Vo l u m e
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January
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ut.minaret@gmail.com
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theminaretonline.com
Gasparilla 2013 See PIRATE FESTIVAL Page 4
The Jose Gasperilla sailed into Tampa Bay for the pirate invasion that took place at the Tampa Bay Convention Center before the annual pirate fest parade.
Stern Named New Provost Current Hamline administrator plans to arrive at UT in April
By MIA GLATTER
News and Features Editor
A new provost has been chosen to succeed retiring current provost Janet McNew starting in April. David Stern comes from Hamline University in Michigan where he served as vice president of academic and student affairs. As provost, Stern is in charge of curricular and research matters. Stern will do these things and also work alongside President Vaughn as an advisor on academic matters. At his previous position at Hamline University Stern “helped develop 10 new academic programs, oversaw regional re-accreditation, created an office of diversity integration and a Center for Teaching and Learning and increased external funding, including a $7 million consortial
In Other News...
grant to transform teacher education” according to ut.edu. Stern said he’s honored by the appointment to be UT’s next provost. “I look forward to joining President Vaughn and the faculty and staff of UT in building the academic programs to new heights marked by rigorous standards, a focus on student success and a growing reputation for excellence” he said on the UT website. An alumni of The University of California, Stern specialized in 19th and 20th century European philosophy and political philosophy. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa,
See PROVOST Page 2
2 UT Finds Glitch in Computer System 7 Freshman’s Debut Music Video Recieves 100K Views
10 The Strokes Hit the Mark with ‘One Way Trigger’ 11 Banning Guns Will Not Deter Criminal Violence
Taylor Sanger/The Minaret
Senior Business Student in Critical Condition After Hit-and-Run
By STEF CROCCO
News Writer
A University of Tampa student was the victim of a hit-and-run accident while crossing Howard Avenue in South Tampa early Sunday morning. Vincent Lanci, a senior and finance major at UT, has been in critical condition at Tampa General Hospital for the past week. His father, Al Lanci, said that his son is suffering from serious brain trauma, according to an interview with 10 News Tampa. “He is in and out all the time. Has no idea some days where he’s at, what he’s doing,” said Mr. Lanci. On Monday, Lanci, 21, went into surgery and was put on a respirator, but as of Tuesday, his mother told 10 News Tampa that he was removed
from the respirator and breathing on his own. “Everything is still little-by-little, hour-by-hour,” said Lena Gosik, Vincent’s cousin, to 10 News Tampa. Lanci was hit by a gray 2007 Acura TL 4-door sedan about 3 a.m. last Sunday while crossing Howard Avenue just south of North A Street. The sedan was last seen heading north on Howard Avenue near Interstate 275 and was missing its right-side mirror. It is believed that detectives with the Tampa Police Department may have found the car that hit Lanci in Brandon, according to 10 News Tampa. However, the police have not been
See HIT AND RUN Page 2
12 America Finally Lifts Ban on Women in News..................................2 Diversions.........................6 Combat A+E....................................7
17 Bolts Ecstatic as Hockey Returns to Tampa
Opinion............................ 11
Sports..............................17
M
NEWS + FEATURES
JANUARY 31 2013 | THE MINARET
MINARET
2
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joshua Napier
joshua.napier@theminaretonline.com
MANAGING EDITOR Chelsea Daubar
chelsea.daubar@theminaretonline.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jessica Keesee
jessica.keesee@theminaretonline.com
NEWS + FEATURES Mia Glatter, Editor
mia.glatter@theminaretonline.com
Yasaman Sherbaf, Asst. Editor
yasaman.sherbaf@theminaretonline.com
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
samantha.battersby@theminaretonline.com
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
STAFF WRITERS Stef Crocco Kirby Jay
UT Dining Finds Glitch in Computer System
Students unexpectedly charged for purchases made during fall semester By JESSICA KEESEE
Associate Editor
University of Tampa students discovered a series of unexpected UT Dining and Stadium charges over winter break that left many puzzled and others angry. A glitch in the UT Dining Services computer system was discovered in early January that kept some transactions made with credit or debit cards from being processed. When the glitch was discovered by C Board, UT Dining’s computer company, all unclaimed transactions were finally processed. Meaning purchases made with a credit or debit card from September to December that hadn’t been processed were all charged on one day, January 3, after the glitch was discovered and rectified. This left some UT students with hundreds of dollars charged to their bank accounts at one period and others facing overdraft fees from their banks. Commuter Trevor Hyssong was one of the students who discovered these charges to his account after hearing his friends had been charged. “I found out about it from one of my fraternity brothers on Facebook while we were on break,” Hyssong said. “I looked at my own bank statement online and there was about 10 charges at different times totaling around $150.” “My initial reaction was I was upset and it was frustrating,” Hyssong added, who thought he had been charged twice for earlier purchases. “There was a lot of confusion with no real answers.” Michael Duffy found out about the charges after his account was overdrawn, resulting in a $200 overdraft fee. “I was extremely frustrated with the university for not processing the transactions when they initially took place,” Duffy said. “I don’t think that’s fair to any of the students.” Duffy’s charges amounted to approximately $40, which emptied his bank account. “By taking out $40, UT overdrew my account, resulting in a fee of $200 and another fee that I believe was also associated with the overdraw, which was roughly $80,” Duffy continued. “Neither of these fees have been resolved yet, and I feel the university has an obligation to provide certain students with compensation.” Neither Hyssong nor Duffy contacted UT Dining Services, but Sharon Lerum, the unit controller
and human resources manager of UT Dining, received many calls from students who noticed the charges from January 3. “I handled all the calls,” Lerum said, who made sure to return every single call and answer any and all questions and concerns students had regarding the charges. Many students who contacted Lerum were concerned that their cards had been stolen or that they had been charged twice. “If they, for some reason thought that it could be a duplicate charge, I investigated it. I looked into their transactions, got with them and made sure they were happy about it,” Lerum said. “[Students] verified it was their transactions and it just never got processed when it should have been.” Some students who had overdraft fees resulting from the charges requested a letter that Lerum could send to their banks in order to refund those fees. “I did give them a letter that they took to the bank and I had several phone calls from the banks, calling me to verify if the story was true and I just confirmed it and then they were fine with it,” Lerum said. “I had no students come back and say, ‘Oh, they have a problem refunding the money’ or anything like that.” The glitch has been fixed and C Board has a new system in place for UT Dining Services to avoid the problem in the future. “They now have a report printing in the morning that tells us if, for some reason, the batches don’t go through to the processors, that we have a way to call them and say, ‘Hey, the batches last night didn’t go through. Can you fix this right now?’ and then they can go fix that,” Lerum said. “In the past, we didn’t have that.” Hyssong called UT Dining Services but never got an answer. “To my knowledge, as far as a PR issue, they’ve never said anything,” Hyssong said. “I feel like [for] something like that, we deserve an email to students.” Hyssong and Duffy will not be using their credit or debit cards at UT Dining now that this has occurred. “I don’t plan on spending any money here and if I did it would be cash and less that five dollars because I don’t trust their system,” Hyssong said. Jessica Keesee can be reached at jessica.keesee@theminaretonline. com.
COLUMNISTS
David Adams Alex Caraballo Hannah Webster Jack Whitaker
MORE INFORMATION THE MINARET is a weekly student-run publication at the University of Tampa. Letters to the Editor may be sent to editor@theminaretonline.com. To reach THE MINARET call 813.257.3636. Your first two copies of THE MINARET are free. Each additional copy is $1.00
Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/UT Dining Services
Some purchases made by students at UT dining with credit or debit cards from September to December were not charged until the beginning of January, casuing concern among students.
Stern set to replace McNew From PROVOST Page 1
Photo courtesy of loyolamaroon.com David Stern will take over as Provost in April.
Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa. “UT is pleased to bring in someone with such skill and expertise at a time when the University is growing and transforming itself,” Vaughn said on the UT website. “He will bring substantial leadership expertise to The University of Tampa in support of ongoing efforts to build a great university.” Mia Glatter can be reached at mia. glatter@theminaretonline.com.
Student in Critical Condition From HIT AND RUN Page 1 able to identify the person who was driving the grey Acura that night, so no arrests have been made. “You hit someone, you should be able to stay there and man up about it instead of being this coward to walk away. We’re just looking to make things right,” said Mr. Lanci to 10 News Tampa.
[
“You hit someone, you should be able to stay there and man up about it.”
-Al Lanci, father of Vincent
]
Lanci’s family is offering a $1000 cash reward in hopes of finding the person who was driving the car that hit his son. “We got a phone call 4:30 in the morning. We were on a plane at 7 o’clock to get here,” said Mr. Lanci. His mom, sister, and cousin have been by Lanci’s bedside since they flew from New York down to Tampa Sunday morning, staying at Tampa General Hospital every night. Anyone with additional information is asked to call Tampa Police at (813) 231-6130. Stef Crocco can be reached at stefcroccs@yahoo.com.
NEWS + FEATURES
THE MINARET | JANUARY 31 2013
Over 30 Students Sick with Flu
3
Vaccinations are running low as Wellness Center provides relief By KIRBY JAY
News Writer
The number of flu victims at UT multiplies as students return to campus just before the peak of flu season. “Over 30 students have been diagnosed with the ‘influenza like virus’ since the beginning of the second semester,” said the director and nurse practitioner at the Health and Wellness Center, Sharon Schaefer. The flu virus can come in many different forms, and is transferred from person to person by air circulation, as stated on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. According to Schaefer, if a student is diagnosed with the flu at UT, they are offered a prescription for an antiviral medication called “Tamiflu” and “given general influenza specific instructions.”. Patients receive fever control, fluids, a lesson on how to prevent the virus and given a note which allows them to stay out of class for five days. Linley Dunham, a sophomore allied health major, was diagnosed with the flu the morning after returning to campus. She did not get the flu shot this season and claims it is one of her “major regrets” this year. “It was awful getting sick here,” she said. “It’s been hard taking care of myself. I could barely make the trip to the Health Center the morning I got sick.” Dunham lives in Stadium Hall and this is the first time she has been violently ill away from home.
The Health Center provided Linley with an anti-nausea injection along with anti-nausea pills. “The pills saved me,” Dunham said. “I felt like I couldn’t keep anything down without them.” She didn’t have any appetite and had difficulty eating throughout her days with the virus. Dunham also mentioned the lack of fresh air in her dorm room. “I felt bad because I was really contagious and couldn’t do anything about it except spray Lysol.” Since the windows in residence halls are sealed shut, there was nothing her roommates could do except stay out of the room. As there is no cure for the virus, the Health Center can only do so much for sickly students. “Ideally the best recommendation is to get the flu shot!” said Schaefer. There are a very low number of flu vaccinations left at the UT Health Center, and Schaefer stated they have given out over 500 of them this year. The school insurance plan has covered all costs. When the Health Center does run out of these vaccinations, her suggestion is to make a trip to a Publix pharmacy. These will have to be paid for and then sent to an insurance company for reimbursement. The past weekend’s festivities may also be a threat to the health of UT. “We have actually be fairly lucky the spread has not been too bad so far, but normally we see a major influx after Gasparilla and all the new people and crowds in town for the festivities,”
Photo courtesy of Samantha Battersby The flu packs include hand sanitizer, cough drops, tissues and a pain and fever reducer.
