The Minaret 2/20/2014

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Weekend Spike in Parking Tickets Causes Concern Among Resident Students

By STEFANIE CROCCO News Writer

When Melanie Ritter walked to West garage this Sunday morning, she saw rows of cars parked on the first floor with white citation tickets sticking out between the window wipers and the windshields.

“I thought to myself, ‘Wow, UT really must need more money,’” said Ritter, a sophomore and sociology major at the University of Tampa. Then, Melanie arrived to her car parked on the second floor to find a white citation ticket sticking out between the window wiper and the windshield of her own car for the second time that same weekend.

Her original amusement instantly changed.

“I was very, very angry. I pay so much money to go here and yet, I apparently can’t park where I want to on the weekends,” Ritter said.

Within just two days, Ritter racked up a total of $70 worth of fines, but she was not alone. This past weekend UT security guards fined the majority of residents’ cars on the first and second

In Other News...

3 Campus MovieFest Judges Send Student Filmmaker to LA

7 Mobile Fashion

Boutique Parks At UT Campus

9 Parody Act

Protects Starbucks Look-Alike

11 Zoo Shoots

Young Giraffe to Control Species Population

13 Tumblr User

Receives Anonymous Hate Message

16 Men’s Lacrosse Takes Down No. 6 NYIT With Ease

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

Sports............................. 16

floor of West with the only explanation that they were parked in reserved spots for commuters.

“I thought it was a mistake,” said senior biology major Brianna McKenna, who received her first ticket at 5 a.m. on Saturday morning. She moved her car to the ramp only to be ticketed a second time the next morning. “I was so upset… and my friends thought it was totally ludicrous.”

Through Facebook, McKenna found out she was not the only one who was fined last weekend.

“Happy Sunday! Everyone on the first and second floor of West has unnecessary parking tickets! Thanks UT!” Alex Sarling, a senior and journalism major, posted as her status.

“This is such crap!” senior and athletic training major Shelby Dale wrote via Facebook. “I don’t have $70 to throw around. I parked there all last semester after Friday night high school football games and never had a problem.”

So what went wrong?

See TICKETS Page 4

Doha Madani/The Minaret

Students received tickets for parking in commuter lot spots in the West Parking Garage despite parking there during approved weekend hours.

GLTSBA Discusses Gender Neutral Housing With ResLife

By ZOE FOWLER

News Writer and Copy Editor

Last semester, the Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Straight, Bisexual, Alliance( GLTSBA) group put its plan to get gender neutral housing on campus into action.

Gender neutral housing permits students to live in a multi-occupancy suite with other students regardless of how they identify in terms of gender.

GLTSBA members and their advisors met with the Dean of Students, Stephanie Russell-Krebs, and a representative from Residence Life to discuss the details of this potential change, according to RussellKrebs.

“Essentially, our first meetings every semester talk about the residence halls because so many freshmen, especially in the fall, have issues when they move into the residence halls,” said Christian Reich, the president of GLTSBA and senior new media productions major.

“They struggle with coming out to their roommates, things like that, and they feel like they should know but they’re afraid of being kind of rejected or isolated in what’s supposed to be a safe place.” With gender neutral housing, for example, a gay male student could choose to live with a female friend or a straight male friend with whom they’re comfortable.

Russell-Krebs assisted GLTSBA by emailing other Florida colleges and universities to find out whether they have gender neutral housing and what

Graphic courtesy of Wendy French

their policies on the housing option are.

University of South Florida, New College, Johnson and Wales and Miami University have gender neutral housing on their campuses, according to the Human Rights Campaign website.

In addition to Russell-Krebs’ research, Residence Life is going to review its annual survey that students take in the spring, Russell-Krebs said. The survey will include a question that will determine whether there is a need from the student body for gender neutral housing. Students will be able to fill out the survey on March 3 until March 21.

“It affects a lot more things than just

where you put people. It affects the pricing of housing and availability of space also.

And so anytime there is something that deals with a lot of money, they obviously have to approve of it,” Reich said.

If any unmarried or married man and woman cohabitate together in a lewdly and lasciviously way, then they’re guilty of a misdemeanor and have to pay a $500 fine, according to Florida Statute 798.02.

Since it is illegal for such opposite-sex people to live together, the administration and GLTSBA want to find a way to be in accordance with the law.

See HOUSING Page 4

M

FEBRUARY 20 2014 | THE MINARET

MINARET

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jessica Keesee

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NEWS + FEATURES Lauren Richey, Editor

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT Justine Parks, Editor

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OPINION

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SPORTS

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ONLINE

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NEWS + FEATURES

UT Student Doubles as Upcoming Fashion Designer

By MADDIE SMITH

Arts & Entertainment Writer

While many students like to tan or hit the gym during their spare time, Keir Magoulas likes to design shirts. Born and raised in Connecticut, Magoulas is a junior new media production major who just recently started selling his own T-shirt line called Palm Arbor Supply Co. to his friends and other students on campus.

The 21-year-old designer is involved in various other organizations as well.

Besides being the creative director of UT literary and arts publication Neon, Magoulas is the director of public relations for the Residence Hall Association. He also enjoys playing the drums, running, photography and graphic design. However, Magoulas didn’t always have a passion for designing.

Back when he was still an environmental science major a couple of years ago, Magoulas spent the summer studying at The University of Hawaii where he first got inspired by west coast fashion.

“I don’t know if it was the excess of shops or the style, but I just thought it was really cool,” Magoulas said. “I follow so many west coast clothing brands, such as the ones in California, so I came up with the idea of creating that similar type of style, but in Florida. The name [Palm Arbor Supply Co.] has the association to Florida. Then I started messing around with some designs and it all sorta took off from there.”

Palm Arbor Supply Co.op0l-; currently sells unisex T-shirts, but Magoulas hopes to expand his line and get into women’s apparel like crop tops, which he said has been highly requested. Students can purchase the

T-shirts directly through Magoulas for now.

“It’s pretty basic right now. It’s still a concept and idea,” Magoulas said. “It’s definitely cool when I see a friend wearing one of my shirts. But the most rewarding thing would have to be when I’m out and someone asks me ‘where’d you get that shirt from?’ And then I tell them I made it.”

One of Magoulas’ good friends Katelyn Edwards, a junior English major and art/economics dual minor, owns one of his Palm Arbor shirts and said she has no doubt that he will go far.

“I love his designs because they are crisp, clear and comfortable, just like the words Palm Arbor suggest,” Edwards said. “It is a physical embodiment of Keir’s remarkable aesthetic: meticulous simplicity. The design is uncomplicated, but thoroughly thought out and precisely executed. I strongly believe that he will be successful, not just because of his degree of design talent and business savvy, but because he is indeed a good person.”

Magoulas hopes to manufacture his own shirts and have an online store in the future. He is trying to get the word out to other students. His goal is to eventually start a company of not just clothing but of a variety of surfer style knick-knacks and possibly even get into the local music scene.

“I want to bring a community together by bringing in bands possibly,” he said. “It’s all about the experience.

It’s gonna be much more than the clothing.”

Maddie Smith can be reached at maddie.smith@spartans.ut.edu

PHOTOGRAPHY Casey Budd, Editor

casey.budd@theminaretonline.com

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Photos courtesy of Kier Magoulas Kier Magoulas doubles as a UT student and fashion designer. His shirt designs are popular among his UT friends.

NEWS + FEATURES

THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 20 2014

3

Campus MovieFest Judges Send Student Filmmaker to LA

By SONNY BILLOTTE

Arts & Entertainment Writer

Photo courtesy of Travis Misarti

Travis Misarti at the Campus MovieFest.

Travis Misarti, a sophomore film and media arts major from Scarsdale, N.Y., was a finalist in last year’s Campus MovieFest. He traveled to Hollywood in June 2013 to see his film on the big screen.

The film, titled The Loss of Me, was a collaboration with UT student Olivia Hamilton and stemmed from a short story she wrote about her struggles with insomnia.

Campus MovieFest is a film festival that tours colleges around the country and gives students one week to plan and shoot their own short films. The top three films from each school are selected by judges and the students who created them are given the opportunity to go to Hollywood to have their films shown on the big screen. Campus MovieFest has come to UT for the past nine years.

Misarti and Hamilton worked together on their film, choosing different locations around campus and Tampa to best set the scene for the story.

While Hamilton acted out and narrated the story, Misarti was in charge of the filming and editing process.

“I really enjoyed working with Travis. He really understood my creative direction and was always able to figure out exactly what I wanted in each shot,” said Hamilton, a sophomore advertising and public relations major. “Not only did he come up with his own ideas, but he totally got my ideas and ran with them; he’s a great collaborator.”

Although The Loss of Me was a

finalist in CMF, the film was not originally chosen in the top three films to go to Hollywood. However, after the finale, the film began receiving an extremely high number of views on YouTube and became the most viewed CMF film from UT. It was then entered into a CMF wild card bracket, where it made it to the finals and was recognized by CMF staff who awarded Misarti and Hamilton with the CMF Staff Pick Award. The Loss of Me would be shown at the Hollywood screening after all.

Hamilton was not able to make it to Hollywood because of an internship in Bali, so Misarti went solo. Once he arrived, he met up with other CMF winners from UT and met student filmmakers from other schools such as Rowan University.

Misarti attended various workshops at places such as RED Studios, where he was given the chance to shoot footage using the highest quality professional cameras in the industry.

“The whole event was surreal, ultimately leading to my film being screened at Universal Studios,” Misarti said. “It was very exciting to be surrounded by people who had the same desire to make a career out of filmmaking.”

After the screenings, Miasarti attended an international award show at Fox Studios with the other student filmmakers. He described the event as “very much resembling an Academy Awards Show.”

“When we arrived at the red carpet entourage style, there was a professional photographer that took

our picture, and then we went straight into the event. We got seats in the front row and sat a few feet away from industry professionals such as Josh Peck and Keegan-Michael Key,” Misarti said.

The Loss of Me did not end up receiving the Best Picture award, but Misarti felt that the winning film from The University of Alabama “was very inspiring and definitely deserved the award.”

Misarti competed in this year’s Campus Moviefest as well, working on two films. One was titled Make Lemonade, which is about Chewbacca’s struggling career after Star Wars.

He also worked with UT musician Ziona, editing a documentary on her life and music career. This film was a finalist at UT and won the “Red Bull Gives You Wings” award.

Misarti and 14 other UT film students recently founded the University of Tampa’s first chapter of the Delta Kappa Alpha Professional Cinema Fraternity.

The fraternity began in 1936 and includes big name members such as Alfred Hitchcock and George Lucas.

“We are very excited to bring a fraternity with so much history to the University of Tampa, and believe it will definitely help improve our film program on campus,” Misarti said.

As for the future, Misarti plans to attend graduate school after UT to pursue an MFA degree in film.

“My end goal is to find a career in film editing, and I will do whatever it takes to get there,” Misarti said.

Sonny Billotte can be reached at sonny.billotte@spartans.ut.edu

From the Feb. 3 to Feb. 9 Reports

Party Hardy [Illegally] On Feb. 3, four students were arrested when a room search resulted in the discovery of illegal drugs, paraphernalia, fake IDs and alcohol.

Dealin’ and Dopin’ On Feb. 9, a non-student was arrested by the TPD for trespass after warning and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sigma Delta Tau raised $705 for Prevent Child Abuse America thanks to The Nomad Truck this past week.

PUNK A$$ KIDS On Feb. 3, a student was charged with disorderly conduct and vandalism.

You Got a Friend in Me On Feb. 9, a student reported the theft of personal items.

However, they were found by a friend a short time later.

Uh...That’s Racist On Feb. 4, identified a black male who entered university twice on bicycle.

Reports compiled by Katherine Lavacca

Meeting to plan a memorial for Paul Badro will be held Friday at 4 p.m. in Stephanie Russell-Krebb’s office.

Pi Beta Phi began spring

Leadership Awards Night nominations are due by Feb. 28.

Applications are by due March 7.

recruitment this week and will continue until Feb. 21.

Greek Week begins next week on Feb. 24 and will end with the Greek Variety Show on Feb. 28.

Election information packets available Feb. 24 to March 17.

4 FEBRUARY 20 2014 | THE MINARET Resident students upset with ticket misunderstanding From TICKETS Page 1 “It was a newer officer that was in possession of an older parking and regulations map. When it was caught, the officer was given the correct information,” said Kevin Howell, the director of Campus Safety.

Campus Safety may have corrected one officer, however, students received multiple parking tickets this weekend from multiple officers––badge #31 and badge #37. When asked about the situation, Howell said, “I was only made aware of one officer. We will take a look at all [citations] and review to ensure no one else has the wrong info.”

For some students, that is not enough. “I’m upset about it,” said Angel Hubaykah, a junior and communications major. “I knew what the rules were and instead I am given the punishment by someone who is supposed to know and enforce them on a regular basis, but does not seem to know them.”

The UT Vehicle Registration and Parking/Traffic Regulations pamphlet states, “The West Parking Garage first floor, first floor ramp, and second floor are designated Commuter Student only from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. After 5 p.m. and on weekends, parking is open to all permits and visitors, except residential freshmen.”

