the problem of secondhand smoke.

According to ucanquit2.org, secondhand smoke results in 42,000 deaths per year to nonsmokers in the United States. With designated smoking

Campus Smoking Ban: A Secondhand Student Health Issue

By KIRBY JAY

News Writer

Walking to an early morning class on the UT campus can be a healthy, soothing breath of crispy fresh air. That is, until the air is spoiled by a thick cloud of tobacco smoke.

“It is the philosophy of The University of Tampa to provide an environment that offers the opportunity and resources to optimize the personal health and wellbeing of the University community.”

This is stated in the school’s Student Handbook under the smoke free policy section. However, the UT community is not only inside of the residence halls, it is

everywhere on campus.

People have the right to decide if they want to smoke cigarettes. They know the harm they are causing their bodies and are capable of making that independent choice.

But if they choose to smoke on campus, they are not only damaging themselves.

Secondhand smoke can be worse than inhaling from the cigarette because the smoke that burns off the end of the cigarette contains more harmful substances than the smoke inhaled by the smoker, stated on the Cleveland Clinic website regarding passive smoking. It is not fair for nonsmokers to have to walk through a puff of smoke just to get inside of a building, or to stay on

STAFF WRITERS Zoe Fowler Kirby Jay Stef Crocco Pranav Lokin

COLUMNISTS

David Adams Alex Caraballo Hannah Webster Jack Whitaker

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zones, we can make it possible to lower the number of deaths. We have to be considerate of those around us and the air that they breathe.

If UT decided to enact the same policy as USF and FAU, some students may feel isolated from the campus.

Although I take that into consideration, I still believe that having designated smoking areas are better than having a completely tobacco-free campus. Some would probably ignore the policy, and some would claim to be unaware due to lack of advertising around campus. Whichever route we decide to go down to ensure a healthy and tobacco-free campus, the effectiveness of the strategy isn’t guaranteed. Nevertheless, it is important to at least have some form of a strategy.

Zoe Fowler can be reached at Zoe.Fowler@spartans.ut.edu

Leah Beilhart/The Minaret Secondhand smoke can be worse than inhaling from a cigarette. Enforcing a smoking ban would lessen the effects of secondhand smoke.

their chosen path.

Students come to college with an open mind to learn new things, become independent and find out who they are. If they are exposed to cigarettes on school grounds, it increases their chances of also becoming a smoker.

Having a smoke-free campus would also promote a green, clean environment.

It would decrease the amount of litter from students carelessly throwing their cigarettes on the ground, and would cut back on pollution. Every little bit counts!

It is generally believed that telling a young adult that they cannot do something will only make them want to do it more.

But if campus security enforces smoke-free rules, students will be forced to walk all the way off campus to have their cigarette. It is not as convenient to take a cigarette break during a class period and forced to take a walk instead of smoking right outside of the building.

On the Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights website, it states that as of October 5, 2012, at least 826 college campuses in the United States have 100 percent banned smoking in indoor and outdoor areas across the entire campus. This number has continued to increase over the past few years, leaving the remaining colleges including the University of Tampa to hopefully soon adapt.

Kirby Jay can be reached at Kirby.

Jay@spartans.ut.edu

NEWS + FEATURES

THE MINARET | NOVEMBER 8 2012

Commuters Disconnected From Campus

By KATHERINE LAVACCA

Arts + Entertainment Writer

“I come here, I go to class and then leave,” says Tiffany Blume, a senior at the University of Tampa who is part of the commuter community here at the university. Many commuters share this same sentiment, feeling they are “left out of the loop.” As a commuter, I myself also feel like we have a disadvantage when it comes to being able to have the full “college experience.” Many schools advertise this to draw prospecting students onto their campus, but unfortunately what is left out of the fine print is that these experiences seem to be available exclusively to those residing on campus. Everyone starts college with stars in their eyes, expecting it to be as magical as Hogwarts with almost as much

Josh Napier/The Minaret

Commuters often feel a disconnect from the rest of the student body.

excitement as the books and meeting just as many interesting people. For those that have to fight the morning traffic and patiently wait for the pedestrians that don’t know how to cross a street, it’s a different story. Jasmine Volel, a freshman commuter puts it simply, “It’s just hard to meet people.”

Without a good network of people on campus many of us go through the day without a word about events going on that day or week. Many commuters would like to have as much of that college experience they were promised so long ago and offer advice on how we could be better integrated into campus life and have more a presence at UT. Blume suggested commuter friendly events, “Last year they did something only for residents, so maybe some events geared towards commuters would help.”

Volel and Blume agree that a better means of communication would help bring commuters to campus for more than just the academics.

“Maybe more meet ups of networks specifically for commuters to keep us updated on campus events,” said Volel.

“The emails work great, maybe more emails about certain events would help get the word out,” Blume suggested.

When we’re not on campus we don’t just sit at home. We have busy lives too! Work, studying, family outings, hanging out with friends and everything in between. We have active social lives, but we also want to have an active college life as well.

Katherine Lavacca can be reached at Katherine.Lavacca@spartans.ut.edu

From the Oct. 29 to Nov. 4 reports

Bill Nye The Science Guy Is Back On Oct. 30 at 5:30 p.m., a student complained about the use of a chemical inside the room by a roommate in Smiley Hall.

That Is One Ugly Truck On Oct. 30 at 10:17 p.m., a student reported that his truck was struck while parked in the West Parking Garage.

Hungry For Technology On Oct. 31 at 4:29 p.m., a resident student reported her laptop stolen at Spartan Club Food Court.

Reports compiled by Yasi Sherbaf

What Did I Ever Do To You? On Oct. 31 at 6:34 p.m., a female student was hit by a car on Kennedy Blvd.

Hey, This Isn’t Bumper Carts On Nov. 2 at 1:50 p.m., a Sodexo golf cart struck a passenger vehicle.

I Can’t Hold It No More, #YOLO On Nov. 4 at 3:20 a.m., a student was referred to the Office of Student Conduct for urinating in a common hallway of Smiley Hall.

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Meal Plans, A Matter of Student Rights

By PRANAV LOKIN

News Writer

According to UT Dining Services, “Your meal plan/ meal exchange program is designed for your personal use only.” Why? If I am pre paying for a set amount of meals, why does it matter who uses them?

I should be able to use my meal plan however I want to.

I pay $2,132 a semester for my meal plan. I have 15 meals that I can use per week and 100 Spartan dollars per semester. If I don’t use all of my meal exchanges do I get my money back? No. I lose them.

I don’t understand why I can’t use my meal exchanges for other students. I already paid for my meal plan, so why is how I use them restricted?

When asked, dining services wrote, “The price of each meal plan presumes only the personal use of the meals each week when

Leah Beilhart/The Minaret

Students express issues with the current meal plan system.

the plan was priced. The consequence of a free exchange of meals would be a higher price for the plan each semester and this would not benefit the majority of the students who contract for meals.”

It’s not like I’m using more than I agreed to pay for. I’m just using all of what I am allowed to. If I paid for 15 meals a week, dining services (Sodexo) should expect me to consume 15 meals a week. Are they overselling meals like airlines oversell tickets? If that’s the case, they are actually profiting from restricting student’s use of their meals. That can’t be justified as saving students money. That can only be explained as corporate greed.

Also, while I cannot use a meal exchange for someone else, I am allowed to use Spartan Dollars. How is that fair? So I have to use a precious commodity that does carry through semesters, rather than using my meals which renew weekly. Is this policy in place so that we burn through our Spartan Dollars quickly and we end up using cash to get items not specific to meal exchanges?

What frustrates me the most about the meal exchanges at UT? It’s the lack of uniform enforcement.

At certain locations, I can buy a friend a meal with a meal exchange. Others, however, I am forced to use Spartan Dollars. That tells me that it’s a rule that actually doesn’t have to be in place; rather it’s a policy that dining services wants in place. Last year, I bought meal exchanges for my friends every week.

All of a sudden I can’t.

It’s not fair, and it’s not about saving the student money. It’s about saving Sodexo money.

Pranav Lokin can be reached at pranavlokin@yahoo.com

On Tuesday, Nov. 6, Student Government met in Reeves Theater.

Today’s organization showcase included over 10 student runorganizations advertising their groups.

Show your school spirit! Tampa Tuesdays - win free prizes by wearing UT gear.

Res Hall 7 will be open August 2013. If you want to pick the furniture and who gets to live there, attend RHA meetings and/or contact RHA President.

UT Spartan Cup is this Friday, Nov. 9. The Opening Ceremony is at 7 p.m. and the game starts at 8 p.m. in Cass Gym. UT speech contest is this Friday at 6 p.m. in Riverside.

Intervarsity is hosting a panel on sexdating and singleness this Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Brevard community room.

UT women’s basketball team is playing this Friday at 3 p.m. followed by a volleyball game at 7 p.m.

4 NOVEMBER 8 2012 | THE MINARET

NEWS + FEATURES

Charismatic Chefs Tony and Boris Two of UT’s Greatest Assets

By STEF CROCCO News Writer

I don’t know about other UT students, but when I walk into the

Photo courtesy of The Minaret Tony often finds ways to make standing in line for food in the cafe entertaining.

cafeteria, I know it’s going to be a good lunch or at least a good day because I get to see Tony and Boris.

For those of you who don’t know Tony or Boris, you should. They are the most charismatic chefs in the cafe and they know just how to make my day better with their witty personalities and charm.

Now don’t let the aprons and hats fool you. These aren’t just your everyday-regular-kind-of-chefs. Tony, for instance, is cupid in disguise. While you’re in line waiting for your teriyaki steak stir-fry or egg-white, spinach and feta cheese omelet, Tony will keep you on your toes because you’ll never know when he’ll introduce you to the girl or guy behind you. He gets the conversation started and by the time

your food is ready, you might just wind up with someone’s number or with a date that night or even a new friend.

I occasionally tease Tony and ask him if he has found me a boyfriend yet, and he genuinely says, “I’m still working on it – junior or senior, transfer student.” Those are the requirements because he says as a junior, I need someone new and freshmen are way too young. The fact that he remembers blows my mind, but that’s just the type of person he is – he actually cares about the students and gets to know them.

If you’re looking for entertainment while waiting for food instead of socializing, Boris is the way to go.

Boris will crack jokes and even sing to you. Between his good humor and charisma, it’s not hard to laugh or even

give him a smile when he flashes one of his. And as long as you have time to kill while hanging around for chicken or steak, he’ll make it worthwhile. One time Boris grabbed a plate of French fries and had me taste the different sauces he created since the chicken wouldn’t be ready for 12 minutes. I felt like some official taste tester as I dipped the fries into a sweet raspberry sauce and then into a tangy sesame one.

These two chefs are always full of surprises, but their good nature and enthusiasm is what brings me to the cafeteria more than any other dining station. They are definitely two of UT’s greatest assets.

Stef Crocco can be reached at stefcrocs@yahoo.com

Wash, Dry, Drive: Take your Laundry Load Off Campus

By CHELSEA DAUBAR Managing Editor

When I returned to UT for my sophomore year, I figured I would give doing my laundry on campus another chance. We had a rough relationship my first two semesters, but I was willing to put my heart and socks on the line.

After dragging my bag of laundry down three flights of stairs and into the Austin Hall laundry room, I loaded my clothes into the washing machines and paid. I headed back to my room keeping a mental note to return in 36 minutes when the cycle should be finished. I returned to the laundry room 43 minutes later only to find my freshly cleaned clothes removed

from the washer and strewn across the row of machines.

Oh, okay.

Not sure about you guys, but I prefer my undies to be “creepy freshman hands” free when I put them on.

I gathered my clothes while cursing whoever decided my extra seven minutes just was too long for them to wait and stuffed them into the dryer. I put my card in to pay when I noticed a “.85” on the screen.

Wait just a darn minute. Why in the name Christy Carlson Romano am I going to pay 85 cents for a load of clothes to be dried? It was at that moment that I swore to never deal with the UT laundry system

ever again.

Being a Tampa native now has its perks. I bring my laundry home and eat all of my parents food while I wait. No more rush to get there as soon as the dryer buzzes, no more Salsa Rico hands on my tank tops. Life is good.

While I realize that most people on campus don’t have the luxury of going home to do laundry, if the opportunity ever presents itself for you to do your laundry elsewhere, I strongly recommend you take it. And if the system on campus works for you...well, wash your undies twice.

Chelsea Daubar can be reached at Chelsea.Daubar@theminaretonline.com.

Photo courtesy of Paola Crespo At UT a load of laundry is $1.00 to wash and $.85 to dry.

NEWS + FEATURES

THE MINARET | NOVEMBER 8 2012

Rathskeller: Potential UT Hot Spot

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Hidden Location Could be Conducive to Campus Involvement

By YASAMAN SHERBAF

Asst. News + Features Editor

Ask anyone on campus where the best hang out spot is and you’ll get many different responses. Ever think that the same place you get your turkey sub on cheese bread or Starbucks coffee could also be the next hottest place on campus to chill?

There is a group on campus involved in reopening the Rathskeller, formally known as the “Rat.” The group, led by senior Kelvin Huerta Kettelsen, an international business, management and accounting major, first tried to turn UT’s sandwich shop into a sports bar. However, due to the restrictions on serving alcohol, the group has put out a survey to get students, faculty and

staff’s opinions on how they want the Rathskeller to be utilized.

