MINARET UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA’S NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1933
THE Vo l u m e
80
Number
6
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October
3,
2013
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ut.minaret@gmail.com
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theminaretonline.com
UT Club Bands Together to Save Historic Bro Bowl By JESSE LONG News Writer
Leah Beilhart/Tumblr A Member of the UT surf club enjoys the Bro Bowl at Perry Harvey Sr. Park, which is in danger of being demolished.
The City of Tampa is working to renovate Perry Harvey Sr. Park, while incidentally having to tear up the “Bro Bowl,” a skating attraction that has been with the park since it opened in 1978. These plans for redevelopment have created a spark among the local skate community, and many local skaters are taking a stand to save their beloved bowl. City officials scheduled a public meeting to discuss the redevelopment of Perry Harvey Sr. Park on Sept. 16. At the meeting local skateboarders, including members from the UT surf club, came to protest the new park proposal due to the fact the plan includes the removal of the Bro Bowl. Frederico D’Apuzzo, senior international business and entrepreneurship major, started the UT surf club with the intent to teach students how to surf and skate. They use the bowl for this purpose. “I had always wanted to do surfing here, so we went to OSLE and it was a really easy process,” D’Apuzzo said. “After that, we just started recruiting people and we teach surfing and surfing-like stuff.” The members of the UT surf club are concerned that if the Bro Bowl is destroyed, they won’t have a place to teach students how to skate. “The way it’s set up it’s almost like surfing. The way the curves and drops are, it’s almost like riding a wave,” said Dylan Cucci, a junior business management major and member of the surf club. “The club would help kids learn. We could teach more people, possibly on a weekly basis if they keep the Bro Bowl.” The City of Tampa plans to honor the African-American history of Central Avenue by creating a history walk-through in Perry Harvey Sr. Park, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The history walk is a memorial to honor former black leaders of the Central Avenue area.
The city is hoping to make everyone happy by creating a park that honors the area’s heritage of arts and music while creating a brand new state of the art skate park just south of I-275, according to 10 News Tampa Bay. However, local skaters believe it is a historical landmark and a part of skateboarding’s heritage. Many of these people are petitioning to get the bowl on the National Register of Historic Places. “It’s one of the original skate bowls in the country. It has lots of culture and its been there mad long. [The local skaters] are trying to get it registered as a historical monument,” Cucci said. The Bro Bowl was built in 1978 during the “skatepark era,” according to the Bro Bowl’s website. This era ranged from 1976 to 1982, and during this time, over 200 skate parks were built throughout the U.S. Today only three of those original skateparks still exist, the Bro Bowl in Tampa, Kona in Jacksonville and Derby in Santa Cruz, Calif. The Bro Bowl was once the only public skatepark in Florida and was only the second built along the East Coast. Chad Greenberg, freshman journalism major and another member of the UT surf club, said, “It is history. You can feel the amount of people that have skated there.” The Bro Bowl is the last remaining historical structure from the park when it first opened, and it only occupies one percent of the 11 acres that make up Perry Harvey Sr. Park. On the Bro Bowl website, there is a revision of the city’s original plan that was created to show how the renovations could be completed without the destruction of the Bro Bowl. It is also argued that the Bro Bowl should be a part of the history walk that would be created during the reconstruction. Not only is the Bro Bowl known in the historical community, but it has also gained See BOWL Page 4
New Recyclable Boxes Improve UT Dining Eco-Footprint By TAMARA GRANT News Writer
Sodexo and UT Dining have recently made the economical switch from Styrofoam to recyclable takeout boxes. This change has helped to create a more eco-friendly environment among the UT cafeteria and possibly to other eating facilities on campus. School waste, such as in-class recycling, green waste recycling and others, is up to 80 percent recyclable, according to lessismore.org. Many schools have chosen to start recycling due to the large amount waste they produce, much that can be recycled. However, 4.8 percent of school waste, such as Styrofoam, is
In Other News...
non-recyclable trash. Switching from Styrofoam to recyclable material has also saved schools money. The switch saves the average college about 36 percent of the money previously spent on nonrecyclable materials, according to lessismore.org. Goleta Union School District saves $47,000 to $71,000 a year just by recycling. UT junior Emma Badger thinks UT Dining’s green decision is a good step. “I applaud the transition towards recyclable containers because Styrofoam contains known carcinogens and using Styrofoam sends a bad message about where UT is going in the 21st century,” Badger said.
3 AT&T “It Can Wait” Campaign Comes to UT 7 Apple Introduces Big Competitor in Online Radio
Although recyclable takeout boxes and Styrofoam boxes are both reusable, recyclable can last longer, according to benefits-ofrecycling.com. Styrofoam is also nonbiodegradable, and due to its light weight, the polystyrene within it takes a while to disintegrate. Styrofoam is one of the main components in marine debris. The main reason it cannot be recycled is because most recycling companies do not accept polystyrene. When making Styrofoam, there are 57 chemicals released into the air, which can cause air pollution, greenliving.lovetoknow.com. When Styrofoam is used for packaging
Stacy Wright/Flickr
Styrofoam boxes are not offered in the cafeteria.
10 Crocs Attempt to Enter the World of High Fashion
14 New Book By Real ‘Housewives of New Jersey’ Melissa Gorga
12 Montana Teacher Spends 31 Days in Jail After Rape Conviction
20 Catanach Still Enjoying Success After Coaching UT Volleyball Team
See RECYCLING Page 4 News..................................2 Diversions.........................6 A+E....................................7 Opinion............................ 11
Sports..............................16
M
OCTOBER 3 2013 | THE MINARET
MINARET
2
NEWS + FEATURES
Obama Addresses Middle East Relations: Students Voice Concerns
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jessica Keesee
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OPINION
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President Barack Obama stands at the podium before he begins his address on the relations between America and Iran at the U.N. headquarters. By KHADIJAH KHAN News Writer
President Barack Obama delivered a 50 minute address to the United Nations General Assembly. Delegates from every nation joined together to reaffirm the founding vision of the institution, to create peace among the nations. The president raised several issues, but what grabbed the attention of the American people was his statement that he was going to pursue better relations with Iran. This will be one of his goals for the remainder of his time in office, as well as focusing on the Israeli conflict. “While these issues are not the cause of all the region’s problems, they have been a major source of instability for far too long, and resolving them can help serve as a foundation for a broader peace,” President Obama said. According to the official address transcript from the Washington Post, the United States and Iran have had several problems since the Islamic Revolution took place in 1979, which caused mistrust between the two nations. Iranians have found problems with the United States meddling in their affairs, while U.S. citizens see Iran killing U.S. troops as well as other citizens and threatening Israel, our ally, with chaos and destruction. Several UT students watched the general assembly and while some were
enthusiastic about the U.S. making a step in the direction of peace, other students don’t feel as if it is something the U.S. should be involved in. “I think that if the U.S. had better relations with middle eastern countries it would be a step towards world peace. Since America is a very influential country with many allies, these good relations could spread to help achieve the world peace that we are striving for,” freshman and marine biology major, Kayla Schmidt said. President Obama has communicated with the leader of Iran, President Hassan Rouhani, and has stated the U.S’s views on Iran’s development of nuclear weapons: that both countries should resolve it peacefully even though the US is “determined to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon,” President Obama said. Along with clearing up the conflict with Iran, President Obama would like to go further and possibly settle the conflict between Israel and Palestine. “They are understandably cynical that real progress will ever be made, and they’re frustrated by their families enduring the daily indignity of occupation. But they, too, recognize that two states is the only real path to peace. Because just as the Palestinian people must not be displaced, the state of Israel is here to stay,” President
Obama said. While students like Schmidt agreed that this plan would be beneficial, other students like Vitale Christy, junior and writing and theater major, thought we would possibly create more conflicts than solutions. “I think at this point the country is already in too deep with external affairs. Two very obvious examples are the atomic bombs and our outstanding debt with China. I think that the relationships we have with the Middle East are very rocky. The last thing we want is another war with the Middle East,” Christy said. However, according to Doug Schoen a contributor to Forbes Magazine, Obama has sent a weak message to the rest of the world. Schoen compares the Iranian address to the way President Obama addressed Syria. Which in his solution was ineffective especially when compared to President Vladimir Putin who handled the issue he had at hand during his address. As conversations continue between these two countries, students plan to keep an eye on President Obama to see if the decision he makes will help with the relations between several nations or if we might end up putting the U.S. on the wrong side of history. Khadijah Khan can be reached at khadijah.khan@spartans.ut.edu
Taylor Sanger
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Rebecca Barton Wendy French
STAFF WRITERS Britney Cox Khadijah Khan Rachel Baranowski
COLUMNISTS
Jake Koniszewski Avery Twible
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 United Nations Information Centres/Flickr
President Obama’s address was held at the U.N. center where leaders listened to his thoughts on America’s relationship with the Middle East.
NEWS + FEATURES
THE MINARET | OCTOBER 3 2013
3
AT&T ‘It Can Wait’ Campaign Comes to UT
By DOHA MADANI News Writer
One of the first campaigns this semester by University of Tampa’s Student Government is focused on safety. President PK Creedon worked in conjunction with the wireless phone company AT&T to promote their It Can Wait awareness movement to UT students. It Can Wait is a program asking students to sign a pledge vowing not to text while operating their vehicles. “We can raise awareness about the dangers of texting and driving and ask students to refrain from putting their lives and the lives of pedestrians in danger,” said Creedon, a senior business and marketing major. “It is such an incredible cause that I am beyond passionate about.” Student government has worked directly with AT&T to bring the pledge to the university. Creedon said that the company has provided signage and giveaways in order to help promote the cause. On Sept. 24, student government set up a table in Vaughn Center asking students to sign the pledge. After only one day of promoting the campaign, 843 students signed the promise not to text and drive. “If students are going to take the responsibility to have a car and be driving on campus, they need to be aware of the laws and consequences that could occur when breaking these laws,” said Rachel Nichols, a junior education major. “Making students more aware of the risks associated with using a cell phone while driving will make them think twice before pulling it out while on the road.” Florida became the latest state to pass a specific law against texting and driving. Over the summer, Governor Rick Scott passed a law restricting texting on mobile phones while driving, which took effect this past Tuesday,
Oct. 1. This has been the first legislature in the state of Florida to limit any sort of cell phone usage. The only other states in America to currently have no laws against it are South Carolina, Montana and South Dakota. The law, called SB 0052, does not forbid using a cell phone for navigation or any other uses. Specifically, the bill targets drivers who manually type on to their phone that causes the distraction from the road. One exception includes using a speech-to-text dictation in order to send a text message. Some students are concerned that since the bill does not ban all cellphone use, it may be hard for officers to enforce the policy. “What about being on Facebook
and updating your status?” Nichols said. “Technically, it is not breaking the law, but I know that I am much more distracted looking on my news feed than I would be just to send a single text message. Although I think this is a start to the law, I believe it needs to expand and say using your cell phone in any way at all while driving is against the law.” In a partnership with Campus Security, Student Government will be asking every student to voluntarily sign the pledge as they pick up their parking pass in coming semesters. The issue is a safety concern for many collegeage drivers. Every moment nearly 660,000 drivers are using their cellphones while driving
in America, according to Distraction.gov, a government website dedicated to information about distracted driving. Drivers distracted by their cell phones caused 21 percent of fatal crashes involving teens from ages 15 to 19. “Realistically, it will not directly end texting and driving or even cause a dramatic reduction in those that do, but we are hoping students will at least think twice before picking up their phone while they’re driving,” Creedon said. “Drawing awareness to the cause, sharing statistics and encouraging students to take the pledge is a great start to developing safer drivers.” Doha Madani can be reached at doha. madani@spartans.ut.edu
Doha Madani/The Minaret
PK Creedon, Student Government president, and other students pose with the “It Can Wait” petition that they signed on Sept. 24.
From the Sept. 23 to Sept. 30 reports
Not Cool, Bro On Sept. 23, A student’s vehicle was damaged by another vehicle that left the scene without providing contact information.
Voting for Student Senate ends Oct. 6 Election winners will be announced Oct. 8 They will be announced at the general assembly The Roof is On Fireee On Sept. 24, UT Safety responded to a fire alarm in West Kennedy.
Bad Boys, Bad Boys On Sept. 26, a student was arrested on campus by Tampa Police Department for disorderly conduct.
Look Both Ways On Sept. 25, a student was struck by a vehicle off campus while crossing the street.
You Don’t Even Go Here... On Sept. 23, a non-student attempted to enter a residence hall and was issued a written trespass warning.
Reports compiled by Katherine Lavacca
If anyone is interested in speaking at the Commencement Ceremony can fill out an application on SpartanWeb. BBQ in honor of Parents Weekend from 12p.m.-5p.m. Saturday the 5th. The BBQ will accept meal exchanges as well!