However, the back page states, “Nonfreshmen resident students can park in Thomas Garage (not on the first floor) or in the West Garage (third floor and high). Faculty/staff lots are open on weekdays after 5 p.m. and on weekends, unless reserved for an

event.” The regulations pamphlet fails to mention that commuter spots are available for resident students to use on the weekends. This creates two contradicting statements and depending on the officer, he or she can decide how they want to interpret it.

The newer officer is not the only one who seems to be confused. After Ritter discovered her Sunday morning ticket, she called Campus Safety to question both of her citations.

“All they did was suggest to appeal the tickets because they said they couldn’t void the tickets,” said Ritter.

Ritter filled out the appeal form for both tickets online and is waiting for the outcome, which can take up to a month.

If students do not want to wait a month, they can now go straight to security and have their parking citations voided as long as the ticket was for the incorrect parking infraction.

However, Howell believes and encourages students to always go through the appeal process if they feel they were cited improperly.

“The appeals process is made up of students, faculty and staff,” Howell said. “These people review all appeals and rule on them separately and with all the campus parking regulations at their disposal.”

In the meantime, students with citations that were written for the weekend(s) violations can contact Campus Safety for an appeal.

Campus Safety can be reached at campussafety@ut.edu.

Stefanie Crocco can be reached at stefanie.crocco@spartans.ut.edu

NEWS + FEATURES

Possible gender neutral housing in UT’s future From HOUSING Page 1

The ideal rooming situation for gender neutral housing would be, for example, a room in the Straz Residence Hall with a common area and four individual rooms.

“I think that it would be a good idea.

In my case, one of my best friends is a girl and she had an open room last semester,” said Michael Castelli, a sophomore finance major. “I wanted to move into that room but I couldn’t because I’m a guy, and she’s a girl. So, I mean, there are people that do have that relationships that are just friends with another gender.”

Jordan Beardslee, a sophomore marine biology major, said that she isn’t opposed to gender neutral housing being an option for other people, but she doesn’t know if it would be something that she would choose.

“I don’t know that I would do it necessarily just because I have a boyfriend.

But yeah, I have no problem with people

living together regardless of gender and stuff,” Beardslee said.

Reich stresses that gender neutral housing wouldn’t only benefit LGBT students.“I have a small group of friends where it’s me, my current roommate who is male and then two other friends who are female. And we wanted to get a room in Straz together, but we couldn’t do that, and so we were forced off campus because we didn’t have two other guys to live with.”

GLTSBA members plan to meet with Student Government to formulate a proposal on how gender neutral housing will work on campus. They plan to also work with Residence Life to have a proper plan to implement gender neutral housing for the 2015-2016 school year. For it to become a reality, the Board of Trustees and President Ronald Vaughn need to approve the plan.

Zoe Fowler can be reached at zoe. fowler@theminaretonline.com

iampeas/Flickr

Gender neutral bathrooms are just one example of how LGBT is spreading awareness of gender identity.

UT Greek Life Raises Money for Lost USF Students

By CHANCE SMITH News Writer

The fraternities and sororities of UT came together this week to honor the four University of South Florida students who lost their lives early Feb. 9.

At around 2:12 a.m., four fraternity brothers were hit head-on by a Ford Expedition traveling southbound in the northbound lane on Interstate 275.

The terrifying crash resulted in five deaths, including the driver of the vehicle responsible for the accident.

The Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the College Panhellenic Association have joined to donate $100 per organization to help fund the funerals of the four fallen brothers of the Sigma Beta Rho fraternity.

“This is a tragic accident that happened in our Greek community,” said Joey Pawlan, the president of the IFC at UT and a junior biology major.

“When things get rough, Greeks come together to help each other out in any way,” Pawain continued.

The national president of Sigma Beta Rho, Mohsin Hussain, has set up a link on GoFundMe.com that allows people to donate money in order to support the families of the four men whose lives were lost: Jobin Kuriakose, 21; Ankeet Harshad Patel, 22; Imtiyaz Ilias, 20; and Dammie Yesudhas, 21.

The original goal of setting up the link

was to raise $40,000 to support the funeral costs, which Hussain had estimated to be roughly $10,000 per person.

However, in two days, the donations far exceeded that number and the fraternity raised roughly $76,500.

“The immense support we received has made a very strong statement about the Greek community,” said Hussain. “We have seen fraternities and sororities set aside differences nationwide and donate despite rivalries, council affiliations, and even lack of exposure to our fraternity at all.”

While UT does not have a chapter of Sigma Beta Rho on campus, the loss of anyone in the Greek community at a school as close as USF is still a large concern for the brothers and sisters of the various organizations on campus.

“Obviously a loss like this to a Greek community so nearby affects everyone,” said Brent Grunig, the coordinator of fraternity and sorority life on campus.

“It shows how meaningful Greek brotherhood and sisterhood is across organizational lines.”

Students involved in Greek life at UT have taken social media by storm in order to show their remorse for the tragic accident.

Various tweets and Facebook posts regarding prayers and donations being sent to the victims have shown how

Photo courtesy of Mohsin Hussain

tight-knit the Greek community can get in times of need.

“I am saddened and sickened to hear of the tragic loss that the USF Greek community has suffered,” said Emma Carter, a junior Alpha Chi Omega member and international business and marketing major, in a Facebook post.

“The video and news report left me shaking. I can’t imagine how unspeakably upset their friends, family and brothers are. My heart goes

out to the whole community.”

The main thing that Hussain wants people to take from this experience is that life is short.

“Love your family and friends, be positive, always pursue your heart’s desires, and live life to the fullest,” he said. “Cherish the people you have in your life and don’t take anything for granted. You never know when it could be your last day.”

Chance Smith can be reached at chance.smith@spartans.ut.edu

NEWS + FEATURES

THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 20 2014

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5

6 FEBRUARY 20 2014 | THE MINARET

Diversions

Sudoku

The Weekend Update UT Spring Dance Concert February 20-21 Falk Theater 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Free

Baseball vs. Albany State February 21 Sam Bailey Baseball Field 3 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Free with UT ID

Jazz Ensemble February 24 Falk Theater 7:30 p.m.

Free

Tomatoland Modern Day Slavery in Florida

PrintableSudokuPuzzles.net

Picture

WEEK of the

Photo by Sierra Piggott/The Minaret Students enjoy the activities at the Florida State Fair, including a petting zoo.

February 25 Plant Hall Grand Salon 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Free

Women’s Basketball vs. Florida Southern February 26 Martinez Athletics Center 5:30 p.m.

Free with UT ID

Men’s Basketball vs. Florida Southern February 26 Martinez Athletics Center 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Free with UT ID

Natalie Strovall and The Drive February 26 Vaughn Courtyard 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Free

Tennis vs. Rollins

February 27 Naimoli and Young Family Tennis Complex 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Free with UT ID

Demi Lovato

February 26 Tampa Bay Times Forum 7 p.m. $26.75 - $62.25

Arts + Entertainment

THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 20 2014

7

Mobile Fashion Boutique Parks At UT Campus

By SELENE SANFELICE AND KAI MILLER Arts + Entertainment Writers

Thanks to the ladies of Sigma Delta Tau, students at UT were given the chance to revamp their wardrobes with a visit from The Nomad Truck.

The Nomad Truck is a traveling fashion boutique from New York City, which sells an exclusive handpicked selection of women’s fashion styles. Fifteen percent of the proceeds from The Nomad Truck’s sales at UT on Feb. 12 were donated to SDT’s philanthropy partner, Prevent Child Abuse America. In total, The Nomad Truck made $4,700 from its visit and $705 was raised for PCAA. The truck has visited many other colleges, mostly in the greater New York area, including New York University and University of Pennsylvania. The truck is currently on a massive road trip, bringing bohemian fashion all across the east coast. UT was its second stop, after Savannah, Ga., and next the truck will be heading to Atlanta and Wilmington, N.C., before making itsway back to Brooklyn.

“I’m glad that they came to Tampa.

The clothes were really cool. I’d probably wear anything in their truck,” said freshman Lily Cousins.

The international finance major visited the truck and found that she liked the selection of inventory, but thought the clothing was overpriced.

However, Cousins admitted, “I know that the quality of the clothing

is worth the price. It’s not like you’re getting ripped off or anything.”

NYU graduate Jessie Goldenberg the founder of the small boutique on wheels, works with up-and-coming designers in efforts to provide shoppers with a unique shopping experience.

“We’re nomads. We’re kind of gypsies, wanderlusts. Our brand really comes across in our merchandise as well,” Goldenberg said. “Our customers are free spirited, bohemian… They’re urban. They’re carefree girls who still like to express themselves through their style.”

The 25-year-old runs the travelling store almost completely on her own with some help from a part-time assistant.

When asked what inspired her to put her deals on wheels Goldenberg said, “I’ve always wanted to own my own boutique. I didn’t like what I was doing and I needed a change, so I heard about these mobile boutiques springing up in the west coast in L.A. and Seattle, and I figured, ‘Let’s bring it to New York.’ I got my own shop without having to pay the crazy New York City rents.”

Goldenberg’s business started out on a bumpy road. All four of her initial loan applications were rejected, but that didn’t stop her. She now caters to hipsters and fashion lovers alike across the entire east coast.

The truck has been running since April 2013, and with the one year anniversary quickly approaching, Goldenberg plans on making some big changes. This coming April, The

The Nomad Truck/Facebook

A travelling fashion store recently helped a UT sorority Sigma Delta Tau raise money for PCAA.

Nomad Truck will be launching its own e-commerce site, a convenient digital fashion destination.

“I really hope to get that growing,”Goldenberg said. “In the next two years I really want to own a brick and mortar store. I’ll still have the truck and it will travel, but we’ll also have a home base in Brooklyn.”

Goldenberg offered a bit of advice to hopeful UT entrepreneurs and bohemian dreamers, saying, “If there’s something you want to do, just do it while you’re young. Go full speed ahead and don’t think twice if people are telling you otherwise.”

Selene Sanfelice can be reached at selene.sanfelice@spartans.ut.edu

Vomiting Visionary Attracts Attention with Puke Paintings

By KAI MILLER

Arts + Entertainment Writer

A 27-year-old artist spends her time making the world a brighter place by vomiting rainbows.

The U.K. born Millie Brown expressionist adds color to her life through her work, which involves drinking colored soy milk and then regurgitating the substance onto white canvases.

Brown’s eccentric artistry began in 2005 and has since gained the attention of Lady Gaga and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. She can be seen vomiting shimmering turquoise liquid over Lady Gaga in her music video for “Exorcist Interlude,” which was widely used throughout Gaga’s Monster’s Ball Tour.

Although the vomiting visionary has been praised for her craft, and her artistry has even drawn comparisons to that of expressionist painter Jackson Pollock, there persists a lingering concern as to how this could affect her health.

Prior to each performance, Brown starves herself for two days as a means of cleansing her system, which she finds to be both “fascinating” and “inspiring.” As a vegan, Brown claims that the strains she submits her body to aren’t threatening to her health, the Daily Mail reported.

“It’s definitely not recommended to put your body through this, but I’m generally a healthy person so I feel like that balances out the rest,” Brown said.

However, some UT students would care to disagree.

“The fact that she thinks starving herself and inducing vomiting once a

Millie Brown/Facebook

Artist Millie Brown has attracted attention from Lady Gaga and others for her vomit painting.

month is okay is ridiculous,” junior nursing major Danielle Drouin said.

Drouin continued to say that the act of vomiting is horrible in itself, let alone starvation. The nursing student explained that repetitive vomiting “dehydrates you and the acid from your stomach destroys the lining of your esophagus and mouth and erodes the enamel on your teeth.”

“Over time it depletes your body’s electrolytes, destroys your esophagus

beyond repair and can eventually lead to brain damage, although this chick is probably already brain damaged if she thinks this is okay for her body,” Drouin said.

With this in mind, it’s difficult not to question Brown’s actions for the sake of art.

Samantha Gatelaro, a freshman at UT, pointed out that Brown could achieve the same effect by using traditional methods– paint and a paintbrush.

Although the art major did admit that

Brown’s work is “weird but cool,” she attributted this to the fact that the process by which Brown creates her paintings is shocking.

“My parents always told me art is about getting a reaction, whether it’s positive or negative. If you read the description and it says that [Brown] threw this up, then you’re like ‘What?! What just happened?’

Then you’ve got a reaction,” Gatelaro said.

Shock art, which is contemporary art that incorporates disturbing imagery, sound or scents, much like Brown’s, isn’t anything new. “[Brown’s] not the first one to do something like this. People have pushed boundaries long, long ago,” associate professor of art Chris Vale said.

Vale specializes in painting and uses classical and experimental approaches.

He is currently exploring themes in contemporary art with his students that pertain to the human body and how it has been used throughout history.

According to Vale, shock art was a trend that was popular throughout the ‘90s, but it eventually transpired.