No alcohol will be served if and when the Rathskeller becomes a hang out spot. In my opinion, there are not many places to hang out late at night with friends on campus. Being 21, I can go grab one of my favorite drinks, play some pool and head back to campus. Even so, I don’t want to go there every night. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy the atmosphere there but it’s good to mix it up.

Where will underage students hang out late at night? The only place that comes to my mind is Cass Bar. “Honestly, I wanted to turn Rathskeller into a hangout spot,” Kettelsen said, “because I’ve heard so many stories

The Rathskeller has the potential to be the next big UT hangout.

about students getting hurt in incidents off campus really close by at Cass Bar, Metro Mart or on Kennedy Boulevard at night. They don’t want to pay those three dollars to take a taxi and they either get robbed or badly injured.”

Turning the “Rat” into more than just an afternoon sandwich shop would allow all students, not just those of age and up, to be able to converse, eat snacks and consume non-alcoholic beverages while being safe at the same time. Allowing the “Rat” to open at different times, whether it’s later in the afternoon or late at night will permit students a place close by to enjoy a hot chocolate with a crepe.

Even so, do many students even go to the Rathskeller during the day? “I never go there,” said Brandon Stower, senior sports management and accounting major, “because they have no meal exchanges and not a lot of people I know go there.

Plus it’s somewhat hidden to due to the location, but yeah, I would consider going if they had some hangout nights and what not, like events or something.”

As well as trying to change how the “Rat” is used, the oncampus group wants to know if students would like to use meal exchanges or Spartan dollars when purchasing items.

In addition to changing the meal plan for the Rathskeller, there is also the idea of adding a smoothie bar. “I don’t use the Rathskeller very often, Taylor Sanger/The Minaret mostly because it mainly runs on Spartan dollars,” said Emily

Lucero, a senior psychology major and Spanish minor. “I would use it more if there were meal exchanges. Or if the menu changed and included things like smoothies. I know a couple times there have been discussions of making a smoothie bar in Rathskeller. I think that’s a great idea and I’d definitely visit it more if that was there.” Additionally, Lucero thinks if the Rathskeller was open at night that it’d be the perfect study location “with coffee, smoothies, tea and snacks!” On the other hand, for frequent visitors of the Rathskeller, the view differs. “The Rathskeller is great for its sandwiches and coffee but it definitely needs to be open later,” said Thierry Peters, a senior government world affairs major and history minor.

“UT needs a late night hangout with snacks and drinks available, something I had available at other universities.

If the bar were to reopen, that would definitely be another plus. Hangouts are conducive to campus involvement and socializing.”

It’s hard enough to socialize if one lives off campus or is a transfer student, therefore, re-opening the “Rat” would be an incentive for the campus community to open up a bit more. Plus, who wouldn’t want to eat potato skins, boneless chicken wings and/or gyros while sipping on a chocolate milkshake or root beer float? If you agree with me, I suggest you fill out that survey because your voice matters. With only 200 surveys needed, your vote can make a difference.

Yasaman Sherbaf can be reached at yasaman.sherbaf@theminaretonline. com

afraid of being left in the dark?

You’re not alone. Many young adults are left in the dark about STDs. FACT: I in 2 sexually active youth will contract an STD by age 25.

FACT: 10,000 teens are infected by STDs each day—1 every 8 seconds.

Don’t be left in the dark. Get the facts about STDs. www.floridastd.com

6 NOVEMBER 8 2012 | THE MINARET

Diversions

Sudoku

The Weekend Update Amistice/Veteran’s Day Event Nov. 9

Joe Chillura Courthouse Square 10:30 a.m.

Free

Toastmasters in the Park Nov. 9

Hyde Park Village 1 p.m.

Free

Art on the House Nov. 9

Tampa Museum of Art 4 p.m.

Free

Bi-Annual All-Campus Speech Contest Nov. 9

Riverside Room 107 6 p.m.

Free PrintableSudokuPuzzles.net

Picture

WEEK of the

Photo by Leah Beilhart/The Minaret Cobblestones add an aesthetic and authentic feel to UT’s campus.

An Evening of Experimental Dance Nov. 9

Scarfone/Hartley Gallery R.K. Bailey Art Studios 7:30 p.m.

Free

Weezer Concert Nov. 9

Mahaffey Theater 8 p.m. $29.50-$99

Men on the Verge of a His-panic Breakdown Nov. 9

The L Train 900 Central Ave. Suite 25B St. Petersburg, Fl. 33705 8 p.m. $20

WUTT Radio Interview with Dillon Francis Nov. 9 Free

The American Heart Association Heart Walk Nov. 10

Raymond James Stadium 8 a.m.

Free, get t-shirt if donate $100

The Scholar’s Symposia presents Scholarly Tapas featuring Arthur Hollist and Andy Solomon Nov. 8

Plant Hall’s Music Room 4 p.m.

Free

Arts + Entertainment

THE MINARET | NOVEMBER 8 2012

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A Call to Arms and Feet: America Needs a Dance Culture Makeover

By AMANDA SIERADZKI Arts + Entertainment Writer

Honestly, when I want to start a spontaneous do-si-do or flash mob, I should not be met with quizzical looks or outright disdain. In the past few weeks I’ve had several encounters that only confirm my mounting suspicion.

Americans are afraid to dance.

During the Fall Dance Happening when I spoke with non-dancers who came to see the show, a few expressed interest in joining the ranks of the leotard and tights, and I encouraged them to audition in the spring. My suggestions were immediately followed up with a

bunch of “maybe, but I’m a total white girl when I dance.” Another comment in the same manner was made a week later when I was told by an individual that she could only “white girl dance.”

Now, I’m going to drop some truthbombs: I am a white girl. I also dance.

A lot. In fact, it’s my minor and I’ve been trained in ballet and pointe for 18 years, Not to mention I have been in jazz, modern, African, ballroom, tap and hip hop classes and dance pieces.

Aside from these dance forms, I’ve also partaken in some more casual creative movement dancing and the obligatory line dance or awkward prom couple dance.

No matter what social situation I find myself in, however, there is a clear distinction between those who won’t dance out of fear or self-consciousness and others who misinterpret dance. I feel one of the main reasons getting a group to dance is so hard is because no one wants to mess up or look stupid. Americans are only comfortable dancing when there is a loud voice coming over the speakers dictating the exact moves you should be doing (see: Cha Cha Slide, Electric Slide, Macarena, Cupid Shuffle, etc.).

Don’t even get me started on the whole clubbing culture.

I’ll just note that grinding on someone’s junk amongst hordes of

sweaty bodies does in no way, shape or form count as dancing.

It’s sad, but it’s true. America has no dance culture. Around the world, dancing is a normal part of everyday life. It’s used for more than just entertainment.

In America, it is to entertain or to be entertained. There is no mythology taught through dance. We are comprised of a salad bag of traditions, lacking a unifying culture that would promote positive body contact, storytelling and fun. Dance could bring us all together.

Why aren’t we letting it?

Amanda Sieradzki is a writing major and an applied dance minor. She can be reached at asieradzki@spartans.ut.edu.

Outrageous Female Pop Star Fashion Becomes Normal

By NATALIE HICKS

Arts + Entertainment Editor

Joshua Napier/The Minaret

The cage, located in the Cass building, is where communication and film majors go to rent out equipment for projects. Some students are frustrated with the lack quality and quantity of cameras and other equipment.

The Cage Makes Renting Video Equipment Difficult

By XELMARIE MEDINA Arts + Entertainment Writer

Are there any film, film & media arts or communication majors that have had problems with renting equipment at the cage out there? Because you aren’t the only one. According to the University of Tampa’s website, the Communication Department is currently the largest and fastest growing department at UT, promising state-of-the-art equipment and the latest media technology to its students. However, restrictions apply to the equipment rental. Students can only check out cameras according to which classes they take during that semester.

For instance, students who work at UTTV, the University of Tampa’s studentrun television station, have struggled with production conditions because they can only work with the cameras and other equipment that the cage (located in Cass building where students can rent film equipment) is allowed to give them. For those students who are enrolled in COM 241 (Intro to Sound, Image and Motion), the cage can only give them flip cameras and/or tripods.

Furthermore, according Jacob Boccio who works at the cage, they are supplied with three different camera styles:

about 25 flip cameras, around four to five digital cameras and about eight Panasonics. Once a camera is rented, students have until 8 p.m. the next day to return it. If the student doesn’t return the rented equipment, their account will go on hold and they risk a semester ban and/or fee charges.

But if the student needs more time with it, the personnel at the cage can renew the rental in order for students to finish their projects. Due to their rental policy, they state they are well-supplied to meet the demands of students, however, there have been occasions where they have run out of appliances like tripods.

As a communication major and film and media arts minor, my experience with the cage hasn’t been unpleasant.

Although, I can only do so much with a flip camera, and I’d prefer my experience to be worth my disbursement.

The film industry is fast-paced and we should familiarize ourselves with the proper equipment from the beginning to produce valuable films that can distinct the UT film department above others.

Xelmarie Medina is a communication major and a writing/film and media arts minor. She can be reached at xelmymedina@gmail.com.

Lady Gaga’s music exudes originality, and her outfits only add to the shock value. In 2010, she presented at the MTV Video Music Awards wearing her infamous meat dress. Gaga claimed she was making a statement against the U.S. military’s don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy while members of PETA practically died of shame. Many of Lady Gaga’s other past ensembles have also been the expression of social activism.

Seeing Gaga dominate the pop music scene, other female pop artists became envious of her brilliant marketing tactics. It wasn’t long before they started wearing outrageous outfits, too.

Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry both wear colorful wigs and bright, provocative clothing during performances and on the red carpet. It makes them look like caricatures of themselves.

Also, these outfits only accentuate certain body parts. In Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” music video, she wore a cupcake bra that showed off her bodacious bosom in a cartoon-like way.

Nicki Minaj wears skintight pants and dresses to put all the attention on her “ass”et. They certainly know all the publicity tricks, that’s for sure.

Singers Pink, Demi Lovato, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Ke$ha, Beyoncé and Jessie J follow this trend as well. It’s as

if the more leather, studs, feathers and glitter they wear, the more money they’ll make. Getting a little too obsessed with the drag queen look, perhaps?

While I do commend these musical artists for their bravery for putting themselves out there (really far out there) for the world to judge them, I wouldn’t consider them original anymore. They all do it now. Let’s not forget about Cee Lo Green’s feather get-up at the 2011 Grammys or Bjork’s swan dress, the OG of whimsical red carpet outfits.

Their individual attempts to stand out have backfired, because they have simply failed to meet Bjork, Madonna and Lady Gaga’s standards. These three have set the bar too high. So Demi Lovato decided to dip dye her hair pink, and Rihanna chose to bring back extreme shoulder pads. Where’s the excitement in that? We want fireworks shooting out of their dresses and gold-encrusted lipstick.

The American public has become so used to this type of fashion. Therefore, the celebrities must continue to push the envelope to give us what we demand.

Adele seems to be the outcast here.

She stands out by wearing sleek, modest black dresses. It’s so backward, but pop culture has come to this. Maybe I’ll start wearing Alexander McQueen high heels to class and see what kind of reaction I get.

Natalie Hicks can be reached at natalie.hicks@theminaretonline.com.

gul18/Photobucket.com

Female pop singers like Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj aren’t being original by dressing in kitschy outfits and wearing brightly colored wigs. Instead, they are following a pop star trend that only makes them all blend together.

8

NOVEMBER 8 2012 | THE MINARET

Think Before You Ink: Tattoos Become More Mainstream

By MADISON IRWIN

Arts + Entertainment Writer

Tattoos have become the most popular form of body modification in our society, especially now more than ever. People used to think of tattoos as a sign of rebellion because people like wrestlers, bikers and criminals had them.

However, now it seems like every other college student has a tattoo including the most goody two-shoes of people.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for tattoos (in fact, I have one of my own). Mine is on my hip and says the word “believe” with a Mickey Mouse head next to it. I got it because Disney holds a special place in my heart and the motto encourages me to “believe” every single day.

But what is so bothersome to me is that more and more young people are getting tattoos just for the sake of looking cool and fitting in. I have seen many people with tattoos that don’t hold any meaning.

People have become more superficial, relying only on physical appearance and material objects to impress others. But shouldn’t the fact that tattoos are permanent be taken into consideration before actually going under the needle? Sure, a star on your hip may look cute, but there is no story behind that. Tattoos should be meaningful.

You should always ask yourself, “Would I still like this tattoo in 30 or more years down the road?” Another thing that I can’t stand is that a lot of girls have been getting tattoos like birds, feathers and dreamcatchers lately just because it’s trendy. Why would you want a tattoo that you know so many other people have?

“The reason for getting it [my tattoo] was because of the meaning of it. Half of it is for my uncle who died during 9/11. The other meaning is that it reminds me every day that I can get through anything,” Nicole Simmons said, a freshman sports management major.

Simmons referred to the story behind the tattoo on her foot that says “forever strong” with a heart. “I don’t think there’s a point in getting one if it has no meaning. It is permanent, after all. Otherwise, people usually just end up regretting it,” she said.