4 OCTOBER 3 2013 | THE MINARET
NEWS + FEATURES
Skating spot threatened The switch from styrofoam BOWL from Page 1
fame for its appearance in many media outlets. The Bro Bowl has appeared in numerous articles over the years, a Tony Hawk video game, the backdrop for a number of industry ads, commercials, skate videos and was the subject of a documentary film. It has become a place of pilgrimage, visited by some
of skateboarding’s most famous riders over the years. It is clear that the Bro Bowl has played a huge part in both the history of Tampa and skateboarding. To many, the bowl is a historical landmark and a skateboarding icon. It is for this reason that so many people are doing whatever it takes to save it. Jesse Long can be reached at jesse.long@ spartans.ut.edu
Leah Beilhart/ Tumblr
Local skater performs a trick on the edge of the historic Bro Bowl located on Central Avenue near UT.
RECYLING from Page 1 food, some of these chemicals can leak into the food. Plus, recyclable takeout boxes are microwavable. If microwaved, Styrofoam begins to melt after a while and can start to condense on food. Such is not the case with recyclable material. Other UT students, such as sophomore Valerie Wolak, join in Badger’s enthusiasm for the new recyclable boxes. “I’m not a huge fan of Styrofoam,” Wolak said. I like that this is now ecofriendly.” Sophomores Victoria Santorelli and Breana Caturano both said that there should be signs directing students to places where they can recycle now that they have recyclable boxes. They said that they only know there are recycling bins in each dorm because they are involved in student government. “They should move [the recyclable boxes] over to Stadium now that they have recycling in the dorms,” Santorelli said. “It would be much easier.” “[The boxes] are great, but they should make it known where recycling
is on every floor in each dorm,” Caturano said. The eco-friendly attitudes among UT students show that there is support for UT to take more environmental initiative. Tamara Grant can be reached at tamara.grant@spartans.ut.edu
Peter Grima/ Flickr “When making Styrofoam, there are 57 chemicals released into the air.”
What was the first edition of The Minaret like? The Minaret has been around almost as long as The University of Tampa. Volume 1, Issue 1 was published on Sept. 14, 1933 and looked stylistically similar to the front page of The New York Times. Most of the articles on the front page advertised events such as the first student assembly and the second anniversary of Student Government as well as a feature on a really old tree that lied in Plant Park. On page 2 of the first issue was the university schedule, which could fit every class offered on one page of the paper. On page 5, the names and degrees of all the professors teaching could fit in two columns. Along with some short news stories about the university, the paper also included a gossip column called “Social Shorts” in which a writer commented on the social lives of individual students at the university. “I hear from a certain reliable source that Hasus Castro has sprung the question on Leah and she accepted. Watch this column for announcements of the date. Leah Lucas, you know, played in the Hillsborough orchestra last year.”
“Saw Woody Garcia taking an exam in the library the other day… Woody had better study more this year and leave the rest of us alone.” Articles running adjacent to the gossip column describe a social gathering of girls playing bridge and a list of students who transferred Courtesy of The Minaret from UT after the summer break. In the first edition of The Minaret, the front page picture shows what the front of Plant Hall looked like in 1933. The sports pages show excitement at the new football team UT had that year. There were descriptions of advertises high-waisted skirts from all the football players, a feature on $3.95. The Tampa Coca-cola Bottling Want a question answered the new coach and a disclaimer that Co. has a large ad on the back of the by UT FYI? Send your question the sports writers are going to cover paper that reads “Why wear a hit, about anything UT or Tampa the sports games as fairly as possible: thirsty face even at home… refresh related to ut.minaret@gmail.com “Football, king of campus sports, yourself. Bounce back to normal” has popped up for its annual show with a picture of a woman in a kitchen with the great old American public. happily drinking a bottle of coke. And what a relief the pigskin game Looking at old issues of has been to every sports scribe who The Minaret has given us a has been writing about the fly on his lot of cool insight at UT’s typewriter for the past month.” past. If you want to take a Some really interesting look at them yourself they advertisements adorn the pages of the can be found on the library’s first Minaret too. The Plant Park Soda online database. Fountain welcomes UT and offers their services to students. McCaskill’s Clothing Co. advertises new fall suits with two pairs of pants on sale for 19.50 and 50 cent ties. Fernandez & Vega, a women’s clothing store,
NEWS + FEATURES
THE MINARET | OCTOBER 3 2013
Master It Boost your career credentials with a graduate degree from UT! • MBA (seven concentrations) • M.S. in Accounting • M.S. in Finance • M.S. in Marketing • Certificates in Nonprofit Management, Accounting and Business Administration
• New! M.S. in Exercise and Nutrition Science • M.S. in Nursing • M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology • M.A. in Teaching • Master of Education • MFA in Creative Writing
U.S. News & World Report ranks UT as a top-tier school for master’s degrees in the South. The Sykes College of Business has been named one of the best business schools in the world by The Princeton Review for the last six years, and its MBA program was rated #1 in the Bay area by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. The Sykes College of Business is accredited by AACSB International, an honor shared by only 6 percent of business schools worldwide.
All programs accepting applications now. Request more information at www.ut.edu/gradinfo or call (813) 258-7409.
Join our community online!
5
6 OCTOBER 3 2013 | THE MINARET
Diversions
Sudoku
The Weekend Update Saves The Day October 3
State Theater 7 p.m.
$20.30
City and Colour October 3
Jannus Live 8 p.m. $30
UT Family Weekend October 4-5
Various Locations Various Times Prices Vary
Shadowcon October 4-6
Grand Hyatt Tampa PrintableSudokuPuzzles.net
Picture
WEEK of the
Photo by Leah Beilhart/The Minaret Students go to the “skate bowl” downtown to enjoy a day full of extreme sports like BMX and skateboarding.
Time Varies
Weekend Pass: $50
Fall Choir Concert October 4-5
Skyes Chapel
Friday @ 7:30 p.m. and Saturday @ 2 p.m. Free
Midnight Madness Talent Auditions October 4
Martinez Athletic Center, ROTC Room 231 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Free
Get Downtown First Friday Concert Series October 4
Downtown St. Petersburg 5:30 p.m. Free
Keith Urban October 4
MidFlorida Credit Union Ampitheater 7 p.m.
$38.35 - $73.10
TECO Center For Leadership Speaker- Nick Friedman October 7
Sykes 134 4:30 p.m. Free
Arts + Entertainment By SELENE SANFELICE
THE MINARET | OCTOBER 3 2013
7
#GoodbyeBreakingBad
Arts + Entertainment Writer
Sunday night all bad things finally came to an end. AMC’s Breaking Bad, which could arguably be called the best show on television, ran its 68th and final episode. All five seasons of the show can be considered part of creator Vince Gilligan’s masterpiece, but this fifth and final season was most definitely the darkest. Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris and of course Brian Cranston give some of the most stunning performances that television has ever seen. Cranston shows Walt’s transformation from everyday dad and chemistry teacher to one of the most powerful drug lords in the nation and makes us love and hate every bit of it at once. What started out as a simple story of a cancer-stricken family man became a complex tale of morality, greed and justice. We not only see the roles reverse between bad guy Jesse Pinkman and good guy Walter White, but we also see a moral turning point for every single member of Walt’s family, including his own son Flynn. By the end of the show, the viewers can’t pick a side; all they can do is watch what happens. Jesse’s final stand with Walt shows just how complicated things have become. We don’t see a final reunion between the two comrades of previous seasons; instead, we see two shattered and hopeless men with nothing left. Another part of what makes Breaking Bad so great is its bits of humor and comedic relief. The differences between the “Hello Carol” scenes from the fifth season’s eighth episode not only show how dark Walt’s future will be but also serve to lessen the tension. The scene in episode three, where we see a pair of hands playing an intricate piano piece and then learn that it’s Skinny Pete, added more depth to the show than any additional shootout could have.
The performances weren’t the sole driving point of Breaking Bad’s success. Almost every shot was done with cinematographic genius. The bird’s eye view shot of Jesse spinning on his back in the tenth episode of season 5 and the shot of Walt and Skyler talking with the pillar seemingly between them in the last episode are just two examples of how the show adds artistic relevance to its drama. Color scheme also plays a huge part in subliminally bringing out the viewer’s emotions. Marie, who was known throughout all five seasons for always being shown in and around the color purple, is finally devoid of it in the final episode. It’s as if when she lost Hank, she lost her purple and a big part of herself. In the moments of conflict between Marie and Hank and Walt and Skyler, Marie and Hank are featured in very dark colors while Skyler and Walt are almost exclusively beige. The musical accompaniment in each episode was never anything but perfect. Whether it was used as comedic relief, added to the intensity of a moment or was meant to draw out somber emotions, the music always did its part. An emotional final scene is set to the tune of Badfinger’s “Baby Blue,” invoking bittersweet emotions in the show’s last moments. Breaking Bad is known for each episode’s shocking endings, but what made the series finale so great was that nothing was left unanswered. Leaving the viewers with a cliffhanger would be an easy way out for the series, but just getting people excited isn’t enough. What really drew out viewers emotions was the fact that everything was wrapped up so beautifully. When Walt admits to Skyler that he wasn’t entirely motivated by family, but that he cooked for himself, we finally go past all of the lies and manipulation to see the true Walter White. Aside from wrapping everything up,
Breaking Bad/Facebook Dedicated watchers of Breaking Bad are sad to say goodbye to the AMC show after five seasons.
the last episode stayed true to the Breaking Bad formula with Walt’s last tricks. The reappearance of recurring characters Skinny Pete and Badger added some much missed comedic relief while also providing the ah-ha moment that the last few episodes lacked. The finale provided an incredible and beautiful ending to a series that is sure to be sorely missed. How to Get More Bad in your life: • Songza.com offers free online playlists such as “Music from Breaking Bad,” “Cooking with Jesse Pinkman” and
“Cooking with Walter White.” Videos from College Humor and Funny or Die, like “Breaking Bad the Home Game,” will keep you laughing while you remember the bad times. • The new Collector’s Edition DVD set includes discs of all five seasons, a Los Pollos Hermanos apron and a two-hour documentary. • AMC has confirmed and is currently working on a Breaking Bad spin off featuring Saul Goodman. Selene SanFelice can be reached at selene.sanfelice@spartans.ut.edu •
Apple Introduces iTunes Radio to Compete With Pandora By ALYSSA HINGRE Arts + Entertainment Writer
Apple recently entered the online radio game in an attempt to compete with successful streaming services such as Pandora and Spotify. iTunes Radio was incorporated into the music function in iOS 7, Apple’s new mobile software update, in addition to the newest version of iTunes. The service provides a convenient online radio alternative, and could have the potential to best its contemporaries. iTunes, like the rest of the online radios, lets you create your own stations based on your favorite song, artist or band. It works similarly to Pandora by developing your own stations and finding new music that may match your music taste. However, when creating a station it will play music based on the criteria it was created from. You may really want to listen to one song, but that particular song you based your station on may not be played immediately if ever. Pandora and iTunes Radio have this similar system of helping you find music based on your likes, but if you want a very specific song it is best to use Spotify. On Spotify you can find specific songs and create your own playlists from that. Along with creating your own stations on online radios, users have become accustomed to liking and disliking songs. The dislike option is not even available on iTunes Radio. There is a selection similar to the like option seen on Pandora
Screenshot of iTunes Radio
Apple recently launched its online radio service which allows users to personalize their stations based on their favorite artists and genres.
Radio. There is a star option that adds the song to your Wish List. This Wish List is slightly inconvenient to find. You have to go through the iTunes Store and on a tab next to the return to your Library, you will see a drop-down menu with your Wish List. However, if you use iTunes to buy your music this can be a helpful tool. All of your favorite music is organized in one place and there is the direct option to buy the song from iTunes. Besides the Wish List, you can still see the music you have
listened to on a station through the History. Like all other online radios, iTunes Radio still has advertisements. Though these advertisements are not as frequent compared to Spotify, which is known for its many ads. We all wish we could skip these ads, but as of right now, iTunes Radio caters to advertising. Similar to Pandora Radio, iTunes Radio allows you to skip songs. You have a six-song skip limit but unlike Pandora Radio, iTunes has a countdown of your remaining skips.
iTunes Radio has seemed to follow suit with the other online radios out there already. It even has an app for cell phones, though as of right now it is only available to iPhones. With the pressure to stay competitive, I am sure we will see future changes to iTunes Radio. As for now, I would recommend updating iTunes and checking out the new iTunes Radio. It is convenient and an easy way to listen to music. Alyssa Hingre can be reached at alyssa. hingre@spartans.ut.edu
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OCTOBER 3 2013 | THE MINARET
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
Actor on the Rise: Kodi Smit-McPhee
Oh You Fancy, Huh?