Artists such as Chris Ofili flourished during this period because his work had substance. Some of Ofili’s pieces addressed fertility and made use of materials like elephant dung, which was symbolic of his African roots.

“That’s what’s missing from Brown’s work. There’s no meaning to it. There’s no issues being addressed. It’s pretty gimmicky,” Vale said.

Kai Miller can be reached at kai. miller@spartans.ut.edu

8

FEBRUARY 20 2014 | THE MINARET

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Shia LaBeouf Puts His Fame in the Bag

By BRIANNA KWASNIK Arts + Entertainment Writer

Does life imitate art, or does art imitate life? Now this question has become even more complicated with Shia LaBeouf’s most recent coverage in the media.

Jan. 30, LaBeouf tweeted, “I am not famous anymore.” The spiral only continued from there.

The actor quoted people such as David Mamet, Benoit Duteurtre, Tiger Woods, Kanye West and Daniel Clowes during a press conference Feb. 9 to promote his new movie Nymphomaniac.

He baffled the press when he only answered one question regarding the sex scenes in the movie, using a plagiarized quote from Eric Cantona, a French football player, from a 1995 interview. The quote he responded with was completely irrelevant to the question that was asked.

“When the seagulls follow the trawler, it’s because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea,” he said.

He proceeded to thank the press and storm out of the conference, leaving his laughing co-stars awkwardly behind to answer the remaining questions.

That was not the last that was seen of LaBeouf that day. He later attended the Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin sporting a brown paper bag over his head, painted with the phrase “I am not famous anymore” yet again.

He walked the red carpet, posing for pictures, peering out the two eyeholes he made for himself in the brown paper bag.

Many people took to Twitter to express their opinions about LaBeouf.

Among the flood of criticism is a tweet from singer John Mayer, who tweeted a message of support for the

Transformers/Facebook

The Transformers’ star created buzz with alleged plagiarism and even showed up to a movie premiere with a bag on his head saying, “I am not famous anymore.”

struggling actor.

“Re: Shia. Being young and very talented/successful is like dropping in to the top of Mount Everest via helicopter. There are moments in life where you need to feel quantum shift, movement.

And if where you already are is considered the top the dumb people disintegrate, and the smart people investigate. That investigation is never comfortable. Or all that pretty,” Mayer tweeted.

LaBeouf ’s fame only spouted from there. A Los Angeles art gallery incorporated the actor’s recent stunts into an installation

piece. Upon entering, guests were given the option to pick from a variety of random items including a whip, Transformer toys, a bottle of Jack Daniels Whiskey and a novel by one of the victim’s of Shia’s plagiarism acts, Daniel Clowes.

Guests then continued into a room where they came face-to-face with the artist, who donned the same bag over his head that LaBeouf wore the night of the film festival.

LaBeouf said nothing for the extent of the viewing.

At the film festival, LaBeouf removed the bag only once when a reporter for TMZ said it was

distracting. Once he removed the bag, he revealed his vulnerability accessorized with red eyes and stray tears. A cameraman for TMZ reported that when he took the bag off his head, “His eyes were red and puffy as if his cat just died.”

Is LaBeouf’s strange behavior a means of making an artistic statement, or is he dealing with something deeper?

The best advice I have for Shia is wisdom borrowed from Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself. Everybody else is already taken.”

Brianna Kwasnik can be reached at brianna.kwasnik@spartans.ut.edu

Sixteen Student-Made Films Premiere at CMF Finale

By SELENE SANFELICE Arts + Entertainment Writer

Campus MovieFest, the world’s largest student film festival, has just wrapped up its eighth visit to UT. Over 60 teams participated in filming Feb. 4 through Feb. 10, using loaned Macbooks and Panasonic HD cameras in order to have the best filming experience possible. Although most teams stuck to what CMF provided, some decided to step it up with their own equipment.

Jamie Denko, a senior film major, decided to use UTTV’s camera equipment instead of what CMF provided.

“We used CMF’s laptop, but we used UTTV’s cameras because we wanted to show what they can do,” Denko said.

Denko’s film, I Do, did not make it into the final 16 shown in the finale but can be seen on CMF’s YouTube channel along with all of the other 47 entries.

Out of the 47 films that were sent in, only 16 were chosen to be shown at the finale. Three of those films, the winners of Best Drama, Best Comedy and Best Picture, will be screened at CMF Hollywood in California. The film with the most views online will be sent to CMF Hollywood as well, even if it did not make it in to the finale.

Happiness, a film by freshman film major Ben Drieker, won Audience

to know that all that effort and all that hard work pays off in the end,” Krayem said.

When asked about his experience with the production process, Krayem replied, “It was harder than I expected having to get the cast together, all the different angles, all the different shots, you’ve got to film at certain time... It’s all a project. It’s all bits and bits and bits of tiny pieces and they all come together, and it’s beautiful.”

Krayem and his team, along with the teams for I Wish, the winner for Best Drama, and Thomas, the winner of Best Picture, will travel Screenshot/YouTube to California for CMF Hollywood Happiness, a film by Ben Drieker, Kyle Fitzgibbons and Spencer Haberman, won Audience Choice. June 19 through June 22, where their films will compete against Choice. Drieker and his team true to yourself.” films from students around the including freshman Kyle Fitzgibbons Haberman, the editor of Happiness, nation. Thomas will also be and sophomore Spencer Haberman said that the film is relevant and screened at the 2014 Cannes Film were awarded a $100 Best Buy gift relatable to what a lot of college Festival Short Film Corner. card and a $50 gift card to a local students are going through today.

The productions manager of pizza shop.

“We went through numerous ideas Campus MovieFest, Nishant Gogna, Drieker describes his film as “a and thought: ‘Why not do something provided a statement after the event true coming out story. It’s about being true?’ We wanted to do something with saying, “For the record, I’d just like happy with who you are and being deeper meaning,” Haberman said. to state that this year’s CMF at UT Molham Krayem, the star of The event received the highest quality Social Creep, which won Best Comedy of films in UT history. We’re super “This year’s CMF at and Best Soundtrack, accepted the impressed by the level of talent UT event received award for his team. and enthusiasm coming from UT. the highest quality of “I always watch the Golden Globes Spartans everywhere should be and The Oscars on TV, and I’m like proud of themselves!” films in UT History.”

‘How does it feel for them to be Selene SanFelice can be reached at – Nishant Gogna standing up there?’ It’s incredible selene.sanfelice@spartans.ut.edu

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 20 2014

9

The LEGO Movie Is Cute But Unimpressive

By CLAIRE FARROW

Arts + Entertainment Writer

I was pretty excited to see The LEGO Movie. The trailer looked cute and funny, the voice actors were all appealing and the animation accurately depicted LEGOs. However, this movie fell short of any expectations I had.

To begin, the premise of the movie seemed interesting and had a very 1984 feel to it, though in a distinct kid-like way.

Emmett (voiced by Chris Pratt) is your ordinary, run-of-the-mill construction worker LEGO, who goes about his life blissfully happy and always follows the instructions. This all changes when he stumbles upon, quite literally, the “piece of resistance.”

He then is swept up into this adventure with Wyldstyle (voiced by Elizabeth Banks), who mistakes him as “The Special,” the one who will stop the evil Lord Business, aka President Business (voiced

The Lego Movie/Facebook

by Will Ferrell). Along the way they meet a huge assortment of LEGO characters, from the wise old MasterBuilder, Vitruvius (voiced by Morgan Freeman), to superheroes Batman (Will Arnett), Superman (Channing Tatum), Wonder Woman (Cobie Smulders) and Green Lantern (Jonah Hill), to Star Wars characters C-3PO (voiced by original actor Anthony Daniels), Lando (also voiced by the original actor Billy Dee Williams), Han Solo (Keith Ferguson) and Chewbacca. The end had a very interesting twist that I simply can’t spoil, and it was so unexpected that it worked in favor of the movie.

Sadly, the movie, with all its good intentions, failed to wow me. The plot was simple, because, after all, this is a children’s movie, but the filler in between meandered and lost me a little bit. The pace itself was kind of slow and lacked a sense of adventure. The humor was mildly satisfying, mostly tongue-in-cheek, a little offbeat, but not very successful or outright hilarious.

That’s is a shame, because, in my opinion, the writers of this movie were intelligent and could have put in more witty humor that would be appealing to both kids and adults. For instance, the fact that the writers named a character Vitruvius, who happens to be an ancient Roman architect, shows at least an inkling of intelligence.

Quite honestly, the most appealing part of the movie was the plethora of actors who signed on to give voices to these characters. Pratt (Zero Dark Thirty), Banks, Arnett, Freeman and Ferrell all voice the main characters. These were phenomenal casting decisions (honestly, who wouldn’t want to hear Morgan Freeman’s voice?) even if the movie didn’t do these actors’ talents justice.

In addition, many other actors lent their

The Lego Movie/Facebook

The LEGO Movie has some funny moments and interesting animation but fails to impress overall.

voices to the film such as Liam Neeson, Tatum, Shaquille O’Neal, Alison Brie (Mad Men, Community), Dave Franco (21 Jump Street, Now You See Me), Smulders (How I Met Your Mother), Hill (Superbad, The Wolf of Wall Street) and many others.

Some of the funniest content came from these characters, with Neeson’s Bad Cop/ Good Cop character, Tatum’s Superman and Hill’s Green Lantern stealing the show.

Unfortunately, the movie was overall vapid. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what the missing piece was in this film, although

it is apparent something is missing. It’s probably a great film to see with a little brother, cousin, niece or nephew, but The LEGO Movie is hardly good enough to see with friends your own age.

Claire Farrow can be reached at claire. farrow@spartans.ut.edu

2.5 out of 5 stars

Parody Act Protects Starbucks Look-Alike

By JACKIE BRAJE

Arts + Entertainment Writer

“I think people saw that… there’s a whole new way of doing things.

It kind of allowed people to dream again,” said comedian Nathan Fielder, creator of the new and controversial Dumb Starbucks, on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Kimmel sipped on his Dumb Starbucks coffee cup, and Fielder shrugged as the audience laughed at the overwhelming irony.

Under the Parody Law, Fielder has morphed a potential lawsuit into an incredibly laughable political statement.

Dumb Starbucks, located in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, has accumulated a menu quite similar to Starbucks’ menu, only with the word “dumb” preceding every item. After waiting hours in line outside the venue–whose aesthetic is almost an exact replica of Starbucks–customers can order anything from Dumb Blonde Roast and Dumb Vanilla Lattes to Dumb Norah Jones CDs. But how could this possibly be legal?

The catch, stated in fine print right in the window of the venue, is that Dumb Starbucks is not actually a coffee shop. Rather, it is a piece of conceptual art. And because it’s technically an art gallery and claims no part in the food service, no health permits are needed.

According to the U.S. Supreme Court, it’s possible under the fair use doctrine for parodies to claim fair

use like any other literary or artistic comment and criticism. Nor does it violate the copyright law as long as it does no harm to the original company.

“It’s not something I can believe is a real law, it just doesn’t seem practical at all,” said junior writing major Ashley Yepsen. “I don’t think it’s very smart of Fielder, either, to assume this law will protect him from any kind of issues or negative press from Starbucks themselves.”

Like Yepsen, many other consumers and employees of Starbucks are more confused than anything by what exactly the concept even is behind Fielder’s “concept art” and how he’s so easily able to get away with it.

Some view it as his way of poking fun at Starbucks, the mother ship of chain coffee companies. Others believe it to be a political statement about consumerism, capitalism and the many large and easily manipulated loopholes that weave through them.

However, it’s been said that Fielder never intended his hoax to be a direct insult to Starbucks. He revealed at a press conference that the whole ordeal was simply a promotion for the upcoming season of his show Nathan For You on Comedy Central.

“One could always say it’ll get shut down and the attention from it and for it will wane quite easily, but then again, this is something that could really take off and become a successful endeavor.

Who knows?” Yepsen said.

However, after being open for only

Dumb Starbucks/Facebook

A parody of Starbucks succeeded briefly by putting the word “dumb” in front of every menu item and store sign.

a few days, Dumb Starbucks was shut down Feb. 10 by the Los Angeles County health inspectors. The closure was in consequence of not having a valid permit.

Perhaps what Fielder was trying to accomwplish was nothing more than a social experiment. After the many hours people waited in line outside of Dumb Starbucks, maybe it’s true

that people will eat up anything that gives them the opportunity for some Instagram “likes.”

Until a real conclusion is drawn, consumers will be left with nothing but dumb coffee, dumb CDs and they’ll be completely dumbfounded.

Jackie Braje can be reached at jacquelyn.braje@theminaretonline. com

10 FEBRUARY 20 2014 | THE MINARET

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Is Amazon Entering the Console Wars?

By KAELA BERNARDINO Arts + Entertainment Writer

There are three big names in gaming: Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. All of these gaming powerhouses have products that can be bought and sold through Amazon and an assortment of other retailers like Best Buy, Target and GameStop.

In the past, there have been other gaming consoles that have tried to keep up with these big three. Take for instance the Ouya Box released in July 2013 at an extremely competitive $99 price point, which fell devastatingly short of its over-hyped performance abilities and features and failed to take off. So when rumors about Amazon creating its own gaming console emerged, it left many people in the gaming community to wonder if it would be another Ouya flop.