Schaefer said. Schaefer also made clear that students should be constantly washing their hands, staying away from those who are clearly coughing and sneezing,
getting rest, exercise and eating healthy. “It’s not rocket science!” Kirby Jay can be reached at kirby. jay@spartans.ut.edu.
From the Jan. 21 to Jan. 27 reports
Open Door Policy Over winter break, several students reported damaged items and stolen food items from their rooms during winter break in ResCom.
Maybe Next Time He’ll Think Before He Cheats On Jan. 22, a safety officer’s personal vehicle was keyed while parked in a campus garage.
Get A Room, Literally On Jan. 23 at 3:43 a.m., a student was found sleeping in her car.
Reports compiled by Yasi Sherbaf
What Do You Say to Three Shillings and We Forget the Name? On Jan. 23 late at night. an intoxicated, disorderly non-student was arrested for trespassing after warning and providing a false name.
iKnow U Did It On Jan. 27, an iPad was taken from a room without permission. However, it was later found and was determined not to have been stolen.
The Center of Attention On Jan. 23 between 12:45 and 1:00 a.m., a student reported being robbed just outside of the campus grounds. However, investigation revealed the student lied about the incident.
On Tuesday, Jan. 29, Student Government met in Reeves Theater.
Show your school spirit! Tampa Tuesdays - win free prizes by wearing UT gear.
There is a home opener for UT baseball on Feb. 1 at 6pm, featuring Tino Martinez (UT alumni and Yankees 4x World Champion).
4 JANUARY 31 2013 | THE MINARET
NEWS + FEATURES
2012 2013 50 arrests 68 arrests 302 citations 131 citations
Beads, Booty & the Bay Tampa Embraces Pirate Life Photos on page 4 by Taylor Sanger
Observers lean on the wall of Bayshore overlooking the boats in Tampa Bay.
Mayor Bob Buckhorn walks the parade route throwing beads into the hands of eager parade attendees.
Two members of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasperilla prepare for the start of the parade.
Ye Mystic Krewe pirates of Gasperilla invade the city of Tampa Bay.
Boats lined the bay in hopes to catch a glimpse of the pirate invasion.
NEWS + FEATURES
300,000 attendees 1200 portable toilets 140 floats
THE MINARET | JANUARY 31 2013
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Top photo by Casey Budd. Bottom photos by Taylor Sanger. Top photo: There were over 300,000 attendees at this years Gasperilla Pirate Fest. Bottom left photo: The Budweiser horses started off the parade. Bottom right photo: Children carry the banner at the start of the parade.
6 JANUARY 31 2013 | THE MINARET
Diversions
Sudoku
The Weekend Update Premier College Night Jan. 31
Club Prana 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. Free
Touch: iPad Quintet Feb. 1
USF School of Music Concert Hall 7:30 p.m. $15, $10 seniors and students
Robin Williams Feb. 1
Ruth Eckerd Hall 8 p.m. $59, $89, $129
Pro Wrestling in Ybor City Feb. 1
The Orpheum 9 p.m. $15 PrintableSudokuPuzzles.net
Picture
WEEK of the
Photo by Taylor Sanger/The Minaret A woman and friends having fun at Gasparilla on Bayshore this past weekend.
To See As Artists See: American Art from the Phillips Collection Starts Feb. 2
Tampa Museum 11:00 a.m - 5 p.m. $5 for students
Einstein Food and Wine Feb. 2 MOSI 7 p.m. $70-$80
Great Urban Race Feb. 2
Raymond James Stadium 7 p.m. $40-$75
Guest Artist Concert: “Singing Tree” Feb. 2
Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values 7:30 p.m. free
Willie Nelson Feb. 2
Ruth Eckerd Hall 8 p.m. $49-$195
Taste of Spain Feb. 4
Spain Restaurant 5:30 p.m. $15 ahead of time, $25 at the door
Arts + Entertainment
THE MINARET | JANUARY 31 2013
7
Freshman’s Debut Music Video Receives Criticism and 100K Views
Ziona Wright/Facebook.com
By KELLY ST.ONGE
Asst. Arts + Entertainment Editor
University of Tampa freshman Ziona Wright posted a music video of her song “Invited” on YouTube less than a month ago. Today, it has more than 95,000 views. The song centers around having fun and confidence. In the video, Wright (she goes by Ziona as an artist) struts her stuff and dances around a pool, even jumping in the water toward the end. She also provocatively dances in the Howard Johnson’s laundry room with another UT student who agreed to be in the video. The lyrics chant, “I’ve got a pretty letter paper with your name engraved/ I’ve been runnin’ ‘round lookin’ for you all damn day/Imma show you I can get what’s in your pants excited/ because tonight, tonight, oh, tonight/ you’re invited.” She even gives a shout out to Tampa Bay and Miami later on in the song. While Wright agrees the lyrics are silly, she wanted the song to be easy to dance and sing along with. “I wanted to write something stupid and something catchy that people would be looking at and be like ‘wow, what is this?’” Wright said. Freshman film and business major, Alix Honda, said Wright’s music video was very funny, but he would have never guessed she was trying to be a serious artist. “The song itself I think is catchy–– not very well done, but definitely original,” he said. Wright said it took her two months to write the lyrics and was constantly changing them. It only took two hours to film the video and two weeks to edit. She made the video with the intention of getting noticed on YouTube, and it worked. Chelsea Handler featured Wright’s video at the end of her late night television show “Chelsea Lately.” Handler stated, “What you need though when you are a musician is more than just a song. You need a brilliant video to sell it and that video requires hot dance moves, a provocative wardrobe and exotic, very, very super sexy locations.” Handler showed a clip from Wright’s video and had dancers (people from her office) come out on the stage wearing rompers like the one Wright sported in her video.
Wright said she liked the segment. “I thought it was hilarious even though she was making fun of me,” she said. “It’s a big accomplishment. I’m proud of it and excited.” Sophomore government and world affairs major, Angenee Wilson-Gay, said she wasn’t a fan of the video. “It seemed like something you make when you’re in fifth grade with your friends and you’re singing karaoke,” she said. “It didn’t seem like she [Wright] was genuine. [It was] almost like a parody of something.” She thought it was a joke until someone told her about Wright’s intentions with the song. “I think it’s interesting that it made it all the way to ‘Chelsea Lately,’” Wilson-Gay said. “I don’t know if that’s something to be proud of.” Wright has found it difficult to ignore the negativity “Invited” has been receiving. The comments people posted made her depressed, initially, but she had to work through it. “I have to keep my head held high because most of those comments were from people who don’t know me, and they’re hiding behind a screen. That will always happen, so I try not to take it personally. I also don’t respond to them because it’s like I’m doing the same thing,” Wright said. “That video portrayed an image of me and as an artist. You have to take a risk, and that’s what I did.” “The one thing that I really want to stress is cyber bullying,” Wright said. “It isn’t real until it happens to you. Be ambitious about your own passions and dreams. I got death threats, and so did my family. It’s just awful.” Despite this, Wright is excited people are listening to her song and that she is being recognized. Another YouTuber even created an acoustic cover of “Invited.” Wright will continue to write music and wants to stay focused on the pop genre. She has more videos in the works and plans to become a more serious artist. “People have this image from that video [“Invited”], and I want to show them the more serious side. I am passionate about music.” She strives to be like her idols Ne-Yo and other mainstream artists such as Rihanna and Ke$ha. Kelly St.Onge can be reached at kelly.st.onge@theminaretonline.com.
zinonabinona/YouTube.com
Ziona Wright, a freshman at UT, has made it big on YouTube with her hit song “Uninvited.” The music video shows her dancing around outside and seducing a guy in the Howard Johnson laundry room. The video has received nearly 100,000 views and appeared on Chelsea Lately.
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JANUARY 31 2013 | THE MINARET
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
GASPARILLA FASHION By ALEXANDRA TOWNSEND Arts + Entertainment Writer
Gasparilla is anything but boring. A cacophony of parade floats, beads being thrown in the air and crowds meandering down Bayshore Boulevard make for an interesting time. This is everyone’s one-year opportunity to show off their most unique pirate attire and not feel like a freak. The day before Gasparilla, the University of Tampa held Pirate Fest outside Stadium Center. At one of the tables some students decorated their own white Tshirts with pirate slogans and designs. Some people cut the shirts up to make them seem more tattered. Other people bought official Gasparilla T-shirts from Walmart. A number of sorority and fraternity members also made group T-shirts to show their support. Many girls wore bandannas in their hair along with hoop earrings and brown boots––a cute yet classy pirate ensemble. Let’s not forget about the smoky eye. Crop tops donned with skulls also seemed to be quite popular at Gasparilla. The pirate look isn’t the only look that matters at Gasparilla. It can also be translated into a nautical or Native American theme. When walking around the parade, a sea of girls wore different types of high-waisted shorts and sailor tops while others dressed up in a more boho style. It can be interpreted in many different ways. Besides these outfits, some people really got into the pirate theme. There were a few people in full pirate costumes. It was impossible to walk by Jack Sparrow without running into him yet again two minutes later.
Photos by Taylor Sanger and Casey Budd/The Minaret
Clockwise from top left: Girls wearing their makeshift pirate outfits; Gasparilla goers trying to catch some beads; Captain Jack gets serious; a man sports his Gasparilla t-shirt; another pirate roams Bayshore Boulevard.
One guy even had on a bathrobe and a sailor hat. Ay, ay captain? Although there seems like there should be some sort of correlation between people’s costume and age, there is not, apparently. The majority of people that went all out were college-aged or older. Several middle aged women were walking around in full pirate gear, using the feathered hats as distractions to steal more beads. Sure, it’s not Halloween, but Gasparilla is a unique festivity by itself. Who doesn’t want to dress up and let loose their inner pirate? Alexandra Townsend can be reached at staddancer@ gmail.com.