By SAMMI BRENNAN
Arts + Entertainment Writer
By SONNY BILLOTTE
Arts + Entertainment Writer
For all you Pinterest fans out there: have you ever come across something while pinning that you just need to have but you can’t find it anywhere online available for purchase? Wouldn’t it be more convenient if you could purchase all items directly from the site itself? Well, you’re in luck. Fancy is here to suit your needs. Fancy is a new website and app that is very similar to the social networking site Pinterest. The difference is that Fancy allows you to purchase all items directly from the site or app. Just as Pinterest does, Fancy provides you with various categories to browse through. They have anything from apparel (women’s, men’s and kids’), artwork, home décor, food, cars and more. Most of the items available on Fancy are things you would not normally come across; they are unique and appealing. They have anything from a t-shirt folder to an indoor fireworks theatre to a hanging cliff cabana to accessories for your iPhone. “I just recently downloaded the Fancy app on my iPhone and I can’t stop using it,” said William Klingbeil, a senior biology major at the University of Tampa. “I love it because most of the items I didn’t even know existed. It kind of reminds me of the store Brookstone: a ton of random things that everyone would want.” Another feature that Fancy has is the Fancy Box. The Fancy Box is a box
Fancy/Facebook
Fancy website allows users to shop outside the box.
that you receive each month filled with various items from Fancy. The contents of the box are always a surprise. You have the option of choosing a box that reflects your specific interests or you can choose a celebrity Fancy Box. Stars such as Pink, Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Chef Tyler Florence have their own versions of Fancy Box, and they choose what items go inside each month. There is also a Fancy Food Box which is filled with various food items. The Fancy Box requires a monthly subscription of $39 but what fills the box is worth over $80. Fancy has something for everyone whether you are shopping for yourself, your family or your home. Sonny Billotte can be reached at sonny.billotte@spartans.ut.edu
Kodi Smit-McPhee is showing the world that he is more than just a child actor. With four upcoming movies, including Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as well as the eagerly-awaited Rise of the Planet of the Apes sequel, the Aussie actor is poised to make a big impact in American cinema. At age 10, Smit-McPhee starred in the New Zealand film Fatal Contact and the television miniseries Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King. A year later, he gained notice as Raimond in the drama Romulus, My Father where he won the Young Artist’s and the Young Actor’s Award. His first Hollywood role was in the post apocalyptic tale The Road where he stunned his co-star Viggo Mortensen with his astounding acting. Kodi Smit-McPhee/Facebook The film was set in Pennsylvania Smit-McPhee will play Bencolio in Romeo and Juliet. during the brutal winter and SmitMcPhee remained in a freezing stream running for numerous others. for numerous takes despite dealing Now standing at 6-foot-3, Smitwith physical pain. His acting took McPhee is no longer a small, innocent audiences by surprise once more boy. Later this year, the actor will in the 2010 Swedish remake of the star in Romeo and Juliet as Benvolio horror film Let Me In about a bullied and will play the lead role in the young boy befriending a vampire. drama The Wilderness of James. In Although denied an Oscar 2014, Smit-McPhee will star in two nomination, Kodi won the Phoenix sci-fi action movies, Young Ones Film Critics Society award for and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Best Performance by a Youth in Sammi Brennan can be reached at a Leading Role and was in the samantha.brennan@spartans.ut.edu
30 Seconds To Mars and More To Headline Tampa Festival By JACKI GUENTHER
Arts + Entertainment Writer
Some of the biggest and best alternative bands from around the country will gather at Vinoy Park on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013. Floridacentral Credit Union will host 97X’s Next Big Thing at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg, Fla. featuring Thirty Seconds to Mars, Stone Temple Pilots, Jimmy Eat World, The Dirty Heads, Pepper and The 1975. This will be the 13th edition of Next Big Thing, an event that is considered Tampa Bay’s largest one-day alternative festival. Thirty Seconds to Mars will headline the festival, whose newest album LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS, was just released back in May. Their single, “City of Angels,” is both hot on the charts and can be heard all over the radio including Tampa’s 97X. Jared Leto, Thirty Seconds to Mars’ lead singer and actor, is currently getting Oscar buzz for his performance in the upcoming flick Dallas Buyers Club. Having seen them twice in Chicago, Ill., I can personally say that Thirty Seconds to Mars is not only amazing live, but they also know exactly how to make their fans happy. Next Big Thing’s headliners also include Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington. Stone Temple Pilots should make for one interesting set considering they have recently parted ways with their erratic and unstable singer, Scott Weiland. The group’s remaining members have connected with Bennington, one of alt-metal’s most dynamic voices. Bennington is also the lead singer for world-renowned rock band Linkin
Dirty Heads/Facebook
The Dirty Heads are among several artists set to perform this Dec. 9 at the 97x Next Big Thing festival in Tampa, an anticipated event for many UT students.
Park. With their new member, Stone Temple Pilots plans to record new music but still play some of their older hits. The rest of the lineup consists of A Day to Remember, Jimmy Eat World, The Dirty Heads, Manchester Orchestra, Sleeping with Sirens (who also were headliners this past year at Warped Tour), Pepper, Frank Turner, The Sleeping Souls, Saints of Valory and The 1975. The 1975, although relatively new, have hit fame hard and fast with their chart-topping singles “Chocolate” and “Sex.” Friends at David & Goliath, a wellknown apparel company, have teamed
up this year with Next Big Thing in order to design a series of shirts inspired by the one-day alternative fest. Their selection was officially unveiled on Monday, Sept. 9, and since then they have released one new design every two weeks. David & Goliath’s selection for the Next Big Thing can be found at NBTees.com. With this many talented and recognized artists, tickets are selling out fast. From now until Oct. 27, you can purchase a general admission ticket for $45. The price will then rise to $55 from Oct. 27 until Nov. 28 and again to $65 from Nov. 29 until Dec. 6. The day of the
festival, Dec. 9, tickets will be available to purchase at the gate for a final price of $80, but that is only if the festival has not sold out yet. With headliners, such as Thirty Seconds to Mars and Jimmy Eat World, I would not want to take the chance of waiting until that final day. 97X is currently discussing this upcoming event throughout the week on their radio station, while also talking about the highlights from last year’s fest. For more information on Next Big Thing, you can access their website at www.97xonline.com. Jacki Guenther can be reached at jaclyn.guenther@spartans.ut.edu
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
THE MINARET | OCTOBER 3 2013
9
Timberlake Sequel Album Fails To Flow By JORDAN WALSH
Asst. Arts and Entertainment Editor
Not many artists can make a comeback like Justin Timberlake has in 2013. Coming out of his cage with as much soul and devotion as The 20/20 Experience Part 1 portrayed seven years removed from his last studio album is nothing short of remarkable in its own right. And that’s just half of the story: Timberlake returns with The 20/20 Experience Part 2 just six months after Part 1 impacted stores—continuing his legacy for creating ambitious and enthralling if occasionally overblown pop anthems. While Part 1 is certainly the superior entry into the 20/20 Experience project,
Part 2 provides enough new and exciting sounds to make a second disc not only necessary but wholeheartedly encouraged and accepted. As a whole, Part 2 presents itself as the darker, heavier-handed of the two entries, with “Murder” and “TKO” showing off the more interesting sides of this sound as they meander onto mellow and sinistersounding tangents in their second halves. The album immediately sets out on this path with “Gimme What I Don’t Know (I Want),” a more immediate, forceful opener than its Part 1 counterpart, the light-footed and sincere “Pusher Lover Girl.” “Gimme What I Don’t Know (I Want)” shows off the nostalgic ‘90s sound that Timberlake
The 20/20 Experience II/Facebook
The second installment of JT’s 20/20 Experience project adds a darker twist to the ambitious pop of the first.
himself helped to establish and is one of the most concise, catchy and memorable songs of the whole project. This night-tinged sound can sometimes get the best of Timberlake, however, as the inclusion of the nearly ten minute “True Blood” really derails the first half of the record. “True Blood” has a solid hook and all of the massive, inflated aspects that have made Timberlake’s songs so endearing in the past, but it gets lost in its lengthy tirade into vampire-themed sounds and lyrics, ultimately alternating between boring and annoying with not much enjoyment to be found in between. Thankfully, “True Blood” is one of few complete missteps on the entirety of the 20/20 project—the worst is over with before the record has barely begun. Timberlake starts to hit his stride once again as the album reaches its second half, starting off with the malevolent “Murder,” which only veers off-track with the addition of another boring verse from Jay Z, who also struck out in Part 1’s “Suit and Tie.” Thankfully, Jay Z’s detriment to enjoyment is much less this time around. Meanwhile, Timberlake shows off his versatility as a pop artist with the bluesy “Drink You Away,” driven by infectious acoustic strumming and one of the strongest hooks of the entire project. While Part 2 is certainly lacking in the more touching moments that took Part 1 to another level (see “Blue Ocean Floor”), it’s still not devoid of heart-on-sleeve rawness entirely. “Amnesia” fills this role nicely with some of the more down-to-earth lyricism of the record, focusing on love lost and the mental aftermath of failed romance: “Amnesia/Every memory fades away till it’s gone/Where did you go?” Closer, “Not a Bad Thing” almost sounds like a sequel to Part 1 highlight “Mirrors,” with a similarly powerful melody and familiar romantic subject matter: “Every morning I just wanna
see you staring back at me/’Cause I know that’s a good place to start.” Part 2 is surely a more than worthy follow-up to Timberlake’s initial 20/20 Experience, but it ultimately falls short of his other 2013 album because of its lack of cohesiveness. These songs simply don’t fit together as well as the songs on Part 1 did. Whereas Part 1 functioned as a whole, complete statement, Part 2 feels particularly less focused and sometimes gives the impression of being a collection of singles or B-sides instead of a whole album. This has its pros and cons as some of the best moments of the entire project (“Drink You Away,” “Gimme What I Don’t Know”) are those that break out of the norm and never would have fit on Part 1’s air-tight track listing. Unfortunately, this lack of focus makes Part 2 particularly difficult to get through in a single sitting, with a 75-minute run time and no real constant train of thought to follow. Even if Timberlake’s need to push the boundaries of modern pop music can sometimes get in the way of creating a singular and complete album, it still makes for a much more engaging listen than a good amount of the chorus-versechorus pop on the market today. And just for that, a misstep here or there is certainly permissible. With The 20/20 Experience Part 2, Justin Timberlake further cements the statement he made with Part 1 in March—that he’s one of the most creative, ambitious and interesting pop artists out there right now, even if he’s not entirely flaw-proof. Jordan Walsh can be reached at jordan.walsh@theminaretonline.com
3.5 out of 5 stars
SP Unplugged Hosts American Idol Alum
By JACKIE BRAJE
Arts + Entertainment Writer
UT students congregated in Morsani Hall to enjoy a night of $1 coffee, piano playing and a guest performance by American Idol alum Tim Halperin. Singer and songwriter Tim Halperin appeared as one of the top 12 males on season 10 of American Idol. His debut album Rise and Fall was released on Sept. 27, 2011. Halperin performed a few original songs off his debut album, along with
covers of Adele, Imagine Dragons and The Beatles. He showcased an eclectic taste in music ranging from soft and contemporary numbers to bluesy jazz ballads. “Just growing up and listening to oldies music in the car with my parents, I inherited their love for music and just started singing all the time, and it grew into a bigger and bigger passion,” Halperin said. Halperin also harkened back to his days on American Idol. “My favorite part of American Idol… I think just the thrill of being in the midst of this incredible opportunity that really
Tim Halperin/Facebook Singer-songwriter Tim Halperin was featured as a top 12 male contestant on season 10 of American Idol.
shaped our pop culture in a lot ways. To be a part of that was exhilarating.” After Idol, Halperin has made other appearances with artists like Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton and The Fray. “I’m also working on my second full-length album right now, and that’ll be released Feb. 11,” Halperin said. “In the meantime, I’m playing a lot of shows. In the fall, a lot of colleges.” Each year, Student Productions puts together coffeehouse-style SP Unplugged events. Student Productions introduced Halperin to the campus in hopes of setting up a successful year in the making for entertainment here at UT. The next event is expected to take place on campus in November. “Student Productions is all about culturing and showing the student population a different side of the performing arts, and just putting on events that everyone can come out to enjoy,” said Brian Cicero, senior and Music Chair of Student Productions. The committee attends yearly NACA conferences (National Association for College Activity) and chooses from a number of artists to come perform at UT a semester in advance. They’re given the opportunity to book the artists right on the spot and are also given the largest operating budget on campus next to Student Government. “Last year at NACA we actually
Student Productions/Facebook Tim Halperin performs for UT students in Monsani Lobby.
saw Tim perform for us and we obviously fell in love. He’s fantastic,” said William Sandoval, senior and President of Student Productions. SP has made it a point to only chooses new and upcoming artists. “A lot of people don’t know it, but the people we have come through for SP Unplugged are really good,” Cicero said. Jackie Braje can be reached at jacquelyn.braje@spartans.ut.edu
10 OCTOBER 3 2013 | THE MINARET
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
Crocs Attempt to Enter the World of High Fashion By MADSION IRWIN
Arts + Entertainment Writer
Crocs are making a clean slate after years of trying to break out of its sensible shell by selling other models such as flip flops and sneakers. While those were a nice variation, they resembled the original Crocs shoe style, which still didn’t make them a huge hit for anyone over the age of 10. Leonardo Salgado, a sophomore management major, said, “I don’t think there’s gonna be a change or anything for the company. It’s not gonna bring new people in.” Crocs is trying to prove that they can be just as trendy as the next shoe company by selling a “high-fashion” shoe line, which will be released by the beginning of next year. According to the Footwear News website, “The Niwot, Colo.based firm plans to debut a collection
under the Stefano Furiani name to target a more-sophisticated fashion consumer.” Some styles that will be available include: pumps, flats, boating shoes and ankle-strap thongs. Prices will range from $80 to $120. The brand name is popular among the medical community but has a bad reputation and often gets made fun of. There are a lot of students on campus who are skeptical of the company’s attempt to shift away from their clog image. “I think that they will be atrocious,” said Rachel Dawson, a senior communication major. “I feel like college students have a little more fashion sense than that.” Although students aren’t sold, the company is confident that this new approach will have a positive outcome. According to Crocs Investors, they will be
Crocs/Facebook
Crocs add new styles to accommadate many different occasions in an attempt to become more fashion-forward.