According to an interview with CNN and Ray Valdes, an analyst at Gartner Research, Amazon’s purchase of gaming studio Double Helix shouldn’t come as a surprise.

“That’s to be expected when large successful players need to find “blue oceans”: new areas where they can pioneer and dominate over time,” Valdes said to CNN. Amazon’s investment with Double Helix, who created the Killer Instinct game for Xbox One and is described on Xbox’s website as a “legendary fighting game franchise,” is viewed as a “moonshot,” a funding of a far-reaching idea. However, if Amazon is intending on creating a gaming console, they do have one thing that the other big names don’t have: their own selling platform.

Quantcast.com estimates that Amazon had around 88 million people visit its site in the U.S. alone during the month of January. Amazon would not only be selling its competitors consoles, but its own as well. What Amazon could offer above the others in regards to features is nothing to sniff at though.

Amazon can offer to rent games (like GameFly), movies (like Netflix), stream TV (like Hulu) and both sell and create games for its own console and others with its acquisition of Double Helix. Plus, Amazon could even integrate features similar to the Wii U controller, which utilizes a screen in the hands along with the TV but through its Amazon Kindle devices. The opportunities seem to be endless and certainly cause for the big names to feel nervous, especially if the console is released at its rumored price of $300, as CNN reported. That’s currently $15 more than the Wii U, $100 less than the PS4 and $200 less than the Xbox One. UT video game enthusiast, junior environmental science major Jason Gomez, is excited at the prospect of an Amazon game console.

“Amazon has worked to solidify itself as more than just a shopping website through the development of their Kindle tablet, and moving outward into the gaming world seems like a logical step to take,” Gomez said.

However, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter thinks that the Amazon console hype isn’t going to cause the heads of Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo to lose any sleep.

“It will most likely function like a Roku on the movie side,” Pachter said.

“But will also work like an Ouya Box on the game side.”

For right now it’s all just speculation, though the prospect of Amazon edging its way into the gaming big leagues seems to have created quite the buzz. In the past, Amazon has come up with some pretty amazing and often crazy ideas, including its delivery drones project. In comparison, a gaming console seems pretty tame.

Kaela Bernardino can be reached at kaela.bernardino@spartans.ut.edu

Actor on the Rise: Rami Malek

By SAMMI BRENNAN

Arts + Entertainment Writer

just out of prison who must protect her from those that wish to pursue her power. Malek will play the role of Dr. Adam Terry and certainly has a big year ahead of him.

Sammi Brennan can be reached at samantha.brennan@spartans.ut.edu

Starring in the highly anticipated action-crime drama Need for Speed as well as claiming a role in the new NBC sci-fi series Believe, Rami Malek is definitely a star to keep an eye on in 2014.

Graduating with a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Evansville, the Egyptian actor soon picked up parts in popular television shows such as Gilmore Girls and The Medium.

In 2006, Malek earned his claim to fame as the Egyptian pharaoh brought back to life in Night at the Museum, later reprising his role in the sequel.

He received critical acclaim in 2010 for his role as Snafu Shelton in Steven Spielberg’s television series The Pacific. After that, his credits in films came one after another including parts in Larry Crowne, The Master, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Short Term 12 and Oldboy.

In Need for Speed, based on the popular videogame, a street racer fresh from prison, played by Aaron Paul, seeks revenge for his incarceration. Malek will play the role of his friend, Finn. In the NBC sci-fi series Believe, produced by J.J. Abrams, a young girl with several Parade Monster/Photobucket abilities forms a bond with a man Rami Malek will star in the new series Believe.

TOP: Double Helix Games, BOTTOM: amazon.com/Facebook

Amazon recently acquired the Double Helix games, causing gamers to speculate about a future Amazon console.

THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 20 2014

Opinion

11

Zoo Shoots Young Giraffe to Control Species Population

By AVERY TWIBLE Opinion Columnist

One second he was being fed his favorite snack of rye bread and the next a gun was being put to his head to end his life. This was the last thing an 18-monthold giraffe named Marius experienced when officials at Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark decided to kill him, Feb. 9. They chose to do so despite tens of thousands of signatures on a petition to save Marius, a billionaire offering to buy him and keep him at home and even several zoos offering to take him, CNN reported.

The zoo chose to have a veterinarian shoot the giraffe in the head in order to avoid contaminating his body with euthanasia drugs so the meat could be fed to the big cats at the zoo. The execution was done in front of crowds at the zoo, which included children, and a vet then proceeded to dismember the dead giraffe in preparation for feeding him to the carnivores, according to CNN. The zoo’s officials said their primary concern was inbreeding, which would occur if Marius was allowed to live and mate with genetically similar giraffes at the zoo, according to the Copenhagen Zoo website.

The children reportedly showed no signs of dismay but rather a sense of curiosity and wonderment to see what the brains of the giraffe looked like splattered across the ground, as well as what his internal organs looked like as they were placed into feeding buckets.

“It helps increase the knowledge about animals but also the knowledge about life and death,” said Bengt Holst, the zoo’s scientific director, according to National Geographic.

Jessica Bach, a giraffe lover and UT sophomore and biology major, does not agree. “I think the reason they killed the healthy two-year-old giraffe was unjustifiable,” Bach said. “They could have sent him to another zoo or to an animal sanctuary where he could have lived out his life. They totally disregarded the fact that he was a living individual. No animal should ever just be considered an inconvenience and killed and supplied as food for others, especially because he was so young and completely healthy.”

The petition that acquired over 27,000 signatures demonstrates that many shared these feelings on the matter.

The Copenhagen Zoo website addressed the matter further: “Only zoos that follow certain rules can be part of international breeding programmes. In Europe this is only the zoos that are members of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). … As a member of EAZA you agree to the following rules of not selling animals, working on a scientific basis and ensuring animal welfare.” But according to ABC News, Yorkshire Wildlife Park, a fellow EAZA member, offered to take in Marius multiple times.

The masses of outraged people fail to understand the importance of avoiding inbreeding, an abomination, as can be seen in the exploitation of white tigers.

White tigers are not a species, but simply the product of inbreeding.

“To produce white tigers or any other phenotypic curiosity, directors of zoos and other facilities must continuously inbreed father to daughter and father to granddaughter and so on,” said Dr. Ron Tilson, conservation director of the

Minnesota Zoo, according to Big Cat Rescue (BCR). The inbreeding often results in defects––such as scoliosis of the spine, defective organs, mental impairments and painfully bulging eyes and early deaths. White tigers that lack the ideal white and black coat with blue eyes are often put down.

These tigers are examples of what inbreeding can do to offspring, as more defects arise as gene pools grow smaller and smaller. This is key to understanding why the scientists at the Copenhagen Zoo were so determined to prevent it from happening, so much so that they made the difficult decision of ending a young giraffe’s life.

However, the zoo is not opposed to allowing giraffes to mate and produce more animals than it has room to care for. It refused opportunities to relocate the animal to a zoo or sanctuary willing to love and care for it. Maybe the cross-cultural differences are making it difficult for me to understand how this makes sense, but the outcry around the world shows that I am not the only one confused.

The breeding programs, including those at Copenhagen Zoo, generally show a valiant effort by the scientists in zoos to help species, although the particular species of giraffe of Marius and his parents is not endangered, according to National Geographic. So, allowing Marius’ parents to live together and breed had no beneficial purpose for the species as a conservation effort. When they got a cute baby giraffe out of it, they exploited him.

Marius’ parents had produced offspring before, so it was known that the product of another mating would be too genetically similar to be allowed to stay in the breeding program, according to ABC News. But, according to EAZA rules, the zoo is not allowed to sell them. This means it seems the only option all along was going to be to have to kill Marius. Yet the zoo also couldn’t prevent his parents from mating if they wish, for it would go against the EAZA standards. In that case, they should have been housed separately.

Which is worse, separating them and preventing them from mating, or allowing them to mate only to take their offspring away from them and slaughter an innocent animal that the zoo allowed to be created?

Two hundred and twenty kilos of meat should never go to waste when it could feed surviving carnivores, but that, to me, is only justified when an animal dies of natural causes or is put down and out of its misery.

I do not agree with breeding animals in captivity where they would exist solely within a cage, never destined to enter the wild or contribute to the natural population, but I would rather breeding in captivity occur than have the animal wiped from the face of the Earth forever.

As a species, humans believe our superior cognitive function gives us the right to give and take life as we please in regards to “lesser” organisms. This is not right, and I hope the outcry generated by this example of disrespect for animal life helps initiate a change in the world. Rest in peace Marius; I hope you did not die in vain.

Avery Twible can be reached at avery. twible@spartans.ut.edu

Tomo News/ YouTube

The giraffe was shot in the head to avoid contaminating his body with euthanasia drugs so the meat could be fed to the big cats at the zoo. The execution was done in front of a crowd, which included children.

12 FEBRUARY 20 2014 | THE MINARET

OPINION

Riders Stranded on Cheetah Run During Storm

By JAKE KONISZEWSKI Opinion Columnist

I grip the handles of the Cheetah Run as the rollercoaster jerks into motion. As the ride climbs to the top, sweat trickles down my spine and the mechanical clanking runs through me. I’m ready for this ride to rock me. As the ride curves into the first embankment, bam! It screeches to a halt. We’re trapped.

This is what 16 people experienced on Feb.12, when they got stuck on Cheetah Run. Busch Gardens spokesperson Travis Claytor told the Tampa Bay Times the roller coaster left the station at 2:38 p.m. and got stuck at the top of the first embankment. Fox News 13 reported that the riders were stuck at a 30-degree angle. While this is definitely better than being stuck upside down, sitting at such an angle would get uncomfortable. This is admittedly a scary and inconvenient situation, but I imagine it could be remedied with a simple fix and little hassle. Claytor said maintenance workers tried to nudge the roller coaster car back into the station, but when that didn’t work, the park notified Tampa’s fire department, according to New York Daily News. But, Busch Gardens employees took their sweet time in notifying the fire department.

“The ride broke down at about 2:30, but the fire department wasn’t notified for an hour and a half even though bad weather was approaching,” Fox News 13 reported.

I do not understand why Busch

Gardens took so long to alert the fire department, especially considering the approaching storm. Fox News 13 and floridatoday.com reported lightning, strong winds and heavy rain during the rescue. If I were high in the air and strapped to a contraption made of steel during a lightning storm, I would be worried about being electrocuted.

“Workers followed protocol and first tried to fix the problem themselves,” Claytor said, according to Fox 13 News. I can understand that the park workers would try to fix the problem before calling for help, but I don’t get why they tried for an hour and a half before calling the fire department. My ABC Action News/ Youtube only thought as to why Busch Gardens The fire department wasn’t notified about the Cheetah Run incident even though bad weather was approaching. hesitated to call the fire department is that such a rescue would lead to bad uncomfortable situation for much Adventure at Universal Orlando (over press. Potential guests might hesitate longer than they should have been. I 7.9 million) or the Magic Kingdom at to go on Cheetah Run or visit the park. would recommend the park offer them Walt Disney World (over 17.5 million), However, since they hesitated to call the some sort of compensation, like a it was still the twelfth most-visited fire department, Busch Gardens made discounted ticket for a future visit or amusement park in North America. the situation worse and potentially reimbursing them for that day’s ticket. Busch Gardens is also a more affordable endangered their guests.

On the other hand, if I had a terrible option, with its website offering tickets After the ordeal, it appears Busch time at an amusement park and I starting at $82 for an adult, while tickets Gardens did try to comfort those was given a ticket to go back, I’d be for Islands of Adventure and Magic who were stuck on Cheetah Run. reluctant to return. Why go back to a Kingdom start at $92 and $95 per adult, According to Tampa Bay News, “The place that brought me such misery? respectively. If you are looking to ride park provided them with towels and Even after the incident, I doubt Busch rollercoasters and want to save some umbrellas, as well as hot beverages.” Gardens will suffer a significant loss in cash, Busch Gardens is your best bet, I don’t think a warm drink makes up business. The Themed Entertainment even considering this rare event. I just for two hours in the rain, especially Association (TEA) reports that Busch hope they have learned their lesson and since no special compensation deals Gardens Tampa Bay had roughly 4.3 if something like this happens in the were offered, according to New York million visitors in 2012. While the future, won’t wait so long to call for Daily News. report noted that Busch Gardens isn’t help.

No one was injured, but the receiving as many visitors as other Jake Koniszewski can be reached at riders were still subjected to an Florida amusement parks like Islands of john.koniszewski@spartans.ut.edu

CVS Loses Billions in Renewed Fight for Health

By ELIZABETH ROCKETT Opinion Writer

Businesses such as restaurants, bars and most recently, convenience stores are slowly but surely dissociating themselves with Big Tobacco by eliminating the use or sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products.