With that being said, the perception of tattoos has changed quite a bit. Ultimately, no matter what type of person you are in the world, if you’re planning on getting a tattoo, it should have some kind of significance and remind you of an important aspect of your life every time you look at it.

Madison Irwin can be reached at xoxomaddie2@aim.com.

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Brand Name Clothing Affects Self Image

By SAMANTHA DELLE Arts + Entertainment Writer

It’s a strange phenomenon: individuals are willing to spend more money at expensive brand name stores rather than save money and buy similar, if not the exact same products at generic locations. What exactly is the allure of brand name clothing?

It seems to start in the middle school years when we become more self-aware and self-conscious. Suddenly it matters where we bought those jeans, that sweatshirt and those sneakers. There becomes a divide, and it is cool to only shop at certain stores. I am certainly not exempt from this. I decided in seventh grade that all of my clothing had to come from Hollister Co., known for its dim lighting, loud music and California-inspired apparel. The desire to shop at these brand name stores in grade school is really a desire to show off status and satiate a deep-seeded need to fit in with the crowd.

The attraction to brand name clothing also ties in with the particular brand’s image. It may be as simple as liking the logo or the designs and colors of the clothing.

More often, the attraction to the image is correlated to the brand’s savvy advertising. Some brands will splash their name or logo across the front of their shirts. Objectively, it is almost as if the consumer is paying to advertise for the company. Celebrity endorsements, whether formal or

Leah Beilhart/The Minaret

Hollister Co. is a popular name brand clothing company amongst college students. Despite whether the quality of their production is good or not, people still shop there just to have the bird label on their shirt or jeans.

Celebrity Diets Not Feasible Options For Fans

By ALEXANDRA TOWNSEND Arts + Entertainment Writer

starryeyedecho/Photobucket.com

Feathers, among dream catchers and birds, have recently become popular tattoo choices among college girls.

informal, are factors. What is the difference between a celebrity wearing a brand in an advertisement versus them being photographed by the paparazzi wearing that brand out on the street? Both are effective. If someone sees his or her favorite actress wearing a particular brand, chances are that person will want to buy the clothing item, also.

When it comes to image, the actual quality of the clothing doesn’t seem to matter anymore. Brand name clothing could be cheaply made and individuals will still purchase it. Friends of mine have admitted to staying loyal to brands like Urban Outfitters and Abercrombie and Fitch even when their clothing falls apart because they like the look of it anyway. Over time, they become faithful to particular brands and begin to identify with the image of a particular brand. The brand becomes the epitome of the individual’s style and continually purchasing from that brand becomes a method of self-expression.

However, this self-expression is not really genuine.

Continually purchasing from one brand name store makes one simply the same as everyone else that shops there. Even though it seems original to shop at stores like Urban Outfitters and American Apparel, shopping there is not really unique because they are huge corporations with locations all over the world. To be truly original, one would have to break this consumerist pattern by making their own clothes and putting together pieces from thrift and vintage stores.

Samantha Delle can be reached at samanthadelle@aol.com.

Celebrities are often known for their beauty, charm and poise as well as their talent. However, achieving a flawless outer appearance is not as easy as they make it seem. This common misconception is harmful to young fans who do not realize that the people they are idolizing do not look faultless on their own. In reality, everyone has imperfections and insecurities, even celebrities.

The pictures fans see are usually photoshopped and touched up. Also, when celebrities share how they got their figures they usually do not include every single aspect of their routine and the extreme measures they sometimes take. Many celebrities go on crazy fasts and detoxes to shed weight quickly and with as little effort as possible.

These diets are not healthy and impossible to maintain long term. However, people see these articles telling them exactly what they need to do to be like the individuals they idolize and they will follow every step. They do not realize the potential health risks and only see the end result of their idea of perfection.

Actresses often need to lose weight quickly to play certain roles and turn to detoxes and liquid cleanses to shed the weight. Before filming “Dream Girls,” Beyoncé went

on the Master Cleanse for 20 days. According to Shape Magazine’s website, on this diet “followers subsist on a liquid diet or hot water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for 10 days.”

This diet is robbing individuals of almost all of the nutrients they need to survive and replacing them with liquids that will pass through the body quickly. However, the majority of people mimicking this diet are going to trust their idols enough to give honest facts about these diets and will probably not bother to look up the health facts on their own.

I think that if celebrities are going to make an effort to share their diet and exercise secrets with the public then they should include everything they do. By only including bits and pieces they are making it nearly impossible for individuals to benefit from them. It is clear that they want to make it seem like having a perfect body is almost effortless. In reality, celebrities put a lot of effort into their bodies and did not get their figures right away. Usually it takes a lot of time and dedication to make lasting lifestyle changes. It would be really helpful if celebrities let fans know this, and the honesty would probably increase their popularity even more.

Alexandra Townsend can be reached at staddancer@ gmail.com.

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

THE MINARET | NOVEMBER 8 2012

9

Shift to Watching TV Online Viable for College Students

By ALYSSA HINGRE

Arts + Entertainment Writer

There is a revolution going on in the media world. TVs are battling computers. TVs have worked their way into becoming an essential commodity in every home. However, this commodity is disappearing from the lives of college students. Most students don’t have televisions in their dorm rooms anymore.

If you add on the limited channels and busy schedules, a majority of students don’t have time to sit down and watch an entire episode at its scheduled time anymore. A lucky few make time to catch their favorite shows. It becomes an obsessive ritual never to be broken.

Yet, many students can’t follow their shows anymore with all their classes, organizations and sports. The only option they have left is to find another way to fit it into their schedules.

The Internet is filled with sites giving students the opportunity to watch TV shows on their own time. Sites like Netflix and Hulu offer a limited selection of TV shows for free. Also, there are sites out there like Project Free Tv and LetMeWatchThis that have multiple seasons of shows, sometimes even including current seasons. Episodes of shows can be found in high quality and

with no commercial interruptions.

One student prefers watching shows online rather than on TV because, “If I want to watch a show not on the air anymore I can watch it online.” Watching shows online is just quicker, easier and more considerate of time.

If it is easier for students to watch shows online then I say go for it. Why not take the easy way out and just stick to the computers? Even if some online sites are illegal, students will watch their favorite shows there anyway. These websites just make them easy to access in one central location. If it is such a huge problem and so illegal then why do these sites exist in the first place? It shouldn’t be too hard to take down, so if the sites are available, students are most likely to continue using the resources that are available to them.

TV shows on actual televisions will probably become extinct in the near future. With the power of computers looming over everyone it is so easy to just watch a show online rather than wait and plan to be in front of a television right when your favorite show starts. Watching shows on a wide variety of sites are going to change the media world forever.

Alyssa Hingre is a writing major and film minor. She can be reached at alyssa. hingre@spartans.ut.edu.

Netflix.com

People watch their favorite TV shows on legal websites like Netflix or illegal sites like LetMeWatchThis. They are making the shift from TV to the Internet because it’s more practical.

Movie Producers Running Out of Ideas, Turn to Sequels and Books

By ERIC DUFFERT

Arts + Entertainment Writer

You know who I can’t stand? People who constantly compare a book to the movie. And don’t even get me started on those who incessantly flap their gums on the merit of a movie’s sequel.

It’s pointless babble. Of course, you can’t really blame them. These quarrels wouldn’t even exist if there were a screenwriter left in Hollywood with even an ounce of competence.

I look at some of the sewage churning out of that forsaken land of materialism and plastic surgery and think, “Who in their right minds thought this was a good idea?” The answer: nobody. But it was a guaranteed money maker. That’s all that matters in Hollywood. They seem to say, “It’ll make me a few bucks? Then let’s get it going, what are you waiting for!”

That’s why most of the crap in theaters nowadays is taken directly from wellknown books. If the book is or was popular then you can sure as hell bet the movie will be too.

Popularity equals money. It’s a studio’s way of playing it safe. Nothing frightens a bigwig studio exec more than taking a financial chance, not even the wrinkling of their overly botoxed foreheads.

And it’s not just books that are the creativity cop-out. There are sequels and remakes too, and there are entries into overrun franchises that went stale years ago. All you have to do is pull up

the current movie listings to see what I’m talking about. “Paranormal Activity 4”? They should’ve pulled the plug on this one three movies ago. “Taken 2”?

Kidnapped again! Talk about the the most unlucky family in the world. Also, what do “Cloud Atlas,” “Alex Cross” and “Pitch Perfect” all have in common?

Yep, you guessed it. All three of them are book adaptations.

Where is the imagination? Where is the originality? Screenwriters, take a chance already! This rampant a-- kissing needs to stop.

Until then, at least we still have a few directors who don’t suffer from lackof-creativity-itis. Someone like David Fincher, for example—oh wait, I take that back. “Fight Club,” “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” “The Social Network,” “Zodiac” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”—beginning to see the theme here? Looks like Fincher sure likes his books.

So if you’re reading this and you feel you’ve got a knack for creative writing, then don’t you even think about becoming an author. Hollywood needs you more than Ferrari convertibles and overpriced boob jobs. Become a screenwriter. You might not ever get your script made into a movie but I guarantee you it’s 10 times better than the load of crap headed to a theater near you.

Eric Duffert is a film and media arts major. He can be reached at eduffert@ aol.com.

Record Companies to Blame for Music Piracy

By Dan Banks

Arts + Entertainment Writer

Growing up I always thought I was relatively conscious of rules and didn’t do anything to break the law. Little did I know that I was actually a cold-hearted criminal.

I’ll admit it. I’ve committed thousand of counts of music piracy. Sue me!

Does downloading a song off the Internet really make me a criminal? In my opinion, absolutely not. Unfortunately, my opinion only goes so far, and the ones that truly matter like the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) seem to think it most certainly is a crime. Prior to the string of lawsuits filed by the RIAA and various other associations fighting for record companies, a mere 35 percent of people were even aware that file sharing

was illegal. If this many people didn’t know there was such a law, there must be some sort of explanation.

Record companies claim that they are being shorted billions of dollars annually due to this so-called “piracy.” While buying physical albums and digital downloads (the legal kind) supports the artist and generates revenue for recording companies, it is not the preferred way of listening to music.

You would think that the loss of album sales would cause the music industry to wake up and realize that you can’t monitor how people listen to their music, but that is not the case. Instead of progressing as an industry and conforming to what consumers want, record companies are living in the past where purchasing albums in stores or online was the norm.

Record companies have failed to survey

their audience and ask what the consumers want. The sooner these companies accept that music lovers will, one way or another, find a way to listen to their favorite artists, the better. It is the record companies’ responsibility to support the artists that sign with them. The millions of dollars wasted into lawsuits to try and prevent this “epidemic” of music piracy could have been directed into something that actually generates sales.

What many people seem to misjudge is that file sharing can actually be a very lucrative way for record companies to make sales. Regardless of whether people pay for their music, once they listen to a song they like they may become a loyal fan of that artist. This new loyal fan then might tell his or her friends about this great new song they heard and now their fanbase

has grown. The growing fanbase will result in more selling of concert tickets, apparel and possibly new albums. File sharing can potentially make a new artist go viral, making their popularity grow faster and thus leading to more serious recognition for the artist.

I highly encourage buying new albums from artists that you enjoy. They are great mementos and help support well-deserving musicians. With that said, if you truly want to support your favorite artists, then go out and see them live! Do not feel threatened by these record companies that claim you are a criminal for downloading music off the Internet. They are the ones to blame for their lost revenue, not you.

Dan Banks is a journalism major and a writing minor. He can be reached at daniel. banks@spartans.ut.edu.

10 NOVEMBER 8 2012 | THE MINARET

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Actual Books and Albums Trump Digital Media

By JORDAN WALSH

Arts + Entertainment Writer

A few weeks ago, I asked one of my friends if they wanted to come with me to pick up a new record that came out that day. She gave me a funny look and asked, “Why don’t you just buy it on iTunes?”

That’s a good question. The transition of media from physical to digital format happened so quickly that it was difficult not to just go along for the ride. There’s a whole world of music, film and literature that can be accessed with just the click of a mouse.

With such convenience, why would anyone bother to drive to the nearest Best Buy or wait for shipping?

In all honesty, there’s an element of sentimentality that keeps some people buying physical media. There’s just nothing like reading through the liner notes during the first listen to a new album or the smell of a new book. You can’t get that kind of satisfaction from an e-book or an MP3.

To some level, I also believe that physical media gives a listener, reader or watcher a more concrete appreciation of the art itself. When you can hold a

piece of art in your hands, you can attach memories to it. How long was that CD in your car?

How many times did you read that dog-eared copy of your favorite book?

How long was that record on your turntable? And, more importantly, where were you in life when you first heard that record, when you first read that book? You hold it in your hands and you think, “Somebody put a lot of work into this.”

This may seem cheesy, but this kind of appreciation is what keeps the entertainment industry afloat. When that CD becomes a part of your life, you come to appreciate the artist. This is what keeps people from illegally downloading music and show respect for the artists who created it.

So, maybe next time you want to buy a book or an album, put down the e-reader or the iPod and make a trip to the store. Complete the experience. See what it’s like for media to be more than just data.