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
THE MINARET | JANUARY 31 2013
9
Students Audition to be ‘MADE’ Over by MTV By ZOE FOWLER
Arts + Entertainment Writer
MTV’s “MADE” held a casting call at the University of Tampa last week. The Emmy award-winning series is a reality show that scouts for unique individuals who hope to rediscover themselves. MTV travels across the country to different colleges in hopes of making some students’ passions come to life. Head casting producer Nate Johnson has a team of people that research schools with a diverse campus and incentive to aid students in their endeavors. They came to UT last year and decided to come back for a second round. “I’ve always been really impressed with how the University of Tampa’s team has worked with MTV and is just really there for you guys,” Johnson said. Stamina, honesty and a challenge are the key components Johnson looks for in a potential cast member. “If you have a camera on you 24/7, you really have to be honest about what it is that you want to accomplish in your life,” Johnson said. While students waited in the Career Center to audition, they discussed the bundle of nerves they felt and why they chose to audition for the show. Kailee Baylor, a sophomore advertising and PR major, wants to be made into a TV host. She envisions herself working alongside E! Network’s anchor Giuliana Rancic. “I’ve always wanted to do something different within the entertainment industry, but I usually stay behind the scenes,” Baylor said. “If I learned how to break out of my shell and stop being so nervous, then it
would be a lot easier.” Freshman film major Joshua Munoz has a similar backstory. He chose to audition for the show with the hope of shedding his “awkward weirdness” for a more outspoken personality by being made into a spoken word poet. Baylor and Munoz have the desire to achieve what they view as unimaginable. But for sophomore allied health major Tavia Bell, being on MTV’s “MADE” is about expanding her cultural awareness. “I want to be made into having an interracial relationship,” Bell said. Before Bell came to UT, she was not exposed to diversity. The melting pot of cultures is what attracted her to the campus in the first place. However, she admitted that she doesn’t see many interracial couples around campus. “It’s one thing to say that we’re diverse, but it’s bad to say that we’re still in the same mindset as we were 30 years ago even though we’re the new generation,” Bell said. As a self-proclaimed risk taker, Bell wishes to be open-minded and wholeheartedly committed to new experiences. She hopes someone in an interracial relationship or a well-known dating guru can help make her dream come true. “MADE” is currently in its 12th season, but the scouting for season 13 is happening right now. Perhaps UT students Baylor, Munoz or Bell will appear in season 13. You never know who has the chances of making it. Zoe Fowler can be reached at zoe. fowler@spartans.ut.edu.
Casey Budd/The Minaret
MTV came to UT last week to hold auditions for their hit show MADE. Sierra Piggot auditioned to be made into a YouTube personality.
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10 JANUARY 31 2013 | THE MINARET
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
The Strokes Hit the Mark with ‘One Way Trigger’
By JESSICA KEESEE Associate Editor
The Strokes are at it again. It has been two years since the music world has heard from the cool rockers who released their new single “One Way Trigger” on Friday. Posting the track to their website for fans to stream and download, the new song is a triumphant return for the band who dropped their fourth album Angles in 2011 after a lengthy hiatus following a tour for their third album First Impressions of Earth. The new record begins with drummer Fabrizio Moretti whispering a hushed “One, two, three,” before a blast of synth and guitar welcome in lead singer Julian Casablancas’s high notes. Though not new to falsetto (Casablancas has stretched his vocal chords before in tracks like “Machu Picchu” and “Call Me Back” from Angles), the change of pace from Casablancas’s classic croon polarized fans who immediately took to Facebook and Twitter after the track’s release to sound off. Some fans praised the song as the next big Strokes hit while others were disappointed and confused, many attributing their reactions toward Casablancas’s falsetto and the overall change in style for the rugged garage band known for their muffled vocals and staccato rhythms. The new track has even been compared to A-ha’s 1985 hit “Take on Me.” What’s interesting is how resistant fans are to this new sound. The upbeat melody, peppy piano, cool synth and eighties tinge to “One Way Trigger” is reminiscent of 2011’s Angles and comparable to Casablancas’s solo album, Phrazes for the Young.
Angles was also met with mixed reviews by fans. Some felt as though the band had strayed from its rugged neo-garage rock roots (though The Strokes have made it clear that they have never even played in a garage). Angles was underrated, however, and proved the band’s growth and versatility which included the reggaelike “Machu Picchu” and classic rock inspired “Gratisfaction.” The album obviously pulled from Casablancas, guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture and Moretti’s solo and side projects, as Angles was the first album where the bandmates collaborated on all of the tracks together; previously, Casablancas was the principle songwriter. Despite the monumental influence of their debut album Is This It, an album that is to thank for a lot of the bands on the indie charts today, we can’t expect another Is This It after over a decade since it was released. The Strokes have grown up and so has their music. The pre-chorus of “One Way Trigger” has Casablancas singing, “You asked me to stay, but there’s a million reasons to leave,” in his familiar croon before belting out his falsetto in the chorus. With lyrics like that and the switching between croon and falsetto, “One Way Trigger” is both catchy and the kind of song I want to sing at the top of my lungs while cruising in my car with all the windows down. Billboard.com reported that the band will be dropping their fifth album sometime this year. If “One Way Trigger” is any indication of the future album, then The Strokes are certainly returning to their thrones as the kings of indie rock. Jessica Keesee can be reached at jessica.keesee@theminaretonline.com.
The Strokes/Facebook.com
Hearts Throb Over Tegan and Sara’s New Album By JORDAN WALSH
Arts + Entertainment Writer
You’re in the car with your friends, and they’ve got the radio on. The windows are
down, the volume’s turned up high and the latest Top 40 song blasts through the speakers. It’s a visceral reaction. You have no choice but to open your mouth and sing. But something is wrong, because you’ve
Tegan and Sara/Facebook.com
taken a second to actually think about the words that you’re singing. You put your head down (while still singing, mind you) and come to the conclusion that the song is, in fact, absolutely horrendous. Pop music, while seemingly more prosperous than ever, is dying. For today’s pop fan, it’s almost impossible to escape the constant sound of “baby, baby, baby, ohhhh” or any insubstantial variation of the sort. This is not to say that there aren’t diamonds in the rough. We all know that the release and subsequent success of fun.’s Some Nights last year was proof that good music can find a place on radio broadcasts. With this in mind, I see no reason why Tegan and Sara’s new album, Heartthrob, due January 29, shouldn’t be invading our airwaves in the very near future. Take, for example, the infectious and undeniably dance-worthy opening number “Closer,” a song that just begs to be introduced by any disc jockey. Boasting an absolutely huge chorus, “Closer” is the perfect representative for the duo’s seventh studio album (and third on major label Sire). Laden with infectious synthesizers and a sing-out-loud mentality, this first single is, simply, a darn good pop song. Nothing more, nothing less. The same can be said for most of the other tracks on Heartthrob which are all quite catchy (listen: the chronic earworm
that is “Goodbye, Goodbye”). However, unlike most pop artists, Tegan and Sara have far more to offer than just a couple catchy tunes. For one, they value honesty— that is, they actually write all of their songs, and it shows in their delivery. “Why do you take me down this road /if you don’t wanna walk with me?/why do you exist all alone/when you could just talk to me?” sing the twins passionately on the mid-tempo standout, “Now I’m All Messed Up.” While Heartthrob is an undeniable slice of pop greatness, there’s no denying the feeling that some of these songs might have been better had the electronics been toned down. Still, it’s difficult to miss the darker tones of The Con while you’re so enthralled in shimmering choruses and honest lyrics. I have to hand it to Tegan and Sara... Heartthrob is exactly what they set out to create. It is one that will show all of the other genetically engineered pop artists who is boss. Turn up the volume, pop fans. You can finally be proud. Jordan Walsh can be reached at jordan. walsh@spartans.ut.edu.
Critic’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
THE MINARET | JANUARY 31 2013
Opinion
11
Banning Guns Will Not Deter Criminal Violence By DAVID ADAMS Opinion Columnist
Americans have always had an obsession with guns. From our violent revolutionary origin through the Wild West pioneering days and into the 20th and 21st centuries, the right to bear arms has played an instrumental role in our formation, expansion and development as a nation. According to a July 2012 article in The Guardian, U.S. citizens own more guns than any other country in the world with an average of 88 guns per every 100 civilians. Yemen claims the number two slot with roughly 54 out of 100 people owning a firearm. Gun ownership is a cornerstone of American culture and was vital throughout our history. However, recently our gun culture has taken a dark turn. Several mass shootings occurred across the United States in 2012, resulting in dozens of deaths. On Dec. 14, a massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut left 20 children and six adults dead. In the wake of Newtown, Washington D.C. was forced to take action. On Jan. 16, President Obama asked Congress to begin considering new laws in an effort to stem gun violence. The president also announced that he would use his power to enact executive orders, which can make slight changes to existing laws. Among the new proposals are a ban on assault weapons, like the Bushmaster used in the Newtown shooting, and a ban on high capacity magazines. While no new laws have been passed yet, many gun advocates are viewing the latest political action as an attack on the Second Amendment. OrganizationsliketheNationalRifle Association are claiming that new legislation will be the first step in Americans’ loss of gun rights. As far-fetched as the NRA’s stance may be, I don’t believe that a ban on assault weapons or high capacity magazines is the proper solution to the issue of gun violence or mass killings. There are sociopaths and maniacs all across the globe that will use any available means to inflict the highest amount of casualties. Banning certain guns will not deter these people in any way. I believe that the solution is complex and involves several different aspects of American entertainment and culture. Owning a gun is a privilege and involves a great deal of care and judgment. In recent years, the responsibility that accompanies owning a firearm has been diminished through the sensationalization of guns in movies and on