The New York Times called CVS’s cut of all tobacco sales by October of this year “yet another sign of its metamorphosis into becoming more of a health care provider than a largely retail business.” Although this move is admirable and makes a bold statement against tobacco products, I find it interesting that anyone would consider a convenience store that sells products such as alcohol and junk food to be a “health care provider.”

According to The New York Times,

ousting tobacco sales will lead to about a $2 billion loss in sales, but CVS Chief Executive Larry J. Merlo feels as though this cut is worth it so that he and his company can continue to express that the health of the customers are of utmost importance.

In an interview with The New York Times, Merlo said, “We came to the decision that cigarettes and providing health care just don’t go together in the same setting.” While I definitely agree that Merlo’s decision is moving his company in the right direction, there are numerous products that should be removed from CVS shelves as well.

Merlo said that many of the drugs that CVS provides in its pharmacy help manage health problems linked to smoking, so selling cigarettes would not make sense.

CVS/Facebook

CVS dissociates themselves from Big Tobacco in an attempt to become more of a “health care provider.”

However, there are also a large amount of products such as sugary and fattening junk foods and beverages that can be linked to obesity or diabetes, problems that CVS should not be aiding with the sale of its products.

The movement toward the elimination of tobacco products is not new in certain cities in California and Massachusetts, according to The New York Times. Cities such as San Francisco already have laws in place that prohibit tobacco sales within stores that are embedded with pharmacies.

Some stores in Boston have similar policies in place, also eliminating ecigarette sales. CVS does not currently sell e-cigarettes because executives are waiting on word from the FDA about whether or not these tobacco-free vapor devices pose any threats to health. If CVS wants to be taken seriously as a health care provider, it should not consider selling this product at all.

As CVS has taken a stand against tobacco, other convenience stores such as Walgreens and Rite-Aid have started to look into the issue of tobacco in their stores as well.

In an interview with The New York Times, a representative from Walgreens said, “We will continue to evaluate the choice of products our customers want, while also helping to educate them and providing smoking cessation products and alternatives that help to reduce the demand for tobacco products.”

If Walgreens wants to help its customers, it should also completely phase out tobacco sales. It makes less sense to offer smoking cessation products right next to cigarettes than it does to either continue or discontinue the sale of these products.

Brett Smith, a senior management major at UT, thinks CVS’s move towards a healthier store is a smart business move.

“I think it’s going to gain them a lot of

business and other companies will follow suit because people who are going towards going green and the health movement will shop there more,” Smith said. Smith is a smoker himself, and he doesn’t feel like this change in tobacco sales will affect him in any way because there are plenty of other places that he can purchase cigarettes.

“I do agree, in a way,” Kaitlyn Wilson, sophomore nursing student and nonsmoker, said of the claim that CVS is “more of a health care provider.”

“They’re eliminating a seriously harmful toxin,” Wilson said. “However, if they are going to become a health care provider, then they should continue to eliminate other products like alcohol and junk food, but I think if they do that they’ll lose a lot of their business and profit.”

Wilson thinks CVS’s concern with the health of its customers was nothing less than commendable.

UT has taken steps toward a smokefree campus too, only allowing students to smoke cigarettes in designated smoking areas. This move has freshened up the air on campus, and it has reduced the harmful effects of smoking for the young-adults at UT. Some UT students seem to consider the elimination of cigarette sales at CVS to be an admirable move. This is a very significant change because companies are finally taking drastic measures in order to combat the harmful effects of smoking cigarettes.

I think in the near future, we will see a multitude of stores that contain pharmacies and other health care services making the same move that CVS has made. Changes like this within popular retailers will pave the way to reducing smoking in the U.S., ultimately leading to a healthier country.

Elizabeth Rockett can be reached at elizabeth.rockett@spartans.ut.edu

THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 20 2014

OPINION

13

Tumblr User Receives Anonymous Hate Messages

By CAITLIN MALONE Opinion Writer

I was probably in elementary school when I first heard the saying “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” I remember the first thing I thought was how unbelievably wrong it was.

Words can hurt and with all the anonymity on the Internet today, our society has made it far too easy to tear others down, especially young women, by leaving anonymous comments on social media.

Lindsay Bottos, a 21-year-old artist and student, has been a recent victim of anonymous hate comments on Tumblr, according to a The Huffington Post article.

The comments were extremely degrading and focused on things like her appearance, artwork and personal life.

One of the comments said, “You’re one of the ugliest people I’ve ever seen in my whole entire life. It’s funny because you think you’re cute but it’s really just sad. Sorry, the truth hurts.”

There are a number of other messages Bottos received that were equally appalling.

But instead of falling victim to such hateful messages, Bottos used them to fuel her latest art project titled Anonymous, which consists of a series of self-portraits with the hateful messages imposed over the pictures.

Not long after Bottos posted her project on Tumblr, it was reposted over 98,000

times and brought in about 20,000 new followers to her blog, according to Buzzfeed.

When asked about her motivation for starting this project, Bottos said, “I get tons of anonymous hate messages like this every day and while this isn’t unique to women, the content of the messages and the frequency in which I get them are definitely related to my gender. I almost exclusively get them after I post selfies. The authority people feel they have to share their opinion on my appearance is something myself and many other girls online deal with daily,” according to The Huffington Post.

It’s sad to admit that what Bottos is saying rings true in our society. In an article on WAtoday.com, it was reported that three out of the four people who complain about being harassed online are women. It also mentioned that women who speak their minds are the ones who are subject to the most online abuse.

When Bottos first started receiving these messages back in 2010, she decided to turn off the option to leave anonymous messages on her Tumblr. “A couple years ago when I would get mean messages, they would really affect me,” she said in an article on Buzzfeed. “They’re so personal.”

But later she noticed she was not the only one on social media dealing with this. So a year later, she turned anonymous comments back on and started saving the

Lindsay Bottos/Tumblr

Lindsay Bottos/Tumblr

Bottos superimposed the hateful messages over “selfies” in her latest art project, Anonymous, as shown above.

messages until the idea for her project came about.

A huge chunk of society is unfortunately intent on tearing down women, usually by commenting in a negative way concerning the way we look. Allowing people to be anonymous on the Internet is only encouraging those who find a disturbing sense of satisfaction from saying hateful things to others.

Psychologist Dr. Jeffrey Gardere told ABC News that she feels the Internet allows people to show their “dark side.”

She also said, “More than anything, there’s really no consequences to the things that are said. You can be ugly, you can be very inappropriate, you can say the rudest, most horrible things and you don’t have to pay the price. You have the cloak of invisibility.”

Senior criminology major Cassandra Paige agreed.

“I don’t understand why people think they can put other people down,” Paige said.

“They are hiding behind a keyboard. I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion, whatever happened to ‘if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything?’”

If you can’t own what you post online, you really shouldn’t be posting anything.

However, I do applaud social media for providing a platform for women to fight back and to inspire others around them who are struggling with selfesteem issues, as Bottos did. Confidence is slowly becoming a more common characteristic among women.

We are learning not to care what society

says we should look like, how we should act or what we should or shouldn’t say. I think the new trend of posting “selfies” is a perfect example of women in our society who do love the way they look and want to show off a picture of themselves that they are proud of. Bottos made no mistake when she made the selfie a major part of her inspiring project.

“The act of women taking selfies is inherently feminist, especially in a society that tries so hard to tell women that our bodies are projects to be worked on and a society that profits off of the insecurities that it perpetuates,” Bottos said in an article on Buzzfeed.

“Selfies are like a ‘f*ck you’ to all of that, they declare that ‘hey I look awesome today and I want to share that with everyone’ and that’s pretty revolutionary,” Bottos continued.

Bottos has received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback on her project as well as some negative comments saying her project is just a “cry for attention,” according on Buzzfeed.

“I felt like this was blaming me,” Bottos said, “when the people sending these messages are the people doing the wrong thing, not me.”

Bottos is just one woman out of many who deal with online negativity on a daily basis, but she could not have picked a better or more creative way to deal with such a negative situation. The rest of us women would do well to follow her example.

Caitlin Malone can be reached at caitlin. malone@spartans.ut.edu

Belgium, condemned this bill, considering it religiously prohibited and immoral.

“The law says adolescents cannot make important decisions on economic or emotional issues, but suddenly they’ve become able to decide that someone should make them die,” said Leonard at a prayer vigil last week, as reported by BBC News.

Furthermore, although euthanasia is justified for medical reasons and pediatricians and politicians proposed the law, some pediatricians argue against the law of child euthanasia.

One hundred and seventy-five pediatricians signed an open letter advocating more time for reflection before any decision is made, according to CNN. In the open letter, the pediatricians asserted that the law “responds to no real demand.”

The letter also questions how such serious actions can be based on a child’s decision and whether a child is even able to make such a final

decision. When it comes to children’s health, no one would know better than pediatricians, so the fact that pediatricians are objecting to such a law means that it was not adequately thought through.

No matter how hard we try, we will never be able to teach terminally ill children how to make the decision of whether or not to end their lives, or even explain death to them.

Consequently, even though no child deserves to suffer from illness or pain, no child should make a decision that he or she is not fully aware of. I believe that legalizing euthanasia without any age restriction will cause more harm than good to both the patients and their families.

Euthanasia should have an age restriction of 18 so the patient can have more awareness regarding his or her decision and its consequences.

Rawan Elzayat can be reached at rawan.elzayat@spartans.ut.edu

Belgium to Allow Sick Children Choice of Life or Death

By RAWAN ELZAYAT Opinion Writer

Welcome to Belgium, where you have to be 18 to vote, but there’s no age restriction to be euthanized.

The lower house of the Belgian parliament passed a bill on Feb. 13 that allows euthanasia with no age restriction for terminally ill children under parents’ consent, according to The New York Times.

Philippe Mahoux, a Socialist Party senator who sponsored the legislation, said that the law would apply to terminally ill young people, such as cancer patients with no hope of successful treatment.

A child psychologist or psychiatrist would have to examine the child to make sure he or she is capable of making the decision, according to CNN. Mahoux claims that this bill is the ultimate gesture of humanity.

“The scandal is that children will die from disease. The scandal is not to

try and avoid the pain of the children in that situation,” Mahoux said, as reported by The Washington Post.

There is nothing humane about letting a child decide whether or not to die. It is such an extremely stressful and painful process for a mature adult to make the decision to undergo euthanasia; imagine an emotionally immature child going through this.

Actually, most children can’t even comprehend the idea of death.

According to the National Institute of Health, children only start to gradually understand that death is irreversible after age 6.

Giving a child such a right, which is a great responsibility, is more of a curse than a privilege. Such children, who are legally unable to participate in elections and are socially considered too young to make vital decisions, should not be responsible of making the decision to die.

Brussels Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard, head of the Catholic Church in

14 FEBRUARY 20 2014 | THE MINARET

OPINION

Please Keep It In Your Pants: Unwanted Nude Photos Become Trend

By HANNAH WEBSTER Opinion Columnist

There are few things more startling than unlocking your phone and being suddenly bombarded with an unanticipated picture of someone’s genitalia. Sure, sometimes two people will start sexting and pictures will be exchanged in a more predictable manner.

But it just isn’t one of those things that I personally enjoy have thrown in my face unexpectedly. (I suppose that is also true beyond the purely photographic sense.)

After the third or fourth time this happened to me, I started wondering if it was my problem, if I was doing something that screamed, “please send me pictures of your penis out of the blue even though I have not so much as hinted at wanting one.”

I finally took advantage of a silent moment out at dinner with the girls one night and posed the question, “So… Do you guys get a lot of unexpected dick pics?”

Silence. Laughter. And then a simultaneous chorus of “YES!” To my surprise, the floodgates opened as everyone started recalling times when someone they were just friends with, someone they hadn’t seen since high school or even someone they never met had sent them one of these pictures with a variety of––artistic license.

Motives seemed to range from an attempt at seduction to just looking for praise and a little self-esteem boost. The Captain Morgan pose was disturbingly popular, as were close-ups so close that it appeared to be taken with an electron microscope.

“Yes, I have received a number of random, unwanted pictures,” said Joanna Hynes, senior writing major. “I almost feel bad for those guys because it’s like they think that piece of themselves is their best asset or something, so they’re shoving it down people’s throats, figuratively.”

As much as I’d like to sit on my high horse and say that men are disgusting with their uninvited nudity, I’m afraid girls aren’t exactly innocent of this kind of behavior either. The motivation behind sending photos

like this is likely the same as it is for men. I thought men might be more pleased by such occurrences than the ladies I’ve spoken to, but the reaction seems to be quite similar.

“The motivation was probably to turn me on or something I’m assuming,” said Jesse, a senior criminology major who requested his full name remain private, on receiving nudes without a warning. “And as far as the girl who sent it, I’m not really sure what I thought about her. I guess I was pretty indifferent about it. I’d peg it as a bad thing.”

As far as the means of sending these racy photos go, the biggest culprit seems to be SnapChat. The appeal makes sense, seeing as the app advertises the fact that you can send someone a photo that is immediately erased after a few seconds. I would even go as far to say that it seems to have increased the amount of scandalous photos being exchanged.