Crocs/Facebook
Crocs attempt to break away from distinctive style with wedge versions of their popular breathable footware.S:10”
expecting revenue between $285 million and $295 million by the third quarter, which will end on Sept. 30. Although their recent revenue in the Americas region were lower than expected, they are very satisfied with their Asia Pacific and Europe retail sales and predict a rise in income. “We are pleased with the early indications of strong demand from our wholesale customers for spring/summer 2014 product, as pre-books for these products are presently running ten percent
ahead of last year. We believe our brand is well positioned to take advantage of our customers demand for colorful and fun footwear in 2014,” John McCarvel, president and chief executive officer, said. Can Crocs really break away from their distinct look that many people dislike and live up to their new slogan, “A shoe for every you”? It is indeed a mystery to everyone, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Madison Irwin can be reached at madison.iriwn@spartans.ut.edu
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THE MINARET I OCTOBER 3 2013
Opinion
11
That’s My Mall: Nairobi Terrorist Attack Hits Home By IRENE SIDEDE Opinion Writer
Sept. 21, 2013 was a dreadful day for many Kenyans. A terrorist group, the Al-shabaab, attacked the Westgate mall with large rifles and machine guns, shooting individuals that were specifically non-muslim. Standard, a local Kenyan news site, reported that 67 bodies have been identified to be dead, 68 bodies are said to still be missing and more than 100 people were injured. Reports from NBC news claim that five terrorists have been killed and 11 suspects have been arrested. The attackers are speculated to included three Americans and one British woman. The leader of Alshabaab, Ahmed Godane (also known as Mukhtar Abu al-Zubayr) said the Westgate attack was retaliation for Kenya’s military action in Somalia, according to Reuters. “Take your troops out or prepare for a longlasting war, blood, destruction and evacuation,” Godane warned. Al-shabaab, according to CNN, is a “Somalia-based militant Islamist group. The group controls large swathes of the southern parts of the country, where it is said to have imposed its own strict form of Sharia (law).” An article by Adbulkadhir Khalif on Allafrican.com claimed that Al-Shabaab describes itself as waging jihad (holy war) against “enemies of Islam” and is engaged in combat against the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM). The article further goes on to explain that group members have also reportedly intimidated, kidnapped and killed aid workers, leading to a suspension of humanitarian operations and an exodus of relief agents. According to a press release by the United States Department of State
in March 18, 2008, Al-Shabaab was designated a terrorist organization by several Western governments and security service. The reason behind the cold-blooded murdering was because Kenya sent troops to Somalia two years ago as an attempt to flush out the Islamist militants Kenya accused of kidnapping and killing foreigners in the coastal area. The abductions cost Kenya’s tourism industry, which is Kenya’s main source of revenue. The Al-Shabaab threatened to attack Kenya if they refused to withdraw their troops, but unfortunately this time their words were turned into actions. The terrorist’s main target were citizens
[
whole issue to be personal and led to an extremely brutal mass murder. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta commented, “We went as a nation to Somalia to fight the war against terror unleashed on Kenyan people, Somali people and people around the world.” He added, “This is not a Kenyan war, this is an international war.” Not only was the attack a catastrophe and a hard situation to deal with, but there is a video circulating on YouTube called “The Kenyan Mall Hoax, The Camera Man Can” that is mocking the event. It is a video by Max Malone that shows pictures of the victims that were shot dead or
[Westgate] was considered a safe haven for [my friends and me], but that perception has completely been crushed.
or any individuals who were not of Islam. The Al-Shabaab were using Twitter to confirm responsibility for the events that were occurring at the mall, which resulted in the suspension of their account from the site. The incident at Westgate was a complete catastrophe as many innocent lives were lost. For me, Westgate holds a whole lot of good memories as it was an area where my friends and I could go hang out, eat, shop, watch movies and just enjoy normal leisurely activities. It was considered a safe haven for us, but that perception has completely been crushed. It still leaves me bewildered how people that had nothing to do with the conflict between the two countries suffered the consequences of someone else’s actions. Whether or not Kenya’s decision to send troops into Somalia was right or wrong, it caused the
-Irene Sidede
]
injured. Malone criticizes the whole incident and claims the calamity was staged and the cameraman is the one who had all the control and made us believe that it was real. Fellow Kenyan and UT sophomore and marketing major, Pravir Sing watched the video. “I was completely angry when I saw the video,” he said. “I tried to comment on the video because I wanted to let him know that it was serious and people actually died but every time I tried the guy would delete my comments.” “But I don’t blame the guy,” he added. “He probably doesn’t even know how the mall looks or where exactly it is, let alone how Kenya looks. He is just ignorant.” This video shows complete witlessness because this person seems to be oblivious to the fact that people had actually died and that it is very serious.
“Two of my relatives died in the whole incident,” said Kushali Shah, a sophomore and biochemistry major who is also from Kenya. For Malone to disrespect or rather find humor in such a situation in which people perished is revolting. He then goes on to make comments such as, “If someone can explain to the makeup girl how to make the blood look real” while pointing at an injured victims face, and “where is the little girl’s mother?” while laughing and mocking the fact that a child was all alone in the building next to a dead body. Hostages were trapped in the building for three days. There were gunshots going back and forth plus explosions occurring within the building. This left the whole country caught up in anxiety and left them no choice but to turn to prayers. On the fourth day of the siege, the Kenyan officials declared the whole situation under control, which put a lot of people’s hearts at rest. A report from the Daily Nation reported, “Various units of the Kenya Police and the Kenya Defence Forces played key roles in the rescue operation after a band of terrorists linked to Somaliabased Al-Shabaab attacked the shopping mall on Saturday.” The Kenyan police force can be considered by many to be very unlawful as most of them are always engaging in corrupt activities and injustices. Yet, they managed to defend and protect the country the best way they could. Shah could not have put it any better: “Although Kenya may have its issues and we may be considered to have a police force that is completely horrible, they did an amazing job in getting things back under control, and this has only made Kenyans stronger. Sisi ni moja, meaning we are one.” Irene Sidede can be reached at Irene.Sidede@spartans.ut.edu
Tyler Hicks/ The New York Times
As shown above, some civilians were able to evacuate the mall while it was under gunfire. Others, however, could not leave and were trapped inside for up to three days.
12 OCTOBER 3 2013 | THE MINARET
OPINION
Montana Teacher Spends 31 Days in Jail After Rape Conviction
By RAWAN ELZAYAT Opinion Writer
Former high school teacher Stacey Dean Rambold served only a month long sentence for raping his student. On Sep. 26 Rambold was released from jail after serving a month-long sentence for raping Cherice Moralez, his 14-year-old student, in 2007, according to CNN. Moralez, however, did not live to see the day her assailer came out of jail since she committed suicide in 2010 weeks before she turned 17 and before the case could even go to trial. Moralez’s mother Auliea Hanlon considers the rape a “major factor” in her daughter’s suicide, according to Reuters. Judge G. Todd Baugh justified his order for releasing Rambold by claiming that Cherice was “older than her chronological age” and “as much in control of the situation,” as reported by Reuters. This comment didn’t take the edge off his order. In fact, it irritated people who denounced the order even more. It is puzzling how a judge can base his order on the victim’s looks and assume her troubled youth gave her control over the situation, especially since he didn’t even get to meet her. Baugh later apologized for his comment saying, “What I said is demeaning of all women, not what I believe and irrelevant to the sentencing… my apologies to all my fellow citizens.” This apology, however, didn’t make his order more just nor pacified the the victim’s mother. Rambold’s defense lawyer Jay Lansing also supported the judge’s order by claiming that his client had been punished enough by losing his job, teaching license,
house, wife and becoming the “scarlet letter of the Internet” because of the crime, the Billings Gazette reported. Furthermore, Rambold is on probation until August 2028 and is registered as a sex offender. According to his probation conditions, he is not allowed to go to places where children are present or have a cell phone with photo, video or Internet capabilities. The question now is: is this punishment enough for disrupting a 14-year-old girl’s innocence and being among the reasons she decided to end her life? The judge’s order and comments outraged Hanlon. “She wasn’t even old enough to get a driver’s license,” she said in a statement released by her attorney. “But Judge Baugh, who never met our daughter, justified the paltry sentence saying she was older than her chronological age.” She said that she has not seen justice yet, hoping Rambold will end up behind bars again. Judge Baugh did not only receive severe criticism from Hanlon but from hundreds of other demonstrators who sympathized with Moralez and expressed their disapproval of the order by gathering on August 29 outside his office. Kate Olp, co-organizer of the Billings protest, said that demonstrators observed two minutes of silence for Moralez and her mother, according to Reuters. The judge made an appearance at the protest but did not speak, said Marian Bradley, president of the Montana chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and co-organizer of the rally. State prosecutors are appealing the sentence, according to huffingtonpost.com. Prosecutors said Rambold should have
received a minimum of two years under state law, and Baugh relied on a different section of the same statute when he gave the defendant 15 years with all but 31 days suspended and a one-day credit for time served. Prosecutors earlier requested that Rambold receive 20 years with 10 years suspended. However, it’s uncertain whether the appeal process would offer the chance to increase the sentence beyond the mandatory minimum. Prosecutors said the appeal could take six to 18 months to work its way through the Montana Supreme Court. This appeal restores the faith that we will see justice in this case eventually Among the people who condemned the judge’s order were people who believe the judge was biased to Rambold according to racial and gender matters.The Montana and Pennsylvania chapters of NOW filed a complaint with the Montana Judicial Standards Commission against Baugh, requesting his ouster. They also collected signatures from online petitions to support their complaint.”Judge Baugh’s bias is clearly rooted in the child victim’s lowerincome minor, Hispanic female (status) and the rapist’s middle-class adult, white male socioeconomic status, age, race and gender,” NOW members wrote in the filing. Regardless of whether the order was affected by the judge’s bias or not, it did not bring justice to the victim nor commit the rapist to the punishment he deserves. The judge did not provide any logical justification to his order other than his provocative comment about the victim’s age which he later apologized for. This leaves many people not comprehending
how the law can be this lenient to a rapist and unjust to a 14-year-old girl. The victim’s mother is also left feeling that her daughter’s rights have been violated. How can a mother have closure regarding the loss of her own daughter knowing that the man who was one of the reasons she decided to end her life is now free? This incident is not only going to affect the victim’s mother or family, but it is going to have an impact on society as a whole. This is not the first incident in which a rapist has not received a severe punishment. Last year 86 rapists served less than 50 percent of their sentence, according to Ministry of Justice statistics. The fact that a rapist can only get a month of jail instead of four years conveys that the law can be lenient towards rape cases and belittles how serious rape incidents are. This would decrease the rate of rape reports since the victims would think that after reporting their incident, their offenders will not receive their punishment anyway, making reporting the incident seem inconsequential and aimless. Furthermore, Olp, who also helped organize an online petition demanding that Baugh step down, said Baugh’s comments may lead victims of sexual assault to avoid reporting it for fear of mistreatment by the legal system. There is no way to undo the incident or its impact on the victim and her family, but laws and court orders exist to bring justice to society, and a court order that leaves the victim or their family in lack of closure and feeling of safety is by no means a just order. Rawan Elzayat can be reached at Rawan.Elzayat@spartans.ut.edu
Disney’s New Policy Prohibits Disabled Guests from Skipping Lines By JAKE KONISZEWSKI Opinion Columnist