TV. The glorification of guns can be seen in McVeigh and his accomplice, Terry Nichols, Before the bronze and iron ages there were every aspect of popular entertainment. Movies built the bomb from everyday materials stone clubs and slingshots. We have always like “Jack Reacher” and “Bullet to the Head” including ammonium nitrate used in fertilizer, loved weapons; they are the tools that helped us light up the silver screen and fill theater seats and nitromethane, fuel for race cars. Not a rise to the top of the food chain. Weapons are with patrons eager to see bullets flying. Video single bullet was fired during the bombing. as much a part of our culture as writing, spoken games like “Call of Duty” transform an average Between 1978 and 1995, Ted Kaczynski, language or art. Bans will not stop violence. citizen into a virtual professional killer. I’m not commonly known as the Unabomber, killed three I am against a ban on assault weapons and saying that violent games and movies should people and injured 23 more during his nationwide high capacity magazines, but I am all for changes be taken off the shelves, but I feel that to the way they are the portrayal of extreme violence with purchased. I believe little or no repercussions is entirely that more thorough false and leads to the desensitization mental screening of impressionable people. Children needs to take place who receive no real education on during the purchasing firearms only have these mediums to process. Whether it teach them what guns are all about. is on-sight screening Even before the age of widespread or a voluntary release movie violence and virtual combat, of medical records, kids ran around their neighborhoods I will leave that up with cap guns, Super Soakers and Nerf to Washington, but shooters, playing army or cowboys something more and Indians. Paintball and Laser Tag definitely needs to simulate firearms combat and are be done to ensure enjoyed by thousands of people. Red that assault type Ryder BB guns are a prized treasure weapons don’t fall of young boys whose mothers say into the wrong in protest, “You’ll shoot your eye ludwig simbajon/Flickr.com hands. I also think out.” Properly teaching our youth Sandy Hook tragedy sparks controversy over our nation’s gun control laws. there should be some about firearms will ensure that they form of mandatory don’t shoot their eyes out, or anyone else’s. bombing campaign. Kaczynski, a Harvard education that buyers must attend before I believe that we need to teach children the graduate, is proof that no amount of education can they are allowed to own certain weapons. value of human life and the serious consequences stop sick people from wanting to hurt others. He As a military veteran, I think it is of all types of violence. The responsibility of never used a firearm during any of his terrorist acts. a little strange when someone with no educating falls on the shoulders of parents, who Sept. 11, 2001. Four passenger airliners professional background wants to own need to actively monitor, and at times censor, the were hijacked by groups of Islamic extremists an assault rifle, but it isn’t my place to tell entertainment and information that their children and used as missiles against the United States. them that they aren’t allowed. Likewise, are taking in. If young people are taught proper Two flew into the World Trade Center Towers, I don’t believe that the government has use of firearms, the importance of their correct use killing 2,606 people. Around the same time, one the right to regulate which firearms people and to respect them, I believe a more violence- airline crashed into the Pentagon in Washington can buy without a justified reason like conscientious culture will result. Although I D.C., killing 125 people. Passengers aware mental incompetence or criminal history. believe that education will help the majority, there of the plans on Flight 93 attempted to Gun control is a sensitive subject and I are still people who want to commit violence. overtake the hijackers and were killed when understand both sides of the argument. The While their motivations can range from religion it crashed in a field in rural Pennsylvania. In tragedies in Newtown, Aurora, Happy Valley to madness, these people cannot be helped and all, 2,977 victims were killed along with 19 and countless others are proof that something no amount of gun legislation will stop them. terrorists. The 19 hijackers, armed with box needs to be done. But I am not sure whether Oklahoma, April 1995. A Ryder rental cutters, used no guns to overtake the planes. the answer is gun control legislation or truck filled with homemade explosives parked During all of the domestic tragedies mental health system revamps. The system outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that occurred between 1994 and 2004, needs a change, but banning guns is not in Oklahoma City. At nine in the morning legislation was in place banning assault going to stop violence. Open a history book, Central Standard Time, Timothy McVeigh weapons and high capacity magazines. thumb through some old newspapers or get detonated the bomb, killing 168 people, 19 of Humanity’s love affair with violence and online and you can see that for yourself. which were children under six. In addition to weapons is nothing new. Before firearms, David Adams can be reached 168 dead, more than 680 people were injured. children practiced archery and swordplay. at dadams@spartans.ut.edu
Gun Control Necessary in Light of Recent Mass Shootings By JESSICA FORTE Opinion Writer
The increase of violent mass shootings has become a serious problem in our country, from incidents in Tucson, Arizona; Aurora, Colorado and most recently Newton, Connecticut. Now Americans are debating if we should have stricter gun control laws to prevent these instances from occurring again. When Jared Lee Loughner walked over to a meeting held by U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords in an Arizona parking lot, he opened fired, killing six and injuring 14. This summer, James Holmes walked into a Colorado movie theater and started shooting. His attack left 12 dead and 58 injured. About a month ago, Adam Lanza broke into Sandy Hook Elementary School in a small Connecticut community and aimed at everyone in his path. His rampage left 26 dead, 20 of which were young children. According to CNN, “With the death toll at 26, the Newtown shooting is the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, behind only the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech that left 32 people dead.” According to the Huffington Post, in response to the recent shootings, President Obama unveiled 23 executive orders that
will hopefully decrease the amount of gun violence, which include a ban on assault weapons, universal background checks on gun buyers, a ban on video games that portray gun violence, as well as increased access to mental health treatment, due to the fact that mental illness is a frequent sign in mass shooters. ABC News reported that 53 percent of the country is for Obama’s gun control and 41 percent against, as of Jan. 24, 2013. However, many Americans argue against the president’s laws and are standing up for their Second Amendment right to bear arms. Groups like the National Rifle Association are making a full-fledged attack. The association’s Executive Director, Wayne LaPierre, released the statement,“Barack Obama, Joe Biden and their gun ban allies in Congress only want to blame you, vilify you, bully you and strip you of your Second Amendment freedoms.” A rather harsh comment about someone who said of his new policies, “This time we must do something to protect our communities and our kids.” The group also released a slanderous commercial in the past week, asking the question, “Are the president’s kids more important than yours?” The advertisement goes on to explain how the president’s children are
protected by armed guards at their schools, while other schools have gun-free zones. Obama was referred to as an “elitist hypocrite when it comes to a fair share of security.” I stand behind President Obama’s new gun control laws. It is important to know that these new laws aren’t banning guns altogether. The NRA is overreacting to a law that is aimed at stopping violence and mass shootings like in Newtown. It seems logical to enforce such laws when 20 innocent children just lost their lives. Hunting, collecting and self-defense are among the popular arguments against gun control. There is also the statement, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” However, “a trigger without someone to pull it will never induce carnage. But many triggers that can unleash many rounds make killing many people much easier and more likely,” claims The San Luis Obispo Tribune. The article also argued that people who are bent on violence will continue to hurt others even without guns. “They could use a car or a knife or a baseball bat. But cars, knives and baseball bats have valuable, primary uses and are not designed first and foremost as killing machines. Used correctly, they don’t kill people.” As for the ban on assault weapons, San
Jose Mercury News reported, “It specifically exempts more than 900 firearms used for hunting or sport, along with weapons lawfully purchased before the ban. No one is confiscating any guns. No one is attempting to regulate weapons used for legitimate purposes.” However, it seems difficult to think of a legitimate purpose for an assault weapon. There are special rifles designed for hunting and if someone is extremely apt about having a gun for self-defense, it would seem easier to have something you can carry around with you instead of a massive weapon. Even if people are law-abiding, responsible gun owners, even with background checks, it will never be impossible for a gun to fall into the wrong hands. What if someone were to have a background check, being cleared as mentally stable and given a gun, then become unstable? We could end up with another Tucson, Aurora or Newtown incident. Needless to say, the outcomes of these mass killings would’ve been different if guns weren’t in circulation. Had Holmes gone into the movie theater with a knife, or Lanza into the school with a baseball bat, a lot less families might be grieving. Jessica Forte can be reached at jessica.forte@spartans.ut.edu
12 JANUARY 31 2013 | THE MINARET
OPINION
President’s Inauguration Indication of America’s Progress
By ALEX CARABALLO Opinion Columnist
was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day, which celebrates one of America’s greatest civil rights icons as well as the 150th anniversary of the completion
Every four years, we come together as a nation to watch the president be sworn into office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building. This ceremony and all of its extravagance celebrates the peaceful transfer of power from one person to another or the reaffirmation of that power for another four years. Without any violence, bullets or bloodshed, the most powerful office in America is transferred to another. That is an incredible moment to behold. In the history of the United States, less than half of all presidents have been successful in being re-elected to a second term. Out of the 44 men to hold office, only 20 have been re-elected. President Obama was soundly reelected in November and began a historic second term at noon on Jan. 21. While the constitution required that the second nasa hq photo/Flickr.com term began on Jan. Obama is prepared to lead the nation for another four years. 20, precedent had the inauguration ceremony moved to the of the Capitol dome. For this nation’s following day since inaugurations are first African American president to not typically held on Sundays. Jan. 21 be publicly sworn in on the holiday was a special day not just because of celebrating Dr. King’s contributions the inauguration, but also because it to this country shows how far we have
come as a nation and as a people. While I was unable to attend the first inauguration, this time I was fortunate enough to attend the second inauguration and witness history in the making. No amount of words can begin to describe the atmosphere of the Inauguration. There was almost a feeling of magic in the air as a crowd close to a million people packed onto the mall to see America’s first African American president sworn in for a second term. The crowd that attended was the largest and most diverse group of people I have ever seen assembled in one location. The faces in the crowd were African American, Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, gay, straight, Republican and Democrat. Those faces resembled the diverse coalition that helped re-elect President Obama. This crowd was the coalition of the future, the coalition that will lead our nation to a brighter future. For most of the crowd, the only way to see what was going on was to watch the events on the jumbotrons that were placed along the mall. Despite only witnessing the actual events on a screen, nothing could replace the feeling of watching everything unfold with a million fellow Americans. The moment the president approached the podium to take his oath, the crowd erupted into a cheer so loud his words could not be heard. The swearing in gave way to President Obama’s second inauguration speech, which was historic, not only in its scope
but also in the topics he focused on. For the first time in history, a president used the inaugural address to push for the rights of gay and lesbian Americans. The president spoke these historic words, “America’s journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.” The president also mentioned climate change as one of the biggest issues of our time. “Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it.” Each of these lines brought louder and louder cheers and applause from the crowd. While this speech may undoubtedly be viewed as boldly progressive, it was, by far, one of his greatest speeches since President Obama took office. It set a roadmap for the country, not just for the next four years, but for generations to come. The next four years will not be easy and there are sure to be disagreements between the parties as large as ever, but it is imperative to remember what is important; that we are all, as Americans, in this together. Alex Caraballo can be reached at alex.caraballo@spartans.ut.edu