Jordan Walsh is a writing major and journalism/film and media arts minor.

Clockwise from Left: Status Frustration/Flickr.com; ginnerobot/Flickr.com; Gabyu –– Gabriel/Flickr.com He can be reached at jordantwalsh@ While digital media helps sharing and transporting music, books and movies easier, there is still gmail.com something sentimental about the smell of a new book or the excitement of buying an album.

Pants Have Rights Too: Florida Cities Ban Sagging Pants

By KELLY ST. ONGE

Asst. Arts + Entertainment Editor

Dumb laws are making a comeback and the latest one to be seen in our own state is an ordinance banning baggy pants. Yes, those pants you see Chris Brown, Zac Efron and Justin Bieber wearing, the ones that fall beneath the waste and show off their boxers, are now becoming illegal.

According to the smokinggun.com, “Council members in the city of Cocoa

voted 3-1 to ban ‘a person in public view’ from wearing pants or skirts below the waistline.” The new ordinance will require people who wear baggy pants to pay a fine that increases with each offense, topping out at $100.

On Oct. 23, 2012, the city of Cocoa announced the passing of this ordinance in their town which will be enforced starting in January 2013. Residents say the ban is to preserve their neighborhood’s family-friendly image.

As crazy as it sounds, Cocoa is not the first Florida city to support and enforce this ban. In 2009, a teenager was arrested in Riviera Beach, Fla. for wearing baggy pants.

Although the law was abolished in Riviera Beach and deemed unconstitutional, it has been resurfacing ever since it started.

The city of Cocoa, however, will not be putting

anyone behind bars who wears their pants too low. Still, I think it is ridiculous to condemn someone for their choice in attire. I don’t care for baggy pants.

In fact, I think they make the wearer look like they got a hand-me-down from their fat, older brother and tried to make it work. But if someone likes their baggy pants, who am I to tell them they can’t wear them?

Furthermore, cities making the argument that baggy pants make their community look bad need to take a closer look at the people and influences surrounding their children.

Baggy pants or the lack thereof will not make or break a community.

That argument is empty. Unless a man is wearing his pants below the waist without boxers, his low-hanging pants are not indecent.

There are countless men in the spotlight embracing this fashion trend including Prince Harry, who has been spotted in pants falling below the

waistline and exposing the top of his boxers according to dailymail.co.uk.

In addition, there are varying styles and prints on boxers nowadays. Men don’t buy the plain black or white boxers they used to buy. If they want to wear their pants below the waste they can find boxers that will match the rest of their outfit.

American Eagle, Lucky Brand and many others make boxers with attractive styles on purpose. I’m not saying they are made specifically for baggy jeans, but they are definitely meant to be seen.

To the city of Cocoa, Fla.: it’s time to face reality. Baggy jeans and pants are here to stay and they are not a negative depiction of one’s character or of a city.

Boxers are nothing more than short shorts. Who cares if we can see them?

With the abolition of Riviera Beach’s law I think it’s safe to say this ordinance won’t last long either.

Kelly St. Onge can be reached at kelly.st.onge@theminaretonline.com.

jetpackjane/Photobucket.com

Cocoa, Fla. banned baggy pants to preserve their image. Banning baggy pants won’t solve anything and it takes away basic rights.

THE MINARET | NOVEMBER 8 2012

Opinion

11

President Barack Obama Re-elected for Four More Years

By ALEX CARABALLO Opinion Columnist

In a historic election, Barack Obama, the nation’s first AfricanAmerican president, has been reelected to the presidency. Four years ago, President Obama came into office in a landslide election with an unprecedented victory and popular support. That popular support waned at times as the difficulties of governing became apparent. However, there was still enough popular support to give the president another four years in office.

In his first term in office, the president worked with Congress and passed a plethora of bills in a short amount of time. So much so, that the 111th Congress, according to Bloomberg News, was the most productive since the 1960s during the great society era.

It’s easy to see why President Obama’s first two years in office were so productive in terms of passing legislation. These are just some of the major bills that were passed during those two years: The Lily Ledbetter Act (equal pay for women), The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (stimulus), The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and finally the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

These productive years gave way

to a crushing defeat in the 2010 midterm elections where emboldened Republicans swept the House of Representatives, gaining a total of 63 seats. This setback to the president was most apparent in the productivity of the subsequent 112th Congress.

The 112th Congress was the least productive in decades and according to The New York Times, passed only 173 bills as of September. This is in comparison to the 906 bills passed by the so- called “do nothing” Congress famously labeled by then President Harry Truman in 1948.

Republicans were so entrenched in their opposition to the president from day one that any compromise was out of the question. There were the unprecedented actions

by Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) where he famously yelled out, “You lie!” towards the president during his 2012 State of the Union address.

Many Republican legislators openly flirted with the “birther” movement. Never before has there been such a blatantly dishonest and disrespectful questioning of an American president’s own citizenship.

The president had an uphill battle to build any consensus with a party that refused to even view him as legitimate.

The American public, in their wisdom, saw past these flagrant

attacks and judged the president on Whatever may come, it can still be his accomplishments and the record he said that democracy worked in the end has to show. While Republicans were and the American public was able to questioning President Obama’s birth choose the person they wanted to be certificate, the president was passing bills to ensure that women get equal pay and that the uninsured could afford health insurance and he was overseeing the operation that killed Osama Bin Laden.

Despite the divisive rhetoric and the intense polarization of the public, America still got the healthy dose of democracy and the exchange of ideas that happens every four years.

Mitt Romney, despite his loss, will continue to shape Republican politics for years to come. Some of the ideas in his campaign may still come to fruition as President Obama will work with Republicans on a plethora of issues such as tax and immigration reform.

Image Editor/Flickr.com It remains to be seen whether the next four years With Obama re-elected, America can continue to move forward. will bring about the same kind of hostility towards the president president. That deserving person this or whether his re-election can finally election cycle was Barack Obama. bring compromise in certain areas Alex Caraballo can be reached between Republicans and Democrats. at alex.caraballo@spartans.ut.edu.

Death Penalty Unfair, Innocent People Have Been Killed

By JESSICA KEESEE Associate Editor

As a sophomore, I wrote an article for The Minaret on Troy Davis. He was executed in Georgia last year for the murder of a Savannah police officer.

After seven of nine eye witnesses recanted their statements, in a conviction almost entirely relied upon by eyewitness territory, many people began to advocate for Davis’s innocence. It was the night that Davis was executed by lethal injection, Sept. 21, 2011, that I knew I would forever oppose the death penalty.

I took a course on the death penalty that same year where I originally heard about Davis’s case. I didn’t know what to think about capital punishment at first. I thought execution was an easy punishment. Criminals wouldn’t have to suffer through life imprisonment but would be sentenced to die by a harmless injection that would kill them in a matter of minutes (if applied properly). That didn’t seem like fitting punishment to me.

I thought, rather morbidly, that murderers should rot in prison until they died and that the only people the death penalty hurts are the families of the executed. Then I would see victims’ families during murder trials and sympathize with them, thinking, maybe the death penalty wasn’t so bad after all.

But taking Death Penalty polarized me. By the semester’s end, I strongly advocated against capital punishment, which I believe is keeping our country stuck in the past. According to Amnesty International, globally, 141 countries have abolished the death penalty. That’s over two-thirds of the world. The United States is joined with countries like North Korea, China, Iran and Yemen that still institute the death penalty. All five of those countries had the majority of the world’s executions in 2010.

In the U.S., 36 states still utilize capital punishment. Amnesty International reported, “Since 1973, 140 people have been released from death rows throughout the country due to evidence of their wrongful conviction. In this same time period, more than 1,200 people

I look at the execution of Davis and say that innocent lives have been taken, and that is reason enough for me that the death penalty needs to be abolished.

As I wrote in my Troy Davis article last year, Voltaire once said, “It is better to risk saving a guilty man than condemn an innocent one.” Taking an innocent life is murder on behalf of the government and a total contradiction when the point of the death penalty is to execute murderers.

No innocent life is worth a hundred deaths of tried and true murderers, no matter how grizzly the crimes.

Our court system is not infallible and until it can be, we cannot institute a punishment with such finality as death. If a person is wrongly imprisoned for a certain amount of years, they can be paid back for their erroneous punishment. The government cannot pay back someone found to be innocent who is dead. The death penalty is irrevocable. Once a life is taken, it cannot be given back if error is found.

Proponents argue to keep the institution of capital Proyecto Limón/Flickr.com punishment for a variety Too many innocent people have been killed for Death Penalty to be fair. of reasons. Some advocate that the death penalty deters have been executed.” 140 people is an crime, but statistics have shown that astounding number when considering there is no direct correlation between that they could have been executed. capital punishment and deterrence of The argument has been made that the crime. In 2008, FBI data indicated that court has been doing its job and sorting the 14 states without the death penalty out those innocent people through the had homicide rates either at or below the appeals process, but is it not possible national rate. I’ve always said, if a person that of those 1,200 plus people that have is crazy, evil or angry enough to kill, no been executed in this country since 1973, punishment will be enough to deter them. some of them might have been innocent?

There is also the false assumption

that the death penalty is more cost effective than life imprisonment. That’s a total myth. The actual act of executing an individual (injecting them with the three-chemical cocktail) is inexpensive compared to the legal fees and cost of extra security necessary to house inmates in single cells on death row.

Death penalty defendants are given super due process, which is required in all death penalty cases, because of the seriousness of the trial. Because of that, investigation, trial and appeals costs add up, reaching into the hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars.

According to Robert M. Bohm, author of “Deathquest,” the average cost for an inmate sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, an alternative to the death penalty, is about $1 million if the sentence resulted from a plea bargain. The average costs for an execution in the U.S. ranges anywhere from $2.5 million to $5 million, but have been known to exceed that in popularized cases, like that of Ted Bundy where Florida spent $10 million toward his execution. Not every case is to that degree, or even close to the $100 million the federal government had to pay when executing the Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. The difference between the costs of capital punishment and LWOP (Life Without Parole) are still significant, however, and as taxpayers, how can we justify spending millions more for a death penalty case.

The death penalty is an archaic practice. As a country, we can’t move forward with our civil and social rights when we practice the same punishment as countries like China, North Korea and Iran. It’s time to abolish the death penalty.

Jessica Keesee can be reached at @theminaretonline.com

12 NOVEMBER 8 2012 | THE MINARET

OPINION

Breaking the Stereotypes of UT Majors Biology Major

English Major

By LAUREN RICHEY Opinion Writer

We all know the stereotypical view of an English major. I can picture one now: room full of Tennyson and Tolstoy, writing four essays a week and reading about six novels a semester.

Go ahead and crack your jokes. We’re all studying to be English teachers in elementary schools, right? Not to mention the fact that we’re all women. There’s no plausible way for us to get a job in today’s economy so we’re basically just playing around for four years at expensive universities. Wrong. There are many benefits to being an English major, but somehow, people keep looking down on us.

Here are the flaws behind the two main

arguments against getting a degree in English: 1.) You don’t need a major in English because it won’t help you in life. If you want to be a writer then go ahead and skip college altogether because you can already read and write, correct? That’s like saying you can add and subtract, so therefore you can be a Financial Analyst. If anyone is interested in having a job in the English field of study, then yes, you do need a degree.

2.) You won’t get a job. In today’s failing job market, employers are looking for anything to separate one job application from a sea of similar resumes. Well, if they’re looking for employees who can understand and solve difficult strategy problems then they should look no further than the guy with a humanities degree.

The job market is not as barren for us as people think. There are plenty of examples of successful English majors throughout recent history. There is Toni Morrison, who won the

Nobel Prize for her novel “Beloved,” as well as winning the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

There is business executive Hank Paulson who is the former chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. And someone probably a little more familiar is the comedian Chevy Chase. There are countless lawyers, doctors and politicians who also have their bachelors in English. Job options can range from becoming a technical writer, with an average salary of $68,900, to a paralegal with a salary of $53,100. Still don’t think we benefit society? James Cameron, Martin Scorcese and Steven Spielberg were all English majors. Good luck ever going to a movie theater again with that attitude.

The analytical and writing skills English majors develop throughout college is one of the key tickets to landing a job. The number one complaint major business employers have of their young entry level workers is the lack of written communication.

According to a New York Times article entitled “Young Workers: U Nd 2 Improve Ur Writing Skills,” young employees are now writing company emails as if they were texting cellphone messages. This is Meg Davies/Facebook.com the equivalent of wearing sandals to the office every day: unprofessional.

So what if we like to wear tweed jackets and hole up in our dorm rooms with a thick book full of small print on a Friday night?

And yes we might be a little shy at first due to the ridicule we usually get for being called weirdos. But in the end, we’re the people who are going to sneak up on you and take that precious starting career right from under your feet. Tony Golsby-Smith, the founder and CEO of a business design and transformation firm once said, “Consulting firms like to hire them for all these same reasons. You can hire liberal arts graduates yourself, or you can pay through the nose for big consulting firms to hire them to do the thinking for you.”

Either way, despite people’s disbeliefs, an English major has its benefits. So while you’re struggling with your writing skills, we English majors will be getting jobs.