Disney World is one of my favorite places to go. I love letting my imagination run wild as I travel from world to world, meeting both heroes and villains from Disney’s latest and greatest films and television shows. But sometimes, the villains at Disney are not the ones in costume. Disney is implementing a new rule that will take effect on Oct. 9. Yahoo Shine reported, “people with disabilities will no longer be ushered to the front of lines.” This change was brought about due to reports of park guests bending the rule that allows disabled park guests to go to the front of the line for rides. The New York Post reported that anthropologist Wednesday Martin discovered a line-hopping secret while researching for her upcoming book, Primates of Park Avenue. According to the New York Post, “Some wealthy Manhattan moms have figured out a way to cut long lines at Disney World – by hiring disabled people to pose as family members so they and their kids can jump to the front.” I do not remember having to be taught not to take advantage of a person’s disability, probably because this isn’t a lesson people should need to be taught. One woman, whose identity was not revealed, told the New York Post, “My daughter waited one minute to get on ‘It’s a Small World’ – the other kids had to wait 2 ½ hours. You can’t go to Disney without a tour concierge,” the concierge being a paid disabled person posing as a friend or family member. “This is how the 1 percent does Disney.” I imagine after the interview, she had Mickey Mouse and his friends carry her and her family
to Cinderella’s Castle where they were served a feast by living household items a la Beauty and the Beast. Disney has a legitimate tour concierge of its own. According to the New York Post, “Disney Tours offers a VIP guide and fast passes for $310 to $380 per hour.” On the other hand, the “black-market Disney guides” are cheaper, running at “$130 an hour, or $1,040 for an eight-hour day.” Either way, guides are still expensive. The idea of paying such a high rate to bypass the line, black market or not, is ridiculous. Like most, I have never been a fan of lines, but at least at Disney, the rides’ lines usually provide some visual entertainment. Last spring when I was at Disney while waiting in line for Thunder Mountain, I got to look at boxes of fake dynamite from the “Lytum and Hyde Explosives Company.” Splash Mountain had a variety of colorful animal characters to see. Plus, you can always talk with friends or whip out your phone and play Candy Crush. Still, long lines are not an option for some guests at Disney. Michael Rosen, a spokesperson for Autism Speaks, has a son who is autistic. “He would start crying and screaming when we stood on a line, because he didn’t realize that in 25 minutes he would go on a ride,” Rosen told Yahoo Shine. “He had no idea why he was standing on a line, and that really takes away from the fun.” One of the most frustrating parts about this situation is that people, like the unnamed mother from earlier, do not think about how their actions could affect others or, even worse, they don’t care. If you do not take a moment to think how your actions could hurt others, you can end up causing a lot of damage and
grief. Because of this mother and other people like her, she ruined a privilege that helps those who need it. Disney has been in touch with Autism Speaks and other disability groups trying to think of a solution. According to a report by the Associated Press, “Visitors will be issued tickets with a return time and a shorter wait similar to the FastPass system that’s offered to everyone.” While this may stop guests from hiring disabled people to pose as family members by lessening the incentive to get an assistance pass, this hurts disabled people and their families and friends who are not trying to play the system. Martin told Yahoo Shine, “While it’s admirable that Disney seeks to address abuse
of and profiteering from their policy of the disabled by those who got disability passes unfairly, the park’s ‘solution’ penalizes disabled children and adults, who were supposed to be served by the policy in the first place, by revoking their ability to go to the front of the line.” I do not see how Disney can prevent people from abusing the rule without penalizing those who are innocent. Unless Disney can somehow create a device that stops people from being as wicked as the villains in their movies, I do not see a proper solution anytime soon. At least Disney can use this incident as inspiration to create the villain for a new animated movie. Jake Koniszewski can be reached at John.Koniszewski@spartans.ut.edu
Photo courtesy of Annabella Palopoli Disability cards like the one above will no longer allow persons to skip to the front of the line.
THE MINARET | OCTOBER 3 2013
OPINION
13
8-Month Pregnant Weight-Lifting Mom Receives Criticism ByAVERY TWIBLE Opinion Columnist
A picture of 33-week pregnant LeeAnne Ellison of California doing an overhead squat in a CrossFit workout has gone viral this week, and the piranhas have come out to eat her alive. Critics have swarmed to her Facebook pictures, racking up over 16,000 comments, some in support, but many just to inflict extreme criticism on her as a mother, according to ABC News. According to huffingtonpost. com, one person wrote,”You may have mastered the squat but need to work on motherhood...8 months doing an overhead squat really??!!!” You should always get a doctor’s opinion before exercising during pregnancy, and that is just what Ellison did. Examiner.com reported that her obstetrician gave her the okay before she continued her regular exercise regime. Robin Elise Weiss, Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE), Master of Public Health and Pregnancy writer on About.com, said, “If you were doing
something that your body is used to, there’s no real harm in it,” according to Examiner. com. Ellison was lifting up to 190 pounds before her pregnancy, and now in her third trimester, she is lifting 75 pounds at most. Crossfitmom.com has tips on how to train safely in each trimester, and the key is always to scale the workouts. CrossFit is a sport centered around strength and conditioning, a community so broad it is made up of people from any and every part of society. “Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing,” wrote CrossFit.com. The beauty of CrossFit is that anyone can scale any workout to their ability. That is why CrossFit is known as the sport for everyone from teenagers to grandparents. It is impeccably fit for beginners. “The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from
singapore crossfithub/Flickr When done safely, continual exercise during pregnancy can be healthy for both mother and baby.
televised bouts,” according to CrossFit’s official website. “8 months pregnant with baby number 3 and CrossFit has been my sanity. I have been CrossFitting for 2 1/2 years and... strongly believe that pregnancy is not an illness, but a time to relish in your body’s capabilities to kick ass,” Ellison said on Facebook. She’s a veteran of both pregnancy and CrossFit and has been under the watchful eye of her doctor, but critics still think they know her body better than she does. “Why would you risk hurting your baby just to stay in shape?” asked Facebook user Stephanie Herrera. “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.” Exercising during pregnancy improves the health of the mother and therefore the baby, according to MayoClinic.com. Three out of four pregnant women do not get enough exercise during pregnancy, according to Wedmd.com.They also say that women who exercise at least thirty minutes a day have lower risk of hypertension, gestational diabetes and depression. Studies show that babies of exercising moms tolerated the stress of labor and delivery better, at one year of age performed better on the standardized Bayley Scales of Infant Development compared to non-exercising moms and that continual exercise during pregnancy will help the mother’s body heal efficiently postpartum, according to usnews.com. “I’ve been doing CrossFit for three years and have known many pregnant women who workout up to their due date. As long as they have proper coaching and aren’t doing movements that are harmful to the baby, they’ve come back and told me the baby was born healthy and the mothers get back into great physical condition faster,” said Brian Funari, U.S. Marine and CrossFit Competitor. I have done CrossFit in the past and hope to continue in the future. When you join a CrossFit gym, you are actually joining a community. You aren’t just signing up for a training schedule-- you’re stepping into a new circle of friends that will become a key part of your life, a group that will understand a part of you like no one on the outside can understand. The
trainers tell you what the workout is and instruct you on how to do it, but it’s up to you to decide how hard to push yourself. They countdown “3, 2, 1, GO” and from that second on, everyone in the gym shouts words of encouragement. It’s a support system like no other and a great place for a pregnant woman to be. Before and during her pregnancy, she has a second family at her gym that she can confide in and turn to for support and encouragement. CrossFit isn’t an enjoyable fit for everyone, but the people who like it are passionate about it. “Sure you look and sound cool, but we’re only human… why would you risk hurting your baby just to stay in shape? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. It’s not a time to kick ass, it’s a time to be protective of your unborn child. Normally I’m for CrossFit, but this doesn’t make any sense to me,” one comment read on Ellison’s Facebook photo. But since she had lifted weights seriously for at least two and a half years before this pregnancy, her body was accustomed to it. Instead of helping the baby, stopping her normal exercise routine could have had a negative effect on her health as well as the baby’s since exercise increases blood flow, decreases stress, improves sleep and prepares the body for birth, according to kidshealth.org. Luckily, none of the backlash has gotten Ellison’s spirits down. She is confident in herself. With the help of her obstetrician and trainers, she knows what’s best for her body and her baby. “I can’t believe this photo has caused this much stir but it makes me hopeful that it will inspire other strong healthy moms to continue on doing what they love,” she wrote on her Facebook soon after the attention began to flood in. The California mom is doing what she loves, taking the criticisms in stride and becoming an inspiration to many. The female human body can grow another human being inside of it-- I think it can handle a few squats. I have some advice for those critics: get off of Facebook and join Ellison in the gym, and you may learn something. Avery Twible can be reached at avery. twible@spartans.ut.edu
iOS 7 Causes Vertigo and Nausea in iPhone Users By SAMANTHA BLOOM Opinion Columnist
Being the total iJunkie that I am, I jumped at the chance to upgrade to iOS 7 when it came out on Sept 18. I did a little research before I installed it, scrolling through the Apple website to familiarize myself with all the new features. The features sounded pretty cool, in theory. So I went for it. Initially, I regretted this decision. After using the updated software for less than an hour, I was feeling mildly nauseous and a little dizzy. I often get the same feeling when I try to read in the car or watch movies in 3-D. After complaining about it to a friend of mine, she explained to me how to turn off the parallax effect (the feature that makes the background appear to shift slightly behind the icons depending on how you tilt your phone, creating a 3-D illusion) and that helped some, but for a few days the zooming effect that occurs whenever an app is opened and the slight bouncing of the message bubbles continued to give me mild headaches. Since then, I’ve gotten used to it, and it’s not so much of an issue anymore. However, it seems like I’m one of the fortunate few. People with vestibular disorders or issues with the system that regulates balance and spatial awareness experience “intense nausea,
dizziness and vertigo” that can be triggered by the new dynamics present in the newest iOS upgrade, according to theguardian.com. It’s such a problem for some users that they have gone out and switched their upgraded devices for brand new phones that still run iOS 6 because downgrading isn’t an option. The Apple Support discussions page is rife with complaints from people who suffer debilitating nausea from such simple actions as opening apps and folders. One user complains that he or she “lost the rest of the day” to vertigo from using iOS 7, and another is “going on day three of total nausea.” Many users have called Apple’s support line only to hear that the zooming effect of opening apps and the dynamic bubble shifting can’t be turned off. The only feature that can be turned off is the parallax, and for many that’s the least of their concerns. Apple is usually very conscious about accessibility concerns for users, offering plenty of assistance to those with vision, hearing or motor-control impairments, so I’m surprised by the apparent lack of concern for users who are sensitive to such dynamic visual stimuli. Even with my love for Apple products, the company’s disregard for not only customer satisfaction but also the health of the people using its devices is upsetting.
If users are becoming physically ill from using your devices, it should be your responsibility to fix that issue. Simply being able to revert back to iOS 6 for users that are having trouble would solve almost all of the complaints, so why not make that an option? It seems like the most simple and effective fix. As far as fixing the issues with the upgrade, I’m no expert in software development, but for a company at the forefront of technology,
one would think making it an option to turn off the zooming effects and reducing more of the superfluous motion integrated into iOS 7 wouldn’t be all that hard. Hopefully, a solution is on the way. Apple owes it to its customers to make its technology as user-friendly as possible, and with such a negative backlash towards the new iOS, changes are going to have to be made. Samantha Bloom. can be reached at samantha.bloom@spartans.ut.edu
Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr
People with vestibular disorders or issues with balance and spatial awareness can experience nausea using iOS 7.