Combined with a brief (and perhaps drunk) whim of wanting to show someone how big the change is between flaccid and excited, a snap appears to be the perfect way to send out your not-thought-out nudes. And hey, you can even send it to multiple people at once. You are also sent a notification if someone tries to screenshot one of your photos.

Or are you?

Apps like SnapBox and SnapHack have been created and made available for purchase, allowing SnapChat users to save photos without prompting a notification to the sender. If you type “SnapChat” into Google, the preview of the image section is filled with screenshots of a bunch of people’s naked bodies, all of whom I would assume never had the intention of those photos being on the front page of Google Images.

Oh yeah, and you know what else comes up after you Google SnapChat? The huge security breach that leaked approximately 4.6 million usernames and the phone numbers they are linked to. This has an

entire set of problems associated with it, but led many to a bigger question: What does SnapChat have on its database and how well-protected is it?

Multiple Facebook and Tumblr pages posting nude snaps without users’ permission have been taken down since the app’s creation. While much of this has been attributed to users taking screenshots or utilizing one of the aforementioned apps, SnapChat representatives claim photos aren’t being leaked from their end.

They recently told ABC News that even if your snaps are involved in a police investigation, they won’t hand them over without a warrant.

Still, realize what this means: All of those snaps that you have ever sent are saved somewhere. If usernames and phone numbers were leaked, who’s to say photos

can’t be too? With any social media or social technology, I try to keep in mind that once it is out there in the cyber world, it probably always will be. The same principle applies when you send pictures by text or email.

Even if you are just sending nudes to your boyfriend of however many years, think before you snap. And for those sending pictures of your nether regions without any hinting or prompting whatsoever to someone who is little more than a complete stranger, come on now.

Get your sh*t together.

The next time you are getting ready to bare it all for what you think will be a nice little “surprise,” try to keep in mind that the picture won’t really disappear after eight seconds.

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

fair to be forced to dissolve a friendship solely because it makes your significant other uncomfortable. However, with great relationship comes great responsibility.

If you are in a relationship with another person, then you are no longer the only one affected by your choices. It often seems that your partner’s influence spills over into your everyday decision making, including what you wear, what your weekend plans are and what music you enjoy—but does your partner have the right to influence who you hang out with?

According to NBC News, four out of five men in a committed relationship surveyed claimed to have never cheated on their significant other. Assuming these men are telling the truth, there’s a pretty good chance your beau will remain faithful. Unfortunately, it may be hard to know whether or not your partner is part of the one in five men in a monogamous relationship who lose their willpower.

Though (hopefully) unfathomable for many, it is still very possible to find yourself on the less fortunate side of the situation and have problems with your partner’s faith. This is why it is okay to take precautionary measures as soon as any member of the relationship is uncomfortable. However, this does not mean that one should force their

significant other to stop seeing their “flirtationship partner” unless they believe they are cheating.

Instead, there are other methods to ensure that everyone involved is comfortable and does not feel like they have to make a sacrifice—after all, feelings of sacrifice can lead to resentment, and it can create a much larger issue than originally anticipated.

Junior psychology major Sophie Daly believes the solution is to stay in groups.

“If there’s at least three other people with them, then there shouldn’t be a problem,” Daly said. “They won’t be tempted by any potential feelings if there are other people around. That way they can have their close friends and you won’t have to worry when they’re with them.”

Relationships rely entirely on three concepts to stay alive: trust, love and respect. While the love may be a more obvious answer, it is surprising how many relationships do not have sturdy foundations in trust and/or respect. While there should be trust between both parties in a relationship, it is vital that you respect each other.

This means that if your boyfriend or girlfriend is upset with who you’re choosing to spend your time with, then the issue is not about your partner not trusting you. Rather, the issue is your

lack of respect for your partner’s feelings.

This blatant disregard has the potential to spill over into other departments of the relationship and cause serious tension or distress.

NBC also reported that most people cheat with people that they find to be less attractive than their current partner. So if your boyfriend or girlfriend has been spending all of their time with a dropdead gorgeous friend, it might not be as concerning as you originally believed.

Rather, keep them away from people that are less attractive than you (that’s everyone, right?) and give them the space to form the relationships of their choosing.

It is vital that you listen to your partner. Talk to them about what exactly bothers them about you spending time with another person and offer to make changes that will ensure that they are more comfortable. We all have the right to spend time with whoever we choose, but we also have the responsibility to consider the feelings of those closest to us.

When all else fails, imagine yourself in your partner’s shoes. There can be such thing as “just a friend.” After talking it out, all there is to do is give them their space and hope that the odds are in your favor.

Terry Preston can be reached at terrence.preston@spartans.ut.edu

Annabella Palopoli/The Minaret

Snapchat seems to be the most-used application for the exchange of unwanted “dick pics.”

Does Sexual Attraction Count as Cheating?

By TERRY PRESTON Opinion Columnist

We all have wandering eyes. Whether we are checking out people at the gym, at the beach or staring open-mouthed at someone from across the cafeteria, we are almost constantly focused on objects of sexual attraction. This is no different when one is in a relationship.

Despite statements of “I only have eyes for one person,” our eyes are actually glued to anything good looking. Every so often, some of us will act on our wandering eyes while others will dismiss desires and stay focused on their boyfriend or girlfriend.

Others will spend time with a person of their desires, entering a “flirtationship,” or non-physical relationship centered only on innocent flirting. So what happens when our significant others pick up attractive best friends? It’s safe to say that it’s okay to be a little jealous.

When you’re the one worried about the relationship with your significant other and his or her best friend, it can be grueling. Nobody wants to be viewed as the neurotic and controlling boyfriend or girlfriend, and it’s especially difficult when you can’t feel comfortable with expressing your honest feelings.

It is, on the other hand, just as difficult for the party involved in the frowned upon outside relationship; it might not feel

THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 20 2014

OPINION

15

Barbie Questionable Choice for Sports Illustrated Ad

By BRIANNA KWASNIK Opinion Contributor

My sister and I both played with Barbie dolls when we were kids. It was one of the only times we would play together without arguing. We would spend hours creating imaginary situations for Barbie, including planning her career, family and housing situation.

Contrary to popular belief, we never once looked at Barbie and felt jealous of her blonde hair, unrealistic body proportions or hot boyfriend. We never once looked at her and felt sad because we resembled the total opposite of her tall, lean figure. I may have had brown hair and an athletic body shape, but I was different, and I loved that. I understood the difference between the reflection I saw in the mirror and the dolls we played with. They were toys, and that’s all.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated, two of the most commonly criticized companies have decided to join forces and make a statement. Mattel, the manufacturer of Barbie has teamed up with Sports Illustrated to launch their Unapologetic campaign. The goal of the campaign, a spokesperson for Mattel explained, is “to empower fans to engage and celebrate all that makes them who they are,” according to CNN. The advertisement for the campaign caused a major uproar on the Internet.

The ad resembled the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition covers, featuring Barbie in a black and white striped bathing suit.

According to the New York Post, many people believed this to be the actual swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated, which usually features a supermodel

Barbie/Facebook

Mattel, the manufacturer of Barbie, and Sports Illustrated team up to launch their ‘Unapologetic’ campaign to “empower fans to engage and celebrate all that makes them who they are.”

posing provocatively in a bikini. Many did not understand the reasoning behind using Barbie, a toy for children, in conjunction with Sports Illustrated, a magazine generally for adult men.

The purpose of this advertisement was explained by a spokesperson for Mattel to Ad Age. “As a legend herself, and under criticism about her body and how she looks, posing in Sports

Illustrated swimsuit issue gives Barbie and her fellow legends an opportunity to own who they are, celebrate what they have done, and be unapologetic.”

Many people believe that using Barbie on the cover of a magazine notoriously known for presenting women as mere sexual objects sends a negative message to young children.

I agree that the use of Barbie on the

cover of Sports Illustrated is creepy. The swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated is geared toward adult males. Having a children’s toy on the cover that usually features a sexy swimsuit model is inappropriate.

I think that Mattel’s intentions were good in creating this advertisement. In a society constantly guilty of fat-shaming and criticizing people’s weight, they were only trying to point out that we do the same thing to Barbie. She is made out of plastic, and people still criticize that she is too thin and unrealistic.

Saying that Barbie is too thin and then accusing the image of Barbie as shaming realistic body types is hypocritical; people come in all shapes and sizes. Whatever body shape we have, we should own it and be proud of the body we were given and make no apologies.

However, Mattel could have taken a different approach. Combining Barbie with the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition cover only further emphasizes that sex sells and that the slim body is the body type that men dream about, as Sports Illustrated is geared toward men. The idea of having a doll made of plastic on a magazine cover where many of the girls are practically part plastic is only making fun of itself.

The thing is, Barbies are not real girls, and everybody knows that. I think part of the appeal of playing with Barbies is the imaginative aspect. They are nothing like us, so children have the ability to make them whatever they want and create their own stories. This is how children grow, by using their imaginations.

Brianna Kwasnik can be reached at brianna.kwasnik@spartans.ut.edu

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16 THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 20 2014

Sports

Men’s Lacrosse Takes Down No. 6 NYIT With Ease

By ANDREW STAMAS Sports Writer

The Spartan men’s lacrosse team kicked off its season on Saturday, Feb. 15 with an outstanding 15-11 away win at Queens University of Charlotte, N.C. In addition to their win, two team members were rewarded for their efforts by being named the Sunshine State Conference’s players of the week. Junior Nick Ferreiro was honored as the SSC Defensive Player of the Week, and sophomore transfer Jake Rooney received the award of SSC Offensive Player of the Week. Rooney led the team’s offense with five goals in his first game playing for the Spartans.

Rooney, who played last year for Hofstra University, was very pleased with his performance. “It’s nice that I had a good game,” he said. “However, we need to take it one game at a time. We have to have a short memory and address what is happening.”

Rooney also said that he has not encountered any problems adjusting to his first season here at UT. “I feel adjusted. I have a very welcoming team. It is a nice university, so I was pretty comfortable right off the bat,” Rooney said.

Perhaps one of the major differences between Hofstra and UT is that Hofstra is a Division I school and UT is a Division II school. “There’s definitely a talent drop off, but the work ethic and schedule is similar to Division I,” Rooney said.

Some of the other main contributors for the Spartans in their game against Queens were Conor Whipple, Mike Morris and Andrew Failla. Whipple, a freshman, scored three goals in the contest. Morris, a sophomore transfer from Johns Hopkins University, also added two goals to the Spartans’ total of 15. Failla, a sophomore, played goalkeeper for most of the game and came up with 11 saves.

Coach Rory Whipple said, “They played very well. We beat a solid Queens team that is top five in the South. It definitely gives us

confidence. We’re now ranked 13th.”

Regarding the team’s goals for the rest of the season, Whipple said, “Bottom line is that we want to be in the top eight and get into the NCAA tournament. Once we get in, our goal should be to win a national championship.”

Not only does he have a great bunch of talented and hardworking guys on his team this year, but Coach Whipple also has his son Conor, a freshman on the team. “It’s a great experience for me [to coach him],” said Whipple. I’ve coached him through the youth. It feels very rewarding. He’s a good player, and he’s definitely going to help. He plays attack with Rooney and Morris. Our attack unit could be one of the top offensive units in the country.”

His offensive players were not the only ones he felt played well against Queens, and he did not want to leave out the defensive players. “Defense as a whole played really well [against Queens],” Whipple said.

On Friday night, the Spartans were able to upset No.6 New York Institute of Technology, for their best win in program history. Despite a shaky start in which NYIT went up 2-0, the Spartans dominated the contest, taking it 15-6 in their home opener. The leading scorers for UT were Whipple with four goals and Rooney with three. Nick Ferreiro (against his former team) and Brian Patton netted two goals each. Once again, Failla came up big in goal, saving a total of seven shots.

This victory gave the UT program its second ever win over a nationallyranked opponent. It was also the highest ranked team they had ever beaten, as their only other previous win against a ranked opponent was against No. 9 Mars Hill two years ago. The Spartans will now return to North Carolina to face Catawba College on Feb 23. They will then return to Tampa and will have four consecutive home games between March 1 and March 15.

Andrew Stamas can be reached at andrew.stamas@spartans.ut.edu

Michelle Speaker/The Minaret

Junior midfielder Bobby Calhoun charges down the field in a 15-6 win over NYIT.

Lacrosse Impact Players of the Week

Mike Morris Midfield

Andrew Failla Goalkeeper

Conor Whipple Midfield

Marty Heyn Defense

Morris, a Hofstra transfer, has impressed thus far in his Spartan career. Through the first two games, Morris has three goals and two assists for a cumulative total of five points. The sophomore has started both contests for the Spartans, and should be a staple for the offensive attack employed by Coach Rory Whipple.

In his first season as UT’s starting goalkeeper, Failla has been a stalwart for the team. He has started both of the team’s games and has played 112 of the possible 120 minutes in both contests. He has a GAA of 6.94 goals allowed per game, and has steadily improved as the season has gone on. Look for Failla to continue his hot start in the net.