Lauren Richey can be reached at lauren.richey@spartans.ut.edu

Theatre Major

By MILES PARKS

Sports Assistant Editor

I am a theater major, I’m a male and I’m straight. Yes, it is possible. In fact, I find that most stereotypes about theatre and performing arts majors seem to focus on a portion of us that doesn’t reflect who we are at our core. People seem to end up at these conclusions because these select human beings that seem to represent us are really, really loud. Like screechy.

And glass-shattering. But that ain’t me.

I’ve been performing on stage since the fourth grade, and have attended arts magnet schools for my entire education.

The last time I went to a school without an arts focus was kindergarten. This is crazy to some, but was normal to me and my group of friends. That doesn’t mean my life was “Glee.” In fact, I’m an awful singer, and instead prefer to play bass. I

love folk rock and Kanye West. I went through a brief metal period. It was a darker time and I prefer not to discuss it.

I get it though, this image of a male theater major as a shimmying tenor in a v-neck screaming indignantly about the role some “stupid freshman” got, runs rampant in pop culture and occasionally rears it’s ugly head at schools like UT. But it can’t define us. It doesn’t fit me.

So what if I memorize a few monologues here and there. We might have huge egos, and we might prance a bit more than most, but we took science classes too. We’re human beings, not caricatures.

I read books. And I love baseball. And I only own one vneck, thank you very much.

Miles Parks can be reached at minaret.sports@gmail.com

By HANNAH WEBSTER Opinion Contributor

Remember the geek table from high school? Books lined the surface where lunches usually sat, kids played Tetris on their graphing calculators and mini rounds of “Name that Phylum” circulated through the seats. Yeah, these kids had a distinctive title: nerd. Come to college, and you’ll find that it doesn’t really change. The nerds just exist under a different name now: biology majors. At least that’s how it looks to the rest of the university.

To the outside world, we are the ones who have probably never had sex, don’t go out on the weekends and even though we know how to synthesize almost any drug you name, we have probably never even thought about smoking pot. That image is probably accompanied with mouth-breathing, terrible fashion sense, giant glasses and unattractive underclothing. We’re supposed to be the know-it-alls, the goodie-twoshoes, the ones who remind the teacher about the homework he forgot to collect. Yes? No. I admit there are some aspects of the stereotype that are undeniable truths. I spend a lot of time in the lab and the library while the nonscience majors get drunk and grope each other in SoHo. I earn decent grades and yes, I loathe B’s while some of my classmates are stoked to not be failing. I get excited over microorganisms.

My lab coat makes me feel sexy. And I go where few communications majors have ever dared go before: my professors’ office hours.

What people from the outside looking in don’t understand is what someone majoring in biology has to go through on a daily basis.

We’re characterized for our love of science—the aspect that makes us nerdy in the eyes of most.

But because of this passion, we have to work our asses off to turn it into any viable career. I personally am on the track to medical school, but ultimate goals of bio majors vary greatly from concentration to concentration. Some want to protect our planet from environmental harm,

some want to go to graduate school to study their favorite animal while others look more toward pharmacy, medical or veterinary schools.

At the end of the day, biology majors are probably some of the hardest working students on campus. The typical college experience that you see in movies or on TV often doesn’t apply because of the simple fact that we have to get down to business and actually care about our grades long before the average college student. It isn’t a life for everyone, but it is to achieve an ultimate goal—part of which is looking good on paper. Outside of class work, most of us are doing research or participating in internships. I not only intern, but I also mentor one of the lower level biology courses because I enjoy helping and encouraging beginning biology students to stick with it.

It is truly exhausting, but I know it is also necessary—and I love it more than anything.

But I am also in college—and intend to make the most of what are supposed to be my “glory days.” I go on dates, I wear makeup and I do indeed own a pair of heels or two. Or 20. I roll my windows down and sing Taylor Swift at the top of my lungs while I drive to the beach. I’m addicted to crime-solving shows, frozen yogurt and laughing. And I fully confess to reading every “50 Shades of Grey” novel with disturbing enthusiasm.

Sure, I stay in the library until the wee hours of the morning to earn the grade on a big exam, but when it’s over I know that I deserve a cold beer and a night with my friends. Yes, I proudly have a very prominent nerdy side. But in the end, I probably have more in common with most people at the university than I’d like to admit. I just have a future goal that I keep in mind when I’m deciding whether to stay in and study or go out and party. If that makes me a nerd, so be it. Nerdy and proud. I’ll remind you when I’m your boss.

Hannah Webster can be reached at hannah.webster@spartans.ut.edu

International and Cultural Studies Major

By NATALIE HICKS

Arts + Entertainment Editor

either study abroad or take a travel course.

I get asked “What’s your major?” Traveling to foreign countries helps people all the time. “International and cultural keep open minds toward other cultures. studies,” I reply. “International what?” I don’t want to be just another ignorant they say.

“INTERNATIONAL American. There is a whole world out there.

AND CULTURAL STUDIES.” It’s great that some people major in fields I’m not quite sure what people think when that explicitly imply what future career they I tell them what my major is, but they normally will have. It’s easier to explain to your 80just get very confused looks on their faces. I suppose international and cultural studies is a tad broad, but that’s particularly the reason why I like it. I’m a little indecisive when it comes to my future because I picture myself with many possible careers.

I’ve had several people ask me if I’m going to be a U.S. ambassador in a foreign country, and then they proceed to explain how that’s a very limited career choice. I appreciate the advice, but I know what I’m doing, bro. A major in international and cultural studies has endless possibilities. I could work for an international company, a non-profit organization, the government, the Peace Corps, etc.

DonkeyHotey/Flickr.com This major also requires foreign Studying abroad is required for Int. and Cultural Studies majors. language skills which is always a plus for any employer. I am double minoring in French and journalism. Both year-old grandmother, and I’m thankful of these minors could rank me above other other people want to go into business, competitors for a job, be it in community affairs, finance, biology, etc. because those fields communication, public relations or public are extremely important. But for indecisive policy. Don’t even get me started on how many people like me, I’m thankful majors like people try to convince me that French is useless international and cultural studies exist. and that I should have chosen to study Spanish. Honestly, I’m looking for any excuse to travel.

Also, the international and cultural Natalie Hicks can be reached at studies major requires all of its students to natalie.hicks@theminaretonline.com

THE MINARET | NOVEMBER 8 2012

OPINION

13

The Right to Bear Arms and Carry Concealed Weapons Pro: It is Our Constitutional Right

By RICHARD J WHITAKER

do we need the Second Amendment if we have such a grand central government?

Our Founding Fathers placed great We need the Second Amendment for emphasis on limited government and the the same reason we need the other rights right of the individual. Once the Constitution within the Bill of Rights: to keep an honest was near complete, they discussed how to government honest. I trust my government, best infuse it with additional guarantees but I am not willing to give up my right of that would serve as powerful safeguards free speech which also protects the free for these individual freedoms. The Bill of press. I believe this protection, like the Rights was the outcome of this discussion. other constitutional protections, are vital Unfortunately, few Americans take the to maintain control over government. time to study our Constitution, and that is Removing any part of this constellation a true pity. The document is the result of of protections is short-sighted and reduces true genius, which I believe was inspired the distance between “We the People”

by God. Perhaps no other document has and a country we do not want to live in.

In addition to the foregoing reality of this generated, protected and ensured so much good. Among the guaranteed rights is the gun issue, I also agree with the argument “right of the people to keep and bear arms.” frequently made by those who keep and This right is now under attack by anti-gun bear guns legally. They point out that activists throughout the country who suggest marijuana is illegal, yet those who choose to use this drug are still able to. If guns were made illegal, those who wished to own a gun would inevitably be able to do so.

The fact of the matter is that gun laws are necessary to monitor who obtains guns and when they do; this is already preventing millions of criminals from upicks/Flickr.com It is within our Constitutional rights to carry a concealed weapon. easily obtaining weapons. If you that America can and will be safer if we limit qualify to own a firearm, you must also the possession of guns to law enforcement. take additional courses to use and carry said I understand this argument and believe firearm. Furthermore, in order to obtain a that it is well-intended. However, I also concealed weapons permit, the applicant believe that it is short-sighted and not must take an additional in-depth course. informed by our history and the world that Frankly, I believe that those who intend to we live in. Let me return our discussion use firearms to hurt others are typically not to The Bill of Rights. These first 10 going to go through this long and arduous amendments to the Constitution were added process to carry a concealed weapon while the several states were deciding legally. These criminals will buy or steal whether they would adopt and ratify the a gun, and perform whatever illegal act Constitution. They were added as a package they wish to commit. Outlawing weapons in 1791 to, among other purposes, convince altogether would not hamper criminals, the leadership of the states that the central only the citizens choosing to obey the laws.

Russell Wagner, a sophomore sports government of the United States would not become like the British Crown from which management major and ROTC cadet here at we had just fought a long and difficult war UT, believes, “We must continue to trust our to separate ourselves. For example, the Founding Fathers’ judgment on ‘the right to drafters felt that if we retained the right of keep and bear arms’and we must not take this free speech (First Amendment), the right to constitutional right away from our citizens.” keep and bear arms (Second Amendment), He also stated, “All U.S. citizens have and the right to be secure in our homes and hopefully will continue to have the right property from government intrusion (Fourth to protect themselves and their families.”

The Aurora Theater Massacre is being Amendment) and the right to due process of law (Fifth Amendment), that it would used to attack the Second Amendment. Yes, be difficult for any future government to this was an absolute tragedy, but we cannot become so powerful as to be capable to allow the actions of a mentally ill individual enslave our citizenry. They thought through to be used as a form of predictive analysis each of these protections and added them to anticipate the behavior of the remainder as a package because they all complement of the U.S. population. This is an absurd one another to provide this degree of notion and would generate an absurd result.

The solution is not to eliminate the protection. The loss of any one of these important protections makes us less secure right to bear arms, but to increase education and reduces our protective shield in the on this right and to enforce the gun laws face of a well-intended super government that every state and the federal government that becomes more powerful with the already have on the books. The reason passage of every succeeding generation. that our Constitution is so rarely modified I am a patriot and believe that we are is because it was drafted by giants who blessed to live in the greatest nation in foresaw the growth and evolution of our the history of the world. I believe that we nation. Before we consider tampering have a good government and a wonderful with their genius, we had better understand system. Many of you may look at the grid- the totality of the impact that would result locked Congress and the fighting between from the change that we propose. Those the current political parties and disagree. who propose the revision of the Second However, I could cite many similar times Amendment do not understand the farduring our history and downplay the current reaching negative impacts of this loss.

Richard J Whitaker can be reached mess. I submit, in total, we are truly blessed richard.whitaker@spartans.ut.edu to have our national government. So, why at Opinion Columnist

Against: It results in far too much danger

By ELAINA ZNTL Opinion Writer

The state of Florida is a “shall issue” state for the concealed carry of weapons and, according to USACarry.com, will therefore issue concealed carry permits to residents and non-residents that meet the state requirements for a Florida concealed carry permit. I do not believe in the concealed carry of weapons and strongly feel that the criteria for obtaining the licenses are far too lenient.

Requirements for obtaining a permit in the United States, according to USACarry.com, are: being 21 or older, having a passport-style photograph for the license, verifying completion of the training requirement, passing a background check that looks for felony charges and paying the license fee. The fees are $70 for a new license and $60 for renewal. Permits are valid for seven years. I find it shocking that there is no psychological evaluation necessary and that the average training class is four hours long. It is a frightening thought that people carrying a gun may not be mentally stable and may not have had professional training on how to shoot a gun. This fact only fuels my belief that concealed carry is more of a risk to society than a benefit.

Cedric Michel, a University of Tampa criminology professor, believes that the concealed carry of weapons should not be allowed. Michel said, “It is not a good deterrent for crime and only increases the level of violence.” He has taken the required course to obtain a license and stated, “The course is not enough, and people do not understand the responsibility.”

However, he does believe that people have the right to keep weapons in their homes for protection.

According to city-data.com, in Florida and most other U.S. states, people are allowed to own weapons and carry them in their cars or keep them in their homes without a permit.

A Florida concealed carry The risks outweigh the license instructor and retired member of the U.S. Air Force, Colonel Benjamin Findley, wrote on USACarry. com, “The training to get your concealed carry license is usually minimal, nonpersonalized in large classes and not in-depth enough to effectively train you to defend yourself or your family in critical situations.” I have to wonder how many people taking the basic course actually understand that they are taking on a large responsibility with only the minimal amount of training. Findley added, “You need to regularly seek out additional one-onone training from qualified instructors in the classroom and on the range and then practice and practice again the fundamentals they teach you on your own or with a shooting buddy.” If concealed carry is going to be allowed,

this extensive amount of training should be required, not just suggested.

I do not believe in the practice of concealed carry and feel that it should be illegal. However, if it is to continue, the criteria needs to be adjusted. The minimum requirements for the permit should include greater instruction and longer training sessions taught by qualified instructors. If people are going to be allowed to carry weapons in any public place they should be extensively trained on how to shoot a firearm and should have to attend training every time that they renew their licenses. These people should also be required to go through lengthy background checks and psychological evaluations in order to be deemed fit to acquire a permit and carry a weapon.