14 OCTOBER 3 2013 | THE MINARET
OPINION
New Book by ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ Melissa Gorga Advocates Misogyny and Marital Rape
By PAOLA CRESPO & ANNABELLA PALOPOLI Opinion Co-Editors
Last week Melissa Gorga, star of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, released her book Love Italian Style. The book is supposed to give insight on her marriage with husband Joe and advice to women on how to make their marriages as happy as hers. However, instead of giving positive, helpful advice, the book is riddled with sexist, misogynistic ideals and even implies that Melissa advocates marital rape. She basically preaches how to be the perfect, 1950s-esque submissive housewife, and this message is unacceptable. This article will focus on countering some harmful advice from Melissa and her husband. 1. Marital rape is unacceptable (and illegal) At one point, Joe makes a statement about his sex life with Melissa that condones marital rape: “Men, I know you think your woman isn’t the type who wants to be taken. But trust me, she is. Every girl wants to get her hair pulled once in a while. If your wife says ‘no,’ turn her around, and rip her clothes off. She wants to be dominated… Women don’t realize how easy men are. Just give us what we want.” This is completely unacceptable. It is this kind of commentary that fuels the misogynistic mentality in American culture. If a woman says “no,” even if she is your wife, it means no. It’s as simple as that. “No” does not mean, “yes,” “maybe” or “please do me.” Being married does not give husbands the right to their wives’ bodies whenever they want. Marital rape can be broadly defined as “any unwanted intercourse or penetration (vaginal, anal, or oral) obtained by force, threat of force or when the wife is unable to consent,” according to Raquel Bergen in a 1999 study for VAWnet. When Melissa says “no,” the sex is clearly unwanted, and her husband ripping her clothes off and dominating her definitely sounds forceful. By definition, the situation Joe is describing is marital rape, which has been illegal in all 50 states since 1993. 2. Wives are human beings, not sex toys Melissa says that as a wife, it is her duty to please her husband at all times. “In the beginning, Joe wanted to have sex every single day, at least once, if not twice or three times… If I didn’t give it to him once a day, he’d get upset,” Melissa wrote. Sex is not onesided; when it happens, both people should want it without feeling any obligation to participate in order to please the other. Wives do not have to comply to all their husbands’ sex cravings. Women are not sex toys. 3. The severity of a couple’s arguments should not depend on sex Melissa explains how having more sex can diminish tension and fights. “I can do something that pisses him off on a Monday,” she said, “but if we had sex on Sunday night, it blows over more easily. But if we haven’t done it for two days and I give him attitude? It could be a huge fight.” This is appalling. The severity of a couple’s arguments should not depend on their sex life. Sex, or lack-thereof, should not be used as an excuse to fight. Instead, talk it out, discuss the situation or problem and deal with it equally. If you need to have more sex to not fight with your spouse then you need to reevaluate your situation.
4. Women are not obligated to be sexy for men
8. Women should not feel ashamed for using their own bathroom
Regarding appearance and sexual readiness, Melissa believes that “[a] woman needs to keep herself in shape. She has to be seductive… And, most important, she has to be available for sex.” A woman does not owe anything to a man even if he is her husband. If she wants to keep in shape for herself, that’s great. But in no way is she responsible to stay sexy in order to please her husband nor for seducing him. Furthermore, women have absolutely no obligation to be available for sex. She can have sex on her own time, thank you very much.
As the book goes on, it becomes more evident how much Melissa’s husband controls every aspect of her life. She even writes that she doesn’t use the bathroom when Joe is near. “Girls don’t poop… [at least] that’s what Joe thinks!... I don’t do it when he’s around or awake. In an emergency, I have my ways of pooping so he won’t hear, smell, or see. It’s a challenge.” Her life revolves so much around pleasing her husband to the extent that she can’t even perform natural bodily functions in her own house. Using one’s own bathroom should not be a challenge. If spouses have problems with their partners doing something that everyone on Earth does, there’s a serious issue.
5. A woman’s lack of sexual initiative is no excuse for cheating In another one of Joe’s inputs, he discusses cheating. According to Joe, if a woman does not initiate intimacy enough, it is her fault if her husband or boyfriend cheats on her. “Refusing to initiate is a Top Three reason men cheat,” he said. “The ugliest girl in the world could come on to a man in that state of mind, and he might have to go for it. He thinks, At least someone wants me.” This passage is extremely ridiculous, even disregarding his horrible grammar. If a man cheats on a woman because she wasn’t engaging in sex as often as he’d like, she should get the hell out of that relationship and never look back. Again, a woman has no obligation to have sex with her significant other. She shouldn’t have to worry about infidelity if she doesn’t oblige. 6. Couples should not adhere to gender roles “When gender roles are confused, sexual roles are, too. If he’s at the sink and then changing diapers, then who throws down in the bed? In our marriage, Joe is always the man, doing masculine things. I’m the woman, and I do the female things, including housework.” This sexist way of thinking is completely out-dated––there are no tasks (besides obvious biological processes) that are inherently masculine or feminine. In the past, men were the breadwinners and women were housewives. Nowadays, it’s recognized that women are equally capable and important in the workforce, and there’s no reason that they should be the ones to stay home. Conversely, men are just as capable of staying at home “at the sink” and “changing diapers.”
9. Marriage does not mean you have to lose your independence Finally, Melissa inadvertently reveals the dangerous extent to which she relies on her husband. “I used to want to hold onto my independence, even after we got married. I didn’t want to need anyone, not even Joe. Now, I know that it’s arrogant to think you don’t need anyone. Need is only a fourletter word if you don’t accept it as another one. F-A-C-T.” Wanting independence is not arrogant. Everyone needs some independence in a relationship; it’s healthy. Each partner in a relationship should have their own ambitions, hobbies and friends. Although marriage is meant to unite two people, it is important to remember that each spouse in an individual. It’s disappointing that Melissa wrote a book belittling her own gender. She has submitted to misogynistic ideals; she even acknowledges that Joe might seem like a “chauvinistic pig,” but then excuses his behavior, saying that it is only his job as a husband. Being a
spouse does not give anyone the right to belittle, bully or dominate their partner. Love Italian Style shouldn’t even be called an advice book. It’s more of a guide on exactly what not to do in a marriage. Feminist blog Jezebel.com said, “The amount of sexism, gender essentialism, and caveman logic within its pages is so appalling that it’s difficult to believe that her book is anything but a cry for help.” After the criticism and accusations received claiming Melissa and her husband advocate marital rape, Melissa said she finds it “disgusting” that people think her book would promote such things. According to the Daily Mail, she insisted her advice in the book is only “promoting ‘teasing’ and ‘playfulness’ and that the scathing headlines were unwarranted.” If Melissa doesn’t think being sexually dominated after she says “no” isn’t marital rape, someone needs to sit down and have a serious talk with her. Even worse, Melissa wants to pass on this submissive mindset to her child. According to the Washington Times, “Melissa said she’s (sic) be happy to give the book to her daughter when she gets married someday.” It is sad to think that Melissa plans on teaching her child to act subordinate to a man. She should instead be teaching her daughter about self-worth and respect. This book should not be used as a guideline for marriage as Melissa had intended. It only encourages the sexist and misogynistic ideals that women have spent years fighting against. We should not revert to the days where a woman’s place was stuck at home in the kitchen and subject to her husband’s will. Women are so much more than that; we are perfectly capable of being self-sufficient. Please do not take Melissa’s “advice” to heart. A woman’s feelings and needs are just as important as a man’s. We should be respected. Annabella Palopoli can be reached at annabella.palopoli@theminaretonline.com Paola Crespo can be reached at paola. crespo@theminaretonline.com
7. Verbal abuse is never okay; wives are not their husbands’ punching bags Melissa talks about how Joe sometimes gets aggressive and yells at her. “If he gets one ounce of flack from me, he flips a switch and goes off. I know it’s not really about me, so I don’t get riled up. I supposed (sic) I could get angry back him (sic) for getting the bulk end of his problems. But then again, that’s what a spouse is for. You get to release your stress on someone you trust, who you know won’t hold it against you. [He’d] like to yell at a colleague, client, or employee. But he yells at me and doesn’t screw up a business deal. I can take it.” At this point, Melissa (and her writing) is truly pitiable. She feels that her husband has the right to use her as a metaphorical punching bag and yell at her to release stress. She, nor any woman, does not have to just “take it.” Yes, being married means supporting each other, but that’s completely different from yelling at a spouse solely out of stress. No one should be subjected to verbal or emotional abuse in order to keep their partner happy.
officialmelissagorga/Facebook Melissa Gorga’s book, Love Italian Style, has sexist, misogynistic ideals that belittle women.
15 Seventh Graders Forced to Re-enact Slavery During Field Trip THE MINARET | OCTOBER 3 2013
OPINION
By LAUREN MILICI Opinion Writer
For some schools, assigned textbook chapters, PowerPoint presentations and historical films are not enough to educate students about the slavery that existed in the U.S. during the 1800s. School field trips to a Massachusettsbased company called Nature’s Classroom allow students to not only learn about slavery but experience it firsthand. A four-day trip to Nature’s Classroom includes special-interest classes, campfires, night hikes and the possibility of an “Underground Railroad Activity,” according to their website. Seventh graders from Connecticut’s Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy who went on a trip to Nature’s Classroom were unaware of the details of that last activity, according to Headline News. On the third night of the trip, the students were crammed into a dark room and told to imagine they had witnessed their parents being killed. The students could not address the instructors--who had become their “masters”--and were told to pretend they were picking cotton. According to Sandra Baker, a mother whose daughter was one of the students on the trip, they were threatened and chased through the dark woods. The students said that the N-word was shouted at them, among other phrases referring to them as “animals” and “property.” John G. Santos, executive director of Nature’s Classroom, denies that the Nword was used, but that “dumb, darkskinned negro person” was a definite possibility. In Nature’s Classroom’s statement on the incident, Santos added that the program was first offered 20 years ago. It shocks me that this “learning” experience has gone on for the last 20 years and this is only the first time it’s
ever been majorly publicized in the media. A child as young as 11 or 12 isn’t going to process this kind of experience as well as a 16 or 18-year-old would, and
[
the goal is to “introduce students to some of the complexities and difficulties surrounding slavery, understand the courage it took to run, the courage it took to assist those running and to draw
The students said that the N-word was shouted at them, among other phrases referring to them as “animals” and “property.”
I find it disturbingly unnecessary as a whole. Yes, we need to educate our children about the past so that history will not repeat itself in the future. Yes, we need to do more than just talk about what occurred. Visuals need to be used and even trips to historic sites. However, a child does not need to be chased through the woods and called the N-word in order to understand what slaves were forced to go through. I can understand that the point is to make a big impact, to burn this into their brains and ensure they never forget. The trauma that could result from a reenactment like this, however, is something that needs to be considered. Things such as frightening visuals, loud noises and violent movements can shatter a child’s sense of safety, according to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. From the organization’s website, “Young children are less able to anticipate danger or to know how to keep themselves safe, and so are particularly vulnerable to the effects of exposure to trauma.” The New York Daily News reported that Baker pulled her child out of the Hartford academy and the school district, saying that her 12-year-old daughter was indeed traumatized by the experience. In response, Santos said, “These are real feelings we’re eliciting,” and that
]
connections between discrimination and prejudice then and discrimination and prejudice today.” If the program does continue, the intensity of Nature’s Classroom’s Underground Railroad Experience
should be geared more towards high school upperclassmen or even college students, and the use of racial slurs should be omitted. If it was up to me, I would pull the funding from this program completely and use it towards counseling for any child who may have suffered trauma as a result. Even if it is believed that history might repeat itself, putting this responsibility on the shoulders of our youths by means of fear helps nothing and no one; it takes us a step back. In the future, I hope that Nature’s Classroom decides to focus on the historical purposes of their program and less on the psychological aspect. Lauren Milici can be reached at Lauren.Milici@spartans.ut.edu
CNN/Youtube
Dr. John Santos, director of Nature’s Classroom, defends a middle school ‘Underground Railroad Activity.’
16 THE MINARET | OCTOBER 3 2013
Sports
Catanach Still Enjoying Success After Coaching UT Volleyball Team for 30 Years By PAIGE SHALLCROSS Sports Writer
This year, volleyball coach Chris Catanach is starting his 30th season as head coach. Catanach has made a huge impact at UT throughout these 30 years. Not only has he constantly put out top notch teams, but he has also lead the volleyball program to 22 Sunshine State Conference (SSC) titles, 28 NCAA Tournament appearances, 15 Elite Eight appearances, four national runner-up finishes and the 2006 NCAA II National Championship. Catanach averages 31.2 victories per season and his winning percentage ranks third among the active NCAA coaches, plus his 906 total career victories rank him second among NCAA active coaches. Catanach has been a huge asset to the Tampa community and his development as a coach is noteworthy. “I came to Tampa originally as a student from 1980 to 1983,” Catanach said. “I had been a (volleyball) player, not collegiately, and I enjoyed athletics in general and I thought I wanted to be a P.E. teacher. I had the opportunity to be a student assistant and was able to climb up the ranks and eventually
an opportunity opened so I jumped at it and the rest is history.” This opportunity Catanach accepted is what lead him to be a successful coach today, but it was not easy from the beginning. “When I think back now to how I coached when I first started, obviously I didn’t have a clue. I thought I did but I didn’t,” Catanach said. “My goal has always been to improve a little bit each year. If I stop improving then it’s probably time to retire.” Catanach has continued to improve year after year, which has been displayed through the success of his teams. This improvement has been achieved through trying new and old things on the court. “I’ve tried to do a lot of networking, attend clinics, study the game a little bit here and here and try new things,” Catanach said. “I’ve changed a lot of different things that I’ve done in the years so I’m not stuck in the old ways, but some of the things I’ve gone back to and said, ‘okay lets keep doing this.’” One specific thing that Catanach stresses every year is how the team needs to approach each upcoming game. There is nothing that
should factor into how the team thinks about the opposing team. “With each team we emphasize that we respect (them) and take every opponent like they can beat us,” Catanach said. “It’s critical. We don’t usually get upset and you don’t hear of us getting upset because I really want them to focus on each opponent individually.” A lot of Catanach’s success also comes from the players he works with. Catanach stresses how lucky they have been with attracting good, strong players, but when recruiting, he looks for more than just athletes. “They’ve got to be a good athlete, an explosive athlete. Size isn’t number one. If they are a good jumper then size isn’t as important to me,”Catanach said. “I’m also very focused on finding athletes that are good people too. At this level, it is just as important to be a great person as it is a player. We are looking for how they act with their teammates, how they act with their parents, how they act when they lose and win. Pretty much all around good kids.”