America Finally Lifts Ban on Women in Combat
By VANESSA RIGHEIMER Opinion Writer
Defense secretary Leon Panetta announced on Jan. 24 that the Pentagon will be dropping its ban on allowing women in combat. The rule was made in 1994 which restricted women from performing various roles in combat such as armor infantry and artillery. The Defense Department had already opened up 12,425 jobs to women last May, but with the entire ban being dropped, now over 230,000 new positions will open for women. This new change to the military represents yet another gender barrier being torn down in the United States. However, we still have to ask whether the safety of our armed women outweighs this new symbol of equality our country will display on the battlegrounds. According to a poll by The Huffington Post from Jan. 23 to 24, 45 percent of Americans favor allowing women in combat, while 21 percent stated indifference and 26 percent were opposed to it. I don’t believe we have enough information to make a concrete decision on the matter. For starters, we’d need to know exactly what the standards are to be allowed in combat. For example, the Navy SEALs require certain times to be met during a physical test which includes a 14 mile run, two mile ocean swim as well as a basic lifesaving test. The Army’s Delta Force puts potential candidates through an 18 mile allnight land navigation course in which a person must carry a 40 pound rucksack throughout it. Many opposed to women in combat believe certain standards already set in place will be lowered to help women pass those tests and be allowed to
position themselves on the frontline. sexism ... out of the military.” distributed. With these standards being ignored or By building equality among Lani Scanlan, an exercise taken lightly, thousands of lives could combatants, could that possibly help science major who is a third year be at risk. Panetta said in his speech, get rid of some of the sexism in the member of the ROTC program at UT “If members of our military can meet military or will it only make it worse? shared her thoughts on the matter. the qualifications for a job -- and General Martin Dempsey, chairman of Though she has no plans herself to be let me be clear, we are not reducing the Joint Chiefs, believes that allowing involved in combatant roles in the army, qualifications -- then they should have women in combat will positively Scanlan believes that women should the right to serve.” Of course, these affect the current environment of the be allowed to go out for a position are only words and we will have to military. He stated, “When you have if they choose. “I agree that the ban wait and see how it actually pans out one part of the population that is should be lifted and women who pass as women begin to apply for these designated as warriors and another part the standards and tests set for these positions. However, positions should be if these standards allowed to serve in remain as rigid and as combat,” she said. difficult as they are, “I personally think then it only makes that lifting these sense to allow women bans will positively who pass them to affect the overall serve in combat. camaraderie between We can’t look men and women in past the very culture the army.” of the military when Of course on top deciding if this of the standards set to dropped ban will end be allowed in battle, up being something other issues need to positive. In an be addressed as far institution where over as the small living half of the women quarters combatants have reported being will have to share. sexually harassed, as Those opposed to Israel Defense Forces/Flickr.com well as 25 percent “The more we can treat people equally, the more likely they are to treat each other equally.” women in combat saying they have been bring up the point that sexually assaulted, there may be times we have to take into consideration that’s designated as something else, I when military infantry are put in the that this new freedom given to female think that disparity begins to establish position where they have to strip down, combatants may help even fuel some a psychology that in some cases led to which may cause embarrassment and of the negative feelings towards them. that environment. I have to believe, discomfort that can serve as a possible U.S. Representative Jackie Speier the more we can treat people equally, distraction in battle. However, if these shared her opinion on these high the more likely they are to treat each issues are handled correctly as well as assault numbers in an interview with other equally.” Any form of sexual firm standards put in place, I believe USA Today stating, “It comes down assault is mostly rooted in the desire that allowing women in combat can to the culture. It hasn’t changed, for power over an individual. By turn out to be a positive change in our no matter what the generals or the giving the chance for women to hold military. secretaries of Defense say about zero the same jobs as men in the military, it Vanessa Righeimer can be reached tolerance. They have not scrubbed the seems that the power is being evenly at vanessa.righeimer@spartans.ut.edu
13 Education Board President likens Obama to Hitler in Facebook Photo THE MINARET | JANUARY 31 2013
OPINION
It was to protect us from a tyrannical fools that allow it to have such power. government, God forbid.” Admittedly The gun control argument has been Debe Terhar, newly elected Ohio this is quite an off-hand apology, but the most hotly debated topic kicking State Board of Education President, has an apology nonetheless. I don’t managed to upset quite a few Democrats really believe this woman in Ohio this January. According to her should have to apologize Facebook page, she was apparently at all for her own personal comparing President Obama to the opinion in the first place. Terhar’s decision to share Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. A picture of the dictator was posted along with this this particular post was quote: “Never forget what this tyrant misguided to say the least. The said: ‘To conquer a nation, first disarm radical nature of the meme its citizens.’ -- Adolf Hitler,” as stated is definitely not something by the Huffington Post. In response to appropriate for the head of this post, the 19 other board members an educational system to be Terhar resides over have been going publicizing. But this is about back and forth, attempting to get her as far as I will agree with the to step down from her position. These many people attempting to are the same board members who kick this woman out of office. had just unanimously re-elected her Terhar’s opinion against the into office. It was a small gesture of increasing support for gun political activism that has transformed control is not the main reason into an unnecessary controversy. she was almost removed Terhar was not the original creator from her position, but it has of the Hitler meme. This particular post resulted in an outrageous backlash against has been circulating around Facebook, public Sensitive Democrats as well as the rest of the Internet, for her. quite some time now, having been everywhere are claiming that originally posted by the Facebook page our public safety is declining Debe Terhar shared a Facebook photo that compared “Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children.” due to “extremists” like Terhar. Websites like The Daily Now this public page really is a demonstration of offensive material, Kos, have unleashed blatant ranging from naked women straddling attacks on Terhar calling her a “gun off the New Year. Due to the tragedy guns to children supporting confederate fetishist” and claiming that she is at Sandy Hook elementary, hearts flags, with a whole lot of swear among the many gun radicals out there are still bleeding for the children and teachers lost. An increasing amount of public figures are giving their opinions for or against the “Never forget what this tyrant said: president’s new gun control proposals. To conquer a nation, first disarm its citizens.” A new “inspirational” Public Service Announcement video has surfaced, in which celebrities like words thrown in for good measure. wanting to overthrow the government. Jamie Foxx and John Hamm are A public apology was released by And if this wasn’t ridiculous enough, claiming “it’s not too late” to stop Terhar according to The Columbus The Columbus Dispatch states that gun violence, according to CBS News. Dispatch, one that was called for by a Lima Republican, Ann Jacobs, is Immediately after this PSA, a different almost a majority of her Board of afraid of all the attention the board video went viral mashing clips of Education. Terhar stated, “I’m not is receiving “nationally from Jewish these celebrities using guns in popular comparing the president to Adolf leaders.” You have got to be kidding movies. The idea was that these Hitler. It’s the thought of disarming me. All of this from a Facebook million dollar actors and actresses had citizens, and this has happened meme? This is just another example of no problem exploiting gun violence throughout history. What’s the true the power a social networking site has for fame and profit. Is Terhar using intention of the Second Amendment? to cause a whole lot of trouble, and her now public opinion to gain fame By LAUREN RICHEY Opinion Columnist
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or profit? No, she is not. She is also not some crazy gun-activist or radical anti-Semite. Everyone needs to wake
Fresh Conservative/Flickr.com
Obama’s gun control laws to Hitler’s.
up and stop treating her like she is. The Governor of Ohio, John Kasich is at least on her side. “It was clearly a mistake, and she says it was a mistake,” Kasich told The Columbus Dispatch. Yet even with the governor’s approval, the State Democratic Party Chairman, Chris Redfern, will not let anyone involved rest. He even has managed to start a “Democrats’ Fire Kasich Fund” soliciting donations, claiming Kasich’s decision to support Terhar was irresponsible. Democrats everywhere are calling this poor woman a radical and an extremist, when the actions taken against her are in fact so ridiculously radical, that they lose their own credibility. The situation simply does not call for such absurdity. Lauren Richey can be reached at lauren.richey@theminaretonline.com
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14 JANUARY 31 2013 | THE MINARET
Sex and Love
By HANNAH WEBSTER Opinion Columnist
Not too long ago, I decided to leave my Netflix account on its own for the evening to venture out on a date. The suitor in question and I had gone out before and I managed to avoid enough critically embarrassing moments to be asked out again. The evening was going well. The nearly-full moon hovered above us as we strolled handin-hand through downtown, making the mood undeniably romantic. As we chatted our way through talk of family, friends and hobbies, politics began to rear its ugly head in the conversation. Context clues from previous meetings had given me a fairly clear warning that he was Republican—very Republican, whereas I tend to lean much more towards the Democratic side. The topic could have been avoided with one craftily distracting sentence, but I figured the truth was bound to come out anyway, so why delay? If my political opinions were a deal breaker, it was better to find out sooner rather than later to avoid wasted time, broken hearts, Ben and Jerry’s binges, etc. The word “democrat” came out of my mouth and I immediately noted a not-so-subtle sign of surprise, but my date quickly recovered by vocalizing his reaction instead of trying to hide it. Well, at least part of it. He was surprised, but not distraught. It wasn’t the end of the world, or the lovely evening we were having. But in the back of my mind, I wondered if it would stay that way. We’ve all heard the mantra of “opposites attract” used to describe ideal relationships. In fact, I think anytime I’ve dated someone who differed from me in any extreme
OPINION
Opposites Attract: Learn From and Accept Your Differences
way, that phrase would come up eventually, whether from a friend, family member or even myself. And the success of relationships with such differences usually depended on how extreme the opinion difference. For instance, if the biggest issue is that I’m passionate about frozen yogurt
ability to turn disagreements into a lively debate or even steamy sex, could you coexist comfortably enough with your partner’s different opinions to form a viable relationship? “Obviously, you have to have some similarities in personality,” said freshman communications
Taylor Sanger/ The Minaret
It is important to look past superficial differences and discover who a person really is.