However, there are those that feel concealed carry should be allowed, at least under certain conditions. Haylie Moeller, a public health major said, “The Second Amendment gives us the right to bear arms,” but stated it “shouldn’t be allowed for ex-felons or those with substance abuse problems.” I understand that the Constitution gives the right to bear arms to U.S. citizens, but I feel that it was written in circumstances very different from today. When the Constitution was written in 1787 people needed to have weapons available for units such as the minutemen to function and provide protection for the colonies from threats. I do not feel that this need extends to citizens in public places, when today we have local police forces for security and law enforcement.

According to Scientific American,

krazydad/jbum/Flickr.com

benefits of carrying a concealed weapon.

the increase of more lenient concealed carry weapons regulations are growing in tandem with rising gun ownership.

In addition, there are larger numbers of states considering legislation that would permit the carrying of concealed weapons in bars, churches and on college campuses. Whether or not lenient gun control laws and the concealed carry of weapons add to the increase in gun violence is highly debated, but either way, both trends are a cause for concern.

Concealed carry gives people easier access to weapons and allows guns to be more hidden in public places with a minimally trained populace. This dangerous and unacceptable practice should not be allowed to continue.

Elaina Zintl can be reached at elaina.zintl@spartans.ut.edu

14 NOVEMBER 8 2012 | THE MINARET

OPINION

Global Warming: Not a Myth, Real Threat to the Earth

By AVERY TWIBLE Opinion Writer

In the past year, the United States broke 25,313 heat records, according to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), which leads to the idea of global warming. Global warming refers to the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide emissions that enter the atmosphere and trap heat inside, close to the Earth’s surface. Joseph Courier determined in 1824 that the greenhouse effect occurs when heat and light energy from the sun’s rays can enter the atmosphere, but are kept from leaving, like the glass walls of a greenhouse. But as shown by a poll done by CBS NEWS, approximately 44 percent of Americans do not see this global warming as a problem, or even abnormal and do not believe there should be world limitations on the amount of carbon dioxide emissions we produce. Many countries around the world like Sweden and Costa Rica are on the path to becoming “green,� where they use fewer non-renewable fossil fuel sources like coal or oil in an attempt to reduce their carbon footprint, according to the Huffington Post’s Top 10 Green Countries. However, the U.S. becoming a “green country,� could be difficult with 44 percent believing there is no real need because global warming is not a problem.

News sources such as the Huffington Post, the Washington Post, Bloomberg Businessweek and The New York Times have all come out saying that Hurricane Sandy is directly related to global warming and climate change.

I believe Businessweek’s cover story of the week “It’s Global Warming, Stupid,� says it all.

However, not everyone agrees. “You can’t take one rogue event like this and start ascribing anything,� said David Robinson, Rutgers University professor and New Jersey’s state cli-

matologist, on science news website Live Science. Well, how about looking at the U.S.’s recent climate history. According to EDF, there was the snowiest January on record in northern U.S. cities in 2011, and in July 2012 more than half of the U.S. experienced drought conditions, making that month the “all-time warmest month of any on record going back to 1895 records.� Moreover, the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 cannot be forgotten and neither can the floods of 2010 in Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi, where 21 people died in Tennessee alone. “One rogue event,� seems to be a misspoken phrase, as there is clearly more than “one rogue event� that has devastated portions of the country. What event of mass devastation must occur for people to believe we have contributed to the cause of superstorms and can change the future climate?

Skeptics of global warming often say this rise and fall of global temperatures is natural, even cyclical and can be seen over the course of Earth’s history, according to Forbes. Such ideas are true, in a sense, but National Geographic says, “The average global temperature and concentrations of carbon dioxide (one of the major greenhouse gases) have fluctuated on a cycle of hundreds of thousands of years as the Earth’s position relative to the sun has varied. As a result, ice ages have come and gone‌ Now, humans have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by more than a third since the industrial revolution. Changes this large have historically taken thousands of years, but are now happening over the course of decades.â€? National Geographic is saying yes, these skeptics are right by saying what is happening now has been happening for centuries, but because of human contribution, the acts that were previously “natural-

ly occurring� are now being sped up tenfold. line of the United States, would be extremely So, did climate change cause Hurricane expensive, according to The Huffington Post.

Sandy? Not necessarily; hurricanes are natuInstead of admitting that carbon dioxide rally occurring emissions are a proband this is hurrilem and are directcane season. But ly connected to superdid the 90 million storms such as Hurtons (per day) of ricane Sandy that carbon dioxide cause mass destrucby human emistion throughout the sions, according country, it seems skepto National Geotics would rather regraphic, contribmain in denial and acute to the severcept the devastation ity of Hurricane that is, and will conSandy and the tinue to become, our abnormal locacountry. I don’t think tion being in the these skeptics can denortheast region ny that the remnants of of the United Sandy’s path are now States? Discovshambles, and was a ery News says tragedy with at least 40 absolutely so. dead in NYC alone, acAccording to cording to CBS News.

Discovery News, Would it really hurt if the greenanyone to become a theraphysessions/Flickr.com house effect con- Global warming has resulted in devastating consequences. “green� country in order tinues to cause the to help prevent further global temperature to rise, which has caused disasters? Even if the skeptics don’t believe that the ice caps of Greenland to melt a significant global warming is negatively effecting life as we amount, a “study has shown a one-meter sea know it and the future, do they really have to be level rise to increase New York’s severe flood- so opposed to improving the conditions of the ating risk from one incident every century to one mosphere and the air that we breathe? Stop being every three years.� That means the devasta- stubborn. You don’t have to admit global warming tion that’s being seen right now in one of the is occurring to accept that “going green� would most densely populated areas in the world, ac- not do any harm. On the contrary, it could help decording to Discovery, will be a normal occur- crease the causes of global warming and its conrence for the city. Furthermore, the blockades sequences, like the devastating Hurricane Sandy. that would need to be built as a safety precauAvery Twible can be reached tion, not only around NYC but the entire coast- at avery.twible@spartans.ut.edu

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THE MINARET | NOVEMBER 8 2012

OPINION

We Just Want to Know, Why?

The Death Star is getting a new pair of mouse ears: Disney buys ‘Star Wars’

major discussions. [Ford] wasn’t happy with it either. Look, the movie could have been George Lucas, director of the famous “Star updated. There was a reason it wasn’t universally Wars” films, sold his company Lucasfilm to accepted.” This goes to show when something Disney for $4 billion on Oct. 30, making this the has finished, it has finished. Do not resurrect largest buyout by Disney, according to The New what is already dead. The results of how the new York Times. Lucasfilm joins the list of companies film is received may not be what was intended. bought by Disney which include Marvel and While Lucas has positive outlooks on the Pixar. In light of Disney buying the film company, expansion of the franchise, Mark Fisher, who Lucasfilm announced that another “Star Wars” played Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy, trilogy was on the way, and Episodes VII, VIII has doubts. In an interview with Entertainment and IX will be in the works in the coming years. Weekly, he stated, “I was just gobsmacked.

The newest movie is said to be released in 2015, ‘What? Are you nuts?!’ (Laughs) I can see both according to the Washington Post. sides of it…there was a beginning, a middle and CEO and Chairman of Lucasfilm, Lucas, 68, an end and we all lived happily ever after and told USA Today, “For the past 35 years, one of that’s the way it should be… on the other hand, my greatest pleasures has been to see ‘Star Wars’ there’s this ravenous desire on the part of the passed from one generation to the next… it’s true believers to have more and more and more material.”

It’s apparent that Hollywood does not have any original ideas in movies anymore.

Many movies in the past couple years have been either remakes of other films, adaptations or sequels. The top grossing movies this year, according to boxofficemojo.com, fall under that category, including: “The Avengers,” “The Dark Pineapples101/Flickr.com Knight Rises” and “The Hunger Games.” While some of the movies Pineapples101/Flickr.com have been very well Star Wars’ good guys already won. Disney shouldn’t remake what’s finished. done, an original concept once in a while would not now time for me pass ‘Star Wars’ on to a new hurt anyone. generation of filmmakers.”

As an avid fan of “Star Wars,” I do not see However, I think there is no purpose in why more movies should be created. “Star Wars” creating more “Star Wars” movies. Other has been completed for a long time, noting that franchises may have had a positive reaction “Return of the Jedi,” the last “Star Wars” movie to a reboot, most notably “Star Trek” with a in chronological plot, was released in 1983. Darth 95 percent approval rate on the movie review Vader is dead; the story is over. The “Star Wars” website Rotten Tomatoes, but “Star Wars” should universe has expanded into books, comics, TV not get the green light to create more movies. shows and more. There is no reason to create Let’s not forget what happened when “Indiana more when all of this has already been done. It is Jones” got another movie. While the film got time to move on to other ideas and projects rather a critic review of 65/100 on the movie review than attempting to get more money out of older website Metacritic, fans had mixed opinions on movies. I would not, however, disagree with a the movie, overall getting a 5.2/10 fan review on “Star Wars” theme park.

Metacritic and a 59 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Sarah Garrity can be reached at sarah.

Even Shia LaBeouf and Harrison Ford felt the garrity@spartans.ut.edu movie was inadequate. LaBeouf told the Los Angeles Times, “We (Ford and LaBeouf) had

By SARAH GARRITY Opinion Writer

15

Apple releases the iPad mini an overgrown iPhone or a shrunken iPad. Advertisements for the new Apple product emphasize the smaller size, perfect for the on-the-go Apple user because, after all, the iPad is just too much of a hassle to carry

By JESSICA KEESEE Associate Editor

There is only one thing to say about the release of the iPad mini.

Why? Smaller than the original iPad, thinner than the iPhone 5 and with a 7.9-inch display that fits perfectly in your hand (unless you have obnoxiously tiny hands), the iPad mini is Apple’s answer to 7-inch tablets like the Kindle Fire, Nook or Google Nexus 7.

With two models, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi plus iPad mini: the pre-pubescent teenage methodshop.com/Flickr.com girl of Apple products. cellular, the iPad mini ranges in price from $329 to $659, outside of the house. Don’t even while the regular iPad ranges in get me started on carrying a 15-inch price from $499 to $829. As eWeek Macbook Pro. and other sources have reported, the Now, I understand some of the total cost of hardware for one Wi-Fi benefits for this micro iPad, at only 16 gigabyte iPad mini is $188, least compared to its 7-inch tablet yet it costs $329 to buy. That’s a competitors. The great thing about big discrepancy and a lot of money Apple products is the App Store, and for such a small package. After all, with the iPad and iPad mini, users I’m getting gypped of 1.6 inches of have access to over 275,000 apps from screen from the already expensive games to photo and video editing, regular iPad. words processors and all those cool The iPad mini is like a ones I see in Apple commercials prepubescent teenage girl, not quite where you can map out the stars and an iPhone (a girl), but not yet an iPad perform virtual heart surgery. Well, (a woman), at least size wise. It has that’s what the ads show. I would all the same capabilities as an iPad probably just play Angry Birds. but lacks the retina display boasted Other 7-inch tablets don’t have by several recent Apple releases, the expansive App Store that iPad including the fourth generation iPad mini offers users which makes and MacBook Pro. So what is the it a cut above the rest. But what reason for releasing a smaller iPad? distinguishes the iPad mini from its When I see the iPad mini, I see larger predecessor other than size?

Well, nothing.

I love my iPhone and think that Apple can do no wrong (well, except maps) but the iPad mini just makes no sense. Settle with an iPad or an iPhone, but if we keep miniaturizing these products they’ll be reduced to a speck of dust.

At least it will be easy to carry.

Jessica Keesee can be reached at jessica.keesee@ theminaretonline.com hawaii/Flickr.com

Society Forces Everyone to Go to College

By Elaina Zintl Opinion Writer

Terry Hartle of the American Council on Education, an umbrella group for colleges, told USA Today, “There is a strong positive correlation between education and income. The more you learn determines, on average, how much you earn. The public gets it, and they are rushing to increase their human capital.” This statement correlates with other recorded data: the National Center for Education Statistics reported that college enrollment has been rising since the fall of 2000.

According to CNN World, 25 percent of Americans that start high school do not graduate and 30 percent of high school graduates do not attend college right after graduation. Those without a high school diploma that find full-time work earn less than half of what a college graduate makes each year on average, whereas high school graduates earn more than

someone without a diploma on average, but only 60 percent on average of what a college graduate makes. The National Center for Education Statistics wrote that in 2010, a smaller percentage of young adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher were unemployed than were their peers with lower levels of education.

The stereotype that a good life necessitates a college degree is what has so many students rushing to college. People will often tell you that you cannot find a good job without a degree. Stefani Juric, a sophomore prevet major (who is attending college for more career options) says,“Careers are available for people without degrees. They won’t turn you away, but they’ll pick someone else that has [a degree] over you.” Juric stated that her parents, mainly her mother, would have been upset if she had not gone to college. Similarly, Chelsea Scourtes, a freshman art therapy major, said that

she is attending college “to get tools I know that I need to do what I want to do… which can’t be done without a master’s degree.” Scourtes believes that college is expected and that people go to college to make more money.