After their close opportunity of winning the national championship, Catanach has, for himself and for the team, one specific goal in mind. “We’ve set a goal that we want to win the national championship. We lost last year in the finals. We had a shot and sometimes the memories dredge up, especially on how close we were and how we didn’t take care of business, and we are hoping to do that this year,” Catanach said. “That is what I’d like to accomplish this year as a coach.” Even though the team has set a strong goal this season, they still want to make sure they do not only focus on that aspect of the season. “I’m really working hard at this year and trying to enjoy the process, not being stressed over the wins and losses but enjoy the process of developing this team,” Catanach said. “Too often we get caught up with the ‘got to win’ mentality and we don’t enjoy the progress the kids make and the progress you make and where we started and where we finished. So that is something I also want to focus on and enjoy this season as a coach.” Paige Shallcross can be reached at paige.shallcross@spartans.ut.edu
Photos Courtesy of Tom Kolbe
LEFT: Coach Catanach instructs sophomore Marissa Lisenbee during a recent game. RIGHT: Sophomore Jen Scholz recieves advice from Coach Catanach on the sideline.
PICK ‘EM Nathan Greg
Writers Predict Weekly Matchups
Talk of the Town Local Sports News
vs.
Phil Griff Marcus Jordan Kevin Jack Nathan
Regardless of who quarterbacks the team, the Bucs can’t seem to muster up a win. Perhaps an off week will help alleviate internal tensions within the team. -Griffin Guinta, Asst. Sports Editor
Griff Jack Kevin Nathan
vs.
Phil Marcus Greg Jordan
By the time this is published, the Rays may or may not have beaten the Indians to seal a date with the Red Sox in the ALDS. Regardless, the team finished above 90 wins yet again. -Jordan Llanes, Sports Editor
Jack Griff Phil Kevin Nathan
vs.
Jordan Marcus
Capable of firing many quality shots per game, the Lightning offense hopes to anchor the team this season after a rough 48 game campaign in 2013. They begin the season Oct. 3 at the Boston Bruins. -Greg Praver, Sports Writer
OCTOBER 3 2013 | THE MINARET
17
From the Stands to the Couch Fans Increasingly Choosing to Watch Games at Home
LEFT: Homecoming at Illinois State/Flickr RIGHT: GoldenEyePhotography/Flickr
Many fans choose to don their favorite team apparel and attend live games. However, it has become more economical and convenient to watch sports games from the sofa. By JAMES BELLUSCIO Sports Writer
The grill is going and the beer is flowing. People are gathering around the TV in their favorite players’ jerseys. Grown men on the verge of a breakdown with every given play. It’s time for football. Every Sunday, families and groups of guys all over the United States gather to watch the National Football League. The NFL has taken over as the most popular sport in this country. Yet, average attendance at each game in 2012 was 64,698, which is the lowest average since 2002, according to Yahoo Sports. The reason? Fans are increasingly choosing to watch the games at home. “One of our biggest challenges in the league is the experience at home,” the New York Post quoted NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell telling fans in Atlanta. And he noted that, with the rapid growth of large-screen highdefinition television, the experience “is only going to get better.” With TV innovations like NFL Red Zone or NFL Sunday Ticket, fans struggle to leave their couches every Sunday. These programs allow a fan to watch every game at one time. The channel will switch from game-togame during every crucial play. WFAN sports talk host Rich Herrera watches Red Zone every Sunday. “Why spend $400 going to a game when I can watch every game for just $10 a month in the comfort of my home?” Herrera said. When you add up parking, food and the increasing ticket prices, it costs a family of four $427 to attend an NFL game––that’s one expensive weekend. In the comfort of your home, on the other hand, a fan can relax, make their own food and never have to worry about Mother Nature. Plus, with the advancements of television and better camera angles, some fans believe they see more of the game at home. You are front and center with the luxury of going to the bathroom without a line of 100 fans.
Does sitting and watching a game at home really give the same rush a game does in person? “To me the difference between high-fiving your boys after seeing the big play on the big screen at home or doing the same thing with 70,000 of your good friends at the stadium is not even a comparison,” said Paul Rosik, a writer for the fan site Bleacher Report. When going to stadiums, you have an opportunity to meet new people with the same passion and love as you. “The fans at games become your best friends. You high-five, chest bump and even hug a complete stranger. There is nothing like it.” Tampa Bay Bucs season ticket holder Jay Rosa has been attending every Bucs home game since 2008. “There is nothing like being at the game,” Rosa said. “It almost makes you part of the team. Being a part of the atmosphere and screaming your head off is your duty as a football fan.” To Rosa, it’s worth it-and he can afford it. To make it possible for more fans, teams are trying to figure out a way to make the experience more affordable. The Bucs give every season ticket holder a credit card with a certain amount of money on it for the season. The fan can use that card at any merchandise store or concession at the stadium on game day. If a fan buys the “premium” ticket deal they are also given free parking passes for each game. There are many perks to having season tickets, but once again, not everyone can afford them. In recent years, fans do not just root for one team, they have their own team to worry about on Sundays. Fans everywhere, including Herrera, have taken up one of the world’s most popular trends: fantasy football. Fantasy Football allows a player to root for his own players and own team. It creates a national competition between friends, co-workers and people everywhere. With programs like Red Zone, fans can watch every one of their players. It also makes fans root for games that do not usually matter.
To counteract this issue, the Jacksonville Jaguars are considering putting Red Zone on their stadium’s big screens during their home games so fans at the stadium can not only watch their team play in person, but keep an eye on the other games around the league. Herrera, for one, doesn’t think that tactic will do the job. “Having Red Zone on at the games defeats the purpose of going to the game,” Herrera said. He noted that many fans that call into his radio show agree. While you are at the game, a majority of the time you are looking at the big-screen for replays. The people sitting in the “nosebleeds” have to watch the screen to see the play at all. “Eliminating that (big-screens) will not help the NFL. If you are at a stadium you deserve to see every play,” he said. Many times the angle you have to view the game at the stadium is also far from ideal. Your seat may be in an upper deck or end zone, giving you a view that television cameras rarely bother with. At home you are always in perfect position for every play. Another major concern for fans is the comfort. Stadium seats are hard and often little more than a bench. Even in a dome the seating is far from the quality of your favorite chair in your living room. By the end of the game your behind is ready for your favorite chair. “Why should I have to watch a three hour game in a plastic seat with no leg room if I have a couch that sits six at my house?” said Jarrod Morris, football fan for 15 years. And unless the stadium is domed, you are subjected to the weather (imagine Buffalo in the winter). You may be forced to contend with heat, cold, rain, snow, wind or whatever else Mother Nature can think of to torment fans. Another impediment to shelling out big bucks for the stadium experience: The NFL has recently just added a list of new safety procedures for fans at games, and many do not agree. Outside of the Bucs preseason game,
almost every person did not like the new rules. “I pay all this money and I can only bring a handheld bag. What happened to the land of the free?” said fan D.G. Warren. Prohibited items include but are not limited to: purses larger than a clutch bag, coolers, briefcases, backpacks, fanny packs, cinch bags, non-approved seat cushions, luggage of any kind, computer bags and camera bags or any bag larger than the permissible size. The security checks just add to the long list of frustration fans face when attending a game––and fans are simply fed up. No matter what age, race or gender they are, people are going to watch football on Sundays. With the new technological advancements HD TV brings it is almost more clear and precise to watch a game from home. We are in a high-tech age where people always need to “be in the loop.” So stadiums and the NFL are working on ways to make going to the game more enjoyable. Some stadiums are in the process of making wireless networking in every seat. That will allow the fan to connect with Twitter, Facebook and their fantasy teams while at the stadium. It will give the fan the ability to connect with the other fans in the stadium and create more of a collective atmosphere in the game. But, will that be enough? Fans are not willing to spend over $400 for one day. Why spend $10 on a beer when you can buy a six pack for less. Why spend over $6 for a hot dog when you can eat way more for way less in the comfort of your home? The NFL needs to make serious changes to the in stadium prices or they will continue to lose fans. Of course, the NFL will never fall apart. It is a multi-billion dollar company but more and more, fans would much rather watch the games from their couches than at stadiums. James Belluscio can be reached at james.belluscio@spartans.ut.edu
18 OCTOBER 3 2013 | THE MINARET
SPORTS
Pro Sports
Confessions of a Fantasy Football Addict
LEFT: ramseymonsen/Flickr, RIGHT: d.clow-Maryland/Flickr
LEFT: Users often formulate creative names for their fantasy teams, like “Camels n’ Computers.” RIGHT: Many Fantasy Football leagues even give trophies for league winners. By MARCUS MITCHELL Sports Writer
My name is Marcus Mitchell, and I admit I have a problem. Over the past summer I did what most college students did and took part in a fantasy football draft, except I did this a total of 87 times. I didn’t realize how far I’d fallen until I woke up one morning with my face on my keyboard. I stared at my laptop and saw my roster after the draft that I stayed up until four in the morning to complete. I had two of the most stunning realizations of my life at that moment: the first being that fake sports are running my real life, and the second was that I’m an idiot for taking Drew Brees in the first round. If you are looking to live a life with hopes of a normal family and a normal job, then don’t enter the magical realm of fantasy football, because you will never go back. For those of you sheltered souls that do not know, fantasy football is the sport (That’s right, I said sport.) where football fans make “fantasy teams” that exist in “fantasy leagues.” These leagues are
run by an almighty commissioner. They set up a draft where team owners draft real players onto their fake teams, and these players earn points for their fantasy football teams based off of their real-life performance in the NFL. The standard draft takes about an hour to complete and team owners typically spend 10 minutes a week updating their rosters, which is very manageable for most human beings. Most. Things get out of control when you are the owner, general manager and coach of 87 fantasy football teams. My fantasy habit got out of control during the summer. Saturdays were regular draft days in which I would take part in about three drafts, each lasting about two hours apiece. There were times when I was drafting two or three teams at the same time. Drafts became second nature to me and I drafted with complete strangers, but eventually it was almost normal for one guy in every league to spot me out, thanks to my signature team name “Dad’s Warning.” While most team names are clever puns of their favorite players (“The Reading Dwayne
Bowe” or “The Walking Dez”), I prefer for mine to be about the first man who ever talked to me about fantasy: my dad. It was in 2010 when he and I were watching ESPN. Matthew Berry (AKA the prophet of fantasy sports) appeared on the television, spreading the good word of fantasy. I asked my dad what fantasy football was. He thought for a moment and said something that I will never forget: “Listen son, some of the people at my job have fantasy teams and it’s a lot of work and commitment and really hard to get out of, so if you are going to do it then you can’t quit after week seven.” I understood and started my fantasy football career with one team with some friends in 2011. I was instantly hooked and wound up as the champion of the league after dispatching owners who managed well (besides one owner who drafted broken necked Peyton Manning in the first round), but not at the intensity level that I managed. Next year, I found myself with eight teams and wound up winning six of them but my fantasy thirst wasn’t satisfied.