and he is more of an ice cream guy, conflict should be relatively avoidable. But if it is something that comes closer to your heart and the morals you hold most valuable, both parties can become equally upset—and equally defensive. The conflict between two partners has the potential to create moments of angry passion that would surely result in hours of feverish lovemaking…at least according to a large portion of romantic comedies. But even if you did have the
major Melissa Pegley on the idea. “But in your differences, you can be very complimentary. If two people are really compatible, disagreements would simply lead to a compromise.” Outside matters of opinion, factors that set who we are in society can contribute to feeling similar or different to any given person. Things like income, level of intelligence, physical attractiveness and religious beliefs can all stand to either divide or unite two people. The phrase “we
were just too different” often appears when I’ve talked to someone about the demise of their relationship. And I know I’ve said it myself. I believe the answer lies not so much in what two people disagree on, but whether or not they have the ability to look past the surface— to see who someone really is, what they stand for and whether or not that is someone they want to be with. This could be as small as accepting the girl who makes strange noises when she eats because you love her ability to make you smile. Or it could be as large as accepting a man as the kind-hearted atheist he is while you very much believe in God. “There are situations that exist where people of different backgrounds can coexist,” said senior musical theater major Brandon Zimmerman on the idea of very different people having a functional relationship. “There are plenty of examples made in our pop culture that teach us to be tolerant and help us grow.” Being with someone who is very different from yourself will undoubtedly bring up instances that make you wrestle with your own beliefs or force you to confront issues you’ve been avoiding. Amidst the attraction you feel for your not-so-like-minded love, you’ll probably find yourself hit with some confusion. But we no longer exist in a world where the differences between two people mean they cannot be together. We are encouraged to learn from those who are different from us to become a more fulfilled person. Perhaps the idea that “opposites attract” plays into the other clichéd yet highly sought after notion of finding your other half. Hannah Webster can be reached at hannah.webster@spartans.ut.edu
Conservative Smoothie Shop Charges Extra for Liberals
By SAMANTHA BLOOM
change the fact that he is charging George Burnett opened the doors people more money for having a of his newest business venture, I different political ideology from his Love Drilling Smoothie & Juice own. Bar, on Nov. 7 last year. Since Burnett isn’t doing anything then, his little store in Vernal, UT illegal by charging this “liberal has attracted national attention tax,” but he is still violating one for his pricing system-all drinks are the same price, except liberals pay a dollar more. Burnett gave KSL news the reasoning behind this decision to base price off of political affiliation. “We have a fiscal problem in this country. To kind of help make that point a little bit, I charge [liberals] just a little more.” He claims that so far, all three liberal customers that have passed through have been “happy to pay the surcharge,” which is donated along with any tips received to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank that promotes Right-side policies. While the liberals that have made purchases from Burnett may have been alright with coughing up the extra AnneCN/Flickr.com dollar, that doesn’t Liberals’ extra money is donated to conservative causes. Opinion Writer
of the basic rules of being a decent human being--don’t be a jerk just because you can. It’s a brilliant marketing ploy, I have to admit. As a small oil town in Utah, Vernal has a high population of conservatives who are ecstatic about this “liberal tax,” and the word about Burnett’s business venture has made national headlines due to both the Conservative support and the Liberal outrage. News websites from foxnews. com to thehuffingtonpost.com have run features on I Love Drilling, and Conservatives and Liberals alike have flocked to the I Love Drilling Facebook fan page to voice their thoughts on Burnett’s business practices. The comment section is filled with opinions, some positive, others not so much. From “way to sock it to those welfare-loving liberals!” to “you suck,” people from all over the country have let Burnett know their thoughts about his business practices. Would it not have been enough to charge everyone an extra dollar, then donate all of the extra profits to a conservative cause? Was it really necessary to single out Liberals, and place all of the blame on them for the current state of the economy? One Liberal commenter took to the I Love Drilling Facebook page saying, “You can’t kick people
towards you. You widen the chasm between Americans. Shame on you.” Another commenter makes the point, “Turning the purchase of a smoothie into yet another polarizing act is not what America needs.” I can’t help but to to agree with them. One political party is not more responsible than any other for the state of our economy. While Liberals traditionally support welfare programs, which made up approximately 12 percent of the 2012 federal budget according to usgovernmentspending.com, Conservatives support an active military, with our defense budget consisting of 25 percent of the federal spending in the 2012 fiscal year. Can either party be entirely to blame for the current fiscal crisis, if both sides support different kinds of government spending? No. Not at all. Conservatives across the country are praising George Burnett for “sticking it to those cheap bastards” and “making them pay up” for voting Obama into office, as though an extra dollar spent on smoothies will make any Liberal more sympathetic to the Conservative cause. If Burnett’s goal is to get Liberals to understand the plight of the Conservatives, he’s going about it in the wrong way. Samantha Bloom can be reached at samantha.bloom@spartans. ut.edu
THE MINARET | JANUARY 31 2013
OPINION
15
Brazilian Prisoners Shave Time Off Their Sentences by Reading By JAKE KONISZEWSKI Opinion Writer
If you ever happen to be in a Brazilian prison and want to get out before your prison sentence is up, don’t dig a tunnel with a spoon you swiped from the cafeteria; open a book instead. Brazil’s “Redemption through Reading� program aims to address low literacy rates and overcrowded prisons by allowing prisoners to read books to earn time off their original sentence. According to Paul Koring of The Globe and Mail, the program will “slice four days off a convict’s time (with a maximum of 48 days a year) for every book read.� Convicts will also submit a book report on each book he or she has read. Sao Paulo lawyer Andre Kehdi, who also heads a book donation project for prisons, told Reuters, “A person can leave prison more enlightened and with an enlarged participation of the world.� There are parts of this plan that I like. As someone who enjoys reading, I see no problem in promoting reading among illiterate people. Books allow people to escape into faraway places and observe important issues. Mariano Castillo of CNN reports that according to the ministry of justice, “Nearly half of Brazilian inmates -- 46 percent -- have not completed more than nine years of basic education. More than 26,000 prisoners (five percent) are illiterate.� Reading, along with education programs in prisons, will help prisoners find work after being released. However, I do have some questions and concerns about the program. According to The Globe and Mail, “Only certain inmates will be eligible
for the program, but Brazil plans to try it out with some of the nation’s toughest criminals at four highsecurity prisons.� I do not think those in prison for crimes like rape and murder should be able to shave time off their prison sentences. If I or a friend or family member was raped or killed and the person responsible for the crime got out early because he liked to read Hemingway, I would be furious. Those convicted of smaller,
literary classics and scientific and philosophical tomes, among others.� As CNN mentioned earlier, almost half of the inmates in Brazil have less than nine years of basic education. How do prisons expect inmates to get through “War and Peace� or “Pride and Prejudice� if nearly half lack even a high school education? Even in high school and college classes, teachers discuss the books with the students in order to help them understand the
Casey Budd/The Minaret
A book report on “The Yearling� could earn a prisoner 4 days off their sentence.
nonviolent crimes, especially first-time offenders, should have the opportunity to participate in this program, not the guy who axe-murdered a family. Another part I found iffy was the list of books the convicts may read in order to earn time off their sentence. According to CNN, “The book available to inmates will include
text. None of the information I have come across discussed the possibility of help from a teacher figure. I cannot help but also make the comparison to summer reading in high school. In both cases, you are stuck with a list of thick books you have no interest in reading. I admit I liked a couple of books I had to read in high
school, but I had to drag my eyes across each page for the other books. Failure to complete the reading or the homework that came with it would result in something bad. While students have to deal with a bad grade, prisoners lose an opportunity at early freedom. Four days might not sound like much, but if I were in prison, I would do anything to regain my freedom as soon as possible, even if it meant having to read “The Sun Also Rises� again. Although books can be powerful, Brazil is overestimating the effects of reading. According to YaleGlobal, “Research shows that literacy reduces recidivism among prisoners.� Recidivism is the likelihood one has to continue or fall back into certain behavior. In this case, it refers to criminals continuing illegal behavior. While a book can change a person’s view on a subject, I doubt most prisoners will stop a life of crime just because they read “The Great Gatsby.� They could enjoy the book, but as far as I know, there are no books that exist that stop a person from committing crime after reading it. If such a book existed, the world would probably know about it by now and there would be a lot less crime. Brazil has something good going with this reading program in terms of increasing literacy. Ultimately, while reading is a skill everyone should have, I do not see the program lowering recidivism among prisoners. A prisoner may be more likely to visit a book store, but in most cases, I do not see a good book decreasing recidivism. Jake Koniszewski can be reached at john.koniszewski@spartans.ut.edu
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16 JANUARY 31 2013 | THE MINARET
OPINION
Subway 11 Inch Scandal: America Thinks Size Matters By AVERY TWIBLE
identical, and although the bread was just get thrown out, but just think how Subway allows you to pile high your supposed to take the shape of the slots much wasted bread that would be. vegetables on the sub with no limit. If you’ve ever heard a commercial on they were put into, sometimes it was Yahoo! News states ,“Legal experts In my Subway experience, I would television for Subway with its trademark like they had a jingle “Five-Dollar-Footlong,” you’d will of their own. probably walk into your local Subway Acting as restaurant expecting to get a footlong rebellious teenage that is, well, actually a foot long. bread loaves, they This was the expectation of an would usually do Australian teenager, Matt Corby, when as they pleased, he purchased a Subway footlong in Perth, sometimes spilling Australia and decided to measure it, over the side of the finding that it was only 11 inches in length. pan, sometimes not He published the photo to Subway even reaching the end Australia’s Facebook page with or filling the entire slot. the caption “subway pls respond,” This is by no according to The Huffington Post. means an acceptable The post got over 100,000 “likes,” explanation or excuse and “comments,” and sparked a flood for the estimated of similar posts from around the world. four out of seven 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 As a former Subway employee, footlongs in the I remember that to bake the NYC area measuring bread, sets of pans were used. less than 11 inches in Graphic By Justine Parks/The Minaret These pans had rows of rectangular length, according to There are currently three lawsuits against Subway in the US seeking over $5 million on the grounds of false advertising. slots for the bread to go in, and when The Huffington Post, the baking process proceeded, the but I can understand bread would rise within the slots and that at least some wouldn’t measure said Subway may argue that the have to guess that to satisfy consumers, all come out perfectly the same shape. up to the estimated expectations. average length of the Footlong is 12 Subway would just make the pans longer, inches and that only some fall short.” but use the same amount of dough to This sounds like a reasonable bake the bread so it would spread out Some might ask why those rebellious loaves argument but a difficult one to prove. further but wouldn’t actually give the that come out incorrectly don’t just get thrown Sure, 100 footlongs could be customer any more volume of food, just out, but just think how much wasted bread that measured, and the average may a larger surface area to please the eye. would be . come out to be 12 inches, but then I also have to believe that the a different hundred footlongs could Sandwich Artists (Subway’s technical Or so that was the idea. Some might ask why those rebellious be measured and the average may term for sub-maker) would just spread Rarely did any two loaves look loaves that come out incorrectly don’t come out to be 10, 11 or 13 inches. out the meat and other ingredients Each sample within the sub to stretch it out to would differ, and fit the “extra inch” of bread, giving thus it seems it it the appearance of more food. would be difficult to I certainly agree with the lawsuits convince customers arguing the principle of false advertising that their missing on Subway’s account, but to say that inch is justified. customers are missing out on a hugely So has Subway lost significant half inch, or inch, of food, its customers’ trust? is a dramatic over-exaggeration on Well, no one the pain and suffering that consumers seemed to mind the in an already obese America inch that was lacking are supposedly suffering. before Corby’s photo, The online Examiner says, but now that the cat “It seems unlikely that any judge is out of the bag, they would award someone a settlement are arguing that size when all sandwiches are made to does, in fact, matter. order, to a person’s specifications.” Three separate I completely agree with this lawsuits against statement. So what if you’re not Subway (or Doctor’s getting 12 inches length-wise? Associates Inc., You can choose what meat, cheese and Subway’s parent vegetables you want on a bread flavor company) have begun of your choosing, and then you can pick in the United States. every vegetable on the board and tell them There is one current to put extra of it all, for no extra cost! lawsuit in Chicago, Any Sandwich Artist will put a lawsuit in New exactly what you ask for on your Jersey and a lawsuit sub, even when it’s impossible in Philadelphia, to close the sandwich at the end. according to They only have an additional charge Yahoo! News. for extra meat and cheese, and since According to those are the more fattening ingredients the Maine Sunday on the sandwich, I believe they’re Telegram, Nguyen doing us all a favor in that sense. Buren is the Subway’s slogan is “Subway, eat fresh.” person filing the They attempt to promote healthy lawsuit in Chicago. eating, but ironically with rampant obesity Tom Zimmerman, in America, three different lawsuits have who is the lawyer come up against them seeking over $5 representing Buren in million in “compensatory damages” for the case, says, “This is the clients, according to Yahoo! News. no different than if you Personally, I think they should just bought a dozen eggs make Subway change their advertising and they gave you 11.” trademark of the “footlong” sandwich, In this argument, pack on the extra vegetables sky high and I feel a bit compelled be content with the low prices offered to disagree. for nearly a foot in length of food.. I see how the I don’t think an extra bite of food principle is similar, is the difference between being hungry but one egg is a and being satisfied. But apparently bigger loss than one for some customers, size matters. inch when you take Avery Twible can be reached into account that at avery.twible@spartans.ut.edu
Opinion Writer
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THE MINARET | JANUARY 31 2013
Sports
17
UT Baseball Eyes Championship By PAIGE SHALLCROSS Sports Writer
With the start of the season this Friday, Feb. 1, the University of Tampa’s baseball team is looking forward to a successful season and possibly having back-to-back SSC championship titles. This year the team has recruited a lot of young talented players that are eager to step onto the field and play. Coach Urso, who is beginning his 13th year as head coach of the baseball team is
Andy Ming/ Tampaspartans.com
Zach Gawyrich led the Spartans in batting average last season (.365).