I believe that most students attend college because of their parents’ pressure or to obtain careers, and I admit that although a large part of me enjoys learning for the sake of learning, I am also earning my degree in hopes of a better future. However, in my semester here, I have learned that once students decide to attend college, they have larger problems to face, including deciding what they want to do for the rest of their lives and paying for their education afterwards. Gayle Ronan, a journalist for NBC News, reported that 50 percent of students who declare a major will change that major, with a majority of those students changing their minds more than once.

I believe that for some people, college is not a step towards their future and only lands them in debt. According to FinancialAid.org, the average student loan debt of graduating college seniors is $23,186, excluding PLUS loans. The New York Times Associated Press reported that 53.6 percent of college graduates under 25 years of age were jobless or underemployed last year and therefore not receiving the full worth of their degree.

I do not feel that parents should stop encouraging their children to succeed, but I do feel that they should not push them to further their education more than their future goals require. It does appear that most jobs require at least an associate’s degree, but students need to be careful of becoming overqualified while racking up debt. College has its merit, but the increasing amount of enrollment does not mesh well with the rising costs of tuition and unemployment rates.

16 NOVEMBER 8 2012 | THE MINARET

OPINION

Affirmative Action is Unfair for Majorities

By LAUREN RICHEY

or educational institutes. Abigail Fisher, a young, Caucasian woman The idea of affirmative action has from Houston, Texas has been been up for debate recently, and it is struggling with this type of injustice not a term many people are familiar for four years, as she was denied with. Yet the basics of this idea have acceptance to the University of been laced throughout America’s Texas because she wasn’t considered modern society. Affirmative action a minority. The university factors is literally taking factors like race, in race amongst other things throughout the admissions process, according to CNN. Affirmative action is even spreading into small businesses as well as with policies instated to benefit minority workers. This is not to say that minorities do not work as hard as everyone else, but merely to state that race should not be a determining factor in society. I thought we were trying to get rid of racial inequity, not promote it.

When Abigail Fisher was first denied admission to UT in 2008, she sued the school. The Supreme Court decided to hear her case this past October in order to determine whether universities that are attempting to

saxarocks/Flickr.com increase the numbers of Affirmative Action leads to reverse discrimination.

African-Americans and Hispanics in their student gender and religious affiliation bodies have gone too far and thus into account when considering violated the equal protection clause applications to areas of business of the Constitution, according to Opinion Writer

The National Law Journal. The stated that businesses can Supreme Court recently dealt with technically manipulate this another affirmative action case, system to work any way they Grutter v. Bollinger, in 2003, in want. New hiring goals or quotas which it upheld the University of can be set, such as 30 percent of the Michigan’s admissions policy to workforce in a traditionally male include the racial factor. I can only profession can be female by 2020. hope that this time around they There’s also the issue of reverse make the right and ethical decision. discrimination, in which majority With racial policies such as groups such as Caucasian males these, minority students are I thought we were trying to get rid of racial proving to be inequity, not promote it. less benefited than originally p l a n n e d .

According to CNN, the U.S. are treated unfairly due to policies Commission on Civil Rights stated, separating them from everyone “Studies show that using racial else. The white man is actually the preferences can hurt minorities one being discriminated against in by starting them out at the this scenario. Everyone’s trying be bottom of their class.” Because politically correct, but in the scheme of this, they are “much more of things, none of this is equal nor fair. likely to give up.” Essentially, The more evidence that is we’re setting them up for failure. brought to light, the more cloudy The idea of affirmative action the purpose of affirmative action is to provide equal opportunity appears to be. From our education to historically underrepresented system to the workplace, everyone populations, which by itself sounds is trying so hard to not discriminate like a good idea. Yet the extent to against minorities, that the majority which many organizations are taking groups are getting left out. America this idea is getting out of control. In a has to be careful not to turn it into job interview, a white man’s resume a socialistic type of country. Life could be fantastic and he could be is not going to be fair, and people well qualified for the position, but are proven less likely to succeed because the company requires a in life if everything is given to certain level of diversity, he could them. We can’t accommodate for lose that job to a less qualified everyone, and we shouldn’t have to. person of a different skin color.

Lauren Richey can be reached The Small Business Chronicle at lauren.richey@spartans.ut.edu

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   

THE MINARET | NOVEMBER 8 2012

Sports

17

Frustration Builds, School Spirit Slacks

By J.P. HANEY Sports Writer

As homecoming came and went this year for the University of Tampa, I could not help but wish UT had more school spirit.

I have heard similar sentiments throughout the years from more than a few students. When I turn on the television and see 100,000 people at the University of Alabama’s homecoming football game, I cannot help but feel envious of those students and alumni who come together and exhibit an overwhelming amount of school spirit. However, I understand that comparing UT’s school spirit to Alabama’s is similar to comparing apples to really well funded Division I oranges.

That does not mean that UT should give up on building school spirit. There are things that the UT community could do in order to improve our school spirit into something that we can all be proud of long after we graduate.

One of the best ways for UT to improve school spirit is through athletics.

Many students do not realize that we have some of the best Division II sports teams in the country at UT, while we also play against the best competition. However, attendance is usually an issue for many of our sports teams.

In my personal experiences, many of the people who attend sports games at UT do so because they personally know the players. Thus, one of my solutions to improving school spirit is that the students need to get to know the athletes on a personal level. If I were in charge, I would have some athletes table in Vaughn Center sporadically throughout the semester and give other students a chance to meet them on a personal level.

The UT Hockey team has tabled in the past and I even attended a game because I was able to meet some of the players.

Casey Budd/ The Minaret UT fans look on in indifference as the Spartan volleyball squad dominates. UT attendance can best be described as inconsistent.

I’ll admit that before I started interviewing athletes for The Minaret I had never had any interest in UT athletics.

In my time with The Minaret, I have tried to attend as many games as I can because I actually know the players and am interested in their performances.

The Athletic Department does a great job of offering promotions during the games, but in order for students to care about athletics they have to care about the athletes playing.

If we as a UT community can rally around athletics, then our school spirit can become one of the best things about our university.

J.P. Haney is a senior business major from Lexington, Ky. He can be reached at johnpatrick.haney@spartans.ut.edu.

UT needs more than just Sparticus to get students excited about athletics.

those who do not wish to invest in a costly gym membership is waking up at 7:15 in the morning or going late at night in order to workout in a less crowded environment.

The only real solution is that UT needs to build a new fitness center.

Rumors have circulated in the past of UT wishing to build a new fitness center later down the road once other construction has been completed. Nevertheless, the time to build a new fitness center is now.

There is a legitimate passion for fitness on UT’s campus that is not being properly fostered. Campus Recreation does a fantastic job in organizing intramurals for students, hosting various fitness classes on campus, and many more things to

promote fitness on campus.

Campus Recreation and the students of UT deserve a facility that reflects the passion for personal fitness that is prevalent throughout campus. The situation mentioned above is not one that students should be faced with if they are actively trying to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Understandably, any type of construction project requires the funding to do so. I do not have any solutions for how to go about securing the funding, but I am simply describing the need for such a recreation center. The university could use a new fitness center for a variety of purposes other than simply offering a

place for students to workout. One idea is there could be a smoothie bar or a café in the new fitness center, which would offer another food option on campus. Also, if the fitness center is large enough to accommodate non-UT students, then UT could charge membership fees and use the money to support Campus Recreation’s endeavors. Ultimately, the students and the university deserve a new fitness center to help further foster the passion for fitness on campus. The strengthened passion for fitness will not only create a healthier campus environment, but it will also create a happier one..

J.P. Haney can be reached at johnpatrick.haney@spartans.ut.edu.

No. 21 Women’s Soccer [13-3-4, 5-1-2]

No. 23 Men’s Soccer [10-5-1, 6-2]

No. 7 Volleyball [23-3, 12-0]

Leah Beilhart/ The Minaret

Fitness Center Needs To Work Out Kinks

By J.P. HANEY Sports Writer

The other day I walked into McNiff Fitness Center hoping to get a quick cardio session in. I had to study for my midterms and only had 30 minutes to spare. All of the cardio machines were full. When I went over to the free weight section of McNiff to do free weights in replacement of the cardio I originally wanted to do, all of the benches were full and there was hardly any room to breathe.

This is a familiar situation for many of the students at The University of Tampa who wish to workout during normal hours of the day. The only solutions available to

3

And Out

David Niepal

A brief rundown of Spartan sports

UT won its third straight SSC championship last Sunday when they defeated Rollins in penalty kicks. The Spartans earned the right to play Barry this Friday night at 7 p.m. in the South Regionals. Tampa won both contests against Barry this season.

Tampa’s SSC tournament was cut short when they lost to Rollins last Friday. The Spartans still had a good enough record to make the South Regionals and they earned the right to play Lynn this Saturday at 1 p.m. in Boca Raton. Lynn beat Tampa 4-0 the lone matchup this year.

The volleyball team has won 18 straight sets, and now has just four matches left in the regular season.

Although they are No. 7 in the nation, Tampa is the top team in the South region. The Spartans will host Nova Southeastern and Lynn this Friday and Saturday, respectively.

18 NOVEMBER 8 2012 | THE MINARET

SPORTS

Pro Sports

NBA Big Threes Kill League Credibility

By GRIFFIN GUINTA Sports Writer

Remember the glory days of the NBA? Though I’m not old enough to recount the late 80’s and early 90’s in great detail, I certainly have watched my fair share of documentaries and reruns of classic games to know it was vastly different from the NBA we have today.

When I think of the NBA’s golden age, images of Michael Jordan putting his team on his back night after night come into my head.

I remember the fierce rivalries that were fostered, the intense competition and the tenacity of all the players involved.

The NBA has always been a brotherhood, and Steve Nash always will be. But being in a brotherhood doesn’t mean you can’t have great competition and heated rivalries to pair.

Obviously, the NBA is still relevant today, but the structure of it is vastly different than it used to be.

As in all sports, larger market teams usually haul in more money, and therefore can attract big name free agents to their teams.

However, in other sports, the addition of one or two players usually is not enough to catapult the team to instant success.

Football, baseball and hockey all have much larger rosters and require a bevy of

solid talent, not just one superstar.

Two summers ago, LeBron James signed with the Miami Heat. Coupled with perennial stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, James easily cruised to two straight finals appearances after two seasons with the Heat.

By witnessing how the Heat won (dumping their roster for 3 superstars), it seems apparent that that is the new formula for success in the NBA. Sure, you can argue that any team should try to pursue the best talent possible, but I think this “Big Three” system has become blown out of proportion.

I’m not discrediting LeBron as a fantastic player by any means, but did Jordan ever leave the Bulls and team up with Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson to make a super team? No. He had some solid players around him (like Scottie Pippen) but they had to grow over time before becoming a phenomenal team.

In today’s world, it’s all about instant success. Gone are the days of building a team from the ground up and having more equal teams to enhance the level of competition.

When I look at this most recent offseason, I noticed that the Los Angeles Lakers are the latest team to join the “Big Three” sweepstakes, roping in all-stars Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to join the notorious Kobe Bryant in a quest for a title.

Once again, I commend L.A. for putting together a tremendous offseason, but is it really best for the league if the Lakers have arguably three of the Top 10 players in the

league on one team?

If you survey the NBA landscape, there seems to be an imbalance of power in terms of how many teams have superstars and how many do not.

Perhaps the one exception to this entire “buying the best players on one team” concept is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Unlike L.A., Miami or Boston, the Thunder do not have the same financial flexibility and had to instead grow their team from the ground up.

As a result of many years of growing as a team, the Thunder have homegrown superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook leading the charge back to the Finals this year.

Unlike other teams, Oklahoma City

didn’t just purchase an already established mansion, they had to build their structure brick by brick.

Maybe more teams should be like the Thunder and hearken back to the oldfashioned style of building a team. The NBA is still incredibly exciting to watch, but I certainly miss how the league was in its prior form. I miss the days of MJ and Barkley getting in each other’s faces, even if they were friends off the court.

I miss the Celtics-Lakers rivalries that pitted teams against each other, not just collections of free agents.

Griffin Guinta is a freshman communications major from Bradenton, Fla. He can be reached at griffin.guinta@ spartans.ut.edu.

wallyg/ Flickr.com

This mural, located in the Edgewater neighborhood of Miami, shows just how excited the city has become over the original “Big Three.”

Calhoun Calls It Quits, Leaves Legacy Behind

By MICHAEL PAONESSA Sports Writer

Growing up in my hometown of Hebron, CT, there wasn’t much to do.

As a kid, you don’t know much, but you develop interests and qualities throughout the development of your life that shape the person you are today.

See, I loved sports, and still do to this day. What killed time for me in my boring, old-school, farm town was playing and watching multiple sports.

Going outside on a cold fall day to shoot hoops in my cracked driveway for hours seemed as normal to me as breathing.

There wasn’t much to do in Hebron.

What helped shape me into the person that I am is a place 20 minutes away from my home. That place is the University of Connecticut. Connecticut doesn’t have a major men’s professional sports team.

In CT, one is usually a New York or Boston professional sports fan. So when I think of the sports that UConn has to offer and especially the basketball program,

ct senatedems/ Flickr.com President Barack Obama holds a Huskies jersey, next to Coach Calhoun and former UConn guard, Kemba Walker. The team visited the White House after their 2011 National Championship.

there lays a special place in my heart for the basketball team.