Now I find myself with 87 teams. Some call me crazy. Others wonder how I can actually enjoy it. It’s simple. I make every team into either a team of “usuals” or a gimmick team. Most of my teams are made of “usuals,” or players I genuinely believe can win me a virtual trophy, and these teams are built with the same personal draft strategy. The other teams are gimmick teams such as a team of players from only one division, or players who have been in the NFL for three years or less, or an all-risk team filled with injury prone players like glass-boned Darren McFadden. Frankly, I’m addicted to fantasy football and I am fully expecting an intervention from my mom when I get home. But this life has taught me values of risk management and perseverance. The teams that I create may be fake but the determination and effort I put into these leagues are very real, just like the very real “Fantasy Football Champion” Tshirt hanging in my closet. Marcus Mitchell can be reached at marcus. mitchell@spartans.ut.edu
NHL Preview 2013: Eastern Conference Teams
By GRANT PAWLAK Sports Writer
The National Hockey League will open its regular season on Oct. 2, as multiple teams will be competing during the first week of play. The Eastern Conference will open with the Detroit Red Wings facing off against the Buffalo Sabres. While the game seems evenly matched, the lack of defense for the Red Wings might prove challenging. How Detroit will play in this opening game brings a few questions to mind, specifically how they will adjust to their size disadvantages, namely against Buffalo, Boston and Toronto. Furthermore, what will the offseason additions Daniel Alfredsson and Stephen Weiss bring to the team? Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning haven’t seen the Eastern Conference Finals in two years, finishing the 2013 season with just 40 points. The Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers were the only other teams to finish with fewer points. With their offense averaging at 3.06 goals a game, they also allowed 3.06 goals a game. While only the Blackhawks and the Penguins scored more than Tampa’s 147 goals for the season, they were ranked 26th in goals against. But the Lightning plans to turn that around this season as it spent most of its summer buying out the contract of star captain, Vincent
BridgetdsFlickr
Steven Stamkos and the Lightning finished with just 40 points last year. The team hopes to buck that trend going into the 2013 season sans ex-Captain Vincent Lecavalier.
Lecavalier. They also signed Valtteri Filppula, pulling him away from their new division rivals in Detroit. One of the bigger questions this season will be whether or not the Bruins can make a return trip back to the Stanley Cup Final. While they traded away their former second-overall pick Tyler Seguin to Dallas, they brought back Loui Eriksson. While Seguin may be good, Eriksson is better for the Bruins in both the present and the long run
for now. Even though the season has just started, preseason odds have the Bruins calculated to win the Stanley Cup at an odd of 9-1. Just ahead are the Blackhawks with 7-1 and the Pittsburgh Penguins with 6-1 odds. Despite being called the weaker of the two conferences, the Eastern Conference is sure to be an interesting group of teams to watch. With explosive teams like the Bruins and Penguins trying to return to the final, as well as the Lightning looking to find its groove and
PNLT_BX/Flickr
The Boston Bruins have filled the void of the talented but immature Tyler Seguin with former Dallas Star Loui Eriksson.
return to the postseason for the first time in three years, this season will definitely be an intense one that hockey fans love. Grant Pawlak can be reached at grant.pawlak@spartans.ut.edu
SPORTS
THE MINARET | OCTOBER 3 2013
19
Is a Seahawks-Broncos Super Bowl Matchup Brewing?
Hase Don/Flickr; Andrea McDonald/Flickr
Football Schedule/Flickr
LEFT: Russell Wilson hasn’t been sensational, but his gritty efforts have led the Seahawks to consecutive wins. RIGHT: Peyton Manning shows no signs of slowing down this year. By JORDAN LLANES Sports Editor
I’m excited for this rest of the Bucs’ season. The defense is playing superbly. When Darrelle Revis and Jonathan Banks pick off Carson Palmer and Dashon Goldson delivers punishing blows, our defense can’t be beat. As for the offense? Let’s just say I’m excited to see what Mike Glennon can do when he has two weeks to prepare for an opponent. Despite two late interceptions that might have cost the Bucs their first victory, the kid played like a seasoned veteran. The touchdown pass to MIke Williams? Right on the money. Now onto the rest of the week in sports. It was time for Lane Kiffin to get axed. The now former USC coach had run out of excuses going into this season and had to get the job done. A rocky 3-2 start that included an upset at home against Washington State and a blowout loss against Arizona State, combined with a horrid offensive performance to begin the
season, sealed Kiffin’s fate. I don’t know if a team will take a chance on him next season, even for a coordinator position. The circus that seems to follow him might be too great. Mariano Rivera will go out as one of the greatest ever to play the game of baseball. This I have no doubt. Even though I am a die hard Yankee fan, every baseball fan can agree on that fact. Rivera pitched in his last game on Thursday night in a loss to the Rays. When fellow Core Four teammates Andy Pettitte (who is also retiring after the season) and Derek Jeter pulled him with two outs in the ninth, the Bronx crowd roared as Mo gave his final curtain call. It was one of the best moments in Yankee history as well as in this year in sports. It will certainly be a different sight in the Bronx next season without the all time saves leader slamming doors in front of the Yankee fans. A quarter of the way through the season, it certainly looks like the Seahawks and
the Broncos will face off in Super Bowl XLVII in February. Seattle has the NFL’s best home field advantage and defense, not to mention a dynamic offense that will only get better once offseason acquisition Percy Harvin returns. Meanwhile, Denver has rode quarterback Peyton Manning’s career best start (1,470 yards and an NFL record 16 touchdown passes in the first month) en route to its own undefeated start. If these two teams met today, it would be fun to watch the NFL’s best quarterback go against its best defense. Hockey returned last night, and the rest of the NHL’s opening games start tonight. I’m excited for this season to get underway. As a Lightning fan, I’m really hoping that Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis can lead the squad back to the playoffs. The Blackhawks look even better than last year’s Stanley Cup winning squad, but the Bruins don’t look as strong with troubled yet talented forward Tyler Seguin now in Dallas. It will definitely be an interesting season to watch.
It’s debatable if Tiger Woods deserved to win the PGA Player of the Year award. Even though the world’s top player won five times this year, including at the Players Championship, the PGA’s unofficial fifth major, he was in position to win a few more. Not winning any majors plus not capturing the FedEx Cup when he was in position to do so hurt his reputation as a finisher. The career major victories record of 18 held by Jack Nicklaus is now looking like it might be out of reach. But before I write him off entirely, I want to see what he can do next year. The Bucs have a bye week coming up, and so do I. Assistant Sports Editor Griffin Guinta is going to be writing in the column next week, and he’s a far better writer than I am, so enjoy it. See everyone in a couple weeks. Jordan Llanes can be reached at jordan. llanes@theminaretonline.com
Expanded Instant Replay Needed in MLB By PHIL NOVOTNY Sports Writer
fans and the new generation of fans that support Major League Baseball using 21st century technology to review calls. The traditionalists believe that this new system will slow down the pace of the game and if the pace were slowed down, then it would hurt the purity of baseball. Other traditionalists like former Yankees Manager and current MLB Executive Vice President of Operations Joe Torre state that “the human element is vital to baseball,”
which implies that there would be no use for umpires if technology can make important calls for them. The opposition believes that getting the call right is the number one priority. They believe that there have been too many blown calls in the last decade. Most notably in 2010 when (then Detroit Tigers pitcher) Armando Galarraga was one out away from a perfect game until Jason Donald of the Cleveland Indians hit a slow ground ball to
Major League Baseball is known for being the sport that has been reluctant to implement instant replay. Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announced that instant replay would be used only on home run calls in 2008. However, due to the rise in blown calls by umpires, there has been a cry for reform by restless fans. Those fans got their wish when on Aug. 15 Selig announced that Major League Baseball plans to expand instant replay. The owners will formally vote on it in November during their meetings in Orlando. These changes still have to be negotiated with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and the World Umpires Association. If the owners agree to expand instant replay then it would start at the beginning of next year. This new system states that each manager will have three challenges per game. They will have one challenge for the first six innings, and then each manager will have two challenges from the beginning of the seventh inning until the game’s conclusion. The manager will not be charged with a review if the challenge is successful. The MLBAM offices in New York will review every call with the cameras provided. Men with umpiring experience will monitor these cameras and will make the final call on the field, not the crew chief. This is where the Bridgetds/Flickr debate begins between old-school baseball With instant replay, baseball umpires could alleviate worries of making the wrong calls.
Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera threw the ball to Galarraga who was covering first base. It was a bang-bang play but first base umpire Jim Joyce called Donald safe when he was clearly out. The opposition believes that if this play was reviewed then Donald would have been called out and Galarraga would have had a perfect game. Therefore, Atlanta Braves team president John Schuerholz, an advocate for expanded replay says, “Reviewable plays will cover 89 percent of those incorrect calls that were made in the past. The 11 percent remaining are in the nonreviewable category, but can still be argued by the manager.” Personally, I am a huge fan of baseball tradition and the old-school values that come with it but I am also a member of 21st century society, which allows us to have full access to technology. There needs to be instant replay of some sort in Major League Baseball. We can’t fully be reliant on the human element in baseball anymore but at the same time, we should still be able to preserve some of it for a younger generation of baseball fans. What baseball fans can do now is to try to find a fine line where traditionalist and a perfectionist and can find a perfect equilibrium. On that note, we will see if this new system of instant replay will be approved. If so, the future of Major League Baseball will drastically change forever. Phil Novotny can be reached at philip. novotny@spartans.ut.edu
MINARET
Stadium vs. Home [17]
UT’S SOURCE SINCE 1933
SPORTS
Exit Sandman
Fantasy Football [18]
A tribute to baseball’s greatest closer
The Lunge The Delivery
The Wind-Up
ABOVE and BELOW: Keith Allison/Flickr
The three stages of Mariano Rivera’s delivery are pictured. First, Rivera kicks his leg up and gathers momentum. He then rears his arm up, aims and finally steps forward to deliver the pitch. By CONNOR ANTHONY Sports Writer
The cut fastball, or “cutter,” is a pitch in which the ball breaks toward the pitcher’s glove side as it reaches home plate. It is somewhere in the middle between a slider and a fastball: faster than a slider but slower than a fastball. New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera established himself as the greatest closer in the history of the game, with practically one pitch: his cutter. Mariano’s cutter is arguably the greatest single pitch in the history of baseball. Funny enough, it was developed completely by mistake. In June 1997, while playing catch with then teammate Ramiro Mendoza, Rivera was goofing off and threw a pitch, which his teammate told him to throw again. Rivera tried to get the ball to stop cutting away, but with some reassurance from his teammate, realized that he had found something. With the cutter at his disposal, Mariano started his quest to become the greatest relief pitcher ever. With his final game on Sunday,
and the retirement of the last player ever to wear the number 42, a very illustrious and celebrated 19-year career is coming to an end. With 13 All-Star Games appearances, five world championships and an MLB-record 652 saves, there remains only one question with Rivera: will he be the first unanimous inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame? Rivera, who has spent his entire big league career with the Yankees, was signed out of Panama in 1990 at the ripe age of 20 for only $3,000. Before signing with the Yankees, Rivera had never been on a plane, been out of Panama and didn’t speak a word of English. After four years in the minors, Rivera made his major league debut as a starting pitcher on May 23, 1995. After a rough year in which he made ten starts, Rivera was sent back down to the minor leagues, never to start a major league baseball game again. Rivera started to show the potential he had in 1996, serving as the setup man to Yankees closer John Wetteland. He recorded his first
career save on May 17, 1996, saving the win for Yankees starting pitcher Andy Pettite. Rivera has saved 72 of Pettite’s wins, which is the most ever for a starter-closer duo in MLB history. After the discovery of the cutter, Rivera was in as the closer and never looked back. Rivera was the anchor in the Yankees’ bullpen for the dynasty of the 90s, which won the World Series in 1996 and 1998-2000. Rivera is also remembered for blowing the save in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series against Luis Gonzalez and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Even though this was his biggest postseason mistake, Rivera has the most career postseason saves with, ironically enough, 42. On top of that, Rivera also has the lowest postseason ERA (0.70) and most games pitched (96). To add to even more of his honors, Mariano is the only player to be named the MVP of a World Series (1999), League Championship Series (2003) and All-Star Game (2013). Despite being the greatest closer of all time, the only accomplishment
Mariano Rivera: Career Statistics
SEASONS:
1995-1996
1997-2013
Record
13-6
69-54
ERA
3.80
1.81
Walks
64
222
Home Runs Allowed
12
59
WHIP
1.25
1.00
Saves
5
647
Career Awards: World Series MVP (1999), ALCS MVP (2003), Relief Man of the Year (‘99, ‘01, ‘04, ‘05, ‘09)
“If you don’t control your emotions, your emotions will control your acts, and that’s not good.” -Mariano Rivera
Rivera hasn’t captured is a Cy Young award. He has finished in third place three times and second place twice. Though having the Cy Young trophy on his shelf would be nice, Rivera probably wouldn’t trade it for the five World Series rings sitting in his study. Though this year has been very disappointing for the New York Yankees, and with a third-place finish looking ideal, Rivera can say that his final season was a success. With 44 saves (third in the American League) and a 2.15 ERA, Rivera at age 43 is still one of the best relief pitchers in the game. But sadly, since the Yankees aren’t in the playoffs this season, Sunday will be the last game ever to see the last man wearing number 42 to pitch. One of the most common sayings in sports is to go out when you’re on top. At age 43, the Sandman will exit where he has been his entire career: on top. Connor Anthony can be reached at connor. anthony@spartans.ut.edu