Whipple, who is the son of Head Coach Rory Whipple, has proven to be worthy of a starting spot this early in his freshman campaign. The midfielder, who graduated from Saint Andrews School in Boca Raton, Fla., has teamed up with Morris to lead the Spartan offense. Through his first two games, Whipple has seven goals.

Heyn has picked up right where he left off from last year when he started all 17 games and earned a place on the SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll. Heyn has started both games for the Spartans thus far, accounting for two ground balls and two caused turnovers. Look for him to anchor UT’s defense throughout the season.

17

FEBRUARY 20 2014 | THE MINARET

Women’s Lacrosse Era Begins in Tampa Photos courtesy of Tom Kolbe

Freshmen Bria Litow (Far Left) and Mackenzie Perna (Far Right) stand with University President Ronald Vaughn and his wife Renee before their inaugural first home game.

By PAIGE SHALLCROSS Sports Writer

This year is the inaugural season for the University of Tampa’s women’s lacrosse team, and the team is excited about this new opportunity. So far the Spartan team has only played one game against top ranked team Rollins, and that game has paved the way for many great things to happen this season. Coach Kelly Gallagher believes that playing Rollins College for their first game is what is going to set the tone and determination of the team this season.

Even though the Spartan team is on the young side, Gallagher thinks it leaves a lot of room for the players to grow and prosper, including senior Tess Hooker and sophomore Katie Delaney.

“We are a very young and unique team especially because none of them have played college lacrosse before,” Gallagher said. “The team has great resilience, a lot of heart and some unproved confidence. They really

relate and push each other everyday, which will really help them grow as players and as a team in the future.”

Not only does Gallagher think the team has a lot of potential, the players see the potential there too and have some very strong goals set for the season.

“Personally, I’d like to become better as a player and leader,” Hooker said. “I haven’t played since high school so coming back to such a competitive sport is difficult. I’d like the team to set the tone for the years to come after I leave.”

Along with personal goals, there are collaborative team goals that Gallagher and the players want to work on. She wants to see the girls work harder every time they step on the field and to improve as a team.

“The goals of the team are essentially just to work as hard as we can,” Delaney said. “And to consistently stay positive and develop our playing skills both individually and as a team.”

With all these goals set for the season, the team has taken what it learned from its first game against Rollins and is using it to motivate the team even more.

“Playing Rollins for our first game was a pretty big deal,” Gallagher said.

“I saw a lot of great things that really highlights the potential we have. We do have to work on our consistency and composure, but it was definitely a great learning experience.”

“Rollins was tough, which we expected it to be, considering they are nationally ranked,” Delaney said. “But facing a strong team like Rollins gave us a lot of opportunity to learn more and improve our own team.”

There is a lot going for the women’s lacrosse team this season and it will be exciting to see how they move forward as a new program, especially with all of the hard work that has been put into this inaugural team.

“I am just so excited that we have the team” Hooker said. “I have been working

Upcoming Women’s Lacrosse Games Sunday, March 4 vs. Newberry College 7 p.m.

Monday, March 10 vs. Limestone 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 15 vs. Indiana, Pa. 7 p.m.

Tuesday, March 18 vs. SCAD 7 p.m.

since I got to UT to get a lacrosse team, and it is one of the greatest feelings to see your hard work pay off.”

The next women’s lacrosse game is away against Queens, N.C., and their next home game is March 4 against Newberry.

Paige Shallcross can be reached at paige.shallcross@spartans.ut.edu

Photos courtesy of Tom Kolbe

LEFT: Freshman midfielder Kerry Glenday impressed many with three draw controls in a 21-7 loss to Rollins. RIGHT: Goalkeeper Arianna Diaz has a commanding presence on defense.

18 FEBRUARY 20 2014 | THE MINARET

SPORTS

Pro Sports

NBA Contenders Look to Upgrade at Trade Deadline

LEFT: Basketball Schedule/Flickr, RIGHT: RMTip21/Flickr LEFT: Despite averaging 17.5 points per game, Evan Turner could be on the move this week. RIGHT: The Magic may opt to shed Arron Afflalo’s $7.3 million annual salary.

By GREG PRAVER Sports Writer

To some fans, the NBA Trade Deadline is the most exciting and intriguing day of the NBA season. Luckily for those fans, there are a lot of rumors brewing around the league. Teams will either buy, sell or stay put on this day. There are stars who are unrestricted free agents, leaving general managers of their respective teams with a tough decision: Do we trade him now and rebuild for the future by acquiring cheap, young talent along with draft picks or keep him and try to win right now?

Teams that are in the thick of the playoff race looking to acquire key players and don’t mind giving up a draft pick or two include the Charlotte Bobcats and the Phoenix Suns. This year’s draft is comprised of top-notch talent in the first round. Teams may covet these young players more than they do current stars. This is not the case for the Bobcats and Suns, who have waited for multiple seasons to get back on track.

It’s a “win-now” attitude for them. The Bobcats are in need of a scoring shooting guard to take the load off of center Al Jefferson, who averages 20.1 points per game, perhaps in the mold of Evan Turner of the Sixers, Arron Afflalo of the Magic or Eric Gordon of the Pelicans. The Bobcats may look to trade former high draft pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who has not lived up to the expectations of some. The call: Bobcats acquire Turner.

The Suns are looking for a star to take their surprisingly great season to the next level. They can use a scorer to replace Eric Bledsoe, who has been out for a month and a half with a right knee injury. The Suns may look at acquiring Sixers’ Forward Thaddeus Young, Kings’ Guard Rudy Gay or the Cavalier swingman Luol Deng. They may have to surrender their first round pick that they acquired from Indiana last season, which is not a big deal since Indiana will be picking very low in the first round. The call:

Suns acquire Sixers’ Young and Hawes.

The New York Knicks (20-32) are having a disappointing season after being the second seed in last season’s Eastern Conference playoffs. They are a good candidate to be buyers but frankly, lack the draft picks and young talent to acquire a star to convince Carmelo Anthony to stay with the team (who is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end). The call: Knicks trade Anthony and Iman Shumpert.

On the flip side, there are certain teams that currently have good first round draft pick positions and are completely out of the playoff race. Two teams that come to mind that may unload high-impact players to contenders for draft picks or younger and cheaper talent include the Philadelphia 76ers (Sixers) and the Orlando Magic.

The Sixers have a plethora of expendable talent, including the versatile young trio of Turner, Young and Hawes.

They have a nice future built with young stud Michael Carter-Williams and fellow rookie Nerlens Noel, who is missing time this season due to injury.

On top of that, they have two potential lottery (top 14) first round draft picks and a ton of cap space used to spend on marquee free agents during the next few seasons.

The Orlando Magic have three players that come to mind that may be traded due to their large salaries on a team that will miss the playoffs this season. They include Arron Afflalo, Glen Davis and Jameer Nelson.

The call: Afflalo and Nelson get traded while Davis stays.

Today should be a very interesting day in the NBA. Some teams will be in win-now mode, and others will be in the stage of rebuilding. We will find out soon.

Greg Praver can be reached at gregory.praver@spartans.ut.edu

All-Star Weekend a Slam Dunk For Basketball

By TESS SHEETS Sports Writer

The 2014 NBA All-Star Weekend started on Valentine’s Day with the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. Prominent participants in the game included actor Kevin Hart and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. While Duncan broke the record for most points scored in an All-Star Celebrity Game with 20, not to mention snatching 11 rebounds, and six assists, Hart ended the game with the MVP trophy after posting seven points and four assists. Hart won the fan’s vote for MVP, which would have made it his third consecutive victory, but humbly passed the award to Duncan, who truly deserved it.

Shortly after the Celebrity Game was the Rising Stars Challenge, which pits the league’s top rookies and sophomores against each other. Team Hill came out victorious, beating Team Webber 142-

136. Andre Drummond was awarded MVP after scoring 30 points and a recordhigh 25 rebounds. Other memorable players during this game included Team Webber’s Tim Hardaway Jr. of the New York Knicks and Team Hill’s Dion Waiters of the Cleveland Cavaliers, both of whom proved worthy of snatching up the award themselves, especially after their three minute, back and forth shootout in the last nine minutes of the second half. Both players went on runs of over 10 consecutive points and took turns putting their teams in the lead. Hardaway and Waiters scored totals of 36 and 31 points, respectively.

Kicking off the All-Star Saturday night was the Shooting Stars contest.

Team Curry (comprised of Stephen and Dell Curry, teamed with Becky Hammond), was expected to dominate the challenge. However, they were knocked out in the first round. The final

Basketball Schedule/Flickr

The East took the All-Star crown this year, winning 163-155. Kyrie Irving was voted MVP.

shootout put Team Bosh, consisting of Chris Bosh, Swin Cash and Dominique Wilkins, against Team Durant, which included Kevin Durant, Skylar Diggins and Karl Malone. After Bosh’s final halfcourt shot that landed his team at 31.4 seconds, he and his teammates celebrated their second consecutive win.

The second event on All-Star Saturday Night was the Skills Challenge. The format of this competition was changed just slightly this year, with the East and West each contributing two teams of two players to compete in the form of a relay. The West’s All-Star point guard from Portland, Damian Lillard and Trey Burke, the rookie point guard from Utah, won the challenge, coming out only 0.1 seconds ahead of Philadelphia rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams and Orlando shooting guard Victor Oladipo from the East.

Following the Skills challenge was the Foot Locker 3-Point Contest, in which the Spurs’ Marco Belinelli and Wizards’ Bradley Beal went head to head in the final shootout. After tying with 19 3-pointers in the final round, the two players were forced into an extra minute of shooting where Belinelli beat out Beal 24 to 18.

The final event before the big game on Sunday, Feb. 16 was the Slam Dunk contest. Once again, the format was altered from previous years. Instead of players competing individually, an East and a West team were formed, consisting of three athletes each. The challenge was split into two rounds. The first was a 90-second “Freestyle Round,” where each team was able to show off as many

creative dunks as they could back-toback within that time frame. Next came the “Battle Round,” which showcased a player from the East going head-to-head against one from the West, with judges voting on a winning side. The first to win three Battle Rounds would be the winner of the contest. After the East snatched the first three Battle Rounds in a row, Washington Wizards guard John Wall of the East team was crowned “Dunker of the Night” after his memorable final shot in which he jumped clear over the Wizards’ mascot’s head, grabbed the ball from his hands and then completed a reverse dunk.

Concluding this largely Easterndominated weekend, the 2014 All-Star Game proved to be one of the more competitive ones to date as it was the highest scoring All-Star game in history.

Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving took the honor of MVP, scoring 31 points and contributing 14 assists for the East as well as becoming the youngest player to ever receive the award.

The game could be characterized by both teams’ overwhelming offensive prowess. Numerous records were shattered during Sunday’s game.

Carmelo Anthony broke the record for most 3-pointers, sinking eight of his attempted 13. Blake Griffin made a record-setting 19 field goals, 10 of which were dunks. On the other hand, there was not a single blocked shot from either team’s defenses during the game. The game ended with an East victory, their first in four years as they triumphed over the West 163-155.

Tess Sheets can be reached at tess. sheets@spartans.ut.edu

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Derek Jeter’s Retirement Marks End of an Era, U.S. Hockey Charges Ahead

By JORDAN LLANES Sports Editor

As a diehard fan of the New York Yankees and our very own U.S. Olympic squad, this past week has been eventful to say the least. Spring has yet to hit the Sunshine State, yet both squads of Yanks are dominating headlines in the sports world.

In the Bronx, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter announced that he will retire at the end of the 2014 season, ending the era of the “Core Four.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. men’s hockey team has absolutely dominated in Sochi, sweeping group play and landing a bye going into the quarterfinal round.

Jeter’s retirement will create a ripple effect that will resonate with the entire Yankees organization. They are losing a leader, ambassador, icon and a captain all rolled into one package.

Ever since his debut in 1995, Jeter has been the definition of a Yankee.

The Captain has led the team through multiple championships with his outstanding defensive skills, ability to lead off the powerful Bronx Bomber lineup and undeniable charisma. His iconic No. 2 will be the next number to be retired by the Yankees, and he is a surefire first ballot Hall of Fame inductee. Good luck on your final season, Captain. We’re all pulling for you to capture one more ring. Well, maybe not Red Sox fans, but who cares what they think?

Over in Sochi, the U.S. men’s could have been a shutout if not for the team from up north, a.k.a.Canada. The hockey team’s story is just starting. a defensive lapse in the last minute dead period of sports is nearly done, as we The team concluded group play of the game. Coach Dan Bylsma has have a whole bunch to cover over the next on Sunday with a 5-1 victory over put this team in a great position to win few weeks here at The Minaret. The NFL Slovenia and a perfect 3-0 record. The its matchups, which it has done on a Scouting Combine, Spring Training, the red, white and blue have excelled in fairly consistent basis. rest of the Sochi Games and the NBA trade all four phases of the game: offense, The rest of the tournament should be a deadline are just some of the events that are defense, goaltending and coaching. fun one to watch, as the Americans look to going on right now. Looking forward to the The offense is firing on all cylinders, build off their silver medal finish from the rest of a great semester. as shown by its 15 goals during the 2010 games in Vancouver. We all know Jordan Llanes can be reached at group stage. The 7-1 rout of Slovakia this young squad wants another shot at jordan.llanes@theminaretonline.com in the opening game included a six goal outburst in the second period.