I feel a special bond to them that is hard to describe.

Growing up in CT, if you’re a sports fan or not, everyone knew the head coach of the UConn men’s basketball team, Jim Calhoun. This past September, Calhoun announced his retirement from the game of basketball, ending his 31-year collegiate coaching career.

Calhoun came to UConn after 15 years of coaching Northeastern University, a small but academically prestigious school in Boston, MA. Within years of taking over a UConn program that was below sub-par, he turned the Huskies into a respectable team and eventually a powerhouse basketball program.

Calhoun leaves with 873 career wins, sixth all-time amongst Division-I coaches, three national championships, one of five Keith Allison/ Flickr.com coaches to reach that mark, and many other Emeka Okafor is one of many NBA players to accolades that will make any trophy case have played under Jim Calhoun. feel claustrophobic.

But the most important thing Calhoun am today. leaves behind is all the memories and Calhoun has allowed me to have a emotional times that he was a part of that special bond with my town but most made me the person and sports fan that I importantly the state of CT that I will never am today. let go of.

People who are not a fan of sports I thank Jim Calhoun for providing me may think, it’s just sports, but sports help moments that I will forever cherish. Thank me and others feel a sense of pride and you, Jim for changing my life and for being emotion that makes young kids, towns, one of the best coaches of any sport, of all communities and states come together like time. a family as one.

Michael Paonessa is a senior In Hebron, CT there isn’t much to do. communications major from Hebron, Conn.

But what Hebron represents for me was a He can be reached at michael.paonessa@ place where I developed into the person I spartans.ut.edu.

SPORTS

THE MINARET | NOVEMBER 8 2012

19

MVP Race About More Than Just Power

By CONNOR ANTHONY Sports Writer

Keith Allison/ Flickr.com

Mike Trout - First Rookie With 30 HR, 45 SB 129 R, 49 SB, .326 Avg. - Phenomenal Fielder

The 2012 MLB season was historic for two reasons; the first triple crown season in 45 years achieved by Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera, and Mike Trout’s greatest rookie campaign ever. But come voting time, who should win the award for Most Valuable Player?

Here’s an argument for both and you can decide for yourselves. My decision was made well before the Giants demolished the Tigers last week.

The Case For Mike Trout Where to start on Mike Trout’s season?

In his rookie campaign he became the first player in MLB history to hit 30 homers, steal 45 bases and score 125 runs in one season. He led the entire league in Wins Above Replacemnt with 10.7, meaning without him, his team would have won 11 fewer games. He batted .326, clubbed 30 home runs and stole 49 bases.

In centerfield, he saved 23 runs according to Baseball-Reference.com and robbed a plenty of homeruns. Mike Trout is a five tool player. He is complete.

He showed power and though not as much as Cabrera, he is a leadoff hitter and getting that many home runs out of a leadoff hitter is incredible. He was only caught stealing five times and you can see not only speed on the base paths, but in centerfield where it’s hard to hit anything by him.

It’s harder to have as great a season as Mike Trout did and this being his rookie season and him being 20 for most of it

makes it more incredible. In addition, Trout played his first 20 games of the season in Triple-A and played 22 less games than Cabrera in the majors in 2012.

The Case For Cabrera Miguel Cabrera did what some people said could never be achieved again, winning baseball’s most prestigious award, the triple crown. The triple crown, if you don’t know, is leading the league in home runs, batting average and RBI. Cabrera’s stat line of a .330 average, 44 home runs and 139 runs batted in itself is a great season already, but even greater when he was the league leader in all categories.

Cabrera also posted a WAR of 6.9 and was second in the league in hits with 205.

This is one of the most dominant seasons in MLB history and Cabrera was .007 points away on his batting average in leading the whole MLB in average, home runs and runs batted in. He solidified himself as the greatest hitter in the league this season, and the real question is when will the triple crown be won again?

Verdict Though Cabrera’s historical season was spectacular, Trout trumps him in many ways that are beyond those three Triple Crown categories. There are awards handed out for the best true hitters in the game, but this isn’t one. A player’s value in this game goes beyond just the bat. Mike Trout should be the winner come voting time.

Connor Anthony is a sophomore communications major from Los Angeles, Calif. He can be reached at connor. anthony@spartans.ut.edu

Keith Allison/ Flickr.com

Miguel Cabrera - First Triple Crown Since 1967 44 HR, 139 RBI, .330 Avg. - World Series Runner-Up

Spartan Football All That’s Missing For UT TAKE YOUR SHOT

Week 9: Once 4-0 Cardinals Now 4-5 Standings

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The Minaret Sports Staff guess the NFL winners each week

By JORDAN LLANES Sports Writer

As I walked around campus a couple weeks ago, I noticed homecoming banners adorning the street lights.

I also saw some flyers on bulletin boards in Cass and Vaughn advertising homecoming weekend.

I asked some of my friends that lived on campus about it and they said that homecoming had just happened the weekend before.

There had been a parade, casino night and homecoming volleyball game.

Shouldn’t there have been some sort of school wide announcement or something? I also talked to some of my fellow commuter students and they also were not aware of the fact that homecoming had just happened.

Yet I also got the feeling, and both the residential and commuter students confirmed this, that a good portion of the student population, did not participate in the homecoming festivities.

What can remedy this problem? We already have an excellent sports program, and our teams are always in the middle of the action, winning games, titles and tournaments. The aforementioned volleyball team is one of the best in the nation, and just recently snapped its 35 game home winning streak.

Plus, the Martinez Sports Center just underwent a major, multimillion dollar renovation, with brand new athletic offices and training facilities. And I haven’t even gotten to the brand new lacrosse and intramurals field that will be ready in 2014.

There is only one answer: UT needs a sport that the entire student body can rally behind, as well as our alumni. And there is only one sport that can fit that bill: football.

“Football is a big part of college life and it promotes excitement about the school,”

said sophomore communications major Seannon Nichols. “People get excited about sports when football is big on campus.”

“Having a football team would be sick,” said sophomore communications major John Adams. “There isn’t that much school spirit here, and that the addition of a football team would definitely change that.”

When I talked about my friends at the big state schools like Florida State University, the University of Florida and the University of South Florida about the relationship between football and homecoming, they said football was the main reason why they celebrated their school’s homecoming, and the atmosphere of their school’s homecoming game is one of the best events of the school year.

Homecoming and football are forever linked, and it’s the reason why the sport is so integral in college athletics, and why our school needs it. In order to have a stronger sense of school spirit and unity, we need a football team.

Furthermore, football would allow alumni and families to see their relatives play. This in turn would help our school expand even more, allow us to admit more students, and offer more money in scholarships and grants to our students.

The key to having all of this is to bring back our once proud football team. Our team was a dominant presence on the Tampa Bay sports scene until the program ended in the 1970s, and it would be again, as recruits would want to come to our school in order to take part in a rich tradition and receive a great education in the process.

All we have to do is want it and get the financial support to start the program back up again.

Jordan Llanes is a sophomore journalism major from Tampa, Fla. He can be reached at jordan.llanes@spartans.ut.edu

MINARET

School Spirit [17]

UT’S SOURCE SINCE 1933

SPORTS

Eastern Fans Spoiled By Bias

By NATHAN KROHN Sports Writer

I was watching the opening Monday night game of the season in my dorm room, San Diego at Oakland, in what turned out to be an absolute thumping by the Chargers.

My roommate at the time, an East Coast resident who could care less about football or sports in general casually asked who was playing. “San Diego is playing in Oakland,” I responded. “Oakland?” he said. “Where is that?” “You don’t know where Oakland is?” I said masking my amusement. “No,” he said unconcerned with his lack of basic geography. “Is that in Idaho?”

In sports, the West Coast is for the most part ignored. But not just ignored, it is almost labeled irrelevant. Anything west of Chicago is basically a mystery to an east coaster.

It’s like some other world that you know exists but it is so unimportant and unconnected that there is just no point to it. Saying you live in Seattle is like saying you live in Uzbekistan, most people know it’s really far away but have no idea where it is or what goes on there.

On the West Coast, Sunday morning football begins at 10 a.m. Monday night football begins at 5 p.m., prime time for everyone sitting in rush hour traffic. Some Saturday afternoon summer baseball games begin at noon eastern time.

How can a fan watch their team play a baseball game at 9 in the morning?

Furthermore, every nationally televised game is announced in Eastern time. This sounds like a petty thing to complain about but having to calculate what time the game is going to be on in your area can get old quickly.

I fully understand that ESPN, NBC and all the major national network headquarters are in Connecticut and New York but they still need to be what they are, national networks… covering the entire nation.

While I gripe about an East Coast bias, I believe it is more of a big market bias and most big market teams happen to be on the East Coast, so over time it has transformed into simply and East Coast bias. Earlier in the year, the Monday night touchdownception in Seattle that put the Green Bay Packers at an unimaginable 1-2 record sent the sports world into absolute chaos.

Every word that was typed onto paper by a sportswriter was about that game, the replacement refs or how Goodell is ruining the sport. Sportscenter ran replay after replay, experts were flown in from around the world to break down the play. Even President Obama weighed in and gave his two cents.Three weeks ago when the Saints travelled to Tampa to face the Bucs, the game came down to a last second heave towards the end zone by Josh Freeman

Talk of the Town Student Voice Edition

NBA Big Threes [18]

Sports Writer Tired of Prejudice

By PAIGE SHALLCROSS

Sports Writer

The most frustrating part about the bias is not the time difference or the obvious absence of care for anything happening outside of New York. It’s the lack of respect for any smaller market team. I’m sure by now most of us have forgotten that the Oakland Athletics were actually in the playoffs this year and that the Jacksonville Jaguars are still an NFL team.

Things are bad and with superstar athletes ganging up on big market teams and it’s only getting worse. The Milwaukee Bucks have three nationally televised games this year; two of those are on NBA TV, which nobody has.

The New York Knicks have 28 nationally televised games. I don’t want to hear who cares about the Bucks comments because the Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis backcourt in Milwaukee is one of the most talented in the league.

At the end of the day, everyone everywhere just wants some respect. If I see the four interception-per-game Tony Romo-led Cowboys in the top 10 of the NFL power rankings again, I’ll lose it.

Small market teams want the respect they deserve.

Nathan Krohn is a junior sports management major from Bellevue, Wash.

He can be reached at nathan.krohn@ spartans.ut.edu.

Here’s your challenge: define the word sport. Is it the straightforward Webster Dictionary definition, “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment”? Or is it the clichéd teenage Urban Dictionary definition “America’s state-sponsored religion”?

When the general public thinks of sports they tend to have the professional leagues (NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA) pop into their heads automatically. But that is how the American brains are programmed.

Those sports are specifically made for the public to watch people exert themselves in a way for entertainment. And it’s true, they are enjoying to watch.

So when sports come into picture you either know what you’re talking about or you’re completely clueless. Admit it, you probably have those few friends who know nothing about sports; it’s okay that is what the wonderful channel of ESPN and is for; keeping you informed. And then there are people like us, sports writers, who keep the public informed too via the archaic newspaper. The problem that comes into play here is how judgmental the audience can be when it comes to sports. You have those people who think they are the only ones that know everything about sports and believe they are always right.

Then on the flipside you have the accepting people who don’t have a stick up their butt and know that there are other people out there who can be knowledgeable about sports too.

Yes, I am relating this to the gender gap because I am a female sports writer.

Obviously, I get so many weird looks from people when I tell them I am a sports writer because of that reason alone and girls have that “sports clueless” stereotype branded on them. I grew up in a practically all-male family so I know a lot more about sports than most people would think.

Yes I know what holding is and can spot it in football game and yes I know the difference between a curve ball and a knuckle ball so no I don’t like when the public goes all stereotypical when they hear I am a sports writer.

Before the public decides to create stupid social norms, they need to realize that they aren’t the only ones out there who know “everything” and females can also be knowledgeable about sports.

Paige Shallcross is a freshman marine biology major from Chicago, Ill. She can be reached at paige.shallcross@spartans. ut.edu.

Last week, St. Pete’s mayor, Bill Foster announced that the Rays can’t explore new stadium options in Tampa. This is a stubborn and irritating move that’s sure to inch my team closer to leaving.

-Miles Parks, Asst. Sports Editor

The only thing more stupid than a hockey lockout is three hockey lockouts in 18 years. A sport on the rise over the past decade is sure to regress as a result.

Hey, Gary Bettman. Quit.

-Miles Parks, Asst. Sports Editor

zachgibson/ Flickr.com This Raiders fan has to put up with 10 a.m. kickoffs and a horrendous Oakland secondary.

that was caught by Mike Williams as time expired (sound familiar?).

Not so fast, the referee ruled illegal touching on Williams who had been pushed out of bounds by the defensive player. The game was over, the Saints won, and aside from a few Bucs fans booing, nothing was heard.

A small market East Coast team got hosed and no one made a mention of it. Big market bias.

Keith Allison/ Flickr.com

The Bucks will be nationally televised just three times this season.

I hate Doug Martin. The dude has been unreal the last two weeks, rushing for nearly 400 yards and scoring six total touchdowns. Naturally, I played him consecutively in my fantasy leagues.

-John Hilsenroth Jr., Sports Editor