looking forward to the season and what is to yet to come. “I can’t wait to see how the offense will come together this year and how the boys will develop as a team,” said Urso. “This year we have a lot of good players and a good mix of right and left handed batters. I am really excited for this group and they have already took to a lot of challenges so hopefully that will lead to a lot of wins and the championship again.” Coach Urso isn’t the only person excited for the upcoming season. Left handed pitcher Ben Brown and outfielder Connor Obrochta are also prepared for what looks to be a season full of expectations. “I absolutely think the team is prepared for our first game,” said Obrochta. “Coach Urso has been getting the position players ready; Coach Sam has been getting the pitchers ready and we have been playing in inner squads every week so I feel like we are ready to take on the season.” The Spartans are ranked No.4 in Division II baseball to begin the season. “We have a lot of good returning players and a lot of good new guys
especially with hitting so I think there is a good chance we can win the SSC again,” added Brown. With another talented team this year, Coach Urso focused on keeping the players healthy during the preseason. “This time around we worked with the pitchers slower than usual because we had a lot of injuries in the fall,” stated Urso. “We want them to stay healthy through the entire season so we have them ready to pitch 3-4 innings instead of the usual 5 innings.” Along with having healthy players, Urso, Brown and Obrochta all have very similar goals for the upcoming season. “Our number one goal is to win another national title,” said Urso. “We have high expectations because we have another really strong group and a good bunch of new players.” “My personal goal is to stay more consistent throughout the season,” added Brown. “The team wants to start off winning conference and then going on to the national championship, which is the ultimate goal here.” Since the National championship is in
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reach for the Spartan team again this year, they are sticking to what they have always been doing and hope they can achieve what they are striving for. “I don’t really have any expectations, just playing hard like we have been every year,” said Obrochta. “We have a great staff, pitchers, hitters and players so we’re just looking to play hard during every game and win another national championship.” The first Spartan baseball game of the season is home, this Friday Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. Paige Shallcross can be reached at paige.shallcross@spartans.ut.edu.
Bolts Ecstatic as Hockey Returns to Tampa By JESSIE LEHRBAUM Sports Writer
Welcome back Bolts nation. Many of the fans here may be as excited as the players who returned to the ice. We got a chance to talk to some of those players who may not have performed the trademark Anchorman jump, but had some very excited emotions just the same. With adrenaline rushing, fans have been buying seats to make each and every game so far a sellout, while players have been fighting using theirs, giving fans the entertainment they were deprived from. What’s hockey without a few missing teeth? With referees giving out multiple 10 minute misconduct penalties with only nine seconds left of the game against the Senators, the season continued to get rougher from there as three fights broke out within the first 10 minutes when playing the Flyers. This past weekend, two tight games took place against the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers with the Lightning winning both. The opportunity was presented to ask both Lightning and Flyers players what their reactions were to the end of the lockout as well as what some of their lockout breaks held. Forward Ryan Malone spent his summer and break with “his boys” and also his family which he said was very nice. “My reaction was saying ‘finally,’ and then I realized I had about 14 days to get ready,” said Malone. “Everyone was excited and we all thought it could have been resolved a long time ago, but we’re all happy to be back on the ice and obviously the fans make it even better.” While many of the Flyers players showed off their lockout beards, they were elated as well to be back. Forward Danny Briere said the first thing he did was text his sons and told them the news. “My kids were happy about it, but so was I,” Briere said. “Big smiles everywhere in my house, I was happy to
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Bridgetds / Flickr.com
Steven Stamkos comes into the 2013 season as a favorite to lead the NHL in scoring. The 22-year-old hasn’t finished a season with less than 45 goals since his rookie year as his game-winning goal total has increased every year he’s been in the league as well.
You don’t realize how much you miss the game until it’s actually gone.
-Lightning Forward Steven Stamkos
be home. At the time, I was waiting to go back to Germany, but it’s nice to stay home.” Teammate Mike Knuble who recently signed with the Flyers felt the pain of the fans. “We could sense that there was a brewing and it was coming to an end,”
Knuble said. “They wouldn’t cancel two years in a row. We’ve been led down that road many times and a lot of people went to bed when nothing was building, unfortunately most being the fans, so waking up on that Sunday, guys were pretty happy about it.” For the Lightning, leading scorer
Steven Stamkos, also known as “Stammer”, never seemed to stop playing from the moment their season ended last year. “During the break I got to play hockey with my dad and spend time with people in Toronto,” said Stamkos. “I was shoveling snow, which was cool at first; I hadn’t been around snow for a while, but I knew I’d much rather be here playing hockey. You don’t realize how much you miss the game until it’s actually gone. So when I found out the news, I was screaming on the inside. I’m really happy to be back.” Jessie Lehrbaum can be reached at jessie.lehrbaum@gmail.com.
18 JANUARY 31 2013 | THE MINARET
SPORTS
Snubs Abound As All-Stars Announced By GRIFFIN GUINTA Sports Writer
It’s that time of year again. On February 17th, basketball studs from across the country will pack their bags and head to Houston for the NBA’s annual popularity contest, also known as the All-Star Game. Plenty of stars, though, will not be making the trip. These individuals are what we like to call the “snubs.” Snubs (in most cases) are absolutely deserving of an All-Star bid, but are slighted because either they did not garner
Keith Allison/Flickr.com
A new member to “Club Snub”, Stephen Curry leads the Warriors this season with 21 PPG and 6.4 APG, but couldn’t garner an All-Star bid.
enough fan votes, or were passed up by the coaches’ selection. In the current format, the starters are selected by the fans, and the reserves by the coaches and managers, respectively. This idea is baffling to me, as it seems far more rational to just use one method or the other. Why vote some of the players in based on popularity, while less popular players have to depend on coaches to vote for them? Personally, I think that fan voting should be scrapped in general. I know that the NBA is big on “fan interaction” and whatnot, but some fans are simply going to vote for familiar and well-liked faces, rather than players who are actually deserving of an All-Star distinction. Unfortunately, when it comes down to it, most professional sports organizations are looking to placate their fans, the primary source of their revenue. As a result, they are hesitant to remove fan voting in fear that they will alienate their loyal customers. Here are a few things the NBA may want to think about when considering how to select their All-Stars each season: First of all, fan voting is incredibly unfair to less popular players that are putting up incredible statistical seasons. Take Warriors guard Stephen Curry for example. He leads his team in points and assists this year (20.9 PPG, 6.6 APG) and is one of the most dynamic guards in the league. Yet, when the official All-Star rosters were published, Curry’s name was nowhere to be found. Which brings me back to my main point; fan voting turns the All-Star game into a popularity contest. Savvy veteran Kevin Garnett is making his 15th All-Star
appearance, despite only averaging around fourteen points per game on a struggling Boston Celtics team. To add, Garnett was selected to start over players such as Tyson Chandler, Brook Lopez and Deron Williams. Some may scratch their head at this, as all three of those players mentioned are currently putting up better statistics and playing on winning teams. Garnett, however, is a far more popular player and in turn notched a starting spot ahead of them. Additionally, fan voting ultimately punishes players that play on smaller market teams. To no one’s surprise, the entire Eastern Conference starting lineup is comprised of two players from Miami, two from Boston and one from New York. (All big market cities). That was of course before Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo suffered his Keith Allison/Flickr.com season-ending injury. Now David Stern Brook Lopez sports a 52% FG percentage this gets to select the fifth starter. I’m almost season but Kevin Garnett was selected by fans. positive that somewhere a Milwaukee fan is crying on the inside. the same notoriety as some players do? A quote from Shaquille O’Neal sums The All-Star game may be just a up the entire idea of fan voting pretty well: publicity stunt to hype people up about the “It’s a political system. Yao Ming was league, but people take the title of All-Star never better than me, but he was always very seriously. Being an All-Star means that voted a starter.” you’re performing at the top of your game, While some may find this arrogant on that you are surpassing all expectations and Shaq’s part, he’s absolutely right. Yao was carrying your team to new limits. a solid player, but his league wide fame Let the coaches and the experts pick all accounted for much of his success. of the team, not just part of it. That way, it Look, I get it. Fans want to see the will be a measure of talent, not celebrity stars come out on All-Star weekend and status. All-Stars should be measured on television stations want good ratings. But the valiance of their play, not how many should other players be robbed of the jerseys they sell each year. opportunity to start or compete in All-Star Griffin Guinta can be reached at griffin. weekend simply because they don’t garner guinta@spartans.ut.edu.
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THE MINARET | JANUARY 31 2013
19
Super Bowl XLVII: The Brother Bowl Will the real Harbaugh please stand up?
By CONNOR ANTHONY
By JORDAN LLANES
Sports Writer
Sports Writer
2008 was the year it all came together for the Baltimore Ravens. Former Head Coach Brian Billick was fired following the 2007 season after a 5-11 record and they took a gamble on former Eagles secondary coach John Harbaugh. They traded up in the draft to take quarterback Joe Flacco with the 18th pick, and made the steal of the draft when they took Ray Rice in the second round, 55th overall out of Rutgers. This offseason gamble ended up building a Ravens team that could be successful for the next decade. Baltimore has made the playoffs every year since 2008 and has already been to two AFC title games and now earned their first super bowl appearance in this new era. Joe Flacco has proved that he can win in the playoffs. So far this postseason his numbers are incredible. Eight touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating of 116. His most impressive performance came against the Denver Broncos in the AFC divisional game. He threw an 80-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds left in the game, forcing two overtimes before a field goal secured the game for Baltimore. The Ravens have played well on the road this postseason. They beat the top two teams in the AFC. First the Broncos in the game of the year, before going to Foxborough and absolutely annihilating the Patriots, 28-13 to get revenge for last year’s AFC Championship game loss. As a team that finished 10-6, they were tied for the worst record for a playoff team. However they have one thing that every team not named New England had, experience. Between the momentum of rattling off three straight playoff wins, and the experience they have, they can easily beat the 49ers. Starting with captain Ray Lewis in his last game. Lewis has already won a Super Bowl (XXXV) and with 17 years under his belt, he will know how to rally his troops. Though he is 37, he hasn’t slowed down too much. Through the playoffs, his tackle totals have been 13, 17 and 14, respectively. The Ravens are renowned for their defense, but this season, it has been less than impressive. They finished the season 17th in the league against the pass and 20th against the run. Throw the numbers aside for a moment though. The Ravens haveone of the greatest linebackers ever leading the middle, future Hall of Famer Ed “The Ball Hawk” Reed leading the secondary and Haloti Ngata leading the defensive line. The question in this game will be can the Ravens aging defense hold up against the 49ers explosive offense? Chances are it can. Connor Anthony can be reached at connor.anthony@spartans.ut.edu.