The victory over Slovenia was also an easy one, and the controversial 32 win over Russia on the Ruskies’ home ice showed that the Yanks can gut out a tough win. That trait will prove vital as the team moves deeper in the tournament. St. Louis Blues winger T.J Oshie has led the offensive attack for the Americans, scoring the decisive goals in the shootout victory over the Russians.

Pittsburgh’s Paul Martin and Minnesota’s Ryan Suter have led the American defense, playing their international opponents tough while handing out punishing but clean checks. But the U.S. goaltending has been this team’s strength.

Goalies Jonathan Quick (L.A. Kings) and Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres) have played superbly, only allowing four total goals in three Basketball Schedule/Flickr contests. The game against Slovenia Yankee hero Derek Jeter is finally calling it quits after a tremendous career in New York.

For NFL Hopefuls, Journey Begins at Draft Combine

By DOMINICK FALCO Sports Writer

NFL players finally have a chance to rest after a taxing 2013 season. As for those that haven’t yet made the league, their journey has just begun.

Across the league, NFL scouts and general managers are scrambling to work harder than ever to get their draft boards in order. The NFL Draft is the most important offseason event in the league. After the end of the season, the first draft event is the

NFL Draft Combine, which runs from Feb. 22 to Feb. 25 in Indianapolis.

The Draft Combine is the place for NFL Draft prospects to showcase their athletic ability for NFL teams. Many players can have their draft stock skyrocket with a great performance or have their stock plummet with a poor showing.

We start with consensus number one prospect, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney from South Carolina. Listed at 6-foot-6 inch and 274 pounds, Clowney is the most intriguing athlete

Matt Velazquez/Flickr

Johnny Manziel can solidify his spot as top quarterback prospect with a successful combine.

in the entire draft class. If Clowney can put on a show, as he predicted, he will cement himself as a top five pick.

The player that will be getting the most attention at the combine is defensive end Michael Sam from Missouri. Sam is potentially the first openly gay NFL player in history after coming out to The New York Times Feb. 9.

Although the athletic drills will be important for Sam to propel his stock, the most important thing will be how he tests with his team interviews. Sam will be bombarded with questions about his sexuality and how he will fit into an NFL locker room. If he can pass the interview tests, then he can focus on the drills to improve his stock.

The most important position in football, quarterback, has a few players on the must-watch list. Johnny Manziel from Texas A&M is the most exciting prospect in the entire draft. Manziel has big playmaking ability and can make plays with his feet or his arm.

Another top quarterback to watch is Teddy Bridgewater from Louisville.

Bridgewater is looked at as the best pure passer in this year’s class.

Although these quarterbacks are two of the top prospects in the draft, most of their stock will be tied to team interviews, since signal callers may not throw at the combine.

There will be other top prospects that will be interesting to watch for such as linebacker Anthony Barr from UCLA, linebacker Khalil Mack from Buffalo, Auburn tackle Greg Robinson and Alabama safety Ha Ha ClintonDix. Along with the top recognizable names, there are also many under-the-

radar prospects that will be intriguing to watch at the combine.

One prospect to watch is running back Isaiah Crowell from Alabama State. Crowell started his college career at Georgia as one of the top recruits in the nation. After multiple run-ins with the law, he was dismissed from Georgia and later enrolled at Alabama State. He was a very talented runner coming into college, so if he can have a strong showing at the combine, maybe he can show the potential to be an NFL caliber running back.

Another prospect with hidden potential is Quarterback Derek Carr from Fresno State.

Although Carr is considered a possible first round pick, he is not looked at as a top quarterback like Manziel, Bridgewater or UCF’s Blake Bortles. Carr should be able to boost his draft stock in the combine with his interviews with teams. There may be a good amount of attention shown toward Carr, as there are multiple teams in need of a quarterback.

Other notable under-the-radar players to watch out for are tackle Zach Martin from Notre Dame, safety Deone Bucannon from Washington State, linebacker Kyle Van Noy from BYU and cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste from Nebraska.

The underwear Olympics are the first stop on a crazy road leading up to the NFL Draft on May 8.

This weekend, 335 players will have their chance to show NFL scouts what they are made of. NFL fans are excited to see who propels their stock and whose stock will fall.

Dominick Falco can be reached at dominick.falco@spartans.ut.edu

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MLB Teams Arrive in the Desert to Start Cactus League

By CONNOR ANTHONY Sports Writer

With Opening Day only five weeks away, it’s safe to say that baseball is finally back. Now that pitchers and catchers have already reported to spring training, order is restored in the universe.

This offseason has come and gone, but the storylines will carry over into the regular season and won’t be put to rest until long after October is over.

Can the Dodgers Win it All? Las Vegas already has the Dodgers as the favorites to win the fall classic come October and for good reason.

With a healthy Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez back in the lineup, The Dodgers have arguably the best starting nine in the MLB. Last year, the Dodgers started off the season going 30-42 and were in last place as late as July 1.

With injuries to Kemp and Ramirez in addition to starters Chad Billingsley, Zack Greinke, Josh Beckett and Ted Lilly all spending time on the Disabled List, it looked like the Dodgers were on their way to a last place finish.

But Cuban sensation Yasiel Puig burst onto the scene and gave them the boost they needed. Following an incredible 42-8 run, they made it all the way to the NLCS. But the injuries to Kemp and Ramirez proved too grand to overcome and they were beat in six games by St. Louis. With a healthy lineup and one of the best pitching staffs in the league, there’s no reason why the Dodgers can’t bring back the

first championship trophy to Chavez Ravine since 1988.

Will Cano Thrive in Seattle?

Robinson Cano was the biggest free agent target this offseason and ended up taking his talents to the Pacific Northwest. The best second baseman in the league accepted a 10-year, $240 million contract from the Seattle Mariners, the third largest in MLB history. With Cano in Seattle, the Mariners finally feel like they have found someone they can build their team around and get out of the cellar that they have dug themselves into in

the AL West. While the first eight years of his career have been spectacular, his move to Seattle raises three questions.

Will he be able to produce in a less than friendly hitter park? Yankee Stadium is a left handed hitter’s dream, with the right field fence only 315 feet away from home plate.

Safeco Field is well-known as a pitcher-friendly, hitting nightmare park. What about protection? The Yankees have the kind of money the Mariners wish they had, and their lineup card reflects that.

The Mariners traded for Logan

Keith Allison/Flickr

With a healthy Matt Kemp in the lineup, the sky is the limit for the Dodgers this year.

Morrison and signed Corey Hart, hoping to give Cano protection in their lineup.

The third and final question is did the Mariners give Cano too many years?

There was a reason that the Yankees only offered Cano seven years: players break down. Cano is 31, meaning that he will be in Seattle until he is 41. Players usually wear down after they turn 35, meaning this deal could end up biting the Mariners in the butt.

Will the Angels Claim the West?

The Los Angeles Angels have made big moves the last two offseasons. They signed free agents Albert Pujols and Pitcher C.J Wilson to very lucrative deals after the 2011 season and signed former Texas slugger Josh Hamilton to a 5-year, $125 million dollar contract following the 2012 season.

So far the Angels have been more than disappointing. After two third place finishes in the last two years, the Angels hope that a healthy Pujols and non slumping Hamilton can pair with slugger Mike Trout and lead the Halos to a first place finish.

The pitching rotation, which has been the Angels’ Achilles heel, was upgraded this offseason but at a definite cost.

The Angels traded slugger Mark Trumbo to Arizona part of a three team trade, which sent young pitchers Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs to Anaheim. Paired with Jered Weaver and Wilson, the Angels could have very well fixed their pitching woes.

Connor Anthony can be reached at connor.anthony@spartans.ut.edu

Grapefruit League: Storylines from the Sunshine S t a t e

By PHIL NOVOTNY

replace Curtis Granderson as well as catcher Brian McCann and outfielder Carlos Beltran in With the conclusion of football season, an effort to improve the offense. They bolstered February can seem devoid of sports excitement. their pitching staff by signing Japanese league Yes, the Olympics are on and the NBA and star Masahiro Tanaka to a seven year, $155 NHL are midway through their seasons, but the million contract and reliever Matt Thornton to a playoffs are still far away. It is not quite spring two-year deal to solidify the bullpen. The news and it is barely winter, but all fans know is that has not all been positive for the Bronx Bombers, baseball season is on the cusp. Clubs will head however, as they lost slugger Alex Rodriguez to their spring training homes, and 15 of those (who is banned for the season for violating the clubs will come down to the sunshine state in MLB’s drug policy) and the best closer of all time, hopes of bringing a World Series crown back to Mariano Rivera, to retirement. The Bombers their respective city. Regardless, here are some hope that David Robertson will fill in the void at headlines that baseball fans should know about closer. They still have a lot to prove, but it looks some Grapefruit League clubs. like they do whatever they can to prevent the Red New Look Yankees Sox from repeating as World Series champions.

The New York Yankees have had an eventful Boston Looking to Remain Strong off-season to say the least. They signed former Speaking of the Red Sox, they are coming off Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury to a dream season after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in six games to win their third title in a decade. The Sox clinched the title at Fenway Park for the first time since 1918. Can it get any better for Red Sox Nation? It will be hard for the Red Sox to repeat but it is possible. Boston resigned first baseman Mike Napoli to a 2-year, $32 million contract to help keep their nucleus intact. They also signed catcher A.J Pierzynski to replace Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who signed with the Miami Marlins. The Sox also made their dominant bullpen even better by signing Edward Mujica and Burke Badenhop to set-up closer Koji Uehara. A looming question will be if they will hold onto shortstop Stephen Drew or give the job to prospect Xander Bogaerts. In the end, the key for the Red Sox to repeat is the bullpen and David Ortiz. If Uehara pitches the way he did Pasco Schools/ Flickr in the playoffs this year and Big Papi can carry Reigning Rookie of the Year Wil Myers will be the Sox with his power bat, then it should be a heavily relied upon to carry the Rays’ offense.

Sports Writer

smooth sailing journey back to prominence for Red Sox Nation.

The Dark Horse Tampa Bay Rays The local area Tampa Bay Rays are the dark horse in the American League East, which is considered to be the best division in baseball. The Rays’ offseason should be considered an up and down one. They lost Fernando Rodney to free agency but signed former Oakland A’s reliever Grant Balfour to a two-year deal to fill the void at closer. The Rays also acquired reliever Heath Bell and catcher Ryan Hanigan in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds and infielder Logan Forsythe from the San Diego Padres. They lost pivotal pieces to last year’s squad like infielder Kelly Johnson, outfielder Sam Fuld, designated hitter Luke Scott and others, but the hometown team does have hope with young stars like reigning 2013 AL Rookie of the Year Wil Myers and allstar Evan Longoria. Even though they have a ton of upside, the Rays will be a long shot for the division title. However, do not be surprised if the Rays are once again playing October baseball.

Are the Cardinals the Team to Beat?

The St. Louis Cardinals have stirred things up this offseason. They traded third baseman David Freese and pitcher Fernando Salas to the Los Angeles Angels for outfielders Peter Bourjos and Randal Grichuk, which could very well be looked at in retrospect as lopsided. To make things 0worse, they lost Carlos Beltran, a key component to their success in 2013. On a positive note, the Cardinals signed shortstop Jhonny Peralta to a four-year, $53 million contract. Teams criticized the signing due to the fact Peralta violated the MLB’s drug policy and was suspended for the first 50 games of the 2013 season. He should still play a vital part of the

team’s offense and serve as a solid replacement for Pete Kozma. The last major signing the Cardinals made was second baseman Mark Ellis, which adds another veteran presence to the lineup. The Cardinals have a solid team, but it is hard to say if they will repeat the performance during the 2013 season. Their pitching is good but not dominant and is going to ask a lot out of their free agent signings. Overall, the Cardinals are good but to say they are the class of the NL is a stretch.

Will the Nats Rebound?

The Washington Nationals were supposed to take the next step in 2013 but finished short of the playoffs despite going 86-76. This year could be different for the Nationals, especially in a weak National League East. Their only real competition for the division crown will be the Atlanta Braves, who made the NLDS last season before bowing out to the Dodgers. On another positive note, they revamped their pitching by trading for former Detroit Tigers Starting Pitcher Doug Fister and reliever Jerry Blevins from the Oakland A’s.

The rotation will include Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann and Gio Gonzalez and Fister, one of the best rotations in baseball. Also, the Nationals added outfielder Nate McLouth to play alongside Bryce Harper. The pieces are there for the Nationals to succeed. Can they live up to the hype and take the next step?

These headlines are just a few of many around the Grapefruit League, and this is just the beginning of the marathon that is referred to as baseball season. Get ready baseball fans. It should be a fun ride to the end of October.

Phil Novotny can be reached at philip. novotny@spartans.ut.edu