Coming into this season, the San Francisco 49ers were already seen as one of the league’s top teams. After a 6-2 start that included wins over NFC foes Green Bay and Seattle, the 49ers lost starting quarterback Alex Smith to a concussion in a Week 10 tie against the St.Louis Rams. So coach Jim Harbaugh made the decision to go with second year pro Colin Kaepernick against the Bears the next week. Boy, did that decision pay off. Since becoming the full time starter in Week 11, Kaepernick has a 7-2 record, and has added an explosiveness that lacked under Smith. Take a look at his two playoff wins as an example. In the divisional round at home against the thirdseeded Packers, Kaepernick ran for an NFL postseason quarterback record 181 rushing yards as the 49ers read option offense designed by offensive coordinator Greg Roman around the young QB consistently frustrated the Packer defense. Then, San Fran flew into Atlanta to take on the top-seeded Falcons. All week, Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and his players were asked what the game plan was to stop the dynamic quarterback, but nothing came from their mouths. Whatever it was, it certainly helped keep Kaepernick in the pocket, as he rushed for only 21 yards. But no matter. The second year pro played like a 10-year vet, using mostly his arm to lead the 49ers from a 14 point deficit in the second half to win 28-24 and punch their ticket to face the AFC champ Ravens in the Big Easy. Despite the offense’s new found explosiveness, the San Francisco defense is still this team’s backbone. The defensive line, led by Pro Bowl end Justin Smith, is one of football’s best at generating pass rush and defending the run despite only consistently bringing three rushers each play. The linebackers are the heart of this group. Led by All Pros Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman on the inside, with pass rushing outside backers in Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks attacking the opposing offensive line most plays, all four linebackers are often around the ball. Because these first two lines of defense are so good, the secondary shines even brighter. The foursome of cornerbacks Carlos Rogers and Tarell Brown, as well as safeties Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner, can cover and hit with the best of them. The 49er defense is arguably the league’s best, much like it’s counterpart in Baltimore. However, this defense is still in its prime and hungry for its first Super Bowl title, which it will capture come February 3rd. Jordan Llanes can be reached at jordan. llanes@spartans.ut.edu.
Talk of the Town Professional Sporting News in the Region
Maryland National Guard/ Flickr.com
John Harbaugh plays it cool for the Ravens.
Football Schedule/ Flickr.com
Jim Harbaugh leads the Niners with intensity.
TAKE YOUR SHOT Final Showdown: John vs. Jordan Standings John [29-21] Jordan [29-21] Nathan [27-23] Shawn [26-19] Miles [25-25] Connor [26-24] Paige [22-28] J.P. [20-30]
vs. Ravens
49ers Miles Shawn Jordan
John Nathan Connor Paige J.P.
The Minaret Sports Staff guess the NFL winners each week
Baltimore
San Francisco
619,493
Population
812,826
Charm City
Nickname
City by the Bay
Baltimore Sun
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Crab Cake
Famous Crab
The Lightning have started their season off strong, getting out to a 5-1 start, while averaging almost five goals per game. They play next on Friday, Feb. 1, when they host the Jets at 7:30 p.m.
San Francisco Chronicle Dungeness Crab
The Rays haven’t made any blockbuster free agent signings this season, but they’ve quietly solidified some lineup holes. They recently aquired 2B Kelly Johnson and OF Shelley Duncan.
The Bucs had an impressive showing in last weekend’s Pro Bowl. WR Vincent Jackson caught two touchdown passes, RB Doug Martin rushed for a score and DT Gerald McCoy recovered a fumble.
MINARET
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SPORTS
Baseball Begins [17]
Bro Bowl [19]
A Tale of Two Seasons Men’s basketball opens 12-0, then falters
By MILES PARKS Asst. Sports Editor
For a moment there, they were the hottest squad in Division II college basketball. The University of Tampa men’s basketball team began the ‘12-’13 season with a dozen straight victories; some in overtime, some by more than 30 points. Talk about a change of pace. Losers of six of their last seven, the Spartans now sit eighth in the Sunshine State Conference out of nine teams. Their defense has slipped and their offense, so reliant on the three-point shot, has disappeared entirely at times. All of it culminating in a 91-65 drubbing at the hands of SSC rival Florida Southern on January 23. So what is the issue? The eight point decline in three-point field goal percentage? The Spartans’ lack of consistent lowpost play behind junior Vincent Cornu? Defensive mental gaffes? “Well if we knew the answer to that,” said UT Head Coach Richard Schmidt, “we’d be magicians I think.” To analyze the Spartans’ (13-6, 1-6) struggles, it’s important to first put their opening hot streak in perspective. Although the 12 wins did lead to the team peaking at No. 20 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II poll, they
were against much lesser competition than the SSC teams they face now. Many of the teams they beat now sport sub-par records, including Fort Valley State (6-11) and Clark (3-14). That’s not to completely discredit the wins, as it was still the second best start for the program in school history. Shaw University, who UT beat 82-81 in December, is the best team the Spartans have played all year according to Coach Schmidt. Although their ranking may have been
premature, the perfect start gives reason to believe that this 1-6 cold streak might not be an accurate reflection of the team’s potential either. Lead by transfer junior leading scorer Da’Markco Foster and Anthony Griffis, who’s returned to the team after missing the ’11-’12 season, the Spartans can score the ball when they’re able to hit jump shots. On Jan. 5, in a game they eventually lost to Rollins, the Spartans jumped out to a 25-12 lead with just over 11 minutes to go in the first half. This was thanks to five
M. Basketball: Fading Fast First 12 Games
Last 7 Games
Record
12-0
1-6
Points Per Game
78.5
63.9
Field Goal %
46.6 %
39.3 %
Assists Per Game
15.9
12.1
3-Pt %
39%
31%
Opp. FG %
42.5 %
47.1 %
All stats from the University of Tampa’s Sports Information Department
straight three-pointers by Foster, Griffis, and senior Callum Townsend. The same three players proceeded to miss their next eight three-pointers, as Rollins took a 3229 lead into halftime, and eventually won by six. “When the three-ball is not falling, the defense can sink the floor on us a little bit, and cut off driving lanes,” said Foster, a transfer from Daytona State College. After explaining the technicalities of the scoring drought, he echoed an explanation that Coach Schmidt also mentioned: a lack of mental focus or drive. “We just don’t have that sense of urgency that we should have as one of the last teams in the conference,” he added. With games against last-place Florida Tech and non-conference foe Palm Beach Atlantic looming, the Spartans have a prime chance to get back on track. Whether they can do that, coming off of three straight losses, remains to be seen. “We’ve kind of been in a downer,” said Coach Schmidt. “We go through stretches where we just can’t make any shots and we don’t really know why. We’ve just run into some problems and we’re just not playing very well.” All stats accurate as of 01/29/13. Miles Parks can be reached at minaret. sports@gmail.com.
Women’s Basketball Bogged Down In SSC Play By J.P HANEY Sports Writer
For most teams, being classified as a “young” team is just a term used to make excuses for inconsistent play and a lack of team chemistry. For the University of Tampa women’s basketball team, being a “young” team has brought upon a rejuvenation of sorts for the program. With only two returning players from last year’s team, it was important coming into the 2012-2013 season that the incoming players were able to establish chemistry with each other and play at a high level from the beginning. A positive aspect of gaining new players is the incoming players were not around to experience the failures of the year before. After finishing the 2011-2012 season with a dismal 11-16 record, it was important to Head Coach Tom Jessee that this season would represent a fresh start for the program. Fortunately, this season has
3
And Out
A brief rundown of Spartan sports
been just that for the team. The Spartans kicked opened up the season by winning 10 consecutive games, which even earned them a spot within the top-10 of the Division II National Rankings. “Not any one person has made the team successful, it is the whole group,” Coach Jessee stated. “Defense has been the key and has kept us alive in the ballgames.” The team’s lone Senior Moriah Hodge has helped lead the team’s resurgence through her strong leadership and her motivation to improve on last season’s disappointing record. “Coming off of our record last year, it was a challenge to build off of that and completely wipe last year away,” Hodge commented on the team’s strong start to the season. “With new recruits you would think it would be difficult to play together as a team but we were able to overcome that as well.” While the Spartans started off the season strong, the team hit somewhat of a rough patch once conference play began.
Since entering SSC play, the Spartans have lost four of their first seven conference games. Their struggles have been compounded by an injury to starting Moriah Hodge guard Shamika Williams that’s kept her out of the team’s last two contests. “Familiarity is the most challenging aspect of conference play,” stated Coach Jessee on the team’s recent struggles in conference play. “In conference play teams scout you better and teams know you better.” The SSC is one of the more difficult conferences in Division II. For women’s basketball in the SSC, coaches of the different teams engage in frequent game
tape exchanges whereby all of a particular team’s game film is made available to whichever coach wants to scout that team. Thus, teams are able to become overly familiar with opponents and are thereby able to more effectively game plan. In order for the Spartans to maintain their success so far, they will have to play smart and together. With more success comes more scrutiny, so teams will be stepping up their game in order to defeat the Spartans. “The recent losses made us wipe the chip off our shoulder after our 10 game win streak,” commented Moriah Hodge on the lessons that can be learned from the losses. “The losses have shown us we need to keep working hard so we can play better when we play those teams again.” The Spartans next game is a home matchup with Palm Beach Atlantic on Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. All stats accurate as of 01/29/13. J.P. Haney can be reached at johnpatrick.haney@spartans.ut.edu.
No. 4 Baseball [0-0, 0-0]
No. 25 Women’s Basketball [12-4, 3-4]
Men’s Basketball [13-6, 1-6]
The UT baseball team is geared up to start the season after going 3810 and winning the SSC last season. The team is the preseason favorite to win the conference again. This Friday at 6 p.m. they will begin a three-game home series against Bentley University.
After sprinting out of the gates, the women’s basketball team has calmed down a bit lately. They are currently two games behind SSC leaders Florida Tech and Nova Southeastern. With nine conference games remaining, the Spartans are still very much in it.
Tampa won a record 12 straight games to start the season but has since lost six of its last seven. Three out of the first four losses were by six points or less but the last four have been worse. The team looks to get back on track this Saturday at 4 p.m. against Palm Beach Atlantic.